The Dead cannot cry out for Justice. It is the duty of the living to do so for them.

-Lois McMaster Bujold

Shikamaru watched without remorse as Kakashi let loose a number of colorful words, pacing the office in frustration. After a few seconds, the Hokage turned towards him, and on instinct, Shikamaru straightened just a little bit.

For as long as he had known him, Shikamaru had never seen the Hokage this angry. Or rather, his anger had never been directed towards him.

The older man scowled beneath the mask, and Shikamaru fought to remain calm under that ferocious glare.

"You had no authority to send a message to Suna."

Shikamaru felt his resolve falter just a little bit, beginning to doubt the plan he had come up with to get the truth out of Kakashi.

Had he gone too far? Shikamaru shook his head.

No. It didn't matter any more. Everything had been fine. There was nothing he could do now.

He turned back to the Hokage.

"I assumed it was the best course of action." He met Kakashi's eyes, "You've never complained about my decisions before, Lord Hokage. I'm surprised you've blown a fuse without listening to my reasoning."

For a second, Kakashi's eyes widened, and Shikamaru could have sworn he looked like someone who had been caught stealing candy.

Quickly composing himself, Kakashi cleared his throat, walking back to his desk.

"And what would that reasoning be?" The Nara ignored the mocking lilt to the voice, filing it away to consider later.

"This village is no safe place for the boy." He started bluntly. "The presence of Hyuga Hiashi should be proof enough."

He saw the troubled look pass over Kakashi's face, but the older man didn't disagree. Taking it as a good sign, Shikamaru continued.

"So, I assumed Suna would be the place safest for him. It has good relations with us, and is trustworthy enough."

Kakashi frowned.

"You don't trust me to take care of him?"

"I don't trust the village and its civilian to." Shikamaru fixed him with a stare, "Until now, only the Shinobi know the truth about him, and things are bad enough as it is. If the civilians find out..."

He trailed off, and Kakashi understood what was being left unsaid.

The village would fall into chaos if the civilians revolted. Any internal conflict, would destroy the village completely.

But, that could be prevented if the truth was told to them. And though Kakashi had already planned on doing just that, it was too soon. He still needed the confession of the Elders and a good image of Sasuke and Kazue in front of the civilians.

Many hadn't seen the bloodthirsty Shinobi Sasuke had turned into in his early years. They had only heard stories and rumours. And now, Kakashi wanted them to see another side of him with their own eyes.

The side that smiled and gave piggyback rides to his nephew, the side that occasionally indulged other younger children of the village--Kakashi had taken the time to note that Sasuke had become particularly close to Mirai as well. And he wanted the whole village to see that.

Konoha had always been one of the fastest in spreading gossip. So, Kakashi was going to give them something to gossip about.

Only after that, would he reveal the truth regarding Uchiha Itachi, and declare an official pardon.

It was the perfect plan in his mind.

However, it all would only be set in motion after the Elders confessed. Now, was too soon.

"If the civilians find out, it wouldn't end well." Shikamaru repeated, this time finishing his sentence. After a pause, making sure he had eye contact with the Hokage, he added, "It's not like they would ever accept the child of a murderer."

As Shikamaru had expected, Kakashi looked away.

His eyes widened fractionally.

Bingo. So, he is hiding something, after all. Something that could definitely change things.

He focused back on the conversation, a challenging glint in his eyes, as if daring the Hokage to deny his words.

"Am I right, Lord Hokage?"

Kakashi pushed the words to the back of his head. This wasn't about why the Nara had sent a message to Suna. It was about that fact that he had done it without Kakashi's permission.

"Regardless, you had no permission to send that message."

Kakashi had met Temari, who had showed up on behalf of Suna as a response to their message. Kakashi had exchanged pleasantries, then requested that she rest for the night. Currently, she was asleep in one of Konoha's most luxurious inns. And Kakashi was here, dealing with the mess her arrival had created.

