Boom!
A brilliant golden light suddenly blazed within Naruto's eyes, illuminating his features with an otherworldly radiance that spoke to the incredible power now flowing through his body.
The golden chakra rose around him like living flames, enveloping his entire form in an aura of energy that pulsed with vitality and seemed to burn with its own inner fire. The transformation was both beautiful and awe-inspiring, marking a fundamental change in Naruto's capabilities as a ninja.
"It seems somehow different from what I experienced," Kushina observed thoughtfully as she studied Naruto's Nine-Tails Chakra Mode manifestation.
The difference wasn't merely visual—there was something qualitatively distinct about the energy patterns and resonance of Naruto's technique compared to her own version of the same ability.
Although the two portions of Nine-Tails chakra that had been divided by Minato's sealing technique were identical in their fundamental source, their individual characteristics appeared to have developed along different paths during their years of separation.
Minato was also carefully observing Naruto's transformation, his analytical mind working to understand the implications of what he was witnessing. The Sage of Six Paths had originally created the current nine Tailed Beasts using Onmyoji principles, combining incredibly powerful ocular techniques with the massive chakra reserves of the original Ten-Tails.
The chakra of the Nine-Tails, which had been split into two distinct portions through Minato's use of the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, had retained the fundamental yin and yang chakra characteristics that defined the bijuu's essential nature.
"Remember the risks that I explained to you earlier," Minato said with a serious expression, looking directly at his son to ensure his words carried proper weight. "When fighting against enemies, you must never rely too heavily on the Nine-Tails' chakra."
His warning carried the weight of hard-earned experience and genuine concern for Naruto's safety. At this point in their development, neither Naruto nor Kushina had achieved true reconciliation with the Nine-Tails entities sealed within their bodies.
When either of them utilized this borrowed power, the Nine-Tails would simultaneously draw upon their own chakra reserves, creating a potentially dangerous feedback loop that could lead to exhaustion or worse if not carefully managed.
"I understand, Dad," Naruto nodded with the seriousness that the situation deserved.
Minato turned his attention to Kushina and continued his instructions. "There's only a limited amount of time remaining before the war begins. You need to teach him how to properly control and channel the Nine-Tails' chakra as quickly as possible."
Although the Nine-Tails' chakra was undeniably powerful, it represented borrowed strength rather than abilities that Naruto had developed through his own training and discipline. This fundamental difference made the power both more dangerous and less reliable than techniques he had mastered independently.
"At the same time, I'll be teaching you something that even your mother hasn't fully mastered yet," Minato added, referring to the devastating Tailed Beast Ball technique that represented one of the most destructive attacks available to jinchuriki.
"Someone's approaching," Naruto announced suddenly, his enhanced perceptual abilities triggered by his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode allowing him to detect incoming visitors.
In this enhanced state, his sensory range and accuracy exceeded even what he could achieve through Sage Mode, providing him with detailed information about chakra signatures at considerable distances.
He had sensed a chakra pattern that was both familiar and powerful, yet somehow subtly different from what he remembered. The energy signature carried undertones that he couldn't quite identify.
"It's him!" Naruto exclaimed as recognition dawned.
When Naruto identified the owner of the approaching chakra signature, Minato had naturally detected the presence even earlier through his own enhanced awareness.
He walked toward the entrance to their home, followed closely by Naruto, who retracted his Nine-Tails chakra to return to his normal appearance.
At the end of the entrance hallway, Minato opened the front door to reveal Sasuke standing just outside their residence.
"Sasuke," Naruto said with obvious surprise, his voice carrying genuine amazement at this unexpected visit.
As far as he could remember, Sasuke hadn't come to his family's home for several years. Their relationship, while not antagonistic, had grown more distant as they had pursued different training paths and faced different challenges.
At this moment, Sasuke's gaze lingered on Naruto for several seconds, studying his childhood rival with an intensity that seemed to penetrate beyond surface appearances.
When their eyes met directly, a strange and unprecedented sensation suddenly arose in both of their hearts—a feeling of recognition and connection that neither could fully understand or explain.
"What's happening?" Naruto muttered to himself, unconsciously placing a hand over his chest where the unusual feeling seemed to be centered.
Sasuke had already turned his attention away from Naruto and was now looking directly at Minato with an expression of quiet determination. "Fourth Hokage, I have succeeded."
"Yes," Minato replied with a slight nod, though his voice carried a note of satisfaction and relief.
When he had first sensed Sasuke's chakra signature approaching their home, he had already understood what the young Uchiha's arrival meant. The fundamental changes in Sasuke's energy patterns were unmistakable to someone with Minato's experience and sensitivity.
As the Sharingan evolved through its various stages, not only did the user's ocular power increase dramatically, but their overall chakra capacity and quality also underwent significant enhancement. Sasuke's chakra fluctuations had undergone a qualitative transformation compared to his previous levels.
This dramatic change served as definitive proof that he had successfully awakened the legendary Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan—an achievement that only a handful of Uchiha in the entire history of the clan had ever accomplished.
"I need to leave for a while," Minato announced, turning to address Kushina and Naruto with an apologetic expression.
There were matters that needed to be discussed privately, and the implications of Sasuke's evolution required careful examination away from potential observers.
Kushina nodded with understanding, recognizing the importance of whatever business required Minato's immediate attention.
Naruto, however, remained confused about the circumstances surrounding Sasuke's transformation and the obvious significance that his father was placing on it.
Minato extended his hand and placed it on Sasuke's shoulder, preparing to transport them both to a more secure location using his Flying Thunder God technique.
