NOVEL NEXT Chapter 19: CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 16
Sasuke's eyes snapped open, and the first thing he saw was Ryuga's face looming over him. Though Ryuga's lips were curled in a smile, his mismatched eyes betrayed no warmth, sending a shiver down Sasuke's spine. Those eyes—one abyss-like black, seemingly absorbing all light, and the other a radiant purple, shining like a rare gem in the dark room—held no trace of humanity.
Paralyzed by fear, Sasuke tried to move, but his body wouldn't respond. It felt as though invisible strings bound him in place, holding him captive.
"How does dying feel?" Ryuga's voice broke the silence, calm yet unnervingly cold. "Did it hurt? When your bones shattered?"
The question jolted Sasuke, and his mind reeled as the memory of his recent experience resurfaced. He had been plunged into a world of agony, his body crushed, his life extinguished. But now… he was here. Alive. It dawned on him—it had been an illusion.
Rage flared within Sasuke, and with a fierce cry, he launched himself at Ryuga, aiming to strike him with a clenched fist. Yet, before he could make contact, his body froze midair, once again ensnared by those invisible strings.
Ryuga observed him with an amused expression. "Still so predictable."
Sasuke's struggle was futile. He soon realized he was already trapped within another of Ryuga's genjutsu. The death he had experienced moments ago, the agony that had felt so real—it was all an illusion crafted by Ryuga.
This technique wasn't just any genjutsu. It was one Ryuga had acquired after devouring Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan. Unlike the Sharingan's usual capabilities, Ryuga had discovered something extraordinary: Shisui's eyes had stored every jutsu he had ever seen, performed, or experienced.
At first, Ryuga had been puzzled. Even in his past life, watching the Naruto series, he had never come across such an ability. To seek clarity, he turned to Wiz, his ever-reliable Wisdom Core.
"Wiz," Ryuga asked, his curiosity piqued. "Does the Sharingan really have the ability to store and transfer all the jutsu its user has encountered?"
Wiz responded with its usual mechanical tone.
'ANSWER: NO, MASTER. SHARINGAN CAN ONLY STORE OR BE PROGRAMMED TO PERFORM A SINGLE JUTSU UNDER PRE-SET CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, THE INDIVIDUAL SHISUI'S MANGEKYO SHARINGAN WAS IN GENJUTSU AT THE TIME MASTER DEVOURED IT.'
Ryuga had immediately recalled the example of Itachi using Shisui's Sharingan to free himself from Kabuto's reanimation jutsu. Shisui had pre-set his unique ability, Kotoamatsukami, to activate under specific conditions, ensuring the protection of the Leaf Village.
Still, what Ryuga had experienced seemed far beyond that.
He speculated that Shisui, in his final moments, had used genjutsu on his own Sharingan, embedding within it all the knowledge of the jutsu he had encountered throughout his life. This act of desperation or brilliance was likely what Shisui meant when he called his Mangekyo Sharingan a "gift."
For this, Ryuga was truly grateful. Not only had Shisui's eyes granted him access to advanced and powerful techniques, but the experience of Shisui's sacrifice had allowed Ryuga to feel emotions he had never known—grief, loss, and gratitude.
He had never wanted to experience the pain of losing someone again.
The aftermath of Shisui's death had also led to an unexpected development in Wiz. For the past eight years, Wiz had always addressed Ryuga in a neutral manner, referring to him as "you" or "your." However, the day after Shisui's death, Wiz began addressing him as "Master."
It had taken Ryuga by surprise. Though Wiz's tone remained emotionless and mechanical, this subtle change in how it referred to him marked the first sign of evolution.
When Ryuga asked Wiz about this shift, the response was simple yet intriguing:
'ANSWER: MASTER IS MASTER.'
Unlike Wiz's usual immediate answers, this one had taken a few seconds, as though the system had paused to consider the question. To Ryuga, this indicated that Wiz was beginning to think and reason independently, rather than merely relying on programmed analysis.
Overwhelmed with excitement, Ryuga had danced with joy at this development. After calming down, he gave Wiz a new directive.
"Wiz, this is your top priority. Think of a reasonable explanation for why you're calling me 'Master.' Take all the time you need."
Though Wiz had yet to provide an explanation, Ryuga wasn't disappointed. On the contrary, he was thrilled by the prospect of Wiz evolving further.
Snapping out of his recollections, Ryuga returned his attention to Sasuke, who continued to struggle against the chakra strings binding him.
Calmly, Ryuga observed the single tomoe spinning in Sasuke's crimson Sharingan eyes. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he stepped forward, raising a hand toward Sasuke's face.
Sasuke's eyes widened in terror as the hand inched closer. Unable to move, he could only watch in helpless fear, certain that Ryuga intended to gouge out his eyes. Just as the hand came dangerously close, Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the worst.
Instead of pain, he felt a flick against his forehead.
Sasuke's eyes shot open in surprise. Ryuga stood before him, his expression unreadable.
"It's not time yet," Ryuga said coolly. "You're still too weak to be of any use to me. Become strong, like I told you yesterday. Stronger than any Hokage. Stronger than even your ancestor, Madara Uchiha."
He leaned in, his mismatched eyes locking with Sasuke's trembling gaze. "When you're strong enough, come to me. Ask your questions then. I'll answer. But until that day, I don't care what methods you use or what sacrifices you make—just become stronger. Because if you don't…"
Ryuga's tone grew darker, his voice dripping with menace. "I will devour you."
With that, Ryuga released the chakra strings restraining Sasuke, letting him collapse to the floor. The boy lay there, gasping for breath, his body trembling as Ryuga's killing intent lingered in the air.
Ryuga turned and walked toward the door. Without looking back, he left Sasuke with one final warning.
"If you don't want to die, then become stronger."
The door closed behind him with a soft click, leaving Sasuke alone in the suffocating silence of the hospital room. Sweat dripped down the boy's face as he struggled to steady his breathing, his mind replaying Ryuga's ominous words.
Ryuga stepped out into the bright afternoon sunlight, his expression unreadable. Without a glance at his surroundings, he made his way back home, his mind already shifting to the challenges ahead.
End of chapter.
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Hello this is your favourite author here😎😎😎
I am happy that you're all reading this novel,
I only created this novel for my enjoyment and how my imagination of Naruto Series would look like.
So as I am writing this novel I feel like as a reader and author of this novel, I am missing something, but I can't find it.
So I am asking readers, what I am missing here as an author. Please let me know what is lacking in my writing skills.