Crimson Gaze

Life isn't fair. That's the truth of everything. Nothing was fair. Some people were naturally talented while others struggled to get even slightly ahead. Life also isn't fair in the sense that those people who deserved death never got the kind of death they deserved, while others who were innocent died unjustly.

Something similar happened to me actually, I ended up having someone crash into the back of my car and send me hurtling out of my windshield, all because I bought a shitheap of a car without a seatbelt or airbags. I was even saving up for a fucking better one and everything! And I'm sure I should be grateful that I didn't die painfully, I'd prefer not being dead to being stuck in whatever darkness I was currently trapped in. It was driving me fucking insane man. I don't know how long I spent in that darkness, there was nothing to keep track of, just emptiness.

And then there was light, burning bright, demanding sustenance. I moved closer to it, though I lacked a true physical form. The light was an orb, beautiful and white, untainted by hate. I reached out to it and suddenly I could see. I looked down to myself, staring at nothing. I had no physical form, I was just shadows, coiling around, aching to become part of the light. I slowly reached out to the orb, allowing myself to be drawn in, taking control of it, consuming it into myself and growing. I could see it all, the ground beneath me was a massive eye, red and unblinking, a ripple pattern over the eyeball and 9 tomoe. 

And suddenly, I was on hard wooden ground, breathing deeply as I stared out at the lake. Knowledge filled me, of two lives that merged into one, the older soul, the first one that had lost its name taking over. I was Kagami Uchiha, named after a legendary ancestor, the very one that served Tobirama Senju and very likely was the first person who Danzo took a Sharingan from.

I was the brother of Shisui Uchiha, I was not meant to exist. I was an anomaly. I was… I was not the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths and… I was happy with that. I already had the blood of a legend, of the mighty Indra Otsutsuki running through me. I had the potential to awaken eyes that no man would dare to test, eyes that would bring nations to their feet… I chewed on my lip as I became aware of my chakra, my memories having assimilated the knowledge Kagami had held before. He-I had been practicing the Fireball jutsu, aiming to impress his-my brother when he came back from a mission. I was also very aware of my chakra, likely from not having lived in this world before.

Which is why I found it strange that I was channeling chakra to my eyes. Slowly, I made my way to the edge of the pier, gazing down into the water and meeting my reflection. I was a cute kid, boasting the same inky black hair the other Uchiha had, alongside pale skin but my eyes were currently blood red, three tomoe swirling ominously as I gazed into my own eyes. I blinked and then carefully shut off the chakra, causing my eyes to turn black like my hair. What was even stranger was that I felt like I could easily make my Sharingan reach the next stage of evolution, had I awakened my Sharingan to the point it became a Mangekyou after I merged with the soul of the old Kagami? I didn't risk going further though just yet, I could clearly feel a level of drain on my chakra just using the three tomoe, the Mangekyou might kill me from the chakra drain. Either way, even if I couldn’t use it, this was a definite advantage, especially when I was on a timer against Itachi murdering our whole clan. Going off my memories, the Nine Tails attack when I was a year or so old, though our parents survived. In fact, my father had lost a leg in the Second Shinobi World War, though Shisui was the breadwinner for our family, with our mother having passed a year ago while my father lost his memory. 

Shisui was currently a Jonin and usually too busy taking missions, though he'd always teach me a few things once in a while. It was thanks to him that I was the top scorer in all subjects in the Academy, competing with Neji Hyuga, someone who currently wasn't filled with hatred towards the main branch of the Hyuga. Honestly, they'd done something incredibly stupid, they could have just made a seal to ensure that any Byakugan would be destroyed upon the death of the user, saving them a ton of issues.

Unfortunately, they had the wisdom of a 3 year old and thus did not even try to ensure that their main branch was also protected from bloodline theft by implanting a seal on them. That was unimportant though, my mind needed to focus on more important things, like getting stronger fast and killing off Danzo. His death would cut off so many potential headaches for me. Too bad he was protected by some of the strongest people around and just below Kage level in terms of ability.

