Chapter 62 : Mangekyō Sharingan!!
Uchiha Shisui lay on the experiment table, having consumed the fruit borne from the God Tree. He willingly allowed himself to fall into the illusion the fruit wove within his consciousness.
Suddenly, Shisui bolted upright from the table. His Sharingan snapped open, and under the watchful gaze of those present in the lab, the three tomoe within his eyes slowly merged. A four-pointed windmill pattern emerged, signifying a new evolution.
A cold, overwhelming chakra leaked from Shisui's body, causing Anko Mitarashi to instinctively step back two paces.
The chakra that emanated from Shisui felt unfamiliar to Anko—almost as if his entire soul had been replaced by something alien.
Huff! Huff!
Shisui took deep, ragged breaths. His eyes, now sharper and more perceptive than ever, scanned the room. With his newly awakened power, even a casual glance revealed more information than his previous three-tomoe Sharingan ever could.
"Am I... still inside the illusion?"
As his low voice echoed through the room, a phantom green skeletal structure began to spread from his body, solidifying into something tangible.
But the moment Shisui's gaze fell upon Kagetsu, Orochimaru, and Anko, recognition dawned on him. He suppressed the power, and the skeletal form gradually faded away under his control.
"What was that?" Anko's eyes widened in shock. The sight of the skeletal structure, along with the intense pressure it radiated, sent chills down her spine. She could barely contain her fear.
"Is that the Mangekyō Sharingan?" Orochimaru's pupils glimmered with excitement. Although the Sharingan itself didn't captivate him much, the Mangekyō—renowned as a power rivaling the Wood Release—piqued his curiosity.
If he could achieve immortality, Orochimaru mused, he would need projects to occupy his endless life. Mastering every jutsu in the ninja world and conducting limitless research would serve as worthy pursuits.
"It seems you've gained quite a bit from this experience, Shisui-kun." Orochimaru remained where he was, observing Shisui with undisguised interest but refraining from approaching.
Ninjas just emerging from powerful illusions were often unstable and hyper-sensitive to external stimuli. A single misstep could easily provoke them into attack. Orochimaru wasn't afraid of the Mangekyo Sharingan, but he had no desire to spark a fight inside the lab.
"Calm yourself. Drink this."
It was Kagetsu who stepped forward and offered Shisui a vial of emerald-green liquid, gesturing for him to drink it.
"This potion was specifically designed to counteract the effects of the God Tree's fruit. It soothes mental agitation and helps heal mental trauma," Kagetsu explained.
"At least, that's what the other Uchiha who used it have told us."
The Uchiha clan became even more devoted to this potion after discovering it could enhance the use of the Sharingan while easing the mental and physical burden it placed on them.
Every month, the Uchiha would place large orders from the Technology Development Department, tailoring their needs based on the potency required.
The effectiveness of the potion varied depending on the Sharingan's tomoe level.
During their collaboration with the Technology Development Department, there was a noticeable improvement in the clan's ocular abilities. More Uchiha awakened their Sharingan, and those with active Sharingan experienced significant power increases.
This growth gave the Uchiha clan a stronger presence during their internal meetings, elevating their confidence.
Meanwhile, the Kurama clan finally achieved their long-desired Kekkei Genkai awakening. Although only a few members managed to awaken it, and it came with certain risks, the clan's strength had undeniably improved.
A cool sensation spread down Shisui's throat as he swallowed the potion, and the effects kicked in almost immediately.
The intense pressure in his head and eyes quickly eased, as if the pain had been washed away by the refreshing energy. Even the despair gnawing at his heart weakened.
"Orochimaru-sama," Shisui said quietly, bowing his head out of respect. He knew the genjutsu had finally been broken, and with the help of the potion, he felt calmer and more composed.
"Look at me," Orochimaru whispered. Shisui obeyed, raising his head to meet the Sannin's gaze. Orochimaru's golden eyes locked onto Shisui's, his attention focused on the intricate Mangekyō Sharingan pattern swirling within them.
"So this is the Mangekyō Sharingan, the evolved form of the Uchiha's Sharingan," Orochimaru murmured, a strange glint in his eyes. "Beautiful... I can sense danger just by looking into them."
He stared unflinchingly into Shisui's Mangekyō, his lips dry as his tongue briefly swept across them.
Heh, I'm Orochimaru, after all...
The fact that Shisui's eyes could make him feel threatened spoke volumes. It meant the young Uchiha was now powerful enough to harm—or even fight—him.
Shisui instinctively touched the edges of his eyes, fully realizing the transformation. The Mangekyō felt different—its power far surpassed the three-tomoe Sharingan. His vision was sharper, and everything around him seemed richer and more vivid than before.
"The three tomoe can already match a Jonin. As for the Mangekyō Sharingan, you might be getting close to my level," Orochimaru said, even though he had never truly witnessed the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan. He could only assess Shisui's strength based on his own experience.
"I am your subordinate," Shisui replied respectfully, lowering his head slightly.
"Look! Shisui's eyes have reverted back to three tomoe!" Anko suddenly exclaimed, pointing at Shisui's eyes.
"That's normal. According to the Second Hokage's research on the Uchiha, the Uchiha clan represents love. Because their love is so intense, it often turns into extreme hatred when they experience loss.
When this love-hate emotion reaches a peak, the brain generates a special type of chakra that affects the optic nerves.
At this point, an Uchiha can be stimulated to awaken their eyes.
The principle of the God Tree is to trick the brain into producing this special chakra. When an Uchiha awakens their eyes due to the stimulation from the God Tree, they will revert to their original state for a while.
However, once the eyes are awakened, they are awakened. Reawakening is just a matter of time. Even if Shisui cannot activate the Mangekyō for a short period, his ocular power will quickly reach its limits within the illusion as time passes."
While Anko was making a fuss, Kagetsu simply observed Shisui's eyes and replied to her.
"Was that skeleton just now a technique of the Mangekyō?" Orochimaru, standing behind Kagetsu, asked curiously as he watched her collect Shisui's blood.
The chakra power from the earlier skeleton had significantly impacted Orochimaru.
He only knew of the Lightning chakra mode from the Cloud Village, which solidifies chakra into a physical form.
Shisui's skeleton, on the other hand, was a transformation of Yin Release.
"It's Susanoo. It's a technique of the Mangekyō Sharingan."
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