Swish!
Both figures instantly vanished from view, leaving Naruto and his mother standing alone in the doorway.
"Mom, what are Dad and Sasuke doing?" Naruto asked, his voice filled with confusion and curiosity about the mysterious circumstances surrounding his rival's visit.
The interaction between Sasuke and Minato had been unlike anything he had witnessed before, suggesting that significant events had occurred during Sasuke's absence from the village.
"Let me explain everything to you slowly," Kushina replied with a gentle smile, understanding that there was no reason to conceal the details of Sasuke's situation from her son.
The information about Sasuke's development and its implications for the approaching war were things that Naruto needed to understand as part of his own preparation for the conflicts ahead.
At Naka Shrine, after arriving at the sacred location that held such significance for the Uchiha clan, Sasuke turned to face Minato with a solemn expression.
His normally dark pupils began to change as he prepared to demonstrate the full extent of his evolved abilities.
Under Minato's careful observation, new patterns began forming within Sasuke's blood-red eyes. The transformation was both beautiful and intimidating, representing power that transcended normal human limitations.
In addition to the hexagonal pattern that marked the basic Mangekyo Sharingan, a distinctive black curved design similar to Itachi's Mangekyo pattern began to manifest and merge with the existing structure.
"These eyes... they're similar to his," Minato murmured, his pupils contracting with recognition as he observed the patterns of Sasuke's Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
There were certain visual similarities between Sasuke's evolved ocular abilities and the eyes that Madara possessed, though this connection was not entirely unexpected given their shared Uchiha heritage.
However, throughout the recorded history of the Uchiha clan, only Madara and now Sasuke had successfully evolved their Sharingan to this legendary stage. Even if there were some similarities in their ocular patterns, such convergent evolution was not particularly surprising given the limited number of individuals who had achieved this level of power.
At this moment, Sasuke was experiencing his own profound realizations about the nature of power and capability.
When he observed Minato through his enhanced ocular abilities, he still found the Fourth Hokage's true strength to be unfathomable and impossible to fully comprehend.
Even though he now possessed the legendary Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, he understood with crystal clarity that he was still no match for the Fourth Hokage in direct combat.
Whether considering the God of Shinobi Hashirama Senju or the legendary Uchiha Madara, their greatest sources of power had been the genetic advantages and inherent strengths provided by their bloodline inheritance.
But this man of ordinary birth had reached the same level as those legendary figures, or perhaps even surpassed them, through nothing more than personal dedication, innovative techniques, and sheer determination.
This realization filled Sasuke, who had relied heavily on the power of his bloodline to reach his current level, with a profound sense of respect and humility.
"With these eyes, I should be able to perceive the same information that Madara discovered when he examined this tablet," Sasuke explained as he prepared to reveal the true purpose of their visit.
"In this way, we can finally understand his real motivation for initiating this war."
Sasuke shifted his gaze toward the ancient stone tablet that had been left by the Sage of Six Paths in the deepest recesses of the shrine, approaching the artifact with reverent caution.
Minato followed closely behind, understanding that they were about to uncover information that could fundamentally alter their understanding of the approaching conflict.
Sasuke focused his complete attention on the stone tablet, his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan patterns swirling within his pupils as he began interpreting the ancient text through the enhanced perception that his evolved eyes provided.
Initially, as he read through the early sections of the tablet's contents, Sasuke's expression showed only mild concern and growing focus. However, as he progressed deeper into the text, his face gradually began to display signs of genuine horror, as if he were witnessing revelations that defied his understanding of reality itself.
When Sasuke finally withdrew his gaze from the tablet, Minato—who had been carefully observing every subtle change in the young Uchiha's expression—wore an equally grave expression.
Huff...
Sasuke took a deep breath, working to calm the shock and disbelief that threatened to overwhelm his composure, before turning to face Minato with eyes that carried the weight of terrible knowledge.
"Madara's purpose in collecting the Tailed Beasts is to resurrect the original Ten-Tails," he began, his voice carrying the authority of someone who had just witnessed absolute truth.
The information about the Ten-Tails and its relationship to the Outer Path Demon Statue was something that Minato had already learned from the Nine-Tails during their previous conversations. However, due to the sensitive nature of that information source, he had been unable to share those details with others or use them in strategic planning.
Sasuke's subsequent narration covered the fundamental information that Minato already possessed, but what followed was the revelation that he had been desperately hoping to obtain.
"In ancient times, long before the concept of ninja existed in this world, wars between human civilizations were endless and devastating," Sasuke continued, his voice taking on the quality of someone recounting a legend of unimaginable significance.
"During that era, there existed a sacred tree that was worshipped by people throughout the world as if it were a divine pillar connecting earth and heaven."
"One day, this sacred tree bore a single fruit of incredible power, but according to the ancient laws and customs of that time, human beings were absolutely forbidden from touching or consuming it."
"This prohibition continued for generations, until another terrible war erupted that threatened to destroy all of human civilization."
"Faced with the complete annihilation of her people, a princess made the desperate decision to steal and consume the fruit from the sacred tree."
"Through this forbidden act, she gained power that was completely unparalleled in the world, and she was able to single-handedly bring an end to the war that had been consuming humanity."
"That power she obtained was the very first manifestation of chakra in the world."
"The princess who received the power of the sacred tree's fruit became the first human being to possess chakra, and she used that strength to reshape the entire world."
Sasuke paused for a moment, allowing the weight of this revelation to settle before delivering the final, most shocking piece of information.
"Her name was Kaguya Otsutsuki!"