Xiangji Temple vs. Digging, Konoha Edition

"Fire Release..."

Shisui attempted to weave hand seals, but was pressed down by Xiu.

"Find another opening."

"Forest of Death, whew~ let's settle this right here. Whoever loses is a traitor to the throne."

Uchiha Xiu couldn't help but think of the rumors about people hacking each other to pieces at Xiangji Temple in the Great Tang. The Three Tomoe in his eyes spun rapidly as he slammed both hands into the muddy earth--

Lightning Release: Sixteen-Pillar Bind!

Rumble, rumble, rumble. Rows of stone pillars erupted from the ground, instantly forming a massive domain as lightning surged through the moisture and into the poison mist.

Crack-pop!

The electric light collided with the two Poison Dragons, sending up pungent purple smoke as a large swarm of insects on the perimeter was electrolyzed in an instant.

"Heh."

Seeing this scene, Danzo, whose condition had slightly stabilized, felt a flash of disdain.

Once my trusted subordinate unleashes his techniques and seizes the initiative, he will continuously expand his advantage.

He can even exploit the information gap to achieve significant results in a single instant.

Whoosh~

Abandoning the insect swarm in plain sight, Torune used a highly sophisticated Insect Clone to close the distance instantly, his purple-black fist slamming directly toward Uchiha Xiu's face.

"Touch and die."

However, Shisui's left Mangekyo spun once more. To conserve chakra, he summoned only a single skeletal energy arm for the moment.

Boom--

Crack! Crack!

After the attack was neutralized, a swarm of insects erupted from the fist, gnawing frantically at the surface of the skeletal arm and emitting a teeth-grinding scraping sound.

Having temporarily detached one arm, Torune remained unhurried and retreated a few steps.

In less than a breath, a group of insects quietly replenished his arm, and he clapped his hands together:

"Forbidden Technique: Jar Poison Dust."

The next moment, the ground exploded.

More poisonous insects crawled out from the mud, turning into a giant wave that lunged toward the area where the Susanoo stood; a single Lightning Release binding technique was simply not enough to contain them.

The skeletal arm was instantly covered in gray spots, and cracks began to spread!

These were insects cultivated using the corpses of buried comrades, yet Torune felt no psychological burden.

Everything for Root.

For Lord Danzo!!

"Now."

Uchiha Xiu, just as before, made it impossible to distinguish whether he was a Shadow Clone or the real body, seizing the opportunity to burst forth suddenly from the shadows.

However, he did not use conventional ninjutsu.

Fighting this kind of insect-man, the greatest taboo was to fight a stagnant battle; using conventional ninjutsu to bombard him was useless unless one possessed overwhelming strength.

Furthermore, the longer it dragged on, the harder it would be to fight.

This thing would use corpses, and even comrades, to expand its advantage!

Their eyes met.

"Genjutsu: Sharingan."

It was a very simple, instant-cast ninjutsu, almost an innate skill, and its effects were superior to ordinary genjutsu—it could even control a Tailed Beast.

This was the first time Uchiha Xiu had used genjutsu.

The result...

Was not as desired.

Because Torune had not used his real body from the very beginning; the physical form immediately began to disintegrate from the head down, transforming into a swarm of insects that stood sluggishly in place.

Meanwhile, within the poison mist surrounding Danzo, a portion of Rinkaichu separated and combined on the spot to form that figure wearing a protective suit.

--Because he used the corpses of his comrades as blood bags, he was not worried about excessive chakra consumption for the time being.

"Die."

"You two naturally evil beasts!"

Amidst the roar, giant trees exploded one after another.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere."

Finally, having snatched his life back from the brink, Danzo erupted.

A high-pressure air cannon pulverized the curtain of rain, and the skeletal arm of the Susanoo, which had not been fueled by much ocular power to begin with, shattered upon impact!

Shisui flickered away from his original position.

Vines danced across the sky, weaving a net to capture him.

Unfortunately, they were always a step too slow.

"Wood Release: Root Burial."

