章 89: Chapter 89: A Wood Release Test Subject? No, I am Senju Yagyu
Indeed, Yagyu's plan to capture Black Zetsu was a ruse. His true goal was to capture the White Zetsu clone and extract the Mayfly Technique and Impersonation Technique.
In Yagyu's view, these two techniques were on the level of divine abilities in terms of support ninjutsu.
When combined with his Red Eye Illusion and Wood Clone Technique, his wood clones would surpass even the White Zetsu clones seen in the Fourth Shinobi World War.
White Zetsu clones, once they revealed themselves, would be detected by any strong sensory ability. However, if Yagyu's wood clones used the Red Eye Illusion to conceal themselves, not even the Byakugan, an eye adept at detecting hidden enemies, could perceive them.
Additionally, Yagyu's wood clones could function like White Zetsu clones, able to relay real-time information to him even from great distances.
With the Mayfly Technique and Impersonation Technique, his clones could absorb other people's chakra and transform into them, matching their chakra signatures perfectly, making them the ultimate spies.
More importantly, when the wood clones ran low on chakra, they could absorb more from others to replenish themselves. Yagyu wouldn't need to constantly produce new wood clones—they would be self-sufficient.
By deploying a large number of wood clones, Yagyu could achieve an information advantage akin to that of Obito Uchiha and Black Zetsu, who commanded an army of White Zetsu clones.
With these thoughts in mind, Yagyu quickly fused with the blue energy orbs containing the Mayfly and Impersonation techniques, acquiring both skills.
Eager to test the Mayfly Technique, Yagyu activated his chakra, causing the ground beneath him to soften like a swamp, pulling him into the earth.
As his body sank into the ground, Yagyu didn't feel any discomfort or suffocation. Moreover, he could still see the outside world.
It was like being within the Deep Forest Emergence technique—his chakra fused with the earth, making him one with the land and its plant life. Now, Yagyu could observe the surface through the eyes of the plants and trees, seamlessly switching his perspective.
At that moment, Yagyu realized that this ability was even more powerful than he had anticipated.
The only limitation was that Yagyu couldn't hear sounds from afar unless he physically moved to the area in question, like an eavesdropper hiding in a closet.
While merged with the earth and plants, Yagyu also lost all trace of his presence. Only someone with sensory abilities at the Six Paths level, capable of perceiving other dimensions, could sense his chakra or presence.
Traveling swiftly through underground plant roots and water streams, Yagyu bypassed all guards and barriers and quickly arrived at the Hyuga Clan compound.
He then visited the Yamanaka flower shop, the ninja academy, and finally the Hokage building.
Before he even reached it, Yagyu sensed large amounts of chakra through the plant roots and water channels beneath the ground.
These chakras weren't on the surface; they, like him, were merged with the earth and plants.
Yagyu infused the ground with a significant amount of Wood Release chakra.
The tree roots and water streams reacted as if given life by a creator, rapidly writhing and growing. They ensnared the White Zetsu clones stationed around Konoha, particularly those monitoring the Hokage building, and quickly drained their chakra.
"The White Zetsu clones around Konoha have all been discovered and lost contact. That Wood Release kid... he really can detect the Mayfly Technique," White Zetsu exclaimed in shock as soon as the clones were eliminated.
Black Zetsu immediately asked, "How were they detected and cut off?"
"They were bound by tree roots—it's definitely Wood Release," White Zetsu confirmed.
"So that kid's Wood Release sensing can now extend underground?" Black Zetsu said, deeply concerned. "Is he combining Wood Release with sensory abilities, or is he using Yang Release chakra to sense life underground?"
Either way, this showed that the current reincarnation of Asura had taken a path different from that of Hashirama Senju.
At this young age, he was already this formidable—far more gifted than Hashirama had been.
Black Zetsu decided they couldn't wait any longer. Once the Three-Tails revived, they would have to begin their plan immediately—using Nagato to capture the Tailed Beasts, weakening him with the Five Great Nations' combined forces, and then taking control of Nagato to resurrect Uchiha Madara using the Rinne Tensei.
