"Sasuke, your eyes are different!" Naruto noticed Sasuke's Three-Tomoe Sharingan and exclaimed in surprise.
"That's the Three-Tomoe Sharingan," Neji said with a complicated expression.
Sasuke had activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and his strength had increased once again, widening the gap between them.
But could the Box of Ultimate Bliss really grant wishes?
A wish that bordered on treason against the Hyuga Main Family flashed through Neji's mind — to remove the Caged Bird Curse Seal.
But after careful thought, he realized the Box of Ultimate Bliss had its limits.
It claimed it could grant any wish, but in reality, it only released the Yin Release monster Satori.
Satori could help Sasuke awaken the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, but could it remove the Caged Bird Curse Seal?
Probably not.
The Caged Bird Curse Seal was essentially a Sealing Technique. If Satori had that ability, it wouldn't have been sealed by Kitazawa.
With that thought, Neji quickly calmed down. Besides, in his current life, whether the Caged Bird Curse Seal existed or not hardly mattered anymore.
"I awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan?" Sasuke instinctively looked up upon hearing this, asking in surprise.
In his memory, he had wished to awaken the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, but that was through the power of the Box of Ultimate Bliss and Satori.
Now that Satori was sealed and the Box of Ultimate Bliss had closed again, he had assumed his Three-Tomoe Sharingan would disappear as well. But to his surprise, it was still there.
"Huh? Your three tomoe disappeared again!" Naruto scratched his head, looking confused.
Just moments ago, Sasuke's eyes had returned to normal. In truth, it was caused by the fluctuation in Sasuke's emotions.
"What?" Sasuke quickly looked at Uchiha Itachi.
"You awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan through the Box of Ultimate Bliss, so you can't control it properly yet."
Itachi thought for a moment and understood the cause. "When we get back, I'll teach you. After that, you'll be able to activate and deactivate it on your own."
"So that's how it is." Sasuke breathed in relief, then couldn't help but grin.
"Haha, I awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan!"
But after two laughs, he covered his mouth.
It wasn't a good time to laugh, and his Three-Tomoe Sharingan had been obtained through fighting Naruto and Itachi.
Still, in his memories, he had undeniably been incredibly strong, easily overwhelming Naruto.
Is this the Three-Tomoe Sharingan? Thinking of this, Sasuke nearly burst out laughing again.
Kitazawa shook his head. He knew exactly what Sasuke was imagining.
But that power wasn't the Three-Tomoe Sharingan — it was Satori's strength.
Now that Satori was sealed away, Sasuke's power had improved, but nowhere near what he believed.
[Current mission: Help Uchiha Sasuke awaken the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.]
[Mission reward: Featureless Sharingan activation.]
[The Host has completed the mission, reward issued.]
Kitazawa's spirits rose. His long-awaited featureless Sharingan ability had finally arrived!
The moment the three lines of text appeared, a flood of information filled his mind.
Just as the name implied, from now on, whenever he used the Sharingan, his eyes would remain in their normal state — the three tomoe would not appear at all.
And with proper control, even Chakra fluctuations would be extremely difficult to detect.
Only when casting genjutsu would Chakra flow become visible. Even so, it was more than enough.
This meant that unless he used genjutsu, almost no one would realize he had activated the Sharingan — allowing him to take down most enemies in an instant with a single glance.
[Current mission: Defeat Satori.]
[Mission reward: Contract Seal.]
[The Host has completed the mission, reward issued.]
Another three lines of text appeared before Kitazawa.
The Contract Seal was a special Sealing Technique of the Uzumaki Clan. Its effect was to sever the contract between a summoner and their Summoning Beast.
In the original storyline, Minato used it to sever the contract between Uchiha Obito and the Nine-Tailed.
If it could sever the Nine-Tailed's contract, then severing the contract of any other Summoning Beast was naturally no problem.
It could also be used in battle.
