I used to think I understood stories.
Naruto.
Konoha.
Chakra.
Heroes and tragedies drawn in ink.
I thought I was just another fan, spending late nights rewatching episodes and arguing online about power scaling like it mattered. Like my opinions affected anything.
But that was before a sky split in half.
Before reality bent around me like a broken panel.
Before I opened my eyes and realized—
I wasn't me anymore.
I was Hatake Kakashi.
And I had arrived at the single worst time possible.
Right after the Uchiha Massacre.
---
1 — Eye of the Storm
At first, I thought I was dreaming. The world blurred like watercolor ink bleeding across paper, shapes melting into each other until only one thing remained sharp:
A single jonin vest draped over a pale, silver-haired boy staring back at me from a window's reflection.
His reflection.
My reflection now.
I—Kakashi—blinked, and the memory hit me like a kunai slamming into bone.
The silence of the village after the massacre.
A darkness hanging over Konoha like a funeral shroud.
The whispers: the Uchiha are dead… Itachi… treason… tragedy…
The weight of it crushed me.
No—crushed Kakashi, and because our souls had fused, the grief became my own whether I wanted it or not.
The world spun.
Too much.
Too fast.
Too heavy.
"W–wait—hold on—" I tried to say, but the words never reached my lips.
My knees hit the ground.
My breath fractured.
And the memories—every scar Kakashi ever carried—pierced straight through me.
Obito's voice, fading into rubble.
Rin's blood splattering across Kakashi's hands.
Minato's smile, too bright for a world that didn't deserve it.
Teammates dying in the grass.
A war that stole childhoods.
And then—
Darkness.
Kakashi's heart folded inward, and so did mine.
I collapsed.
Passed out cold.
---
2 — The White Room
When consciousness finally clawed its way back, it brought a sharp, sterile light with it.
A ceiling I didn't recognize.
The faint smell of medicine, herbs, and disinfectant.
The hospital?
My pulse jumped.
No—Konoha's hospital.
A thin blanket lay over me, and chakra monitor seals pulsed faintly on the wall beside my bed. I could feel the chakra in the air — something I'd only ever imagined before.
My body felt both mine and not mine.
Stronger. Taller. Leaner.
Like my DNA had suddenly been optimized.
But the true shock didn't hit me until I lifted my hand and saw it.
Long fingers.
Ninja calluses.
Pale skin.
Kakashi's hand.
The panic hit harder this time.
"W-what—okay—don't freak out…" I whispered to myself, except even my voice wasn't my own.
It was smooth, calm—even exhausted, it carried Kakashi's trademark coolness.
This was too much.
Too real.
That was when the world abruptly darkened around the edges.
Like ink running from a brush.
Like a storm pulling the light away.
My right eye throbbed.
A dull ache.
Then a sharp sting.
No. No, no, no—this was too early. Kakashi didn't even awaken—
FWOOOM.
Chakra surged through my optic nerve.
My heart convulsed.
A star-shaped pattern spun into existence in my vision—a spinning shuriken of crimson and black.
The Mangekyō Sharingan.
Activated without warning.
My breath froze.
"What—why—this shouldn't—" I choked, grabbing my face.
My vision sharpened to terrifying clarity. Colors deepened, shadows lengthened, chakra signatures pulsed like flames around every object. The mattress beneath me glowed faintly from chakra residue. I could see heat ripples from the lamp.
The Mangekyō was too much.
Even with my increased chakra, it burned.
I gritted my teeth, trying to force it closed.
But the memories that triggered it wouldn't stop.
Obito's crushed body flashing in my mind.
Rin's body falling limp.
The scream Kakashi never allowed himself to make.
The pain wasn't my own.
Except it was now.
I trembled violently, my breath spiraling out of control.
My chakra spiked erratically.
The Mangekyō spun faster.
I was panicking—
And the Sharingan fed off panic.
The monitors beeped wildly.
And just as I thought the eye would devour me, the door slid open.
---
3 — The Third Hokage
"...Kakashi?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood frozen in the doorway.
His pipe nearly slipped from his fingers.
His aged eyes widened—not with fear—but with overwhelming, heart-deep concern.
And he saw it.
He saw everything.
My right eye, glowing a blood-red spiral of Mangekyō.
My trembling hands.
