Chapter 298: Dance of the Moonlit Butterfly, Questioning the Heart
It was a void, an empty space with nothing but the ground beneath his feet and a moon overhead, shedding a faint, pale light.
Kyosuke observed his surroundings with a calm expression, but in reality, his spiritual energy was already spreading out, relentlessly testing the boundaries of this genjutsu world.
However, the space was incredibly stable. Breaking through it with sheer spiritual force would not be a quick or easy task.
But Kyosuke wasn't worried. If his estimation was correct, this ability was similar to "Tsukuyomi." While powerful, it consumed a massive amount of chakra and mental energy. With Hiroshi's broken, poisoned body, he wouldn't be able to maintain it for long.
Furthermore, genjutsu was a double-edged sword. It might seem like Kyosuke was trapped, but if the victim's spiritual energy was strong enough, they could forcefully break the illusion—or even reverse it back onto the caster. That was why Kyosuke was systematically probing the space, biding his time.
Time ticked by, second by second. The space remained unchanged, giving the impression that this isolation would last for eternity.
Kyosuke now had a pretty good idea of how this genjutsu worked. Now, he just had to wait for verification.
One day...
Two days...
Three days...
In the long silence of isolation, even someone with Kyosuke's mental fortitude couldn't help but let his mind wander. He replayed the scenes of his life since arriving in this ninja world.
The clan duels... the Second Elder's appreciation... meeting Nagisa... joining the Anbu and meeting Saori... the Chunin Exams... the Shinobi World War.
His life flashed before his eyes like a movie. When the memory reached the moment he learned of Nagisa's "death," a crack inevitably appeared in his mental defenses.
At that exact moment, the moonlight overhead brightened. A beautiful figure drifted down like a dancing butterfly, landing softly in front of him.
It was Uchiha Nagisa. Or rather, the Nagisa that lived in Kyosuke's memories.
"Hey, Kyosuke... did you miss me?" She opened her arms, moving to embrace him. There was no killing intent, only infinite beauty—the beauty his heart deep down desired.
Shk.
The Kusanagi Sword in his hand mercilessly pierced her chest. Looking at the mix of pain and disbelief on the girl's face, Kyosuke sneered. "Boring tricks."
But the pierced girl didn't vanish. Instead, her features began to shift, morphing into the visage of Dark Owl.
"You actually killed me? Uchiha Kyosuke... is this how you killed Grandfather? Did you drive this sword through his chest, just like this?" the Nagisa-turned-Dark Owl demanded shrilly.
Staring at Kyosuke's face, which had suddenly changed, she continued her interrogation. "Why didn't you see through Madara's plan? Why did you leave me to drown in the darkness?"
"Do you know how much it hurts? Every moment is torture! And you? What have you been doing?!"
"Sob... you said you would protect me forever..."
"Then why are you the one hurting me now...?"
The scene shifted. "Look, aren't these the Higanbana flowers you told me about? I remembered. But I couldn't find them..."
"Is Grandfather there too? Will he pick flowers for me...?"
"Hey, Kyosuke... I once overheard Grandfather and the Great Elder talking. They said when I grew up, I would marry you..."
"So why did you abandon me? Why are you with that woman?!!!"
The girl before him flickered between her innocent past self and the vengeful Dark Owl. Every question she screamed shook the foundations of Kyosuke's heart.
Silence. A long, heavy silence.
Kyosuke looked at the girl with a complex gaze. Finally, he spoke.
"I admit it. Failing to realize Madara was behind it... that was my mistake."
"Years of war, endless killing... it dulled my senses. That is why this happened to you."
"In truth, if not for me, you probably wouldn't have suffered so much."
"I am sorry about the Second Elder..."
"Whether you choose to come back to me in the future, or if you come to take my life, I will accept it..."
"This was my choice..."
"And I will bear the consequences..."
Ignoring the girl's continued screaming, Kyosuke closed his eyes in pain. But the hand holding the sword remained steady and strong.
"So... disappear."
As his voice fell, the blade sliced through the girl's body again. This time, she vanished completely.
Kyosuke looked up at the bright moon. "Uchiha Hiroshi, is that all you've got? If you have any other tricks, use them all now."
"Uchiha Kyosuke, you really are a cold-blooded monster." Hiroshi's voice suddenly echoed from the moon, filled with a complex mix of anger, regret, and pity.
"Finally showing yourself?" Kyosuke stared upward, his voice dripping with infinite mockery. "A complete failure, hiding in the dark, using these dirty little tricks."
"Dirty? You have the nerve to call me dirty?!" The rage in the voice from above was palpable.
"Haa... haa..."
Heavy breathing, like a typhoon, echoed through the space. Uchiha Hiroshi didn't want to talk anymore. It was a waste of breath.
To a man this cold and heartless, words were useless.
He prepared to manipulate the genjutsu to crush Kyosuke's mind. But suddenly, he realized that the genjutsu space was no longer responding to his command.
"Impossible! I created this illusion! Why... this can't be!!!"
"Heh."
Kyosuke's chuckle reached his ears, filled with a scorn that made Hiroshi feel humiliated to his core.
Before Hiroshi could say anything, the bright moonlight turned a blood-red crimson. And on the face of the moon, a complex geometric pattern appeared...
It was the pattern of Kyosuke's Mangekyo Sharingan.
Kyosuke had already seized control of the genjutsu space some time ago. He had only wasted his breath talking to force Hiroshi's spiritual presence to reveal itself.
Now, this world no longer belonged to Hiroshi.
Looking at the terrified Hiroshi standing on the ground, Kyosuke smiled faintly.
"Since you enjoy exposing people's hearts so much, let's see what interesting things we can find in yours."
"AHHHH!!!"
Under the illumination of the crimson moon, the only thing left in the space was the agonizing scream of a man.
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