EPILOGUE :
The Story of the Lazarus Eye

More than a month later, a visitor was spotted in the peaceful village of Konoha. It was an old woman… perhaps around seventy or beyond. It could've been just another friendly visitor from a harmless land, except for the fact that she goes around asking people about someone named Kaiko.

It did not take long before this information reach the copy ninja's ears.

"Asumaaaaaaa!!!"
The ninja being summoned lifted his head and saw Mitarashi Anko running towards him. "Hey, Anko."
"Hey," she said after a series of gasps. Anko struggled for air, her hands braced on her knees as she satisfied her need to breathe normally.
"What's with the waving and running and calling out my name like that?"
She straightened up. "Have you seen Kakashi?"
"Oh. He was here awhile ago. But he just left after the morning ceremonies."
"Thanks." She was about to run off when a hand on her shoulder grabbed her in place.
"I think he's still… mourning. It would be best to just let him be for awhile, Anko."
"I know. But pressing matters are at hand." She looked at him with pleading eyes. "I'm sorry but I really, really, REALLY need to find him quick!"
He released her and like a rock on a slingshot, Anko bolted and disappeared like some swift feline from the savannahs.

Kakashi was about to leave, Anko was lucky to arrive just in time. "Kakashi!"
His shoulders jumped.
"I've been running around Konoha looking for you."
"Why, I'm honored."
Anko rolled her eyes. "This is very important, Kakashi…. It's about Kaiko."
For a moment, the copy ninja stiffened, his eyes wandering off to a time he was struggling to forget. After a period of silence, when Anko was convinced it was best to follow Asuma's advice, Kakashi finally cleared his throat to speak. The words came low, soft, and tinged with pain. She shouldn't have brought her up, but it was necessary. "What about her?"
Kakashi couldn't even mention her name. It was too painful, he still blamed himself for her death.
"There was an old lady looking for Kaiko."
"Why?"
"I don't know. I left her at my house, begged her to wait until I come back with you."
He looked away. "Why didn't you tell her the entire story?"
He's attempting to dodge this, Kaiko thought. And she, Mitarashi Anko, had no patience with cowards. "Hey… hey!" She chased his gaze, moving along as he tried to avoid looking at her. "Kakashi! You need this. You need a closure. Everyone mourns over the death of a loved one, but without any closure, you'll be stuck behind that obstacle. You should talk to her!"
"I.. can't."
"Yes you can." She gave a friendly slap on his arm. "You're the famous Copy Ninja of Konoha for crying out loud!"
"Anko…"
"You can definitely do this."
He exhaled. "And tell her that I killed Kaiko, yeah right."
Irritated, Anko vigorously scratched the back of her head. "First, find out who this old woman is. She could probably fill you in with the missing pieces of that Lazarus Eye case."
"That mission is over, Anko."
"But that doesn't mean you can't learn more."
He sighed. Anko was too persuasive, and she's not planning to stop anytime soon. "Okay."

