Chapter 84 – The Combination of Flying Thunder God and Wood Release
"Wood Release, Flying Thunder God Technique, and…"
In Iwagakure, inside the Tsuchikage's office.
Onoki stared at the scroll in his hand, his mind sinking into deep thought.
"Mangekyō Sharingan?"
After seeing these abilities, Onoki felt an undeniable discomfort. Each one of these powers pricked at his nerves!
The two individuals who once struck fear into the entire ninja world had now become legends. Their stories were often considered exaggerated myths by the current generation.
But Onoki had lived through that era—he was even seven years older than Hiruzen Sarutobi!
Most of what Hiruzen had witnessed, Onoki had seen too. He knew all too well how terrifying those two truly were.
And because they were enemies, he had experienced it firsthand.
When it came to Hashirama Senju, Onoki still held a certain level of respect. After all, it was Hashirama's existence that established the current order of the ninja world.
But respect was one thing—it didn't mean Hashirama was a kind and gentle soul.
The First Hokage's power was nothing short of monstrous; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to create the new ninja world order!
As for the Mangekyō Sharingan…
"Damn it!"
Even though Onoki was already in his seventies, just thinking about those eyes brought back the memories of that night.
A figure standing arrogantly in the distance, arms crossed, surrounded by a colossal blue chakra giant. Those blood-red, bewitching eyes… and that proud, commanding voice that demanded submission.
It was a nightmare that had haunted him his entire life—something he still couldn't shake off.
There were even times when the memory alone would wake him from a nightmare, drenched in cold sweat.
As for the Flying Thunder God Technique—compared to Wood Release and the Mangekyō Sharingan, it might not have been as famous in Onoki's eyes.
But for Iwagakure, it was absolutely a technique that inspired fear.
During the Third Great Ninja War, Minato Namikaze had used the Flying Thunder God to single-handedly slaughter fifty ninjas in an instant.
The strength of those ninjas varied, but that only made it more terrifying—because to Minato, their strength didn't matter. They were all just corpses left in the wake of his teleportation.
And now, these three powers had inexplicably resurfaced. How could Onoki not feel a spike in anxiety?
"What the hell is going on with Konoha? How do they keep producing such monstrous talents?"
Onoki was truly furious—not only because these three abilities had reemerged, but also because of his frustration with Iwagakure itself.
Seriously—Konoha's Fourth Hokage was dead, yet somehow, they had already fostered a new generation of prodigies?
Meanwhile, he was over seventy and still couldn't retire, as there wasn't a single suitable successor in sight. Why was fate so ridiculously kind to Konoha?
"Lord Tsuchikage!"
Just as Onoki was stewing in his anger, his son, Kurotsuchi, suddenly barged in.
The moment Kurotsuchi stepped inside, though, he seemed to realize something. His whole body stiffened, and he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.
His father hated it when he didn't use proper titles during work hours—it came off as unprofessional and disrespectful.
"Hmph."
Already in a foul mood, the Third Tsuchikage let out a cold snort at the sight of his disappointing son.
"If you have something to say, speak. If not, get out!"
"Uh…"
Kurotsuchi wondered why his old man was so angry today, but he didn't dare ask.
"The investigation is complete. That small town in the Land of Forests was indeed mostly destroyed. It's reported that Kumogakure might offer compensation.
Additionally, the Anbu have found eyewitnesses who confirmed the appearance of a Wood Dragon.
There was also a giant slug and a massive green chakra entity.
Their opponent was a burly man covered in Lightning Release armor—most likely the Fourth Raikage.
This information came from Kumogakure."
"That's the situation."
"Hmm."
Onoki nodded lightly. At least now, he had some clarity.
"Looks like those bastards from Kumogakure want to pit me against Konoha."
"Pit you against…?"
Kurotsuchi blinked in confusion, then softly muttered a correction.
"'Pit against' sounds like something you'd say about dogs, Lord Tsuchikage. Isn't that a bit… inappropriate?"
"Shut up. You think I don't know that?"
Onoki's temper flared again, snapping at his son.
If the setting were any less formal, he might have smacked Kurotsuchi upside the head right then and there.
His son might be brave and decently strong, but when it came to politics, he was utterly hopeless.
And as for Dust Release… Kurotsuchi couldn't grasp it at all.
Without Dust Release, he would never have an edge in high-level battles. Pair that with his incompetence in governance, and handing Iwagakure over to him would be a disaster!
"Why are you so useless?"
Onoki sighed in frustration. He had long since given up the idea of passing on his mantle to his son.
Thankfully, Iwagakure still had some promising talents—his granddaughter, Kurotsuchi, was much smarter. And then there was that other troublesome but talented brat… Deidara.
