[Detected: The host's Sharingan has reached a bottleneck. Initiating breakthrough.]
"Breakthrough!"
[The Sharingan has successfully surpassed its limits. Congratulations, host, for obtaining the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan!]
As soon as the system's voice faded, Kaito felt a seismic surge of power bloom behind his eyes, so sudden and vast it felt like a tidal wave crashing against the shore of his mind. Having absorbed the ocular energy from two formidable Uchiha—Fugaku and Shisui—his own Sharingan had teetered on the edge of potential. Now, that dam of potential burst.
The surge was instant. Absolute.
A cool, electric sensation needled through his optic nerves, radiating from the back of his skull to his temples. His pupils dilated, pupils spinning violently. Then came the heat—a warmth that wasn't flesh but chakra, flooding inward like molten silver, burning through his retinas with divine purpose. It wasn't just an upgrade. It was a rebirth—an intimate, invasive rewriting of what it meant to see.
His breath caught.
Yet, since his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan hadn't been attained through direct transplantation, its iconic pattern remained visually unchanged. But it pulsed now, rhythmically, like a second heartbeat, thrumming with a depth of power far beyond its original form.
As his vision refocused, the chakra within his body stirred like a slumbering beast roused from centuries of sleep—and then erupted.
It was like being caught inside a thunderclap.His veins throbbed visibly beneath his skin. Muscle cords tightened without command. A deep, thrumming hum of chakra pressure filled the cave, vibrating against the stone walls.
His power climbed—soared—skyrocketing toward the late Kage-level threshold. Sparks of residual chakra crackled at his fingertips like static lightning.
He staggered for a second, knees buckling slightly, letting the storm settle. Sweat prickled his brow. The cave around him sharpened into cruel relief, shadows bending in reverence to his new authority.
He clenched his fists—jaw locked, eyes gleaming—and for a breathless moment, stood still.
No words. Just quiet exultation.
But he didn't allow himself time to bask—there was still more.
His eyes narrowed with resolve. Purpose anchored him again.
Dropping to one knee, he unfurled two sealed scrolls with precise, almost reverent movement. The paper crackled as it met the cold floor, chakra-reactive ink glowing faintly.
With a fluid sequence of swift, crisp hand seals, he activated the scrolls.
Two radiant chakra masses emerged. They didn't just glow—they pulsed, alive and ancient.
One glowed a golden, divine hue that shimmered like the first sunrise.The other flickered with a volatile crimson shimmer, wild and oppressive.
Ashura's chakra. The Nine-Tails' chakra.
Even within containment, the air grew dense, humid with power. Every breath Kaito took was like inhaling stormlight. Chakra coiled around him like a python—dense, ancient, near sentient. Sweat gathered at the base of his neck.
Kaito raised an eyebrow, voice steady yet tinged with tension. "System, can I absorb these two chakras directly?"
The system's voice echoed in his mind, calm, clinical.
Ashura's chakra contains Six Paths-level energy. Absorbing it immediately would result in excessive energy loss.]
[The system can seal itself within the host's body, allowing it to integrate naturally over six years. After this period, the host will be able to fully harness its power.]
[As for the Nine-Tails' chakra, it is unrestricted. Given the host's Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, the chakra can be absorbed immediately to enhance chakra quality.]
[However, it is recommended that the host seals it as well, allowing for a gradual fusion. This way, when the chakras of the remaining eight Tailed Beasts are absorbed, the host will attain the Ten-Tails' Chakra (Six Paths).]
The answer gave Kaito pause.
His fingers hovered inches above the chakra masses, close enough to feel their temperature and temperament. Ashura's essence radiated warmth—but it was gentle, meditative, like standing in a beam of morning light. The Nine-Tails was different—raw, prickling heat, like standing before an inferno.
"I see…" he murmured, tone thoughtful but distant. "Then seal both chakra sources for gradual absorption. My current strength, combined with the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, is more than enough for now."
Without warning, the two chakra masses surged forward—alive, willful.
They raced through the air like twin comets and pierced into his body—one through his left palm, the other through his right.
Pain blossomed immediately.