The walk to Anko's flat was shorter that usual, despite Kakashi's slow pace. He was hoping for more time to sort out his thoughts, but the brief walk provided little time for that. Besides, there weren't much to sort out anyway. He simply wanted to prolong the encounter as much as he could. And the very annoyed Anko knew it.
"Okay. Here we are." She said with a theatrical raising of hands as she presented her home.
"Yipee..." Kakashi coldly said.
She opened the door wide enough (and soundly enough) for the visitor to realize their arrival. Kakashi immediately spotted the said lady, sitting on one of Anko's hard (possibly uncushioned) single couches. She was facing the doorway, giving Kakashi an entire glimpse of her: silver-white hair with uneven distribution of ash-gray strands, lined and terribly wrinkled skin that looked almost bone-white, small brown eyes that almost disappeared beneath flabs of sagging dry skin. She was old to the point that guessing her age was impossible… and she looked so frail, although she was able to travel to Konoha on her own.
"I'm sorry we took so long. I was running across town looking for this guy over here"
She smiled. "I understand." Her voice was unbelievably clear. And her gaze was surprisingly hard, Kakashi realized when he looked at the visitor and found her staring at him. She was smiling, but her eyes doesn't seem happy at all.
"This is Hatake Kakashi, the one I told you about."
She bowed her head. "Thank you for saving Kaiko's life."
Anko forced Kakashi to one of her uncushioned couches and excused herself. "I'll see if there's anything edible in there." She shot a warning look at Kakashi before leaving the scene.
It was one of the most uncomfortable moments of his life: sitting there, speechless beneath the old woman's scrutiny.
"Did she steal the Lazarus Eye?"
Kakashi was half-stunned, half-relieved when the old woman finally broke the uneasy silence hanging in the air. But then, she could've chosen a safer topic. He desperately needed to breathe.
"She did try."
Understanding seemed to have dawned on the stanger's features when her expression softened into something a little less hard. "I visited the shed of the Shinrin bandits when I heard about their disappearance, and it was true."
"How did you know they were here?"
"Because I know the Lazarus Eye is here."
Kakashi bit his lip. The old woman studied him intently.
"Do you know anything about it?"
He didn't answer. Kakashi felt it was risky to let this woman know more that she should. And precisely guessing the reason behind his silence, the old woman volunteered to answer the question herself. "People chase it… because it was believed to possess the incredible capacity to grant one wish. There were no borders, no limitations. So people from anywhere in the world searched for the Lazarus Eye, although they clearly possessed not a single idea of where it is. They fought for it with only a handful of rumors leading their path."
"Very few people know the tragic history of the Lazarus Eye. Its pursuers were clueless about the price the eye requires."
With that, Kakashi found his voice. "Price…?"
"The Lazarus Eye can grant anything, but it demands an equally great price in exchange. Restoration is the secret of the Lazarus Eye. If one craves for money, one must offer poverty. For immortality, death… glory, shame. That is how it works."
Kakashi nodded.
"It was kept in Semai because of its incredible, and devastating, powers. Rulers of that land were chosen from a particular bloodline, and it was the Lazarus Eye that symbolized their leadership. Aside from ruling the entire island, leaders of Semai also served as guardians of the eye. Because of that, the Lazarus Eye was respected, feared, and protected."
"But why did it vanish?" he was referring to the island that was erased from the face of the earth several years past.
"One ruler dared to challenge the power of the Lazarus Eye." The old woman answered almost instantly. "Obsessed with superficial beauty, she brewed a civil war and caused senseless deaths…"
He cut her short, "For beauty that never fades..."
She nodded slowly. "The island was wiped out, and was eventually erased. Some say it was because of the power of the eye. Some say it was the punishment of God to those who attempted to play His role. Some say natural disasters occurred that day, and erased the island for good."
"How was the Lazarus Eye found?"
"A handful of people was able to live through…"
Kakashi sensed the old woman wouldn't go any further, but there were more questions to ask… too many that he couldn't decide where to begin. "Why are you looking for Kaiko?"
"She was family. My family."
Yeah, right. Kakashi looked away. The last person who claimed to be Kaiko's relative was a bloody liar… and the lie easily rolled off his tongue, like a spit of saliva. He's thriough with lies. The girl is dead (well, it was HE who killed her). The last thing they could do is to let her rest.
The woman stood up.
Kakashi looked at her.
Anko arrived with a greeting and a handful of food.
"Oh, it is alright, I am just about to leave…"
"Leave?!" Anko shot Kakashi an accusing look.
"Leave?" Kakashi asked her back.
"Yes. And nobody ever asked me why I am here.."
"No one?!" Anko shot him another accusing look. If those stares were daggers, he would've died there, on that uncomfortable little couch. The old woman exhaled. "I wish to see my Kaiko for the last time… before I leave."
Kakashi was on his toes, avoiding another one of those glances from Anko (actually there were none at that time). "I will take you there… but it would be a bit of a stroll from here."
"I can do that." She said proudly.
Kakashi nodded and started for the door. Before closing the door, he remembered Anko and the food she had bothered to prepare. "Ja ne." he said."and thanks.."
"Be nice." She said, the shrugged as she looked at the food.

Kakashi was amazed. The woman could match his paces if she wanted to. Her legs, despite that age, are quite sturdy and capable.
"You do not believe me, do you?"
He shrugged. "There was another person who claimed to be family with Kaiko. I assume you know him."
"Ah. Hagare."
"Who--?"
"The leader of the Shinrin Bandits. He was Kaiko's father."
They have reached the monument in the most inappropriate time. He wanted to ask more questions, but the lady looked as though she wasn't going to answer anymore. The minute she spotted the medium-sized rock not far from where the huge one with engraved symbols was located, she knew her daughter was there. Her long, lost daughter.
Facing the grave and hoping the spirit of her daughter was still there, she knelt down. "I'm here." She murmured. And a series of apologies followed. She was sorry for leaving her under the care of his brute, heartless father. She was sorry for leaving. She was sorry for not being able to create a normal family for her. She was sorry for not letting her know that she was indeed her true mother. She was sorry for being so vain and selfish, for sacrificing Kaiko's only home in exchange for her egoistic satisfactions. She was sorry for being a bad mother, and for picking the equally worst father in the world. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.
Perhaps that's what life really is about… making apologies when its too late to be forgiven.
"And this is farelwell, my dear." She whispered. "I'm sure that man over there would take very good care of you." She struggled on her feet.
And "that man over there" was staring at her, full of questions in his eyes.
"How can you be her mother?" he asked, noticing a few resemblance between this old woman over here and his beloved Kaiko.
She did not answer. Instead, he asked the curious young man to walk with her.

