With the Sharingan that Mufasa obtained from Obito, Orochimaru now had an abundance of Sharingan to experiment on.
Shimura Danzo and Obito both acquired the Sharingan, treating it as if it were a tool for resurrection.
But what exactly was inside the Sharingan?
What was its true essence?
Perhaps they didn't want to know.
Even if you placed a newborn in front of someone ignorant of science, they still wouldn't understand the mysteries of life.
If you spoke to them about researching the Sharingan, they would probably just laugh.
"What's so special about this?" they might say. "Just use it and be done with it."
This is like how a wise man diligently practices the way of life, an average man acknowledges it but hesitates, and a fool simply laughs at it.
Orochimaru was clearly among the wise.
The more he spoke, the more animated he became, his golden eyes gleaming with excitement.
"If I eliminate the differences and find the common threads, I may be able to decipher the fundamental operating method of the Sharingan."
"Sharingan is a form of ninjutsu. If it is ninjutsu, then it must have a unique hand seal sequence and a distinct chakra flow."
"This sequence is embedded in the eyes of the Uchiha."
"If I can isolate it, I may be able to create an artificial Sharingan."
"At that point, it might be like the Cursed Seal of Heaven and Earth—I could grant others the power of the Sharingan whenever I please."
Mufasa blinked.
Sharingan combined with the Cursed Seal?
Something about that felt off.
A snake tinkering with something like this...
Mufasa smirked and clapped Orochimaru on the shoulder.
"Orochimaru, I like your way of thinking."
Orochimaru chuckled darkly.
"If I succeed, I can have any Sharingan I desire. I could even reverse-engineer the Uchiha bloodline and develop a technique to suppress the Sharingan's power."
His passion for science was overwhelming.
If he succeeded...
He scoffed.
"What is Uchiha Itachi to me then? When the time comes, I'll simply glare back at him."
With so many Sharingan at his disposal, he could experiment as much as he pleased.
The obsession he once had with Itachi and Sasuke was starting to fade.
Just as a man who has eaten his fill doesn't crave food, Orochimaru's insatiable desire for the Sharingan had begun to wane.
Mufasa laughed.
"Alright, then I'll be waiting for your results. It seems you've changed your view on Sasuke. Is he really that important to you as a vessel?"
Orochimaru pondered for a moment. "I feel like I could make a better vessel myself."
Mufasa nodded approvingly.
"That's the confidence of a true scientist. Then go ahead and remove the Cursed Seal from him."
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. "Sasuke is the captain of the Fourth Division. If we remove the Cursed Seal, his power will decline."
Mufasa remained firm. "I know, but the power from the Cursed Seal isn't the strength he truly needs. I'll give him something better."
Orochimaru lowered his head slightly. "As you wish."
The two of them went to find Sasuke.
"Sasuke, Orochimaru is here to remove your Cursed Seal of Heaven," Mufasa informed him.
Sasuke's eyes widened.
The Cursed Seal had given him a tremendous boost in power.
"My lord..."
Mufasa waved his hand dismissively. "I'll give you something better."
Sasuke didn't hesitate.
He allowed Orochimaru to proceed.
As the Cursed Seal was extracted, Sasuke immediately felt lighter—an unfamiliar yet liberating sensation.
The Cursed Seal had always been a sinister power. While it granted immense strength, prolonged usage corroded the user's body and mind.
The subconscious repulsion of his own soul had been ever-present, even if he hadn't realized it.
Now that it was gone, he felt truly free.
Mufasa smirked. "Feels good, doesn't it?"
Sasuke nodded.
"Rest for a few days. Once you've recovered, meet me at the control center. I'll give you the power you deserve."
—
A few days later, Sasuke arrived at Mufasa's office within the control center.
Mufasa sat at his desk, fingers laced together, his expression serious.
Seeing this, Sasuke straightened up, his posture disciplined.
Mufasa finally spoke. "I need you to promise me something—you must not tell anyone what you see today. Can you do that?"
Without hesitation, Sasuke nodded.
"I swear I won't speak a word of it."
"Good."
Mufasa stood up and walked to a section of the wall where a large insignia of the Free Wind was displayed.
He pressed his palm against the symbol.
A soft beep sounded, and a red light scanned him from head to toe.
"Palm print verified."
"Retinal scan verified."
"Heartbeat frequency verified."
Only Mufasa could enter this place.
The security was so tight that even a slightly irregular heartbeat would trigger an alarm.
A mechanical voice prompted him: "Please enter the password:"
Mufasa smirked.
"Everything we see exists together in a delicate balance."
Click.
The wall split apart, revealing a hidden metal corridor.
"Follow me."
Sasuke obeyed, stepping into the concealed passage behind Mufasa.
At the end of the hallway stood another door.
After another security check, the door slid open, unveiling an enormous, spherical metal chamber.
