The Monster Inside Sasuke's Heart

At this moment, the features of the sculpture before Sasuke became increasingly prominent and clear, lacking only the eyes.

As the saying goes, "dotting the eyes of a painted dragon"—the body provides the form, but the eyes provide the spirit.

Only once the eyes are completed can the work be imbued with true vitality.

This principle holds just as true for sculpture.

However, Sasuke raised his short blade before the stone eyes, only to pause and remain silent for a long time.

Suddenly, he sheathed the blade, a flash of crimson light flickered across his pupils, and his vision returned to clarity.

Kurama Yakumo possessed immense talent, specifically in the Kekkei Genkai that seals the five senses.

The version she utilized was far superior to others of the Kurama clan who had awakened the same ability; the difference between them was akin to that between a standard Sharingan and a Mangekyō Sharingan.

However, Kurama Yakumo had not yet fully matured; she could be said to possess Mangekyō-level talent, but she had not yet fully awakened it.

Sasuke's own spiritual energy was by no means weak; while Kurama Yakumo's sealing of the five senses could trap him in his normal state, the moment Sasuke activated his Sharingan, the vast and pure Yin Release could instantly shatter the seal she had placed upon him.

"Hoo!"

Sasuke exhaled softly and brushed away the stone dust, revealing the completed sculpture. Sasuke had carved a young man with an ordinary, unremarkable appearance. Every detail and line on the face was carved to perfection, yet because the eyes were missing, the sculpture lacked spirit and soul.

"Sasuke-kun, are you not going to finish the work?" Kurama Yakumo, having finished her own sketching, walked over and asked with a puzzled expression.

Sasuke shook his head and said, "Forget it. I don't have the confidence to imbue this piece with its spirit just yet."

Kurama Yakumo observed the stone carving carefully for a moment before asking softly, "Is this man someone important in your heart, Sasuke-kun?"

Hearing this, Sasuke gave a breezy smile. "You could say that, or perhaps he is simply a special existence."

Is it that Uchiha clansman of Sasuke-kun's?

Kurama Yakumo nodded as if she understood, though she could never have guessed that the person Sasuke carved was not from the Uchiha clan, nor even from this world.

It was himself from his past life!

Sasuke stared at the sculpture for a moment, then turned to Kurama Yakumo and smiled. "Yakumo, your body and spirit are getting better and better. It seems Yoga is truly well-suited for you."

Yoga was a very gentle form of exercise, devoid of strenuous movements. It focused on physical postures, breath control, and meditative practices to cultivate flexibility, coordination, and endurance. By improving one's physiological, psychological, emotional, and spiritual capabilities, it aimed to achieve a harmonious unity of body, mind, and spirit.

This practice was perfectly suited for Kurama Yakumo, whose physical condition had been poor.

Kurama Yakumo smiled slightly and thanked him softly, "I owe this to you, Sasuke, for teaching me such a precious cultivation technique."

Yoga was indeed perfect for Kurama Yakumo. After practicing for over two years, she could clearly perceive her body growing stronger.

She had even become increasingly adept at controlling her illusions, which had left both her and her parents pleasantly surprised.

If Sasuke hadn't told her that Yoga was a long-term practice and that while her body had improved, it had not yet undergone a qualitative change, she would have been impatient to become a ninja the moment she entered puberty and her body began to develop.

Although she was anxious, she had endured for so many years; a few more years of waiting was nothing to Kurama Yakumo.

Sasuke never told her where he had learned the technique, and Kurama Yakumo never asked, simply assuming it was something he had obtained from his clan—after all, the Uchiha were one of the oldest and most prestigious families in the ninja world, possessing countless ancient texts.

"You're too kind. You've helped me quite a bit over these past two years as well."

Beyond using her Kekkei Genkai to seal Sasuke's vision and help him simulate the feeling of blindness, Kurama Yakumo also utilized her ability to create illusionary mazes to assist in Sasuke's training.

Though they were friends, Sasuke was a person who believed in reciprocity. Beyond Yoga, he had also taught Yakumo various ninja cultivation techniques and shared his own experience with Uchiha illusions.

He treated Naruto the same way; aside from gaining a punching bag and a sparring partner, there was also an element of investment involved.

Judging by the information Naruto had shared with him last night, it seemed this investment would soon yield returns.

"Enough with the pleasantries. Let's begin, Yakumo."

Hearing this, a flash of hesitation and conflict crossed Kurama Yakumo's face as she asked, "Do we really have to do this, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke nodded and said calmly, "I'm counting on you!"

His tone was incredibly calm, yet it carried a sense of unwavering resolve.

Seeing that Sasuke's mind was made up, Kurama Yakumo sighed inwardly and agreed, "Very well."

As soon as she finished speaking, Kurama Yakumo formed a hand seal and whispered, "Illusion—Inner Illusion!"

"Is this... Sasuke-kun's inner world?"

It was a desolate wilderness in the dead of night. The surroundings were filled with ravaged flowers and grasses, along with rows of rotting, lifeless trees, as if some monster had completely drained the vitality from this land.

High above, a massive, blood-red full moon hung in the sky, casting a crimson light over the earth.

Kurama Yakumo was no stranger to blood moons; books described them as merely a natural, spectacular phenomenon.

But this blood moon truly startled her; an ominous feeling emanated from it.

The shadows cast by the light of the blood moon upon the withered earth were twisted and struggling, appearing to vaguely form the shape of a ten-tailed monster.

The moment Kurama Yakumo caught a glimpse of this monster, she felt a surge of negative intent—filled with distortion, cruelty, madness, destruction, and the desire to devour everything—slamming into her brain like a raging tide.

"What kind of monster is this!?"

Kurama Yakumo's eyes trembled violently as she asked in a voice filled with terror.

"Don't be nervous." Just as Kurama Yakumo was gripped by extreme fear, Sasuke appeared beside her out of nowhere and offered a soothing word.

"Hah, hah, hah," Kurama Yakumo took several heavy breaths before asking in disbelief, "Sasuke-kun, is this the world within your heart?"

"This kind of terrifying..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Kurama Yakumo swallowed the rest of her words and let out a sigh in her heart.

As expected, Sasuke-kun was not as calm as he appeared on the surface; how could any normal person remain calm after experiencing such things?

It must be because Sasuke-kun had encountered such extreme pain and immense pressure that this incredibly terrifying monster had been birthed within his heart.

"It's not exactly my inner world; it would be more accurate to call it a fragment from the depths of my genes," Sasuke said, shaking his head calmly.

"However..." Sasuke shifted his tone and continued, "Its birth is indeed inseparable from my own intentional push."

"Yakumo!" Sasuke looked at the stunned, even somewhat terrified Kurama Yakumo and said with a serious expression, "I need you to use your unique Kekkei Genkai to make it real!"

"What!?"