Wood Release Reappears

The sudden turn of events caused the expressions of the Iwagakure and Sand Ninja present to shift drastically.

"Retreat!" the Iwagakure commander shouted in a deep voice.

However, even with his orders, they were completely unable to escape the rapidly spreading, lightning-fast tree branches.

"Squelch!" "Squelch!" "Squelch!"...

In the blink of an eye, several Iwagakure ninja who failed to dodge in time were struck by the thick branches, their bodies slammed violently into the ground, instantly silenced.

The Iwagakure ninja who had narrowly escaped the surprise attack stood on distant tree trunks, their faces deathly pale as they cast lingering, fearful glances at the chaotic, dust-filled battlefield.

The remaining Iwagakure ninja wore grave expressions, staring intently at the area shrouded in dust.

Inside the area protected by the massive trees that had erupted from the ground, the surviving Konoha ninja looked up in stunned silence at the dragon-like timber before them, their faces filled with shock.

"W-what is this!?" a young Konoha ninja stammered.

"I don't know, but there's no doubt—a ninja from the village must have arrived to save us!" a slightly older Konoha ninja speculated, his expression remaining relatively calm.

The other Konoha ninja also stared in awe at the massive trees that had shielded them, lost in their own thoughts.

As the dust slowly settled, the situation on the field became clear to everyone.

Under the pale moonlight, in the center of the clearing where countless trees had burst from the earth, a massive, semi-circular cage formed by thick, interlocking trunks loomed over the Konoha group.

Deep gouges marred the sturdy wood—scars from the ninjutsu the Iwagakure side had unleashed moments before.

A tall figure standing not far from the wooden cage caught the eyes of the Iwagakure forces.

"Look, over there!" a distant Iwagakure ninja cried