Sorry about not posting on the weekend. IRL priorities.
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"After hearing this, are you still determined to take revenge?"
Naruto chuckled but did not directly respond to Sasuke's question.
Sasuke clenched his fists so tightly that his teeth almost bled. In the past, he had a vague concept of power. His only goal was to train hard, acquire immense strength, and then seek vengeance against Itachi.
But upon hearing Naruto's description of the Mangekyō, he realized how naive he had been. Could such power truly be attained through sheer hard work alone?
"No matter what, Uchiha Itachi must die!"
Sasuke glared at his second tomoe Sharingan and spoke coldly, "In order to obtain power, I'm willing to pay any price."
"For example, to seek out Orochimaru?" Naruto suggested with a half-smile.
Sasuke's heart skipped a beat, and he swiftly suppressed the coldness and Sharingan, asking hesitantly, "What do you mean by this?"
The idea of joining Orochimaru had indeed crossed his mind, but he hadn't fully committed to it. Kakashi was teaching him Lightning Style Nature Transformation, which gave him hope of growing stronger.
But now, knowing Itachi's might, he found that even if he mastered all of Kakashi's techniques, the gap between them would remain vast. The thought of joining Orochimaru resurfaced.
How could Naruto know about his inner turmoil? Or was it because he followed that path in the original story?
Naruto smiled enigmatically without revealing Sasuke's thoughts, saying instead, "There's a limit to what one can achieve. Have you ever considered that no matter how hard you try, you might never be able to defeat Uchiha Itachi? What then?"
"Impossible!!" Sasuke stood abruptly, his expression contorted with rage, "Are you saying that I'll never get my revenge in the future?"
He refused to accept such a fate.
"Uchiha Itachi activated his Mangekyō at 13. It's been four or five years. Can you imagine his current strength?"
Naruto spoke with disdain, "So, if I ask you to activate Mangekyō now, you're still four or five years behind. Plus, it's almost impossible for you to achieve it."
"Why? Why can't I activate Mangekyō?!" Sasuke roared, his emotions unbridled. He had always been recognized as a prodigy, but his pride remained steadfast.
He firmly believed that if others could achieve something, he could too—and do it better.
Yet today, upon learning numerous secrets, his psyche began to fracture.
"Throughout the history of the ninja world," Naruto began calmly, "only a few Uchiha have ever managed to unlock Mangekyō. They're so rare, you could count them on one hand!"
His demeanor unflappable, he continued, "Your Sharingan power can only advance under intense emotional stimulation and outbursts. But since the Uchiha massacre, your heart has been sealed."
"Think about it," Naruto's soul inquired three times, each question a blow to Sasuke's spirit. "In all of Konoha, shouldn't I be the one you're closest to? Or, at least, the me from your childhood? If you were to kill me, would it truly evoke your deepest emotions?"
Sasuke had to concede that Naruto's logic was irrefutable.
Was he truly a waste, incapable of awakening Mangekyō?
Without it, could he ever stand before Uchiha Itachi on equal footing?
He had once scoffed at this notion, but now...
"I'll kill Uchiha Itachi, no matter what it takes!"
Sasuke's fierce gaze never left his Sharingan. "To kill someone, you don't need to be more powerful than them. I can use poison, hire others, do whatever is necessary!"
"I'll never quit until Itachi is dead!"
Suddenly, amidst the tumult of emotions, Sasuke's Sharingan evolved.
It was still a far cry from Mangekyō, though.
Beneath Naruto's scrutiny, the second tomoe transformed into a third, and Sasuke's aura swelled significantly.
"Tsk!" Naruto clicked his tongue in mild disappointment.
He had done his utmost to elevate Itachi and then demote Sasuke, only to witness Sasuke's evolution to a mere third tomoe.
'What a waste!' he thought.
Despite this, Sasuke felt elated by the change in his Sharingan.
Yet, upon noticing Naruto's reaction, his excitement waned.
"Thank you for telling me this, but I won't give up!" Sasuke said, fists clenched, and turned to leave.
His was a stubborn spirit that would not waver, even when faced with a wall.
Knowing the 'future', he understood that vengeance may be out of reach, but he remained unyielding.
"Second Lead, such a letdown!"
Disappointment etched on his features, Naruto watched Sasuke go.
He had hoped to witness Sasuke's Mangekyō awakening, but his expectations were too lofty.
The true intent behind his desire was to discern if Indra Chakra would manifest within Sasuke during the process.
In the original narrative, Naruto encountered Mangekyō-wielding Sasuke after mastering Sage Mode, and they both foresaw their joint destruction.
That foreboding stemmed from the bond shared by Ashura and Indra Chakras upon activation.
Since his experiment had failed, he decided to move on.
Having altered Sasuke's fate with his words, he was bound to receive system rewards.
Untroubled by the outcome, Naruto headed to the second-floor balcony for some respite.
As expected, Yūhi Kurenai was there, sipping on her night wine.
Spotting him, she raised her glass with a smile. "Come join me for a drink!"