Chapter 203. Wood Release Experiment

Chapter 203 - 203. Wood Release Experiment"Hanekawa!" The moment Uchiha Madara left, Kurenai Yuhi, Nohara Rin, and the others rushed toward Hanekawa. "I'm fine." Hanekawa dispelled his shadow clone, shook his head, and reassured them. Once he realized that Uchiha Obito had access to both Kamui abilities, he decided to adopt a kiting strategy. Although the Mangekyō Sharingan was powerful, it still needed to see its target to activate, and it also required a certain amount of time. Hanekawa simply avoided direct confrontation, leaving Obito furious but helpless. As for killing him, that would be extremely difficult with Uchiha Madara around. "I feel like he knows you," Kurenai mused. "Have you ever offended a Uchiha?" "You know me—I always get along with people." Hanekawa chuckled. "That's true." Kurenai tilted her head and analyzed, "You're famous now. Maybe he's just jealous of you." "Hanekawa, you fought him directly—was that really Wood Release?" Hyūga Hizashi couldn't help but ask. "Yes, it was Wood Release." Hanekawa paused before adding, "But it wasn't as powerful as the legends say." Hizashi was momentarily stunned before nodding in agreement. The legend of Wood Release all came from Senju Hashirama, a man powerful enough to dominate the entire ninja world. Yet, this mysterious Wood Release user was severely injured by Hanekawa, showing none of the legendary invincibility of Hashirama's abilities. "Regarding Wood Release, I hope everyone keeps it a secret." Suddenly, Hanekawa realized this could be an incredible opportunity. He didn't need to explain anything—he simply needed to tell Tsunade. She would automatically jump to conclusions and figure out the "cause" herself. And most likely, her suspicions would fall on Danzo Shimura. After all, Danzo was notorious for his shady experiments. This was perfect! He could use this opportunity to expose the Wood Release experiments, helping Tsunade eliminate her only competitor for Hokage—Orochimaru. "Understood," Kurenai and Rin immediately agreed. The four Hyūga clan members exchanged glances and had no objections. To them, Hanekawa's words were essentially Tsunade's words. And since Tsunade was the next Hokage, protecting her secrets ensured that the Hyūga clan would maintain its status and influence. "Let's head back to the main camp." Hanekawa turned toward Konoha's headquarters. Previously, he could still sense the immense chakra of the Three-Tails, but now it had completely vanished. Given that the ones facing it were Chiyo and Tsunade, it was unlikely they managed to kill the beast. The only explanation was that Kirigakure had retreated voluntarily. This was most likely due to Hanekawa killing the Third Mizukage. With no leader, there was no one left to command. The group headed toward Konoha's main camp. Meanwhile, Hanekawa took the chance to check his Trait System. Two notification sounds had played earlier, but he had held back from checking while talking to Kurenai and the others. Now, he finally had time. --- New Trait 1 [B-Rank Talent Trait: Green Ninja] Trigger Condition: Defeat an enraged Uchiha Obito. Effect: Enhances Wood Release aptitude by 150%. --- Hanekawa's eyes lit up. A Wood Release trait?! This was unexpected. After all, Obito's Wood Release came from White Zetsu, not natural talent. Regardless, it was a good thing. Although he couldn't use Wood Release yet, once he obtained it, this trait would help him master it faster. Hanekawa calmed himself and checked his second new trait. --- New Trait 2 [S-Rank Talent Trait: Kamui Cannot Hide Tears] Trigger Condition: Defeat a newly awakened Mangekyō Sharingan Uchiha Obito. Effect: Enhances Spatial Affinity by 300%. --- Hanekawa raised an eyebrow. Now this was a real treasure! He had been waiting for a spatial talent for a long time! With this, he could finally learn space-time ninjutsu. And in Konoha, the most famous space-time jutsu was Flying Thunder God! Hanekawa had never learned it before because he lacked the necessary spatial affinity. Now that he had it, he could finally give it a shot. After all, the Flying Thunder God was extremely versatile. It could be used for attack, escape, and even teleporting Tailed Beast Bombs, making it almost as powerful as Obito's Kamui. Hanekawa smirked to himself. Obito was actually a great guy—he had gifted him two amazing traits at once! That said, Obito must hate him to the core by now. Hanekawa suspected that if another Nine-Tails attack were to happen, Obito wouldn't even bother targeting Minato Namikaze or Kushina Uzumaki. Instead, he would come straight for him. After all, when choosing a target, it's always best to go after the one who pissed you off the most. No, knowing Obito's personality, he might not even wait for the Nine-Tails attack. But that didn't matter. Uchiha Obito's Injuries and Hanekawa's Plan With Uchiha Obito severely injured, he would need at least half a year to recover. On top of that, he still had to carry out Madara's Eye of the Moon Plan, so