Inside the Uzumaki compound, Uzumaki Mito shot to her feet.
"Not good! Night Maple went out?"
"Courting death—someone truly intends to wipe out the Senju clan!"
Golden, roaring flames of tailed-beast chakra flared across Uzumaki Mito's body; her eyes turned fox-like, and dense Uzumaki sealing formulae surfaced all over her form!
Bang!
With a light leap, Uzumaki Mito sprang out.
At the same time, in the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen also rose abruptly.
Just then, Orochimaru walked in.
"Sensei…"
"Wait, Orochimaru—whatever it is, later."
"Sensei, this is important—"
"Out!"
Sarutobi cast Orochimaru a frosty glance—and in the next instant, his standing figure vanished.
"Danzō? I should have suspected as much long ago."
Racing toward Night Maple's location, Sarutobi gave a bitter smile.
He hadn't expected Danzō to be this depraved!
To actually make a move on Night Maple inside the village.
"You think you can act just because there's no proof?"
"You're wrong…"
Sarutobi could already feel the Nine-Tails' chakra—my lady was truly enraged.
"Danzō, what are you trying to do? Will you even strike at the last blood of the Senju clan?"
"Keep this up and there really will be no way back for you…"
…
In the alley, the Root Ten surrounded Night Maple.
Poisonous bugs, mental secret arts, Sharingan—and countless kunai and shuriken laced with anesthetic—whistled in.
Just as every attack converged on Night Maple, countless clones burst from his body.
Wood Release—Shadow Clone Technique!
The Mind Body Switch that should have hit Night Maple was negated by the split-second displacement effect when he used Shadow Clone.
At the same time, the bugs, kunai, and shuriken all slammed into the clones that had suddenly appeared.
The clones took the hits for Night Maple.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Several clones instantly reverted to wood.
Masked Yamanaka Fū froze, sweat beading his brow. This Night Maple was tricky—one Shadow Clone and their encirclement was broken?
At that moment, the two bug-keeping Aburame kept releasing insects!
They wore special goggles—obviously Aburame clan.
Swarms of Kikaichū crawled over their bodies and took flight toward Night Maple.
Even the other members of the Root Ten dared not approach, fearing the wave of insects.
"I'm about to develop trypophobia here—good thing Kushina fainted."
Night Maple quipped, then flashed through hand seals.
"Wood Release—Deep Forest Emergence!"
Chakra surged from his feet into the ground.
In an instant, countless massive trees erupted from the earth; as if ripped up by the roots, they exploded through the surrounding buildings in a heartbeat.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
With thunderous crashes, shinobi leapt from the rooms.
Terrified, they realized—what's going on?!
How did this place suddenly turn into a lush little forest?
The blond kid Minato was locked in a fierce fight with a masked ninja when a thick branch shot up beneath the man's feet and skewered him skyward.
"Ah!"
Clutching his rear, the masked ninja flapped through the air like an angry little bird, then slammed heavily to the ground.
The corner of Minato's mouth twitched.
That sudden, wicked flair conjured Konoha's White Fang's finisher in his mind—Thousand Years of Death.
Too ruthless…
The mask shattered across the man's face, and his pants tore as well.
Too miserable to look at.
Catching a glimpse of the face beneath the mask, Minato stiffened.
"Senior Shinraku…"
It was Root's Shinraku?!
Shinraku spat a mouthful of blood; one look down turned his face ashen, and he immediately turned tail to flee.
Minato didn't stop him—he looked instead into the sea of trees.
Gazing up at the dense forest, he thought, Night Maple… already this strong?
Night Maple had unleashed Deep Forest Emergence.
What on earth was Root doing?
Just then, a boom sounded behind Minato.
Wreathed in golden chakra flames, Uzumaki Mito landed; the concrete beneath her feet cracked apart.
"Minato?"
"My lady, Night Maple's inside…"
Staring at the Deep Forest Emergence, Uzumaki Mito drifted for a moment, the image of Hashirama Senju rising in her mind.
"Stand guard out here. I'll go in and take a look…"
At that moment, a colossal Adamantine Staff crashed down as well, followed by a lean figure.
"Lord Third Hokage!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen touched down and nodded to Minato—only to be blasted by Uzumaki Mito's fury.
"Sarutobi, what are you doing—letting criminals run rampant in the village?"
Sarutobi sighed. "My lady, withdraw the Nine-Tails for now. Let this student handle the matter—please grant me one more chance."
As the Third Hokage, he hadn't called himself "student" before Uzumaki Mito since taking office.
Today, Sarutobi Hiruzen truly felt ashamed of how his two teachers had nurtured him.
He was furious.
Meanwhile, Deep Forest Emergence had erupted in the village center, drawing every eye in Konoha.
The Uchiha on patrol—led by Uchiha Fugaku—were first on the move.
From afar, Fugaku saw explosions rocking the village center and clouds of dust billowing.
"What's going on over there?"
"Move!"
At his command, the clan members quickened their pace.
In the Hyūga compound, the genius brothers Hyūga Hiashi and Hyūga Hizashi widened their Byakugan, watching the dense chakra flow at the Deep Forest Emergence—it was incredibly rich!
"What on earth is happening there?"
"Let's go see!"
Not just the Uchiha and Hyūga—the other clans' eyes as well, from the Ino–Shika–Chō and beyond—all turned toward it.