"Waaah!"
Noji Daishi was bound tightly with ropes, yet he kept shouting in protest, desperately trying to break free.
However, the chakra-made ropes seemed to have a life of their own. Whenever Noji Daishi tried to exert force in one direction, they loosened slightly in another.
As a result, all the strength Noji Daishi had painstakingly gathered went to waste, and he couldn't bring even a fraction of it to bear!
So he could only kneel halfway on the ground, struggling now and then, but unable to escape.
Only after confirming that Noji Daishi had been subdued did the ninjas finally breathe a sigh of relief.
With a rumble, the massive stone wall collapsed on the spot, and the ninja who had used Fire Release landed lightly as well.
At that moment, the fourth ninja stepped forward.
The instant he saw the fourth ninja, Takizawa Dan, who had been watching silently, widened his eyes!
Because the person was none other than Yamato!
The only person in Konoha Village who could use Wood Release, and someone who had received Hashirama Cells as a child!
Yamato quickly formed Hand Seals, then shouted:
"Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!!!"
In an instant, a vast forest sprang up out of nowhere in the center of the exam grounds, covering the entire area!
Although Hokage Tsunade and the other higher-ups were used to seeing this, the sight left the examinees so stunned they nearly jumped out of their seats!
Wood Release! It was a technique no one had been able to use since the First, Senju Hashirama!
Seeing the forest rise from the ground in the center of the exam grounds, the examinees cheered excitedly.
"Oh my god! Wood Release! It's a legendary technique!"
"That's amazing! With this technique, our Konoha can do whatever it wants!"
"Exactly! That's why our Land of Fire is the strongest among the Five Great Nations!"
Of course, most of the people saying this were ordinary examinees with no powerful backing. Those with influential families or connections weren't all that surprised.
"Tch. It's Wood Release, sure, but its power is pretty limited."
"A small forest like that would only be useful for guerrilla warfare in a real fight. It couldn't hold many people at all!"
"Yeah, it's nowhere near as good as the First. It's not even one percent as powerful!"
Amid the chatter, Yamato waited a moment, then withdrew his Wood Release technique.
As the trees vanished from the exam grounds, a shocking sight appeared:
The area, which Noji Daishi had smashed to pieces with a punch and the flood had completely devastated, had been restored to its original state!
Everything looked brand-new, and there wasn't even a single crack left!
If Noji Daishi hadn't still been tied up and struggling on the spot, everyone might have thought they'd been dreaming and that everything they'd just experienced was an illusion!
"This..."
Everyone present was stunned.
Since when did Wood Release have such a miraculous effect?
Even Sasuke and Neji, standing among the crowd, showed a trace of surprise in their eyes.
After all, Wood Release was a legendary technique. They'd read in their textbooks about how the First had maintained peace throughout the Shinobi World with "Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence" and established Konoha Village's great reputation.
However, everyone's understanding of Wood Release was limited to its destructive power. They'd never learned about its other properties, such as treating the injured or restoring the terrain...
Yamato was now using Wood Release's ability to "restore terrain" to repair the exam grounds. His "Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence" could cover the entire area, which was why it had produced such a miraculous effect.
But Takizawa Dan wasn't impressed by any of it.
The reason Wood Release was known as "the one and only legendary technique" wasn't that Wood Release itself was especially powerful. After all, it was just wood and trees. In terms of toughness and defensive capability, Earth Release was actually more useful.
What truly made Wood Release powerful was the godlike strength of the First, Senju Hashirama!
That had nothing to do with Wood Release. Someone had once said that even if Senju Hashirama used "Shit Release," he could still create a vast Yellow Springs Swamp and kill countless enemies...
Yamato was proof enough. He was Konoha's Wood Release ninja, the sole survivor among the sixty infants Orochimaru had used in his experiments, and a capable Jonin to boot. He should have been the best representation of the average Wood Release user.
Yet Kakashi, who was also a Jonin, had taken Yamato down in two moves, and Sasuke had pierced his chest with a single Chidori... His combat skills were so terrible it was embarrassing. His greatest contribution in the entire series had been building houses for the protagonist group while they camped outdoors, or helping Naruto train with the Nine-Tails Chakra...
He was practically useless, with little value beyond support.
Still, repairing the grounds like this was pretty useful.
On the viewing platform, the higher-ups breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Yamato step in.
Although Takizawa Dan thought Yamato was pretty useless, in the eyes of the higher-ups and Anbu, Yamato was an exceptional subordinate. The reason was simple: his missions had the highest success rate and the lowest casualty rate. He could be considered a trump card.
For this Chunin Ninja Exams, Danzo had specifically assigned him as a hidden ninja to prevent any unexpected incidents.
"Lord Hokage, esteemed lords, the rule-breaker Noji Daishi has been apprehended. Please decide his punishment!"
The ninjas all knelt on one knee toward the viewing platform, lowered their heads, and shouted in unison.
Tsunade looked down at Noji Daishi, who was bound as tightly as a dumpling, her expression icy.
"Noji Daishi! As a Konoha Jonin and the guard assigned to this exam, you should have done everything in your power to maintain order and respond to unexpected situations. Instead, you showed favoritism toward your son. Just because Takizawa Dan defeated him in a fair match, you held a grudge and interfered with the exam! And even after knowingly breaking the rules, you tried to kill Takizawa Dan. Your crimes are unforgivable!"
Tsunade's cold voice rang out.
"L-Lady Tsunade, it wasn't like that! Th-this is all a misunderstanding!"
Noji Daishi came to his senses and hurriedly tried to explain, but he stammered and couldn't come up with anything to say.
"P-please spare me!"
The other higher-ups looked at him as though he were already dead.
In all the years the Chunin Ninja Exams had been held, nothing this egregious had ever happened!
If they didn't punish him severely, what would become of order in Konoha Village?
"Noji Daishi! Starting today, you are no longer a ninja of Konoha Village. I will take your Forehead Protector and confine you within Konoha Village for ten years! Use that time to reflect on your mistakes."
Tsunade announced coldly.
Before you continue