After listening to Kakashi's report, the Third Hokage felt his energy drain away. *Is this Uchiha Yagami born just to oppose me?*
Since Yagami's rise among the Uchiha, he'd caused nothing but headaches. Even Fugaku was a problem, showing deference to the elders yet oddly cowering when it came to confronting his own people. *Why can't you restrain him?*
The Third Hokage realized that every matter involving Yagami was a source of trouble, yet he couldn't ignore it—this involved the village's Jinchūriki.
*Communication between children? Are Uchiha Yagami's motives really that pure? Not a chance!*
Yet, even if he suspected Yagami's intentions, there was nothing he could do. As Yagami pointed out, Naruto had sought out the Uchiha on his own. How could he stop that? Naruto was no longer a toddler, and even considering Danzō's proposal to isolate him seemed impossible.
Jinchūriki were dangerous to control. The other hidden villages might have taken measures to subdue the tailed beasts, but Konoha was in a weakened state. Otherwise, they wouldn't have needed to sacrifice the Fourth Hokage in the last Nine-Tails incident, despite Kushina's efforts as the Uzumaki clan's bloodline holder. *What if Naruto, pushed too far, chooses to cooperate with the Nine-Tails to seek revenge?*
The Uchiha's Sharingan could suppress tailed beasts, but with the Uchiha clan's current detachment from Konoha, they would likely refuse any request to intervene with the Nine-Tails—perhaps even retaliate against Konoha instead.
"Kakashi, I need you to stay vigilant during this period. The Uchiha's intent in approaching Naruto is unknown. Besides the surveillance from the Anbu team, you'll be Naruto's primary guard from now on. Interact with him when necessary."
The Third Hokage sighed. The Uchiha were offering Naruto the warmth he craved. If he didn't counter it, Naruto might indeed align himself with the Uchiha.
For now, Kakashi was the best candidate. As the Fourth Hokage's disciple, it was natural for him to look after Naruto. He was loyal to the Hokage, had conflicts with Danzō, and wasn't likely to fall under his influence. Moreover, he possessed a Sharingan that could potentially control the tailed beast.
What the Third Hokage didn't realize was that Kakashi, freshly tasked with this responsibility, was already being observed by an "old friend" the moment he left the Hokage building.
······
Leaving the Hokage building, Kakashi pondered how to approach Naruto. Though Naruto was his teacher's son, Kakashi had distanced himself emotionally after the deaths of the Fourth Hokage and his teammates, Obito and Rin. His life in Anbu was cold and detached, turning him into a task-oriented machine. Thus, he barely interacts with Naruto.
Seeing how easily Yagami and Naruto had bonded over a bowl of ramen, Kakashi wondered if he could build a similar connection.
As he mused, he spotted a suspicious figure slipping out of Naruto's home, disappearing swiftly toward the village outskirts.
Kakashi's expression darkened. He quickly signalled nearby Anbu with a secret code, but he received no response. When he checked on the Anbu, he found them all unconscious.
"Something's wrong! Naruto…"
Rushing to Naruto's room, he sighed in relief upon seeing the boy sound asleep. He quickly wrote a scroll, handed it to Pakkun to deliver to the Hokage, and then turned and sprinted in pursuit of the mysterious figure.
"So, it's already started? And Danzō… never misses a chance to tarnish the Uchiha's name."
Yagami, who had been following Kakashi covertly, now revealed himself. With his Byakugan, he had seen everything. The mysterious figure, disguised as a Root member, was fleeing straight toward the Uchiha district.
*Imagine this,* thought Yagami. *I only interacted with the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki during the day, then, later, someone ambushes Anbu, sneaks into Naruto's residence, and runs into Kakashi after he's just reported to the Hokage's office. Then, they flee in the direction of the Uchiha district.*
Given these details, what conclusion would the Third Hokage naturally draw? The mysterious attacker must be Uchiha.