No doubt, she would want answers for this summons, and more detail on the Uchiha mentioned in the letter. Kakashi could tell by the look in her eyes, that she was more than interested, and wouldn't leave without knowing the truth.

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes.

"Is my breach of protocol really more important than that boy's, Hinata's--no, don't look at me like that, I already know you're going to find ways to prove her innocent--safety?"

Kakashi's looked up like a deer caught in headlights, and Shikamaru almost rolled his eyes at how much the Hokage had began to underestimate him recently.

Before Kakashi could answer, Shikamaru did it for him.

"In fact, considering how bad the situation is in our ranks, I was surprised that you hadn't already sent a message to Suna for help."

The Hokage fisted his hand in his hair, and gritted his teeth. He scowled beneath his mask.

"In any situation, you are not to proceed without my permission. You are the Village Advisor, Shikamaru-"

For the first time, Shikamaru cut him off, his patience wearing thin. He stepped forward, eyes narrowing in accusation.

"And yet, you seem to be keeping me in the dark about this situation regarding Uchiha Itachi."

Kakashi stilled.

Shikamaru tilted his head to the side, intelligent eyes taking in the wide-eyed Hokage.

"What?" He probed, "You thought I won't figure something out?"

Now Kakashi was looking at him properly, gauging him as if he were an opponent. It was clear that he had forgotten how perceptive the Nara was.

Shikamaru continued.

"It made no sense. How Sasuke protected that boy, how Kurenai defended the both of them when I told her to be careful when visiting once. And then, there's Ino."

Kakashi looked up, plain weary, resignation clear on his face.

"What about Ino?"

Shikamaru met the Hokage's eyes again. Her teammate had grown increasingly defensive of all three Uchiha she had known. It was clear that she knew something Shikamaru didn't.

And Shikamaru hated not knowing.

"Right after the Mind Search ended, she began crying. She claimed that Uchiha Itachi was crying too."

Kakashi's head snapped up, and he grew even paler than he already was.

Kakashi hadn't yet read the report Ino had written him, and her verbal had been vague, safe for the truth about the Massacre. So, he hadn't known about that.

The only Itachi he had known and remembered for all these years had been the cold-blooded murderer who had accompanied him on missions and such. His reputation after the Massacre had only solidified that image in his mind even more.

After he had found out that truth, Kakashi had commended his comrade many times for how strong he had been, how he had bore all those responsibilities on his shoulders without breaking.

And yet, now, he realized that had broken.

The image of the ruthless Uchiha he had in his mind was shattered and he was suddenly reminded that Itachi had been a human too.

Why did that thought make his heart stir in grief? He knew the world was cruel; he himself was living proof of that.

But to think that it had been enough to bring Itachi--Uchiha Itachi, one of the physically and mentally strongest person he had known--to tears, was nothing if not a terrifying thought.

The mental image of him crying, made something in Kakashi clench, made sorrow bubble up his chest.

Kakashi leaned back in his seat, sighing as he rubbed his eyes.

He was exhausted. He could sleep right now, but then he would have nothing to tell Temari tomorrow.

Hearing a cough, Kakashi looked up at Shikamaru, for a moment contemplating if he should tell the Nara about it all.

After a moment, he sighed.

"What do you want, Shika?"

The nickname made the younger male relax a bit. Kakashi's anger was gone, undoubtly, he was physically and mentally tired.

Which really just meant that he would be more willing to answer questions. For a second, Shikamaru felt guilty for taking advantage of him like that.

Then, he shook his head. He was a Shinobi, not a Saint. Morality and manners were one of the least important things his kind had to worry about.

He moved closer to the desk, hands tucked in his pockets, his posture relaxed but his eyes hard.

"I want to know what you are hiding, Sensei."

Kakashi rubbed his face, and Shikamaru saw the grimace that lined his mask.

"Have a seat, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru had a wary glint in his eyes, but he sat across Kakashi nonetheless. As they both settled in their seats, Kakashi leaned forward.

