"Wood Release?! That has to be the legendary Wood Release!"
Biwa Jūzō abandoned his Executioner's Blade, used a Water Clone to fool Obito and Zetsu, and didn't even hesitate—he turned and ran.
His eyes flashed with panic.
Controlling plants like that... what else could it be besides Wood Release?
This was supposed to be the mythical power of the God of Shinobi himself—and now someone in Akatsuki was using it?
Jūzō remembered that Obito was pretending to be Madara.
Then what if that plant monster is pretending to be Senju Hashirama?
A Sharingan user and a Wood Release user… it was way too similar to that legendary pair from the old days.
"Huh?!"
Jūzō's pupils shrank. He dropped low and rolled across the ground, completely ignoring how ridiculous he looked.
A flash of white streaked past above him—razor-sharp limbs slicing through the air, nearly cutting him.
"Whoa, your reflexes are sharp! I bet you're quick on the toilet too, huh? Not like me—I haven't pooped in days. It's honestly becoming a problem."
That weird voice snapped Jūzō's focus—he got a good look at the figure.
"What the hell is that...?"
The white humanoid figure looked vaguely human, but its skin was eerily pale—like it was made of plaster. Its faceless head had a strange spiral pattern, the center of which formed a hole over its right eye.
This thing was definitely not human.
"Madara-sama told me to kill you! Think you'll shit yourself before I do it?"
The spiral-faced creature clapped both hands together.
SLAP!
A massive wooden golem—easily over 20 meters tall—burst out of the ground behind him. With an angry expression carved into its face, the thing raised a clenched fist and swung at Jūzō with terrifying force.
"More Wood Release?! Seriously?!"
Jūzō froze in disbelief. Is Wood Release a wholesale product now? Why does everyone have it?!
"Shit!"
He dove to the side just in time—the wooden giant's punch slammed into the ground behind him.
BOOOOM!
A crater exploded where he had stood. Jūzō's eye twitched as he landed, his fingers racing through hand seals.
"Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
He exhaled a thick fog. The dark environment turned into a sea of mist, masking his form completely.
"Water Style: Water Fang Bullet!"
He didn't waste a second. Two spiraling jets of water shot toward Spiral-Face like twin drills.
"Hey, not bad…"
Spiral-Face's wooden golem crossed its arms, shielding him. The water drills struck the golem's hands hard, cracking the surface and leaving dents.
But just a moment later, the cracks and dents were gone—sealed up by chakra as if nothing happened.
Spiral-Face was just about to attack again when he paused.
"…He ran?"
Of course he did. Jūzō wasn't stupid. He knew two more pursuers were on their way. Staying even a second longer would've meant fighting three-on-one.
The mist and the attack were nothing but distractions. Even his desperate "last stand" posture was just a bluff.
Just as he'd predicted, not two seconds after he vanished—
Obito and Zetsu showed up.
"Where is he?" Obito barked.
"Oh, he was a bit sneaky," Spiral-Face replied, scratching his head. "I thought he was about to throw down and die in style. I was even waiting to see if he'd crap himself. But nope—two jutsu and he bolted."
"THEN WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GO AFTER HIM!"
Obito was practically vibrating with rage.
…
Meanwhile, several kilometers from Konoha...
"What… the hell is that?!"
Neji stood frozen, staring at the massive wooden golem towering in the distance. Even hidden deep in the forest, it loomed above the trees.
Under the moonlight, its giant head looked even more surreal.
"That's the First Hokage's Wood Release technique."
A deep, serious voice came from behind him.
"If I'm not mistaken, it's the legendary Wood Golem. Though this one's smaller than the historical records—maybe 23 to 24 meters tall."
"Who?!"
Neji spun around and pulled out his kunai, panic on his face.
Someone was tailing me the whole time and I didn't even notice?
If they wanted to kill him, he'd have been dead minutes ago.
He broke into a cold sweat.
"Who?"
The man behind him grinned and struck a ridiculous pose.
"Why, it's the one and only Toad Sage of the Legendary Sannin—Jiraiya-sama!"
"Da-da-daaa!" he even hummed his own theme music.
"…."
Neji looked at him like he was insane.
"Jiraiya, the kid's staring at you like you're an idiot," Shima, the green toad on Jiraiya's shoulder, muttered.
Neji blinked, spotting the talking toad.
Then Fukasaku added, "Kid, that direction's off-limits. If Jiraiya hadn't stopped you, you'd probably be dead right now."
Neji paused—then the realization hit.
"You've been following me? The patrol shinobi didn't see me leave because of you?"
"Smart boy."
Fukasaku nodded. "Yeah, I cast a genjutsu on them. Otherwise, you'd have been busted 200 meters out."
Neji gritted his teeth. Even if they were from the village, he wasn't letting his guard down.
"What do you want from me?"
"To observe," Shima said. "Jiraiya and we toads don't mean you harm. We just want to know if you're the one we're looking for."
Neji didn't buy it.
Jiraiya dropped his pose and turned serious.
"Believe what you want. But whatever you do, don't go any farther. It's way too dangerous."
