"Who are you? And what are you doing here?!"

Uchiha Yakumi appeared in a flash, his stance hostile as he confronted the intruder. He and the other clan members had been using their new Wood Release abilities to construct homes, expanding their territory, when this stranger had suddenly appeared. Uchiha Inahiro materialized a moment later, his expression even more severe.

"Yakumi! Why waste time talking to him? Just kill him!" Inahiro spat, his eyes burning with suspicion. "He has discovered our location. The Uchiha's secret sanctuary cannot be compromised!" With that, Inahiro was about to move, but Yakumi quickly stopped him.

"Wait, Inahiro! Don't be impulsive," Yakumi cautioned, his gaze fixed on the stranger's cloak. "The clothes he wears… the red clouds on the black fabric… they are the same as Obito's. He may not be an enemy."

"That doesn't matter! I trust no one outside our clan!" Inahiro completely ignored the advice. He clasped his hands together and shouted, "Wood Release: Shadow Killing Binding Jutsu!" A long, winding branch shot from his sleeve, extending with impossible speed and wrapping itself around Kakuzu, binding him tightly in place.

Kakuzu, however, paid no mind to his predicament. His mismatched eyes were fixed on the two men before him. The same eyes as Itachi, he thought. The three-tomoe Sharingan. They are undoubtedly Uchiha.

But how could the Uchiha be using Wood Release? The question baffled him.

Forget it. Don't think about it. The sight of the legendary jutsu immediately brought back memories of his battle with the First Hokage, a humiliating defeat that had haunted him for decades. The old anger flared within him, compounded by a fresh indignation. He had come here to deliver a fortune, and this was the welcome he received?

"Is this how the Uchiha welcome their visitors?!" he roared.

"Bang!"

Kakuzu hardened his entire body, and with a powerful surge of strength, the wooden tendrils that bound him shattered into splinters.

"Hmph! Not so impressive." Kakuzu glared at Inahiro, the thunder-element mask on his back beginning to pulse with energy. "Compared to Hashirama Senju, the man I once fought, your Wood Release is a pale imitation!"

"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"

A spear of pure, crackling lightning shot from the mask, sweeping across the clearing toward the two Uchiha. Inahiro had no time to react to the sudden, overwhelming counterattack. It was the first time he had ever witnessed such a powerful lightning technique. Seeing his comrade frozen in shock, Yakumi quickly performed a defensive jutsu.

"Wood Style: Wood Locking Wall!"

A row of thick, curved wooden pillars erupted from the earth, interlocking to form a solid, arched wall that stood firm against Kakuzu's attack.

"Oh?" Kakuzu was startled, muttering to himself, "He knows Wood Release as well?" First one, now two. He was growing more and more curious about this new Uchiha clan. And with that curiosity came a deep, predatory excitement. The Sharingan was already a terrifying power. Combined with Wood Release, the Uchiha would be unstoppable. If they were to join the Akatsuki, the organization's strength would be unparalleled.

"Interesting," Kakuzu rasped. "Let's see what else you can do!" He was done holding back. He released the remaining three elemental hearts from his body, preparing for an all-out assault.

Seeing this, Yakumi knew he had no choice but to fight. "Inahiro, snap out of it!" he yelled. "This man's techniques are bizarre! The next attack is coming!"

"That's enough! Stand down!"

Uchiha Fugaku suddenly leaped from the newly constructed villa, landing between Kakuzu and his clansmen. The voice was familiar. It was the man who had shouted "Four-Pillar House Jutsu" just moments before. The man who had created the grand villa from nothing. He, too, could use Wood Release.

Kakuzu let out a low hum. "Hmph. After seeing it so many times, it's no longer so strange." The pieces were falling into place. It seemed all the Uchiha could now wield the legendary power of the First Hokage.

What a pleasant surprise, he thought, a greedy smile spreading across his stitched face.