The walk was silent, although Kakashi's mind was busy spinning questions. He was curious alright, but was unable to voice out a single word. The old lady, he noticed, seemed to have become weaker and weaker as they walked father into the borders of Konoha. Her steps are slow, and he was trying desperately to lessen his quick, distance-eating strides just to match hers. Her erect stature was also affected. The father they walked, the more hucnhed she became. And he was puzzled… until he finally realized….
The Lazarus Eye was kept within the walls of the Hokage's sanctuary. And they are walking father and farther away from the village.
He looked at the woman. Was she…?
The pacing stopped. They have reached the borders of Konoha Village.
"Well, this is it…" even her voice had lost its clarity. It was as if ten years of her life have passed during their walk.
"Do you believe me now?" she asked as she slowly turned around and looked at his surprised face.
He nodded.
"Good." She turned to face the road once again. "Then I can leave."
"Why did you do it?"
The woman paused to think. "Why did I…." she frowned, then felt the urge to cry but used all of her strength to suppress it. "Why did I… Why did I…"
A minute of silence.
"Aggression is the price of youth. You desire everything, and grow restless unless you have it when you want it. Youth represents courage, but a courage without further thought." She sighed. "Remember this young man, reason is the most difficult lesson from life. You should know your limitations and accept what you can and can't have. Youth isn't some sort of magic that is capable of fullfilling your every wish. Reasons must prevail. Truths. Values. These are things that will hinder your desires and aggressions."
Kakashi frowned. His question remained unanswered.
"I did it… because I was a vain and impetuous child." She paused. "And I have measured people with the use of my sight, so I naturally did not want people to find me lacking when they do the scaling. But it all ended… when I fell in love and unfortunately lost the stone. I aged. Drastically. And he changed. So I left. And I left my daughter behind."
Kakashi finally understood her story. The missing pieces were finally found.
"Consider the people around you as indispensible." She advised without glancing back. "Don't be like me."

Kakashi was sitiing next to Kaiko's grave, thinking about the heap of information the old woman have previously unloaded. Anko was right, understanding things better would help him find a closure. Yes, he still blames himself for Kaiko's tragic death, but after talking to the old woman he realized that forgiving himself was possible. "I'm sorry Kaiko. I was wrong. I judged you. I shouldn't have hurt you like that. You could've been happier with me… with us. And it's my fault that you can't be here anymore… but we all made our mistakes. I hope you can forgive me, because I have forgiven you. It was easy, really, because you're so special to me. It's tragic that we cannot go back to the past and change everything." He exhaled and decided to lie on the ground. "I miss you. A lot. Visit me every once in a while, okay? Please. Even if you still hate me and you're just there to scare me a bit…" he chuckled. "I really don't care. And you know I don't easily get scared. And I won't be terrified of you, you know. So you can try to scare me, I don't mind. Just visit me once in a while…"
He stared at the clear blue sky. The sun was up. The clouds were crawling. Birds were chirping. Stray leaves danced in the gentle breeze. He removed the cover that hid half of his face. "I should be in the academy, Kaiko, but I don't want to leave this place. I don't want to talk to anybody. I want to stay here with you. But I can't do that, right? I have to go back to my life." He closed his eyes. "I have always wished for a different life, well, I used to. But then I met you, and it doesn't matter anymore. This life is fine. I'm thankful for us."
The wind flew and circled over him with a faint whisper. The copy ninja opened his eyes. She was there, visiting, and he felt it. When the gentle breeze touched his face, he was cretain he heard her whsiper, "I love you".

