Wood Style!!

After that,

two more days passed.  

During that time...

Although Chen Yiban had returned the Hokage Building to Tsunade Hime, allowing her to resume her duties in her office,

he had still spent these past few days on the roof of the Hokage Building.

Between heaven and earth, Chen Yiban sat cross-legged day and night!

He was carrying out the final stabilization of his body, which had been surging with power ever since he fused the strength of [Ōtsutsuki Asura and Hashirama Senju].

And... the power of his Rinnegan was continuously ascending.

Even the power of his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan had grown considerably stronger!

So Chen Yiban had sat alone on the rooftop for two whole days and nights.

He was carrying out the final stabilization of his own power!

Meanwhile,

down in the Hokage's office,

every time Tsunade Hime finished her work, she glanced up at the rooftop...

Her beautiful eyes would inevitably fill with deep indignation.

Tsunade Hime even suspected that Chen Yiban was deliberately staying above her, the Hokage!

In any case, whenever she thought of that guy being right over her head on the rooftop, it felt as if someone were standing above her.

Infuriating!

Absolutely infuriating!

The main problem was that nobody in all of Konoha could beat him.

So the more she had to swallow her resentment, the more irritated she became.

Tsunade Hime had even considered moving the Hokage's office somewhere else!

Honestly!

But...

There had been one piece of good news these past two days.

That brat Naruto really was lucky. He had woken up yesterday!

And Jiraiya's injuries had mostly stabilized, too.

It was just that his right hand was truly gone!

At that moment!

In a hospital room:

"Pervy Sage, is the village okay now?"

Naruto lay in bed and looked at Jiraiya beside him, asking worriedly.

"Don't worry. That guy didn't wipe us out completely in the end. We suffered heavy losses, but at least the village wasn't destroyed entirely!"

Jiraiya gave a bitter smile as he answered Naruto's concern.

He glanced at his severed right arm, and his expression dimmed slightly.

"Pervy Sage, your hand..." Naruto asked, looking at Jiraiya with concern.

"Well, when you're facing an opponent like Madara, just surviving is already a blessing. It would've been pretty hard to come away without a single loss, right? Hahaha."

Jiraiya regained his composure and joked.

"That despicable guy is actually staying in the village and refusing to leave?" Naruto said indignantly.

"Don't dwell on it. If he hadn't shown even a shred of compassion at the end, the people of Konoha would've been left homeless. I wonder what happened during the Warring States Period. Why did Madara say Konoha owed the Uchiha?" Jiraiya said, rubbing his chin with his one remaining hand.

"Hmph, that despicable guy was just making things up. I don't believe a word he said." Naruto hated Chen Yiban and refused to believe anything he had said.

Just then:

"Yo!"

The door opened gently, and Kakashi walked in with a basket of fruit, smiling.

Sakura Haruno followed behind him!

"Kakashi-sensei! Sakura!" Naruto beamed.

"Well, you seem to be recovering nicely," Kakashi said with a relieved smile.

"Kakashi-sensei, your Sharingan..." Naruto noticed that Kakashi's left eye seemed to have been replaced with an ordinary brown one.

Was the Kakashi who had once been known as the Copy Ninja gone for good?

"Mm... Madara took that Sharingan. Then the Hokage helped me replace it with a decent eye!" Kakashi said after setting down the fruit.

"I see." Naruto nodded slightly.

It felt as if everyone had lost something after Madara attacked Konoha this time.

Could it be that Konoha really did owe the Uchiha, and Madara had come to collect?

"By the way, where's Sasuke?"

Naruto tried to sit up in bed and asked.

Kakashi helped Naruto sit up. But when he heard Naruto's question, he seemed unsure how to answer.

Seeing this, Naruto felt something was wrong. He looked at Sakura Haruno beside him. "Sakura, how's Sasuke?"

At that, Sakura Haruno's expression fell. "Sasuke's been staying at the former Uchiha Clan grounds these past few days. He won't see anyone."

"Why?" Naruto asked, confused.

As for that...

"That day... Shimura Danzō, one of the elders, revealed an entire arm covered in Sharingan, and even his right eye was Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan. They were all Uchiha eyes..."

"Combined with Madara's extreme statements that day, Sasuke... must've been affected. He may even be doubting Konoha and no longer trust the village."

Kakashi sighed helplessly.

The situation was indeed complicated. As Sasuke's teacher, Kakashi had no idea how to handle it just yet!

He thought he should let Sasuke calm down for a few days.

"Sasuke..." Naruto had a bad feeling.

Just then:

Tap—tap—

The sound of light footsteps rang out.

At the doorway, Sasuke Uchiha arrived in the hospital room, wearing clothes emblazoned with the Uchiha crest.

"Sasuke?!"

Sakura Haruno was the first to exclaim, delighted and surprised.

"Sasuke, you jerk! I'm in the hospital, and you're only coming to see me now?"

