Naruto: Wood-Wood Fruit

"Ah, so everyone's here?" 

Inside the forest of the Third Training Ground.

Sensing the chakra signatures gathering outside the forest, Kiyoshi couldn't help but shrug. 

"Looks like I might have overdone it a bit."

He glanced at Kakashi, Tenzo, and the other restrained Anbu members. 

With a light tap of his foot, vines wrapped around them began to retract as if alive, releasing the bound Anbu members.

However, instead of feeling the joy of freedom, Kakashi and the others, looking bedraggled and defeated, stared at Kiyoshi with a mixture of awe, fear, and respect.

There was no resentment or envy in their eyes—only admiration. 

The gap in strength between them was glaringly obvious. If it weren't for the fact that Kiyoshi had restrained himself, they'd likely have been severely injured or even killed.

They couldn't deny it—they were utterly outclassed by a young prodigy.

Cough! "Don't look at me like that," Kiyoshi cleared his throat and clapped his hands lightly, his tone casual. 

"I'm not compensating you for mental damages."

He turned away without further words, raising a hand in a lazy farewell to Kakashi and the others.

"Tell the Third Hokage I'll stop by the Hokage Office later. For now, let him handle the cleanup."

He had no interest in sticking around to be gawked at. 

This entire show of power had a simple purpose, to discourage the Third Hokage from sending people to bother him every other day. A small show of strength was enough to intimidate those in power.

As for the cleanup?

That was Hiruzen's job.

It had nothing to do with him.

"Wait, Kiyoshi."

Kakashi tried to call out, but he and the others could only stare wide-eyed in shock. "Is that…chakra manifestation?"

Kiyoshi's body radiated a visible aura of chakra, transforming into striking blue wings of pure energy. 

With a powerful gust, he took flight, disappearing into the distance.

"He can manipulate chakra to this degree and control it effortlessly." Kakashi muttered, his Sharingan narrowing as he observed the scene, an ache of realization hitting him hard. 

Compared to Kiyoshi, his own so-called talent felt nothing.

Not long after, with the Third Hokage leading the way, Shikaku, Asuma, and Guy arrived, only to find the disheveled and demoralized Anbu members getting ready to leave.

"Hokage-sama," 

"Kakashi." 

Before Kakashi could speak, the Third Hokage interrupted, "Where's that boy Kiyoshi?"

Kakashi pointed to the horizon helplessly, "He flew off in that direction. He said he'd visit the Hokage Office later, but for now. Hokage-sama, he suggested you handle the aftermath first."

The Third Hokage: "..."

Glancing around at the towering, crisscrossed trees that now blanketed the Third Training Ground, Hiruzen's face twitched, his heart aching especially as he thought of the newly fractured Hokage Rock. 

A half hour later—

In front of the Hokage Building, the Third Hokage reassured the nervous villagers and ninja about the sudden damage to the Hokage Rock, explaining that a long-hidden spy had attempted to create chaos in the village but had already been apprehended by the Anbu.

The news soon reached the ears of Homura and Koharu, the village's two senior advisors, who quickly made their way to the Hokage's office.

"Hiruzen, what happened exactly?" Koharu demanded, her voice low. "Has that brat Kiyoshi really awakened the Wood Release?"

Beside her, Homura's expression was serious as he frowned. "To think Tsunade's disciple was hiding this all along—it's quite the shock."

Hiruzen nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips. 

"Yes, he possesses the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai, and it's far more powerful than Tenzo's experimental abilities."

But before he could finish, Koharu interrupted sharply.

"Wood Release's reappearance isn't necessarily a good thing for the village," she said, her eyes narrowing.

"Strictly speaking, he's a descendant of the Senju clan. You know Tsunade's biases against us, don't you, Hiruzen?"

"More than that," she continued, "Ishikawa Kiyoshi clearly held back his skills during his time in the academy. What exactly is he guarding against?"

Her eyes fixed on Hiruzen, her voice tinged with unease. "I fear he might be influenced by his grandmother. After all..."

Both advisors knew exactly what they'd done to the Senju over the years. For all their claims of acting "for the good of the village," they knew those excuses could only fool the naive. 

Under Tsunade's influence, it was likely that Kiyoshi held little good will toward them.

"Now is not the time for Konoha to take unnecessary risks," Hiruzen replied, his expression solemn as he puffed on his pipe. 

Once a bastion of strength, Konoha had earned its reputation as a cradle of geniuses. But now, the village's power was waning. 

The Sannin had left and refused to return. And Konoha's youth, once filled with promise, had seen a sharp decline.

The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, known as the Yellow Flash, was lost nine years ago in the Nine-Tails' attack. 

Kakashi, who had been hailed as a prodigy since he graduated from the academy at five, became a Chunin at six, and a Jonin at twelve, was now trapped in a spiral of despondency, his once-bright future dulled by repeated blows.

In the new generation, geniuses like Shisui and Itachi Uchiha had either died or defected. As the most powerful of the five great ninja villages, Konoha's strength had dwindled.

Day by day, it seemed to weaken further.

Sometimes, Hiruzen couldn't help but wonder if he'd made the wrong choices.

"Hiruzen, Koharu didn't mean it like that." Homura hurriedly interjected, noticing Hiruzen's displeasure. 

"But such a strategic asset is too important. We have to find a way to keep Kiyoshi under the village's control. We can't let him continue wandering around with Tsunade."

He feared the longer Kiyoshi stayed with Tsunade, the more he'd be influenced by her. Eventually, he might grow to distrust the village elders entirely—a risk they couldn't afford.

"There's no denying it, he easily defeated an entire Anbu squad led by Kakashi without a scratch. 

And with that ridiculous chakra reserve, he's practically a match for a Tailed Beast. Maybe even stronger." 

Hiruzen tapped his pipe against the table, observing his old friends who now wore determined expressions.

He replied in a quiet voice, "He has the power of Wood Release, right now even I don't know if I would be able to defeat him. How do you plan to control him?"

He had reviewed the reports from Kakashi and the others in detail, which had led him to a startling conclusion.

Ishikawa Kiyoshi's strength was already on par with that of a Kage; no maybe even greater than that.

And seeing how that boy dared to alter even the Hokage Rock, it was clear that he held no fear of authority. 

If they provoked him too much, he'd likely just walk out of Konoha. 

Trying to restrain him with the usual tricks was out of the question.

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