All that meant was that I had to get stronger then. Something I immediately got to work on, practicing the various jutsu Kagami already knew and using my Sharingan to see how I could adjust my techniques by copying other, more experienced ninja. What? It wasn’t like it would matter since they were my clansmen. I had no doubt that Itachi would end them and save me from having to suffer any consequences of copying them, though I will honor them by being an amazing fire style user, something made easy by the fact that I was quite talented.

If a regular Uchiha was superior to any civilian born ninja, then the brother to Shisui Uchiha would obviously be amazing too, and I proved that right, though I preferred to practice alone, far from distractions from my peers. My Sharingan aided in my growth too, making me improve in leaps and bounds compared to others' moderate growth. It also taught me how to conserve my chakra, using the bare minimum for the most gain.

I also had another problem, one that was more annoying than a threat if I was being honest, “Kagami! Let's go play!" Ah, long gone are my days of being allowed to train peacefully, instead I am hounded by Itachi's brother, pushed together since our brothers are friends. “Alright." I grunted before following behind the kid who would eventually go on to become one of the strongest ninja ever. Right now though, he was just being an annoying little shit. Of course, I didn't want to get on the bad side of someone who would eventually become a literal demi-god, so it was best to get on his good side while he was still young.

Interesting fact, most kid games were just exercises to help you in becoming a ninja. 

It was something I took advantage of to train my other abilities, like my ability to hide or sneak up on foes, even if hiding from Sasuke would probably be completely different from a proper ninja, still, use every opportunity to grow and all that. Suffice to say, I had won every single game we played, though I will admit my surprise that Sasuke had some serious determination in him, he'd always come back for more no matter what. “So, what game are we gonna play?" I questioned, my hands stuffed in my pockets. 

“Ooh, can we play hide and seek?" I nodded indulgently and did the magnanimous thing by being It. As I counted down, my eyes spotted the Uchiha guard meant to be keeping an eye on us, idly wondering if I could defeat him in a fight, especially with the advantage the Sharingan gave me.

Another fun fact, most Uchiha don't awaken their Sharingan at all. Only the most elite get to the 3 tomoe stage. 

I was openly hailed as just as great of a shinobi as Itachi and Shisui thanks to my newly awakened eyes. No one really pried into what caused me to awaken our legendary ability which was good cause I doubted I could spin a story that would be believed to a bunch of ninjas that were trained to spot lies. I did take advantage of my status to memorize as many jutsu as possible and though I'd love to get my hands on some seals, the Uchiha clan only had a few seals from the time of the Uzushiogakure, with most of them being basic ones. It made sense though since if you had complex seals pulled out against you, you weren't likely to be getting out alive.

I did my best to learn them, even going so far as to check out some books on sealing from the academy library. While they were relatively basic, they were perfect for me since I could memorize every instruction with my Sharingan, allowing me to perfectly create basic storage seals at the same quality every time. That might seem like something unimportant but here's the thing, according to my book on basic seals, no two seals are perfectly alike, there was always some minute difference between them, some tiny brushstroke being just a bit different. To be able to produce seals at the same level of quality? That made me important, which meant that the storage and explosive tags I was producing would eventually fetch me some decent profits, I'd even scouted out a buyer, someone I assumed was Tenten’s father. All that was left was for me to get to work making a bunch of seals and then sell them off.

I looked around the park, tuning out my chakra sense and using my other senses instead since relying too much on one thing was too big of a risk with how it could be countered and leave me blind. My eyes scanned my surroundings, spotting Sasuke hiding behind a bush, “Found you!" I said, grinning down at the younger boy, only to tense up as someone appears behind me. 

Then a hand comes to rest on top of my head, mussing up my hair, “Ohoho, looks like another win for my little brother Itachi. Seems like you'll be paying for dango today as well.” I flip around, a wide grin on my face as I bury my face in my older brother's chest, 

"Shisui! I missed you!” I shouted, a wide smile on my face. Many might have wondered why on earth I'd forge a connection with someone I knew would die. The question I have for you is, wouldn't you work to ensure they don't die? Shisui was my brother, I'd inherited this body's memories, losing the ones of my old family and friends in the process. That meant that I latched onto one of the only people I was close to, Shisui, my older brother, the one who spent days on missions just to make sure that I lived happily. 

