The night sky above the capital city of the Land of Fire shimmered with ribbons of light.
Lanterns floated skyward, their warm glow painting fleeting trails across the dark canvas of stars. The Festival of Fire had begun — a celebration of unity, prosperity, and the end of war.
Laughter echoed through the crowded streets as fireworks blossomed above like chakra-born flowers. Vendors called out, selling skewered dumplings, sweet bean buns, and grilled meats glazed in fire oil. Children wore fox masks, darting between the crowd, chasing ribbons of light.
Amid this jubilant chaos, Keiji Uchiha stood quietly beside his companion — his Shiny Gengar, its spectral body glowing faintly with shades of violet and indigo flame.
Keiji smiled softly. "Hard to believe a few months ago we were training under Madara's iron fists. Now look at this."
Gengar smirked — or whatever passed for a smirk on a being made of ghostly matter — and let out a soft chuckle that blended with the music of drums and flutes. Its eyes glimmered a dark pinkish-red as the fireworks reflected within.
Tonight wasn't about battle or politics. It was about peace — however temporary.
Or so Keiji thought.
---
The Unease Beneath Celebration
Just as a burst of red fireworks illuminated the festival square, Gengar froze. Its dark pinkish-red eyes flickered with unease. Its gaseous body rippled as if reacting to a foreign chakra presence.
Keiji noticed immediately. "What's wrong?"
Gengar turned its head toward the north, eyes narrowing. Its claw pointed past the dancing crowd — toward the distant edge of the capital, where the lights of the city faded into moonlit darkness.
A chill crawled up Keiji's spine. His instincts, sharpened through months of training, screamed at him.
"…You felt something unusual?"
Gengar nodded, its form flickering like a candle in the wind.
Keiji's gaze hardened. "Lead the way."
Without hesitation, Gengar slipped into the shadows. Keiji followed, his footsteps silent, his Sharingan activating with a faint crimson glow.
They weaved through alleys, past drunk revelers and empty merchant stalls, until the festive sounds dulled behind them. The laughter of the city became a distant hum. Ahead, the air grew heavier — colder.
---
The Hidden Crime
By the time they reached the outskirts of the capital, the moon hung high, bathing the landscape in silver light.
Keiji crouched behind a crumbled wall, his eyes focusing on a small, secluded clearing. Two masked figures stood there — their black cloaks marked with a faint emblem of lightning. Between them, bound and struggling, was a young boy no older than eight.
The boy's hair shimmered with silvery-gold streaks, and even under the dirt and tears, his small face bore distinct markings — whisker-like lines and a rectangular nose mark.
Keiji's eyes widened slightly. That child... he's no ordinary kid.
The taller masked man growled, "We must move quickly. The Land of Lightning's daimyō's first wife and her faction of nobles want this plan finished within the Festival of Fire. Once the boy is dead, we'll drop the body near a random outpost in the Land of Fire."
The other nodded. "And we'll make it appear as though the Fire Daimyō, the nobles, and the ninja clans conspired to kill a second Hagoromo heir. That will be enough to turn their clan against this nation."
Hagoromo clan? Keiji's thoughts raced. These bastards are trying to spark a political war.
Gengar's aura flared — it was furious.
Keiji whispered, "No mercy. Silent takedown."
---
The Ghost's Fury
Gengar vanished into the ground. One of the bounty hunters turned his head, sensing a flicker of movement.
"Did you hear—"
Before he could finish, a shadow rose beneath him. Gengar's eyes blazed dark pinkish-red as spectral hands erupted, dragging the man halfway into the earth. The air crackled with eerie laughter.
"Wha—Aghh!"
The second masked man drew a kunai wreathed in lightning chakra. "A ghost?!"
Keiji was already behind him. "Wrong nation to mess with, friend."
A single blow — a chakra-infused strike to the man's neck — dropped him unconscious. Keiji's movements were fluid, almost predatory. The teachings of Madara and the Uchiha elders had honed his reflexes into lethal efficiency.
Gengar rose from the ground, eyes narrowing as the first hunter's struggles ceased. Both enemies were defeated.
The child trembled, still tied. Keiji approached gently. "It's okay now. You're safe."