For example, during the previous battle with Orochimaru, if Kitazawa had known the Contract Seal, then he could have directly cut off Orochimaru's contract with Ryūchi Cave, drastically weakening him.
Of course, for a Ninja with a strong bond with their Summoning Beast, it wasn't nearly as effective, since they could simply re-sign the contract afterward.
But for Konoha Village, the Contract Seal was extremely useful — it ensured the safety of the Nine-Tailed.
"Bring Mui here." Kitazawa regained his composure and spoke.
Two ANBU immediately ran back toward Hozuki Castle.
Moments later, they returned with Mui.
Mui at this point looked nothing like before — utterly defeated, spiritless.
The reason was simple. Kitazawa had allowed Mui to watch the entire process: the wishing, the release of Satori, and Satori's defeat.
With his intelligence, he naturally understood the true nature of the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
The wishes were fake — the release of Satori was the truth. Which meant his son Muku could never be revived.
"What do you plan to do now?" Kitazawa asked.
"You're… not going to kill me?" Mui was stunned and asked in disbelief.
"Why would I kill you?" Kitazawa shook his head. "You broke the rules, and I broke the rules. We're even."
Mui fell silent. His life's obsession had been to open the Box of Ultimate Bliss and revive Muku.
Now that this obsession was shattered, what meaning was left in his life?
"Just kill me," Mui said, heart completely empty.
"Even if your son Muku can't be revived, aren't you at least concerned about the girl he liked?" Kitazawa thought for a moment and asked.
"You mean Ryuzetsu?" A trace of emotion returned to Mui's face. "How do you know about her?"
"Investigating you is a simple matter for Konoha Village." Kitazawa smiled faintly.
Every movie has a female lead, and in Blood Prison, the female lead was Ryuzetsu.
Ryuzetsu and Muku were childhood sweethearts.
She had always believed that Mui killed him, so she did everything she could to assassinate Mui and avenge Muku.
It wasn't until Naruto arrived that she finally learned the truth.
After the group defeated Satori, Naruto was severely injured, and Ryuzetsu — having fulfilled her final wish — sacrificed her life to save him.
She used the S-rank Medical Ninjutsu Dragon Life Reincarnation. Its effect was to transfer one's life to another through a kiss — a one-for-one resurrection technique.
It was quite similar to Chiyo of Sunagakure's One's Own Life Reincarnation.
However, One's Own Life Reincarnation had an additional effect: it could imbue puppets with life.
It was also worth mentioning that Naruto kissed every female lead in the movies.
"You should know that the current Kusagakure is in constant conflict between the Grass Flower and Grass Fruit factions."
Kitazawa continued, "Ryuzetsu belongs to Grass Flower and has already joined the Anbu. She could die at any time."
"What do you want me to do?"
Having listened to this long, Mui naturally understood that Kitazawa wasn't speaking aimlessly. He must have a purpose.
[As a future Hokage, one must naturally stir up trouble in the Ninja World.]
[Current mission: Covertly control Kusagakure and become its Master.]
[Mission reward: Eight Trigrams Sealing Style.]
[Do you accept?]
Kitazawa raised an eyebrow. A system mission?
Why wasn't there a similar mission for Otogakure? Was it because Tsunade led the team at the time?
Or perhaps because Konoha's control over Otogakure wasn't covert, but achieved through Orochimaru?
"With your strength, you're the strongest in Kusagakure." Kitazawa accepted the mission and smiled. "Don't you want to become the leader of Kusagakure?"
"You want to control Kusagakure?" Mui blurted out.
"With Konoha's strength, anyone can be made the leader of Kusagakure." Kitazawa corrected him. "But I admire you, so I'm willing to work with you."
"I accept." Mui hesitated for a moment before agreeing.
His son Muku had died because of him. If Ryuzetsu also died, he would have no face left to meet his son in the afterlife.
If he became the leader of Kusagakure, he could end the conflict between Grass Flower and Grass Fruit.
