Chapter 75: Wood Release — Birth of the Tree World
Haruta wasn't too concerned about what Uchiha Shisui was thinking.
As for whether Shisui might suddenly turn around and report him — like running off to have a "casual chat" with the Third Hokage — Haruta was even less worried.
Shisui hadn't said a word that night. In fact, Haruta was the one who covered for him. That alone proved Shisui already had his own suspicions.
If Shisui went tattling now, the one who'd be in trouble wouldn't be Haruta — it'd be Shisui himself!
"After all, I'm a true Konoha loyalist — Wood Release and Flying Thunder God — how could an Uchiha like you possibly compare?"
Sometimes, being seen as "Konoha's rightful heir" had its perks. At least on paper, he was more trusted.
Meanwhile, the Uchiha — branded as the "sons of a traitor" — were being subtly "trained" by Danzo behind the scenes. If anyone ended up in trouble, it was obvious who it would be.
"I wonder how Danzo's doing after I stirred the pot a bit."
Haruta chuckled inwardly. He'd long committed himself to the noble cause of making Danzo's life just a little more "exciting" — all for the sake of ensuring his boss could enjoy a more eventful retirement.
In the days that followed, Haruta's life was pretty dull.
If he wasn't pretending to study, he was teasing Yugao until she was blushing furiously.
All in all, he was keeping a low profile — at least on the surface.
After all, his physical boost this time was massive. He needed time to fully adapt to his new body.
He also needed to study the remnants of the Ryumyaku's power sealed within him — something that had been bothering him for a while.
"Even though it's sealed, this chakra is weird. It regenerates on its own… just like a Tailed Beast."
The Ryumyaku's chakra was so strange that even Haruta found it hard to believe.
Self-regenerating chakra? The only other thing he could think of that worked like that was the Tailed Beasts.
Like Kurama — even after being split in half, it still retained self-awareness.
And even if someone managed to steal a fragment of its chakra, that sliver could regenerate on its own — almost like it could form a new Tailed Beast!
Of course, any "new" Tailed Beast would likely just be an empty shell — the true consciousness of Kurama still resided within Minato and Naruto.
But the fact that it was even possible was terrifying.
If the consciousness inside Naruto or Minato ever dissipated, who's to say that fragment of Kurama's chakra wouldn't take over the shell?
"Thankfully, the Ryumyaku has no consciousness — only raw, primal energy. It's just wild chakra. That makes it easier to store and use later… though I really should figure out how to burn off some of it."
Haruta's Sealing Jutsu was still at LV5. Ever since breaking Danzo's cursed seal, he hadn't paid it much attention. It was "good enough" for now.
But dealing with the Ryumyaku's chakra was a different beast altogether. If the seal ever broke, the consequences would be… messy.
So, burning off excess chakra or leveling up his Sealing Jutsu were both becoming pressing matters.
"Anyway, as long as my level's high enough, learning new jutsu is a breeze…"
And just like that, a month passed in the blink of an eye.
One morning, just as Haruta was about to go find Yugao again, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, suddenly appeared and brought him to a training ground.
"Haruta, how have you been these past few weeks?"
The moment they met, Hiruzen smiled — his wrinkled face kind but slightly forced.
Anyone with a brain could tell that smile wasn't entirely genuine.
"Not bad. I've been studying hard — and with seniors like Kakashi, Shisui, and Yugao around, I've been keeping myself busy…"
Haruta nodded earnestly, though deep down, he couldn't help but think: sure, the days had been boring without any real missions… but at least there was Yugao.
"I see…"
Hiruzen's lips twitched.
Let me guess — that last name, Yugao, is the part you actually care about?
Hiruzen might not have visited the Anbu much lately, but that didn't mean he wasn't keeping tabs.
The Anbu was his personal domain, after all…
He knew exactly what Haruta had been up to — especially his "relationship" with Yugao.
Not that Hiruzen minded. He wasn't against romance, even at a young age. Back in the Warring States period, kids far younger than Haruta were already getting married and having children.
But what did bother him was that Haruta didn't seem to realize his own importance.
This boy had mastered the Flying Thunder God technique — and awakened Wood Release all on his own.
If that wasn't enough of a headache, there was also the Uchiha problem.
After Shisui awakened his Mangekyou Sharingan and chose to remain in the Anbu, the Uchiha clan had been growing restless.
Hiruzen had been dealing with their complaints nonstop.
On top of that, there were signs of internal strife brewing within the clan itself — a dangerous undercurrent that seemed ready to explode at any moment.
It was obvious — whether it was Obito or Shisui — the emergence of the Mangekyou had ignited the clan's long-buried ambition.
And then there was Danzo…
Hiruzen's old friend had been making his usual "moves" again.
Sighing, Hiruzen shook his head. Dwelling on these issues wouldn't solve anything right now.
"I actually have some good news for you today," Hiruzen said, his tone turning serious.
"But before I tell you, I want to test you — to see if you've been diligent these past few weeks.
You are Konoha's future. Whether it's the Flying Thunder God or Wood Release, these abilities are invaluable to the village…"
"Uh…"
Haruta scratched his head but nodded.
"Got it, Lord Hokage. What exactly do you want to test me on?"
"Follow me."
Hiruzen pointed to the training ground ahead.
"I want to assess your Wood Release abilities. I know you've only been practicing for a month, so this might seem a bit strict…
But Wood Release is vital to Konoha. I need you to push yourself harder, Haruta."
Haruta blinked.
He'd half-expected the Third Hokage to personally spar with him — but this was just a simple test?
Still, he caught Hiruzen's underlying message:
Clearly, the old man had noticed how much Haruta had been slacking off lately — and was using this test as a subtle warning.
Was this his way of telling Haruta to stop messing around so much?
"Tell you what," Hiruzen added after a pause. "If you perform well, I might grant you a small request — as long as it's reasonable."
Haruta's eyes lit up.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage. But… what's the good news you mentioned?"
As he spoke, Haruta began forming hand seals — a bit clumsily at first — while keeping his gaze fixed on Hiruzen.
Seeing Haruta struggle with his hand seals, Hiruzen's mouth twitched again.
This brat… how much have you been slacking off?
But instead of scolding him, Hiruzen chose to motivate him:
"There's news about Tsunade.
I was considering sending you to persuade her to return — but if you can't meet the standard, that might not be possible…"
Tsunade?
Haruta's eyes flashed with excitement.
Before Hiruzen could even finish speaking, Haruta clapped his hands together — his chakra surging violently.
"Wood Release: Birth of the Tree World!"
The ground of the training field trembled!
Thick tree roots burst from the earth, growing at an alarming rate — vines twisting and intertwining until towering trees rose around them in an instant!
"This…?"
Hiruzen's eyes widened in shock.
Wasn't this kid just slacking off?
What kind of joke is this?!
"Lord Hokage…"
Haruta turned, his expression sincere.
"I think I've met your expectations."
"…"
For a brief moment, Hiruzen genuinely considered slapping himself.
...
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