I'm retrieving corpses in Konoha.

Then, several thick, large arms, covered in mud, clenched into fists and came crashing down.

"call!"

"boom!"

The earth itself could not withstand this immense force and trembled violently.

The ninjas reacted very quickly; even when targeted and struck by the giant hand that was tens of meters high, most of them were still able to dodge in time.

Those who didn't have time to dodge were smashed into mincemeat.

From a distance, the giant brown hand slowly rose, a speck of blood on its palm, just like a normal person swatting a mosquito.

Most of those who were killed were members of the Dark Division and the Root Division.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was also within the attack range, but when the giant hand was raised, no bloody flesh was seen being smashed.

With just a glance, one could determine how Hiruzen Sarutobi escaped the attack.

A hundred meters away, Uchiha Natsu's true form used Wood Release to merge into a large tree.

Hidden among the leaves, near the top of the tree trunk, a delicate and flawless young face emerged.

When he opened his eyes, they were blood-red, with three black tomoe appearing from them.

The Sharingan emitted a pale red halo like a thin mist, and the scenery around the wood clone penetrated through the sparse branches and leaves, falling into its eyes.

After surveying the entire battlefield with his Sharingan, Uchiha Natsu controlled his wood clone and turned to look at a certain spot.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was standing behind some ruins, his Vajra staff beside him, his hands having just finished forming a hand seal.

"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"

With a piercing whistling sound, three fire dragons simultaneously burst from Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth, charging towards Uchiha Natsu's wood clone with fierce momentum.

At this moment, Uchiha Natsuya had already completed the hand seals. However, it seemed that there was no time to use the ninjutsu to block.

"boom!"

The three fire dragons were incredibly powerful, and the scorching heat emanating from them burned the skin on people's faces.

Smoke and dust filled the air, and even Danzo, who was in the middle of the battle, quickly forced his opponent back and hid far away, peeking out from behind a ruined wall to observe.

Hiruzen Sarutobi formed hand seals again and shouted, "Wind Release: Whirlwind!"

A not-too-strong wind blew up, carrying away the smoke and dust and expanding the field of vision.

Senju Shinma's figure was no longer visible in the original spot.

However, there was a huge shield shaped like a fanged demon face lying there abruptly.

Even upside down, the shield is over two meters tall and more than ten meters long, just like a house.

"This is... Wood Release: Wood Release: Wood Release: Wood Release - ... The First Hokage's powerful defensive ninjutsu!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes, immediately retreated, and raised the Vajra Staff in his hand high towards the sky.

The Vajra Ruyi Cudgel suddenly grew, shooting straight into the sky until it reached a height of 100 meters and was as thick as two people could hug.

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi's strength couldn't sustain it indefinitely; a hundred meters away from the range of the Ranking Technique, he planted the Vajra Staff in the ground.

Uchiha Natsu did not emerge from the rankings, but the five giant hands continued to attack the Anbu and Root.

"drink!"

With a loud shout, the Vajra Ruyi Cudgel slammed down, its immense power creating pressure that made the air howl.

"Boom!"

A roar, louder than thunder, echoed throughout Konoha Village. The earth suffered another undeserved calamity, convulsing as it was struck.

The sound waves spread outward rapidly in a ripple pattern, and even the cups lying in the ruins nearby cracked in several places.

The ninjas felt a "buzz" in their ears and quickly covered them, but it was too late.

Although the protective chakra blocked it, the buzzing sound continued to linger in their minds, attempting to affect their sanity.

The heavy Vajra Ruyi Cudgel was bounced high into the air by the recoil, and then contracted rapidly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was holding the other end of the stick, felt the most shock, and his fingers were already numb.

He clearly hadn't expected that the ranking technique could be so sturdy.

As Hiruzen Sarutobi retrieved his Vajra Staff, Natsumi Uchiha controlled his wood clone to activate the ranking system.

The Rank and Rank Technique, shaped like a demon mask shield, contains a small space that can hold several people at the same time.

There was a vertical gap in the middle, which split to both sides with a thought from Uchiha Natsu.

The figure of "Senju Shinma" standing inside was revealed.

While this ranking technique boasts formidable defensive capabilities, it also consumes a tremendous amount of resources, comparable even to the Wood Dragon technique.

The advantage is that it can be used quickly. An attack of Hiruzen Sarutobi's caliber can provide significant defense.

