"My wish is to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan."
Sasuke spoke without hesitation.
Mui looked at him, his eyes flickering with a hint of envy and anticipation.
The last time the Box of Ultimate Bliss was opened was during the era of the Sage of Six Paths.
It's said to grant any wish, but the specifics are unknown to anyone.
Yielding the first chance to open it is certainly a pity.
But using it to verify whether the Box of Ultimate Bliss is real or not isn't a bad idea either.
"Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Naruto scratched his head, puzzled.
"It's the ultimate form of the Uchiha clan's kekkei genkai, the Sharingan," Minato explained from within the seal space. "It has tremendous power—one example is that it can control Kurama."
"Why does Kurama sound so weak?"
Naruto blurted it out.
He had seen Natsume beat up Kurama and seen Kushina subdue him.
Now hearing that the Mangekyō can control Kurama too—
So he just said what was on his mind like a kid would.
"Brat!"
Kurama was so mad he cracked. "I am the strongest tailed beast!"
"Watch your mouth," Kushina frowned, glaring at him.
"…"
Kurama's overwhelming aura froze on the spot.
"Of course, the Mangekyō isn't just about controlling Kurama—it's an all-around power-up," Minato continued, having served as Hokage and read related records. He gave several more examples.
"It's really that strong?"
Naruto looked at Sasuke in the distance with a spark of anticipation.
He felt no jealousy over his teammate getting stronger; he was happy for him.
Natsume took the chance to bring Mikoto over.
As soon as she arrived, she instinctively wanted to call out to Sasuke—but Natsume covered her mouth.
"Don't distract him," Natsume shook his head.
"Mhm."
Mikoto trembled slightly, and when she felt his breath as he spoke, her face flushed.
But with Sasuke right in front of her, she forced herself to hold it together.
A moment later, a layer of black mist rose from the Box of Ultimate Bliss, faintly brimming with surging Yin Release.
The smiling-face side facing Sasuke began to peel away, revealing a pitch-black hole.
The next second, a powerful current burst from the opening.
More precisely, it was a surge of evil intent—rage, joy, sorrow, ecstasy—all tangled together.
They flooded into Sasuke's body in an instant.
"Ah!"
Sasuke screamed.
His three-tomoe Sharingan was suddenly veiled in a layer of bloody red.
His ocular power surged at breakneck speed, climbing to the extreme.
An endless stream of Yin Release, like a river, circled around him.
Influenced by this aura, Sasuke's emotions spiraled out of control.
"Hahaha!"
He clutched his forehead and let out a wild, manic laugh.
"Sasuke!"
Mikoto moved to rush forward, but her body suddenly shuddered.
Sasuke's eyes were no longer three tomoe—they were Mangekyō.
Did he really awaken it?
Her first reaction: So Natsume had been playing her after all.
She had paid with nearly all her dignity and feelings to awaken her Mangekyō.
Yet Sasuke just had to make a wish.
But she quickly realized something was off.
Something's wrong!
The way Sasuke looked at her—it was like staring at a stranger.
Completely different from his usual respect and warmth.
"Natsume, what's going on?"
Mikoto's unease peaked. She turned to Natsume instinctively, her eyes tinged with grievance.
Is one person not enough for you to mess with?
For some reason, though she should've been angry, she couldn't feel any anger at all.
"He absorbed too much emotion. A Yin-based monster was born inside him. Just beat it out," Natsume half-truthed.
The moment Sasuke made his wish, Satori had possessed him.
His current Mangekyō was actually fake.
Once Satori leaves, Sasuke's strength will drop.
That said, this isn't all for nothing.
Sasuke's early taste of the Mangekyō will help his future.
Also, Satori leaving doesn't make it useless.
It can act like a power bank, continually supplying Sasuke with Yin Release.
When the time is right, he'll awaken the true Mangekyō.
So the priority is to force Satori to manifest and then seal it.
Mikoto looked thoughtful.
Since getting her Mangekyō, she had gained a deep understanding of Yin Release.
Thinking back to the airflow that spewed from the Box of Ultimate Bliss earlier, she had to admit it could indeed trigger an awakening.
But it was very dangerous.
Easy to lose oneself.
"Sasuke, control your desires," Mikoto took a breath and said solemnly.
"Mom, I feel an unprecedented bliss right now," Sasuke's lips curled.
If he used to be cool, he was evil now.
His entire vibe had changed.
