Chapter 44: Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan
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''Three Days Later''
It was Sasuke Uchiha's tenth birthday, and the entire Uchiha clan was in high spirits. Sasuke's immense talent had the clan seeing him as the next coming of Uchiha Madara.
But deep down, Sasuke knew that even without his unique advantages, he would one day surpass Madara. He was, after all, the reincarnation of Indra, while Naruto was the reincarnation of Asura.
"If Naruto is like a powerhouse of raw strength," Sasuke mused, "then I'm the ultimate strategist."
He couldn't help but think about the future. He envied Six Paths power, especially the 'Amenotejikara' ability of the Rinnegan, which could instantaneously swap places with objects and people. It was a skill more versatile than even Kamui.
"If I can awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan today, I might be able to unlock the Rinnegan by the time I'm fifteen," Sasuke thought, his heart racing with anticipation. He wondered what new abilities would come with the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
Sasuke opened his status panel in his mind:
- ''Host:'' Uchiha Sasuke
- ''Age:'' 9 years old
- ''Special Physique:'' Reincarnation of Indra, Chakra Affinity, Two-Tailed Jinchūriki
- ''Bloodline Limit:'' Sharingan (Mangekyō)
- ''Eye Techniques:'' Amaterasu, Kagutsuchi
As the clock on the wall ticked closer to midnight, Sasuke watched the seconds pass with bated breath.
''Midnight''
At the stroke of twelve, Sasuke suddenly felt a surge of warmth flood into his eyes. His Mangekyō Sharingan appeared, but something changed—it evolved. The Mangekyō Sharingan transformed, and now each eye held three intricate magatama patterns.
A series of notifications echoed in his mind:
- ''Ding! Congratulations to the host for reaching ten years old and awakening the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.''
- ''Ding! Congratulations to the host for unlocking the eye technique: 'Time Distortion'.''
- ''Time Distortion (Left Eye): Slows down the flow of time within a five-meter radius by three times. The host is unaffected by the time dilation.''
- ''Ding! Congratulations to the host for unlocking the eye technique: 'Blood Moon'.''
- ''Blood Moon (Right Eye): Controls blood.''
Sasuke's excitement soared as he processed the new abilities. The left eye's power was similar to his father's, except his father's time-slowing radius was only three meters, while his was five.
The right eye, 'Blood Moon,' was an entirely new ability, something he had never seen or heard of, even in the original series.
'Two simple words: Control blood.'
It seemed mundane, but Sasuke understood the true value. Not only could he control his own blood, but potentially the blood of others as well!
As an experiment, Sasuke extended his hand. Blood seeped from his right palm, coalescing in the air before solidifying into a crimson blade.
With a thought, the blood sword liquefied, flowing back into his palm.
Despite these powerful techniques, Sasuke noted that he still lacked any illusionary eye technique.
However, it didn't concern him—he was confident that he could reach unparalleled heights even without genjutsu.
Sasuke once again checked his status panel:
[''Host:'' Uchiha Sasuke]
[''Age:'' 10 years old]
[ ''Special Physique:'' Reincarnation of Indra, Chakra Affinity, Two-Tailed Jinchūriki]
[''Bloodline Limit:'' Sharingan (Eternal Mangekyō), Blood Release]
[''Eye Techniques:'' Amaterasu, Kagutsuchi, Blood Moon, Time Distortion]
[''Chakra Attributes:'' Lightning, Fire, Water]
The sight of the water attribute among his chakra affinities caught him off guard.
'Why do I have water chakra?' he wondered, then hypothesized that it might be a byproduct of his new Blood Release ability, which could be a variation of Water Release.
'It doesn't matter,' Sasuke decided. 'If I could gain all chakra attributes, I'd be unstoppable.'
With the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan in hand, his next goal was clear—Sage Mode.
Sasuke could feel his power now exceeding that of Obito Uchiha. After all, Obito only possessed a single Mangekyō, while Sasuke now wielded two Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
He approached Zabuza, who was resting peacefully. Before joining Sasuke, Zabuza had led a hard life, always on the run, never knowing comfort. But now, he lived a life of relative ease, with a steady income and Haku by his side, free from the fear of Kirigakure's hunters.
"Zabuza," Sasuke said firmly, "wake up. I have a job for you."
Zabuza stirred, stretching with a crack of his neck. "What kind of job?"
"Kill the Hokage advisor, Mitokado Homura," Sasuke replied, his voice cold and calculating. "He's been a thorn in my side, and I don't forget grievances."
With his newfound power, Sasuke felt it was time to begin systematically dismantling Konoha's leadership, gaining more influence and power in the village.
Zabuza nodded, grabbing his iconic executioner's blade as he prepared to leave.
"Wait," Sasuke ordered. "Take off your Uchiha attire. We can't afford to leave any traces."
Zabuza complied, removing the clothes that bore the Uchiha clan's emblem. He then departed into the night, the blood-red moon hanging ominously in the sky.
The moon seemed to foretell a death tonight.
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''On the Other Side of Konoha''
Mitokado Homura, the Hokage's advisor, tossed and turned in his bed. Something felt off, and he couldn't shake the feeling of unease.
Homura had once been a disciple of Tobirama Senju, but lacking battle prowess, he had taken up an advisory role instead.
A sudden gust blew the window open with a creak, sending a shiver down Homura's spine. He fumbled for his glasses and moved to close the window, muttering to himself.
But then he felt it—a presence. The air was too still, the night too silent.
Panic set in as he turned around, only to be met with a flash of red in the mist. Before he could react, his head was severed cleanly from his body.
In the brief moments after death, the brain remains conscious. Homura watched in detached horror as his body slumped to the floor, his vision growing darker until it finally faded to black.
Zabuza wiped his blade clean and leaped out the window, ready to make his escape. But before he could get far, a shuriken flew toward him.
Zabuza sensed the threat and blocked it with his executioner's blade, turning to face his attacker.
It was Kakashi Hatake.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed as he took in the blood on Zabuza's sword. He didn't need to ask—he knew Mitokado Homura was dead.
"Zabuza!" Kakashi shouted, his voice filled with fury. "What are you doing in Konoha?!"