Chapter 9 - A Theory
Although Fugaku was out of the league by the time it reached the final round in electing a new Hokage upon the Third's retirement, it was a close competition between Orochimaru the Snake Sannin and the renowned Yellow Flash. Minato won due to his charming personality. He had this popularity amongst the villagers. Another contributing factor was the fact that the Nine-Tailed Fox's jinchuriki, Uzumaki Kushina, was his wife.
After the war, there was a half-a-year transition period from the Third to the Fourth. During that time, both Hokages were active; Minato was learning on the job. As Minato was busy right after he just became the new Hokage, I had not had the chance to talk to him. The last time I saw him was on his wedding day, which was also the succession day. It was a joyous occasion. Konohagakure put the war behind her on that day. A new day, a new leader, a young and hopeful perspective to start a new decade.
Kushina was my brother's genin teammate and Minato was my brother's best friend. I grew up knowing Minato, but I didn't know Kushina well because I hadn't got the chance, prior to becoming her apprentice Jonin-in-training. They looked so happy together. I was happy for them because the last time I saw them, it was on Obito's funeral, and the last time I saw Minato looking this emotionally shattered was when I was four, on Toshi's funeral. I learned that the medic kunoichi, another student of Minato's who healed me after they found me in Iwa, also died recently. He had been through a hell lot around that time. I expected him to be all depressed, but no. He was a true wiser. He was always on the move. He moved on, and Kushina was always there for him. I could see that - the love they shared when they held their heads against each other after their wedded kiss.
They, the couple themselves, gave Konoha hope.
I was sitting with the rest of the Uchiha clan, watching from a distance during the ceremony. Mikoto was Kushina's bridesmaid, so she was sitting with the other honoured guests. Sannin all attended, noted with Orochimaru making his awkward - deliberately late - entrance in the middle of the Third's speech. Needless to say, that was a huge gesture from the Snake Sannin to appeal the decision of making Namikaze Minato the new Hokage, as he would then have to serve under someone his junior, someone arguably less experienced.
Hailed as the clan's pride with my achievements during the Third War, I was told to sit next to the head and the heir of my clan, Fugaku and Itachi. I didn't mind because at least it felt a little less awkward. Itachi was next to me, and at least he was closer to my age. Other than Toshiro, Tomoko's toddler son and her husband, Mikoto, the woman so compassionate (for an Uchiha) that I just COULD NOT comprehend how she could manage a marriage (albeit arranged) with someone as "angular" such as Fugaku. Itachi was the only clansman who saw me without prejudiced view.
The irony is that the clan treasures me because of my standing in the village as a shinobi, the clan fears me because of my strength, and yes, the clan hates me because of my parentage.
I remembered how Itachi ran back to his seat right before the Third began addressing the public for silence. He looked a little lost, scratching his head. I wondered what he saw that made him this confused.
"What happened?" I asked quietly.
"I went to see Mum. I couldn't get close because there are too many people. It's about to start. Anyway, Mum was talking to a girl my age. How come she's sitting with the honored guests?" Itachi asked, keeping his voice low and facing the altar with a straight face. Attending the Academy did Itachi a lot of good. He was getting so much better at speaking. Oh, I am serious! Little Itachi just wouldn't speak. I know now why he didn't like speaking when he was young because he was always thinking. He has been a careful person ever since. He much rather stays in silence if he was to say something wrong.
The last time Hiruzen-jisan had our monthly catch-up, I learned that Minato adopted a distant relative as his daughter. She was a war orphan from the Land of Water where his clan originated, and I was told she was a brassy little girl. A talented kunoichi-in-making took shadow of her newfound father's, no less. She requested her father to find her a tutor as Minato was busy with missions and Kushina was busy with the wedding's preparation; the Third ordered his most talented student to train her the art of ninja. She was not afraid of Orochimaru, who became her first teacher upon their first meeting. Hiruzen-jisan said he was surprised to see Orochimaru agreed to tutoring her so casually. He had hardly required any persuasion. Though he did mention Orochimaru sent off quite the intense killing intent as a test, the girl did not give in an inch, and that might have been why Orochimaru took her under his wing. If any other kid met the Snake Sannin, I wouldn't be surprised to see her crying.
