At the very brink of death—
A strange power gathered within Kagura's eyes.
A searing pain exploded through his vision, as though something were breaking free from within.
Then—
His pupils changed.
The darkness of his irises bled into crimson.
Tomoe spun slowly within blood-red eyes.
The Grass shinobi pinning Kagura down glanced downward—
And froze.
His expression collapsed into terror.
"T-That's… the Sharingan!"
In the shinobi world, the name of the Sharingan carried overwhelming weight. Those who possessed it were known for terrifying combat prowess.
Fear flickered across the Grass shinobi's face.
His grip weakened.
Kagura felt it immediately.
This was his chance.
Forcing chakra into his newly awakened eyes, he glared up at his opponent.
The pressure was suffocating.
For a brief instant—
The enemy froze.
As if caught in a binding illusion.
Kagura seized the moment.
With the last of his strength, he tore the kunai from the man's hand and thrust it into his throat.
Blood erupted.
The Grass shinobi's eyes widened in disbelief before his body went limp.
Kagura shoved the corpse aside and forced himself upright.
He turned toward the other shinobi he had stabbed earlier.
The man was barely conscious, bleeding heavily.
When he looked up—
He saw crimson eyes staring back at him.
Terror paralyzed him.
Kagura threw the kunai without hesitation.
The blade ended his life.
Silence fell.
Kagura released the Sharingan.
His breathing came in ragged gasps.
He had survived—
But the awakening left him shaken.
There was no time to process it.
He pulled out emergency bandages and hemostatic medicine from his pouch.
Root training had drilled survival skills into him.
His hands trembled from blood loss as he wrapped his wounds.
But it wasn't enough.
The cuts were deep.
Blood continued to seep through the cloth.
Grinding his teeth, Kagura staggered toward the fallen Grass shinobi and searched their bodies.
In one pouch, he found additional medical supplies and a small amount of rations.
He consumed the food immediately, replenishing a fraction of his strength, then treated his wounds again.
He could not stay.
He continued east.
Every step was agony.
His consciousness flickered like a dying flame.
But one thought kept him moving:
He had to reach the Land of Fire.
He had to deliver the intelligence.
After what felt like an eternity, he sensed it—
Familiar soil beneath his feet.
He had crossed back into the Land of Fire.
Relief surged through him.
After confirming the area was clear, he pulled out Root's specialized signaling device and sent a coded transmission.
Then he staggered into a hidden cave and collapsed against the wall, eyes fixed on the entrance.
Footsteps approached.
Kagura tightened his grip on his blade.
When he saw the familiar Root uniform—
He finally relaxed.
He reported everything he could, including the fact that his three teammates had been separated and were likely still under pursuit.
Then—
Darkness swallowed him.
"Quick! Severe blood loss—get medical treatment started immediately!"
Root operatives moved swiftly.
Two medical-nin remained behind to stabilize Kagura and transport him back to Konoha.
The rest rushed toward the Land of Grass to support any surviving members.
Another shinobi departed to report directly to Danzō.
When Kagura regained consciousness, he was inside Root's medical division.
The faint scent of antiseptic filled the air.
"You're lucky," a medical-nin said while changing his bandages. "Any later, and you wouldn't have made it."
Kagura forced himself to speak.
"My squad…"
The medic hesitated.
"Two confirmed dead. One still missing. Lord Danzō has been informed."
Silence.
Root members understood the cost of failure.
Death was never far away.
Still—
Kagura clung to a sliver of hope that the last teammate might have survived.
Three days later, once stabilized, interrogators arrived under Danzō's orders.
Kagura reported everything—
Everything except the Sharingan.
When alone, he stood before a mirror.
He inhaled deeply.
The Sharingan activated instantly.
Crimson eyes.
Two tomoe rotated slowly.
Beautiful.
Terrifying.
Powerful.
He knew this bloodline had come from his mother.
Yet Danzō had never once spoken of her.
Why?
What truth had been concealed?
Kagura's thoughts darkened.
Danzō had long suppressed the Uchiha clan.
He coveted the Sharingan's power.
He had even pursued Wood Release.
If Danzō learned of this—
Would Kagura become a tool?
Or worse?
But hiding it carried risk.
If his Sharingan activated instinctively in battle, discovery would be unavoidable.
And in Root, secrecy limited training.
The Sharingan required refinement—coordination with ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu.
Without training, its true power would remain dormant.
Kagura's ambitions burned fiercely.
He wanted to awaken the three-tomoe Sharingan.
Perhaps even—
The Mangekyō Sharingan.
In this brutal shinobi world—
Power was survival.
And Kagura would need every ounce of it.