Obito's Right Eye

As dusk fell in Konoha, the setting sun bathed the Hokage Rock in a vibrant orange-red hue. Kakashi walked alone along the path leading to the Memorial Stone, carrying a jug of sake and two small cups—a weekly ritual he made, no matter how busy he was, to always make time to sit there and talk to the names forever etched on the stone.

He walked slower than usual today. Jiraiya's funeral had just ended, and a somber atmosphere still lingered in the air. But what troubled him even more were the various rumors circulating in the village these past few days: Neji Hyuga had reached the Six Paths Tier, Sasuke Uchiha had announced his intention to revolutionize the Shinobi World, the Five Kage Allied Forces had disbanded, Obito was still on the run...

"These are truly turbulent times," Kakashi muttered to himself, pressing his left eye. His Sharingan remained open as always, the Mitsudomoe slowly rotating in the dim light, continuously draining his already meager Chakra. Seventeen years had passed since the day Rin died, and this eye had never closed again, like a wound that would never heal, constantly reminding him of everything he had lost.

He stopped in Memorial Stone. The stone was polished smooth and covered with names, the most recent ones not yet completely dry— Jiraiya and the Konoha Ninja who had died in the Fourth Shinobi World War.

Kakashi crouched down and placed the sake bottle and cup in front of the monument. He first filled the cup, held it to his forehead, paused for three seconds, and then poured it onto the base of the monument. The sake seeped into the soil, leaving dark marks.

"Obito ..." he whispered, his fingers tracing the name etched there for seventeen years, "Where are you? What are you thinking?"

There was no answer. Only the rustling of the evening breeze through the trees.

Just as he was about to pour the second glass of wine, a calm voice came from behind him:

"Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi's body tensed instantly. Not because of the sudden approach—as a top-tier Jonin, his sensory abilities were extremely strong, allowing him to detect the presence of most people from a hundred meters away—but because the owner of the voice appeared when his sensory range was completely blank.

It was as if it had been born from nothingness.

He slowly turned around. In the afterglow of the setting sun, Neji stood there, his long hair swaying gently in the evening breeze, his eyes, glowing with a pale blue light, calmly looking at him. There was no Chakra fluctuation, no aura leaking out; he seemed to blend into his surroundings. If Kakashi hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he might have even doubted that there was anyone there at all.

"Neji ..." Kakashi straightened up, his left eye under his Forehead Protector narrowing slightly. He didn't adopt a fighting stance, because it was pointless—if this young man really wanted to harm him, he wouldn't even have time to react.

But he still instinctively assessed the situation: fifteen meters away, no hostility from the other party, open surroundings, and the nearest cover thirty meters away... the possibility of escape was zero.

"Don't be nervous." Neji seemed to see through his thoughts, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "I just came to chat with you, and incidentally... to give you a gift."

He took a few steps forward, his footsteps light as he trod on the fallen leaves without making a sound. Kakashi noticed that the leaves didn't even dent where Neji had walked—not because of his superior Taijutsu, but because of something more fundamental, as if gravity had lost its effect on him.

"A gift?" Kakashi maintained a calm exterior, but his vigilance remained unwavering. The young man before him, though still bearing that familiar face, had completely transformed internally. It was a leap in his level of existence, like a human looking at an ant; even without malice, the ant would inevitably feel an instinctive fear.

Neji stopped three meters in front of Kakashi. This distance allowed Kakashi to clearly see the details in his eyes—not the 360-degree field of vision of the Byakugan, but some more complex structure, a pale blue halo swirling like a nebula deep within his pupils, seemingly capable of swallowing all light and seeing through all secrets.

"Kakashi-sensei," Neji spoke, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable penetrating force, "Is your Sharingan in your left eye always active?"

The question came suddenly, but Kakashi answered instinctively, "Yes. I've been unable to turn it off since the day I got it."

That's the truth. It's not that he didn't want to turn it off, but that he couldn't. As a non- Uchiha Clan, his body couldn't adapt to the Sharingan's operating mechanism, let alone control the "switch" that required bloodline resonance. For seventeen years, this eye had been like an ever-burning lamp, constantly consuming his Chakra and leaving him perpetually in a state of "chakra depletion."

