Just Knows to Make Me Clean Up His Mess...
After returning home, Andrew couldn't stop thinking about what he'd seen in the Mist Village. Specifically, that shark-faced brute—Kisame. At this point in the timeline, the Akatsuki wasn't yet at full strength. Obito hadn't publicly joined them, and the group hadn't become the monster of legend it would later be.
Which meant finding Obito wouldn't be as simple as heading to the Rain Village. Instead, Andrew might end up facing Nagato and that terrifying Rinnegan. That was not a fight he could win—not now.
"If we want to take off Obito's mask, we need to find him first... but where the hell is he?"
Andrew scratched his head, frustrated. The guy was most likely hiding out in Madara's old base, but the location was a complete mystery. Not even Kishimoto gave that away in the original timeline.
"If we can't locate him... we'll just have to draw him out."
"If we apply enough pressure—make him feel his current power isn't enough—he'll try to retrieve his other Sharingan. That's when he'll show up in Konoha."
But then, Andrew's eyes widened.
"Damn it! I forgot about Kakashi!"
He slapped his forehead. He was supposed to check on him at the hospital. That poor guy was still stuck in bed, and Andrew had completely spaced it.
"This is all Kurenai Yuhi's fault. Stirring up drama and making me forget something important!"
Though Andrew had planned to check in on Kakashi the next day, he reconsidered. If Kakashi was going to be bait for Obito, then this needed to be done today.
At Konoha Hospital, Kakashi was lying on a bed, staring listlessly at the ceiling.
He felt like a complete wreck.
Originally, he'd wanted to see Andrew not just because of his damaged eye, but also because of what happened that night. Had it not been for the Uchiha clan intervening with the Third Hokage to confront Danzo, he might never have recovered his Sharingan.
He owed them. And yet, his first reaction had been suspicion. Now, he wanted to apologize.
But nothing had gone smoothly. The new eye, taken back from Danzo, was problematic. Unlike Obito's original eye—which Kakashi had adapted to over the years—this one consumed chakra at an alarming rate. And worse, every time he used it, intense pain shot through not only the Sharingan socket, but his other eye as well.
With his chakra constantly being drained, his body grew weaker and weaker. In this condition, there was nothing he could do but lie in bed and recover.
When Jiraiya had visited recently, Kakashi had asked him to pass a message to Andrew. At first, Kakashi held hope. But when days passed with no word, that hope turned to disappointment. After all, the moment trouble hit, Third Hokage ran to Uchiha, which likely soured them toward him.
But then, just today, an Uchiha told him Andrew would be visiting.
He waited all day... until the sun began to set.
Just as he was about to give up, the door opened.
"Yo! Kakashi, what's up? Eye trouble or diarrhea? You look as skinny as Danzo."
Andrew grinned as he walked in, but the moment he saw Kakashi's pale face, a pang of guilt hit him.
"Damn... this one's on me. Who knows what Danzo did to that Sharingan."
He hadn't deliberately ignored Kakashi. He'd genuinely forgotten, thanks to Jiraiya's flakiness and Kurenai's nonsense.
"Sorry... and thanks for coming," Kakashi said weakly, eyes shut tight. "I really couldn't go to the Uchiha compound in this state."
"Tsk. Why are you being so stubborn?" Andrew shook his head. "That Sharingan isn't helping anymore. It's draining you. Let it go."
Kakashi didn't reply immediately. Andrew knew he was thinking of Obito. That eye was the last piece of his fallen friend. But Andrew wanted to scream:
"Obito isn't dead! He's out there turning the ninja world into his playground!"
Out loud, he kept calm.
"I'll be honest with you," Andrew said. "Sharingan strength isn't static. It depends on the user's development. Obito's Sharingan hadn't matured when he gave it to you. You synced with it over time. But this new one? It's been refined through Hashirama cells under Danzo. It's far stronger than your body can handle."
"It's like plugging a high-voltage appliance into a weak battery. It's going to fry you."
