After hearing Souta Kazuki's words, Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Fugaku were both momentarily stunned. They hadn't expected Souta to already have a plan in mind, one that deviated so much from conventional thinking. But what he said made sense—Naruto and Sasuke had the potential to grow far beyond their peers, provided the right conditions were met.
Among the new generation of shinobi, only Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto had the potential to skyrocket in strength within a short period. The others, talented as they were, lacked the external advantages necessary to progress so rapidly. Without any extraordinary inheritances or shortcuts, their path to power was destined to be a gradual climb. But Naruto and Sasuke were different.
If Naruto could gain control over the power of the Nine-Tails, he would instantly rise to a level capable of contending with Hokage-tier opponents. If Sasuke could awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, his strength would similarly undergo a terrifying transformation. Souta had already begun thinking of ways to expedite that process.
"Uncle Minato, Uncle Fugaku, I've been considering some things," Souta began, his expression unusually serious. "Naruto's power is straightforward—he just needs to resolve the issue with the Nine-Tails inside him. Once that's settled, his strength will rise dramatically. As for Sasuke… Uncle Fugaku, you should have some understanding of how the Sharingan evolves."
Uchiha Fugaku narrowed his eyes slightly. "Yes. The Sharingan awakens and evolves through strong emotional stimulation—pain, hatred, and intense loss are the usual triggers."
Souta nodded. "That's exactly why I was thinking… what if we used a Mangekyō Sharingan to construct an illusion space and let Sasuke experience certain events? If we can simulate the kind of emotional turmoil needed, wouldn't that be enough to awaken his Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Namikaze Minato stroked his chin, contemplating the idea. "That could work… The half of the Nine-Tails sealed inside me has always been obedient, but Naruto's half has caused him a lot of trouble. Maybe if we ask the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara tomorrow, they could have a conversation with the Nine-Tails. It might be enough to convince the beast to cooperate."
Fugaku, on the other hand, was completely caught off guard. Using genjutsu to trigger the Sharingan's evolution? That was… genius. Why had no one in the Uchiha clan ever considered such a method before? The Sharingan was resistant to genjutsu, true—but that resistance depended on the strength of the caster. If someone of Uchiha Madara's caliber were the one casting the illusion, even a Mangekyō Sharingan user would struggle to see through it.
"This…" Fugaku's voice trailed off. His mind was racing, considering all the possibilities. "If this actually works, it could completely change the way our clan views the evolution of the Sharingan!"
Souta chuckled. "Actually, Uncle Fugaku, Sasuke's already ahead of the game. He's no longer at the single magatama stage—just a few days ago, he awakened the second magatama in his Sharingan."
Fugaku's eyes widened in shock. "What?! He's already awakened the second stage? That's excellent news! But… how? What happened to trigger it?"
Souta glanced at Minato, a teasing smile playing on his lips. "I think you'll find the reason… quite interesting."
Fugaku frowned, sensing that something was off. "The Uchiha clan's Sharingan has always been tied to emotional trauma. That's an irrefutable fact. It's what has allowed our clan to grow so strong, so quickly, during times of war. Pain and loss fuel our power."
At that, Souta shook his head. "Uncle Fugaku, that's where I think you're mistaken. The Sharingan's evolution isn't limited to just pain and despair—it's about extreme emotion. What if it's not just suffering that can awaken it? What if love, excitement, or even pure admiration could have the same effect?"
Fugaku was stunned silent. He had never considered such a possibility before.
"Some people think the Sharingan is a cursed power," Souta continued. "But I believe it's the opposite. The Sharingan is an eye born from love—only the deepest and most sincere emotions can awaken it."
Fugaku, despite his experience and wisdom, found himself overwhelmed by this new perspective. His mind reeled with the implications. If this was true, if there were other ways to evolve the Sharingan…
Then why had their clan always relied on suffering?
Still, there was something he needed to clarify. "That's all very fascinating, Souta, but you still haven't told me how Sasuke awakened his second magatama. What exactly happened?"
At that, Minato leaned forward slightly, intrigued. If Sasuke had already begun advancing his Sharingan, that was a development worth paying attention to. But he was also curious—what had caused it?
Souta smirked. "Well… it's like this. That day, Naruto developed a new technique—the Seduction Jutsu."
Minato's expression twitched slightly.
Fugaku narrowed his eyes. "And?"
Souta barely managed to suppress his laughter. "Then Naruto transformed into 'Naruko'—a blonde girl with twin ponytails. Sasuke saw her… and his nose started bleeding. He fainted. And when he woke up—bam! His second magatama Sharingan had awakened."
Silence.
A deep, almost suffocating silence filled the room as Fugaku and Minato processed what they had just heard.
Fugaku's mouth opened and closed several times before he finally managed to choke out, "…Excuse me?"
Minato, who had been eagerly eating up the gossip, suddenly felt like he had swallowed something wrong. His son—his son—had just been involved in this nonsense?!
Fugaku's face darkened as the weight of reality hit him. His entire clan had been annihilated, his people slaughtered, and the survivors had struggled to awaken their Sharingan even after witnessing such horrors. But Naruto's transformation jutsu—a ridiculous technique used for nothing more than pranks—had directly helped Sasuke reach the second magatama stage?!
Outrageous!
Unbelievable!
Can a mother even want such a son?!
Fugaku clenched his fists as an existential crisis loomed over him. He had lived his entire life believing in the necessity of suffering for power, yet his own son had bypassed that struggle… with a nosebleed?!
Minato, meanwhile, had initially been entertained, but now the joke had turned on him. He had been enjoying the story of Fugaku's son making a fool of himself—until he realized that Naruto had played a major role in it.
And now, it wasn't just Fugaku's son involved.
It was his too.
Chao!