Neji nodded, a look of understanding flashing in his Tenseigan: "I see. Non- Uchiha Clan members cannot activate or deactivate the Sharingan on their own; they must continuously consume Chakra to maintain its operation... No wonder your Chakra reserves have always been so limited."

He paused, seemingly deep in thought. Kakashi noticed that Neji's gaze was fixed on his left eye, and that feeling of being completely seen through returned—not in a physical sense, but on a deeper level, as if even the flow of his Chakra and the workings of his Sharingan were being analyzed perfectly.

"In that case," Neji suddenly said, "I'll help you solve this problem."

Before he finished speaking, his hand was already pressed against Kakashi's left eye.

Fast. Too fast. Kakashi didn't even see Neji move before the hand was already on his Forehead Protector, the fingertips icy cold. He wanted to back away, to block, but his body wouldn't obey him—not by a stun jutsu, but by a more fundamental suppression, as if time had slowed down around him, while Neji moved at a normal pace.

"Don't move," Neji said softly.

A faint blue light emanated from his fingertips. The light gently seeped into Kakashi's left eye, penetrating the eyelid and directly affecting the fundamental structure of the Sharingan. Kakashi felt a strange tingling sensation, not pain, but as if some long-blocked channel had been cleared, and some heavy burden had been lifted.

Three seconds later, Neji withdrew his hand.

"Now feel it," he said, "Do you still feel the burden of the Sharingan?"

Kakashi froze. He blinked instinctively, then realized—his left eye's vision had changed.

It was no longer the Sharingan's unique sensitivity to Chakra flow, nor the subtle dynamic vision brought about by the slow rotation of the Mitsudomoe, but... ordinary vision. The same vision that belonged to Kakashi Hatake as his right eye.

His hand trembled as he touched his left eye. The eye under his Forehead Protector was closed, but he could feel that the unique, almost lifelike pulse of the Sharingan was gone. It lay quietly in its socket, like an ordinary, sleeping eye.

"It's... closed?" Kakashi whispered incredulously, "The first time in seventeen years..."

He channeled his Chakra, attempting to inject it into his left eye as before. A slight resistance came, and then—

The Sharingan has been awakened. The Mitsudomoe gleamed crimson in the setting sun.

He withdrew his Chakra, closed his eyes, and returned to his normal state.

Inject again, then activate.

Retract and close.

After repeating this process three times, Kakashi finally confirmed that the Sharingan that had plagued him for seventeen years and kept him perpetually short of Chakra was now under his free control. Just like the Uchiha Clan, he could open and close it at will, without any continuous drain on his chakra.

"This..." He looked at Neji, his shock undisguised, "How did you do that?"

"A minor modification," Neji said casually. "I added a 'switch' to the nerve connections in your eyes, controlled by your Chakra. When you inject Chakra at a specific frequency, the switch opens, activating the Sharingan; when you withdraw the Chakra, the switch closes, and your eyes return to normal. The principle is simple, but it requires precise energy manipulation—which, coincidentally, the Tenseigan excels at."

He made it sound easy, but Kakashi understood just how technically demanding it was. The Sharingan is the core of the Uchiha Clan's Kekkei Genkai, one of the most intricate organs in the Shinobi World. To modify its operating mechanism without damaging its function requires not only power, but also a profound understanding of the essence of life.

"Thank you." Kakashi bowed deeply, this time with heartfelt gratitude. The burden of seventeen years had been lifted in an instant, and the relief almost brought him to tears. But then, a question arose in his mind:

"Then... does the Sharingan still have its abilities? Like copying Ninjutsu, casting Genjutsu, or even... the Mangekyo Sharingan's abilities?"

"Of course," Neji said confidently. "I just added a switch; I didn't change the eye's inherent function. However—"

He changed the subject, his expression becoming more serious. "You need to understand that even if you can control it now, the Sharingan is still a huge burden for you. Every time you use it, especially when using advanced abilities, the amount of Chakra consumed doesn't decrease. The problem of your total Chakra supply hasn't been solved; it's just changed from 'continuous consumption' to 'on-demand consumption'."

