Chương 126

"His champions are known by many names, though in recent history they have become known collectively as Moon Knights. Each is granted remarkable gifts through their bond with him. Enhanced strength, resilience, flight under certain conditions, mystical weaponry, and other abilities depending upon the nature of the pact." Her expression gradually became more serious.

"But every gift carries a price. Khonshu expects absolute service from those he chooses. His influence does not simply grant power... it slowly intertwines itself with the life of his avatar. Whether that influence becomes guidance, obsession, or imprisonment in their own minds depends greatly upon both the individual... and Khonshu's own intentions."

"I will never be a prisoner to anyone." Sasuke said.

"That you might not be, but his influence will linger always." The Ancient One said.

"What did he offer you that you even decided to follow him?" Sasuke stiffened but after a small moment of silence he replied.

"He said that I won't ever be under any kind of illusions and also that I will be stronger than ever before." The Ancient One nodded. Khonshu was a master manipulator, and always knew how to get to the broken minds. Though she wasn't sure why was this kid's mind broken.

"If you don't mind me asking, why would you even accept a higher power, as from the looks of it you are already very powerful?" The Ancient One asked.

"I want revenge against my brother."

"Brother? Why? Because he took your toy?" Th Ancient One asked. The response of the Ancient One earned quite the scowl from Sasuke, but he did eventually reply.

"He killed my clan and my parents." Sasuke said, and one could see that he gritting on his teeth as he spoke about his parents. This made even the Ancient One stunned and then looked at the elders in the room. They had a awkward look on their faces, and could only admit while lowering their heads. The eyes of the Ancient One narrowed and now he looked at Rei. Rei too nodded and then she looked at Sasuke.

"I am sorry for my previous mocking." The Ancient One said with all her sincerity as she really didn't expect such kind of past from this young blood. Sasuke didn't care much as she was genuinely ignorant of his world. After several quiet moments, Sasuke finally broke the silence.

"... Then tell me." Everyone turned toward him.

"What exactly am I supposed to do now?" His gaze remained fixed upon the towering illusion of the moon god.

"If I'm his avatar... what does he expect from me?" The Ancient One folded her hands together before answering.

"To serve." The single word lingered heavily throughout the room before she continued.

"Khonshu has always viewed himself as an instrument of justice, though his understanding of justice rarely aligns with that of ordinary people. He seeks vengeance against those who escape punishment. He hunts murderers, monsters, supernatural threats and, perhaps most importantly, the avatars of rival gods whose actions threaten the balance he wishes to preserve."

"So he is a good guy?" Naruto asked which earned a hit on his head by both Sakura and Karin. With another gentle motion of her hand, the illusion shifted. Around Khonshu appeared several other towering figures, each representing ancient divine beings from forgotten civilizations. Mortal champions clothed in different mystical armors stood beneath them, locked in battles that stretched across centuries.

"Your duties will not be limited to ordinary criminals." the Ancient One continued.

"Should Khonshu command it, you may one day find yourself standing against the chosen champions of other ancient gods. Such conflicts have occurred before, though humanity rarely notices them." The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"So he is a bad guy?" Naruto asked, and this time Tsunade and Jiraya hit him.

"But there is another reason he chose you." She paused briefly.

"Khonshu is deeply connected to vengeance. Your hatred for your brother... your relentless pursuit of revenge... your refusal to let go of the past..." She spoke without judgment.

"To a being like Khonshu, your soul was already walking along a path he understands very well. You were not chosen despite your desire for vengeance." Sasuke lowered his head slightly before asking another question.

"... If one day I decide I don't want to serve him anymore..." His black eyes slowly lifted and it turned crimson with three tomoe.

"... Can I fight him?"

"No." The answer came without hesitation.

"Not as you are now. He is not merely a powerful magician or an exceptionally gifted warrior. He is an ancient entity who has existed for ages beyond human history. Mortality and immortality no longer apply to him in ways they do to us."

"... Then how does someone stand on equal footing with a being like that?"

"By learning to understand the universe as it truly is." Her hand traced another glowing mandala through the air.

