Chapter 323: The Defeated Momentum

The battle between Konoha and Jūzō's side quickly reached a fever pitch after Sasori's departure.

The gap in strength between the shinobi from the larger villages and those from the smaller ones became evident in this fight.

Even though both sides had Jōnin, Konoha's Jōnin could easily suppress the Rain-nin. As for the Chūnin, most of them perished soon after the battle began, but they at least served as cannon fodder, taking down two Konoha Jōnin at the cost of their lives.

Despite the numerical and skill differences, with Ye Zi's Wood Clone restraining several of Konoha's main fighters, Rain-nin was still overpowered by Konoha. Jūzō, despite his abilities, couldn't change the course of the battle against the elite Konoha shinobi.

In the back-and-forth skirmishes, shinobi continued to fall, with more from Ame than from Konoha.

Jūzō fought like a wolf among the Konoha shinobi, but he was quickly entangled by Sangetsu Uchiha and Gaku Inuzuka, while more Rain-nin fell one by one.

On another front, Ye Zi's clone inflicted severe injuries on Kōri and Hyūga before engaging in another intense fight with Ninashi and others. At first, Ye Zi's clone could use his Spirit Transformation Technique to capture enemies and replenish chakra, but as the Konoha shinobi grew more cautious, he lost further opportunities to recharge.

To maintain the chakra level necessary for his Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence, Ye Zi's clone toned down his attacks. The Konoha shinobi, cooperating seamlessly, made it harder for Ye Zi's clone to succeed.

Despite holding back, and with Ninashi occasionally interrupting him, the Konoha shinobi still couldn't inflict any critical damage on Ye Zi's clone.

Shikuro Aburame desperately tried to get his poison insects to bite Ye Zi's clone, but his efforts were in vain, and he watched in frustration as his precious insects dwindled.

Similarly, Shiozumi Nara, who was skilled in the Shadow Manipulation Technique, was frustrated. He believed that if he could trap Ye Zi's clone with his shadow, the battle would be over. However, Ye Zi's clone always sensed his shadow and avoided it, making his efforts useless.

What he didn't know was that Ye Zi could sense chakra and had mastered Yin-Yang Release, so he could detect the shadow without even looking.

Because of this, Shiozumi's shadow was unlikely to ever catch Ye Zi's clone unless the clone's movements were completely restrained. Even Ninashi's advanced genjutsu could only momentarily halt Ye Zi's clone, insufficient for creating any openings.

Though they knew this was just a clone, they wanted to vent their frustration, but Ye Zi's clone never gave them the chance, like an impenetrable wall, leaving a shadow in their minds.

Kōri and Hyūga were severely injured, but fortunately, Konoha had medical-nin who moved them out of the combat zone to provide treatment, securing their lives.

With both Ye Zi's clone and Jūzō held off by Konoha's main fighters, the remaining Konoha shinobi fully suppressed Rain-nin, whose numbers steadily dwindled until none remained.

Only Jūzō and Ye Zi's clone were left on the battlefield, while nearly twenty Konoha shinobi still stood, holding a significant advantage.

Even though Rain-nin was weaker, Konoha had paid a heavy price to annihilate them. Chakra depletion was a secondary concern; many Konoha shinobi bore injuries.

With the Rain-nin gone, Jūzō's pressure increased. Surrounded by numerous Konoha shinobi, he inevitably sustained injuries as well.

Seeing that all the Rain-nin had fallen, a strange glint flashed in Ye Zi's clone's eyes. He called out to Jūzō, then created some distance and began forming hand seals with a cold smile.

Upon hearing Ye Zi's clone, Jūzō swept aside the Konoha shinobi attacking him and quickly retreated.

Konoha's shinobi immediately sensed the significance of this move. Hearing the warning, they grew more alert.

Ye Zi's clone didn't want Jūzō, a core member of the Akatsuki, to lose his life here, so he warned him, though it also gave Konoha's shinobi time to prepare.

Knowing this, Ye Zi's clone still chose to give the warning.

Upon hearing the call, Jūzō swiftly moved away. The seals completed, and an immense surge of chakra burst forth from Ye Zi's clone.

The Hyūga clan members noticed the outburst, their expressions shifting as they issued warnings. Despite lingering doubts about the reports on Ye Zi, no Konoha shinobi wanted to risk ignoring the possibility.

The ground began to quake under the release of chakra, and the Konoha shinobi's faces changed. Witnessing the spectacle, they immediately started to retreat.

"Could it be the First Hokage's Deep Forest Emergence?"

The question lingered, and then in an instant, trees burst from the ground, shattering the doubt in their hearts.

This was a scene from legend—a technique only the First Hokage could perform, an almost mythical power that could only be imagined but never seen. Now, a Konoha rogue-nin had used it, an ironic twist.

Ye Zi's clone poured chakra into the jutsu without hesitation, pushing the growing trees across the battlefield, consuming nearby trees of the Birdsong Forest as they surged toward the fleeing Konoha shinobi.

Two wounded Konoha shinobi, slower in retreat, were the first to be caught by the trees. Their screams were stifled as the trees covered them completely.

The Deep Forest Emergence itself wasn't highly destructive, but once captured, the trees could drain the target's chakra. If they couldn't escape, they'd be drained dry, nourishing the forest and extending its reach.

The abrupt silence left a deeper mark on the remaining Konoha shinobi, their terror growing.

This… the First Hokage's Deep Forest Emergence…

The thought echoed, fueling their defeat.

One by one, Konoha shinobi were ensnared by the trees. Where each one fell, lush new trees bloomed, transforming chakra into vitality.

Many Konoha shinobi, wounded by the rapid tree growth, ran for their lives despite their injuries.

As the clone continued to drain chakra, its body slowly turned to wood, from the feet upward.

But Ye Zi's clone, being only a clone, was unconcerned and kept pushing out chakra until the entire body became wood and merged with the trees, stopping their growth.

Having received Ye Zi's signal, Jūzō had approached the clone's position and stood outside the Deep Forest Emergence area, watching the scene in silence.

"This kind of power…"

His eyes held a hint of awe.

The trees within the jutsu's range finally stopped growing, and nearly a dozen Konoha shinobi had died within it. The few who escaped turned to see this dense forest and looked on with shock.

In the Birdsong Forest, where trees were sparse, the sudden emergence of densely packed trees was striking.

The contrast deepened their feelings of loss and shock as they looked on.

Ninashi, who escaped, stared blankly at the scene, the pride of the Uchiha Clan shattered—Ye Zi had become insurmountable goal for a lifetime.

The wood clone's memory returned to Ye Zi after disappearing from chakra depletion.

"He couldn't eliminate them all?" Ye Zi frowned. It was unfortunate that Sakumo had destroyed Sasori's body at the last moment; otherwise, he could have finished off the remaining Konoha shinobi.

Still, Sakumo's final effort had given Konoha a glimmer of hope.

Accepting the results, Ye Zi decided not to clean up, sealing Sakumo's body and the White Fang into a scroll.

More concerned about Kotoe's situation than dealing with the remaining Konoha shinobi, Ye Zi turned toward her location. These shinobi weren't worth his worry in comparison anyways...

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Currently on Chapter 379 - Sage Mode