*Chapter 290: Sasuke, You’ve Surprised Me!*

The battle between Sasuke and Fugaku was both simple and elegant, typical of a fight between two Uchiha.

The Uchiha's battles always had a unique beauty about them.

Their movements were so fast and intricate that they were nearly impossible to follow.

High praise: dazzling!

Low praise: flashy and showy.

It seemed like Sasuke had forgotten the taijutsu he learned in Dressrosa and the sword techniques he practiced under Hawkeye.

The moves he was using now were all Uchiha clan techniques.

However, compared to Uchiha Fugaku, Sasuke still had a long way to go with these techniques.

After all, Fugaku had been studying and mastering these techniques for decades.

Sasuke had only just begun to grasp them, and the gap between him and Fugaku was substantial.

“Is this all you’ve got? Did you really think having the Cloud Village's Lightning Release Chakra Mode would be enough to defeat me?”

“I’ve lost count of how many Cloud Village ninjas I’ve killed on the battlefield. I’m very familiar with their attack patterns.”

“Why didn’t we Uchiha record their jutsus? Because they’re too weak compared to the power of the Sharingan.”

“Their ninjutsu is so weak that it’s almost pitiful.”

Fugaku shook his head slightly, his face filled with disappointment towards Sasuke.

That look of disappointment pierced Sasuke's heart.

He had trained countless times, all for the sake of gaining the power to take revenge.

To be able to finally defeat the man standing in front of him.

But Fugaku kept denying him, again and again!

Sasuke’s anger boiled over.

His Sharingan spun rapidly in his eyes, and his chakra began to surge uncontrollably.

"This..."

Fugaku looked at Sasuke with expectation.

He didn’t expect Sasuke to awaken his Sharingan in this environment.

But before long, the raging chakra calmed down.

Fugaku’s eyes lost the glimmer of hope they briefly held.

He knew it—awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan couldn’t be that easy.

The few words he spoke were just a warm-up.

An Uchiha must experience extreme pain to awaken the Mangekyō.

Sasuke was still young but already possessed the strength of a jōnin, certainly qualified to unlock the Mangekyō.

Besides, the reason Uchiha Raijin left him alive was to help Sasuke awaken his Mangekyō, wasn't it?

By now, Fugaku was essentially a walking corpse.

He had no fear of death.

All he hoped for now was for Sasuke to grow stronger.

Then…

He could witness his own son awaken the Mangekyō.

Because if Sasuke missed this chance, he didn’t know if another opportunity to awaken it would come.

“I have a lot of techniques in my arsenal, but I don’t need them to deal with someone like you.”

“I will kill you myself with the Uchiha clan’s taijutsu and kenjutsu.”

Sasuke’s face twisted into a snarl as he rushed forward again.

“Boom!”

A giant skeletal structure suddenly appeared.

It stood in front of Fugaku, blocking Sasuke’s sword.

The terrifying silhouette continued to take form, as the chakra coalesced into a monstrous figure.

But Sasuke knew that this was one of the Uchiha clan’s unique powers.

After unlocking the Mangekyō Sharingan, this was one of the most special abilities.

“Susanoo!”

Sasuke ground his teeth as he glared at Fugaku.

If he was facing Susanoo, the jutsu he had just used wouldn’t work.

No one knew better than Sasuke how powerful Susanoo was.

His previous attacks and jutsus would be nothing but a scratch against it.

Only power of the same level stood a chance.

But he hadn’t unlocked the Mangekyō Sharingan yet.

“Do you see it now? This is the true power of the Uchiha!”

“The taijutsu and ninjutsu you’ve mastered are worthless in front of these eyes.”

“In the face of these eyes, you don’t stand a chance. Uchiha Raijin barely escaped Konoha with this power.”

“And you, with just a mere three-tomoe Sharingan, dare come to seek revenge? Who gave you the courage?”

Fugaku’s eyes flashed with malice as Susanoo’s skeleton formed massive hands.

Boom!

The enormous hand slammed down where Sasuke stood.

Without hesitation, Fugaku charged forward.

