The sun was beginning to set on the horizon as Chen and Mikoto walked home together after school. Hiashi and Hizashi, who lived in the same direction, were nowhere to be seen, much to Chen's relief.
Mikoto walked in silence, stealing glances at Chen every few steps.
Upon arriving home, Mikoto headed straight for the kitchen to prepare dinner, while Chen sat in the living room, lost in thought.
Soon, the aroma of food filled the air, and Mikoto couldn't help but smile tenderly as she noticed Chen visibly perking up at the prospect of a good meal.
Dinner passed in a comfortable silence, but it was charged with anticipation. Finally, when the plates were empty, Mikoto sat across from Chen, her eyes sparkling with expectation.
Chen, catching Mikoto's gaze, cleared his throat slightly and adjusted in his seat. "I guess you want to know about the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, right?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.
Mikoto nodded eagerly. "Please, Chen. The curiosity is killing me."
Chen took a deep breath before beginning. "Alright, but before we get into that, I think it's important that you understand some things about the Uchiha clan in general." He paused. "The Uchiha... they have a pretty extreme and arrogant way of thinking. I don't mean to offend, but it's something I've noticed."
Mikoto slowly nodded, a shadow of sadness crossing her face. "You're right," she admitted softly.
Chen continued, his voice taking on a more professorial tone, like that of Kuri. "The Uchiha need to experience major changes or life-or-death crises to awaken their Kekkei Genkai. It's as if the body and mind need a shock to activate that latent power."
Mikoto listened intently, her eyes fixed on Chen. "That explains why some members of the clan never awaken the Sharingan," she murmured, more to herself than to Chen.
"Exactly," Chen nodded. "My theory is that the Sharingan is awakened through extreme emotional fluctuations that push the body to its limits. It's as if the brain, in a moment of crisis, releases all its potential for survival."
Mikoto leaned closer to Chen, fascinated. "That makes sense. I've heard stories of Uchiha who awakened their Sharingan in the midst of battle."
Chen smiled, pleased by Mikoto's interest. "Once the Sharingan is awakened, it can be developed over time and through training."
Mikoto's smile slightly faded at the mention of the next level. "And the Mangekyo Sharingan?" she asked quietly.
Chen became serious. "The Mangekyo Sharingan... is different. To awaken it, a high price must be paid." He paused, noticing how Mikoto held her breath. "Traditionally, it's said to awaken upon witnessing the death of a loved one."
Mikoto visibly paled, her eyes widening with horror. "But... but the closest person to me is you, Chen," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
Chen quickly took Mikoto's hands in his. "Mikoto. Don't worry. Awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan isn't as straightforward as it seems. It's not something that happens by accident or through a simple loss."
Mikoto squeezed Chen's hands. "Then how...?"
Chen could see there were still doubts in her gaze. He decided it was time to show her something that might help illustrate his point. Carefully, he pulled out two small glass vials from nowhere.
"Look at this," said Chen, holding the vials up to the light.
Inside each one, floating in a transparent liquid, were two eyes. But these were not normal eyes. Even in their inert state, the three-tomoe Sharingan was clearly visible, and they emanated an oppressive power that seemed to fill the room.
Mikoto gasped, her eyes wide. With a trembling voice, she asked, "Chen... whose eyes are those?"
Chen toyed with the vials between his fingers, watching how the light reflected in the liquid. "These," he said with an oddly casual voice, "are the eyes of Kaiden. The guy who tried to kill us, remember? They've evolved to the Mangekyo Sharingan."
The surprise on Mikoto's face was palpable. She brought a hand to her mouth, her eyes fixed on the vials. "Kaiden... awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Chen nodded slowly. "Yes, he did. In fact, I... well, let's just say I helped him awaken it." He didn't go into details.
To his surprise, Mikoto didn't seem shocked by the implication that Chen had killed Kaiden.
Instead, she gently pushed the vials away. "I don't need to see them," she said softly.
Chen blinked, genuinely surprised by her reaction. "Aren't you... upset?" he asked cautiously.
Mikoto looked up, her eyes meeting Chen's. Despite her usual timidity, her gaze was firm and resolved. "Chen," she said with a soft but firm voice, "I don't care what you've done or what you do in the future. I will always stand by your side. Always."