"Forget it. Getting angry at you is pointless."
Onoki shook his head, while Kurotsuchi stood quietly, not daring to speak.
"Kumogakure's intentions are clear. Even though Konoha is working with them to paint the Fourth Raikage as a benevolent leader, it's just a way for both sides to save face.
Kumogakure won't openly act against Konoha, but they've noticed Konoha's rising talent and don't want to let it slide—so they're dragging us into it."
"Uh… really?"
Kurotsuchi scratched his head, not liking all these mind games but still asking:
"So, Lord Tsuchikage, what should we do? Ignore them?"
"Ignoring them isn't an option—we need more intel."
Onoki shot his son a sharp look, then explained patiently:
"But confronting Konoha directly would be falling into Kumogakure's trap. We need a balanced approach."
"A balanced approach?" Kurotsuchi's eyes lit up. "You mean… test the waters?"
"Exactly."
Onoki nodded, tossing a scroll to Kurotsuchi.
"The Land of Grass has been running secret experiments for a while now. Apparently, as long as their people survive and return, they somehow recover completely—whether through medical ninjutsu or some shady forbidden techniques.
No matter the method, that's something anyone would be interested in.
We haven't acted because the Grass Village has been useful to us, but they've been playing both sides—it's time to teach them a lesson."
"True."
Kurotsuchi agreed. Who wouldn't want to keep fighting without ever worrying about injury?
Still, he had a question:
"Lord Tsuchikage, how can we be sure Konoha will respond?"
"That's easy."
Onoki smirked, tapping his desk.
"Spread a rumor that the experiments involve abducted members of the Uzumaki or Senju clans.
Oh, and make sure to mention that I'm also 'interested' in the results.
There's no way Konoha will stay silent after hearing those names."
"Understood."
Though Kurotsuchi knew it was a dirty trick, he wasn't bothered—after all, deception was part of a ninja's job.
"What about the ones handling this?"
"That's simple."
Onoki chuckled, his fingers drumming lightly on the desk.
"The Akatsuki have handled plenty of dirty work for us before—this will be no different."
"We'll let them take care of it."
—
"Dinner's ready!"
"Got it! Thanks, Shizune-senpai, and Yugao-senpai."
In Konoha, at the Senju clan's ancestral home, Haruta's face lit up at the sound of dinner being called.
For a seasoned slacker like him, eating and… other indulgences were sacred. After all, those urges were ingrained in his DNA!
DNA didn't care about individual survival—it existed to ensure the survival of the species.
And for Haruta, ensuring that survival aligned perfectly with his personal "beliefs."
"Not bad."
Just then, Tsunade emerged from her room, casting a glance at the dishes on the table. She gave a satisfied nod.
The food looked great—but her lips quickly pursed.
"Shizune, Yugao, didn't I say I wanted some sake? Where's the booze?"
"Lady Tsunade, the sake is ready."
Yugao shot a look at Shizune, then reluctantly responded.
"Good." Tsunade's face lit up again. "See? Taking you as my disciple was the right choice!"
"…?"
Haruta blinked at Tsunade.
Was her skin soft and delicate? Sure.
But it must be thick too, right?
He clearly remembered how she'd reacted when he first suggested Yugao become her disciple…
"You just want to bring your little girlfriend over, don't you? Don't joke around. I, Tsunade, don't take disciples lightly. Without talent and determination, I wouldn't accept anyone!"
"I've converted my mission rewards into cash. The Hokage agreed to give me five million ryo. Sensei, didn't you recently get chased by debt collectors?"
"…What do you mean? That town was destroyed by you guys—my debt's already cleared!"
"And the other debts? Won't that town be rebuilt? What about the new debts?"
"…"
"Five million ryo, Sensei. You wouldn't want debt collectors knocking on your door again, right?"
"…Deal!"
A five-million-ryo disciple—and now she had the nerve to call it a "right decision"?
That wasn't a wise choice—it was the power of money!
"What's with that look?"
Tsunade sat cross-legged on the tatami mat, immediately noticing the way Haruta was staring at her.
Naruto: Who Let Him Become a Ninja
Chapter 67 – Fanfiction
"Are you going to sit there or do you need me to chew the food and feed it to you?"
"Well… I wouldn't mind…"
Haruta muttered under his breath, then quickly moved over and sat right next to Yugao.
"Haruta-kun, here you go."
Yugao immediately handed him a bowl and chopsticks, her face slightly flushed, and her whole demeanor a bit stiff.
She still couldn't quite believe it—Haruta had actually followed through and made her Tsunade's disciple!
This was Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin, the pioneer of medical ninjutsu!