he wouldn't be coming anytime soon. Hanekawa could use this time to master the Flying Thunder God Technique. Once he placed Flying Thunder God seals on Tsunade, Kurenai, and the others, he wouldn't have to worry too much about Obito's sudden attacks. Besides Flying Thunder God, he also had another technique right in front of him—Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Both of these jutsu were famous for their speed, with the potential to be equally fast. If he combined the two, then if Obito ever attacked Konoha, the consequences for Obito would be far worse than just serious injuries. After all, by then, Madara would be dead, and no one would be able to save him. --- Soon, the group arrived at Konoha's main camp. "What happened here?!" Kurenai let out an involuntary gasp. The entire camp had undergone a drastic transformation. Previously, the tents were arranged neatly, but now they were scattered and torn, as if a storm had swept through. The air reeked of blood, thick and overwhelming. "The power of a Tailed Beast is truly terrifying." Hyūga Hizashi sighed. Even though Tsunade had rushed back to support the camp, fighting a massive beast like that left her with few options. The battle had inevitably dragged in many ninjas, leading to casualties. "Help the wounded!" Hanekawa didn't hesitate and rushed toward the nearest injured ninja. "I'll help you!" Nohara Rin quickly followed. "We'll help too." Although Kurenai wasn't a medical ninja, she could still assist in rebuilding the camp. Tsunade noticed them and, after confirming they were unharmed, finally let out a sigh of relief. Being able to face the Third Mizukage and come back alive, this kid was becoming stronger at an alarming rate. She didn't rush over to greet them but instead continued treating the wounded. --- Time passed. Sёarch* The Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The sun had climbed to its highest point in the sky. By midday, they finally had a chance to rest. Just then, the scouting team returned. "Lady Tsunade!" "How's the situation?" Tsunade turned to Baki, the leader from Sunagakure. "For some unknown reason, Kirigakure has completely withdrawn from the Land of Rivers." Baki looked perplexed. Tsunade was stunned. What's going on? Before, the Third Mizukage and Three-Tails Jinchūriki had come prepared for a decisive battle. So why did they suddenly retreat halfway through? "I know the reason." Hyūga Hizashi suddenly smiled. "Hanekawa killed the Third Mizukage." "What?!" A wave of shock spread through the camp. Tsunade froze. Earlier, she had been lamenting the brutality of war, noting that even the Third Raikage had fallen. But in the blink of an eye, her own student had eliminated the Third Mizukage?! Chiyo opened her mouth, unsure what to say. She had already considered Hanekawa strong, but she hadn't expected him to be this powerful. If she remembered correctly, the Third Mizukage specialized in Water Release. This was... truly unbelievable. At the same time, Chiyo couldn't help but feel envious of Tsunade. To have a student this strong was a blessing. She too had once hoped to pass on her puppetry techniques to her grandson... but fate had other plans. "No wonder Kirigakure retreated." Tsunade snapped back to reality and praised Hanekawa. "Well done." "It's all thanks to my Sensei's training." Hanekawa responded modestly. Tsunade smirked at his flattery but then rolled her eyes at him. Realizing that smiling too much didn't suit her status, she quickly put on a serious expression. "Even though Kirigakure has retreated, we can't afford to be careless." She turned to Baki and Hizashi. "Baki, Hizashi, you two will handle patrol and security." "Understood!" Both responded in unison. "Everyone has worked hard today. Go rest in your tents." Tsunade then paused before adding a reminder. "Hizashi, make sure to send this intel back to Konoha." Hanekawa killing the Third Mizukage was a major event, worthy of being recorded in history. And since Hanekawa was her student, she would naturally support and promote his achievements. --- As the group dispersed, many kept stealing glances at Hanekawa. It was as if they still couldn't believe he had actually killed the Third Mizukage. The Sunagakure ninjas had the most complicated expressions. For Konoha to produce such a genius and powerhouse was not good news for them. They wanted to believe it was false, but there was no reason to lie about such a thing. If the Third Mizukage was truly dead, then it wouldn't take long for the entire ninja world to find out. --- "Sensei." Hanekawa was the last one remaining. "Mm." Tsunade nodded slightly. "Come to my tent. We need to talk." Hanekawa followed her inside. "Ahhh... I'm exhausted!" Tsunade dropped her composed demeanor, took off her tea-green jacket, and collapsed onto the carpet without a care for her image. From last night until noon today, she had been either fighting the Tailed Beast or healing the wounded. Even with the Yin Seal, she still felt physically and mentally