小书屋

Chapter 477: Self Doubt and Awakening

--- Chapter 474 ---

Fugaku breathed in and out, sensing changes in his old and worn body.

He\'s already sixty-six and knew his age was biting him back.

\'I wasn\'t the sharpest tool in the box anymore. The era of peace changed me so much.\' He thought while meditating silently. 

Many years ago, Fugaku\'s oldest son carried out a life-changing mission to massacre the whole Uchiha Clan. Fugaku, as the Uchiha Clan\'s Patriarch, understood Itachi but also felt disappointed in himself.

As a patriarch, Fugaku was a failure because he couldn\'t save his clan members. And as a father, he was more so, even though he had redeemed himself.

Does Fugaku regret most of the things he has done in his life? 

Yes, obviously. 

However, he also comes to accept his failure. 

Fugaku felt he was walking on a thin thread and experienced a violent storm hitting from every direction. One wrong step, and he\'d fall into the unknown forever. 

That\'s until Fugaki saw a ray of hope for the Uchiha Clan. It was his granddaughter, Uchiha Sarada.

Sarada was born in the era of peace after the 4th Shinobi World War. She didn\'t carry the will of the former Uchiha Clan or arrogance.

She\'s a pure soul in a clan made with a river of blood.

Fugaku believed his granddaughter had the potential to change Uchiha Clan\'s fate. 

That\'s why.

That\'s why Fugaku steels himself. He couldn\'t afford to fall at this moment. 

He couldn\'t let the Otsutsuki Clan ruin this world. 

\'Batman, Sword God, Yunlong. If you have the power to change the world, I\'m willing to pay any price to see it.\' With that in mind, Fugaku suddenly found himself in the abyss.

He dazedly stood on the land full of bones, gazing at the full crimson moon above.

Not far away, a dark-robed figure appears. 

"What is your name?" The dark-robed figure revealed itself as a white-ash skeleton. 

Fugaku blinked and asked instead, "Am I in hell?" 

"Did I pass away?" 

"No, you\'re not in hell. Nor did you pass away. You\'re in the deepest part of your soul." The skeleton shook its skull.

"My soul?" 

"Correct." 

"You\'re currently facing the very manifestation of your soul. I\'m the spirit born by your suppressed emotions and regrets."

"Don\'t worry. Strictly speaking, I\'m just your clone." 

"That doesn\'t sound right," Fugaku commented calmly.

The skeleton\'s skull creaked and replied, "The Goddess of Purity used her power to bring out potential from one\'s soul. I am your potential." 

Fugaku was shocked by this, "You\'re my Martial Soul?" 

"No, I\'m not." The skeleton responded directly.

"This world is your Martial Soul." 

Fugaki\'s eyes widened as he witnessed the abyss twisting like a bunch of silks, and the full crimson moon above became a pair of sharingans. The sharingans possessed three tomoes, which rotated counterclockwise.

"This world is my Martiak Soul? How is that even possible?" He mumbled in disbelief.

"Nothing is impossible." The skeleton stated in a clear voice.

"You\'ve witnessed a god-like existence warping space and time like it was breathing." 

"Our situation is nothing special." 

"Then, why are we still here?" Fugaku frowned deeply.

The skeleton slowly pointed its bony fingers to the sharingans above and replied, "That\'s because you haven\'t accepted me." 

"You\'re afraid of me." 

"You\'re afraid of those suppressed emotions and regrets." 

"You\'re a coward in a worn-out shell." 

"ENOUGH!" Fugaku didn\'t like the way the skeleton said it. 

Even though it was true, Fugaku won\'t admit it. 

The skeleton shook its skull again, "You\'re foolish, Fugaku." 

"Being afraid is fine, but don\'t let it devour you." 

"This is the weakness of Uchiha. Every one of you is too emotional." 

"Just tell me how to accept you..." Fugaku stubbornly demanded.

The skeleton\'s skull burns with a fiery black-red flame. It extended its bony fingers to Fugaku\'s eyes and said, "Give me your eyes." 

