"Don't look at me like that."
Indra seemed to notice the complex emotions surging in Sasuke's eyes.
Vigilance, resistance, rejection of the unknown fate, and even a trace of "why me?" worries.
He waved his hand impatiently, as if to scare away an annoying fly.
Indra pointed at the surrounding Purple Eyes Consciousness Space which was built under his leadership.
"This will definitely not be your destination.
I said, I have no interest in occupying your conscious world, this is just a temporary place for conversation."
He changed the subject, like the most precise scalpel, directly piercing the deepest and most bloody wound in Sasuke's heart:
"Besides, don't you want revenge?"
These words, like a cold hammer, hit Sasuke's heart hard.
Revenge... revenge against that man... This is indeed the biggest motivation for his survival so far, the cornerstone of all his actions, and the scars and obsessions in his heart that cannot be healed.
Indra's eyes, which had turned into the pattern of Mangekyo Sharingan, stared at Sasuke coldly, as if they could see through the burning hatred in his soul:
"If you want revenge quickly, I can teach you."
His voice carries a kind of temptation, a kind of efficiency and coldness that goes straight to the target.
"Teach you how to truly inspire the power of Sharingan."
"It's not your half-baked use now. But... turn it on, Mangekyō Sharingan."
The moment the words fell, the rotation speed of Three-Tomoe Sharingan in Indra's eyes suddenly accelerated!
Finally, a six-pointed star was formed.
"Just turn on Mangekyō Sharingan."
Indra repeated it, with a voice as sure as grasping the truth.
"You can gain insights beyond Three Tomoe, more powerful Genjutsu abilities, and... your own 'Dōjutsu'."
He even threw out a more tempting, but also more dangerous bargaining chip:
"Even, if the conditions are right, I can give you part of my pupil power to help you awaken a more powerful and special Dōjutsu.
Give you the power to match your revenge goal, and even... surpass the power displayed by Young Naruto named Naruto."
This "gift" is too direct, too generous, and too... unreasonable.
Sasuke was not carried away, but the suspicion in his heart became even worse.
"You gave me your power so easily?"
Sasuke's voice was filled with cold questioning, looking directly at Indra's pair of Mangekyō Sharingan that seemed to be able to swallow people's hearts.
"What is your purpose? Let me be your pawn against Asura and Naruto?
Or does this power itself come with some kind of price or control that I can't detect?"
Faced with Sasuke's doubts, Indra not only did not get angry, but instead let out a short and cold sneer.
"You think too much."
He choked back, his tone sharp and direct, with an almost cruel frankness:
"If you can beat that Young Naruto named Naruto, and you can take revenge and achieve your goals with your own strength... then do you still need to see me here?"
"It's easy for me to control you."
"But my real goal is always to defeat Asura."
In Indra's voice, the obsession that spanned thousands of years became clear again.
"Defeating his ideas proves my path. And you are the carrier of this round of 'showdown' and the 'battlefield' for the confrontation of ideas."
He explained his logic coldly and clearly:
"You, who were taught and guided by me, relied on the strength and wisdom you gained from me to defeat Naruto, who was taught and blessed by Asura...
This is the 'victory' I want.
Only this can prove that my path is superior to his, more suitable for this world of the weak and the strong, and more suitable for you who pursue power and revenge!"
Finally, Indra looked at Sasuke, and in an almost emphatic tone, he said something that perhaps even he himself needed to remind himself of repeatedly:
"Don't think that the reincarnation is the same person."
"Even if they are 99% similar, even if they are almost identical in personality, experience, and choices... but that's just a similarity.
And you and Naruto both have independent souls, with completely different appearances, names, and life experiences from us."
He paused, seeming to confirm his knowledge:
"To me, you are you, Sasuke Uchiha, not me Indra. Naruto is Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki, not Asura."
"We are the ghosts of the past, the Seed of ideas, and the inheritance of Chakra.
And you are independent individuals who live in the present and have your own will.
What I need is not for you to become me, but to be your guide in life, to teach you and achieve the results I want to see.
In the 'showdown' of your generation, it is proven that 'my ideas' trump 'his ideas'."
"So, it's up to you whether you accept it or not.
Do you continue to struggle in the quagmire of the weak, looking at the revenge target that is getting further and further away, and that 'companion' who is so radiant that you can't even touch his back?
Or grab my hand and gain the power to subvert everything, to write your own ending that also meets my expectations?"
In the space of Purple Eyes, Indra stretched out his right hand in front of Sasuke.
There is no warmth, no deception, only ruthless exchange of interests and disputes over ideas.
Sasuke's eyes wandered back and forth between that palm and Indra's face.
He saw the obsession in the other person's eyes, and also saw the unabashed intention to take advantage of him.
This is indeed a deal, a deal with the devil.
The cost may be far-reaching, the risk may be huge, and it may even ultimately deviate from his original intention.
But...
The man's condescending eyes flashed in his mind, as if he were looking at an ant; the figure of Naruto suspended in the air, creating miracles with his hands, shining brightly; the struggle, powerlessness and the hatred that almost burned his soul Flames over the years flashed through his mind.
Strength... he needed strength.
That night of genocide a few years ago made him realize the importance of strength.
If you have the strength to defeat Uchiha Itachi...
Power, power!
I need strength!
Hesitation, struggle, fear... in the end, they were all swallowed up by the heart that was repeatedly burned by hatred and pride.
Sasuke's eyes gradually became cold and firm.
He slowly raised his right hand.
There are no unnecessary words, no solemn oaths.
His right hand was firmly placed on Indra's open palm.
"I promise you."
The voice of Sasuke sounded in this Purple Eyes space. It was calm, but with a determination that was like breaking the cauldron.