A Sage's Pursuit of Power

Aoba's theory wasn't meant to deceive Sasuke; it was his genuine belief. As he explained, the process of biological evolution is meant to make beings stronger and more perfect relative to their environment, not to harm themselves.

He had always thought that the Uchiha clan's method of forcibly stimulating emotional waves to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan was flawed.

The intense mental stimulation and sudden surge in ocular power caused the Sharingan to forcibly break through its self-protection mechanism.

For anyone, severe mental stimulation is not a good thing. The same applies to the Uchiha. While this process granted them temporary power, it also came with tremendous hidden dangers.

And not just physical dangers. Because most Uchiha awakened their Sharingan under such circumstances, the clan's understanding of the Mangekyō Sharingan had taken a wrong turn.

They believed the Mangekyō could only be awakened this way and neglected its essence, focusing solely on extreme stimulation. This was why the clan had declined with each generation.

There was also a practical factor: the constant wars in the ninja world. This meant that ninjas often started their careers very young. Most of them were sent to the battlefield as minors.

This reality was another factor that hindered the Uchiha from further progress.

Sasuke listened in a daze, but he grasped the general idea: the Uchiha's method of awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan was incorrect.

"Sasuke, the reason I say your talent surpasses Itachi's lies in your self-protection mechanism. Your body's self-protection is more comprehensive and balanced. This is why you've been unable to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan."

"But didn't you say the Uchiha's self-protection mechanism has weakened?"

"Exactly, and that's what makes you unique. I suspect that your Uchiha bloodline exhibits some sort of atavism. In other words, your Uchiha lineage is purer, stronger, and more complete."

After hearing Aoba's words, Sasuke fell silent again. After a moment, he spoke.

"Are these all just your theories, Sensei?"

"Part of it is theory, but I've also obtained some experimental results."

"Can I join your experiments, Sensei? I need to know if all of this is true."

"Of course, that was my plan all along. As I said, I've already made some progress. But since I'm not part of the Uchiha clan, your involvement should help me fully uncover the secrets of the Sharingan's ocular power. It will also prove that I'm right."

"Then when can we start?"

After accepting everything Aoba had said, Sasuke immediately reverted to his impatient self.

"Don't rush. We have a small issue to address first. During your unconscious state, the Curse Mark within you activated."

"The Curse Mark? That thing's useless, isn't it? Just a degraded form of Sage Mode?"

Having witnessed Aoba's perfect Sage Mode, Sasuke had no interest in the inferior Curse Mark.

"That's not entirely accurate. The Curse Mark represents the culmination of Orochimaru's research over the years. It does have some value.

The chakra from the Curse Mark contains Sage-like properties. I believe that if you can master this chakra, it might improve your constitution and help you gradually adapt to Sage Chakra. Eventually, you could even achieve true Sage Mode."

For others, Aoba's proposal might seem impossible, but for Sasuke, the reincarnation of Indra, it was genuinely feasible. While Sasuke, as the reincarnation of the Sage's eyes, lacked Naruto's natural advantage in mastering Sage Mode, it wasn't entirely out of the question.

"So how do I master this chakra?"

"For you, mastering it should be simple. Once you wake up, you'll just need to adapt to it. The real danger of the Curse Mark lies in the possibility that it contains Orochimaru's spiritual chakra.

To control this power, the first step is resolving that issue."

When Aoba opened his eyes, Sasuke was still unconscious, though it was now a protective unconsciousness.

Seeing that Sakura had prepared the Evil Sealing Method, Aoba waved his hand dismissively.

"Forget it. No need for the seal."

"No need? This chakra is extremely dangerous. Are you sure this kid can handle it?"

The speaker was Tsunade, whom Aoba had Shikamaru call in as a precaution. After all, when it came to saving lives, Tsunade was still the undisputed best in the ninja world.

"If he can't overcome this, he might as well forget about revenge in the future."

It seemed that Sasuke, even in his unconscious state, heard Aoba's words. The dark, cold chakra emanating from him began to withdraw.

"He's already trying to control it. This might take some time. Have the medical team monitor his physical condition. The rest is up to him."

The group left the hospital room. Tsunade, busy with her duties, returned to handle her affairs. The younger ninjas also had their tasks to attend to, leaving only Sakura, who had no missions at the moment.

 Sakura's position was quite special. As the disciple of Konoha Advisor Aoba Kamikawa, her status was undoubtedly high.

Officially, she was registered as a medical ninja in Konoha's records. However, she neither worked at the hospital nor participated in the mobile medical unit. Instead, she had been studying and working at Konoha's Research Institute.

Aoba had noticed this discrepancy and considered creating a new role for "research ninjas" once the institute expanded.

For now, though, the institute was small, and it wasn't necessary.

Once Sasuke woke up, he would join Aoba's experiments on the Sharingan. This would be a massive help for Aoba. For a long time, he had been advancing many experiments through sheer imagination and exploration.

The lack of a Uchiha clan member to collaborate on the experiments had always been a hurdle. Aoba had been hesitant to ask Sasuke directly, as it would have been too easily misunderstood as human experimentation.

Though, in truth, it wasn't far off.

But now, with Sasuke volunteering, the problem was resolved. Aoba could already foresee steady progress in his Sharingan research.

After spending half the day at the hospital, it was already late when Aoba returned home to have dinner with Yumi and Karin. Then he left alone.

As a Konoha Advisor and someone who had even participated in the maintenance and upgrade of Konoha's barrier, Aoba could come and go from the village undetected.

He reached a forest on the outskirts of Konoha. After waiting for a while, a familiar figure appeared.

"You're late, Itachi Uchiha."

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