Wood Release Secrets

"Hmph!"

Outside the Death Forest, Uchiha Mikoto, carrying a huge backpack, saw Shimura Kentei following Tsunade over. She could not help but snort coldly and turn her little head away.

If it were not for her father's mission, she would never have agreed to team up with that awful guy!

"Let me formally introduce myself. I'm Shimura Kentei. From now on, we'll be teammates who rely on each other!"

Shimura Kentei extended his hand and put on what he believed was a friendly smile. He thought highly of this pretty young girl from the Uchiha Clan.

He had his little brother, Shimura Genma, investigate the girl. She was the only daughter of the current Uchiha Clan head and had considerable talent. She was known as the strongest female genius of this generation of Uchiha and had mastered the Great Fireball Technique at a young age.

Although she was far inferior to her future monstrous son, Uchiha Itachi, who would murder his father and mother, she still counted as a genius. At the very least, she should be able to awaken her Sharingan to the Three Tomoe level in the future.

She was excellent material, and even more so, a high-quality sponsor.

Naturally, he had to build a good relationship with such a high-quality sponsor!

"Hmph!"

The girl snorted again and turned her little head the other way, clearly not appreciating the gesture.

She had not forgotten how arrogant this guy had been that day. His friendly act now had to be fake. She had no interest in making friends with such a hypocritical person.

The main purpose of this mission was to determine whether the Shimura Clan possessed a more advanced Body Strengthening Secret Technique. If they did, she would find a chance to get it from him.

Tsunade's Shadow Clone looked at Hyuga Suzune beside her, who shyly kept her little head lowered, then at the cold and proud Uchiha Mikoto. Finally, she looked at that little pervert and could not help feeling a headache coming on.

She had not expected to encounter students like these during her first time serving as a team leader. This was going to be difficult!

"I trust you have already learned the chakra control techniques for tree climbing and water walking. Next, Suzune and Mikoto can learn better chakra control techniques from Kentei. This will also be one of your tasks during the next month of survival in the Death Forest."

Tsunade explained one of the main purposes of this wilderness survival exercise. She knew all three came from shinobi clans. Hyuga Suzune and Uchiha Mikoto in particular came from two great clans and each had their own inheritances, so there was no need for her to teach them certain basic techniques.

"Huh? Shouldn't you be teaching us, sensei? Why has it become my job?"

Shimura Kentei blinked his eyes innocently. He had not expected Tsunade to pull something like this.

"This is to cultivate teamwork between you. Surely you are not so stingy that you refuse to share a few techniques for training chakra control?"

Tsunade teased him with a small provocation.

Of course, she was not lying. The main purpose was indeed to help the three-person team understand one another and improve their coordination.

All three were quite strong. Even the weakest had reached the Chunin level. What they lacked most now was teamwork in battle.

Only after developing that coordination could she take them outside the village on missions. Actual combat, especially life-or-death battles, was the best way to cultivate teamwork between comrades, which was why she had chosen the Death Forest.

"Fine, I'll teach them!"

Shimura Kentei shrugged helplessly. He was not a stingy person. It was only a few chakra control techniques!

Considering that both girls were high-quality sponsors, he would treat it as an investment.

"Your main task this time is to survive in the Death Forest for one month. Take these three signal flares. If you encounter danger you cannot overcome, fire one. I will arrive as quickly as possible. However, once you do that, your mission will be considered a failure. Understood?"

"Understood!"

"Got it!"

"I know!"

The three answered in unison. Tsunade's Shadow Clone then used the Body Flicker Technique and vanished.

From now on, she would only follow behind them in secret and watch over them. So long as the three did not encounter life-threatening danger, she would not reveal herself.

The three stood where they were, looking at one another. In the end, Shimura Kentei was the first to speak.

"I suggest we spend the first half of the month establishing a temporary shelter and training. During the second half, we can travel throughout the Death Forest, fight those wild beasts, and improve our coordination."

"Alright!"

The introverted Hyuga Suzune lowered her little head and quietly agreed, approving of the proposal.

"Whatever."

Compared to Hyuga Suzune's gentleness, Uchiha Mikoto was much colder. Carrying her large backpack, she strode toward the Death Forest.

Shimura Kentei and Hyuga Suzune quickly followed, searching for a suitable place to establish a temporary shelter.

"These trees are so huge!"

Hyuga Suzune, who was leaving the village for the first time, appeared very excited. She looked up at the massive trees around her. It was her first time seeing trees so tall.

"These are not trees that grew in a normal environment. I heard the entire Death Forest was created by the First Lord using Wood Release, and it borders the walls of our Konoha."

As a close friend, Uchiha Mikoto explained. She too was amazed inwardly.

The trees in the Death Forest were all enormous, far larger than ordinary trees. They had not grown naturally; they were entirely the work of the First Hokage.

It was truly difficult to imagine that such a vast forest was the creation of a single ninjutsu from the God of Shinobi. Just how powerful had he been?

However, the Uchiha Clan was no weaker. That existence had possessed the power to contend with the First Hokage.

Even though the First Hokage had won the battle at the Valley of the End back then, he had died not long afterward. Clearly, even if the First Hokage had been stronger than that man, the difference had been limited.

"Kentei, are you looking for something?"

As they walked, Hyuga Suzune suddenly turned and asked. She had noticed that Shimura Kentei kept spreading Chakra Threads to touch the surrounding trees, as though searching for something.

"I'm looking for trees that still retain Wood Release properties."

Shimura Kentei did not hide it and answered directly.

He had always been interested in the First Hokage's Wood Release. Everything else aside, Wood Release's ability to independently devour external chakra as nourishment and grow rapidly was highly unusual.