Uchiha Natsu glanced around at the surface of the rankings.

Several cracks appeared on it, but it wasn't broken open.

These Wood Release ninjutsu were all obtained by Uchiha Natsu after he collected the hundreds of corpses following the final battle of the war.

In addition, Uchiha Natsu also managed to figure out the effects of Wood Release's bloodline activation by collecting a large number of corpses.

Or rather, the principle is roughly the same for all bloodline limits outside the body.

Each activation of the bloodline limit improves its quality, reducing chakra consumption while increasing its power.

After several activations of his Wood Release bloodline limit, Uchiha Natsu's Wood Release was significantly stronger than during the war, and his energy consumption had even decreased by nearly one-fifth.

The amount of chakra that used to take five times can now be used six times without changing the power.

Furthermore, its power is even greater than before.

Based on these insights, Uchiha Natsu could guess that as long as he continued to improve his Wood Release, he should be able to reach or even surpass Hashirama Senju.

Before that, Uchiha Natsu was still puzzled by the enormous energy expenditure he had expended with Wood Release.

After all, even the First Hokage couldn't possibly have such terrifying chakra, yet he seemed to use Wood Release with ease when fighting Madara.

The conclusion was later drawn that the same bloodline limit is "different" in different people.

This should be considered a talent, like the purity of the white eye.

With its increased power, Hiruzen Sarutobi's strike shattered the rankings.

It's easy to imagine what the consequences would be if it hit a person.

If someone else gets hit by it, they might turn into mincemeat.

But if it were Uchiha Natsu... the Wood Clone would definitely be destroyed.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, standing a hundred meters away, was shocked to see that Kamima Senju, ranked among the heroes, was completely unharmed.

Chapter 108 Confrontation

The Vajra Staff had just struck, and even Hiruzen Sarutobi himself was greatly shaken.

But the Thousand-Handed God seemed completely unaffected.

"Senju Kamima is too strong!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was very solemn, and then he quickly glanced around.

The Root ninjas are fighting against the Anbu and other clan ninjas, with all sorts of ninjutsu constantly flying through the air.

Honestly, I've been using Wildfruit Reading to read and follow my favorite books lately. It has easy source switching, multiple reading voice options, and works on both Android and Apple devices.

However, after being smashed by the five giant hands, there were not many Anbu ninjas left.

His Shadow Guard, in particular, was almost completely wiped out due to the giant hand's deliberate targeting.

A hint of regret flashed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, then he gripped the shrunken Vajra Staff tightly.

At the top of the Vajra Ruyi Staff, a set of facial features slowly emerged.

Enma said weakly, "Hiruzen, that last hit was really hard."

"I'm sorry," Hiruzen Sarutobi said softly, bowing his head.

"I'm fine, I'm just worried about you. This guy's ninjutsu is very strong, be careful, it's going to be a tough battle."

The ape demon gave a reminder, and then the facial features at the top of the stick melted away, returning to their original state.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, placed the Vajra Staff to the side, and formed a hand seal.

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

Four shadow clones appeared on either side of Hiruzen Sarutobi, each holding a staff.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Natsu's wood clone had already released the ranking technique and completed the hand seals.

Looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi, Natsumi Uchiha murmured in a low voice.

"Wood Release: Descent from the Sea of ​​Trees!"

.

At the edge of the battlefield, at the first house that had not collapsed.

A priestess dressed in a magnificent robe and wearing a golden crown was hiding behind the house, peeking out to watch the battle taking place in the central area.

Beside him, the head guard, Daohe, gripped his long sword and vigilantly scanned his surroundings.

The shrine maiden lifted her skirt with both hands, and the scattered puddles on the ground reflected her magnificent figure.

When she saw Senju Shinma, she was startled.

Inako was equally surprised, and a scene involuntarily flashed into her mind—in the Land of Demons, in the shrine maiden's bedroom, Senju Kamima had made him eat a mouthful of dirt.

Although he was still resentful, the opponent was simply too strong, and there was nothing he could do.

So, Daohe shook her head, banishing the images from her mind, and asked, "Lord Maitreya, which side are we on?"

With the shrine maiden's sealing techniques, she can have a significant effect on whichever side she helps.

The shrine maiden hesitated, and her hand holding the hem of her skirt loosened slightly, causing the skirt to flutter and fall.

With quick reflexes, Daohe swiftly reached out her right hand and grabbed the hem of her skirt.