Hokage: I Confronted the Five Kage Before the System Arrived

Chapter 190: Mangekyō Sharingan, Activate! Activate! Activate!

"Huh?"

Hagoromo Gengetsu was quite surprised.

He had been prepared to wrap things up since Sasuke, who had the highest likelihood of awakening his eyes, still hadn't shown any signs of it.

But at this moment, unexpectedly, Uchiha Izumi, who hadn't joined the others in laughter after Uchiha Itachi's death and instead stood there silently with tears streaming down her face, had her three-tomoe Sharingan spinning rapidly in an abnormal manner.

As Hagoromo Gengetsu looked over, he sensed a sudden surge of powerful Yin Release energy within Uchiha Izumi, continuously flooding into her Sharingan.

Accompanied by Izumi's final sigh of relief.

Her blood-red pupils merged the black three-tomoe into one and then scattered them apart in a rotation.

When Hagoromo Gengetsu looked again, the pattern in Uchiha Izumi's Sharingan was no longer the black three-tomoe but a black flower-like design similar to a blooming flower.

Mangekyō Sharingan!

Under the intense emotional impact of confusion, joy, sorrow, and relief following Uchiha Itachi's death, Uchiha Izumi officially awakened the Mangekyōu Sharingan!

But it wasn't over yet!

Next to her, Uchiha Kei, who had not yet lost his excited flush and was now crying profusely, no longer exhibited his previous neurotic laughter.

At this moment, he lowered his head, choking up as he softly spoke the names of his father, sister, brother, and many others. A similar aura to Izumi's suddenly erupted from him.

"What is this..."

Uchiha Kei lifted his head, bewilderedly sensing the drastic changes happening in his eyes.

Hagoromo Gengetsu turned his head to look.

Uchiha Kei's blood-red pupils had finished transforming, now resembling two cross-intersecting, handleless kunai, with a round shield encircling the center.

Another pair of Mangekyō Sharingan!

Hagoromo Gengetsu raised an eyebrow.

He had to admit, Uchiha Itachi had done a great deed.

Not only was it only a matter of time before Sasuke evolved his Mangekyō, but they had also gained two more pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan in one go.

Hagoromo Gengetsu looked at the other Uchiha ninjas.

Stimulated by the death of their clan's nemesis, Uchiha Itachi, those who previously only had two-tomoe Sharingan had now evolved to three-tomoe.

As for evolving directly to Mangekyō Sharingan from two-tomoe like Uchiha Obito, none had achieved that.

Not only did none of them manage it, but apart from Uchiha Izumi and Uchiha Kei, the rest of the three-tomoe Uchiha ninjas, despite their emotions being strongly stimulated, ultimately stopped with just an enhancement in their eye power.

Opening the Mangekyō Sharingan requires not just emotional stimulus but also a certain level of aptitude.

Otherwise, considering how many died during the Warring States period, the Uchiha clan would have all had Mangekyō by now.

However,

Hagoromo Gengetsu looked at Sasuke again, puzzled.

You are the reincarnation of Indra, with extraordinarily high aptitude.

Now, both your teammates have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, and you've killed your own brother, yet you still have only three-tomoe?

Isn't that embarrassing to say?

As if hearing Hagoromo Gengetsu's thoughts, Sasuke finally emerged from his manic laughter.

With his great enemy defeated, the dark clouds that had weighed on his heart for so many years finally dispersed, and as his mood calmed, Sasuke felt a premonition that he was on the verge of a tremendous transformation, but it stopped just short.

He felt something was missing.

Instinctively, Sasuke turned his head, looking at the Uchiha clansmen around him who, like him, had finally avenged their clan, and who were now crying, laughing, with various expressions. A ripple started in his heart.

Finally, his gaze fell on Uchiha Izumi.

Wiping the tears from her face and looking at Sasuke with her Mangekyō Sharingan, Izumi immediately turned and smiled brilliantly, sincerely thanking him:

"Thank you, Sasuke."

Sasuke's contributions in the recent battle were evident to all.

Over the years, everyone had seen his efforts for the sake of revenge.

Unknowingly, the youngest among them had surpassed them, shielding them from the storms ahead and, in the final moment, single-handedly avenging them.

This "thank you" was well deserved.

Before Sasuke could respond, Uchiha Kei, not caring about the changes in his eyes, also nodded heavily at Sasuke:

"I forgot to say earlier. Thank you, Sasuke!"

"Without you, we likely wouldn't have won this revenge. Sasuke! Thank you!" Uchiha Yoko behind them gave a thumbs up, joining in.

"Thank you, Sasuke!"

"Thank you..."

One after another, delayed but sincere thanks filled Sasuke's ears.

Feeling the immense warmth enveloping him, Sasuke couldn't help but smile.

He finally understood what he was missing.

After Uchiha Itachi's death, what was he supposed to live for?

Should he continue to pursue the truth behind the clan's massacre?

As Itachi had once told him, there was another Mangekyō Sharingan user involved, who was likely also a conspirator and needed to be killed?

No.

The conspirator would be found, but that wasn't his true purpose for living.

His true goal from now on should be to protect his clan, the Uchiha, and the village, ensuring that such a massacre never happens again, and never letting down the friends and family who thanked him!

Boom!

With this realization, Sasuke felt a sudden surge of powerful new energy into his eyes, making the three-tomoe Sharingan spin rapidly, becoming more and more blurred.

Moments later, everything settled.

As Sasuke lifted his eyelids, a pair of six-pointed star patterns instantly replaced the three-tomoe in his blood-red pupils.

The third pair of Mangekyō Sharingan was born!

Witnessing the entire process, Hagoromo Gengetsu felt a bit sentimental:

"Excluding Uchiha Madara, this small Uchiha group of just over a dozen people, now with three pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan, might be the strongest the Uchiha clan has been in sixty years."

The Uchiha clan, after being almost annihilated, had now reached such heights again.

Hagoromo Gengetsu finally understood why Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura felt the need to completely eradicate the Uchiha clan.

As Tobirama Senju had said, the Uchiha had a love surpassing even that of the Senju, and once that love was lost, they were the easiest to fall into extremism and darkness.

The Uchiha clan back then was already preparing to rebel.

For the aging Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, who no longer had the vigor of their youth, leaving any Uchiha alive meant a future threat like the current trio of Uchiha Kei, driven by hatred.

So, whether or not Itachi took action, the moment the Uchiha clan decided to rebel, their fate was sealed by Hiruzen and Danzo, who deeply feared the Uchiha's power.

Itachi's actions only allowed Sasuke to survive.

"Meaningless politics and schemes."

Hagoromo Gengetsu remarked.

Ultimately, it was just a matter of insufficient power.

And now, he had plenty of it.

Regarding the sudden appearance of three pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan in the Uchiha clan, Hagoromo Gengetsu was delighted.

From his perspective, even ten more pairs would be welcome!