"Is she the girl with blue hair?" I asked to confirm my suspicion. I knew it was a rare hair colour, but I knew from historic reading I was given by father as part of my self-study that some Namikaze who lived in Konoha decades ago had that royal blue hair.
"Yes," Itachi answered.
"Her name is Yuna. She's Mina - " I stopped myself before continuing, "Yodaime's daughter. That's why she's sitting there." I pointed at the front seats, and then just as quickly dropped my hand. It was rude to point; someone surely would have spotted me.
"Really? How come none of us know he has a daughter with his fiancée?" Itachi asked again, ever so curious.
"Er…"
I didn't know how I should have answered him without sounding too mature, although from what Squirt just said, it told me he knew exactly how to create a baby at his young age. Yet he did not faze at the thought of it, which would be the normal reaction from a child. Itachi was always so factual, it was unnerving.
It took me some time before I could give a reply. "She is adopted. Biologically, Yuna isn't his daughter. They are just distantly related." I took it Itachi liked facts, so I kept it to that format. To be honest, that was almost all I knew at that point, too.
"I see." Itachi stayed silent for the rest of the ceremony.
That was the first time Itachi met Yuna. It was five years later that I found out from White Lady, Yuna's animal summon, that she had met Itachi in her dream three months before the wedding. She predicted how she was brought to the battlefield by her soon-to-defect teacher, Orochimaru, during a minor conflict between Sunagakure and Konohagakure at the northwest border. There, the same incident, Fugaku participated in the mission and he brought Itachi to the battlefield with him. Itachi got lost in the forest when he - haha, I can laugh about it now, but it wasn't funny at the time - went into the forest to make his bladder gladder. He got lost as the light was extinguished by the time he walked out and was attacked by Suna-shinobi. Fortunately, Itachi escaped and Fugaku found his son in time.
It was literally a piss take, because that was also when Itachi activated his Sharingan for the first time in his life. Yuna took great interest in sketching, ever since Kakashi gifted her first pencil collection for her fourth birthday. One day, Minato found her waking up too early in the morning. She was told to explain what she dreamed as she was woken up by her nightmare. Finding it difficult to put into words, she drew what she saw instead. It surely affected some events.
For example, without knowing or remembering it, since Minato had Yuna's memories of the dream sealed away for her own safety and to steer clear of complicity as many events she drew were conspicuous, she saved my life. If Minato didn't have her drawing, he wouldn't know and where he could find me, as I was fatally wounded and bleeding a path toward my late family. Minato kept her sketches and have them all put away safely, just in case they would turn out to be true.
They all did.
Itachi was in danger on that battlefield where Yuna saw him from a safe distance. Minato became Hokage, and Orochimaru arrived late. I was found unconscious and bleeding by West Gate's laboratory after my clash chasing the defector, Orochimaru. The Kyūbi was unleashed on the 10th of October, Naruto's birthday - marking the heroic day that the Fourth Hokage and the former jinchuriki, his beloved wife Kushina, sacrificed their lives for Konohagakure.
Yuna is a seer, and Minato had a feeling she might be one due to their shared ancestry.
Minato told me once before that his instinct was incredibly accurate when he was a child. As he grew up, he realised that wasn't because he was lucky. He realised he had often dreamed about these things and he just forgot because he couldn't manage to hold onto what he had dreamed. The older he got, the less it happened. Because he didn't know about it, because he didn't train himself when he was younger, he completely lost his gift to time-
-the gift to be able to see into the future. I used to think it was a great ability to have. Now I understand why Minato said it is both a blessing and a curse.
If both Itachi and Yuna know what is coming for them, they could only carry on. I can't imagine the pain they must endure for peace and humanity. I feel sorry for them. My personal suffering is not even on the same scale compared to that colossal weight falling onto their little shoulders.
I was also told a story to keep. I was ordered to not tell Kakashi to prevent him from dwelling on his regret of losing his teammate and best friend, my late cousin who faced the same difficulties I confronted until my death. Minato told me about one dream Yuna had around Obito's passing. In her dream, Yuna saw Obito lying inside a cave on a bed made of the roots of a giant tree. He was not dead, but put to sleep. There were strange creatures of black and white speaking of a plan to wake up Obito for him to witness something. There was also a crippled old man glaring at the transparent little girl in her dream. Yuna only remembered a few words of the conversation between the two creatures.
A boy, a girl captured, release in Konoha, Kiri.
