Chapter 123: Naruto: Sasuke, Will You Always Trust Me?

Time passed quickly.

Before they knew it, a month was almost over.

Having reluctantly accepted Jiraiya’s guidance, Naruto had spent nearly a month traveling and training with him.

There weren’t many techniques Jiraiya possessed that could genuinely interest Naruto.

As for the summoning contract of Mount Myōboku, Naruto hadn’t accepted it.

In a word—

The toads were too ugly.

He refused to sign the summoning contract.

Having already mastered Sage Mode, Naruto had no need for the contract with Mount Myōboku.

Moreover, as someone who knew the original story, Naruto had never had much favorable impression of the Great Toad Sage, Gamamaru.

It was better to keep his distance.

A few days before the third exam, Jiraiya gave Naruto some time off so he could rest properly.

The night before the third exam.

The Sound Village.

Naruto brought Uchiha Izumi and Sasuke to the deserted Sound Village.

Looking at Sasuke, who was clearly nervous yet carried a hint of anticipation, Naruto smiled.

"Nervous?"

Sasuke’s expression darkened.

He already knew that Naruto was going to help him awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan tonight.

Of course he was nervous!

He was even somewhat anxious.

Will I really be able to awaken it?

And if I fail, will Naruto still tell me who my enemy is?

Even if Naruto kept his promise and told him—

Without the Mangekyō Sharingan, would Sasuke actually have the strength to kill his enemy?

Although Sasuke had absolute confidence in Naruto, he couldn’t help doubting himself.

Whether it was awakening the Two-Tomoe or Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Naruto had needed repeated experiments before successfully triggering the evolution.

Because of that, Sasuke couldn’t help wondering whether he truly possessed the potential to awaken the Mangekyō.

Seeing his expression, Naruto smiled and sat down opposite him.

Uchiha Izumi walked behind Sasuke.

Naruto said,

"Sasuke, open your mouth and stick out your tongue."

Although Sasuke didn’t understand what opening his mouth and sticking out his tongue had to do with awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, he also didn’t understand why Uchiha Izumi had walked behind him.

But because he trusted Naruto, Sasuke didn’t think too much about it.

He obediently did as he was told.

Naruto looked at the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal on Sasuke’s tongue and nodded.

Then he formed a series of hand seals and removed the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal.

Sasuke seemed to sense something.

He froze for a moment before tentatively saying,

"Naruto is preparing to attack Konoha."

Nothing happened.

Sasuke was confused.

"You removed the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal?"

After saying it, Sasuke immediately realized that it really had been removed.

That was because he couldn’t speak about the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal while it was still active.

That was part of the restriction Naruto had established.

Naruto nodded.

"The plan will begin tomorrow. I don’t have to worry about anything happening to you anymore.

"If Konoha were really suspicious of you, they would have suspected you long ago."

Sasuke instinctively asked,

"With such an important plan, aren’t you afraid I’ll accidentally leak it?"

Naruto smiled and shook his head.

"Sasuke, I’ve trusted you for a long time."

There were no unnecessary words.

Just one sentence.

I trust you.

Hearing this, Sasuke couldn’t help smiling.

Over the years, Naruto had always helped him.

Sasuke had absolute faith and trust in Naruto.

And Naruto never hid things from him.

The more Sasuke learned, the more he trusted Naruto.

Because Sasuke knew exactly how serious the consequences would be if these secrets were exposed.

That was why he had come to understand the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal Naruto had placed on him back then.

He knew too many secrets.

Even Sasuke himself was worried that he might accidentally reveal something about Naruto.

He had even come to regard the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal as a kind of insurance.

He trusted Naruto, so he understood Naruto’s decision.

But understanding was one thing.

It didn’t mean he wasn’t bothered by it deep down.

Sasuke believed that Naruto trusted him too.

Yet the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal had revealed that Naruto didn’t completely trust him.

It was simply something Sasuke normally chose not to think about.

He had even felt that it was only natural.

But no matter how much he trusted Naruto, no matter how much he understood him—

There was no denying it.

The Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal had always been a thin barrier between Naruto and Sasuke.

Now—

That final trace of separation vanished along with the removal of the seal and Naruto’s words of trust.

At this moment, Sasuke truly experienced what mutual trust felt like.

...

It felt wonderful.

Suddenly, Naruto asked meaningfully,

"Sasuke, will you always trust me?"

Seeing the seriousness on Naruto’s face, Sasuke immediately answered,

"Of course."

Naruto smiled.

Suddenly—

Uchiha Izumi, standing behind Sasuke, thrust a kunai straight into his back!

Shhk!

A sharp pain exploded through Sasuke’s heart.

His pupils contracted.

How...?!

He mechanically lowered his head and looked toward his chest.

The dark kunai had pierced straight through his body, its sharp tip protruding from the front.

His heart had been pierced!

Uchiha Izumi!

Sasuke knew that Uchiha Izumi had stabbed through his heart.

But he couldn’t understand.

He mechanically raised his head and looked at Naruto.

Naruto’s lips slowly curled into a strange smile.

"Heh. Sasuke, you actually believed me?"

"Have you been lying to me this whole time?"

Sasuke didn’t know.

All he knew was that his heart had been pierced.

"Why?"

His crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan opened!

His eyes were filled with blood vessels.

Why did everyone he trusted most always treat him like a fool?

Naruto’s expression and tone were exactly like someone mocking a clown.

Just like his most beloved and respected older brother, Uchiha Itachi, had once done.

Blood continued to seep from Sasuke’s chest.

His consciousness began to fade.

Before his eyes, Naruto’s figure gradually overlapped with Uchiha Itachi’s.

He could no longer tell whose figure he was looking at.

It was as if demonic whispers were echoing in his ears...

Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of rage and unwillingness erupted within Sasuke!

His eyes widened to their limits!

The three tomoe in his eyes suddenly began spinning at incredible speed!

Two trails of blood tears slid down from the corners of his eyes.

The desire to destroy the figure before him—even to destroy everything—filled his mind.

All those negative emotions poured into his Sharingan.

"AAAHHH!"

Driven by overwhelming rage, Sasuke suddenly let out a deafening roar, like a dying man suddenly returning to life.

A tearing pain surged through his eyes.

Vast ocular power erupted!

In an instant—

The rapidly spinning Three-Tomoe Sharingan transformed into a six-pointed star pattern!

The sudden surge in ocular power caused Sasuke’s vision to go completely black.

His body convulsed violently before he collapsed onto the ground.

At the moment his consciousness was about to disappear, his eyes conveyed the information of the newly awakened ocular technique.

A thought suddenly arose in Sasuke’s mind.

I awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan!!

Naruto’s words echoed repeatedly in his mind.

Will you always trust me?

to read advance Chapters join my Patreon Ph4nt0mTL