"BOOM—! BOOM—!"
Thunderous explosions echoed.
Dust filled the air.
Even the nearby ninja academy shook violently—
Buildings trembling as if an earthquake had struck.
Teachers hurriedly evacuated students—
Organizing them to retreat to safety.
Meanwhile—
The massive earth walls created by the ANBU—
Under Kakashi Hatake's command—
Were utterly crushed.
Flattened.
Swept aside.
Like paper.
The Third Training Ground—
Was gone.
Completely swallowed—
By a forest.
A living ocean of trees.
Even the original woodland—
Was buried beneath towering giants that seemed alive.
"…The entire training ground…"
"He… he has the First Hokage's Wood Release!?"
"And it's even stronger than Tenzo's!"
"This isn't even comparable!"
"This is… the real power of Wood Release!?"
One by one—
ANBU figures retreated in panic.
Shocked.
Speechless.
Their hearts—
Shaken to the core.
They stared—
At that small figure.
Standing calmly—
Arms crossed.
And yet—
The pressure he gave off—
Was overwhelming.
Even Kakashi—
Felt it.
And Tenzo—
Was completely dazed.
His mind blank.
"Tenzo…"
Kakashi stepped forward.
Placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I understand how you feel."
"…But this—"
"Is the difference between a genius… and ordinary people."
"We may have been called geniuses once…"
"But in front of him—"
"We're just… normal Konoha ninja."
He looked ahead.
At Akira Ren—
Standing atop a tree.
His gaze—
Complicated.
A hint of bitterness.
Once—
He too had been called a genius.
But compared to this ten-year-old…
He was nothing.
"…I know."
Tenzo let out a bitter smile.
"I just… need a moment."
He looked around.
At the endless forest.
The towering trees—
Seemed to silently declare:
Their gap—
Was insurmountable.
No jealousy.
No comparison.
Just reality.
"…Akira Ren…"
Nearby—
Yugao Uzuki stood frozen.
Her face beneath the mask—
Filled with shock.
The boy who once saved her—
Who joked and called her "big sister"—
Had this kind of power?
Unbelievable.
Inside the office—
Hiruzen Sarutobi shot to his feet.
Eyes locked on the crystal ball.
"…It really is Wood Release!"
"And at that scale—"
"Completely beyond Tenzo!"
"Shinnosuke! Mieko! With me!"
His face flushed.
Excited.
He couldn't sit still anymore.
If he didn't go now—
Forget the training ground—
Even the academy might get destroyed.
After all—
This was the same kid who shattered Hokage Rock.
Meanwhile—
Akira Ren looked down calmly.
"Sorry, I may have overdone it a bit."
He smiled.
"Don't worry."
"I'll end this quickly."
Then—
He clenched his hand.
"SWISH—!!"
The forest moved.
Alive.
Countless vines—
Like venomous serpents—
Shot toward the ANBU.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
"Wind Style: Wind Cutter!"
"Fire Style: Great Fireball!"
"Water Style: Water Dragon!"
"Lightning Style—Raikiri!"
"CRACKLE—!!"
"BOOM—!!"
Chaos.
Elements clashed.
Wind, fire, water, lightning—
Exploding everywhere.
Trees shattered.
Dust surged.
"What!?"
"Damn it—caught!"
"These vines are too fast!"
"AAAH—!"
The ANBU—
Elite.
Disciplined.
Experienced.
Yet—
They couldn't even coordinate.
The attacks—
Were too overwhelming.
Too fast.
One by one—
They were captured.
Bound.
Before teammates could react—
More vines surged.
Endless.
Relentless.
"AAH—!"
"My chakra—it's being drained!"
"Be careful! These trees absorb chakra!"
Panic spread.
Those caught—
Lost strength instantly.
Their chakra—
Drained away.
Though Akira Ren held back—
Didn't completely exhaust them—
They still lost all combat ability.
Trapped.
Helpless.
Only now—
Did they truly understand—
Why the First Hokage's Wood Release—
Had once ended an era.
Once caught—
There was no escape.
"CRACKLE—!!"
Kakashi moved.
Lightning gathered in his palm—
Raikiri.
With the aid of his Sharingan—
His perception sharpened.
He dodged.
Again and again.
Barely avoiding the relentless vines.
"SLASH! SLASH!"
Raikiri cut through them.
Effortlessly.
He moved like lightning—
Closing distance.
Saving teammates.
But—
Too late.
Each one he freed—
Collapsed.
Their chakra already drained.
Moments later—
They were bound again.
Rescue after rescue—
Same result.
Kakashi paused.
Breathing slightly heavier.
For the first time—
He felt it.
Powerlessness.
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