White-Haired Ninja, Recovering the Sharingan

Sasuke has been feeling puzzled lately; he has noticed that there seem to be more people around the Uchiha Compound, and they act in a mysterious, secretive manner.

He has the intention to investigate the identities of these individuals, but whenever he tries to approach them, they vanish in an instant. By the time he reaches the scene, he can only find traces of their activity, yet not a single shadow of the people themselves.

It must be the Anbu!

Sasuke thinks to himself.

Aside from the Anbu, there is no other possibility for a group to operate on such a large scale within Konoha while maintaining such a high level of concealment.

But why would the Anbu come to my house?

Sasuke cannot fathom the reason, eventually forcing himself to conclude that there must be something incredibly precious hidden here.

It could be secret ninjutsu scrolls, a powerful weapon, or perhaps the remaining assets of the Uchiha. Regardless of what it is, these things belong to the Uchiha—they belong to him!

Sasuke was originally a young master with no concept of money, but after his parents died and he began living independently, he quickly realized the significance and value of currency.

He had once quietly searched the houses of other clansmen, only to find very little cash; anything of real value had already vanished.

There was no need to guess; it must have been confiscated by Konoha.

"Those bastards!"

The thought of his money being snatched away by Konoha fills Sasuke with immense rage. "And now they want to steal the treasures hidden by my clan? I absolutely will not allow it!"

Thus, that night, Sasuke changes into the night-travel gear he had prepared in advance, quietly slips out of his house, and creeps toward the area where those people appear most frequently.

The nights in Konoha are usually bustling, but the Uchiha Compound is an exception.

It is as quiet as a silent world, devoid of even the chirping of insects or the calls of birds.

Deep within the compound, a group of Anbu has surrounded a small courtyard.

"It should be right here..."

Nara Shinsuke stands up and says to his teammates nearby.

One can tell from his surname that he hails from the Nara Clan and excels at Shadow Possession Jutsu, which is considered a branch of Yin ninjutsu.

In truth, this task should have been handled by the clan head, Nara Shikaku, as he is the person in the entire village most proficient in Shadow Possession Jutsu. However, Shikaku has other matters to attend to—he must accompany the Daimyo and his wife—so he can only rely on Nara Shinsuke, an outstanding young member of the clan, to assist.

"I never expected that there would be a space within the shadows. Can you open a passage?"

An Anbu ninja wearing a fox mask asks in a low voice.

He has short white hair, wears the standard Anbu tactical vest, and carries a short blade on his back.

"I can, but I need the cooperation of the Yamanaka Clan."

"You can't do it alone?"

"I can, but it would take a very long time. This space is bizarre; it has shadows similar to the Shadow Possession Jutsu, but it isn't exactly the same. There are many parts inside that I cannot comprehend; perhaps it shares similarities with the secret techniques of the Yamanaka Clan."

Nara Shinsuke says honestly.

He is also very interested in the composition of this space and hopes to use this opportunity to explore the possibilities of applying the Shadow Possession Jutsu to spatial dimensions.

"Fine, I can give you... wait, someone is coming!"

The white-haired ninja nods, but just as he is about to speak, he suddenly turns his head to look in another direction.

The other Anbu ninjas who came with him instinctively reach for their weapons, but he raises a hand to stop them.

"I'll handle this. Kinoe, go request support from the Yamanaka Clan from the Third. The rest of you, stay here and protect the scene."

After saying this, the white-haired ninja flashes away from the spot.

Sasuke believes he is approaching the scene without making a sound. He has already spotted the shadows of those people, and a hint of a smile appears in his eyes.

I've finally caught your little tail...

Just as he prepares to investigate the situation further, a faint sound of air being pierced rings in his ears.

The sound is so subtle that one would hear nothing under normal circumstances.

But it is too quiet in this vicinity—so quiet that even the sound of the wind is distinct—so Sasuke immediately heightens his vigilance and instinctively looks toward the direction the sound came from.

However, he sees nothing. By the time he turns around, the white-haired Anbu has appeared directly behind him.

With a light hand-chop, using almost no force at all, he strikes the side of Sasuke's neck.

Sasuke's body stiffens, his eyes roll back, and he collapses forward.

Just as the white-haired ninja reaches out to catch Sasuke, a sudden change occurs.

"Yomotsu Hirasaka!"

In the shadows not far away, Izumi has been ready for some time. She glares with her red eyes, staring fixedly at the white-haired ninja in the distance.

The space shifts rapidly; the buildings and Sasuke all vanish, and the surroundings turn into a desolate wilderness.

"Who goes there?"

The white-haired ninja is startled and quickly flashes to the side.

However, the expected attack does not come. Instead, a young girl appears before him.

The white-haired ninja freezes in place, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"...Rin."

"Kakashi... kill me..."

The young girl spoke softly, a smile of relief mixed with lingering attachment gracing her face.

"!!"

This scene struck like a heavy blow, slamming into Kakashi's heart.

How many years had it been? This was the moment he least wanted to recall, the truth he least wanted to admit—that he had personally pierced Rin's heart.

Yet he had always known: this was Rin's own choice, she had thrown herself onto his blade.

"No! This is a genjutsu!"

Kakashi's reaction was swift. After less than a second of grief and shock, he snapped back to reality, hurriedly channeling his Sharingan in an attempt to shatter the illusion.

However, someone was faster.

Uchiha Arashi had already appeared before him.

"Who are you..."

"Kotoamatsukami!"

Taking advantage of the impact Yomotsu Hirasaka had on Kakashi, Kotoamatsukami successfully invaded his mind, planting the will of "do not resist" deep within him.

Affected by the ocular jutsu, Kakashi's reaction slowed by half a beat.

It was that half-beat that allowed Uchiha Arashi to rush before him and swipe his hand across Kakashi's left eye.

The fox mask was lifted, a spray of blood droplets flew into the air, and Kakashi stumbled back, clutching his face as he quickly drew his blade in vigilance.

"Who are you?"

He asked through the pain.

"An avenger."

Arashi looked at the Sharingan in his palm, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

"Give me back my eye!"

Kakashi flashed forward, charging at Uchiha Arashi.

"Izumi."

Uchiha Arashi called out without looking back.

The space stretched rapidly, and Kakashi was forced away from Uchiha Arashi.

"This belongs to the Uchiha; it never belonged to you in the first place. I am merely reclaiming Uchiha property."

With that, he and Izumi, who stood not far away, were quickly enveloped by shadows, sinking into the ground together and vanishing from sight.

Only Kakashi remained, clutching his face as he slowly sank to his knees.