Naruto Wood Release Naruto

Knyght

The Collector
#1
Wood Release is the other kekkei genkai I was thinking of in the What You Want To Read In Naruto thread. That and Lava Release but Kishimoto ruined it for me.

How Naruto acquires Wood Release:
  • Naruto is born with Wood Release.
Naruto possessed the kekkei genkai without inheriting it from any of his ancestors as a genetic mutation just like Hashirama. As someone who is naturally born with it, he could have as much potential for Wood Release as the First Hokage if not greater.

Due to most kekkei genkai not having a specified 'trigger', Naruto could awaken this at various points in his life: before graduation, during one of his missions, major events like the Chuunin Exams, Konoha Crush or Sasuke’s Retrieval or later depending on the writer’s intent.
  • Naruto receives the Wood Release in an experiment.
Naruto is used in an experiment to inject Hashirama’s DNA into his body and grant him Wood Release, based on Orochimaru’s experiments that led to Yamato and Danzo’s transplanted arm. The motivation for the experiment would be to create a Jinchuuriki that can control the Nine-Tails instead of just contain it as well as neutralize foreign Jinchuuriki. While the Third Hokage might sanction the experiment, it would more likely be an independent project by Danzo to create a powerful weapon for Konoha.

Alternatively, this experiment could be the first of its kind with Naruto essentially replacing Yamato as Orochimaru abducts him as one of the sixty children and implants them all with Hashirama’s DNA. The other die but Naruto survives and gains Wood Release after Orochimaru is driven from Konoha.

In either case, Yamato admitted that he was a pale copy of the First Hokage as he was just an experiment, meaning that Naruto’s Wood Release could easily be weaker than the original’s depending on the writer’s intent. Otherwise justification would be needed to explain for why he matches or surpasses Hashirama.
  • Naruto receives Wood Release in special circumstances.
One route is similar could be like in Written in Reverse where Naruto had a unique connection to natural energy and that, in turn, granted him Wood Release.

Another route could be that Naruto is the literal reincarnation of Senju Hashirama and, through that connection, is able to use his Wood Release. That could potentially have Hashirama reside within Naruto as a conscious being that can communicate and guide him or have Naruto inherent his memories (and knowledge) at the beginning or over the course of the story.

Learning Wood Release:

Unlike with Ice Release, Naruto wouldn’t be a pioneer in the field of Wood Release and trying to figure out the entire jutsu style by himself.
  • He would be able to learn the jutsu style from Yamato who, depending on when the abilities manifest, could be assigned as his jounin sensei instead of Kakashi or as a separate tutor. Nurturing his kekkei genkai would be important to Konoha which would motivate them to remove Yamato from Anbu.
  • Hashirama most likely would have recorded the jutsu he created - and potentially the entire creation process - in one scrolls that could have been kept for any descendants that could develop his kekkei genkai.
  • There may even be records of Hashirama’s battles with examples of the kind of jutsu he used.
Using Wood Release:

Naruto would be able to instinctively transform his chakra into water and earth, allowing him to perform Water Release and Earth Release without the usual nature transformation training.

