immersion always works better.
Or multiple ones, he might be able to pick them up without it all turning into a jumbled mess. And if you have a logographic writing system buried somewhere, see if you can get him interested.
"
"I'm sorry, what was that last one?" The Third asked well before Kakashi could get over his marvel at the sheer deluge of pertinent suggestions being made.
"Logographic writing, like when the characters represent concepts or things, instead of sounds. Like Kanji, you know.
"
"… I'm afraid I don't, in fact, know," the Hokage said dryly. "What is this Kanji you speak of?"
Masanari blinked in complete astonishment. "Wait, really? You don't-? I mean, I don't really use it, I can only recall a few symbols off the top of my head, but I can write them down if – okay, thanks.
" Hano accepted the notepad and pen from the Healer and quickly jotted down a few symbols, which he then showed them and – and there was the other shoe. "Like these.
This basically means day, but it can also mean sun or sunshine depending on the context, I think… Why are you looking at me like that?"
This time it was the Hokage that treated Masanari to deadpan incredulity. "Mister Hanzo.
This is seal script. Fuinjutsu.
"
"What, really?"
Yes. Really.
Then the man had the audacity to shrug like that was no great revelation. "Well, I only know them as Kanji.
It's just something my grandparents taught us. Never did anything with them, but my grandfather insisted it was important to know.
Then again, this is the system used by Archaic Nifon, which all your techniques are called in, even by other countries that seriously shouldn't all talk the same. " The man then proceeded to go off on a muttered tangent about war, culture, and language drift that went entirely over Kakashi's head.
And everyone else's too, apparently.
"Mister Masanari, I think I'll take a page out of your book on this one and use my plainest speech. " The Third took his hat off, handed it to Kakashi and walked over to stand next to the bed.
"Are you or are you not of the Uzumaki Clan?"
It was supposed to be a way to throw the man off, but Hanzo just looked at the Third in disbelief. "Shouldn't I be asking you lot that? I don't imagine you haven't had DNA tests done by now.
I was going to ask about them after, well, I found out if I was leaving this room alive. Or at all.
"
Kakashi had to take care not to clench his fists, partly at his own conflict over those options, but mostly at how clearly the Third's composure faltered at hearing them. There were very few things guaranteed to break Sarutobi Hiruzen's self-control, and the worst was seeing Konoha's people take injustice for granted.
"Ma, Mister Hanzo," Kakashi asked deceptively mildly. "Are you doing that on purpose?"
"Kakashi. "
The Third's cold call brought him to a halt.
So I misread that, huh?
"Excuse me," Healer Hirano, shockingly, broke protocol. "I'm sorry, Sir Anbu, Lord Third, I mean no disrespect-"
"No, no, Doctor, I was just about to ask the same thing, I'm sure. "
"… I'm completely lost," Masanari bluntly admitted, the man really had no shame at all, did he?
Healer Hirano wasted no time in enlightening him. "By DNA testing, what did you mean?"
Masanari Hanzo was not enlightened. At all.
In fact, he looked the complete opposite. "… You don't know what DNA is.
"
"Sir, if you could-"
"DNA. Deoxyribonucleic acid.
You've never heard of it. "
"It may be a case of diverging terminology. "
"DNA, Deoxyribonucleic acid, the self-replicating substance found in every living organism from moss to starfish and the hairs on top of your head, the main component in our cell nucleus, the stuff making up the chromosomes and holds all the instructions on how to build and maintain a living organism, the 3. 2.
billion building blocks of life, that DNA. "
Utter silence.
Healer Hirano, Hatake Kakashi, and the Third Hokage of Konohagakure watched with very mixed feelings as a civilian nobody looked at them like he had never seen creatures like them before.
Then Masanari Hanzo slowly, soulfully put his face in his hands and said "This explains so much. "
No it doesn't, Kakashi huffed mentally.
He refused to think the others didn't feel the same.
"Holy shit, people!" Masanari suddenly exploded, and it was just like the man to explode over something that left Kakashi just as hand-tied- "How demented even is science in this world? This was discovered a hundred years ago! I thought you went over everything we brought with us when we moved here, how did this not – don't tell me Orochimaru went and did genetic testing without actually knowing genetics? Those poor – hundreds of kids at once and they all died because he didn't even – or did he? Did he know but still go and – oh my god, Orochimaru of the Sannin is an uneducated swine, I can't even…"
…
… I can't either, Kakashi thought dumbly. Orochimaru.
Uneducated. Swine.
In the same sentence.
From somewhere to his right, the Healer's voice pierced the haze around Kakashi's disbelieving thoughts, sounding honestly strained. ".
. .
Perhaps Lord Orochimaru just neglected to share?"
'Neglected?' What, like forgot? What were the odds of that? Try 'refrained,' maybe.
Actually, that sounded just like the man, to rediscover important lost knowledge and keep it to himself. How long had Orochimaru actually been a traitor for, before he forced the Third's hand?
And how in the world was this coming up now? Here?
… Then again, considering who might have placed the poison…
"Fuck, the way your magic works just pisses me off sometimes, so goddamn much. " Laboriously, Masanari pushed himself to sit and gestured to the doctor.
"Give me that pad. I don't have materials on it, I lost pretty much everything with my house, but I can write down what I know.
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