Boom~~
A giant fire dragon swallowed the pillar whole.
With a deafening crash, flames exploded everywhere—but atop the thick vines, a figure still stood in the heart of the blaze.
He was completely engulfed in fire, standing tall and straight. Even under the intense flames and impact, his shoulders never bent.
"Damn… wasn't that attack a bit too strong? You think he's dead?"
One of the advancing shinobi muttered, clearly uneasy as he stared at the unmoving figure standing among the battlefield vines.
They were enemies, sure—but the mission was to capture him alive.
If he died… there'd be no way to explain it to the higher-ups.
"I don't think so. That guy's a Wood Release user—normal jutsu don't hurt him that easily," said another shinobi who had also unleashed the Fire Dragon technique.
"But… his chakra's almost gone," the first one said again, more anxious now. "Without chakra, he's basically just a normal guy!"
"Eh?"
Even the one who cast the jutsu was starting to panic. "Should we—should we put out the flames on him?"
They were ordered to bring back the Wood Release user alive…
Now things were getting tricky.
"...No need."
Just as they were hesitating, the figure standing tall on the vines suddenly moved.
His body trembled once—
And in that moment, the flames around him vanished.
What appeared from the blaze was a battered but very much alive man.
His clothes were half-burned, hanging off him in scorched strips, revealing the muscular body beneath.
From a distance, it looked like Hayashi wasn't hurt at all!
"He can use taijutsu too?"
The ninja maintaining the barrier was momentarily stunned. Then, his expression grew serious.
"He still has strength left. Keep attacking—don't stop until he surrenders!"
As he gave the order, a trace of relief passed through his mind.
Luckily, he hadn't dropped the barrier to try and capture Hayashi directly.
This Wood Style ninja still had fight in him.
If he escaped now, it would be a huge loss.
"Keep attacking!"
The others snapped to attention, their faces turning cold.
"Attack! Today, we will capture him and bring him back!"
As soon as the words dropped, another flaming dragon formed inside the barrier and roared toward Hayashi.
But Hayashi stayed calm and steady.
He stepped forward and punched straight at the fire dragon.
His powerful body gave him the strength to keep fighting, even in a battle like this.
"He's using taijutsu too?"
Kurenai Yuhi's eyes flashed with admiration as she watched Hayashi struggle fiercely within the barrier.
She had to admit—this Wood Style user was far stronger than she had expected.
If just the three of them had faced him… she wasn't sure they could've won.
"Huh? That silhouette… it looks really familiar…"
Might Guy scratched his head, a mix of curiosity and confusion in his eyes.
He stared at the man fighting the flame dragon across from him.
It really felt like someone he knew.
Like it wasn't a stranger at all—like he'd fought beside him before.
"Forget whether he's familiar or not," Kurenai said. "Focus—how long do you think he can hold out with just taijutsu?"
"If it's just taijutsu?"
Guy raised a brow, watching closely as Hayashi moved.
"He's strong, no doubt. But if he doesn't have any secret techniques, he won't last long. He's already starting to take damage."
Guy rubbed his chin, thinking aloud.
"If that really is Hayashi Senju… then with his body, if he opens the Eight Gates up to the sixth gate, he might be able to break this barrier."
"Taijutsu secret technique?" Kakashi stood to the side, listening. If we're talking about secret taijutsu techniques, then there's only one that comes to mind—Eight Gates!
Looks like Hayashi still has a trump card he's been hiding.
"Kakashi, should we help him?" Kurenai asked again, her eyes fixed on Hayashi. It was true—the clash with the fire dragon had left him battered. His body was scorched, large blisters bubbling up in several places.
His entire body was reddened from the heat.
Clearly, the Wood Release user had fallen into a passive state. It was only a matter of time before he got captured.
And to make things worse—
The barrier was shrinking.
"Wait a little longer. If we rush in now, they might mistake us for more enemies lying in wait," Kakashi said, eyes narrowed. He knew Hayashi still had cards to play.
What if they stepped in to rescue him, and then he suddenly unleashed Eight Gates and rampaged his way out?
Better to keep watching for now.
In fact, Kakashi believed that Hayashi hadn't used Eight Gates yet on purpose—he was waiting for the enemies to lower their guard once they thought the barrier had done its job, then he'd strike when they least expected it.
"We're still waiting?" Kurenai asked in disbelief. She couldn't understand why Kakashi made this call.
Wait? Just wait?
"Yes. We wait," Kakashi nodded, turning his gaze back to the battlefield.
At this moment—
The barrier had shrunk to half its size, leaving Hayashi with barely any space to move.
He looked worse for wear. His body was covered in burn wounds, both big and small. Even the vines beneath his feet had started to wither.
But the mask on his face—still pristine.
"He's more stubborn than I thought."
"Haha, don't kill the kid just from messing with him too much!"
"Relax. I won't."
The ninja maintaining the barrier began to joke around, finally letting their guard down a little.
"Yeah... I really do look like a mess right now. If Genya-sama saw me like this, he'd probably scold me!"
Hayashi smiled faintly as he listened to the voices around him. But when he looked at the burns all over his body, there was a trace of helplessness on his face.
Relying on just his own strength... he was still a bit too reckless.
But—
As he muttered softly, a flicker of determination lit up in his eyes.
"This counts as an emergency now, doesn't it? Time to use the Yin Seal."
"Come on... let me feel the power of that forbidden technique Genya-sama insisted I learn."
"Today... the name Atsukara will shake the ninja world!"
With a low whisper, Hayashi's aura shifted completely. A gust of wind seemed to rise and swirl around him.
His sharp eyes swept past the people outside the barrier.
Then, the Yin Seal on his forehead suddenly glowed bright.
Chakra that he had sealed long ago surged out and flowed through his meridians like a tidal wave.
It was overwhelming—like a mighty river bursting its banks.
Black markings started spreading across his face and body, and his presence transformed once again.
Before their eyes,
His burned wounds began healing rapidly. In just a blink, they were reduced to faint scars.
The Yin Seal—Creation Rebirth—Strength of a Hundred Technique!
Three forbidden jutsu unleashed at once. A combined forbidden technique.
Wind howled around him, forming a shield. The scorching heat could no longer touch him.
Standing tall, Senju Hayashi looked down at the ones who had been mocking him. His gaze had grown cold.
The people outside suddenly felt a deep sense of unease.
Their hearts began pounding—fast and hard.
****
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