Konoha looked smaller than Kagami expected.
He stood at the village gates, hands tucked casually in his pockets, dark eyes scanning the bustling streets beyond. Merchants hawked their wares, children laughed as they played, shinobi leaped across rooftops. All of it so painfully normal. So blissfully ignorant.
This is the village my father wanted to destroy.
The thought came with no particular emotion. Just fact. Madara Uchiha had seen Konoha as a failed experiment, a betrayal of everything the Uchiha stood for. He'd died trying to remake the world, and failed.
Kagami wouldn't make the same mistakes.
"Papers?"
The chunin guard's voice pulled him back. Kagami smiled, practiced and easy and harmless, and produced the forged documents. The guard barely glanced at them before waving him through.
Too easy.
Everything had been too easy since Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha killed each other. The war had ended, yes, but it had also left the village gutted. Their two greatest shinobi, gone. Their hero and their redemption, buried side by side.
The village was weaker now. Vulnerable.
Perfect.
Kagami's mission was simple. Infiltrate, gain their trust, and obtain Hashirama Senju's DNA. With it, the true plan could begin. Not Madara's plan. Not the Infinite Tsukuyomi or some fantasy world.
Something better. Something his.
But first, he needed to play the role. The lost Uchiha. The innocent cousin. The ally.
Tools, he reminded himself as he walked through the village. They're all just tools.
---
The training ground was quiet when he arrived, save for the rhythmic thunk of kunai hitting wood. Three figures stood in the clearing. His new "team."
Ebisu, the jonin instructor with his ridiculous sunglasses, noticed him first. "Ah, you're here. Everyone, gather around."
A young woman with orange hair turned, her expression curious. Beside her, a man with a headband and a scarf scowled immediately.
Moegi and Konohamaru. Kagami had done his research.
"Good morning," Ebisu said, adjusting his glasses. "I have information for you all. Lord Sixth has requested that Kagami join this team."
"But we're three already," Moegi said, frowning slightly. "The team structure..."
"Has been approved by the Hokage himself," Ebisu cut in smoothly. "This is a special assignment."
Konohamaru's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. His grief was obvious. The way he held himself, the tension in his jaw. He'd lost Naruto, his mentor, his brother in all but blood.
Useful. Grief makes people reckless.
Kagami stepped forward, extending his hand toward Konohamaru with an easy smile. "Nice to meet you. What's your name?"
Konohamaru stared at the hand for a beat too long before accepting it. His grip was firm, almost aggressive. "Konohamaru."
"I'm Kagami." He paused, letting the next words hang in the air like a blade. "Kagami Uchiha."
The reaction was immediate. Moegi's eyes widened. Konohamaru's hand jerked back as if burned.
"Uchiha?" Moegi breathed. "You mean..."
"It's not much of a big deal," Kagami said with a modest shrug, though internally he catalogued every micro-expression. Moegi showed surprise mixed with curiosity. Konohamaru showed suspicion, anger, distrust.
Good. Let them think what they want.
"Please," Moegi started, taking a small step forward, "can I ask... who is your father?"
The question he'd been waiting for.
But Ebisu cut in before he could answer. "That's for another time. Lord Sixth wants to brief you all before tomorrow's mission." He clapped his hands together. "Dismissed for now. Meet at the Hokage's office at dawn."
Konohamaru left immediately, his shoulders tight. Moegi lingered, her gaze staying on Kagami with open curiosity before she finally followed.
Kagami watched them go, his smile fading.
Moegi. She was the key. He'd read her file three times. Orphan. Jonin. Bloodline limit. Wood Style. Hashirama's cells.
She was insecure about her power. He could see it in the way she'd been training earlier, the frustration in her movements. She had the First Hokage's gift but not his talent.
She wants to be stronger. To prove herself.
He could give her that. Or at least, make her think he could.
---
An hour later, Kagami stood alone in the clearing, arms crossed as he watched the sun dip below the treeline.
"You met them already?"
The voice came from everywhere and nowhere. A shadow detached itself from the trees. Or perhaps it had always been there, just outside perception.
Kagami didn't turn. "Yes."
"And you're already comfortable with them." The shadow's tone was mocking, sharp. "How touching."
"They're weak," Kagami said flatly. "They'll hold me back if I'm not careful."
"Then eliminate them."
"No." Kagami's jaw tightened. "This isn't a slaughter. I need the DNA first. Once I have access to Hashirama's power, then I can think about what comes next."
The shadow seemed to ripple, almost like laughter. "You sound like you're making excuses."
"I'm being smart." Kagami finally turned, his dark eyes meeting the formless presence. "My father rushed. He acted on hatred and lost everything. I won't make his mistakes."
"Madara Uchiha was the greatest shinobi who ever lived."
"And he died," Kagami snapped. "Failed and forgotten. I won't end up like him."
Silence.
Then, softer. "Don't forget why you're here."
"I haven't."
The shadow began to fade. "Good. Tomorrow is your chance. Don't waste it."
It vanished completely, leaving Kagami alone in the growing darkness.
He exhaled slowly, tension bleeding from his shoulders.
Footsteps.
He turned just as Moegi emerged from the path, slightly out of breath. "Oh. Kagami. Sorry, I didn't know you were still here."
"It's fine." He tilted his head. "Looking for someone?"
"Ebisu wanted to see Konohamaru, so I came to get him, but..." She trailed off, glancing around the empty clearing. "Guess he already left."
"Seems like it."
An awkward pause settled between them. Moegi shifted her weight, clearly wanting to say something but unsure how to start.
Kagami took a step closer. "You're a Wood Style user, aren't you?"
Her eyes widened. "How did you..."
"I can tell." Another step. Close enough now that she had to tilt her head slightly to meet his gaze. "You were training earlier. You're strong, but... frustrated."
"I..." She swallowed. "It's complicated."
"It doesn't have to be." His voice dropped, softer now. Intimate. "I could help you with that."
"Help me?" Confusion flickered across her face. "How would you..."
Kagami reached up, fingertips brushing her cheek with deliberate gentleness. Her breath hitched.
"I need you to cooperate with me," he said quietly, holding her gaze. "And I might give you what you want."
Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
He let the silence stretch, his thumb tracing a slow line along her jaw. Then, finally. "Nothing."
He stepped even closer, invading her space completely. Her back was nearly against a tree now, her pulse visible at her throat.
"But for now," he murmured, "you have to cooperate."
His eyes met hers and the Sharingan bloomed.
Three tomoe spun lazily in a sea of crimson, hypnotic and terrible. Moegi's pupils dilated instantly, her breathing shallow.
"You trust me, don't you, Moegi?"
"I..." Her voice was distant, dreamy. "Yes..."
The genjutsu settled over her like a second skin, invisible but absolute. Kagami held her gaze for another heartbeat, letting the suggestion root deep in her subconscious, before the Sharingan faded back to black.
He released her face and stepped back, his expression shifting into something gentle. Concerned.
"Good. Get some rest. Tomorrow's mission will be... enlightening."
Moegi nodded slowly, still caught in the haze. She turned and walked away without another word, her movements just slightly too smooth. Too obedient.
Kagami watched until she disappeared from sight.
Then the mask dropped.
His expression went cold. Calculating. Behind him, the shadow's laughter echoed faintly through the trees.
"Just like your father."
Kagami's Sharingan flared to life in the darkness, casting red light across his features.
"No," he said quietly.
"Better."