Glancing back at Ōnoki, who had been tailing him from a distance, Hajime frowned slightly but quickly turned his attention away, focusing instead on locating Tsunade and the others.
The disturbance this time was far too intense. He feared Tsunade's team might be in trouble.
"Hm?"
Very soon, Hajime spotted a battlefield.
A large number of Iwa-nin were launching an assault around a mountaintop.
"They're surrounded..."
Without hesitation, Hajime descended rapidly, a strange sense rising within him—he felt as though he was witnessing history unfold.
"No… I am part of history."
As he plummeted faster, Hajime formed hand seals with both hands.
At the same time—
Behind him, seeing Hajime's sudden descent, Ōnoki immediately accelerated to catch up.
Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!
Hajime exhaled sharply, unleashing a violent surge of air that morphed into a fierce windstorm barreling downward.
The roar drew the attention of the Iwa-nin attacking below.
"Enemy attack!"
"Scatter!"
Shouts echoed through the air as the Iwa-nin began dodging in every direction.
At that moment, it was too late for them to activate defensive ninjutsu—they could only evade.
Boom—!!
The air blast slammed into the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust that surged in all directions.
Several nearby Iwa-nin were instantly swept away by the violent shockwave.
Within the smoke and debris, Hajime landed lightly, hands coming together in the Ram seal.
Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!
Thick vines erupted from the ground, slithering rapidly through the battlefield, entangling and binding the Iwa-nin who hadn't yet reacted.
In moments, a forest had formed.
Ōnoki arrived with his squad, hovering in the air. "Retreat from the forest!"
The Iwa-nin who had been about to charge in to rescue their comrades halted abruptly.
Inside the cave—
Orochimaru had already drawn a kunai and was preparing to stab Jiraiya.
Boom—!
The boulder blocking the cave entrance shattered into pieces, and a tall figure stood in the opening.
"Looks like I made it just in time."
Hajime chuckled lightly.
Orochimaru turned in astonishment. Tsunade's expression lit up with a mix of shock and joy upon seeing Hajime.
Locking eyes with her briefly, Hajime then looked toward Jiraiya. "Hey Jiraiya, you still alive, you bastard?"
Grinning broadly, Jiraiya raised his hand and flashed an OK sign at him.
"Then let's retreat. The Third Tsuchikage is right outside. If we don't leave now, I'm afraid that old man might lose his patience and make a move," said Hajime.
Ōnoki hadn't attacked yet, likely because he feared Hajime's teleportation abilities, which could cause devastating losses among his own men.
But… there was no guarantee Ōnoki wouldn't take the risk and try to kill him anyway.
"What?"
"The Third Tsuchikage?!"
Tsunade and the others were visibly alarmed.
Hajime nodded. "It was the Third Tsuchikage who ambushed me."
"Orochimaru, carry Jiraiya."
With that, Hajime turned around.
Orochimaru promptly hoisted Jiraiya onto his back, and with Tsunade, the three exited the cave.
Outside, they were already surrounded by a forest.
Orochimaru glanced around, visibly stunned. "So this is the power of the First Hokage..."
This was also Tsunade's first time witnessing Hajime unleash such a massive-scale Wood Style. As she looked at the figure ahead, for a moment, it was as though she saw her grandfather, Hashirama Senju, standing there.
But then, in the blink of an eye, another image overlapped in her mind—that of her great-uncle, Tobirama Senju.
She shook her head and refocused.
As they approached the edge of the forest, all three couldn't help but look up toward the sky, where a short figure floated.
The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki!
Ōnoki stared back at Hajime and the others, murderous intent welling up inside him.
Should he pay a heavy price to try and kill this teleporting brat?
Hajime raised his head to meet Ōnoki's gaze, sensing the killing intent and chuckled. "Lord Tsuchikage, have you changed your mind? Are you thinking of having another round with me?"
As the words fell, Hajime vanished from his spot.
Ōnoki's eyes darted rapidly but could barely keep up—he only caught faint afterimages: too fast!
Hajime flickered around the battlefield, appearing beside one Iwa-nin after another before returning to his original position.
In less than two seconds, over a dozen Iwa-nin suddenly broke into a cold sweat, instinctively reaching for their necks—only to find their fingers stained with blood.
Each of them had a thin, red line across their throats.
Ōnoki's face in the air shifted dramatically.
The attack had been terrifyingly swift.
If Hajime had meant to kill them, those dozen Iwa-nin would've been dead before they even realized it.
How many would have to be sacrificed just to get a chance at taking down this guy?
Especially since, if Hajime wanted to leave, they wouldn't be able to stop him.
Ōnoki's gaze shifted to Tsunade and the other two—could he use them to set a trap? Would it work?
Just as he was hesitating, an Iwa-nin rushed over from the distance:
"Konoha's reinforcements have arrived!"
Ōnoki descended with his men, Iwa-nin quickly gathering behind him.
