Chapter 122 — The Eyes of the Soul
Akira stretched slightly, his golden eyes blinking as he looked around. The morning light in this world was softer — almost like it was afraid to disturb the quiet peace between him and Kakashi. He stood up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and glanced toward Kakashi, who was standing near the door, calm as ever.
Akira smiled faintly.
"Let's go and see uncle Sakumo. He must be worried."
Kakashi turned his head slightly, the gentle expression on his face softening even more.
"Yes, you're right," he said. "Dad must be worried."
Akira chuckled a little, warmth rising faintly in his chest at the tone Kakashi used when he said dad.
"Alright then," Akira said brightly, "let's go and see him."
He took a step forward and raised his hand, the faint golden pattern on his palm lighting up as he prepared to open a dimensional gate with his Byakugan's chakra flow. The air shimmered faintly as spatial lines began to form—
But before it could stabilize, Kakashi raised his hand.
"Wait," Kakashi said softly. "Let me open it."
Akira blinked, lowering his hand. "Huh? What?"
Kakashi smiled slightly — calm, confident, like a veteran shinobi who already knew the outcome. "Just watch."
And then his eyes changed.
Kakashi's chakra shifted — deep Yin chakra flowed upward, concentrating behind his eyes. The air around him trembled as a faint hum filled the room. Then, with a pulse of power, his eyes opened — glowing with a deep, luminous blue, runic lines spiraling through them like waves of chakra water. Space rippled, twisting softly, and from that ripple a portal formed — stable, smooth, glowing faintly with misty blue light, like a calm ocean under moonlight.
Akira's eyes widened.
"Ka–Kakashi! You… you have the Blue Byakugan! How—how is that even possible?"
Kakashi turned toward him, the corners of his mouth lifting into that calm, quiet smile that always carried both warmth and mystery.
"This," he said gently, "is my eyes — the eyes of my soul."
Akira blinked in confusion. "Your eyes… of your soul?"
Kakashi nodded. "Yes. In the Liminal Expanse clan, our eyes aren't just organs of sight. They're reflections — mirrors of what our soul truly is. It's a normal eye, in truth, though it's known by another name."
He paused, then added softly, "They call it the Souleyes."
Akira frowned slightly. "Souleyes…?"
"It's because the color these eyes take," Kakashi continued, "is the color of the soul itself. My soul's color is blue — calm, deep, and endless. Yours," he said, looking straight into Akira's eyes, "is gold."
Akira froze, his lips parting just slightly. "So… that's why my eyes are gold?"
Kakashi smiled faintly. "Exactly. Your eyes reflect your soul, Akira. The same reason your Blue Heart Sharingan exists — because it connects to mine."
He switched his gaze, and in that instant, Akira saw something impossible — Kakashi's eyes shifted, from deep blue to shimmering gold, the irises swirling as they formed the pattern of a Sharingan, three tomoe rotating gently around the center.
Kakashi said quietly, "This is the eyes of the heart — my Sharingan tuned to your soul color."
Akira stared at him in stunned silence for a long time. "I didn't know that the color of my eyes came from… my soul," he whispered. "I always thought it came from my father. I thought my Byakugan color was from him, and the Sharingan was just some strange mutation."
Kakashi shook his head slowly, walking closer. "No, Akira. Those eyes — both your Byakugan and your Sharingan — are the reflections of your soul and your partner's soul. The color you see is more than just bloodline. It's connection."
Akira looked up, his voice quiet, hesitant. "Then why is it that the Uchiha and Hyuga clans all have the same colors? The Uchiha always have red eyes, and the Hyuga have white eyes. Doesn't that mean… all their souls are the same?"
Kakashi gave a faint smile, though there was something heavier in it — an echo of ancient knowledge.
"You're comparing souls of the Creators' world with souls born of the Empyrean Schism," he said calmly. "The difference is vast. The souls made by the Creators — like those of the Uchiha and Hyuga — are fixed. Their forms, their energies, even their potential — all bound within limits the Creators designed."
He paused, looking at Akira with a knowing gaze.
"But the souls of the Empyrean Schism… they are free. Unbound. Only the royal bloodline of the Liminal Expanse has the right — and the power — to manifest true color within their eyes. Though," Kakashi added thoughtfully, "there have been rare cases where normal clan members developed color too — if their strength and spirit were powerful enough to resonate with their soul."
Akira tilted his head slightly. "So… only the royal family and strong clan members can have colored eyes?"
"Yes," Kakashi said softly. "Color appears only when a person's soul steps beyond the second stage of awakening — when they begin moving toward the third. It's a sign of transcending creation itself. And you and I…"
He smiled faintly, his tone turning warmer. "…we are the youngest to ever reach that stage. The first in generations."
