I founded the "Bragging Cult" in Naruto.

Chapter 340 Going all out is the greatest respect you can show to your opponent.

"Splash splash splash~"

With a clang of chains, the six chains with sharp barbs instantly pierced the six tails behind the berserk Kushina. Looking along the other end of the chains, Tatsuma looked like an immortal.

His slender figure and loose clothes didn't seem to match well, but the turbulence created by the collision of chakra caused Tatsuma's clothes to flutter, making him look like an immortal riding the wind.

The Nine-Tails roared in pain and charged towards Tatsuma. Seeing this, everyone couldn't help but worry. Could Tatsuma withstand the power of the Nine-Tails?

In Sage Mode, Tatsuma's sensory abilities are incredibly strong. He can detect and neutralize even the most exquisite taijutsu, let alone the Nine-Tails, which moves like a wild beast.

"Bang!"

Avoiding Kushina's tearing hands, Tatsuma Yuu instantly transformed into a backhand elbow strike, hitting Kushina directly on the head, seemingly without regard for her status.

They fought in a way that was incredibly gender-equal.

Giving your all is the greatest respect you can show to your opponent!

Minato's already pale face turned even paler when he saw Kushina's head subtly deformed. Although Kushina's face was completely covered by the black and red chakra, making it impossible to see her features, he still felt heartache.

However, he treated everyone equally, looking at Tatsuma with a pained expression. The Nine-Tails' chakra was no joke; even a slight touch could cause severe burns, and his hand was now a bloody mess.

But how come Tatsuma's hands are alright?! Not even his clothes are torn!

Minato was somewhat incredulous, but Orochimaru, who was watching the battle, had guessed it: those six Vajra Chains had completely locked up the Nine-Tails' chakra.

Moreover, no more Nine-Tails chakra was leaking from Kushina's body; instead, the chakra on her skin was constantly dissipating.

In other words, as long as Tatsuma maintains the Vajra Chains' seal on Kurama, Kurama will be unable to cause any more trouble once the rampaging chakra dissipates.

Without the special abilities of the Nine-Tails' chakra, the half-tailed beast Nine-Tails is essentially just a beast that is a little stronger and faster, but doesn't have much combat skill.

In terms of strength and speed, Tatsuma, who bears the name of the White Demon, is in no way inferior.

"Bang!"

Nine-Tails kicked down, but Tatsuma raised his knee to block, instantly unleashing monstrous strength. Not only did it prevent Nine-Tails' attack from succeeding, it even forced Nine-Tails to stagger backward.

Looking at the disheveled Nine-Tails, Tatsuma showed no mockery, but said very seriously, "Nine-Tails, you are too powerful and too dangerous. I must seal you away."

"roar!"

Kurama showed no appreciation for Tatsuma's "praise," instead roaring angrily as it struggled to regain its balance, preparing for its next attack.

Given the lack of physical advantage and such a significant skill gap, even the most irrational person would realize the disparity between the two sides at this point, and would at least hesitate, if not stop the fight.

But Nine-Tails was different. Almost as soon as it stopped, it leaped up and pounced on Tatsuma again. Tatsuma grabbed its wrist with his back hand and thrust his palm through Nine-Tails' armpit, using a modified diagonal flying move.

"Bang!"

Kurama was slammed to the ground again, letting out cries of pain. Minato, who was watching the battle, was extremely conflicted. He didn't know whether to hope that Minato would be more forceful and defeat Kurama sooner, or to go easy on him so as not to hurt Kushina inside.

Jiraiya, who was watching the battle, had the large scroll under his buttocks and said breathlessly, "This kid is really amazing. He was actually able to fight against the Nine-Tails in its Six-Tails form and even gain the upper hand."

He suddenly remembered the prophecy made by the Great Toad Sage more than a year ago when he took Tatsuma to Mount Myōboku: Tatsuma would grow to a level that he could not match, and that it would happen in just a few years.

Now it seems like it won't take many years at all. Jiraiya couldn't control the rampaging Nine-Tails, but Tatsuma was able to suppress it completely.

