"Is that... Wood Release?"
When Minato Namikaze rushed back to the village, the scene that greeted him was far beyond anything he had imagined.
In his expectations, the Nine-Tails should have been wreaking absolute havoc, unleashing its full fury upon Konoha and reducing everything in its path to ruin.
And while it was true that the Nine-Tails had already inflicted massive destruction, something about the situation felt… restrained. As though an invisible force had placed limits on its rampage. More striking still, the beast itself seemed to be in far worse condition than expected.
In the heart of the village stood an enormous tree—towering, ancient, and brimming with life. From its massive trunk extended countless vines and branches, lashing out relentlessly at the Nine-Tails. The beast, for all its ferocity, seemed wary of these attacks, almost as if it recognized something deeply threatening within them.
Minato's sharp perception picked up on something even more troubling.
The Nine-Tails was injured—truly injured. And its chakra… was unstable, steadily weakening.
He could clearly sense it now. That gigantic tree wasn't just attacking—it was feeding. It was siphoning chakra from the Nine-Tails, absorbing it to strengthen itself. The eerie sight aligned perfectly with a technique etched deep in his memory.
And then there was Natsuhiko.
Standing calmly atop a giant lizard, he appeared almost absurdly composed—as if this entire battle were under his control. It felt surreal, like turning one's head for a brief moment only to find that the same person who once claimed to be "not that capable" was now thoroughly beating down the Nine-Tails.
With that thought, Minato tossed out a kunai. In the next instant, he vanished and reappeared beside Natsuhiko.
"Hokage-sama?"
Natsuhiko had noticed the incoming kunai long before it arrived. But he had also sensed the Flying Thunder God mark engraved upon it, which was the only reason he didn't react. Otherwise, there was no way such a weapon could have gotten anywhere near him—he valued his life far too much to allow that.
"Natsuhiko…" Minato's voice carried unmistakable excitement as he looked at him. "You've actually mastered Wood Release?"
"Yes," Natsuhiko replied with a slight nod. "But my Wood Release isn't perfect. I need to combine it with Sage Art to bring out its full effect. I believe you've already noticed that, haven't you, Hokage-sama?"
He had no intention of hiding anything from Minato. After all, Minato himself was proficient in Sage Art—there was little point in trying to conceal something so obvious. It was far better to be straightforward.
Besides, even if someone knew the details of his abilities, it didn't mean they could easily counter them.
Figures like Hashirama Senju, Madara Uchiha, and even Tobirama Senju or Minato himself—information about their techniques was widely known throughout the shinobi world. But what did that change? If you lacked the power to face them, knowledge alone meant nothing.
"What a terrifying ability…" Minato murmured, his eyes gleaming. "With a technique like this, we can definitely restrain the Nine-Tails and safely seal it back into Kushina."
Unlike others, Minato didn't care about Natsuhiko's background or the implications of Wood Release. All that mattered to him now was the possibility it presented.
"Can you hold it down completely?" he asked. "If so, I can attempt to seal it."
"I think so," Natsuhiko answered after a brief pause. "Although the number of techniques I've inherited is limited. My family didn't preserve all of them."
That, of course, was a lie.
In truth, the techniques left behind in his family were not only numerous but possibly even more complete than those handed over to Konoha. But that didn't stop him from playing the part of someone lacking resources. In fact, this was all part of his preparation.
He had already made up his mind.
If he wanted to ensure that Minato would never again be able to fully control Konoha in the future, then he couldn't allow things to proceed too smoothly here. Otherwise… he might find himself waiting decades for another opportunity.
But at the same time, Natsuhiko absolutely could not allow Minato Namikaze to die. If that happened, he would be forced into complete alignment with Hiruzen Sarutobi—and that was something he had never intended from the very beginning.
Ever since returning, he had never once considered tying himself to Hiruzen, even if his current approach toward him was, in truth, driven by a single objective: gaining access to the ANBU.
Minato had made it clear that he wouldn't bend the rules or offer him any shortcuts to become an ANBU commander. That left Natsuhiko with only one option—to find another way to achieve his goal.
Now, that goal had already been accomplished. The ANBU commander was dead, and the path forward had opened. Naturally, it was time to prepare his escape as well.
Although Natsuhiko wasn't entirely certain whether the technique he possessed—one capable of countering the effects of the Reaper Death Seal—could truly return a soul to a still-living body in time, his analysis suggested that it should work. And if it didn't… he still had alternatives. The forbidden techniques of Sunagakure could serve as a backup.