The boy looked up with wide golden eyes. "W-Who are you…?"
"Keiji Uchiha," he said, cutting the ropes with a kunai. "And that's my partner, Gengar."
Gengar waved, forming a goofy grin to calm him.
The boy hesitated, then whispered, "I'm Daiki… Daiki Hagoromo."
---
The Weight of Discovery
Keiji's eyes softened. "Daiki, huh? You're brave for enduring that."
Then his expression hardened again. "Tell me — where's your clan staying in the capital?"
Daiki sniffled but pointed toward the inner city. "The temporary Hagoromo estate… near the west gate. My father and brother are there."
Keiji nodded. "Alright. Gengar — you know what to do."
The Shiny Gengar smirked darkly. Its mouth widened unnaturally as it floated above the defeated bounty hunters.
Keiji gave the command calmly: "Swallow them whole. We'll need proof later."
Gengar's grin stretched ear to ear before it devoured both men in a swirl of dark mist. Their muffled screams faded into spectral silence.
Daiki flinched, eyes wide. "D-Did it… eat them?"
Keiji smiled faintly. "They're… contained. Not dead — just sleeping somewhere uncomfortable."
He crouched, lowering himself so the boy could climb onto his back. "Come on. Let's take you home."
---
Return to the Hagoromo Clan
They moved swiftly through the night. The festival lights still flickered in the distance — now a fragile illusion of peace beneath a sky that hid secrets.
When they reached the west gate, towering guards bearing the Hagoromo crest — a swirling pattern of sun and moon — halted them. Their golden eyes gleamed warily.
"Halt! State your business!"
Keiji's Sharingan deactivated as he calmly said, "Keiji Uchiha. I found your young heir, Daiki Hagoromo, kidnapped outside the capital."
The guards' expressions twisted in shock. "Lord Daiki!?"
Daiki quickly jumped from Keiji's back. "He's telling the truth! He saved me!"
Moments later, the gates opened, and Keiji was ushered into the Hagoromo estate — a grand structure of red stone and golden banners.
Inside awaited a mountain of a man — Gyoza Hagoromo, the clan head. His hair was long, silver with dark tips, horns rising like a crown, and markings etched deeply into his skin. The aura he exuded was ancient, potent, and commanding.
Beside him stood Daigo Hagoromo, Daiki's older brother — muscular, golden-haired, proud, and carrying the famed Banana Palm Fan across his back.
"Father! Brother!" Daiki cried, running into their arms.
Gyoza's stern face softened for a moment. "My son… you are safe."
His gaze then turned to Keiji — sharp, evaluating. "You have my gratitude, young Uchiha. Speak. What happened?"
---
The Truth of the Attack
Keiji recounted everything: the masked bounty hunters, their intent to frame the Fire Daimyō, the nobles, and the ninja clans, and their allegiance to the Land of Lightning daimyō's first wife and her faction.
Daigo's fist clenched. "Those cowardly nobles dare meddle with us?! I'll—"
"Daigo," Gyoza interrupted, raising a hand. "We must confirm."
Keiji nodded to Gengar. The Shiny Pokémon opened its mouth, releasing the spectral images of the captured bounty hunters, their auras still bound by Gengar's energy.
Gyoza's eyes glowed with power. "I see. So it is true."
The atmosphere thickened — rage, pride, and tension swirled together.
Keiji's heart pounded. This wasn't just a rescue — this was the spark of something greater.
---
Talk No Jutsu: Fated Words
Keiji took a deep breath. System, help me out here.
[System Notification: "Talk no Jutsu – Beginner's Version" Activated]
He stepped forward, speaking with calm conviction.
"Lord Gyoza, Lord Daigo… I understand your anger. But revenge will only serve your enemies' plans. The Land of Lightning seeks to divide us — to make us hate one another. If we fall into that trap, they win."
Gyoza's gaze sharpened. "And what do you suggest, boy?"
Keiji met his eyes without fear. "Alliance. Between the Hagoromo and the Uchiha. Together, we can prevent manipulation from beyond our borders — and protect the Land of Fire's balance."
Daigo frowned. "Alliance? Between ours clans? You think words can erase centuries of distrust?"