Minato was able to put together a very pessimistic hypothesis. The more I know towards my own death, the more I think he got it right all along, regrettably.
Although Minato did not want to believe it because it meant the world is in greater danger than history has ever faced, it is clear to me now that the Yellow Flash of Konoha, Namikaze Minato, a proud descendant of the Asuka bloodline, had been making preparation to fight this global catastrophe even in his grave.
He was the genius.
So wise that was beyond words, and he never missed a detail.
Because Minato managed to link my brother's last word, Obito's status mystery, Yuna's sudden appearance before him, Three-Tails affair resulting Rin's apparent suicide, and the unexplainable attraction between Itachi and Yuna...
That was all one tale.
A story so ancient, a scheme so cunning, a vengeance.
Minato had no choice but to let his children go through great suffering in order to save this world.
Because he was the Hokage.
It was his job to protect his people.
He was certain his ancestor had settled away from the mainland in the modern days Land of Water for a reason. He reckoned it was something about their bloodlines. The myth was lost in translation; there was no doubt about one thing. As the Asuka always knew and avoided its dark influences, there was a constant shadow throughout the history of shinobi. No one knew of its origin, but it sought shinobi blood to nurture the earth.
When I was taking my three-month paid holiday, having survived Orochimaru's attack, the two Hokage and Kushina frequently visited me to keep me companied. I spent the rest of my time babysitting Toshiro. It was kind of fun, apart from the fact that he annoyed the hell out of me occasionally. He was a cheerful kid, much like his late mother, Tomoko. But calling me uncle? Oh, please. I told him not to, so many times before, and he just had to.
There was that one time when Minato and Kushina visited me. They asked me if I knew Itachi had a fight with Yuna after school. Squirt didn't say anything when it happened! I had no clue. Later, I forced it out of Itachi and heard his version of the story when Toshiro ran all the way from central of Konoha and crying his way to my house, because Toshiro saw Yuna on the street and he felt the need to run for his life.
I told them that from my understanding, knowing all of them individually although Yuna not too well at the time, it was an accident caused by misunderstanding and name-calling. Things like that happen a lot with children. I don't blame them for acting like children when they were children. Just that they didn't act like children, it did not make them not real children. Itachi and Yuna were two seven-year-olds at the time.
It turned out Minato and Kushina only found out what started the fight between Itachi and Yuna when Toshiro ran into my house to play with me. Number 2 found the couple sitting in my living room and having a chat. Recognising the Hokage and his wife were my guests, Toshiro wanted to use this chance to express his recent life-threatening experience, knowing the Hokage would serve justice.
"Hokage-sama, my lady, I am Uchiha Toshiro. I have something important to tell you," Toshiro said, bowing towards the couple. He might be a playful kid, but Number 2 knows his place and has his good manners.
"Of course. I am listening," Minato encouraged with a warm smile.
"That was this neesan. She attacked me last week. I don't know why. I was just playing hide-and-seek with Itachi-niisan in the forest behind the Academy. I didn't know she was there, I was about to jump in and play surprise. She threw a kunai at my face suddenly. I-i-if I d-didn't dodge, I… I might not be s-s-speaking t-to y-you now, sir."
Toshiro faced down as he spoke timidly. He was shaking a little as he was still a bit scared about what had happened.
"Does the girl have blue hair?" Minato asked. He managed to subside his dry laugh about his daughter's mishap. He knew she could react quickly to protect herself with her tragic childhood haunting her as long as she breathes and lives. Things could easily escalate from nothing.
"How did you know?" Toshiro asked. The little guy gawked at Minato with his eyes. Toshiro knew the Hokage was a knowledgeable and respectable person, but he didn't expect the Hokage to know everything.
"I'm sorry if Yuna scared you. I'm sure she doesn't mean to." Minato let out an uneasy smile when he made his apology to the child. He did feel bad about how it had turned out. Itachi was protective of his little cousin, Yuna was too wary, and Toshiro got very much frightened. Minato patted young Toshiro's head, giving a few words of comfort. "My daughter has a strong sense of self-protection. She gets very sensitive when people sneak around her because there were some really bad people and they tried to kill her when she was your age. I hope you can give her another chance."
Toshiro realised the girl was the Hokage's daughter. Now he understood why she was very strong. Toshiro only remembered the fight between Itachi and her, and his cousin was hailed as a genius. They fought on equal ground.
