"Both eyes are too much, but one should be fine."
Hajime thought of Uchiha Obito.
Obito could only withstand one Rinnegan.
It was hard not to acknowledge just how monstrous the Uzumaki Clan's physique really was.
Nagato, having adapted to them from a young age, could endure both Rinnegan.
Of course, even then, he was nearly drained dry by the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
"Rinnegan… it's incredibly dangerous..."
Hajime knew this very well.
Especially at this time—not just because of the eye itself, but because of Uchiha Madara, who lurked in the shadows.
Currently the strongest existence in the shinobi world.
Even though the guy was hooked up to life support…
With Wood Clone and White Zetsu as living armor, opening Susanoo was no problem for him.
Thinking of that, Hajime let go of the idea for now.
"Take it slow..."
"First, I'll get both Sharingan to three tomoe. Then go for Mangekyō."
When it came to getting stronger, Hajime believed patience was a must.
"Dragon Vein… sealing techniques…"
His thoughts turned to other matters.
His progress with sealing techniques was a bit slow.
He honestly had only average talent in that area.
If he couldn't master them himself, then he needed someone trustworthy to handle that role.
Uzumaki Kushina was one possible candidate.
And also Tsunade.
But when it came to sealing, Tsunade would never be as proficient as Kushina.
"I wonder if Kushina has mastered Wind Release nature transformation…"
That made him think again of little Nawaki.
He should be graduating next year.
Would he become Orochimaru's student?
Would he fall into a trap?
...
The night passed without incident.
At dawn, Crow came to report. "Captain, the Iwa-nin have caught up again."
Hajime calmly put on his mask. "How many?"
"Twenty."
"Then prepare for battle."
Hajime rose to his feet.
Moments later, all the Root ninja gathered.
Aside from Hajime, only six remained.
They each ate a soldier pill and rehydrated. Not long after, the Iwa-nin arrived.
The two sides faced each other across an open clearing, separated by several dozen meters.
"These guys... they're definitely not Amegakure ninja!"
"This style… it's ANBU from Konoha!"
"Damn bastards!"
The Iwa-nin roared in fury.
Over the past days, Hajime's group had kept slipping through their fingers, and many comrades had fallen.
But the chasing Iwa-nin had suffered even greater casualties.
"Send the signal!"
The squad leader barked out the order.
An instant later, a signal flare exploded in the sky.
Hajime looked up.
Reinforcements?
Better hope they're sending a thousand.
Right after the flare, the Iwa-nin charged forward.
Before they even reached, a barrage of shuriken and rock bullets came flying through the air.
Hajime clapped his hands together.
Wood Release!
Vines shot up from the ground, precisely blocking the incoming shuriken and projectiles.
Behind him, the Root operatives launched their own jutsu.
Wind Release – Great Breakthrough!
Fire Release – Dragon Fire Technique!
Waves of flame rolled forward, pushed into a raging inferno by the wind.
But the attacks were blocked by walls that shot up from the ground.
"Careful, it's a Wood Release user from Konoha!"
"Change the terrain!"
From behind the earth walls, the Iwa-nin shouted commands.
Soon, the ground began to tremble.
Hajime looked down and saw the earth beneath his feet cracking and shifting up and down.
Wood Release – Birth of the Tree World!
In an instant, more vines and trees burst forth, rapidly growing and spreading to cover the sky.
Behind him, the Root operatives leapt onto the branches and vines, using their movement to charge toward the Iwa-nin.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Countless rock bullets tore through the air, sending wood chips flying.
This technique was practically a staple for Iwa-nin.
But within a dense forest, its damage was greatly reduced. On top of that, Hajime's forest was alive.
Their terrain manipulation abilities became completely useless.
No matter how they reshaped the land, once the tree world covered it, it instantly became Hajime's domain.
The Iwa-nin were soon swallowed by the forest. Crow and the other Root shinobi moved in swiftly. Screams rang out as Iwa-nin were bound by vines, their chakra drained until their bodies shriveled up like dried husks.
As the forest expanded even faster, the Iwa-nin tried to fight while retreating, but they couldn't escape the domain. One by one, they were struck down, turned into human batteries hanging in the air.
In less than five minutes, the battle was over.
The Iwa-nin were completely annihilated.
It wasn't because they were weak—
It was because Wood Release paired with teammates was terrifying.
Using Tree Coffin Eternal Burial, Hajime buried the chakra-drained Iwa-nin underground. Then he created two Wood Clones and used Body Flicker Technique to vanish.