Anko stared at the glittering cyrstal in her hand. The Lazarus Eye. It was her first time to actually hold this precious little gem with her own hands, and it was tragic that she would be the last.
"Kakashi," she cast a sidewise glance toward the one-eyed copy ninja. "Are you sure about this?"
He had been quiet the whole time, and the silence made her very uneasy. Typical Kakashi, maintaining a zipped mouth when he should. After convincing the Hokage that it was for the good of everyone, Kakashi snatched her from breaktime and volunteered her help in this brief mission. They were to destroy the Lazarus Eye so that no one would be able to use its power.
"Kakashi, are you sure the Hokage allowed you to destroy this? I get the feeling that you took this without permission."
"I didn't steal it."
Something in his tone warned Anko to press further, so she didn't. Moments of silence passed until they reached the edge of land and found themselves standing face to face with blue water and clear skies. "There has to be someone here..."
Anko frowned. "What?"
"We're going to Semai."
"Huh? How?"
Kakashi kept quiet. They waited, the Hokage told him someone would take him to where the island was. They could be early, and that's not a bad thing.
"Hey,"
He glanced to his side and found Anko sitting on the sand. "Sit down. The sand is really warm.. it fells good. And will you relax a bit?"
He surveyed the still waters one last time before finally satisfying Anko's request. He couldn't relax, though. Anything could happen, and god-knows-where that cursed boat is.
"So you're taking it back home?"
He nodded, eyes still running over the scenery before him.
"Okay. So how do we destroy it?"
He jumped. He was too preoccupied with a lot of things that he forgot one very important thing: destroying the eye. "I forgot about that." He laughed.
She was frowning. "How do we destroy it?" Kakashi was on his feet, walking ailmessly and obviously looking for something. Far ahead was a huge rock, Anko saw him walk toward that rock and smashed the sacred gem against it. Then he retraced his steps. "Wow." Anko looked at the fragmented gem that Kakashi showed in his palm. "I still can't believe you're really doing this… and I'm not convinced that you were able to make the Hokage agree with you." He closed his open palm and clenched the fragments in his fist. "It's the only way to stop it, Anko." "I wonder what Kaiko would've done is she were here…" the thought was supposed to remain unspoken, but in the silence of the oceanside, Kakashi was capable of hearing it loud and clear. "Oops.." "She would've agreed with me, I think." Kakashi told her.
Silence. Kakashi rose from deep thought when a figure emerged from afar. It should be their boat, he thought, watching the figure move slowly toward land.
"Hey, is that what we're waiting for?"
He nodded.

Before leaving the light-haired yung man, she left one important message. She made sure the man understood her, and was certain he would comply with her last wish. But then, she's still alive, isn't she? Why haven't he destroyed the Lazarus Eye? Why didn't he keep his promise?
Nostalgi came to her as the wind blew and tousled her long, white hair. She remembered the island, the people, the eye… she even recalled the beautiful face that stared back at her every morning in that huge, clear, looking glass. She made a mistake, thinking that such beauty would be forever restored. She sacrificed innocentlives for such a selfish reason, and now, look at her, an old hag with guilt and memories on her shoulders. She deserved to be tortured, but now, she was tired. Again, it was selfish of her, but she wanted to suffer no more and finally rest eternally. The death she once feared was the only friend left by her side. And she had longed to embrace this friend, but the Lazarus Eye wouldn't allow her to.
The grass underneath her was damp, she could feel a certain coolness creeping up to her. She filled her lungs with fresh air, then closed her eyes. It felt good.. it felt good.. it felt good…
"Mother…"
Kaiko..?
She was chuckling. "Good morning mother! You seem very tired…"
I am tired…very tired… She recalled the days when she and Kaiko scrubbed the floors and cooked food in the house of the Shinrin bandits. By then she was beyond a hundred years old, and with the Lazarus eye missing, her aging continued. But at that time, she didn't care one bit about the Lazarus Eye… all she craved for was to be free from the clutches of the bastard that was Kaiko's father.. the bastard who despised her after realizing her little secret.
Kaiko was beside her, running one hand over her hair. "It'll be over soon, mother… I promise."

Kakashi looked at the Lazarus Eye in his hand. "it's amazing how small, light things can become such heavy burdens."
Anko nodded.
"We should give it back to where it truly belonged."
"Yes, we should."
This is for you Kaiko… he released the fragments and scattered them across the water with a silent wish that the trouble brought by the eye ends here. Then he felt a certain warmth around his shoulders, like in an embrace. Kaiko.
It all ends here, my love.

And eternal rest was finally granted to the old monarch of Semai island.

author's notes
Lazarus is a biblical character from the New Testament who had been dead for three days but was resurrected by Jesus Christ. Because of this, the name was often attached to resurrection or restoration, and this is also the reason why I chose to name the gem as such.
Many thanks to the Naruto-addict fenjien ren for the useful info. And thank you for sticking with me until the last chapter. Sure hope you enjoyed it.

SPOILERS: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Uchiha Obito and Rin were Kakashi's team mates in their neophyte years (like Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura). Obito (who was a lot like Naruto) saved Kakashi (who may be compared to Sasuke) from an explosion which would've killed him. I think it was really meant for Kakashi, but since Obito saved his life, he was the one who got killed instead. The "sharingan eye" – a characteristic of those from the Uchiha clan – was given to Kakashi by Obito as a "parting gift" (remember that Obito is an Uchiha). Aside from that, Kakashi's tardiness and outrageous excuses - even his obsession with naughty novels - were also derived from the late Obito.