A Lethal Weapon - ALW Saga Book 1 [REWRITE]

Chapter 27

With a sigh, Hanako made her way back to the Compound, and before she knew it, she had been dragged by her feet to the Naka Shrine. She walked up the stairs to the entrance, and stood there, looking into the dark sanctuary. There was a strange feeling invading her, inviting her inside, pulling her in.

"Developing an interest for your clan's beliefs, I see..." Hanako heard a voice behind her and looked over her shoulder at the Hokage.

"Lord Third..." He smiled down at her.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it?" Hanako nodded. Indeed, the last time they talked was when she came back from the mission in the Earth Country, and that was almost two months ago. "How has your training been going? Are you well-prepared?" he asked.

Hanako nodded again. "Yes, sir."

"That's good to hear," Hiruzen's warm eyes rolled towards the shrine. Hanako couldn't snap her eyes away from him. Looking up at the Hokage intrigued her, how he could act warm and loving towards everyone in the village was a trait she admired in him. He seemed to know it all, and thus he never meddled into their businesses or nosed into their lives too much. How did he found out about things, then? Did he know everything about everybody? Hanako wondered.

"Lord Third," the old man looked at her curiously. "What do you know about Obito Uchiha?"

His brows arched up in surprise. "Obito? Your cousin?" His eyes gleamed for a moment. "Perhaps, my knowledge could be of use to you, what is it that you wish to know?"

"I want to know who he was," Hanako said.

"That is such a big question," Hiruzen sighed, looking down at the ground. "Obito was an orphan, his parents —your father's older brother and his wife— died before the Third War erupted. So, Obito lived with his grandmother, whom you both share."

Hanako shook her head, "I didn't really know her. Mom said Grandma died of grief eight years ago." Hiruzen's eyes widened slightly. "They didn't say anything, but we mourned it ourselves. We are a small family, there was no need to drag the rest of the Clan for someone they didn't mind." Hanako shrugged. "I was just a little girl, I don't even remember what she looked like."

"I see," the Hokage sighed. "Have you asked anyone else? About him, that is."

"Shisui, but he only gave me an address."

"Where?" Hiruzen was quite amused. Hanako told him what Shisui had said to her and the Hokage only grinned. "That's Kakashi's apartment," he said. He had been there enough times to know. "Yeah, he is probably the only person who knew Obito better than he knew himself. But Hanako," Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. "Why the sudden interest in him?"

Hanako looked at him. "Am I not allowed to know my own blood?" she asked, making the Hokage smirk.

"I guess you have a point." 

* * *

"Hanako, dinner time!" She heard her mother call to her from the kitchen. She had been lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling for the past couple of hours.

Hanako yelled in response, "I'm not hungry!" She closed her eyes, letting her mind wander back into the cave.

"I see..." The old man said before taking a deep breath.

"Zetsu, try not to scare her anymore." The masked man directed at the white humanoid.

"Hai, hai, Obito-san..." he replied.

"Obito... Is that really your name?" Hanako waited for his reply, but he only ignored her question as he walked towards the old man.

"So...why don't you tell me more about yourself?"  The white thing —whose name now Hanako supposed had to be Zetsu— approached her.