Chương 211: Chapter 212: The Eight-Tails Once Again Remembered the Terror of Being Ruled by Wood Release

As soon as the words left his mouth, Dongye zhen brought his palms together. Wood Release: Supreme Deep Forest Emergence! In an instant, the barren battlefield surrounding the Sogama Mine erupted with life. Countless colossal trees burst through the hardened earth. Starting from the outskirts and racing inward, they expanded at an astonishing pace, forming a massive reverse encirclement in the blink of an eye. The Kumogakure shinobi had never witnessed a technique like this.

They immediately hacked at the advancing branches with swords and blades. It was futile. The forest seemed endless. For every branch severed, two more emerged from another direction, coiling around them and binding them in place. Some refused to believe it and desperately formed hand seals, unleashing ninjutsu in retaliation. Those capable of Fire Release immediately turned to flames, hoping fire would counter wood. Then they were strangled to death by the branches.

If a Wood Release forest could be burned so easily, how could Hashirama Senju ever have become the God of Shinobi? The man had fought Uchiha Madara—the undisputed grandmaster of Fire Release. As for killing a few extra enemies? Dongye zhen had promised the Hokage he would avoid unnecessary slaughter. He had never promised not to retaliate in kind. The Konoha shinobi who had died at Kumogakure's hands deserved to be honored with twice as much blood.

The Konoha forces stood amidst the forest, staring blankly at the enemies hanging from the trees. The branches moved as though they possessed intelligence. Not a single one targeted Konoha's side. So this... was the First Hokage's Wood Release? How had anyone survived against such a monster? How had the other four great villages ever managed to establish themselves? Even as Konoha shinobi, witnessing such inhuman power inspired nothing but despair.

At the center of the battlefield, both the Fourth Raikage and Killer B were equally shaken. After the brutal exchange moments earlier, Ai was already showing signs of fatigue. His chakra reserves remained substantial, but as he watched subordinates trapped throughout the forest, he didn't even know whom to save first. Not that he had the opportunity. The endless branches were forcing him into a frantic defense. Chakra-coated arms slashed through branch after branch. It accomplished nothing. Cut one.

Two more appeared. The forest could continue forever. Suddenly, Killer B felt inspiration strike.

"A forest outta nowhere, Wood Release in the air! Fool, ya fool! Yeah!" Inside the seal, the Eight-Tails was on the verge of a breakdown.

"Damn it, B! Run! That's Wood Release! We can't fight this!" Dongye zhen could hear Gyūki's voice even through the jinchūriki seal. He turned his head slightly.

"Run? It's already too late." Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique! A massive wooden dragon burst from beneath Killer B's feet and instantly wrapped him up like a rice dumpling. But as the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki, he had no intention of surrendering. With Gyūki's cooperation, Killer B immediately transformed into his complete tailed-beast form. The Eight-Tails emerged in full. A gigantic bull-headed octopus suddenly towered over the battlefield. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen.

Please report the infringement. Its tentacles lashed toward Dongye zhen while a Tailed Beast Bomb rapidly condensed inside its mouth. Killer B no longer cared about friendly fire. All he wanted was to rescue his brother and escape. This battle was unwinnable. Unfortunately, Dongye zhen had no intention of allowing that Tailed Beast Bomb to launch. One blast would wipe out Konoha's forces along with everything else. Wood Release: Wood Golem Technique!

A wooden giant larger than the Eight-Tails materialized faster than the Tailed Beast Bomb itself. The instant it appeared, the giant hand seized the unfinished sphere directly from Gyūki's mouth. Then stuffed it right back in. BOOM! When the explosion ended, Gyūki became astonishingly well-behaved. The giant beast sat quietly in the Wood Golem's grasp. Not daring to move. Not daring to struggle. Dongye zhen hadn't even needed to use Sage Art: Gate of the Great God. Gyūki had already surrendered.

Back in the day, Hashirama had rounded up all seven tailed beasts using essentially the same method. One hand. One beast. Dragged back to Konoha. The trauma had never faded. What was the point of resisting? Wood Release countered tailed beasts too perfectly. So Gyūki chose peace. Inside the beast, Killer B continued composing.

"Battle's really rough, now I'm a prisoner enough! Fool, ya fool! Yeah!"

"Stop singing, B!" Gyūki wailed.

"I beg you, stop singing! We're finished! How can you still sing at a time like this?!"

"Yo, Eight, if I ain't singing, what else should I do? Fool, ya fool!" Gyūki fell silent. The logic was impeccable. Against Wood Release this absurdly overpowered, even Kurama would have been flattened. Nothing to be ashamed of. As the Deep Forest Emergence ceased its assault, the Fourth Raikage finally found an opportunity to breathe. He stared blankly at the sight before him. Subordinates hung from trees throughout the forest. Gyūki, meanwhile, was being held obediently in the Wood Golem's hand.

