The water tornado was absorbed by the more powerful Water Formation Pillar, but it also weakened the pillar's defenses. When the Vacuum Great Sphere struck, the Water Formation Pillar exhausted the last of its strength and shattered into droplets that scattered through the air, while thick mist spread outward.
"It's the Hidden Mist Technique. Wind Release ninja, disperse the mist immediately."
The Root ninja calmly issued orders, but the three Root ninja who had participated in the clan extermination in the daimyo's capital and had been tracking Naoki Senju all along-Shin, Hyo, and Terai-felt chilled to the bone.
A month earlier, the boy named Naoki Senju had only been able to shake off their pursuit through little schemes, such as hiring doubles of similar build and appearance to lead them after the wrong targets, sending large numbers of ronin samurai to cover his retreat and slow them down, or even using his connections in the Land of Fire, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Water to pressure Konoha into forcing Root to abandon its mission.
These little schemes were hardly brilliant, but they had proven remarkably effective. Naoki Senju, an ordinary person, had actually managed to evade Root's pursuit and even found Princess Tsunade, one of the Sannin, to back him. Such schemes and methods were enough to make them take notice.
But only a little over a month at most had passed since Naoki Senju had shaken them off and met Tsunade. There was absolutely no way he could have learned an advanced ninjutsu like the Hidden Mist Technique. In other words, it was an ambush!
Before the three could warn the other Root ninja, the gale produced by Wind Release had already blown away the mist. As the last of it was about to disperse, Naoki Senju emerged from behind a stone pillar on the left.
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave."
The thin, high-pressure jet of water shot forward at tremendous speed, like the sharpest blade in the world, slicing through the Root ninja's bodies without the slightest resistance. One, two, three... By the time Naoki Senju's Water Severing Wave ended, five bodies lay on the ground, each cut in two, including the Earth Release ninja who had nearly trapped Naoki Senju to death.
Strictly speaking, calling them corpses was inaccurate. The five Root ninja cut in half at the waist had not yet died. They crawled painfully across the ground, dragging their bloody half-bodies as they pleaded indistinctly for help:
"Help... help me..."
But in their current condition, never mind Root's medical capabilities-even if the master healer Tsunade personally intervened, she might not be able to save them. Besides, it would already be merciful of Tsunade not to grind their bones to dust and scatter their ashes. How could she possibly save them?
The Root ninja's actions at this moment were only to be expected. Their mission came first. Without so much as another glance at their gravely wounded comrades, they moved swiftly to surround Naoki Senju, whose position had been exposed.
"The target's Water Release ninjutsu is powerful, but his taijutsu is nothing outstanding. Switch to close combat. Don't give him a chance to break out."
The Root ninja drew kunai or the swords on their backs and charged at Naoki Senju in the center of their encirclement. Yet Naoki Senju neither dodged nor evaded, allowing the kunai and swords to pierce his body.
"This feeling... this isn't the real-" The Root ninja's voice cut off abruptly.
Not a trace of blood flowed from the stabbed "Naoki Senju." Instead, several sharp wooden spikes instantly sprouted from his body and pierced the surrounding Root ninja. Blood immediately stained the ground red, while "Naoki Senju" turned into a wooden figure.
Several still-warm corpses hung from the lifelike wooden figure. The scene resembled an ukiyo-e painting of hell, but the "audience" who witnessed it was not frightened by the gore. Instead, they were utterly excited.
"This is... Wood Release!"
"It really is Wood Release!"
There was not a Root ninja-or rather, a Konoha ninja-who was unfamiliar with Wood Release or did not know about it. This was the kekkei genkai of Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, the great ninja who had pacified the Shinobi World and founded Konoha Ninja Village!
Though Root's brainwashing had stripped them of their humanity, leaving them indifferent to their clans and comrades, and able to carry out orders to exterminate even the Uchiha Clan or the Senju Clan without hesitation.
The First Hokage's Wood Release, however, symbolized not only the Senju Clan's glory, but also supreme power. It had pacified the Shinobi World and cowed the other four great ninja villages. To this day, legends of the First Hokage and Wood Release were still told in Konoha.
Naoki Senju had no interest in what the Root ninja were thinking at that moment. Seeing them all fall into an inexplicable daze, he immediately seized the opportunity and rapidly formed hand seals atop a towering stone pillar.
"Wood Release: Cutting Technique."
Countless long wooden spikes fell from the sky. Their tremendous kinetic energy and sharpness instantly turned them into life-reaping Swords of Damocles. The Root ninja who reacted a little faster immediately used Earth Style Walls and Water Style Walls to block them, but how could mere B-rank defensive ninjutsu withstand the supremely sharp Cutting Technique?
Moreover, after the Cutting Technique pierced a body, it continued growing inside. During this process, those struck could clearly feel their flesh and blood being absorbed bit by bit as the wooden spikes grew wildly within them. Even if they survived, they would be crippled for life.
Naturally, Tsunade had not taught him such a bloody, brutal ninjutsu. Naoki Senju had developed it by using Obito's Cutting Technique as a reference and drawing on his own experience using Wood Release. His Wood Clone had likewise been modified. Developing the Cutting Technique had been even easier than modifying the Wood Clone, though its chakra requirements were somewhat excessive.
Even Naoki Senju, who was extremely confident in his chakra reserves, struggled after unleashing so many Cutting Techniques in one go. He felt utterly drained.
But as he listened to the screams below, Naoki Senju made no effort to conceal his delight and burst into laughter like a demon who relished slaughter.
"Root, you're nothing special! Danzo, you old dog, just wait until I come take your head myself!"
Just then, a kunai glinting coldly approached silently from behind Naoki Senju. Its owner took extreme care not to make the slightest unusual sound. Ten paces... five paces... three paces...
The sharp kunai sliced through the air, aimed straight at Naoki Senju's neck. But what the Root ninja failed to notice was that, at some point, Naoki Senju had already brought his hands together and completed the final seal.
Just as the Root ninja thought his mission was complete, Naoki Senju turned sideways and revealed a mocking smile.
"Water Release: Water Prison Technique."
A sphere of water trapped the Root ninja attempting the sneak attack. Before he could struggle, a fist carrying terrifying strength struck his back over his heart. Naoki Senju witnessed up close with his own eyes how a living person turned into bloody water.
Tsunade withdrew her small, fair, beautiful fist without a trace of blood on it. Had he not seen it himself, Naoki Senju would never have believed such a lovely hand could kill someone with a single punch-let alone reduce them to a bloody mist!
Ignoring Naoki Senju's wildly pounding heart, Tsunade went straight over and hugged him, holding him tight. Though she had fought in the Second Shinobi World War and the Third Ninja World War, she had never been as frightened as she was at that moment.
She was afraid of losing Naoki, afraid that something would happen to him, afraid that the little pervert who always called her Sister Tsunade would fall into a pool of blood...