A plan simmered in my mind, meticulously crafted to deflect scrutiny and protect my secrets. I had woven a narrative, a believable story to explain my revelation about Indra, the mythical founder of ninjutsu and the Uchiha clan. Indra, I would claim, valued his creations more than notoriety, leaving no written records, passing his knowledge down through generations in hushed whispers. I, driven by a desire to preserve this legacy, had simply voiced what so nearly faded into oblivion.
The story was plausible, but only as long as the Council couldn't peer into my mind. Yamanaka, with his mind-reading prowess, posed the biggest threat. I need a safeguard, a shield against his intrusion.
But HOW?... WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO!
After some thinking I concluded that it can be achieved if I used powerful Genjutsu on myself. I have already unlock my mangekyo sharingan. Time to check what have I got as mangekyo ability! I started heading towards the uchiha training grounds.
Dust rose in a swirl as I landed within the familiar confines of the Uchiha training grounds. With a swift hand seal, I summoned not one, but two shadow clones. Clone 1 stood stoic before me, ready to serve as my unwitting test subject. Clone 2, stationed at a distance, its Mangekyo Sharingan ablaze, acted as both a watchful guardian and an objective recorder of the impending experiment.
"Get ready!" I declared, my left eye firmly shut. "First, we test the left eye."
I focused my will, channeling a surge of specialized chakra from my brain along the unique pathways accessible only to Mangekyo users. Blood welled around my closed eyelid, a crimson tide heralding the activation. With a resolute breath, I flung open my left eye, revealing a scarlet sun symbol blazing within its iris. Unfurling my chakra through the Mangekyo, I felt the sun emblem flare crimson, its luminescence painting the world in a distorted hue.
'...'
'...'
'...'
Silence stretched, thick and pregnant with anticipation. Moments ticked by, measured by the pounding of my own heart. The test subject clone stood unmoving, expression inscrutable. My distant observer remained vigilant, its gaze locked on the unfolding scene.
"Okay," the test subject (clone 1) finally spoke, his voice laced with uncertainty. "Did anything happen?"
The second clone echoed his query, its tone equally skeptical. "No, nothing seems to have transpired."
A frown creased the test subject's brow. "Are you sure? No sudden genjutsu? No flaming meteors raining from the sky?"
The clone 2 shook its head vehemently. "Negative. No discernible effects whatsoever."
A flicker of doubt gnawed at me. I clenched my fist, willing myself to believe. "No," I insisted, my voice betraying a tremor of uncertainty. "Something had to happen. I can feel it."
The test subject eyed me with suspicion, his gaze searching for any telltale sign of deception.
The second clone cut through the tense silence, its words sharp as a kunai. "He's right. Something is definitely active. Your left eye is still glowing, Sasuke. Any chakra drain?"
Sasuke frowned, focusing inward. "No, but there's a distinct… feeling. An awareness that something has been triggered."
Clone 1 scoffed. "Ah, hello there… Amaterasu?"
Both Sasuke and the second clone swiveled to stare at him, surprise etched on their faces.
"What?" Clone 1 shrugged, seemingly oblivious to the sudden scrutiny. "The original Uchiha had Amaterasu, right? Figured it would be something similar."
The second clone rolled its eyes. "Original only got Amaterasu because Itachi implanted it in him. And his second ability of control over it stemmed from already having it. In reality, his natural Mangekyo ability was supposed to be something else entirely."
"So, what now?" Clone 1's nonchalant attitude grated on Sasuke's nerves.
"Cut me with a kunai," I instructed, a desperate edge to my voice. "Maybe the ability is tied to my physical state. It's worth a shot."
Without hesitation, Clone 1 materialized a kunai and slashed down, a crimson line blossoming across Sasuke's cheek. Yet, the silence remained unbroken, no extraordinary occurrence erupting from the wound.
I stared at the blood dripping down his face, bewildered. "Nothing… what was I expecting?"
The second clone scoffed. "Did you think you'd sprout wings and start singing opera? Come on, Sasuke, think!"
Frustration gnawed at me. "I don't know! Maybe it would heal instantly, or…" my voice trailed off, uncertainty clouding his thoughts.
Clone 1, ever the optimist, clapped his hands together. "Well, that's one theory down! Let's move on to the next grand experiment, shall we?"
As the trio continued their fruitless attempts to unlock the mystery of Sasuke's left Mangekyo, a lone figure perched on a nearby rooftop observed their peculiar antics. Yugao, her expression grim, adjusted her mask. "What in the world is he doing? This is beyond training… I guess I better keep an eye on him before he decides to blow something up."
"Stop!" I roared, throwing my hands up in exasperation. "These random experiments are getting us nowhere. Let's switch gears and test the right eye."
Taking a deep breath, I shut my right eyelid and willed my chakra to surge through the newly awakened Mangekyo. Crimson tears welled up, painting my cheek a macabre red as I reopened my eye, now aglow, crimson light erupted from it, swirling in intricate patterns like a crescent moon etched onto the very iris.
"Did anything happen this time?" Clone 1 inquired, a hint of skepticism lacing his voice.
The second clone echoed his sentiment, its tone flat and dismissive. "Nope, still nothing."
I gritted my teeth, frustration boiling over. "Oh, come on! What gives?"
Clone 1, ever the jester, smirked. "Maybe your right eye activated in reverse? Sucking all the excitement out of the room?"
"IS it still activated?" the test subject rasped, a tremor in his voice.
"No, It glowed and suck my chakra for one second but after that stopped. But my left is still active and glowing." I said while thinking.
"What if you really got Amaterasu control like original? Try that." the test subject breathed, more desperation than certainty in his voice.
"Even if he has it," the observing clone scoffed, "how are we supposed to summon a god's black flames power without any source of, you know, power?"
A spark ignited in my eyes. "Wait a minute," I muttered, a sly grin playing on my lips. "Let's take the risk. Attack me with a ninjutsu."
Clone 1 raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his own eyes. "Gladly!"
With a flourish, he unleashed a torrent of flames, the Uchiha signature "Great Fireball Jutsu" hurtling towards me. In that split second, I squeezed my right eye shut, summoning its power once more. The eye flared red, draining my chakra at an alarming rate, yet I held my ground.
As the inferno neared, a surge of raw energy pulsed through my veins. I opened my eye, and with a flick of my wrist, the raging flames obeyed my command. They contorted, twisted, and then with a final burst, arced back towards their origin. Clone 1, caught off guard, barely managed to dodge as the flames singed his sleeve and ignited a nearby tree.
A stunned silence descended upon the training ground. Clone 1 gaped at the smoldering tree, his smirk wiped clean. The second clone, ever the observer, broke the silence.
"I knew it!" Clone 1 finally exclaimed, a hint of awe creeping into his voice.
The second clone, however, remained less impressed. " SHUT UP! Hold your horses." it huffed. "This ability is hardly impressive compared to the original. At least his could control the inextinguishable black flames. This… this is just glorified fire bending!"
"Nope!" I gasped, wiping a bead of sweat from my brow. "It's not just fire manipulation. When this ability was completed, its complete knowledge flooded my mind like an instinctual download."
Clone 2 raised a skeptical eyebrow. "So, you're telling me that after using the power once, the entire manual gets magically imprinted in your brain?"
I merely grunted 'Hn.', a hint of amusement dancing in my eyes.
(And done! I have already decided what abilities should I give to him. It will be disclosed in next chapter. Have a Good Day/Night.)