Naruto: The Age of Ninja Swords Begins in Kumogakure

Chapter 194 Rope Tree Awakening

Tamura Hiroshi darted through the hole in the floorboards under the bed into Yokura-san's room, skillfully climbed into bed, and cuddled her to sleep.

Yekura, who was practicing the Rasengan, turned around and glared at him, but didn't say anything and continued to maintain the Rasengan in her palm.

This kind of unsealed ninjutsu does indeed test one's control over chakra, but fortunately, he is a Kage-level ninja, and since his chakra was altered by that lecherous brat last time, he can control it much more easily.

I have now basically mastered the skills and entered a stage of familiarity and stability.

Once this step is completed, you can try adding changes to the properties inside.

"When adding wind attribute changes, keep your distance from yourself, otherwise it's easy to damage the arm cells."

Tamura Hao pointed out that while the wind attribute is the most suitable nature transformation for extending the Rasengan, it is a double-edged sword.

The high-speed spinning wind-style chakra would backfire and injure one's own arm, resulting in a situation where one would injure the enemy a thousand times but also lose eight hundred of their own strength.

Unless you strengthen your arms, learn Sage Mode, or further improve your chakra control.

It's best to keep your attacks away from your own body, like Kushina Uzumaki and Vanilla Uzumaki, using the Adamantine Lock to withstand ranged attacks.

On Yekura's side, it's similar. Although she doesn't have the Adamantine Sealing Barrier, her control over the Scorching Release Fireball is remote and long-range, so it should be feasible to apply it to the Rasengan.

If all else fails, you can use chakra threads to connect and control it, and play with it like a yo-yo.

"Do I need you to remind me?"

Ye Cang rolled her eyes; she naturally knew such basic common sense.

And you little brat, can you please stop sticking so close every time? It's really uncomfortable.

"I want to learn the cultivation of wind attribute nature transformation."

While inhaling the refreshing fragrance, Tamura Hao explained the requirements for learning the changes in wind attribute properties.

There are no Kage-level shinobi in Kumogakure who are skilled in Wind Release, nor are there any who have mastered Wind Release Nature Transformation to the Kage level.

Karura excels at sand manipulation techniques, but her wind-style ninjutsu is only average.

Now that I've met Yotsuki, who hails from Sunagakure, I naturally have to learn a thing or two from her.

"You don't have any wind attribute, why would you learn this?"

Yecang was puzzled; according to the intelligence, this lecherous brat only had one lightning attribute.

"That's just information I give to the outside world; I actually possess wind attributes."

Tamura Hao earnestly tried to convince himself that he had the wind attribute.

"You liar, you perverted brat!"

Ye Cang paused for a moment, but did not suspect anything.

"How far have you progressed in your mastery of wind attribute transformations?"

He inquired about the progress of his cultivation of the nature transformation technique. Although he was quite annoyed with this lecherous brat, the other party had given him a lot after all, so teaching him the cultivation of the wind attribute nature transformation technique was a way of repaying the favor.

Tamura Hao remained silent, raising his palm and simulating a small whirlwind of chakra spinning within it.

In order to demonstrate his true skill level, he did not use Shinatohiko's eye technique to enhance the nature change of the wind attribute.

Without innate wind attribute as a foundation, it is indeed difficult to forcibly cultivate wind attribute nature transformation, and the power produced is not ideal.

Even with the enhancement of Shina Tohiko's eye technique, the effect was limited, which is why he consulted Yekura about wind attribute cultivation. Only with the correct and perfect method could he achieve twice the result with half the effort.

"You have some basic knowledge."

Looking at that little whirlwind, Ye Cang reluctantly agreed.

Since there is some basic knowledge involved, it will be much easier to provide guidance.

And so, Tamura Hiroshi taught the three little ones during the day and climbed onto the older sister's bed at night to receive instruction.

This comfortable period lasted for eight days before being temporarily interrupted, because Hanzo returned, and he was in very poor condition.

"Hanzo-senpai, you're injured. Was it from fighting Shimura Danzo and Orochimaru?"

Tamura Hao was very surprised to see Hanzo with half of his body wrapped in bandages. He hadn't expected Hanzo to be injured like this.

"It wasn't them, it was that big red snake that suddenly went berserk and its strength increased dramatically. If I hadn't poisoned it beforehand, it probably wouldn't have made it back. It truly lives up to its reputation as a giant snake from Ryuchi Cave."

Speaking of this, Hanzo was still quite shaken, as he almost met his end there.

"It can drastically increase one's strength."

Tamura Hiroshi was surprised; he really didn't know this information.

However, this is not surprising. After all, Xin Ya is a special snake that even the White Snake Immortal finds troublesome. He even coveted that reverse scale, but did not take it. There must be a reason for this.