Wood Release itself has all sorts of uses in combat:
  • Hashirama preferred brute force with area-of-effect tactics that creates massive forests or giant constructs.
  • Yamato was more of a precision fighter that typically focuses on binding and restraint his targets.
  • Obito went nuts at close range with spikes growing out his body and stabbing/crushing everyone with his branches.
  • And then there’s more subtle effects based on leaves, flower, pollen, sap etc.
And unlike most jutsu styles, it has a lot of potential outside of combat as well. Especially with the idea that the trees grown with Wood Release are as permanent as any natural plant:
  • It can be used to instantly construct buildings individually or in group; he could build a village, town or city in a ridiculously short time, create camps for his allies, fortify existing habitations or build literal fortresses or castles wherever he wants.
  • He should be able to grow his own medicinal plants which can have the relevant substances harvested and used by Konoha’s Medical Corps, or poisonous plants which he can use for himself.
  • He could transform or improve practically any existing environment; making a barren land fertile, stimulating the growth of struggling farmland, growing actual fruit and vegetables for food and changing a desert into a forest.
Story-wise, the abilities and history of Wood Release have more potential than most other kekkei genkai Naruto could have.
  • The legendary might of the First Hokage would put a lot more attention on Naruto, especially as he becomes more known across the continent, and raise expectations of his growth. He could started getting pressure on the higher-ups and possibly putting more pressure on himself with that.
  • Naruto would become a high value target of any of the other hidden villages as they’d either want to take him for themselves or assassinate him to prevent his growth.
  • Wood Release makes Naruto the perfect counter to any Jinchuuriki or Tailed Beast who can neutralize their threat against Konoha or be used as a means to capture them.
And if Naruto is the Nine-Tails’ Jinchuuriki, his connection to the Tailed Beast can be written in different ways:
  • It could essentially have no effect most of the time; he can use Wood Release or draw on the Nine-Tails’ chakra or even use both at the same time without issue.
  • As Naruto masters his Wood Release, he is able to exert his control the Nine-Tails to suppress his chakra or forcibly draw upon it.
  • Naruto’s chakra automatically suppresses the Nine-Tails’ chakra which prevents him from tapping into it in any meaningful amounts so nothing happens when he experiences intense emotions or life-threatening danger.
  • And the more extreme version of that has Naruto essentially draining the Nine-Tails of its chakra throughout his lifetime as an innate part of his ability.
Potential Titles:
  • Evergreen - Relating to or denoting a plant that retains green leaves throughout the year / Having an enduring freshness, success, or popularity.
  • Verdure - Lush, green vegetation
  • Werifesteria - To wander longingly through the forest in search of mystery
  • Wildling/Wilding - A wild plant, flower or animal
 

Altered Nova

Well-Known Member
#2
I feel that this is the most plausible elemental kekkai genkai for Naruto to awaken. I've always found it interesting that Hashirama is both the only person to ever awaken the bloodline naturally, and also the previous reincarnation of Ashura. He also had insanely huge natural yang affinity (which we previously theorized was the primary reason why only Hashirama awakened the bloodline out of his entire clan), which Naruto also has. I really don't think those facts are a coincidence.

Also Naruto being a reincarnation of Hashirama already is kind of canon. They are both reincarnations of Ashura, and generally speaking, reincarnation means that you are *all* of your past lives. Naruto being a reincarnation of Ashura but not all of the other Ashura incarnations before him would be a rather bizarre interpretation of the concept.

If I was forced to write a story about this idea, I would probably have Naruto suddenly awaken the bloodline in a moment of great stress or danger, after having some crazy spiritual experience. And then he surprises everyone by learning and mastering wood release ninjutsu with unnatural skill, almost as if he's remembering them instead of learning them fresh, while having strange dreams that almost seem like someone else's memories...
 

Knyght

The Collector
#3
Naruto being a reincarnation of Ashura but not all of the other Ashura incarnations before him would be a rather bizarre interpretation of the concept.
The canon interpretation is even more bizarre since each 'reincarnation' is possessed by Asura's chakra as if he was haunting them, not Asura reborn as another person. Hashirama isn't the Roku to Naruto's Aang; each 'reincarnation' are separate people who had been possessed by the same person. It isn't even clear if this is something that happened from both or they are chosen at some point during their lifetime.
 

mandalorianjedi

The Original M2J
#4
The canon interpretation is even more bizarre since each 'reincarnation' is possessed by Asura's chakra as if he was haunting them, not Asura reborn as another person. Hashirama isn't the Roku to Naruto's Aang; each 'reincarnation' are separate people who had been possessed by the same person. It isn't even clear if this is something that happened from both or they are chosen at some point during their lifetime.
According to Hagromo, the reincarnations of Asura and Indra followed a pattern of conflict. The two would always, in each life, be drawn to and come into conflict with each other. Madara and Hashirama were the closest that came to breaking that cycle (I blame Tobirama for why they didn't, honestly) before Naruto and Sasuke. While many of them may or may not have had similar talents and abilities, that all did have the same chakra signatures (or at least Sasuke and Madara did according to Kurama) and it's even implied that they each had similar personalities and outlooks on life.
 
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