Almost instantly, the earth trembled, and countless trees sprang to life. A boundless vitality arose from this moment, and the trees that grew instantly resembled giant hands, rapidly reaching out to Orochimaru.
"Still the same trick!"
Orochimaru frowned slightly. Although he said that, he dared not be careless in the slightest. His movements and speed were incredibly fast as he dodged the entanglement of the branches. The Kusanagi Sword in his hand was being swung rapidly, and wherever it passed, the wooden vines were cut.
Even so, Orochimaru had to admit that the same Ninjutsu could generate far greater power when used on the ground than underground. Underground, the trees did not grow perfectly; instead, vines, like tree roots, greatly diminished the power of the Ninjutsu.
Orochimaru dared not be careless in the slightest. This was the first time he had faced Wood Release Ninjutsu, and even he did not know the truth of the matter.
Although the First Hokage Hashirama Senju, was still alive when he was very young and attending the Ninja Academy, the vast difference in their status and position meant that he had no chance of ever coming into contact with someone of that level, let alone witnessing the power of Wood Release firsthand.
but...
A person's name is like a tree's shadow!
Looking across the entire ninja world, no one knows how to use Wood Release anymore. It's a powerful Ninjutsu that can control Tailed Beast, and it's also the subject of his research.
Now that someone can suddenly use it, especially after absorbing Hashirama Cells, it makes him uneasy.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Orochimaru swiftly swung his sharp Kusanagi Sword, constantly severing the entangled branches. But even with his speed, he Ueki ' growth. Almost instantly, his body was swallowed up by the trees.
"Not enough!"
Araki stood still, maintaining his Hand Seals, his Chakra surging forth. After absorbing Hashirama Cells, and with the activation of green Chakra, he was in a state of extreme abundance. The Wood Release Ninjutsu he was now using was more like a cathartic release for him.
In an instant.
The number of trees is increasing.
You can't see what's inside at all.
However, the thick tree trunk had already swallowed Orochimaru whole.
" Wood Release: Wood Clone!"
While maintaining the same hand Araki, three pieces of wood immediately sprouted from his back, and then, with incredible speed, instantly transformed into a person just like him.
The three Wood Clone quickly darted towards a place enveloped by trees not far ahead, each carrying something different in their hands.
One of the clones was carrying a poison powder with paralyzing properties.
The other one he was holding was a poison that Araki had concocted a year and a half ago, which could cause people to bleed continuously.
The last one was carrying some Explosive Tag.
After Araki was Orochimaru, Araki considered many possibilities. Although such attempts might not be effective, he was willing to try, since these were all the trump cards he had accumulated.
This put him in an awkward position. He knew very well that it wasn't that he wasn't prepared enough, but rather that his opponent was someone he shouldn't be facing at his level. After all, this person was Orochimaru, one of the Konoha Sannin of Konoha. Even if Jiraiya were standing here, it would be quite difficult for him to kill Orochimaru one-on-one.
Instantly.
The first Wood Clone picked up the poison powder in its hand and swallowed it directly.
Immediately afterwards.
Its body transformed directly into a tree, merging with the wood below, and it moved rapidly towards Orochimaru's direction.
at the same time.
Araki himself is controlling the wood Deep Forest Emergence, trapping Orochimaru so that the latter cannot leave easily.
However, Orochimaru was clearly much better prepared now than he was in the underground laboratory, and with the Kusanagi Sword in his hand, he wasn't entangled by the vines for a short time.
Chapter 23 Araki VS Orochimaru! (Part 2)
Araki really wanted to use a heaven-defying Ninjutsu like Advent of a World of Flowering Trees, since even Kage Level ninjas could be knocked unconscious by the pollen with its paralyzing effect. However, he didn't have a method for using this Ninjutsu in his mind, and with his current Chakra, it was impossible for him to support such a method.
Deep Forest Emergence remains the strongest Ninjutsu he can use.
Araki added a sleeping potion he had developed to this Ninjutsu, hoping to increase its influence on Orochimaru.
Not long after.
Having swallowed the sleeping potion, the Wood Clone had already blended into the wooden vines.
The vines quickly wrapped around Orochimaru.
Gradually.
Time passed second by second.
At first, Orochimaru could cut all the vines that were wrapping around him, but as time went on, the power he could exert gradually weakened.
Not only that.
Araki had become much more proficient at using Wood Release Ninjutsu, a completely different feeling from when he first used it.
All along.
Araki never bothered to train in Wood Release Ninjutsu.
Therefore, his proficiency with Wood Release Ninjutsu is not high.
He had some understanding of Wood Release Ninjutsu. He knew that if one didn't have enough Chakra, the power one could unleash would ultimately be limited. It wasn't that the Ninjutsu was powerful, but rather that the person using Ninjutsu needed to be powerful.
Therefore, Araki's training focus has always been on continuously improving his physical fitness and Chakra so that he can control contradictions in the future, but not now. His original plan was to slowly master Wood Release after he had a certain level of strength.
Everything happened so suddenly.
but...
This isn't entirely a bad thing for Araki.
After this incident, he obtained a large number of Hashirama Cells, and with the green Chakra, many memory fragments appeared in his mind. He also learned many Wood Release Ninjutsu, the most important and the most powerful of which was the famous Deep Forest Emergence!
