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After infiltrating the Hokage Building, Ryūsei headed straight for the Forbidden Jutsu Library.
That place housed not only a vast collection of ninjutsu scrolls but also the Scroll of Seals.
However, upon closer inspection, one would notice that although Ryūsei was moving toward the Forbidden Jutsu Library, he wasn't using his Red Eye Illusion to conceal himself. Instead, he strode openly through the Hokage Building, almost as if he wanted to draw certain individuals' attention.
Just as Ryūsei neared the Forbidden Jutsu Library, the corners of his mouth, hidden beneath his mask, curled into a subtle, attractive arc.
In the next instant, the floor beneath Ryūsei's feet gave way, transforming into a swamp that sealed his Body Flicker Technique.
Before Ryūsei could struggle, the quagmire beneath him began to sink rapidly, as if the earth itself were collapsing into a pit.
Ryūsei's perspective shifted, the scenery around him blurring upward like a falling object.
Below lay a bottomless pit, its walls formed of wooden barriers.
Moments later, Ryūsei landed at the pit's base.
It turned out there was a spacious underground base beneath the Hokage Building.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
The moment Ryūsei touched down, the sound of slicing air filled his ears.
Several massive wooden vines, slithering like pythons, surged toward him.
Even the ground beneath his feet sprouted tentacle-like vines, attempting to ensnare him.
Unfortunately for them, these vines hadn't even fully emerged before Ryūsei's Red Eye foresaw their movements.
With a single Body Flicker, Ryūsei evaded the vines effortlessly.
Through the crimson lens of his god-like perspective, the dimly lit underground base revealed a figure not far away—a person clad in a black cloak, wearing a cat-faced mask.
This ANBU operative was Ryūsei's target, the one who, in the original Shippuden storyline, would become the instructor of the new Team 7—Yamato.
No, correction—at this point, he was still known as Tenzō.
"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees!"
Seeing Ryūsei dodge his Wood Release attack, Tenzō didn't bother asking who he was. Instead, he unleashed his signature Wood Release technique, seizing the terrain advantage.
Saplings burst from the ground, rapidly growing into towering trees over ten meters tall, transforming the underground base into a miniature forest.
The ceiling, connected to the Hokage Building via a large hole, sprouted numerous wooden tendrils that sealed the opening shut.
Clearly, Tenzō intended to trap Ryūsei in the underground base, leaving him no chance to escape.
Channeling chakra into his feet, Ryūsei deftly avoided the branches that reached to bind him as the saplings grew. Perching atop the tip of a towering tree, he concealed his hands within the sleeves of his cloak, swiftly forming seals with one hand.
A dense white mist materialized in the air, enveloping the forest in mere blinks, turning it into a foggy woodland.
Tenzō, who had been using his chakra connection to the forest to maintain a god-like perspective, could now only perceive a vague silhouette.
"This is… Hidden Mist Technique!"
The pupils beneath Tenzō's mask contracted slightly as he muttered, "It's not just Sound and Sand ninjas? Or is this just a ploy to conceal his identity?"
At the same time, Tenzō wasted no time forming seals of his own. "Wood Release: Silent Strangle Technique!"
Instantly, the trees surrounding Ryūsei extended masses of withered yellow branches, coiling like pythons and whipping toward him like lashes, aiming to bind and strike.
Zzzzt… zzzzt…
The crackling sound of electricity filled the air as Ryūsei's body suddenly crackled with blue-white arcs of lightning.
—Whoosh!
Ryūsei's figure vanished in an instant, the piercing sound of breaking air trailing behind.
This technique was none other than the Ninja Art: Lightning Armor, obtained from Black Hoe Thunder Fang.
Originally, this move required the Lightning Blade: Fang to execute, but after Ryūsei mastered Lightning Release nature transformation, he could use it freely.
Moreover, Ryūsei discovered that combining this offensive-defensive Lightning Release technique with the Lightning Chakra Stimulation Method allowed his speed to skyrocket from zero to maximum in an instant—a near-perfect replica of the Lightning Chakra Mode.
"How is this possible?"
Tenzō's face, hidden beneath his mask, twisted in shock.
In his perception, countless figures suddenly appeared within the white mist.
And these figures didn't seem to be mere clones.
They moved rapidly, quickly disrupting Tenzō's senses and causing him to lose track of the mysterious intruder.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
The sound of slicing air filled his ears as a torrent of needles rained down toward Tenzō.
Within the dense fog, Ryūsei used his Red Eye Illusion to disrupt Tenzō's perception. Then, employing the Shadow Clone Technique, he and his clones surrounded Tenzō. Mobilizing his chakra, he converted it into Ice Release nature transformation, crafting countless ice senbon in his hands and hurling them at Tenzō.
"Wood Release: World of Trees Wall!"
Deprived of vision and relying solely on perception, Tenzō hurriedly activated a defensive Wood Release technique.
Multiple wooden vines erupted from the ground, forming a chrysalis-like shield that enveloped Tenzō, blocking the onslaught of ice senbon.
In no time, the chrysalis shield was riddled with needles, resembling a porcupine.
Seeing this, Ryūsei's lips curved into a slight smile.
Nearby, one of his shadow clones quietly formed hand seals, and a black shadow extended outward.
Shadow Imitation Technique!
This was the technique his shadow clone had "obtained" from Shikamaru during the official matches earlier.
