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The wind gently rustled through the air, carrying traces of sand particles.
Upon a vast expanse covered in yellow sand, vegetation was sparse. Surprisingly, in the heart of this desert stood many buildings!
Under the scorching sun in the sky,
Three figures appeared at the edge of the desert.
"Shh!" "Shh!" "Shh!"...
Footsteps tread on the sand, emitting the sound of grating friction.
"Why have we come here? This is The Land of Wind's territory."
Shino asked in a low voice.
His eyes gazed at a nearby expanse of reddish-yellow land, and he continued with a serious tone,
"Moreover, the Sand Shinobi are involved in the war. If we're discovered coming here recklessly, it could be dangerous."
Hearing his words, Sōsuke's lips curled up slightly with a hint of amusement.
His gaze also turned toward the distant city walls and fortresses as he spoke gently,
"We're here to find something very interesting. However, you're right, there's some preparation needed before that."
Hearing this, Shino turned his head to look at Sōsuke, puzzled.
By now, Sōsuke had withdrawn his gaze, softly assessing Shino and Saki. He continued,
"Are you satisfied with your current self? Let's not mention Saki's case for now; how about you, Shino?"
At this point, a faint smile played on Sōsuke's lips, his eyes containing a sense of amusement as he looked at Shino and softly said,
"Are you yearning for power, Shino? Maybe I'm being quite straightforward here because, from what I recall, you've probably wanted to defeat me all along. I doubt that desire has ever changed."
With that, a gleam of sharpness flashed in Sōsuke's eyes beneath his glasses, his lips still curled up gently.
Hearing Sōsuke's words, Saki's eyes resembled those of a shark catching a whiff of blood, full of malevolence as he looked at Shino.
It seemed that at Sōsuke's slightest indication, Saki would charge forth without hesitation to kill Shino on the spot!
Hearing these words, Shino felt a bead of cold sweat forming on his forehead!
Unconsciously, his gaze grew serious!
He didn't know how to respond to this question!
Seeing Shino's state, Sōsuke smiled gently, continuing,
"Don't be nervous. I'm merely stating a very normal fact."
"Battle doesn't need aesthetics to embellish it, and death doesn't have to adhere to virtues. If you want to protect the things you care about, then it's only natural to take down enemies from behind who should be taken down."
With this, he looked at Shino with a smile in his eyes and a gentle tone,
"I've been looking forward to your all-out attack, Shino..."
Hearing this, Saki stared coldly at Shino.
Shino's face, on the other hand, was extremely pale. His gaze wandered, and he couldn't meet Sōsuke's gentle gaze directly.
This guy... is he mad!? Could he possibly know everything I've done!? No... it's impossible... perhaps he's just testing me...
Shino remained silent, not uttering a word.
Observing this, Sōsuke's lips curled into a faint smile, and he continued,
"Shino, your power is just too weak. This won't be enough... However, you're lucky. I have a method that can break your limitations. Whether you want it or not... depends entirely on you."
Hearing Sōsuke's words, Shino found it hard to believe!
He was shocked by Sōsuke's madness and felt some skepticism towards his words.
Seeing Shino's reaction, a strange glint appeared in Sōsuke's eyes, and he continued to speak softly,
"I've discovered some interesting things from fragmentary records, including some information about your Uchiha clan."
Speaking of this, Sōsuke paused briefly before continuing,
"Uchiha Madara... Do you know this name, Shino?"
Upon hearing Sōsuke's words, while Shino was somewhat puzzled, he nodded deeply and said in a serious tone,
"That's our Uchiha clan's ancestor. Naturally, I'm aware."
Hearing Shino's response, Sōsuke chuckled lightly and said in a soft voice,
"Well then... Do you know what kind of eyes he possessed?"
After a brief thought, Shino didn't hesitate and replied with certainty,
"Naturally, it's the Sharingan. What's the issue?"
Hearing his answer, a hint of curiosity flashed in Sōsuke's eyes, and he smiled gently as he said,
"Shino, you're mistaken. He didn't possess just the ordinary Sharingan... and the reason Uchiha Madara became a legend is closely connected to those eyes of his."
"And... if all goes well, perhaps I can grant you those same eyes."
After finishing his words, Sōsuke looked at Shino with an expectant smile, waiting for his answer.
Shino was internally shaken by what he had heard!
Although he was greatly surprised by Sōsuke's words, he didn't doubt Sōsuke's sincerity.
Frowning deeply, Shino pondered over the matter.
Finally, he asked in a solemn voice,
"Why would you choose to help me... You should know I've always wanted to defeat you!"
In response, Sōsuke's smile widened slightly, and he spoke softly,
"Because I'm also curious to see just how far that kind of power can go. Besides, I need manpower to establish a new order."
"I can help you attain that kind of power. In return, your commitment will be to obey me. If you agree, I'll grant you that stronger power and a brand-new world."
Studying Sōsuke's expression closely, Shino hesitated for a moment.
Ultimately, he replied in a solemn tone,
"I agree to your request! I hope your method will work!"
Hearing his words, Sōsuke said softly,
"Don't worry, I won't act without a certain level of certainty."
A smile flickered in his eyes beneath his glasses, but he secretly thought,
"Hōgyoku, are you ready?"
"Yes, Lord Aizen! Hōgyoku is ready."
"Good, then try your best to excavate the power within his bloodline. I can't be certain of the extent of that power, so proceed according to the situation."
"Understood, Lord Aizen!"
On the scene,
Shino stood quietly in place.
Beside him, Sōsuke and Saki watched him silently.
Just as Shino anxiously awaited Sōsuke to initiate the process,
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly!
He felt a wave of intense pain, as if the nerves in his brain were snapping!
"Ah!!"
Shino suddenly let out a howl of agony!
A violent chakra surge abruptly erupted from his body!
Whoosh—
The pain forced him to kneel on the ground, his hands clutching his head as if trying to crush his own skull!
In just a moment, his body was drenched in sweat!
From the very beginning, his eyes turned into blood-red Sharingan!
Veins bulged around his eyes, his face turned scarlet from the strain, as if enduring unbearable pain!
And at this moment,
Inside Sōsuke's mind, he heard the voice of the Hōgyoku.
"Lord Aizen, excavating his bloodline requires a lot of energy! Hōgyoku has absorbed almost all the recent souls!"
Hearing this, Sōsuke's expression remained unchanged as he thought,
"It actually requires this much energy... No problem, use it all. I'm quite looking forward to those eyes."
After a bit more time passed,
Shino, who had been writhing in pain, suddenly stopped!
His Sharingan eyes widened dramatically!
In his blood-red, three-tomoe Sharingan, the tomoe began to spin rapidly!
With a whoosh, they transformed into whirligig-like blades filling his eyes!
Seeing this scene, a smile crept onto Sōsuke's lips, his eyes beneath his glasses glinting with intensity as he murmured,
"So this is... the Mangekyō Sharingan..."