And with the Box of Ultimate Bliss already taken by Kitazawa, the conflict held no meaning anymore.
"Itachi, stay here and assist him. Once he becomes the leader of Kusagakure, you may return." Kitazawa instructed calmly.
"I understand, Lord Kitazawa." Itachi nodded.
He understood Kitazawa's real meaning.
Muku was not a Konoha Ninja. To ensure safety, Itachi needed to plant a Mangekyo genjutsu suggestion — a weakened version of Uchiha Shisui's Kotoamatsukami.
Unnoticeable under normal circumstances, but decisive at critical moments.
Kitazawa couldn't help but smile. Itachi was truly the perfect tool — useful, precise, and never troublesome.
In front of Mui, Kitazawa couldn't openly say he wanted to control him, which is why he left Itachi behind.
Itachi, as the Hokage's secretary, shouldn't be doing such things — but he understood everything without needing it spelled out.
"I'll take Sasuke and the others back to Konoha first." Kitazawa said, "I'll leave the rest to you. The Anbu will temporarily be under your command."
The current Itachi was absolutely reliable. There was no need to worry.
"Big brother, bye!" Sasuke waved excitedly.
It was only a short separation, and he wasn't sad at all.
On the contrary, he was eager to go home and brag to Uchiha Fugaku that he had awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Neji, meanwhile, was puzzled.
Was that really it? Why did Kitazawa bring him here? Just to watch?
Hinata didn't think that deeply. For her, doing a mission with Kitazawa was already more than enough.
Kitazawa took his four students back to Konoha.
As for the Box of Ultimate Bliss, he left it to the Anbu to transport — it would arrive two days later.
"I'm going to the Hokage Office. You all go home and rest." Kitazawa patted Hinata's head.
"Then I'll be going, Teacher Kitazawa!" Sasuke sprinted home, full of excitement.
"He's really impatient." Kitazawa shook his head and walked toward the Hokage Building.
---
Uchiha Clan Compound.
"Dad!" Sasuke shouted excitedly as soon as he entered.
"You're back?" Fugaku happened to be home today. Seeing Sasuke so fired up, he asked, "How was the mission?"
"It went great!" Sasuke replied eagerly. "And Dad, you'll never guess what happened!"
"Where's your brother?" Mikoto asked, looking around.
"Big brother still has a mission to finish," Sasuke said, then puffed out his chest proudly.
"I awakened my Three-Tomoe Sharingan!"
"Three-Tomoe Sharingan?"
Fugaku and Mikoto froze at the same time, disbelief on their faces.
Awakening the Two-Tomoe Sharingan at seven was already shocking — but still within reason, since Two-Tomoe equaled about Chunin level.
There had been Chunin younger than ten in Konoha's history.
But awakening the Three-Tomoe Sharingan at eight years old wasn't just surprising — it was unprecedented.
"I'll show you!"
Sasuke was about to activate it for them, but quickly realized…
He didn't know how. He froze, remembering Itachi's explanation.
So he told Fugaku and Mikoto everything that had happened during the mission.
Fugaku and Mikoto both believed Sasuke's words.
An eight-year-old child would find it difficult to invent such a detailed and bizarre story. Moreover, everything would be confirmed once Uchiha Itachi returned — Sasuke had no reason to lie.
"He truly is my son!" Fugaku couldn't help but laugh.
At eight years old, he already had the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. If nothing unexpected happened, Sasuke would definitely awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan someday.
Coupled with his close relationship with Kitazawa, becoming Hokage was almost guaranteed.
"Hahaha!" Fugaku's laughter grew louder and more unrestrained.
---
Hokage Building.
After Kitazawa stepped inside, he let out a breath — it felt much warmer.
It was January, and the outside temperature was freezing.
Kitazawa climbed the stairs, stopped in front of the Hokage Office, and knocked on the door.
After receiving permission, he opened it and entered.
