Chapter 217: Kakashi: Obito... Is Still Alive!?

It really was like being blinded by the obvious truth.

When Kakashi's Sharingan evolved into the Mangekyō, neither he nor the Uchiha clan ever thought to question the source. Everyone's attention was solely focused on Kakashi himself, trying to figure out why his Sharingan had reached the level of the Mangekyō.

After all, everyone had long assumed that Obito was dead, his body lost without a trace.

So, no one considered the possibility that the evolution of Kakashi's Sharingan wasn't due to him, but because of the other eye—Obito's.

Now that Uchiha Akira had pointed this out, it was as if a new light had been shone on the situation, presenting a theory that made sense from a completely different perspective.

After all, Uchiha eyes usually evolved in pairs, didn't they?

There had never been a case where only one eye evolved into the Mangekyō.

"Could it be… someone found Obito's body and took his Sharingan?" Kakashi muttered to himself.

"No, wait. Even if someone had taken his eye, it would just be a transplant. It couldn't evolve further."

"Unless… a member of the Uchiha clan found Obito's body and transplanted his eye?"

"But that doesn't make sense either. Any Uchiha capable of evolving the Sharingan to Mangekyō would just use their own eyes. Why would they need to steal Obito's?"

"Unless… the person who took Obito's eye had already lost their own?"

Following Akira's lead, Kakashi's mind began to race with possibilities.

But Akira, watching Kakashi get lost in these convoluted thoughts, felt a bit exasperated. He had practically handed Kakashi the correct answer on a silver platter, yet Kakashi was still veering off in the wrong direction.

"Have you ever considered that maybe… Obito didn't die?" Akira finally interrupted, unable to watch Kakashi stray any further from the truth.

"What? Obito… is still alive!?" Kakashi was taken aback, and as he thought about it, everything started to make sense.

But then he shook his head. "That's impossible. I saw Obito die with my own eyes."

Even though Akira's suggestion made sense, Kakashi couldn't reconcile it with what he remembered. He had never doubted Obito's death.

"And besides, if Obito was still alive, why hasn't he returned to Konoha after all these years?" Kakashi added.

"Do you think something might have happened that changed Obito's heart?" Akira asked.

"No way!" Kakashi shook his head again, this time more forcefully.

Perhaps sensing that Akira wasn't convinced, Kakashi added, "Imagine Naruto turning his back on Konoha one day. Can you believe that would happen?"

"Obito and Naruto are incredibly similar in personality," Kakashi continued. "That's why I refuse to believe Obito could ever change."

Hearing this, Akira paused for a moment. It did make sense.

If Akira hadn't altered the original course of events, both Naruto and Obito would have shared the same underdog story. They were both labeled as "losers," and they both dreamed of becoming Hokage.

In personality, both were carefree, even a bit goofy at times.

The more Akira thought about it, the more he realized how accurate Kakashi's observation was. Obito's personality really was strikingly similar to Naruto's.

Naruto, Obito, and even Hashirama—the reincarnations of Asura Ōtsutsuki—shared a similarly strong sense of justice and love.

"So… A equals B, and B equals C, which means… A also equals C?"

Suddenly, Akira found himself on the brink of a startling revelation.

Why did Madara Uchiha choose Obito to carry on his will?

Originally, Akira had thought it was because Obito had great potential and an emotionally rich heart that would be deeply affected by the loss of someone he loved, thus awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan. Additionally, Obito was not a prodigy within the Uchiha clan, making him less conspicuous and easier to manipulate from the shadows, which suited Madara's style.

But now, Akira was starting to think there might be another reason—Obito's personality was strikingly similar to that of Hashirama Senju, Madara's greatest rival and the one person Madara respected above all.

This new theory made Akira feel that the pieces were falling into place.

After all, there were very few things in this world that Madara feared or found interesting, and Hashirama was one of those rare exceptions.

"Akira? Akira! What are you thinking about now?" Kakashi waved his hand in front of Akira's face again, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about something important," Akira said, snapping back to reality.

Kakashi's face darkened slightly, feeling a bit frustrated. Was Akira really so uninterested in their conversation that he kept zoning out?

"Right… Where were we? Oh, right, Naruto," Akira said, picking up where they left off. "You're right. Naruto betraying Konoha would be impossible."

But then Akira paused again and added, "But Kakashi, have you ever thought about what might happen if Obito were to witness something truly traumatic?"

"Something that could change him completely?"

"Traumatic?" Kakashi looked at Akira, not fully understanding what he meant.

"I'm talking about something that could turn a pure heart dark," Akira explained briefly.

"Turn dark? That's actually a good term for it," Kakashi muttered, understanding Akira's point. "But no, I still don't believe Obito would change."

"Life is unpredictable," Akira replied. "Think about this: what if Obito saw…"

Akira pointed toward Rin's grave. "What if Obito saw Rin die?"

Kakashi's body stiffened at the suggestion. He opened his mouth to refute Akira, but no words came out.

Kakashi knew Obito well, and he also understood how much Rin had meant to him.

If Obito had witnessed Rin's death, would that have been enough to change him?

Kakashi's once firm conviction that Obito couldn't be swayed was now deeply shaken.

If Obito had truly seen Rin die, no one could predict what might happen to him afterward.

"Or even worse," Akira continued, "what if Obito saw his best friend kill the person he loved most?"

Kakashi felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He stood there in shock, unable to move.

What Akira had just said wasn't a hypothetical scenario—it was the truth.

On that fateful day, while Kakashi had tried to help Rin by freeing her from the curse mark implanted in her heart, he had failed. His Chidori had pierced her chest, killing her.

Rin had indeed died by Kakashi's hand.

And if Obito had witnessed that scene… What would have happened?

Kakashi couldn't bear to think about it.

If Obito had seen Rin's death, he undoubtedly would have been pushed to the edge, and his Sharingan would have evolved into the Mangekyō.

The conditions for evolving the Mangekyō were extreme. Many had lost loved ones without unlocking it, but Kakashi knew—if Obito had seen that scene—he would have awakened his Mangekyō.

"Akira… Is this what your foresight told you?" Kakashi's voice was hoarse and weak, his energy drained as he spoke.

Akira didn't respond.

And truthfully, Kakashi didn't expect him to.

After all, the only people who knew the full truth of Rin's death were himself and Minato. Even Minato had told Kakashi not to share it with anyone, not even with Kushina.

But somehow, Akira knew the details—so Kakashi believed it must be due to Akira's ability to foresee the future.

Which could only mean… Obito was still alive.

The reason he hadn't returned to Konoha all these years was because he had witnessed Kakashi killing Rin that day.

"Impossible… Obito didn't die? He's really still alive?"

"But… his body was half-crushed under those boulders!"

"Even his body fell into the depths of the ravine… How could he have survived?"

As Kakashi replayed the events of that day in his mind, he began to realize that despite how impossible it seemed, Obito might truly have survived.

After this conversation with Akira, Kakashi was beginning to understand that his Mangekyō Sharingan was the most undeniable proof that Obito was still alive.

__________________Bonus chapter_______________

Next bonus chapter if we reach 700 Powerstone

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