Konoha Notes.

Chapter 160 Am I the Suspect?

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 intrusion inside the camp, so... if we don't keep an eye on them, who else will?"

"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's naive, 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 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 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... he's 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 either possess a special secret technique or a space-time ninjutsu.

Considering the enemies on this front, the possible true 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 when he leaves occasionally, he doesn't go far; he's basically always nearby."

"Besides him, has anyone else been coming in and out?"

"Yes, but Flameblade was almost always present during those times."

They're very vigilant, aren't they? Well, after all, the Sharingan is a kind of add-on, 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, Uchiha Enjin, are you alright?"

"Flame Blade..." Shisui's expression changed, then he shook his head firmly. "Flame Blade is not that kind of person. Even if some of his views are radical, he wouldn't do something like that to them."

"It's just ruling out 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 problem.

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 handle 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, making his voice somewhat hoarse. "Did you come to see the ugly spectacle of the Uchiha clan'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 Shuji 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 no matter what he says, it will be useless; he will only think it is the perpetrator's sophistry.

Therefore, we should attack first.

"When the rotating troops arrived, in full view of everyone, you suddenly claimed that your 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 a more suspicious person, 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 man's Sharingan, which was wide with shock, and his tone became even harsher: "You were once an elite member of the police force, a top-notch recruit selected for the ANBU. Can't you even grasp 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)