Konoha Notes

Chapter 129 Capture
With a battle plan targeting a single enemy and intelligence from firsthand experience, Nara Shikaku quickly devised a strategy.

According to Shikaku's plan, Hiruzen Sarutobi mobilized ten elite squads. Each squad consisted of a ninja skilled in Earth Release, two experts in ninja tool manipulation, and a member of the Hyuga branch family.

In addition, there's Hiruzen Sarutobi himself, as well as Shuji and Tenzo, who are wearing Anbu masks.

The group was only an hour away from the village when a ninja hawk, with a rapid whistle, landed on Hiruzen Sarutobi's arm.

After unwrapping the secret letter and glancing at it, the Third Hokage's expression became extremely solemn.

He raised his hand and made a simple gesture. The marching procession immediately stopped, and all eyes were on him.

Shuji and Yamato landed beside him.

"Things have changed."

"Breaking news: Satoru... is carrying the Box of Bliss and heading towards the village."

What Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't mention was that the ninjas at the border outposts tried to intercept them, but all attempts failed and resulted in heavy casualties.

He didn't understand why Satoru's target was Konoha, why it was Kusagakure who killed Kazuma, and why it was Kusagakure who offered Sora to the Box of Paradise.

Or perhaps, Kazuma, your resentment has already affected that child's will...

Under no circumstances should Wu be allowed to get close to the village.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's sharp gaze swept over the assembled ninjas, and he quickly adjusted the deployment based on the new intelligence. He ordered the ten squads to immediately disperse and form the first line of defense, taking advantage of the terrain.

"The Hyuga clan ninjas are responsible for tracking and early warning! Earth Release ninjas, once they sense any intention to attack, immediately use Earth Release: Earth Wall to create an obstacle."

"The rest of you, execute long-range harassment tactics, maintain maximum distance, and immediately relocate after one volley. Close combat is strictly prohibited! Your mission is to draw its attention and distract it!"

"That's an enemy that can sense hostility; we must not get close to attack!"

The order was quickly relayed, and the ninjas silently dispersed into the mountains and forests, each rushing to their respective battle positions.

Shuji quietly formed hand seals, leaving a shadow clone hidden in the forest, while his main body followed Hiruzen Sarutobi to a relatively open high ground.
Enlightenment didn't keep them waiting long. In the distance, a black dot appeared rapidly and grew larger at an astonishing speed.

Almost simultaneously, the Hyuga ninjas scattered in various locations issued warnings!

"Target spotted! Extremely high altitude, slightly east of directly ahead, moving at high speed!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi burst forward first, followed closely by Shuji and Yamato.

The first to come into contact with Wu were the interception team that was already in place.

Countless kunai and arrows, each bound with an explosive tag, shot towards the dark figure from different directions and angles.

Wu reacted with lightning speed, its enormous wings flapping violently, instantly increasing its height and nimbly dodging most of the attacks. Explosive tags exploded continuously beneath it, fireballs and thick smoke billowing, yet they could hardly reach its body.

However, this successful provocation has already enraged the monster.

Wu's pair of jet-black wings fluttered, and a dozen or so black feathers shot down toward the source of the attack.

"Disperse!"

Thanks to the Byakugan's early warning and strict tactical discipline, the Konoha ninjas had already changed positions in advance. The thick earth wall rose up from the ground in time, blocking the deadly counterattack for the few ninjas who were slightly slower to retreat.

"Attack successful! Attention has been successfully drawn!"

"Second and third teams, continue the pressure!"

In the brief moment between offense and defense, Wu threw the Box of Bliss at his feet into the woods. The heavy box smashed through trees and embedded itself deeply in the ground.

Immediately afterwards, its enormous body hovered eerily in the air, and the gaping maw in its chest suddenly opened, with a terrifying dark red chakra beginning to gather wildly.

At that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi, standing some distance away, extended his Adamantine staff at an incredible speed, thrusting it straight at Satoru, who was preparing to launch an attack in mid-air.

In preparation for this attack, the ape demon, transformed into a golden staff, completely cleared its mind and avoided any hostile perception.

Caught off guard, Wu was struck squarely in the chest and abdomen by this unexpected yet incredibly powerful blow.

"Roar--!"

With a roar of pain and rage, its massive body was thrown off balance by the force of the impact, and like a spinning top being whipped, it tumbled backward and crashed heavily into the forest below.

A series of teeth-grinding crashes rang out, and countless giant trees were snapped in half by the impact. Smoke and wood chips shot into the sky, as if a yellow curtain had been cast over the woodland.

Without any instructions, before the dust kicked up by Satoru's fall had even settled, Shuji's hands had already come together.

"Wooden Release: The birth of the tree world!"

The ground shook violently, and countless thick trees burst forth from the soil.

Beside Shuji, Yamato channeled his full chakra into the earth beneath their feet, accelerating the expansion of the Tree World. This caused the forest to grow denser and more aggressive at an astonishing rate. Countless raging branches and tenacious vines, like a living tsunami, lashed out, whipped, and stabbed towards the direction where Satoru had fallen, instantly transforming the entire area into a living prison of death.

Wu, who had just struggled to his feet, was immediately engulfed in the raging sea of ​​trees. Its sharp claws lashed out, easily tearing apart the thick vines that had first entangled it; its massive mouth opened, spewing out a dark red ball of chakra energy, instantly destroying a large swathe of trees that were surging forward.

