The legendary Wood Release of the First Hokage—
thought to have vanished—
yet here was a Root shinobi who could wield it!
At this moment,
everyone froze, staring in disbelief at what was happening.
The shock was immense.
After all, this was Wood Release!
And this scene wasn't just seen by Konoha's forces;
even the Iwa and Kumo shinobi on the battlefield witnessed it.
Ōnoki and the Fourth Raikage, already aware of the commotion, remained silent.
The Fourth Raikage, who had long witnessed the terrifying capabilities of Konoha,
was by now numb to surprises.
It was as if nothing Konoha produced could shock him anymore.
Even if Konoha suddenly announced that the First and Second Hokage were still alive,
he would believe it without hesitation.
Compared to the Raikage,
Ōnoki looked far more terrified.
Watching the house spring up from the ground in an instant,
his heart sank.
Having witnessed the power of Uchiha Madara,
he could hardly imagine how fearsome the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, must have been.
And now,
with Konoha wielding Senju Hashirama's Wood Release,
the terror was magnified even further.
"Hey… looks like Konoha's chasing after us!"
"I see it—did you really need to point it out?!"
"Do we still fight?"
"Let's retreat for now. Haven't you noticed Iwagakure's stopped attacking?"
On the battlefield,
both armies instinctively ceased hostilities.
For Iwagakure's shinobi,
it was purely shock at the sudden appearance of Wood Release.
After all, in the entire shinobi world,
the reputation of Wood Release was known to all.
While the battlefield fell into an eerie silence,
Byakuya looked at the wooden house with satisfaction.
He then had Yamato use Wood Release to craft a reclining chair.
When he tried it, it was perfectly comfortable,
increasing his admiration for Yamato's craftsmanship.
Truly a master builder from Konoha!
Seeing Byakuya's interest,
Yamato worked diligently to demonstrate his skills—
creating parasols, tables, stools, everything.
Meanwhile, Yakushi Nonou retrieved food and fruit from a scroll,
placing everything neatly on the table.
After completing these preparations,
Nonou moved behind Byakuya,
and under Izumi's watchful eyes,
began gently massaging Byakuya's head.
"Mm~~~"
"Feels good! A bit stronger~"
Reclining in the chair, enjoying Nonou's ministrations,
while Izumi personally fed him fruit,
and with the chaotic battlefield ahead,
Byakuya found the scene oddly exhilarating.
The Konoha shinobi had no reaction—
after all, to them, it was normal for Byakuya-sama to enjoy some rest after fighting.
But the Iwa and Kumo shinobi on the battlefield glared with envy,
desperate to replace him.
"Damn it, this brat is showing off!"
"This is a battlefield! What's Konoha doing? On vacation?!"
"Unbelievable!"
"Outrageous!"
For a moment,
Byakuya's arrogance made shinobi from both nations gnash their teeth in frustration.
Above, Deidara's face twisted in annoyance.
"What a cocky brat!"
"I'll show you my art!"
"How dare he act like this in the Land of Earth!"
Without hesitation,
Deidara summoned his clay bird and flew above Byakuya.
Standing behind Deidara,
Kurotsuchi sensed something was wrong,
her unease growing stronger by the second.
Ōnoki, observing Deidara's actions, became frantic.
"Deidara!!!"
"What are you doing?!!!"
With Ōnoki's frantic shouting,
the Fourth Raikage's grin was uncontainable.
Well, let them Iwagakure fools handle their own mess.
Seeing Deidara about to act,
the Raikage immediately signaled the Kumo forces to retreat.
If they didn't leave now,
they wouldn't have the chance later.
It was better to watch the spectacle safely than be crushed under Konoha's forces.
Moreover, Konoha had stealthily brought out a Wood Release shinobi.
How could they resist?
Receiving the signal,
the Kumo army, already withdrawn,
began a full retreat,
staying far from Iwa forces,
careful to avoid casualties near the gates.
This also gave them the opportunity to safely extract injured shinobi.
Ignoring Ōnoki's angry shouts,
Deidara continued molding his clay,
quickly forming a shape he found satisfactory.
"Try this!!!"
"C3!!!"
A clay doll was hurled from the sky.
As it fell, it began to expand and grow midair.
Seeing this, Byakuya's team remained unfazed,
but Ōnoki panicked first.
I haven't even given the order yet, why is this brat attacking Konoha's forces?!
As Number 18 fell,
Ōnoki could do nothing but hope it would at least eliminate Konoha's army.
Under everyone's watch, Number 18 descended,
approaching directly above Byakuya's head.
However, Deidara was far weaker than when attacking Sunagakure,
and this Number 18 was only semi-complete.
Seeing the doll, not even two men's width across,
Byakuya barely felt interested.
He didn't even need to act—
Uchiha Itachi already fixed his gaze on Deidara.
The moment Deidara glanced at Byakuya,
he was pulled into an illusion,
receiving the full Tsukuyomi treatment.
Three days of mental torment later,
Deidara collapsed the moment he returned to reality.
His clay bird and Number 18 lost control.
Just before they could explode,
several bolts of lightning infused into the clay,
nullifying its explosive function.
Deidara fell directly into Itachi's grasp.
Kurotsuchi wanted to resist,
but with Uchiha Fugaku and other Jonin present,
any resistance was futile—
she was instantly subdued.
Before Byakuya,
the young shinobi in front of him had already begun to show promise.
Even in their struggles,
their stubborn expressions caught his eye.
"You two… I was just here to watch the show~"
"But you insist on attacking me? That's naughty~"
"Mistakes always come with consequences~"
Understanding Byakuya's intent,
Izumi brought Kurotsuchi over,
and Yakushi Nonou followed without hesitation,
entering the newly completed wooden house.
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