Although it was Tatsuma's Sage Mode and his amazing Adamantine Sealing Technique that gave him a huge advantage in fighting the Tailed Beasts, it cannot be denied that Tatsuma was indeed very strong.

Jiraiya touched the mask he had painted on his face. If he asked those two immortals to help him, he should be able to fight Tatsuma to a draw.

But Chenma is only sixteen years old. He's already thirty, yet he's already hoping to at least draw with his juniors.

Jiraiya guessed that, in terms of overall combat strength, his two teammates' trump cards wouldn't be much stronger than his, meaning that Tatsuma, at only sixteen years old, was already comparable to the three legendary ninja.

At their age, they were still basking in the glory of passing the Jonin Exams.

No wonder Sakumo Hatake recommended this kid to be the new captain. In terms of strength, Tatsuma is still a bit behind Sakumo Hatake now, but when compared to Sakumo Hatake when he first became captain, he is no less capable.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and said something that made Jiraiya feel even more frustrated: "Tatsuma hasn't used all his methods yet; I mean, he's used even stronger methods."

"What?!"

Jiraiya looked at Tsunade in disbelief, and Tsunade nodded solemnly. Jiraiya felt a deep sense of desolation. So it wasn't just comparable, but that she had already surpassed the three legendary Sannin?

"His taijutsu seems to have improved as well. It is different from the super-strong fist or the Hyuga's gentle fist, and it is not like the taijutsu of the Land of Lightning. He has gradually created his own taijutsu. I never thought that the technique that was like aerobics back then would have such great power."

Tsunade looked at Tatsuma, who could easily suppress the rampaging Nine-Tails with just taijutsu, and her words were tinged with bitterness. She had been studying the Senju's monstrous strength for so many years, and she had only made some minor improvements and innovations on top of that.

But Tatsuma created and perfected his own ninjutsu almost from scratch. As a teacher, and one who successfully helped his students lower their guard, Tsunade knew how terrifying Tatsuma's progress had been during this time.

And this is only Tatsuma's progress in taijutsu. Apart from his genjutsu skills, which have remained almost unchanged, Tatsuma's other skill, ninjutsu, has undergone a truly terrifying evolution.

About half a year ago, Tatsuma, her, and Orochimaru discussed and decided to give up suppressing the Divine Tree cells and even actively stimulate their growth.

Besides the rapid improvement in physical fitness, the most important benefit is...

"Sage Art! Wood Release! Vajra Summoning Wood!"

As Tatsuma completed his hand seals, Jiraiya's eyes widened and his mouth opened to its limit. Many solid wooden planks emerged from the ground, attacking the rampaging Nine-Tails.

Moreover, the binding force was so strong, and the wood itself was so powerful, that even the berserk Nine-Tails could not destroy it. In the blink of an eye, the Nine-Tails' limbs were bound by the wood and it was firmly fixed in place.

Chenma took a deep breath, raised his right hand, and the character "座" (seat) gradually appeared on his palm.

He would reveal his Wood Release for a simple reason: Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Minato all know that he can use Wood Release, and since their conversation before the kidney transplant surgery, Kato Dan has become one of Tatsuma's supporters.

As they spent time together day after day, Tatsuma grew to trust Kato Dan. Meanwhile, everyone else in the room had lost consciousness, and Tatsuma was certain that nothing could go wrong.

As for Jiraiya, although he's unreliable, he's definitely trustworthy. At least Tatsuma wouldn't feel any trouble if he revealed his Wood Release in front of him, unless he was bothered by Jiraiya.

With the character "座" (seat) on his palm stabilizing, Tatsuma looked at the struggling Nine-Tails. His Wood Release skills were certainly no match for Hashirama Senju, and his use of the Adamantine Sealing Chains was inferior to that of Mito Uzumaki.

However, with the aid of Sage Mode, sealing the Nine-Tails in its six-tailed state is still not a problem.

"Sage Art! Wood Release! Hokage-style Ear-Clearing Technique! Kouan Enters the Palace and Drops Hands!"

