"What are you all waiting for? Attack together!"
"This guy's strong. Are we really going to wait until he's fully recovered? If that happens, we might not be able to stop him!"
"We'll end up just like those guys from the Hidden Cloud!"
The ninja who cast the Mud Swamp technique was pouring all his focus into Earth Style, trying to drag the wooden pillar deeper into the mud and bind it tight. At the same time, he kept shouting to the others around him.
He knew one Mud Swamp alone wasn't enough to trap this Wood Style user. They had to work together—now—before it was too late.
As for who'd get the credit afterward? That could wait. First, they had to capture the wooden beast!
No matter what, they couldn't let this chance slip away. If this Wood Style ninja escaped today, they might never find him again.
"Go! All of us, now!"
"Grab that kid first!"
"Everyone, attack—go!"
With the Earth Style ninja giving commands, the others caught fire with battle spirit. One after another, they began forming hand signs.
"Earth Style: Earth Spear!"
"Wind Style: Vacuum Blast Barrage!"
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon—"
"Fire Style—!"
As their voices dropped, seven or eight more ninja rushed in, each unleashing their signature jutsu toward Hayashi.
Their goal was clear: take him down—fast!
"Heh... so all of you hiding in the shadows finally showed yourselves?"
Hayashi stood above the swamp, his tone full of mockery.
At the same time, the thorn-covered vines behind him began to grow rapidly, wrapping around him and forming a protective barrier.
Boom—!
The combined jutsu struck the vine shield hard. Smoke billowed out, steam filled the air, and shockwaves rippled in all directions.
"Did it work?"
Everyone gathered closer, eyes locked on the mist-covered area, trying to see what had happened inside.
But the dense fog and smoke blocked their view, making it impossible to tell.
A gentle breeze passed by, slowly clearing the smoke and mist. What they saw was a sphere of vines completely wrapped around Hayashi, protecting him from all harm.
Though the vines looked battered and torn, Hayashi stood inside, completely unharmed.
"How is that possible?"
"He tanked our joint attack like it was nothing?"
"As expected... Wood Release users really are on another level."
"No wonder the village is so obsessed with him. This guy is worth studying."
"Attacking together was the right move."
After that one round of attacks, everyone had a clearer sense of Hayashi's power.
Even after just coming out of a major battle, he wasn't someone an average Jonin could take down.
Their only option was to go all in, together.
Whoosh—
The vines around Hayashi unfurled like blooming flowers. He stood there, completely untouched.
At the same time, a thick vine lifted him high into the air, letting him look down from above at the ones who had just attacked him.
"Was it you who attacked me?" Hayashi spoke slowly and clearly, then raised his hand. Thick vines surged forward, lashing toward the group.
They dodged quickly—some even started attacking him in return!
Earth Style. Fire Style. Wind Style...
The attacks kept coming one after another!
For a moment, Hayashi was in a tight spot.
"As I thought... my current methods are still a bit lacking against coordinated attacks and elite Jonin." Senju Hayashi muttered softly under his breath. His eyes flickered behind the mask, his tone carrying a trace of helplessness.
These ninja were trickier than the last group. They moved cautiously, like monkeys darting back and forth, making it hard for the vines to land a solid hit.
On top of that, he was constantly being bombarded by jutsu.
"In that case... I'll crush them with absolute power," Hayashi whispered, standing at a high point as his hands rapidly formed a new set of seals.
RUMBLE—
In an instant, countless vines erupted from underground, weaving together on the surface to form two massive wooden hands.
Under Hayashi's control, they moved with incredible agility.
Since he was going to make an impact—he was going all in.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
As the wooden hands slammed down toward the enemy, dull thuds echoed across the battlefield.
The ground shook violently!
Seeing the destruction, the enemies tried to run—but Hayashi activated the vines beneath his feet, sending them racing after the fleeing ninja.
From above,
He could clearly see where they were headed.
Against Hayashi at full power, they had no chance of escaping.
"These wooden hands... they're far more flexible than the ones Hikari used. And he can summon two of them at once?" Kakashi, watching the battle unfold, was stunned.
His fight with Hikari may have happened a while ago, but the memory was still vivid—especially the terrifying pressure of those wooden hands.
If he hadn't used Lightning Release to cut an opening in the giant Wood Release hand and hide inside back then, he'd probably still be lying in a hospital bed now.
Seeing Hayashi use it again, Kakashi's eyes turned serious. In terms of sheer pressure, Hayashi right now was even more overwhelming than Hikari.
Maybe it was because of all the experience he gained while traveling—Hayashi's techniques felt more aggressive. Hikari was powerful, but she lacked real combat experience.
No matter how he looked at it, Kakashi could only reach one conclusion—both of these siblings were terrifying.
And they were still so young. If they had enough time to grow, they might really become legends like the First Hokage.
Genya… what exactly is your goal?
Kakashi fell deep into thought. Was Genya aiming to become Hokage? Or something else?
Was it really about protecting the peace of the ninja world?
"Wood Release: Great Handprint?" As Kakashi was lost in thought, Kurenai Yuhi couldn't help but speak up. The shock in her beautiful eyes was impossible to hide.
"Isn't it just a big hand made from Wood Release? What's so special about that?" Guy muttered, seeing Kakashi and Kurenai both stunned beside him.
He was impressed too, sure—but not that shocked.
After all, plenty of people could make things huge. Earth Release could summon stone giants, Water Release could form massive dragons. Two giant wooden hands? Not that crazy, right?
"You don't get it," Kurenai shook her head at Guy, who still looked confused. She continued, "It's said that when the First Hokage fought Madara Uchiha, he used a technique called 'Sage Art: Wood Release - True Several Thousand Hands.' It created a thousand giant wooden arms."
"And now… this Wood Release user is showing the same potential. Even though we're only seeing two giant hands right now, it proves he has the same kind of Wood Release as the First Hokage."
"If he had enough chakra, he could create the Thousand-Armed Buddha too."
Kurenai Yuhi explained each word carefully, but when she glanced at the masked man fighting by Hayashi, she let out a sigh.
"Such a shame. That guy… he's probably not young anymore. Even if he has the potential to learn Sage Mode, I doubt he could ever reach the level of the First Hokage."
There was regret in Kurenai's voice — genuine pity.
But Kakashi, standing beside her, didn't share the same opinion.
Senju Hayashi, lacking talent?
****
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