The ninjas gazed at Yuichi standing atop the colossal wooden dragon.
From all directions, shinobi gathered in greater and greater numbers.
Among the faces, many were familiar—Shikamaru's father, Nara Shikahisa; Chōji's father, Akimichi Chōza; the injured Hyūga Hiashi; Kurenai, Anko, and even the Jōnin who had appeared during the Chūnin Exams.
Almost everyone had arrived.
Many had been fighting elsewhere, but Yuichi's sudden eruption of Wood Style—destroying a vast portion of Konoha in mere moments—forced them to rush here and see for themselves.
Yet when they caught sight of the wooden dragon beneath Yuichi's feet, every single one of them froze in stunned silence.
"Wood Style bloodline… is that real…?" Shikahisa muttered under his breath.
Chōza swallowed hard. "I don't know. Honestly, I'd rather believe this is all just a genjutsu."
"I remember…" Anko's voice trembled slightly. "Back during the Forest of Death, his name was Nagano Yuichi. His team was one of the first three to collect both scrolls."
"Yes!" someone else chimed in. "Nagano Yuichi—not only does this kid possess Wood Style, but he's shown an incredible Water Style talent, just like Lord Second Hokage Tobirama!"
"Look at that crater beside him! He used an S-rank Water Style jutsu… and actually killed Orochimaru!"
Boom!!
The words struck like thunder. Several shinobi nearly bit their tongues in disbelief.
Orochimaru—the man who stood as one of the Legendary Sannin, the foe even the Third Hokage himself struggled against—was killed… by a Genin?
The one who spoke was Kurenai, who had personally witnessed the entire battle. As one of Konoha's elite Jōnin, her testimony left no room for doubt. The shock in her crimson eyes hadn't faded even now.
Everyone's faces went slack in disbelief.
But in Shikahisa's sharp gaze, a different light flickered. His mind was already racing.
"A child who possesses both the talents of the First Hokage and the Second Hokage…"
"Could he be… a test subject created for Wood Style?" he whispered to himself.
No… more likely, this boy is a descendant of the Senju bloodline—one that blended into Konoha when the First Hokage ordered the clan to abandon their surname and merge with the village.
Generations had passed since then. With bloodlines so diluted, the chance of anyone awakening such overwhelming power was infinitesimal—practically zero.
And yet, here stood this miracle: Nagano Yuichi.
But this wasn't just simple inheritance.
Look around!
Even at the same age, the First Hokage himself might not have commanded such devastating power. In only a few minutes, Yuichi's Wood Style had reduced most of Konoha to ruins.
If this boy had been born in the First Hokage's era… he might have surpassed him entirely.
While Shikahisa's thoughts churned chaotically, the massive dragon lowered its head. Its body of silver wood coiled gracefully as faint light shimmered across its form like falling stars.
Boom!
A great cloud of dust rose as Yuichi leapt from the dragon's head, landing before the swelling crowd of shinobi. Their numbers now exceeded a thousand, every eye fixed firmly on him.
Yuichi stepped forward, his calm gaze sweeping across them.
Shock. That was all their eyes held—endless, overwhelming shock.
The crowd parted instinctively as he approached.
But Yuichi stopped at the edge of the giant crater.
Confused murmurs spread among the shinobi. What was he planning to do?
Then, suddenly—
Yuichi bowed his head.
"…I'm sorry."
The words struck harder than any jutsu.
No one had expected Yuichi—the boy who had just unleashed such destruction—to lower his head and apologize.
"Why… why is he apologizing…?"
"I didn't know my power would cause so much damage to Konoha," Yuichi said quietly. "I failed to control it. I'm… truly sorry."
Shikahisa frowned and turned toward Kurenai.
Meeting his gaze, she explained softly, "The Third Hokage died right in front of this child. His grief caused his power to spiral out of control… which led to this."
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
The Third Hokage is dead?!
"And… who killed him?" someone asked in a trembling voice.
"The culprit was Orochimaru," another answered grimly. "But Yuichi… Yuichi struck him down with an S-rank Water Style technique. There's no way Orochimaru could have survived."
"He killed Orochimaru? For real?"
"I saw it myself," a shinobi confirmed.
No one could laugh that off. A Genin killing Orochimaru sounded impossible—unless that Genin wielded the terrifying might of Wood Style.
The truth began to sink in.
The Third Hokage was gone. Orochimaru, the mastermind, was dead as well. And Yuichi, overwhelmed by rage, had simply lost control—unleashing destruction upon Konoha.
But… no civilians had been harmed. Thanks to the ongoing evacuation, ordinary villagers were already safe. The casualties were limited.
So when the shinobi looked at Yuichi, their eyes held no anger, no resentment.
Instead, they saw a boy who had fought and killed Orochimaru—something none of them could have done.
At last, Shikahisa stepped forward.
"Yuichi… don't blame yourself. You may only be a Genin, but you had the courage to challenge Orochimaru—and you succeeded. That alone speaks volumes."
His words carried weight, and deep down, even he couldn't help but admire the boy.
A child with such overwhelming talent, yet humble enough to bow his head and apologize after losing control.
Talent, strength, humility.
And above all—Yuichi already possessed combat power on par with the Kage.
How could they not forgive him?
No—this wasn't a disaster.
Yuichi's Wood Style… was a blessing for Konoha.