After hearing Naruto's words, Sasuke confirmed that everything he had experienced was real, not a dream.
As though his feelings had been delayed by network lag, only now did Sasuke feel something wrench at his heart. The pain was so intense that he couldn't help raising a hand and clutching his chest, as if that might ease it a little.
Not only that, but Sasuke felt so crushed that he could barely breathe. He gasped for air, cold sweat pouring from his forehead.
Just as Naruto was about to go over and comfort him, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He stared intently at Sasuke, as though he had encountered something dangerous.
As if sensing Naruto's reaction, Sasuke lifted his bowed head and looked at him.
As though stimulated by something, the Sharingan in Sasuke's eyes, which had only just evolved to two tomoe, spun wildly. As if drawing nourishment from something, they spun faster and faster until they became a blur, making it impossible to tell how many tomoe there were.
After a while, Sasuke's Sharingan finally slowed down. Naruto could clearly see, however, that the two tomoe had become three.
Seeing the change in Sasuke, Naruto paused, then said hesitantly:
"Sasuke, your eyes..."
By then, Sasuke's discomfort had eased somewhat. After hearing Naruto's words, he, too, clearly sensed the change in his Sharingan.
His Sharingan now gave him a clear sense of both the world around him and his own strength. Even his mental power had surged considerably.
The evolution of his Sharingan had been something Sasuke had long awaited.
It would give him hope of catching up to his brother, or at least bring his brother's back into sight.
Yet now, Sasuke felt not the slightest trace of joy.
Because he knew exactly what had been sacrificed