Once Uchiha Madara was revived, neither this generation's Asura reincarnation nor even the previous one, Hashirama Senju, would stand a chance against Madara's Rinnegan.
With this in mind, Black Zetsu warned, "Don't send any more White Zetsu clones there. Doing so will only alert them. There's a chance they could track the White Zetsu clones back to Amegakure and the Gedo Statue's location."
"I understand," White Zetsu responded, still shaken.
In his eyes, Yagyu had now become the most terrifying existence in the world. He would never use the Mayfly Technique to approach Yagyu again—lest he meet the same fate as the White Zetsu clones.
Unlike Black Zetsu, who had an "immortal body," White Zetsu wasn't invulnerable. As the smartest of the White Zetsu clones, he valued his life.
After rooting out all the "rats," Yagyu dispelled the Mayfly Technique and returned to his home.
Soon after, several large bundles emerged from the ground, each one sealing a White Zetsu clone.
Yes, Yagyu hadn't killed any of the White Zetsu clones, not even the one that had granted him the Mayfly Technique and Impersonation Technique.
These byproducts of Infinite Tsukuyomi were far too valuable, especially for Yagyu's upcoming experiments.
He tossed the bundled-up clones into his basement and left a Wood Clone to guard them.
Meanwhile, Yagyu's real body headed to the Hokage building.
"Yo, Yagyu," a familiar voice called out just as Yagyu pushed open the door to the Hokage's office.
Jiraiya was sitting on the couch, sipping tea. He raised his hand to greet Yagyu.
"Lord Jiraiya," Yagyu responded respectfully with a nod.
"As expected of the top student—always so polite," Jiraiya teased. "But being so mature at such a young age, aren't you missing out on a lot of fun?"
"I have three childhood friends. My childhood was plenty of fun," Yagyu replied bluntly, delivering a metaphorical stab to Jiraiya's heart. The legendary ninja immediately spat out the tea he had just sipped.
Gritting his teeth, Jiraiya responded with jealousy, "You devious brat! You planned ahead with your mature thinking—such a sneaky move! I envy you... no, wait, that's despicable!"
"That's because Yagyu is handsome," Tsunade chimed in, twisting the knife deeper. "Even if you were smart when you were young, no girl would have gone near you."
"Damn it!" Jiraiya was even more envious now, his jealousy spilling over as he cried out, "Is being handsome really all it takes to get away with anything?"
Yagyu almost responded instinctively to that, but he held back.
Sitting down opposite Jiraiya, Yagyu poured him some tea and asked, "When did you return, Lord Jiraiya?"
"Just got back," Jiraiya replied, his expression suddenly shifting. He signaled a few hand signs for communication, but before he could finish, Yagyu smiled and said, "You can speak freely. I've already rooted out all the spies."
"That fast?" Tsunade, who had been reviewing documents, looked up in surprise. "Yagyu, how did you do it?"
"It's simple. I used the special sensing properties of Deep Forest Emergence to develop a new sensory technique, allowing me to detect things underground," Yagyu explained, mixing truth with lies. "That guy with the codename 'Genbu' can burrow underground using some Earth Release ninjutsu that hides his presence. But as long as he moves through the earth, he can't avoid the plant roots and underground water. Wood Release, being a combination of Water and Earth Release, is the perfect counter."
"I see," Tsunade and Jiraiya both nodded in realization, accepting Yagyu's explanation.
Jiraiya gave Yagyu a thumbs-up, saying, "Impressive—truly genius thinking."
Hearing Jiraiya's praise, Tsunade couldn't help but feel proud.
With Yagyu being so capable, she figured she wouldn't need to stay Hokage much longer—she could retire early and pass on the mantle.
Having made up her mind, Tsunade's eyes briefly flashed with determination.
Before she stepped down, she would have to accelerate the training of Karin and the others. It was time to take on a few more disciples!
At this point, Yagyu turned back to Jiraiya, "You were saying something earlier, Lord Jiraiya?"
