"I don't need your help…"
Sasuke began, but seemed to reconsider mid-sentence, falling silent.
When it came to revenge, he wanted to rely on no one. He had long sworn to personally take down Uchiha Itachi!
But the thought crossed his mind that Itachi wouldn't be alone waiting for him. Itachi's companions—S-rank criminals recruited by the Dark Akatsuki—were no pushovers. Leveraging the organization's strength to intercept Itachi's allies and create an opportunity for a one-on-one duel with Itachi was undeniably necessary.
Still uneasy, Sasuke asked, "What do you want my chakra for?"
"Just for research!" Shinji shrugged, adopting a business-as-usual demeanor: "The chakra of every Mangekyō Uchiha is worth studying, and yours is no exception. But don't worry too much—it's just extracting some chakra. It won't put much strain on your body."
Sasuke stared at Shinji: "I've joined you now! A, shouldn't you tell me your true identity?"
"Not yet!" Shinji paused, then explained, "This isn't personal. Every member who joins us has the right to protect their privacy. I won't reveal anyone else's identity to you, just as I won't disclose yours to others."
"Fine!"
Sasuke nodded.
The organization he'd joined was already full of members cloaked in hoods and masks, so he didn't doubt Shinji's words. The emphasis on privacy also gave him a sense of security.
After all, he was still a Hidden Leaf shinobi!
Though he was willing to sacrifice everything for revenge, including the village, if he had a choice, he'd prefer not to take the path of defection.
It was getting late, and while the battle in the Forest of Death had been discreet, it wasn't entirely undetectable. Shinji handed Sasuke a prepared mask and a red-clouded hooded robe, saying, "I'll handle the cleanup here. You head back first!"
"What about Shinji…"
Sasuke hesitated, his eyes avoiding the unconscious shadow clone on the ground.
"Don't worry, I'll use genjutsu to tamper with his memories, making him think he was defeated by your genjutsu at that moment." Shinji paused, then added with a playful smirk, "As for the part where you killed him, he didn't see it, so he won't remember. You don't need to worry!"
"I… I don't regret it!" Sasuke gritted his teeth, then added, "But please take care of him properly."
Shinji waved a hand: "Go. I'll contact you later!"
Sasuke still couldn't bring himself to look at Shinji's shadow clone, turning to leave.
At that moment, Shinji suddenly remembered something and called out, "By the way, what's the Mangekyō dojutsu you awakened?"
Sasuke turned back and said, "The same as yours—'Amaterasu'!"
Shinji nodded, casually asking, "And the other one?"
Sasuke fell silent, seemingly debating whether to tell Shinji.
Shinji laughed: "If you don't want to say, forget it!"
Shinji already knew Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan dojutsu. His question was merely a cautious double-check.
Upon learning Sasuke had awakened 'Amaterasu,' he had no further doubts, knowing Sasuke's other Mangekyō dojutsu must be 'Kagutsuchi,' which shapes 'Amaterasu.'
But Sasuke glanced at the unconscious shadow clone, hesitated, and, perhaps worried 'A' might use Shinji to threaten him, said bluntly, "My other Mangekyō dojutsu is called 'Izanami-no-Mikoto'!"
"Hm!?"
Now it was Shinji's turn to be stunned.
Sasuke asked, "What's wrong? Is there something off about my dojutsu?"
Shinji shook his head: "I just didn't expect you to awaken that dojutsu…"
Sasuke pressed, "You know this dojutsu?"
"Yes!" Shinji nodded, saying, "A senior of our Uchiha clan awakened this dojutsu before!"
Shinji wasn't entirely truthful.
The one who awakened this dojutsu was none other than Sasuke and Itachi's father, the previous Uchiha clan leader, Uchiha Fugaku!
Sasuke was surprised: "So someone else awakened this dojutsu? I thought a dojutsu that could alter one's fate was unique to me!"
"Alter one's fate?"
Shinji grew puzzled. The ability of 'Izanami-no-Mikoto' was clearly about glimpsing the branching paths of fate.
Assuming Shinji already knew, Sasuke casually discussed his dojutsu: "My dojutsu can twist my fate! Once activated, I can reject any reality I don't want to accept!"
Shinji didn't respond, only frowning slightly.
Clearly.
'Izanami-no-Mikoto,' like Obito's 'Kamui' or the 'Susanoo' in the Mangekyō Sharingan Karin had previously transplanted, was a collective term for two dojutsu with different focuses and functions.
Obito's 'Kamui' had one eye affecting external targets and the other internal.
The 'Susanoo' in Karin's transplanted Mangekyō Sharingan had one eye reducing consumption and the other amplifying power.
Though named the same, their focuses and functions were distinctly different.
Sasuke's awakened 'Izanami-no-Mikoto' was evidently similar.
His father Fugaku's 'Izanami-no-Mikoto' focused on observing future fates, gleaning information from the branching paths of destiny. From Sasuke's description, his 'Izanami-no-Mikoto' seemed to involve twisting events that had already occurred.
This was remarkably similar to the Uchiha clan's forbidden technique, 'Izanagi.'
Shinji even had reason to suspect that the forbidden technique 'Izanagi' was developed because someone in the Uchiha clan had once awakened Sasuke's version of 'Izanami-no-Mikoto.'
The power to interfere with fate surpassed the level of a three-tomoe Sharingan.
Only the metaphysical Mangekyō Sharingan could give rise to a power that blurred reality and illusion, completely twisting an already-occurred fate.
Thus, someone later created the forbidden technique 'Izanagi' based on 'Izanami-no-Mikoto,' which even a three-tomoe Sharingan could activate.
However, a Sharingan lacking the 'Izanami-no-Mikoto' ability—even an Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan—couldn't withstand the backlash of altering fate, resulting in permanent blindness as the cost of using 'Izanagi.'
Thus, 'Izanagi' became a forbidden technique!
Reflecting on this, Shinji looked at Sasuke with a complex expression.
The Sharingan, the 'mirror of the heart,' never lies. Sasuke's awakening of a Mangekyō dojutsu that seeks to alter past fates revealed his profound regret for awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan by killing a loved one.