First Hokage pondered deeply, then looked as if he had a sudden realization: "I've got it! Actually, Wood Release is a lot like skipping stones. My child, have you ever skipped stones?"
Ino: "???"
As she was momentarily distracted, Second Hokage's Water Severing Wave didn't completely miss her. Since this wasn't her own body, she quickly rolled to dodge when she sensed danger approaching, but she was still a step too late. A huge gash was cut into her left arm by the water line.
The Edo Tensei body automatically repaired itself, leaving Shodai(1st)-sama unaffected. However, Ino's body in the distance suffered severe damage due to the Mind Body Switch Technique, with a bloody, terrifying-looking wound appearing out of nowhere on her arm.
Shikamaru and Choji cried out in alarm. Sakura didn't understand the Yamanaka Clan's Secret Technique, but she knew Ino was injured.
Slug Sage quickly treated her wound as she had instructed earlier.
The Mind Body Switch Technique could successfully return to the body because the connection between the body and soul was very close. Now that the Edo Tensei body was damaged, it naturally caused her own body to be injured as well.
Second Hokage let out an "Eh?" "You shouldn't have failed to dodge that. I know, my elder brother must have said something absurd again, right?"
Ino still wanted to cover for Shodai(1st)-sama: "This... actually, how should I put this?"
Second Hokage was very displeased, scolding her like he would one of his disciples: "You're stammering and not being direct at all. Why are you just like my brother?"
In the inner world, First Hokage immediately became very dejected.
I'm sorry, I've disgraced you, I am guilty!
Shodai(1st)-sama's dejection came and went quickly.
He vividly recounted the relationship between skipping stones and Wood Release to Ino.
"There are a few key points to skipping stones. First, you need to use force! Second is the posture; your body must remain in a half-crouch. Finally, it's the bounce. Not *your* bounce, but the Chakra's bounce, understand? In short, mastering these three techniques – force, half-crouch, and Chakra bounce – is enough!"
Afterward, he looked at Ino with delight, as if to say, have you learned Wood Release?
Ino's face was covered in black lines. What the hell was she supposed to learn from that?!
This scene was a complete replica of Naruto teaching Konohamaru the Rasengan. Naruto spouted nonsense about needing to be 'convex' and 'perky,' yet Konohamaru, a genius, managed to learn the Rasengan with such haphazard guidance! It was a complete miracle.
Shodai(1st)-sama was definitely not a good teacher, not even a teacher. He was clueless about many of Ino's questions. Did Wood Release also require attention to Chakra allocation? Did it need research into meridian circulation? Wasn't it something anyone with hands could do?
Ino pondered deeply.
Force? Half-crouch? Chakra bounce?
Second Hokage saw her make a half-crouching motion and immediately understood.
"I've also researched Wood Release. Don't listen to my elder brother; carefully sensing the changes in Wood Release Chakra is the right path." Considering they were currently in Konoha Village, he didn't directly say, "My elder brother is an idiot," but the meaning was clear.
Ino thought carefully.
Currently, she didn't need to re-create wood-style Chakra; it was already in the body, saving her most of the work. All she had to do was use Wood Release.
Force? Does that mean using all of her Chakra?
Half-crouch? Does that mean her feet touching the ground? Or specifically referring to the Chakra meridians in her legs?
Chakra bounce should be a way of Chakra circulation. Where does it bounce from? Where does it jump to?
The Chakra meridians here are a bit different from the Five Elements and Five Organs correspondence theory of her previous life. Here, Water corresponds to the Kidneys, Earth to the Heart, Wind to the Lungs, Fire to the Liver, and Lightning to the Spleen.
Since Wood Release is composed of Water and Earth Chakra natures, then it should be bouncing back and forth between the Heart and Kidney meridians?
Ino helped the Third Hokage control Shodai(1st)-sama and blocked Second Hokage.
Many of the Third Hokage's trusted subordinates were not in the Village, but the old man had been in power for decades, and Ninja from the battlefield continued to arrive to provide support.
Namikaze Raidō, Yūgao Uzuki, Anko Mitarashi, and other Ninja joined the battle one after another.
Orochimaru's side also had the Sound Four, Fourth Kazekage, and numerous Hidden Sand Village Ninja assisting, so it was impossible to tell who would win or lose in the short term.
Orochimaru faced the Third Hokage's fierce assault with a calm mind, and his golden snake eyes quickly found the key to breaking the deadlock.
He secretly gave orders to his subordinates.
The Third Hokage's adamantine staff swung down at him. Previously, at this point, Jirobo, who was only 14 years old but already 1.8 meters tall and weighed 97 kilograms, would defend.
If the Third Hokage had been in full physical condition, he would have beaten the crap out of this fatty with one strike. But now, the old man's stamina was almost depleted, and he truly had no strength left. The power and speed of this strike were not as good as usual.
Jirobo, who was supposed to defend Orochimaru, suddenly rushed to the side.
A large number of black cursed marks appeared on his face, which eventually merged into one, transforming Jirobo from a pale fatty into a black fatty. His chonmage-like hairstyle also became long and much darker in color.
The big fatty slammed the ground, letting Anko Mitarashi's Hidden Shadow Snake Hands bite his back. He didn't even look, digging up a giant rock the size of a small house from the earth, then throwing it in Ino's direction.
"Heh? Seeking death!" Ino herself lacked strength, but First Hokage's power could be described as monstrous. He possessed the strength to shatter Fire Release Ninjutsu head-on. Ino, controlling this body at the moment, used a Tsunade's Painful Sky Foot to kick the giant rock away.
Seeing that this dark-skinned fatty was still going to attack with Earth Release, Ino said to Shodai(1st)-sama in the mental world: "Shodai(1st)-sama, I'm still not very good at using your Wood Release Chakra, but I have gained some insight. Can you try to suppress the Chakra within your body as much as possible to give me more room to maneuver? I want to try with my own method first."
Too much Chakra was also a problem; Ino simply couldn't control it. If the total amount of Chakra was suppressed to a quarter of its current level, she would be able to manipulate the Wood Release Chakra.
Shodai(1st)-sama didn't know what she intended to do but still decided to cooperate as much as possible: "Alright."
Ino remembered the techniques of force, half-crouch, and Chakra bounce. She clapped her hands and, according to her own ideas, manipulated the Wood Release Chakra.
She looked in Jirobo's direction.
"Six-Flower Bloom!"
Six arm-thick vines shot up from the ground. The vines then wrapped around Jirobo's arms and lumbar spine, pulling hard in the opposite direction.
This fatty was very strong, and after entering Cursed Seal Level 2, he became even more incredibly powerful. However, Shodai(1st)-sama's Wood Release power had already far exceeded human limits.
Even with Jirobo in Cursed Seal Level 2, he still had human joints. A series of "crack" sounds could be heard as his arms and lumbar spine were forcefully broken by the powerful vines. The vines pulled in opposite directions three times, and Ino continuously increased the force. After she used "Twelve-Flower Bloom" and "Twenty-Flower Bloom," she released the vines. Jirobo had already become a bloody, mangled mess, with no signs of life left.
---------------------------------
If you'd like to read the next 70 chapters in advance, you can support me on Patreon.
I regularly post chapter previews there, so you'll always be up-to-date and won't have to wait too long.
patreon.com/SolyuraMT
And if you enjoy the story, don't forget to give me a Power Stone. Your support really motivates me to continue translating!