"Counting it this way... did I just screw myself over?"
Kurogai muttered, cursing under his breath. He truly hadn't anticipated things to play out this way. If he had known the significance of Kree blood back on Earth, he never would've used Amaterasu to incinerate those soldiers.
At the time, though, he had just acquired Amaterasu. His hands were itching to test it out, and without hesitation, he burned the two Kree to ash. That single impulsive decision had delayed his progress.
"If I hadn't run into those pirates out here, I probably wouldn't have figured it out for a long time," Kurogai admitted with a frustrated sigh. "I wasted days wandering around Planet Nowell for no reason…"
Still, it only proved one thing—Amaterasu's destructive power far exceeded even his expectations.
As for why Kree blood triggered a reaction in the Ultimate Eye, Kurogai had his theories. After all, S.H.I.E.L.D. once used a Kree corpse in the "T.A.H.I.T.I. Project" to resurrect Phil Coulson, proving how extraordinary their physiology was.
"It all makes sense. Their blood is potent... and that potency makes it a suitable catalyst."
It had taken several coincidences to uncover the truth, but better late than never. Out here in space, finding more Kree wouldn't be difficult. If Kree blood was the key to awakening the Fourth Ring, then he simply had to hunt them.
Smirking to himself, Kurogai stepped over to Sedis's corpse. Despite the Kree pirate being dead, the blood was still valuable. Now that he knew the trigger, he had no intention of wasting even a drop.
Moments later, he'd fully collected Sedis's blood, then returned to his ship and pulled away from the now-abandoned pirate vessel.
When his ship had reached a safe distance, the Kree cruiser behind him suddenly erupted in a massive explosion. A shockwave pulsed through space as the entire ship disintegrated into stardust.
Some time passed.
Planet Dar.
Kurogai landed quietly. The last time he came here, it was to seek a way to awaken the Fourth Ring. But now that the conditions had already been uncovered, his reason for visiting had shifted.
He needed information—specifically, data on Kree activity.
Rumors soon led him to a particular group of space pirates. According to intel, this crew was made up entirely of Kree. No other species. That alone made them a perfect target.
A Kree-exclusive pirate crew? To Kurogai, they might as well have painted a target on their backs.
Days later, he tracked their hideout to a desolate, barren world. Hidden and remote, their base was difficult to find—but not impossible. Not for someone with unrelenting purpose.
Kurogai infiltrated the base directly.
Screams echoed for only a few moments.
When he emerged, his boots crunched over the corpses of Kree raiders scattered across the dust.
Then it came:
[Activation condition met for the Fourth Ring. Would you like to proceed?]
"Yes," Kurogai replied without hesitation.
A warm current surged from the depths of the Ultimate Eye, converging behind his eyes. It was like a heat wave washing over his vision. He exhaled slowly, and when he opened his eyes again, they had changed.
The blood vessels around them pulsed, and his pupils were now pure white—clear, untainted, luminous.
"Byakugan…?"
Kurogai blinked, astonished. He had considered many possibilities for what his next evolution might be—but this still caught him off guard.
Yet, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.
The Byakugan, originating from the Ōtsutsuki clan, was often underestimated. But in truth, it was an incredibly potent dōjutsu. It granted near-perfect 360-degree vision, penetrating sight, and formidable long-range tracking capabilities. Its true power was in precision, perception, and clarity.
More than that, it could evolve.
Even in the Naruto world, few understood the Byakugan's full potential. Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the final antagonist, wielded it alongside the Rinne Sharingan—a testament to its place among the mightiest of dōjutsu. And in rare cases, it could even evolve into the Tenseigan, capable of altering gravitational fields and even slicing through moons.
"This isn't just an eye of perception… it's a foundation. A core piece of something far greater."
Despite its subtle appearance, the Byakugan had terrifying potential. Kurogai was satisfied. Extremely so.
"It's a late-game powerhouse. The true strength of the Byakugan will only show itself with time."
Now, he had one clear goal ahead—expand and evolve the power of the Byakugan.
And for that, he needed more Kree.
With his path ahead laid bare, Kurogai turned toward the stars once more.
The Kree didn't know it yet, but a storm was coming.
Their blood was now the currency for his evolution.
And Kurogai, bane of empires, had already set his eyes on their extinction.
---
The Byakugan is actually really overpowered, Byakugan is like the 3 tomoe of the Sharingan.
Once it evolves it'd be really dope.
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