Wood Release!!

The team continued onward.

The development of this world was sometimes hard to make sense of.

It had high-tech products like televisions and computers, yet it didn't even have a decent road.

Still.

The scenery was nice.

Yo chatted and laughed with Naruto along the way, as if they were on a sightseeing trip.

Before they knew it, the team had passed a seemingly ordinary puddle.

"Splash!"

Two dark figures shot out of the puddle like ghosts.

They wore Kirigakure forehead protectors, and their faces were wrapped in bandages.

Wielding sharp, chained claws, they lunged at Tazuna.

"Ah!!"

Tazuna was so terrified that he collapsed onto the ground.

"N-Ninjas!"

Naruto had never seen anything like this. His scalp went numb with fear, and he even forgot to pull out his kunai.

Sasuke's gaze sharpened, and he instinctively tried to rush forward.

But releasing the Shadow Clones earlier had drained his chakra.

His legs gave way, and he nearly fell. All he could do was watch the two figures close in.

Kakashi, whose acting was so awful, somehow outdid even Naruto, getting killed in a single exchange.

"Teacher Kakashi!"

Naruto watched in horror, his face turning deathly pale.

"Tch! Teacher Kakashi, I can only give that performance of yours a 66 out of 10,000!"

Yo quipped as he raised his right hand and formed a simple hand seal.

"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"

BOOM!!!

A raging torrent of flames poured forth like an erupting volcano.

It coalesced into a blazing giant serpent that opened its jaws wide.

The Demon Brothers' sinister grins froze, turning to looks of terror.

How could this kid unleash such a terrifying Fire Release in an instant?

"No!!"

Their cries were completely drowned out by the roar of the raging flames.

After the torrent swept past, only two wisps of smoke remained.

The two rogue ninja from Kirigakure—and the weapons in their hands—had been instantly vaporized by the intense heat, reduced to ashes!

A one-shot kill!

"S-So amazing!"

Sitting on the ground, Tazuna stared at Yo, his voice trembling.

He'd thought Yo and the others were just kids and didn't seem reliable at all.

But now Tazuna realized he'd been wrong—terribly wrong!

Naruto did seem unreliable, but this kid named Yo was an absolute monster.

Yo looked in one direction, a hint of teasing in his voice. "Teacher Kakashi, you can come out now!"

Kakashi ambled out from behind a tree. "Ahaha, I'm saved. I have Yo to thank for that!"

Yo was at a loss. Kakashi's acting was just too awful.

His acting was worse than the actors in those little movies about Ma Dou. It was downright painful to watch!

After dealing with the Demon Brothers, the group finally arrived in the Land of Waves.

This small country, surrounded by the sea, was poor in every way.

The dilapidated houses, the gaunt residents, and the sorrow clouding everyone's faces...

After learning the truth about the Land of Waves from Tazuna, Kakashi rubbed his chin and made a decision.

"In that case, our mission has changed. We'll protect Mr. Tazuna until the Great Bridge is completed."

When Naruto heard that the mission had been upgraded, he wasn't afraid at all. Instead, he was fired up, pumping his fist with all his might.

"Don't worry, Mr. Tazuna! Leave Gato and his men to the great Uzumaki Naruto!"

Sasuke shoved his hands into his pockets and snorted. He didn't say anything, but his eyes made his meaning clear.

Yo, on the other hand, seemed indifferent. In fact, staying in the Land of Waves would be more convenient for him.

It was far from Konoha, making it the perfect place to use the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique and continue developing Wood Release.

Yo had a feeling that it wouldn't be long before he developed Wood Release!

And so, Team 7 settled in at Tazuna's house.

Kakashi took charge of overall security and tactical planning, occasionally giving Naruto and Sasuke pointers on the basics.

Using Flying Thunder God, Yo traveled to a remote forest where no one ever went.

"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"

Yo formed hand seals.

Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof!

Hundreds of Shadow Clones appeared in an instant, filling the surrounding area.

"Groups one through one hundred, practice the shape and nature transformations of Earth Release chakra!"

"Groups one hundred and one through two hundred, practice the shape and nature transformations of Water Release chakra!"

"Groups two hundred and one through three hundred, attempt to combine Water and Earth!"

"Group three hundred and one, practice Yang Release chakra..."

Every Shadow Clone could think independently.

As soon as they received their orders, they threw themselves into their respective training.

Wood Release!

It was created by combining the natures of Water Release chakra and Earth Release chakra, then using Yang Release to give it life.

It sounded simple.

But it was hard to do!

Yo could only use this clumsy method, practicing bit by bit. Fail, disperse, and the experience returned to him.

Then he tried again, failed again, and got the experience back once more...

By trading numbers for time and experience in this way,

Yo's understanding of Wood Release improved at an unprecedented pace.

His ability to perform shape and nature transformations with Water Release and Earth Release chakra improved rapidly as well.

Yo continually compiled, organized, deduced, and refined what he learned...

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

"Earth Release chakra's 'containment' and 'molding'!"

"Water Release chakra's 'nourishment' and 'flow'!"

"Yang Release chakra's 'life' and 'creation'!"

"Judging from all the experience I've gathered, a ratio of five to four to one is the most reasonable way to combine them!"

"Let's give it a try!"

Yo carefully controlled the three kinds of chakra, each with a different nature, and brought them together in the optimal ratio.

Earth as the foundation, providing the framework!

Water as the medium, imbuing it with vitality!

Yang Release, giving it life!

"Now!"

A glint flashed in Yo's eyes as he poured Yang Release chakra into the Water and Earth chakra that had begun to fuse.

A soft, vibrant green light blossomed.

The chakra, like soil and flowing water, seemed to gain a soul as it underwent its final transformation from energy into matter.

Then.

A tiny, tender green sapling broke through the glowing mass of chakra and grew into something real.

It was only as tall as a finger, so slender that the slightest breeze could have knocked it over, but it was undeniably made of wood.

It gave off the unmistakable fresh scent and vital energy of a real plant!

"It worked!!"

Even Yo, usually so composed, could barely hide his excitement.

Thank goodness!

Half a month of hard work and all the experience accumulated by countless Shadow Clones had finally borne the sweetest fruit.

Yo carefully supported the tender sapling with chakra, as though he were holding the most precious treasure in the world.

"It's still very weak, but this is definitely... Wood Release!"

Going from zero to one was the hardest part!

Yo had done it!

That meant he had truly opened the door to Wood Release.

Next, he just had to help it grow and grow, until it became a towering tree—or even an endless forest!