Chapter 23


"This world is full of so many injustices. I'm one person so I can't do much, I don't expect to be able to revolutionize everything. But I'll make sure I make as much of an impact as I can."


Mornings usually found Sarutobi Hiruzen in his office, religiously sipping from a mug of coffee to give him energy. Nothing pained him more than the tedious nature of paperwork, a sentiment which took on a literal meaning since he often found himself contemplating if he had time to call a chiropractor to aid his aching back.

Today, however, his back got a rare reprieve from its regularly arched posture, as instead of his stuffy office he found himself starting his day in the apartment of a certain genin.

Masaru shifted uncomfortably as the leader of his village and a veritable God of Shinobi stood in his bedroom, peering at the map hanging over his bed with piercing scrutiny. Tenzo and Kakashi stood at attention behind him, present as extra security in place of Hiruzen's usual ANBU guard unit. Sasuke clutched his pseudo-omamori with a tight grip as they watched their leader press a wrinkled hand on the map, pumping a small burst of chakra into the seals lining it.

Bright blue light emanated from the charm almost immediately, and upon receiving a nod Sasuke flared his own chakra. The assembled shinobi watched as the central character of the seals bordering the illustration pulsed with a golden glow. It quickly surged through the seals, causing a bead of blue light to appear over Konoha with the kanji for "protection" next to it.

Hiruzen huffed a small sigh, his lips pressing together in a wry smirk. "Very clever, Ryoko. Very clever."

"Lord Hokage?" Tenzo pressed, watching his leader with a concerned frown.

"Do you know what's going on?" Masaru asked, sounding understandably antsy. He'd had the map hanging above his bed for nearly five years, and he'd only recently discovered it had some secret use. Hiruzen turned to face the genin with a gentle smile, his eyes twinkling with mild amusement. Educating the future generations of Konoha had always been one of his greatest passions in life, so he did not waste the opportunity presented in front of him.

"This map is inscribed with a portion of an advanced location seal," he explained. "As far as I can tell, it operates using two parts, the map and a second object inscribed with a companion seal to link the pair—namely, the charm Sasuke owns. When someone activates the seal on the map, it will send a signal to the companion seal through their connection. Upon getting a response, the location of the charm will show up on the map, allowing the user to trace its location.

"However," he added, turning back to eye the glowing blue dot, "Seeing as it only showed on the map when Sasuke activated the companion seal, the seal clearly requires manual activation. That way, the owner of the object inscribed with it can choose whether or not to share their location."

Frowning thoughtfully, Sasuke asked, "So basically, the charm can be used to track someone's movements on the map using seals, but it only works if someone activates the second seal?"

"Exactly." Hiruzen nodded with a pleased smile, but it quickly faded as he turned back to the map, eying the fading dot. Given the nature of the seal, Ryoko most likely gave the trigger objects to people who she cared about, which fit in with her naturally worrisome nature. Knowing her, the secondary seal likely also had a function that allowed the user to send a distress signal that would show their location on the map.

The utilities of such a creation already filled him with anticipation and it bothered him slightly that she never informed him of it, but he couldn't hold it against her. Ryoko had grown increasingly withdrawn after retiring, spending more time at home and diverting most of her energies to painting or studying. He suspected she developed this seal in the wake of the deaths of Obito and Ryuusuke, most likely around the time the twins entered the academy in anticipation of their eventual shinobi careers.

By that time relations between the village and her clan had soured, and he knew her own faith in his leadership had diminished greatly.

"You're too soft," she accused Hiruzen, her black eyes boring into him with an intensity that rivaled even her clan's vaunted doujutsu. "Minato was willing to sacrifice everything for the village, even take the risk of making his newborn son a pariah by sealing the Kyuubi into him. Meanwhile, what do you do? You allow a decades-dead friendship to take precedence over the village! You let one of the most notorious and vile criminals to ever walk this planet escape just because you used to teach him!"

Jabbing a finger at his face, her features twisted into a snarl blazing with absolute rage and fury as she roared, "Right now people are suffering because you are turning a blind eye to the actions of your so-called friends! At this rate, innocent blood will spill and Konoha will suffer because of your inaction! If you're allowed to be selfish, then I don't see any reason I should have to just stand by and sacrifice everything for the greater good!"