A flash of lightning flickered in the air.

“Bang!”

A powerful kick landed on Sasuke’s stomach.

In the next instant, a kunai was at Sasuke’s throat.

This terrifying speed was faster than even Sasuke’s Lightning Release Chakra Mode.

Sasuke had once thought his father was weak, that he didn’t resist Konoha because of it.

That he had allowed the Uchiha to be oppressed for so long.

But he never expected his father to possess such overwhelming power.

“You’re too weak. You’re far beneath Uchiha Itachi. At your age, he already had the strength to fight me.”

“He had even unlocked the Mangekyō Sharingan. But you… Why are you so weak, my son?”

“Did Uchiha Raijin ever tell you about the other secrets of the Uchiha clan?”

“Let me see for myself!”

Fugaku locked eyes with Sasuke, and in an instant, the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan was activated.

In that moment, Fugaku entered Sasuke’s mind.

He saw glimpses of Sasuke’s time in Dressrosa.

But he couldn’t make out the details.

Sasuke’s resistance was intense.

Fugaku could only see the things he wanted to.

He saw Uchiha Raijin telling Sasuke about the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.

In that moment, Fugaku understood his mission.

That bastard Raijin wanted to see him and his son destroy each other.

In the end, Raijin wanted Sasuke to take Fugaku’s eyes and unlock the Mangekyō, fusing their power to awaken the Eternal Mangekyō.

What was Raijin up to?

Could it be that he really planned to cultivate Sasuke this way?

Fugaku didn’t think so.

That guy must have an even deeper conspiracy.

“Lightning Release: Chidori Sharp Spear!”

At that moment, a figure appeared.

As Fugaku used his genjutsu to control Sasuke, a figure suddenly appeared at Fugaku’s side, lightning flashing from their hand, piercing Fugaku’s chest.

“Ugh!”

Blood gushed from Fugaku’s mouth, and the Sasuke under his genjutsu vanished in a puff of smoke.

Only a single sword remained stuck in the ground, looking lonely.

“You’re nothing special. You couldn’t even tell that was a shadow clone.”

Sasuke’s hand was buried in Fugaku’s chest, a mocking smile on his lips.

“Boom!”

Fugaku’s chakra flared wildly as his skeletal form reformed.

Sasuke quickly retreated, flashing behind a nearby stone pillar for cover.

“The Eternal Mangekyō… I see! So that’s the missing piece! No wonder Uchiha Madara was called the Shura of the Ninja World!”

“The power of the Uchiha clan is that great. I just need a Mangekyō Sharingan to fuse with my own to unlock these eyes?”

“Sasuke, you really are my good son. I never expected you to bring me something so interesting.”

Blood continued to pour from Fugaku’s mouth, but he seemed crazed, almost inhuman, standing there laughing maniacally.

Sasuke felt a chill run down his spine.

This guy… was going insane.

“As the clan head, I know a bit about what happened back then, but no one in the Uchiha clan knows more than Uchiha Satsuna, that old relic from Madara’s time.”

"Who would have thought that being closely related by blood in the Uchiha clan would come with such benefits? Itachi's eyes are probably in Uchiha Raijin's possession, but I doubt they can be recovered."

"Since that's the case, your eyes will do just fine. With them, I can awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, and that will give me the power to defeat Uchiha Raijin."

Though Uchiha Fugaku was coughing up blood, his imposing presence did not wane.

The greed in his eyes was undisguised as he stared directly at Sasuke.

Especially Sasuke's eyes, as if Uchiha Fugaku had already claimed them for himself.

"So you don't understand everything about the Uchiha clan, after all!"

"What a pity, you won't have the chance!"

Sasuke sneered, lightning flaring around him once more.

Terrifying chakra exploded, rippling through the surrounding air.

You could see that although Sasuke was young, his chakra had already reached its peak.

He had even surpassed Uchiha Fugaku, thanks to the benefits the Hashirama cells had granted him.

His chakra was already several times greater than Fugaku's, who had unlocked the Mangekyō Sharingan.

And with Uchiha Sasuke's refined control...