"I'm taking Naruto to the Land of Rice Fields," Jiraiya said, setting down his teacup with a troubled expression. "I originally came back to take Naruto on a training journey, but Sasuke's departure hit him hard. He's afraid Orochimaru has already taken over Sasuke's body and keeps begging me to take him to rescue Sasuke.
"With his current mindset, if I don't take him to investigate, he won't be able to focus on his training."
"I see," Yagyu nodded in understanding and offered, "Do you need help?"
"No, no need. Orochimaru lost his soul-imbued hands. Even if he managed to take over Sasuke's body, he still wouldn't be a match for me," Jiraiya replied confidently before standing up. "I just came here to let Tsunade know so that the old council members don't complain about me taking Naruto."
"Alright, this Toad Sage is off!" Jiraiya exclaimed as he leaped out of the window, leaving as dramatically as ever.
Once Jiraiya had left, Tsunade put down her pen and official stamp, turning her gaze to Yagyu. "You didn't come here just to report on that, did you?"
"You see through me, Tsunade-neechan," Yagyu said with a flattering smile as he moved behind her to massage her shoulders. "Now that Sasuke has left, Team 7 is temporarily disbanded. Sakura's chakra control is excellent—on par with Karin's. Could I let her assist you as an apprentice?"
Tsunade enjoyed Yagyu's massage and teased, "Just an assistant?"
Yagyu nearly lost his composure for a moment, but kept his cool, replying with a flattering smile, "If Tsunade-neechan were to take Sakura as a disciple, that would be even better."
"Look at you," Tsunade chuckled, squeezing Yagyu's cheek before confessing, "I was already considering it. And not just Sakura—if Team 8 isn't on a mission, you can send Hinata over too. Ino as well. I'll have Shizune teach them, and I'll personally train them when I can."
"Really? Thank you so much, Tsunade-neechan!" Yagyu responded with mock excitement, even though he had already anticipated her answer.
After all, he had spent the past few days bringing Hinata and the others to visit Tsunade, steadily increasing their bond. It was clear that after all this time, Tsunade had seen the potential in Hinata and the others and would want to pass on her skills to them.
"Don't thank me too quickly. I have conditions," Tsunade said with a playful grin as she continued to squeeze Yagyu's cheeks. "From now on, whenever you're free, you have to cook for me every day."
"No problem."
After spending about half an hour in the Hokage's office, Yagyu finally left the building.
Instead of immediately sharing the good news with Sakura and the others, he slipped into an empty alleyway, sank into the ground, and used the Mayfly Technique to leave Konoha at incredible speed.
Jiraiya intended to take Naruto to the Land of Rice Fields to investigate, and though Yagyu didn't recall this from the original story and hadn't recorded it in his journal from his previous life, it was clear that Jiraiya was serious.
This meant that once Jiraiya entered the Land of Rice Fields, Orochimaru would soon learn of his presence.
Without his hands, Orochimaru was no match for Jiraiya, and he would undoubtedly move his base.
Yagyu had planned to wait a little longer, but now he decided to act early and lend Orochimaru a hand.
Using the Mayfly Technique, Yagyu sped toward the Sound Village in the Land of Rice Fields.
At full speed, the Mayfly Technique was astonishingly fast—far beyond even the high-speed trains of Yagyu's previous life. It was like flying on land.
At top speed, the Body Flicker Technique was already comparable to a high-speed train, leaving only a faint afterimage visible to the naked eye.
However, the Body Flicker Technique required a foothold to launch each movement. In contrast, the Mayfly Technique ignored all obstacles and didn't require any foothold, allowing for constant high-speed travel.
What would take half a day of continuous Body Flicker movements to cross the vast, untamed forest took Yagyu just over two hours with the Mayfly Technique.
In under four hours, Yagyu arrived in the Land of Rice Fields.
Soon after, Yagyu appeared beside one of his wood clones, which had been following Sasuke and Kabuto the whole time.
After dismissing the wood clone, Yagyu activated his Red Eye to observe Orochimaru.