"Get back to the village. Find the Third Hokage—tell him everything you saw. Because what's coming next… is strictly adult business."
"Shima, watch him," Jiraiya added.
"You gonna be okay alone?"
"He's not alone," Fukasaku said. "I'm going with him."
"Alright. But listen, old man—don't get yourself killed."
Shima leapt onto Neji's shoulder. When Neji instinctively tried to slap her off, she said:
"Hey! Show some respect to your elders—I've been around for 800 years."
Neji froze.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya dashed past him, sprinting toward the golem.
Finding the Child of Prophecy was important—but stopping whatever was threatening Konoha?
That was just as urgent.
…
Near Konoha – The Battlefield Ignites
"Huff… huff…"
Biwa Jūzō was gasping for air. He had pushed his speed to the absolute limit, and the walls of Konoha weren't far off now.
Just a little further… and I'll make it back alive…
But suddenly, a wave of heat surged from behind.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A blazing inferno roared toward him.
"Shit!"
Jūzō whipped around, flying through hand signs.
"Water Style: Wild Water Wave!"
He spat out a torrent of water to meet the fireball mid-air.
The clash triggered a violent explosion—chakra colliding and erupting into a shockwave that flung Jūzō backward through the trees.
"Wow, with that much crap in your belly, I'm surprised you can run that fast! You sure you don't want to take a dump to lighten the load?"
That annoying, high-pitched voice again—Spiral-Face had caught up.
From the corner of his eye, Jūzō saw a sharp wooden spike shooting toward him—Spiral-Face's arm had transformed. It was coming fast, deadly accurate.
Jūzō twisted midair.
Damn it—I can't dodge completely…!
He managed to shift just enough so the spike didn't hit a vital spot.
"Meeeow~ So lively tonight! Mind if I jump in?"
That weird tone cut through the air, even more chaotic than Spiral-Face's.
Everyone froze.
Even Jūzō instinctively paused—just long enough to tumble away from the strike and regain distance, sweat beading down his face.
"…Who's that?"
Obito frowned and turned toward the sound—and blinked.
A huge orange cat was crouched on a tree branch, which was bending dangerously under its sheer weight.
"That fat ninja cat…"
Jūzō's entire body tensed. He instantly recognized it.
"That's Jūjirō! Chizumi's summon! The one who dared talk smack to Jiraiya!"
"Madara-sama," Zetsu arrived and said coolly, "That's Uchiha Chizumi's summoning beast. Which means… Chizumi's here. Probably watching all of this right now."
Obito's face darkened.
"He used Jūzō as bait. He knew we'd come. This was a trap from the start!"
"It adds up," Zetsu muttered. "Remember when you saw him last? You said he looked at you like he wanted you dead. Well… maybe he really does. Whether it's personal, or part of that 'Absolute Justice' stuff of his, who knows."
Then Zetsu paused for a second—his thoughts drifting.
Honestly… maybe Madara should've picked Chizumi as his successor. He's methodical, lethal, and cold-blooded. Not like this reckless emo with a God complex.
"Madara-sama, we should pull out," Zetsu warned.
"Why?" Obito growled flatly.
"Because he knew we were coming. That means he's ready to kill us. And we were only prepared to take out his underling. Right now? We're the ones on the back foot."
Just as Obito was about to argue, they all heard it—light footsteps approaching.
They turned.
A lone figure with a ninja blade stepped into the moonlight.
"Uchiha…"
"…Chizumi."
Obito nearly choked on the name, grinding his teeth as it escaped his lips.
"That's him?"
Spiral-Face leaned closer to Obito, squinting. "Hey, Madara-sama, he's actually better looking than you. By the way, since you take 20 minutes to poop, and he's also an Uchiha, how long does he need?"
He actually started counting with his fingers.
Obito's eye visibly twitched beneath the mask.
Zetsu, meanwhile, kept staring.
Does this kid know I'm Black Zetsu? Does he know about the Sage of Six Paths? About Kaguya...?
Chizumi's voice cut through the tension, cold and sharp:
"Uchiha Obito. Been a while. Every time I see a monster like you… I get the urge to kill."
He glanced sideways at Spiral-Face and Zetsu.
"One beast came with two bonus beasts. Must be my lucky justice day."
Zetsu and Spiral-Face didn't even flinch—but Obito did. Veins bulged across his forehead.
Obito had dealt with plenty of arrogant enemies. But none had ever dared call him a "beast" to his face.
Only Chizumi had that nerve.
"Lucky day, huh?"
Obito's voice rasped as he stepped forward. "Maybe it's your death day instead. I bet your little justice fan club will cry for you every year on this date."
Zetsu hesitated—he realized Obito wasn't planning to leave.
"Madara-sama—"
"Shut up."
Obito gave him a death glare. "I know what I'm doing."
Chizumi didn't waste another breath on Obito's fake "Madara" act. Without hesitation, he raised his free hand and flicked through one-handed signs like lightning.
"Fire Style: Lava Dragon Magma Bullet!"
He exhaled deeply—and with a roar, a massive glob of molten lava shot from his mouth. Mid-air, it twisted and coiled into the shape of a lava dragon, glowing orange and red like it had been forged straight from the core of the earth.
