~ Every 100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter! Your votes keep this climbing. Thanks!
——Wood Style: Wood Human Technique!
BOOM!
The earth heaved. A vast forest erupted, twisting, winding, and fusing into a lumbering giant more majestic than any mountain peak. It was as if divine craftsmanship had used wood to manifest a heavenly form!
Warrior's head. Vajra eyes. Kirin arms. General's girth.
What a truly awe-inspiring Wood Human!
Viewed from afar, its sheer presence seemed capable of swallowing mountains and rivers. From this distance, Sasuke was but a tiny speck upon its brow.
Had they not seen it with their own eyes… none of the Five Kage or gathered shinobi could have ever believed this towering colossus had emerged from that single, pale point.
The assembled ninja were stunned, but their shock was at the sheer scale of the Wood Human.
Only one among them, the Tsuchikage Ōnoki, felt a terror that was deeply, personally chilling.
"Damn it. This is really, really bad…!!"
Mei Terumī shouted, "Lord Tsuchikage! Why are you so frightened?!"
Ōnoki clenched his sweating palms. "How can I not be? It's the Wood Human!! The ultimate pinnacle of Wood Style that Hashirama Senju himself used to contend with the Uchiha!! He's just a cell implant recipient. How can he use this? If this is real… he… he would be… a living Hashirama Senju…?"
Orochimaru smiled thinly. "With the White Cursed Seal released to Stage Four, Sasuke-kun's power is indistinguishable from Hashirama Senju's. The sole difference is that Stage Four, until fully absorbed, is an additive power, not a foundational one. Hence, he cannot learn Sage Art of the Sunlit Grove…"
From his vantage point atop the wooden titan, Sasuke surveyed the scene. "So this is the Wood Human. Its raw power rivals that of a Perfect Susanoo. Its flaws, however, are equally apparent. First, it cannot protect its user as comprehensively as a Susanoo can. Second… it lacks wings for flight. Its mobility is significantly inferior. Still, the positives far outweigh the negatives. As the strongest Wood Release short of Sage Arts, it holds a pivotal place. Allow me to demonstrate its might here and now."
KABOOM!
The Wood Human's arms swung into motion. It strode forward with earth-shaking steps!
The ground trembled violently. A primal fear took root in every shinobi's heart, paralyzing them with indecision.
BOOM…!!!
Only when the Wood Human leapt, its colossal fist descending with world-shattering force, did they snap out of their stupor.
"SCATTER…!!!"
The ninja scattered like frightened birds!
KRROOOOOM!!!
The Wood Human's fist struck. The earth beneath it exploded into dozens of massive fragments.
Even those who dodged the direct blow couldn't escape the collapsing ground.
"GAHHH…!!!"
Samurai under Mifune's command screamed as they lost their footing, tumbling into the newly-formed chasms.
"ENOUGH OF THIS!!!"
Mifune's patience shattered. He stabilized his footing amidst the shifting rubble, leaping from one fractured stone to another, closing in on the Wood Human's base. His hand flew to the hilt of his katana.
——"A samurai would rather be ground to dust than submit to brute force!!!"
——Swordsmanship: Iaijutsu!
CLANG!
His blade flashed, cutting across the Wood Human's ankle. The katana shattered.
Mifune stared at the unmarred wooden ankle, then at the broken blade in his hand, his spirit crumbling.
The Wood Human raised its foot, poised to crush him.
——Shadow Imitation Technique!
At the last possible second, Shikaku's shadow connected with Mifune's, yanking him away from the colossal footprint!
THUD!!
Sasuke hadn't truly intended to kill Mifune. The stomp held back, more a warning than a killing blow. A full-force impact would have buried the samurai leader under tons of displaced earth.
This only confirmed Shikaku's suspicion. I see. He appears relentless, but holds back at every turn. Uchiha Sasuke… his true goal isn't to make enemies of the Five Kage.
"RRRAAAAAGH…!!!"
Tsunade roared into action. Her Strength of a Hundred Seal-enhanced fist rocketed toward the Wood Human's knee.
CRACK…!!!
Her plan: to shatter the joint, force the giant to its knees, and buy the others precious time.
She underestimated the Wood Human's resilience. Her mountain-splitting punch landed with a dull thud. The titan didn't budge an inch.
The Wood Human shifted its weight slightly. A massive hand swept down like a net scooping fish from the sea—SMACK!—and sent Tsunade flying.
She crashed into the earth in a bloody, broken heap.
"Lord Hokage!!!"
Inoichi rushed to her side.
"I'm… fine!!"
Gritting her teeth, Tsunade forced herself up. The Strength of a Hundred Seal flared, knitting her wounds shut in an instant. The technique reached its limit.
Her smooth, youthful skin wrinkled rapidly, giving way to the marks of extreme age.
"Just… why did it come to this…?"