After all, he hadn't forgotten the debt he owed to Queen Sara. Since he would eventually have to make a trip to the Land of Wind, there was no reason not to take things a step further while he was there.
With a plan already laid out in his mind, everything he said now came naturally.
He had left himself a way out. If things went too smoothly, he could simply claim that his technique was insufficient—or that he had run out of chakra. Either excuse would be perfectly reasonable.
After all, he had already clashed head-on with the Nine-Tails. No one could fault him for anything after that.
"Do your best to restrain it," Minato said after a moment of thought, his tone firm and decisive. "I'll handle the rest. Thank you, Natsuhiko. Once everything is over, I'll hand over all the Wood Release techniques I've acquired. But for tonight… I'm counting on you."
"I understand, Hokage-sama. I'll do everything I can to assist you." Natsuhiko nodded, then asked, "Are we going to deal with the Nine-Tails here?"
"No," Minato replied without hesitation. "There's too much risk keeping it inside the village. We'll move it outside. Leave a mark on it when you get the chance—I'll teleport it to a safer location immediately. After that, I'll bring Kushina out. During that time, you'll need to keep it under control."
"I'll do my best," Natsuhiko answered seriously, his gaze shifting toward the Nine-Tails.
Outwardly, he remained calm and composed—but inside, his thoughts were anything but steady. Minato's plan had already diverged significantly from what he remembered.
In the original storyline, Minato had brought Naruto Uzumaki along with him. Even now, Natsuhiko couldn't fully understand what Minato had been thinking when he made that decision.
And yet, there was no denying it—Naruto's future achievements were inseparable from the Nine-Tails.
Without it… would Naruto still be able to reach those same heights?
Natsuhiko shook his head, forcing the thought aside. No matter how the future unfolded, Naruto's potential was undeniable.
After all, he was the reincarnation of Asura. And beyond that, even in a life that resembled a living hell, he had managed to preserve a pure and unshakable sense of self—almost as if he had been placed under the influence of Kotoamatsukami, his spirit remaining impossibly untainted.
If Natsuhiko's plan succeeded, then perhaps Naruto wouldn't end up like his future self in Boruto. After all… he was Naruto Uzumaki.
Taking a slow breath, Natsuhiko spoke again, his tone steady. "Actually, I've already left a mark on the Nine-Tails while using Wood Release. You can begin anytime, Hokage-sama."
"I see." Minato nodded, a faint smile appearing on his face. "Then… let's begin."
The moment his words fell, he vanished without a trace.
And with his disappearance, the colossal Nine-Tails—massive as a mountain—vanished from Konoha along with him.
...
Far from the village, deep within a forest in the Land of Fire, space suddenly twisted and distorted.
In the next instant, a figure clad in black appeared silently among the trees—one arm missing, his presence as ominous as the warped space that had brought him there.
Black Zetsu shook his head, deliberately putting on an air of uncertainty. His voice, low and hoarse, carried a measured calm as he spoke.
"I was observing the Nine-Tails inside Konoha earlier. When that boy stepped forward to confront it and revealed his Wood Release, I began looking into his background. But since he's part of the ANBU, I had to get closer to Konoha's higher-ups to gather any useful information."
He paused briefly, as though organizing his thoughts, before continuing.
"And it turns out… he really is a member of the Senju clan. In fact, you already know him."
"Know him?" After attaching the new arm, Obito Uchiha flexed his fingers slightly, testing its movement. At those words, however, he suddenly froze. "Who is he?"
"'Nightingale.' The ANBU who caused quite a stir in the Land of Wind." A faint smile appeared on Black Zetsu's face as he continued, "As for his name… it should sound very familiar to you. Fukami Natsuhiko—no, more accurately, Senju Natsuhiko."
Natsuhiko.
The moment the name reached him, Obito was visibly taken aback. It was a name he knew all too well.
But the person he knew had been called Fukami Natsuhiko. Now it seemed that the man who had once offered him help had been hiding far more than he ever let on.
Since inheriting the name of Madara Uchiha, Obito had studied much of Madara's history. Through those records, he had come to understand Madara's view of Wood Release—and, more importantly, his deeply conflicted feelings toward the Senju clan.
A mixture of resentment and respect. Hatred and acknowledgment.
The Senju Clan had, for generations, been the Uchiha clan's greatest enemy—and their most troublesome rival.
For over a thousand years, the two clans had clashed without end. There had been moments of cooperation, times when they joined forces to suppress other clans, but such instances were rare.
