Chapter 69: Memories of Uchiha Kagami
"Aizen... Sosuke..."
"Oh, a brief escape from eternal hell. The rebellious son of the Uchiha."
Leaning against a massive, half dry tree, Uchiha Madara sat on a wooden bench, his sharp gaze fixed on the gasping Uchiha Kagami before him. A faint, mocking smile tugged at the corners of his weathered face.
Uchiha Kagami embodied everything Madara despised, his blind loyalty to Konoha, his inflated sense of justice, that trademark Uchiha pride which always led to defeat, and his foolish trust in others who either betrayed him or hid the truth. Every part of him stirred disgust deep within Madara's heart.
He had trusted Senju Tobirama from the beginning, believing him to be a good man, someone worth following. Tobirama, ironically, had never betrayed Kagami. Though harsh toward the Uchiha Clan, his treatment of Kagami had always been fair.
That fact only made Madara's disgust grow stronger, so strong it birthed murderous intent.
It was like staring at the ugliest part of himself, reflected in another man.
Watching Kagami struggle within the endless cycle, Madara couldn't deny the twisted satisfaction that crept in. It was as if he were watching a miniature version of himself, forever looping through deceit and failure, being acknowledged, used, then discarded. Living like refuse from start to finish.
Yet at this point, Madara had to admit he had no better choice.
This wretched Uchiha before him was the only path left. From beginning to end, Madara had been cornered.
Entering Konoha meant stepping directly into the battlefield of that mysterious man, Aizen Sosuke. But avoiding it meant preying only upon scattered Uchiha during wartime. And now, there was no war. The conflict that should have erupted between Konoha and the Cloud had been halted single handedly by Aizen Sosuke.
His network monitored not only Konoha but every great village. Of course, Madara had seen that black wall streak across the sky.
That pitch black barrier, like a mountain forged from despair, had swallowed all ambition and light. It was not just a wall, it was a curtain that smothered the sky, eclipsing Madara's own fate.
If he were still young, he might have challenged Aizen just to see who was stronger. But now, age had claimed him. Even survival demanded constant life support.
So from the beginning, there had only ever been one path.
Aizen Sosuke had orchestrated everything. Perhaps he foresaw even this, but no matter how deep his schemes ran, he likely never imagined that the great Uchiha Madara would resort to such vile measures.
Aizen… don't blame me for being cruel. I have no choice.
Madara's lips curved into a cold smirk as he watched Kagami writhing and screaming in the life support tank.
"I... what's happening to me?"
Kagami's voice trembled as he flailed inside the nutrient pool, confusion clouding his eyes.
"I remember coming here to investigate the incident involving the white doll… How many times have I done this? How many times have I come here?"
"Wouldn't it be easier to just ask your own chakra?"
"What do you mean…?"
"Chakra doesn't change. Everyone's chakra is unique. Flush your brain with chakra, and illusions will lose their grip. Even an academy student knows that."
Madara's voice dripped with ridicule as he stared at the bewildered young man.
"You've spent years trapped in this loop, chasing your tail like a fool. If I hadn't shown mercy, you'd have died countless times already, you pathetic Uchiha brat."
"Th... Ah…"
Kagami tried to argue, but his chakra suddenly flared, flooding his body. Memories surged back like a raging tide, flooding into his mind.
Scene after scene replayed, the smiling face of Aizen, his experiments, his own repeated failures.
Pain. Regret. Despair. Fear. Rage.
Countless emotions clawed through Kagami's consciousness.
"This is my Shikai! Die in suffocation, Aizen!"
"Three Magatama Sharingan! You don't understand the true power of the Sharingan!"
"The flames will consume you! Burn to ashes!"
"This is my pseudo Bankai!"
Again and again, he had challenged Aizen.
Again and again, he had failed.
Again and again, he was dragged back to the laboratory, each time to the same calm, smiling face of Aizen Sosuke.
His flesh and blood were torn apart, his soul toyed with, then, like a discarded puppet, he was placed on a chair to await awakening, ready to enter the next cycle once more.
Again and again. Year after year.
Uchiha Kagami's existence had become an endless wheel, like a trapped animal running through a short, repeating corridor of life, each term lasting one to three months before looping back.
This was the truth of Uchiha Kagami's life.
He had never truly lived freely. He had never escaped from Aizen's grasp.
"Impossible… this can't be real… it can't be true!"
Tears of blood streamed from his eyes, tracing lines of agony down his pale cheeks. His three tomoe Sharingan spun wildly, the pattern twisting until it resembled a dark, radiating sigil. Unbearable pain surged within him, tearing at his mind and heart.
Love, the curse and lifeblood of the Uchiha clan. They would sacrifice everything for the people or things they cherished. Yet Kagami finally understood that it was his love for Konoha that had allowed Aizen to take control of everything.
His research on the Uchiha clan had become the bridge that let Aizen infiltrate them. Through cooperation and quiet manipulation, he blinded the clan to Aizen's actions. Kagami's love and loyalty toward Konoha had made him naïve, and because of that love, those who had once doubted Aizen ignored the growing threat.
In the name of protecting Konoha, he had betrayed it more deeply than anyone.
Now, Aizen held near total control over Konoha's foundation, and the one most responsible for it was none other than himself.
"Ah…"
"…Hmph."
Madara exhaled through his nose as he watched Kagami kneeling in the nutrient pool, tears and blood mixing down his face. He didn't speak further.
It was like staring at his own reflection, a younger version of himself, broken and screaming. Kagami's cries filled the chamber, hoarse and raw, until his throat dried out and every sound came with blood. His voice no longer resembled a scream, it was like a blade cutting his throat open.
The once pale nutrient fluid darkened into crimson. Kagami's trembling body slowly went still, sinking halfway into the pool, pale and lifeless. After a long, heavy silence, a voice, rough but steady, finally rose.
"…Tell me what I should do."
"Are you finally awake?"
Madara's lips curved into a faint smile as he looked down at Kagami, half kneeling, soaked in blood and nutrient solution, his expression cold and hollow.
Yes. That was the look an Uchiha should have.
To hate one's weakness.
To hate the world's distortion.
To turn pain and hatred into power.
That was the gift the gods had given their clan, the curse and blessing of the Sharingan. The power born from despair and love. Even if Aizen could study this phenomenon, he would never comprehend its true nature.
Even Hashirama, if not for his mercy, might have died at Madara's hands. Such was the strength of the Mangekyō Sharingan. And Kagami, though lacking the eternal form, possessed eyes more than sufficient for his purpose.
"The ninja world itself is steeped in sin," Madara said calmly, leaning on his cane as he sat upon the log. His tone was faint, but his words carried the weight of centuries. "Aizen is simply proof of that."
"You know his crimes. You've seen the ugliness of this world. Only through the original plan, true unity, can peace be achieved."
"According to what we've discussed, Aizen intends to test humanity, to sift through all life, selecting only those who meet his standards. He will then refine them through a second trial, bringing what he calls the 'State of Fearlessness.'"
"It's a trial for all mankind, a test for the entire ninja world. And he's already begun. The world is dividing into clustered forces, with smaller groups orbiting them. It's the perfect stage for Aizen's next move. He and I have an agreement, yes, but my plan opposes his entirely."
"…Your plan?"
Kagami lifted his gaze. His eyes, bloodshot and marked by the Mangekyō, spun slowly, their pattern reflecting both torment and unyielding resolve.
"Are you talking about that thing… hidden in the Uchiha ancestral land?"
Madara's expression hardened.
"That's right. The Moon's Eye Plan. Infinite Tsukuyomi."
He leaned forward, his aged voice low but resolute.
"This is the true plan, to save humanity."
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