"Give me your eyes, and you will wield 10% of this world\'s power."

"Only 10%?" Fugaku\'s expression darkened.

"10% is the amount you can handle for now." 

"Are you making fun of me?" 

"No, you\'re the one who makes fun of me here." 

Fugaku snorted and gathered his calmness, "Will I lose my Mangekyou\'s abilities?" 

"No, you won\'t lose them. You won\'t lose anything." The skeleton replied with a low tone. "The only reason I need your eyes is to allow me to see the world from your perspective." 

"I will be your puppet." 

"I will be your wicked side." 

"I will be the one... Who\'s doing the dirty stuff." 

Fugaku stared at the skeleton silently for a few minutes before saying confidently, "Take them." 

"We have a deal." The skeleton plucked Fugaku\'s eyes and placed them in its eye sockets. 

Fugaku didn\'t feel pain nor lose his vision. 

On the contrary, he felt a newfound energy flowing in his veins. 

This energy is none other than Spirit Energy!

...

...

After that, Fugaku awakened from his meditation and saw a skeleton puppet with red eyes glaring at him.

"Good job. You\'re the second person to awake from my trial." A calm voice alarmed Fugaku.

Fugaku looked to the left and saw Dong Chan looking at him with amusement on her face. 

"Ms. Chan." Fugaku greeted her politely.

Dong Chan glanced at the skeleton and commented, "You got shaken by your Martial Soul. Well, I had to say, you\'re awakening a rare Martial Soul."

"Wicked-Eyed Bone Puppet. It has dark, soul, curse, and rare abyss elements." 

"Unfortunately, you can\'t use its full power." 

"Am I right?" 

Fugaku sighed, "Yes, I could only wield 10% of my Martial Soul\'s power." 

"This is not even my Martial Soul\'s true form." 

"10%? That would do for now." Dong Chan nodded in understanding. 

"We can unlock your potential slowly."

"There is no rush."

"But the war..." Fugaku wanted to say something.

Dong Chan chuckled, "Do you think awakening a Martial Soul alone allows you to fight the Otsutsuki Clan? Don\'t think about the war too much, and fully focus on cultivating your new power." 

"Aih, like father, like son." 

"You guys focused on trivial things." 

"Sasuke, huh?" Fugaku helplessly laughed. 

Dong Chan suddenly summoned the Artificial Soul and sent it to Fugaku, making him groan in surprise. It felt like someone shoved a nail into his soul.

"What was that?" He rubbed his chest painfully.

"As expected, you don\'t need to meditate like Onoki. Your mental power is many times stronger than him." Dong Chan praised Fugaku. "The thing I put into your soul is the Artificial Soul." 

"Think of it as a substitute for Spirit Soul, and Yunlong made it just for you guys." 

"Batman was?" Fugaku narrowed his eyes in surprise.

"Yes." Dong Chan shrugged. "I won\'t lie about something like this." 

"I also have performed a soul contract between you and the Artificial Soul." 

"You might want to check it out." 

Fugaku felt an itchy sensation on his neck and saw a slender vine hugging him. He touched the vines, "What is this?" 

Dong Chan raised her eyebrow, "Underworld Vine. Hmm, to think your Artificial Soul is this..." 

"I don\'t know if you\'re lucky or not." 

"Underworld Vine possessed the same elements as your Martial Soul but also acted as a parasite on you." 

"It fed on your mental power." 

"If Underworld Vine consumed too much mental power, you might die..." 

Fugaku rubbed the vine and answered, "I don\'t think this fellow has ill intentions toward me." 

Dong Chan smiled, "That\'s good then." 

"Familiarize yourself with Underworld Vine, and form your 1st Spirit Ring."

"After this, I will let you meet Yunlong." 

Fugaku\'s eyes lit up, "Thank you, Ms. Chan. I mean, Empress!" 

Dong Chan waved her hand and floated away. She gazed at the distance and thought, \'This is definitely not a coincidence.\' 

\'A man actually contracted Underworld Vine. He will be the Bright Spirit Empire\'s greatest asset against dark creatures.\'