He was also a genius who gained fame during the Third Great Ninja War. When they met in such a setting, Kakashi tilted his head slightly and eyed Shisui with suspicion.
He couldn't quite understand why Shisui had come to him.
Logically, Shisui had no reason to interact with him casually.
He halted near the creek, where Shisui stood still, staring intently at Kakashi's left eye, the one hidden beneath his forehead protector.
"It takes a toll—carrying something that doesn't belong to you," Shisui said calmly.
While using the Sharingan didn't come with steep requirements, only those of Uchiha blood could deactivate it. Without that lineage, the Sharingan remained active, continuously draining chakra and mental energy.
What was Shisui implying?
Was this about Obito's Sharingan?
Kakashi became alert. He knew better than to underestimate Shisui, another legend of the Third Great War.
Shisui, undeterred by Kakashi's guarded demeanor, spoke with regret:
"To you, it's a gift from a fallen comrade. But to the Uchiha clan, it's a disgrace.
What belongs to the clan must be returned.
I'm sorry, Kakashi—but I must ask you to hand over the Sharingan."
"It doesn't belong to you."
"This was Obito's legacy. I won't allow anyone to take it from me," Kakashi replied coldly, pulling out a kunai and raising his guard.
"Then I apologize in advance."
Words weren't going to resolve this. If Kakashi wouldn't hand it over voluntarily, Shisui would have to take it by force.
The battle erupted.
Shisui unsheathed his blade and made the first move.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
In a blur of seals, he expelled a massive sphere of flame, which roared toward Kakashi.
Kakashi, already having unveiled his Sharingan, read the movement with ease and evaded it effortlessly.
Not far from the skirmish, YAN stood among his team, observing from behind the treeline.
Zhiyan chuckled while watching:
"Never thought I'd see the day that smug Shisui actually followed orders. I figured he'd be too proud."
The two never got along and often jabbed at each other, even now when working under YAN. Zhiyan had no reason to be civil.
Feng, arms crossed, replied without looking away from the fight:
"He's not as tough as you. Took the captain a full month of beatings before you finally submitted."
The insult hit home.
Zhiyan was notoriously stubborn and hotheaded. It had taken YAN considerable effort to break his will and bring him under command. Broken bones were involved.
"Pfft—!"
The others burst into laughter.
"Uchiha Feng, I'm gonna kill you!!" Zhiyan roared, eyes wide, steam practically billowing from his nostrils.
In his fury, his Sharingan activated instinctively—three tomoe spinning in full.
"Settle down. Save it for later," YAN muttered, casting a sharp glance at the bickering duo.
Feng raised a shoulder in indifference. Zhiyan fumed, but dared not push his luck and turned away with a snort.
"Are the preparations complete?" YAN asked suddenly.
Zhiyan blinked, then pulled out a sealing scroll and handed it over.
"Captain, I don't really object, but—why are we giving Kakashi a replacement Sharingan? We're robbing him outright."
Inside the opened scroll sat a sealed glass vial containing a pair of intact three-tomoe Sharingan.
"It's to give the Hokage something to work with."
Unless Shisui used Kotoamatsukami to rewrite Kakashi's memories, taking the eye by force would provoke backlash. The Third Hokage and the elders would demand answers.
So YAN had devised two contingencies.
If Shisui used Kotoamatsukami, they'd frame the incident as a random attack, letting Kakashi 'lose' the eye to unknown assailants. Suspicion might fall on Uchiha, but with no proof, the clan could avoid consequence.
If Shisui didn't use the technique, then they'd simply replace Obito's eye with another. That way, when Hiruzen questioned them, they could claim it was a fair trade—returning a stolen eye in exchange for one of equivalent quality.
This made Uchiha appear disgruntled but not rebellious, a small defiance without direct insubordination.
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
Watching the flames crash and erupt in a massive explosion, YAN's mouth twitched.
Kakashi really was something—facing off against Uchiha and using the Sharingan to copy their own jutsu.
BOOM!
The two fiery dragons collided in mid-air, triggering a blast that shook the surroundings.
Worried that the commotion would draw attention, Shisui narrowed his eyes.
Then, with a deep breath, he reopened them—Mangekyō not yet active, but his three-tomoe Sharingan gleamed.
He activated his signature technique.
Body Flicker Illusion: Phantom Attack.
Illusions of Shisui materialized around the battlefield—dozens of mirage-like copies moving with perfect synchronization. Unlike Shadow Clones, striking them did not cause them to vanish, adding a disorienting effect.
"Tch… tough opponent," Kakashi muttered, trying to discern the real Shisui among the phantoms with his Sharingan.
Why had Shisui come so brazenly?
He didn't have time to question it. Surviving came first.
"Assist him," YAN ordered his men. "Wrap this up. Before the others arrive."
"Understood!"
The team burst from the woods—Zhiyan and Feng in the lead.
Zhiyan loved a good fight. Feng, despite his reserved demeanor, craved combat just as much. In terms of sheer bloodlust, he was no less than Zhiyan.
"More incoming?!"
Kakashi was stunned. Was the Uchiha Clan going rogue?
Shisui frowned—this was supposed to be his mission.
"Finish it quickly," YAN's voice rang out.
Shisui put aside his pride and joined forces with the team.
To Kakashi's credit, he held his ground well.
While he wasn't on Shisui's level alone, his skills and Sharingan made him a formidable opponent.
But facing a group—including two Uchiha Jōnin with three-tomoe Sharingan—was too much.
Shisui's phantoms were overwhelming enough. Now with backup, Kakashi began to falter.
Copying ninjutsu? Insight?
Sorry—Uchiha wrote the book on those. Kakashi's lone Sharingan was no match.
Dodging Zhiyan's kunai, only to meet Feng's relentless assault, Kakashi was soon cornered.
Damn it!
He slashed toward Feng with White Fang's blade, only to see Feng smirking knowingly.
Then—blackness.
A shadow flickered in front of him, and the last thing Kakashi saw was a pair of blood-red Sharingan inches from his own.
Plop!!
His body froze. Pain shot through him—his left eye burning, then hollow.
Obito's Sharingan was gone.
"Shisui, that was pathetic. You couldn't even beat Kakashi without help."
Shaking the blood off his hand, YAN glanced at Shisui with annoyance. The younger Uchiha lowered his head, silent.
"Move out!"
No time for arguments. YAN stashed the eye and signaled retreat.
Someone was approaching—Tsunade.
YAN hadn't planned on interfering personally, but circumstances forced his hand.
Better to face interrogation than get caught in the act.
Under YAN's lead, the team vanished.
On the run, Zhiyan couldn't resist sniping at Shisui:
"Nice work, genius. Can't even handle a Copy Ninja alone. Had to get bailed out. And you call yourself Shisui of the Body Flicker."
"I…"
Shisui opened his mouth to respond—but shame choked the words away.