Can Wood Release Be Used Without Hand Seals?

Wu Liang's answer left the Third Hokage both amused and exasperated. But he was right; the old man had been meddling a little too much. With an awkward smile, he said to Wu Liang, "All right, Little Liang. You can go back if there's nothing else."

You think I'm just going back like that? No way.

"Third Hokage, I've already studied most of the ninjutsu you gave me. Can I ask you for something?" Wu Liang planned to ask whether the Third Hokage could find him a decent sword. He could buy one from a shop, but the ones there definitely wouldn't be as good as what the Third Hokage had.

The Third Hokage paused slightly, intrigued. "Oh? Let's hear it."

"Can you find me a good sword? I want to use a sword as my weapon," Wu Liang said bluntly.

"Oh? Is your monthly allowance not enough? Do you need to come to me for something like that?" the Third Hokage said with a smile.

"No. I don't want the trash sold in those shops. I want a good one, so I can only ask you," Wu Liang said.

"Hmm, all right. I'll help you look, though I can't guarantee I'll find a good one. Go back first. At most three days. If I really can't find one, I'll have someone send you a blade used by my own clan," the Third Hokage said, nodding.

"All right, then I'll be going."

With that, Wu Liang left. He had only meant to try his luck, yet the old Third Hokage had actually agreed to look for one. Even if he could not find anything, he could still give him a weapon from the Hokage clan's own collection. That was not bad either. A blade used by the Hokage's family had to be better than anything outside.

Wu Liang had not started looking for a good sword just yesterday. Unfortunately, he had no connections in Konoha Village, and he had checked the shops. Their weapons were expensive and terrible. Calling them weapons was an insult; they were worse than kunai.

Back at Training Ground 3, with no good blade to use, Wu Liang could only practice slashing and quick-draw cuts with a training iron sword. After several years of practice, he was confident that he could now slash out sword qi. According to Seria's appraisal, it could not deal any meaningful damage yet, but once he returned, he could cultivate Ego-less Sword Qi.

Ego-less Sword Qi was a passive skill Sword Soul remembered from level 20. Each level increased basic attack and skill attack by two percent, with a maximum of five levels. But in this system, Ego-less Sword Qi had become an actual sword qi skill, the kind that could be fired outward. Its passive effect still existed as well. Once cultivated successfully, it would immediately be mastered, granting a direct ten percent increase to basic attack and skill attack.

After years of sword-swinging and slashing practice, Wu Liang had already glimpsed the threshold of sword qi. Once he returned and reached level 20, he could directly learn the cultivation method for Ego-less Sword Qi. In the real world, aside from passive skills, all active skills had to be cultivated personally. Only after learning them did they truly belong to him.

After practicing for two hours, it was already past nine. Wu Liang then decided to try cultivating Wood Release, so he asked, "Seria, are the old Third Hokage and the Anbu watching me?"

Seria said, "No, Host. There is no one within the entire third training ground either. As long as you don't make too much noise, it should be fine."

After receiving Seria's confirmation, Wu Liang carefully formed hand seals. "Horse, Dog, Snake—Wood Release: Wood Clone Technique."

Bang!

A person identical to Wu Liang split off from a nearby tree. "Oh-ho, not bad. It worked on the first try."

Then he continued, his hands rapidly forming seals. "Rooster, Dog, Snake—Wood Release: Transformation."

Bang!

The Wood Clone transformed into Naruto, and even its aura was extremely similar. It was much more useful than the Transformation Technique.

Bang! The Wood Clone dispersed. Wu Liang continued forming seals. "Tiger, Dog, Snake—Wood Release: Wood Ingot Wall."

A row of trees swiftly wrapped around him, firmly protecting him inside.

After dismissing the Wood Ingot Wall, Wu Liang felt puzzled. It seemed that forming hand seals when using Wood Release was unnecessary. It felt as though he could release it even without hand seals. To verify his guess, Wu Liang clasped his hands together and shouted, "Wood Release: Stake Insertion Technique!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several sharp wooden stakes pierced into the river according to Wu Liang's thoughts. "W-What is going on, Seria? Does Wood Release not require hand seals at all? As long as I follow my intentions and provide Chakra, can I use it?"

Seria said, "Host, have you ever seen the First Hokage form hand seals? Hand seals merely use gestures to assist Chakra energy in producing the effect of releasing ninjutsu. The First Hokage did not need hand seals because he had mastered the Wood Release bloodline limit to the extreme, and his Chakra control had already reached the point where techniques followed his will. It is not that others cannot do it. They simply use hand seals to guide their Chakra in condensing and releasing ninjutsu to avoid mistakes. Powerful ninjas can generally form seals with one hand or reduce the number of seals for familiar ninjutsu, allowing them to cast more quickly. You awakened Wood Release even earlier than the First Hokage. As long as you have enough Chakra, you can release Wood Release with a thought and the appropriate Chakra. As for Water Release, you can first try reducing the seals or forming them one-handed. It should work as well. Aside from Wood Release and Yin Release, Water Release and Earth Release are the elements most compatible with you. Fire Release is actually the hardest for you to cultivate, because fire somewhat rejects wood, water, and earth. Furthermore, your fire attribute came from the Sun God Demigod Body. You should combine your fire-nature transformation with Yin Release when casting it. Perhaps you may even develop other Yin Release techniques, such as Yin Release: Sun Flame."