"Why people went after her life?" Toshiro asked. He was just curious, too. I suppose it did sound weird why there were people going after children. Maybe Toshiro was just scared there were bad people coming at him after listening to Minato's short story.
Kushina began her explanation in her best storytelling voice.
"Right. Toshiro-chan, before my husband becomes the Hokage, the leader of Konohagakure, he is a hero - a war hero. During the recent war, he has made so many enemies because of the situation we were in. Shinobi kill at certain times. It's a bad thing to do, but people do, and people avenge. There are people out there who want Minato dead, but it isn't easy to kill him. Instead, they went after his family. I'm no easy target, so they tried Yuna," Kushina said.
Technically, Kushina lied. Her friendly tone and smiley face hid the truth behind Yuna's identity.
I understand in later years why Kushina answered on behalf of Minato. They were trying to make everyone happy whilst keeping everyone safe. They didn't want Toshiro to know too much, neither did they want me to know too much at that point.
"I hope you can make friends with Yuna. She isn't what you saw. I think it was just bad timing," Minato suggested. He pointed at the brush hanging by the rucksack on Toshiro's back, then at the painting scroll scrapped on top. "Do you paint?"
Toshiro nodded enthusiastically.
"See? You have something in common. Yuna draws, and sometimes she stays up very late just to finish off her creations. I have to hurry her to bed some nights. She sketches very well," Minato said fondly.
"Really?" Toshiro said. He was surprised again. The Hokage let his daughter draw; Fugaku thought painting was a useless hobby his nephew inherited from his sister. Fugaku always told Toshiro to ditch painting and focus on his shinobi training.
"You're welcome to join us on Sunday. We are going into Greater Forest for some fresh air. Yuna likes the view up on the hill. She normally takes her kit with her," Minato suggested. "Shisui, I know you don't have a mission, so come along but put on your mask. You'll be my ANBU for the day. Understood? I have a task for you apart from looking after Toshiro."
"And I'll make lots for picnic," Kushina baited, looking at Toshiro with dimmed, cheeky eyes. "The weather forecast said it'll be sunny on Sunday."
"I'll bake a cheesecake," Minato added.
When I was alive, I ate anything. Food was my soulmate. But when I wanted to be picky, I could be quite the arse. I know what I like! .Minato's cheesecake? I like. I had been eating Minato's cheesecakes for as long as I could remember. Being Toshi's little brother, I had some of his shares when he was alive. Toshi even used it to bait me into veggies once. Now that I think about it, this baiting technique really tingled my ears. Did they pick up from Toshi? It sounded way too familiar!
"Minato's cheesecake is so good." I said it out loud automatically, then I remembered Minato was speaking as the Hokage at that moment. I quickly chucked in and apologised in all my seriousness for calling his name directly, which was pretty rude as he was my supreme leader. "Please excuse my rudeness, Hokage-sama."
"Really?" Toshiro asked excitedly.
"Yes, Toshiro, but you must call Shisui 'Fukurō' during the trip because he is on a secret mission for me, ok?" Minato made his condition. "Invite Itachi, Shisui."
I didn't say anything because I knew he had his weekly checkup with his father. Every week, on Sunday, Fugaku spent an hour to check on Itachi's progress. It seemed Kushina knew about this by the look of it. She elbowed Minato and gave him a discreet eye roll.
"I'll pay Mikoto a visit. I can write an official invitation if needed," Kushina said. Yup. She understood my difficulty if I was the one who pulled Itachi out of their father-and-son time.
"Does that mean Yuna doesn't know we are coming? Because she can invite Itachi. They are friends." I made my point.
A meaningful smile took over Minato's face, his eyebrow jumped, then he zipped his lips, landing his index finger vertically on his mouth.
It would be their little secret.
That was so Toshi. A complete piss take of the fact that I am his best friend's little brother. People often say Toshi and I exaggerated everything.
All in all, Minato was asking me to do him a favour. It seemed Minato had something prepared and planned. It had to be that day. My guess was right.
Yuna looked utterly unexpected when she walked out to see Toshiro with Itachi and me waiting by the front of the Namikaze mansion. She wore a blank expression and just stood there. Toshiro felt nervous and immediately walked behind Itachi for safety measures. I tried not to let the slightest noise of chuckle out of my owl-mask. I stood rigid and just observed as I was ordered.