More often than not, their history was written in blood and conflict.
The most recent cooperation between them had been when Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju—the leaders of their respective clans—chose to end the endless cycle of war. Together, they founded Konoha, reshaping the entire shinobi world.
So… Natsuhiko is a member of the Senju clan?
The thought lingered in Obito's mind, his expression gradually turning more complex.
Back then, Madara's greatest opponent was Hashirama Senju—the man who wielded Wood Release.
And now, I carry Madara's name… while Natsuhiko, someone I once knew, belongs to the Senju and has mastered that same power.
A coincidence like this… is almost too perfect.
His gaze shifted once more toward the distant silhouette of Konohagakure, his eyes growing sharper, more resolute.
"He's working with Minato Namikaze to seal the Nine-Tails, isn't he?" Obito asked, his voice low and rough.
"That's right. And the Nine-Tails isn't doing so well," Black Zetsu replied, though he had no idea what Obito was truly thinking. Still, he knew enough to recognize that his goal had been achieved. "At this rate, it won't be long before it's sealed. Oh, and one more thing—the Nine-Tails has already been moved out of Konoha."
"I see…" Obito nodded faintly. Then, without warning, chakra began to surge through his body.
"It seems I'll have to go back and take a look myself. The Nine-Tails can be sealed—but not so easily. And besides…" His voice dipped lower, tinged with anticipation. "I want to see just how powerful this so-called Wood Release really is."
As his words faded, his body began to distort, space itself warping around him. In the blink of an eye, he vanished.
Watching this, Black Zetsu slowly sank back into the ground, a faint smile lingering on his face.
—
Natsuhiko watched as the Nine-Tails disappeared, then gently patted the head of his summon, Lizardmaru. He could already sense the beast's new location, and naturally, it was time for him to move as well.
Since being summoned, Lizardmaru hadn't had much opportunity to prove its combat ability. The battle had been brief, and when things truly escalated, Natsuhiko had relied directly on Wood Release.
As a result… even Lizardmaru itself hadn't dared to get too close to the fight.
However, Natsuhiko had no intention of simply dismissing Lizardmaru like that. After all, this summon wasn't only useful in combat—its value extended far beyond the battlefield.
"Lizardmaru, you probably won't be needed for the next phase," Natsuhiko said calmly. "This isn't about defeating the Nine-Tails—it's about sealing it."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"But don't head back just yet. Send out your smaller lizards to assist with rescue efforts. Search through the rubble and find as many people as possible… buried or trapped."
"I understand. Dead or alive, right?" Lizardmaru replied in a deep, rumbling voice. Then, after a moment, his tone shifted, carrying a hint of curiosity and reflection. "Still… I didn't expect you to be a Wood Release user. No wonder you go by two different names."
"The complexity of humans far exceeds that of animals," Natsuhiko said with a faint sigh, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Perhaps you'll understand one day—or perhaps you won't care to. But human nature has always been the most complicated… and the most terrifying thing."
"I'd rather not understand," Lizardmaru snorted. "You humans are far too complicated. For us, strength decides everything—whoever is strongest leads."
That alone prompted a soft chuckle from Natsuhiko. It was rare for Lizardmaru to speak so much, but eventually the creature nodded.
"Understood. I'll take care of things here. If anything happens on your end, summon me."
Natsuhiko nodded in return, already sensing a subtle shift—after tonight's battle, Lizardmaru had clearly begun to acknowledge him.
Just as he had said, animals were far simpler than humans. Strength alone was enough for them to determine hierarchy.
But humans… especially in the shinobi world, were different.
Strength ensured you wouldn't be crushed head-on. But without intelligence, you wouldn't know how to grow. And without a certain degree of cunning—perhaps even ruthlessness—you wouldn't survive in a world built on deception, where controlling allies and eliminating rivals was often necessary.
Reaching out, Natsuhiko gave Lizardmaru one last pat before shifting his focus toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.
In the next instant, his figure blurred—and then vanished.
When he reappeared, he was already standing beside Hiruzen.
"Hokage-sama," Natsuhiko said quietly, "the Nine-Tails has been moved out of the village. I'm going to assist the Fourth Hokage with sealing it. I'll leave Lizardmaru here—he'll help with rescuing civilians trapped beneath the rubble."
"…You've done well, Nightingale." Hiruzen's expression was complicated as he looked at Natsuhiko. After a long pause, his face hardened, his tone turning serious. "I have a question. Where are Owl and Murashima Takumi? I haven't seen them."
