"Wood Style: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"
As Byakuya's low voice echoed, the once-calm earth split in two. Countless massive vines erupted from the ground, snaking towards the Two-Tails like enormous pythons.
At that moment, the Tailed Beast Bomb, fully formed, exploded in the heart of the canyon. The brilliant light, as radiant as the sun, instantly melted the vines entangling the Two-Tails. The massive shockwave tore through the canyon, uprooting trees, blasting dust into the air, and sweeping debris towards both ends of the ravine.
Even someone as strong as Shisui could only retreat in the face of such a massive explosion.
However, as the dust settled, more vines emerged from the earth, engulfing the struggling Two-Tails once again, draining its chakra.
Sensing the beast's location, Byakuya instantly appeared atop its head. Clasping his hands together, he summoned black chakra rods and plunged them into the Two-Tails' body.
The violent beast's ferocious gaze slowly softened under the intense stimuli, its wildness giving way to clarity. Fear spread across its face as it recognized Byakuya sitting atop its head, surrounded by massive vines. Old, buried memories resurfaced in its mind.
As a tailed beast, the Two-Tails could never forget the battle decades ago. A young shinobi clad in red armor had stormed its territory, muttering about how dangerous the tailed beasts were, and had sealed it away using Wood Release techniques.
That man was the First Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village.
Though the boy before it now wasn't the same person from decades ago, he wielded the same Wood Release, a power that, while not overwhelming, was terrifyingly formidable. Could history be repeating itself, with the shinobi world once again facing the same fate as before?
"Who exactly are you, boy? Why do you possess Wood Release?" the Two-Tails asked, but it no longer had time to demand answers. Having spent so much of its chakra, it had no choice but to retreat into Yugito Nii's body.
Byakuya glanced at the Two-Tails and smirked, pointing at the forehead protector he wore.
As soon as the Two-Tails saw the Konoha insignia, it understood. So, this boy was a Leaf shinobi, which explained his mastery of the First Hokage's Wood Release. The Leaf had distributed the tailed beasts like playthings years ago; surely they wouldn't bother capturing it again.
Yugito Nii, however, had been deceived. If Kumogakure had known that the Leaf possessed such a powerful shinobi, they would never have attacked. This mistake was going to cost them dearly.
Byakuya quickly performed the Four Symbols Seal, reinforcing the seal on Yugito's body.
Carrying the unconscious Yugito on his shoulder, Byakuya walked over to Shisui, chuckling as he said, "The annoying little cat has been dealt with. Now, no one will disturb our reunion."
Shisui, who had witnessed the entire battle, felt a whirlwind of emotions. There were so many questions he wanted to ask Byakuya, but his mind was in disarray. He needed a moment to gather his thoughts.
After a brief silence, Shisui finally spoke. "Byakuya, I owe you for your help, but why are you here? And why are you wearing a Leaf Village forehead protector?"
Byakuya casually replied, "Jiraiya hired us to deal with Kumogakure. As for why I'm here, let's just say it's fate that brought the two of us together. I've been tracking down the Two-Tails jinchūriki myself."
Byakuya's explanation only deepened Shisui's confusion.
Shisui asked, "Why would Lord Jiraiya hire ninja from Amegakure? And Byakuya, didn't you always hate Konoha, constantly calling it hypocritical and dangerous? How did you end up willingly working as a mercenary for them?"
Byakuya noticed Shisui's doubts but didn't rush to explain, patiently waiting for him to ask further.
After wrestling with his thoughts, Shisui took a deep breath and cautiously asked, "Byakuya, how did you come to possess the First Hokage's Wood Release?"
He stared intently at Byakuya, eager for a concrete answer.
Wood Release, like many Kekkei Genkai (bloodline limits), wasn't unique in its existence. However, for Konoha, it carried a much deeper significance. It was the unique bloodline ability of the First Hokage, and only he had ever wielded it.
Now, seeing someone outside the Leaf with such a power, especially someone like Byakuya who seemed to harbor negative feelings toward the village, raised serious concerns in Shisui's mind. What could this mean?
If it had been someone else, like Clan Leader Fugaku or Elder Setsuna from years ago, they might have already used their Sharingan to cast a genjutsu on Byakuya, forcing out the answers they wanted.
Byakuya, noticing Shisui's confusion, gave a puzzled expression before nonchalantly saying, "I don't really know why I have Wood Release. But the Senju and Uzumaki clans have intermarried for centuries, so maybe I have some Senju blood in me."
Pausing for a moment, he added, "But that's not really important. Wood Release isn't as powerful as you think. I almost messed up while fighting the Two-Tails just now."
Shisui couldn't help but secretly retort in his mind, 'it didn't look like you were struggling at all...'
Internally, Shisui became even more curious about Byakuya's background. He wielded Uzumaki techniques, had the First Hokage's Wood Release, and yet maintained a cold attitude toward Konoha. The mix of abilities and contradictions surrounding Byakuya was overwhelming.
Realizing he wouldn't get a bold, direct answer from Byakuya, Shisui decided to shift the conversation. He glanced at the unconscious Yugito and asked, "Byakuya, what do you plan to do with the Two-Tails' jinchūriki?"
"I'm not sure yet…" Byakuya looked over at Shisui before adding, "But you still haven't answered my question. Do you have the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Shisui hesitated for a moment, seemingly unsure whether to tell the truth. After a brief pause, he nodded. "Yes, my eyes are the Mangekyō Sharingan. But after gaining them, I didn't feel as happy as I thought I would."
"That's only natural. The Sharingan evolves through extreme emotions, and those emotions often come from tragedy," Byakuya remarked casually. "So, did you awaken your Mangekyō by seeing through Konoha, through the Uchiha, or through yourself?"
Though Byakuya's tone was light, his words struck deep in Shisui. Once again, Byakuya had seen through his inner thoughts. The fact that Byakuya knew the secrets behind the Sharingan's evolution, and understood the tensions between the Uchiha and the village, deeply unsettled Shisui.
Could Byakuya also know about his Mangekyō technique, Kotoamatsukami?
While Shisui was wrestling with his worries, Byakuya didn't press further. Instead, he used the Body Flicker Technique to move among the rubble in the canyon and found the injured Yakumo.
Byakuya felt Yakumo's body and frowned. "Shisui, this person is from your clan, right? Judging by his injuries, he won't be able to become a ninja again."
"Won't be able to become a ninja again?" Shisui reacted quickly and asked urgently, "Byakuya, do you mean he'll still be able to survive?"
Byakuya nodded and said, "Of course, he can live. These aren't fatal injuries."