Chapter 541: Wood Armor Dragon, Moving Towards Rebirth!

Inside the test field of the underground Research Institute, the air seemed to still retain the tremors from that thunderous blow just now.

A special alloy steel plate, as large as a wall and three centimeters thick, now lay twisted and deformed in the distance. At its center was a deeply sunken fist print, with fine cracks even appearing at the edges.

This steel plate was originally used to test the destructive power of high-intensity Ninjutsu or Taijutsu, and its hardness was sufficient to withstand the full-force blow of an ordinary Jonin.

Yet, the cause of all this was merely a casual punch thrown by Nagato, who had just recently completed the Hashirama cells transplant surgery and was still in the adaptation period.

Nagato stood in the center of the test field, slowly withdrawing his fist.

He lowered his head, staring at his hands in disbelief; they were no longer the skin-and-bones, withered, and powerless appearance they had been before.

Although still not considered robust, the contours of muscles were now faintly visible beneath his skin, his knuckles were no longer so gaunt and protruding, and even his complexion revealed a hint of the long-lost, rosy luster belonging to a healthy life.

He could feel an unprecedented, vigorous, and gentle vitality gushing out continuously from the depths of his body, like a dried-up riverbed welcoming the nourishment of a fresh spring once again.

This power was not only repairing his riddled Meridians and organs but also endowing him with physical strength and vitality far exceeding what he had before.

"The Hashirama cells transplanted this time... are completely different from what Obito gave me last time."

Nagato realized in his heart.

The Hashirama cells meticulously cultivated by Orochimaru had eliminated most of the violent and unstable factors, focusing more on Fusion and nourishment with the host, rather than predatory erosion.

This allowed him to not only successfully accept the cells but also gain enhancements far beyond his expectations.

"Magnificent!"

Orochimaru, watching from the side, had an irrepressible gleam of excitement in his golden snake-like pupils. He even clapped lightly, as if admiring a perfect work of art.

"How does it feel, Nagato-kun? Are you satisfied with this ’gift’?"

Nagato moved his neck, producing a slight "crack" sound, and a sense of gratification appeared on his face.

"I feel very good."

He said truthfully. Although his voice was still a bit hoarse, his breath was clearly much stronger.

He did not continue to test pure physical strength, but instead quickly pressed his hands together in front of his chest, forming a simple seal.

This was the starting gesture to mobilize the newly born Wood Release Chakra within his body.

"Wood Release: Wood Armor Dragon!"

With the surge of Chakra, the ground beneath Nagato’s feet instantly broke open, and thick, brown wood with the luster of life grew, intertwined, and took shape crazily like living vines.

Almost in the blink of an eye, a wooden mechanical dragon about three meters long with an intricate and complex structure appeared in the test field.

The dragon’s body was covered with wooden scales, its joints were flexible, and its head was held high.

Orochimaru’s interest deepened. He rested his chin on his right hand, tilted his head slightly, and examined this suddenly appeared wood dragon: "This is... a Puppet? A Puppet generated directly using Wood Release?"

He immediately realized the ingenuity of it.

Ordinary Puppets required pre-made parts, assembly, and engraving of Chakra circuits, whereas Nagato directly created a Puppet with a complete basic structure using Wood Release Chakra.

"Yes."

Nagato affirmed this, his tone calm with a hint of confidence.

"I have lost the Rinnegan, but the experience of controlling the Rinnegan, especially the experience of precisely controlling the Six Paths of Pain simultaneously, has not disappeared with it."

He walked to the side of the Wood Armor Dragon, reached out his hands, precisely grabbed the two handles specifically left on the back of the wood dragon, and pulled hard towards himself.

A miraculous scene occurred.

The three-meter-long Wood Armor Dragon seemed to "come alive" instantly, or like a piece of precise armor, and as Nagato moved, the wood dragon’s massive body rapidly disassembled, deformed, and adhered!

The dragon’s body extended downwards along Nagato’s spine, fixed itself, and transformed into sturdy back armor and waist support; the four dragon claws retracted and deformed, wrapping around his limb joints to become arm armor and leg armor that enhanced strength; the dragon’s head folded backwards, covering his back of the neck and parts of his shoulders and back, forming additional protection.

The entire process was smooth and rapid. In just two or three seconds, the originally independent Wood Armor Dragon turned into a set of "Wood Release Armor" that perfectly fit Nagato’s body curves, was flexible at the joints, and thick at critical areas.

Nagato moved his arms and legs wrapped in the wood armor; there was no sense of stagnation in his movements, as if this wood armor was an extension of his body.

Immediately after, with a thought, he raised his right arm covered by the wood armor.

He saw the wooden structure at the front of the arm immediately begin to deform and reorganize.

Within a few seconds, it changed from a bracer form into a wooden spear with a sharp tip and sharp barbs on both sides, with faint patterns of flowing Wood Release Chakra on the spear body.

"I can use the characteristics of Wood Release to change the form of various parts of the wood armor at any time, replacing those weapons of the Asura Path that required prior preparation."

Nagato’s voice came through the opening in the face of the wood armor, sounding a bit deep.

"In terms of long-range attacks, I can combine it with the ’Wood Release: Cutting Technique’ to launch wooden spikes at high speed as missiles."

"The plasticity of Wood Release allows this ’Wood Armor Dragon’ to cope with almost any form of combat, changing into the most suitable weapon or defensive structure according to needs at any time."

"It is worthy of being Wood Release, a top-tier release technique, very suitable for Puppet techniques."

Nagato’s inspiration came from Sasori. In order to increase his survival rate, he drew on the design of Hiruko to create the Wood Armor Dragon.

Orochimaru looked at the "Wood Armor Dragon" before him, which combined the precision of Puppet techniques, the creativity and plasticity of Wood Release, and great development potential. He couldn’t help but clap lightly again, with sincere admiration in his tone:

"What a Genius concept, Nagato-kun.

Turning the disadvantage of losing the Rinnegan into an advantage of using existing control experience to develop new power.

If you focus on researching Puppet techniques, you will definitely become one of the top Puppeteers in the Ninja World."

The facts were indeed so.

Long-term simultaneous precise control of the Six Paths of Pain, and even including controlling the Gedo Statue for combat, this ability to "multitask" to the extreme, as well as the precise control of Chakra and the overall grasp of combat rhythm, was a height that ordinary Puppeteers could hardly reach in their entire lives.

Nagato just transferred this experience from controlling corpse Puppets to controlling the active wood Puppets he created himself, and his starting point had already surpassed the vast majority of people.

Inside the test field, Nagato, wearing the Wood Armor Dragon, was like a War God of Wood emerging from an ancient forest.

He felt the newly born power in his body and this armor that moved according to his will. In those red eyes, the confident light belonging to a strong person rekindled.

Living on is not just for companionship, but also to possess enough power to protect that remaining warmth.

This Wood Armor Dragon was the new weapon he forged for himself, and it was also the first step towards his rebirth.

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