"Yuna," Minato reminded in a fatherly manner, his voice hushed with his hand over his mouth. He turned his head away from Toshiro. "Greetings, smile, poise. Where are they, deary?"
The girl quickly pulled up a smile, feeling a little embarrassed by her ill manners. She stopped her own hands rubbing the folds the ivory and orchid stippy dress she wore. Adjusting her shoulder bag, she stood tall and greeted, "Good morning! I didn't know you are coming with us."
"Well, we should spend today to settle what happened, don't you think, Yuna?" Minato asked. Yes, he put forward, but forcefully, no matter how nice he sounded. That was when I knew Minato was a strict father when it came to matters of manner and responsibility.
"Yes, Papa." Bowing towards Toshiro, Yuna said, "I'm sorry about what happened, Toshiro-kun. I was acting on my… quick temper."
The little guy finally walked out his shield, being Itachi. Toshiro held out his hand slowly for a peacemaking shake. After Yuna took the handshake firmly, Toshiro dropped his shoulders to relax and a genuine smile took over.
We began departing shortly. Kushina got the happy-go-lucky mood going. She kept asking everyone questions. There was no silence. They were all forced to speak apart from myself until Yuna mentioned.
"Fukurō-san, thank you for carrying my books last time," Yuna said. She knew ANBU members went by the codenames of their animal masks.
"Not at all," I replied with a light nod.
"Where's Kakashi-nii?" Yuna noticed his absence.
"He's on a mission," Minato said indifferently.
"But normally everyone is free then we go out together," Yuna pointed out.
"I need an emergent break from paperwork!" Minato simpered, looking pleased to have his well-deserved break. He was stretching his arms as he said half-heartedly, "Can't you take some time to care for Papa, Yuna?"
"Of course I can. It is you who is always busy," Yuna retorted sassily. "Like last night, you missed my bedtime story." She pouted in disappointment.
"My bad, my bad, hime-sama. I'll make it up with a special one tonight," Minato said.
The father and daughter shared a beautiful moment together. Minato made his promise as he offered a warming hug. Kushina called out when she got the picnic ready. At the beginning. I was standing at the side watching as they ate.
My stomach growled.
That was awkward.
Toshiro burst out laughing and Itachi stifled his laugh. They were both brought down in tears. That was how funny they found it. Because they knew me, and knew me well.
I am the foodie.
It was torture to witness other people devouring tasty food before my eyes while I was on duty and had to keep it cool.
Since I was technically an ANBU on duty, I told both Itachi and Toshiro to not call my name for the day. They understood that was the Hokage's order, so they had yet to call my name in front of Yuna, which was good going so far for me. Kushina stopped Minato's prank. They kept my codename for the experiment. It had nothing to do with me not eating and watching everyone else eating.
"Eat with us, Fukurō. I made your share," Kushina said. "Take off your mask. It's fine."
"When I take off my mask, would it be off duty for me?" I asked.
"Yes, just for lunch," Minato reiterated. He gestured me to take off my mask.
As soon as I took off my mask, I rolled my eyes. No, I wasn't hiding how pissed I was.
"Why are you so mean, Minato?" I made a flat face at him.
"I thought you take jokes well."
"Yeah… but not when you're the Hokage, I'm your employee, and I don't know when you're speaking as my leader and when you're Toshi's bestie…" Before I could make out what I was even saying, I got a sandwich shoved into my mouth.
"Eat." Kushina said almost threatening.
"...I don't wanna get fired."
Pretty sure I was the only one who made out what I was saying because my mouth was stuffed.
"You're smarter than this," Minato said. I'm glad he had a good laugh; unfortunately, it was at my expense. But hey! I didn't have a choice. He's my Hokage. I knew he found it funny because he knew me well. To be honest, I do find it funny when I think about it. Maybe I got too used to being a joker.
After lunch, I put my mask back on and took my guarding post again. Yuna and Toshiro drew the scenery before their eyes. Kushina stayed close to them. As the two had their feet hanging by the cliff for the grand view in front them, she was there to make Yuna and Toshiro wouldn't fall down 500 feet. Minato laid down to look up the blue sky, pretending to be bathing in the sun. Itachi was reading the books he brought with him. The five of us were in the open air at the top of a hill.
