Frenzied Laughter

It wasn't Izuna...

Only after truly coming into contact with him did Uchiha Madara realize why White Zetsu had said that Kagami Uchiha was so much like him.

Absolutely self-centered, with an unshakable will!

Uchiha Madara laughed heartily.

It had been a very, very long time since he had felt this happy.

Even among the clansmen he had abandoned, someone this interesting had appeared!

"Kagami, perhaps our goals are different, but I acknowledge your will."

"Come find me in the Land of Grass."

"Then you can properly experience the true power of the Uchiha Clan."

"You're so competitive. I wonder if you'll be heartbroken when you lose."

The tomoe in White Zetsu's eye sockets slowly faded away.

"I have no need to empathize with a loser. I'll always be the victor."

--

--

Within Kagami Uchiha's Mental Space.

The long-absent curtain was lifted, but Sukuna did not shout or make a fuss.

"This world... actually has someone like that..."

Without borrowing Sukuna's Cursed Energy, Kagami Uchiha could never have contended with Madara's Dojutsu Power.

Even though he was nearing the end of his strength, even though he did not possess the Rinnegan.

That man... was a living legend of the Ninja World!

Sukuna clearly sensed that if his Spiritual Energy had not continued growing after entering this world...

If he had encountered that man in the Curse World, perhaps... he would have found it difficult to win.

"Strictly speaking, he's the ancestor of our clan."

"Kid... you really intend to seek out someone like that right now?"

Sukuna was by no means reckless. Even when facing an impasse, he would not care about saving face.

What he hated most was when others overestimated themselves and provoked him.

There was nothing shameful about backing down when appropriate. As long as it was not a matter of principle, Sukuna felt it was acceptable to avoid the issue for a while.

"Yes. There's something I have to verify."

Kagami Uchiha was almost unable to suppress the evolution of his Sharingan, but he was not satisfied with awakening the Mangekyo right now.

It was like preparing a dish.

Improving a dish that tasted bad required many more steps.

If he could make it delicious from the very beginning...

"The bodies of the humans in this world are truly overflowing with energy... Kid, it's only been a few hundred days since we last met, but your growth is astonishing."

"Even my power is continuously increasing. How marvelous."

Sukuna grinned viciously. "I can sense the terrifying power lurking within your mind. You're resisting its influence over you, aren't you?"

"Why suffer like this? Release that madness!"

"With me and you together, we could slaughter as we pleased even in this world!"

"We could do anything we wanted!!"

"Was more than a year in the dark room not enough? You want to raise the stakes?"

"You need me, Kagami Uchiha. We are two symbiotic halves!"

"I admit it. I need your power." Kagami Uchiha slowly withdrew from the Mental Space, taking a large mass of Cursed Energy with him.

He also stopped putting Sukuna under confinement.

"Keep quiet. Speak only when I'm talking, and recognize your place."

"You're only a mount."

Amid flesh and bones, the King of Curses clenched his teeth tightly, the fury in his eyes burning like tangible flames.

Kid...

Absolutely!!

I'll definitely make you experience the most extreme terror!!

I am your curse!!

--

"This is too much!!"

"Why do you knock me out every time we meet?!"

Uchiha Obito was almost in tears.

"You bastard, what exactly did you do to me!!!"

Smack!

Kagami Uchiha slapped Obito on the forehead, nearly knocking him unconscious again.

And that was with him holding back.

"Speak normally. You should be thanking me for training your mental endurance."

The small barrier covering the area dissipated.

After hearing Obito's voice and receiving a signal, Kakashi and Rin approached.

"Kagami, are you leaving?"

Kakashi noticed that Kagami was heading in the direction of the Land of Wind and had initially wanted to ask about it.

But considering that this was probably a classified mission, he decided it would be better not to ask.

Something felt strange...

Kakashi suddenly felt an inexplicable pang of unease.

Looking at Kagami Uchiha's back, he felt that something serious was about to happen.

Kagami Uchiha did not turn around. After a few Body Flickers, he disappeared from their sight.

"Obito, what did Kagami say to you? You can tell us, right?" Kakashi tried to obtain information from Obito.

Since Kagami had told Obito, it probably wasn't classified information.

Obito covered the lump on his forehead and looked utterly miserable. "He didn't say anything! Just like before, he used a Sharingan Genjutsu on me the moment we met!"

"Damn Kagami! Why does he always pick on me?!"

He remembered that time at the Ninja Academy. Even Kagami Uchiha's self-introduction had included disliking him.

Kakashi and Rin could not understand that either.

Although Obito was the disgrace of the Uchiha, there were other Uchiha who were about the same. Why did Kagami Uchiha target only Obito?

Kakashi patted Obito on the shoulder and consoled him. "Maybe Kagami has the highest hopes for you and is testing you."

"He uses Genjutsu on you so often, yet even Minato Senior Brother and I haven't received that treatment. You don't feel like your mind is injured, do you?"

"Uh... no, I don't."

"Could it be..."

Obito stroked his chin and sank into thought.

Only Nohara Rin felt somewhat uneasy.

She was more sensitive to Kagami's attitude than the other two.

Kagami's hostility toward Obito... he had never concealed it at all...

--

After the initial brutal battles, the war entered a period of stalemate.

The situation on the various fronts also stabilized. Launching a large-scale battle was no simple matter; it involved many factors and could not be done without a sound.

Konohagakure had withstood the first wave of attacks from the Three Great Nations, which had also left them flustered. They tried to find Konohagakure's weaknesses from other angles.

Under these circumstances, Kagami Uchiha gave Jiraiya a brief explanation before leaving to handle his own affairs.

Meeting Uchiha Madara was only the first step.

After verifying his own strength, he would prepare for the perfect evolution of the Mangekyo.

He already had a complete plan in mind. Once he achieved it, he would obtain inexhaustible Dojutsu Power in one stroke!

In Kagami Uchiha's view, the Eternal Mangekyo was the Sharingan's ultimate form, and it was not an evolutionary stage above or below the Rinnegan.

The Sharingan did indeed originate from the Sage of Six Paths, but it was just like how Chakra originated from the Divine Tree.

The Divine Tree was the seed, while Chakra belonged to the ninja themselves.

The Sharingan was the product of a mutation, not a degraded form of the Rinnegan.

Kagami Uchiha had never considered pursuing the Rinnegan. Rather than that, he might as well focus his efforts on developing the Sharingan in depth.

The Sharingan was the symbol of the Uchiha's power!

He had absolute confidence that he could develop the Sharingan to a level surpassing the Rinnegan.

As he traveled, Kagami Uchiha's thoughts were in turmoil.

Suppressing the Sharingan's evolution was exhausting. He had to constantly remind himself to stay calm and avoid excessive emotional fluctuations.

But whenever he thought about...

Soon meeting that legendary ninja.

And even being able to confront him head-on.

It truly was...

Enough to make anyone laugh wildly!!