"It... doesn't make any sense."

Masaru's quiet mumble drew Hiruzen out of his reminiscing, and he turned to regard the boy with sharp focus. Kakashi and Tenzo also leveled keen gazes on him, and the boy wilted slightly under their combined scrutiny. Seeing his discomfort, Hiruzen softened his own expression and made sure to keep his voice as gentle as possible. "What was that, Masaru-kun?"

The young Uchiha frowned, fidgeting slightly as he averted his gaze. "It's just... A few days ago, I thought I saw a white light," he explained hesitantly. "That's what made me notice there were seals. I-I don't know if I actually saw it though!" he added hastily when the adults' gazes sharpened, waving his hands in a placating manner. "It could have been my imagination! A-and I don't remember seeing any kanji, either!"

Lips pressing in a firm frown, Hiruzen slowly turned back to the map. "Masaru," he said, and the boy stiffened, staring at him anxiously. "Where do you think you saw it?" The child frowned slightly at the question, but his tense posture relaxed slightly and he stepped towards the map.

"I don't know the name, but I think it was... There." He pointed to an island, and Hiruzen eyed it speculatively before his eyes widened in shock. Quickly schooling his expression back to its previous stern facade, he glanced over his shoulder at Kakashi and Tenzo. From the looks in their eyes, he knew they recognized it too.

Masaru had pointed to the Land of Waves.

And so the mystery deepens, he mused morbidly as he glanced at the two genin. Fortunately Sasuke hadn't seemed to recognize the country without a label, and just looked mildly curious. "Masaru-kun, would you mind if I borrow this for a while?" Hiruzen asked. "I'd like to take a closer look at it and see if I can figure out how it works."

"I guess so," Masaru agreed with a shrug, and Hiruzen nodded to Tenzo, who stepped forward and carefully lifted the map off the wall.

"I'm guessing you'll want this too, right?" Sasuke asked, holding up the charm for the Hokage to see.

"It would help," he allowed. The Uchiha visibly wavered on what to do, but eventually he held out the charm in permission. Hiruzen took it from his hand carefully, handling it gently to show he meant no harm. "Just so you know, we'll have to open it to examine it more thoroughly." Sasuke hesitated, but then nodded.

"...That's fine," he replied after a moment's thought. "It's not really an omamori, so it's not like it'd be bad luck. Just... don't laugh."

Shooting him a quizzical look, Hiruzen waited a few moments before deciding he wouldn't elaborate. "I'll take very good care of both of these, and have them returned as soon as possible. I am sure both items matter to you very much." The boys nodded in unison, and he allowed a faint smile to grace his features.

He offered a few final parting words before taking his leave, gesturing for the jounin to follow. As they left all three noticed Masaru's gaze flicker towards Kakashi, but none commented on it. Once in the safety of the hallway, they silently initiated a body-flicker and quickly reconvened in the Hokage's office. Tenzo leaned the map against the desk while Hiruzen closed the door, flaring his chakra to activate the privacy seals inscribed on the walls.

"What do you want to bet that white light had some sort of connection to my 'old friend'?" Kakashi asked. Hiruzen just sighed, sinking into his chair tiredly.

"Frankly, I think even Tsunade would win that bet," he murmured, resisting the urge to massage his forehead as he mulled over the latest revelation. Between the map and Kakashi's comments about seeing the masked man holding notebooks before the procedure, Hiruzen had no doubt that the man possessed some kind of connection to Ryoko.

The question was whether or not he could be considered an ally or enemy.


Within an hour of leaving the Hokage's office, Kakashi found himself in front of the memorial like he did every morning, his lone visible eye tracing the familiar names once more.

He always had a lot on his mind when he visited, but today that applied more so than usual. This morning's events certainly gave a lot to think about, but even if they hadn't discovered the connection he would still wonder. His meeting with the Hokage after sending the genin home the previous night still hung fresh in his mind, the conversation seared into his memory with a clarity offered normally by the Sharingan.

