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[Konoha2] Chapter 47: Farewell!
🕑 Added 2025-05-23 17:59:44 +0000 UTCIt wasn't just Ryo who was amazed by the power of Wood Release.
The other Root operatives were as well.
Yes—everyone believed it was the Wood Release that was powerful.
Its brilliance even overshadowed Hajime Hoshita himself.
After all, before gaining Wood Release, Hajime had been unremarkable among the many Root shinobi.
It was only because of Wood Release that Hajime made a name for himself in a single battle, surpassing every other member of Root—
Even the Jōnin.
Even Hajime had to admit: Wood Release had propelled his power to a whole new level.
But he was no longer the same.
He now possessed the wisdom of experience, and his way of thinking had completely transformed.
More importantly—
After deliberately digging deep into the power of Wood Release and the Hashirama Cells, the strength now lay not just in the Wood Release, not merely in the cells of Hashirama—but in Hajime Hoshita himself.
…
With agile leaps and precise slashes of his ninja blade, blades of wind cleaved through the air, cutting down one Sky Ninja after another.
Behind Hajime, Ryo and Nono followed closely, assisting with finishing blows and support.
It was only then that Ryo realized—even without Wood Release, his captain’s strength was formidable.
His swordsmanship was fierce, swift, and precise.
His Wind Release techniques could cut through any enemy defense.
The three of them advanced rapidly, breaking one Sky Ninja formation after another and hunting down those who fled.
“Captain—it’s Danzo-sama!”
Ryo suddenly whispered sharply.
Pulling his blade from a fallen enemy and casually shaking off the blood, Hajime turned to look.
It was indeed Danzo.
He had only brought along two men and was currently facing off against seven or eight Sky Ninja.
One had to admit, Danzo was still in his prime.
Wielding his ninja blade, he charged into combat—his swordsmanship even more refined than Hajime’s.
He downed one enemy in a few moves, then sheathed his blade and quickly formed hand signs. A single Vacuum Wave obliterated three enemies in an instant.
He followed up with Vacuum Bullets, firing compressed air projectiles that, with support from his two subordinates, wiped out the remaining Sky Ninja.
His attack speed, timing, and the sheer power of his jutsu—there was nothing to criticize.
At least not in Hajime’s eyes.
It was smooth, elegant, and awe-inspiring.
Absolutely badass!
Hajime had to admit—Danzo was one hell of a cool uncle.
No wonder he had a sizable group of supporters back in Konoha.
After watching that brief skirmish, Hajime stepped forward with his team. “Danzo-sama.”
Danzo gave a slight nod. “You’ve done well.”
“For you to break the Sky Ninja’s morale this quickly… it was beyond my expectations.”
Hajime lowered his head slightly. “Everything I’ve achieved is thanks to you, Danzo-sama. However… I fear my Wood Release won’t remain a secret for much longer.”
Danzo frowned slightly at that.
He had already realized the same, which was why he’d ordered all traces to be destroyed.
While Root agents could be trusted to keep secrets, the Sky Ninja couldn’t.
Under current circumstances, Root would struggle to control all the Sky Ninja.
The real concern was what Orochimaru and Jiraiya might learn.
Of course—
As long as they acted quickly, once the war ended, Root could extract the prisoners before anyone else did, minimizing the risk of Wood Release being leaked.
Still, Hajime’s warning had to be taken seriously.
What if the secret did get out?
Danzo absolutely did not want Sarutobi Hiruzen to swoop in and take Hajime away.
He was too useful!
“I’ll take care of it. Keep moving!”
Though he hadn’t figured out a solution yet—and this was a critical moment—Danzo didn’t waste time hesitating.
So, Hajime took up a supporting role again.
Following Danzo, he and his team scattered every group of Sky Ninja that gathered, leaving them no chance to organize a counterattack.
And when Orochimaru and Jiraiya led their forces into the Sky Ninja Village, the last flicker of Sky Ninja resistance was utterly extinguished.
Everyone began to flee in panic.
The real pursuit and cleanup had begun.
