Sasuke's research into the third eye wasn't a recent endeavor. It had begun two years earlier, when he first started learning Medical Ninjutsu.
After all, the third eye was a real and undeniable existence in this world, most notably represented by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's Eye of the Moon.
Knowing this, Sasuke naturally wouldn't overlook such an important area of study.
Through his research, he discovered that, just as in his previous life, living beings in this world also possessed a structure resembling a third eye—the pineal gland—located at the center of the forehead.
Humans were no exception. He had confirmed this through autopsies of Snow Ninja corpses during his mission to the Land of Snow.
Sasuke himself also possessed what could be considered a vestigial third eye, though he couldn't perform an autopsy on himself.
However, using Medical Ninjutsu and specialized instruments, he easily confirmed its presence.
However, Sasuke's own third eye, or rather the Uchiha Clan's third eye, was exceptionally unique.
For instance, Sasuke could now, thanks to the almost cheat-like power of Medical Ninjutsu, grow a so-called third eye on a lab rat with minimal time and effort.
However, he couldn't yet awaken the third eye in ordinary humans, let alone in himself.
To illustrate with a numerical analogy, if the difficulty of awakening the third eye in a simple-minded, physically weak creature like a laboratory mouse is 1, then the difficulty for an ordinary human would be 10, and for Sasuke, it would be 10,000!
Moreover, this 10,000 is an imaginary number, representing a value far exceeding ten thousand—it could be 10,000, 100,000, 1 million, 10 million, or even 100 million.
After all, if Sasuke were to awaken his third eye, it would likely be the legendary Eye of the Moon, the so-called "Bloodline Limit: Kekkei Mora" eye, fusing the Yin-Yang and Five Elements thus achieving seven Chakra natures.
This supreme eye could instantly pull trillions of living beings across the entire planet into an eternal dream.
Under its radiant light, not even the smallest creatures—cats, dogs, fish, or shrimp—would escape its grasp.
(In the anime, the light of the Infinite Tsukuyomi is portrayed as all-penetrating, meaning no one could escape its effects by hiding underground or in the ocean.)
Sasuke wasn't in a hurry to awaken this so-called third eye, but his years of research into the pineal gland hadn't been entirely fruitless.
He discovered that awakening the Uchiha's third eye was nearly impossible, but transplanting an eye was surprisingly easy.
Fortunately, he had a close blood relative whose eyes would fuse perfectly with his own without rejection.
He had long planned to evolve Uchiha Fugaku's Mangekyō into the Eternal Mangekyō.
However, over the years, Sasuke had been struggling to decide what to do with his original mother, Uchiha Mikoto's Sharingan.
Leaving aside whether merging three pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan was even possible, even if it were:
First, Uchiha Mikoto's Sharingan wasn't a Mangekyō Sharingan; it was only a Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Second, Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto weren't closely related by blood.
Therefore, even if Mikoto's eyes were also Mangekyō, Sasuke could only fuse with one set.
If his only use for them was as resurrection through Izanagi, Sasuke wouldn't even bother with Izanagi in the first place.
Moreover, such a method would be an utter waste, and both his heart and logic rejected the idea.
Furthermore, with his current mastery of Medical Ninjutsu, he couldn't fathom how a Sharingan could be transplanted onto an arm or palm lacking any visual nerves.
The pineal gland he discovered at his glabella undoubtedly piqued his immense interest.
This area contained every sensory nerve found in the eyes, including the trigeminal nerve, lacrimal nerve, frontal nerve, and more.
Moreover, after awakening his Mangekyō Sharingan, Sasuke discovered something new in this region.
He detected an extremely subtle, almost imperceptible presence—a small but intensely pure energy, its quality rivaling the Yin Release power of his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Had Sasuke not mastered Medical Ninjutsu and maintained a meticulous focus on this area, an ordinary Uchiha would never have discovered this Yin Release power, which was of equal quality to that of the Sharingan, existing elsewhere in the body.
These two discoveries held profound implications:
First, Sasuke could effortlessly transplant his Sharingan to his glabella, using a method far superior to Danzō's crude approach. Danzō's approach failed to utilize the Sharingan's full observational, replication, or destructive capabilities.
It could only be used as a revival coin, and even then, at the risk of severe backlash.
But Sasuke had no such concerns. The pineal gland housed all the sensory nerves connected to the eyes, including the trigeminal, lacrimal, and frontal nerves.
After the transplant, Sasuke could open and close the third eye at will, appearing perfectly normal in everyday life.
In battle, he could activate it whenever he needed, switching it on and off effortlessly.
Moreover, as it was a blood relative's eye, Sasuke could perfectly integrate it and maximize its potential.
Secondly, the pineal gland contained Yin Release energy, meaning this transplanted third Sharingan could evolve along with his own Sharingan as his strength grew.
Someday, it might even become his unique Eye of the Moon!
After all, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki had awakened the Eye of the Moon by consuming the fruit of the Divine Tree.
For Sasuke, evolving his ordinary Sharingan into the Eye of the Moon should be no problem!
Despite this, Uchiha Mikoto's Sharingan was ultimately just a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, not a Mangekyō.
After the transplant, Sasuke could gain a slight boost in power, but the effect would be minimal—barely better than nothing.
Though the pineal gland contained a Yin Release power comparable in quality to that of a Mangekyō, its quantity was pitifully small.
Attempting to use this Yin Release power to catalyze the evolution of Sasuke's Three-Tomoe Sharingan into a Mangekyō would take an immeasurable number of years.
Moreover, a crucial element was missing: emotional stimulation!
Sasuke had no desire to cultivate another Ido.
With Kurama Yakumo currently absent from Konoha, cultivating Ido would be both a waste of time and exceedingly dangerous.
The terrifying loneliness and overwhelming negativity he had faced before were something he never wanted to confront again.
Besides, Sasuke hadn't even fully cleaned up the mess from his previous fusion with Ido Sasuke. If he tried again, he might truly lose himself.
After careful consideration, Sasuke set his sights on the Box of Ultimate Bliss in the Grass Village.
This legendary ultimate weapon, said to have been left behind by the Sage of the Six Paths, was a sinister artifact capable of granting its opener a single wish.
Having read the original story, Sasuke knew the so-called "wish" was merely a gimmick, offering only a small, fleeting reward to the opener.
Regardless of the wish made, the Box of Ultimate Bliss would grant a minor reward before unleashing an immortal monster: Satori!
In the original timeline, Mui, the lord of Hozuki Castle, opened the Box of Paradise with the wish to revive his son, Muku, who had died years earlier.
Muku was indeed resurrected, but Satori also took possession of his body, using it as a vessel for its rebirth.
That was how it played out in the original timeline. But what if Sasuke opened the Box of Ultimate Bliss?
What if his wish was to evolve Uchiha Mikoto's Sharingan into the Mangekyō Sharingan?
'Heh.'
___
This Sasuke Is Strange 220 advanced chapters: (5 ch updates everyday)
Patreon.com/rashta
Be a member so you can also read:
1. 345 adv ch of Talent System In Naruto (Completed)
2. 487 adv ch of This Danzo Is Weird
3. 270 adv ch of Uchiha Madara's Cousin
4. 163 adv ch of WDQK: Divorcing Ling Qingzhu (Completed)
5. 560 adv ch of Qian Renxue's Younger Brother
6. 274 adv ch of I'm Huo Yuhao's System
7. Adv chapters of Naruto: Galgame System (Upcoming)