Once Rock Lee sobered up, the commotion naturally died down.
At this moment, the barbecue restaurant owner, his heart bleeding, timidly peeked onto the second floor. But when he saw the chaotic mess, he froze, at a loss!
Shion patted her chest confidently. "Don't worry, we'll cover the damages!"
Tenten, hand on her forehead, sighed. "Boss, calculate the losses. We'll pay in full—not a penny less!"
Since Lee was her teammate and had caused such a ruckus, she couldn't let Shion foot the bill alone.
Hearing there would be compensation, the owner's furrowed face finally broke into a faint smile.
Soon, the private room was cleaned up, with new chairs and tableware brought in. Fresh plates of food were served, and if not for the gaping hole in the wall and the dents scattered around, it might've seemed like the earlier chaos was just a genjutsu.
The peers, gathered again around the table, began loudly chastising Lee.
Except for Shinji's team, who hadn't intervened, everyone else had tried to subdue Lee, and all bore some bruises or injuries.
Shikamaru, who'd been kicked out onto the street, and Kiba and Sasuke, who'd taken multiple hits from Lee, were the worst off.
After thoroughly scolding Lee, their curiosity got the better of them—what had just happened to him?
Having drunk for the first time, Lee was still utterly confused and couldn't explain a thing.
Sasuke sat to the side, deeply frustrated.
He'd come today hoping to find a chance to talk to Shinji about his dojutsu power, as even he was starting to suspect Shinji had secretly awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan.
He hadn't expected to get beaten up the moment he stepped into the restaurant—and by Lee, who'd spent most of his academy days as the class underdog.
Neji and Kimimaro, meanwhile, were mentally reviewing their earlier fight with Lee. Though they'd taken a hit, they felt they'd gained valuable insights.
Shinji returned to his seat.
Like Neji and Kimimaro, he was reflecting on the battle.
He suddenly realized that the 'large-scale immersive genjutsu combat training space' he was planning wasn't just needed by other Hidden Leaf shinobi—he needed it too.
If he could create such a training space, he could generate an enhanced version of Lee—matching his speed and strength—for sparring practice.
Mumei, sitting beside Shinji, glanced at Sasuke with a faint trace of disdain.
Initially, when Shinji mentioned Sasuke awakening his Mangekyo Sharingan in his teens, she'd thought he was some remarkable figure.
But after seeing his performance, she was disappointed.
Thanks to the heightened perception granted by 'Yachihoko,' she keenly sensed that Sasuke's dojutsu power was nearly depleted. This lowered her opinion of him even further. After all, with 'Yachihoko,' she'd never been troubled by dojutsu power issues.
Soon, Sasuke noticed Mumei sitting next to Shinji.
Perhaps due to their shared Uchiha blood, he felt a sense of familiarity. But seeing her cold demeanor toward him, he brushed off his curiosity and stopped paying her attention.
After a while, everyone was finally full and satisfied.
This unforgettable gathering of peers drew to a close amid their farewells.
As Shinji prepared to leave, Sasuke called out to him.
After a moment's thought, Shinji sent Haku, Karin, and Mumei ahead, staying behind to stroll through the streets with Sasuke.
After a stretch of silence, Sasuke suddenly spoke. "You've probably heard about my surgery being postponed, right?"
"Yeah."
Shinji nodded.
Sasuke looked at him. "That night when I defeated you—was it real?"
Shinji deflected. "What's real or fake about it?"
"You know what I mean!" Sasuke paused, then said, "The night I awakened my Mangekyo Sharingan—you let me win, didn't you?"
Shinji glanced at Sasuke.
He was certain he'd shown no obvious flaws back then, unsure where Sasuke had picked up on something to spark his suspicion.
Feeling like he'd finally gained the upper hand, Sasuke smirked. "Don't look at me like that. No one's a fool! You're so strong—plenty of people suspect you've secretly awakened your Mangekyo Sharingan, and I'm no exception!"
With that, Sasuke's smile faded, and he said solemnly, "I just want to confirm—did you awaken your Mangekyo before me or after?"
Shinji pondered briefly.
Now that he possessed the 'Six Tomoe Rinnegan,' revealing his Mangekyo Sharingan didn't seem like a big deal.
Besides, his planned 'large-scale immersive genjutsu combat training space' needed a plausible explanation for the village's higher-ups.
Admitting he'd awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan and passing off the training space as its dojutsu ability would allow him to promote it openly in the village.
With this in mind, Shinji nodded. "Yeah, I did awaken my Mangekyo Sharingan long ago—before you."
Sasuke exhaled, his expression confirming his suspicions, though his eyes couldn't hide his disappointment.
He'd always prided himself on awakening his Mangekyo Sharingan before Shinji. Now, learning from Shinji's own mouth that he'd not only awakened it earlier but had even guided Sasuke's awakening, his pride took a heavy blow.
After another moment of silence, Sasuke said, "There's something I want to ask—"
Before he could finish, Shinji cut him off. "I know you want to talk about your dojutsu power, but I can't help with that! My advice is to wait a bit longer. The village might restart your surgery plan soon."
Sasuke looked disappointed.
But he knew that even if Shinji had awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan, he was likely struggling with the same inability to restore dojutsu power.
He'd come today grasping at straws.
Soon, Sasuke bid Shinji farewell.
Watching Sasuke's retreating figure, Shinji thought, "Looks like his patience is at its limit. If we don't restore his dojutsu power soon, he might cause some real trouble!"
With that, Shinji used 'Jikibi' to contact Mumei.
Now, with Mumei's 'Yachihoko,' restoring the dojutsu power of a Mangekyo Sharingan had become remarkably simple and convenient.