The blurry figure slowly raised his arm, and a long blade appeared in his hand—gleaming under the crimson sky of the illusion.
He stepped toward Sasuke, who was nailed to a cross, and lifted the weapon as if preparing to deliver a cruel punishment.
"Why! Why can't this genjutsu be broken?!" Sarada cried, her hands forming seals one after another.
Her Two-Tomoe Sharingan spun furiously, but the illusion held firm.
The power of this genjutsu was overwhelming. Even with her Sharingan, she couldn't dispel it.
A piercing scream split the air.
The figure thrust the blade forward, impaling Sasuke straight through the chest. Blood streamed down the steel as Sasuke's body trembled.
With his final breath, he roared, "Run! Sarada!"
Outside the illusion, atop a utility pole, Itachi Uchiha watched quietly.
Sarada stood below, clutching her grocery bag, her eyes now glowing a vivid crimson.
Her Two-Tomoe Sharingan shimmered in the moonlight.
"So, she awakened her Two-Tomoe Sharingan directly?" Itachi murmured. "It seems Sarada's talent far surpasses Sasuke's."
He sighed softly. "Forgive me, Sarada."
He was about to release the genjutsu—but then, her eyes changed again.
Before his eyes, the second tomoe split into a third.
Her Two-Tomoe Sharingan evolved into the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Inside the illusion, the figure had gone mad, stabbing Sasuke's body again and again.
Each thrust drew more screams, echoing endlessly through the dreamlike void.
"Who the hell cast this genjutsu on me?!" Sarada shouted, trembling but furious.
Then, gritting her teeth, she muttered coldly, "Whatever. You're just a fake Dad anyway—so keep screaming!"
The blurry figure suddenly turned his head toward her.
A Mangekyō Sharingan and one Rinnegan gleamed from the shadows, burning with malice.
Even though his face was obscured, the sheer evil in his presence made Sarada's skin crawl.
He sneered. "Your father's eyes… truly powerful. Perhaps yours will serve me just as well."
Sarada tried to move, but her limbs wouldn't respond.
"Who are you?! Why are you using genjutsu on me?!" she shouted.
But the figure ignored her completely.
He stopped in front of her, lifted two fingers, and pointed directly at her left eye.
"I'll take your eyes."
Sarada's breath hitched as the fingers came closer. She could almost feel the icy touch against her eyelid.
The illusion felt so real, it terrified her.
"Don't be afraid, Sarada… it's just genjutsu…" she whispered shakily, trying to convince herself.
But the illusion's realism broke through her mental defenses.
"Stop!!" she screamed, forcing her Sharingan to spin wildly.
The tomoe whirled faster and faster—until, in an instant, her eyes transformed.
The Two-Tomoe Sharingan evolved into the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
The illusion began to collapse.
The world around her cracked like shattered glass, tearing apart in a surge of blinding light.
Everything dissolved—Sasuke, the figure, the blood, the crimson sky—until nothing remained.
Sarada gasped awake.
She was standing in the middle of the street, her shopping bag spilled across the ground.
Her Sharingan slowly faded back to black, but her heart still raced, her body trembling from lingering fear and anger.
She immediately looked up at the utility pole—but it was empty. Only the night wind brushed her hair.
In the shadows nearby, Itachi watched silently.
"The Three-Tomoe Sharingan…" he murmured. "So, she awakened it long ago. Seems I underestimated her."
He lowered his gaze. "Sorry, Sasuke… forgive me, just once more."
Later that night, Sarada lay in bed, tossing restlessly.
Scenes from the genjutsu replayed in her mind like a nightmare she couldn't escape.
"My Sharingan should've seen through that genjutsu easily," she thought. "Why couldn't I break it?"
She frowned. "Could the person who cast it also have a Sharingan… one stronger than mine?"
Her eyes widened. "Could it have been… one of the Uchiha Shin clones?"
She shook her head immediately. "No, their Sharingan aren't that strong."
Then another possibility struck her.
"Could it have been… Dad?"
Her eyes softened as she sat up.
"If Dad really came back to Konoha… why didn't he come home?"
She walked over to her mirror, her crimson eyes glowing faintly in the reflection.
Her gaze drifted to a photo on the table—a picture of her, Sakura, and Sasuke together.
She sighed. "He finally comes home and puts me through that terrifying genjutsu. So annoying, Dad."
Far away, in another realm, Sasuke sneezed suddenly and rubbed his nose.
"Heh. Looks like my little peanut's thinking about me," he muttered with a tired smile.
Meanwhile, back in Sarada's room, space rippled beside her bed—then a small distortion appeared.
From it, a tiny creature—Krab—emerged.
Sarada's eyes lit up instantly. She smiled, reached out, and in the next moment, both she and Krab vanished through a ripple in space.
A second later, they reappeared in Boruto's room.
"Boruto," Sarada called softly.
Boruto, sitting up on his bed, looked over. "Hmm? Sarada?"
Without hesitation, she pulled back the covers and slipped into his arms.
"Boruto… my dad seems to have returned to the village today," she whispered.
"Oh? Uncle Sasuke back?" Boruto asked, surprised.
"Yeah—and he even cast a genjutsu on me. So annoying," she pouted.
Boruto frowned slightly. "Genjutsu from Uncle Sasuke? Huh. Wasn't that Itachi?"
he muttered under his breath. "Maybe she's mistaken."
"So Uncle Sasuke used genjutsu on you?" he asked aloud.
"I'm not sure why… but it made my Sharingan evolve into the Three-Tomoe form," Sarada said, activating her eyes again. The three tomoe spun gracefully as she gazed at him.
Boruto smiled in admiration. "Three-Tomoe Sharingan? That's incredible, Sarada."
She shook her head. "Not really. It's nothing compared to your Tenseigan. I just wonder when I'll awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan…"
Thinking of her father, Sarada leaned forward and kissed Boruto on the cheek.
Boruto blinked in surprise. "Hey! You ambushed me!"
"I did," she teased. "So what?"
"Oh yeah? Then I'll ambush you too!" Boruto laughed.
"Bring it on! Who's afraid of who?" she shot back, smiling.
Their playful banter filled the quiet room until it gradually faded.
Finally, Sarada nestled against his chest, her breathing slowing as she drifted into peaceful sleep in Boruto's arms.
...
Author's Note:
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