"Wood Style! It's gotta be the legendary Wood Style!" After abandoning his Decapitating Carving Knife and using a Water Clone to trick Obito and Black Zetsu, Biwa Juzo didn't stick around to fight. He turned tail and bolted.
A flicker of shock crossed his eyes. The ability to control plants—what else could it be but Wood Style?
This was the power of the God of Shinobi himself! Someone from the Akatsuki had actually mastered that?
Juzo's mind raced to Obito Uchiha, who was posing as Madara Uchiha.
So, could that pitcher-plant-looking guy be pretending to be Hashirama Senju?
One with the Sharingan, another with Wood Style—it was eerily reminiscent of the legendary duo from the ninja world's past.
"Hm?!"
Suddenly, Juzo's pupils shrank. He ducked low, rolling ungracefully across the ground several times.
A white figure zipped over him, its sharp, pale limbs narrowly missing his skin.
"Whoa, quick reflexes! With moves like that, do you drop a load just as fast? Speaking of which, why can't I ever take a dump? It's so frustrating!" came a bizarre string of words.
Juzo got a good look at the white figure.
"What… is that thing?!"
He stared in disbelief at the humanoid shape. It looked human but was unnaturally pale, like it was carved from plaster. Its featureless face was downright creepy, with strange vortex patterns swirling around, centered on its right eye.
One glance told Juzo this was not human!
"Lord Madara wants you dead, you know! Think you'll be so scared you'll crap yourself before you go?" the vortex-faced creature said, clapping its hands with a loud smack.
To Juzo's shock, a massive wooden figure surged up behind it!
The towering wood golem, over twenty meters tall, wore a furious expression. One of its fists barreled toward Juzo with terrifying force.
"More Wood Style?!"
Juzo was floored. Was the legendary Wood Style bloodline limit being handed out like candy in the ninja world now?
How was everyone using it?!
"Damn it!" He leaped to the side as the wood golem's fist grazed past him, slamming into the ground.
BOOM!
Glancing at the massive crater where he'd just been standing, Juzo's eyelids twitched. He bit down hard, his hands flying through seals.
"Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
Juzo spat out a cloud of mist, shrouding the already dark surroundings in thick fog, his figure fading into the haze.
"Water Style: Water Fang Bullet!"
He formed more seals, and two streams of water morphed into sharp, spinning fangs, rocketing toward the vortex-faced White Zetsu like drills.
"Not bad…" the creature said, as its wood golem raised its hands to block. The water fangs slammed into the golem's palms, carving out dents and cracking the surface.
But within a second, chakra stitched the cracks back together, and the dents filled in as if nothing had happened.
Just as the vortex-faced White Zetsu prepared to strike again, it froze.
"He's gone?"
Juzo had no intention of sticking around. He knew two more pursuers were hot on his trail. Lingering even a second longer would put him in a three-against-one mess.
The Hidden Mist and Water Fang Bullet were just distractions to slow the vortex-faced creature down. Even his desperate-looking stance was a fake.
As expected, less than two seconds after he fled, Obito and Black Zetsu caught up.
"Where is he?" Obito demanded, glaring at the vortex-faced White Zetsu.
"Uh, he's kinda slippery," it said, scratching its head awkwardly. "I thought he was gonna go all-out and fight me to the death—maybe even crap himself in fear—but nope, he just tossed a couple jutsu at me and bolted."
"Then why aren't you chasing him?!" Obito nearly choked on his own frustration.
---
"What… is that?" Several kilometers outside the village, Neji gaped at the towering wooden figure in the distance.
The twenty-meter-tall golem stood out even in the dense forest beyond the Leaf Village, dwarfing the surrounding trees by several meters. Under the moonlight, its massive head was impossible to miss.
"That's the First Hokage's Wood Style jutsu," a grave voice said behind Neji. "If I'm not mistaken, it's the legendary Wood Golem Jutsu. Though, it's much smaller than the records say—probably only about twenty-three or twenty-four meters tall."
"Who's there?!"
Neji spun around, yanking a kunai from his waist, his young face pale with shock.