Kakashi nodded. He was certainly aware of this. The Sharingan was powerful precisely because it consumed a great deal of energy. Even for members of the Uchiha Clan, overuse could lead to blindness or even death, let alone for an outsider like him.

"So I suggest," Neji continued, "That you go to Lady Tsunade and learn the Yin Seal: Strength of a Hundred. That technique can store excess Chakra and release it when needed, perfectly compensating for your Chakra shortage. If you can master it, the time you can use your Sharingan will be greatly extended, even..."

He paused, then said meaningfully, "There might even be an opportunity to unlock abilities that were previously unimaginable."

Kakashi's heart skipped a beat. He had never considered learning the Strength of a Hundred before, partly because it was Tsunade's unique secret technique, and partly because his total Chakra reserves were too low; even if he learned it, he wouldn't be able to store much. But now it was different—when the Sharingan was closed, he was no longer the Kakashi who was constantly "running out of chakra." He could store Chakra in normal times and release it during battle...

This is indeed a viable path.

But then, a new question arose in his mind. Kakashi raised his head, his one eye staring directly at Neji: "Neji, why did you help me?"

He had been holding back this problem for a long time. From Neji's sudden appearance to his initiative in helping him solve the Sharingan problem, and then to his suggestion to learn the Strength of a Hundred... everything was too proactive and too thoughtful, so thoughtful that it made him uneasy.

They didn't have a deep relationship. Before Neji's defection, they were just ordinary superiors and subordinates; after Neji's defection, they were practically strangers. Even now that Neji has returned to Konoha, there's no reason for them to suddenly become so close.

Unless... there is some ulterior motive.

Neji smiled as he looked at Kakashi's wary gaze. The smile was faint, yet it gave Kakashi a sense of helplessness, as if he had been completely seen through.

"Kakashi-sensei, don't overthink it," Neji said. "I'm just doing what I think I should do. As for the reason... you'll understand later."

He turned around, ready to leave, but then, as if suddenly remembering something, turned back and said:

"By the way, Sasuke is at the Uchiha Clan's former headquarters. He said he has a gift for you and hopes you won't refuse."

"Sasuke? A gift?" Kakashi was completely dumbfounded.

Neji nodded, his figure beginning to fade into the background, as if melting into the sunset's glow. "Go see. It's... a very nice gift."

The words were barely out of his mouth before he vanished.

Kakashi stood there for a long time. The evening breeze blew, and fallen leaves swirled around his feet. He touched his left eye—it was in its normal state now, closed and quiet. Then he looked towards the direction of the Uchiha Clan Compound, where only the outline of ruins remained under the setting sun.

After hesitating for a moment, he put away the wine jug and cups, turned around and walked in that direction.

The Uchiha Old Residence was even more dilapidated than Kakashi remembered. It had been neglected during the war, with weeds growing rampant in the courtyard, the wooden structure of the house beginning to rot from the wind and rain, the paper doors cracked, and the eaves drooping.

Sasuke sat cross-legged on the corridor of the main house, his back to the entrance. In front of him was an open scroll with complex diagrams of Lightning Release techniques, but he wasn't looking at it; he was just staring blankly at the withered cherry blossom tree in the courtyard.

Hearing footsteps, he didn't turn around. "They're here."

"Neji said you were looking for me." Kakashi stopped at the edge of the corridor, not daring to step in rashly. This used to be Uchiha Fugaku's house, the place where Sasuke up. Even though it was now in ruins, it still held a certain inviolable significance.

Sasuke finally turned around. His Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan glowed with a dark red light in the dim light. He looked at Kakashi with a complex expression. After a long while, he took something out of his pocket, placed it on the floor, and pushed it toward Kakashi.

It was a transparent glass bottle, about the size of a fist, filled with a pale green nutrient solution. In the liquid, a scarlet eye floated silently, the Mitsudomoe pattern in its pupil clearly visible, slowly rotating in the nutrient solution, as if it were still alive.

Underneath the glass bottle was a piece of white paper. Kakashi crouched down and saw five words on the paper:

"Obito's eyes."

