Never Trust Your Rinnegan (Tales of Sasuke's Travels)

Chapter 39

I present to you, chapter 39 featuring: me rambling for like 10 minutes

Uchiha is nothing and everything like Hawks expected. He's not solemn but he is quiet or, perhaps more accurately, contemplative. He and Tokoyami are similar in that regard, so there isn't much by way of conversation when they go over the perimeters of their first patrol. It's nothing new for Tokoyami, or Uchiha for that matter, but they have to keep up the pretense.

Hawks talks with a smile and a somewhat lackadaisical tone of voice. He knows Uchiha will see through it, but he can't have Tokoyami getting suspicious on top of that. Hawks had modesty stapled onto his soul, but he knows he's good enough to fool a high schooler, hero-in-training or not.

He likes to think that he and Uchiha have some kind of understanding. He hasn't been told much because of course he hasn't, but he's lived with himself for long enough to recognize when someone is like him, at least a little bit.

But even so, what is he to do when faced with someone like Uchiha? A blank slate, like water slipping through his fingers. He watches while they're on patrol and sees Uchiha cycling through personalities with grace that Hawks is only just managing.

He is the Commission, even if he fears them lurking around the corner at every turn. They are the monster under Keigo's bed and the boy doesn't want to be that for someone else.

This is why, as he watches the sun set over the city, he doesn't flinch when he hears the roof door open. There are no footsteps, not that he expected there to be.

"Quite the view," Uchiha comments.

"Different than what you're used to?" Hawks asks, genuinely curious. It's bold and he knows it but if he's about to risk a lot to be honest with this kid, he can afford a little boldness.

Uchiha thinks for a moment. "No, not really."

He turns to face the kid, meeting his eyes evenly.

"You don't like the Commission," Hawks says, figuring Uchiha wouldn't appreciate posturing. "The only reason you would agree to be here is if you wanted something."

"Is that what it looks like?" Uchiha replies.

"That's what it is, isn't it?"

"Hm."

They stand in silence for a moment. Hawks doesn't know why he's here, quite frankly. Betraying his employers, the people who breathed life into a path headed for the grave. He's barely even said anything, but the fear that his handler will burst through the door sits in the back of his mind.

He's useful to them, sure, but he thinks they'd ruin him for this.

The thing is that Hawks is young. Maybe this incident was the catalyst, seeing someone who is supposedly similar to him, seeing the wariness and paranoia framed in every move Uchiha makes. Hawks, selfishly, does not want to become that.

(The Commission summoned a weapon and what they got was a child. What does it say about them, he wonders, if that 'setback' does nothing to alter their plans. Tokoyami is a child too, but Hawks can't imagine looking at him and thinking about leashing him.

The issue, unfortunately enough, isn't only moral for Hawks. The Commission does good work, but he's seen the after effects of Uchiha's abilities. This is not someone who will be chained and he doesn't think the HPSC will realize this soon enough.)

"I can help you," he says slowly. He watches Uchiha carefully but he isn't able to glean anything from the kid's body language. "I can help you but I have a condition."

He knows, realistically, that there isn't anything he can do to prevent Uchiha from deciding to do whatever he wants anyway, but something has to give.

"I'm listening."