Mikoto's words left Chen speechless for a moment. He felt a warmth spreading in his chest, a mix of gratitude and love filling him. Trying to maintain his composure.
"I... thank you, Mikoto," he finally managed to say. Then, clearing his throat, he decided to return to the main topic. "As for the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, it's much harder to obtain than the Mangekyo Sharingan."
Mikoto leaned forward, her curiosity momentarily overcoming her shyness. "How hard?" she asked quietly.
Chen leaned back in his chair, adopting a more instructional tone. "Well, for starters, you need to have the Mangekyo Sharingan. Then, you must transplant the Mangekyo Sharingan from a sibling. And no, it can't be just any Uchiha, it has to be a blood brother."
Mikoto visibly paled at this revelation. "But that... that's almost impossible," she murmured, her voice trembling slightly. "Has anyone ever achieved it?"
Expecting this question, Chen nodded. "Yes, it's Uchiha Madara. He obtained the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan after receiving the eyes of his brother Izuna."
Mikoto's eyes widened. "Madara-sama? But... how do you know all this, Chen? Even I, as a member of the Uchiha clan, didn't know these details."
Chen smiled mysteriously. "I have my sources," he said enigmatically. "But what's important is that I believe there must be other ways to obtain the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, aside from eye transplantation."
Mikoto looked at him with a mix of astonishment and curiosity. "Other ways?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Chen nodded. "Yes. For example, it is said that Ōtsutsuki Indra, the ancestor of the Uchiha clan, obtained the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan naturally, without needing transplants."
Mikoto fell silent for a moment, processing all this information. Then, with a voice full of admiration, she said, "Chen, your knowledge about the Sharingan is amazing. You even know things that I, as a member of the Uchiha clan, don't know."
Chen smiled, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the praise. In his mind, he thought of the Rinnegan, an even more powerful evolution of the Sharingan. But he decided it was better not to mention that for now. It had been a lot of information for Mikoto in one evening.
Mikoto, with her cheeks slightly flushed and nervously playing with a strand of her hair, finally mustered the courage to ask the question that had been on her mind. "Chen," she began softly, "could you... could you explain exactly how the Mangekyo Sharingan is awakened?"
Chen, noticing the timidity in Mikoto's voice, gave her a reassuring smile before answering. "Well, as I mentioned before, although it is said that the death of a loved one is the trigger, it's actually more complicated than that. It's not the death itself, but the extreme emotional fluctuations that this event causes that can awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan."
Chen paused, making sure Mikoto was following his words. Seeing her attentive look, he continued: "It's important to understand that not everyone can awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan, even if they experience a significant loss. Each individual is unique."
Mikoto nodded slowly, processing the information. Chen, seeing the concern in her eyes, quickly added: "But don't worry, Mikoto. I promise I will find a way to help you obtain the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. Trust me, okay?"
The confidence in Chen's voice seemed to calm Mikoto. She looked up, her eyes meeting Chen's. "I trust you, Chen."
After their conversation, Mikoto finished washing the dishes in silence, her mind clearly preoccupied. With a soft "Goodnight, Chen," she went up to her room, presumably to begin her training.
Chen shrugged and returned to his own room on the ground floor.
He had a clear goal: to find something in the system store that could help Mikoto evolve her Mangekyo Sharingan to the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
With a thought, Chen opened the system store. A bright sign with the words "Omnipotent Store" appeared before his eyes, with rainbow colors fluctuating and changing constantly in each letter.
He began scrolling through the store, his eyes quickly scanning the different items and their descriptions.
After what seemed like an eternity, he finally found something promising. However, his initial enthusiasm quickly faded when he saw the price.
"500,000 coins for an item that grants the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan directly?!" he exclaimed, rubbing his temples. He did a quick calculation in his head. Even considering the coins he received as a birthday gift from the system. "Definitely, that's not an option," he concluded with a sigh.
"Well, this is more reasonable," he thought. "It's still expensive, but at least it's attainable in the not-too-distant future."
As he continued exploring, Chen found other items for evolving bloodlines, but these were even more expensive, costing one million coins each.
"It looks like there are only three relevant items in the store," he concluded. "And the evolutionary fluid is definitely the most viable option, though it still would require saving up for several years."
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