"Shinnosuke—!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes split wide with fury.
Chakra erupted from him like a tidal wave. He kicked Kakuzu away and shot toward his son.
The lightning-cloaked attacker was the leader of the masked shinobi. Stronger than Shinnosuke to begin with—and with a surprise strike—he had crushed Shinnosuke's heart in a single blow.
But he didn't even look at Hiruzen.
Instead—
He lunged straight for Sarutobi Sachiko.
A sensory and medical-type jōnin.
And more importantly—
Hiruzen's daughter-in-law.
If the old man watched both his son and daughter-in-law die before his eyes—
His will might shatter completely.
That was the plan.
Enraged
"You dare!"
Hiruzen's speed surged again.
But the remaining masked shinobi intercepted him. Ninjutsu flew like rain—relentless, reckless—designed purely to stall him.
Sachiko's mind was already shaken by Shinnosuke's death. Under the leader's assault, she faltered.
Hiruzen smashed a masked shinobi's skull apart with one palm strike.
He formed seals and exhaled thick gray smoke.
"Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning!"
A spark.
An instant later—
The smoke detonated violently, blasting multiple enemies skyward.
Hiruzen burst through the flames, charred but unstoppable—like a war god walking through hellfire.
The masked leader gritted his teeth.
Facing Sachiko's chakra scalpel slash, he did not dodge.
Slash.
His left arm was severed cleanly at the shoulder.
But his right hand seized her throat.
A brutal twist.
Her neck snapped.
He tore away flesh in the same motion.
Too Late
"Die!"
Hiruzen abandoned the Adamantine Prison. He recalled Enma and swung the Adamantine Staff downward with killing intent.
The blow would have crushed the masked leader outright.
But—
"Wood Release: Great Forest Technique!"
Thick branches burst from the earth, sealing every angle around Hiruzen.
"Wood Release?!"
Everyone froze.
For a split second—
Enemy and ally alike were stunned.
Wood Release.
The bloodline of Senju Hashirama.
Gone for decades.
And now—
Here?
The masked youth who had used it—
Tenzo—better known in other circles as Yamato—stood frozen himself.
He had followed the plan: unleash Wood Release to disrupt Hiruzen's focus.
But instead—
He had stunned the entire battlefield.
He had crowd-controlled both sides at once.
The Realization
Hiruzen reacted first.
He twisted free from the wooden bindings, casting a deep glance at Tenzo before resuming his assault.
The masked leader narrowly dodged the descending staff, retreating while clutching his severed shoulder.
Then—
To everyone's shock—
He pointed at Tenzo.
"Second, Sixth, Seventh squads—change of objective!"
"Capture him! Do NOT let him escape!"
Tenzo's hands froze mid-seal.
Moments ago they were allies.
Now—
They were hunting him.
Hiruzen understood instantly.
Wood Release.
The First Hokage's bloodline technique.
Who wouldn't covet it?
In that instant, Tenzo's value surpassed even Hiruzen's.
The masked leader's logic was simple:
Killing Hiruzen would grant Kumogakure short-term advantage.
But capturing a Wood Release user?
That would grant generational power.
As for whether Tenzo cooperated—
Irrelevant.
As long as his descendants did.
Kumogakure had experience with such matters.
Business Is Business
The masked leader turned to Kakuzu.
"Your mission remains the same. We'll double your payment."
Kakuzu's eyes gleamed.
"They already promised me thirty million ryō for Hiruzen's head."
"We'll match it."
Kakuzu laughed.
"Two paydays for one job? Now this is profitable."
He charged Hiruzen again without hesitation.
Meanwhile, over a dozen masked shinobi surrounded Tenzo. They held back—clearly intending to capture him alive.
Even so, the pressure was crushing.
Tenzo thought quickly.
Danzo's mission no longer mattered.
Survival did.
To break out—
He needed chaos.
Real chaos.
His palms slammed together.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
The earth split.
Massive trees erupted violently across the valley, tearing through rock and soil alike.
The battlefield dissolved into a rising sea of timber.
And this time—
No one would remain unaffected.
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon -> [email protected]/warewolvesTL(replace@ with a)