The ground shook violently!

Danzo formed seals with his right hand, and more massive wooden roots burst from the earth to strangle their target; the Forest of Death where they stood seemed to transform into a living creature.

"BOOM—!!!"

Fire Release surged into the sky.

The explosion in the direction of the Forest of Death illuminated the horizon, a commotion so great that even the torrential rain could not suppress it.

"It has begun."

Fugaku was the first to leap into action.

Across the clan grounds, Yashiro, Inabi, and dozens of other jonin looked up simultaneously, their eyes igniting with a crimson glow.

"With the exception of the clan guard unit led by Elder Shin."

"All Uchiha members, support the Forest of Death at full speed!"

Beneath the Hokage Rock.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed, rainwater streaming down his deeply lined cheeks.

"Whether it is an Uchiha rebellion... or Danzo overstepping his bounds, This Old Man has no intention of investigating further. Blood must be shed tonight."

The monkey-clad leader looked toward the forest and shouted:

"Anbu, follow me!"

His aged body erupted with a terrifying aura.

Kakashi: "..."

"..." Yamato.

The two exchanged a glance and followed suit without hesitation.

The Anbu, also known as the Hokage's direct unit, was the most loyal elite force under the command of the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Even if the major ninja clans maintained a wait-and-see attitude, he still possessed significant capital.

"Whoever wins, we side with them."

Hyuga clan grounds.

Standing on a pavilion, Clan Head Hiashi focused his entire spirit, the meridians around his eyes bulging as his Byakugan pierced through the rain:

"The main force of the Uchiha has mobilized..."

"Lock the gates." He turned to the clan elders and said in a deep voice, "Tonight... no one is permitted to step a single inch outside the clan grounds!"

"Unless you have my order."

"Yes."

Similar scenes played out in the Inuzuka, Aburame, Kurama, and other prestigious clans.

Caught in irreconcilable conflicts, no one cared who became the Hokage.

It wouldn't be their own clan anyway.

Regardless of which side took power, they would have to court them.

"It is a pity that the Ninja World, which has only been peaceful for a few years, is about to face war again. I wonder which nation will provoke the incident first."

Hyuga Hiashi sighed, his gaze looking down from above, passing through heavy obstacles to lock onto a small boy in a corner of the clan, practicing his punches undisturbed by the outside world:

"Hizashi, it was not your brother who harmed you, nor was it the clan that harmed you; it was this chaotic world that harmed you."

He raised his Byakugan once more, peering at the movements on the battlefield.

"Hokage."

"Sir."

"Lord Hiruzen."

Sarutobi Hiruzen sprinted across the trees, joined by three figures—

The heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans had all arrived, and over twenty figures silently merged into the Anbu's marching formation.

"Clan Head."

Following them, the entire Sarutobi clan arrived.

"Lord Hokage, please exercise restraint and attempt to suppress the scale of the conflict first. We must not allow a large-scale civil war in Konoha."

After following for a distance, the Jonin Commander Nara Shikaku advised in a deep voice.

"Very well."

Sarutobi exhaled, compromising, "Lead your respective clansmen, along with nine Anbu squads, and attempt to intercept the Uchiha clan's... Police Force. Stop as many as you can."

"Anyone who reaches the Forest of Death, I will execute without mercy."

The heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans exchanged glances, once again deploying their core family combat forces.

The nine Anbu squads departed in their wake.

Among them was a figure carrying a short blade, appearing low-profile, yet his eyes glowed with Three Tomoe; it was the traitor who had just been publicly expelled from the clan by Fugaku:

Itachi.

Should anyone discover him standing on the opposing side, they were authorized to kill him on sight without needing to consult the clan head or elders.

In the face of clan interests, there was no such thing as the eldest son of the clan head.

If the main account was ruined, there was still the alt, even if Sasuke had yet to show anything particularly stunning.

Both Mikoto and I are still young; we can continue to have children.