Ashura's golden warmth surged through his chest and settled in his core like a second soul, while the Nine-Tails' crimson energy crackled violently through his spine, threading into his chakra network and wrapping around his navel like a burning knot.
He grunted, staggered. His knees buckled slightly.Breath hitched in his throat.
Pain, pressure, power—layered and unrelenting.Every chakra gate screamed under the strain.
He clenched his teeth and forced himself still.
Then, slowly, it dulled. His body adapted.
Kaito exhaled shakily and stood, a faint glow clinging to his skin before fading. His aura now radiated weight—dense, regal, oppressive. The very air shimmered near him, chakra heatwaves distorting the cave's shadows.
His Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan adjusted seamlessly, their spin syncing with his stabilised flow.
"System," he said at last, voice ragged but steady. "Display my status."
[Opening Status Panel...]
Host: Uchiha KaitoBloodline: Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan(Abilities: Mirror Space, Divine Appearance, Kotoamatsukami, Future Sight...)Body: Primary Sage Human Body (Derived from Ashura's Chakra, naturally evolving)Ninjutsu:— Sage Mode— Wind Style: Rasenshuriken (S)— Great Windmill Shuriken (S)— Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu (A)— Uchiha Sword Style (S)Chakra Levels:— Base Chakra: Shadow-Level Peak— Sage Chakra: Late Shinobi-Level— Ashura's Chakra: Six Paths (Sealed)— Nine-Tails' Chakra: Early Kage-Level (Sealed)Combat Strength Evaluation:Super Kage-Level
Kaito's eyes glinted. His Sharingan spun slowly, drinking in every word.A quiet, satisfied grin curled his lips.
"Super Kage-Level…" he whispered, almost reverently.
"In the current ninja world, only the combined forces of the Five Kage—or perhaps someone like Nagato—could hope to stand against me now."
All his preparation… the betrayal… the blood… the deception—it had borne fruit.
He turned toward the cave's mouth.
"Next," he murmured, "I regroup with Tekka and the others… and establish our stronghold."
But before leaving, he raised a hand and conjured Wind Style: Rasenshuriken.
The air howled. The jutsu roared to life, chakra screaming with velocity.He hurled it into the cave's depths.
BOOM.The explosion was surgical yet cataclysmic.
Stone melted. The air buckled.
Dust and fire billowed in his wake as the Rasenshuriken annihilated all traces of his presence. No chakra signature, no scroll, no sign—only ruin.
He could take no chances. Not with Zetsu still weaving through the world's fractures like a patient serpent.
As the last of the flames sputtered, Kaito vanished. His cloak fluttered behind him, caught in the final echo of wind.
He moved with singular intent—Toward his kin.
Meanwhile, deep in the heart of a fractured Konoha…
Tap… tap… tap…
Footsteps echoed across a narrow stone corridor.
The dim light flickered, unable to keep the darkness at bay. The air smelled of dust, age, and stale incense, like a shrine left to rot.
A lone figure moved forward.
Itachi Uchiha's gait was steady—measured—but underneath that controlled exterior was a quiet, building storm. Every step sounded heavier than the last. His black cloak whispered across the stone, boots clicking softly. But his eyes… his eyes were iron.
The Root headquarters was a hive of secrets—walls that listened and corridors that watched. But he wasn't here to whisper or wait.
The surviving Uchiha had been shackled, corralled like beasts. Danzo had moved quickly, his grip tightening while the village bled. Trust was no longer currency.
It didn't matter to Itachi.
Not right now.
He had come for one reason.
Sasuke.
Before him loomed a heavy wooden door, set into the cold stone like a scar.
He didn't knock.He pushed it open.
Creak.
The chamber was dimly lit, the flicker of candlelight casting monstrous shadows on the walls. Danzo stood at the far end, his figure half-bathed in gloom. He didn't turn.
But others stirred.
Masked figures lined the corners—silent, unmoving, eyes like glass. Root agents, loyal and lethal.
Itachi stepped forward, spine straight, every movement precise.
"Danzo…" His voice was flat. Cold.
His eyes didn't blink.
"Where is my brother?"