Intimidating Itachi Uchiha!

Intimidating Itachi Uchiha!

Xu Fan vaguely remembered Naruto, the protagonist, once saying that ninjas could feel each other's feelings through battle.

He wondered if Itachi Uchiha could feel the depth of his feelings.

He probably could.

Xu Fan stood atop the Wood Human's shoulder, looking down at Itachi Uchiha sprawled on the ground.

A physical attack of that level was nowhere near enough to knock him unconscious.

Just as Xu Fan had expected, Itachi Uchiha quickly rose to his feet and looked up at him.

But Itachi Uchiha's state of mind had changed.

He had never imagined that the one who had come for him was merely Xu Fan's Wood Release Clone, while the real Xu Fan was hiding somewhere unknown.

Not only that, but even the clone had deliberately avoided his gaze, proving that it knew his eyes could cast genjutsu.

He came prepared.

Itachi Uchiha only now realized that he had thoroughly underestimated this man.

Not only had he inherited the First Hokage Hashirama Senju's Wood Release, he might also have inherited that man's extraordinary combat instincts.

And judging by the attack just now, Xu Fan most likely had not even begun to exert himself.

"You should understand now, shouldn't you? I'm not painting an impossible dream."

Seeing that Itachi Uchiha remained silent rather than attacking, Xu Fan spoke. "Using external conflict to redirect internal conflict and weaken the Uchiha Clan is feasible. Whether it's Kumogakure, a village that reveres strength, or the Uchiha Clan with its Sharingan—"

"Neither possesses even one ten-thousandth of my strength!"

Itachi Uchiha stared at the man before him, his hands unconsciously clenching into fists.

"Do you think I'm bluffing, Itachi?"

Itachi Uchiha remained silent. Ever since he had uncovered the Uchiha Clan's plan to stage a coup, he had felt unprecedented pressure bearing down on him.

Shisui's Kotoamatsukami could have rewritten everything, but Root had attacked him on his way back to the compound.

Having lost one eye, Shisui was powerless to change things any longer. That was why he had no choice but to entrust his remaining eye to him before leaping from the cliff.

It was Shisui's death that delayed the Uchiha Clan's coup.

No one could understand him, and no one stood on his side.

Until today!

Xu Fan had come with his overwhelming Wood Release.

At that moment, Itachi Uchiha hesitated.

"Itachi, Konoha's period of vacancy has ended. From now on, I shall stand at the summit."

As Xu Fan spoke again, he suddenly brought his hands together.

A vast Chakra amount erupted, frightening Itachi Uchiha into retreating again and again.

In truth, it was not only him. Kakashi, along with the Root agents hiding in the shadows and monitoring the Uchiha Clan, were all deeply shaken by the sight before them.

In an instant, the entire earth began to rumble. Countless tangled vines burst from the ground, spreading in every direction like towering waves and thickening, hardening at a visible rate.

In less than a few breaths, they formed an endless green sea that blotted out the sky.

Wood Release: World of Trees!

Unlike last time, Xu Fan did not need to worry about damaging the Hyuga Compound. In an instant, he increased its power and range several dozenfold.

He could even clearly see the astonished changes in Itachi Uchiha's expression.

Itachi Uchiha's mouth had fallen into an O-shape, his two Sharingan wide open as he looked around in utter disbelief. "!!!"

"Before us, there are no enemies."

Xu Fan's voice was low. At some point, even the Wood Human beneath his feet had expanded several times in size.

Aizen's lines really were pretentious as hell.

Xu Fan folded his arms, unable to stop himself from grumbling inwardly as he looked down below.

In the current ninja world, anyone who witnessed this scene would feel only one emotion.

Shock!

Unprecedented shock!

"This..."

Kakashi stood rooted to the spot, dumbfounded. He had always believed that Tenzō's Wood Release was already astonishing.

When unleashed at full strength, it could easily build a three-bedroom, one-living-room villa in only a few breaths!

Yet Xu Fan, standing before him, had effortlessly created an entire sea of trees!

"I once personally saw Tenzō use the same ninjutsu, but in terms of scale, it probably didn't even reach one-tenth of Xu Fan's..."

Kakashi swallowed hard. Before meeting Xu Fan, he had always believed that Tenzō possessed the greatest Chakra amount among all the ninjas he had seen.

Yet the Chakra Xu Fan had gathered in a single instant easily surpassed Tenzō's.

And after such a display, Xu Fan did not show the slightest sign of strain. A breeze brushed across his face, and he remained utterly at ease.

If Xu Fan disregarded the consequences and expended all his Chakra at once, just how terrifying would that be?

At the thought, Kakashi could not help drawing in a sharp breath. "This guy's Chakra is probably a hundred times mine..."

Root, meanwhile, immediately sprang into action.

They had only one thought now: deliver this intelligence to Lord Danzo.

Konoha had welcomed a god of Wood Release!

"Before us, there are no enemies..."

Itachi Uchiha tried desperately to remain calm, but terror had already flooded his heart.

Especially since the roar caused by the other party's technique had likely already spread throughout the Uchiha Compound.

Before long, Uchiha security personnel would come to investigate.

Most importantly, Itachi Uchiha did not believe Xu Fan was bluffing in the slightest.

After unleashing such an absurd technique, there was not even a trace of fatigue on his face.

Just how outrageous was this guy's Chakra?

It was practically comparable to a tailed beast!

It was no exaggeration to say that Itachi Uchiha immediately realized that Fire Release, Shadow Shuriken—

Those conventional ninjutsu probably would not affect him at all.

"Susanoo."

At that moment, Xu Fan, who had already shaken him so deeply, spoke again.

Though his voice was not loud, it carried another meaning.

Susanoo?

A stormy sea was already raging within Itachi Uchiha's heart.

How much intelligence did he have in his hands?

"Forget it."

Xu Fan shook his head, looking as though he had lost interest.

"You only need to know that I am the only person who can help you."

"You do not need to answer me immediately."

With that, Xu Fan no longer lingered there and vanished before Itachi Uchiha's eyes.

There was still some time before Fugaku made up his mind to launch the coup. Xu Fan believed that after witnessing his power, Itachi Uchiha would know what he needed to do.

Besides, Xu Fan had long noticed that apart from himself and Itachi, Kakashi and Root agents were also nearby.

Together with the Uchiha Clan members who had noticed the rumbling earth—

What happened tonight would spread to the ears of every faction's representatives in Konoha.

Fugaku Uchiha, the Third Hokage, Shimura Danzō.

And that was Xu Fan's true plan.

To let everyone know that Konoha's period of vacancy had ended.

From this day forward, the Land of Fire would stand at the summit of the ninja world!