I, The New Hokage of Konoha - Chapter 297

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Like a battle of a thousand armies, the forests from both sides are continuously entangled, intertwined in fierce combat.

At this moment, Maki, whose hands were continuously in a prayer position, tightened her little face, beads of sweat streaming down uncontrollably.

Her earlier words to Sasuke, ‘Can’t hold on for much longer,’ were indeed true.

Though she didn’t want to admit it.

But she had to acknowledge that as the legitimate heir of the Hyuga clan, her proficiency in Wood Style was still much more immature compared to the ‘impostor’ on the other side.

Maintaining the current situation was still an advantage she held unexpectedly.

However, with time passing, the slight advantage she fought for was rapidly diminishing.

‘If only I had a few more years of practice…’

Having witnessed her father’s mastery of Wood Style, Maki was well aware that the true power of the Hyuga Wood Style was far greater than the current ‘impostor.’ As the pressure on her grew heavier, she couldn’t help but feel reluctant internally.

Yet soon, she realized that when the ‘impostor’s’ Wood Style pressure reached her threshold, it unexpectedly ceased to increase further.

Maki, momentarily bewildered, instinctively looked toward the direction of Grandpa Sasuke, thinking the ‘impostor’ had diverted the remaining power towards them.

But what she witnessed next wasn’t as she had imagined.

With the assistance of Maki’s Wood Style, Sasuke, and the four Konoha Village Jonin had successfully reached the front of the Hyuga clan head, Hiashi, achieving significant progress.

Hiashi, in his Ohtsutsuki form, continuously sustained wounds on his body, swiftly recovering each time, but the battle was visibly turning against him.

Yet, despite this, he never once utilized the power of Wood Style.

He believed that Maki’s Wood Style had entirely tied down Sasuke and the others, naturally making them exert more effort.

Maki herself was perplexed.

In her perception, the ‘impostor’ should still have spare strength.

So why not use it?

Or was there some sort of scheme?

She wanted to ponder further, but reality didn’t allow her the luxury.

Although the pressure exerted by the ‘impostor’s’ Wood Style didn’t exceed her limits, under their control, it resembled a seasoned hunter, launching various attacks with agility and precision against her Wood Style, causing severe losses on their side.

Maki quickly refocused, not daring to distract herself anymore, concentrating all her energy on confronting the ‘impostor.’

At this moment, if the vast forest were likened to thousands of soldiers, Maki and Hiashi were the commanders of the army.

Under normal circumstances, such a massive scale would not require any specific tactics, merely overwhelming everything in sight.

However, when facing an immensely powerful adversary, for the sake of damage and efficiency, strategic arrangements were necessary.

Hiashi, now an immensely experienced veteran, initially caught off guard, swiftly rearranged his tactics, counter-pressuring Maki, who had previously only relied on brute force.

Seeing their side progressively retreat, Maki naturally felt unwilling.

As the most legitimate heir of the Hyuga, possessing excellent genes from her parents, despite her young age, she received much praise from her exceedingly powerful father.

In the confrontation with Hiashi, she continuously observed the opponent, her eyes gradually brightening.

Soon, a change occurred within her as she controlled the numerous trees spawned by the Forest Creation Jutsu.

If previously it had been sheer brute force, wasting a lot of energy.

Now, under Maki’s command, the forest’s attacks became more efficient and swift.

Upon careful observation, one would notice a similarity between her current Wood Style assaults and Hiashi’s ongoing attacks.

The enemy is the best teacher.

Even though she disliked the ‘impostor,’ the fact that their Wood Style was indeed stronger was undeniable to Maki.

She might even choose to actively learn from them.

Just like she was doing now.

Leveraging her exceptional talent, Maki absorbed knowledge and experience from Hiashi’s Wood Style assaults, gradually deepening her understanding.

Eventually, where she had previously been retreating in the Forest Creation Jutsu, she not only stood firm again but even counterattacked, engaging in a renewed struggle against the enemy.

Yet, before she could celebrate, Hiashi’s Wood Style power surged once more, forcing her to retreat again.

Gritting her teeth, Maki could only start over.

So, each time Maki seemed to gain the upper hand, Hiashi applied additional pressure.

Initially, in her mind, Maki kept calling the adversary an ‘impostor.’

However, during this period, sensing the terrifying strength of the opponent in Wood Style, even making her entertain the thought that this person possessed a more comprehensive knowledge of Wood Style than her immensely powerful father, Maki let go of the term ‘impostor.’

Maki truly wished to know the person’s identity.

But not at this moment.

In the ‘impostor’s’ continuous display of various Wood Style techniques and abilities, Maki couldn’t afford even the slightest distraction. She widened her eyes, absorbing Wood Style knowledge from the opponent like a sponge, thanks to her exceptional learning talent.

‘Why does Maki’s aura seem increasingly formidable?’

Beside her, Naruto, responsible for protecting Maki but currently idle, observed her astonishing transformation.

With his superhuman perception, he noticed an extraordinary change in Maki’s current state.

‘Can’t believe it? So powerful yet still improving? Is there no respite for us older brothers?’

Naruto scratched his head, his gaze shifting from Maki to the continuous attacks launched by the surrounding trees.

He and Sasuke were quite familiar with Maki’s Wood Style, having suffered quite a bit from it in the past.

However, at this moment, he realized a significant difference.

The specifics of what differentiated Maki’s current Wood Style from before were beyond Naruto’s headache-inducing academic performance.

Generally speaking, previously, Maki’s Wood Style, although potent, seemed more rigid and mechanical, relying heavily on sheer force.

Now, those trees seemed alive, exerting greater pressure under the same power.

‘I thought learning Dad’s Rasengan would be enough to beat Maki. But now, it seems far from sufficient! Alright! Let’s keep pushing harder!’

Unaffected by Maki’s rapid progress, Naruto was filled with determination and self-encouragement.

Simultaneously, within Naruto, the other half of the Nine-Tails, noticing the external dynamics, particularly Maki’s current state, was in a bad mood: ‘Another one like Hashirama?’

It hadn’t forgotten who had beaten it mercilessly, subsequently confining it within a lightless seal for decades.

‘Hmph! Helping out the juniors even in such a state.’

While not understanding what the Reanimation Jutsu was, the Nine-Tails were well aware that Hiashi, now, was a puppet without a will.

However, facing Maki, there were actions beyond its expectations.

‘The emotions are truly deep. If only…’

The Nine-Tails’ eyes gleamed with coldness.

But then, it glanced at

the seal in front.

Then, it noticed the gaze of Hiashi, entirely devoid of any emotions, but coincidentally locking onto its thoughts the moment they arose.

Even though it knew the opponent was currently a manipulated puppet with diminished strength.

The Nine-Tails couldn’t help but shudder.

‘…The Senju clan is full of freaks. It’s better not to stir up trouble.’

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