"There's no other way. Who else could make Mikoto care about you? To awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan, one must endure the pain of losing a loved one. Making Mikoto feel desperate about you is just the first step. Don't worry, you'll get your redemption arc soon enough!"
Sakura made this assurance. Of course, none of this was real pain—nothing like the loss of a loved one. But stories only gain power when there's a twist.
In the scenes displayed, Mikoto Uchiha couldn't stop her tears as she helplessly watched her husband slam their second son onto the floor. She wanted to stop him, but childbirth had left her weak. Her body tumbled from the hospital bed. The physical pain was unbearable, but nothing compared to the agony in her heart.
"Hmph!" Within the genjutsu, Fugaku Uchiha snorted coldly before leaving the ward. Itachi Uchiha also walked away expressionlessly, leaving Mikoto alone on the cold floor, silently weeping.
The scenes on the screen kept changing: Fugaku indulging freely with other women in Konoha Village, even doing indecent things right before Mikoto's eyes. Itachi showed no sign of warmth toward his mother in the illusion. Both the Uchiha clan members and others in Konoha pointed fingers at Mikoto. Overnight, she had seemingly become a target of universal blame.
Days passed, and Mikoto was forced to watch Fugaku laughing and flirting with other women. Her deepening despair turned her into a hollow shell of herself.
"When exactly will the plot twist?!" On-screen, Fugaku started feeling restless. If it continued like this, would Mikoto mistake illusion for reality when she woke up and try to kill him?!
"It's coming!" Sakura smiled slightly. Only through twists could a story deliver sufficient impact!
In the images displayed, Mikoto stayed locked every day inside a narrow, dim room, her eyes vacant. Yet nobody noticed the three swirling tomoe spinning slowly within her eyes—a detail everyone seemed to overlook.
Then one night, suddenly, screams echoed across the Uchiha Clan's residence. Bursts of fire and explosions lit up the compound in violent flashes. Cries of agony echoed through the halls, causing the faintest stir in her otherwise lifeless eyes.
"Mikoto."
Fugaku entered the door grim-faced in his ninja attire, holding two sealing scrolls in his hands.
"Mikoto, listen to me. You must leave here immediately—leave Konoha Village—and never come back!"
"What?" Mikoto gasped, stunned. Was he really going to drive her away?
"I'm sorry, Mikoto. I know these days have been hard on you..."
Fugaku suddenly pulled Mikoto into his arms and whispered into her ear, "The Hidden Leaf Village has decided to wipe out the Uchiha clan. To protect the last ember of our clan, I've secretly sent Sasuke away. The one you saw that day was an imposter. I know I'm being selfish, but I had to put on this act to push you away so you could escape and take care of Sasuke. Once they come for us, I'll hold them off while you run away. Find a safe place with Sasuke and live a peaceful life."
"Fu—Fugaku?" Mikoto's eyes widened in shock. Was everything really just an act?
"Remember to tell Sasuke that his father loves him dearly. And if there's a next life… I'd still want to be your husband."
With these words, Fugaku gently kissed Mikoto's forehead before turning resolutely and rushing outside.
"Fugaku!"
Mikoto staggered to her feet and ran toward the door, only to witness the horrifying scene of Fugaku being impaled through the chest by multiple blades. Even then, he slightly turned his head, his bloodied lips parting silently as he mouthed four final words.
"I love you."
Time seemed to stop in its tracks. However, the three tomoe in Mikoto's eyes began spinning rapidly until eventually transforming into the image of a four-pointed shuriken.
All the pain, injustice, agony, and despair she had endured until now shifted entirely. It had all been an act—everything done to protect her. Just as hope had begun to bloom once more in her heart, she witnessed her beloved husband die before her very eyes, whispering those gentle final words: I love you.
The intense emotional turmoil finally awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan within Mikoto.
"Why did I have to die so pathetically?" Fugaku muttered bitterly. Why did he barely manage to redeem himself only to be stabbed through so pathetically by multiple attackers?
"If you hadn't died, Lady Mikoto's emotions wouldn't have reached such extremes. All the desperation built up over such a long time, followed immediately by sudden hope after your redemption—this extreme suppression made that hope even more powerful. Then at that moment, you sacrificed yourself. The hope had barely risen when it was crushed back into despair, a despair far stronger than anything she'd felt before. And your dying confession only deepened her sorrow further. This layering of emotions is what triggered Lady Mikoto's awakening of the Mangekyō Sharingan!"
Sakura explained, then gave a mischievous grin. "But honestly Uncle Fugaku, right now you should be less worried about that and focus more on Lady Mikoto. The emotional shock she just experienced might easily cause dramatic shifts in her mental state. You should hurry and show her your love right now while it still matters—it's the best way to calm her mind and stabilize her spirit!"
"What?!" Fugaku furrowed his brow. If causing Mikoto such trauma was the cost of awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, perhaps it would have been better left asleep.
"You know what to do!" Sakura shot Fugaku a knowing look. "Take Lady Mikoto back to your room and comfort her a bit—maybe even give Sasuke a sibling of his own!"
Chapter 73: The Sweeter It Is Now, the More Painful It Will Be Later [Fourth Update]
With Mikoto Uchiha sobbing into his chest, Fugaku Uchiha carried her toward the bedroom. Sakura's eyes lit up with mischief as she quietly slipped after him.
"Where do you think you're going?!" Itachi Uchiha grabbed her the moment she moved — he knew she was up to something.
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