"Teacher Tsunade." Kitazawa walked up to Tsunade and said, "The mission was completed successfully."
"A mission personally led by you — how could it possibly fail?" Tsunade looked up and asked, "Where is the Box of Ultimate Bliss?"
"I handed it over to the Anbu." Kitazawa explained, "Sasuke and I returned first. The Box of Ultimate Bliss is very heavy, so it'll take two more days to arrive in the village."
"The Box of Ultimate Bliss is a dangerous artifact. Have the Sealing Squad seal it." Tsunade said after a brief moment of thought.
"Sealing it would be a waste. I want to dismantle it and reforge it into Ninja Tools." Kitazawa shook his head.
"It's a legendary tool from the era of the Sage of Six Paths. Can it even be dismantled?" Tsunade asked in surprise.
"I'm not sure," Kitazawa admitted. "Once it returns to the village, I'll gather all the blacksmiths and see if there's a solution."
"That makes sense." Tsunade nodded. "Since it's a Six Paths Sage-era Ninja Tool, if it can truly be reforged, its power should be exceptional."
"Besides that, there's the matter of Mui — the warden of Hozuki Castle."
Kitazawa continued, mentioning his plan to support Mui as Kusagakure's new leader.
"As long as you trust him, then it's fine," Tsunade said calmly.
The former Kusagakure leader was responsible for Karin and her mother's suffering — his death was welcome.
As for cooperating with Mui, the new leader…it wasn't particularly important.
The existence of small Ninja villages depended on the tacit approval of the Five Great Nations. If a Shinobi World War broke out, they acted as buffer zones or battlegrounds.
Since Kitazawa had already handled it, Tsunade didn't object. It wasn't a critical matter.
"During the fight with Satoru, Itachi used the Mangekyo Sharingan," Kitazawa added after a moment of thought.
Itachi had voluntarily revealed it, and informing Tsunade was necessary. Mangekyo Sharingan-level combat power should be recorded — and used for future difficult missions.
"Are you sure?" Tsunade instinctively straightened up and asked.
"His eye pattern is no longer three tomoe — it's turned into a triangular shuriken." Kitazawa said, "And it displayed power far beyond the Three-Tomoe Sharingan."
"The Uchiha Clan truly produces many geniuses." Tsunade sighed. "First Shisui, then Itachi — two Mangekyo Sharingan in such a short time."
"Fortunately, both stand firmly with Konoha," Kitazawa added. "From that perspective, it's a good thing."
"Mm." Tsunade agreed. "Itachi revealing his Mangekyo shows his trust in the village."
"I think it's trust in you." Kitazawa chuckled.
"The old man has already retired, and you're still speaking ill of him?" Tsunade gave him a sharp look.
"I didn't say anything." Kitazawa blinked innocently.
"…" Tsunade wanted to kick him, but he stood just far enough away that she gave up.
"One last thing." Kitazawa smiled. "Sasuke has awakened his Three-Tomoe Sharingan."
"Another Uchiha genius." Tsunade paused for a moment. "Do you think he'll awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan?"
"Nine times out of ten, he will," Kitazawa replied.
"It's good that you're his teacher. Then there's no need to worry about him going astray." Tsunade said with relief.
She had read Senju Tobirama's research on the Uchiha Clan — records filled with countless Uchiha who lost themselves to their eyes.
This was why Tobirama said the Uchiha were inherently dangerous. The stronger their emotions, the more their eyes evolved — but the more unstable they became.
If a strong Hokage wasn't in place, the Uchiha could become a major threat.
From this perspective, even Danzo's actions were understandable — though his methods were foolish and extreme.
But Tsunade wasn't worried about the Uchiha now.
Besides her own strength, there was one crucial reason: Kitazawa had mastered Wood Release.
In the past, Senju Hashirama had used Wood Release to suppress the Uchiha Clan. Now, Kitazawa stood in the same position.