Chapter 212: Struck by Lightning

The thunder was deafening, lightning whipped the sky, and rain poured down relentlessly.

On a small hill amidst the rain, Dan sat in stillness, unmoving.

Suddenly, countless streams of natural energy converged from all directions, absorbed by his skin and flowing into his body.

Warm and comforting.

This sensation of absorbing natural energy was intoxicating, filling him with a profound joy that made him reluctant to stop.

Consequently, Dan's body swelled like a sponge, greedily soaking up the natural energy. His muscles expanded, making him appear even larger.

It felt incredible.

Gradually, he became entirely engrossed in his meditative training.

As time passed, Dan failed to realize that he was absorbing an excessive amount of natural energy, surpassing his body's limit.

Then, a terrifying event unfolded.

A blinding flash of light illuminated the space between heaven and earth.

Immediately after, a jagged bolt of lightning, resembling a soaring dragon, burst from the clouds. Its tip, shimmering with electric sparks, struck directly onto Dan's head!

In an instant, both Dan and the hill beneath him were engulfed in electric brilliance.

This lightning was attracted by him.

Seconds later, as the intense light faded, the ground was scorched black, emitting white smoke. A large rock on the hill was shattered by the lightning's impact.

Yet, Dan remained seated, unyielding.

He had resisted the lightning strike with sheer physical might.

"Is this a side effect of practicing Senjutsu? It's not quite what I imagined," Dan mused, looking up at the sky.

The lightning was a result of his excessive absorption of natural energy.

And this was just the beginning.

Lightning bolts continued to strike, one after another, targeting the hill.

The ground of Paradise Island seemed to tremble violently, as if it would be split in two by the terrifying thunderbolts.

"What's happening?"

This anomaly caught the attention of the Uchiha clan.

Fugaku, Itachi, Tsunade, Samui, and hundreds of Uchiha combatants rushed to the vicinity of the hill, fully armed.

Initially, they suspected an ambush on Paradise Island by one of the Five Great Ninja Villages.

However, they soon realized that wasn't the case.

Amidst the flashing lightning, they could faintly discern a silhouette enveloped by the electric arcs.

"Dan?!" Samui exclaimed in shock.

Indeed, it was Dan.

"What's he up to?" Tsunade, equally astonished, had never witnessed such a phenomenon in her many years.

Suddenly, a nearby tree was struck by lightning, bursting into flames and smoke.

Witnessing this, the group's expressions darkened further.

If even a tree at the edge of the lightning zone was affected so severely, one could only imagine the devastating impact at the center, where Dan was.

"I hope Dan's okay," Fugaku said, concern evident in his voice. He prepared to unleash his Susanoo to assist Dan.

"Hold on," Tsunade halted him, "He might be practicing Senjutsu. Let's wait and see."

Senjutsu?

Hearing this unfamiliar term, Fugaku hesitated. After some contemplation, he chose to trust Tsunade.

As Tsunade predicted, lightning bolts descended from the sky, targeting Dan, seemingly punishing him for tapping into nature's energy.

An ordinary person would've been obliterated by such a force.

But Dan was no ordinary man.

Not only did he withstand the lightning with his formidable physique, but he also spontaneously decided to harness it for his training!

A miraculous transformation was occurring within him.

With each lightning strike, his muscles tore painfully but healed rapidly under the influence of natural energy, becoming even more robust through "over-recovery."

Truth be told, this method of muscle training is far more efficient than weightlifting.

Of course, only Dan could come up with such a madman's fitness regimen.

Having trained sufficiently and enduring several rounds of lightning strikes, Dan finally stood up, his gaze deep and introspective as he looked towards the sky.

Suddenly, his Stand, "The World," materialized behind him.

Amidst the dark clouds, thunder roared and lightning danced.

With a brief moment of anticipation, another round of lightning strikes commenced, illuminating both the heavens and the earth.

Bolts of lightning, attracted by the natural energy within Dan, descended upon him like serpents eager to tear and devour their prey.

Facing this divine retribution, a fiery determination ignited in Dan's eyes. Clenching his fists, veins bulging on his arms and forehead, he roared:

"Wood Release! Wood Release! Wood Release!"

With a ferocious battle cry, both he and "The World" unleashed a barrage of punches towards the sky.

Their fists, imbued with boundless power and rage, not only dispersed the rain and shattered the air but also deflected the incoming lightning bolts.

Conquering all in their path.

In the midst of the storm, a lone man stood atop a hill, defying the heavens with his sheer will.

This sight deeply moved the Uchiha clan members watching from a distance.

By the time they regained their composure, the lightning storm had subsided.

Thunderstorms, as fierce as they come, also depart swiftly.

The rain began to lessen, and the lightning within the clouds ceased its dance. The thunder also quieted down.

That's enough for today.

Dan dismissed his Stand, relaxed his fists, and exhaled slowly. The breath he released seemed almost ethereal, reminiscent of a sage's sigh.

He realized that mastering Senjutsu would be a long journey. Even with rapid progress, it would take months, if not years, to achieve mastery.

While Naruto in the original series mastered Senjutsu in just a few weeks, he had the guidance of experts and was the prophesied child with innate talents.

Dan had no such advantages.