Hajime split off from Danzo with his team, continuing to hunt down the Sky Ninja, leaving corpse after corpse in his wake.
Boom rumble!
Just after finishing off a Sky Ninja, a thunderous explosion echoed in Hajime’s ears.
He turned his head and saw thick plumes of smoke rising to the left. One glance was enough to tell that a fierce battle was underway.
“Follow me!”
Hajime barked the order, changing direction toward the left battlefield.
At this point, the Sky Ninja were scattering and fleeing in all directions, thinning out as they ran.
Of course, it made sense to chase the clusters—where there were more targets and likely stronger ones.
Soon, after dashing through the forest, their view suddenly opened up.
Before Hajime could get a clear look, a sharp, fierce voice rang out:
“Die!”
Boom!
The earth trembled, and clouds of smoke surged up.
Amid screams, Hajime saw several figures flying backward—
All Sky Ninja.
A quick sweep of his eyes told Hajime everything he needed to know.
The Medical Corps' camp!
At this point in Konoha’s history, medical-nin were not yet assigned to frontline squads.
They typically operated in the rear as part of dedicated medical units, providing logistical support during large-scale battles.
Of course, that applied to most ordinary medical-nin.
As the smoke cleared, a woman with a golden ponytail came into view—
Tsunade.
At that exact moment, a Sky Ninja rushed in from behind to ambush her.
With a burst of chakra under his feet, Hajime shot forward, appearing behind Tsunade and using his Steel body to block the ninja blade aimed at her.
Tsunade turned around, her expression shifting—then she threw a furious punch.
Her fist landed squarely in the attacker’s gut, launching the Sky Ninja dozens of meters away. The punch shattered his spine with an audible crack that Hajime could clearly hear. The man died before he even hit the ground.
“You alright?” Tsunade asked, looking at Hajime.
“I’m fine. Let’s finish off the rest first.”
Before the words had even left his mouth, Hajime vanished again—and the sound of more screams echoed right after.
A group of fleeing Sky Ninja had stumbled into the Medical Corps' camp, sparking this fight.
One by one, the Sky Ninja fell.
Soon after, Hajime and Tsunade converged at a tent.
Inside, one of the last remaining Sky Ninja had taken a medical-nin hostage.
“Back off or I’ll kill her!” the Sky Ninja roared, saliva flying from his mouth.
He was trembling with rage, and in his agitation, his kunai had already cut into the medic’s skin—blood trickled down her neck.
Tsunade’s face was grim. “Let her go, and I’ll let you leave alive. I swear you won’t be pursued.”
The Sky Ninja laughed maniacally. “Idiot! You think I’m stupid enough to believe that?!”
Tsunade snorted coldly. “I’m Tsunade-hime, disciple of the Third Hokage. I speak for Konoha here!”
The Sky Ninja froze for a moment.
He’d heard the name Tsunade-hime before. For a brief second, he hesitated.
Someone of that level… maybe her word could be trusted?
Deep down, backed into a desperate corner, he desperately wanted to grab hold of any chance to survive.
However—
In that single moment of hesitation, Hajime moved.
With a sharp flash, his blade pierced through the medical-nin’s shoulder and continued straight through the Sky Ninja behind her.
Screams rang out—the kunai clattered to the ground.
Before it even touched the floor, Hajime was already beside the Sky Ninja, gripping his neck with one hand.
Crack!
His fingers crushed the man’s throat. Then, with a boom, Hajime slammed the Sky Ninja into the ground, embedding him in the earth.
It all happened in just two seconds.
Tsunade hadn’t expected Hajime to act so decisively. She quickly darted forward and caught the wounded medical-nin as she collapsed in pain.
Hajime stood up, waved his hand, and swept away the lingering smoke.
“With an injury like that, you can handle it, right?” he asked.
Tsunade shot him a glare and snorted, “Of course.”
Hajime nodded and turned to leave.
As he walked away, Tsunade called out suddenly, “Thank you.”
“I’m a Konoha shinobi too,” Hajime replied—and then vanished.
(End of Chapter)
