The Roar of the Wood Style: Wood Golem Wall!

Urgent intelligence swept through Taoyuan Village like a hurricane. After a brief shock, under the strong organization of Duanmu Ci and Tsunade, the entire village spun into motion like a precision war machine.

Non-combatants—including all orphans, civilian craftsmen, and most medical ninja—were guided by Yakushi Nonō and Shizune's squad to evacuate quickly and orderly into pre-built, sturdy underground shelters. The children were somewhat frightened, but under the soothing words of the matron and teachers, they maintained basic composure, though tension was hard to hide on their small faces.

All guards donned armor and gripped weapons, led by their respective squad leaders, nervously deploying along newly built wooden defenses and the Thorn Barrier that Duanmu Ci had hastily grown and reinforced. The air was thick with the cold scent of metal and suppressed breathing. Yakushi Nonō's intelligence squad scattered like ghosts in key areas outside the village, serving as early-warning eyes.

Tsunade personally commanded the core medical area, now converted into a wartime emergency center, with vast stocks of medicine, bandages, and surgical instruments prepared. She shed her usual bold demeanor, her eyes sharp as an eagle's, exuding a calm yet powerful aura that brought inexplicable reassurance to the surrounding medical ninja.

Duanmu Ci stood alone atop the highest watchtower at the center of Taoyuan Village. His eyes closed, his vast perception, aided by the Rinnegan and Nature Energy, spread like liquid mercury over a radius of several kilometers. Sage Chakra flowed slowly within him, ready to burst forth at any moment. The night wind whipped his robes, rustling loudly, his silhouette solitary and resolute under the moonlight.

Time ticked by in tense anticipation. The darkest hour before dawn arrived.

Suddenly!

Buzz—!

A low, piercing hum tore through the silence of the night! The defensive barrier at the southeast of Taoyuan Village flared with blinding light, then, like fragile glass, shattered into a massive gap under a violent, rampaging bolt of lightning!

"Enemy attack—!!" A shrill alarm screamed through the night sky!

Almost the instant the barrier broke, seven figures radiating terrifying chakra and bloodlust, like demons returning from hell, burst through the gap! Their forms were varied, wielding bizarrely shaped giant blades, their killing intent soaring, instantly crushing the tranquility of Taoyuan Village's outer perimeter!

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen! All present!

At the lead, a hulking figure like a mountain of flesh, shouldering a bandage-wrapped, door-sized greatsword—the wielder of the Great Sword: Shark Skin, Suikazan Fuguki! He grinned wide, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth, and roared with greed: "Find that Wood Release brat! Destroy everything here! Shark Skin, feast well today!" Beside him, Juzo Biwa, with his sinister eyes and the Severing Blade: Executioner's Blade, warned: "Don't get careless, Fuguki. That kid's no pushover."

"Shut up!" A harsh voice rang out. Munashi Jinpachi, covered in bandages and wielding the Exploding Blade: Shibuki, laughed wildly: "Watch me blow this place sky-high! Art is an explosion! Drink!" He hurled several Explosive Tags, which flew precisely toward a nearby guard tower!

Boom! The violent explosion instantly destroyed the wooden tower, flames shooting skyward! Debris scattered everywhere!

"Nuibari loves skewering meat..." A cold voice hissed like a snake's tongue. Kushimaru Kuriarare, wielder of the long blade Nuibari, vanished like a phantom, reappearing beside another guard squad. The slender needle-blade screamed as it thrust straight for a young guard's throat—incredibly fast!

"Kiba! Split them open!" Raiga Kurosuki, masked and wielding the Twin Swords: Kiba, raised both blades high. Wild lightning gathered, about to strike down at the densely packed residential buildings!

"Jinin Akebino! Don't fall behind!" The wielder of the Blunt Sword: Skull Splitter, Jinin Akebino, swung his heavy axe-hammer blade, smashing it into the ground to create a wide-area shockwave!

At the rear, Hozuki Mangetsu (or his successor), masked and holding the peculiar Flatfish Twin Swords: Hiramekarei, was also poised, the blade beginning to condense a compressed high-pressure water sphere!

The moment the Seven Swordsmen struck, it was with overwhelming thunder, their targets destruction, slaughter, and chaos! Though the outer guards were well-trained, against foes of this caliber, they instantly fell into a desperate struggle with casualties!

"How dare you!!" A roar of boundless fury exploded like a thunderbolt from the clear sky at the center of Taoyuan Village!

Just as Raiga Kurosuki's lightning was about to fall, Kushimaru Kuriarare's Nuibari was about to pierce the guard's throat, and Munashi Jinpachi's Explosive Tags flew toward more buildings—

Duanmu Ci moved!

His eyes snapped open, the purple ripples of the Rinnegan flashing in the darkness for an instant! His hands formed seals at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, and vast Sage Chakra erupted without reserve, pouring into the earth beneath his feet!

"Sage Art: Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence—Wall!"

Rumble—!!! The earth groaned under unbearable strain, trembling violently! Before the horrified gazes of countless onlookers, centered on Duanmu Ci's watchtower, countless giant trees, several meters in diameter and twisting like horned dragons, burst from the ground! They grew, twisted, and interwove madly, at a speed beyond imagination!

In an instant!

A ring-shaped wall, tens of meters high and over ten meters thick, composed of living, unyielding giant timber, rose like the mythical Wall of Sighs, firmly shielding the core area of Taoyuan Village—including the medical center, residential zones, and underground shelter entrances!

Bang! Clang! Boom!

Raiga Kurosuki's wild lightning struck the newly formed wooden wall, leaving only large scorch marks and flying splinters, failing to budge it an inch!

Kushimaru Kuriarare's thrusting Nuibari was caught by smaller but exceptionally tough branches that suddenly extended from the wall's surface, trapping it fast!

Munashi Jinpachi's flying Explosive Tags slammed into the wall and exploded, flames and smoke billowing, but when the smoke cleared, only a shallow crater remained—the wall stood unmoved!

Jinin Akebino's shockwave hit the wall's base like a mud ox sinking into the sea, causing only a slight tremor!

And Suikazan Fuguki's Shark Skin, excited to pounce and devour chakra, hesitated, intimidated by the wall's overwhelming Life Force and Sage energy.

This earth-shaking spectacle made the rampaging Seven Swordsmen pause, their eyes filled with disbelief! What level of Wood Release was this?!

"It's Lord Duanmu!"

"Lord Azure Dragon has acted!!"

"We're saved!!"

The guards sheltered within the Wood Release wall and the civilians who hadn't yet evacuated erupted in cheers of survival! Gazing at the figure standing atop the wall like a deity, everyone's hearts swelled with unparalleled security and reverence!

Tsunade stood at the entrance of the medical center, watching the heaven-reaching Wood Release wall and the upright figure upon it. A flicker of admiration shone in her eyes as her clenched fists slowly relaxed. She murmured, "Well done... Duanmu."

Juzo Biwa stared at the giant wooden wall radiating terrifying life force and chakra fluctuations, his face dark as if dripping water: "Deep Forest Emergence...? This scale... That kid's mastery of Wood Release is even more terrifying than the intel described!"

Suikazan Fuguki's greed deepened. He licked his lips: "Such strong chakra! Shark Skin, you're excited too, aren't you? Tear it apart! Eat it!" He swung Shark Skin, slamming it into the Wood Release wall! The blade's barbs opened, attempting to devour chakra.

But the Wood Release wall was no dead thing!