Ways to Solve the Problem

Minamoto Takuya's pupils contracted as he looked at the information. Since he lacked that portion of his memories, he felt nothing at all.

But now, he needed to assess himself. After the memories of the Illusionary Realm had been sealed away, were they still affecting him?

He sorted through his thoughts, yet he had no idea how to evaluate it. He considered his plans for the future, but they had not changed in any way from before.

So the memories from the Illusionary Realm had no effect on him after being sealed by the Memory Seal?

Minamoto Takuya's eyes flickered. He did not believe it. One had to prepare for the worst in everything. The fact that there was no effect now only meant there was no concrete way to verify it.

Or perhaps the changes were too subtle to reveal any differences in a short time.

He looked at the device. This was not beyond his expectations either. After all, how could gaining an extra set of memories possibly have no effect?

But this was the price he had paid to awaken his eyes. Compared to the ways others awakened their eyes in Naruto, his method should be considered easy.

If he did not do this, was he supposed to be like everyone else? Suffer some stimulation in reality first, then awaken his eyes?

That was obviously impossible.

So even if this device affected him, he would continue using it. He simply did not intend to use it again anytime soon.

He needed time to settle himself and make sure the memories of the Illusionary Realm had the least possible impact on him before continuing the experiment.

If he rushed ahead for quick results, then even if he successfully awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, it would mean nothing if the price was becoming someone who was no longer himself.

Then he looked at the third point, which seemed to be the last one.

'Now that you—or rather, I—already know the problem, it's time to think about how to solve the issues with our mind or personality.'

Minamoto Takuya smiled as he read this. Sure enough, even before using the Memory Seal, he had never considered giving up on the device.

It was worth paying a small price to become stronger. What he needed to do now was merely reduce that price!

Minamoto Takuya sat in his chair, his fingers continuously tapping against the tabletop. Then he looked at his fingers, his eyes dark and unreadable.

He did have this habit, but the way he tapped had changed from before. The rhythm was much faster than it used to be.

After staring at his fingers for a long time, Minamoto Takuya closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he lowered his hand and leaned back in his chair, thinking about how to solve this problem.

Relying on the Memory Seal was one solution, but not the best one. And what he had just discovered proved that its effects were limited.

It also showed that subtle changes would be difficult, perhaps even impossible, for him to notice on his own.

Besides, the Memory Seal was ultimately just a Sealing Jutsu. It could potentially be broken.

One ninjutsu after another from the Original Work surfaced in his mind, along with certain unusual items, such as the Yamanaka Clan's Secret Techniques involving the mind...

As for finding someone for psychological counseling, Minamoto Takuya had not even considered it. He would not expose his condition to anyone, no matter how trustworthy they were!

"The Yamanaka Secret Techniques?" Minamoto Takuya frowned. Obtaining those would be rather troublesome.

And even if he obtained them, whether they could solve his own mental problems was another major question.

Their role in the Original Work was more about probing other people's memories. Yet the memories causing him trouble had already been sealed away. Could the Yamanaka Secret Techniques help him discover those subtle changes? Probably not.

Minamoto Takuya could only put that option aside and continue considering other possibilities.

There was simply not much in the Original Work related to the mind. Other than the Yamanaka Clan's Secret Techniques, all he could think of were Sharingan Genjutsu and the Spirit Transformation Technique.

Neither of those would be of much use for his problem.

In the end, he really did think of something that might solve his current problem. It was not a ninjutsu, nor was it in Konoha. It was located near Kumogakure.

It was the True Waterfall.

Its purpose was to make ninjas confront the Dark Side within their hearts—hatred, fear, obsession, and so on...

The waterfall's current and its special environment would induce hallucinations, forcing those who trained there to confront their negative emotions.

As long as they passed the waterfall's trial, they could 'reconcile with themselves' and purify their minds.

And what if they failed to pass? Naturally, they would be consumed by their own Dark Side...

Compared to the Yamanaka Secret Techniques, Kumogakure's True Waterfall seemed much more suitable for solving his current problem.

The issue was that it was Kumogakure territory. Safely using the True Waterfall would also be a huge problem. Should he pretend to be a Kumogakure ninja undergoing the trial? Or rely on his strength to stop everyone and seize the right to use it?

That would require long-term consideration as well, since undergoing the trial itself took time.

He remembered that the trial could apparently be interrupted. Naruto Uzumaki had failed the first time, then found the answer within his heart before undergoing the trial again and successfully completing it.

However, those were not things he needed to consider right now.

Because he still needed to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, he would certainly need to use the device several more times. Even if he solved the problem now, it would arise again later.

Kumogakure's True Waterfall was not a place one could come and go from whenever they pleased.

Therefore, the most suitable time to visit the True Waterfall would be after he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and no longer needed this device to assist in awakening his eyes.

Or when his mind had already undergone obvious changes and he had no choice but to go.

After reading the contents of the scroll, Minamoto Takuya rubbed his forehead weakly.

This was the price of gaining power.

After using the Chimera Technique, black markings had appeared across his body and could only be concealed. In truth, his body was constantly wrapped in bandages now, just not as heavily as Hiruko's in the Original Work.

It was foreseeable that one day, he too would need to wrap bandages around most of his body!

To awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan now, he would still have to pay the price of possibly suffering mental problems.

And that was without even considering the changes brought by activating the Sharingan itself. It seemed to have some sort of mental effect on its wielder as well...

After a long while, Minamoto Takuya let out a deep sigh. Then, an unwavering resolve filled his eyes.

To grow stronger, paying a price... was only natural!

Minamoto Takuya rose to his feet. At that moment, he noticed that the scroll seemed to have... more content behind it.

When he saw it, he froze. Then the corner of his mouth curled up, and he left.

On the scroll atop the table, after the vast blank space left behind the previous points, words had appeared once more.

'One last point: Are 'you' Minamoto Takuya?'

Below it was an answer belonging to the present.

'I am, and I always will be.'