Chapter 58: Tsunade of Konoha vs. Empire's Rock Lee! An Intense Showdown!

Chapter 58: Tsunade of Konoha vs. Empire's Rock Lee! An Intense Showdown!

"Hmph! Insincere words!

You two brats! I can't believe you both look down on me so much!"

Tsunade scowled, her face displeased.

Turning back to the Empire's trio, she said, "Come on, let's have a good fight. I assume none of you would refuse?"

"Yeah! Let's have a good fight! Let our youth and passion burn!"

Empire's Rock Lee shouted, waving his arms and striking some strange poses that left the Leaf ninjas motionless. He then jumped out from the group, landing in front of Tsunade with his right fist raised high.

"So, you're my opponent... That's fine too.

Let's see if your martial arts are more impressive than my super strength!"

Tsunade said.

"Alright then, let's see who's better!"

Empire's Rock Lee smiled, revealing his buckteeth, as he and Tsunade stared each other down.

"If I'm not your opponent, I'll be on my way," Empire's Obito said, his timing as awkward as ever.

Tsunade frowned at this.

"Obi...to, if you want to see Rin later, there will be plenty of time. Why don't you stay here for now? Aren't you curious about your companion's battle?" Kakashi said, exasperated.

"Yeah, yeah! Big brother Tobi, stay and watch with us," Naruto urged.

"I'm not interested in battles where the outcome is predetermined," Empire's Obito replied, and then he left on his own.

"That guy!"

Tsunade was infuriated as she watched his departing back.

What did he mean by not being interested in predetermined outcomes?

Did he already assume he would lose even before the fight began?

Her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of Empire's Neji, his expression equally indifferent.

"Don't underestimate the Hokage, you brats!"

She seethed inwardly.

The next moment, she pushed off the ground with force.

Like a cannonball, she rushed towards Empire's Rock Lee.

"Yeah! Youth! Passion! Burn!"

Empire's Rock Lee's eyes blazed with fervor.

He, too, pushed off the ground and darted forward.

The two of them transformed into streams of light, rushing towards each other.

As they neared, they each threw a punch!

The two fists collided with a forceful impact!

The next moment, there was another loud rumble.

Where the fists met, a powerful shockwave erupted, sending a strong gust of wind toward those standing dozens of meters away.

Looking at the ground beneath their feet, it had cracked and shattered from the force of their clash.

Yet, the two fighters remained unwavering.

"What terrifying power..."

Kakashi watched, unable to stop himself from murmuring.

"Tsunade-sama's super strength was actually blocked," Shikamaru whispered, his expression grave.

"They're both so strong," Naruto said, his eyes gleaming with intensity.

As one of the combatants, Tsunade felt the force transmitted through her right fist, and her heart trembled:

"He blocked it... This brat actually blocked my punch... In the entire ninja world, only the Raikage could achieve something like this, and now this brat has done it too... Moreover, he looks so relaxed...

Is martial arts really that powerful?"

"Amazing! Tsunade-sama! Your fist is indeed incredibly powerful! Hahaha! My youth! My passion! Ahhh! They're burning even more fiercely now!"

Rock Lee, with his prominent front teeth, laughed excitedly.

"Hmph!" Tsunade snorted coldly.

Her left fist lashed out with force.

"Well done!"

Rock Lee roared, his left fist clenching as he mirrored her action.

The two fists collided once more, unleashing a terrifying shockwave that caused the ground beneath them to shatter.

Neither of these two aggressive fighters showed any sign of backing down! They exchanged a relentless barrage of punches, creating one shockwave after another.

Within a hundred-meter radius, the ground was slowly crumbling.

The onlookers retreated further and further, moving over a hundred meters away before they felt safe.

Their expressions were solemn, and they didn't dare blink, afraid to miss a single moment of this intense clash between top-tier fighters!

Boom!

Once again, the two fighters went all out.

With incredible agility, the Empire's Rock Lee twisted in mid-air from the force of the impact, performing several backflips before landing on his feet. He struck a confident pose as he gave Tsunade a thumbs-up.

"Your brute strength is indeed formidable, Lady Tsunade. If we were truly enemies, I wouldn't stand a chance against you!"

"You're not bad yourself, kid. If this had kept up, I might not have been able to hold out much longer."

Tsunade forced a smile, her arms trembling slightly as she shook them out.

However, she wasn't feeling triumphant at all.

She could sense that her opponent was holding back, even against her, a Kage!

While she, too, was holding back, it still left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"He hasn't even used his true martial arts skills yet, Granny Tsunade. You'd better be careful," Naruto warned.

Just then, Naruto's enthusiastic voice rang out.

"Shut up, you brat! I don't need you to worry about me!" Tsunade snapped, turning towards him.

She then turned back to face the Empire's Rock Lee.

"Go ahead and show me what you've got! What you've displayed so far isn't enough!"

"Hahaha! Then watch out, Lady Tsunade! Muscle Liberation! Yaaaaah!"

The Empire's Rock Lee roared, his powerful arms flexing.

His body twisted, and his physique became even more robust; the muscles on his arms writhed like worms. An intimidating aura began to emanate from him.

"Here it comes! Here it comes! It's just like Might Guy's muscle martial arts!" Naruto shouted excitedly.

"This is..." Tsunade drew in a sharp breath as she witnessed this transformation.

Kakashi and Shikamaru knitted their brows in concern.

In the previous display of strength, Tsunade had barely won. How could she possibly defeat this new form of Lee's?

"Lady Tsunade! Here I come!"

Boom!!!

The ground beneath the Empire's Rock Lee's feet exploded, sending shards of rock flying in all directions.

His body transformed into several afterimages as he darted towards Tsunade with incredible speed!

"So fast!" Kakashi and Shikamaru exclaimed in unison.

Tsunade's brows furrowed, and she threw a punch, only to have it pass through one of the afterimages.

"Martial Arts! Cannon Fist!"

The Empire's Rock Lee roared, and a massive fist appeared from Tsunade's side.

"I can't dodge it! I have to block it!"

Tsunade's heart sank as she braced herself, using her right arm to block the incoming attack.

Her fair arm collided with the giant fist, and a deafening blast rang out.

Tsunade's body was sent flying like a bolt of light, creating several sonic booms as she traveled hundreds of meters through the air, crashing through over a dozen trees before finally coming to a stop.

"Lady Tsunade!"

"Granny Tsunade!"

Kakashi, Shikamaru, Naruto, and Sakura cried out in unison as they rushed to her side. They tried to help her up, but she pushed them away with her left arm, shouting, "Get back! The fight isn't over yet!"

"But Lady Tsunade, in your current state... you're not fit to continue fighting..." Shikamaru said worriedly.

"Don't underestimate the Hokage, you brats!" Tsunade retorted angrily.

In the next instant, the diamond-shaped mark on her smooth forehead began to glow, and purple veins extended from it.

Her body erupted with an astonishing amount of chakra, and her injuries, including her broken right arm, healed instantly.

From this day forward, the Zulong Empire shall be known as the Shenwu Empire. Some may suggest simply referring to it as the Empire, but in reality, an empire without a name is improbable.

However, from now on, I will try to minimize the use of the empire's name.

For now, only the chapters up to Chapter 11 have been changed, and the system indicates that further changes will result in blocking. Therefore, I'll have to wait until tomorrow for the editor to log in and grant the necessary permissions.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end