Wood Release

The techniques combine earth and water-based chakra to create wood. Wood Release techniques can be produced from anywhere, including the user's body, as the user's chakra is literally converted into a source of life. Hashirama Senju was the originator of this ability, evidenced by the fact that none of his relatives have been shown capable of using Wood Release. The First's ability to use these techniques was the reason for him being given the title of Hokage, and with Wood Release Secret Technique: Birth of Dense Woodland he was able to grow the trees that served as the foundation of Konohagakure.

Orochimaru desired the First's Wood Release abilities, and injected the First's DNA into 60 test subjects in an attempt to replicate the ability. Yamato was the only test subject to survive, and is the only known living user of Wood Release techniques. Yamato has been shown to be quite adept with the ability, and has performed a number of Wood Release techniques since his introduction. With the Wood Clone Technique, Yamato can create a copy of himself made of wood to carry out tasks he is unable to do at the moment. He can also perform Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall to create a half-dome used either to block attacks or capture others. The Wood Release: Four Pillars Prison Technique can serve a similar purpose, as it creates a large wooden cage with which he can confine an opponent. Yamato has also been shown to use his abilities for creature comforts, such as using Wood Release: Four Pillars House Technique to create a house for him to camp out in.

A possibly unrelated technique, but unique to the First and Yamato, is the Hokage-style Sixty-year-old Technique - Kakuan Entering Society with Bliss-bringing Hands. This technique produces a seal on the user's hand that can suppress a Tailed Beast's influence over its host. This is done by producing wooden dragons from the ground that attach to the host and force the tailed beast's chakra to recede. The First Hokage's crystal necklace aids in this technique's execution, but its exact role is unclear.

According to Yamato, Wood Release is not a nature affinity as it is not part of the five basic elements and is only the simultaneous usage of two elements earth and water, by releasing the chakra affinity of earth and water separately in each hand and performing the necessary hand seals a new element is created, Mokuton.