Someone had been tailing him this whole time, and he hadn't noticed until they spoke. If they'd wanted to kill him, he might've been dead ten minutes ago!
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
"Who?" The figure behind him—Jiraiya—grinned and struck a dramatic pose. "Why, none other than the unrivaled Toad Sage of the Hidden Leaf, the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya!"
"Dun-dun-dun!" He even added his own sound effects.
Neji: "…"
"Little Jiraiya, this kid's looking at you like you're an idiot," Shima, the toad on his shoulder, remarked.
Neji's eyes darted to the talking green toad.
Fukasaku, the other toad, chimed in. "Kid, that place up ahead? Not somewhere you can go. If Little Jiraiya hadn't stopped you, you'd probably be dead."
Neji froze, piecing it together. "You've been following me this whole time? The patrol ninjas didn't catch me sneaking out because you interfered?"
"Sharp one, aren't you?" Fukasaku said with a nod. "Yup, I used a little genjutsu on the patrols. Otherwise, you wouldn't have made it two hundred meters."
Neji gripped his kunai tighter. Even knowing this guy was likely a Leaf ninja—probably a big shot—he didn't let his guard down.
"What's your goal?" he demanded through gritted teeth.
"Just keeping an eye on you," Shima explained. "Me, my husband, and Little Jiraiya mean you no harm. We just wanted to see if you're the one we're looking for, that's all."
Neji wasn't convinced.
"Ahem!" Jiraiya, realizing his theatrics hadn't impressed the kid, straightened up, his tone serious. "Look, whatever you think of me, you can't go any further. It's too dangerous."
"Kids should head back to the village and find the old man—er, I mean, the Third Hokage. Tell him what's happening. From here on out, it's a job for the grown-ups."
"Shima, keep an eye on him," Jiraiya said to the toad.
"Little Jiraiya, you sure you're okay on your own?" Shima asked, concerned.
Fukasaku cut in. "Don't worry, I'll stick with him."
"Alright," Shima said. "You old coot, don't push yourself too hard if you run into something you can't handle."
With that, Shima hopped onto Neji's shoulder, ignoring his protests. As Neji instinctively moved to swat her away, she said, "Kid, show a little respect for an eight-hundred-year-old lady."
Neji froze.
Jiraiya, meanwhile, darted past him, heading toward the wood golem.
Finding the Child of Prophecy was important, but a mysterious threat to the Leaf Village?
That was just as critical.
---
Huff, huff… Juzo panted, pushing his speed to the limit as he fled toward the Leaf Village. Just a little more time, and he'd make it.
But his three pursuers were faster than he'd imagined. Before he could catch his breath, a searing wave of heat surged toward his back!
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive fireball roared toward Juzo, forcing him to weave hand signs at breakneck speed. He spun around and spat, "Water Style: Raging Waves!"
A torrent of water burst from his mouth, clashing with the fireball. The collision of opposing chakra natures triggered an explosion, the shockwave sending Juzo flying backward.
"You're pretty fast for a guy carrying all that crap in his gut! If you just let it all out, maybe you'd lighten up and run even faster!" came the vortex-faced creature's mocking voice.
Juzo's pupils shrank—it had caught up!
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the white figure's arm morph into a razor-sharp wooden spike, stabbing toward him with terrifying speed. Juzo knew he couldn't dodge completely, so he twisted to avoid his vital points, hoping to escape a fatal blow.
"Meow, quite the party!" a voice even weirder than the vortex-faced creature's rang out. "It's such a lively night—mind if I join in?!"
The sudden interruption stunned everyone.
Juzo seized the moment, rolling away to narrowly dodge the attack. He scrambled to his feet, sweating profusely, and braced himself.
"Someone's here?" Obito frowned, turning toward the sound. His jaw dropped when he saw it wasn't a person but a cat.
A very fat ninja cat!
Perched on a tree branch, it was so heavy the branch sagged under its weight.
"That orange cat…" Juzo's body jolted as he recognized it. "That's the cat Akainu Uchiha keeps—the one bold enough to sass Jiraiya!"