It surged through the air, aiming straight for Obito.
All three—Obito, Zetsu, and Spiral-Face—moved instantly.
They each scattered in different directions.
BOOOOM!!!
The lava dragon slammed into the ground like a meteor. The blast carved out a crater over ten meters wide, and lava oozed out from the impact zone. Flames licked the edges of the pit, and the wave of heat rolling off it was enough to make the air shimmer. Even standing nearby was dangerous.
"Tch... two guys I can never reason with," Zetsu muttered, throwing a glance at both Chizumi and Obito.
Then he slammed both palms onto the ground.
"Wood Release!"
The ground shuddered.
Countless roots exploded from beneath the surface—thick, writhing, and alive. They snaked and slithered toward Chizumi like a swarm of enormous serpents, ready to bind and crush him.
Meanwhile—
Spiral-Face cackled and pointed toward Chizumi.
Behind him, the massive wooden golem—still towering at 20+ meters—drew back its enormous fist and threw a punch with monstrous force.
Obito, for his part, had activated Mangekyō Sharingan. His right eye spun violently. The air around him distorted and warped as Kamui began pulling weaponry from its dimension—dozens of oversized shuriken launched toward Chizumi at breakneck speed.
And Obito himself dashed in, fast as lightning, aiming to engage in close quarters.
"Three-on-one? Tch… Uchiha Chizumi, I'm jumping in—"
From the side, Biwa Jūzō saw the fight unfolding and instinctively stepped forward. But something dark passed overhead.
His eyes snapped up—and widened in shock.
A giant cat was flying above him.
A split second later—
BAM!
The massive ninja cat collided head-on with the wooden golem's punch. All four paws slammed onto the ground, claws digging deep as it skidded back dozens of meters. But it held the line.
"You bastards better stop underestimating ninja cats!" Jūjirō snarled, his orange fur bristling like wildfire.
Jūzō gaped.
This was still Uchiha Chizumi's cat?!
The cat's body had expanded like something out of the Akimichi clan's playbook.
Did this thing… just use Expansion Jutsu?!
Back at the epicenter—
Chizumi stood still, watching the tide of roots churning beneath his feet. He didn't move to dodge the barrage of shuriken coming from behind. Instead, he crouched slightly and pressed a hand against one of the twitching tree roots.
"What a coincidence," he muttered.
"I have Wood Release too."
In that moment, Zetsu's eyes shot wide open.
He lost control of some of the roots.
A cluster of the roots suddenly bent away from Chizumi's body, stretched upward like spears, then curved sharply and shot back toward the flying shuriken—intercepting them with a thunderous clash.
"Wood Release?!"
Zetsu's voice cracked with disbelief. "He has Wood Release too?!"
Obito also hesitated—but he didn't stop.
The roots passed harmlessly through his intangible body. No threat there.
In a blink, he closed the distance—reaching for Chizumi's back, right hand outstretched, ready to grab and phase him into Kamui's other dimension.
But—
Chizumi suddenly spun around.
His blade flashed.
SPLASH!
Obito's hand flew through the air—cleanly severed at the wrist. He staggered back, staring in stunned silence.
His gaze slowly lifted to meet Chizumi's cold, unflinching eyes.
He figured out Kamui's weakness...
Obito had no time to think before Chizumi's eyes began glowing again.
"Mangekyō Sharingan—"
"Judgment."
Blood streamed from Chizumi's left eye as the words left his mouth.
Obito flinched and yanked his gaze away at the last second, stumbling back several meters—even while fully phased.
"Didn't work," Chizumi said, flatly. His lava-hot chakra had already evaporated the blood leaking from his eye.
Obito stood a good ten meters away now, breathing hard.
He almost got me…
Even though he knew Chizumi's genjutsu wouldn't affect him in Kamui's intangible state—he still panicked.
Why?
Why am I losing confidence in Kamui?
Obito forced a cold smirk.
"Looks like we're at a stalemate. You can't touch me, and I can't take you down easily either. Still…"
He chuckled darkly.
"…Looks like the Uchiha clan finally produced another genius—second only to me and one other kid."
Chizumi tilted his head slightly.
"That 'other kid' is you, right?"
Obito's smirk cracked.
"Madara-sama…"
Zetsu suddenly whispered beside him, "He's timing your ability. He probably already knows how long you can stay intangible."
"Once your window ends, his Mangekyō will work."
"I told you—taking out Chizumi was always the final plan. The most dangerous one."
Obito's face twisted.
"But how the hell does he know this much?!"
Not even Minato figured out Kamui's weakness this fast. But Chizumi? It's like he's known it since day one.
Zetsu raised both hands.
"Don't look at me—it wasn't me."
Then suddenly—
Zetsu's expression shifted.
"We can't stay here. A White Zetsu just reported—Jiraiya is almost here. Less than thirty seconds out. And he brought a toad. A big one—probably from Mount Myōboku."
Obito stared into the sky.
Ever since I crossed paths with Uchiha Chizumi… nothing has gone right.
He gritted his teeth, fists clenched.
"Retreat."
He spat the word like poison.
~~~
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