Leaving a portion of the elite Police Force to tangle and stand off against the Ino-Shika-Cho, Fugaku continued on his way, his mind racing with thoughts as the Forest of Death drew ever closer.

Meanwhile.

The center of the forest had turned into a purgatory.

Giant wooden roots danced like a swarm of snakes, while the emerald-green skeleton of the Susanoo cracked and rapidly repaired itself under the relentless siege.

"Cough, cough... Xiu, I can still hold on." A drop of blood trickled from beneath Shisui's single-eyed Mangekyo.

In sync, the Susanoo swung its massive fist, smashing the small Wood Dragon that came charging in.

"But, why won't you let me use Kotoamatsukami?"

"Even if Danzo knows of this ability, so what? We could force our way through..."

Not far away.

Swarms of insects fell to the ground one after another.

At Uchiha Xiu's feet lay the corpse of Torune.

Lacking a space-time ability like Kamui for an instant kill? It didn't matter; as long as he and his insects couldn't touch his true body, he remained invincible.

Relying on the abundant chakra within his body and the underhanded nature of Wood Release, this elite Root jonin had been turned into a dead dog in an instant.

Danzo had lost his strongest support.

Now, only a dozen or so Root ninja remained surrounding him, coordinating their ninjutsu.

"Wood Release?"

"An Uchiha using Wood Release!"

"Is there no justice left in this world?"

Seeing Torune pierced into a hedgehog by Wood Release: Cutting Technique, Danzo's first reaction wasn't anger or fear, but confusion.

It was too bizarre.

When had the Senju Clan secretly intermarried with the Uchiha!

Yet, among so many Senju ninja, only the First Hokage had naturally developed this ability; others, including Princess Tsunade, merely possessed larger chakra reserves and, at most, added monstrous strength.

Heaven has no eyes!

From beginning to end, Danzo never suspected that the Uchiha clan had obtained this power through clandestine Wood Release experiments.

They lacked the research capabilities and talent accumulation.

As for financial resources, given how the Police Force had been tightening their belts, they could barely scrape enough together.

"..." Shisui.

A cycle of fate? Wood Release and the Sharingan, which should have stood in opposition, had actually achieved unity in Xiu.

"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"

Having finished baiting Danzo, Uchiha Xiu had gathered enough power.

He stood there, fingers forming the seal!

A gnarled tree root erupted rapidly, blocking the path in front of Shisui's Susanoo and easily strangling the small Wood Dragon.

In the first exchange, the superiority of the Wood Release's properties and the user's own chakra magnitude was immediately apparent.

Tree after giant tree shifted their allegiance.

The initiative of the battlefield had changed masters!

"Damn it, there's no terrain advantage left..." A Root ninja's thought came to an abrupt end as his body withered.

His chakra was being plundered.

All that remained in his place was a small sapling supporting his clothes!

Danzo panicked, his figure leaping through the forest. A transplanted Three Tomoe Sharingan darted back and forth, using that power to observe the attack trajectories of all the roots and vines within his field of vision, searching for any foothold where he could briefly land!

The next moment...

Old Dog's expression shifted abruptly.

Because in his perception, the giant trees and vines he had originally controlled were all converging upward.

The massive chakra reaction was almost suffocating.

A dangerous technique was about to make its debut!

"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique."

Just like that, under Shisui's witness, the small dragon that had only been able to grapple with the Susanoo from the side a moment ago gathered, merged, and rapidly transformed into a towering five-clawed dragon!

Its body was over a hundred meters long.

Unless I am in the peak state of dual Mangekyo and am willing to exhaust my ocular power to evolve the Susanoo into its second stage, I wouldn't be able to confront it head-on.

Having encountered multiple reversals in a single day, Uchiha Shisui, whose worldview of the Ninja World had collapsed and been rebuilt, stood there in a daze.

His gaze was fixed upward at the dragon's head.

Uchiha Xiu stood there.

"This, this!"

At the entrance of the Forest of Death, Hatake Kakashi, who had been slacking off while sprinting, froze completely.