Mikoto bit her lip. Words alone weren't going to snap him out of it.
Mangekyō Sharingan—activate!
An aura both profound and chilling poured off her.
From a refined lady, she transformed into a peerless powerhouse.
"How is this possible?"
Kushina froze.
She and Mikoto were basically close friends.
In her impression, Mikoto was just an ordinary ninja.
Mangekyō shouldn't even be in the conversation.
"Maybe she was traumatized by the night of the massacre," Minato knew more.
In his time, he had fought alongside many Uchiha ninjas.
Plus, with Tobirama's notes, he could roughly guess the cause.
"Naruto, don't get involved this time," Minato said after a moment's thought. "Let mother and son handle this. Besides, your sensei is here—Sasuke won't be in danger."
Though worried, Naruto didn't jump in. He watched from the side.
"Mom, so you also have these eyes," Sasuke's face warped with anger. "Then why didn't you seek revenge?!"
Mikoto's body went rigid at his words, a faint guilt welling up inside.
She hadn't rushed to revenge.
In fact, she had even begun to somewhat enjoy her current life.
"Mom, what have you been doing behind our backs?" Sasuke pressed again.
Satori has the ability to read emotions.
Mikoto didn't know that.
Being seen through by her own son turned her face pale. She felt his profound disappointment and stood there in a daze.
A tangle of emotions surged up.
She instinctively turned her head slightly, avoiding his gaze.
I… am neither a good wife nor a good mother.
In that moment, she wanted to run.
"Mikoto," Natsume reminded her at the right time, "keep your mind empty. The Box of Ultimate Bliss is essentially a condensation of emotions. It can see through your feelings."
If he didn't warn her, he felt she was going to spill their secret.
Still, there was payoff.
Under such emotional strain, her ocular power jumped noticeably.
Mikoto's pupils tightened violently.
So that's it.
Flushed with shame and anger, she flashed through hand seals.
Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!
Chakra gathered in bulk and in a flash formed a dragon's head.
Flames blazed crimson as it tore forward through smoke.
Its body stretched into a fire dragon, lunging to swallow Sasuke whole.
It did nothing.
Sasuke's body suddenly levitated, dodging the attack.
Seeing this, Mikoto formed hand seals with one hand and flung shuriken with the other.
Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!
Flames wrapped the shuriken, scattering like impatiens seeds to seal off all space.
Sasuke lagged by a beat this time.
Mikoto had gradually slipped into an empty, tranquil state.
With barely any emotional fluctuation, he could no longer foresee her moves.
Even so, Sasuke was still strong enough.
He brought his hands together lightly, forming a black-red sphere, and hurled it.
The shuriken and flames turned to ash the instant they touched it.
Mikoto's heart skipped.
This sphere felt ominous.
She used the Body Flicker to dodge, her scarlet Mangekyō locked on Sasuke.
Aye-Kagachi!
She unleashed the ability of her right eye.
Amplify fear.
It had no effect.
Mikoto was briefly stunned.
How?
At that moment, Sasuke appeared in front of her and kicked without hesitation.
Mikoto flew backward.
Natsume cocked an eyebrow.
Mama's boy.
Still, this was a bit unexpected.
Mikoto had too little combat experience, and both her eye techniques were useless against Satori.
Should he step in?
"No!"
Sasuke suddenly clutched his head and shouted.
Natsume's eyes narrowed.
Was he breaking free of Satori's influence because he attacked his mother?
"Mikoto, use your eye again—amplify Sasuke's emotions," Natsume said, struck by inspiration.
Right now, Sasuke and Satori had separated slightly.
Which meant there was an opening.
Without thinking, Mikoto used Aye-Kagachi.
"Get out!"
Sasuke trembled harder and harder.
His face paled, then flushed, struggling.
Mikoto's right eye shook violently, pouring out all its power.
"Ahhh!"
Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut and screamed in pain.
Black currents enveloped him.
Before everyone's shocked eyes, a pair of huge black wings sprouted from his back.
Wind howled.
The wings surged skyward, and a monster dozens of meters tall filled their view.
It had long black arms and swollen claws, no head, and a grotesque maw with sparse teeth gaped at its belly.
As Satori separated, Sasuke's Mangekyō vanished, and he collapsed.
Mikoto rushed forward to support him.
"What is that thing?!"
Mui's face crumpled. "Wasn't it supposed to grant any wish?!"