Watching the retreating figures of Shinji's trio, Naruto and Sakura approached Sasuke.
At that moment, Sasuke's expression was a mix of emotions. He was thrilled that Shinji had defeated Yakumo and "Wood Release," restoring some pride to the Uchiha name, yet frustrated that he'd been relegated to a mere spectator—a sidekick.
"Damn it, I awakened the Sharingan first—why am I still falling behind Shinji?"
He stewed in silent irritation.
Seeing this, Sakura said: "Sasuke, you've still got us!"
Naruto nodded emphatically: "Yeah, we won't lose to them!"
Sasuke took a deep breath and said firmly: "Let's go!"
Sakura and Naruto asked in unison: "Where to?"
Sasuke snapped: "To train, obviously!"
Elsewhere.
Tenten and Lee joined Neji: "Neji, we'll work hard too!"
Neji nodded.
Shinji's calm and collected demeanor against the seemingly invincible "Wood Release" tree sea had deeply inspired him. In Shinji, he saw a defiance against despair!
Gently touching the "Caged Bird" seal on his forehead, he thought: "I want to be like Shinji—rebelling against fate in the face of hopelessness!"
Shion, meanwhile, found Kimimaro in the crowd.
Pouting, she whispered: "Kimimaro, are you and Yakumo going to ditch me?"
Kimimaro replied coolly: "Whether we keep you or not—what's the difference?"
With that, he turned and walked away.
Shion stood stunned for a moment before reacting: "Hey, wait—you're all treating me like dead weight now!"
Before long, the crowd that had witnessed the duel gradually dispersed.
Only the Anbu tasked with cleaning the battlefield and erasing traces remained.
After sending Yakumo to the hospital for a checkup—just to be safe—Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Kakashi hurried to the Hokage's office to give the Third Hokage a detailed report on the Yakumo-Shinji match.
After hearing them out, the Third said: "This incident has a big impact. The large-scale display of 'Wood Release' is bound to shake the other villages. You need to prepare for the aftermath."
Tsunade nodded slightly: "Yes, I'll quickly compile a report on Yakumo to share with the other villages."
Under the looming threat of the Akatsuki, the five great shinobi villages had formed a tentative offensive-defensive alliance.
Thus, Hidden Leaf had to provide an explanation for "Wood Release" resurfacing.
Unlike Yamato, who stayed confined to Root and the shadows, Yakumo had unleashed "Wood Release" on a grand scale in public—it was impossible to cover up.
The Third cautioned: "Pay attention to the details!"
"I understand."
Tsunade caught his meaning immediately.
The Third was clear: give the other villages a plausible excuse, but don't reveal Yakumo's true secrets.
Tsunade already had a plan.
Yakumo's "Wood Release" stemmed from a First Hokage cell transplant surgery—an inherently unpredictable procedure that couldn't be widely replicated. She'd simply frame it as a desperate measure to save Yakumo's life due to her disability, accidentally granting her "Wood Release."
If other villages raised doubts or demanded the surgery for themselves, Tsunade didn't mind giving it a shot—it'd be their shinobi, and she wouldn't care if they lived or died.
After a moment's thought, the Third continued: "Do you think Yakumo should stay at the ninja academy?"
Jiraiya said: "Let her stay there. She's still just a kid. Even if we pulled her into the Anbu now, we'd need to assign someone to train her specially. It's better to let her grow naturally at the academy."
Kakashi agreed: "Yes, I support Lord Jiraiya's view. There are plenty of talented kids at the academy right now. Letting them grow together might be better than rushing them into the Anbu too soon!"
"She's my disciple—I won't let her join the Anbu."
Tsunade offered no reasoning, her tone calm but resolute.
The Third, aware of the effort Tsunade had poured into Yakumo, nodded: "Alright, then Yakumo will continue studying at the academy. But about her Koryugan—you'll need to figure out a way to obscure it. At least muddy the information so other villages or the Akatsuki can't uncover its true abilities."
"Yes, I'm already working on it!"
Tsunade had anticipated this.
In fact, after agreeing to let Yakumo reveal the Koryugan during the match, she'd already instructed the Anbu to spread various false rumors about it.
Dojutsu kekkei genkai were valuable, but it depended on who wielded them.
For the five great villages or an organization like the Akatsuki, unless it was a dojutsu on the level of the Mangekyo Sharingan, they wouldn't pay it much mind.
So Tsunade only needed to muddy the waters—disguise the Koryugan as something akin to the Hogan or Blood Dragon Eye—and it'd spare Yakumo much scrutiny and greed.
The Third rose and walked to the window, taking a puff from his pipe: "What do you three think of Uchiha Shinji?"
"Genius."
Kakashi was concise.
He felt any other description for Shinji was superfluous—"genius" alone fit perfectly.
Jiraiya nodded in agreement.
Unlike Kakashi, he'd trained the Fourth Hokage and mentored Nagato with the Rinnegan, so while he rated Shinji highly, it wasn't overly so.
Tsunade was blunt: "For Yakumo, he's a great whetstone. I need him!"
The Third gave a slight nod.
Though their words differed, their meaning aligned: Uchiha Shinji was a talent well worth nurturing.
The only concern now was his Uchiha identity.
Unlike Sasuke, Shinji didn't have a Mangekyo-wielding older brother to shield him.
At the Root base.
Danzo faced Orochimaru, his expression dark and shifting: "You told me your transplant surgery was the pinnacle of perfection, yet now Tsunade's cultivated a stronger 'Wood Release' shinobi!"
Orochimaru spread his hands with a smile: "Then you could always team up with Tsunade!"
"Hmph!"
Danzo snorted.
He and Tsunade had never gotten along. Others in Hidden Leaf might fear him and his control over Root, but Tsunade—the First Hokage's granddaughter and the village's princess—matched him in status and prestige, undaunted as an elder advisor.
Orochimaru saw through Danzo's bluster: "So our interests align. Keep working with me—it benefits us both!"
Danzo said coldly: "I need results!"
Orochimaru replied plainly: "In medical ninjutsu, Tsunade's the best in the shinobi world. So I'll need you to get me detailed data on her surgery this time. Also, I'm quite interested in that Kurama girl's eyes…"