"Did you see clearly?"
Sasuke's eyes darted nervously. He tried to swallow instinctively—but didn't dare, because he could feel the tip of Naruto's sword slightly piercing the skin of his throat.
After a long pause, Sasuke finally said hoarsely:
"No."
Naruto lowered his blade, standing upright again. A flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes—he hadn't expected Sasuke to admit it so honestly.
Considering Sasuke's canon personality, Naruto thought he'd act more like the stubborn "Sunny-Sasuke" type.
The two of them sheathed their swords. Just as Naruto pulled out a few scrolls, he noticed something odd about Sasuke's expression.
His whole demeanor—his spirit—seemed invigorated, like he had discovered something truly exciting.
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"You look… happy?"
Sasuke blinked, then answered with a straight face:
"Yeah."
Naruto handed him the three scrolls.
"You're happy even though you lost?"
Sasuke's expression darkened. He exhaled sharply and took the scrolls.
"I'm happy because my Sharingan finally evolved. It also proves that the method written on the Uchiha stone tablet is fake."
Naruto shook his head.
"I already told you the content on the stone is fake—but the method of evolving the Sharingan is actually real. It just depends on how you interpret it."
Sasuke stiffened.
"What do you mean?"
He remembered—Naruto had told him about the method to unlock the Mangekyō Sharingan after analyzing the stone. But Sasuke had rejected it completely.
Naruto sat down on a rock, thinking for a moment before speaking.
"As a member of the Uchiha Clan… I have to say, your situation is pretty tragic."
"What did you just say?!"
Sasuke instantly activated his Sharingan in anger.
Naruto gestured toward a rock opposite him.
"Relax. Sit down. Let me explain what I've learned about the Sharingan."
Sasuke glared at him, then sat down, keeping his Sharingan active.
Naruto began:
"Do you remember the first time you saw Itachi's Sharingan?"
"Around age three," Sasuke answered coldly.
Naruto nodded.
"Interesting, isn't it? You remember seeing his Sharingan at three years old, but you don't remember that you activated your own on the night of the Uchiha Massacre."
Sasuke clenched his fists, about to speak, but Naruto raised a hand to stop him.
"Let me explain what the Second Hokage—Tobirama Senju—discovered about the Sharingan. He studied it extensively and called it 'the eye that reflects the heart.'"
"According to his research, when an Uchiha suffers deep emotional trauma—especially from losing something they love—the brain produces a unique chakra. That chakra affects the optic nerve, leading to the Sharingan's activation or evolution."
"In short, pain, hatred, and intense negative emotions trigger the Sharingan's growth. The Mangekyō especially requires a strong emotional stimulus—usually grief."
Sasuke fell silent, processing Naruto's words. He remembered how some clan members had suspected that man killed Shisui… especially given what was written on the stone tablet.
Could it be true?
"That's why I said your situation is pitiful," Naruto continued.
"Besides Itachi, you're the last Uchiha alive. You've already lost everyone you loved. Even if you wanted to evolve your Sharingan the way the stone suggests—by killing a loved one—who would you even choose?"
"Well, okay. You do still have Itachi. But let's be real—he has the Mangekyō. You're no match for him yet."
Sasuke's expression turned to ice.
"Itachi is not my family. He's my enemy. Even if I never awaken the Mangekyō, I will kill him!"
Naruto's tone remained calm.
"Your resolve is clear. But do you even know how Itachi awakened his Mangekyō?"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
"What are you trying to say?"
Naruto chuckled softly.
"Let's go over it. First, I'll tell you this—Itachi did not awaken the Mangekyō by killing his best friend or family."
Sasuke snapped:
"Impossible!"
Naruto's gaze sharpened.
"Think back to what I said about Tobirama's theory. Now let me tell you what really happened to Itachi."
"At age 8, Itachi witnessed the death of a comrade during a mission. The trauma awakened his two-tomoe Sharingan."
"At 10, inspired by Shisui, he wanted to enter the ANBU quickly. During the Chūnin Exams—under emotional pressure—he evolved to the three-tomoe Sharingan. He became the first to pass the exam alone."