Keiji smiled faintly. "Not erase. Change direction. The cycle of hatred doesn't break in a day — but someone has to take the first step."
Gengar nodded approvingly beside him, its eyes glowing gently.
For a long moment, silence reigned. Then, unexpectedly — Gyoza laughed.
"A bold tongue for one so young," he said, smiling. "But your words carry truth. We have been pawns long enough."
Daigo crossed his arms, huffing. "Hmph. I'll admit — the boy's courage earns respect."
[System Notification: Fate Altered – "Hagoromo Clan's Future Path Changed."]
[Reward Granted: Knowledge Unlocked — "The Sixth Sacred Tool of the Sage – Mirror of True (真鏡, Shinkyō)"]
Keiji blinked. Wait — Sixth Sacred Tool? But… there are only five according to the original Naruto anime… the sixth was never mentioned.
---
Revelation: The Mirror of True
Keiji mentally connected with his system.
System, explain:
"Mirror of True" (真鏡, Shinkyō)
Type: Divine Tool (Sixth Sage Tool)
Creators: Hagoromo and Hamura Ōtsutsuki
Material: Chakra-reflective crystal forged from Yin–Yang chakra crystallized in the Heart of the Moon.
Status: Lost to history. Last hidden by Black Zetsu after Kaguya's sealing.
Keiji's breath caught as the system's voice echoed with divine resonance.
Abilities:
1. Sight Beyond Time — "Past Reflection" (過去映, Kako-ei)
Allows the user to witness any event from the past — from the Sealing of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki to the present day.
The user cannot interact with the past, only observe it.
However, excessive use strains both body and mind, as it exposes the user to the burden of all truth.
2. Judgment of the Heart — "Soul Verdict" (魂裁, Kon-sai)
The mirror can judge any person's soul, revealing their deeds from both past and future potential.
It determines whether someone is worthy of leadership, destined for ruin, or tainted by deceit.
When used on the unworthy, the mirror cracks slightly — as if rejecting falsehood.
3. Fate Distortion Seal — "Truth Binding" (真縛印, Shinbaku-in)
A forbidden function said to allow the user to seal someone's soul or rewrite a single moment of destiny — but only once.
Even Hagoromo himself feared this power and forbade its use.
Legend: After the Sage Brothers sealed their mother Kaguya, Hagoromo and Hamura forged six sacred tools — five are known, but the sixth, Mirror of True, was deemed too dangerous to remain in mortal hands.
When Hagoromo entrusted the Five Treasured Tools to founder of the Hagoromo Clan, he hid the Mirror deep beneath the earth, guarded by a sealing barrier of Six Paths Yin-Yang chakra.
Black Zetsu, acting to revive his mother Kaguya, found the mirror centuries later and sealed it away in an unknown dimension to prevent anyone from uncovering the truth of the past — or discovering his manipulation of history.
Over time, the mirror's existence faded into myth, known only to a handful of Hagoromo and Hamura descendants and scholars of forbidden history.
Keiji stood frozen, eyes wide. The Mirror of True… It can show all of history. The truth itself.
Gengar's dark pinkish-red eyes gleamed knowingly. "Gar…"
Keiji whispered, "With this… I could fast-forward the founding of Konoha. Stop the cycle of hatred. Change Tobirama's view of the Uchiha… rewrite everything."
The possibilities made his heart pound — half with awe, half with dread.
---
The Weight of Destiny
Gyoza turned toward him, his gaze solemn yet respectful. "You've done us a great service, Keiji Uchiha. From this night forward, the Hagoromo and Uchiha clans shall stand as one."
Keiji bowed. "It's an honor, Lord Gyoza."
But as he turned to leave, his mind was already elsewhere — consumed by the knowledge the system had given him.
The Mirror of True… sealed, hidden, and forbidden. But if I find it — I could reshape everything.
Gengar floated beside him, expression unreadable.
Keiji whispered, "Gengar, maybe tonight wasn't just about saving a child… maybe it was fate leading us to the truth."
The fireworks behind them faded. The music of the festival died down.
In the reflection of Gengar's dark pinkish-red eyes, Keiji saw the faint silhouette of a mirror — rippling like water — waiting in the shadows of time.
---
End of the Chapter
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