My pale face drenched with cold sweat.
He moved with sudden urgency.
"Kakashi!"
No hesitation.
The Third Hokage rushed to my bedside, leaning over me with surprising speed for a man his age. His hands steadied my shoulders as the Sharingan's energy warped the air.
"Calm your breathing," he commanded, his voice firm but gentle. "Focus on my voice. You are safe."
I tried—
but the Mangekyō kept spinning, reacting to my fear, amplifying everything.
The pain.
The memories.
The crushing grief of Kakashi's life.
"H-Hokage-sama—something's wrong—I can't—my eye won't—!"
Hiruzen pressed his palm to my back, channeling warm, soothing chakra into my system. His experience was unmistakable; he carefully guided my wild chakra network as if taming a frenzied beast.
"Steady," he murmured. "Let your chakra flow with mine. Slowly. Gently. Do not force it."
His presence was grounding.
Like a calm wind against an inferno.
Breath by breath, the whirlwind inside me dimmed.
The Mangekyō flickered—
slowed—
and finally—
shut.
My right eyelid sagged as if weighed by iron. My body slumped forward, exhausted.
Hiruzen caught me before I fell.
"Kakashi… what happened?" he asked quietly, worry etched into his features.
I forced a weak smile. "I… don't know. Memories. Pain. It suddenly activated…"
He studied me closely.
He wasn't fooled.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was too sharp. Too experienced.
But he didn't call me out.
He didn't accuse me.
Instead, he sighed deeply, as if another burden had been added to his already heavy shoulders.
"Then we must talk," he said softly. "Because what awakened inside you is no ordinary power."
---
4 — History in Shadows
Hiruzen took a seat beside the bed, placing his pipe on a table. Sunlight filtered through the paper windows, casting a warm glow on his wrinkled features.
He looked tired.
Older than I remembered from the anime.
More human.
He watched me for a moment, ensuring I was stable, then began speaking in that calm, steady tone only true leaders have.
"Kakashi… the eye you awakened is known as the Mangekyō Sharingan."
I nodded weakly. "I… figured."
He gave me a faint smile. "Then you must also know that it only manifests in those who have endured unimaginable loss."
A shadow passed over his eyes.
"It is a power born of suffering."
Images flickered in my mind—Obito's final smile, Rin's pleading eyes, Minato and Kushina's final moments.
I swallowed.
"I… felt all of it," I whispered. "Like their deaths happened yesterday."
Hiruzen's expression softened with infinite sympathy.
"You have carried more than any shinobi your age ever should," he said. "To awaken this power… and to hide your pain so completely… Kakashi, you bear a strength and a loneliness few will ever understand."
He paused—
then placed a gentle hand on my arm.
"But you do not need to shoulder this alone."
The warmth of his words dug deeper into my chest than I expected.
I wasn't Kakashi.
But this body was.
And Kakashi had lived a life carved by loss.
A life I now inherited.
Hiruzen leaned back slightly and continued, slipping into a mentor's cadence.
"The Mangekyō grants abilities far beyond the ordinary Sharingan. Techniques that bend space, matter, even the mind. But every use comes with a terrible cost."
His voice grew grave.
"Blindness."
My heart dropped.
"But… it didn't feel that bad," I admitted carefully. "I mean… it hurt, but not like it was destroying my eye."
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. "Your chakra reserves appear… unusual. Stronger than before. More stable. Perhaps this awakening fortified you. Or perhaps… you have changed in ways we do not fully understand."
I froze.
He was closer to the truth than he knew.
Two souls.
Two chakra pools.
Merged.
Of course he sensed the difference.
Hiruzen watched me intently.
Then, in a quieter voice:
"Kakashi… do you feel different?"
I took a breath.
"I do. Like something inside me was reforged. Like I'm… more than I was yesterday."
It wasn't a lie.
He nodded slowly. "Trauma can change a person. And awakening a Mangekyō is no trivial matter. What you feel is the result of great emotional and spiritual upheaval."
Spiritual…
Yeah. That part was true too.
He continued, voice firm again:
"Regardless of the cause, your new chakra capacity may allow you to manage the Sharingan's drain more efficiently. Perhaps even circumvent some of its long-term toll."
That surprised me.
"Kakashi's biggest problem was always chakra drain from the Sharingan," I said before I could stop myself.
