Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
Kakashi's mind was filled with question marks.
His thoughts were a complete mess.
Uchiha Ren had spoken very plainly, and Kakashi understood exactly what he meant.
But if Uchiha Obito truly hadn't died…
Then what had he been doing all these years?
Rin Nohara wasn't dead.
Obito wasn't dead either.
So what were all the emotions Kakashi had suffered through over the years—his despair, guilt, fear, grief, and self-loathing?
Did that mean all the pain he'd endured had been for nothing?
That from beginning to end, he alone had been the one suffering?
Kakashi found it hard to accept.
His agitation caused the three tomoe in his Sharingan to spin rapidly.
Then—
The three tomoe suddenly connected, forming a unique pattern.
Mangekyō Sharingan — Kamui.
Ren clicked his tongue in amazement.
"Looks like Obito really holds a special place in your heart."
"Rin standing here alive right in front of you didn't trigger anything. But just hearing that Obito might be alive was enough to awaken your Mangekyō Sharingan."
Kakashi glared fiercely at Ren.
His voice was hoarse as he asked:
"So… you're the one who saved Obito too?"
"No," Ren shook his head honestly.
"He was never dead to begin with, so there was nothing for me to save."
"You never actually saw him die, did you?"
Kakashi froze.
Thinking back carefully, he realized Ren was right.
He had never personally seen Obito die.
Strictly speaking, Obito had only been gravely injured and buried under collapsing rocks inside the cave.
"Then what has Obito been doing all these years?!"
Kakashi suddenly exploded.
"Why didn't he come back to Konoha?! Why didn't he come find me?!"
He simply couldn't understand it.
If Obito hadn't died at the Kannabi Bridge Mission, why hadn't he returned?
If Obito had come back earlier…
Maybe Kakashi wouldn't have suffered like this.
"Obito's been busy trying to destroy the world," Ren replied seriously.
"And who says he never returned to the village? He actually comes back quite often to see you."
"!!!???"
"Obito… came back to see me? Wait…"
Kakashi's face twisted in shock.
"You said he's trying to destroy the world?!"
Ren nodded casually.
"When you're standing in front of the Memorial Stone, staring blankly at it…"
"Sometimes Obito is standing behind you, staring at you."
"You watch the stone for as long as you stay."
"And he watches you for just as long."
"Until you leave."
Kakashi: "..."
Sometimes silence really is the only possible response.
Kakashi didn't even know what to say anymore.
But he definitely felt personally violated.
Was Obito seriously that bored?
If he had time to do that, why not just show himself?
Taking a deep breath, Kakashi tried to calm himself.
Then he asked again:
"What do you mean by 'destroying the world'?"
"Exactly what it sounds like," Ren replied calmly.
"Remember when Rin said earlier that a powerful figure had targeted them?"
Kakashi nodded.
"Of course."
In fact, Kakashi had noticed that detail immediately. But the revelation that both Rin and Obito were alive had been so shocking that he hadn't had the chance to ask about it yet.
Ren continued:
"To be more precise, that powerful figure targeted Obito."
"He wanted Obito to become his successor."
"And you and Rin… were nothing more than tools to nurture Obito."
"You mean the Sharingan?" Kakashi said slowly.
"That powerful figure planned to use our deaths to stimulate Obito's awakening?"
Kakashi raised a hand and touched his Mangekyō Sharingan.
He knew enough about the Uchiha's awakening conditions to connect the dots.
Ren nodded.
"Exactly."
"Although Obito survived the Kannabi Bridge, his injuries were severe. That mysterious figure rescued him and modified his body."
"When Obito heard that you and Rin were in danger on the Kirigakure battlefield, he forced himself—despite not having fully recovered—to rush there."
"But when he arrived…"
"The scene he saw was Rin dying by your hand."
"So Obito was there…"
Kakashi murmured weakly, his eyes filled with pain.
"No wonder he refused to see me."
"So that's why…"
"I killed the person he entrusted to me…"
Kakashi's voice grew quieter as he spiraled deeper into self-doubt.
Beside him, Rin rolled her eyes.
"Kakashi, I'm literally standing right here alive."
"Stop talking like I'm already dead."
Kakashi looked up at her, still filled with guilt.
"I know… but seeing that scene…"
"No wonder Obito fell into darkness."
He had already pieced everything together in his mind.
A mysterious mastermind had chosen Obito, orchestrated events to awaken his Mangekyō Sharingan, and pushed him into despair.
And it had worked.
Seeing Kakashi kill Rin had shattered Obito's faith in the world.
So he inherited the mastermind's will and began walking the path of world destruction.
Ren sighed helplessly.
"Were you even listening to what I said?"
"I'm taking your eye to return it to Obito."
"Do you really think I'd help him destroy the world?"
Kakashi froze.
Then realization dawned on him.
"You mean… Obito hasn't fallen into darkness?"
Ren nodded… then shook his head.
"More accurately—he did fall into darkness before."
"But I dragged him back."
"That mysterious figure was already near death. That's why he was searching for a successor."
"Recently, after passing everything on to Obito, he finally ran out of life and died."
"Then I found Obito."
"And beat the hell out of him."
"That knocked some sense back into him."
"Right now he's helping me handle something. After it's finished, he'll return to the village."
Ren added calmly:
"If that hidden danger hadn't been resolved…"
"Do you think I would have allowed Rin to meet you?"
Kakashi stood there silently.
He hadn't expected so many twists.
But at least the ending… was good.
He let out a long breath.
Finally, he accepted reality.
"If the eye is being returned to Obito…"
Kakashi lowered the hand covering his eye.
The Mangekyō Sharingan faded back into a three-tomoe Sharingan.
"I have no objections."
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