"Then in Year 54 of the Konoha Calendar, Shisui died—he committed suicide. Witnessing that broke Itachi. And that's when he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan."
Sasuke's pupils dilated. He stood abruptly and threw the scrolls away.
"You're lying!" he shouted.
Naruto's expression didn't change.
"I'm not finished. But if you don't want to hear it, I'll stop."
Sasuke trembled with rage. After a long pause, he closed his eyes and sat back down.
Once he was settled, Naruto resumed.
"Let's talk about what happened between you and Itachi."
"You know he killed everyone in the clan—civilians, children, even the elderly. No one was spared... except you."
"And what did he say before leaving?"
"He told you to hate him. To survive, no matter how ugly it was. And to come find him once you had eyes like his."
"Why go through all that? Did he need to say that for you to seek revenge? He knew you'd try to kill him—yet he insisted you stay alive and grow stronger."
"Think like a ninja, not a child. No shinobi leaves behind a potential future enemy—especially not one from their own bloodline. He should've finished you off if he really meant to end the Uchiha."
"Now, look at your own progress: after a year of intense training, you've evolved one eye to the two-tomoe stage. Even if you could awaken the Mangekyō someday… how long would it take?"
"Use your head. Reevaluate the inconsistencies in the Uchiha Massacre. Ask yourself: why did Itachi really do what he did?"
Sasuke suddenly looked up, his face twisted in fury:
"What the hell are you trying to say?!"
Naruto's tone was cold.
"You've always wanted to know the truth. Well, I'm giving you the first piece of the puzzle. Whether or not you step through that door is your choice."
"You can keep using hatred to drive your strength and maybe one day kill him—but whether you'll ever learn the truth… that's another story."
He pointed to the discarded scrolls.
"By the way, those scrolls are Uchiha clan secrets. If you don't want them, I can burn them."
Sasuke looked like he was about to explode. But Naruto's last comment made him pause.
He silently picked up the scrolls, memorized their contents carefully, and then used a Fire Style jutsu to burn them to ashes.
As the last of the ash scattered in the wind, Sasuke muttered:
"I don't believe anything you just said."
Naruto stood and said calmly:
"That's your choice. I just hope you'll learn to see the facts. For now, let's head back. School's already out."
Sasuke's face had gone pale. He stepped forward, stopping just in front of Naruto.
"I know you have… some kind of special ability. If I manage to evolve my right eye to three tomoe—can you show me the truth behind the Uchiha Massacre?"
Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Yes."
Swish—
The two reappeared in the forest clearing. After using a Transformation Jutsu to disguise themselves, Naruto headed toward the village center, while Sasuke went off toward the Naka River.
Later That Evening…
After dinner, Naruto made his way toward the academy.
Just as he was about to enter the school gates, he saw someone completely unexpected.
"Kakashi-senpai? What are you doing here?"
"Hmm?"
Kakashi slowly closed his Icha Icha book.
"Oh, it's Naruto."
Naruto's eyes glinted. He extended a hand.
"Last time you and the Hokage came to my house, why didn't you come upstairs?"
Kakashi looked away.
He hadn't gone inside—because the moment he saw Naruto, he thought of his old sensei.
Then, he thought of Obito and Rin.
Looking into Naruto's deep blue eyes and seeing that familiar hair color…
In just a few years, Minato's son would graduate too.
He sighed and tucked his book away, crouching down to shake Naruto's hand.
"I'm here to return a failing student to school for extra training."
Naruto smiled.
"So Kakashi-senpai is a jonin sensei now? Sounds like you're pretty strict."
Kakashi looked deadpan.
"Yeah… I'm the strictest sensei in the village. You better pray you don't get assigned to my squad."
Looking at this man—cursed by fate, weighed down by death—Naruto's expression remained warm.
"I'm not the praying type. But the Hokage did say he'd assign me an excellent teacher."
"And to be honest… I'm really looking forward to having you as my sensei."
Kakashi walked off.
Naruto returned to class.
At the start of the first period, he sensed Kakashi had gone to visit the Memorial Stone again.
(Author's Note: Sorry everyone, I got home late—just had a few frozen dumplings for dinner...)
(End of Chapter)
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