Sasuke's eyes widened at Menma's words. The three tomoe in his eye socket trembled violently, along with his dark pupils.
"It's not a genjutsu…"
"A sacrifice to awaken the Sharingan?"
Sasuke's mind flashed back to his conversation with Itachi on the night of the Clan Massacre. The elder brother had told him then that killing a close friend would awaken the Sharingan, instructing Sasuke to find his friend and kill him. Sasuke had refused Itachi then, declaring he would never become like him.
Now, however, with this opportunity presented to him, Sasuke wavered. Menma's devilish whisper echoed in his ears.
"The opportunity is before you. Do it, Sasuke. After so much training, the only difference between you and Itachi is a pair of Mangekyou Sharingan and Susanoo."
A golden fox tail coiled around a kunai and presented it to Sasuke.
"Kill him, and you'll be no different from Itachi, perhaps even stronger in ninjutsu. Kill him, and you'll successfully avenge Itachi, your parents, and your clan. Kill him, and you won't have to carry the burden of the past anymore. You can forge a new future for yourself and vindicate the Uchiha clan."
Gazing at Naruto's pale face stained with blood, Sasuke buried his head in the shadows, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.
Awakening… revenge… vindication…
"Yes!" Menma's seductive, alluring voice continued to echo. "They dared to intrude into the Four-Star Village today; their fate was sealed. I won't let them leave alive. So, rather than being killed pointlessly by me, it's better for you to use their last breaths as nourishment for awakening your Sharingan."
Sasuke's hand trembled as he reached out and grasped the kunai on the fox tail. He struggled to lift his head to look at Naruto, then painfully closed his eyes, making his final decision.
"Naruto…"
Hearing Sasuke's murmur, Naruto finally regained some strength and spoke weakly.
"Sasuke, do it. I don't blame you… But you must escape, take Sakura and Kakashi with you. Everyone is waiting for you to return to the village…"
Naruto's words were like the last straw. Sasuke made up his mind, a resolute expression appearing on his face.
"Naruto, you won't die meaninglessly. I promise you."
A kunai was placed against Naruto's throat, while Sasuke's other hand began to gather a Rasengan. Hearing this, Menma's voice rose.
"That's it, Sasuke! The kunai might not kill him, but the Lightning Release: Chidori will guarantee his complete demise! Do it! Embrace your bright future!"
The moment Menma's voice fell, Sasuke swung the Lightning Release: Chidori towards Naruto.
"Sigh."
Sasuke uttered those cold words. The expected scene of Naruto's death did not unfold. Instead, the Lightning Release: Chidori, upon touching Naruto, abruptly changed direction and slammed backward. Simultaneously, golden-red Nine-Tails chakra erupted from Sasuke's body, and the extended fox tail slashed fiercely at the fox tail piercing Naruto's limbs.
Whoosh!
Boom!
"You idiot, get out of here! Don't hold me back!"
The fox tail piercing Naruto's limbs snapped off, dissipating into chakra in mid-air. Sasuke's changed-direction Lightning Release: Chidori slammed into the ground between him and Menma. The explosion, combining the two chakra natures, instantly formed a terrifying pillar of lightning energy, half a person's height. It tore a huge gash in the ground in an instant, and the residual force continued to extend to the right, forming a massive trench nearly half a meter wide!
That's right, Sasuke never intended to kill Naruto in the first place. Of course, he also didn't intend to harm Menma, the benefactor who gave him power and wanted to help him take revenge. So this attack was aimed at the ground as a barrier.
"You chose betrayal, Sasuke? I'm so disappointed in you…"
The voice drifted slowly from within the billowing smoke. Sasuke, staring blankly at Naruto sitting on the ground, felt a surge of anger.
"Idiot, get out of here! I'm safe. I don't need your concern!"
Naruto, trembling, stood up, his expression defiant. "I'm going to take you back safely. Believe it! That's my ninja way!"
Sasuke: "???"
Hearing Naruto spouting that "believe it" ninja way, Sasuke was furious. This infuriating Naruto couldn't be an illusion; he was the real deal!
"You… get out of the way!"
Before Sasuke could finish his sentence, he grabbed Naruto and darted aside. And where they had just stood, a golden-red fox tail emerged from the smoke and pierced through!
"Such touching brotherly love, but unfortunately, only one of you will survive today."
Menma's voice echoed again from within the smoke, and seven enormous black shadows pierced through the smoke, hurtling towards the two.
"He only has eight fox tails! Dodge them and run!"
Sasuke, pulling the injured and immobile Naruto along, quickly dodged. His Sharingan's observation, combined with his body enhanced by the Nine-Tails' chakra, allowed him to successfully avoid all the piercing fox tails.
"So strong!" Naruto, witnessing Sasuke's performance, was speechless. "Sasuke, you've become so strong!"
Hearing Naruto's praise, Sasuke's lips curled into a smile, which quickly vanished as he feigned indifference. Only after dodging the final fox tail's attack did he pause briefly before speaking.
"This is the last one. It'll take him time to retract his attack and strike again. Don't move. I'm taking you!"
"Okay!"
Seeing Naruto understand, Sasuke quickly turned and pulled him away, ready to escape. But then, a huge black shadow pierced through the smoke again—the ninth tail!
Feeling the sharp point on the back of his head, Sasuke turned and saw the tail tip magnified before his eyes. Before he could even feel fear, he was shoved aside by a force. Then, he saw Naruto, his chest pierced by the fox tail.
And Naruto's last words, gushing blood:
"Live on, Sasuke…"
Buzz—
A buzzing sound instantly filled his head. Witnessing this scene, Sasuke felt a surge of anger rise in his throat, finally erupting into a heart-wrenching roar.
"Naruto!!!"
Beside his suddenly contracted pupils, the three-tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a six-pointed star formed by six overlapping leaves. At that very moment, purple eye power surged forth.
Instantly, the scene before Sasuke's eyes changed drastically. Naruto, coughing up blood with a pierced chest, slowly dissipated in the wind. Sasuke remained standing still, with Menma, wearing a mask, staring at him. On either side stood Kushina, her face full of gossip, and Minato, frowning in thought. The surrounding ground showed no signs of battle.
Seeing the scene before him clearly, Sasuke breathed a long sigh of relief.
"It really was a genjutsu. Of course, Naruto has an incomprehensibly powerful Menma within him, and I didn't even remember…"
Then, ignoring Kushina's gaze with a mixture of joy and indignation, he looked at the crimson eyes beneath Menma's mask and said, "To be able to use such a realistic genjutsu, so you're also a possessor of the Mangekyou Sharingan… Now I finally understand why you spared no effort in nurturing me and helping me take revenge…"
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