There were a flock of swans flying across, migrating back to the country as the weather was warming.
That was what I thought at first. I noticed the leading bird gave a nod. Minato knew, and as though he expected the birds to fly through the spot at that exact time. Minato smiled at the swans.
"Do it now. Let me know once you have the result." Minato gave me the order to begin my true mission. "We'll talk as soon as you have it."
I was told to check the chakra pull between Itachi and Yuna using my sensory abilities. To check the chakra pull between two people required a sensory field set up to amplify the microscopic signal. The natural attraction or repulsion is too minute to be noticed.
To compare it, I was told to examine between him and his wife, then draw comparison to the one between Itachi and Yuna. The experiment could not be conducted under a more usual setting because Minato wanted to keep the result confidential. To have a sample of comparison available, Minato chose not to check the pull between Itachi and Yuna although he was too a sensor. He asked me to do it because he knew I would not let a word slip, and I had a feeling the whole thing had some connection to me, which was why I got pulled in.
How right I was.
I found out something very strange.
The pull between Itachi and Yuna was almost as strong as the one between Minato and Kushina. That was abnormal on many levels. The pull between a couple, especially married, would be naturally strong. The emotional bond shared between two people create chakra pull; physical love-making between lovers would double the pull.
Itachi and Yuna were both children. They were very green at that point. To have a pull as strong as the one Minato and Kushina had, something was very out of place.
"Almost the same. Theirs isn't weak compared to yours. I don't think this is normal. Is it?" I asked.
I saw a surge of sadness washed over Minato. His smile disappeared and tears dropped from his eyes. Yuna was just walking over to show her father her drawing. She found Minato crying silently all of a sudden.
"Papa, is there something wrong? Can I help you with anything?" Yuna asked.
Minato brushed it off immediately. He chuckled, "it's nothing, dear. It's not the best idea to look at the sun directly. I forgot to bring a pair of sunglasses. My eyes got a bit teary! Silly me."
"Ok. If you say so," Yuna replied. She went back to touch up her sketch of the hillside scenery she draw. She knew something was wrong. She didn't press on.
The day trip ended in the late afternoon. Kushina took the children home. I was left up on the hill with Minato. That was when we talked.
"I never told you this, Shisui. You were too young at the time. I'm sure you know it was me who brought Toshi back. The fact is Toshi actually died in my arms. I was a little too late by the time Hizashi and I got to him," Minato began.
"Minato, you did your best. It's okay." I thought he was just going to tell me that.
"No, I actually want to talk about Toshi's last words."
That got me surprised.
Indeed, everyone thought Toshi just died by the time allies got to him.
"His very last word was a girl's name, Reira. Reira is an unusual name. Toshi was sent to the Water, and Yuna is from the Water. Yuna's late aunt was called Reira. The swans flew by earlier were senor-type swans. They are my family's allies. They helped to set up the sensory field for you to do the test. They also did a check on your chakra signature, and they nodded to tell me a piece of information."
"Wait a minute, Minato. What does Yuna's aunt have anything to do with me?" I was very confused.
It wasn't hard to figure this out, at least. Minato was trying to be obscure deliberately. He wanted me to have the information, but not the story, or the theory he had put together in his ingenious mind.
"I haven't finished. Listen to what I'm about to tell you and remember everything. Keep them in mind. Someday, they will be useful. I believe in your judgement and your intelligence to relay these information to the right people at the right time."
"Wait… What?"
"Just listen, Uchiha Shisui. This is an order."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
"The swans just told me your chakra presence is very similar to Yuna's cousin, Jun, who was Reira's son. You just discovered about the natural pull between Itachi and Yuna. Rin's capture and death were the scheme of Kirigakure, but there is an ulterior motive to all. From now on, question everything you see, question everything you hear, and question everything you know. All this has nothing to do with the power struggle between shinobi villages. The scale of this phenomenon is something beyond anyone's imagination."
"I'm sorry to be dumb. You're not making sense to me."
I didn't want to be rude, but I was very confused.
"Someday, it will all make sense. Just remember what I just told you. Also, once you have figured it out, and my theory is proved to be correct, do not let Hatake Kakashi know about the truth behind the deaths of his teammates until everything else is coming to light. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir."
Now I have figured out what Minato meant back then.