He was my brother and I'd be damned if I let Danzo kill him. I'd avert that end, no matter what it took. I personally ranked myself at the tier of a Chunin in skills but I wanted a second opinion. Someone completely unbiased. 

“Itachi, do you think I could beat a Chunin as I am right now?" I questioned as I munched on a dango stick Shisui bought. 

The older boy looked me over, his Sharingan flaring to life, “Hm, you could beat a normal Chunin." I beamed with pride at his words.

"How hurtful, my own little brother thinks so lowly of me that he trusts Itachi's opinion over mine.” Shisui pouted as I reached out to smack him, the older boy easily dodging my attack.

"That's because you have no choice but to say that I'm better than any Chunin, since I'm your brother. Itachi on the other hand is an unbiased person.” Sasuke tugged on Itachi's shirt.

"Itachi what's ‘unbiased’ mean?” Itachi poked his brother on the forehead before he replied.

"It means to be fair and not let your opinion about something influence your choice.” And as my brother whined about how he was completely unbiased and trustworthy, I allowed a smile to grace my face. I'd do anything to protect my brother. Anything.

And so, I took my training up a notch even further. The Uchiha clan archives possessed some other types of knowledge too and I learnt as much as I could about medical jutsu and the Eight Gates of Death. These Gates regulated the chakra one could use.

I didn't want to just use the Gates, I wanted to master them. That required some extreme training, the kind that only one person could possibly accomplish. Might Guy, the one man declared by Madara to be the strongest Taijutsu user. I couldn't just ask Shisui to introduce me to him, not in a time when every action an Uchiha made was heavily scrutinized. No, I needed an excuse, a natural opening.

And so I began to spend my mornings running around Konoha. It took me quite a few days of running all over the village before I finally interacted with the Green Beast of Konoha.

The morning air was crisp, the faint glow of dawn barely cresting over Konoha’s walls as I pushed myself through another lap around the village. Sweat dripped down my brow, my muscles burning, but I refused to slow. Every step was a step closer to strength—to survival.  

Then, like a hurricane of enthusiasm, *he* appeared.  

"YOSH! A fellow youthful runner, charging headfirst into the flames of passion!"

I nearly tripped as a green blur skidded to a halt beside me. There he stood—Might Guy, in all his spandex-clad glory, his grin blinding even in the dim light. His eyes sparkled with an intensity that could rival the sun.  

I slowed to a stop, panting slightly. "M-Might Guy," I managed between breaths.  

"Ah! You know my name! That means you must recognize the power of youth!" He struck a dramatic pose, thumbs-up gleaming. "But tell me, young Uchiha, what drives you to push your limits at such an early hour?" 

I wiped my forehead, considering my words carefully. "I want to be strong. Not just with the Sharingan, but with my body. I’ve heard… legends of the Eight Gates."  

Guy’s expression shifted, his usual exuberance giving way to something more serious. "The Eight Inner Gates are not a path to be taken lightly. They demand absolute dedication—and carry great risk."

I met his gaze, unflinching. "I know. But I’m willing to do whatever it takes."  

For a moment, he studied me. Then, like a switch flipping, his grin returned tenfold. "YOSH! Such burning determination! Very well, Kagami Uchiha! If you seek to walk the path of the Eight Gates, then you must first prove your resolve!" He pointed dramatically toward the horizon. "Fifty laps around Konoha! And if you can keep up with me, I’ll consider training you!"

I didn’t hesitate. "Done."  

And with that, the real hell began.  

Guy wasn’t just fast—he was a monster. His stamina seemed infinite, his strides effortless. I pushed myself to the brink, my lungs screaming, my legs threatening to give out. But I refused to stop. Every time I faltered, Guy’s voice boomed beside me.  

"Is this the limit of an Uchiha’s youth?!"