"The Mystic Arts do not merely teach spells. They teach perception. They reveal dimensions beyond dimensions, realities beyond realities, and the countless threads that bind the multiverse together. Only by walking such a path could someone even begin approaching the level at which beings like Khonshu exist."

"... Then teach me." The room became silent once again.

"I wish to learn the Mystic Arts." The Ancient One studied him quietly for several long moments before gently shaking her head.

"No." Sasuke's brows immediately furrowed.

"... Why? I possess talent. I can learn."

"I have no doubt that you can." the Ancient One answered softly.

"Your intelligence is exceptional, your determination unwavering, and your capacity for growth remarkable. But none of those qualities are the reason I refuse." Sasuke frowned deeper.

"Then what is?"

"The Mystic Arts demand that one first learns humility before power. Every student who enters Kamar-Taj must eventually understand that the universe does not revolve around themselves. They must learn to protect realities they will never call home and people whose names they will never know." She turned back toward Sasuke.

"You, however, remain consumed by a single destination. Your brother. You still measure every decision, every opportunity and every new power by one question." Her eyes met his without hostility.

"Will it help kill my brother. Mystic Arts can easily be used to gain higher power which are more harmful to you than Khonshu could ever be." The Ancient One said. Sasuke was silent. For the first time since entering Kamar-Taj, he couldn't find a single argument to refute her words. Everything he had done ever since that night had been for one purpose alone. Every jutsu he wished to master, every ounce of strength he sought, every step he took... all of it inevitably led back to Itachi.

Seeing his silence, the Ancient One simply smiled gently, neither judging nor pitying him. At that moment, Naruto suddenly raised his hand like an academy student.

"Then... can we at least see the Mystic Arts?" he asked excitedly.

"We've only seen those orange circles and that weird soul thing. I wanna see what they can really do!" A faint smile appeared on the Ancient One's face.

"I suppose... there is no harm in showing you." Without another word, she formed the movement of flower blooming. The entire room fractured like glass. The floor, walls and ceiling folded outward into countless impossible angles before everyone suddenly found themselves standing beneath an endless sky where mountains floated upside down and entire buildings bent upon themselves without collapsing. Naruto's mouth fell completely open.

"... What... is... THIS?!"

"This," the Ancient One replied calmly, "is the Mirror Dimension. A reflection of your reality, separated from it. Here we may reshape the world without causing harm to those outside. It is both a training ground and a battlefield for practitioners of the Mystic Arts." Before anyone could recover from the shock, the Ancient One casually waved one hand, and soon they found themselves outside of Kamar Taj. Entire sections of the city twisted like paper.

Staircases rotated sideways, gravity shifted directions, and enormous stone platforms folded through one another without breaking. With another graceful motion, brilliant golden constructs materialized around her. Shields, spears, chains, floating platforms and intricate mandalas appeared one after another, hovering effortlessly before dissolving back into shimmering sparks. Even Kakashi found himself speechless.

"... This isn't ninjutsu..."

"No." Rei answered quietly.

"It's something else entirely." Sasuke stared at the impossible landscape with wide eyes while his Sharingan instinctively activated, desperately trying to understand what it was witnessing. Beside him, Naruto's excitement reached its peak as he pointed toward the floating city with both hands.

"I want to learn this!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Please teach me! This is even cooler than Rasengan!"

"... Me as well." Sasuke added without taking his eyes off the shifting reality.

"If this can let me understand beings like Khonshu, then I wish to study it." The Ancient One looked at the two boys before gently shaking her head.

"I cannot." Naruto's face immediately fell.

"Eh? Why not me too?" The Ancient One's gaze settled upon Naruto's abdomen.

"Because you carry a malevolent existence within your soul." The room became quiet.

"I do not speak of you, Naruto Uzumaki. I can feel a malevolent existence within yourself. Though I don't know you have that sealed inside your body, it's too much of a risk for Kamar Taj. Until the two of you reach understanding, coexistence or some form of genuine partnership, I cannot allow you to study the Mystic Arts."