Hiruzen blinked. "Indeed. And for you to mention it suggests you understand your situation better than you show."
Crap.
I straightened, masking my slip. "Just something I learned from… experience."
He let it pass.
But I could tell he didn't buy it completely.
Still, he smiled gently.
"Whatever the truth, I am relieved to see you alive."
Alive.
The word hit harder than expected.
Because Kakashi wasn't supposed to feel alive anymore.
Not after everything he lost.
But I was here now.
And I wasn't going to let his story end in tragedy.
Not this time.
---
5 — Threads of Two Souls
When Hiruzen stood, I felt a brief wave of dizziness. My chakra was still drained from the Mangekyō's sudden activation.
He noticed immediately.
"You are exhausted," he said. "Rest. I'll have a nurse bring food, and I'll send word to the ANBU that you are not to be disturbed."
"You're dismissing the ANBU for me?" I asked, surprised.
Hiruzen chuckled. "Kakashi, half the ANBU follow your example, and the other half owe you their lives. They'll survive without you for a day."
I blinked.
I… forgot Kakashi was that respected already.
Hiruzen reached the doorway, but paused before leaving.
"Kakashi," he said quietly.
"Yes, Lord Third?"
He looked at me with an expression halfway between sorrow and pride.
"You have carried unspeakable burdens. If this new power is a part of your healing, then I will guide you through it. Whatever path you choose, know that you are not alone."
My breath caught.
He didn't know the truth.
He didn't know Kakashi's soul had fused with mine.
But he recognized the change in my spirit.
And he accepted it.
"Thank you," I whispered. And for once, it wasn't just me speaking.
Somewhere deep inside, Kakashi's lingering emotions stirred.
A quiet gratitude.
A warmth he rarely allowed himself.
Hiruzen nodded, and with that, he left the room.
Silence returned.
But not emptiness.
For the first time since arriving in this body… I felt grounded.
And now that I was finally alone, I exhaled slowly and sank back against the pillows.
I could still feel the remnants of Kakashi's memories pulsing at the edge of my mind. Like echoes. Like shadows. But also… like guidance.
I closed my eyes.
And in the darkness behind them, memories not mine played like a dream:
—Kakashi training until his hands bled.
—Obito's laughter echoing through the trees.
—Rin smiling gently, light in her eyes.
—Minato's reassuring hand on his head.
They were painful.
But they were also… mine now.
Not because I stole them—
but because Kakashi's soul had accepted mine.
Two souls.
One body.
Bound not through possession…
But coexistence.
I wasn't replacing Kakashi.
I was joining him.
And together, we had more strength than either of us alone.
My hand drifted to my right eye, remembering the Mangekyō's burn.
I whispered into the quiet room:
"…I'm here now, Kakashi. You won't carry this life alone anymore."
A faint pulse of warmth answered from within.
Not a word.
Not a voice.
But a feeling.
Acceptance.
---
6 — Resolve of the Reforged
Sleep tugged at me, but excitement thrummed beneath my exhaustion.
I was Kakashi now—
but with my own soul and knowledge.
I could change things.
I could prevent deaths.
I could strengthen Konoha before the storm of wars and Akatsuki arrived.
Hell—I could even help Naruto and the others grow stronger long before the story began.
But first…
I had to master this body.
I had to master our chakra.
And above all—
I had to learn to control the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Because unlike Kakashi originally, I had something he never had:
chakra reserves boosted by two fused souls.
My Sharingan wouldn't drain me the way it drained him.
I had the potential to wield it properly.
Maybe even evolve it further.
My blood quickened.
The nurse arrived with food, and I forced myself to eat despite the fatigue. Healing took fuel. Chakra took nutrients. And planning took a clear mind.
As night draped itself over the village, I stared out the window of my hospital room.
Konoha was quieter than usual.
Still grieving.
Still healing.
And now…
So was I.
But I had a purpose.
I had a path.
And whether fate liked it or not—
I was going to rewrite Kakashi's future.
One step at a time.
Tonight was only the first chapter.
Tomorrow, I would begin the path of mastery.
For myself.
For this body.
For Kakashi's soul.
And for the world I had watched from afar…
but now walked within.
I closed my eyes.
And with a steady breath, whispered:
"Let's begin."