As a transmigrator who had watched Naruto through to the ending, he understood the true nature of Wood Release. It was not merely the product of fusing water and earth chakra natures. It should also possess part of the Divine Tree's characteristics.

Even during the Fourth Shinobi World War, after Uchiha Madara cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi, the Divine Tree spread across the entire world, sealing up all humans and absorbing their chakra. That was clearly also a form of Wood Release power.

Since this forest was a creation of the First Hokage's Wood Release, there might still be trees here that retained Wood Release properties.

"Wood Release properties?"

Hyuga Suzune looked curious. She had indeed heard that the First Hokage used Wood Release, but she did not know much about it.

Uchiha Mikoto beside her also stopped and listened closely.

"We've been walking for a while, so let's stop and rest."

Shimura Kentei looked around, then sat on a rock and took a drink from his canteen.

Hyuga Suzune and the other girl also sat nearby to rest. Although they had great endurance as shinobi, this place was not safe. It was best to remain in peak condition throughout, ready to deal with any danger that might arise.

"There is not much to say about Wood Release at the Kekkei Genkai level. The important part is Wood Release at the Kekkei Tōta level..."

After taking a sip of water, Shimura Kentei began explaining, but Uchiha Mikoto coldly interrupted him halfway through.

"Wood Release is clearly only a Kekkei Genkai. How has it become a Kekkei Tōta?"

Uchiha Mikoto frowned slightly. She felt this guy might not understand Wood Release at all.

"What is Kekkei Tōta?"

Hyuga Suzune asked timidly. It was her first time hearing the term Kekkei Tōta.

"Fusing two chakra natures creates a new nature. This type of chakra nature is called a Kekkei Genkai. For example, the Transparent Release Kekkei Genkai of Konoha's Hayate Clan is a Kekkei Genkai created by fusing two natures.

"Of course, that is only an ordinary elemental bloodline. There are also special bloodlines like those of your Hyuga, Uchiha, and Senju clans. For example, I call the Senju Clan's bloodline a Sage Body. It is formed by fusing Yang Release with the special power within their bloodline.

"The Sharingan of your Uchiha Clan and the Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan are formed by Yin Attribute chakra fusing with the bloodline in your bodies. I call them Sage Eyes."

"Sage Eyes? That is a fitting description, but how do you know that we Uchiha descend from the legendary Sage of Six Paths?"

Uchiha Mikoto narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly. A blood-red gleam flashed within them, and a tomoe slowly rotated. She felt that this guy knew far too much about the Uchiha.

The secret of being descendants of the Sage was top-secret even within the Uchiha Clan. Only the clan head's line and the Great Elder's line knew it. It was an absolute secret passed down orally.

Although she doubted it and even questioned whether the legendary Sage of Six Paths had ever truly existed, these were undoubtedly her clan's deepest secrets. Outsiders should not have known them.

"I once read in an ancient clan book that the Hyuga are Descendants of Divine Beings, not descendants of sages."

Seeing the atmosphere grow tense, Hyuga Suzune timidly spoke again and revealed a piece of information she knew. She had read it in an ancient book.

"Descendants of Divine Beings? You could put it that way."

Shimura Kentei nodded thoughtfully, accepting that description.

The Uchiha descended from the Sage of Six Paths, so their Sharingan could be called Sage Eyes. However, the Hyuga Clan descended from Otsutsuki Hamura. Otsutsuki Hamura did not bear the title of sage, but the Otsutsuki Clan called themselves gods. Even Kaguya Otsutsuki bore the title Rabbit Goddess, so calling them Descendants of Divine Beings was not unreasonable.

In that case, the Byakugan could be called Divine Eyes.

Ignoring Uchiha Mikoto's cold, questioning gaze, Shimura Kentei continued, "The fusion of two natures creates a Kekkei Genkai. The fusion of three chakra natures creates a Kekkei Tōta.

"The Wood Release used by the First Hokage in his early days was indeed a Kekkei Genkai, but later, he integrated Yang Release Chakra into it, making it a stronger Kekkei Tōta.

"Yin Release and Yang Release are somewhat more special than the other five chakra natures. Yin Release can give form to nothingness. The Susanoo of the Uchiha Clan's Mangekyō Sharingan is an advanced application of Yin Release.

"Yang Release, meanwhile, can grant life to lifeless things. Wood Release fused with Yang Release possesses life. In fact, Wood Release at that level would be more appropriately called Tree Release.

"Wood Release at the Kekkei Tōta level possesses the ability to devour chakra. It can even suppress and consume the chakra of Tailed Beasts..."

As Shimura Kentei explained, Hyuga Suzune was so shocked that her small mouth hung open, looking adorably blank. Uchiha Mikoto narrowed her bright eyes tightly, and the tomoe within rotated even faster.

Just how much did this bastard know about the Uchiha?

How did he even know top secrets like the Mangekyō Sharingan and Susanoo?

Could the Shimura Clan have planted spies within the Uchiha?

"Little pervert, where did you learn all that?"

A graceful figure suddenly appeared. It was Tsunade's Shadow Clone.

She had been hiding in the shadows all along and had not intended to show herself. She had not expected the little pervert to reveal such secrets, and even she had never heard of this theory of Kekkei Tōta.

However, after thinking it over carefully, it did seem rather reasonable.

So the question was, how had this little pervert learned such secrets?

The Shimura Clan alone could not possibly know these things. Had his grandmother told him?

At that thought, Tsunade's Shadow Clone felt even gloomier. The urge to humanely destroy the little pervert before her surfaced once more.

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