Chapter 56: Swift Retaliation

Extra Chapter~

"Wood Style: Domed Wall Jutsu!"

In a flash.

Kiyoshi attacked again.

Thick wooden beams burst from the ground.

They swiftly formed an oval-shaped defense, shielding Tsunade from all sides.

"Boom… Boom…"

A barrage of attacks was blocked by the impenetrable wooden shield.

At the same time, one of the Root operatives Tsunade was targeting barely dodged her fierce punch.

But before he could get away, he felt a sharp, agonizing pain in his abdomen.

It felt as if his internal organs had shattered.

"Ahhh…"

Blood spurted from his mouth.

His entire body was thrown backward like a cannonball.

"Ah… blood…"

For a moment, Tsunade—who had been unstoppable, leaving her foes terrified—stiffened as she saw the blood spray into the air.

Her whole body began to tremble uncontrollably.

"Tsunade-sama…"

Seeing this, Kiyoshi called out.

"Damn it, Tsunade-sama's hemophobia has kicked in again…" 

Shizune, visibly alarmed, rushed forward with a kunai in hand.

She moved to protect the paralyzed Tsunade, barely blocking an attack from one of the Root operatives.

Hidden weapons, usually concealed in her sleeves, launched immediately.

"Whoosh… whoosh…" Poison-tipped needles shot out, forcing the advancing Root operatives to retreat with sudden caution.

Meanwhile, Kiyoshi also charged forward.

One by one, he restrained the Root members who attempted to surround him.

"Bring his corpse back! Show no mercy!"

Several Root operatives, exuding a murderous aura, raised their weapons, their blades gleaming as they closed in on Kiyoshi from all sides.

"Wood Style: Cutting Sprigs Jutsu!"

Without warning—

Kiyoshi, who seemed to be in a precarious situation, smirked coldly, his eyes flashing.

Countless razor-sharp wooden spikes shot out from his hands, assaulting the Root members encircling him.

"Whoosh… whoosh…"

The Root ninjas' expressions shifted in fear.

Though typically well-trained, they were caught off guard as their vision blurred, bodies seizing up.

They couldn't move.

"Damn it! It's a Genjutsu!"

"When did he…?"

"Release!"

Some of the Root ninjas, realizing the situation, either performed a hand sign or bit their tongues to break free from the Genjutsu Kiyoshi had secretly cast upon them.

However—

By then, the incoming wooden spikes were inches away.

Several Root members, unable to dodge in time, were pierced through by the wooden branches.

"Ahhh…"

The next moment, the branches that had punctured their bodies split and expanded furiously, shredding them from the inside.

Piercing their organs, tearing through their bodies…

Blood splattered, creating a horrifying scene that sent chills down the spine.

"Gasp—"

Even Shizune, who had traveled with Tsunade and seen her share of brutal fights, couldn't help but inhale sharply at the grisly sight.

A shiver ran down her spine.

She could now fully grasp the dreadfulness of Wood Release.

Getting struck by kunai or shuriken—even if poisoned—could be survivable if the wounds weren't fatal.

But taking a direct hit from Kiyoshi's Wood Release, survival would be nothing short of a miracle.

"You're far weaker than I imagined."

Staring at the remaining Root ninjas, Kiyoshi's face showed a cold indifference. "Since that's the case, you can all die now."

He had initially assumed—

That at just eight years old, his young age left his strength wanting.

However, after this battle with the Root members, he realized he hadn't overestimated their power—

He had completely underestimated himself.

The intense training he'd undergone in recent days, sparring mercilessly against his Wood Clones, pushing himself relentlessly, had honed his physical prowess immensely.

Even without activating his Sharingan, he could now counter the swift, synchronized assaults of the Root members.

As the user of the Wood-Wood Fruit, his body had developed in ways that allowed him to respond instantly, blocking and retaliating with ease.

"Time for you to go!"

Without another word.

Kiyoshi surged forward, brimming with killing intent.

"Retreat…"

The surviving Root members exchanged glances.

They quickly fell back, throwing black spheres at Kiyoshi as they retreated.

"Domed Wall Jutsu"

A giant, oval wooden shield appeared, blocking the black spheres.

"Boom… boom…"

Explosions echoed as smoke and dust spread out.

When the smoke cleared, the remaining Root members had vanished.

"Kiyoshi, those guys are devious—be careful, there may be poison in the smoke…" Tsunade's trembling voice called out, warning him urgently.

"Shizune, stay here and protect Tsunade-sama…"

Confident in his abilities, Kiyoshi didn't hesitate.

"I'll go finish them off!"

"Kiyoshi, don't be reckless!"

Tsunade and Shizune faces paled as they shouted after him.

However, the youthful and impulsive Kiyoshi had already charged into the depths of the forest.

After some time passed, and no more enemies appeared to attack Shizune and Tsunade, it seemed the immediate threat was gone.

Tsunade, her face pale and body still trembling slightly, finally stood up.

"That brat is too reckless."

Glancing around at the blood-soaked ground and scattered corpses, Tsunade frowned slightly and spoke to Shizune. 

"Shizune, clear the scene and get rid of these bodies. Leave no trace of the Wood Release."

"I'll go check on him."

After all, they were dealing with Danzo, a notoriously ruthless figure.

While Tsunade knew Kiyoshi's talents were extraordinary and that his strength now likely even surpassed hers as his teacher, she also knew he was still young and inexperienced.

She worried that he might fall victim to one of Danzo's crafty schemes due to his inexperience.

She needed to be there as backup.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama, please leave it to me!" 

Watching Tsunade's determined figure, Shizune nodded with respect.

She knew well that the legendary Princess of Konoha, once one of the fearsome Sannin, was back, no longer hindered by her fear of blood.

There was no reason for her to worry about Tsunade.

---------------

Guys do leave some power stones and reviews.

🤞patreon.com/plotplanner🤞

If you guys enjoy this story, you can support me on Patreon and get access to Advance Chapters, it really helps me to work on new chapters.