Wavering

"So, is this battle stance of yours closest to the state of mind I had when I possessed the Lightning Sword Wings...?"

Hatred and bloodlust continuously gnawed away at Sasuke Uchiha's heart back then.

"But I already know the truth, and I killed the culprit. There's only one mastermind left for me to punish. There shouldn't be such dark bloodlust anymore!"

"Are you sure?"

The incarnation of Sasuke's dark side curled its lips into a bizarre smile.

"So many people are waiting for me to pass judgment on them. And you intend to let them go?"

"Who are you talking about?"

"You should know. Do I really need to remind you?"

As Sasuke stood there in stunned disbelief, the dark incarnation suddenly revealed a Mangekyō Sharingan it had not shown before.

"How is that possible?"

"If you keep failing to find a solution, I'll become more and more like you. Come to think of it, the battle between us isn't fair. As long as I haven't completely defeated you, you can turn things around in an instant—provided you can do it. Find the root of this entanglement and unravel it."

Victory depended on a single thought from Sasuke Uchiha, but if he dragged this out for too long, he might be the one facing tragedy.

"A timed puzzle, huh? And I have to endure my opponent's endless interference."

Although the dark incarnation had revealed its Mangekyō Sharingan and greatly increased its strength, it had not used Amaterasu or Tsukuyomi. It probably had not yet reached that level.

"Why are you so full of resentment?"

"You should be asking yourself that!"

"Is that so...?"

Sasuke Uchiha gave up on searching his opponent for clues and instead recalled the source of his hatred. His memories of the night of the clan massacre