Improving Wood Release

Uchiha Ying Yue took a deep breath. Every Wood Release technique on the scroll contained immense power. Mastering these jutsu would take his strength to the next level.

Ying Yue decided to begin training these powerful Wood Release techniques right away. He chose one of the classics: Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence.

This was one of Senju Hashirama's signature jutsu. It could quickly create a dense forest across the battlefield, trapping enemies while also providing cover and opportunities to attack.

Ying Yue stood in an open training ground, steadying his breath and focusing his mind.

Following the scroll's instructions, he gathered chakra within his body, then used Wood Release's chakra nature to draw upon the energy of the earth.

"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!" Ying Yue shouted. He rapidly formed Hand Seals, then slammed his hands onto the ground.

He felt his chakra surge through the earth, merging with the Natural Energy in its veins. A moment later, the ground began to shake. Trees burst from the earth and spread in every direction.

However, Ying Yue soon realized things weren't going as he'd expected.

The trees grew quickly, but he soon noticed that this forest was nowhere near as powerful or vast as the one Senju Hashirama had created.

He recalled the scroll's account of Hashirama using Deep Forest Emergence: an endless forest that covered the entire battlefield, with trees so tall they blotted out the sky—and could even suppress Tailed Beasts.

The forest before him had indeed become a sea of trees, but its size and power were insignificant compared with Hashirama's jutsu.

Ying Yue stared at the trees before him, a sense of frustration rising in his heart. This wasn't the result he'd hoped for.

He had thought that, with his talent and the boost from his Sage Body, he could perform powerful Wood Release jutsu. But reality told him his strength was still far from enough to control such formidable techniques.

"This is hardly Deep Forest Emergence. At best, it's just Deep Forest Arrival..." Ying Yue murmured self-mockingly, his heart full of disappointment.

Uchiha Ying Yue stood amid the relatively sparse woods, repeatedly reviewing the jutsu's execution in his mind.

He realized that although his chakra reserves had increased considerably, there was still a huge gap in his ability to control and use Wood Release.

"Looks like my Sage Body and chakra control still aren't enough to support Hashirama's Wood Release," Ying Yue thought.

What's more, Senju Hashirama could perform most of his Wood Release jutsu with just a single Snake Hand Seal. More absurdly, sometimes he didn't even use Hand Seals—he just clapped his hands and got whatever he wanted. Uchiha Madara was the same. If those two legends were still alive, they'd probably say, "Who needs Hand Seals? A real ninja can use any jutsu with just their hands. Tobirama, do you use Hand Seals?"

Powerful figures like Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, who had dominated the Ninja World, must have had terrifying control over the chakra in their bodies. They had no need for Hand Seals to guide their jutsu; they were beings beyond the ordinary.

But this made things difficult for Ying Yue as he studied Hashirama's Wood Release. Many techniques had demanding requirements, and Hashirama had left no record of how to guide them through Hand Seals. Perhaps he had never imagined that those who came after him would face such difficulties.

So Ying Yue decided to work from his own circumstances and develop Wood Release jutsu better suited to his current abilities.

He would begin with basic Wood Release techniques, adding Hand Seals or simplifying the jutsu so he could control his chakra more effectively and use techniques within his capabilities.

Ying Yue first chose Wood Release: Wood Clone Technique as his test subject.

The Wood Clone Technique was originally a simple jutsu. Senju Hashirama could create multiple Wood Clones in an instant, but Ying Yue found that he needed more Hand Seals than the scroll listed to ensure his clones remained stable.

Ying Yue decided to add a few extra Hand Seals to control his chakra more precisely.

Through repeated practice, Ying Yue gradually found the best sequence of Hand Seals for creating Wood Clones. This made the jutsu a little slower, but greatly improved his success rate.

After nearly half a month of constant experimentation, Ying Yue gradually developed a Wood Release training system suited to his current strength.

By simplifying or adding Hand Seals, he brought several high-difficulty techniques within his reach.

In the end, Ying Yue successfully developed several Wood Release techniques with lower requirements. Though they were nowhere near as powerful as Senju Hashirama's originals, they gave him practical options in battle at his current stage.

Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence: By adding Hand Seals, Ying Yue adapted Senju Hashirama's Deep Forest Emergence into a technique with a smaller area of effect. It couldn't cover the entire battlefield, but was more than enough for ordinary combat.

Wood Release: Wood Clone: With additional Hand Seals and better chakra control, Ying Yue couldn't create multiple clones like Hashirama, but he could make sturdier Wood Clones in battle. They were a little slower, but more durable and stronger in combat.

Wood Release: Cutting Technique: A simplified version of Adamantine-Killing Bonds. It thrust wooden spikes at enemies to pierce them. After they entered an enemy's body, Ying Yue could form more Hand Seals to make them branch and grow, impaling the enemy from within.

Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall: A defensive jutsu that made a row of wooden pillars curve up from the ground to form an arched wall around him.

At the same time, Ying Yue's Wood Release wasn't yet powerful enough to rapidly absorb an opponent's chakra. Unlike Hashirama, whose Wood Release attacks could inflict tremendous damage simply by wrapping around and restraining enemies, Ying Yue's techniques focused more on piercing opponents with sharp wooden spikes. This approach was relatively simple, but could deal a lethal blow in an instant.

After inheriting Senju Hashirama's Wood Release, Uchiha Ying Yue's life gradually returned to normal.

Though he understood the responsibility he bore to revive the Senju Clan, he also knew that building strength through training was a long process, and couldn't be accomplished overnight.

Uchiha Ying Yue trained every day, continually improving his chakra control and proficiency with jutsu.

He also sent his Wood Clone to the Ninja Academy to learn the basics of the Ninja World and make up for his lack of theoretical and cultural knowledge.

That way, Ying Yue could train intensively without falling behind in his studies at the Ninja Academy.

During one of his usual training sessions, Ying Yue went to a secluded training ground, hoping to further hone his Taijutsu.

Although Wood Release was his main fighting style, Ying Yue knew how important Taijutsu was in battle. Against the Otsutsuki Clan in the future, ninjutsu would be severely limited; only Taijutsu and Senjutsu could damage those at the Six Paths level.

As Ying Yue trained, he happened to notice a father and son in another corner of the training ground, engaged in an intense Taijutsu spar. The father's movements were no longer as nimble as they had been in his youth, but every strike carried steady power, while the son's movements were fierce and full of vigor.