Revered for its ability to morph entire battlefields or create massive structures and constructs on a gargantuan scale, Wood Release in Naruto is the signature kekkei genkai ability of Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage. As one of the founders of Konohagakure, Hashirama was hailed the world over as one of the strongest shinobi in history, and his use of Wood Release had a major part to play in this. Besides Hashirama, Wood Release never naturally manifested in anyone until after the Fourth Shinobi World War, and this is one of the reasons behind why so many high level ninja sought to recreate it.
From Orochimaru and Danzo Shimura's experiments, to Obito and Madara Uchiha's use of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to cultivate Hashirama's cells, there were many attempts to recreate this kekkei genkei after the First Hokage's death. The ability itself was so feared that Konoha developed a specialized genjutsu known as the Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death, which intended to deceived victims into thinking that they were fighting Hashirama. In effect, Wood Release is one of the most versatile kekkei genkai abilities that offers a host of benefits to users, which is why so many have sought to reproduce throughout Naruto's storyline.
What Is Wood Release?
An exceptionally unique kekkei genkai produced by combining Water and Earth Release, Wood Release allows users to create life itself, using their own chakra as fuel for the vegetation they create. Its scope extends to a broad variety of plant life at various scales, as well as very ornate and complex constructs made of wood, which can range from cages to a medium-sized house, or even massive figures that tower over entire mountain ranges. In Hashirama's hands, the ability could be employed to create entire forests with Wood Release Secret Technique: Nativity of a World of Trees, or Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees, which spreads pollen that can knock targets unconscious.
Hashirama also made use of it to create an entire forest that served as the foundation for Konohagakure, and his constructs shaped much of the village's layout and architecture, which had a hand in him being selected as the First Hokage. When used in conjunction with his Sage Mode, he could produce massive wood golems or a thousand armed Buddha figure capable of dealing out innumerable punches, relying on the durability of wood to inflict massive damage to opponents. When used against the Susanoo of Madara Uchiha, this jutsu, known as the Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands, destroyed so much of the landscape that it was responsible for creating the Valley of the End.
Wood Release can also be used to restrain targets and absorb their chakra. This is another major reason why there have been so many attempts to recreate this kekkei genkai, as Hashirama was one of the few shinobi who could completely control a tailed beast, without the use of any genjutsu or dojutsu such as the Sharingan. With this, Hashirama was able to capture all the tailed beasts and distribute them among the hidden villages. Finally, Wood Release is also associated with immense regeneration abilities, owing to its capacity to create life itself. While the relationship between the two has not yet been determined, it has manifested in every instance where Hashirama's DNA has been combined with that of another individual.
Why Is It Such A Desired Kekkei Genkai?
In short, Wood Release is easily the most versatile of all nature release kekkei genkai shown so far in Naruto. Its life-giving abilities, power to reshape entire landscapes, and the immense durability of the structures it can produce, allowed Hashirama to channel it in ways that most other kekkei genkai abilities — apart from dojutsu abilities — could not hope to emulate. Additionally, the power it held in subduing the tailed beasts proved vital in brokering peace between the hidden villages in the early years after their formation, although this would not last for long. Gaining this power would give many an upper hand in battles against other hidden villages, which is one of the many reasons why this ability was so sought after.
The feats Hashirama performed with his Wood Release, as well as the power and respect he commanded in his day — the likes of which were not seen until Naruto's time — put him in a class of his own. Hence, many struggled and failed to replicate Wood Release. The most prominent among them was the duo of Orochimaru and Danzo Shimura, who devised a means of infusing Hashirama's DNA into test subjects. Of the sixty children that were experimented on, only one survived. Even in this case, the child, who would later come to be known as Yamato, had access to Wood Release, although his usage of the kekkei genkai paled in comparison to Hashirama's own.
Danzo Shimura was also able to use a very crude form of Wood Release with his artifical arm made of Hashirama's cells, but it was very taxing for him to perform, and he possessed very little control over it. More often than not, he used his arm to increase the effectiveness of the Sharingan embedded into it, and avoided using Wood Release directly. Madara Uchiha also acquired some of Hashirama's flesh to heal the grievious injuries he sustained in his fight against his rival and later acquire the Rinnegan, while also creating a mindless clone of Hashirama with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. He was then able to use this to create the White Zetsu Army, as well as a substance capable of replacing limbs, which he used to treat Obito Uchiha, giving him limited Wood Release in the process.
Obito was also able to use his Mangekyo Sharingan abilities without any loss of his eyesight, highlighting the powerful regenerative properties of Hashirama's DNA and his Wood Release abilities. Keeping all these factors in mind, it is not surprising that Wood Release was so coveted in the shinobi world of Naruto, as seen in its many applications and the enhancements it provides to those who use it, making it one of the most potent abilities in the series.
Naruto is available to stream on Crunchyroll.