Without the ideal training environment of the three great sanctuaries or any mentors, he had to start from scratch, learning everything on his own.

The good news was that, so far, his progress seemed promising.

In a swift motion, Dan leaped down from the hill to join the Uchiha members.

"Dan, are you alright?" Samui approached with a look of concern.

"It's nothing. Just got struck by lightning," Dan replied nonchalantly.

Being struck by lightning might sound terrifying, but in the world of shinobi, it's not that big of a deal.

To Dan's knowledge, Kakashi's Chidori once cut through natural lightning. In the original series, Sasuke's Kirin harnessed natural lightning to attack, yet it was effortlessly blocked by Itachi's Susanoo.

It's evident that the power of a shinobi can rival the forces of nature.

However, while Dan remained calm, the others couldn't help but be astounded.

Struck by lightning... just like that.

Hearing Dan's casual remark, everyone exchanged glances, thinking — truly befitting of Dan.

Tsunade was the most surprised.

She realized that Dan's lightning ordeal was likely a side effect of absorbing too much natural energy.

While others experienced side effects like animalistic transformations or petrification when practicing Senjutsu, she had never heard of anyone being struck by lightning.

But with great risk comes great reward.

If Dan could overcome this challenge, he might master the most potent form of Senjutsu ever known.

Upon this realization, Tsunade looked at Dan with newfound respect.

Yet, she couldn't resist taking a jab at him: "What did you do to deserve being chased by lightning? Anyone who gets close to you might get struck too."

Dan glanced at Tsunade and calmly retorted, "Better than being a jinx like you, isn't it? Haven't all your loved ones met tragic ends because of you?"

Tsunade was rendered speechless.

Her fists clenched, anger evident in her eyes, but she couldn't find the words to counter.

Tsunade was caught off guard.

Finally, with a huff, she turned and walked away.

"Tsunade-sama." Shizune and Karin hurriedly followed to console her.

Ten minutes later.

Inside the room, Dan stood in front of a mirror. With a swift motion, he removed his charred clothes, revealing a physique of chiseled muscles.

Just as trees, once scorched by lightning, sprout fresh green buds in spring, Dan's body had undergone a similar rejuvenation. Nourished by natural energy, his muscles had grown more prominent, and his skin had become smoother and fairer, almost translucent.

The surging power within him felt like a raging river, coursing through his muscles and veins. Despite the lightning ordeal, he felt invigorated, a testament to the wonders of natural energy.

"Dan."

Samui approached, holding a new Uchiha robe, ready to help him change.

"By the way, we haven't practiced our Taijutsu today."

Recalling this, Dan, now full of energy, felt it was a good time to spar with Samui.

"Right."

Samui blushed slightly, glancing at Dan's muscular form, and responded softly.

Unfortunately, their Taijutsu session was interrupted.

Knock, knock.

A Uchiha clansman rushed in, excitedly reporting to Dan: "Dan-sama, Tetsuhi and Chiyoko-sama have returned. They've captured the Six-Tails Jinchuriki from Kirigakure."

Oh?

Dan and Samui exchanged glances, then headed to the conference room. Upon arrival, they saw Fugaku congratulating Tetsuhi, clearly impressed with the "Heaven and Earth" duo's performance.

The Six-Tails Jinchuriki, Utakata, stood silently, controlled by Tetsuhi's Mangekyō Sharingan, reduced to a mere puppet.

"Well done."

Dan approached, offering his praise.

Even a casual commendation from Dan was a great honor for any Uchiha, and Tetsuhi was visibly elated.

Chiyoko, however, kept her head down, avoiding Dan's gaze. The memory of her previous attempt to kill Dan and the subsequent beating she received from him still haunted her.

While the "Heaven and Earth" duo had returned, there was still no news from the "Azure Dragon and Phoenix" team.

"I wonder how Kakashi and his team are doing," Fugaku voiced his concerns.

"Kakashi is capable. Trust in them. They might even bring back a pleasant surprise," Dan replied nonchalantly. He had already received intel from Himeko about the Fourth Mizukage venturing out to sea alone.

Sure enough.

Two days later, Kakashi, Tenzo, and Aoi returned to Turtle Island, bringing with them another Jinchuriki.

Inside the conference room.

The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, slowly regained consciousness. The sight that greeted him was a room filled with Sharingan eyes, all focused on him.

Cold sweat dripped down Yagura's face. He recognized Utakata, standing lifelessly behind Tetsuhi, reminding him of the time he was controlled by Obito.

Footsteps echoed as a towering figure approached from behind Yagura.

"You... you're alive?!" Yagura exclaimed in shock.

The next moment, the symbol of the Yin-Yang fish appeared in the man's eyes, mesmerizing and beautiful.

"U...chi...ha... Dan..."

Yagura murmured the name, his gaze becoming vacant as he fell under the spell of the Mangekyō Sharingan.

The Fourth Mizukage had once again become a puppet to the Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Excellent."

Fugaku clenched his fist, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

With Utakata and Yagura now under the Uchiha's control, they had access to the powers of the Six-Tails Slug and the Three-Tails Giant Turtle.

This meant that when facing the Shinobi Allied Forces, the Uchiha clan's chances of victory had just increased significantly!