"For one general's success, ten thousand bones must wither."
This phrase perfectly described Hajime Hoshita.
The Sky Shinobi suffered a devastating loss. Their leader had been assassinated, and over a hundred of their forces were killed throughout the entire battle.
Even the Root squads suffered heavy casualties by proportion.
Whether it was the fallen Root shinobi, the slain Sky Shinobi, or even the Sky Shinobi leader himself—none of them would be remembered in the days to come.
At most, they'd be mentioned only as the backdrop to the rise of Hajime's legend.
…
When the other Root squads arrived and stepped into the forest, they were stunned by the gruesome corpses hanging from the trees.
And when they reached the center and heard from Shimura Daichi and the others that the Sky Shinobi leader had been assassinated by Hajime, every gaze turned toward him—with awe and reverence.
A Wood Style user—so terrifying!
Hajime could clearly feel the intensity of those gazes. More than ever before, his senses were sharp and heightened.
A result of the "Mental Abnormality" status?
He silently speculated. Unfortunately, the timing wasn't right.
If he were in Konoha, he might've been able to find secret techniques suited to this condition.
Something spiritual, perhaps—like Tobirama Senju's Soul Imprisonment, or even the Spirit Transformation Technique. Sensory-type jutsu might also be compatible.
But today marked the last day of the "Mental Abnormality" status. Hajime had no intention of making that condition permanent.
The risk of going completely insane was too high.
He disliked the feeling of losing control.
"Still not enough chakra..." Hajime sighed inwardly.
The Hashirama cells within him had drastically increased his chakra reserves, symbolizing the vitality-based Yang Release.
This was the cornerstone of Wood Style's formidable power.
Could Yamato's Wood Style absorb chakra?
He couldn't quite recall.
Didn't it only respond to Nine-Tails chakra?
"The Nine-Tails' chakra… it's teeming with life and closest in nature to the Ten Tails' chakra."
"The Ten Tails… the Divine Tree—it must be capable of absorbing chakra."
Hajime pondered deeply.
Chakra's origin traces back to the Divine Tree, and so too do Kekkei Genkai (Bloodline Limits).
Hashirama Senju's Wood Style—while it was unclear if ordinary Wood Style could absorb chakra—
—the Wood Dragon Technique definitely could.
Hajime was certain: Uchiha Madara's Wood Dragon could drain the Nine-Tails' power.
There was also White Zetsu's Spore Technique, which could absorb chakra and transmit it to others.
It seems I need to further excavate the potential of Wood Style… and the power of Hashirama's cells.
Could I even consider working with Orochimaru someday?
A wild thought flashed through Hajime's mind: What if I transformed all the cells in my body into Hashirama cells?
Yamato's Wood Style had one level of power. When White Zetsu controlled Yamato's body, it displayed a different, stronger level.
Then there was Uchiha Madara—after transplanting Hashirama cells—his Wood Style reached yet another, far more terrifying stage.
Hajime's current Wood Style was already stronger than Yamato's, but still limited. It was nowhere near the level of White Zetsu or Madara.
One hour later.
Hajime finished resting.
When he opened his eyes, Shimura Daichi and the other squad captains immediately looked his way.
Nakamura spoke first, "The Sky Shinobi are still monitoring us. Their numbers have increased to over sixty, but they don't seem inclined to attack."
Hajime rose to his feet. "Out of ten squads, three will stay with me to cover the rear. The rest will withdraw first."
"We'll fall back to the Land of Hot Water and await Lord Danzo's orders."
Shimura Daichi and the others all nodded in agreement.
Moments later, once preparations were complete, a total of twelve Root squads began to retreat in an orderly fashion.
The Sky Shinobi immediately followed, keeping a close watch—but made no move to attack.
Soon after, night fell. Hajime Hoshita and the others crossed the border and entered the Land of Hot Water.
After choosing a rest area—
Hajime formed the "Snake" hand seal, and in the next instant, wooden vines rose from the ground, constructing wooden houses arranged in a square formation.
Towers and corner watchposts followed one after another, rising into place.
Finally, a wooden wall surged up from the ground, forming a simple defensive perimeter.
This scene left Shimura Daichi and the others amazed.
It was practically an essential jutsu for ninja expeditions and camping.
…
On the border of the Land of the Sky, Kogetsu Daisei and a few other Sky Shinobi jonin deliberated and decided to leave six squads behind to monitor Hajime's group, while the rest withdrew.
With their leader assassinated and the village in chaos, they had to return to stabilize the situation.
…
Konoha, Root Base.
Danzo took the note handed to him by his subordinate. As he read it, surprise flickered across his face.
The situation had indeed exceeded his expectations.
They actually assassinated the Sky Shinobi leader!
An unexpected but delightful surprise.
This news presented Danzo with a rare opportunity—to completely eliminate the Sky Shinobi.
Leaderless and in chaos, the Sky Shinobi were now at their weakest.
Without hesitation, Danzo took the intel and left the Root base.
It was already late at night. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi was in bed, holding his wife as he slept.
But Danzo roused him without mercy.
When Hiruzen heard the report about the Sky Shinobi, he too was shocked. However, he quickly calmed and began weighing the pros and cons.
In just a few moments, under Danzo's expectant gaze, Hiruzen spoke:
"This truly is a rare opportunity."
"But the situation unfolded too suddenly."
"Mobilizing forces will take time."
"Danzo, you'll personally lead a portion of our forces to the Land of the Sky immediately. We must not allow the Sky Shinobi any chance to regroup."
"Also, have Sakumo lead a squad across the Land of Hot Water and confront the Cloud Shinobi at the border of the Land of the Sky. We cannot allow the Cloud to interfere!"
"I'll send Homura and Koharu with reinforcements later. When the time comes, you'll command the front lines and must completely wipe out the Sky Shinobi!"
By the end, Hiruzen's tone had turned cold and resolute.
A slight smile appeared on Danzo's face. "Understood."
…
Land of Hot Water, inside a wooden cabin.
Hajime watched as the countdown above his head finally reached zero.
October 12th, Year 36 of the Hidden Leaf Calendar. Midnight. The status refreshed on time.
"Let's hope this time I get something normal and useful—preferably something related to ninjutsu."
He silently prayed and then checked the new status.
> Current Status: Steel Body
> Note: From this moment on, you possess a body of steel. Use it with caution.
> Refresh Countdown: 167:59:57
"Steel Body… is this literal again?"
Hajime couldn't help but pinch his left arm. It was rock hard—like gripping a steel beam.
Could this count as a Steel Release Kekkei Genkai?
He recalled that there was supposedly a Steel Release in the ninja world.
Could I derive Steel Release from this Steel Body status?
But how would he go about it?
Hajime frowned in thought.
Of all the statuses he'd experienced so far, only Swordsmanship Expert had been permanently solidified.
At the time, he had truly elevated his sword skills to expert level, mastering everything the state had granted him. In doing so, he had cemented the state and gained a permanent swordsmanship talent.
Later, though he failed to solidify [Indecisive] Status, he still developed a dual-mind focus ability through training.
However…
As Hajime felt out his body now, there was no significant subjective sensation.
It was like the early days of his Immortal Body—difficult to glean much from just the feeling alone.
"Still, pursuing Steel Release through this might be the right idea."
He mused internally—then noticed something odd in the annotation.
"Wait… why does it say to use it with caution?"
"Could it be…"
A sudden realization struck Hajime. He reached out and pinched his… little head.
Rock solid. Real steel!
(End of Chapter)
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