"Attack. Kill them all!" someone shouted from among the ANBU.
A ninja in a cat-faced mask stepped forward and formed hand seals.
Wood burst from the ground and bound Fugaku's legs.
"With strength like that, you dare oppose Konoha? It seems much of Danzo's intelligence is out of date."
The masked Root ninja showed no concern at being restrained.
"Wood Release? So you're one of the two Uchiha test subjects Danzo experimented on in Konoha. You should be ashamed to show off such shoddy Wood Release.
"Danzo has already conducted new Wood Release experiments and produced the real thing. Today, I'll let you see it."
Lightning Release Chakra gathered in Fugaku's hand. Countless arcs of electricity converged there, shrieking and crackling.
Fugaku swung his arm, and the powerful Lightning Release sliced through every piece of wood binding him. Against it, the wood might as well have been paper.
"Today, I'll show you what real Wood Release looks like."
Fugaku stepped forward and brought his hands together.
"Wood Release: Cutting Technique!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Countless thorn-covered trees erupted from the ground and grew unchecked. In the blink of an eye, they covered the forest before him.
The thorns pierced the ANBU in front of him and burst out through their bodies. Blood poured toward the ground.
Screams rang out as the Cutting Technique continued to grow. Within moments, it towered over the surrounding trees, with the bodies of more than a dozen Konoha shinobi hanging from it.
Many were already dead, but Fugaku had deliberately left three alive. One was Fenghuo, who had joined the ANBU. The other two were witnesses; sparing Fenghuo alone would have been too conspicuous.
His trip to the Land of Rivers could be called a success. As for the ANBU sent to the Land of Rain