"No!" I snarled, forcing my body to move faster. I have to be strong to protect my family!

By the twentieth lap, my vision blurred. By the thirtieth, my muscles felt like molten lead. But I kept going.  

Finally, as the sun climbed high, Guy skidded to a stop. I collapsed onto my knees, gasping for air.  

"Hahaha! Magnificent effort, my youthful rival!" Guy clapped a hand on my shoulder, nearly knocking me over. "Very few can match my pace—especially not on their first try! You’ve earned my respect!"  

I grinned through the exhaustion. "Does that mean… you’ll train me?"  

Guy’s eyes gleamed. "Indeed! Starting tomorrow, we shall forge your body into a weapon of youth! But be warned—my training is not for the faint of heart!"*

"I wouldn’t have it any other way."  

True to his word, Guy’s training was brutal.  

Push-ups with one-handed finger stands. Sprinting with weighted logs strapped to my back. Sparring sessions where he moved faster than my Sharingan could track. Every day was agony. Every night, I collapsed into bed, barely able to move.  

But I improved.  

My body hardened. My reflexes sharpened. And, most importantly, my chakra control grew tighter—essential for handling the Gates.  

One evening, after a particularly grueling session, Guy finally nodded in approval.  

"You’ve made remarkable progress, Kagami! Your flames of youth burn brighter than ever!" He crossed his arms. "Now, I believe you are ready to learn the first Gate—the Gate of Opening!" 

I straightened, heart pounding. "Teach me."  

Guy’s grin turned fierce. "Very well! But remember—the Gates are a double-edged sword. Open them only when absolutely necessary!"

And so, under the fading light of dusk, Might Guy began my instruction in the art of the Eight Gates.  

The forest clearing was silent save for the sound of my ragged breathing. Sweat dripped from my brow as I stood in a ready stance, my muscles coiled like springs. Might Guy loomed before me, his usual cheer replaced with rare solemnity.  

"The First Gate—the Gate of Opening is located in the brain," Guy explained, tapping his forehead. "It restricts the flow of chakra to your muscles, limiting your physical power. By releasing it, you shatter those restraints, granting you strength beyond your normal limits."  

I nodded, focusing inward. My chakra pulsed beneath my skin, a river waiting to burst its dam.  

"To open it, you must force chakra through the tenketsu at the crown of your head with enough pressure to overwhelm the natural seal. But be warned—your body is not meant to handle that kind of strain. If you push too far, too fast, you will break."

I smirked. "Good thing I don’t plan on breaking."  

Guy grinned. "That’s the spirit! Now—TRY IT!"  

I exhaled sharply, channeling chakra upward in a violent surge. The pressure built—a dam straining—until—  

CRACK.  

A pulse of energy exploded through me. My veins burned. My muscles screamed. But then—  

Power. 

Raw, unfiltered strength flooded my limbs. My vision sharpened. My body felt lighter, faster. I moved—blurring forward in a burst of speed that left the ground cracking beneath me.  

Guy’s eyes widened. "HAHA! You opened it on your first try! That’s the power of youth!"

I grinned, exhilarated. The pain was there—a dull, throbbing ache—but it was manageable.  

Then, I did something Guy didn’t expect.  

I channeled medical ninjutsu. It was difficult and there was a great deal of wastage since the sheer amount of chakra I had was so difficult to manage. Thankfully, my body being so greedy about wasting chakra meant that I could still manipulate it.

Green chakra flickered around my hands as I pressed them against my temples, knitting together the microscopic tears in my muscles and nerves. The pain dulled further.  

Guy froze. "You… you’re healing the backlash?"

I shrugged. "Seemed logical."  

His expression shifted—first shock, then *

approval. "You’re not just talented… you’re a genius!”

If Guy was impressed by the First Gate, he was stunned by what came next.  

Located in the brain, just below the first. It accelerated my body’s natural recovery.  

With my medical ninjutsu already mitigating damage, the Second Gate’s effects synergized. My muscles repaired themselves even as I pushed them beyond their limits.  

