I Was So Scared
More than a dozen members of the Hyuga clan attacked Xu Fan from different directions.
Even though they were only branch family members, they still had the ability to activate their Byakugan, allowing them to see through all the acupuncture points on Xu Fan's body with a single glance.
Moreover, none of them showed any mercy. They targeted Xu Fan's key acupuncture points, intending to teach him a severe lesson.
In their opinion, the consequences Xu Fan faced were entirely his own doing.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Hyuga Hiashi both found themselves in an awkward position. After all, it was Xu Fan himself who had provoked this conflict. Especially for Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had planned to use this opportunity to win over the Hyuga clan, things had escalated beyond his expectations.
However, what no one realized was that this was all part of Xu Fan's plan.
From the moment he stepped into this room, Xu Fan had only one goal: to provoke the Hyuga clan into attacking him. And the harder they hit, the better.
This way, his actions would be seen as self-defense.
After all, verbal disputes are just that—exchanges of words. If they wanted to refute him, they could do so verbally.
But once they chose to use force, the situation became entirely different.
What made this even more significant was that it wasn't just one person attacking him; almost all of the younger generation present had rushed forward.
"Get away!"
Despite his reluctance, Hyuga Hizashi finally made a decision. Xu Fan was still a child, and it was because of him that this conflict with the main family had arisen.
Since he was going to die anyway, it was better to throw Xu Fan out of harm's way before that happened.
But what Hizashi never expected was that, through his Byakugan, he saw the chakra flow within Xu Fan's body.
For a thirteen-year-old boy, this amount of chakra was simply unheard of.
And he wasn't the only one who noticed—other Hyuga clan members with activated Byakugan also saw it.
Shock flickered in their eyes.
But in the next moment, their expressions shifted from surprise to complete astonishment.
Xu Fan remained calm and composed, exuding an aura of confidence. He pressed his palms together and formed a seal.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, along with Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, watched in utter shock.
Especially Sarutobi Hiruzen—he only needed a brief glance to recognize this jutsu.
In an instant, his eyes widened, and he leapt to his feet.
"Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees!"
With Xu Fan's declaration, the elegant flooring instantly shattered as countless trees sprouted from the ground at an astonishing speed. Their branches and leaves spread rapidly, entangling each of the attackers one by one.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The trees rapidly grew, reaching the ceiling and completely trapping the Hyuga clan members who had attacked Xu Fan.
"This is the limit I'm suppressing…" Xu Fan said calmly.
He wasn't bluffing.
Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees was far more powerful than what he had just demonstrated. If he hadn't restrained his chakra output, in just a few breaths, his jutsu would have completely destroyed the building's ceiling, turning the entire Hyuga clan residence into a primeval forest.
And Xu Fan knew better than anyone that the Hyuga clan would understand this fact.
With their Byakugan, they could clearly see the sheer volume and intensity of chakra flowing within him.
The horrified expressions on the faces of the Hyuga elders confirmed his suspicions.
"He just… used Wood Release, the Kekkei Genkai that only the First Hokage possessed."
"This… this is as if the God of Shinobi himself has returned…"
Homura Mitokado swallowed hard, his throat dry. Witnessing Wood Release firsthand, he instinctively took a few steps back in sheer disbelief.
More importantly, despite his age, his hearing was still sharp.
He had clearly heard Xu Fan say, 'This is the limit I'm suppressing.'
Not 'This is my limit.'
In other words, Xu Fan was telling everyone that he had deliberately minimized the damage.
And it wasn't just Mitokado and Koharu who were shaken.
Even Sarutobi Hiruzen, a man who had experienced countless battles, witnessed the might of the First and Second Hokages, and was known as the Professor of Ninjutsu, stood frozen in place. His mind went completely blank.
Even though he had long considered the possibility, actually witnessing Wood Release—a power that only the legendary Hashirama Senju wielded—was beyond staggering.
This not only left Sarutobi Hiruzen in shock, but it also made him want to summon Danzo Shimura immediately.
Look! It's real Wood Release!
This wasn't some artificial experiment like Yamato.
This was the real deal.
"Wood Release…"
One of the Hyuga elders gasped, his expression turning as sour as if he had just swallowed something foul.
Everyone knew that Hashirama Senju had used this Kekkei Genkai to end the warring states period and establish Konohagakure.
More importantly, even a fool could see the reality of their current predicament.
If Xu Fan had even the slightest intent to kill, he could have wiped out everyone in this room with ease.
In fact, it was not an exaggeration to say that the young man standing before them could very well be the one to reshape the entire shinobi world.
Xu Fan let his hands drop naturally as he slowly scanned the expressions of everyone present.
He knew in his heart that he had accomplished his goal.
Everyone was completely overwhelmed by his display of power, utterly intimidated.
If he had used Wood Release right from the start, they would have immediately thought of him as another Madara Uchiha.
But because of how he had orchestrated everything, even though he had still frightened them, the effect was entirely different.
In other words, it gave the impression that he had never intended to fight. He had simply wanted to remain a low-profile member of the Senju clan.
Just an ordinary, sunny young man.
But this was the result of their insistence on forcing his hand.
"Hokage-sama…"
Xu Fan took a deep breath, shook his head helplessly, and let out a wry smile.
"I just saw dozens of Jonin charging at me… I was terrified."
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "???"
Koharu Utatane: "???"
Homura Mitokado: "???"
Hyuga Hizashi: "???"
Hyuga Elder: "???"
Other Hyuga Clan Members: "???"
What do you mean you were terrified? We're the ones trembling here!
We're still sealed within these trees, unable to move!
Sarutobi Hiruzen opened his mouth but hesitated.
What was he supposed to say?
Comfort Xu Fan? Tell him he understood his fear?
But looking at the situation, it felt like the ones who truly needed comforting were the Hyuga clan.
Yet…
Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't resent Xu Fan's actions. On the contrary, after his initial shock subsided, he was incredibly pleased with what he had just witnessed.
Meanwhile, Koharu and Homura exchanged glances behind him, equally exhilarated.