Chapter 17: The Coward Who Fears Death
In a strange twist of fate, Uchiha Kei found a blessing in disguise. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan in such a way.
His Mangekyō pattern was something entirely unseen before—shaped like a triangular diamond, distinct and unique.
Kei had always wondered what kind of emotional trigger would finally allow him to break through that invisible wall—that threshold standing between him and the next level. What would it take to truly awaken his eyes?
In this world, Kei did have family. But the truth was, he had never formed any deep emotional ties with them. Rebuilding bonds as a reincarnated soul—especially one that came from a different, more mature world—was far easier said than done. For Kei, it simply never happened.
He didn't really have any close friends either. After all, he entered the ninja academy at five, too mature and distant to connect with a bunch of kids. By the time he was seven, he was "graduated" and sent straight to the battlefield. Even if he wanted to form meaningful connections, the war robbed him of the chance.
The battlefield did leave an impact on Kei. Whether it was seeing comrades die or watching enemies fall, he was shaken at first—deeply unsettled. But that discomfort faded quickly. Over time, Kei learned to suppress those feelings, to face death with a calm, indifferent demeanor.
A boy with almost no bonds, who could remain emotionally detached even amidst death, had managed to evolve his Sharingan to three tomoe through sheer will and illusion-based training. That alone was impressive.
But the lack of bonds came with a price—it meant Kei hit a ceiling. Despite awakening the three-tomoe Sharingan at ten years old, by the age of thirteen he'd barely progressed. He had achieved something... yet remained stuck behind that wall.
Until now.
Faced with a life-or-death threat from Minato Namikaze, Kei's usually calm heart was thrown into chaos. Panic, resistance, the overwhelming will to survive—it all surged within him. And somehow, that primal desire not to die triggered the awakening of the very power he had longed for:
The Mangekyō Sharingan.
From the moment Kei arrived in this world and learned of his Uchiha lineage, he'd always been waiting and planning for this moment. Now, at long last, it had bloomed.
"Honestly, it's kind of embarrassing... Everyone else unlocks their Mangekyō by killing someone they love. I awakened mine because I didn't want to die. How pathetic..."
After briefly showing his three tomoe Sharingan (instead of the Mangekyō) to Ayaka Hyuga and Imai Kenta—leaving them both in stunned silence—Kei closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, silently brooding.
To make matters worse, the abilities of his Mangekyō were… odd.
No "Kamui," no "Tsukuyomi," no "Amaterasu." Nothing familiar. Just strange, unfamiliar powers.
Mangekyō abilities are born from the user's deepest emotions, shaped by what lies in their heart. And Kei—cornered and desperate—had only one thought in his mind: If only I were faster… if only he were slower… if only time could stop—just for a second, so I could dodge!
And somehow, that wish was granted.
Kei's Mangekyō abilities were time-based.
His left eye: Chrono Leap—the ability to speed up time, either for himself or an enemy.
His right eye: Chrono Drift—the ability to slow time, again targeting himself or others.
And when used together—
His dual-eye technique: Chrono Freeze—the power to pause time entirely!
It was terrifying. If that ability worked on anyone, Kei would basically be a walking nuclear weapon.
But according to the feedback from his eyes… that was just wishful thinking.
Chrono Freeze's effectiveness depended on both Kei's Mangekyō chakra and the strength of the target. The longer time was paused, the more chakra it drained. The stronger the opponent, the higher the energy cost.
"…What a scam," Kei grumbled internally. Unless he had vast chakra reserves, he'd be lucky to freeze time for even a second or two—after which, he'd be completely drained.
His recent blackout was proof: He had used Chrono Freeze to stop Minato, dodged the attack, but passed out right after. He didn't even fight back.
So for now, the ability felt more like a kamikaze move—a desperate gamble with high risk and limited use.
And that wasn't all. His Chrono Leap and Chrono Drift weren't complete either.
According to his eyes, the full potential of Chrono Leap would let someone experience their entire life in a fraction of a second—a horrifyingly real simulation that could utterly break a person.
Chrono Drift, in its final form, would allow actual time reversal.
"…Unfortunately, neither of them are fully unlocked. And even their current forms are insanely chakra-hungry," Kei sighed. But then a weird thought hit him:
Why… do these abilities feel so familiar?
Frowning, he thought hard. And then it hit him.
"…Wait a second. Speed up. Slow down. Pause…"
That's just a media player.
With the completed versions, he could literally rewind and scrub through time like dragging a timeline slider.
"…You've got to be kidding me," he muttered, facepalming. All this effort, all this waiting, and he ended up with an overpowered—but battery-draining—player mode Mangekyō.
Sure, it was powerful… but right now, completely impractical.
Even worse, he knew that awakening the Mangekyō didn't make him invincible. In this world, the Mangekyō was just a higher vantage point—not a final destination. People like the village leaders, even Danzo, had plenty of ways to handle Mangekyō users.
Right now, all Kei had earned was a chance—a little more room to survive. But if he acted recklessly, he'd get crushed. Whether it was Danzo, or someone else... he'd be done for.
"Wait… so that's how you awakened your Sharingan?" Ayaka suddenly asked, unsure. "And it's already three tomoe?"
"…Something like that," Kei sighed. "I don't really know why. I mean, didn't Obito awaken his at two tomoe or something?"
"Don't tell me," Ayaka said with a strange look. "Do all Uchiha need to almost die to awaken their eyes? Is it trauma? Or just extreme survival instincts?"
Kei's face twitched. "What's it to you?"
"….So basically, you unlocked it because you were afraid of dying. How laughably cowardly."
"…Shut up."