Killing Trap in the Land of Rain, a Conspiracy to Wipe Out the Senju

"Hiss—"

The fuse on the explosive tag burned fiercely, its blinding flames illuminating the muddy puddles.

Land of Rain battlefield, frontline forest.

Three Sunagakure chunin stood atop tree trunks, looking down from above. At the center of the trap, a brown-haired boy wearing a Konoha forehead protector was desperately pinning down the trigger point of the explosive tag array.

"The last surviving seedling of the Senju Clan will be reduced to minced meat today." The lead Sand ninja curled his lips into a cruel smile and formed hand seals. "Die, Nawaki Senju!"

It was a killing trap with no escape.

According to his original fate, this sunny boy who constantly proclaimed, "I'm going to become Hokage," would be blown into a mangled corpse with ruptured organs in the next second—so thoroughly destroyed that even Orochimaru would not be able to piece him back together.

But now, Nawaki neither screamed in terror nor shut his eyes to await death.

Rainwater slid down his cheeks. He suddenly raised his head and clenched his teeth. All innocence vanished from his clear eyes in an instant, leaving behind only a chilling savagery.

"You want me dead? You idiots think you're worthy?"

Nawaki sneered inwardly. He had transmigrated into this body three whole years ago and spent those three years pretending to be a sunny, cheerful boy, all to guard against the schemes of Konoha's higher-ups. Yet despite all his precautions, his own people had still sold him out on the battlefield. Only Konoha's command headquarters knew the location of this trap!

The instant the fire of the explosion completely engulfed Nawaki, a cold mechanical voice thundered through his mind.

[Ding! The host has encountered a life-or-death crisis. The Senju Clan faces the risk of having its bloodline cut off!]

[The host possesses a strong desire to revive his clan and meets the binding requirements.]

[Clan Revival System successfully activated!]

[Current Clan Prosperity: D-rank (on the brink of extinction).]

[Beginner Survival Gift Pack issued: Basic Sage Body! Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!]

Boom—!

The deafening explosion tore through the curtain of rain. The violent shockwave uprooted every tree within ten meters, sending mud, broken branches, and leaves flying through the air.

The three Sand ninja landed at the edge of the blast zone and coldly watched the smoke-filled crater.

"Mission complete. The intelligence from Konoha's higher-ups was indeed accurate." The lead Sand ninja snorted. "Let's go collect our reward."

Just as they turned around—

"Crack."

A sharp sound of splintering wood came from within the thick smoke of the crater.

The three Sand ninja spun around. A gust of wind scattered the smoke and dust, revealing a sturdy semicircular wooden dome standing at the bottom of the crater. Its surface had been charred black by the blast, but its interior remained completely intact.

The Wood Locking Wall slowly lowered. Nawaki rolled his neck and stepped out without a single scratch.

His haori billowed in the wind, while a faint pearly-white glow flowed over his skin. The immense vitality granted by the Basic Sage Body surged wildly through his meridians. His chakra, originally only at the chunin level, now swelled like floodwaters bursting through a dam.

"Wood... Wood Release?!" The lead Sand ninja's eyes nearly popped out, his voice cracking with extreme terror. "The First Hokage's Wood Release? That's impossible! The intelligence never said he could use Wood Release!"

"Intelligence? The dead don't need intelligence."

A cold smile tugged at Nawaki's lips. Without forming a single hand seal, he simply slapped his hands together in front of him.

Smack!

[Wood Release: Cutting Technique!]

Nawaki swung his right arm sharply, sending three pointed wooden spikes shooting toward the Sand ninja in midair like lightning.

They were too fast! Empowered by the Sage Body, his Wood Release gave his enemies no chance to form hand seals and use Substitution.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

Three muffled impacts rang out. The wooden spikes pierced the chests of all three Sand ninja with deadly accuracy. The tremendous force nailed them firmly to the thick tree trunks behind them.

"Ah—! Help!"

Their screams were cut short halfway through. Nawaki clenched his right hand.

The wooden spikes embedded in the Sand ninja instantly grew madly. Countless sharp branches burst from inside their bodies, piercing through their organs, blood vessels, and skin. In just two seconds, the three living Sand ninja were drained of chakra and turned into three shriveled corpses hanging from the branches.

Blood dripped down the tree roots, dyeing the puddles red.

Nawaki stepped forward and crushed the lead Sand ninja's forehead protector beneath his foot, his gaze utterly indifferent.

The brutal aesthetics of Wood Release truly lived up to its reputation. This was only the Basic Sage Body and basic Wood Release. If he unlocked True Several Thousand Hands, who in the entire shinobi world could stop him?

The system panel appeared at just the right moment:

[Main Quest Issued: Restore the glory of the Senju Clan! First step: escape the fate of death and return to Konoha.]

[Clan Expansion Guide: Seize the fated women from the original story, recruit core members, and produce descendants. All can greatly increase Clan Prosperity and unlock higher-level Wood Release and Hashirama's peak template.]

Nawaki closed the panel and swept his gaze across the surroundings.

Suddenly, he caught an unusual movement in the bushes a hundred meters to his left.

A slender snake with deathly pale scales was slithering silently backward across the muddy ground. A trace of extreme shock remained in the white snake's vertical pupils.

Orochimaru's summoned beast.

Nawaki raised a hand to wipe away a drop of blood splashed onto his cheek, the sneer on his lips growing even colder.

"Orochimaru-sensei, you really were nearby, watching me step into the trap and refusing to save me?"

"Danzō, the Third... you truly went to great lengths to strip the Senju of their legacy."

Nawaki turned toward the direction of the Konoha camp. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the blood-tinged air. When he opened them again, that signature sunny, innocent smile had returned to his face.

"Since you want me dead so badly, I'll give you a big surprise."

"We'll settle this debt slowly once we return to camp."