Chapter 104: Taking Back Your Eyes, Kakashi is Confused!
On the high platform of Naka Shrine, Kakashi knelt on the ground, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Obito. It was Obito.
Uchiha Akira looked down at Kakashi from above.
"Now, you believe it. Since you already know the truth, then, there's no reason for this eye to remain in your eye socket any longer."
Kakashi suddenly looked up. Take… his eye?
"No… This eye… Obito gave it to me!" This was Obito's last keepsake to him.
Akira sneered.
"Kakashi Hatake, you still haven't understood the situation. Uchiha Obito is a traitor to Konoha, the murderer who slaughtered villagers, and a public enemy of our Uchiha Clan. His sins are too numerous to count. And you, Kakashi Hatake, possess the Sharingan he gave you. Do you think that's appropriate? This eye, from the moment it was transplanted into you, did not belong to you. It belongs to the Uchiha. Today, I'm just here to retrieve what rightfully belongs to our Uchiha. Returning things to their rightful owner, that's all."
Kakashi's body began to tremble violently. His rationality told him that Akira was right. But emotionally, he couldn't accept it. He subconsciously covered his left eye, moving his body backward, adopting a defensive posture.
"You can't do this! This is my eye!"
"Ridiculous." Akira's eyes were filled with pity.
"Your eye? Kakashi Hatake, don't you feel it? For so many years, this eye has been like a malevolent spirit parasitic on you, constantly devouring your Chakra. Making you deficient, no, making your Chakra constantly in a state of depletion. You are known as the Copy Ninja, having copied thousands of Ninjutsu, but how many of them can you truly use as you please? How long can you maintain peak condition in a decent battle?"
Indeed, it was precisely because of this eye that Kakashi had always suffered from Chakra deficiency. This embarrassing situation had always plagued Kakashi.
"You have the name of a genius, but you are severely dragged down by this eye. It is not your aid, Kakashi. It is the cage that restricts and confines you. Think of your father, Konoha's White Fang. He, with his exquisite swordsmanship, shook the entire ninja world, even the Sannin had to give him a wide berth. You inherited his talent. If you didn't have this Sharingan and focused on cultivating your Hatake Clan's swordsmanship, I believe that with your talent, you might be even more outstanding than you are now. Your achievements would be far greater than this."
Kakashi remembered his father's back. He remembered the short sword named "White Light Chakra Sabre." That was what truly belonged to him, Kakashi Hatake.
But… Obito… Rin…
"Give up, Kakashi."
The Mangekyō pattern in Akira's eyes suddenly spun. An irresistible ocular power instantly erupted. Kakashi's body instantly stiffened.
Kakashi didn't even have time to react before his consciousness was instantly overwhelmed by a huge mental force, dragging him into a chaotic darkness. Kakashi's eyes instantly became vacant, and he remained kneeling motionlessly on the spot, like a puppet.
Akira slowly walked in front of him. Two Konoha Hospital medical ninja were already prepared, holding trays and medical instruments, standing respectfully to the side.
Akira gave a brief command to the 2 medical ninja who had been waiting for a long time.
"Proceed."
The medical ninja's movements were professional and swift. Soon, a Sharingan was removed from Kakashi's left eye socket and gently placed into a glass bottle filled with transparent culture fluid.
Akira took the glass bottle. He took out a blank sealing scroll and skillfully sealed the glass bottle inside. After doing all this, he then turned his gaze to Kakashi, who was still kneeling on the ground, his left eye wrapped in thick bandages, with a slight trace of blood seeping through.
"Send him to Konoha Hospital."
"Yes, Clan Head."
Two Uchiha Jōnin stepped forward, helped the unconscious Kakashi up, and disappeared below the high platform.
After dealing with Kakashi's matter, Akira continued to speak.
"Uchiha Obito, a Konoha hero who should have died at Kannabi Bridge, not only did he not die, but he transformed into a demon, donned a mask, and under the name of Uchiha Madara, stirred up trouble in the shadows. The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox incident was orchestrated by him. The Fourth Hokage and his wife died by his hand. Countless Konoha villagers died because of him. Our Uchiha Clan was even framed by him, burdened with a huge scapegoat, and suffered endless injustice and oppression from the Village's higher-ups! I announce that, effective immediately, Uchiha Obito's title as a Konoha hero is stripped! All his achievements will be erased. His name will be completely scraped off the Memorial Stone! Not only that. I will, in the name of the entire Uchiha Clan, proclaim this truth to the Five Great Nations, to the entire ninja world! I want everyone to know who the true culprit of that disaster was! A scoundrel who betrayed his family, betrayed the Village, and slaughtered his mentors, is not worthy of bearing the Uchiha name anymore. I announce that Uchiha Obito is permanently expelled from the Uchiha Clan! From now on, he and our Uchiha have no further connection. In life or death, he is our enemy!"
...
After an unknown amount of time, in the Konoha Hospital ward, Kakashi's eyelids moved with difficulty. He slowly opened his right eye. What came into view was the hospital's clean white ceiling. To the left… it was completely dark.
Kakashi subconsciously raised his hand, wanting to touch it. What his fingertips felt was the thick texture of bandages.
His eye… his Sharingan… it had been… gouged out.
Kakashi stared blankly at the ceiling.
"Obito…"
Kakashi's lips silently uttered the name. A long-lost, light feeling came over him. The Chakra burden brought by forcibly bearing the Sharingan as a non-Uchiha bloodline, which had been present for a long time, was gone. His body felt lighter than ever before. From now on, he was no longer the Copy Ninja; he was just Kakashi Hatake.
Kakashi slowly raised his right hand. It was this hand. With a Chidori, it pierced Rin's chest.
Kakashi looked at his palm.
"Obito, how am I supposed to face you?!"