Chapter 413: Mangekyo Ocular Techniques
Naruto's first reaction was terror.
This was Amaterasu!
Even if it hadn't killed anyone, its greatest characteristic was that it never extinguished. Why would Satsuki suddenly release something like this on herself?!
"Satsuki! You—"
Before Naruto finished speaking, his hands had already instinctively begun forming seals—the initial movements of a fire-sealing technique instantly taking shape. He had to immediately seal this undying fire, otherwise...
But just then, his movements froze. Because the Amaterasu flames on Satsuki's body weren't burning. No, more accurately—they were indeed flickering, pitch-black flames wrapping around her arms, shoulders, neck, hair, yet flowing slowly like a docile pet, not scorching her clothing, much less leaving any burn marks on her skin.
Satsuki closed her eyes slightly, as if feeling the sensation of those flames flowing across her body.
Then she straightened up, extending both hands palms upward.
Those black flames coiling around her body gathered toward her palms, finally condensing into a hovering, quietly burning black fireball.
The flames danced in her palm, not leaking even a trace of heat.
"Naruto," Satsuki raised her head, eyes impossibly gentle. "Reach out your hand."
Satsuki's ocular technique was definitely not ordinary Amaterasu.
Naruto recalled the strange situation with Shisui at the organization base—first suddenly rigid as if "immobilized," then wrapped in Amaterasu yet suffering no actual harm, finally having his ocular power temporarily sealed.
Like an immobilization technique... similar functions to some kind of sealing technique.
Naruto didn't hesitate. He extended his right hand, fingertips reaching toward that mass of black flames.
The instant of contact—the flames didn't burn, didn't resist. They flowed up along his fingertips, silently sinking into his skin, merging into his meridians, finally settling into the core of his body's chakra circulation.
Naruto clearly felt that in the location where he stored chakra, there was now an additional unique, cold yet stable energy fluctuation—precisely that mass of Amaterasu fire from moments ago.
"Satsuki... what is this?"
Naruto looked at her somewhat uncertainly. Why would she store Amaterasu inside him? What did this mean?
"This is a gift." Satsuki curved her eyes, smile as soft as freshly melted snow. "A gift that... only Naruto has... absolutely unique."
The Mangekyo in her eyes still hadn't dispersed. On the crimson base, intricate black patterns slowly rotated, eerie yet beautiful.
"These eyes... the Mangekyo Sharingan are truly amazing." She spoke softly, sighing, yet also stating fact.
That night, when love surged through like a flood breaking through everything, a revelation-like understanding naturally floated into her mind—she hadn't named the ocular techniques. These eyes told her what they "were."
"Now..." Satsuki leaned forward slightly, hands gently grasping Naruto's. "I'm going to tell Naruto about... this Mangekyo Sharingan's ocular techniques."
"This way... you will understand."
Naruto nodded, not pulling his hand back, only quietly watching her, waiting for her to continue.
"First, the first ability..." Satsuki raised her hand, touching her right eye. "It's called [Tokoyo]."
"The ability is, I can control the 'time' of any object or living being."
"...Huh?" Naruto froze.
"It's a very practical ability." Satsuki's tone even carried innocent satisfaction. "I can even control myself. I've already tested it."
The corners of her mouth lifted in a soft curve.
"I paused my own time."
"Which means—" Her gaze fell on Naruto's face, eyes brimming with soft devotion.
"I can use my most beautiful age to stay by Naruto's side forever and ever."
"Wait... which means..." Naruto felt a chill run down his back.
That day when Shisui suddenly went rigid, even his Susanoo stopped operating—it wasn't because he was controlled by genjutsu, nor because he was dazed...
His time was paused?!
"However, if Naruto prefers other appearances..." Satsuki blinked, revealing a trace of cautious probing. "I can also 'accelerate time' or 'reverse time'... like becoming more mature, or returning to when I was younger..."
"That... Satsuki," Naruto somewhat stuttered as he interrupted her. "Can you... demonstrate for me?"
It wasn't that he didn't believe her. Just that the concept of "controlling time" was too absurd. This already touched upon the domain of rules.
"Eh? Of course." Satsuki nodded. "However, what should I demonstrate with?"
"Can you use this?" Naruto quickly grabbed an apple from the fruit plate on the table—one Kushina had prepared two days ago. The skin was slightly wrinkled, a bit less than fresh.
"I can." Satsuki took the apple, cradling it in her palm. She lowered her eyes slightly, the Mangekyo patterns flowing slowly in her pupil depths, gaze focusing on the apple's surface in that instant.
The change began.
The apple's skin shed its wrinkles at a visible rate, regaining full luster. The color shifted from somewhat tired red, gradually turning toward vibrantly dripping bright red—but this wasn't the end yet.
The color continued changing, from red to green—the unripe, immature green appearance.
The apple's volume also shrank synchronously, shape becoming more round and delicate, finally freezing at a form Naruto had never seen before—a green apple just grown on the branch.
Reversal—this was the apple's "time" reversal.
Satsuki's ocular power continued.
The green apple continued shrinking, outline gradually blurring, form beginning to twist, reconstruct—finally, it was no longer a fruit but transformed into a pure white delicate, five-petaled apple blossom, quietly lying in Satsuki's palm.
From fruit, reversed to flower.
From "result," flowing back to "bloom."
Naruto held his breath.
The Mangekyo Sharingan's abilities often reflected the deepest obsessions and wishes in the awakener's heart at that time... So "controlling time"... what exactly did Satsuki want to control back then?
Could it be she initially wanted to pause that entire night's time?!
What Naruto didn't yet know was: if the next morning, when Satsuki asked him with a blushing face "Last night... did it leave you with wonderful memories?"—if he'd given a negative answer...
"However, this ability also has flaws." Satsuki's voice pulled him back to reality.
The white flower in her palm began reverse transformation—from bud rapidly maturing to green fruit, then turning red, swelling, finally becoming a plump, perfectly ripe fresh apple again.
"Besides myself, if I want to control other living beings' time, it depends on the strength gap."
"Back then with Uchiha Shisui... I could at most pause his time for less than thirty seconds. However—"
She paused, a calm assessment sweeping through her eyes. "If he were in a severely injured state or his chakra was depleted... this duration could be extended."
Like an invisible tug-of-war—the gap in both parties' chakra reserves, physical strength, and willpower toughness determined the degree to which Satsuki could interfere with their "time flow."
Only two exceptions existed.
First, lifeless inanimate objects—like this apple. Satsuki could freely reverse it to a flower or accelerate it to complete decay.
Second, 'completely willing' subjects—those who completely opened their body and mind, accepting her manipulation of time without any resistance.