The answer? It's hard to deal with.
None of Konoha's standard taijutsu or swordsmanship styles had any countermeasures for an attack like this.
The only viable option would be a wide-area ninjutsu to flush Maki out—but Tsunade didn't have anything like that in her arsenal. Her signature Strength of a Hundred technique focused on pinpoint strikes. Bending down to hit Maki on the ground left her too exposed, giving Maki more than enough time to counter.
Even using a downward kick lacked the momentum to make a real impact. And no matter how she angled it, Tsunade knew: any punch or kick would leave her open to being stabbed.
Maki's low stance made her a nearly impossible target—slippery, agile, and constantly threatening with that poisoned blade.
"This is so unfair!" Tsunade shouted in frustration. She couldn't think of a single clean way to respond.
Gripping the mace slung over her shoulder, she hurled it down at Maki with full force.
But Maki easily dodged, skimming along the ground like a predator. The mace smashed into the dirt with a dull thud—less forceful than Tsunade's fists by far.
That's the problem. Tools like this couldn't channel chakra well, much less enhance her strength technique. She was effectively unarmed.
Tsunade let out a frustrated groan. Is this really all I've got?
Maki stopped circling her and took the initiative.
Insect Secret Technique: Hidden Swarm.
Without warning, a black tide erupted from the ground. A dense cloud of insects burst forth, forming a writhing fog that consumed the entire field.
Screams rang out—boys, girls, even some adults panicked as the sky seemed to darken with the sheer number of flying bugs.
But the most terrifying part was what hid within the swarm.
Maki.
She was somewhere in there, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Tsunade's scalp tingled. The insects might not directly harm her, but the unknown was more frightening. The mere shift in tactics made Maki feel lethal.
"The Fog and Shadow Technique," Uzumaki Mito observed. "That child's instincts are remarkable."
"But it's time, Tsunade. Use that technique."
Tsunade grit her teeth. "Summoning Jutsu!"
With a loud cry, a massive form emerged—towering above the fog of insects.
Slug Sage.
Maki's eyes widened in awe. The creature was enormous, almost impossibly so. Even Tsunade looked small sitting on its head, drained but relieved.
The sudden shift in scale left Maki's crawling technique meaningless. Against something that size, her dance had no use.
From her perch, Tsunade exhaled deeply. For the first time in minutes, she felt safe—no longer fearing that a poisoned blade would shoot out of the mist to stab her foot.
"You actually pushed me this far..." she muttered.
Standing, her body renewed by the slug's healing chakra, Tsunade glared down at the swarm.
"Slug—clear them out!"
"Yes, Tsunade-sama," the slug replied gently. It tilted back, then sprayed a golden mist into the sky.
Acid Spray.
Like a grotesque fountain, corrosive rain poured down.
One by one, the insects sizzled and fell, smoke trailing behind them as acid melted through their wings.
Tsunade watched nervously.
Did I overdo it?
What if Maki was caught in that blast?
Just then, the swarm shifted—hundreds of insects rushed to shield Maki, layering themselves into thick walls to resist the acid.
"Hey! There's no way this is a normal academy match anymore!" a nearby ninja shouted, both thrilled and alarmed.
There's a unique kind of frustration that comes with living like a dog for over twenty years.
"Forget it, Tsunade-hime! That Aburame brat is still standing!"
"It's Kurohime now," a deep-voiced ninja corrected. "Konoha's very own Kurohime."
"Chōji is strong, sure—but even he can't do much against a beast that size."
"She's fighting back," another ninja murmured, arms crossed. His eyes bulged, veins rising as his Byakugan activated.
Just then, the massive insect cocoon on the battlefield shattered.
From within, a slender figure shot out—gliding across the ground at a bizarre speed.
Insect Secret Technique: Dragonfly Dance – Flowing Water.
Skating. That was the closest thing to what she was doing.
A normal human's top running speed was around 44 kilometers per hour. Speed skating pushed that number to 60. That's about as fast as a person could move without external aid.
But a trained ninja?
Far faster.
Maki glided across the field like a ghost, leaving afterimages in her wake. Her momentum built rapidly, until she was darting like lightning across the acid-slicked battlefield—only this lightning was graceful, weaving through rain that hissed as it struck the ground.
The way she charged forward, sword in hand—elegant and lethal—left the crowd breathless.
"Like an insect in flight," one Hyūga observed from the stands, eyes tracking her movement.
"The technique's not complicated," another added. "Similar to earlier. She creates a smooth chakra membrane beneath her feet to reduce friction, then boosts with Wind Release. The challenge is maintaining the alternation—footwork like that takes real mastery."
Every step was calculated: one foot slid, the other pushed off with a burst of wind chakra.
Glide. Pivot. Accelerate. Repeat.
"Scary little devil..." someone muttered.
The rhythm of her movement echoed like the footsteps of a devil.
As Maki closed in, Tsunade's danger sense flared.
"Slug! Intercept her!"
"Yes, Tsunade-sama."
The massive slug arched back and sprayed a stream of acidic mist toward the oncoming girl.
The attack was telegraphed—easily read.
Maki skated out of the danger zone before the acid even hit, swerving wide. A second and third volley followed, but none found their mark. Her movements were too fast, too fluid.
She circled the enormous beast, closing the distance.
"She's too close, Tsunade-sama! She's under it now!"
Once under the slug's bulk, Maki disappeared from Tsunade's sight.
What was she planning?
Simple.
She drove her blade into the slug's flesh—not a deep wound, just a gentle stab. Against a creature that large and soft-bodied, it wasn't about damage.
Slugs were boneless. They could split and merge, immune to most physical attacks. A stab wouldn't kill it.
But Maki's blade was laced with venom—a poison designed to kill on contact.
What's more, that lack of bones made it slow. Sluggish. Safe at a distance, but vulnerable up close.
Maki rushed through and out the other side, keeping her escape route open.
Then she turned and slid to a halt, facing the creature from a safe distance.
The purple venom coating her blade rippled like a living tide.
Insect Secret Technique: Venom Burst.
Even nano-scale insects drained chakra—and when parasitic bugs carried venom, the result was catastrophic.
Inside the slug's flesh, they bred and multiplied, feeding on tissue and chakra. A biological explosion.
Small-scale poisons weren't enough for a creature this size. You needed scale. Detonation.
"Art is—"
"—Explosion!!"
With a shout, Maki formed a single hand seal.
A violent purple bloom erupted across the slug's body.
The creature shrieked in agony, a sound like wet stone tearing apart. Its massive form trembled as purple fluid oozed out of rupturing wounds.
"Tsunade-sama! You have to get out—now!"
Reacting instantly, Tsunade leapt into the air.
And then—
The Slug Sage split apart.
With a sound like snow collapsing in an avalanche, its body burst. It didn't die. It scattered.
The Great Slug Split.
A defensive measure. Sloughing off chunks of its own flesh to contain the damage.
The once-massive creature dissolved into dozens of smaller, waxy-white slugs—each gliding away in a slippery tide.
It was shrinking.
And multiplying.
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