After cursing Isamu's entire family, Hozuki Eiji gritted his teeth in fury as he watched the Ninjas around him fall one after another in the explosions. There was nothing he could do to save them now—he could only grit his teeth and push forward, accelerating his escape from the Thorn Forest.
Three minutes later.
The explosions finally ceased, and Hozuki Eiji burst out from the forest. His body was drenched in blood—though most of it belonged to others. He himself had only suffered minor injuries.
Looking at the scattered survivors emerging around him, his expression darkened.
"Only one thousand out of five thousand made it out… How am I supposed to explain losses like this?"
---
On Tsunade's side, the scouts they had sent returned in a panic.
"It's bad! The Thorn Forest exploded! The other three units suffered massive casualties!"
"An explosion?" Jiraiya frowned, completely confused. "How could the Thorn Forest suddenly explode?"
"I see…" Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly. "This forest was never meant to block us—it was a trap. By letting us go deep inside before triggering it, the damage would be maximized. Isamu, you really are calculating."
"That doesn't make sense," Tsunade said, frowning. "If it was a trap, why didn't it explode on our side?"
"Who knows?" Orochimaru gave her a strange look. "Perhaps this side was a dud."
But deep down, he had already guessed the truth—this side hadn't exploded because Tsunade was here.
"Forget it," Tsunade said impatiently. "Whether it was a dud or not, we need to clear the path quickly."
Right now, she only wanted one thing—to see Isamu.
---
Meanwhile, on the western side…
Isamu had already arrived.
Looking at Uchiha Umei and the others, who were already in Tailed Beast Chakra Mode, he spoke calmly:
"Don't rush to attack. Let them come through—I'll handle them myself."
Then he turned his gaze toward the Thorn Forest ahead.
"If nothing unexpected happens, Tsunade and the others will break through here soon… Jiraiya, Orochimaru—let me see how much you've grown."
---
Elsewhere, Uchiha Madara observed everything through the projection.
"So this is Wood Release: Great Forest Collapse… Not bad," he murmured. "But the power is lacking. It only wiped out the weaker ones. If it were stronger, it could have annihilated them all."
His eyes shifted to the western battlefield.
"…Why didn't this side explode?"
As the image focused, he froze slightly.
"That girl… that face…"
After a moment, realization struck him.
"I see… she resembles Senju Hashirama. Then she must be his granddaughter… which makes her Isamu's woman."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"No wonder the west was spared… Isamu, let me see what choice you make now."
---
At the Allied Forces command center, Raikage A slammed his fist onto the table, shattering it instantly.
"Damn Isamu! And that useless Hozuki Eiji! We haven't even seen the enemy, and we've already lost twelve thousand men! Trash! All of them are trash!"
"Heh," Danzo sneered. "I told you to be cautious. Now look at the result."
"Hmph! Third Hokage, control your subordinate," A snapped at Hiruzen Sarutobi. "Or don't blame me for being rude."
"This isn't the time to argue," Hiruzen said with a frown. "We should focus on the battlefield."
But inwardly, his thoughts were far heavier.
Wood Release… and not just any technique, but the First Hokage's level…
Isamu… how many secrets are you hiding?
---
Back on the battlefield, Tsunade and her unit were just ten meters away from breaking through.
"The last stretch," one Ninja muttered.
At that moment, both the sensory Ninjas and Orochimaru stiffened.
"The enemy is ahead," Orochimaru said coldly. "Everyone—stay alert."
"Isamu… is it really him?" Tsunade asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"There are ten of them," Orochimaru replied. "And one of them… has terrifying Chakra. There's an eighty percent chance—it's him."
The moment she heard that, Tsunade's expression changed completely.
"Isamu…"
A black diamond-shaped mark suddenly appeared on her forehead.
The seal she had accumulated for years—finally released.
"The Strength of a Hundred Technique… is complete."
Without hesitation, she clenched her fist. Dense blue Chakra gathered rapidly, compressing into a solid mass.
"Tsunade, calm down!" Jiraiya shouted.
"Don't be reckless!" Orochimaru added.
But she didn't listen.
"Disappear!"
BOOM!!!
Her punch struck the ground.
The earth split apart instantly, the shockwave blasting apart rocks and tearing through the Thorn Forest. Massive chunks of earth and tangled roots were sent flying in all directions.
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