The issue with the transplant surgery was solved. Now all that remained was for me to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan!
Sasuke stared blankly at the experimental files in his hands.
A moment later, he turned and looked again at the two lively little white mice, then shook his head with a soft chuckle.
After tidying up the tools in the basement, he left.
A short while later, Sasuke returned to the living room. As soon as he entered, he found that an adorable guest, Denka, had arrived at his home. His Shadow Clone was talking with Denka.
"Well then, Young Master Sasuke, I've delivered the item, so I'll be taking my leave now, meow."
As soon as Denka finished speaking, a burst of white smoke suddenly filled the room, and Denka vanished from the room.
When the Shadow Clone saw Sasuke arrive, it said nothing. It merely handed him a storage scroll before dispelling itself, its memories returning to Sasuke's mind.
"My weapon has finally been forged?"
Since it was also Nekomata's first time forging a weapon of this caliber, and the materials were simply too precious—
Nekomata had repeatedly revised the weapon's blueprint and plans. It was not until two months ago that she finally made up her mind to forge the blade.
Unable to wait any longer, Sasuke opened the storage scroll. After a puff of smoke, an exquisite, elegant japanese katana appeared in his palm.
Sasuke gently stroked the blade. Though it had not yet left its sheath, a sharp, scorching aura already spread from it, displaying its extraordinary nature.
As he gripped the hilt, Sasuke could clearly sense an inexplicable resonance between his Fire Release chakra and the point where the hilt met the blade!
This was precisely where the fire-nature Chakra Crystal, worshipped by the Uchiha clan for generations, had been embedded!
Sasuke took a deep breath and drew the blade. It was entirely black.
Yet upon closer inspection, a crimson halo ran through the dark blade, radiating a crystalline glow that made it look mysterious and beautiful.
After examining the blade for a moment, Sasuke's heart stirred. He poured fire-nature chakra into it.
In an instant, the originally jet-black blade turned incomparably crimson. Scarlet flames abruptly emerged from the blade and coiled around it.
Sasuke had not poured much chakra into it, only enough to light a small flame.
Yet the katana before him greatly amplified the power of fire-nature chakra. It even seemed to be absorbing the heat from the room's lamplight, and the flames showed signs of burning ever fiercer.
In an instant, the air around him became scorching, and blazing heat filled the entire living room!
Such amplification!?
A trace of astonishment appeared on Sasuke's face at the sight.
"This is with only a tiny amount of fire-nature chakra infused into it. If I used it to perform Fire Release sword techniques, then that power..."
The thought of using this blade to unleash Sword Leap Flame and Gale Sword made Sasuke's heart burn with excitement.
"I'll call you Kagutsuchi!"
Kagutsuchi was another name for Kagutsuchi-no-Mikoto, the fire god of mythology. Kagutsuchi-no-Mikoto was also known as Ho-no-Yamasubi-no-Kami, Ho-no-Kagubiko-no-Kami, and Ho-no-Kagutsuchi-no-Kami.
Legend said that Kagutsuchi's body burned with flames at birth, fatally burning his mother, Izanami. His enraged father, Izanagi, slew Kagutsuchi with the divine sword Ame-no-Ohabari. Eight drops of blood fell and transformed into eight heavenly gods, one of whom was Takemikazuchi.
Naming this fire-nature divine weapon after the fire god from mythology seemed exceptionally fitting to Sasuke.
Konoha Back Mountain.
Sasuke held a flat blade and took several deep breaths. Once his entire being entered a state of tranquil emptiness, he immediately swung his blade.
The blade flashed gracefully, swift as a shadow. Sasuke's wrist was exceptionally nimble, and the simple short blade moved in his hand like an extension of his arm.
He rapidly carved at different parts of the boulder without pause, cleanly cutting away chunks of rubble and waste. The sight was pleasing to the eye, graceful and natural.
Especially with Sasuke's handsome face and focused expression, merely watching him was a kind of enjoyment.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Sasuke's hand abruptly stopped. By then, the boulder carving was around ninety percent complete. Crimson light flashed through his eyes, and the world brightened once more as the sounds of nature returned to his ears.
"Heh..."
Looking at the miserable sight before him—a crude model that could barely be recognized as humanoid—Sasuke gave a soft laugh.
The carving he had just performed had been countless times more difficult than it was two years ago, because he had sealed all five senses at once: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
He could not see with his eyes, hear with his ears, or even feel the texture and grain of the stone.
He had carved entirely with his heart.
Sasuke had a premonition. If he could complete the sculpture before him using only his heart and imbue it with spirit—
Not only would his chakra training method for sculpture undergo an immediate qualitative transformation, but his Mangekyō Sharingan would awaken naturally as well.
Though he had no solid proof, Sasuke was utterly certain of it.
It was just a pity that Sasuke could not yet accomplish it.
Sasuke sighed inwardly, then turned to Kurama Yakumo, who was trying hard not to laugh. "Yakumo, if you want to laugh, just laugh. There's no need to hold it in."
As soon as he finished speaking, Kurama Yakumo burst into laughter.
She waved a hand casually, though somewhat embarrassed. "Sasuke-kun, I'm not laughing at you. I just think this sculpture is, well... very interesting."
"Actually, no one in this world should be able to completely seal all five senses like you and still carve a stone sculpture perfectly."
Sasuke explained calmly, "Precisely because it is difficult, I have to do it. The harder something is to accomplish, the greater the rewards often are."
"That's true." Kurama Yakumo nodded in sudden realization before bringing up another topic.
"Sasuke-kun, you'll graduate from the Ninja Academy and become a ninja next month, right?"
Kurama Yakumo's tone was very calm, carrying neither envy, resentment, nor conflict.
"Yes!"
Seeing Sasuke nod, Kurama Yakumo smiled faintly and continued, "In a few days, I'll be leaving Konoha. I won't be able to congratulate you in person then, so let me congratulate you in advance here."
"Leaving Konoha?"
A flash of surprise crossed Sasuke's face.
"Yes!" Seemingly pleased by Sasuke's surprise, Kurama Yakumo's lips curved into a faint smile.
"Ever since I was little, I dreamed of entering the Ninja Academy and becoming a ninja. Even now, I still haven't given up on that dream. But after getting to know and speaking with you over these past few years, Sasuke-kun, I decided to walk a different Road to Ninja from everyone else—a path that belongs to me alone."
"Walking your own Road to Ninja?"
Sasuke murmured softly.
"Mm!" Kurama Yakumo nodded and spoke gently.
"Sasuke-kun, do you remember the psychologist you once told me about?"
Before you continue