"The scales you mentioned are special; they break off on their own after being removed."

Hanzo pointed to the scroll on the table, inside which was sealed the stolen Reverse Scale.

"It cracked!"

Tamura Hao was surprised again. He unrolled the scroll and deactivated the sealing technique. Soon, some large, crimson scales appeared. They were Shinya's reverse scales, which were stained with a lot of blood and even some flesh.

The scales were dull and lifeless, and even the magical power they possessed was very weak.

"Thank you for your hard work, Hanzo-senpai!"

He nodded to Hanzo, acknowledging the acquisition, then turned his gaze to a small bottle on the table containing some blood.

Seeing the boy looking at the bottle, Hanzo explained, "At the end of the battle, a flying woman suddenly appeared. She should be the Snake Sage you mentioned. She also wanted to seize the Great Serpent's reverse scale, but was severely injured. This is the blood she spat out, which I collected. Can it be used as a medium for a Sage Seal?"

He hadn't forgotten what the boy had said before: the flesh and blood of this snake immortal would be even more effective as a medium.

"Of course you can."

Nodding, Tamura Hao picked up the small bottle and examined it carefully, sensing that the power of that immortal technique was indeed much purer than that of the Manda. He just didn't know which snake immortal it belonged to.

"What exactly does the other person look like?"

"Her skin was very pale, she had long brown hair, a golden crown on her head with a golden sphere on it, and she wore a long robe with a red underlayer, and her hair on both sides was wrapped with red ribbons..."

After thinking for a moment, Hanzo described the woman's appearance and clothing.

"It should be Princess Tsurugi. She can levitate and become invisible, making her difficult to detect even for sensory ninjas. Furthermore, her poison can cause hallucinations."

Tamura Hao confirmed that the owner of this vial of blood should be Tazatsuhime, one of the three great serpent sages; her unique ability was quite interesting.

"These are all very useful abilities. I wonder how many of the immortal spell seals can be preserved."

Hanzo was very much looking forward to it. He was extremely eager for Sage Arts, even the most basic Sage Arts seals would be enough to greatly enhance his strength.

After all, he was a ninja skilled in taijutsu and swordsmanship, and improving his physical fitness was the most direct way to enhance his combat power.

"Senior Hanzo, please take good care of your injuries. In three days, I will help you create a sage seal. This is the sage technique passed down from Ryuchi Cave."

Tamura Hao took out the Sage Technique inheritance he had prepared long ago. Although he did not obtain the complete Reverse Scale, it was a promise after all, and Hanzo had indeed paid a considerable price.

Upon seeing the scroll, even with Hanzo's strong will, he couldn't help but get excited and quickly took it with his only intact left hand.

"I heard you found three children."

Suppressing the urge to immediately peruse the inheritance of immortal techniques, Hanzo brought up another topic.

Upon returning, he immediately listened to what had happened in the village during the days he had been away, especially the stories of those people, and learned that the boy had found three children.

Tamura Hao nodded and earnestly lied, "It was an accidental discovery. I didn't expect there to be a descendant of the Uzumaki clan in Amegakure. I wanted to take him to Kumogakure, but unfortunately he already has his own ties here, so I can only ask Senior Hanzo to take care of him."

Moreover, they have excellent potential and are likely to be able to help Senior Hanzo and Amegakure in the future.

"His aptitude is indeed outstanding, and the bloodline of the Vortex should not be underestimated."

Hanzo admitted that the three kids were indeed exceptionally talented, especially Nagato Uzumaki, who possessed chakra of all attributes.

In addition, the Uzumaki clan possesses immense chakra potential, which, with a little training, would make them Kage-level powerhouses, making them invaluable to Amegakure and the Land of Rain.

He could understand Tamura Hao's entrustment; since the Hidden Cloud Village now had the entire Uzumaki clan, they naturally didn't pay much attention to the Uzumaki bloodline that had flowed out.

But this is a treasure for their Rain Village.

The other two are also quite good; they can at least become elite Jonin in the future, and it's not impossible for them to reach the Lower Kage level.

"I'll go see them after my injuries heal."

Hanzo was very interested in those three kids. Their aptitude was undeniable, and as long as their willpower and mentality were not a problem, he could take them as disciples.

Of course, there must also be an investigation into their background; there must be no oversight whatsoever.

"I'll have them prepare properly so as not to disturb your rest."

After finishing his sentence, Tamura Hao got up and left, preparing to thoroughly study the blood of the Reverse Scale and the Blood of Tsuratsuhime.

Both are of great research value, especially the blood of Princess Tsurutsu.

