Naruto: Life as Kagami Uchiha (AU)

No unnecessary words—The Third Kazekage formed hand seals swiftly.

With chakra surging, a vast wave of Iron Sand flooded the battlefield, transforming into countless sharp needles that rained down upon his enemies.

Uchiha Kagami dared not be careless.

Chakra surged into his eyes, his pitch-black pupils morphing into crimson tomoe.

His scarlet Sharingan spun as he deftly evaded all the iron needles. The moment his feet touched the ground, his hands wove seals, and his lips parted slightly—

"Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

Whoosh!

Whooosh!!

In an instant, an enormous sea of fire erupted forth, a breathtaking inferno that scorched the battlefield.

This was a true Fire Release of immense power. Though his chakra still fell short of Madara's, this technique was at least half as potent.

"What an astonishing Fire Release..."

"But it's useless against my Magnet Release."

The Third Kazekage's expression showed surprise.

With a wave of his hand, a vast portion of the Iron Sand quickly gathered into a shield, blocking the flames completely.

However…

The next moment, an unexpected change occurred!

A sharp rushing sound came from behind—so fast that it was terrifying.

A young man with silver-white hair had somehow appeared behind the enemy. His chakra was entirely concentrated on his feet and blade, boosting his speed and power to an extreme degree!

By all logic…

This coordinated attack was nearly flawless—any Jonin caught in it would be doomed.

But the Third Kazekage was in his prime.

This assault, though deadly, wasn't beyond his reaction speed.

Without turning around, he gathered the remaining half of his Iron Sand.

With a slight movement of his fingers, he chose to counterattack instead of defending—his Iron Sand morphed into a giant hand, reaching out to grab his assailant.

This wide-range attack was a severe disadvantage for Sakumo Hatake.

Other than his swordsmanship, he lacked powerful defensive jutsu—he couldn't block this attack. Yet dodging wasn't an option he wanted to consider either.

"Heh, Lord Kazekage, do you think we fear death?"

"The shinobi of Konoha do not cower before sacrifice! Take this—Hatake: One-Sword Severance!"

Slash!

Ignoring the Iron Sand crawling up his body, Sakumo's White Fang blade tore through the enemy's chest.

However…

Something unexpected happened.

The enemy's chest was covered in a thin layer of Iron Sand.

His attack failed to pierce through completely, only leaving a shallow wound—but a wound nonetheless.

"Excellent! What a fine One-Sword Severance!"

"I thought only Uchiha Kagami was worth my attention, but you have surprised me as well. I acknowledge your strength… Now die!"

"Iron Sand Coffin!!"

The sight of his own blood sent the Third Kazekage into a furious rage.

For years, he had fought across the shinobi world, and injuries were nothing new.

But being wounded by a younger opponent?

Even if it was just a scratch, it was an insult to the Strongest Kazekage!

With one hand, he prepared to crush his enemy—

But before he could act, a calm voice came from behind.

"Amaterasu."

A wave of searing heat erupted forth.

Unlike the previous flames, this one was different. Though its presence wasn't overwhelming, it made the hair on one's neck stand on end.

The Third Kazekage turned.

There it was—black flames rushing toward him.

The instant it touched the Iron Sand, it erupted into a raging inferno of jet-black fire.

Within seconds, nearly all of his Iron Sand was reduced to nothing.

"Black flames?"

"Could this be… Amaterasu?!"

His pupils shrank sharply.

Even in his prime, as the Kazekage, he was well-informed.

Every village knew of the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan techniques—Amaterasu was one of them.

The fabled flames that never extinguished.

Once touched, they burned their target to nothing.

The Third Kazekage dared not hesitate. He immediately recalled his remaining Iron Sand and sent it crashing toward the black flames in a desperate counterattack.

But…

Amaterasu was Amaterasu.

No matter how powerful the attack, it was useless.

In mere moments, ninety-nine percent of his Iron Sand was burned to nothing.

The few remnants formed wings, and he ascended into the air to escape the flames' reach.

Uchiha Kagami's eyes…

They were no longer ordinary Sharingan.

His Mangekyō pattern had manifested—similar to Itachi's, but with hooked barbs at the end of the scythes.

"As expected, the Third Kazekage in his prime is far superior to that so-called Hiruzen Sarutobi."

"His battle strategy and reaction speed surpass my expectations. Coupled with the offensive and defensive versatility of Magnet Release, it's no wonder he was hailed as the Strongest Kazekage."

Wiping away the blood seeping from his right eye, Kagami acknowledged his opponent's strength.

He had chakra reserves comparable to those of a high-tier Kage, but raw chakra wasn't everything—true strength was measured by jutsu proficiency, combat experience, and reflexes.

And the Third Kazekage was at his peak.

His exact age was unknown, but his speed and reaction time were astonishing.

Even though Kagami and Sakumo's attack wasn't flawless, it was beyond what most shinobi could evade.

Yet the Kazekage still dodged Sakumo's sword and even retained enough sand to escape Amaterasu's full effects.

There was no doubt—

He was exceptionally powerful.

His chakra might not match a god-tier shinobi, but with Magnet Release, he was at the peak of the Kage level—possibly beyond.

As for Hashirama Senju or Uchiha Madara?

Those monsters who could pummel the Nine-Tails into submission weren't a fair comparison.

In the original history, the Third Kazekage was only mentioned twice—first as Sasori's human puppet and second during his Edo Tensei resurrection by Orochimaru.

But neither instance reflected his true power.

As a puppet, he couldn't fully wield Magnet Release.

And Orochimaru's Edo Tensei was incomplete, meaning he only had about 60-70% of his original strength.

Therefore, his lackluster performances did not define the true Strongest Kazekage.

But now…

With most of his Iron Sand burned away, the battle had turned in their favor.

Kagami looked up at the Kazekage and taunted—

"The so-called Strongest Kazekage… scared stiff? Are you afraid to come down and fight me?"

"Have you lost even a shinobi's resolve now that your Iron Sand is gone?"

"Hah! Don't try to provoke me."

The Third Kazekage's aura surged.

Looking down coldly, he declared—

"Uchiha Kagami… Of all the Uchiha I've faced, none are stronger than you."

"I acknowledge your strength."

"Now, let's end this—it's time for the final showdown!"

..........

Update schedule: 1 chapter a day

Bonus Chapter: per 200 power stones

20 advance chapters: patreon.com/_Average_Dude_