Taking a deep breath and a with a prayer, Kakashi began.

The hospital room was as silent as a graveyard, safe for the beeping of the heart monitor that reassured the boy that the patient was still alive.

Kazue was sitting on the bed, beside his mother's body, fidgeting in the silence. This was not the first time he had come to visit his beloved mama.

But, before, Kurenai or Kiba or Sasuke or Tenten were always with him. Today, Kurenai had come, but Mirai had also fallen ill recently, so they were taking her medicine.

Kazue had insisted that he wanted to stay by his mama, in case she woke up. Kurenai had agreed after a while, and here he was.

Alone with her since they both had stepped foot into this village.

He let go of the hem of his shirt, before placing his hands neatly on his lap.

"Hey, mama."

There was no reply.

"How are you?"

Still silence.

He sighed, looking up at the ceiling, squinting his eyes against the bright, white light.

"I'm still living with Kurenai. Sometimes we go outside. Sasuke comes with us a lot too."

The silence continued.

The boy looked back at his mother, shifting closer. He gently tugged at her hand, holding it in his grasp.

Then, he pressed it to his face, rubbing his cheek against her palm. His shoulders slumped at her motionless form, as his grip tightened.

He felt the familiar lump in his throat, his chest growing heavy when he still received no answer.

He moved closer.

"Mama?" His voice came out squeaky, but he didn't care. There was no one here to watch him be the kid he was.

His voice cracked, tears burning behind his eyes, as he leaned over her body.

"You gotta wake up now."

Feeling his chest ache at recieving no response, Kazue shifted even closer.

It had almost been a month since he had first seen his mother like that; pale and motionless. Almost a month and he still wasn't used to it. Her condition still caught him off guard like a punch to his stomach.

For as long as he could remember, it had just been the two of them. Ever since he had been a kid, his mama had been the one constant in his life, the one thing that never changed no matter what happened.

She was always so cheerful and happy, always so warm and bright, that Kazue could name the life they had been living anything except perfect.

He knew the people talked. The village where he had grown up, had been small. Everyone had known everyone, and it was hard to not know the latest news of what was going on.

It was because of this that Kazue knew. He knew people talked, about him, about his mother.

Because the people pointed and whispered, they laughed behind their hands and talked all they wanted. And his mama, his sweet, strong and so very brave mama, still managed to walk down the streets with a bright smile and her head high.

But he knew that she felt sad. She felt sad when those people talked, when they turned their backs as she passed, when they didn't allow their children to play with her.

He remembered once, when his mama had been telling him a story in a small park nearby. A few other kids had sat by her too, listening with wide eyes, to her tales of blonde heroes and blue haired princesses. Sometimes, she made flower crowns for all of them, placing them on their heads. She had laughed when some of the boys had scrunched up their faces, hesitant to do something that was 'girly'.

"Even Kings wear crowns, you know. And they're made of the same stuff as the Queen's. Nobody laughs at them, now do they?"

"That's because the King can punish them for laughing! He's really strong!" One of the boys had said.

"And, we're not kings." Someone else had pointed out.

His mama had laughed again, then smiled so sweetly that that boys had blushed.

"Well, you can always pretend, can't you?"

A mother of one of the kids had once showed up during one of the stories. And she had thrown a fit. Many others had joined her, all saying something about how she was 'ruining the children'. Then, they had taken their respective kids and left.

Kazue had never seen his mother that pale, or that scared, or that sad.

Kazue never understood what that meant, what any of those harsh, cruel words meant, but he knew it wasn't good. Because as soon as they entered their home, as soon as he was out of sight, Kazue had sneaked around and watched. He had hidden around the corner and watched, his mama's form collapsed on the chair, in the kitchen, face buried in her arms.

He hadn't heard her, but he knew that she had cried. On that day, she fell asleep like that. The next day, it was as if nothing had happened.

