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OPI Chapter 373: Against the Green Tyrant
🕑 Added 2025-05-05 23:49:50 +0000 UTC[BOOM!]
Another thunderous explosion yanked everyone’s attention back to the battlefield.
The wooden giant had begun to move.
With just one step forward, it not only flattened a small patch of forest beneath its foot but also stirred up a raging gale across the ground.
No one knew how many shinobi had been crushed alive under that foot—or blown away by the sheer force of the wind.
And once the first step fell, the second and third inevitably followed.
From within the sea of trees, several jōnin shouted in a panic, dodging the wild flurry of attacking branches as they rapidly formed hand seals.
First came a jōnin skilled in Earth Release, conjuring a massive earth dragon over ten meters long that surged toward the wooden giant’s right leg.
Next, a Uchiha jōnin specializing in Fire Release exhaled a roaring column of flames.
[Whoosh!]
The flames struck the earth dragon, but instead of destroying it, they fused together—transforming the creature into a blazing dragon of molten lava.
And it didn’t end there.
Finally, a jōnin from the Shimura clan let out a fierce gust of wind from deep within.
In an instant, the hurricane-like wind tore through the battlefield. Trees along its path were ripped up and shredded as though some raging demon had passed through.
Empowered by this wind, the flames around the lava dragon blazed even brighter—so hot they nearly turned white.
“RRAAAAAHHH—!”
A deafening dragon’s roar shook the entire field.
[BOOOOOOM!]
This lava dragon—an amalgamation of three elemental natures and the chakra of three elite jōnin—first incinerated all the surrounding trees before ramming straight into the wooden giant’s right leg, snapping it clean off.
Unbalanced, the wooden giant collapsed heavily to the ground, its fall crushing yet more forest—and likely many unfortunate shinobi caught beneath.
At that same moment—
Two more Konoha jōnin seized the opportunity created by the wooden giant’s fall and launched their own combined technique.
A massive water dragon crackling with arcs of lightning surged into the sky.
But instead of aiming for the giant’s remaining leg, its target was Aramaki himself—still standing atop the giant’s head.
[CRASH!!]
Yet the massive Lightning Water Dragon Bullet—created by the combined efforts of two top-tier jōnin—was smacked down by a single palm from the wooden giant, exploding into a cascade of electrified water that poured across the treetops below.
“It seems…” Aramaki murmured, “I haven’t shown you enough fear.”
“That's the only explanation for why you still have the nerve to attack me.”
As he spoke in a low, almost meditative voice—
A dreadful killing intent erupted from his towering frame, surging outward like a tidal wave of pressure.
Though there was nothing visible to the eye, every Konoha shinobi within several hundred meters felt it.
The crushing presence of death.
Under the influence of this icy killing intent, many of the shinobi found their bodies beginning to stiffen.
Those less fortunate were struck by the incoming branches—pierced through the body—and in an instant, withered into emaciated husks, as shriveled as the elderly.
“Fear! Hate! Rage!”
The wooden giant’s previously shattered right leg had already regenerated, packed tightly with countless fresh trees.
Standing atop its head, Aramaki spread his arms and roared, his black Justice coat billowing violently behind him.
“Let boundless despair reduce it all... to the most pitiful submission!”
As his words fell, the wooden giant below followed suit—also spreading its arms.
A strange, dark sheen began to spread across its surface—an oily, pitch-black luster faintly shimmering with a greenish light.
And then—
The two massive hands, brimming with overwhelming Haki and photosynthetic energy, clenched into colossal fists and came crashing down toward the earth.
“Stop him!!!”
Uchiha Fugaku’s eyes nearly bulged from their sockets—he could already picture the devastation those fists would unleash.
Hundreds of Uchiha clan members were still within that forest.
“Uchiha Flame Formation!!!”
Fugaku quickly gathered three elite Uchiha jōnin, and together they activated the barrier.
And in the very next moment—
Just as the Uchiha Flame Formation finished forming, the wooden giant—under Aramaki’s command—slammed both of its colossal fists down onto the earth.
[BOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!]
It was as if two nuclear warheads had gone off simultaneously.
The surrounding air instantly erupted, compressing into waves of searing white vapor that surged outward—forming a super-hurricane.
At the same time—
Blinding green shockwaves burst in all directions, only to be forcefully intercepted by walls of blazing red barriers.
[BOOM!]
The moment green met red, an inferno exploded forth—flames roaring as red and green light tangled and clashed violently, locked in a fierce stalemate.
After a brief struggle, the green light began to fade, unable to sustain itself any longer, and the red flames swiftly vanished with it.
“Hahhh—”
Across the battlefield, Konoha shinobi finally let out a collective sigh of relief. Uchiha Fugaku and his team even allowed themselves a hint of joy.
Somehow, they’d stopped it.
“Oh?”
Aramaki raised an eyebrow, staring curiously at the blazing red barrier now encasing him.
He hadn’t expected one of his full-power attacks to be stopped by this.
“Seems this shinobi world has a few tricks after all.”
“Oh no! Looks like I’m really trapped!” he cried, waving his arms and stomping his feet atop the wooden giant’s head. “What should I do?! I’m so scared! I should’ve never come here alone!”
