Hey! About why I can use Wood Release, and much, much more...

Boom! Boom! Boom!

One great tree after another burst from the earth, twisting together into houses that stood atop the mountain!

Naruto's jaw dropped. "Th-that's amazing!!"

The Nine-Tails inside Naruto was even more terrified, not daring to make a sound!

Mission accomplished. On the one hand, Yu really did want to build houses up here. On the other, this was a demonstration for the little Nine-Tails. Trip Naruto up again, and I'll deal with you using Wood Release~!

The matter of Yu having Wood Release required a special explanation. Otherwise, Wood Release would seem far too unimpressive.

Actually, all most people knew was that Wood Release could be traced back to Asura, the son of Six Paths, and had reached its fullest expression in his later reincarnation, Hashirama Senju.

But in truth, the power of Wood Release originated from the God Tree!

By consuming the God Tree's Chakra Fruit, the Ōtsutsuki incorporated this power into their genes.

Generally speaking, the offspring of an Ōtsutsuki who had consumed a Chakra Fruit had a certain chance of being able to use Wood Release.

But although Yu's Ōtsutsuki birth father was incredibly powerful, he had never consumed a Chakra Fruit. So Yu himself had not possessed Wood Release.

Then where had Yu's Wood Release come from?

As it turned out, after that blast of fire release at the end of the shuriken contest, Yu had used his innate talent to teach himself fire release, Water Release, Earth Release, Wind Release, Lightning Release, Yin Release, and Yang Release! [Note: Although this story leans toward goofy comedy, accuracy still matters where it matters. "Yin Release" and "Yang Release" individually are fundamentally different from "Yin-Yang Release." Please don't confuse them!]

Even after mastering all seven chakra nature transformations, Yu still wasn't satisfied. He wanted Wood Release-not because it was particularly powerful, but because he thought it was a wonderfully creative technique that looked fun!

I want Wood Release, I want Wood Release, I want Wood Release...

That sufficiently powerful obsession finally prompted the Book of the Gods to deliver a milestone technique!

-Secret Technique: Sunseed Hand of Fate!

It allowed different chakra natures to be combined freely, producing unknown nature transformations!

Well, damn! Was this what they meant by teaching a man to fish instead of giving him a fish?

Without question, this technique opened the door to a whole new world for Yu!

As a known kekkei genkai, Wood Release combined water and earth chakra natures, but that was only low-level Wood Release [according to the databooks, Moegi could also use Wood Release]. Wood Release capable of creating vast forests also involved a certain degree of Yang Release transformation!

Water plus earth, supplemented with Yang Release transformation.

After some experimentation, Yu successfully created Wood Release using this method!

If he could master Wood Release, other documented nature-combination kekkei genkai were even easier. They were completely backward-compatible!

Combining wind and fire produced "Scorch Release"!

Combining fire and water produced "Boil Release"!

Combining fire and earth produced "Lava Release"!

Combining wind and water produced "Ice Release"!

Combining lightning and water produced "Storm Release"!

On the day he awakened Sunseed Hand of Fate, Yu had intended to combine even more natures to produce all sorts of marvelous transformations he had never seen before. But guests happened to visit his house, forcing him to put the matter aside...

Hey, there's plenty of time anyway. I'll find somewhere deserted when I get a chance and get it done.

How about tomorrow? I can watch the negotiations between Konoha and the Uchiha while using Sunseed Hand of Fate to create some fun release techniques!

-Wood Release: Four-Pillar House Technique, complete.

Yu lowered his little hands from their hand seals, and the little pinwheel spinning at the back of his collar gradually settled down.

As for how he had learned the Four-Pillar House Technique, that was naturally thanks to the Scroll of Seals!

Otherwise, even an Ōtsutsuki who knew Wood Release wouldn't use it to build houses!

Naruto was still awestruck. "That's amazing! What technique is that?"

Yu answered casually, "Wood Release. You'll learn about it later. It's nothing special."

"Oh, okay!" Naruto believed him. "But if we build houses here, what happens if someone finds them?"

Yu said, "This is the highest point in Konoha, and it isn't on the way out of the village. Normally, nobody comes up here."

Naruto said, "But I saw lots of little houses hanging below Hokage Rock."

Yu said, "Those are shelters. They're only used when the village suffers a major attack... Yep, my dad told me all this!"

Naruto said, "Oh~ I see!"

Yu said, "So unless the village is attacked or Hokage Rock needs repairs, people usually won't come here."

Turn around, and there was their secret hideout. Look down, and they could see the Hokage's office building!

The thought of being so outrageously bold that it somehow became sneaky made Naruto's heart race!

But Yu didn't think he was being reckless.

He called this "the darkness beneath the lamp": the shadows directly beneath a light were actually less likely to attract attention. Another way to put it was that the most dangerous place was the safest place!

Yu said, "Then the day after tomorrow, our shadow clones can go to school while our real bodies meet here!"

Naruto said, "Sure... What are you doing tomorrow, then?"

Yu said, "Hehe, just wandering around on my own..."

Naruto said, "Okay..."

Even the best of friends needed their secrets.

It was time to go home.

Naruto glanced at Hinata lying on the ground, and his face grew hot.

Yu said, "I'll take Hinata home. You can head back."

"Okay..."

Naruto ran toward the path down the mountain, fell flat with a thud, then scrambled up again, all clumsy limbs...

After Naruto left, Yu said, "You're awake, aren't you, Hinata?"

Hinata's eyelids fluttered open.

Yu said, "Why did you pretend to be asleep after waking up?"

Hinata said, "Y-Yu-kun is special to Naruto-kun. If I were awake, there are things Naruto-kun definitely wouldn't be able to say. I wanted to hear what was really in his heart. I want to know more about Naruto-kun..."

Yu smiled. "You like Naruto, don't you?"

With no outsiders around, Hinata blushed and nodded. "Yes..."

Yu smiled. "Okay, got it. I'll be rooting for you two. Let's head back."

Hinata was touched. "Thank you, Yu-kun..."

Whoosh!

With a single Divine Movement Step, Yu returned to his bedroom!

He slipped the life-sized doll made in his own likeness out of the sleeping Hanabi's embrace, hid it beneath the tatami, then crept under the covers...

As for why he used a doll instead of a shadow clone... Hehe, he wasn't about to let even his own clone get cozy with the girl he had his eye on~!

"Heh, dancing back and forth on the edge of death really is addictive..."

What an incredible masochistic pervert~!

While Yu congratulated himself, he failed to notice the little devil's smile curling at the corners of Hanabi's mouth~.

Hmph~ Yu, you big liar. Just you wait. You're in for it when morning comes...

That night, the entire Uchiha Clan went without sleep!

Because once dawn arrived, their life-or-death negotiations with the Konoha High Command would begin!

When the light of dawn shattered the darkness of night!

Whoosh~!

Before the stone tablet wreathed in flickering foxfire, Fugaku rose. His gaze swept over the grim-faced clan members inside the shrine, and he said solemnly, "Everyone, remain here and await orders. Itachi, come with me!"

Thanks to jsxh for the inspiration capsule~!