Swish! Swish! Swish!
Within the dense forest, roots burst from the ground, snaking through the air and twisting tightly, crushing the surrounding area.
Crash!
The buildings nearby crumbled under the pressure, the sound of breaking wood and stone echoing. Smoke and debris filled the air.
The scene was chaotic, and the ten ANBU from Root stood frozen, their eyes wide in shock.
"Wood Release?" one of them muttered in disbelief.
They were reminded of the legendary First Hokage, the man whose jutsu shaped the very landscape of the Valley of the End.
The ANBU with the Sharingan mask activated his dojutsu. The three tomoe in his eyes spun rapidly, analyzing the chakra erupting from Yoruichi's body. It wasn't just chakra—it was almost tangible, overwhelming, and oppressive.
"This level of chakra..." the masked ANBU said, sweat dripping down his face. "It's beyond our limit to endure."
The roots trembled with power, releasing a suffocating aura. The ANBU shifted uncomfortably, their bodies slightly trembling.
Yoruichi stood still, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. The overwhelming chakra flowing through him felt different, stronger than just days ago.
Outside the battlefield, back in the Hokage's office, the tension was palpable.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, stared at the scene through his crystal ball. His voice betrayed his shock. "This chakra… It's Yoruichi's?"
Nearby, Uzumaki Mito, aged but still sharp, watched with narrowed eyes. She'd underestimated Yoruichi.
"In the last few days, he's done nothing but sleep," Mito muttered, a mix of frustration and awe in her tone. "I thought he was wasting his potential… but now I understand. He's a genius."
Minato stood to the side, uneasy. Mito turned to him. "Is Kushina in there with him?"
Minato nodded firmly. "Yes, Yoruichi pulled Kushina into this chaos."
Mito's eyes sparkled. "Good. Let them bond."
Sarutobi groaned inwardly. "You were panicking just a moment ago, and now you're telling me to wait?"
Back in the battlefield, Yamanaka Fu, one of the ten Root ANBU, felt his unease growing. Yoruichi wasn't just an ordinary opponent.
"Attack!" Fu shouted.
The Root operatives launched forward as one, coordinating their strikes. The Sharingan ANBU bled from his eye as he cast an illusion.
"Genjutsu: Binding Jutsu!"
The illusion was meant to trap Yoruichi, freezing him in place.
But Yoruichi didn't even flinch.
"It didn't work?!" the masked ANBU gasped.
It wasn't just his illusion. The Yamanaka Clan's mind techniques couldn't reach Yoruichi either, and the Aburame Clan's insects were crushed the moment they got close, ensnared by the growing roots.
Crack!
The ground split further, massive roots surging upward, whipping through the air.
"Fall back!" Fu shouted.
But the roots were relentless. They moved like living creatures, thicker and faster with every passing second.
The Root members leaped between the vines, slashing at them desperately. Substitution jutsu and shadow clones bought them moments of reprieve, but the roots kept growing.
Sweat dripped from their brows as they struggled to avoid the strikes. The space around them became tighter, suffocating with the sheer density of the roots.
"We can't keep up!" one ANBU cried.
"Retreat!" Fu yelled again.
They turned to flee, but the roots moved faster than they could.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
"Argh!" Screams echoed as one by one, the operatives were captured, wrapped tightly in thick roots. Their bodies hung helplessly like trapped insects.
Fu managed to substitute himself just in time, appearing twenty meters away. He gasped for air, relieved for a brief moment. But then his heart sank.
Yoruichi was standing right in front of him.
"When…?!" Fu stammered, stepping back.
Yoruichi's clones surrounded him, their presence inescapable. Behind him, his teammates were already immobilized, trapped in wooden prisons.
Yoruichi tilted his head, his calm, predatory gaze locking onto Fu. "Are you the leader?"
###
Yoruichi gently pressed down, and countless roots and vines instantly wrapped around Yamashiro.
This time, Yamashiro had nowhere to escape.
Soon, the wood release jutsu faded, leaving only the ten captured shinobi tied up in front of them.
"Hm…"
At that moment, Kushina, who had been lying in Yoruichi's arms, stirred. Her long eyelashes trembled before she jolted awake.
Looking up, she saw Yoruichi's calm face right in front of her.
