Lin Mu Makes a Move

Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!

Although Lin Mu had long known of this classic skill of Senju Hashirama, watching it from such close range still left him deeply shaken.

Moreover, Lin Mu was well aware that Orochimaru's Impure World Reincarnation was imperfect, and Hashirama's abilities were significantly restricted.

His true strength was far beyond this!

Senju Hashirama's peak power could simply be described as moving mountains and shifting seas.

Once Wood Style: True Several Thousand Hands was unleashed, even a massive mountain could be razed to the ground in an instant!

Before he transmigrated, every time he watched the classic battles between Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, his blood would boil with excitement.

That power could literally reshape the map!

While Lin Mu was still lost in wild fantasies about how majestic he would look once he fully mastered Wood Style, an Anbu member wearing a wild dog mask walked to the base of the stands. He scanned the many students on the platform and said indifferently:

"The crisis in Konoha has been initially resolved. Most of the enemies from Sunagakure and Otogakure have been defeated by elite Jonin and Anbu members. Now, all of you must return home and hide. Do not leave without orders from your superiors!"

Hearing this, the students on the stands rose one after another to return home.

Although Lin Mu wanted to continue watching the battle, he had no choice but to follow the crowd and leave.

Forget it, forget it. I already know the outcome anyway. Being able to watch for this long, I've learned a lot.

Just as Lin Mu was being guided by the Anbu member to return home with the other students to take shelter, Senju Hashirama, who was locked in a fierce battle with the Third Hokage on the rooftop, seemed to sense something and muttered to himself:

"Wood Style..."

But at this moment, Senju Hashirama's body was being forcibly controlled by Orochimaru. Though he was curious about why he felt the aura of Wood Style, he could not investigate further.

After parting ways with the others, Lin Mu did not go home to take shelter but instead headed straight for the outskirts of Konoha.

According to his memory, Sasuke Uchiha should be pursuing Kankuro, Temari, and Gaara from Sunagakure at this time.

Naruto, Sakura, and Shikamaru Nara, having received orders from Kakashi, were following Kakashi's summoning animal, the ninja dog Pakkun, to catch up with Sasuke Uchiha.

Although Lin Mu did not know their exact whereabouts, he knew the general direction.

If he hurried now, he might still be able to help.

He couldn't intervene in battles between Hokage-level powerhouses, but he was full of confidence in these Chunin-level skirmishes.

It was the perfect opportunity to test the Wood Style Jutsu he had just acquired!

When he reached the gates of Konoha, he found the ground covered in ruins.

The city walls of Konoha and many surrounding houses had been razed to the ground by those three giant snakes.

In every corner of the ruins lay many ninjas who were either severely injured and unconscious or already dead.

Lin Mu did not linger; he quickly rushed out of the gate, identified his direction, and sprinted forward.

20 minutes later...

Lin Mu was surprised to find that after sprinting for about 20 minutes, he only felt slightly out of breath.

But a moment's thought made him understand.

It was the powerful recovery ability of his Wood Style Body that had greatly increased his stamina.

Feeling the benefits of his physical enhancement, Lin Mu no longer hesitated. He went full throttle, sprinting forward at an even greater speed.

In a dense forest, Shikamaru Nara looked at the Sound Ninja who had his back turned to him, observing footprints on the ground, and sighed helplessly.

Then, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he formed hand seals.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

This was a secret technique passed down through the Nara Clan of Konoha!

It could use shadows to bind an opponent's movements.

Whoosh—

The shadow at Shikamaru Nara's feet deformed rapidly, extending forward like a long black rope.

In the blink of an eye, it had connected to the shadows beneath the feet of the Sound Ninja ahead.

Those ninjas felt a jolt in their hearts and tried to move.

But they discovered that their bodies seemed to be bound by some eerie force, making it impossible to budge.

The Sound Ninja's hearts hammered against their ribs as they tried their best to twist their bodies.

Shikamaru Nara was looking at them with a helpless expression.

"Sorry, I'm usually best at running away, but it seems my role has changed a bit this time."

Shikamaru Nara kept bickering with the enemies, but his hand had already quietly reached behind his back.

Binding so many people at once was extremely taxing on his chakra.

Not to mention, he had just finished an intense battle during the Chunin Exams!

"1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7... 8."

Shikamaru swept his gaze across the field and realized there were eight enemies in front of him.

His already furrowed brows knitted even tighter.

Pakkun had just said he smelled nine people!

This meant there was still one enemy hidden in the shadows.

But Shikamaru Nara could no longer worry about that; he would find out exactly where the last one was hiding soon enough.

"Swish, swish, swish..."

Several shuriken flew from Shikamaru Nara's hand.

But just as they were about to strike the enemies, several kunai flew out, directly intercepting the shuriken.

Shikamaru Nara quickly turned toward the direction the kunai had come from, where a figure seemed to be vaguely standing.

"Hehehe..."

An eerie laugh echoed out.

"Even if you know where I'm hiding, so what?"

Cold sweat dripped down Shikamaru Nara's face; at this distance...

He couldn't reach him!

A faint sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart, and Shikamaru Nara felt even more helpless.

"Sorry, I've always been best at running away, but my role seems to have changed a bit this time; there are some things I must face."

But then his gaze sharpened, and his eyes gradually grew firm.

The chakra within his body condensed and burned frantically!

In this situation, if he wanted to survive, he had no choice but to fight with his life on the line!

Just as Shikamaru Nara prepared for a desperate battle.

"Ahhhhhhhh!"

A desperate scream erupted from the enemy hidden in the shadows.

The ninja who had been coldly observing Shikamaru from the darkness stared in disbelief at the wooden spike protruding from his chest, his eyes flickering with the light of despair.

Shhh—

The wooden spike was pulled from his chest, and that final spark of light faded away.

"Heh, isn't it a bit unreasonable for so many of you to bully one student?"

A lazy yet chilling voice drifted out from the thicket.

Lin Mu, who had been hiding in the shadows, gave a push, and the stiff corpse of the enemy in front of him toppled over.

Watching Lin Mu walk out slowly, the few Otogakure ninjas and Shikamaru were all shocked.

Shikamaru immediately roared:

"Lin Mu, why are you here? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Run!"

Shikamaru Nara knew that Lin Mu only had average grades at the academy; staying here now was just throwing his life away!

Lin Mu looked at Shikamaru Nara and offered him a faint smile.

He understood the worry in Shikamaru Nara's heart, but today was not like the past.

If he had come here a day ago, he would have just been another life lost.

But now, he was capable of turning the tide of this battle!