Ever since the passing of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai had become a legend within the village; it was difficult for anyone to imagine the true power of Wood Release.

Including Tenzō Yamato.

To release such a technique, how much chakra would it consume?

Wood Release... how could it be this powerful!

"I don't understand."

The survivor of Orochimaru's experimental project wore an expression of utter disbelief.

As the ancient forest grew with wild, frantic density.

As the ferocious Wood Dragon spiraled in the sky...

Sarutobi Hiruzen slowed down slightly, unable to help but recall the heroic bearing of the First Hokage.

--Lord Hashirama used the power of Wood Release to defeat Madara, unite with the Uchiha, and integrate numerous large and small ninja clans to establish the most prosperous ninja village, ending the ceaseless chaos of the Warring States period.

Of course, it also sowed the seeds for even more brutal ninja wars.

Is it Danzo? You fellow. Sarutobi felt a surge of joy in his heart.

He couldn't spare the energy to blame his old comrade.

Things had reached this point; he had no choice but to bite the bullet and accept it. Suppressing the Uchiha rebellion with force was the most urgent goal.

However, Danzo lacked such ability!

Compared to Uchiha Xiu, he was like a fake, a defective product among knockoffs.

Wood Release? A half-baked level.

He could only perform corresponding ninjutsu through his right arm.

The regenerative effects inherent in the Hashirama Cells often spiraled out of control, forcing him to rely on transplanted Three Tomoe Sharingan to maintain balance.

One wasn't enough.

He had added two more to his bandage-wrapped arm.

--It all relied on Root's cooperation: looting the corpses of Uchiha clansmen who died on the battlefield, reporting them as missing, or burning the bodies to charcoal to destroy the evidence.

It was a case of adding water when there was too much flour, and adding flour when there was too much water.

Under the imbalance of Yin and Yang, his performance was nothing short of a disgrace to the Kage level; even his most prized Wind Release could only be used in favorable conditions, for sneak attacks or bullying the weak.

His desperate urgency to target the Uchiha also stemmed from the fact that he couldn't suppress the Hashirama Cells!

Not to mention the "Resurrection Coin," Izanagi; as long as the Uchiha were not wiped out, Danzo could never steal it.

At the left entrance of the forest.

"Clan Leader..."

Yakumi's hesitant voice drifted over, but Uchiha Fugaku remained silent.

As the clan leader, he had no reason to be ignorant of the secrets of the Warring States period.

Between Wood Release and the Mangekyo, which was stronger?

It seemed Senju Hashirama was stronger.

The Konoha high command had hidden this ace up their sleeve—which Senju clansman who had hidden their surname was assisting in the battle!

Uchiha Setsuna's eyes could not hide his gravity:

"It's not as terrifying as the First Hokage, but its size is enough to confront the Nine-Tails head-on."

"Restore the glory of the Gunbai!" Shouting this slogan, Fugaku accelerated his charge.

That is how a charlatan who blindly believes in fate acts.

If the Mangekyo foresees a good ending, then charge!

"Let this end. Changing the tragedy of the clan's extermination... starts with killing you, this inherently evil Old Dog."

At this very moment, Uchiha Xiu, indifferent to the thoughts of reinforcements from either side, charged forward like a dragon.

Danzō regretted not summoning the Baku to assist in the battle!

What to do?

What to do?

Having played the rat in the shadows for too long, Shimura Danzō thought of burning his life—the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing.

"Ahhh!!"

Hesitation is defeat.

Amidst the shrill screams, Danzō, who remained unwilling to die even at the final moment, let out one last howl toward the direction of the Anbu:

"Monkey, save me!!!"

His entire body turned into minced meat, his chakra swallowed and converted by the Wood Release.

In a dark corner.

A pitcher plant monster poked half its body out from the ground:

"An unexpected Uchiha."

"It is hard to imagine that anyone in this Ninja World could reach such a level; the Wood Release even shows a trace of the Atavistic God Tree."

"However, no one can stop me from saving Mother!"