At that moment, the features of the statue before Sasuke became increasingly distinct and clear. Only the eyes remained unfinished.
As the saying went, painting a dragon required adding the finishing touch to its eyes. The dragon's body was its form, while its eyes were its spirit.
Only once the eyes were completed could it truly be imbued with spirit.
The same was true for sculpture.
Yet Sasuke raised his short blade before the stone statue's eyes, then stopped, remaining silent for a long while.
Suddenly, he sheathed the short blade. A flash of crimson passed through his eyes, and his vision was restored to light.
Kurama Yakumo was immensely gifted. She too possessed a Kekkei Genkai that sealed the five senses.
When she used it, she was far stronger than other members of the Kurama Clan who had awakened the same Kekkei Genkai. The difference between them was like that between an ordinary Sharingan and a Mangekyō Sharingan.
However, Kurama Yakumo had not yet fully matured. She could only be considered to possess Mangekyo-level talent; she had yet to awaken completely.
Sasuke's own spiritual energy was no weaker. Kurama Yakumo's five-senses seal could suppress him in his normal state,
but as soon as Sasuke activated his Sharingan, the immense and pure power of Yin Release could instantly shatter the seal Kurama Yakumo had placed on him.
"Whew!"
Sasuke exhaled softly and brushed away the stone dust. The entire statue was revealed: a plain, ordinary young man. Every detail and every line of his face had been carved to perfection, but without its eyes, the statue lacked spirit and vitality.
"Sasuke, aren't you going to finish this piece?" Kurama Yakumo had long since completed her sketch. She walked over and asked curiously.
Sasuke shook his head. "Forget it. I don't yet have the confidence to give this work the spirit it needs."
Kurama Yakumo examined the stone statue for a while before quietly asking, "Is this man someone important in your heart, Sasuke?"
At that, Sasuke smiled freely. "In a sense. Or rather, he's a special existence."
Was he that Uchiha clansman of Sasuke's?
Kurama Yakumo nodded as though she understood. Of course, she could never have guessed that the person Sasuke had carved was not an Uchiha, nor even anyone from this world.
It was himself from his previous life!
Sasuke stared at the statue for a moment, then turned to Kurama Yakumo with a smile. "Yakumo, your body and spirit have been getting better and better lately. It seems Yoga really suits you."
Yoga was a gentle form of exercise, without any intense movements. Through postures that adjusted the body, breathing that regulated the breath, and meditation that calmed the mind, it trained flexibility, coordination, and endurance. By improving one's physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual abilities, it achieved harmony and unity of body, mind, and spirit.
This form of exercise was especially suitable for Kurama Yakumo, whose health was poor.
Kurama Yakumo smiled faintly and thanked him softly. "I have to thank you, Sasuke, for teaching me such a precious cultivation technique."
Yoga truly suited Kurama Yakumo. After practicing it for more than two years, she could clearly feel that her body was getting better and better.
Even her control over genjutsu had become increasingly effortless, much to the delight of both her and her parents.
If Sasuke had not told her that Yoga was a long-term practice, and that although her body had improved, it had not yet undergone any qualitative change,
he would have advised her to wait until she entered puberty and began developing before becoming a shinobi. Otherwise, she would already have been unable to wait to become one.
Though she was anxious, Kurama Yakumo had endured for so many years already. Waiting a few more years was nothing.
Sasuke never told her where Yoga had come from, and Kurama Yakumo had never asked. She only felt that this technique resembled the cultivation methods of monks.
She guessed that Sasuke had obtained it from his clan. After all, the Uchiha were one of the Shinobi World's oldest great clans, with countless ancient texts in their possession.
"You're welcome. You've helped me quite a bit these past two years as well."
Besides using her Kekkei Genkai to seal Sasuke's vision and help him simulate the feeling of training after losing his sight, Kurama Yakumo also used the Illusion Maze's abilities to assist Sasuke's genjutsu training.
Although the two were friends, Sasuke believed in returning favors and repaying kindness. Besides Yoga, he had also taught Yakumo some shinobi cultivation knowledge and Uchiha genjutsu experience.
He treated Naruto the same way. Aside from gaining another punching bag and opponent, there was also an element of investment involved.
Judging from the information Naruto had told him last night, that investment seemed likely to pay off soon.
"Enough pleasantries. Let's begin, Yakumo."
At that, hesitation and conflict flashed across Kurama Yakumo's face. "Do we really have to do this, Sasuke?"
Sasuke nodded calmly. "I'm counting on you."
His tone was utterly calm, yet it carried a hint of resolute determination.
Seeing that Sasuke had made up his mind, Kurama Yakumo sighed inwardly and could only agree. "All right."
As soon as she spoke, Kurama Yakumo formed a hand seal and cried out, "Genjutsu—Inner Illusion!"
"Is this... Sasuke's inner world?"
It was a desolate wilderness beneath the night sky. All around grew battered flowers and grass, along with rows of decayed, lifeless trees, as though some monster had completely stripped this land of all life and vitality.
High in the sky hung an enormous, blood-red full moon, its scarlet light illuminating the earth.
Kurama Yakumo was no stranger to blood moons. The books said they were merely a natural wonder.
But the blood moon before her truly startled Kurama Yakumo. An ominous feeling emanated from it.
The shadows cast by the blood moon's light upon the parched earth twisted and writhed endlessly, vaguely forming the shape of a ten-tailed monster.
The instant Kurama Yakumo vaguely saw that monster, wave after wave of negative intent—twisted, savage, insane, destructive, and bent on devouring everything—crashed directly into her mind like raging tides.
"What kind of monster is this!?"
Kurama Yakumo's eyes trembled violently as she shouted in terror.
"Don't panic." Just as Kurama Yakumo was overwhelmed with fear, Sasuke appeared beside her at some unknown point and soothed her.
"Whew... whew... whew..." Kurama Yakumo took several heavy breaths before asking in disbelief, "Sasuke, is this your inner world?"
"This terrifying..."
Before she could finish, Kurama Yakumo swallowed the rest of her words and sighed inwardly.
Sure enough, Sasuke was not as calm as he appeared. How could any normal person remain calm inside after going through something like that?
It was precisely because Sasuke had suffered such extreme pain and immense pressure that such a terrifying monster had grown within him, wasn't it?
"It isn't exactly my inner world. It would be more accurate to call it a fragment buried deep within my genes." Sasuke shook his head and said blandly.
"However..." Sasuke changed the subject and continued, "its birth was indeed related to my deliberate efforts to bring it about."
"Yakumo!" Sasuke looked at the stunned, even somewhat frightened Kurama Yakumo, his expression grave. "I need you to use your unique Kekkei Genkai to make it real!"
"What!?"
Before you continue