Yisiza leapt forward, chakra surging beneath his feet as he sped toward Wind Country.
The masked man following behind him let out a quiet laugh.
"Truly troublesome…"
"Sasuke…" Yisiza muttered as he ran. "If only he had Chen Xing's level of control, I could rest easy."
But disappointment was inevitable.
As he moved through the forest, Yisiza's expression darkened.
"This loss is too great. Even that eye was taken… I'll have to change my plans."
The Mangekyō Sharingan should not be so easily controlled. And yet Chen Xing—without possessing Uchiha blood—had used its power with terrifying precision.
"How can someone without the Uchiha body push the dōjutsu this far?"
The doubt gnawed at him.
Bear Country — Deep Forest Valley
After returning to his hidden base, Chen Xing immediately activated a barrier seal, isolating the area from outside detection.
Inside the room, he removed the remaining ordinary three-tomoe Sharingan and calmly transplanted Yisiza's Mangekyō into his left eye.
When the procedure ended, Chen Xing stood before a mirror.
A four-pointed windmill Mangekyō Sharingan rotated slowly in each eye.
The moment his vision stabilized, an overwhelming flow of information surged into his mind.
He stepped outside, toward the waterfall training area.
"Kaleidoscope Sharingan… activate."
Scarlet eyes spun violently.
"—Susanoo!"
Pain exploded through his skull. Chen Xing gritted his teeth as chakra flooded his eyes.
A green skeletal giant rose around him—ten meters tall, hollow-eyed, its massive jaw stretched open in a silent roar.
"So this is the price…" Chen Xing growled. "Even with Hashirama's cells, it still hurts like hell."
He understood the cause. The Mangekyō strained the optic nerves directly. Hashirama's cells provided regeneration, but they could not eliminate the initial backlash.
Still—unlike Sasuke—he would not go blind.
As chakra output increased, muscle-like chakra formed over the skeleton. The Susanoo thickened, arms solidifying, its presence pressing down on the surrounding forest.
"This is only a partial manifestation…" Chen Xing muttered. "Let's see how far it goes."
The Mangekyō spun faster.
Green chakra armor began to form, layering over the giant's upper body. In its left hand, a circular chakra mirror appeared; in its right, a conical spear.
The forest trembled. Birds and beasts fled in panic.
At last, Chen Xing exhaled and shut down the dōjutsu.
The Susanoo dissolved into scattered chakra.
"Enough for now," he said quietly.
Wind Country — Sunagakure
Inside the Kazekage's council chamber, tension filled the air.
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, sat at the head of the table as the elders argued heatedly.
"The celestial Village is growing too fast!"
"If we allow this to continue, they will threaten our position among the Five Great Villages!"
"Another hidden village cannot be allowed to rise!"
Rasa raised his hand, silencing them.
"The Daimyō has already approved action," he said coldly. "Elite teams will be dispatched immediately. In one week, Sunagakure will launch a full offensive against the celestial Village."
An elder hesitated. "And if the Peacock King intervenes?"
Rasa's eyes narrowed.
"Then he will be dealt with as well."
The decision was final.
Celestial Village
Inside the celestial office, Chen Xing, the Third celestial and Natsuhoshi stood together.
"The Sand Village has made its move," Chen Xing said calmly. "They're coming."
The celestial clenched his staff. "Then war is unavoidable."
Chen Xing smiled faintly.
"No. This is exactly what we've been preparing for."