Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!-Chapter 419: Nagato Takes on Two

"Opening with a Tailed Beast Ball? That's not very polite."

As the smoke gradually cleared, the battlefield came into view.

The Iwa ninja, startled like birds at the sound, turned toward the voice—only to be shocked by the sight before them.

A young man hovered in midair, his posture straight and unwavering. His red hair was striking, but what truly unsettled them were his eyes—peculiar pupils they had never seen before.

"Akatsuki's Village Head... Nagato?"

Even in the dim moonlight, Rōshi recognized him instantly. Nagato's appearance was too distinct to mistake.

The only thing he couldn't understand was why Nagato hadn't followed up with another attack.

"Congratulations, you guessed correctly."

"Unfortunately, there's no reward."

Nagato shrugged, his casual demeanor making it clear—he didn't see the Iwa ninja as a threat at all.

"Is this really the Nagato who defeated the Hokage?"

"What kind of strange ninjutsu was that?"

"Even Lord Rōshi and Lord Kitsuchi were sent flying..."

...

The timid Iwa ninja screamed silently in their hearts as fear slowly spread through the crowd.

Some nervously swallowed, while others trembled, their legs barely supporting them.

With just one move, Nagato's danger level in their eyes had skyrocketed.

"Why invade our Land of Earth for no reason?"

Kitsuchi, blood streaking his face, didn't dare wipe the wound on his forehead. The dripping blood only added to his miserable appearance.

"Well, if you need a reason..."

"Let's just say we don't like your Land of Earth."

Nagato pondered for a moment before giving a response that sounded more like a joke.

"Ridiculous! Do you take us for three-year-olds?"

Rōshi was instantly enraged, feeling as though his intelligence had been thoroughly insulted.

"No, no, no. I'd say you have at least the intelligence of a five- or six-year-old."

The smirk tugging at the corner of Nagato's mouth was the last straw—Rōshi couldn't take it anymore.

"You want to die."

With a furious shout, Rōshi launched himself into the air with immense force, charging at Nagato like a cannonball.

The ground beneath him cracked under the sheer pressure of his leap, leaving four deep craters in his wake.

And once again, his form changed.

His Partial Tailed Beast Transformation intensified, molten lava coating his entire body, amplifying both his offensive and defensive capabilities.

Having experienced Tsunade's monstrous strength firsthand, Rōshi wasted no time—he immediately activated his Lava Release Chakra Mode.

"Combining one's own abilities with a Tailed Beast's power... interesting."

Nagato had no intention of dodging and instead made a casual remark about Rōshi's transformation.

"Earth Release: Earth and Stone Dragon!"

"Don't worry about us! Focus on the other Akatsuki ninja!"

Seeing Rōshi move, Kitsuchi didn't hesitate. He formed hand seals and commanded a massive dragon of stone and earth to lunge at Nagato from behind, its jagged teeth bared.

The Iwa ninja, spurred into action, advanced upon hearing Kitsuchi's command.

"I'll play along then."

Nagato wasn't concerned about the Iwa ninja in the slightest.

Even though Nonō wasn't among Akatsuki's strongest, she was far beyond what the average ninja could handle.

Leaning slightly to the side, Nagato raised his palm outward. The massive earth dragon slammed against an invisible force, unable to move forward even an inch.

Then, under Kitsuchi's horrified gaze, the dragon rapidly shrank before vanishing entirely.

"What?!"

Even though Kitsuchi had heard rumors of Nagato absorbing a Tailed Beast Ball, witnessing it firsthand was an entirely different experience.

If ninjutsu didn't work, how was this battle even possible?

Rōshi, however, was unfazed. His lips curled into a sinister grin as his lava-coated fist closed the final centimeters between him and Nagato's face.

He was certain that, in the next moment, the arrogant brat before him would be reduced to a bloodied mess.

He could already picture Nagato's mangled face.

"You're getting ahead of yourself."

Nagato's calm voice cut through Rōshi's thoughts.

A sharp turn of the head, a shift in presence—suddenly, the distance between them felt impossibly vast, despite their proximity.

Kitsuchi was still reeling from shock when he witnessed something even more unbelievable.

Rōshi's lava-cloaked fist was caught—firmly grasped by a mechanical arm.

No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't break free.

Another mechanical arm had coiled tightly around his neck, rendering him completely immobilized.