Though Yugao had noticed that Tsunade's personal life seemed… a bit unconventional, that didn't diminish the admiration she held for her.
Right now, her heart was filled with gratitude toward Haruta. She knew it was only thanks to him that she got this opportunity.
After all, there were countless people in Konoha who dreamed of becoming Tsunade's student.
"Tch."
Tsunade shot them a glance, feeling a bit annoyed. After a moment, she casually asked:
"By the way, what have you been up to lately? I can sense fluctuations in your chakra—did you have some kind of breakthrough?"
"Sort of."
Haruta nodded. He had indeed gained some insights recently.
Since moving into the Senju compound, his life had been fairly relaxed.
After all, he had just kidnapped the Fourth Raikage, and Hiruzen Sarutobi was still on edge about it—there was no way the Hokage would assign him any missions outside the village right now.
As a result, most of his tasks involved patrolling Konoha, giving him plenty of time to focus on other matters.
Naturally, he spent a lot of time studying the Senju clan's historical records—he was still hoping to find more clan members.
On top of that, he had begun developing his Yang Release Chakra Mode.
He had already used the [Lightning Release Chakra Mode Insight], which gave him a lot of ideas.
Of course, it wasn't as simple as copying the formula this time—Lightning Release and Yang Release had different properties.
Fortunately, the Lightning Release Chakra Mode worked by stimulating cells to enhance physical abilities, while Yang Release directly strengthened the body.
This allowed him to simplify certain processes, but what puzzled him was how to combine the Curse Mark and Dragon Vein powers.
He didn't want a simple stack of abilities—that was something he could already do.
What he really wanted was to achieve something like Naruto's chakra cloak or the Fourth Raikage's Lightning Release armor—an aura of chakra surrounding and protecting his entire body!
The [Lightning Release Chakra Mode Insight] had given him a solid foundation, but there was still a long way to go.
"Oh? You've already come up with a plan?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, suddenly more interested.
"Tell me. I might not know Wood Release, but I've seen it plenty of times. Maybe I can give you some advice."
"Well… Sensei, I don't think you can help much with this one."
Haruta shrugged. If it was about medical ninjutsu, Tsunade might have some useful insights—but for this? Probably not.
"What, now even I'm not worth consulting?"
Tsunade poured herself a cup of sake, her eyebrow twitching slightly in dissatisfaction.
"That's not what I mean—it's just that my idea is a bit risky…"
After a moment of thought, Haruta decided to share one of his long-standing theories—something he had already started testing.
"I was thinking… If I ever face an opponent like the Fourth Raikage again, with my current control over Wood Release, it would be difficult to restrain someone that fast and powerful.
So, what if I combined Wood Release with Flying Thunder God—for example, by planting Flying Thunder God seals across the trees created by Deep Forest Emergence?"
A wide-area attack from Wood Release paired with the precise teleportation of the Flying Thunder God—it sounded like the perfect offensive combination!
Sometimes, Haruta couldn't help but wonder—had Tobirama Senju created the Flying Thunder God specifically to complement his brother's Wood Release?
Maybe his plan was for Hashirama to trap their enemies with Wood Release while he teleported in for the kill…
But in the end, Hashirama was so overwhelmingly strong that he didn't need Tobirama's help—he just steamrolled their opponents by himself.
Or perhaps Tobirama had hoped to awaken Wood Release himself, which was why he developed Flying Thunder God as a complement?
Of course, with both of them long gone, Haruta could only speculate.
All he could do now was try to replicate the combination—and he was making progress.
When he fought the Fourth Raikage, he had used this exact method—appearing behind the Raikage every time by relying on the Flying Thunder God marks planted via Wood Release.
Even though he hadn't yet summoned an entire forest during battle, he could still scatter curse-sealed seeds around the Raikage to set up a teleportation network!
"Flying Thunder God… combined with Wood Release…"
Shizune and Yugao didn't fully grasp the significance, but they knew these were two of Konoha's most treasured techniques.
The fact that Haruta had mastered both was already unbelievable—now he was working on fusing them?
Tsunade, however, wasn't as clueless. Unlike Shizune and Yugao, she knew just how terrifying those two jutsu were—after all, they had belonged to her grandfather.
She wasn't sure exactly what kind of power their combination would produce, but one thing was clear—it suited Haruta perfectly.
Wood Release gave him a massive attack range, and Flying Thunder God let him move unpredictably.
It was the ultimate pairing—making Haruta nearly untouchable on the battlefield.
The only problem?
She didn't know either jutsu.
"…Enough. Let's eat."
Tsunade's expression darkened.
Why had she even asked this brat about his training? All it did was make her feel useless.
She downed her cup of sake in one gulp.
Then, a sudden thought struck her.
