chapter 109 part 3
It could be said that if one were to find fault with him, it could only be in the area of Genjutsu. Tsukasa Kaede indeed didn't have much mastery in Genjutsu, and he would Cultivate in this area in the future.
"Then, the first battle with this new body will conclude by seizing the One-Tail's Chakra."
Tsukasa Kaede looked at Bunpuku opposite him. With his current power, he should be able to kill Bunpuku. However, he could probably also capture Bunpuku alive, but capturing him seemed to serve no real purpose.
He had already fallen out with Madara. If news of his complete Resurrection spread, Madara would likely lose sleep.
Not to mention, he wouldn't hand the One-Tail over to Madara, nor could Madara even take it, as the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path had already been taken by Nagato.
Should he just take the One-Tail directly to Nagato? Perhaps that wasn't a bad idea.
"However, I must acquire enough of the One-Tail's Chakra. It's rare that when I need a warm-up and to test my capabilities, I encounter a Tailed Beast I've never faced before... My understanding of Wood Release is a bit stronger than it was a moment ago. Next, I'll try this..."
Tsukasa Kaede performed Hand Kaedegns. This time, he used his original two hands, while the third hand on his back had, at some point, retracted back into Tsukasa Kaede's body.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Creation!!"
A disturbance far greater than the previous Deep Forest Emergence erupted from the ground beneath their feet, as if the entire Ley Lines had come alive. As Tsukasa Kaede wantonly unleashed Chakra, giant trees burst through the surface with a roar.
The moment they encountered sunlight, these colossal trees spread and expanded even more ferociously, transforming the desert into a forest!!
Naturally, these branches transformed into savage ropes, continuously coiling towards Bunpuku, forcing him to incessantly wave his hands and tail, forcefully severing numerous branches. But he couldn't clear them all; as soon as one was cut, many more immediately coiled towards him.
Finally, Bunpuku failed to dodge a branch in time and had one of his legs ensnared.
"Caught him. Let me think, how do I go about absorbing Chakra? Honestly, while these Wood Release Jutsu barely require Hand Kaedegns, when it comes to using them for the first time and needing precise manipulation, there's inevitably a sense of unfamiliarity. I'll have to figure it out slowly."
Tsukasa Kaede calmly delved into researching Wood Release. In his eyes, the ultimate fate of Bunpuku and the One-Tail no longer mattered; what was most important was that he himself enjoyed the experience to the fullest.
The current scene was one he had longed for: unleashing power and expressing his will with a formidable body.
In the few tenths of a second Tsukasa Kaede was thinking, normally, it would have been enough for Bunpuku to break free.
But the power Tsukasa Kaede wielded wasn't just Wood Release.
Whoosh! A figure wielding a blade moved at high speed amidst the surging trees, suddenly striking. With one slash, it severed one of Bunpuku's legs.
As the dark red Chakra dissipated, the beast-like leg immediately reverted to a normal human leg.
"Hey, don't hesitate! Use Pseudo Sleep Technique!" the One-Tail urged impatiently.
"But, if you take control of my body and go berserk..."
"I'll try my best to restrain myself! I won't attack Hidden Sand Village or Sunagakure Ninja!"
"...Alright, I can sense your intention. I believe you'll keep your word." Bunpuku endured the intense pain, having no time to attend to his injuries. Instead, he decided to entrust everything to the One-Tail.
Pseudo Sleep Technique!
Bunpuku's body began to swell crazily. An enormous Racoon Dog appeared within the forest, its massive size crushing countless trees. Before it, the magnificent, grand forest seemed to be reduced to a pile of weeds.
Especially its impossibly thick tail, slowly swaying in the air, looked like a moving canopy from afar.
This was another time Tsukasa Kaede directly confronted a Tailed Beast, the difference being that this time, he could directly clash with it using the power he now wielded.
Under Tsukasa Kaede's power, the scale of the Deep Forest Creation further expanded. The trees grew even more, becoming increasingly exaggerated, rushing one after another towards the One-Tail Shukaku, intending to completely engulf the giant Racoon Dog in the fervent forest.
But facing the trees constantly coiling around it, the One-Tail furiously thrashed its tail. With every movement, it could snap a large number of tree trunks.
"So annoying, you damned human! I don't know what you did to steal Hashirama Senju's power, but you're not him!" the One-Tail roared aggressively.
"Yes, you're right. I'm not him. Relying solely on Wood Release, I wouldn't be inherently stronger than him. But what if Wood Release is merely an auxiliary Technique Formula for me?"
Sharingan! Tsukasa Kaede looked at his opponent with the Three-Tomoe Sharingan in his eye socket.
The clearly increased Dōjutsu Power did have some effect on the One-Tail, but it was far from enough to directly control it; that would require Mangekyo Sharingan level Dōjutsu Power.
But even a brief opening was enough for Tsukasa Kaede.
Several giant trees rose independently, and on each slowly swaying, bare branch stood a figure: several Elite Jonin and even Kage Level powerhouses controlled by Tsukasa Kaede.
Under Tsukasa Kaede's command, these Zombies successively lunged at the One-Tail, each unleashing their own powers to attack, buying time for Tsukasa Kaede.
"Die, you bastard!"
The One-Tail opened its mouth and spewed out a Wind Release: Air Bullet, a wind sphere far larger than before, whistling as it crashed forward!
Tsukasa Kaede was still deep in thought, not making any further moves himself, but several Zombies under his command sprang into action.
The most outstanding Zombie was no longer the likes of Terai and Troy, nor even Araki of the Sand, who was almost Kage Level, but... Roshi!
Lava Release: Scorching Stream Rock Technique!
Roshi spewed several Lava Spheres, which directly collided with the Wind Release: Air Bullet. The bursting Lava fell onto the trees, immediately igniting areas of scorching fire, adding more ferocity and grimness to the magnificent battlefield.
At this moment, Tsukasa Kaede felt he had explored enough. He suddenly clapped his hands together.
"I'm not sure if it will work, but I can try..."
Wood Release: Wood Dragon Jutsu!
(end of chapter)