Chapter 278: Hemophobia!

As the dust gradually cleared, a figure appeared standing in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Koharu Utatane .

Her robe was still burning with lingering purple flames from the shattered Four Violet Flames Formation. Her fair skin was marked with black curse-like sealing patterns, and her imposing figure radiated overwhelming presence.

The newcomer was none other than one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha—

Tsunade.

Her gaze never wavered. She stared directly into Shimura Danzō's eyes.

At the same time, the burns on her body were rapidly healing.

She raised her hand, bit her thumb, and quickly formed hand seals.

"Summoning Technique!"

A cloud of white smoke burst forth.

A giant slug, nearly five meters long, appeared beside her.

"Lady Tsunade!"

"Katsuyu, heal my teacher and the others immediately!"

"Understood!"

The massive slug nodded.

Its body instantly split into three smaller portions, which crawled toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane , and Homura Mitokado.

After the earlier battle, Hiruzen and Koharu had already lost consciousness from exhaustion.

As for Homura, the moment he saw Tsunade arrive, the tension finally left his body. He collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily.

"Tsunade… why are you here?"

Danzō's eyes darkened.

He stared at the three slugs crawling toward the injured elders. Clearly, he wanted to act—but Tsunade's presence forced him to hold back.

Katsuyu was a support-type summon.

Not only was she proficient in medical ninjutsu, capable of assisting Tsunade in complex surgeries, but she could also restore chakra to her allies.

With Katsuyu present, Hiruzen and the others could recover a portion of their combat strength in a short time.

And that was something Danzō absolutely did not want to see.

But Tsunade was a genuine Kage-level powerhouse, currently in her prime.

Even Danzō didn't dare divert his attention recklessly in front of her.

"What kind of question is that?"

"You people were the ones who asked me to return for the Fourth Hokage selection ceremony."

"So what exactly is going on here?"

Tsunade's gaze was sharp, her tone firm—and tinged with irritation.

"You people?"

Danzō thought for a moment and quickly understood.

A cold smile appeared on his face.

"I see…"

"Tsunade, so you were Hiruzen's trump card."

"Trump card? I don't know what you're talking about."

"But perhaps you should explain something to me."

"What exactly are you doing right now?"

Of course Tsunade knew what Danzō meant.

But for certain special reasons, she could only pretend to know nothing—stalling for time.

"Explain?"

Danzō sneered.

"At this point, what is there left to explain?"

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane , and Homura Mitokado colluded together."

"They betrayed the village's interests and embezzled its assets."

"Their crimes are unforgivable."

"They should be executed immediately."

"Tsunade… are you going to interfere with my actions?"

Tsunade frowned slightly.

"Danzō, even if everything you said were true…"

"You still don't have the authority to deal with the old man and the others."

Ever since she heard that Danzō might become Hokage, Tsunade had rushed back toward Konoha without stopping.

But she never expected that the moment she arrived near the village—

A battle had already broken out.

This only made the already-confusing situation even harder for her to understand.

By the time she reached the center of the village, she saw Danzō beating Hiruzen, while everyone else in Konoha simply stood around watching.

Tsunade didn't understand the full story.

But she certainly couldn't stand by and watch Danzō beat Hiruzen to death.

So she attacked without hesitation.

The Four Violet Flames Formation was indeed an insurmountable barrier for most jōnin.

But for Kage-level shinobi or those with special abilities, it wasn't completely impossible to break through.

For example—

If it had been Uchiha Ren, he could have broken through it in many ways.

The most direct method would have been forcing his way through with Susanoo.

As for Tsunade…

Her monstrous strength, capable of shattering Susanoo's defenses, made the barrier little more than something that could be destroyed with a single full-powered kick.

And the purple flames' backlash?

She could simply negate it using her technique—

Ninja Art: Creation Rebirth — Strength of a Hundred Seal.

"So you intend to stop me no matter what?"

With the Four Violet Flames Formation destroyed, urgency crept into Danzō's mind.

He no longer wanted to waste time.

His tone turned cold.

"Yes."

Tsunade's gaze was unwavering.

Her answer was absolute.

Danzō stared into her unmoving eyes.

Then suddenly—

A mocking smile appeared on his face.

"I admire your confidence."

"But…"

"Has your hemophobia been cured yet?"

As he spoke, Danzō suddenly sliced his palm with a kunai.

Then he flicked his arm forward.

A spray of bright red blood splashed toward Tsunade.

Tsunade's hemophobia was one of the most closely guarded secrets.

Even within Konoha, the number of people who knew about it could be counted on one hand.

Unfortunately—

Danzō was one of them.

From another perspective, Tsunade was not only one of Konoha's strongest shinobi but also the greatest medical ninja in the world.

Both identities were invaluable to the village.

If she hadn't developed hemophobia, Konoha would never have allowed her to wander freely outside the village for so many years.

After all, Jiraiya, even while traveling the world, maintained contact with the village and gathered intelligence.

Tsunade, however, truly cut herself off completely.

Not only did she contribute nothing to the village—

Sometimes she even caused trouble.

Over the years, many people had come to Konoha looking for Tsunade to repay gambling debts.

So if Tsunade hadn't been suffering from hemophobia, even if Hiruzen might have hesitated, Danzō, Homura, and Koharu would never have agreed to let her leave the village so easily.

The moment that crimson blood entered Tsunade's vision—

Her body trembled.

All the strength in her limbs seemed to vanish instantly.

Even her thoughts slowed to a crawl.

"Heh…"

"So your hemophobia still hasn't been cured."

Seeing her reaction, Danzō regained his confidence.

From the beginning, he had noticed something strange about Tsunade.

Her gaze had been fixed only around his eyes, never shifting elsewhere.

After such a long battle, Danzō's body inevitably had bloodstains on it.

So he had suspected that Tsunade was deliberately avoiding looking at something.

Now it seemed his guess had been correct.

"A ninja…"

"And a medical ninja who has witnessed countless deaths…"

"…yet suffering from such a ridiculous illness as hemophobia."

"In my opinion, you're nothing more than a pampered noble lady."

"If not for the overwhelming power of the First Hokage's bloodline…"

"You would never have achieved the strength you possess today."

"One of the Legendary Sannin?"

Danzō chuckled mockingly.

"Ridiculous."

Holding a kunai, he slowly walked toward Tsunade while continuing his taunts.

◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇

◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!

◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.

◇ Read 70+ chapters ahead on P@treon → /Sagamaster789