Chapter 214: The Next Successor

Thud, thud, thud.

Footsteps echoed in the silent place. Even the lightest step sounded like metal striking wood or stone, so even those with poor hearing could easily detect it.

Clearly, everything here had been specially treated. Every disturbance, including noise, was amplified, leaving no place to hide.

The young man with his head hanging low swayed slightly. His appearance was pitiful to the extreme; there was a horrifying curve between his upper and lower body, faintly revealing his broken spine and exposed nerve tissue. Despite this, the young man was tightly bound by iron chains as large as a carriage.

The footsteps stopped in front of him.

"Is... it you, Kakashi?" The young man rasped out, his voice hoarse like someone dying of thirst who hadn't had water in days. "As expected, you're the first one to come see me."

His body trembled violently, but he forced himself to raise his head, revealing empty eye sockets. "Seeing me like this, are you happy, Kakashi?"

The young man with white hair clenched his fists, his face contorted in pain. "Obito, why did you release the Nine-Tails? You knew that she..."

"Didn't Kushina survive?" Obito sneered. "I heard that Yuto and the Fourth Hokage teamed up to split the Nine-Tails, sealing half in Kushina and half in Naruto... What a bunch of hypocritical weaklings."

"Obito, you still haven't answered my question. Why did you do it?"

"Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. Kakashi, you're just an ordinary person, after all."

"I am indeed a failed ninja," the white-haired young man said, his voice filled with sadness. "That's why I couldn't protect our teacher, couldn't save Rin... and now, I can't bring you redemption."

Bound by heavy chains and metal spikes, Uchiha Obito fell silent. After a long pause, he let out a mocking laugh, his voice filled with scorn. "My redemption will come... At that moment, I'll break out of this prison and slaughter everyone in Konoha."

"You won't have that chance, Obito. You'll die in this void of darkness." Kakashi sighed, shook his head, and without saying another word, turned and left, retracing his steps under the watchful eyes of the Anbu guards.

Thud, thud, thud. As Kakashi's footsteps grew farther away, Obito suddenly went mad.

"Kakashi, that day will come!"

"Konoha, you, Orochimaru, Tsunade, Yuto... I'll kill you all, drink your blood, chew your flesh, and devour your nerves!"

"You'll die! You'll all die! All the pain I've suffered will be visited upon you."

"Rin! Rin! Rin smiled at me; she's blessing me, Kakashi!"

"Hahaha..."

Kakashi pushed open the door, passed through four more checkpoints, and returned to the enclosed room after a mental inspection by the Yamanaka clan.

"How did it go, Kakashi?" Hiruzen exhaled a puff of smoke.

"Nothing gained." The white-haired young man hesitated. "Lord Hokage, it seems that Obito has truly gone mad..."

"Don't let emotions cloud your judgment," Orochimaru, who was standing with his arms crossed, said coldly. "The moment you left, Obito's ears twitched slightly. Do you know what that means? He remembered the door's position!"

Kakashi remained silent for a long while before he finally let out a bitter laugh. "I deeply apologize, Lord Hokage, Commander. I am partly responsible for Obito's current state. Five years ago, when Kirigakure used Rin..."

"There's no point in saying such meaningless things," Orochimaru interrupted mercilessly. "Even the legendary Sage of Six Paths didn't have a jutsu to reshape time."

"Enough, Orochimaru," Hiruzen waved his hand, speaking kindly to comfort him. "Kakashi, cherishing the bonds of past friendships is also a precious part of the Will of Fire. But if you want to become an outstanding ninja who can stand on their own, you must learn to sever certain emotions." He paused for a moment before continuing, "You don't need to worry about Obito anymore. You can keep the Mangekyō Sharingan in your left eye."

"Lord Hokage, have you reached an agreement with Clan Leader Fugaku?"

"Yes," the elderly Third Hokage sighed. "Fugaku is a man who considers the bigger picture. We've taken good care of the Uchiha clan over the years, and he appreciates the village's kindness. Orochimaru and I also believe that after the Nine-Tails' rampage and the Crimson Night, it hasn't been easy for Konoha to recover to its current state. We shouldn't start another conflict. So, one eye will go to you, and the other to the Uchiha clan."

Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief. As long as there was no internal strife within the village, what happened to the Mangekyō Sharingan didn't matter to him.

Hiruzen gave a few more instructions before letting Kakashi go to rest. Only he and Orochimaru remained in the room.

"Is anyone coming to rescue Obito?"

"No," Orochimaru shook his head. "The Fire Seal Prison is an inescapable trap I've spent the past two years redesigning. Chain-linked traps are set up starting from 200 meters underground, and even the entrance has been tampered with. Letting Obito hear the door's position was part of my plan... But it seems all of it was unnecessary."

"That black-and-white creature still hasn't been found?"

"It completely disappeared. Its chakra is strange, not like that of a normal human ninja. That night, Kakashi clearly tore its body apart with his dojutsu, but when everything settled, no one could find a trace of it, not even a corpse."

"Where do all these bizarre people come from in the ninja world?" Hiruzen massaged his temples. "I thought I could live out my retirement in peace... But fortunately, you're about to take on my burden, Orochimaru. When do you want to take over?"

"Early next year."

"Alright. For your successor as the Anbu Commander, who do you recommend?"

Orochimaru remained silent, clearly thinking carefully. After a long time, he made a decision and said calmly, "Shisui Uchiha."

"Oh?" Hiruzen was surprised. "I thought you'd recommend Kakashi."

"He's good too, but compared to Shisui, he's still a bit lacking."

"You hold Shisui in such high regard? But his age..."

"As Yuto's apprentice, I've been closely watching him for the past four years. In every aspect, he's a naturally gifted ninja with an exceptional character, talent, disposition, and will. And he'll be thirteen next year." Orochimaru paused, then continued with an unprecedentedly solemn tone, "Moreover, I believe Shisui has the potential to become a Hokage."

"A Uchiha Hokage? Isn't that a bit..." Hiruzen began to object but then suddenly thought of something. Silently, he took a puff from his pipe. "Never mind. By the time you choose the Sixth Hokage, I'll be long gone. Do as you wish..."

...

Meanwhile, a figure covered in a leafy green shell, with a black and white appearance, emerged from the sea.

"Another damned day with this cursed weather..."

He muttered to himself, clutching a painful wound, took out a ring, and continued to move forward, disappearing into the thick fog.

(End of Chapter)