Guy watched, awed, as I opened it within minutes.  

At the base of the spine. It forced adrenaline and chakra to flood my system, enhancing reflexes and pain tolerance.  

This one hurt. A lot.  

But the pain was temporary. Power was forever.  

I gritted my teeth, forced my chakra downward—and opened the Third Gate. My body surged with energy, my senses sharpening to an almost unnatural degree. It felt like I was using my Sharingan without even having it active.  

Guy’s voice was hushed. "No one… no one has ever opened three Gates in a single day."

I smirked through the strain. "Guess I’m setting records, then."  

Now it was time for the first true risk. Located in the abdomen, the Gate of Pain unleashed monstrous power—at the cost of tearing muscle fibers apart.  

Most would collapse here.  

But I wasn’t most people.  

Medical chakra already coated my hands as I forced open the Fourth Gate.  

AGONY.  

My muscles ripped. My bones groaned. But my healing chakra was already working, stitching me back together even as I broke.  

Guy’s face was pale. "Kagami… you need to stop. This is too much!"

I shook my head. "Not yet."  

Because I could feel it—the next threshold. The Fifth Gate. 

But before I could push further, Guy’s hand clamped onto my shoulder.  

"ENOUGH." His voice was uncharacteristically stern. "Even with healing, your body has limits. Push too far, and you’ll cripple yourself."

I wanted to argue—but the moment I released the Gates, the exhaustion slammed into me. I swayed, barely staying upright.  

Guy caught me before I could collapse. "You’ve already done the impossible. Rest. Take a few days to recover. Pushing yourself this far this past is unreasonable. You're not even out of the academy yet.” Oh if only you knew about the true monsters in this world, you'd probably agree that what I'm doing is completely rational. 

That night, Shisui found me sprawled out in the Uchiha compound’s training grounds, my body aching but my spirit alight.  

"Kagami," he said, crouching beside me. "You’ve been pushing yourself too hard."  

I chuckled weakly. "No such thing."  

Shisui’s Sharingan flickered to life, scanning me. "I heard you’re training with Might Guy?"  

"Yep."  

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You’re going to kill yourself."  

I sat up, meeting his gaze. "Or I’ll get strong enough to protect what matters."  

For a moment, Shisui was silent. Then, he smirked. "Fine. But if you die, I’m bringing you back just to kill you again."  

I laughed. "Deal."  

The morning sun blazed overhead as I stood across from Might Guy, both of us crouched in mirrored stances. Sweat dripped from my brow, but my breathing was steady. My muscles hummed with restrained power, ready to strike at any moment.  

Guy’s grin was sharp, "Ready, Kagami?"

I smirked. "Always."  

In unison, we moved.

"First Gate: Gate of Opening—RELEASE!" It wasn't necessary to shout the name of a technique, it just helped you visualize it in your mind and use it.

A shockwave of force erupted beneath us as our chakra surged, the air itself trembling from the sudden burst of power. The world sharpened—colors brighter, sounds crisper, my body thrumming with raw energy.  

But this time, it was different. 

This wasn’t just a temporary boost.  

This was natural. 

For weeks, I had done nothing but drill the First Gate.  

Open. Fight. Heal. Repeat.  

At first, the backlash had been brutal—muscles tearing, bones creaking under the strain. But with each repetition, my body adapted. My medical ninjutsu stitched the micro-tears before they could fully form, reinforcing my tissues until they could handle the strain without damage.  

Now?  

The First Gate wasn’t just a technique.  

It was part of me.

Guy lunged, a blur of green and fury. His fist rocketed toward my face—  

I twisted, letting the blow whistle past my ear before countering with a sweeping kick.  

Guy blocked, his forearm slamming against my shin with a crack that echoed through the training ground.  

"YOSH! Your speed is improving!" he cheered, flipping back.  

"Only because you keep trying to punch my teeth out," I shot back, darting forward.  

Our exchange became a whirlwind—fists and feet colliding in rapid succession, the ground fracturing beneath us. Each strike carried enough force to crater stone, yet neither of us gave an inch.  

