Things in the illusion space were still progressing, spiraling deeper into madness. Souta Kazuki, watching from the side, couldn't help but smirk at the scene unfolding before him.
Uchiha Sasuke was caught in an illusion so profound that even his soul seemed shaken. As he staggered in confusion, he finally turned to Souta, his eyes filled with an intensity rarely seen.
"Hey, hey, hey!!!" Souta exclaimed, feigning outrage as he pointed at Sasuke. "Why am I getting dragged into this mess? You're the one who started teasing me first!"
Sasuke, with the smugness of a rooster that had just won a fight, crossed his arms and huffed. "Tch, serves you right."
Just like that, several years passed within the illusion, with time bending at Souta's will.
During those years, Konoha Village rose to unparalleled power. The former titans of history, once thought lost to time, had returned to the world of the living. With its newfound strength, Konoha finally bared its fangs, launching an all-out war against the five great nations.
Under Souta's guidance, Konoha's might became undeniable. Every battle ended in their favor, and before long, the entire shinobi world fell under Konoha's rule. The five major nations dissolved, merging into one grand country with Konoha as its heart. Peace had finally arrived—true peace, not the fragile illusion of diplomacy.
Meanwhile, Sasuke's relationship with Uzumaki Naruko blossomed into something more profound. And finally, the long-awaited day arrived—Sasuke's wedding with Naruko.
The night of the wedding was one of celebration, joy, and indulgence. Drinks were passed around freely as friends and comrades reveled in their victories and shared triumphs. Sasuke, slightly drunk, wandered toward his new home, eager to spend his first night as a married man.
Opening the door, his heart pounded in excitement as his eyes landed on Naruko Uzumaki—his bride, with her golden twin tails cascading over her shoulders. At that moment, his blood surged with an emotion he had never felt so strongly before.
With determined hands, Sasuke shed his garments, ready to fulfill his duty as the last of the Uchiha. But the instant he stepped forward, a cloud of white smoke erupted from the bed.
And then… horror.
The beautiful, golden-haired Naruko was gone.
In her place, lying on the bed, stark naked and grinning mischievously, was none other than Uzumaki Naruto.
"Sasuke… come here," Naruto whispered.
Sasuke's mind shattered like glass. He looked down at himself, realizing he had already discarded his clothing. The reality of the situation slammed into him like a tailed beast's punch.
"AHHHHHHHH!!!" Sasuke let out a bloodcurdling scream. "DAMN YOU, UZUMAKI NARUTO!!! WHERE IS MY NARUKO?!"
Naruto, sprawled out on the bed, burst into wild laughter.
"Hahahahahahaha! Sass, you idiot! There never was a Naruko! What you fell in love with was just my transformation jutsu! I only did it because I wanted to see the legendary Uchiha bloodline up close!"
His laughter twisted into something sinister, his grin wide enough to split his face.
"Hahahahahahahaha… And now, I finally got what I wanted! Hahahahahahahaha!"
Sasuke's pupils contracted. His breath hitched. His entire reality crumbled into dust.
"NO! IT CAN'T BE!!!"
The woman he had loved, the person he had cherished, never existed. It was all a lie. It was all an illusion.
His heart wrenched violently in his chest. His Sharingan spun wildly, three tomoe merging, twisting—until the Mangekyō Sharingan was born.
"DAMN YOU, UZUMAKI NARUTO!!! I'LL KILL YOU!!!"
Susanoo erupted to life, its skeletal form materializing in a fury of chakra.
With a deafening crack, the illusion space shattered into a million pieces.
Sasuke jolted awake in the real world, gasping for air like a man who had drowned in his own nightmare. His Mangekyō Sharingan burned brightly in his eyes, its patterns etched with the trauma of what he had just experienced.
The room was silent, everyone staring at Sasuke as he trembled, his mind still caught between illusion and reality.
Then, he saw Naruto.
His body flinched violently, his Sharingan spinning dangerously.
"GET AWAY FROM ME, UZUMAKI NARUTO!!!"
Naruto blinked in confusion. "H-Huh? What's going on?"
"YOU'LL NEVER HAVE MY BODY!!! EVEN IF YOU GET ME, YOU CAN'T HAVE MY HEART!!!"
Naruto took a cautious step forward. "Sasuke… are you okay?"
But Sasuke had already activated his Susanoo again.
"I SAID GET AWAY!!!"
Naruto panicked. "Oi, oi, Kyuubi, help me out here!"
The Nine-Tails, lounging in the background, grinned menacingly.
"I'm not fighting a Mangekyō Sharingan user," he scoffed. "You think I'm stupid? I'm not throwing myself into that mess just to get smacked around."
Naruto turned to Souta, desperation in his eyes. "Souta!!! Save me!!! Sasuke's gone insane!!!"
Souta, who had been watching this unfold with amusement, sighed and cracked his knuckles.
"Alright, Sasuke! Calm down and listen!" he commanded. "That was just an illusion! I cast a genjutsu on you to push you to unlock your Mangekyō Sharingan! None of that was real!"
Sasuke, still panting heavily, shook his head furiously. "No… impossible… Naruko was real… she was… real…"
Souta sighed and turned toward Hashirama Senju, who had been watching in mild confusion.
"Master's wife! Knock him out before he does something reckless!"
Hashirama flinched. "Wait, what did you just call me? Master's… wife?"