"Katon: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"

The two of them quickly formed hand signs, and in an instant, two streams of scorching flames shot out.

"Boom!"

The flames clashed in the middle, and for a moment, Uchiha Fugaku couldn’t gain the upper hand.

Seeing that he wouldn't prevail in ninjutsu, Fugaku swiftly withdrew.

"Hiss!"

The cave filled with white smoke.

The dust obscured vision, and Sasuke stopped where he stood.

His Sharingan scanned the surroundings.

He couldn’t believe that with only one arm left, Uchiha Fugaku could still defeat him.

He had grown so much now, and in his eyes, Uchiha Fugaku was no longer an opponent.

His true rival was only one person—the current head of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Raijin.

"Whoosh!"

A figure darted through the smoke, charging straight at Sasuke.

Sasuke's face lit up with joy; Uchiha Fugaku had lost his composure.

Sasuke drew a kunai and charged at the figure.

"You underestimate the genjutsu of the Uchiha clan."

Uchiha Fugaku's voice came from beside him, and the figure in front of Sasuke vanished.

Another figure silently appeared behind Uchiha Sasuke.

"Clang!"

The kunai clashed, and Fugaku's kunai shattered instantly.

"I’ve mastered more than just the Uchiha's eye techniques."

Sasuke grinned, his kunai glinting with an unusual light.

It was Haki—the Armament Haki. His Observation Haki had already detected that the figure was just an illusion.

From the beginning, he had left an opening to lure Fugaku into making a move.

But Sasuke hadn’t expected Fugaku to remain so cautious.

After only a brief exchange, Fugaku withdrew.

"Let’s see what else you’ve learned!"

Fugaku’s face remained expressionless as he charged at Sasuke again.

He could feel his wound continuing to bleed.

If he didn’t stop it soon, he would die here.

But even if he died, he was determined to teach Sasuke a lesson first.

Though Sasuke’s strength seemed impressive...

In Uchiha Fugaku's eyes, it still wasn’t enough.

Without unlocking the Mangekyō Sharingan, one couldn’t truly stand firm within the Uchiha clan.

Without obtaining the Eternal Mangekyō, Sasuke would forever be limited by Uchiha Raijin.

He had to help Sasuke unlock the Mangekyō first.

"Clang!"

"Clang!"

"Clang!"

The sounds of metal clashing echoed through the cave.

The two figures collided rapidly in midair.

But Fugaku’s movements were becoming slower and slower.

Each move left more blood spilled on the ground.

Seeing Fugaku in this state, Sasuke fought with even less restraint.

Fugaku was strong enough, but Sasuke no longer saw himself as much weaker.

He had already driven Fugaku into a corner!

Victory was within his grasp.

"Squelch!"

As the two collided and faced off, a nearby stone shattered into smoke, and two more Sasuke clones charged forward, wielding blades.

The two large blades pierced directly into Uchiha Fugaku’s body.

"Cough!"

Fugaku’s body trembled, and a powerful surge of chakra erupted from him.

Susano'o, in its monstrous form, squeezed tightly.

The two clones were crushed into dust.

Sasuke, caught off guard, was struck and sent flying.

"Looks like you're done for."

Sasuke managed to sit up, feeling the pain coursing through his body.

But the thrill of revenge fueled his strength.

"Thud!"

Fugaku collapsed onto the ground, unable to maintain Susano'o any longer.

He felt his life slipping away.

Even as he lay dying, Sasuke had not unlocked the Mangekyō Sharingan.

This weighed heavily on Fugaku’s heart.

It was his only regret.

"Do you want to know what Konoha once did to the Uchiha clan?"

"I'll tell you everything. I once carried the weight of the entire Uchiha clan."

"Now, I leave it to you. Let's see if you're capable of bearing it."

Uchiha Fugaku’s Mangekyō Sharingan flared with a final burst of chakra.

He and Sasuke locked eyes.

Sasuke didn’t avoid it.

He had come for this answer.

He didn’t trust what others had told him.

Now, with Fugaku willing to speak, it was exactly what Sasuke wanted.

(End of chapter)