CHAPTER 46

The Uchiha Forgotten by the World

Shisui dead? Obito was slightly shocked by this news, wondering if it was truly the truth.

In Obito's eyes, Shisui wasn't the kind of person to die easily. Even if he faced a ninja at the level of a Kage, Shisui would still possess enough strength to fight back. This was the power of the Kaleidoscope Sharingan.

With this in mind, Obito began to speculate whether this death was merely a ruse, a smoke bomb set off by Shisui to confuse the world.

However, after traveling to Konoha and spending weeks quietly observing, Obito confirmed the worst—Shisui was really gone. In order to prevent a civil war between the Uchiha clan and Konoha, Shisui had chosen to take his own life.

This news struck Obito as somewhat absurd.

Uchiha Shisui, the formidable Uchiha whom Obito had feared ever since the death of the Fourth Hokage, hadn't fallen in battle or at the hands of an enemy, but had instead died in such a tragic and futile manner.

Of course, as an adversary, Obito found a strange sense of satisfaction in this. Without the looming threat of Shisui, he could now act more recklessly within Konoha, manipulating the Uchiha clan as he pleased.

As for the instigator of this looming civil strife, Obito had already chosen his long-prepared pawn: Uchiha Itachi.

…

Seizing the opportunity of an Uchiha clan meeting, Obito met with Uchiha Itachi at a training ground.

Itachi's training regimen was grueling—so intense that even seasoned Jonin would find it a razor's edge between life and death. Yet, Itachi transformed the training ground into his stage, offering Obito a flawless display of his skills.

Once the performance ended, Obito silently appeared before Itachi.

Catching a flying shuriken with his bare hands, Obito gazed at Itachi, who remained cautious. Smiling, Obito remarked, "This isn't our first meeting, so why the hostility?"

Itachi did not answer. Instead, he leapt back, throwing another shuriken as he whispered, "Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu!"

In an instant, several fireballs were conjured and flew toward Obito.

The flames distorted the air, and if anyone were hit by them, they would likely suffer grievous injuries. But the true danger lay in the shuriken hidden within the fireballs.

Obito stood motionless, allowing both the fireballs and the shurikens to pass right through him, a smile playing on his lips.

Itachi's eyes widened slightly as he watched, but he had seen Obito's power before and remained composed.

The masked figure before him clearly possessed a Kaleidoscope Sharingan. However, Itachi himself also had this power, and he knew his strength was on par with Obito's.

Unperturbed, Obito spoke, his voice casual: "After all these years, you still hold a grudge for the death of your teammate? If I hadn't killed him, you wouldn't have awakened your Sharingan. In a way, you should thank me."

Itachi wasn't moved. He had long realized that anger would not change anything.

After a brief pause, Itachi looked at Obito and asked, "What are you doing here in Konoha? Surely, you didn't come just to visit me. I'm not worth your concern."

Obito chuckled and shook his head. "No, I came for you. You are the Uchiha I'm visiting. You have the potential to leave Konoha and follow my path."

"You want me to become a traitor, hunted by the village?" Itachi responded flatly. "Sorry, I can't agree to that. I still have family."

Obito didn't seem angered by the refusal. He studied Itachi with a knowing look, then said, "I won't force you to leave, but mark my words—you will eventually see through the emptiness of this village and family. You'll leave Konoha of your own accord, rather than sink deeper into this quagmire."

Itachi stared at Obito for a moment before asking, "I won't leave Konoha. Who are you, really?"

Obito was silent for a moment before replying, "Just a forgotten Uchiha. You don't need to know my true identity. All you need to understand is that I can show you the world of ninjas. That's all that matters."

Without waiting for a response, Obito vanished into a whirlpool, leaving only his parting words behind.

"The Uchiha forgotten by the world…"

As the vortex closed, Itachi began to piece together the identity of the mysterious masked man. The only Uchiha who might possess such strength and could have defected from the village was Uchiha Madara, the legendary figure from the clan's past.

But if Madara were alive… How old would he be by now?

Shaking off these thoughts, Itachi refocused. Rather than dwelling on the masked figure, he needed to address the growing conflict between his family and the village.

Shisui's death may have delayed the coup d'état, but it was like a spring that had been compressed—eventually, it would snap back. The Uchiha clan needed only one opportunity, and his father would lead them to act. But Itachi knew that no matter how powerful the Uchiha were, a coup would never succeed.

…

After leaving the clan grounds, Obito walked through a quiet corner of Konoha, near the Heroes' Cemetery.

Buried here were the remains of the "Obito" that once existed, as well as Nohara Rin, the one he had loved.

Hei Jue, who had been waiting, saw Obito and grinned. "I knew you would come. You're still obsessed with Shisui, huh? He's already dead, and yet you're still investigating him."

Obito shook his head. "I'm not here for Shisui. I'm here to guide Itachi Uchiha. He has obtained Shisui's eyes and become a valuable piece in this game. Perhaps he will be the force Akatsuki needs."

Hei Jue raised an eyebrow. "Nagato's power is sufficient to collect the tailed beasts. Why do you keep seeking new recruits?"

Obito gave him a sharp glance. "Nagato isn't enough. He only wants the tailed beasts to control the ninja world. He doesn't care for the Moon's Eye Plan. Once he gathers the Ten Tails, who will be strong enough to stop him? You? Me?"

Hei Jue chose silence, but Obito pressed on. "We need enough power to deal with Nagato before he finishes collecting the beasts. Then, we'll take his Rinnegan."

Hei Jue glanced at him curiously. "So you've chosen Itachi. Aren't you worried he'll be swayed by Nagato?"

Obito shrugged. "We'll deal with that when the time comes. When people are bored, they'll find things to occupy themselves. Besides, as long as Itachi joins Akatsuki, he won't control everything."

Losing interest in the conversation, Obito gazed absently into the distance.

Hei Jue followed his line of sight and saw that Obito was staring at the Heroes' Cemetery, where Kakashi was preparing to offer flowers and fruit at a grave.

In the cemetery, Kakashi stood before the grave of Obito and Rin. After setting down his offerings, he began to speak to the stones as he had done countless times before.

It had become a ritual for Kakashi to visit the graves of those he had lost.

"Obito, Rin… I'm here again. Don't worry about me. I'm doing well now."

"I found Minato-sensei's son. But the Third Hokage forbade us from revealing Naruto's identity. The villagers treat him like the Nine-Tails, and he's becoming more withdrawn by the day."

"Even though I see it, I can't change it. I just have to watch the teacher's son suffer…"

"But Naruto has inherited Minato-sensei's talents. No matter how much pain he endures now, he will grow to be like Minato-sensei, loved by the villagers."

After finishing, Kakashi placed the flowers and fruits before the graves, ready to give his final respects.

Suddenly, he felt as if someone were watching him. He looked around, but saw no one. Only the dense trees stood still. Both Obito and Hei Jue had already left Konoha.

Kakashi rubbed his eyes, convinced that he must have been imagining things, and returned to his task.

Konoha wasn't the type of place that could be infiltrated easily. Even if intruders slipped in, they would target more critical areas, like the Hokage's building.

The Heroes' Cemetery had nothing of value but the memories of fallen heroes.

After offering his respects, Kakashi left the cemetery, his thoughts lingering on Naruto and the Uchiha.

Naruto was Minato's child. Kakashi had always wanted to help him, but he didn't know how to approach him.

And Naruto's life seemed to be his own battle. Kakashi could do little more than protect him when duty required, but who could truly threaten Naruto now?

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