So much had gone unsaid in that meeting. The Hokage had placed a gag order on the subject of the man and restricted the occupants of the room from telling anyone what had been discussed. Naturally they could not omit Kakashi's capture entirely, as that posed a serious threat, but they didn't want word to get around about what exactly transpired during his captivity. Not even the Hokage's own advisors would be given the full version.

Whatever procedure had been performed allowed him to deactivate the Sharingan at will, just like a natural-born user of the doujutsu. If word got out such a procedure existed, the dangers to Sasuke and Masaru would be unfathomable, because that drain had been the leading drawback discouraging Sharingan theft. At this point, Kakashi honestly had no idea how to classify his captor.

"I wish I could tell you what happened, Obito," he commented softly, his hunched posture reflecting his regret as he stared at his old friend's name. "I wonder what you'd think about it."

He didn't voice the underlying question that had been haunting him since the previous night—no, since the first day he stood free of the restraints. Do you already know?

He couldn't stop thinking of that mask, bright red like the Sharingan and painted with a starburst around a single eye hole. The right eye... His hand unconsciously reached for his hitai-ate, brushing the edge of the metal plate just above his left eye.

For the first time in years, he didn't feel the constant drain of Obito's gift, a subtle draw on his chakra so constant he never even noticed it until it had suddenly vanished. Somehow, it became even more painful to look in the mirror without the familiar crimson iris, because the black eye brought back so many more memories. Memories of a dark-haired boy with a sunny smile and bright dreams for the future, a person Kakashi never appreciated until it became too late.

Somewhere out there, the eye's companion could still exist. Perhaps in a shattered skull, crushed under dozens of boulders. Or maybe... Maybe behind a mask, hidden in shadows as its owner prowled the streets in broad daylight—

No. Don't think about it.

Pushing away the thought with a heavy sigh, he turned his head to glance over his shoulder. "Hey," he greeted quietly, raising a hand in a lazy two-finger wave. His visible eye crinkled in a half-hearted smile, fully aware that it probably rang false even with only a few inches of his face visible. "Funny seeing you here. This isn't exactly your normal stomping grounds."

Uchiha Masaru just stood in silence towards the edge of the field, his gaze averted to the ground and his mouth pulled into a small frown. Kakashi let his arm fall to his side and turned back to the memorial, his face growing somber once more. He could hear the boy's soft footsteps quietly pad closer, coming to a halt next to him but still not looking at him. For a while neither of them spoke, just gazing at the long list of names engraved into the stone.

"You're here for Uncle Obito, aren't you." The question came out soft and thoughtful, not quite a whisper but still rather quiet. Kakashi turned his head slightly to regard the boy, letting a few moments pass before he answered.

"I am." He had expected Masaru to connect the dots and confront him after hearing about his Sharingan. Akari had clearly worshipped Obito as a hero, speaking of him in only the most reverent tones, and based on his observations Masaru felt similarly. From what he knew, the kid spent almost as much time talking to Obito as he did.

For half a second Kakashi expected angry accusations to start flying, tearful curses for leaving Obito to die, but then he realized that didn't really fit Masaru's personality. Unlike his hot-headed cousin Sasuke, Masaru had never been prone to rage and fury when confronted with grief and loss. Instead, he just seemed... sad. Withdrawing into himself, radiating a quiet sadness that gave him a somber air.

Sure enough, when Kakashi darted a glance in his direction he found the boy just bowing his head, not even looking at the memorial anymore. Before he could think of something to say, Masaru suddenly lurched towards him and wrapped his arms around his side.

Eye widening as he staggered back under the force of the embrace, Kakashi stared at him dumbly for a moment, his mouth floundering beneath his mask as he searched for words. "...What?" he finally managed, and the arms tightened their hold, Masaru burying his face into his side.

"...Mom said if we ever met Obito's teammate, we should hug him," he mumbled, his voice muffled by the fabric of Kakashi's shirt. "She said you've been through too much, and you'd let your guard down if you ever realized one of us knew, so we should take our chance then."