A narrow suspended bridge led to the center of the room, where a large device stood.
Atop the device sat a strange helmet.
Anyone familiar with advanced technology would recognize it immediately.
It was a perfect replica of Professor X's Cerebro—a machine designed to amplify mental capabilities.
Sasuke stared in awe as Mufasa turned to him with a smirk.
"Ready to receive real power?"
Sasuke stared blankly at the mysterious chamber before him.
The space appeared empty at first glance…
But the metallic walls, gleaming with flowing energy, told him otherwise.
Mufasa turned to him. "You're the first person to step into this place since I built it."
Sasuke felt a deep sense of honor. "Thank you, my lord."
Mufasa gestured for him to follow and led him onto the suspended bridge.
"Sit."
Sasuke obeyed, taking a seat opposite Mufasa.
The atmosphere was tense, charged with an unspoken gravity.
Mufasa reached for a sleek, silver helmet resting on the console and handed it to Sasuke.
"This is a brainwave receiver. Put it on."
Without hesitation, Sasuke placed it over his head. Surprisingly, it fit perfectly.
Mufasa picked up another device. "And this… this is the brainwave enhancer."
One device to enhance. One to receive.
Sasuke was beginning to understand, but Mufasa explained anyway.
"Your Uchiha bloodline requires extreme emotional stimulation to awaken the Sharingan and evolve it into the Mangekyō. That awakening is tied to immense grief—the pain of losing a loved one."
"That method… that curse… is the burden of the Uchiha clan."
"The price you pay for power is too steep."
"A Mangekyō Sharingan often requires... sacrifice."
Mufasa's voice held a sharp edge. "It's no wonder your clan was doomed to near extinction."
Sasuke clenched his fists but remained silent.
He knew this truth all too well, yet he had never considered an alternative.
Mufasa tapped his own brainwave enhancer.
"So, I thought—why not use a controlled method? A form of virtual reality, an immersive experience that simulates grief without real loss? If I can recreate that pain within the mind… perhaps we can force the evolution of your Sharingan without the actual tragedy."
Sasuke frowned slightly. "Virtual reality?"
Mufasa nodded.
"Think of it as a large-scale genjutsu—an illusion so real that your senses can't tell the difference. It will build an entire world, one where you can hear, smell, feel… even suffer injuries."
"A world with sunlight, rustling leaves, and the scent of the wind."
"A world where your family still exists—your father, your mother, and your brother."
Sasuke's breath caught in his throat.
Mufasa's eyes flickered, glowing faintly as he transmitted a hypnotic electromagnetic signal.
Sasuke felt his eyelids grow heavier.
Before he realized it, he had closed them.
He drifted into unconsciousness.
His mind, his brainwaves—everything—began syncing with Mufasa's brainwave enhancer, transporting him into the world Mufasa had created.
A complete recreation of the canon.
The ninja world, untouched by Mufasa's interference.
The fated battle between the Uchiha brothers.
Orochimaru's betrayal.
Uchiha Itachi's final stand.
Sasuke relived it all—the pain, the struggle, the moment Itachi struck down Orochimaru with the Totsuka Blade.
Blood dripped from Itachi's lips.
His right eye bled as his body pulsed with the last remnants of his chakra.
Step by step, he approached Sasuke, his presence overwhelming.
Sasuke, exhausted and defeated, lay against the cold stone wall.
The Uchiha clan symbol loomed behind him.
He had nowhere to run.
Itachi raised his trembling right arm, extending two fingers toward Sasuke's forehead.
Sasuke's pupils dilated. His body was frozen in place, as helpless as prey before a predator.
His brother was going to take his eyes.
But then…
Itachi spoke.
"Forgive me, Sasuke."
"This will be the last time."
A faint smile graced his lips as his fingers tapped Sasuke's forehead—just like he had done in their childhood.
And then, he collapsed.
Sasuke's mind reeled.
His heart pounded as he struggled to comprehend what had just happened.
He gasped for breath, eyes wide with shock.
And then Obito appeared.
He told Sasuke the truth—the truth that shattered him completely.
It was for him that his brother had chosen to take the blame.
It was for him that Itachi had massacred their clan.
It was for him that Itachi had burned his life away to rid Sasuke of Orochimaru's influence.
The weight of that revelation crushed Sasuke's soul.
"Aaaah!"
He clutched his face, his cries filled with agony.
The grief, the unbearable sorrow, erupted from the depths of his heart.
His chakra flared violently, surging through his body like a raging river, colliding with his mind, his very essence.
Mufasa, still connected to Sasuke through the brainwave link, felt the violent shift in chakra.
He didn't need his eyes to see it—he could feel it.
A massive force. A flood of black and red.
The raw grief and suffering that shaped the Uchiha.
The evolution of the Sharingan.
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Word count: 1672
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