Despite the fact that the kids had never showed up in their small circle again, despite the fact that the people still talked, despite all that, his mama, his sweet, strong and so very brave mama, had never stopped smiling at him.

She had never stopped loving him, because a small part of him had noticed. He had noticed those people looking at him in disgust, turning their heads away when he walked past. A small part of him knew that their behaviour had something to do with him.

For a good while, he had thought that he was one of the characters in his mother's stories, the cursed monster that everyone hated. Once in bed, he had asked his mother about it.

"Am I cursed, mama?"

He had sensed the change in her breathing, the breath being knocked out of her throat at the question.

"What makes you think that?"

"The people act like I am."

"Do the people matter?"

"I don't know. But, if I am then you shouldn't be my mama anymore."

He head heard enough of those stories to know what happened to those people who made friends with monsters. He had tried to be as brave as his mama, but had broken down within just a few seconds, the thought of her leaving too hard to swallow.

But, she hadn't left. Instead, she had comforted him, held him so close that he could hear her heart beat.

"Never." She had pressed her lips against his forehead, then whispered against his ear, "You are not cursed, Kazue."

"What if I am? What if I am and you just don't know?" He had cried out, "What if the people are right to act like that?"

"It won't matter to me. I would still be your mama."

"Promise?"

"Yes. I promise. I will always love you." Then, she had poked his forehead, before starting a different story, this one of red-eyed heroes and kind villains that made him realize that monsters needed love too.

Returning to the present, Kazue hadn't even realized that he had started crying. He moved even closer to his mother, before tugging on her arm lightly, a single tear falling on her, as his petite body began to tremble.

"You go'a way' u', now." His words came out incoherent, a jamble of letters mixed with his tears. His shoulders shook, but despite his pleas, there was no answer.

I miss you. I really really miss you. When are you coming back?

The boy buried his face into her hand again, the coldness of the limb foreign to him. Despite the fact, he hesitated for only a second, before laying by her side, squeezing himself in the small space between her body and the steel bars that lined the bed.

He placed her arm beneath his head, pulling it over him like a blanket, before wrapping his own arm around her thin frame.

There were no stories that comforted him that time, no lullabies that put him to sleep. And despite the fact that his mama's body was as cold as ice, so unlike the warmth that always radiated from her, he still fell asleep in her embrace, making it his new home.

Shikamaru stared at the Hokage, eyes wide, for once all his laziness gone. His shoulders were no longer slouched, as he sat up, trying to think past the shock that brought his brain to a screeching halt.

His mouth opened but no sound came out, then closed, having nothing to say. The process was repeated several times, after which he finally spoke.

"You've got to be kidding me."

Kakashi leaned back, rubbing his eyes again.

"Wish I were." He muttered bitterly, before grimacing.

Shikamaru swallowed, leaning back n his chair.

Because there was no way. No fucking way that-

The Village had ordered the Massacre?!

The thought still hadn't sunk in yet.

He had met the Elders many times, had talked to them, held whole conversations with them regarding this very village.

All this time, without knowing the blood that stained their hands.

He had forgotten that they were politicians; selfish and shrewd without a single ounce of honour in them.

No wonder Tsunade had hated them so much.

"This is unbelievable." He repeated the same thought again and again, in disbelief and horrified that the village he had served for so many years had been built on nothing but bloodshed and lies.

Of the innocent, no less.

He didn't want to believe any of it. But, everything made sense, everything clicked into place, exactly in line with what Kakashi had told him.

Sasuke, Ino, Kurenai, Neji, to an extent. They all knew about it.

He thought of releasing this information to the village, the absolute chaos and confusion it would cause. But, was it better to keep it hidden in wraps?

Was it justified? To cover up injustice to uphold peace?

Shikamaru didn't know. He turned back to Kakashi, putting his Advisor cap on.

"What do you plan on doing?"

Kakashi leaned back.

"Tomorrow. I'm going to have a talk with the Elders."

