Chapter 33 : Testing!!

"Are you feeling any side effects now?" Fugaku asked, a bit disappointed but not overly concerned. If the Mangekyo Sharingan was so easy to unlock, the Uchiha clan's records wouldn't keep it so secretive.

"No," Akihiko replied, seriously checking his body and shaking his head.

"Then it seems this pill isn't as effective as that Nara kid claimed. Clan Leader, do we really want to keep investing in this?" The Uchiha Jonin leading them felt uneasy.

Although the Uchiha clan was powerful, with many assets in the village, their recent investments had greatly affected various aspects of the clan.

Without a doubt, Fugaku, as the clan leader who pushed this plan, would face heavy criticism and a loss of prestige.

For Fugaku, who had only recently become the clan leader, this was a huge blow.

He found it hard to accept.

"No, it is still effective," Akihiko said from his position on the bed, having activated his Sharingan to its maximum potential.

"Even though my eyes haven't evolved into the Mangekyō Sharingan, I can feel that my visual power is much stronger than before taking the pill. Perhaps my visual power is now close to that of the clan leader."

"Is your body okay now?" Fugaku asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Yes. Just that my eyes feel a bit swollen and painful because of the added visual power," Akihiko maintained his Sharingan, releasing his visual energy.

"Come on," Fugaku led Akihiko and the others to the training ground where Itachi trained. They faced each other and formed hand signs.

Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique x2!

The two started with the Uchiha clan's signature fire jutsu.

Two massive fireballs collided, merging and exploding into a deep crater in the ground. The two figures moved swiftly across the small training area, the sound of kunai clashing like heavy rain on leaves.

The two observing Jonin unconsciously activated their Sharingan, fixated on the battling figures.

Even though they had exceptional dynamic vision, they could only vaguely make out the two fighters. They imagined themselves in the battle, thinking about how they would handle it.

The conclusion was that if they were to face either of the fighters, they would quickly fall behind and only be able to defend themselves.

They understood that Fugaku was strong, but Akihiko?

They all grew up training together, so they knew each other's strengths well. Akihiko had previously been on par with them, but now he could keep up with the clan leader's movements and attacks.

This was clearly the result of a significant boost in his visual power from the Sharingan!

Without increased insight and foresight, a battle with such a large gap in visual power would lead to being crushed.

The Uchiha's obsession with their eyes stemmed from the belief that an increase in visual power meant a tremendous increase in strength.

If Akihiko could achieve this, could they also?

The two Jonin simultaneously recalled the two pills they had brought home. Their earlier frustration vanished in an instant.

How could money compare to the power and evolution of their visual strength?

They even started dreaming about how they would grow to the level of the clan leader and Akihiko after taking the pills.

As the two Jonin were lost in thought, the sparring match concluded. Ultimately, Fugaku, with better control over his eyes and body and greater strength, gained the upper hand and won.

Akihiko, with a kunai against his neck, accepted his defeat without feeling down. In fact, despite losing, he had an unmistakable look of excitement on his face.

As someone who occasionally sparred with the clan leader, this was the first time he could match Fugaku blow for blow for such a long time.

He could even feel that the sudden increase in his eye power put a lot of strain on his body. Often during their sparring, he felt that his body couldn't keep up with his eyes.

If he could get used to the increase in eye power and let his body catch up, his fighting ability should improve even more.

That pill truly enhanced his eye power! The only downside was that it left him with a jumble of illusionary memories in his mind.

However, once he broke free from those illusions, the psychological and emotional impact would drop sharply. If he found himself trapped in those false memories after waking up, he could always use some sealing techniques to forget them.

"Very good." After their sparring, Fugaku and Akihiko performed the reconciliation seal, and their excitement was hard to contain. It made Fugaku's usually serious expression break into an involuntary smile.

Akihiko's increased strength meant an increase in Fugaku's influence within the clan. If the other two loyal Jonins also experienced a surge in power after taking the pills, he wouldn't have to worry too much about the pressure and criticism from the clan elders.

Naturally, the gossip within the clan would also die down.

…

"Your physical condition is excellent. As for the fluctuations in your eye power, that's normal." Kagetsu examined Akihiko during his follow-up check-up, making assessments based on the readings from the instruments.

"Will his eye power recover?" Fugaku asked anxiously, having rushed Akihiko in for a check-up after hearing that his eye power was starting to decline the day after their sparring.

Akihiko, lying on the examination table, quickly turned to look at Kagetsu when he heard his clan leader's question. 

If he hadn't experienced the wonderful sensation of his eye power skyrocketing, he might have been able to tolerate it. But after experiencing it, any decrease felt like torture.

"Yes. That sudden surge was just the aftereffects of waking from the illusionary world. It can only surge again during moments of intense emotional fluctuations.

To stabilize it, you'll need to train and condition your body and eyes. After a while, you'll return to normal, and it will become stable." 

Kagetsu's response immediately relieved both Fugaku and Akihiko, who had been on edge.

"If you need it, I can prescribe a bottle of medicine. Apply it to your eyes while resting; it will quickly relieve the pressure on your body and help you adapt faster," Kagetsu said, looking curiously at Fugaku and Akihiko.

"I need it!" Akihiko replied firmly. Just two days ago, he might have called Kagetsu a kid from the Nara clan. But now, he could respect and treat him as equal.

****

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