He's coming…
As Nawaki saw Uchiha Madara charging toward him at high speed, he didn't dare to let his guard down—even though he knew someone was protecting him from the shadows.
Madara had clearly come with the intention to kill. After all, if he wanted to study Wood Style cells, a corpse would do just fine.
"Who's there?!"
With a shout, Nawaki immediately began forming hand seals.
The simplicity of Wood Style seals worked to his advantage. In just a second, the ground beneath him roiled with sand as more than a dozen massive, thick wooden roots burst forth, twisting upward like giant tentacles, aiming to entangle the incoming Madara.
Nawaki himself leapt onto one of the giant trunks, lifted high above the ground as he kept watch from above.
Seeing this, a strange glint flashed in Madara's eyes.
"So it really is Wood Style... identical to Hashirama's back in the day."
He murmured softly, then reached for the scythe strapped to his back with his right hand. With a swing—
Swish, swish, swish!
The scythe cleaved through the wooden roots with ease. Madara's movements didn't slow at all—his agile footwork completely at odds with the appearance of an old man in his twilight years.
Nawaki, watching the roots being sliced through effortlessly, remained calm.
This was just ordinary wood—he hadn't tapped into the power of his internal life source. It was no surprise Madara could slice through it.
If he did use the life source, the hardness and toughness would increase tenfold—likely approaching the level of Hashirama's non-Sage Mode Wood Style!
Of course, in terms of scale, Nawaki couldn't compare to his monstrous ancestor yet.
For now, he simply used basic Wood Style to harass and probe Madara, lowering his opponent's guard and making it look like he only had jonin-level strength.
After a few leaps, Madara was already in front of Nawaki, scythe raised.
No words, no hesitation—he swung with force!
Clang!
Just as the blade came down, a flash of white light blocked it mid-air. The strike was stopped cold.
A short blade about thirty centimeters long met the scythe—its edge glowed with chakra like the fangs of a beast.
The one holding the white dagger was a battle-hardened man, wearing a Konoha forehead protector. His long white hair fluttered from the sheer speed of his movements.
It was Sakumo Hatake—the White Fang of the Leaf—who had been assigned by the Third Hokage to protect Nawaki. He finally revealed himself, blocking the blow just in time.
"Heh."
Madara smirked as if expecting this. At some point, his pupils had turned blood-red—three tomoe dancing within them.
He loosened his grip on the scythe and, in a flash, completed a series of hand signs.
Opening his mouth slightly, chakra turned into searing flames and burst forth in a huge fireball, four to five meters wide, hurtling toward the two.
Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!
Almost the instant Madara began forming seals, Sakumo grabbed Nawaki and flickered backward.
They narrowly dodged the fireball—Nawaki could feel its heat singe past his face.
When it hit the ground, the sand melted under the scorching impact.
As expected of Uchiha Madara. Even a run-of-the-mill C-rank jutsu like Fireball, in his hands—even in old age—could unleash terrifying power.
Seeing that enormous flame and those Sharingan eyes, Sakumo's expression shifted slightly.
An Uchiha?
Why was there an elderly Uchiha attacking Nawaki with such ferocity? And how had he never heard of such a powerful figure among the clan?
Before he could think further, Madara was already upon them again, scythe swinging at Nawaki.
Sakumo raised his White Fang blade to block—but then something strange happened.
A fan—made of an unusual material—appeared in front of him, blocking his advance. Madara now held the war fan— Gunbai in one hand, the scythe in the other, determined to strike Nawaki down.
This was when the short-range disadvantage of Sakumo's weapon became clear. Great for assassinations, but not ideal against longer weapons in frontal combat.
Even with Sakumo's skill in taijutsu and kenjutsu, Madara's Sharingan could easily see through his moves. Their speeds were comparable, but Madara's experience gave him the edge.
Besides, there was a difference between defending oneself and protecting someone else.
What did I ever do to you…
Watching Madara fight without a word, purely focused on killing him, Nawaki couldn't help but feel a bit helpless. If you want Wood Style cells, just ask! I literally broke a leg recently—you could've had those for research.
Sighing inwardly, Nawaki raised his right hand in response to Madara's next attack.
Five thick wooden strands extended from his fingertips, twisting together into a sturdy shield.
Madara's scythe struck the wooden shield, biting ten centimeters deep before losing momentum.
That's some hard wood!
Madara was visibly surprised. This was nothing like the wood he'd easily cut through earlier. Could Nawaki's Wood Style adjust its hardness at will?
His Sharingan gleamed with renewed curiosity.
Just then, the wooden shield in Nawaki's hand pulsed—like it was alive. It suddenly bloomed open like a giant wooden flower, wrapping around Madara!
Nawaki's eyes lit up. He focused on compressing the wood inward, trying to trap Madara.
But—resistance. Madara's chakra held the wood at bay, stopping it from closing fully.
"Still not strong enough, huh…"
Nawaki made a swift decision. He severed the connection between his right hand and the wooden prison, leaving it to bind Madara as he quickly retreated.
Never turn your back when fleeing—that was common sense.
"Uncle! Quit stalling and get me out of here already!"
"…"
Hearing that, Sakumo gave a small nod. He slung Nawaki over his shoulder and performed the Body Flicker Technique—like a streak of white light flashing across the desert.
He sprinted at top speed toward the Land of Fire.
Sakumo had already compared their strengths and knew he couldn't subdue this Uchiha. So his new plan was simple—secure Nawaki's safety.
As long as Nawaki survived and brought intel on the attacker back to the Third Hokage, this mission would be a success.
By the time Madara broke free from the wooden trap, Sakumo had already fled several hundred meters.
"This body…"
Madara's face showed frustration. If it weren't for his deteriorated physique, he could've torn through that Wood Style instantly.
But because of one careless moment, he had slipped up.
Still, it wasn't too late.
He darted forward at top speed, quickly forming the Ram hand seal with both hands.
Meanwhile, roots suddenly burst from beneath Sakumo's feet, binding him in place mid-run!
~~~~~
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Remove the parentheses btw