"Them…" Natsuhiko's eyelids twitched ever so slightly, but his expression quickly shifted into one of regret. "Captain Owl and I were heading toward the ANBU headquarters when the Nine-Tails suddenly approached us, and then…"
He trailed off deliberately.
Hiruzen's face darkened instantly.
There was no need for further explanation—he already understood. Owl had died at the hands of the Nine-Tails.
But… was that really the truth?
Even if Owl wasn't exceptionally strong, he wasn't foolish enough to stand his ground against the Nine-Tails without attempting to escape.
And if Owl was dead… then Murashima Takumi likely wasn't far behind. After all, the deployment order had been in Owl's possession.
"As for Commander Takumi…" Natsuhiko continued, as though he had already guessed what Hiruzen was thinking.
"Because the deployment order was lost, he refused to mobilize the ANBU. He insisted that if action were to be taken, I had to locate you first. But the situation was too urgent—I couldn't find you in time, and I also—"
"Enough!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi cut him off sharply, his voice laced with anger. His gaze locked onto Natsuhiko, sharp and probing, before he finally spoke again in a low, controlled tone.
"So you killed him, didn't you? You took the opportunity and eliminated him—didn't you?!"
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Natsuhiko nodded calmly, his expression unchanged, as though he were stating something entirely ordinary.
"Please accept my condolences. The situation left me no choice at the time… but I will take full responsibility for this."
"…I understand."
Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at him, his jaw clenched as he wrestled with his emotions. For a long while, he said nothing. Then, at last, he gave a slow, reluctant nod.
"Very well… I'll be counting on you again, Division Commander Nightingale."
His words carried unmistakable anger, yet in the end, he chose to compromise.
He could see exactly why Natsuhiko dared to act so boldly—because tonight, under countless watchful eyes, he had revealed Wood Release… and with it, overwhelming strength.
Coupled with everything he had accomplished this night, any "incidents" surrounding him would naturally be overlooked. Even the death of Murashima Takumi could easily be shifted into a matter of that man's own failure and responsibility.
Hiruzen couldn't touch him. More accurately, he dared not.
If anything went wrong, Konoha would be the one to suffer the consequences.
After all, this boy was a member of the Senju clan… and, more importantly, he wielded Wood Release.
For years, Hiruzen had worked tirelessly to diminish the lingering influence left behind by Senju Tobirama. On one hand, it was to continue the Second Hokage's policies—because Senju Hashirama had been too strong, and after his era, the mindset of Konoha's shinobi needed to change.
On the other hand, it was to stabilize his own rule. The Senju clan, after all, had once been far from quiet.
He had done well—though not perfectly. The older generation still remained, and their influence had yet to fully fade. But as long as his successors followed his will, the transformation would eventually be completed, guiding Konoha into a new era.
And yet now… another Senju had appeared. Not only had he inherited Wood Release, but he was also clearly ambitious.
Hiruzen felt both furious and utterly helpless.
Wood Release was simply too important to Konoha.
And this Natsuhiko… was like a fusion of Senju Hashirama's power and Senju Tobirama's mind. Even if he had yet to reach such heights, he was only fourteen years old.
Watching Natsuhiko's figure disappear from sight, Hiruzen slowly closed his eyes. But only for a moment—when he opened them again, resolve had already returned.
The village still needed saving.
Nothing mattered more than Konoha itself. Only after everything was stabilized could he afford to deal with the rest.
Still… the matter of the Nine-Tails required his full attention. He couldn't shake the suspicion that Natsuhiko might attempt something unexpected—perhaps even trying to claim the Nine-Tails for himself.
That was something he would never allow.
"ANBU reserve forces, the Uchiha Clan police, and all wounded ninja—coordinate with the lizards for rescue operations. The rest of you…"
Hiruzen took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the distant, looming silhouette of the Nine-Tails. Then he raised his fist.
"Move out with me. We're going to seal the Nine-Tails!"
"Yes, sir!"
—
Passing through space, Natsuhiko quickly arrived at the Nine-Tails' new location. As he recalled everything that had just transpired, he couldn't help but shake his head with a hint of helplessness.
Things hadn't exactly gone beyond his expectations—but it was still enough to remind him that Hiruzen Sarutobi was far from easy to deceive.
Fortunately, Natsuhiko had never expected to keep this hidden for long. And after everything he had accomplished tonight, he doubted Hiruzen would dare to act against him so easily.
Letting out a soft breath, he lifted his gaze toward the Nine-Tails not far away.