"Yoruichi! Are you okay?"
Kushina touched his face, her eyes red with worry, and hugged him tightly.
She had watched in horror during the earlier battle when Yoruichi bled and fell. The scene was still vivid in her mind, terrifying her.
In her thoughts, she replayed everything—from when she first met Yoruichi as a child after leaving Uzushio to Konoha, the times they trained and grew stronger together, and now how he had fought to save her life.
Realizing how much Yoruichi meant to her, she whispered, "I was so scared…"
Yoruichi gently ran his hand through Kushina's soft red hair and said, "Silly girl. I'm fine."
Kushina buried her face into his chest, murmuring, "I can't believe I got caught in such a stupid genjutsu…"
"Ahem."
A voice broke the moment.
Kushina looked up, startled, and quickly pushed herself away from Yoruichi, blushing furiously.
Standing there was Mito Uzumaki, her grandmother, alongside the Third Hokage. Behind them stood Minato, who Kushina ignored completely.
Mito glared at the Third Hokage with a dissatisfied look, as if asking, What are you doing interrupting them at a time like this?
The Third Hokage cleared his throat awkwardly, gesturing toward the ten tied-up shinobi.
Yoruichi's jutsu had wrapped them so tightly that they were barely breathing.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Fugaku arrived with several Uchiha clan members in tow.
The Third Hokage turned to Fugaku. "Fugaku, secure a perimeter. Don't let anyone uninvited near this area."
Fugaku gave a quick glance at Yoruichi, eyes widening slightly. He'd heard about the young shinobi's abilities, but the sheer power of the Wood Release he had just witnessed was staggering.
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Fugaku said, quickly moving to organize his clan members to cordon off the area.
Elsewhere, the Hyuga and Yamanaka clans, who had also been alerted, were being held back from entering by Fugaku's men.
The Third Hokage turned to Yoruichi. "Yoruichi, release them for now."
Yoruichi frowned slightly. "Do you know these people, Lord Third?"
The Hokage sighed. Just as he was about to explain, heavy footsteps approached.
Turning to look, they saw Danzo, accompanied by Koharu and Homura, walking toward them quickly.
"These are my people," Danzo said coldly, eyeing the ten shinobi bound by the roots. "Release them, Yoruichi."
Kushina clenched her fists, glaring at Danzo.
Why would Konoha's leadership send people to attack Yoruichi? What are they planning?
Before the Third Hokage could even begin to mediate, a golden chakra erupted from Mito Uzumaki.
The chakra formed into a large claw, brimming with Nine-Tails energy, and in an instant, it grabbed Danzo by the neck and lifted him off the ground.
"Shimura Danzo!" Mito's voice was sharp and filled with anger. "Your people attacked Yoruichi? What are you trying to do?!"
The surrounding shinobi froze, stunned by the sheer pressure emanating from Mito.
Her eyes burned with fury. The losses of Uzushio, the decline of the Senju, and the deaths of her loved ones—she had endured all of it in silence. But this?
This was the last straw.
Mito's hands trembled with rage. "This boy is the last of the Senju. Do you want to wipe them out entirely?!"
Danzo gasped, his legs kicking in the air as he struggled.
"M-Mito-sama! Everything I do is for the village! I didn't mean for this to happen—it was a misunderstanding! I swear!"
His face turned red as he struggled to speak, unable to use any jutsu under the oppressive chakra. Years of living in comfort had dulled his edge, and now, staring death in the face, his earlier arrogance faded completely.
The advisors, Koharu and Homura, were equally stunned.
Their earlier plan was simple—provoke Yoruichi into acting out of turn so they could frame him for insubordination. But now that Mito had intervened, they couldn't follow through with any of it.
"Mito-sama, please," Koharu said hurriedly. "Let's not escalate this. Danzo acted for the good of the village. I believe this is a misunderstanding!"
"Yes," Homura added nervously. "Danzo's actions may have been rash, but his intentions were pure. Let's talk this through."
###
Translator's Note;
Dang... Sad that we didn't get any new members on the page 😞
Advance Chapters Available in my [buy me a coffee] PAGE, here's a link for your easy accessiblity: buymeacoffee.com/tyrouge