At the beginning, Araki was not very skilled and his control over the wood was not very strong.
But after using it a few times, he gradually discovered some tricks.
Wood Release Ninjutsu doesn't completely control these plants.
Instead, it's about controlling your own Chakra.
He infuses his Chakra into the ground, activating the seeds within and causing them to quickly grow into trees.
The amount of Chakra one injects will depend on the activity and growth rate of those chakra, as well as their strength.
These are all things that require practice.
Orochimaru, ironically, became the best sparring partner.
Because Orochimaru was now standing there holding the Kusanagi Sword, and none of the surrounding trees could get close to him, and the ground was covered with severed vines, Araki began to focus on how to control the flexibility of those ends.
Araki increased his Chakra, making the trees growing on the ground more flexible and resilient. Orochimaru could then use various angles to whip or strike Orochimaru, thus launching an attack.
At first, he seemed to mindlessly inject Chakra into the ground and let the trees grow freely, as long as they could entangle Orochimaru; it was a gamble.
But later he discovered that he could freely control these trees, as if they were part of his body. The vines were like tentacles, reaching out to Orochimaru and creating various angles, as if the entire earth were part of him.
This feeling is truly magical.
Araki felt he needed to thank Orochimaru. If Orochimaru hadn't been there to spar with him, it might have taken him a long time to master this kind of control technique.
After all, if Orochimaru hadn't discovered it, it would have silently absorbed these Hashirama Cells without revealing anything about itself. You would still have had to quietly improve your strength, thus missing such an opportunity to use Wood Release Ninjutsu.
Araki has now calmed down, no longer as anxious as before. Although the drug has been applied to the wood, it cannot easily touch Orochimaru. Most importantly, this kind of simple drug has a very limited effect on Orochimaru.
However, even the slightest disruption to Orochimaru's movements could give him an advantage in grabbing Orochimaru firmly when he uses these vines.
However, Araki is not in a hurry at the moment.
He had just acquired a large number of Hashirama Cells, and with the green Chakra he had absorbed in the past, his body was almost overflowing with inexhaustible power. This power was indeed temporarily bestowed upon him, and it would dissipate after a while even if he didn't use it. But at least for now, he felt that he could fight like this for more than a week.
Therefore, there is absolutely no need to worry about Chakra depletion.
Above this point.
Araki suddenly realized how powerful the First Hokage Hashirama Senju.
The amount of Chakra contained in Hashirama Senju in the past was so enormous that he almost never considered the possibility of running out of Chakra. He could throw out Wood Release Ninjutsu as if it were free.
The powerful energy emanating from these Hashirama Cells alone gave him the feeling of having an inexhaustible supply of Chakra, allowing him to sustain the continuous growth of the trees and keep attacking Orochimaru.
During this process, Araki was not in a particular hurry, because he was not eager to kill Orochimaru quickly. He also knew that this was an unrealistic method. As long as he could practice his Wood Release to a certain extent through Orochimaru, this battle would not be entirely without gains.
As Chakra continued to flow into the ground, Araki felt increasingly adept at using his Wood Release techniques, able to control them with ease. He also felt as if everything the trees perceived was being transmitted back to him, giving him a unique feeling of being completely integrated into nature.
In the midst of this battle, Araki had some other plans in mind. Even if he failed to kill Orochimaru, the ability and experience he gained in controlling Wood Release Ninjutsu were invaluable to him.
at the same time.
Orochimaru, who was surrounded by trees, was almost numb from swinging his Kusanagi Sword. His fingers, in particular, were trembling and about to give out.
"Why is this so troublesome!"
Orochimaru's eyes turned cold. He had initially thought things weren't so complicated; it was just a young kid who had successfully transplanted Hashirama Cells and was able to use Wood Release Ninjutsu. But now he realized that things weren't as simple as he had imagined.
Not only did the opponent successfully unleash the miraculous Ninjutsu" Deep Forest Emergence Shinobi" belonging to the God of Shinobi Hashirama Senju, but he also attacked him relentlessly and without any apparent fatigue. This was no longer the gentle Araki that he had previously known; he was practically a madman.
The wooden vines lashed at him relentlessly, as if they were free, and the speed increased so much that he had to concentrate intensely; the slightest mistake could result in him being bound.
At first, these vines were nothing compared to the sharp Kusanagi Sword.
But gradually, Orochimaru suddenly realized that the situation was turning bad. His Kusanagi Sword could still cut through the attacking vines, but it required more force, and the number of vines was increasing, making the attacks more intense and leaving him no room to breathe.
"So this is Wood Release ninja?!"
Orochimaru's mind raced, and in the process, he grew increasingly greedy for Araki's ability, while also vaguely understanding the fighting style of Wood Release ninjas.
As long as both feet are on the ground and there is enough Chakra in the body, the Ninjutsu that can be used is not like the previous Ninjutsu that is used once and then ends, but can be used continuously, and can be performed by simply clapping the hands together.
Under these circumstances...
Orochimaru gradually became agitated.
His physical strength was being constantly depleted, and he was now using Chakra to relieve the fatigue in his arms. Moreover, the vines, which were becoming faster, more cunning in their angles, and more resilient and strong, were causing him to expend more and more energy.
"We can't keep going like this!"
"We can't be trapped here!"
"But they can't break through!"
" The Wood Release ninja is quite skilled!"