As in the original story, Orochimaru hadn't waited for Sasuke to arrive. He had already been forced to perform his Living Corpse Reincarnation technique, unable to endure his body's breakdown any longer.
You could say Orochimaru had incredible luck, at least surviving a few more years.
Had Sasuke arrived earlier, Orochimaru would have been doomed.
Not only would his current body perish, but the soul fragments embedded in both Anko Mitarashi and Sasuke's Cursed Seals of Heaven would likely be destroyed as well.
With the Gedo Statue already summoned back to the shinobi continent from the moon, the Sage of the Six Paths was surely aware of this.
This generation's reincarnations of Asura and Indra were the Sage's most important in over a thousand years.
Orochimaru's attempt to target Indra's reincarnation—Sasuke—was effectively sabotaging the Sage's plans. It was clear Orochimaru didn't understand the danger he was courting.
Even if the Sage of the Six Paths couldn't intervene directly, he had plenty of ways to ensure that Sasuke would defeat Orochimaru.
In this sense, Orochimaru had narrowly avoided death by choosing to reincarnate early.
Having just completed the Living Corpse Reincarnation, Orochimaru's new body was weak and heavily bandaged, covering even half his face, leaving only one vertical pupil visible.
At that moment, Orochimaru was speaking with Kabuto, seemingly giving instructions.
Yagyu sank into the ground once more.
As Orochimaru and Kabuto stood in the dimly lit room, suddenly, their bodies became immobile.
Looking down, Orochimaru saw tree branches, like snakes, crawling up his body. In disbelief, he murmured, "Wood Release… when did…"
Kabuto's expression mirrored his master's shock. Neither had realized what was happening until it was too late.
In truth, even Yagyu himself was astonished at how quickly he had activated the Silent Strangle Jutsu by channeling Wood Release chakra into the tree roots underground.
If only he could perform jutsu while underground—combining the Mayfly Technique with Wood Release would be unstoppable.
He could remain hidden beneath the ground, attacking with Wood Release while his enemies remained completely unaware of his location. No sensory abilities would be able to detect his presence.
But as Uchiha Itachi once said, no jutsu is perfect—even divine techniques have their flaws.
"It's been a while, Lord Orochimaru," Yagyu said with a polite smile, stepping out of the shadows and greeting the immobilized Orochimaru.
"It's you!" Orochimaru's pupils contracted as he recognized Yagyu, the boy who had nearly killed him and Kabuto not long ago.
The memory of that overwhelming forest was seared into his mind.
Seeing that it was Yagyu, Orochimaru's mind raced, and he asked, "Are you here to take Sasuke back?"
"No. Sasuke chose to join you. That's his decision," Yagyu replied, revealing the truth. "With his hatred for Uchiha Itachi, unless Konoha is willing to mobilize the entire village to help him kill Itachi, even if I forcibly take him back, he'll just leave again to find you."
"So, I won't waste my energy on pointless efforts."
"Heh heh…"
Hearing Yagyu's words, Orochimaru realized that Yagyu had come for another reason. His fear subsided, and he let out a hoarse laugh. "As expected of the top student, always overshadowing Sasuke. You really do understand him well."
Orochimaru didn't rush to ask Yagyu's true purpose for coming. Instead, as if recalling something, he couldn't resist testing the waters. "Speaking of which… ever since that day, I've been curious. Are you truly a descendant of the Senju Clan, or are you one of those fifty experimental subjects? Perhaps a second-generation experiment by Danzo and the old man?"
"You mean a Wood Release test subject? Sorry to disappoint, but I'm no copy," Yagyu said, crossing his arms with a raised finger. His red eyes locked onto the shocked expressions of Orochimaru and Kabuto as he proudly introduced himself, "I am Senju Yagyu."
At that moment, the tree branches binding Orochimaru and Kabuto began to glow with a blue chakra aura—Orochimaru and Kabuto's chakra was being absorbed.
This was a unique property of true Wood Release!
More accurately, it was a trait that only Wood Release, fueled by a boundless source of life energy, could possess—the ability to absorb chakra!
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