Naruto immediately smiled happily, though he sounded a little reproachful.

Kakashi and Jiraiya were both glad to see the three youngsters together.

But—

"I'm here to sever my bonds with you."

Sasuke Uchiha opened with those words.

"W-what did you say?" Naruto stared blankly at Uchiha Sasuke from his hospital bed.

"Sasuke..." Sakura Haruno looked at Sasuke in shock.

Kakashi and Jiraiya both sensed that things were getting serious!

The kid really had started distrusting Konoha and doubting the village!

At that moment:

"From now on, I, Sasuke Uchiha, am no longer a member of Team Seven. I'm not a member of Konoha anymore, either!"

"I am Sasuke Uchiha of the Uchiha Clan. I belong only to the Uchiha!!"

Sasuke Uchiha's face was filled with resolve.

He had made up his mind!

For the sake of power, he would sever his bonds with Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura Haruno, and the others!!

Everything was for the sake of gaining enough strength to take revenge on that man.

Besides,

Konoha truly couldn't be trusted.

Just think of Shimura Danzō's right eye from a few days ago, and that entire right arm covered in Sharingan...

Sasuke Uchiha wished he had been the one to kill Shimura Danzō that day!

And Shimura Danzō was one of the elders of Konoha Ninja Village!

Was it possible that the Third Hokage had truly known nothing about what Shimura Danzō had done?

Ha!

As if!

Hypocritical Konoha!

Hypocritical Will of Fire!!

They were all a pack of jackals and tigers coveting the Uchiha's power!!

"That's all."

"If we meet again, we don't have to be enemies. But we won't be comrades anymore, either!"

Sasuke Uchiha finished with those words.

He turned and prepared to leave!

"Stop! Sasuke, are you serious?"

Naruto Uzumaki tried to climb out of bed in a panic to stop Uchiha Sasuke from leaving.

But Naruto was still extremely weak and couldn't even stand yet.

"Sasuke, don't tell me you're really going to find Madara?" Kakashi stepped forward and called out.

At that, Uchiha Sasuke's steps paused slightly.

Then:

"Wouldn't I?"

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha, and he's Uchiha Madara. We're both Uchiha!"

Uchiha Sasuke turned to look at Kakashi, his expression cold.

At that moment:

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

A pair of [Two-Tomoe Sharingan] had appeared in Uchiha Sasuke's eyes at some point.

The tomoe spun faster and faster!

Until, at last...

A pair of [Three Tomoe Sharingan] had fully stabilized in Uchiha Sasuke's eyes.

"This is..." Kakashi was startled.

"His Sharingan evolved?!" Jiraiya's expression turned grave as he looked at the dark, sinister power in Sasuke's eyes.

"Sasuke..." Naruto and Sakura Haruno stared at Sasuke in shock.

"I've... completely severed my bonds with you." Sasuke Uchiha looked at them one last time, his Three Tomoe Sharingan open.

Then he turned and left for good!

"Sasuke...!"

Sakura Haruno chased after him.

But she found that he had already disappeared from the hospital!

Elsewhere!

On the rooftop of the Hokage Building:

After finishing the basic duties of the Hokage, Tsunade Hime glanced at the time and prepared to get something to eat.

As she left, Tsunade Hime didn't forget to glare at the man on the rooftop, dressed in red armor with long hair billowing in the wind.

Chen Yiban kept his eyes closed, sensing, gathering, and stabilizing the increasingly powerful force within him.

He had maintained this posture for two days and nights!

And not long after Tsunade Hime left:

Whoosh—

A figure leaped up the wall of the Hokage Building.

He landed on the rooftop, not far from Chen Yiban, who sat cross-legged.

"Madara-senpai, I did it."

It was Sasuke Uchiha, looking at Chen Yiban with eagerness and hope.

"Madara-senpai, my Sharingan has reached the Three-Tomoe level."

Uchiha Sasuke continued, his excitement showing as he spoke to Chen Yiban.

At the same time, he displayed his [Three Tomoe Sharingan] before Chen Yiban.

Chen Yiban sensed the power in his eyes after the evolution:

Clang—

Without moving his body or opening his eyes, he merely formed a hand seal with one hand.

The next second—

Creak, creak—

A humanoid wooden figure rapidly condensed from Chen Yiban and emerged from his body.

When it landed, a Wood Release Clone that looked exactly like Chen Yiban stood straight in front of Sasuke Uchiha.

"This is... the legendary First, Hashirama Senju's..."

Uchiha Sasuke stared at the Wood Clone before him, his face filled with disbelief.

He couldn't believe that Chen Yiban had actually obtained the power of Wood Style.

That was the bloodline ninjutsu of the First, "Hashirama Senju," who had once been known as the God of Shinobi!

How could Madara-senpai have learned it too?

This was way too sudden!!