The moment the clone stepped out of the Space-Time Passage, he sensed a distinct fluctuation of Pupil Power. It came from Itachi's eyes.
Itachi might not have noticed it himself, but Fugaku was certain he was close to awakening his eyes.
It might take a day or two. Or the next shock might be enough.
The Rinnegan Mangekyo appeared in the clone's eyes, and the ferocious beasts around him scattered.
Itachi noticed nothing unusual. He gathered some herbs nearby and applied them to the wound on his back.
He moved forward cautiously. When he encountered no more ferocious beasts along the way, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He found it a little strange, but thought no more of it. Carnivores rarely traveled in packs.
He found a cave, set up a warning device and several traps at its entrance, then went inside. Leaning against the wall, he fell asleep without realizing it.
The clone appeared silently before Itachi. The eye on his forehead opened, and a beam of energy entered Itachi's body.
It immediately began transforming him. The Mangekyo Sharingan that had been on the verge of awakening emerged in an instant, then advanced straight to the Eternal Eye stage.
In that instant, the clone eliminated the hidden problems in Itachi's body. From then on, few people his age in the Shinobi World would be able to match his physical strength.
Back then, a fragment of Chakra left behind by the Sage of Six Paths had been enough to raise both Naruto and Sasuke to the Six Paths level.
The clone was not Fugaku's true body, but he was far stronger than the Sage of Six Paths had been at his peak. This expenditure barely affected him.
The clone turned and vanished. A night passed.
Itachi slowly opened his