Guy’s eyes gleamed with approval. "You’ve integrated the First Gate into your base abilities! A feat only the most youthful of warriors could achieve! You truly are a genius!”

I ducked under a roundhouse kick, retaliating with a palm strike aimed at his ribs. "Took you long enough to notice."  

He caught my wrist, flipping me over his shoulder—  

I twisted midair, landing in a crouch before blitzing back in.  

By the time we called the match, the clearing looked like a meteor had struck it. Craters pockmarked the earth, trees had been reduced to splinters, and both of us were breathing hard—though grinning like madmen.  

Guy clapped me on the shoulder, his grip firm. "Kagami… you have surpassed even my expectations. To make the First Gate a permanent enhancement? That is the mark of a true master!"* 

I wiped sweat from my brow, my body still thrumming with the Gate’s energy. "So what’s next?"  

His grin grew wider, "Now? We see how far you can push the *Second Gate.”

A thrill shot through me. The Second Gate—the Gate of Healing. If I could integrate that into my base form, my recovery would become near-instantaneous. I imagined ripping off Cell, regenerating from wounds in an instant. 

But before we could begin, a voice cut through the clearing.  

"Impressive." 

I turned—and froze.  

Standing at the edge of the training ground, arms crossed and expression unreadable, was Itachi Uchiha.  

His Sharingan gleamed as he studied me.  

"You’ve grown strong, Kagami."  

The air grew heavy.  

Guy, ever perceptive about when privacy was needed, clapped his hands. "Ah! It seems you have a visitor! We shall continue tomorrow, my youthful disciple!" With that, he vanished in a blur of leaves.  

Leaving me alone with Itachi.  

He stepped forward, his gaze never leaving mine. "Shisui told me you’ve been training relentlessly."  

I shrugged. "Someone has to keep up with you two."  

A flicker of something—amusement?—passed through his eyes. Then, his voice dropped, low and serious.  

"Why?"  

The question hung in the air.  

I met his gaze, unflinching. "Because the world isn’t fair. And I refuse to let it take what matters from me."  

For a long moment, Itachi was silent. Then, he nodded—just once.  

"Good."  

And with that, he turned, walking away as swiftly as he had come.  

But not before I saw it—  

The faintest approval in his eyes.

When I arrived back home, the first thing I tested was my Sharingan. The three tomoe stage, something I couldn't hold for longer than a few hours, became something I could keep active while spamming various jutsu. Maybe not S or A-Rank ones but B-Ranks would be something I could use easily.

Then I pushed further, watching as my eyes swirled and evolved, three large, curved red blades spaced evenly around the pupil appeared. My eyesight grew even more clear and instinctively, knowledge of the two abilities in these eyes came to me.

The first I named Geas. It was obvious what it was. While Shisui could make someone obey by placing a subtle Genjutsu in their mind, mine forced someone to obey, giving them no option to refuse. I did have a usage limit though, I could only use this jutsu twice per year before needing to recharge it. I'm sure that the only reason I could even do that was because of how I had fused the First Gate into my base level, acting similar to Hashirama cells. I could probably push that recharge time even further but for now, two uses were just perfect. 

My other eye was a bit stranger. I had a personal dimension of my own, one where time was irrelevant, in fact that dimension of mine was the very void I had found myself in before becoming Kagami. Maybe it had become tied to my very soul? Either way, its abilities were incredibly useful. Anything placed in it would not age a second, though time would pass on the other world, though living beings would still be aware of every second they lived in it without ever growing hungry. If I entered this world, time would pass normally outside it though. While similar to Kamui, there were differences. Mainly in that while Obito could teleport anywhere, I could only teleport to places I'd already been to. I named it Yomi, for the afterlife, because the void was what my afterlife had been.

It seemed whatever being was up there had given me two perfect abilities. One to kill Danzo without it being linked back to me and the other to store all of the juicy and delicious knowledge he had without anyone else being able to tie it to me.

I had everything set for my hunt. Now? Now it was time to stalk my prey.