Stunned, Kakashi couldn't really think of a response and so he just stood there dumbly while letting the kid embrace him. Ryoko... She really never did stop caring, did she? Flashes of elegant handwriting surged through his mind, her final letter summoned to the forefront of his thoughts unbidden.

'You could have come to me, you know. When Obito died, you could have visited. I would have looked at it. I would have helped you. I spent a lot of time researching transplants, I had a pretty good idea on how to help you. I was waiting for you to come to me, Kakashi. The clan would not let me go to you and offer help unless you asked, but I honestly didn't care what this clan thought. I wanted you to be the one to take the first step, to gather the courage to push past your insecurities and seek help on your own.'

He breathed a small sigh through his nose, and awkwardly placed a hand on Masaru's head. The boy stiffened slightly in surprise but then tightened his hold, and the pair lingered like that for a few moments before Masaru finally pulled away. Rubbing his eyes, he seemed to bury his palms into his lids, an obvious coping mechanism of some sort.

"...Did it hurt?" he whispered, so faintly Kakashi would have barely caught it without his enhanced hearing. "His... his eye. Does, does it ever hurt? To... use it?"

Kakashi hesitated to answer, but he knew that if he didn't it might undo the progress they'd made. Progress on what? some part of his brain quipped, but he ignored it as he settled for, "Sometimes. Not as much as the first time, though. The first time is always hardest, I think."

He heard a loud sniff as Masaru's shoulders jerked, signaling an impending bout of crying. His hands lowered from his eyes as tears started to streak down his cheeks, sucking in a shaky breath as he wiped them away.

"Y-yeah," he croaked, his body giving a single tremor as he bit back a sob. "It... it does, doesn't it?" His eyes opened and Kakashi felt his breath catch. Two bright red irises stared back at him, two commas orbiting each pupil for a total of four.

Swallowing down his surprise, Kakashi schooled his face into a more sympathetic expression as he looked at the teary boy in front of him. He had suspected Masaru had activated his Sharingan but hadn't been aware of it, but the way the boy revealed it now—the knowing reference to the initial pain, a pain deeper than just physical suffering—it caught him off guard. His words to Tenzo back in that bar came rushing back, and Kakashi knew then he'd been wrong about one thing.

Masaru had been aware of his Sharingan the entire time.

His stomach churned at the thought, recalling Ryoko's words about the nature of the doujutsu came rushing back, how it came with a price. Please, please let me be wrong about that too...

"...When did it happen?" he asked gently, because he had to know, and Masaru sniffled, wiping away more tears.

That silent plea went unanswered, as Masaru's response shattered any hopes. "...Wh-when I was eight. During... the massacre."


A cloaked figure lounged on a tree branch overlooking a creek, a dark red omamori resting in his palm. Bright light emanated from the kanji inscribed on the attached tag for the third time in twenty-four hours, and his lips curled into a rueful smirk as he noted the character.

"Such a cruel choice," he mused aloud. A loud splash sounded below and a blue man surfaced from the water, clutching a large, wildly flopping fish by the tail at arm's length.

"Itachi-kun, did you say something?" he man called, and the Uchiha clan killer shifted his eyes to his partner, his expression aloof and impassive as ever.

"Just thinking aloud," he replied idly, and on a whim he flared his chakra into the charm before the light could fade. He knew somewhere in Konoha a red bead of light would suddenly appear on the map in a corner of the Land of Earth, with the most ironic of kanji flashing next to it:

'Innocent'


A/N: Here it is, confirmation Masaru has the Sharingan. If you take a look at the massacre in Chapter 6, I left subtle hints he activated it there. To be specific, he activated it when Itachi threatened Akari, which is hinted by Itachi's reaction and the increased amount of detail used to describe his features.

There is so much I have to say about this chapter, but I don't want to ramble or risk spoiling anything. We get a serious look into Ryoko's personality and history, I just gave you two pretty big hints about her past activities and her involvement with the clan.

Anyways, as always, please leave a review! I'd love to hear your guys' speculation on everything revealed this time.

One more thing! I added an omake to the end of Chapter 21. I actually meant to add it all along, but it just totally slipped my mind. It's a fun little scene about the mob that went to help out on the bridge, and I like it too much to leave it out.