And then, as if that wasn't enough, thin mechanical wires emerged, wrapping around Rōshi like a constricting snake.

Kitsuchi didn't even know how to process what he was seeing.

It wasn't just that Rōshi's attack had failed—it was as if he had willingly walked straight into Nagato's grasp.

"Is this the best you can do?"

Nagato barely spared Kitsuchi a glance before turning his focus to Rōshi.

The robotic arms released their grip on Rōshi's fists, shifting and transforming into a cylindrical barrel aimed directly at his forehead.

As a massive amount of chakra gathered within the barrel, glowing ominously, Rōshi could feel death creeping closer.

"Is the difference really this great?"

"This is absurdly strong."

"Is this even human power...?"

Rōshi had never felt death so close before. The faint confidence he had left was rapidly crumbling.

"Earth Release: Rock Slicer!"

Seeing that the barrel was about to fire, Kitsuchi's hands moved faster than ever, forming hand seals at a speed that surpassed his own limits.

Several enormous rock blades sliced through the air, converging on Nagato in a last-ditch effort.

Nagato's lips curled into an unreadable smile—one that Rōshi couldn't understand.

With a sharp crack, the mechanical arms suddenly detached from Nagato's body.

The barrel, deprived of its power source, flickered and went dark before falling to the ground.

Rōshi, suddenly freed, had no footing to regain momentum. He plummeted, crashing hard into the dirt.

"This...?"

Kitsuchi could hardly believe it—had he actually succeeded?

Did Nagato's ability to absorb ninjutsu have a time limit?

"I can't believe you got away."

"But... it won't happen again."

Nagato casually retracted his broken mechanical arms, completely unharmed.

"His ability to absorb ninjutsu... maybe it has a time limit."

Kitsuchi quickly regrouped with Rōshi, cautiously increasing the distance between them and Nagato.

"Really?"

Rōshi's spirits lifted. He wasn't eager to try Taijutsu again—being choked like that had been enough for a lifetime.

"I'm not sure."

"But just now, my ninjutsu worked, and I thought you..."

Kitsuchi didn't finish his sentence, but Rōshi understood.

If Nagato's absorption ability had no time lag, then when Kitsuchi's attack had landed, Rōshi should have already been dead.

The more he thought about it, the more sense it made, and a sliver of confidence reignited in Rōshi's heart.

But they had no idea that their entire conclusion was nothing more than an illusion—one carefully orchestrated by Nagato.

If Nagato truly wanted them dead, it would've already happened.

Before the battle, Kawakaze had made it clear to Nagato: The goal was to keep Kumo focused on Iwagakure.

If Iwa was completely wiped out, Kumo would be the one to profit—and that was a scenario Kawakaze didn't want.

Otherwise, with Nagato's power, neither Rōshi nor Kitsuchi would have stood a chance.

"Well, since you won't make a move, I won't be polite."

Nagato knew he couldn't be too merciful—he had to make the fight look convincing.

"Composite Ninjutsu: Lightning and Water Colliding Wave."

Finishing his hand seals, Nagato opened his mouth, unleashing a massive Water Colliding Wave infused with Lightning Release.

A flood of water, vast enough to form a small lake, surged toward Rōshi and Kitsuchi.

Water Release countered Fire Release.

Lightning Release countered Earth Release.

Rōshi had no choice but to evade.

But Nagato's technique covered too wide an area—despite their best efforts, both were caught in the attack.

At first contact, a sharp tingling sensation coursed through their bodies, disrupting their chakra.

The lava surrounding Rōshi's body dimmed noticeably.

Enduring the numbing sensation, Rōshi and Kitsuchi scrambled out of the jutsu's range.

But before they could even catch their breath—Nagato was already upon them.

A powerful kick sent Kitsuchi flying, his body tumbling as he choked back bile. He crashed into the ground, stirring up a thick cloud of dust.

Rōshi fared slightly better. Crossing his arms, he managed to block Nagato's strike, though the force still sent him staggering back several steps.

Nagato was quite satisfied with himself. His Taijutsu had improved considerably.

In reality, this wasn't a strategic choice—it was a precaution. If he used too much power, he might accidentally kill them.

For now, Taijutsu was a safer way to control the battle's intensity.

As Nagato and Rōshi continued their fight, Nonō and the rest of Akatsuki clashed with the Iwa ninja.

Meanwhile, A had already quietly returned to his ship from the Land of Earth.