Since when had that beast become so cooperative? Back when Kumogakure captured the Eight-Tails, countless sacrifices had been made. His father had fought until complete exhaustion before subduing it. He had never seen Gyūki act this obedient. Wood Release. This was Wood Release. Ancestors... How had you survived against the God of Shinobi? Was the village record really true? Had Hashirama Senju genuinely been a kindhearted man who preferred negotiation? Because if someone possessed power this outrageous...

could they really remain a good person? That made no sense. At least, the Dongye zhen standing before him didn't seem particularly easy to reason with. To be fair, Dongye zhen considered himself quite reasonable. He drifted lightly before the Raikage.

"Like I said from the beginning, Lord Raikage. You were the one who needed to make a choice." The Raikage looked dazed.

"Wood Release... This is really Wood Release?"

"Yep." Dongye zhen nodded.

"Want to learn it? I'll teach you. It's simple. Just fuse Earth and Water chakra together."

"Are you mocking me, Dongye zhen?" The Raikage glared.

"I admit defeat. If you're going to kill us, then do it. What are you waiting for?"

"You think I wouldn't?" The forest stirred again. The branches tightened around their captives, draining chakra while squeezing hard enough to draw agonized screams. The Kumogakure shinobi hung from the trees like prisoners undergoing torture. Poor Gyūki suffered even worse. His chakra was siphoned away until he retreated directly into the seal. No matter what happened, he refused to come back out. Killer B dropped onto the ground after reverting to human form. Every last drop of chakra had been drained from him.

The Raikage's mind became a battlefield of its own. Accept defeat... and everyone lived. As for Konoha's word, he trusted it. For decades, Konoha's reputation throughout the shinobi world had been relatively solid. Refuse... and everyone died here today. Ōnoki would never let such an opportunity slip away. Neither would the other villages. Kumogakure would vanish from history. He, the Fourth Raikage. The inheritor of the name Ai. Would become the greatest sinner in the village's history.

Even in the Pure Land, he would be unable to face his predecessors. A choice? There wasn't really a choice at all. Only wounded pride standing in the way. But compared to the survival of the entire village... what did personal humiliation matter? He was the Raikage. He had responsibilities.

"Stop." The Raikage lowered his head.

"Release them. Kumogakure acknowledges defeat. Tell me Konoha's terms."

"Then thank the Third Hokage for his mercy." Dongye zhen's voice remained calm.

"If he hadn't ordered me to avoid excessive bloodshed, none of you would be leaving alive today. As for the terms? That's not my concern. After the New Year, bring a delegation to Konoha personally and negotiate a new treaty."

"... Understood."

"Oh, and one more thing." Dongye zhen smiled.

"Don't try sending some insignificant representative in your place. Those shinobi I injured? You can't heal them. They'll spend their remaining days in unimaginable agony, slowly draining themselves dry until they die. I believe you know exactly who you should ask for help." The Raikage naturally knew. He looked up at Dongye zhen one last time. And confirmed something. This man was not Hashirama Senju. He was definitely not easy to negotiate with.

In the end, the Raikage withdrew from the Land of Hot Water with his forces. Thus ended the years-long confrontation between Kumogakure and Konoha. Only now could the Third Shinobi World War truly be considered over. As for Kirigakure? With Kumogakure gone, they wouldn't dare continue provoking Konoha even if they had ten times the courage. Konoha's forces reoccupied the camp. Though with Kumogakure fully defeated, large troop deployments would not remain much longer.

Once the peace treaty was finalized, only a small garrison would stay behind to guard the mine. As everyone busied themselves with postwar duties, their gazes would occasionally drift upward. Toward the lone figure seated atop a massive tree. And every time they looked, their hearts surged with fervent admiration. This region had once been a barren mining wasteland. Now it was covered by a vast forest created from nothing. No one could witness such godlike power and remain unmoved. As for Dongye zhen?

He was contemplating a question. Perhaps... it was time to step away from the shinobi profession. He hadn't become a shinobi because he loved the occupation. He'd done it out of curiosity. After all, if someone came to the Naruto world and never became a shinobi, what would be the point? Now he had done it all. Completed missions. Fought wars. Experienced every facet of the profession. A perfect journey.

At his current level of strength, fighting ordinary shinobi felt no different from bullying kindergarten children. Even the legendary Lightning Release Chakra Mode, famed as the strongest body-enhancement technique in existence, could no longer withstand his attacks. It was time to devote himself entirely to cultivation. Because this world was far more dangerous than it appeared. Invincible beneath the heavens? There were still enemies above them. In truth, he wasn't even invincible on earth.

If Ōtsutsuki Isshiki suddenly emerged right now and fought without regard for his life, Dongye zhen still couldn't defeat him. Fortunately, Isshiki valued his life too much. And Jigen's body limited his combat endurance. As a long-lived being, Isshiki would never waste precious lifespan dealing with Dongye zhen. To him, Wood Release wasn't worth that cost. Which meant one thing. Dongye zhen still had time to grow.