I Was Terrified

More than a dozen members of the Hyuga Clan attacked Xu Fan from different directions.

Even as Branch House members, they possessed the ability to activate the Byakugan and could see every acupoint in Xu Fan's body at a glance.

Moreover, none of them held back. They all targeted Xu Fan's vital acupoints, intending to teach him a harsh lesson.

In their eyes, Xu Fan had brought this entirely upon himself.

For a moment, both Hiruzen Sarutobi and Hizashi Hyuga found themselves in a difficult position.

After all, Xu Fan himself had started this conflict.

Hiruzen Sarutobi in particular had intended to use this opportunity to win over the Hyuga Clan, only for things to develop to this point.

Yet no one had expected that this was merely one step in Xu Fan's plan.

From the moment he entered this room, Xu Fan had only one goal: provoke the Hyuga Clan into attacking him first.

And the harsher, the better.

That way, if he retaliated, it would count as self-defense.

No matter how excessive his words were, they were still merely friendly verbal exchanges.

You could refute me in the same manner.

But if you chose to resort to violence, then the nature of things changed.

Most importantly, more than one person had attacked him. Nearly every young member present had rushed forward.

"Get out of the way!"

Though Hizashi was conflicted, he ultimately made his choice.

Xu Fan was still a child, and he had clashed with the Main House because of him.

Since he was going to his death anyway, he might as well throw Xu Fan out of here before then.

But Hizashi never expected that, through his Byakugan, he would immediately see the flow of Chakra within Xu Fan's body.

For a thirteen-year-old boy, he should not have possessed such a Chakra amount at this age.

In fact, Hizashi was not the only one to notice. The Hyuga Clan members with their Byakugan activated noticed it as well.

A trace of surprise flashed through all their eyes.

But in the next second, their surprise turned to shock.

Xu Fan remained utterly calm, an unhurried air radiating from his entire body. He brought his palms together forcefully and formed a Serpent Seal.

This sight left Hiruzen Sarutobi, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura utterly stunned.

Hiruzen Sarutobi in particular recognized that ninjutsu with just a glance.

In an instant, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes widened, and he sprang to his feet.

"Wood Release: World of Trees!"

With Xu Fan's explosive shout, the ornate floor instantly shattered. Trees burst from the earth at a speed visible to the naked eye, their branches and leaves rapidly spreading out and wrapping around those who had attacked Xu Fan.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

The trees erupting from the soil quickly slammed into the ceiling, trapping everyone who had attacked Xu Fan.

"This is already the limit of how much I can suppress it..."

Xu Fan said lightly.

He was not bluffing.

Tree World Descent was far more tyrannical than Xu Fan had expected. If he had not quickly suppressed his Chakra amount, within two or three breaths, the entire building's ceiling would have been smashed apart by his ninjutsu.

The Hyuga Main Family residence would have been transformed into a primeval forest.

And Xu Fan believed that no one understood this better than the Hyuga Clan.

They were born with a Dojutsu like the Byakugan, which allowed them to clearly see the flow of Chakra within his body.

Even the stunned expression on that Hyuga Elder's face strongly confirmed Xu Fan's guess.

"He just... used the Wood Release that only the First Hokage could use."

"It is as if the God of Shinobi has been reborn in this era..."

Mitokado Homura could not help swallowing. The moment he saw the Wood Release with his own eyes, his face drained of color, and he staggered several steps back.

Most importantly, though he was already advanced in years, his hearing had not deteriorated.

He had clearly heard Xu Fan say that this was the limit of how much he could suppress it.

Not that this was his limit.

In other words, Xu Fan was telling everyone that he had already done his utmost to minimize the destruction.

In fact, it was not only Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had weathered countless storms, personally witnessed the strength of the First and Second Hokage, and was hailed as the Professor of Ninjutsu and a Shinobi Hero, stood frozen on the spot.

His mind buzzed as it went completely blank.

Though Hiruzen Sarutobi had long considered such a possibility, witnessing the Wood Release that only Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage and God of Shinobi, could wield was still an overwhelming shock.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was not only immensely shocked—he even wanted to drag Danzo here.

Look, it's Wood Release!

It is on an entirely different level from the Yamato you created through human experiments!

This is genuine Wood Release!

"Wood Release..."

The Hyuga Elder could not help drawing in a sharp breath. After his shock, he looked even worse than if he had eaten shit.

Everyone knew that Hashirama Senju had relied on this Kekkei Genkai to quell the entire chaotic era and establish Konoha.

Most importantly, even an idiot could see the current situation.

So long as Xu Fan held even the slightest intent to kill, he could slaughter every Main House and Branch House member gathered here.

It was no exaggeration to say that this boy before them was very likely to become the person who would rewrite the future landscape of the shinobi world.

Xu Fan let his hands fall naturally to his sides, then slowly swept his gaze across everyone's expressions.

He knew perfectly well that he had achieved his goal.

Everyone had been stunned by his methods and intimidated by him.

If he had used Tree World Descent from the beginning, these people would undoubtedly have regarded him as someone like Madara Uchiha.

But because of his setup, although it was still intimidation, the effect it produced was completely different.

In other words, it gave people the impression that... I never intended to act. I only wanted to keep a low profile as a member of the Senju Clan.

A bright, sunny young man.

Yet this was the result of you forcing me to act.

"Lord Hokage..."

Xu Fan took a deep breath and shook his head helplessly. A bitter smile rose at the corners of his mouth.

"When I saw dozens of Jonin rushing at me just now, I was terrified."

Hiruzen Sarutobi: "???"

Utatane Koharu: "???"

Mitokado Homura: "???"

Hizashi Hyuga: "???"

Hyuga Elder: "???"

The other members of the Hyuga Clan: "???"

What did he mean, he had been terrified? We were the ones trembling in fear!

We are still trapped tightly inside these tree trunks, unable to move!

Hiruzen Sarutobi opened his mouth, then stopped himself.

What was he supposed to say?

Comfort Xu Fan? Say that he understood?

But in this situation, he felt that the Hyuga Clan was the party that needed comforting.

However...

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not dislike Xu Fan's approach. On the contrary, after the initial shock, he was delighted by this unexpected development.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura behind him exchanged glances, equally excited inside.

Thanks to Li Xianjun, Style-Name Taixian, and Obscure Stars for their support and tips~