Deep Forest Emergence

Click, click...

Hard wooden bars sprouted from the ground, quickly forming an iron-barrel-shaped structure that shielded Nadeshiko and her clan members behind her.

Once Blast Wave Wild Dance had passed, the entire shrine was uprooted and came crashing down with a rumble.

But aside from its charred-black exterior, the several-meter-high Wood Dome had blocked every impact and remained standing where it was.

In that case... anyone hiding inside must have been roasted alive.

Thinking this, Obito ran over and phased through the Wood Dome to check on the people inside.

Yamato arrived at Jiraiya's side with Sakura just then. Seeing him, Naruto asked happily,

"Captain Yamato, you got here just in time! That Wood Release was yours, right? Did you get them out?"

Yamato had been about to report that they'd failed to clear out the enemy. Hearing Naruto, he thought Naruto was talking about the Four-Pillar Prison Technique he'd used nearby. He nodded, then said to Jiraiya,

"Lord Jiraiya, there are too many Iwagakure shinobi, and the one leading them seems to be the Third Tsuchikage's son."

So the one who used that powerful Earth Release technique just now was Kitsuchi?

Jiraiya's expression grew grave. Before bringing Naruto here to rescue the villagers, he'd fought the man leading the enemy forces. He was indeed a tough opponent.

"Yamato, the people in the shrine—did you save..."

As they spoke, Obito emerged from the Wood Dome.

It was empty inside. Had the people been reduced to ashes by his Fire Release, or had they... escaped alive?

After breaking through the Four-Pillar Prison, Kitsuchi of Iwagakure had also brought a hundred or so men to the shrine. He stood behind Obito.

The Mangekyo beneath Obito's mask turned slowly. Confirming there were no surviving villagers nearby, he released a killing intent toward Naruto's group.

"I don't know how you got here so quickly, but aside from the Nine-Tails brat, you're all going to die here."

How could anyone have killing intent this powerful?

Sakura, who was sensitive to such things, sensed Obito's killing intent at once. Her eyes widened in terror, and her legs involuntarily carried her backward.

This terrifying presence was just like Orochimaru's, when she and Sasuke had encountered him during the Forest of Death exam...

Can the four of us really win?

After making his declaration, Obito turned and nodded to Kitsuchi. Kitsuchi nodded gravely, then formed Hand Seals and slapped the ground.

"Earth Release: Rock Statue!"

A stone giant as huge as a Tailed Beast burst out of the earth. After setting Kitsuchi on its shoulder, it charged toward Jiraiya and the others in heavy strides.

The thudding of the Rock Statue's enormous feet seemed to crush what little confidence Sakura had left.

Seeing this, Jiraiya and Naruto bit their fingers in unison.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

Jiraiya summoned Gamabunta, who blocked the charging Rock Statue. As for Naruto's summon...

"Ahhh... Why is it you again, Gamakichi?"

Naruto clutched his head in despair. Looking at Gamakichi, whom he'd been summoning ever since he was a kid, he couldn't help twitching at the corner of his mouth.

Sure, Gamakichi had grown until he was nearly twice a man's height, but he still couldn't fight a statue this enormous!

Gamakichi seemed pretty happy to see Naruto. "Naruto, what do you need me to do this time?"

Then he spotted Gamabunta and Jiraiya to the right and grew even happier. "Hey, Dad! Looks like you and your student wanted to have a family reunion with us."

"Gamakichi, can't you see we're in the middle of a fight? Jiraiya, why do you always leave me with the tough jobs?"

Gamabunta struggled to hold back the statue, then called for his son to get the others out of the battle zone.

Gamakichi nodded, gathered Naruto, Sakura, and Yamato in his arms, and leaped clear of the two heavy hitters' battlefield.

But the moment they landed, the hundred or so Iwagakure shinobi surrounded them.

Obito, at the front, took out his Gunbai and gave the order.

"I'll handle the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. You take care of the other two."

With that, he charged at Naruto.

Obito was worried that if Naruto went on a Nine-Tails rampage, he'd kill all the Iwagakure shinobi working with the Akatsuki.

If Obito fought him himself, he could use Sharingan Genjutsu to suppress the Nine-Tails.

"Damn it! Gamakichi, help Sakura and Captain Yamato deal with these guys. I'll hold off the masked one!"

After speaking, Naruto formed Hand Seals and made a dozen or so Shadow Clones to fight Obito in Taijutsu. But just like before, every attack struck empty air, and before long, his Shadow Clones were being dispelled one by one.

Sakura and Yamato had Gamakichi backing them up, but they were facing more than ten Jonin and over eighty Chunin. They soon found themselves at a disadvantage.

Only Jiraiya's side had managed to keep Kitsuchi at bay for the moment, but Jiraiya couldn't break away to help the others.

"After all this time, and you greet me by cursing?"

Nadeshiko thought she'd ended up in the legendary underworld, but she still muttered curses. "You bastard, Uchiha Qiu Yang."

Seeing her curse him again, Qiu Yang helplessly flicked her forehead. He noticed several nasty wounds on her body, then summoned his cloak from a scroll and draped it over her alluring figure.

"Don't be afraid. I got you all out."

The Wood Dome from earlier hadn't been Yamato's doing. At the critical moment, Qiu Yang had used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport to Nadeshiko's side and create it.

Then, using the few seconds of protection the Wood Dome gave him, he activated a Spatial Formation Flag with Yushenji and transported Nadeshiko and the others away just before the Fire Release reached them.

"You... I thought I was dead."

Nadeshiko gazed blankly at the tall man in front of her. At last, tears spilled from her eyes.

Since the day they'd parted, she'd seen him countless times in her midnight dreams. She'd never thought she'd finally see him again today. "Uchiha Qiu Yang, my village..."

"Don't be silly. Everything will be all right soon."

Qiu Yang comforted her with a gentle pat on the head, then leaped onto the tallest building in the ninja village. His Mangekyo locked onto the fires burning throughout the village.

He also noticed that his allies were in trouble—

One of the Iwagakure Jonin had grabbed Sakura by the hair and was dragging her across the ground, grinding her face against it.

Huh, why does this feel so satisfying to watch?

Qiu Yang shook off the strange thought, but didn't rush over to help.

What he needed to do now was put out all the fires in the village.

He took a deep breath, clapped his hands together to form the Wood Seal, and drew on all his chakra.

"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence—"

Below, Nadeshiko clutched Qiu Yang's cloak tightly and witnessed a sight she would never forget for the rest of her life.

With Qiu Yang at its center, thick trees surged up from the earth. In less than a minute, they covered the entire village.

The trees swiftly absorbed and extinguished the burning flames. The village, which had been on the verge of being reduced to ruins, was saved.

The commotion caused by Deep Forest Emergence drew everyone's attention away from the fighting.

This... this is the power of a creator!

Naruto gaped as he looked around at the green forest covering their surroundings. Then he turned to Yamato, stammering,

"Captain Yamato, is your Wood Release really that powerful?"

Yamato, whose face was bruised and swollen from being beaten up by dozens of Iwagakure shinobi: ?

Help, if my Wood Release were that powerful, why would I have let these guys beat me up so badly?

Who was that?!