"Lord Madara," Black Zetsu, now at Obito's side, squinted. "That's Akainu Uchiha's summoning beast. Which means Akainu's nearby. He's probably watching everything."
Obito's brows furrowed. "He's using Juzo as bait to lure us out?! He knew we were coming for him?!"
"Probably figured out our plan," Black Zetsu said softly. "Remember when you met him last time? You said he looked at you like he wanted to kill you. Seems he really does. Why? Who knows. Maybe it's his so-called absolute justice."
At that moment, Black Zetsu couldn't help but think that the real Madara Uchiha should've chosen Akainu Uchiha as his successor.
Not this impulsive, trouble-stirring Obito, who caused chaos at every turn.
"Lord Madara, we should pull back," Black Zetsu urged.
"Why?" Obito asked coldly.
Black Zetsu explained, "If he knows we're coming, he's ready to take us down. We're not prepared to face him. Our original plan was to target his subordinate, not him. Now, we're the ones at a disadvantage."
Before Obito could respond, faint footsteps reached his ears, snapping him to attention.
Everyone turned to see a figure holding a ninja blade step into view.
"Uchiha…"
"Akainu!!!" Obito growled, spitting out the name through clenched teeth. He had no fondness for this man who knew too many of his secrets—only a burning desire to kill him.
"That's Uchiha Akainu, huh!" The vortex-faced White Zetsu, now beside Obito, studied Akainu, rubbing its chin. "Lord Madara, he's kinda better-looking than you! Say, if it takes you twenty minutes to take a dump, how long does it take him, being an Uchiha too?"
It started counting on its fingers, genuinely pondering the question, oblivious to the darkening expression beneath Obito's mask.
Black Zetsu, too, fixed its gaze on Akainu.
Did this Uchiha kid, who knew so many secrets, also know its secret as Black Zetsu? Did he know about the Sage of the Six Paths or even Mother?
"Uchiha Obito," Akainu's cold voice broke the silence. "Long time no see. Every time I see a beast like you, it's hard to keep my killing intent in check."
His gaze shifted to the two odd-looking creatures. "Finding one beast and getting two more as a bonus—does that make today a lucky day for absolute justice?"
Black Zetsu and the vortex-faced White Zetsu barely reacted, but Obito's forehead pulsed with veins.
He'd faced plenty of nasty enemies, but none had ever called him a "beast." Only Akainu Uchiha dared to insult him so viciously!
"Lucky day, heh…" Even knowing Akainu likely knew his true identity, Obito kept up his raspy "Madara" voice. "Uchiha junior, what if today isn't your lucky day? What if it's your last day? I bet those justice fanatics will miss you dearly."
Black Zetsu froze, realizing Obito wasn't backing down. It glanced at him. "Lord Madara…"
"Shut it," Obito snapped, glaring. "I know what I'm doing."
Black Zetsu: "…"
---
Inside the Leaf Village, Uchiha Izumi let out a slow breath, dusting off her hands. She turned to Naruto and Sasuke. "You two kids can't get all mopey just because we didn't run into any murderous villains tonight. That kind of attitude is totally wrong."
She poked Sasuke's forehead and ruffled Naruto's hair, her face stern as she lectured, "Let me ask you something. Which is better: running into killers every day and dishing out absolute justice, or patrolling the Leaf all night like tonight and only catching a couple of petty thieves?"
Her question left Naruto and Sasuke glancing at each other, stumped.
Sasuke's brow furrowed as he muttered, "If we don't run into killers… how are we supposed to carry out absolute justice? Isn't that what Teacher Akainu's all about?"
Not to be outdone, Naruto piped up, "Justice is about crushing those murderous bad guys with absolute force, right?"
Sasuke didn't want to be overshadowed by Naruto, and Naruto wasn't about to let Sasuke one-up him. For some reason, the two had this weird competitive streak.
"You two are way off base!" Mitarashi Anko said, arms crossed. "Real justice is about making the ninja world—and the Leaf—better. If we're running into bloodthirsty killers every day, is absolute justice actually working? Or is it failing?"