Bewilderment and confusion were her last conscious thoughts before darkness took her.
A streak of blue shot up the side of the Wood Human.
Ao, his Byakugan active, shouted, "That's the Mizukage! She's going straight for the caster! Chōjūrō, covering fire!!"
"Yes, sir!!"
Chōjūrō hefted his Hiramekarei and charged up after her.
Mei thought, The weakness of any jutsu is its user! I still have Boil Release in reserve! If I can just reach him, I have a chance to take him down with me!
Sasuke's Byakugan, seeing through the wooden frame, tracked her every move.
"A Perfect Susanoo has its drawbacks. It's cumbersome against small, agile targets. The Wood Human… has a unique solution for that."
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Vine-like roots sprouted from the Wood Human's torso, lashing out to entangle Mei and her two guards.
Chōjūrō poured chakra into Hiramekarei, cleaving through the approaching tendrils. But more came, overwhelming the twin blades. Both Ao and Chōjūrō were swiftly bound.
Mei spat a torrent of corrosive Boil Release mist, melting the roots. She prepared to climb again—only to see three wooden protrusions swell before her, morphing into masked, cloaked figures identical to Sasuke.
Mei's expression turned to bleak disbelief. "Wood Clones… split from the main body itself?"
The three Wood Clones formed hand seals in unison. One for Lava Release, one for Corrosion Release, and one for Boil Release!
A tri-colored torrent of molten, acidic, and boiling sludge cascaded down toward her.
Mei closed her eyes, awaiting the end. "Three clones. Three Kekkei Genkai. It seems today truly is our end…"
BOOM…!!!
At that moment, the Wood Human lurched violently, staggering to one side. Mei and her men were spared the deluge.
"Huff… huff… huff…"
Ōnoki panted, lowering hands still glowing from his jutsu.
"With the range of my Particle Style, severing one of this thing's legs is my limit. I'll stay. Hold this monster off alone. Mizukage… take everyone and run. NOW!!!"
Mei would not abandon him. "I stay! I'll fight with you, Lord Tsuchikage!!"
Ōnoki laughed, a sound full of grim resolve. "The Hokage, Raikage, and Kazekage are down. One more person makes no difference. Kirigakure just ended its Bloody Mist era. It needs young, clear-eyed leaders like you and the Kazekage, untainted by old darkness. I'm ashamed. In my youth, I bent to power and abandoned the Will of Stone. Today… power has reawakened that old resolve. The new era has no place for an old stone like me. The future is yours now. Survive. Remember this humiliation. End all infighting. Unite. Never… never let this happen again!!!"
Ōnoki brought his hands together in a mighty clap!
BOOM…!!!
A wall of earth, tall as a mountain, erupted, sealing off the path behind them!
The Wood Human's severed leg regenerated. The titan stood once more upon the earth.
KRROOOMBLE…!!!
Then… the earthen wall was blasted apart.
Darui walked through the settling dust, his Lightning-Chakra blade slung over his shoulder. "Hey. What's with the grand soliloquy? We of Kumo aren't cowards. If we ran today, the boss would break our legs when he wakes up. I'm too young to be a cripple."
"You… all of you…"
Ōnoki looked back. Temari supported Gaara. C supported the Raikage. Mei held Tsunade. Mifune led his samurai, now pulled from the chasms. Every last one of them stood resolutely behind him.
Their voices rose as one.
——"We leave together, or we die together!"
THUD.
The Wood Human, leg fully restored, stood firm.
From its crown, Sasuke looked down upon their united stand. A genuine, small smile touched his lips.
"It seems… the Seventh Battle can reach a fitting conclusion."
His gaze shifted to one particular samurai in the crowd.
"Ah… Sasuke-sama is calling."
SWOOSH!
Kabuto Yakushi shed his disguise. A spiral churned in his right eye. To the shock of all present, he appeared at Sasuke's side in an instant.
"We're done fighting?"
"Yes. Any more, and I'd truly become a terrorist…"
"Fair point."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses. "Now might be a good opportunity to plant the seeds for the future…"
Sasuke considered briefly. "Not yet. Stride too far, too fast, and you'll… overextend yourself."
He stepped forward, looking down upon the Five Kage, his voice ringing out, low and clear.
——"As you are now… you're too weak. Not worth killing. Three years from now, I will make my move again. Next time, it won't be just the Kage. I will bring the Five Great Nations under my control. If you wish to prevent that… struggle with everything you have. Grow stronger."
SWOOSH…!
With his final word, both Sasuke and Kabuto vanished into a spiraling portal of Futodama.
FZZT.
The golden light in the Wood Human's eyes died. An awed, terrified silence fell over the surviving shinobi.
——The Seventh Battle, a perfect conclusion
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
Read up to (180+ ) advanced chapters on Patre\on
Visit us here: patreon.com/BingeInk
Happy reading, everyone!