Chapter 152: Obito Exposed

Obito appeared in a forest, staring blankly with a gloomy expression.

Zetsu emerged from the ground, asking with some confusion: "Why didn't you kill Kakashi? If this continues, your identity is likely to be exposed."

Obito mumbled, "Ishihara has appeared in Konoha. My identity probably won't remain hidden for long, and besides, my identity isn't important!"

He looked at the Mangekyō Sharingan in his hand, his eyes filled with coldness~.

Kakashi, just struggle in pain and regret-!

……

The enemy's attack came quickly and left just as fast.

Yamato and the others heard Kakashi's voice and hurried over; seeing his Sharingan had been gouged out, they were instantly shocked.

But no matter how they questioned him, Kakashi remained silent.

He couldn't determine whether that enemy was Obito, and his mind was in chaos.

After simple bandaging, the group quickly returned to Konoha with Kakashi.

Kakashi went to the Ninja Hospital for treatment, while Yamato and the others headed to the Hokage Tower to report to the Third Hokage.

……

Inside the Hokage Tower.

Yamato and the others arrived to report.

The Third Hokage was greatly alarmed. "Kakashi's Sharingan was gouged out?"

He had no choice but to be shocked.

Ishihara had just appeared in Konoha, and then Kakashi had his Sharingan gouged out; it was hard not to suspect.

Add to that the current struggle between Konoha's high command and the Uchiha, and the Uchiha Clan itself is also suspect.

The Third Hokage felt the already complicated situation had become even more complex.

But since he couldn't get more intelligence from Yamato, he immediately set off for the Ninja Hospital.

At this time in Konoha, all factions had strengthened their intelligence gathering due to Ishihara's presence, watching the movements of other clans.

So the news of Kakashi losing his Sharingan couldn't be covered up; it was quickly known by the various great clans.

Within the Uchiha Clan.

Uchiha Fugaku was explaining the situation to clan members who wanted to find Ishihara to awaken their Mangekyō.

He needed to perform genjutsu hypnosis on everyone, planting seeds in their minds!

The goal was that the instant they awakened the Mangekyō, the ocular technique they unlocked would help them break free from Ishihara's control.

Such a thing had never been done even in the history of the Uchiha Clan.

Fugaku was only conducting an experiment, so prolonged genjutsu hypnosis was required; the longer, the better.

However, upon hearing this news, Fugaku couldn't help but interrupt the plan and stormed off to the Ninja Hospital in a rage.

……

Ninja Hospital.

Kakashi was still undergoing surgery.

Eye transplant surgery in the Shinobi World is as easy as pie; even Nohara Rin, a Chunin, could complete it, let alone the Ninja Hospital.

Moreover, as a violent organization, Konoha had found ordinary eyes compatible with Kakashi in an extremely short time.

So they performed the eye transplant surgery on Kakashi immediately.

Outside the operating room.

The Third Hokage paced back and forth with a heavy expression.

Just then, Fugaku, his face full of anger, arrived.

"Where is Kakashi? Where is he? Let him come out and see me!"

The Third Hokage immediately became guarded.

After all, the Uchiha Clan was a major suspect in the attack on Kakashi, and Uchiha Fugaku was a Mangekyō user.

"Kakashi is still in surgery, Clan Head Fugaku, please be calm!"

the Third Hokage said in a deep voice.

Fugaku glanced at the operating room, where the light was still on, and stood silently nearby with a cold face, saying nothing.

The two remained silent, and the people behind them also eyed each other warily.

The surrounding patients and Ninja Hospital staff also carefully avoided them.

Time slowly passed.

Ding!

The light in the operating room went out, the door opened, and Kakashi walked out with his left eye bandaged.

Seeing the Third Hokage and Fugaku waiting outside, he gave a bitter smile. "Please follow me, both of you."

Then Kakashi led the two to the rooftop of the Ninja Hospital.

The perimeter and the nearby area were surrounded by ANBU and members of the Police Force.

Fugaku finally lost his patience and angrily questioned:

"Kakashi, you'd better explain clearly why the Sharingan disappeared! Otherwise, the Uchiha will never forgive you!"

Back when Kakashi received the eye, Minato Namikaze becoming the Fourth Hokage was almost a done deal.

So, for the sake of the future Fourth Hokage, he endured immense pressure within the clan to let Kakashi continue to possess the Sharingan.

This situation, where an outsider possessed a Sharingan, was the first time in Uchiha history.

His pressure can be imagined.

But now Kakashi had actually let someone snatch the Sharingan, and no one knew whose hands it had fallen into; this was something the Uchiha Clan absolutely could not accept.

The Third Hokage sat with a grim face, saying nothing; he too understood the stakes involved.

If this matter were not handled properly, it would likely directly ignite a conflict between the Uchiha and the Konoha elders.

But Kakashi was his man; he had to step forward to defend him. Frowning, he demanded:

"Fugaku, are you certain this was not done by someone from your Uchiha clan?"

Hah!

Fugaku laughed in anger.

"Lord Hokage, is there anyone who knows better than you whether the Uchiha elites are still in Konoha?"

"Do you think, besides me, anyone else in the Uchiha clan could have taken Kakashi's Sharingan?!"

The ANBU's surveillance of the Uchiha was something both of them understood clearly in their hearts.

Bringing it up now was like laying bare the dispute between the Uchiha and Konoha, instantly making the atmosphere even more oppressive.

The Third Hokage's brows knitted tightly; this was also the reason he only suspected the Uchiha rather than being certain the Uchiha clan were the culprits.

Seeing this, Kakashi felt a headache coming on.

He did not want to be drawn into the war between the Uchiha and the Konoha elders, yet now he had instead become the most important trigger.

He knew he could no longer conceal the truth, or it might truly lead to an escalation of the conflict.

After pondering for a moment, Kakashi sighed and said with a gloomy expression:

"Lord Hokage, Clan Head Fugaku, I already have a guess regarding who took my Sharingan."

Hearing this, both men instantly perked up and asked in unison: "Who is it? Is it Ishihara?"

Kakashi paused, then shook his head.

Both men immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

If Ishihara had truly acted, handling this matter would be far more complicated.

"Then who is it?"

Kakashi took a deep breath and softly spoke two words.

"Obito!"

"Uchiha Obito?!"

The Third Hokage and Fugaku asked with grim faces.

This was a dead man; was Kakashi trying to fool a ghost?

Kakashi's face looked somewhat dejected.

"I know this is hard to believe, but do not forget, Lord Hokage and Clan Head Fugaku, that Obito's body was never found back then; it was only suspected that he had died."

"And the look in his eyes when he took my Sharingan... besides Obito, I can think of no one else it could be."