In the distance, through the rolling clouds of dust, Hajime spotted the unmistakable figure of Danzo leading a group of Konoha shinobi into battle.
He had to admit—he was a little moved.
Danzo was really on the front lines this time. He probably knew that Ōnoki had appeared on the battlefield and still brought troops to charge in.
Tsunade and the others visibly relaxed at the sight of reinforcements.
While Danzo wasn't quite as strong as their teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, he was close—and more than capable of dealing with someone like the Third Tsuchikage.
As both sides faced off, Hajime quietly retreated behind Danzo.
Now's definitely not the time to steal the commander's spotlight—
Especially when that commander was up against the Third Tsuchikage.
At that moment, Ōnoki finally turned his gaze to Danzo. "Danzo…"
Danzo stared back at him. "Ōnoki. Never expected you to show up on the battlefield."
"Looks like Iwagakure's determined to take the Land of Rain."
On his way to the rescue, Danzo had also sent a message to notify Hanzo.
Now that Ōnoki had shown up in the Land of Rain, would Hanzo really just sit back?
Hearing Danzo's not-so-subtle implication, Ōnoki gave a cold snort. "As the Third Tsuchikage, it's only natural I appear on the battlefield."
"As for the Land of Rain…"
Ōnoki glanced at Hajime. "It was Amegakure who first invaded the Land of Birds. I'm merely acting on the orders of its daimyo, issuing a strong response to Amegakure."
"Will Konoha interfere?"
Danzo replied coolly, "Konoha is allied with Amegakure. We won't sit idly by while the Land of Rain is invaded."
Ōnoki twitched at the corner of his eye.
What a shameless thing to say... Only Danzo could say something like that with a straight face.
Would Hanzo even admit to having an alliance with Konoha?
Ōnoki was practically itching to smash Danzo's face with a Dust Release technique.
Meanwhile, Hajime had to stifle a laugh and silently gave Danzo a mental thumbs-up.
Honestly, he was starting to understand why so many within Konoha's hawkish faction supported Danzo.
Danzo had basically turned Root into his own private army—there was a certain charisma to him.
"Amegakure must be punished!"
Ōnoki held firm.
"In that case, we'll just have to wait and see," Danzo replied evenly.
He had no intention of continuing the standoff. The area they were in currently belonged to Iwagakure.
If more Iwa-nin gathered and surrounded them, it would become a serious problem.
With a wave of his hand, Danzo gave the order to retreat.
The Konoha shinobi withdrew in an orderly fashion.
Hajime stayed close to Danzo, helping cover the rear with the other Root operatives.
Ōnoki didn't order a pursuit. He simply followed at a distance with his forces.
Soon, Konoha's group exited Iwa's controlled territory and were met by reinforcements from their own side, including Sakumo Hatake.
Both sides began to withdraw further, scaling back their forces.
Ōnoki then gathered Iwagakure's top brass at the frontlines to discuss strategies specifically to deal with Hajime.
Wood Style—combined with teleportation.
It was giving Iwa's leadership a massive headache.
Too few people? They'd get crushed.
Too many people? They'd just become targets to be mowed down.
After lengthy discussions—
Iwagakure issued special combat protocols for dealing with a Wood Style user:
1. If the enemy is a Wood Style user and your unit has fewer than twenty jōnin-level shinobi—retreat.
2. Upon encountering a Wood Style user, immediately use Hardening Technique. If unable to use it, fall back or move to a support position behind the front lines.
3. To engage a Wood Style user, aside from Hardening, one must have extremely fast reaction speeds for substitution and cloning techniques.
4. During battle with a Wood Style user, it is critical to obstruct their line of sight as much as possible.
...
At the rear lines of Konoha—
Inside a wooden hut, Hajime was giving Danzo a detailed report of the recent operation.
Of course, certain details were deliberately omitted.
For example, his teleportation ability.
After the report was complete, Danzo asked, "Do you think Hanzo will join forces with us this time to strike against the Iwa-nin?"
Hajime paused in thought, then shook his head. "I believe that's unlikely."
"To Hanzo, both we and the Iwa-nin are enemies—both are forces that need to be driven out."
"What benefits him most now is for us and the Iwa-nin to fight and exhaust each other's strength."
"Not to mention, Amegakure's forces are currently concentrated in the Land of Rivers."
"However, Danzo-sama, I believe we must remain on guard against Hanzo at all times."
"If things go badly for him in the Land of Rivers—or too well—he will make a move against us."
Danzo nodded, then gave his next order: "In that case, take two days to rest, then head to Sunagakure. Investigate what they're up to."
"Their movements in the Land of Rivers… don't resemble those of a major Hidden Village."
Hajime nodded at once. "Understood!"
…
Elsewhere, inside the medical tent—
By Jiraiya's bedside, the blonde Minato Namikaze wore a worried expression.