exhausted. Hanekawa blinked. His gaze unintentionally fell on Tsunade's graceful curves, which made her clothes look even more enticing. Without hesitation, Hanekawa laid down beside her. As he turned his head slightly, he suddenly understood a phrase—"Lying down is the best perspective." Tsunade was truly exceptional. Her flawless, jade-like skin radiated a mesmerizing beauty. "What are you looking at?" Tsunade suddenly turned to face him, their eyes meeting. "Sensei, I have something important to tell you." Hanekawa said seriously. Tsunade narrowed her eyes. With her keen perception, she had naturally noticed Hanekawa's not-so-serious gaze just moments ago. "Speak." She decided to let it slide. "After I killed the Third Mizukage, a mysterious ninja appeared." Hanekawa spoke slowly. "He not only had the Sharingan, but he also used Wood Release." Tsunade's expression froze. She instinctively sat up, blurting out: "Wood Release? That's impossible!" Hanekawa's eyelids twitched slightly as her sudden movement caused her clothes to shift. He sat up as well, his expression serious. "It's absolutely true. I fought him, and it was indeed Wood Release." Tsunade clenched and unclenched her fists repeatedly, looking troubled. "But his Wood Release wasn't very powerful," Hanekawa hinted. "It was just an ordinary Kekkei Genkai, far from the level of the First Hokage." Tsunade's eyes suddenly flashed as she remembered something. A long time ago, Hiruzen Sarutobi had conducted Wood Release experiments. As a high-ranking official of Konoha and Hashirama Senju's granddaughter, she had been aware of it. At the time, Hiruzen had persuaded her, and she had reluctantly agreed to the experiments. But after multiple volunteer test subjects died, Hiruzen ordered the experiments to stop. Could it be that someone restarted the Wood Release experiments? Tsunade frowned deeply, lost in thought. No, something was off. How did he also have the Sharingan? The Uchiha clan would never agree to participate in Wood Release experiments. "This mysterious ninja harbors deep hatred toward Konoha." Hanekawa said, half-truthfully. "But his strength was lacking, so we forced him to retreat." "Hatred?" Tsunade's mind raced. Hiruzen had already banned Wood Release experiments. If the experiments had been restarted, it would likely have been done secretly and in inhumane ways. Was this mysterious ninja one of the test subjects? And was he forced into it? But who would dare to use an Uchiha ninja as a test subject? A name surfaced in Tsunade's mind—Shimura Danzo. As a high-ranking official of Konoha, Danzo had access to Hashirama's DNA. He also had the funding and personnel needed to restart Wood Release experiments. Most importantly, he hated and resented the Uchiha clan. "Sensei, did something come to mind?" Hanekawa asked, observing the changes in her expression. "...It's fine to tell you." Tsunade then explained Hiruzen's past Wood Release experiments and her suspicions about Danzo. Since Hanekawa was the person she trusted most, she didn't hold anything back. "There were experiments like that?" Hanekawa feigned shock. "Wood Release is incredibly valuable." Tsunade sighed. "Danzo wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of Wood Release. I wouldn't be surprised if he continued the experiments in secret." Hanekawa nodded in agreement. "Mm." Tsunade rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "This is a huge problem." Although Danzo was no longer the head of Root, he was still a high-ranking figure in Konoha and one of the Hokage's advisors. "We need to investigate." Hanekawa suggested. "You're right." Tsunade hesitated, then sighed. "But I don't have anyone suitable to investigate Danzo." Despite her reputation and the fact that many saw her as the next Hokage, she still lacked trusted subordinates. Especially for something as sensitive as investigating Danzo and the Wood Release experiments, she couldn't casually entrust it to just anyone. She could ask Hiruzen to investigate, but his relationship with Danzo was too close—he might hold back. "Jiraiya." Hanekawa suggested after a brief thought. "Jiraiya?" Tsunade blinked, then her eyes brightened. "He's actually a perfect choice." Jiraiya had a high status and influence, and he wasn't afraid of Danzo. More importantly, he was righteous and despised evil, meaning he wouldn't cover up the truth. And with his Mount Myoboku summons, he could use toads to gather information. "I'll have Katsuyu contact Mount Myoboku and Jiraiya." Tsunade formed hand seals and used the Summoning Jutsu. With a puff of smoke, Katsuyu appeared. Hanekawa watched as she spoke with Katsuyu, thinking to himself: "She's really decisive." But given the importance of Wood Release, it made sense for her to be urgent about it. _ Patreon.com/rashta 1. 350 adv ch of Talent System In Naruto 2. 560 adv ch of Qian Renxue's Younger Brother 3. 270 adv ch of Uchiha Madara's Cousin 4. 163 adv ch of WDQK: Divorcing Ling Qingzhu (Complete) 5. 487 adv ch of This Danzo Is Weird