His theatrics and exaggerated panic drew a wave of cold smirks from the Konoha shinobi below.
But his next line froze those smiles in place.
“Rawawawa! Of course I’m lying, you fools~~”
The very next moment—
Uchiha Fugaku and the others felt the ground begin to quake violently once again.
Soon—
Everyone’s eyes widened as they saw another wooden giant rise from the earth—around 100 meters outside the Uchiha Flame Formation.
“What?!”
Fugaku and the others were stunned.
They looked back at the wooden giant trapped within the barrier—only to see it already losing its humanoid shape, morphing rapidly into a towering tree nearly 100 meters tall.
The Aramaki atop it turned to wood as well—becoming just another small sapling.
“Oh… in your shinobi world, don’t you call this a Clone Technique?”
On the other side, the real Aramaki bared a bright, toothy grin as he casually swept his gaze across the stunned shinobi.
Back when Fugaku and his team initiated the Uchiha Flame Formation, Aramaki had used Observation Haki to foresee a few seconds into the future.
Just to be safe, he had elementalized and transferred himself—via the wooden giant he was standing on—into the root network below, using it to move beyond the barrier’s perimeter.
At the same time, he left behind a vividly lifelike wooden clone in his place.
“So… what are you going to do now?”
“Shinobi?”
The elite of Konoha said nothing, their expressions dark as ash.
All around them, the screams of shinobi dying horrible deaths in the sea of trees still echoed without pause—filling the air with dread, blood, and carnage.
Uchiha Fugaku and the other three silently dispersed the Uchiha Flame Formation.
They no longer knew what to do.
They couldn’t win.
Not even a glimmer of hope remained. They had done everything they could—pushed themselves as far as they were able. What else could they do? Throw their lives away in vain?
“Then let me show you the only path left!”
“Rawawawa! Surrender, shinobi! You have only one choice—to submit to the World Government!”
Aramaki threw his head back and laughed wildly, arrogance radiating from every pore.
But the shinobi around him could no longer muster anger.
Even though his voice grated like metal on glass, they merely stood in silence, eyes flickering with uncertainty.
Because, truthfully, they were seriously considering surrender.
It was clear by now—Aramaki’s strength was beyond anything the shinobi world could presently contend with.
“Talking about surrender now… isn’t it a little too soon?”
“You’re underestimating Konoha. And you’re underestimating this entire shinobi world!”
A familiar voice rang out across the battlefield.
“Hm?”
Aramaki turned to glance over—and saw that same white-haired bastard from earlier, the one who’d mouthed off at him before. He’d completely forgotten about that guy.
“Yo! What happened to your face, man? You get uglier or what?”
Jiraiya’s appearance had indeed changed.
His nose now resembled a bulb of garlic. Crimson markings spread across his cheeks, and when he opened his mouth, rows of sharp teeth could be seen inside.
Neither fully man nor beast—his look was… unsettling.
But this was the Sage Mode Jiraiya had spent over a decade perfecting.
“Appearance doesn’t matter,” Jiraiya said with a wide, toothy grin. “What does matter… is that I can hurt you now. And you know it.”
“Hmph. Sage Techniques, huh…”
Aramaki curled his lip. This kind of ability—fueled by natural energy—did indeed have properties similar to Armament Haki.
[Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!]
Just then, several sharp bursts of wind split the air—bringing with them several figures whose appearance drew gasps of joy from the remaining Konoha shinobi.
The Third Hokage had arrived!
“Finally here. Though whether it’s too late… we’ll have to see.”
Clad in a black combat uniform, Hiruzen stood tall—his body still holding onto some of its strength—as he scanned the battlefield through narrowed eyes.
But every scene he took in only deepened the grim weight in his heart.
The casualties were devastating.
Even if they managed to survive this battle…
Konoha would be left severely crippled—its very foundations shaken.
“At least most of the top fighters are still alive. I’d say we’re not too late.”
Now clad in a black combat uniform and carrying a long sword across his back, Shimura Danzō narrowed his eyes at Aramaki in the distance and spoke coldly.
Standing beside him, Orochimaru wore the standard green flak jacket of Konoha.
He said nothing, but his sharp gaze remained fixed on Aramaki and the massive wooden giant beneath him.
Inwardly, he mused: So that’s the power of a Devil Fruit… how fascinating.
Lately, Orochimaru’s attitude toward anything from the other world was one of pure scientific curiosity.
Of course, he hadn’t forgotten his true goal for coming here—to demonstrate his value to the World Government by performing well in this fight against Aramaki.
At the same time—
He needed to ensure Aramaki didn’t die here.
If Aramaki were killed, it would completely sever any possibility of reconciliation with the World Government.
“So… you four are the next round, huh?”
Aramaki’s gaze swept over them—and the many Konoha shinobi rushing up from behind—with complete indifference.
“Well then, let’s get started. All of you, come at once!”
“When I’ve knocked you flat on your backs, maybe then you’ll finally kneel before me—Rawawawa!!”
Aramaki’s wild laughter echoed once more across the entire battlefield.
