Chapter 23

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"Toki-sama, Kakashi has gone to the Memorial Monument alone," the guard reported softly.

Toki nodded. "Follow me."

At the Memorial Monument in Konoha, Kakashi stood silently in front of the large sculpture of the Will of Fire, lost in thought, dressed in his dark ANBU uniform. Suddenly, he frowned, sensing someone behind him.

It was Danzo, his right eye covered in bandages, who had appeared without Kakashi noticing.

"You're Hatake Kakashi, right?" Danzo asked as he took two steps forward.

Kakashi frowned. "Danzo-sama."

Danzo, his face devoid of emotion, got straight to the point. "Would you like to work under me?"

Kakashi was taken aback. "But I'm under the Fourth Hokage's..."

Danzo interrupted him. "The Fourth Hokage, who placed you in the ANBU, is no longer with us. If things continue as they are, you may end up reassigned under the Third Hokage and working for him again."

"The Third Hokage, a pacifist, is the one who delayed the war—ultimately causing the deaths of Obito and Rin."

Kakashi, conflicted, started to reply, "But—"

"And," Danzo cut in, "on the night of the Nine-Tails' attack, both you and the Uchiha clan were kept from joining the fight because of orders from the Third Hokage. You are aware of this, aren't you?"

"The Fourth Hokage also lost his life that night. Though I don't want to believe it was part of a scheme to return Sarutobi to power, the recent power grab by the Uchiha clan makes it seem very possible that they were behind the Nine-Tails' attack."

Danzo's voice turned cold. "Now that both the Sarutobi and Uchiha clans are vying for control of Konoha, they may resort to civil war. The future of the village must not be left in the hands of people like them."

Kakashi, deep in thought, was wrestling with the information.

"Who is 'we'?" A calm voice interrupted them.

Danzo and Kakashi both turned, startled, to see Toki approaching.

Toki's indifferent gaze was fixed on Danzo as he spoke coolly, "What are you implying about the Uchiha clan? That we retreated in battle? That we failed to protect Konoha? You're nothing but an advisor to the Hokage, always talking behind people's backs, and yet you dream of becoming Hokage? No wonder Sarutobi doesn't take you seriously."

Danzo's mask of indifference cracked, and his face twisted in anger. "Don't think you're safe just because you're hiding your actions. When I find proof of the Uchiha clan's involvement in the Nine-Tails attack, let's see how you can deny it."

Toki glanced at him with disdain. "To be Hokage requires more than just power. It requires wisdom and leadership. You don't even understand how to maintain a proper public image, and yet you still hope to be Hokage? Laughable."

Danzo sneered back. "Keep sending your clansmen to the frontlines. Let's see how many of your Uchiha can survive."

With that, Danzo turned and walked away, clearly unwilling to continue the confrontation, worried that it might escalate into a fight.

As Danzo left, Toki shifted his attention to Kakashi, who had been quietly observing the exchange. Kakashi, who still had his left eye covered by his forehead protector, swallowed nervously.

Though they were both jōnin, Kakashi knew that his promotion was largely due to the Third Shinobi War's high casualty rate and the need to boost morale. His strength was on par with the ANBU, but without his Sharingan, his skills would be closer to that of a tokubetsu jōnin. Facing Toki, a seasoned Uchiha jōnin, Kakashi knew he stood little chance.

Kakashi eyed the Uchiha clan's leader, who had recently caused quite a stir in Konoha, and asked cautiously, "What brings you here, Toki-sama?"

Toki looked at him and stated bluntly, "I'm here to take back your Sharingan."

Kakashi's expression darkened, his voice strained. "This was a gift from Obito. You have no right to—"

His voice trailed off as he met Toki's cold, unwavering gaze.

Each clan had the right to reclaim their bloodline limits, even if they had been given away. When the Third Shinobi War ended, Uchiha Fugaku, in the interest of avoiding conflict, had allowed Kakashi to keep Obito's eye. But now, under the management rules of the Uchiha clan, they were entitled to retrieve it.

However, Kakashi was unwilling to give it up. Not only was the Sharingan the last connection he had to his friend, but losing its enhanced vision would severely limit the effectiveness of his Chidori and cause his strength to drop back to that of an ordinary elite jōnin.

Toki calmly observed Kakashi, who now had his head lowered. "I see you understand. First, this isn't a negotiation. This is a decision made by the Uchiha clan. The Sharingan is our clan's bloodline limit, containing many of our clan's secrets. We cannot allow an outsider to possess it."

"Second," Toki added, pausing for effect, "as compensation, I'll share some information with you."

Kakashi looked up, surprised.

"Information about Uchiha Obito."

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