At the Grand Martial Arts Tournament arena.
"Mm..."
Hitomi opened his eyes groggily. His head rested against something soft and springy, and it felt wonderfully comfortable. His little hand reached out to grab it before he even realized.
A sultry voice sounded beside his ear. "Oh my~ Aren't you forward? You've made me so happy..."
Hitomi looked up, saw Eida's alluring face, and shrank back in alarm. He hurried out of her embrace, only to bump into another, even broader one!
"Stop squirming!" Tsunade said. "Do you want to lose that arm?"
She had just reattached Hitomi's arm and was now securing it with bandages.
Seeing this, Hitomi remembered. Right, Dog Ears and the Big Guy showed up. My arm got cut off during the fight, and then Mitsuki...
He asked in a panic, "Mitsuki! What happened to Mitsuki?"
"I'm fine, Hitomi."
Mitsuki stood beside him, perfectly unharmed, smiling at him. A bloodstained skin lay at Mitsuki's feet.
Hitomi realized what had happened. "Oh, I forgot! You can shed your skin!"
That was not quite the truth. Mitsuki had been so badly injured that he could not even shed his skin. Had Orochimaru not injected him with a cardiac stimulant and adrenaline, restoring his consciousness so he could complete the shedding, his life might have been in danger.
But Mitsuki had no complaints. On the contrary, he felt that suffering a serious injury in exchange for Hitomi awakening his Mangekyō Sharingan had been more than worthwhile.
"Where did Dog Ears and the Big Guy go?" Hitomi asked.
"They escaped into the Other Dimension, and the Five Kage went after them," Mitsuki said. "They're probably fighting right now."
On the big screen, Tobi continued his commentary with unwavering dedication. "Oh-ho~ Suigetsu's grappling skills really are something! Can Konohamaru, who doesn't know