Chapter 30

After bringing Kakashi and Rin back to Konoha, the village's medical ninjas shook their heads at Rin, who had been impaled in the chest by Chidori and was lifeless, indicating they were powerless to help. Yuki clenched her fists; it was her... she hadn't protected the girl Obito loved.

When Minato Namikaze arrived at the hospital, the mortician had already repaired Rin Nohara's damaged chest.

On the surface, she looks no different from an ordinary girl who is just sleeping, except that she can no longer laugh or move.

"Sorry... I'm late."

The atmosphere was strangely heavy, and Xue didn't know what to say first.

It's about questioning him about why he didn't protect Obito, or perhaps saying something else.

She knew perfectly well that even she couldn't always be by Obito's side.

In the end, the two passed each other by, and Xue felt that she was already very tired.

She didn't even want to hear the news of Obito's death, which had been kept from her until now, a second time.

She was unable to muster any emotions to face anyone.

She looked almost numb, expressionless—

Even the surrounding temperature felt like it had dropped several degrees.

When I finally saw Kakashi wake up in the hospital room, his left eye was not covered by a headband.

When she saw the blood-red Sharingan, Yuki could hardly resist reaching out to touch it.

When the fingertip touches the skin under Obito's left eye, it reveals his Sharingan with three tomoe.

Her voice trembled slightly: "It's Obito's eyes..."

So that's how the genius copy Kakashi obtained his Sharingan.

Xue couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Kakashi didn't move, letting the snow touch him.

His voice was low and hoarse: "Obito... entrusted this eye to me before he left."

"Can I have it back?"

The abrupt words made Kakashi raise his eyes.

The black-haired girl had a smile on her lips, yet it sent a chill down one's spine.

"Can you give Obito back to me?"

Kakashi lowered his head: "I'm sorry..."

Xue frowned, but she remained calm.

These words were definitely not spoken on impulse.

"Please give me back Obito's eyes."

Kakashi tilted his head back, his rounded fingernail touching his eyeball. Natural tears welled up in his left eye uncontrollably. If it were snow, Obito would surely have been willing to give his eye back to her.

Would this slightly lessen his sins?

"Stop! Uchiha Yuki!"

Her slender wrist was grabbed by Minato Namikaze, who pushed open the door, forcing her to stop gouging out Kakashi's eyeball. Minato's strength was so great that even applying chakra couldn't continue, so she could only let go and watch as Kakashi instinctively covered his left eye.

Minato Namikaze couldn't understand why Yuki attacked Kakashi, just as Yuki Uchiha couldn't understand Minato.

Why is it always the case that we can expect her not to have an overreaction when someone close to her dies?

She got up and left the ward, saying nothing as usual.

-

Following Jiraiya's signing of an alliance treaty with Sunagakure on behalf of Konoha, and the subsequent destruction of the Kannabi Bridge, the situation with Iwagakure became a crucial turning point for Konoha's counterattack. After defeating the Iwagakure army, Minato overwhelmed the Kumogakure forces when they attempted to attack Konoha, ultimately leading to Kumogakure's withdrawal and a ceasefire agreement with Konoha.

Meanwhile, when Kirigakure led a group of elite Jonin to launch a surprise attack on Konoha, they were dragged into Uchiha Shisui's genjutsu attack and forced to abandon their battle plan and retreat from the battlefield.

Finally, the Third Shinobi World War, which lasted for more than two years, came to an end.

After the war ended, Hiruzen Sarutobi volunteered to take responsibility for the war and prepared to abdicate for this purpose.

For a time, rumors about who would be the next Hokage spread like wildfire.

However, the most popular choice right now is Minato Namikaze. First, he was born into a commoner family. Second, he was a disciple of one of the Legendary Sannin, a disciple of the Third Hokage. Third, he demonstrated outstanding strength in the Third Shinobi World War and had a good reputation among the villagers of Konoha.

So, Xue, what do you think?

The sound of Lidong brought Xue back to her senses. Xue first recalled what they had just been talking about.

Looking around again, it was the monthly clan gathering...

"Yuki, Lord Fugaku is one of the candidates for the Fourth Hokage! You'll definitely support him, right?" Akane blinked excitedly.

The Uchiha clan made significant contributions to this great war, aside from the renowned "Shisui of the Body Flicker" and "Konoha's Snow Princess." The strongest member of the clan remained Uchiha Fugaku. Yuki heard from Mikoto that Fugaku awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan during the war, but this remains classified information within Konoha and the clan.

If Fugaku wants to compete for the Hokage position... that's certainly not out of the question.

"Ah... um, if Fugaku-nii..."

He stopped before he could finish the second half of his speech, after Fugaku arrived at the gathering.

The surrounding clansmen seemed confident that Fugaku Uchiha would secure the position of Fourth Hokage, constantly urging him to pressure the Konoha leadership. Fugaku's gaze subtly swept over Yuki Uchiha. He had expected Obito's death to leave her devastated. But since the war ended, Yuki's behavior had been eerily quiet.

It seems that... Obito's death had less of an impact on Yuki than her parents'.

Fugaku thought so, and he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Regarding Obito Uchiha's eyes, after discussions between the clan elders and myself..."

"The decision was made in accordance with Obito Uchiha's own wishes."

"The plan to reclaim the Sharingan is cancelled."

Fugaku's words caused a stir within the clan, with several Chunin who had not yet awakened their Sharingan and were serving in the Uchiha Police Force speaking out.