"Head for the daimyo's residence!"
Hajime ordered as he led the Root ninja straight toward the Bird Country's capital.
The Land of Birds counted as Iwa's rear flank.
Hajime decided to serve them a little appetizer first.
...
Iwagakure – Tsuchikage Building.
"That bastard…"
Ōnoki ground his teeth.
Bird Country... again... lost!
And what's worse—a Wood Release user!
Ōnoki's expression turned dark.
He had seen the Wood Release power of Hashirama Senju. In a group battle, Hashirama had never lost.
He had also witnessed Uchiha Madara's Susanoo.
Since Hashirama could beat Madara into submission, that meant even Susanoo wasn't a match for him.
Now this Wood Release user had inherited the secret arts of Hashirama—but how many, they didn't know.
But based on current intel, normal jōnin were no match.
Even two or three dozen attacking together would be pointless.
Suppressing the urge to step onto the battlefield himself, Ōnoki gave the order.
Soon after—
A burly man around forty years old led a hundred-man squad out of Iwagakure. Among them was the village's renowned Explosive Corps.
Not long after the unit departed, intel began to leak from Iwagakure.
At the border of Amegakure—
Konoha's frontline headquarters.
Mitokado Homura and Akimichi Torifu frowned as they read the latest intelligence report.
Another hundred-man unit, and this one included the famous Explosive Corps—
What was Iwagakure planning?
Danzo, however, remained calm. He said flatly, "It's likely targeting the Wood Release user."
"We recently received word that the Wood Release user took the Land of Birds."
Mitokado Homura hesitated. "Mobilizing such a large force just for one Wood Release user—don't you think that's an overreaction?"
"And the one leading them is that guy Yami."
Yami—a top-class jonin of Iwagakure, wielder of the Explosion Release Kekkei Genkai. Homura had fought him before—a very troublesome opponent.
Besides his Explosion Release, Yami's mastery over Earth Release was also extremely formidable.
Danzo glanced at Homura and said, "It seems you've forgotten just how powerful the First Hokage's Wood Release was."
"Even if Konoha's 'Alpha' only inherited part of the First Hokage's power, he's already beyond what an ordinary jonin can handle."
"You may not know this, but the number of Iwa-nin who've died at 'Alpha's hands is close to a hundred. Many of them were jonin."
"A Wood Release user like that is enough to keep Ōnoki awake at night. This kind of reaction from him is completely reasonable."
"If I were in his shoes, I'd do the same."
Mitokado Homura fell silent.
Akimichi Torifu said, "If that's the case, shouldn't we send an elite team to support them?"
Danzo paused briefly, then shook his head. "No need."
"I trust in 'Alpha'."
Or rather, he trusted in the power of Wood Release.
As for the other Root shinobi, Danzo didn't care. He believed that even if Hajime couldn't win, he'd definitely escape—and that was enough to tie up a significant portion of Iwa's forces.
Seeing Danzo's stance, Akimichi Torifu nodded and asked, "Then, regarding Iwa's logistics supply line—since we've already identified two, should we move on them?"
Danzo and Homura exchanged a glance. Homura replied, "Wait a little longer. We need more intel to support an operation."
Danzo added, "Iwa-nin are also trying to sabotage our supply lines. But for now, some of our logistics can still come directly from the Land of Rain."
"Also, to disrupt their supply lines, we'll need elite teams with the right skill set."
...
Konoha Village, Main Gate.
Watching the late arrival of Jiraiya, Tsunade, clad in her gray-and-white combat gear, pouted in mild irritation. "You'd better not be deadweight when we get to the battlefield."
Jiraiya, long accustomed to Tsunade's sharp tongue, chuckled. "Relax, I'm the great Sage Jiraiya of Mount Myōboku."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "You've mastered Sage Mode?"
Orochimaru also turned his gaze toward Jiraiya, curious.
Jiraiya's smile froze slightly, and he replied with an awkward chuckle, "Almost there. Almost!"
Tsunade nearly rolled her eyes. Then she suddenly thought of Hajime:
"I wonder if that guy's mastered it already... If I'd known, I would've given him some of Slug Sage's mucus to help."
She felt a bit of regret.
At that moment, Orochimaru said, "Let's go."
Tsunade snapped out of her thoughts. The three glanced once more at Konoha's village gates, then dashed off into the distance.
(End of Chapter)
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