Tsunade's daily training wasn't particularly difficult, so Miki didn't supervise.
Although it was about honing mental fortitude, it mainly consisted of physical training.
Hellish training.
Miki had devised a training plan for Tsunade, and also had her practice the Steel Fist style.
While Super Strength was powerful, Tsunade's fighting style wasn't aggressive enough.
After the first day of training, Orochimaru didn't appear again, nor did Hitomi and Naori, and even White Fang had disappeared.
On the second day, only Jiraiya showed up.
A young man and woman alone together looked like a date.
But Jiraiya wouldn't dare to think that way.
He was just accompanying Tsunade during her training.
In the forest, one could see such a scene: a young girl dragging a heavy boulder, running with all her might, with a nervous-looking white-haired young man sitting on top of the boulder.
With such a large boulder, every turn was a drift, and Jiraiya felt a bit nauseous.
Tsunade was like a monster; she simply couldn't stop.
After a full day of these exercises, Tsunade was fine, but Jiraiya, who accompanied her, was almost falling apart.
Honing the body is honing the will.
This is extremely important in the fight against the Nine-Tailed.
No matter how arduous the training, one must grit their teeth and persevere.
Tsunade did not give up; even without Miki present, she meticulously completed her training.
When she finished, she was as tired as a dead dog, lying on the ground with her limbs spread out.
However, she quickly sprang back to life and got up.
Watching this, Jiraiya couldn't help but click his tongue.
All the training exercises involved a level of exertion he couldn't possibly complete; rather than training, it was a form of torture.
Following a normal training rhythm, it would be impossible to complete.
But Tsunade could complete it, meaning she accelerated the training pace, which led to a massive consumption of Chakra, and that consumption intensified mental fatigue, potentially leading to collapse and unconsciousness.
Yet, Tsunade completed it.
Her physique was monstrous; for anyone else, a day of this would take half their life.
"It was easy-peasy."
After finishing, Tsunade said this to Jiraiya.
Jiraiya felt a little down.
With the same boulder, he had to enter Sage Mode just to lift it, and it was still quite strenuous, making his legs tremble.
But Tsunade, with her precise Chakra control and bursts, could toss it around like a toy.
Throwing it into the sky and catching it again.
The scene looked ridiculously exaggerated.
She was simply a sweet-looking monster.
When Jiraiya arrived the next day, he found Miki already present.
Tsunade's face was beaming with happiness.
"Is there new training?"
"Yes," Miki said, "I realized I greatly underestimated your monstrous physique."
"So, today we're going to try something new."
"What?" Tsunade said casually, "Is it still child's play like yesterday?"
"You'll be satisfied," Miki chuckled. "First, make a thousand Shadow Clones."
"Huh?" Tsunade was puzzled.
"Do it," Miki commanded forcefully.
"Oh."
After Tsunade formed the hand signs, a swarm of Shadow Clones appeared.
"Now, everyone, repeat all of yesterday's training exercises."
Miki gave the instruction.
For physical training, using Shadow Clones doesn't have the effect of strengthening the body.
But Tsunade's body was already monstrous enough; a more terrifying training volume wasn't impossible to complete, it would just delay the completion time.
Therefore, the goal wasn't to train the body, but to temper the will.
After the Shadow Clones dissipate, the mental shock from the acquired memories is perfect for honing one's will.
Jiraiya was aware of the drawbacks that made Shadow Clone a forbidden Ninjutsu.
If not handled carefully, it could be life-threatening.
Tsunade's expression became serious; she wasn't stupid.
"Don't push yourself too hard. If you can't take it, just say so," Miki calmly instructed.
"Who do you think I am? Even if the fatigue is amplified a thousandfold, it's nothing," Tsunade said defiantly.
The fatigue certainly wasn't a thousand times greater.
Shadow Clones would start to pop halfway through from exhaustion.
After Tsunade finished speaking, she began training with her clones.
With so many Tsunades, it was impossible to tell who was who, and Jiraiya didn't know which one to watch.
Until, as the training progressed, the Shadow Clones exploded one after another, until only Tsunade remained.
Tsunade fell straight onto her back.
Jiraiya's face changed, and he moved to check on her.
But Miki didn't move. He knew Miki was a powerful Medical Ninja, so he didn't move either.
A moment later, Tsunade sprang up with a Carp stand (carp jump), immediately formed hand signs, created more clones, and silently began the next exercise.
Why was she pushing herself so hard?
In Jiraiya's memory, Tsunade had always been a genius; when had she ever worked this hard?
He had never seen it.
Miki had seen it: when she was learning seals, and when she was developing Medical Ninjutsu, forgetting to eat or sleep.
Although back then, Tsunade was driven by a competitive spirit to contend with Miki and the others.
So…
After completing one exercise, she would briefly lose consciousness and collapse, then wake up supported by her monstrous physique, form hand signs, create clones, and begin the next round of exercises.
Around and around it went.
Miki just watched.
"Why is she pushing herself to this extent?" Jiraiya asked, puzzled. "She's already strong enough."
Miki glanced at Jiraiya.
Girls generally mature faster, and Tsunade was no exception.
"She's just grown up," Miki said.
Orochimaru, on the other hand, driven by pride and other factors, would instinctively seek ways to become stronger without needing to be pushed. Moreover, Miki had already shown him a path; all he had to do was run with it.
Among the Sannin, only Jiraiya was the most carefree.
He had no goal.
If anything, it was just to show off in front of pretty older sisters and hopefully get to know them.
So, everyone else, including White Fang, had spontaneously gone off to special training, while only this guy was still aimlessly lingering here.
Even though Miki had said to accompany Tsunade in training, this kind of monotonous physical training didn't require a sparring partner.
Orochimaru had realized this on the first day.
Even the simple-minded White Fang did.
Miki no longer looked at Jiraiya.
Whatever he wanted to do was fine; living his whole life following others' pace, without his own opinions, was just being a fool.
Tsunade had grown up?
Jiraiya was somewhat bewildered, looking at Tsunade's chest.
Then he looked at Tsunade's eyes, burning with a fire as she gritted her teeth and persevered.
What happened when I wasn't around?
Why had both Orochimaru and Tsunade changed?
The questions lingered in his heart, but Jiraiya didn't voice them.
He silently watched Tsunade's sweat-soaked figure.
Until the day ended.
Tsunade collapsed, then stubbornly got back up.
On the way home, the figure walking beside Miki had a mysteriously upright and resilient back.
So, she wasn't just a willful Hime after all.
The Fourth Hokage?
The next day.
When Jiraiya arrived, there was no one there.
Tsunade wasn't there, and Miki wasn't there either.
It couldn't be that they stopped training.
So, had I been left behind?
Jiraiya looked at the scene, bewildered.
After a long moment, he turned and left, feeling dejected.
Meanwhile, Miki and Tsunade had begun a new training exercise.
"Confinement Training."
This was outright psychological torment.
"If you can't bear it, you can stop anytime," Miki said seriously. "Don't be willful, but try to persevere, understand?"
Feeling the seriousness in her tone.
Tsunade softly replied.
"Understood."
"I will only send one meal a day," Miki said gravely. "Hunger is a great enemy; be mentally prepared. This training won't be as easy as yesterday's."
Tsunade nodded solemnly.
She was then confined in a narrow cave.
As the cave entrance sealed.
The world became dark.
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