Konoha Notes

Chapter 160 Am I the Suspect?

"Flame Blade, what exactly happened?"

Uchiha Shisui walked up to Uchiha Enjin and stood right between him and Kakashi.

Uchiha Enjin's gaze remained fixed on Kakashi, or more precisely, on Kakashi's Sharingan.

"Just now, when I was examining their bodies, I discovered... their Sharingan is gone!"

"There are no signs of enemy invasion inside the camp, so... if we don't keep them in check, who else will take their eyes off us!"

"Calm down, Flame Blade," Shisui tried to reassure him. "We're all fellow villagers, we wouldn't do something like that."

Uchiha Enjin's hand was already on his ninja tool pouch: "Isn't this the person who made a name for himself with the Sharingan right here?"

"You are the one who is naive. Don't be so innocent, Shisui."

When the four of them were transferred to the Anbu, some people already suspected that the village's intentions were not benevolent. But the clan chief, Fugaku, also had a point; the clan needed its own eyes and voice in the Anbu. Since they had already been chosen, they naturally couldn't refuse.

And the result? They were sent to the front lines, far from the center of power, to carry out tedious patrol missions, with no intelligence gathering to be expected.

The death of a comrade in battle is fate for a ninja, and even though Flame Blade couldn't accept it immediately, he didn't dwell on it. But now, even his eyes have been stolen...

"They are simply..."

"Zhi Shui, let him rest for a while."

Shuji interrupted Uchiha Enjin's impending outburst of fiery words.

His gaze fell on Shisui, his meaning clear—if you don't make a move, then I'll be the one to let him sleep for a while.

Uchiha Enjin took a step back alertly, his hand already gripping the handle of the kunai. Just as he was about to speak again, Shisui's hand was already on his shoulder.

Two pairs of scarlet Sharingan eyes met in mid-air.

Uchiha Enjin did not close his eyes; his pride as an Uchiha would not allow him to choose such a cowardly method in the dialogue of eye power.

The next moment, his body stiffened abruptly, the light in his eyes dimmed rapidly, and he collapsed, only to be caught by Zhishui in time.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi, everyone... Flame Blade is just a little emotional."

Kakashi didn't care about the offense; he was more concerned about what Flame Blade had said about the Sharingan being stolen.

"Kakashi-senpai, I'll leave the search inside the camp to you." Shuuji said, heading straight for the tent where the bodies were kept. "I'll go check the situation at the scene."

The tent was dimly lit, and two bodies covered with white sheets lay on makeshift beds.

Shuji lifted the white sheet and carefully examined the body's eyes; the removal of the eyes was done cleanly and efficiently. Then, he crouched down and checked the ground, finding no signs of someone using earth-escape techniques to infiltrate.

If Konoha's security patrols are not lax, anyone who can infiltrate silently must possess either a special secret technique or a space-time ninjutsu.

Considering the enemies on this front, the potential employers of those wandering ninjas, the range of suspects is actually quite narrow.

However, Kakashi did not want to draw any conclusions prematurely before he could fully confirm whether there were any loopholes in the camp's security system.

The curtain was lifted, and Shisui walked in. When he saw the empty eye sockets of his two compatriots, he was speechless for a moment.

Shuji asked, "Is this place always guarded?"

Shisui tried to keep his voice steady: "Most of the time, Flame Blade personally guards this place. Even if he leaves occasionally, he won't go far; he'll stay nearby."

"Besides him, were there any other people coming in and out?" "Yes, but Yanren was usually present at those times."

They're very vigilant, aren't they? Well, after all, the Sharingan is a kind of plugin, and it might not be very comfortable for outsiders to use, but for the Uchiha clan themselves, it seems there's no extra cost.

Shuji then asked, "If I may be so bold as to ask, Uchiha Enjin, are you alright?"

“Yanren…” Shisui’s expression changed, then he shook his head firmly. “Yanren is not that kind of person. Even if some of his views are radical, he would not do such a thing to them.”

"It's just eliminating all possibilities."

It's a done deal that their Sharingan has been taken; it's basically irretrievable. So the key now is how to handle the current situation.

In other words, the problem with Uchiha Enjin.

"Take me to see him."

“Shuji, he might still have some…” Shisui hesitated.

"It's okay, I'll take care of it."

In the temporary confinement cell, Uchiha Enjin had regained consciousness. He sat on the ground, his hands bound, with two Konoha ninja guarding him.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw Shuji.

"It's you..." The defeat in the eye power duel seemed to have drained most of his strength, and his voice sounded somewhat hoarse. "Did you come to see the ugly spectacle of the Uchiha's infighting?"

Shuji coldly questioned, "When did you discover that the Sharingan was missing?"

"Didn't I already say that? Just now!"

When the Sharingan was mentioned, Uchiha Enjin became excited again.

"Based on our initial understanding, you were primarily responsible for caring for the body, and you were also the person who had the most contact with it." Although Xiu Si already had the answer in his mind, what he needed to do now was to dispel the mindset of the person in front of him.

If he continues to be in the victim's position, then nothing he says will make a difference; he will only think it's the perpetrator's sophistry.

Therefore, we should attack first.

"When the rotating troops arrived, in full view of everyone, you suddenly claimed that the Sharingan was missing and accused your comrade of theft on the spot."

"Logically speaking, compared to Kakashi, who has no direct evidence, aren't you more suspicious, Uchiha Enjin?"

“You!” Uchiha Enjin’s pupils turned red again.

However, the response was an almost tangible pressure of chakra.

A powerful shockwave spread out from Shuji, making Yanren gasp for breath. His body involuntarily leaned back against the tent wall. He struggled to brace himself against the ground, an indescribable horror rising in his heart—such terrifying chakra!
"This is just a reasonable inference based on existing information and logic." Shuuji took a step forward. "Therefore, Uchiha Enjin, the one who needs to prove his innocence now is not Hatake Kakashi, but you."

He stared into the other person's Sharingan, which was wide open in shock, and his tone became even more stern: "You were once an elite member of the police force, a top-notch member selected for the ANBU. Can't you even understand this most basic logic?"

"Don't let the Uchiha suffer any more humiliation, you idiots!"

I... have brought shame upon the Uchiha clan?
Struggling against this powerful chakra, Uchiha Enjin's mind went blank. His resentment at being banished and his anger at the theft of his comrade's eyes were shattered by the successive attacks.

Instead, there was bewilderment.

Am I... the prime suspect?!

(End of this chapter)