Yagami wasn't concerned with changing Danzō's tactics. This situation wouldn't end quietly; once the mysterious person fell to Kakashi, the blame would be less likely to land on the Uchiha.
Estimating the time it would take for Pakkun to reach the Hokage, Yagami didn't linger. Leaving a Flying Thunder God mark on Naruto, he tracked Kakashi's chakra trail.
*The Byakugan may lack Mangekyō's power, but some abilities make it incredibly convenient.*
At this moment, in Konoha's outskirts, Kakashi was hot on the heels of the fleeing assailant, both leaping from branch to branch.
"Fire Style: Flame Bomb!"
The masked intruder turned mid-chase, weaving hand seals before spitting a fireball at Kakashi. Kakashi drew his short sword and slashed through the flames, launching a few shuriken to seal off his opponent's escape route.
"You can't run—surrender!"
Kakashi's voice carried authority. The mysterious figure, dodging shuriken, was forced to halt. Just as Kakashi was about to close in, another fireball burst from the trees, followed by a wind blade slashing toward him from the opposite side.
"A three-man squad? This was premeditated."
Kakashi assessed the situation calmly. The assailants were strong, but he knew that holding them off until the Hokage arrived would be enough.
With that resolve, Kakashi's hand glowed with Lightning Style, and he lunged at the initial attacker.
"Hurry up! Hokage's on the move!" shouted the lead assailant, blocking Kakashi's strike and signalling his teammates. Sacrificing his arm to pin Kakashi, he called the others into action.
The two remaining assailants leapt into action—one aiming a strike at Kakashi's abdomen while the other reached for his left eye.
"The target is… me?"
Realizing their intent, Kakashi's face darkened. His mind flashed back to Yagami's earlier words. Seeing them use Fire Style, his first thought was that Uchiha wanted Obito's eye back.
While he hadn't claimed Uchiha's bloodline as his own, that Sharingan was a keepsake from Obito, one he would not surrender.
"Damn it! As expected of the White Fang's son, he's a real handful…"
The attackers grew anxious as Kakashi continued to fend them off. The Third Hokage might arrive any moment.
"We can't drag this out. Finish him!"
The three attackers weren't weak, but they'd held back to cast suspicion on the Uchiha. Their jutsu had been exclusively Fire Style, just as Danzō intended, to implicate the clan.
Danzō wanted Kakashi alive to frame Uchiha, but now, it seemed impossible to both capture the Sharingan and spare his life.
"Mind-Body Switch Technique!"
One assailant performed the jutsu, freezing Kakashi in place. Almost instantly, another closed in and reached out to extract the Sharingan from beneath his headband.
"Time Stop."
Watching from the shadows, Yagami's left eye bled as he activated his time-stopping ability. Using the Flying Thunder God mark on Kakashi. He teleported, snatched the Sharingan from the Root operative's hand, and vanished before the time stop ended.
The time freeze lifted, and Kakashi, breaking free from the Mind-Body Switch, felt a searing pain in his left eye and drove his dagger into the attacker's chest.
"Kakashi! Who dares cause trouble in Konoha?"
At that moment, the Third Hokage arrived with Anbu, and the remaining two assailants fled without hesitation upon seeing their fallen comrade.
"Pursue them! Kakashi, are you all right? What happened?"
The Third Hokage ordered the chase, but upon noticing Kakashi's injury, he gasped.
Kakashi's Sharingan had been removed.
"Lord Hokage… I'm sorry. Their target wasn't Naruto; it was my Sharingan. I suspect…"
Kakashi clutched his left eye, breathing heavily.
"No need to say it. I understand…"
Yagami had approached Naruto earlier that day, and now Kakashi had been lured out and his Sharingan taken. *Was this Yagami's true objective? To reclaim the clan's Sharingan from outside the family?*
The Third Hokage's face darkened. *Uchiha seems to be growing bold. Can't we keep the peace? Must they provoke the village?*
"Take the body back. I want to know exactly what Uchiha is planning."
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