Konoha: Naruto's abnormal life choices

"Thunder Release: Thunderous Onslaught!"

The massive crater trembled as the Fourth Raikage unleashed his full power. His Lightning Armor crackled violently, pushing his speed beyond human limits—so fast that even Kakashi's Sharingan struggled to track his movements.

Against such velocity, opponents could only guess his attack patterns.

Guess wrong, and the price was death—or worse.

Only two types of warriors could withstand him:

First, those with absolute defenses, like the Uchiha's Susano'o.

Second, those whose vitality defied death itself.

And on this battlefield, one such warrior stood against the Raikage—Tsunade Senju, the Slug Princess, her body pulsing with the regenerative power of the Hundred Healings Mark.

She fought ruthlessly, trading blow for blow. Her chakra scalpels had already severed over a dozen of the Raikage's chakra pathways. Yet his monstrous endurance shrugged off the damage as if it were nothing.

Tsunade didn't flinch. Speed was his advantage—so she abandoned defense entirely. She guarded only her heart and head, letting the rest endure the storm.

"If I can't see him… I'll wait for the pain. Then strike back."

BOOM!

A deafening impact sent both combatants flying.

Tsunade's wrist took the brunt of a lightning-charged chop, while her foot—imbued with earth-shattering force—slammed into the Raikage's ribs. They skidded apart, carving trenches into the earth before halting.

A stalemate.

The Raikage had speed.

Tsunade had regeneration.

Neither could finish the other.

But the Raikage was growing desperate.

Because Tsunade had a third advantage—her slugs. While he fought alone, she healed her allies from afar. Across the battlefield, Konoha's forces were gaining ground.

"Damn it!" The Raikage's teeth ground together. "If this drags on, we lose!"

He needed to kill her. Fast.

The Raikage's Realization

Dust swirled as Tsunade emerged, unscathed. Her clothes were torn, her skin smudged with dirt—but her gaze was sharp, unbroken.

The Raikage's eye twitched.

"How?! I've landed dozens of hits! Why won't she stay down?!"

His fists clenched. "If I'd known she was this tough, I would've taken her out during negotiations!"

Now, his men were dying. The tide was turning.

"Where the hell are Samui and Darui?! If they were here, we could've overwhelmed her by now!"

If Darui handled Kakashi…

If Samui stalled the others…

Then Killer Bee could assist him.

The Hokage would already be dead.

Tsunade's Secret Struggle

Outwardly, Tsunade was calm.

Inwardly, agony wracked her body.

The Hundred Healings Seal mended wounds instantly—but the pain remained. Worse, every regeneration shortened her lifespan.

She knew the truth:

"I can't beat him head-on."

So her strategy shifted.

The Raikage wanted a quick kill.

She needed to drag this out.

If she held long enough, Konoha's forces would secure victory elsewhere. Then, even the Raikage couldn't fight an army alone.

But the cost?

Her life.

A Fatal Weakness

The Raikage's eyes narrowed.

He'd noticed something.

Every time he attacked, Tsunade shielded three points:

Her heart

Her head

Her throat

A grin split his face.

"Found it."

He bellowed, voice booming across the battlefield:

"HOKAGE! YOUR WEAKNESSES ARE EXPOSED!"

Tsunade's blood ran cold.

He was right.

No regeneration could save her if those three were destroyed.

Now, she couldn't trade blows anymore.

She had to defend.

The Tide Turns

Killer Bee's laughter rang out as he dueled Kakashi, his rapping taunts grating:

"Yo, yo! Hokage's weak, she's 'bout to fall,

Konoha's losers gonna lose it all!"

Kakashi barely dodged a flurry of sword strikes, his mind racing.

"This is bad…"

Without Tsunade's slugs healing him, he'd have fallen already.

Now, she was cornered.

His gaze flicked to the distant brawl—where Might Guy led Konoha's forces.

"If Guy wins his fight first… we might still turn this around."

Then, another thought struck him.

"Where the hell is Naruto?"

The last time they'd spoken, outside Konoha Hospital, the boy had made his stance clear:

"You never really taught me. You don't get to call me your student."

Had Naruto abandoned them?

"No… even if he hates me, this isn't about me. It's about Konoha."

But as Kakashi parried another lethal strike, doubt gnawed at him.

Tsunade's Resolve

The Raikage's laughter was thunderous.

"Thirty seconds, Hokage! That's all you have left!"

Tsunade spat blood, her body screaming.

Memories flashed—her grandfather's gambling lessons, Nawaki's death, Dan's lifeless eyes.

Then… Naruto.

That brat who'd somehow slipped past her defenses.

Who'd confessed to her last night, in his own reckless way.

"Idiot… I'm old enough to be your grandmother."

Yet she'd never been able to truly push him away.

Now, facing death, she smiled.

"At least Jiraiya's still around. He'll take care of Konoha… and that brat."

She clenched her fists.

If she was going down, she'd take the Raikage with her.

One last gamble.

The Killing Blow

The Raikage leapt, lightning coalescing around his leg.

"LIGHTNING AXE!"

A mountain-splitting kick aimed straight for her skull.

Tsunade braced—

—then dropped her guard entirely.

If she was dying, she'd rip his heart out first.

Konoha's forces cried out.

This was the end.

A Golden Flash

WHOOSH!

Wind howled. Dust scattered like frightened ghosts.

A golden streak blazed across the battlefield—

—faster than lightning.

Faster than thought.

Before the Raikage could react, a Rasenshuriken slammed into his chest.

"BOOM!"

The chakra storm erupted, swallowing the Raikage whole.

And standing between him and Tsunade…

Naruto Uzumaki, his back to her, spoke softly:

"Sorry I'm late."

Tsunade's eye twitched.

Then—

WHACK!

Her fist planted squarely on his head.

"TELL ME THE TRUTH, YOU BRAT!" she roared. "WERE YOU JUST WATCHING ME GET BEAT UP SO YOU COULD MAKE A DRAMATIC ENTRANCE?!"