But… something's not right.
Kurama was puzzled. The Sasuke from the future was supposed to have the Tomoe Rinnegan in both eyes, so why did this Sasuke only have it in his left eye?
Could it be that in the future, Sasuke experiences something that grants him even more of the Six Paths Yin Power, causing his right eye to evolve as well?
Sasuke remained silent. As he felt the power within his eye, something suddenly clicked in his mind. He turned to look at Kakashi, his Tomoe Rinnegan glowing with a faint purple hue.
Kakashi froze for a moment. He didn't feel any pressure—Sasuke was clearly just observing him. But wasn't Naruto standing right next to him? Why was Sasuke looking at him instead?
Naruto also found it strange. "What's wrong, Sasuke?"
"As I thought," Sasuke murmured. He withdrew his gaze and looked at Itachi's lifeless body beside him with a complex expression. "You were right, brother. Even with all this power, I still have a long way to go."
The three people and one fox looked at him, confused, clearly having no idea what he was talking about.
After a brief moment of reflection, Sasuke turned to Kakashi again and said, "Kakashi, your Sharingan holds a power far beyond an ordinary one. You haven't realized it yet, but it's there."
Kakashi was startled. His expression changed slightly as he instinctively covered his Sharingan. His voice trembled with disbelief. "Are you saying… Mangekyou?"
"That's right." Sasuke nodded and pointed at his Rinnegan. "I can see it. There's a powerful force still dormant within your eye. If you manage to fully awaken it, your Three-Tomoe Sharingan should be able to evolve into the Mangekyou Sharingan."
Kakashi fell silent.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Sakura said with a smile. "That way, Kakashi-sensei can become even stronger."
Sasuke hesitated for a moment before deciding to explain further. "Kakashi, if I told you that the person responsible for the Nine-Tails attack fifteen years ago—the one who killed Naruto's parents—and the one behind the Uchiha Massacre a few years later was Uchiha Obito, would you believe me?"
Kakashi's eyes widened. His mouth opened, ready to deny it instinctively, but then he froze.
He took a deep breath, trying to maintain his composure, but his voice still trembled. "Sasuke, I need to know your reasoning."
Sasuke nodded. "This is the intel my brother gathered. First, the one who attacked the village that night was the leader of the Akatsuki, a man calling himself Uchiha Madara. But he only had a right-eye Mangekyou Sharingan. Second, the same person was present on
the night of the Uchiha Massacre."
"Third, his eyes weren't transplanted. And up until now, he's only ever shown one eye. Based on my brother's analysis, there are three most likely candidates."
"Uchiha Kagami—because we know very little about him. No one from our generation knows for sure if he actually died, except maybe the Third Hokage and his peers."
"Uchiha Shisui—because Danzo took one of his eyes, and he supposedly gave the other to my brother before committing suicide. But his body was never found."
"Uchiha Obito—same reason. No matter how hard they searched, his body was never recovered. Plus, what happened between you and Nohara Rin could have triggered his Mangekyou Sharingan awakening. And then, there's the fact that this person has only shown one eye."
Sasuke looked at Kakashi, convinced that by now, he understood what he was implying.
Kakashi clenched his fists. His face was filled with disbelief. "Mangekyou Sharingan…"
This time, even his body was trembling. "I have two questions. First, if this person has been using the Mangekyou Sharingan for over ten years, why hasn't he gone blind? If it's Obito, he shouldn't have any blood relatives to help him awaken the Eternal Mangekyou."
"Second… why would Obito do this?" Kakashi's voice was filled with doubt.
It was a fair question. Kakashi knew Obito well. He knew what kind of person he was. Obito was like Naruto—an idiot who was way too kind for his own good.
When someone was late and said they were helping an old lady cross the street, most of the time, it was just an excuse. But if it was Obito, he really *was* helping an old lady cross the street. Not just that—he would go out of his way to do good deeds. His personality was so kind that even Minato-sensei once said, *"This guy doesn't act like an Uchiha at all."*
How could someone like him possibly kill his own master and mother?
He refused to believe it!
Naruto and Sakura exchanged a quick glance but didn't dare to say anything.
Sasuke took a deep breath. "First question—he transplanted Hashirama's cells. Those cells can restore the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan, though not as well as the Eternal Mangekyou. Second question…"
Sasuke paused for a moment. "The Uchiha clan… is naturally drawn to darkness. That was the Second Hokage's opinion. The reason is that after unlocking the Mangekyou, the special chakra it produces stimulates the user's brain, drastically altering their personality and way of thinking."
"My brother once said—the more righteous an Uchiha is, the stronger their power will be after unlocking the Mangekyou and experiencing true despair. At the same time, their eye power will be immense, but the effect it has on their mind will be even greater."
"They will become more and more extreme."
"Just like… me!"
Sasuke activated both his Mangekyou Sharingan and Tomoe Rinnegan at the same time. A cold, oppressive chakra surged around his body.
After answering Kakashi's question, Sasuke spoke directly. "If you want to know the truth, figure it out yourself. Once you gain full control over your Mangekyou, the answer will be obvious. Right now, there's something more important."
Ignoring Kakashi, who was still processing everything, Sasuke turned to Naruto, his voice icy. "Naruto, fight me—one where we stake our lives on the outcome."
For a moment, everything fell silent.
Naruto didn't hesitate. He took a deep breath and then flashed a bright, confident smile. "Of course. I've been waiting for this for a long time."
From the moment they became teammates, Naruto had always been waiting for a real fight with Sasuke—a battle where they could truly go all out.
The tension between them crackled in the air, and the sheer pressure of their power weighed on everyone else. Kurama extended a hand, shielding Sakura and Kakashi, a grin unconsciously forming on his lips.
Naruto rolled his shoulders. "Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, you two head back to Konoha. Once I finish teaching Sasuke a lesson, we'll be right behind you."
Kakashi snapped out of his daze. Now wasn't the time to get lost in thought—whether or not Obito was still alive, or whether he had truly become the person Sasuke described, none of that mattered right now.
What mattered most was Konoha.
He took a deep breath, pushing away his hesitation, and nodded at Naruto. "Be careful."
"Don't worry—I'll be watching," Kurama said as he straightened up, letting Naruto and Sasuke step into the rain.
Sakura looked toward the two figures disappearing into the rain, worry in her eyes. She opened her mouth as if to say something but then stopped herself. Instead, she clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and turned to Kakashi. "Kakashi-sensei, let's hurry back. I'll contact Katsuyu-sama on the way."
Kakashi glanced at Sakura in surprise before giving her a reassuring smile. "Alright. We'll leave this to Naruto and Kurama."
"Yeah!" Sakura nodded firmly.
She… had wanted to say something. Maybe tell Sasuke that this fight wasn't necessary. Maybe ask Naruto to bring Sasuke back. Or maybe… something else.
But there was no need.
She thought this fight was pointless, but Sasuke didn't. And even if she didn't ask Naruto, he would still do what he had to—because they were comrades.
Her role now was to let them fight without holding back!
Determination filled Sakura's expression, and on her forehead, a faint black diamond-shaped mark flashed briefly.