Yakushi Nono'yu stared fixedly at the scene reflected on the surface of the water.
The boy's pained yet familiar gaze behind his glasses, and her own face—hollow, numb, like a rigid mask! An indescribable, soul-tearing agony exploded from the depths of her heart! It was a hundred times—a thousand times—more painful than being pierced by a chakra scalpel in her nightmares.
It wasn't a pain of the flesh; it was the agony of the soul being gouged of its most precious part.
"Kabuto... Kabuto...?"
A broken call, trembling with disbelief and despair, forced its way through her throat. Tears surged like a collapsing dam, washing over her paper-white, wrinkled cheeks. She raised her withered hands, clutching her mouth to stifle the heart-wrenching scream, but her body lost all strength. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed heavily onto the cold, smooth surface of the Star Water.
In the reflection, the haggard, tear-streaked prisoner merged, twisted, and shattered with the image of the "decoy" boy from Danzo's photos and the "Kabuto" she had killed in her dreams. Cold tears rippled across the water, threatening to swallow the entire Star Domain.
"You are lucky," Shura's voice echoed faintly before fading away.
The illusionary space shattered, and Yakushi Nono'yu fell back into the dim cell of Sector Seven. The dampness of the stone walls and the crushing weight of the truth gnawed at her. Danzo's conspiracy, the lie of the decoy, and the fact that her child had been within arm's reach... and she hadn't recognized him.
The next morning, the heavy iron door creaked open. There were no harsh shouts from guards. Instead of the dim oil lamps of the corridor, the light was the cool, natural glow of dawn.
Uchiha Hikari stood at the door. She wore her simple, high-collared blue clan outfit, her raven-black hair framing a pale face. She radiated a heart-palpitating pressure that seemed to wall off the stagnant despair of the prison.
"Come out," she said. Her voice was clear and concise, carrying an unquestionable power.
Nono'yu trembled and looked up, her brown eyes swirling with fear and a weak glimmer of hope. She followed Hikari out of the cell, noticing the absence of guards. They walked through a passage that grew increasingly bright until they emerged into a small, quiet courtyard.
The air was fresh with the scent of earth and greenery. Sunlight filtered through bamboo leaves, casting dappled shadows on the veranda. A small figure sat with his back to them, seemingly tinkering with something. He had spiky black hair and wore a simple black shirt—the silhouette of a child.
Nono'yu's heart skipped a beat. This back... why was it so familiar?
"Menma," Hikari's cold voice broke the silence.
The figure turned. It was the original body of Uzumaki Menma. Though he had the face of a five-year-old, his eyes held a depth and calm far beyond his years.
"Sister Hikari," Menma said. He stood up, looking at Nono'yu with a gaze that was both probing and strangely gentle.
Nono'yu's breath hitched. Menma? The child she worried about most... why was he here? And why did he seem so close to Uchiha Hikari? This was the heart of the Land of Stars; this courtyard must belong to a high-ranking official.
Hikari offered a slight nod. "I've brought her." With that, she vanished like a shadow merging into the light.
"Director, come and eat," Menma gestured for Nono'yu to sit. A simple food box sat between them, containing rice balls, sushi, and a pot of tea.
Nono'yu walked over slowly, her mind in a whirl.
"I know you have many questions, but Kabuto will be here shortly," Menma pushed the food box toward her. His expression was neutral, his tone steady. "He has agreed to join the organization. His loyalty was the price for your safety."
"Kabuto...?" Nono'yu whispered. The image of the boy sharing food while hiding his pain stabbed at her again. He joined Shura... to save my life?
Just then, the courtyard gate was pushed open. Yakushi Kabuto rushed in. He was still in his Hoshigakure genin uniform, but his usual calculated calm was gone. His hair was messy, his breathing ragged, and his eyes behind his round glasses were bloodshot with urgency and fear.
Time seemed to freeze. Kabuto stopped dead in his tracks, staring at Nono'yu. His lips trembled, unable to make a sound. His gaze was filled with the joy of a lost treasure found, the guilt of a thousand sins, and the fragile fear that she might be an illusion.
Nono'yu looked back. For the first time, without the barrier of a photo or a deceptive mission, she saw him. Those eyes—filled with pain and hope—were the same ones that used to look up at her while studying under the orphanage lamps.
"Di... Director..." Kabuto's voice finally squeezed out, raspy and dry.
"Kabuto—!"
A heart-rending cry broke from Nono'yu. She scrambled forward, her steps unsteady. Kabuto lunged forward, and the two collided in the center of the courtyard. Nono'yu's withered arms wrapped around him with all her strength, while Kabuto held her so tightly it was as if he feared she would vanish if he let go. They shook with suppressed sobs, tears soaking each other's shoulders.
Menma watched from the veranda, a faint, almost sigh-like ripple passing through his dark eyes.
"You know better than anyone how Root operates," he said softly, breaking the emotional silence. "Danzo does not give up his pawns easily. However, the Director can fake her death and remain here in the Star Capital. This is the only place Root's claws cannot reach."
Kabuto stiffened and looked up at Menma, then at his mother. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to regain the resolve of a shinobi.
"Faking a death takes time and must be flawless. Until then... I cannot disappear for too long," Kabuto said, his voice clearing. "Danzo is suspicious. If 'Kumamoto Kabuto' goes silent or 'dies' abruptly, he will investigate. If we both disappear, he might strike the other children at the orphanage."
He looked at Menma, his eyes turning complex and resolute. "More importantly... I cannot let you walk alone in the shadows of Konoha."
The courtyard fell silent, save for the rustling of bamboo. Sunlight illuminated the pleading determination in Kabuto's eyes. He wasn't doing this for a mission or a "code." He simply couldn't allow the "brother" who had pulled him and his mother from the abyss to face the darkness of Konoha by himself.
Menma stared back at Kabuto, his eyes like a windless lake reflecting Kabuto's burning resolve. After a moment, he gave a slight nod—a silent acknowledgment.