The character "座" (seat) was imprinted on Kurama's black forehead. The characteristics of Wood Release allowed him to continuously draw chakra from Kurama. However, Tatsuma did not receive this chakra, since the balance in Sage Mode was much more important than a little chakra.

The converted chakra was directed to the ground, and the barren ground, which had become barren due to the construction, sprouted lush green grass once again, and the surrounding trees seemed to become more vibrant.

Within Kushina's mental world, she suddenly saw chains of Vajra chakra, adorned with vines and flowers, rushing in. This chakra was undoubtedly from the person she hated most.

"Roar roar roar!!!"

The newly appeared Vajra Chains pierced into the Nine-Tails' body, which had loosened its seal and regained some mobility. This made the Nine-Tails extremely angry and in great pain.

He swung his claws and tail, trying to drive away the chains, and Kushina, whom he held in his hand, was thrown away and freed from her restraints.

"Sakamoto Tatsuma!!! Sakamoto Tatsuma!!! Damn humans! Damn Wood Release! Damn Adamantine Sealing Chains!"

Despite the Nine-Tails' roar, the chains tightened, and Kushina, who was thrown onto the water, was distorted. After catching her breath, she saw a giant hand suddenly enter her mental world.

A giant hand made of trees grabbed the Nine-Tails' head. The Nine-Tails, which was originally as large as a mountain, looked like a teacup dog the moment the giant hand grabbed its head.

"Strengthen your seal."

The voice that Kushina hated most came from beyond the sky. Kushina gritted her teeth and got up. The chains on her body tightened suddenly, and the Nine-Tails, which was already imprisoned, became even more stiff, like a figurine.

As she repaired the seal, Kushina understood for the first time why Minato always said that Tatsuma gave people a sense of security.

Don't think that just because you saved her, she'll forgive Tatsuma for taking away so much of Minato's time and attention—that should have been hers!

If it weren't for Sakamoto Tatsuma, she would be the one carrying out missions with Minato, and she would be the one training with him. If it weren't for Sakamoto Tatsuma, she wouldn't have to have an "outsider" decide when she goes shopping and eats with Minato.

The anger in her heart was transformed into power. Kushina, who originally had only five Vajra chains connected to her body, suddenly had three more Vajra chains appear in her body.

The restraints of the eight Vajra chains completely silenced the Nine-Tails. The giant tree hand slowly loosened and retreated, withdrawing from Kushina's mental world along with the Vajra chains adorned with vines and flowers.

"Ding~ You can pick up the talents [Physical +99] and [Ninjutsu +99]; you can also pick up the special talent [Malice Perception] (Kurama exclusive) 100% chance. Pick it up?"

Outside, Chenma breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the system's announcement in his mind. This meant he had won the "match," which, in a sense, was a powerful tool for determining whether his opponent was feigning death.

However, he quickly realized that he had acquired a special talent again. The last time he had acquired a special talent was three or four years ago when he picked up the general-purpose [Cursed Seal] talent from Orochimaru, which was not a limited one.

"Pick it up".

Tatsuma silently recited the words, and then, his Sage Mode, which already allowed him to vaguely sense the feelings of others, became even more acute in this regard, and no one present harbored any ill will towards him.

Even with Kushina, it seemed more like... jealousy and resentment?

Tatsuma didn't dwell on this sensation. Instead, he snapped out of it and removed his right hand from Kushina's forehead, which had returned to its original state. Minato immediately stepped forward and caught Kushina as she was about to fall.

"Thanks."

Minato, holding Kushina, thanked Tatsuma. Tatsuma nodded, fully deserving of the thanks. He then looked at Orochimaru and the others, asking, "What exactly happened just now?"

Orochimaru was about to speak when Tatsuma said to himself, "Let's wait a bit longer. Once the person involved has regained consciousness, I'll clean up the scene. Teacher, could you please treat the injured person?"

Surprisingly, Tsunade didn't find anything wrong with her disciple's commands. She was the kind of person who would even feel annoyed by the Hokage's orders, yet looking at her disciple, she instinctively nodded and said:

"Yes, I mean, okay."

(End of this chapter)