Kakashi remained silent. "It's the last thing he left me... I—"
"Then become strong enough to carry it!" Andrew interrupted. "If you insist on keeping it, fine—but you'll need to at least double your chakra reserves. Otherwise, it'll kill you."
He wasn't trying to be cruel. He was offering a choice. Kakashi didn't need the eye to be strong. The Hatake clan's sword techniques were more than enough. If he gave up the Sharingan, he could grow in his own way—and probably surpass his current self.
"You're a Hatake, not an Uchiha. Stop trying to force what doesn't fit."
Kakashi's voice trembled. "...If the Sharingan is too strong, then why is my other eye being affected too?"
Andrew frowned. "I'm no medical ninja. If the hospital can't figure it out, your only hope is Lady Tsunade. She'll probably have a solution."
He patted Kakashi on the shoulder, secretly leaving behind a Flying Thunder God mark. Whether Kakashi removed the eye or not, Andrew knew he'd carry it with him. His bond with Obito wouldn't allow anything less.
Which made him the perfect bait.
Unmasking Obito himself wouldn't have the same impact as Kakashi exposing his identity. That emotional blow would land deeper.
As for Obito's potential power-up from retrieving the eye? Not a concern. Kamui's signature ability was still in Andrew's possession.
Looking down at Kakashi's feeble condition, Andrew couldn't help but mutter, "Even if no one touches him, he's going to die like this... Better hope he makes the right call. Otherwise, I'll have to rip the eye out myself."
Then he turned to another issue.
Tsunade.
It was time to seek her out—not just for Kakashi, but for Itachi. The clan's Mangekyō Sharingan users were few: only four existed. The patriarch couldn't be exposed, and Itachi's condition had to be stabilized.
Technically, Orochimaru was a better bet for a solution, but Andrew didn't want to deal with him unless absolutely necessary. The guy had too many secrets and too many risks.
Tsunade first. Orochimaru later. One Kotoamatsukami is worth a tech genius in exchange, if done right.
At that same moment, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was also thinking of Tsunade.
Not for medical help—but to help with the village finances.
The daimyo had released some funding, but it was barely half of what Konoha needed. It was enough to keep the village operational, but the high-level clans got nothing. No surplus, no extra perks, not even scraps to leech from.
While the daimyo seemed to have "let things go" on the surface, the cut in funding said otherwise. It was like he was silently warning them.
"That stingy Fire Daimyo's learning from the Kazekage..." Hiruzen muttered bitterly.
The Hokage didn't want to beg the daimyo himself again. He needed someone with leverage. Someone the daimyo respected.
That someone was Tsunade.
She was the granddaughter of the First Hokage. The title "Princess of Konoha" wasn't just honorary. It had political weight. Only a lord of a country could bestow such a title.
If Tsunade stepped forward, the daimyo would listen. The relationship could be repaired.
"Why do I have to worry about everything alone?" Hiruzen muttered, massaging his temples.
Jiraiya was the best candidate to retrieve Tsunade, but the old man hesitated. Lately, Jiraiya hadn't been on good terms with him.
Of the three disciples he'd trained, one was dead, one refused to see him, and the last—Jiraiya—was drifting away.
The rift between them had deepened over the years, but especially after one incident.
Naruto.
Back then, Hiruzen had decided it was best to hide Naruto's identity. But Danzo had spread false rumors, calling Naruto a demon's child. By the time Hiruzen realized it, it was too late.
Now, Naruto avoided him. Once, the boy had cheerfully called him "Grandpa Third." Now? He bolted at the sight of him.
And with Naruto getting closer to Uchiha, it was a problem.
"Damn it, Danzo... if you hadn't screwed things up, Naruto wouldn't have ended up in Uchiha's hands."
Even Jiraiya had quarreled with him over the boy's treatment.
"Damn you, Danzo...!"
-----------------------------------------------
Get membership in patreon to read more chapters
Extra chapters available in patreon
patreon.com/Dragonscribe31