"Using extreme measures to enforce justice is supposed to reduce the ninja world's crimes. Catching just two thieves tonight means Akainu's absolute justice is making the Leaf's order stronger."
At seven years old, Naruto and Sasuke barely had a grasp on basic morality, let alone this. Anko's words went mostly over their heads.
They vaguely got one thing: if there were no killers to find, the ninja world would truly be a better place.
"So…" Naruto mumbled hesitantly, "if we take out all the killers, doesn't that mean we'd end up with no killers to find?"
Anko: "…You little punk! Read a book or something! Did you not hear a word I said?!"
She grabbed Naruto, drilling her fingers into his temples, making him yelp in pain.
"Speaking of which…" Izumi's gaze drifted to the full moon overhead. "Ever since we split up at the Police Force building, I haven't seen Senior Akainu or Jiro. Where'd they go?"
---
Outside the Leaf Village, Akainu Uchiha was done wasting words on Obito, still playing the "Madara" act. His free hand flew through single-handed seals. "Fire Style: Lava Dragon Bullet!"
A massive blob of lava spewed from his mouth, morphing midair into a searing lava dragon that lunged toward Obito.
Obito, Black Zetsu, and the vortex-faced White Zetsu—called Afei—narrowed their eyes and split in three directions to dodge.
BOOM!
The lava dragon slammed into the ground, melting a crater over ten meters wide. Flickers of flame danced at the edges, and molten lava oozed within, its scorching heat undeniable.
"What a pair of impossible guys," Black Zetsu muttered, lumping Akainu and Obito together.
It slapped the ground. "Wood Style!"
Instantly, roots burst from the earth, writhing like countless giant pythons, sending chills down anyone's spine as they tried to swallow Akainu whole.
Meanwhile, Afei, the vortex-faced White Zetsu, let out a playful laugh and counterattacked. The towering wood golem behind it swung a massive fist at Akainu.
Obito's face darkened beneath his mask. With a cold huff, his right eye shifted to the Mangekyo Sharingan. Space around him visibly warped, and giant shuriken shot out from his Kamui dimension, hurtling toward Akainu.
Obito himself fearlessly closed in on Akainu.
"Tch, three-on-one, huh? Uchiha Akainu, let me—" Juzo started, ready to jump in, when a shadow blotted out the moonlight above.
He looked up, eyes widening.
A massive cat loomed overhead, charging straight at the wood golem's fist.
WHAM!
The giant cat's head collided with the golem's fist. Landing on all fours, it skidded back dozens of meters but held its ground, blocking the blow.
"You jerk… Don't underestimate a ninja cat, meow!" Jiro yowled, fur bristling, face ferocious.
Juzo realized—this was that ninja cat of Akainu's!
It could even grow huge? It looked a bit like the Akimichi clan's Expansion Jutsu.
"Wood Style bloodline limit…" Akainu murmured, eyeing the writhing roots at his feet. Ignoring the giant shuriken flying at him from behind, he crouched and pressed a hand to one of the roots.
"Funny thing."
"I've got it too."
Suddenly, Black Zetsu realized it had lost control over some of the roots. A portion of them shot up over ten meters, curving behind Akainu and stabbing toward the shuriken from Obito's Kamui space.
The roots and shuriken collided in a chaotic clash.
"Wood Style?!" Black Zetsu's black-and-white face twisted in shock. "Uchiha Akainu has the Wood Style bloodline?!"
Obito, behind Akainu, froze for a moment.
But he didn't stop. The roots piercing toward him passed right through his body, unable to touch him in his Kamui state.
"Hmph!"
In a blink, Obito was inches from Akainu. His crimson Sharingan burned with killing intent as he reached out, aiming to touch Akainu's back.
But in the next instant, Akainu spun around, his ninja blade slashing at Obito's hand.
Splurch!
Obito's eye widened as he watched his severed hand fall to the ground. He stared, incredulous, at Akainu's cold, unflinching face.
The other ability—and flaw—of his right eye's Kamui…
It had been seen through!