He had long coveted the ability to levitate and become invisible. If he could research it, he wouldn't need to dig a tunnel underground to get to Miss Yecang's place anymore; he could simply go there openly and covertly.

Plus, it floats in mid-air, so there won't even be any footprints or footsteps—perfect!

In addition, I also need to help Hanzo deal with that blood, so that he won't be restrained by Tsuratsuhime in the future.

This thing is, after all, a cursed seal, just like the cursed seals Orochimaru developed in the future; it's riddled with problems.

Hanzo is an ally he acknowledges, and he will need Hanzo's assistance in the upcoming three wars to target Konoha, so he can't afford to be betrayed.

Back in his room, he poured out half of the blood, sensed it, then let the little ten-tailed fox devour and purify it, finally guiding it to merge into the sage magic seal.

The magic seal was activated, and two white dragons emerged.

This is the change that occurred after the White Snake Sage's magic power was integrated into it, which eroded the purple dragon's body into a white color like the White Snake Sage's.

However, what he obtained at the time was only the immortal power of the White Snake Immortal, without flesh and blood, so the transformation was not thorough.

This time, the blood of Tsuratsuhime was incorporated, which further completed the modification and also allowed him to acquire some of Tsuratsuhime's abilities.

"There's only one suspended in mid-air."

Sensing the changes in the two dragons, Tamura Hao was somewhat dissatisfied.

I didn't manage to gain the ability to become invisible. Looks like I'll have to dig a hole and sleep with the girls for the next few days.

However, its ability to levitate is also quite good, at least stronger than the accumulation of that poison illusion technique. Although it makes flight very slow, it can eliminate body weight like the Super Light Heavy Rock Technique, thereby increasing movement speed to a certain extent.

At this stage, my priority is speed; increasing speed means increasing combat power.

"What is the secret behind this rebellious nature?"

After experiencing the levitation ability brought by the twin dragons, Tamura Hao turned his gaze to the few fragments of the Reverse Scale.

Something that even the White Snake Immortal coveted must be extraordinary; it's just a pity he couldn't obtain it completely.

After some thought, he manipulated the two dragons behind him to devour the reverse scale.

Under the twin dragons' hard teeth and powerful bite, the fragments of the Reverse Scale, stripped of their essence, were bitten and swallowed one by one, then eroded and digested.

Although the essence within is gone, some remains, and this energy causes the twin dragons to change once again.

The white dragon scales on its body became thicker and harder, and the bones inside were further strengthened and enhanced, as were its dragon teeth and horns.

"It really is a treasure."

Feeling the improvement of the two dragons, a smile appeared on Tamura Hao's face. This one alone was worth it.

In addition to aiding in the absorption of natural energy, the twin dragons of the Celestial Art Seal can also assist in combat.

With the scales and bones now even stronger, combat power will naturally increase as well. And this is only a fragment of the Reverse Scale. If one could obtain the complete Reverse Scale, or even the entire Serpent...

"I need to find a chance to swallow that giant snake whole later; that would definitely boost my power even more."

Thinking of that giant serpent with fangs, Tamura Hao's desire for it grew even stronger.

"Senju Nawaki has come out on a mission."

At this moment, Black Zetsu's clone appeared and revealed some information.

"Finally out."

Tamura Hao smiled, then sensed the coordinates of Black Zetsu's true form, opened a portal, and passed directly through it.

The plot against Tsunade and Nawaki can now officially begin.

Stepping out of the portal, Tamura Hao saw three teenagers, a boy and a girl, sleeping soundly against trees, clearly drugged by Black Zetsu.

"Chakra levels are increasing quite quickly."

Feeling the chakra of the Nawaki tree, Tamura Hao sighed that as expected of a hybrid of the Senju and Uzumaki, his chakra reserves were truly top-notch.

"His talent is top-notch among the Senju clan, but unfortunately he's not smart enough."

Black Zetsu gave a sinister assessment: Nawaki's aptitude is quite good; his chakra attributes alone are all-encompassing.

That is why she became Orochimaru's disciple, since Orochimaru also possessed all-attribute aptitudes.

"The brain can grow."

Tamura Hao didn't care. Even Naruto Uzumaki became mature and composed after he grew up. These kids would grow up quickly if they were given a few more setbacks.

It would be even better if he could die once, as this would be a crucial opportunity to deceive Tsunade in the future.

Without much talk, he raised his hand and placed it on the boy's head, imprinting the mark of the Eight Thousand Spears there. Then he absorbed and purified the chakra in the boy's body, and then injected the chakra of the Ten-Tails into the boy's body, which also contained Wood Release chakra, thereby activating the bloodline originating from Hashirama Senju.

Although Wood Release is too special to be activated through bloodline inheritance, it does exist and can be activated as long as the conditions are met.