Akira blinked in surprise. "So before that, all the people of the Liminal Expanse had white eyes?"
Kakashi nodded. "Exactly. Every member of the clan before us had eyes like glass — pure, empty white. The eyes of neutrality. Only those who step forward, those who cross the threshold between mortal and divine, begin to gain color."
Akira took a breath, his curiosity growing. "Do the other clans of the Empyrean Schism also have eyes that change color?"
Kakashi chuckled lightly. "No. Only the Liminal Expanse clan experiences that shift — because our power is rooted in the soul itself. The other clans already have fixed color traits tied to their essence. For example…"
He raised a finger slightly, almost as if he were teaching.
"The Blaze clan always has red eyes — the color of eternal flame."
He looked at Akira knowingly. "You also had red eyes once, remember?"
Akira blinked again. "Wait—so that's because I have Blaze clan bloodline?"
Kakashi's smile grew faintly proud. "Exactly. Just like the 5th Prince, you carry both Liminal Expanse and Blaze bloodlines. He too had white hair and red eyes, and both of you share something extremely rare — double awakening."
Akira's brows furrowed slightly, confusion flickering in his expression. "But… I was told by the fairy that I don't have double awakening like the 5th Prince."
Kakashi gave a soft chuckle. "You mean Sylvana?"
Akira blinked in surprise. "So that's her name…"
Kakashi nodded. "Yes. Sylvana wasn't wrong — but she didn't tell you everything. You awakened your Blaze bloodline at the very last moment before your death. It was so sudden, no one noticed. That's why everyone thinks you didn't have it. The 5th Prince, however, awakened his from birth — his soul was always burning, always awake. That's why the entire realm knew."
Akira looked down slightly, his fingers brushing over the faint golden markings on his wrist. "So more or less… me and the 5th Prince share a similar fate."
Kakashi nodded. "Yes. But remember — your awakening came from your choice, not from fate. That makes it far more powerful."
For a moment, silence fell between them. The portal still shimmered quietly nearby, blue light rippling across the surface like water waiting to be crossed. Akira looked up again, eyes reflecting the faint glow.
"So… the colors of the soul," he murmured. "They're not just power. They're who we are."
Kakashi smiled softly. "Exactly. Every color is a story. Blue for calm, gold for light, red for passion. Even white — the color of emptiness, gentle and welcoming — carries meaning. It's potential yet to be realized."
Akira tilted his head slightly. "And what about the black eye?"
Kakashi's expression grew still for a moment, thoughtful.
"Black," he said finally, "is the color of severance — the soul that has turned away from the cycle. It's neither evil nor good… just null. Once a soul falls into black, it no longer hears the call of the world."
Akira's eyes softened. "Like those who were consumed by the madness?"
Kakashi shook his head slightly. "No. They're not the same. The ones who got mad — their eyes turned black only after they lost control. Before that, they had their clan's original color. Black means null — souls that lost all resonance. No power. No bond. In the history of the Empyrean Schism, no one really knew why that happened."
Akira looked down, remembering fragments of the past — faint voices, shattered images. "Did the Empyrean Schism really fall…?"
Kakashi stepped closer, seeing the sadness in Akira's eyes even if Akira himself didn't realize it. He wrapped his arms around him, holding him gently.
"I haven't completely digested the memories yet," he said softly. "But from what I have… the planet was still standing. And the 5th Prince — he had returned. He was standing strong."
Akira's eyes widened faintly. His heart skipped, though he didn't know why. Happiness and worry tangled in him — emotions rising from somewhere deep inside his soul, old and buried. "So… it can be saved," he said quietly, voice trembling. "We can go and help him, right?"
Kakashi smiled, though there was a quiet ache in it — half warmth, half sorrow. "Sadly… we can't help the 5th Prince. It's too late."
Akira looked up sharply, fear flashing in his golden eyes. His breath caught as Kakashi's words hit something deep — a wish he didn't even realize he held, shattering like glass within him.
Kakashi saw it and sighed softly, guilt flickering across his face. "I don't know the full details yet," he said gently, "but from my memory fragment… the 5th Prince will come to this world. So most likely, he already won."
Akira blinked — his confusion turning into a soft, hopeful smile. "That's great…"
Then he paused. His expression shifted slightly, realization dawning. "Wait—what do you mean the 5th Prince is coming here?"
Kakashi exhaled slowly. "I don't know. That's the reason my memories returned now. I'll explain it to you — and Dad — together."
Akira nodded slowly, still trying to process it.
Kakashi turned toward the portal, his blue Byakugan glowing again.
"Let's go."
The light rippled around them as they stepped in together — gold and blue intertwining as they vanished into the flow.
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