However, with Shuji's continuous infusion of chakra, the destroyed trees almost instantly regenerated, becoming even thicker and wilder, relentlessly and endlessly strangling and burying Satoru.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Wu fired several smaller chakra balls in succession, trying to clear a path. Taking advantage of the brief gap in the trees' regeneration, he vigorously flapped his wings, trying to break free of the restraints and climb higher.

"Don't even think about it!" Hiruzen Sarutobi manipulated the retracted Vajra Staff, seized the opportunity and thrust it out again, aiming at the base of Satoru's struggling wings, trying to knock it back into the cage of the Tree World.

The Konoha ninja below also threw ninja tools with all their might, and the explosions of explosive tags continued to bloom around Satoru, trying to trap him firmly in that dead forest.

However, sensing the danger, Satoru suddenly turned his body and took the initiative to use the relatively hard edge of his wings to meet Hiruzen Sarutobi's Vajra Staff, attempting to use the force to propel himself backward and escape the Tree Boundary.

"Tsk!" The Third Hokage reacted extremely quickly. With a thought, the Vajra Staff, which had been extending its momentum, instantly retracted into his hand, causing Satoru's plan to use the force to fail.

Despite the failed attempt, Wu did not hesitate for a moment. He endured the impact of several explosive tags exploding at close range, his wings flapping wildly as he forcefully climbed upwards.

The shockwave from the explosion slowed its speed, and several unusually thick and sharp branches took the opportunity to wrap around its ankles like giant pythons.

Wu angrily spit out a chakra bullet downwards, temporarily forcing back the branches chasing from below. At the same time, his claws slashed, tearing apart the restraints binding his feet.

"Damn it... Konoha..."

Wu let out an angry roar, and then gave another command.

The Bliss Box landed on the ground, its walls adorned with a relief of a mouth that writhed and opened. This time, dozens of ninjas with vacant eyes, stiff movements, and wearing Kusagakure headbands slowly emerged from it.

They initially stumbled, but soon their movements became swift and unpredictable as they charged toward Shuji and Yamato, who were maintaining the tree boundary.

As the tree world turned according to Xiu Si's will, it parted off branches and vines to bind, entangle, and crush the attacking puppets.

But taking advantage of this brief respite, Satoru successfully climbed to a height that was difficult for the tree world to reach. He looked down with frustration at the ninjas hiding in the forest below.

The Konoha ninja were well-prepared, and realized that their greatest weapon against the enemy—mind reading—would be ineffective against this type of attack.

People kept emerging from the Box of Bliss; these were all transformed Kusagakure ninjas and prisoners of Hozuki Castle.

They began to consciously disperse, maneuvering and flanking, attempting to bypass the core area of ​​the Tree Boundary to attack the Konoha ninjas scattered in various locations.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had no choice but to wield his Adamantine Staff, transforming into an impenetrable barrier to shatter these painless and death-insensitive puppets one by one.
Wu Ze hovered high in the sky, continuously firing low-powered chakra bullets at densely populated areas on the ground, or in the direction of Shuji and Hiruzen Sarutobi, to suppress and harass them, interfering with the maintenance of the Tree World.

"Tianzang, I'm leaving this place to you."

"Yes!" Yamato replied briefly, focusing even more intently on controlling his Wood Release techniques to share the burden.

Shuji dispelled the distant shadow clone, and the natural energy collected during its brief existence instantly returned to his main body.

In an instant, black patterns quietly appeared beneath the Dark Animal Mask, Sage Mode activated.

Feeling the power surging within him, Shuuji raised his head, his gaze fixed on the circling monster in the air.

In a flash, Shuji appeared on the highest branch of the forest, his hands forming a hand seal once more.

Immortal Technique: Thousand Madnesses and Flowing Slaves!
Centered on Shuji, the air around him instantly surged violently.

As if an invisible hand was churning wildly in the air, the once calm air instantly became violent and chaotic. Countless turbulent currents of varying directions and intensities were generated out of thin air, colliding and tearing each other apart, forming an extremely chaotic airspace.

High in the sky, Wu suddenly became a small boat in the raging air currents. His huge wings were no longer an advantage, but rather his biggest burden. He was torn and battered by the turbulent currents from all directions, his body swaying violently, making it difficult to maintain stability, let alone fly freely.

Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi ignored the puppets controlled by the Box of Bliss and flashed to land on another giant tree branch next to Shuji. He took a deep breath, his chest heaving, and completed the hand seals.

"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"

Three enormous fire dragons roared from his mouth, not rushing straight at Wu, but cleverly following the violent wind created by Xiu Si, instantly the fire borrowed the wind's power, and the wind amplified the fire's might!

The three fire dragons swelled in size, tumbling and intertwining, transforming into a fiery storm that covered the sky, completely engulfing Wu, who was struggling in the turbulent currents!

The blazing flames devoured its feathers and body, and a burnt smell filled the air.

A agonizing roar erupted from the firestorm.

After the fiery storm subsided, Wu's body, billowing black smoke, swayed precariously from the chaotic airspace before finally plummeting helplessly towards the forest below. At the same time, those who had emerged from the Box of Bliss suddenly froze, standing motionless in place.

Xiu Si landed lightly from the branch, pressing his hands to the ground once more.

More and thicker trees, covered with tough vines, burst from the ground and swarmed toward the spot where Wu had fallen, wrapping, enveloping, and squeezing him layer by layer, instantly swallowing his massive body completely, forming a huge wooden cage that was still slightly writhing.

The battlefield fell into an eerie silence for the time being.

(End of this chapter)