It was precisely this unexpected acquisition that prompted Ryūsei to overhaul the battle plan he'd prepared over the past month, deciding to ambush Tenzō instead.
The combination of Hidden Mist Technique and Red Eye Illusion was extraordinarily effective.
In the original story, both Naruto and Might Guy's team had fallen victim to this combo, and even Neji's Byakugan was powerless against it.
Tenzō, whose perception relied neither on the Kagura Mind's Eye nor the Byakugan, failed to notice the creeping shadow.
After blocking all the ice senbon, Tenzō didn't immediately release his wooden shield. Instead, he extended his senses and, detecting no "presence" nearby, slowly dispelled the shield while channeling chakra to his feet, preparing to shift positions with a Body Flicker.
Clang, clang…
At that moment, the sound of bells suddenly rang in his ears.
Tenzō, who had just prepared to flicker away, found his body frozen in place.
"Gen… Genjutsu: Temporary Paralysis Technique!"
Tenzō gritted his teeth, attempting to disrupt the chakra flow in his body.
But in the next second, his body truly became immobile.
Due to the fog's concealment, Tenzō hadn't noticed the black shadow that had, unbeknownst to him, connected to his feet, stripping him of control over his body.
Whoosh—
The piercing sound of breaking air rang out again as a lightning-wreathed figure surged toward Tenzō. The figure's fingers, crackling with electricity, cold air, and blue chakra flames, struck a precise acupoint on Tenzō's body.
"Pfft…"
In an instant, Tenzō spat blood and collapsed, losing consciousness on the spot.
This technique was called Shock-Inducing Acupoint Strike.
In Boruto, Uzumaki Himawari used this move to instantly knock out Naruto, causing him to miss the Seventh Hokage's inauguration ceremony.
After acquiring the Red Eye, Ryūsei began studying human acupoints. Under the pretext of learning medical ninjutsu, he consulted Hinata, who had memorized the human body's acupoints since childhood, and learned which points could induce unconsciousness.
Since this technique required precise targeting of an enemy's acupoints—and immobilizing the opponent first—Ryūsei had never used it before.
If he could already immobilize an enemy, why bother with the Shock-Inducing Acupoint Strike? A single Water Release: Hard Vortex Water Blade could finish them off instantly.
But Ryūsei didn't want to kill Tenzō, making this technique the perfect choice.
Swish—
Almost the moment Tenzō fell unconscious, a red glow flickered from his body.
Seconds later, a red beam shot out from him, coalescing into a floating red orb nearby.
"Got it on the first try. Looks like I'm in luck."
The fog dissipated, and Ryūsei's real body emerged from the forest, gazing at the floating red orb with a satisfied smile.
This was the advantage of a well-stocked arsenal!
Ryūsei's original plan had been to reveal his Sharingan and Water Release, using Ice Release to mask his identity.
But after his shadow clone acquired the Shadow Imitation Technique from Shikamaru, Ryūsei immediately revised his strategy, opting to keep his Sharingan hidden and crafting a new plan around the Shadow Imitation Technique.
The earlier bell sound was a genjutsu Ryūsei had obtained from Kin of the Sound Trio, an auditory-based technique he'd refined into a Temporary Paralysis Genjutsu triggered by bells.
In the dense fog, Ryūsei would have needed to activate his Byakugan, Red Eye, or Kagura Mind's Eye to locate Tenzō.
Had he used the Sharingan, he'd have been in the same predicament as Kakashi versus Zabuza—unable to pinpoint Tenzō's location.
Without seeing Tenzō, he couldn't use the Temporary Paralysis Genjutsu or the Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique.
Shikamaru's Shadow Imitation Technique came at the perfect time, allowing Ryūsei to avoid exposing his Sharingan or Water Release.
Aside from casting the Hidden Mist Technique and Red Eye Illusion, Ryūsei hadn't lifted a finger himself.
Both immobilizing and knocking out Tenzō were handled by shadow clones with minimal chakra.
With the aid of the divine Shadow Clone Technique, Ryūsei had succeeded in a single attempt.
Soon, the red orb automatically moved toward him.
Watching the orb drift closer, Ryūsei's eyes brimmed with anticipation and excitement.
As the orb merged into his body, Ryūsei immediately summoned a virtual panel to inspect the red orb, which, due to its supreme rarity, occupied the first slot in his inventory.
[Inventory: Bloodline Limit – Wood Release (Red)]
The Bloodline Limit he'd longed for, dreamed of, was finally in his grasp!
Ryūsei clenched his fist, barely containing the urge to shout in triumph!
In Ryūsei's eyes, below the Six Paths level, no Bloodline Limit was better suited to the Sage Body than Wood Release.
Had Naruto possessed Wood Release in Boruto, he wouldn't have been treated so poorly after losing Kurama.
With Wood Release and Sage Mode, he'd still be among the ninja world's strongest.
As a Wood Release experiment, Tenzō's Wood Release was, at best, only about 20% as potent as Senju Hashirama's.
But once Ryūsei's Sage Body fully matured and he mastered Sage Mode, his Wood Release could reach 100% of Hashirama's power.
If he could learn all of Hashirama's Wood Release techniques, Ryūsei wouldn't even need the Sharingan to become the strongest below the Six Paths—a pinnacle super-kage-level existence.
And when his Sharingan evolved into the Mangekyō Sharingan, capable of summoning a Complete Body Susanoo, Ryūsei could turn a famous meme from his previous life into reality:
Susanoo Clad in Great Buddha.