Konoha cat breeder

Chapter 89: Predicting Your Prediction of My Prediction!

"Let's see the results of your training over the last fifteen days," Tsunade said, hands on her hips as she glared at the three young shinobi in front of her.

"If you meet my expectations, we'll start directly with B-rank missions. If not, we'll begin with D-rank missions and work our way up. And if you end up starting with D-rank missions, don't expect me to babysit you!"

Her words sent shivers down the spines of the three: the confident Uchiha Yoshin, the slightly shy but much-improved Nara Yoshino, and the hesitant Tonari.

Tsunade's sharp eyes landed on Tonari. "What? Spit it out!"

After hesitating for a moment, Tonari finally said, "Uh, Tsunade-sensei, isn't there also the option of starting with C-rank missions?"

"What did you say?"

Thump!

A slender but dangerous finger stopped mere inches from Tonari's forehead, making him instinctively shut his mouth.

She didn't seem to be in a good mood today. Could it be… that time of the month?

"Alright, keep it simple. The three of you can come at me together. If you manage to last one minute, you pass. If not, prepare to start with the lowest-tier missions!" Tsunade waved them off impatiently.

Tonari immediately nodded, wisely refraining from further argument.

The three teammates exchanged glances.

Although they hadn't completed a mission together yet, their time spent training together had fostered a semblance of teamwork.

Tonari and Yoshino disappeared in a flash, leaving Yoshin to face Tsunade alone.

"Great," Yoshin muttered, his face turning grim.

Standing alone before one of the Legendary Sannin? What kind of ridiculous strategy was this?

In the distance, hidden among the trees, Tonari and Yoshino observed Yoshin with satisfaction.

Despite his cocky exterior, Yoshin was a classic tsundere. And if there was one thing Tonari was experienced with, it was handling tsunderes.

Signaling Yoshino with a hand gesture, he watched as she began forming hand seals.

Back on the battlefield, Tsunade eyed the lone Uchiha, who had already activated his Sharingan.

Raising an eyebrow, she thought to herself, One-on-one against me? Someone's overestimating themselves.

"Forgive me, Tsunade-sama!" Yoshin shouted, gripping a kunai in one hand while throwing several shuriken with the other.

The shuriken arced through the air, each following a slightly different trajectory, while the kunai shot straight toward her.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Tsunade sidestepped the shuriken with minimal effort.

Clang!

She caught the kunai mid-flight with her bare hand, the metallic clang ringing through the air.

A smirk spread across her face as she flung the kunai back toward one of the spinning shuriken.

Bang!

The sound wasn't that of metal clashing but the distinct poof of a shadow clone dispersing into smoke.

It turned out the shuriken was one of Tonari's shadow clones!

Bang! Bang!

The other two shuriken also transformed into shadow clones.

Now, there were two "Tonaris," each holding a nearly invisible thread that led back to Yoshin, who was controlling the wires.

"Oh? All three shuriken were shadow clones? And they used one to draw my attention while the others disguised the threads?" Tsunade's eyes gleamed with interest.

The strategy was clever. Against opponents of their level, this setup could have been devastating.

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!" x3

The two "Tonaris" and Yoshin launched dragon-shaped flames down the wires, sending them roaring toward Tsunade.

Three fire dragons raced forward, converging on her position.

The scene resembled a classic "Three Dragons Playing with a Pearl" formation. The question was, who was the pearl?

Tsunade's lips curled into a grin.

"Not bad," she admitted.

Just as she prepared to dodge, she felt a strange resistance in her body.

Her eyes flicked to the side, spotting Yoshino standing in the shadows with her hands forming a seal.

Her shadow had stretched impossibly thin and blended seamlessly with the threads. It was nearly impossible to notice.

With her lips pursed and a vein bulging on her forehead, Yoshino was clearly giving it her all to restrain Tsunade with her Shadow Possession Jutsu.

"You sneaky little brat!" Tsunade growled.

Suddenly, two hands emerged from the ground beneath her feet, attempting to grab her legs.

However, with a slight shift of her body, she broke free of the shadow's hold and stomped down with full force.

Boom!

The ground caved in, creating a massive crater that swallowed the arms reaching for her.

Bang!

The hands dispersed into smoke, revealing yet another shadow clone.

This time, Tsunade was genuinely surprised.

She had anticipated Tonari's tactics: that the shuriken were clones, that the threads were a distraction, and even that he might attack from underground.

But she hadn't expected the underground attacker to be another shadow clone.

It was as if Tonari had predicted her predictions.

A grin spread across Tsunade's face. "You little schemer."

But where was the real Tonari?

The last fire dragon suddenly transformed into a human figure—Tonari himself.

With excitement glinting in his eyes, he clenched his fist and launched himself toward Tsunade.

Everything had led to this moment, their chance to prove themselves.

However, as soon as his fist connected, his expression froze.

Something was… off.

It felt soft.

Really soft.

No stray thoughts crossed his mind, but the sensation was unmistakable.

The Tsunade before him melted into a muddy mess—it was a Mud Clone!

Tonari's face twisted in alarm as he turned to retreat, but it was too late.

A hand grabbed his ankle from behind.

Before he could react, Tsunade appeared behind him, her grin widening.

Boom!

A single kick sent Tonari flying through the air.

As his body tumbled, Tsunade raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Huh? This kid's body…"

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(Chapter End)

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