Chapter 264 264: The Eye of the Soul

Tears streamed down Sasuke's face as his Mangekyō Sharingan fluctuated violently.

Under the intense surge of ocular power, the world around him shattered like a mirror.

The Naruto he held in his arms began to fade.

Under Sasuke's stunned gaze, everything dissolved—space, color, reality itself—until nothing remained.

Darkness swallowed him.

Then—

Light returned.

Sasuke opened his eyes, tears still clinging to the corners of them. His Mangekyō Sharingan was fully manifested, its pattern clearly visible.

A sharp intake of breath echoed through the laboratory.

Orochimaru stared at Sasuke in open amazement.

Beside him, Naruto looked at Sasuke with both surprise and joy.

It had worked.

The plan had truly succeeded.

Yakumo Kurama, watching Sasuke's trembling form, felt an inexplicable weight settle in her chest—something dangerously close to guilt.

Sasuke sat there in a daze, tears still flowing, his mind in complete turmoil.

He remembered it clearly.

Naruto had died.

He had died protecting him—taking Itachi's fatal blow head-on.

So why…?

Before Sasuke could piece his thoughts together, memories surged back into place.

He was in the laboratory.

He was supposed to be undergoing the injection of Hashirama cells.

The battle… the death…

It had all been an illusion.

A Genjutsu.

Sasuke's gaze slowly shifted to Yakumo Kurama.

Understanding dawned.

His teeth clenched.

"Uzumaki… Naruto!!"

He shot to his feet.

His body felt terrifyingly light.

In that instant, Sasuke's physical strength—speed, power, reaction—had more than doubled.

He threw a punch without hesitation.

Bang!

Naruto was sent flying, slamming hard into the wall.

For a brief moment, Sasuke panicked.

Naruto quickly stood up, laughing loudly, completely unbothered.

He had expected this reaction.

Everything Sasuke had experienced—the battlefield, Itachi, Naruto's "death"—had been a script Naruto arranged, carried out through Yakumo Kurama's Genjutsu.

Itachi was vital to Sasuke.

And Naruto was equally important.

Using both was the fastest way to push Sasuke's emotions to the breaking point.

Seeing Naruto completely unharmed, Sasuke let out a breath of relief—

Then immediately scowled.

"You bastard," Sasuke said coldly. "If there's a next time, I'll kill you."

His glare shifted to Yakumo Kurama.

Naruto's "death" had been too great a shock.

Not just for Sasuke—but for everyone involved.

Anyone could die.

But not Naruto.

"Tsk tsk," Tsunade clicked her tongue, a teasing smile on her face. "At this rate, Hinata's going to get jealous."

Naruto shot her a sharp look.

"Alright, alright, my fault," Tsunade waved it off. "But this was an extraordinary situation."

"Haven't you always wanted revenge?" she continued. "The Sharingan is an eye that reflects the heart. This was the only way to awaken it."

"Unless," she added casually, "you were planning to spend decades slowly awakening the Mangekyō."

Naruto nodded and spoke calmly.

"This method aligns with the Second Hokage's research and the secret scrolls he left behind."

"When the Sharingan is stimulated by intense negative emotions, it generates Yin Release–based spiritual energy."

"That unique chakra is what drives the Sharingan's evolution."

"Of course," Naruto continued, "there is another way."

"Long-term refinement of spiritual energy. Deep comprehension of emotions… or rather, of life itself."

"That path allows for a natural Mangekyō awakening."

"But by the time one succeeds," he added, "whether they're still alive is anyone's guess."

"Long stagnation without a breakthrough only suppresses potential—at best, leaving you stuck at Kage-level."

Naruto then looked at Sasuke.

"So—how are the results?"

Hearing this, Sasuke finally set aside his anger and examined himself seriously.

The changes were unmistakable.

His chakra reserves had at least doubled.

More importantly, his cells were extraordinarily active, brimming with vitality. His physical body felt stronger, tougher, and far more resilient.