Of course, it's just Wood Release, and it can't compare to Hashirama Senju's Wood Release.

The key issue is the lack of Ashura chakra. Without that chakra, one can only develop Wood Release to the level of Wood Golem. Even if one learns Sage Mode, one can only strengthen Wood Golem and cannot use a super-powerful technique like True Several Thousand Hands.

This is also true for Senju Orange Water and Uchiha Fugaku, who received Hashirama cells. In fact, the two of them could only use Wood Release up to the level of the Advent of the Flower Tree World, which is similar to Uchiha Madara.

Orochimaru's clone of Hashirama Senju would definitely be better, but at most it would be at the level of a wooden puppet.

As a direct descendant of Hashirama Senju, Nawaki could also develop his Wood Release to the level of a Wood Human if he developed it properly.

As Wood Release chakra and vast, pure life force were continuously injected, Senju Nawaki's bloodline, originating from Senju Hashirama, was forcibly activated and became active, thus fusing with Wood Release chakra to produce his own unique Wood Release chakra.

"It's done!"

Sensing that Wood Release chakra had finally been generated within Nawaki's body, Tamura Hao breathed a sigh of relief.

Although he had this plan, he wasn't entirely confident, but fortunately it ultimately succeeded.

"You can arrange the rest!"

After confirming that Nawaki's Wood Release chakra was stable, Tamura Hao said something to Black Zetsu, and then opened a portal to return.

"Wood Release!"

Black Zetsu sighed, then manipulated the Iwa ninja he possessed to throw kunai with explosive tags at the three of them. Two of them were blown to pieces, and Nawaki was blasted away and also suffered serious injuries.

After doing all this, Black Zetsu controlled the Iwa ninja he possessed to escape, leaving behind subtle traces.

This is the rear of the Konoha front, where a large number of ninja patrols are stationed. The sound of the exploding tags quickly attracted the attention of the surrounding patrol teams, who rushed over.

At the same time, the Wood Release chakra within the injured Nawaki spontaneously erupted, growing a large tree that enveloped his body, while the immense life force within him repaired the damage.

Soon, three patrol teams arrived one after another and also discovered the rope tree protected by the big tree. They were all puzzled by this strange phenomenon.

The fact that the large tree could attack on its own and absorb their chakra left the three squads completely helpless, and they had no choice but to ask the camp for help.

Upon hearing that her younger brother had been attacked, Tsunade dropped everything and rushed over. She was stunned when she saw the large tree that had protected her brother.

"Wood Release!"

After the initial shock, Tsunade was overwhelmed with emotion.

I thought my grandfather's Wood Release technique was a thing of the past, but I never expected it to reappear in my younger brother, especially at such a crucial moment.

Is this the blessing of my grandfather in heaven?

"Nawaki has awakened Wood Release!"

Thousand Hands Orange Water's shadow clone arrived shortly afterward, and was also shocked to see the large tree.

This is definitely Wood Release, and it's Wood Release that has awakened on its own.

He could also clearly sense the powerful life force within the rope tree, far surpassing anything he could achieve by transplanting his great-grandfather's cells.

This is the true Wood Release!

"It must be that Nawaki encountered a life-threatening situation, and his physical potential was awakened, allowing him to awaken Wood Release."

After glancing at the two shattered corpses not far away, Senju Orange Water roughly guessed how Nawaki had awakened Wood Release.

When people face a life-or-death crisis, they can always unleash amazing potential, so it's understandable that Rope Tree could awaken Wood Release through this.

"What should we do now? That tree is under self-protection ropes, and we can't get close to it."

Tsunade was anxious and wanted to rescue her brother as soon as possible, but she didn't know where to start.

Although she was strong enough to break the tree, she was afraid of hurting her younger brother inside.

Although she had read the Wood Release materials left by her great-grandfather and second great-grandfather, she didn't know much about the real Wood Release. Her younger brother's current situation made her hesitant to take action.

"Once he wakes up, he should be able to control the tree. He just needs to take back the wood chakra inside."

Furthermore, the life force within the rope tree is very strong and stable; it will be fine.

Thousand Hands Orange Water offered a solution, then found a place to sit and wait.

He was very curious about this self-awakened Wood Release, wondering how it differed from the one he had transplanted. Perhaps he could use it to improve his own Wood Release.

At the same time, it's also a good thing that Rope Tree awakens Wood Release. As long as he is properly trained, he can definitely become a Kage-level powerhouse, which will make their future easier.

Furthermore, Wood Release holds special significance in Konoha. While it's not advisable to reveal his own Wood Release techniques for the time being, Nawaki, as the grandson of the great-grandfather, is perfectly capable of using them.

(End of this chapter)