Chapter 2: The Eye Transplant
"Many medical-nin have registered as organ donors."
"Even I hope that after I die, my body can help my other comrades live on."
The dark-haired girl calmly watched Kakashi as he sat on the hospital bed, reading the file in his hand.
On the first page of the file was a person he couldn't be more familiar with.
Of course, that was true for the previous Kakashi.
The file photo showed a brown-haired girl with purple paint markings on her cheeks, smiling sweetly.
Rin Nohara.
"Perhaps it was because of the bond you shared, with Obito giving his light to you, that Rin applied for eye donation after she returned to Konoha."
"Kakashi, please don't feel too much of a psychological burden over this."
Seeing the silent Kakashi, Shizune couldn't help but comfort him softly.
It wasn't that Kakashi felt any psychological burden; he was thinking about something else entirely.
Just now, Kurenai had provided him with 2% chakra.
If he were to receive his former teammate's eye...
That Obito Uchiha seemed to be very fond of Rin Nohara.
If he were to meet him... that scene would probably be...
Very interesting.
Forgive Kakashi for this twisted thought.
After all, that's a scene anyone would want to see, right?
"You're very kind, Shizune-san..."
Kakashi raised his head to look at the familiar yet strange dark-haired girl before him.
"Eh? Th-that's not..."
[Emotional Fluctuation from Shizune +1]
[Chakra +1%]
[Current Chakra: 104%]
It was hard to tell if it was because Kakashi's face was just too unfairly handsome or if Shizune was simply thin-skinned, but the girl was now flustered and at a loss for what to do.
It's confirmed.
Triggering an emotional fluctuation in others is what activates this ability of mine.
Having confirmed his power, Kakashi ignored the prompt in his mind. He closed the file, handed it back to Shizune, and said with a serious expression:
"Please, I'd like to receive the transplant of Rin's eye."
No matter what, Kakashi wasn't about to say something like, "A single eye is a man's romance."
Hearing Kakashi's reply, Shizune secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
She had been worried Kakashi would refuse a new eye.
After all, he had endured so many hardships since childhood. Just when it seemed he was finally about to walk out of that endless darkness, he was forced to face the sacrifice of his sensei.
"Kakashi-kun..."
The girl named Shizune took the file from Kakashi, her expression hesitant. A flicker of pity crossed her eyes, as if she wanted to say something, but the words died on her lips. She changed the subject:
"Alright. I'll notify the medical staff to prepare for your eye transplant."
"However, the hospital is very busy right now, so you might have to wait a few days."
Kakashi naturally had no objection to this.
As Shizune was leaving, she glanced back at Kakashi one last time, but ultimately left the words in her heart unspoken.
Maybe... this is for the best.
Still, it seems Kakashi-kun has changed a little.
After Shizune left, Kakashi was alone in the room.
Staring out the window, Kakashi's heart was stirred by what had just new happened.
Rin Nohara's eye, huh...
He raised his hand and gently placed it over his missing eye, as if he could feel the emptiness in the socket through the white gauze.
And...
His own abundant chakra.
In Kakashi's memory, it had been a very long time since he had felt his chakra reserves this full.
He could finally, completely, get rid of that cringeworthy nickname: "The Chakra Measuring Unit."
The Sharingan had suppressed Kakashi's natural talent.
Although losing the Kamui Mangekyō Sharingan was a great pity...
Perhaps for Kakashi himself, a normal eye was the best eye.
Besides, for both Kakashi and Obito Uchiha, this former teammate's eye was by no means "normal."
But without the Sharingan, what about the Raikiri?
As Kakashi's original S-Rank Ninjutsu, the importance of the Sharingan to the Raikiri was undeniable.
The extreme speed of the Raikiri required exceptionally strong dynamic vision for the body to keep up, a flaw the Sharingan had perfectly compensated for.
At this thought, Kakashi tapped his head, a bit troubled.
He couldn't worry about that right now.
Having experienced the feeling of full chakra reserves, Kakashi had no desire to install another Sharingan in his head, no matter what.
Besides, if he did that, the Uchiha clan would probably explode.
...
Kakashi waited in the hospital room for three days.
In those three days, Kakashi thoroughly researched the mysterious prompts in his mind.
He had confirmed it.
This was a "cheat" with no emotion, one that simply increased his chakra.
And the amount it increased by was pitifully small.
1%.
Kakashi didn't really care.
1% was 1%.
It was better than nothing. He understood the principle of small amounts adding up over time.
Without the Sharingan suppressing his system, Kakashi's chakra reserves were about double what they were before.
Which is to say, about two Kakashi-units of chakra.
Ugh...
Kakashi was speechless.
Did I really just use myself as a unit of measurement?
Ignoring his own internal monologue, today was the day of his eye transplant.
Shizune arrived at his room on time with a medical-nin.
For shinobi, who possessed extraordinary power, transplanting an eyeball was incredibly simple.
They didn't even need an operating room; it could be done right in the hospital ward.
The hospital was currently overflowing with wounded, and the operating rooms were so busy they didn't have a single free moment.
Naturally, they wouldn't occupy a precious operating room for a medical procedure that didn't even qualify as minor surgery.
"Kakashi-kun, sorry to keep you waiting."
"Don't worry, this will be very quick."
"Please lie down on the bed."
Shizune put on a pair of medical gloves and began preparing the medical instruments as she spoke.
"Mm, okay."
Kakashi replied instinctively, but immediately realized something was wrong.
From the looks of it, Shizune was planning to do it herself?
Although Shizune's medical skills would indeed be trustworthy in the future, right now she was the same age as him: fourteen.
How many years had she even been training under $Tsunade-sama$?
Before Kakashi had time to voice his concerns, the other medical-nin had already placed a hand on his forehead.
As a green glow emanated from the medical-nin's hand, Kakashi only felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him.
At that moment, he couldn't help but feel a sarcastic thought.
As expected of a shinobi.
With a single move, they don't even need anesthesia.
The next second, Kakashi fell into a deep sleep.
Shizune finished disinfecting her hands and prepared to begin the transplant.
...
When Kakashi woke up, it was fifteen minutes later.
He groggily opened his eyes and saw Shizune already packing up her things, preparing to leave.
"Is it... done?"
"This..."
Kakashi spoke subconsciously, but his words trailed off.
There was no need to ask.
Light was flooding into his eye.