Energy erupted through Uchiha Shigure like wildfire. His body, outwardly that of a simple teenager, now pulsed with an ocean of chakra far beyond human scale. Every vein sang with power, every nerve trembled with potential.
His eyes began to itch.
"So the ocular pathways… they haven't been fully opened yet." His voice was low, steady in the quiet of the ward. "In that case… let's open them all at once."
He focused, guiding the raging chakra toward his eyes.
"Ah—!" Pain stabbed him instantly. His eyelids clenched shut as if pierced from behind. He buried his face in his palms, gritting his teeth. But just as quickly as it came, the agony melted away, leaving behind something altogether different—a piercing clarity.
Slowly, cautiously, Shigure opened his eyes.
The reflection staring back at him in the hospital mirror made him freeze.
The whites of his eyes glimmered like polished pearl. But within that pale surface sat three magatama arranged around the pupil, glowing faintly with power.
"…Byakugan… with tomoe?" His voice trembled.
It was a mutation unseen in any record. The Byakugan should have been a Hyūga-only gift, yet his were altered, fused with traits belonging to the Uchiha. Those three tomoe pulsed with the familiarity of a Sharingan.
"This… this shouldn't exist. Not in the original story, not anywhere…"
The changes weren't merely visual. His senses stretched outward like tidal waves. He flicked his gaze once, and the entire ward unfolded in crystal detail. His vision did not stop at walls—instead, it expanded outward, a seamless 360-degree field. Every movement, every breath within a kilometer became visible if he chose to focus.
With a thought, he gazed into the bodies of the nurses passing in the hall, watching their chakra networks glimmer like rivers in the dark.
"A perfect Byakugan… and even more. The 360-degree sight, the chakra pathways, and… the tomoe's insight." Excitement shivered in his chest. He could feel the abilities of a Sharingan nestled within: the capacity to read hand seals, mimic taijutsu, and pierce illusions.
"The strength of the Otsutsuki bloodline… I see. This is only the beginning."
Shigure willed the transformation away, and instantly the glow faded. His pupils shifted back, yet his irises remained faintly pale, the legacy of something slumbering within him.
"The bloodline is still developing. I'll need more chakra… more time. One day, it may truly become a Rinnegan…"
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, tension filled the air.
Three masked Anbu knelt on one knee before the desk.
"Report: no foreign invasion detected," one of them declared.
Utane Koharu folded her arms tightly. "Then how do you explain that sudden chakra burst!? That was no ordinary jōnin spike—that felt like Kage-level."
Mitarashi Homura's voice was grim. "All the Kage-class shinobi of the village are accounted for. None should be releasing chakra like that."
A low growl came from the shadows. Shimura Danzō, his bandaged eye glinting, leaned forward. "If it wasn't an outsider, then the anomaly came from within. Such unknowns must be dealt with immediately. Better to kill by mistake than to leave danger unchecked."
At the head of the room stood the man known as the Professor, the strongest Hokage. Sarutobi Hiruzen's face was composed, but his brow furrowed slightly. "I felt it myself. It vanished as suddenly as it rose… something unnatural." His hand curled around his pipe. "I'll go. I need to see for myself."
The Third Hokage strode out, flanked at once by three Anbu, heading directly for Konoha Hospital.
Oblivious to their approach, Shigure sat quietly on his bed, chakra humming gently through him. Yet he wasn't entirely defenseless—his new eyes fluttered open, sight stretching outward instinctively.
"…Hmm?" His breath caught. Several flares of massive chakra signatures were already moving his way—one of them so immense that Shigure's stomach tightened. It dwarfed his own still-untamed Otsutsuki inheritance.
"That's… impossible. That much chakra belongs only to…"
He shifted his vision, his new sight falling upon the leader of the group: a middle-aged man with a stern face, short black beard, and the helmeted crest of Konoha. Authority radiated from him like fire.
"The Third Hokage… Sarutobi Hiruzen. In his prime?!" Shock shot through Shigure. His eyes flickered back to black in an instant, heartbeat racing. Why is he here already?
The door opened.
Hiruzen entered with three masked shadows trailing close. His gaze swept the room cautiously. Only when he saw Shigure alone in the bed did he ease, though not completely.
Shigure tightened his resolve. This was dangerous… but perhaps it could also be opportunity.
"Oh?" The Hokage's voice was unexpectedly kind. "So young one… you are here alone? Did you see anyone else just now?"
Shigure didn't flinch. "Ah… Hokage-sama, forgive me, I didn't notice anyone. It's just been me here."
An Anbu stepped forward with medical files. "Patient identified: Uchiha Shigure. Both parents perished in battle for Konoha."
Hiruzen's eyes softened. He approached the bedside, studying the boy. "…A child of the Uchiha, and yet… an orphan. Your parents were heroes. Do not forget that."
Shigure lowered his gaze. His words were faint, but honest. "If I were a hero… would I still be left alone like this?"
The Hokage exhaled slowly, sympathy flickering in his expression. He placed a steady hand on Shigure's head.
"Are you a shinobi yet?" he asked gently.
"Not yet. I'm sitting for the Academy graduation exam tomorrow."
Hiruzen nodded once. Then, after a pause, he said something so sudden that Shigure nearly thought he misheard. "After your exam… come to me. If you are willing, I will take you as my disciple."
Shigure's eyes widened. His… disciple?! For a moment his calm façade cracked, replaced by unrestrained joy. "Yes! Hokage-sama—I would be honored!"
Behind him, an Anbu whispered, "But… he's Uchiha—"
"I know," Hiruzen cut him off, his tone firm. Then, softly, he told Shigure, "Konoha is your home. As long as you're here, you are never truly alone. Everyone in this village is your family."
With a final pat to the boy's hair, the Hokage turned. "Come. We'll search elsewhere."
And just like that, the most powerful man in Konoha left him behind.
Shigure's fists clenched beneath the blanket as his heart thundered. The Professor himself… the Shinobi no Kami… Sarutobi Hiruzen wants me as a student? This is it. Forget solitude and scraps. If I can learn directly under the Hokage, then the knowledge of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and fūinjutsu is within my grasp.
That night, he dreamed of glory.
Yet when morning came, the mirror revealed something new. His skin gleamed paler than before, his eyebrows sharper, his black hair streaked now with strands of gray that shimmered like moonlight. His whole aura had shifted, alien yet regal, unmistakably touched by the otherworldly.
And beneath it all, his chakra hummed louder, denser, his eyes itching once more with gathering pupil power.
The Academy exam awaited… and Uchiha Shigure was no longer the same boy he had been.