At this moment, the beast appeared even more ferocious than before. The instant Natsuhiko arrived, its massive eyes locked onto him—it was clear that it hadn't forgotten their clash.
But Natsuhiko paid it little mind.
Sensing the steady recovery of his chakra, he couldn't help but marvel inwardly. Even if it was only a fragment, the power of Asura was astonishing beyond belief.
"Almost fully recovered…" he murmured to himself. "But Sage Mode won't last much longer. Even with my intermediate level, I'll need at least ten minutes to completely restore it."
Natsuhiko quietly assessed his current combat strength, running through the numbers in his mind. To his own surprise, he realized that he could still go all out for quite some time.
If someone like Jiraiya were to hear his thoughts, he would probably be reduced to tears on the spot.
Recovering Sage Mode chakra in just ten minutes? That was something Jiraiya wouldn't even dare to imagine.
Even Naruto Uzumaki, in the future, would still need time to gather and prepare natural energy before entering Sage Mode.
But Natsuhiko… he could accomplish all of that in the middle of battle, without even relying on shadow clones to assist him.
The gap between a "gifted genius" and someone playing with something close to a cheat-like advantage… really was enormous.
"ROAR—!"
At that moment, the Nine-Tails suddenly let out a furious howl. Its massive body surged forward, nine enormous tails whipping violently through the air as it charged straight at Natsuhiko.
The ground trembled violently beneath its advance, the earth cracking and splitting as nearby trees were instantly swept away, flattened into nothingness. Even from a distance, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others who were rushing toward the battlefield instinctively slowed down.
The sheer force of that roar—and the overwhelming pressure that followed—made it clear that getting any closer without preparation would mean certain death.
Even so, from where they stood, they could already see the Nine-Tails clearly. Its immense body dominated the landscape like a living disaster.
"So, you're angry… in that case—"
Natsuhiko slowly raised his head. In the next instant, his chakra surged outward once more, rippling through the air with terrifying intensity.
"Sage Art: Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"
The Wood Dragon Technique was, for now, the upper limit of what Natsuhiko could deploy while still maintaining substantial combat capability.
This "limit" didn't mean exhausting all his chakra—it meant striking a balance, using a technique powerful enough to dominate the battlefield while leaving himself with enough strength to respond to whatever might come next.
He would never recklessly pour everything into a single move.
No matter how fast his recovery was, that kind of gamble simply wasn't his style.
As his chakra erupted, the ground shook even more violently than before. Combined with the devastation already caused by the Nine-Tails, the entire area now resembled a full-scale earthquake.
Then—
The earth around Natsuhiko shattered.
From the fractured ground, a massive wooden dragon surged upward, formed from the fusion of Wood Release and Sage chakra. Its body twisted skyward, lifelike and imposing, before letting out a thunderous roar.
Under Natsuhiko's command, it lunged forward and slammed directly into the Nine-Tails.
BOOM—!
The collision unleashed a violent shockwave that rippled outward in all directions. Trees that had previously stood untouched in the distance were instantly caught in the blast, collapsing or being cleanly severed in half as if cut by an invisible blade.
Even Natsuhiko himself didn't dare take it lightly. Forming hand seals at lightning speed, he raised a defensive wall of earth—its surface shaped with five protruding lizard heads.
And yet, the moment the shockwave struck, the wall shattered completely.
That alone spoke volumes about the terrifying power of the impact.
"What is this—?!"
Obito Uchiha had only just arrived. Before he could even steady himself, the overwhelming force sent him flying backward. If not for his quick reaction—phasing his body into intangibility—he would have already been caught in the blast.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others fared only slightly better. The earlier quake-like tremors combined with this invisible shockwave had already knocked many shinobi to the ground.
Even those who avoided injury were left in a miserable, disheveled state.
"That… is the Wood Dragon Technique?"
Hiruzen recognized it immediately.
Though the wooden dragon appeared somewhat damaged after colliding with the Nine-Tails, it quickly coiled around the beast's massive body, tightening its grip as it continuously siphoned chakra to restore itself.
This was no ordinary jutsu—it was one of the most advanced techniques within Wood Release, and one famously used by Hashirama Senju himself.
What shocked him most was not just that Natsuhiko had mastered it—but that he could use it to suppress the Nine-Tails.
"ROOOAR—!"
But before Hiruzen could process further, his expression changed again.
The Nine-Tails let out a furious cry, and at its mouth, an enormous mass of chakra began to gather once more…
...
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