And above all—

That overwhelming ocular power.

He had crossed a threshold.

He was now firmly at Kage-level, among the top-tier powerhouses of the Ninja World.

"My chakra, spiritual energy, and physical abilities have all increased," Sasuke said succinctly.

"From now on, the chakra I refine will be four or five times greater than before."

"And most importantly—"

"The Mangekyō's abilities."

Naruto nodded silently.

He wasn't surprised.

Perfect Hashirama cells were capable of producing such results.

From Sasuke's description, it was clear—

He had awakened something akin to the Sage Body, massively increasing endurance and compatibility.

It had raised Sasuke's upper limit.

Naruto's eyes gleamed with curiosity.

"So," he asked, "what abilities did you awaken?"

After all, the Sharingan was an eye that reflected the soul.

No two hearts were the same.

And no two Mangekyō were ever identical.

Sasuke glanced at the few people present.

Every one of them was someone he trusted—

except Orochimaru.

There was something unsettling about the legendary Sannin. He radiated an abnormality that made Sasuke instinctively wary.

Still, since Naruto had asked the question in front of everyone, Sasuke accepted that those present had already been vetted.

In the Ninja World, information was priceless.

And ocular techniques were an Uchiha's greatest trump card.

After a brief pause, Sasuke spoke slowly.

"The abilities I awakened… are two."

"Kagutsuchi."

"And Amaterasu."

"Kagutsuchi grants both offensive and defensive applications. It allows me to freely control and reshape Amaterasu's flames."

"As for Amaterasu," Sasuke continued calmly, "it is known as the strongest physical attack."

Naruto nodded.

This much aligned perfectly with the original Mangekyō abilities.

But Sasuke's next words caught him completely off guard.

"At the same time," Sasuke said evenly, "my Amaterasu possesses a second form."

"It can transform into Blue Flame."

"The strongest healing fire."

Sasuke's expression remained composed, yet an unconscious smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"What?"

Naruto blurted out before he could stop himself.

"How is that even possible?!"

For a moment, Sasuke thought Naruto was simply shocked by how powerful his abilities were, and a faint trace of smugness surfaced.

Only then did Naruto notice the reactions of the others around him and realize his response had been a bit excessive.

Still—

This was no small matter.

Sasuke's Mangekyō abilities were both familiar and unfamiliar.

Amaterasu and Kagutsuchi were there… yet fundamentally altered.

One ocular technique.

Two opposing manifestations.

Black Flame—destruction.

Blue Flame—restoration.

Naruto took a breath and forced himself to calm down.

After all, the Sharingan was an eye that reflected the heart.

Its evolution was inseparable from the wielder's mental state.

Obito, broken by Rin's death and rejecting reality itself, awakened Kamui.

Shisui, desperate to resolve the conflict between the Village and his clan, awakened Kotoamatsukami.

Itachi, who sought absolute control to change an impossible situation, awakened Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu.

As for Sasuke—

During his awakening, he had been driven by two overwhelming desires.

To obtain enough power to defeat Uchiha Itachi.

And—

To save Naruto.

To heal him.

Perhaps that contradiction—destruction and salvation—had given birth to the Blue Flame.

Naruto clicked his tongue softly in amazement.

With such an ability, Sasuke's survivability would skyrocket.

If the Blue Flame was on par with Black Flame—known as the strongest physical attack—then its healing effect would vastly surpass the Mystical Palm Technique.

It might even approach the level of Naruto's former Super Speed Regeneration.

Of course, it couldn't be compared to true immortality.

Healing was healing.

Immortality was something else entirely.

Even so—

Reaching the level of Super Speed Regeneration was already terrifyingly powerful.

"Not bad," Naruto said with a grin, patting Sasuke on the shoulder.

"With abilities like these, you're already among the top-tier existences in the Ninja World."

"With the Blue Flame," he added lightly, "losing an arm again like in the original timeline probably won't happen."

...

TN:

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