The Appearance of Wood Release

Chapter Seventeen

Dual bloodline limits were truly terrifying. A One-Tomoe Sharingan granted dynamic vision, allowing him to see through an enemy's attacks and movements in battle. Combined with the Dead Bone Pulse, which was nearly invincible in close combat, it completely turned him into a killing weapon.

He was surrounded by Senju ninja, members of the Uzumaki Clan, and ninja from several weaker clans.

Facing enemies more than ten times his number, he should clearly have been at a disadvantage. Yet it looked instead as though Uchiha Shangwu had surrounded them. Rather than retreating, he advanced, using the Body Flicker Technique to rush before an enemy and pierce straight through him in an instant.

In that instant, a spray of hot blood splattered across Uchiha Shangwu. Scalding blood dyed the white bones exposed outside his body crimson. As his strange scarlet Sharingan swept over the area ahead, it seemed to release a murderous aura, frightening several weaker Uzumaki ninja into retreat before he even made a move.

Listening to that piercing, wild laughter, Tobirama Senju could not help but feel rage rise within him. Yet as he stared at the figure clad in white bones, he knew he could not defeat his opponent alone. The gap in their strength was not that great; he had merely lost to the two bloodline limits, the Dead Bone Pulse and the Sharingan.

"If only my older brother could help."

The thought was beautiful, but reality was cruel. Senju Hashirama was currently tied down and had no way to break free. Helping was simply impossible.

Because of the influence Uchiha Shangwu had created, Uchiha Madara was roughly twenty to thirty percent stronger at this stage than in the original timeline. The reason he had yet to defeat Senju Hashirama was not because he lacked the strength. He simply could not bear to hurt his good friend.

"Madara! Stop! We're no match for them."

"Just like we said when we were children, if the two of us join forces, we can definitely change this world and create true peace in the Ninja World!"

For a moment, Uchiha Madara was transported back to the past. Back then, the two of them had stood beside a stream, competing to see whose smooth stone skipped farther and more times across the water. They had tested each other's ninjutsu, growing through their constant clashes.

Both of them had lost brothers to war, and neither wanted the fighting to continue. So sometimes, they would speak of their dreams...

But the hatred between the two clans, accumulated over hundreds and thousands of years, could never be resolved so easily.

Uchiha Madara shook his head. "Impossible. Stop being so naive. You and I both know exactly what this world is like. Living in such a world, all we can do is do everything in our power to protect our families."

"Peace? Don't even utter such a laughable word."

"Otherwise, I'll only think you still haven't grown up. And then I won't keep holding back. I'll send you straight to the Pure Land with your naivety."

Uchiha Madara was clearly angry as he spoke, as though he hated that Senju Hashirama refused to learn. His furious blow sent Senju Hashirama flying far away. Then, with no intention of holding back any longer, he formed hand seals and prepared to use a B-rank Fire Release ninjutsu to utterly blast his good friend Senju Hashirama to death.

Uchiha Madara's eyes darkened, killing intent fully revealed. His ninjutsu was ready to be unleashed. "Hashirama, take that naivety of yours and die."

"Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

Since awakening his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Uchiha Madara had mastered every Fire Release ninjutsu collected by the Uchiha Clan. Among them, Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame was his most adept technique.

The greatest feature of Majestic Destroyer Flame was not the temperature of its flames, but the meteor-like fireball it spat toward its opponent. Once it struck the ground, the flames would spread and form a sea of fire.

The sheer scale of such a terrifying Fire Release technique was enough to fill hundreds of Senju clansmen with fear.

After being sent flying twenty to thirty meters, he had landed without suffering even the slightest injury. The Senju Clan's bloodline was truly formidable. Not only did they possess chakra reserves far beyond those of other ninja, their vitality was monstrous as well.

Senju Hashirama rose to his feet. Without forming a single hand seal, he simply clapped his hands together. The instant his palms met, rows upon rows of sturdy wooden stakes appeared before him.

"Wood Release!"

Uchiha Shangwu vaguely heard Senju Hashirama shouting. His attack had been blocked once more by several Senju Clan Chunin working together, so he glanced back and saw rows of wooden stakes rising from the ground. He inwardly exclaimed in surprise, He had already mastered Wood Release at fifteen? But Madara still hadn't awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan yet.

Among the many bloodline limits and secret techniques in the Ninja World, Wood Release could absolutely be considered one of the greatest.

The First Hokage of the Warring States era had conquered the world with Wood Release. He could suppress the Nine-Tails with one hand, and while Senju Hashirama was still alive, the other four nations of the Ninja World had not dared make a move.

Without a Mangekyo Sharingan capable of matching it, the Three-Tomoe Sharingan alone could not possibly fight the current Senju Hashirama, who possessed Wood Release, to a draw.