"Although these suggestions were made in jest, they do have some merit," Seiki said with a half-smile, glancing at Kakashi. "Why don't you give one a try?"
Kakashi actually gave it careful consideration. After all, everyone had his best interest at heart.
Wanting to protect the Sharingan that Obito had given him, Kakashi gritted his teeth and hesitated, letting his eyes drift over the three men before finally settling on Guy. "Then... then I'll go with Guy's suggestion!"
Touched by this gesture, Guy declared, "To deserve such trust from you, I promise to guard you well!"
A shiver ran down Kakashi's spine. He immediately regretted his decision.
Especially when Asuma made things worse by clapping a hand on his shoulder and saying with mock sympathy, "A guy's gotta look out for himself out there!"
Kakashi: "?!!"
Minato chuckled and said, "Actually, I also have an idea. Kushina gave me some inspiration with something she said earlier."
"You mean something I said?" Kushina asked, recalling briefly before eagerly adding, "You mean beating Kakashi up?"
Kakashi: Σ(°△°|||)︴
What was going on today? Why did it feel like everyone was plotting against him?
"Not that part," Minato replied helplessly.
"Then was it about returning the Sharingan?" Kushina suddenly realized. "First we beat Kakashi up, knock him out cold, then rip his eye out!"
Kakashi trembled in fear. That sounded way too extreme!
"I think what Big Brother Minato meant is pretending to do that in front of the rogue ninja," Seiki cut in.
Minato sighed in relief. "Exactly what I was thinking."
"But that guy isn't stupid. How would he possibly..." As Asuma spoke, realization hit him. "Wait, I get it now! You're suggesting we let the Uchiha clan reclaim the lost eye?"
At Asuma's words, everyone remembered this possibility.
Unlike the *Hyuga clan* who used the Caged Bird Seal (a restriction placed on branch members), the Uchiha did not employ a similar measure. But that didn't mean they didn't value their bloodline techniques.
Quite the contrary—the older and more prestigious the clan, the more they valued bloodline purity.
The main reason they hadn't forcefully reclaimed the Sharingan was likely due to the Uchiha's awkward position and their respect for Minato and Seiki's standing.
Without those factors, Kakashi might have already lost his eye long ago.
Nodding, Minato continued, "It wouldn't seem strange for the Uchiha to request the Sharingan back. If Hiruko found out, he might even walk straight into our trap trying to steal it ahead of time."
"But there's still one more issue..." Asuma worried aloud. "What if Hiruko never hears about this or his intel is outdated? What happens then? Won't we be exposed if we don't gouge out the eye?"
"That's simple. We just need Clan Leader Fugaku to cooperate with us in staging a little performance," Seiki mused.
Minato asked curiously, "How exactly should we stage it?"
"Normally, the two of us would step in to stop it," Seiki explained slowly. "But since it involves the Uchiha's Kekkei Genkai, we can't get directly involved either. Likewise, the Uchiha wouldn't want to push things too far."
Seiki continued his reasoning, "To allow both sides to save face, Clan Head Fugaku could propose conditions at the right moment, requiring Kakashi to prove he won't disgrace the reputation of the Sharingan."
"I see," Minato mused. "You mean we should publicly announce an agreement for Kakashi to prove his worth on the battlefield!"
"Exactly," Seiki smiled. "After all, being recognized as a war hero wouldn't disgrace the Sharingan. This way, we can also buy Shimon Hiruko more time to gather intelligence while allowing Clan Head Fugaku to suppress internal opposition without much difficulty."
"That's actually a pretty good plan," Minato agreed. "Even if Shimon Hiruko is too slow to act, we can use this agreement to explain why Kakashi still has the Sharingan, keeping him from suspecting anything."
Everyone silently nodded in agreement, recognizing the wisdom in this approach.
"The only problem is… Kakashi," Minato asked seriously. "You can do this, right? Prove your worth!"
Kakashi took a deep breath and suddenly recalled words spoken by Obito's grandmother. "I will do it," he declared firmly. "I'm no longer fighting alone—I carry Obito's dreams with me now!"
Seeing Kakashi regain determination for the first time since Obito's death, Minato smiled warmly. "That's right—you're not fighting alone!"
"Just one thing though…" Suddenly, Seiki grinned and patted Kakashi's shoulder. "If we still can't draw out Shimon Hiruko in the end… you'll have to prepare yourself for a lifetime of 'ship-worthy friendship' with Guy!"
A chill ran down Kakashi's spine as he instinctively looked toward Guy.
"This is what youth is all about!" Guy cried, tears streaming down his face as he gave Kakashi a thumbs-up. "To protect my comrades, I'm already burning with passion! Kakashi, let's work hard together from now on!"
Thinking about a terrifyingly awkward possibility, Kakashi silently pleaded in his heart, "Damn it, Shimon Hiruko—come get me already!"
Rin watched the two with an odd expression, opening her mouth as if to speak but hesitating before finally turning to Minato. "Sensei Minato, when are we going to ask Clan Head Fugaku for help?"
"Now, actually," Minato replied cautiously. "However, the next part must be handled just by me and Seiki. If word gets out that we met with Clan Head Fugaku, Shimon might suspect this is a trap."
"Oh, okay!" Rin nodded rapidly. "Then what about us?"
"Well, obviously, it's time for an intense and exciting game of flying chess!" Kushina bent down and affectionately wrapped her arm around Rin's shoulders. "Otherwise, Kurama might actually go ahead and destroy the world! To save global peace, we should grab some snacks and start playing already!"
Rin looked puzzled. Was it really that serious?
...
Inside Fugaku Uchiha's home within the Uchiha clan's territory.
"It's truly unexpected," Fugaku pondered alone at home. "Elder Danzo shares that same unexpected warmth too! If Mikoto hadn't heard it straight from Kushina herself, I'd never have believed that the harsh and domineering Elder Danzo had this unknown softer side."
"Perhaps I could play to his preferences by having Mikoto accompany me... No, better that I work hard to improve my skills and find an opportunity to spar with Elder Danzo myself."
Just then, Fugaku noticed two figures suddenly appearing in his peripheral vision.
He looked up — and saw Minato and Seiki standing right there. He couldn't believe his eyes.
"You... you two are..." Fugaku's voice trembled slightly.
"We know it's rude to just appear like this without warning," Minato apologized with a slight bow. "But we didn't have a choice—we had to sneak in like this to stay under the radar. I promise I'll make it up to you afterward!"
Hearing those words, Fugaku finally relaxed.
At first sight of Seiki and Minato's sudden appearance, he was genuinely startled. For a moment, he even feared the village had sent them to carry out the Decapitation Strategy against him!
You nearly gave me a heart attack!
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>