"Jiraiya-sensei, are your injuries serious?"
Jiraiya forced a smile through the pain. "Don't worry, I'll be healed up in no time."
Minato nodded, then asked, "I heard the Third Tsuchikage personally came to the battlefield. Is that how you got hurt, sensei?"
Jiraiya nodded, and just then, Tsunade walked in.
"More or less," she said.
"Never expected the Third Tsuchikage to personally set a trap."
Just thinking back on it gave Jiraiya chills.
He had nearly died.
Tsunade added as she approached, "The Wood Style user is worth the Third Tsuchikage acting personally."
Minato's eyes widened. "The Wood Style user?"
Jiraiya nodded. "You've met him."
"'Alpha'!"
Minato blinked in surprise, the image of the young man surfacing in his mind.
As Tsunade began examining Jiraiya's wounds, she asked, "Minato, you've met Hajime too?"
Minato gave a sheepish smile. "Yes, Lady Tsunade. I happened to meet him while I was with Jiraiya-sensei."
"I didn't expect that senior to actually be the Wood Style user."
Tsunade didn't respond to that and instead asked, "You only graduated recently, Minato. What brings you here?"
Minato replied, "I requested it from the Third Hokage myself."
"Jiraiya-sensei, I've made initial progress with the Flying Thunder God Technique."
Jiraiya's eyes flew wide open. "What?!"
"You've learned the Flying Thunder God?!"
"Hahaha!"
"As expected of my student!"
Jiraiya burst into laughter.
Tsunade, too, was taken aback and looked at Minato with new interest.
She was, of course, no stranger to the Flying Thunder God—it was a time-space technique developed by her granduncle, Tobirama Senju.
It was ranked S-class in difficulty. She had once tried to learn it herself, but failed.
Even her teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had trained in it and failed as well.
"I remember it's only been about six months since you started learning it?" Tsunade asked.
Minato nodded. "Yes, Lady Tsunade."
"I owe it to the notes left behind by the Second Hokage."
He had graduated just last year and was taken in by Jiraiya as his chosen "Child of Destiny."
Because of his extraordinary talent in body flicker techniques, Jiraiya had chosen this time-space jutsu from the Forbidden Scroll for him to study.
Before that, Minato had first trained in the Second Hokage's sensory techniques.
It was precisely because he had easily mastered those that Jiraiya entrusted him with a technique as difficult as the Flying Thunder God.
And Minato—was only eleven years old.
After laughing, Jiraiya couldn't help but silently marvel at his student's talent in ninjutsu.
He far surpasses me as a teacher.
Truly worthy of being the Child of Destiny!
With a broad grin, Jiraiya said, "Since that's the case, Minato, you'll be teaming up with us from now on!"
"What do you say, Tsunade?"
Minato immediately looked to her with hopeful eyes.
Tsunade kept her head down, busy with her work. "I have no objections."
Minato bowed quickly. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade!"
Tsunade waved it off. "With the Flying Thunder God, this kind of thing shouldn't happen again."
Jiraiya puffed out his chest like he had mastered it himself. "Naturally!"
At that moment, Hajime arrived at the tent and overheard the conversation. He stepped inside.
"Congratulations, Minato, for mastering such an incredible jutsu!"
"Hajime!"
"Alpha!"
Tsunade and Minato greeted him in turn.
Jiraiya looked up slightly. "You're not acting much like a Root ninja right now."
Hajime smiled as he walked closer. "Once I take off the mask, I'm just a regular Konoha shinobi."
"Jiraiya, your injuries okay?"
Jiraiya raised a fist. "Don't worry. With Tsunade here, I'll be healed up soon."
Hajime nodded. "Tsunade's medical skills are top-notch. I was just worried she might be the one who hurt you."
Jiraiya's smile froze.
Tsunade huffed proudly, "As long as this idiot doesn't tick me off, he'll be fine."
After a few laughs, Hajime turned to Minato.
"The Flying Thunder God Technique… I've thought about learning it too, but never found the time."
"Come to think of it, I happen to have a jutsu that would pair perfectly with Flying Thunder God."
All three of them paused in surprise.
Tsunade immediately guessed which technique he meant and gave a small nod.
Jiraiya was puzzled. "A technique that pairs well with Flying Thunder God?"
Hajime nodded, looking straight at Minato. "Minato, you don't use a ninja blade in combat, do you?"
Minato nodded. "That's right, senpai. I prefer using kunai."
"And honestly, I'm not that gifted in kenjutsu."
Hajime nodded again, then extended his right hand.
"In that case, this technique will suit you perfectly."
As he finished speaking, a Rasengan formed rapidly in his palm.
(End of Chapter)
RedX43's Note:
➤ Want More? Get up to +40 Extra Chapters on Patreon!
➤ [email protected]/RedX43
➤ +300 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter Drop!
➤ Thanks for the support! 🙌