"My mutton soup!"
"Hinata, you actually put soy sauce in it!"
Naruto stared at the mutton soup, which was supposed to be milky white but now glowed a fiery red, letting out a pained wail.
Though Naruto was usually carefree, when it came to cooking, he was dead serious.
Seeing his dish ruined like this, Naruto wanted to lose his temper. But looking at the Byakugan-wielding girl beside him, her face full of guilt as she poked her fingers together, his anger had nowhere to go.
"Ino!"
"What?!"
"Nothing… your fish soup was great."
"Like I need you to tell me!"
Night
Though the cooking process had been chaotic, Naruto ultimately relied on his Shadow Clone Technique to swiftly enact damage control.
Since the mutton soup was ruined with soy sauce, he dumped it all out, picked out the meat, and braised it.
The beef, stewed into a mush with sweet potatoes, was salvaged by skewering it for a barbecue.
Sure, the original flavors were lost, but since it was just their group, no one minded too much.
The gang ate heartily, but Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata were noticeably glum.
Sasuke was brooding over why the Mangekyo Sharingan, which he believed was born from defying fate, was considered a curse.
Naruto was frustrated that this gathering hadn't let his culinary skills shine.
As for Hinata, she was down because her attempts to help Naruto had gone wrong at every turn.
Finally, they're gone…
Sasuke let out a breath as the last person left. He was itching to head to the Uchiha clan's library to dig into records about the Mangekyo.
"Where are you off to?"
The moment Sasuke turned, a familiar voice sounded behind him.
"S-Sakura?"
"Didn't you leave with Ino?"
Sasuke looked at Sakura, who had returned and was leaning against a tree, a bit startled.
"You might as well have 'I'm brooding, come ask me what's wrong' written on your face."
Sakura eyed Sasuke's terrible acting and spoke up.
She'd hoped this gathering would nudge Naruto and Hinata's relationship forward, but it had turned into a mess.
And Sasuke seemed to have his own issues.
Sasuke glanced at the girl under the tree, his brows furrowing slightly.
He admitted it—he liked Sakura.
But the vengeance for his clan's massacre still loomed.
These eyes of his had awakened because of her.
Yet…
His hatred was his own. Sasuke didn't want to drag Sakura into it.
This was his burden alone.
Sakura had nothing to do with the Sharingan, the Uchiha, or his vendetta.
Sasuke was clear on that. Sakura was different from the independent Ino, the shy Hinata, or Karin, who seemed tough but went with the flow.
Sakura was special.
She had a tenacity unmatched by anyone else.
It was one of the reasons she was so strong.
But that was exactly why Sasuke believed she had her own path to walk. His matters were his to handle alone.
He wouldn't interfere with her, and she shouldn't interfere with him.
Ever since he'd seen her get impaled through the chest and walk away unscathed, Sasuke knew this pink-haired girl was like an unkillable cockroach.
At the very least, she wasn't in mortal danger under normal circumstances.
"This has nothing to do with you, Sakura."
Sasuke felt he was already being considerate enough.
Sakura's lips twitched at his self-righteous tone.
Damn it, why were all Uchihas so arrogant? It was infuriating.
She'd come over out of concern to check on him, and he was acting like he deserved a punch.
Uchiha Itachi was like this. Uchiha Obito was like this. And now Sasuke seemed to be following in their footsteps.
Hm?
Wait a second.
Weasel and White Wolf—both had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan.
And neither had the Eternal Mangekyo.
Sakura's emerald eyes narrowed as she looked at Sasuke and said, "So, you think I'm meddling?"
Her words made Sasuke's heart skip a beat. But the words were already out, and there was no room for regret. Though he felt a pang of remorse, he doubled down. "If that's how you see it, then yeah."
Seeing Sasuke act like he was the king of the world, Sakura vanished from her spot in an instant.
Mangekyo or not, she'd beat him first and figure it out later!
Uchihas with the Mangekyo Sharingan were lunatics—especially Uchiha Weasel and Uchiha White Wolf.
Even Sasuke, Indra's reincarnation in the original story, was a complete madman during the period he had only a regular Mangekyo. He was slightly better than Weasel and White Wolf, but not by much.
If Sasuke had awakened the Mangekyo now, Uchiha pride would never let him lose.
If he hadn't?
Then he deserved this beating!
Who told him to act like a big shot in front of her?
He'd get thrashed for nothing.
Seeing Sakura suddenly attack, Sasuke reacted swiftly.
Whatever her reason for coming at him, he wasn't the same person anymore!
With the Mangekyo Sharingan, I'm invincible!
Even Sakura can't match me!
Sasuke was brimming with confidence.
And he had reason to be.
He knew everything about Sakura's abilities, while she knew nothing about his Mangekyo.
That was the source of his assurance.
Plus, having just awakened the Mangekyo, Sasuke needed a worthy sparring partner to test his new ocular powers in combat.
And Sakura was more than qualified.
Not only was she unkillable, but even if his Amaterasu-like fate-defying power made her too unlucky, he could use his Tsukuyomi-like divine will to cancel it out.
Without a second thought, as he dodged Sakura's punch, Sasuke activated his Mangekyo Sharingan.
Seven diamond-shaped petals bloomed in his eyes!
Defy Heaven's Fate!
An invisible force instantly enveloped Sakura!
Hm?
Sakura sensed something was off immediately.
Such immense Yin chakra.
With her inner strength, Sakura instantly detected the foreign Yin chakra on her.
Sasuke made no attempt to hide his Mangekyo, displaying it openly before her.
"Sorry, Sakura."
Sasuke pocketed his hands, looking calmly at Sakura, who seemed to have noticed something.
"The me now isn't someone you—ugh!"
Before he could finish, a fist slammed into his face, sending him flying under that familiar monstrous strength!
"What are you acting all high and mighty for?"
--
Support me & read more advance & fast update chapter on my patreon:
pat reon .com/yuuwand