"Clan leader, Obito Uchiha's eyes have awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan!"

"How can we allow our clan's bloodline limit to circulate outside?!"

I disagree.

"Me too."

The rising and falling voices of resistance drew Fugaku's gaze to Uchiha Yuki, who was sitting in the front row with Shisui, Ritsu, and Aki.

The elderly, retired former clan head, standing beside Fugaku, tapped his cane to signal silence. His aged voice rang out: "So, Uchiha Yuki, who is closest to Obito in the Uchiha clan, what is your opinion on Obito giving the Sharingan to Hatake Kakashi?"

She lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on her clenched fists.

After a long while, she slowly raised her head.

"I...have no objection to the clan's decision."

“I have read the books on Sharingan within the clan. If it wasn’t Obito who gave it to me voluntarily, non-clan recipients would usually experience severe rejection, with an extremely low survival rate. Since it was Obito’s choice, I have no objections.”

As if desperately needing an excuse to accept, the phrase "no objection" was repeated twice.

Yuki's strength was second only to Fugaku and Shisui within the clan, which gradually dampened the spirits of the other clan members.

After all, they couldn't beat the newly emerged genius ninja Kakashi, and even though they were envious of the Sharingan, they could only keep quiet.

After the gathering ended, Fugaku called out to Yuki, who was getting up to go home.

Xiao Qiu looked at her with a worried expression, and Xue shook her head, indicating that she should go back first.

"Come with me." Fugaku's hand landed on Yuki's shoulder, the pressure neither too strong nor too weak.

Xue frowned slightly and nodded: "Yes, clan leader."

Looking at the cold-faced girl before him, Fugaku instantly understood.

Xue will never again be the girl next door who lost to him in physical training when she was young and would ask him to buy her tricolor dumplings.

As Fugaku turned on the switch leading to the basement, a stone tablet was revealed amidst the Uchiha clan crests on either side of the fan-shaped structure.

The inscription on the stone tablet was obscure and difficult to understand. Xue merely glanced at it before looking at Uchiha Fugaku.

"This stone tablet records the path to redemption for the Uchiha clan. Open your Sharingan and read the words on the stone tablet."

Even though Yuki didn't understand Fugaku's orders, she still obediently followed them.

"The gods are divided into yin and yang, and yin and yang are divided into two poles. In order to seek stability, when the two poles are unified, all things in the universe will be obtained."

As soon as he finished speaking, Fugaku looked at Uchiha Yuki. Sure enough, as the Sharingan evolved, the stone tablet would gradually unlock deeper layers of information. He opened his eyes, and the Sharingan he saw was no longer the three-tomoe Sharingan, but rather covered with twisted, dark patterns. So, after the Mangekyou Sharingan evolved, it became the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, which required transplanting the Mangekyou Sharingan of a member of the same clan to achieve fusion of eye power.

Fugaku asked, "What are your thoughts on this passage?"

Yuki shook her head, and when Fugaku reached out to place his hand on her head, Yuki turned her head to avoid it.

She whispered, "Chief, I am no longer a child."

"This kind of comfort is no longer needed."

Fugaku was taken aback for a moment, then grabbed Yuki's chin and forcefully made her look directly at his Mangekyou Sharingan.

When the Three-Tomoe Jewel meets the Mangekyou Sharingan, Yuki can only close her eyes to avoid being subjected to illusions without knowing the information.

"Are you still serving in the Anbu?"

When you close your eyes, your other five senses are amplified.

Even without using her eyes, the snow could feel Fugaku's closeness.

Thin lips brushing against his ear, and a low, husky voice.

"I didn't originally want you to get involved in these political activities, but..."

"so--"

"Please keep this a secret from Mikoto, as it is your mission as a member of the Uchiha clan."

It was an order, not a question. When Yuki opened her eyes again, Fugaku Uchiha's pupils had returned to black.

Fugaku ruffled Yuki's hair, and she didn't pull away, lowering her head and letting Fugaku ruffle her slightly curly long hair.

Fugaku softened his voice: "Just call me Fugaku-nii, like before. Yuki."

"There's one more thing I need you to do."

Snow remained silent for a moment in the dimly lit stone chamber.

Fugaku Uchiha's shadow loomed over her, and Yuki spoke.

"Yes, Fugaku-nii."

-

Snow fell again in Konoha. Some time had passed since the ceremony commemorating the heroes who died in the war.

Xue held two bouquets of flowers she had bought from a flower shop in the mountains and placed a bouquet of lilies in front of her parents' graves.

She didn't say anything, but stood silently for a long time.

Then, as if coming to his senses, he began searching for the tombstone with soil.

She placed another bunch of lilacs in front of Obito's grave. Minato had told her that the falling boulder had likely crushed Obito's body to pieces. So she only brought back Obito's goggles...

There was another bouquet of fresh lilies in front of the monument, and Xue was stunned for a moment.

She subconsciously looked around, but did not see Kakashi.

Xue made a "tsk..." sound.

A leaf fell not far away, and Xue heard the sound but pretended not to hear it.

She looked up, and white snowflakes fell silently like drifting catkins.

Xue noticed her face was wet for some reason and realized she was crying.

Wiping away her tears, she turned and went down the steps.

Before we had gone far, the snow started falling even harder.

She instinctively stopped and looked back—

The bunch of lilacs had vanished, along with scattered lily petals on the ground.