Devour! The Power of the Wood Release Heart

The second underground level of Gospel Hospital.

It was so quiet that only the sound of air flowing could be heard.

There was only one man and one corpse here, one standing and one lying down. The place was utterly lifeless.

Toji stood beside the operating table, his gaze resting on Hashirama's corpse. All the sincerity he had shown at the Senju Compound had faded from his face.

At last, he could no longer suppress himself. He raised a hand to brush aside the black hair over his forehead, terrifying red light blooming in his eyes as he threw back his head and laughed madly.

"Hehehehahaha—!"

The fluorescent light above cast Toji's shadow upon the wall, making it look sinister and horrifying.

His laughter echoed through the cramped laboratory.

Only after a while did it gradually subside.

Toji lowered his head, and his wicked, manic aura receded with it. He returned to looking like the doctor everyone admired.

He spoke, talking to himself in the calmest tone possible. "Glory passed down through the generations? Lady Mito, that's far too distant a prospect. I can't do it."

He had long since ordered this place cleared out and set up layer upon layer of barriers. Even if the Hyuga main family used their Byakugan at full strength, they would never be able to see through the barriers, much less learn what was happening here.

With Toji's caution, he would not leave behind even the slightest hidden danger. Everything had to be flawless.

He clapped his hands together, and smoke from a Summoning Jutsu rose up. A corpse from the Zenin Laboratory's underground facility appeared beside him.

Toji acted decisively and removed the test subject's heart. This way, he would not need to use the cadavers reserved for hospital research. There would be