Less than half an hour later.
The three of them left the bustling capital of the Land of Fire.
As Tsunade, Shizune, and Ren walked along a shaded forest path,
the occasional bird calls gradually disappeared.
The air filled with an invisible killing intent.
The silence became suffocating.
The master and her two disciples exchanged glances quietly.
Without warning—
A whistle sounded.
Immediately afterward,
from the surrounding forest—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
One shuriken after another cut through the air.
Kunai followed closely behind.
They poured toward the three like a storm.
Some of the kunai even had explosive tags tied to them,
sparks crackling as they ignited.
"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"
Ren's expression remained calm.
He didn't even bother forming hand seals.
He simply raised his right hand.
Rustle—
From the ground,
thick wooden branches burst forth.
Before the stunned eyes of the hidden Root operatives,
they grew at incredible speed—
forming a massive oval shield.
It completely enclosed the three of them.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
Flames shot skyward.
Smoke billowed through the forest.
The roar of explosions echoed everywhere.
"What?!"
"That's… Wood Release?!"
"H-how is that possible?!"
The Root ninjas were stunned.
Even Danzō, hidden in the shadows, shrank his pupils in shock.
"Wood Release…? That brat…"
How could he possibly fail to recognize Wood Release?
Root had once obtained a test subject from Orochimaru's laboratory—
someone who successfully fused with Hashirama's cells and survived.
Although that person's Wood Release was far inferior to the First Hokage's,
it was still comparable to a strong kekkei genkai.
Unfortunately,
the Third Hokage later discovered the experiment
and took that subject away from Root.
Not to mention—
Danzō's own right arm.
It had been implanted not only with Hashirama's cells, but also with numerous Sharingan.
Using their conflicting powers to stabilize each other.
Because of that,
he too could wield Wood Release.
"So that's it…"
Danzō muttered in realization.
"So that's why Tsunade suddenly returned to the village before…"
"It turns out Chiye Ren awakened Wood Release."
His eyes burned with excitement.
Unlike the experimental subject Tenzo (Yamato),
Ren had most likely awakened Wood Release naturally.
The bloodline of the Senju—
combined with Wood Release.
No wonder the boy had such astonishing chakra at only eight years old.
His future potential was limitless.
"If I can bring him under my command…"
"With such a genius serving me…"
"It would be like adding wings to a tiger."
Danzō's face showed excitement—almost madness.
He had to obtain Chiye Ren.
Wood Release—
the very power that once allowed the First Hokage to pacify the entire ninja world.
Even tailed beasts—said to possess endless chakra—
were insignificant before it.
For an eight-year-old to wield it already—
the power he could unleash must be extraordinary.
Suppressing his excitement,
Danzō gave the order coldly:
"All units—move out. Follow the plan."
"Yes, sir!"
One shadow after another rushed out.
They surrounded the smoke-filled area.
There were more than a dozen of them.
Each wore strange masks.
Their clothing was completely different from standard Root uniforms.
There were no symbols linking them to Konoha.
No one could identify them as Root.
At that moment—
The smoke cleared.
A massive oval wooden shield stood there,
made of interwoven wooden beams.
It was covered in shuriken and kunai.
Even the explosive tags earlier—
only scorched its surface black.
They hadn't damaged it at all.
Crack—
Wooden plates reinforced with powerful chakra
began to unfold outward.
Inside,
Ren, Tsunade, and Shizune stood completely unharmed.
"Who are you people?"
Tsunade's face darkened with fury.
The anger was real.
But pretending not to know their identity was also deliberate.
If they didn't know who the attackers were—
they could kill them without restraint.
"Attack."
The Root leader spoke coldly.
Without another word,
he gripped his ninja blade and charged forward.
Over a dozen Root operatives followed him.
Their killing intent surged.
"Damn it!"
Tsunade appeared truly enraged.
Before the stunned eyes of the Root agents—
she clenched her pale fist
and smashed it violently into the ground.
"BOOOOM!"
A thunderous explosion erupted.
With a violent gust of wind—
the earth within several meters shattered instantly.
Rocks flew everywhere,
blasting outward in all directions.
The charging Root ninjas were forced back.
The seemingly delicate Tsunade—
who looked like she couldn't even tie up a chicken—
now displayed terrifying monstrous strength.
Cold sweat appeared on the enemies' foreheads.
Whoosh!
Tsunade moved like lightning.
One Root ninja nearby couldn't dodge in time.
Her fist slammed into his body.
"AAAAH—!"
He screamed as he was blasted away like a cannonball.
His body flew deep into the forest.
The crashing sounds of broken trees echoed.
No one knew how many trunks were snapped in half.
Dust filled the air.
"What?!"
It all happened in an instant.
The other Root operatives hadn't even stabilized themselves yet.
They couldn't support their comrade at all.
Of course Root had intelligence on Tsunade.
They knew she possessed monstrous strength and formidable taijutsu.
But knowing something
and seeing it firsthand
were completely different things.
The scene chilled them to the bone.
It was simply too brutal.
Once hit—
death or crippling injury was guaranteed.
Close combat with this woman was suicide.
"You bastards are all staying here!"
Tsunade charged toward another enemy without hesitation.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter!"
"Lightning Release: Lightning Flash!"
At that moment,
the Root operatives who had regained their footing reacted.
They quickly formed hand seals.
Lau
nching attacks toward Tsunade from all sides.
A massive fireball.
Sharp wind blades.
Blinding lightning.
They all converged toward her from every direction.
…
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