Time seemed to stand still.

Kakashi stared at that eye, at the familiar Mitsudomoe pattern he had seen seventeen years ago on the battlefield of Kannabi Bridge. His breath caught in his throat, his heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, the pain almost unbearable.

"This is..." His voice was terribly hoarse, "From where..."

"This is just a gift from me to you," Sasuke said calmly.

Kakashi understood. The fact that they could obtain Obito's eyes meant Obito's fate was sealed.

That former student, that former companion, that former... sinner.

Kakashi's hands trembled as he picked up the glass bottle. The bottle was cold, but the eye inside seemed to still hold warmth. He looked through the glass and the nutrient solution at the eye, at the familiar pattern, and images from seventeen years ago uncontrollably flooded his mind—

In the cave at Kannabi Bridge, a giant boulder crashed down, Obito beneath it, half his body a bloody mess. He gouged out his left eye, handed it to Kakashi, and said with a smile, "Take my eye... Kakashi... I'm about to die... but I will become your eye... to help you see the future..."

Then Obito "died," Rin died, and he lived for seventeen years with this eye, using it to fight, to protect his comrades, and to witness countless deaths.

And now, the other eye is back in his hands.

"Obito..." Kakashi said softly. Although he had thought about Obito's fate, he still wanted to ask him in person, "How is he?"

Sasuke remained silent for a moment. He didn't actually know the specifics of Obito's situation, but judging from Neji's gesture of handing him his eyes, the outcome was self-evident. Looking at Kakashi's sorrowful expression, a strange resonance suddenly arose in his heart—a resonance for those who had lost, even though they had lost different people.

"Obito went where he was supposed to go," Sasuke finally said, his tone as calm as possible.

It's over.

These four words struck Kakashi's heart like a heavy hammer. He closed his eyes, his right hand tightly gripping the glass bottle, his left hand pressed against his left eye—there, Obito's left eye was peacefully asleep.

Seventeen years of pursuit, seventeen years of self-blame, seventeen years of questions... and so, it came to an end in this way.

Obito is dead.

Kakashi didn't know whether he should feel relieved or feel a deeper sorrow. The once innocent and passionate boy who was willing to sacrifice himself to save him; the demon who later fell into darkness and started the Fourth Shinobi World War—it was the same person, yet not the same person.

But regardless, he died. Carrying Lin's phantom and the obsession of the Eye of the Moon, he died on the path of pursuing illusory peace.

"Thank you." Kakashi opened his eyes, his eyes slightly red, but he didn't shed a tear. He carefully put the glass bottle into the innermost part of his ninja tool pouch, placing it against his chest, as if he could feel the faint resonance from those eyes through the fabric.

Sasuke nodded, saying nothing more. He watched Kakashi's retreating figure, the man who was always so lazy and carefree, now looking as heavy as if he were carrying the weight of the entire world.

Silence returned to the corridor. Sasuke looked again at the withered tree in the courtyard, suddenly remembering Neji's purpose in giving him the glass bottle:

If Kakashi could collect both eyes, he might be able to step out of the shadows of his past, and he would also have a reliable ally.

Allies...

A barely perceptible smile appeared on Sasuke's lips. If, as he thought, Kakashi could use both Mangekyo Sharingan simultaneously and activate Susanoo... that would indeed be a powerful ally.

He stood up and looked towards the center of Konoha. As night deepened, the Hokage Rock gleamed with a cold, white light under the moonlight.

The road to revolution is long and arduous. But at least, he is no longer alone.

With Neji secretly supporting him, he might even have Kakashi by his side now...

"Sasuke Uchiha will become Hokage and revolutionize the Shinobi World."

This declaration is no longer just a youthful boast, but a solemn vow that is gradually becoming a reality.

At the Memorial Stone, Kakashi poured two more glasses of wine.

He poured a cup of water for Obito.

A glass was poured for Lin.

"This time..." he said softly, his voice drifting on the night breeze, "It really is time to say goodbye."

Under the moonlight, two Sharingan lay quietly, one asleep in his eye, the other floating in the bottle.

The seventeen-year cycle has finally come to an end.