Wait a minute…
How come this kid only knows my grandfather's jutsu?!
The rain fell endlessly, as it always did in the Land of Rain.
At the top of a tall tower, Pain suddenly opened his Rinnegan eyes. Around him, several shadowy figures appeared.
"Is everyone here?"
His Rinnegan scanned the room before he nodded slightly and spoke.
"Then let's begin the meeting. Iwagakure has issued us another mission."
"Oh? Another job to eliminate a rebel faction?"
Kakuzu was the first to respond, his tone eager. As a bounty hunter, all he cared about was money — and Iwagakure was a valuable client.
To strengthen their power, Iwagakure had aggressively suppressed smaller nations, sparking numerous resistance movements. Unwilling to directly handle these groups themselves, they often hired the Akatsuki for the task.
And they paid handsomely each time, earning Kakuzu's approval.
"This time, it's not about eliminating rebels. It's a more… interesting mission."
Pain shook his head, his gaze sweeping across the room.
"Apparently, Konoha has produced some intriguing talents recently. They even clashed with the Fourth Raikage in the Land of Woods.
Iwagakure wants us to gather information on these individuals — and if possible, eliminate them. They'll provide intelligence. That's the mission."
"I see… makes sense."
Kakuzu raised an eyebrow. It wasn't surprising — Iwagakure targeting Konoha's rising stars was only natural.
After all, every great village sought to eliminate the future threats of their rivals. A talented ninja left unchecked could one day become a formidable enemy in war.
"Count me out. I'm not interested."
Sasori shook his head, clearly unmoved. Since Kakuzu accepted the job, he saw no reason to get involved.
Meanwhile, Zetsu, appearing as a Venus flytrap-like figure, remained silent, quietly observing the meeting on behalf of Obito.
However, Pain spoke again.
"Only Kakuzu might not be enough. Didn't any of you pay attention to the events in the Land of Woods?
One of Konoha's brats seems to have mastered both the Flying Thunder God and Wood Release — and another possesses the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"…Huh?"
Zetsu, who had been half-heartedly following the discussion, suddenly stiffened.
These abilities sounded all too familiar. After a brief moment of reflection, he pieced it together.
"Shihara Haruta and Uchiha Shisui?"
"Oh?" Kakuzu glanced at Zetsu in surprise. "You know who they are?"
Pain's gaze also shifted toward Zetsu, as did Sasori's — after all, Wood Release, Flying Thunder God, and the Mangekyō Sharingan were no ordinary jutsu.
"I do. In fact, you all might recognize them."
Zetsu sighed, taking a quick glance at Pain before speaking.
"Sasori, remember when you were humiliated by Konoha's Anbu in Sunagakure?"
"…What about it?"
Sasori's expression darkened. That incident — where he was manipulated into a corner — remained a bitter memory.
"It was them. Those two brats have grown stronger since then.
While investigating Uchiha Obito, I stumbled upon their progress.
The Wood Release and Flying Thunder God belong to Shihara Haruta, while the Mangekyō Sharingan is Uchiha Shisui's.
Officially, they serve in Konoha's Anbu — but in reality, they work under Danzo Shimura. Sasori, I believe you're aware of that."
"Of course I know…"
Sasori's face twisted with displeasure, recalling Haruta's mocking words: "Lord Danzo sends his regards!"
Pain's expression darkened as well.
After all, Danzo had once conspired with Hanzo of the Salamander to kill Yahiko — a grudge Pain had yet to avenge.
"This time, all of you will go."
Pain's voice was calm yet commanding.
Ideally, he would have preferred to handle it himself, just as he had when recruiting Kakuzu.
But he couldn't — not yet.
He needed to conserve his chakra for the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, the key to gathering the Tailed Beasts and realizing his dream.
The statue required chakra to remain active — and his focus had to stay on preparing for his confrontation with Hanzo.
Though Hanzo had gone into hiding after their last battle, Pain had recently found traces of him.
He couldn't rest until his vengeance was complete.
"No problem."
Sasori nodded, while Kakuzu chuckled softly.
"Sounds good. I'm curious to see how this Wood Release brat compares to the legendary Hashirama Senju."
Zetsu remained silent, contemplating whether to inform Obito about this situation.
Just then, Kakuzu turned to him.
"By the way, Zetsu… you mentioned investigating Uchiha Obito?"
"…Hmm?"
Zetsu froze for a moment before giving a slight nod.
Kakuzu's eyes lit up.
"Well? Any luck? Where is Uchiha Obito? Konoha's bounty on him is quite generous."
"…"
Zetsu was speechless.
** From a few chapters more every chapter is 5-6K words long. Currently this fic has upto 132 chapter.
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