"Damn, no wonder I hardly saw ninjas forming hand seals by the later stages of Hokage. The ones who still needed hand seals were all cannon fodder extras. So that's how it is. In other words, I only need to remember the seals for the ninjutsu and the amount of Chakra required to use it without forming seals?" Wu Liang said.

Seria said, "Yes, if you do not consider the possibility of failure. However, your Million Year Soul Bone possesses the Heaven-Human Unification function. As long as you activate it in battle, failure will be impossible. Also, because your Wood Release is a bloodline limit, the more Chakra you inject into any technique, the stronger its effect will be." PS, Great Demon King: Seria, is it really okay to trick him like this? Seria: Shut up. I created this world. Can't I change it however I want? Great Demon King: Fine, fine, you're amazing, you're amazing.

Wu Liang raised an eyebrow. "Then that's fine. Haha, I have to try it."

With that, Wu Liang clasped his hands together. "Water Release: Water Disruption."

A massive fan-shaped wave of water shot out at high speed, instantly blasting open a gap in the river. "Oh-ho, it really works! I know Water Disruption inside out. Sure enough, I can cast it without hand seals, and it's crazy fast!"

Then Wu Liang switched to another elemental ninjutsu, clasping his hands together. "Fire Release: Fireball Technique."

Pfft—

A cloud of black smoke spewed from Wu Liang's mouth. Not even a single spark appeared.

Seria said, "That's what you get for getting carried away. I told you that you weren't familiar with Fire Release, but you refused to believe me."

"All right, I'll switch again."

Wu Liang slapped both hands downward once more. "Earth Release: Earth Prison Technique."

Rumble!

A small earth prison rapidly formed.

"Ahahaha, I knew it! I bow to neither water nor earth—I only bow to myself! Tell me, am I awesome or not?" Wu Liang said smugly as he looked at the small earth prison in front of him.

Seria said, "Someone just blew smoke with Fire Release."

Wu Liang's smug expression froze. "That didn't happen. I can cast Water Release without hand seals too."

Seria said, "Someone just blew smoke with Fire Release."

"My cultivation speed is fast."

Seria said, "Someone just blew smoke with Fire Release."

Wu Liang dismissed the Earth Prison Technique, patted his butt, and snapped, "Seria, damn it! Are you seriously not letting this go? Can you stop bringing that up?"

Seria said, "All right, all right. I'm done teasing you. I'm going to sleep."

The next day, after finishing their running competition, Wu Liang stood at the entrance to Konoha Village and said with a slight pant, "Ahahaha, Little Lee, I won again."

Rock Lee said, "I'll definitely win it back tomorrow! Just wait for me! I'm doubling today's training!"

After saying that, Little Lee once again ran off toward the village full of vigor.

After Little Lee left, Wu Liang glanced behind a house and said, "Come out. I know you've been watching me for days."

The sky had not fully brightened yet, and everything behind the house was pitch-black.

After a moment of silence, a figure slowly emerged from the darkness. With a zombie-like face, spiky hair, and a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, it was Uchiha Sasuke.

Sasuke walked up to Wu Liang and said, "How did you discover me? I don't think I got too close to you."

Looking at the smug Sasuke before him, Wu Liang said, "What's so surprising about that? Once or twice would be one thing, but you've shown up in the same place every morning for days. Do you have nowhere else to go? And every time I finish competing with Little Lee, you stare at me. If you're not watching me, are you watching Little Lee?"

"I've watched you for a long time. You're strong. You've been hiding your strength. Your true strength should already be at the genin level. You are qualified to fight me." Sasuke nodded at Wu Liang. "Make your move."

"Why should I fight you? Are you sick, or are you some kind of masochist?" Wu Liang had originally thought Sasuke had seen through his true strength with the Sharingan, but it turned out he had only guessed. He rejected Sasuke's challenge without even considering it. What a joke. What would he gain from beating Sasuke? Who would be willing to do something so thankless?

Sasuke's expression changed. "You don't dare?"

Wu Liang laughed. "Such an obvious attempt to provoke me won't work. Save your breath. I need to go home and cook, and I still have school later."

After saying that, Wu Liang prepared to go around Sasuke and head home. But before he could take two steps, he immediately leaped aside.

Looking at the kunai by his feet, Wu Liang said angrily to Sasuke, "What are you trying to do? I already said I don't want to fight you. If you attack again, I'm calling the guards."

Sasuke remained unmoved. He still held shuriken between both hands as he said, "You have to fight me. Unless you knock me down today, don't even think about leaving."

After speaking, Sasuke hurled the shuriken in his hand at Wu Liang.

Wu Liang dodged the shuriken. Looking at the unrelenting Sasuke, he clasped his hands together. "Water Release: Water Disruption Technique!"

A huge wave of water blades flew toward Sasuke. Sasuke, who had just been about to throw more shuriken, was forced to dodge. But the water wave was too fast. He could only roll across the ground in a miserable scramble. While Sasuke was dodging, Wu Liang quickly ran in the other direction. "Psycho. Who wants to fight you? Bah, I'm leaving!"

The bedraggled Sasuke looked up toward where Wu Liang had been standing, but Wu Liang was nowhere to be seen. He had already run away.

Feeling as though he had been played, Sasuke clenched his fists and thought, Ryo Senju, just you wait. You dared to make a fool of me. I'll definitely make you pay.

With that thought, Sasuke hurried home, covered in dust.