The shocking realization hit Obito like a bolt. He'd planned to touch Akainu and suck him into the Kamui dimension. Even if Akainu could turn to lava like a Water Transformation, it wouldn't stop a space-time jutsu.
But to do that, Obito had to materialize his hand outside the Kamui dimension to make contact.
Who could've guessed that Akainu saw through his Kamui like it was nothing?
Like he was a girl stripped bare, with no secrets left!
This guy acted like he knew Obito had to partially materialize to use Kamui!
How did he know?!
How could he possibly know?!
Obito's mind exploded like it had been hit with a hundred bombs. Thankfully, his mask hid his stunned expression, or he'd have lost all Uchiha dignity.
Then Akainu's eyes locked onto Obito's. The shock in Obito's gaze deepened with a trace of fear.
"Mangekyo Sharingan!!!"
"Judgment," Akainu said coldly, blood trickling from his left eye and sliding down his cheek.
Obito's pupils shrank as he jerked his gaze away. Even knowing he was near-invincible in his Kamui state, fear drove him to retreat quickly.
"Looks like it didn't work," Akainu said, his expressionless face streaked with lava. The blood evaporated instantly in the heat.
He studied Obito, who seemed unaffected, realizing his left Mangekyo ability couldn't touch someone fully phased in Kamui.
But that was within his expectations. This was just a test. If it worked, great; if not, no loss.
For Akainu, the vision damage from using the Mangekyo—potentially even blindness—wasn't a concern. He'd earned plenty of "vision enhancement" rewards while enforcing justice in the Leaf.
On the other side, Obito, now a dozen meters away, exhaled shakily, realizing he was drenched in sweat.
He'd thought for a moment he was about to get hit by Akainu's Mangekyo jutsu!
Wait—when had he started doubting his own Kamui?
Damn it.
It had to be because Akainu knew too many of his secrets, shaking his confidence.
"Tch!" Obito shoved down his unease, forcing a sneer to reclaim some "Madara" swagger. "Uchiha junior, looks like my eye's power still outclasses yours!"
"Then why'd you dodge?" Akainu's flat words froze Obito's face.
His expression flickered between anger and uncertainty.
For once, he didn't know what to do with Akainu.
Akainu knew everything about his right eye's Kamui. Unless he was an idiot, Akainu wouldn't give him any openings.
And without Kamui, Obito realized he couldn't touch Akainu. The guy's Lava Style made him just as untouchable, and now, with what looked like Wood Style in play, things got even trickier.
"Heh…" Obito let out a cold laugh. "Looks like a stalemate. You can't touch me, and I can't take you down just yet, kid. Tch, seems the Uchiha clan's finally produced a genius second only to me—and that other kid."
"You mean you're that kid," Akainu shot back, popping Obito's self-aggrandizing bubble.
Obito: "…"
This jerk! Why's he always tearing me down like Black Zetsu?!
"Lord Madara, he's timing your ability," Black Zetsu whispered, now at Obito's side. "He probably knows exactly how long your Kamui lasts. While it's active, your Mangekyo's immune to his. But in two minutes, you won't be able to block his jutsu."
"I told you, we're not ready to face him. Killing Akainu was always the last plan on our list—and the hardest."
Obito's face twisted, frustration boiling over. "How does he know that too?!"
Back during the Nine-Tails attack, it took a full fight for Minato-sensei to spot a flaw in his Kamui.
But Akainu?
Obito couldn't fathom how he knew!
Black Zetsu shook its head. "No idea."
It paused, then added, "It wasn't me."
It had caught Obito's suspicious glance.
"Hm?" Suddenly, Black Zetsu's brow furrowed, sensing something. "Lord Madara, we can't stay. One of the White Zetsu just tipped me off—Jiraiya's coming. He'll be here in under thirty seconds, with a toad from Mount Myoboku on his shoulder."
Obito felt like the whole world was against him.
Ever since crossing paths with Akainu Uchiha, nothing had gone his way!
He was starting to question his life choices.
"…Retreat!" Obito spat through gritted teeth.
---