Chapter 211: The Wooden Colossus
The kunai was a hair's breadth away. Ren could see the panic dawning on Ino's face as she realized her attack would land, and a faint, bittersweet smile touched his heart.
At the very last moment, his right hand shot out with lightning speed, his fingers closing around her wrist in an unbreakable grip. The kunai stopped, its point mere inches from his chest. He gave a sharp pull, and Ino, caught off-balance by the irresistible force, was yanked forward, crashing into his chest. Before she could process what was happening, his arms wrapped around her in a tight, desperate embrace.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, the words a soft breath against her ear.
Then, he was gone. Vanished in an instant.
Ino stumbled, her arms now empty, and slumped to the ground. She covered her face with her hands, her body wracked with silent, shuddering sobs.
***
Ren reappeared atop the Nine-Tails' head. His return signaled the beast to halt its rampage. It lifted its massive head and let out an earth-shaking roar, its bloodthirsty eyes still fixed on the Konoha shinobi below, a promise of continued violence held in check for now.
The temporary reprieve allowed the surviving Konoha forces to gasp for air, their bodies trembling with exhaustion and residual fear. They remained on high alert, knowing the calm was fragile.
"Uchiha Ren," Kakashi called out, stepping forward, his voice heavy with a grief that went beyond physical pain. "What is your true goal? Do you truly intend to slaughter every last person in Konoha? To destroy the very village you grew up in? This village was founded by your Uchiha ancestors! Are you not spitting on their legacy by doing this?"
"That is precisely my intention," Ren replied coldly, his voice echoing from his high perch. "As for my purpose, I've stated it clearly. I have no desire to repeat myself. You're right, this village was founded by my ancestors. But this same village brought my clan nothing but oppression and suffering. By erasing it, I bring peace to the Uchiha souls who were wronged. So, save your breath. Your only concern now should be praying you survive the Nine-Tails' next attack." His words were laced with mocking finality.
"Is there truly no other way?" Kakashi's voice was barely a whisper.
Ren answered with a dismissive "Hmph," turning his gaze away.
Under the terrified eyes of the Konoha shinobi, the Nine-Tails threw its head back and roared once more. Darkness coalesced in its maw, swirling into a malevolent sphere of purple-black chakra—a Tailed Beast Bomb. The sight shattered the brief hope in the defenders' hearts, replacing it with a deep, chilling despair.
This is bad... Kakashi thought, his mind racing. Most of us are spent. Evasion is impossible. Is this really the end for the village? His single visible eye, the Mangekyō Sharingan, focused on the growing sphere. He prepared to use Kamui, to warp the cataclysmic attack away, even though he knew the sheer size of the bomb might overwhelm him, draining his chakra and killing him in the process. He gritted his teeth, ready to make the sacrifice.
But before he could act, another figure moved.
Yamato rushed forward, his hands already forming a rapid sequence of hand seals.
"*Wood Style: Wood Human Technique!*"
The ground trembled and split apart. From the churning earth, a colossal figure emerged—a giant warrior carved from living wood, its face a mask of fierce determination. It was majestic, powerful... but undeniably smaller than the Nine-Tails, standing as a guardian before the village.
"It's the First Hokage's Wood Human Jutsu! We're saved!"
"That's one of the First's ultimate techniques! To think I'd see it in my lifetime!"
A wave of relief and renewed hope swept through the Konoha ranks. Despair was momentarily held at bay by the sight of the legendary technique.
"Good work, Yamato," Kakashi muttered, though his worry didn't fully abate. The wooden colossus was formidable, but its size was dwarfed by the Tailed Beast Bomb. Could it truly block an attack of that magnitude?
Oh? The Wood Human Jutsu? Ren was genuinely surprised. Yamato knows this? He never showed it in the original storyline. I underestimated him. But... His analytical gaze swept over the wooden giant. ...it's a pale imitation of the First's true power.
The original Wood Human Jutsu, wielded by Hashirama Senju, was a pinnacle of Wood Release. It created a titan comparable in size to the Nine-Tails, a being powerful enough to grapple with Madara's Complete Body Susano'o, catch a Tailed Beast Bomb bare-handed, and hurl it back. Yamato's version, while impressive, lacked the sheer scale and overwhelming chakra that defined the First Hokage's mastery.
But in this desperate hour, it was the only shield Konoha had.
The eyes of every Konoha shinobi were fixed on the wooden giant, their fragile hope resting on its wooden shoulders.
"Hmph! Trying to block a Tailed Beast Bomb with that?" Ren's lips curled into a contemptuous smirk. "Let's see you try. *Nine-Tails, fire!*"
Having gathered its full power, the demon fox obeyed. With a final, deafening roar, it launched the sphere of annihilation. The Tailed Beast Bomb shot forth, a comet of pure destruction screaming toward Konoha and the wooden guardian standing in its path.
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