Shikamaru balked, not expecting that at all. The Elders were really, really old authorities of the village, with many followers. Messing with them would mean messing with the older generation of Shinobi, who would undoubtly feel disrespected if the Elders were confronted.

"You're going to make them confess?"

Kakashi nodded resolutely.

"Konoha has thrived on lies long enough. I think we should change things, so that something like that never happens again."

Shikamaru leaned back, placing his hands behind his head.

"You do realize that there is going to be opposition if you accuse the Elders like that."

Kakashi's eyes hardened, and his voice was stone when he spoke.

"All the more to do it. The opposition needs to be reminded who the Hokage really is."

The Shinobi had began to get even more restless over the days. It had come to the point that their tone addressing him was downright disrespectful.

He needed to make sure they remembered their place.

Kakashi leaned forward.

"After that, Were going to have an Official Pardon."

Shikamaru's eyebrows shot up, eyes widening for the umpteenth time that night. His mind immediately connected the dots, reaching the root of why he was doing all this.

If the Uchiha is proven innocent, then there would be comparatively less opposition, if people accept it. And Hinata...

"A pardon for the Uchiha." He stated plainly, "It's the only way to make sure Hinata is proven innocent too."

Kakashi nodded, a weak grin beneath his mask, his master plan unfolding.

However, Shikamaru, always the strategist, and killjoy, tilted his head to the side.

"What if all this backfires?" He asked, watching as Kakashi scowled, obviously irritated at confronting that side of things.

However, Shikamaru continued.

"Revealing the truth about the boy would make a mess of things. But, telling the truth about the whole story could just make things worse."

Kakashi simply exhaled heavily.

"We need to take our chances. It's the only choice we have. We can't just sit back and watch as the Village is brought to the ground from the inside."

He paused for a moment, before continuing.

"The Elders need to know that they can't get away with things like that just because they have Authority."

The Nara raised an eyebrow at his determination, giving him a sideways glance.

"Never knew you were one for justice, Lord Hokage."

Kakashi rolled his eyes. Then, he stared outside the window, at the lights flickering in the darkness below, his eyes distant when he spoke.

"I knew Itachi. We went on countless missions together, so I consider him somewhat of a friend. I watched him rot and be twisted and turned, right in front of my eyes, but did nothing."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. He hadn't known that.

"I suppose I simply owe it to him. I couldn't make his life better, but I can make up for it by making sure his son's life isn't hell."

And maybe, Kakashi added to himself, I'll be redeemed along the way.

He shook his head lightly.

"Besides, this is the best way to approach things." He said, at last, "The hatred of an Uchiha almost destroyed the world last time. I don't think Sasuke would spare it if something happened to Kazue."

Shikamaru nodded absentmindedly, agreeing, his thoughts flickering to the visions of the Fourth Shinobi War.

He didn't think the world would survive another war.

At last, he sighed, stretching his arms over his head. Then, he yawned.

"So, tomorrow, right?"

Kakashi nodded. Then, he remembered something.

"So, what will you be telling Temari? You simply wrote that there was another Uchiha in the village, didn't you?"

Shikamaru nodded, then smirked.

"You can leave that woman to me. I'll take care of everything."

Kakashi nodded, albeit hesitantly.

Throwing an exhausted 'good night' over his shoulder, Shikamaru exited the office, mind already thinking of the ambassador of Suna.

He had no doubt that she would use any information he gave her to Suna's advantage. Which meant he had to be ten times more careful then he was with others.

Then, he yawned.

For now though, I need a good night's rest. I'll think of rest in the morning.

Happy Monday, suckers!!!

How was the update? Did you like it?? It was a bit short as compared to my previous chapter, so sorry about that!! I promise I'll make up for it in he next one!!

Back to the Chapter, how was it?? What did you think will happen? And Hinata, will she be waking up any time soon??

Be sure to tell me what you think!!

Until next Monday, ENJOY!!!

-Your goofy author.