The Truth Of the Massacre

A/N: There will be no chapter released tomorrow, on Thursday. Just a heads up. Also, Goro's stats will be revealed in the next chapter. For another Double Release, let's hit 500 powerstones by Sunday. This story's continuation depends on your support—so don't forget to give the story powerstones! Goal: 500 Powerstones! 

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The following day, Goro made his way to the hospital. 'It's the weekend, so fortunately I won't be stuck on gatekeeping duty today. Not like I plan to go back to that duty anytime soon, but it's good to know I won't have Anbu breathing down my neck. I'll also have time to test the Kekkei Genkai I gained from the mission too.'

He entered the hospital and approached the reception desk. Seated behind it was a young woman in her twenties, busily writing away in a notebook. As Goro approached, she paused and glanced up, offering a polite smile.

"May I help you?" she asked, her tone courteous and professional.

"Yes, I just wanted to know which room Sasuke Uchiha is in," Goro replied casually.

The receptionist's fingers flickered through the pages in her notebook, her eyes scanning each page diligently. "Uchiha, huh?" she murmured thoughtfully. After a moment, she paused on a page and nodded, "Sasuke Uchiha is in room 201."

"Thanks," Goro said, giving a brief nod before heading toward the staircase.

He climbed the steps to the second floor, eyes running over the numbers on the doors as he walked through the hallway. "Room 201… Room 201… Where is it?" he muttered to himself, searching for the correct room.

As he was looking around, he noticed Sakura exiting a room at the far end of the hall, a small fruit basket clutched in her hands and a sad, almost lost expression on her face. Her steps were slow and uncertain, her gaze distant as if she were completely absorbed in her thoughts.

"Hey, Sakura! Is Sasuke in there?" Goro called out, raising his voice slightly to catch her attention.

But Sakura didn't seem to hear him. She continued walking, her eyes unfocused, heading straight in Goro's direction but without acknowledging his presence. Goro watched her for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly.

"She's thinking about something. Sasuke must be pretty unwilling to talk…" he deduced. Deciding not to bother her any further, he stepped aside, allowing her to pass by. But then, just as he was about to move on, she suddenly stopped and looked back at him.

"Goro," Sakura called out softly.

Goro turned halfway, glancing over his shoulder. "Yeah?"

Sakura hesitated, her voice faltering as she spoke. "You and Sasuke… You both left the village, but… why?" There was a raw vulnerability in her voice, an unspoken plea for understanding.

Goro blinked, momentarily taken aback by her question. "She thinks that me and Sasuke are the same…?" He frowned, mulling over her words. After a brief pause, he replied firmly, "You're making a mistake. I left due to injustice. Sasuke, on the other hand, left the village and effectively betrayed and abandoned his friends, while also planning to go to the person who killed the Third Hokage. We aren't the same."

Sakura's eyes widened, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly. After a few seconds, she managed to whisper, "Take it back…"

"Huh?" Goro tilted his head, unsure if he'd heard her correctly.

"I said take it back!" Sakura suddenly screamed, her voice echoing through the hallway, startling a few nurses nearby.

Goro smirked, shaking his head in mild amusement. He turned around and began walking off, muttering under his breath, "Now that I think about it, that must've sounded pretty rude. Well, it is the truth. Even so, I should probably apologize and avoid creating a future hassle."

Raising his hand in a dismissive wave, he called back over his shoulder, "My bad, my bad."

He made his way to the door Sakura had just exited and pushed it open, stepping inside. The room was quiet, the soft beeping of medical equipment the only sound breaking the silence. Kakashi sat beside the bed, his posture relaxed but his eye alert. In the bed was Sasuke, his head lowered, staring at his hands with a dejected expression.

'Kakashi was probably assigned to watch Sasuke's every move… They can't risk him attempting to leave the village again. Although, I doubt he'd be able to get very far even if he tried.'

"Goro…" Kakashi greeted, his voice neutral as he looked up.

"Kakashi-sensei, they've got you babysitting on your weekend?" Goro quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

Kakashi didn't respond with his usual good-natured humor. Instead, he stared at Goro with a hard, unyielding look. "Shinobi only rest if they die or retire."

Goro shrugged nonchalantly and moved to sit beside Kakashi, positioning himself next to Sasuke's bed. "I don't think there's any need to guard Sasuke," Goro said, glancing at the silent Uchiha. "He didn't even manage to go rogue properly—he got caught immediately."

Kakashi's one visible eye narrowed, the seriousness of his gaze cutting through Goro's attempt at humor.

"Fine, fine," Goro muttered, raising his hands in mock surrender. "But I've got something to speak to Sasuke about, could you offer us some privacy?"

"Unfortunately, I have to be at Sasuke's side at all times, so you cannot speak to him alone," Kakashi said, his voice suspicious and his eyes watching Goro closely.

Goro frowned, but his tone remained calm as he replied, "I'll just have to whisper it to him then."

"Even that is a little much," Kakashi countered, shaking his head slightly. "Goro, you're under suspicion for working with Orochimaru, and Sasuke just attempted to leave the village to join Orochimaru. I don't think I can allow this interaction between you two."

Goro clenched his fists but forced himself to remain composed. "I was the one who prevented the most damage to the village by creating a water dome. You can't seriously believe I'm working with Orochimaru—whose goal was to destroy the village, right? Let me just tell Sasuke something. It'll get him up in spirits," he insisted.

Kakashi's visible eye narrowed as he considered Goro's words. "It's true I've never seen that jutsu used by anyone in the village before," Kakashi thought. "But this child was able to create such a complex jutsu at such a young age? It would easily be classified as an S-Rank technique, requiring an immense amount of chakra, making him all the more suspicious…"

After a few moments of contemplation, Kakashi finally nodded, though his gaze remained cautious. "Fine. But keep it brief."

Goro gave a curt nod, rising from his seat beside Kakashi. He walked around to the other side of Sasuke's bed and leaned in close, his mouth covered with one hand as he whispered into Sasuke's ear.

"I know the mastermind behind the Uchiha massac—"

Before Goro could finish, Sasuke's hand shot out, grabbing Goro by the collar. His Sharingan activated in an instant, the crimson eyes glaring with unrestrained fury. Sasuke gritted his teeth, his face twisted in rage.

"That's got nothing to do with you!" Sasuke roared, his voice filled with an intensity that reverberated through the room.

Kakashi's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He stayed seated, but his body tensed, wondering what the two could possibly be discussing to trigger such a reaction in Sasuke.

Unfazed by the sudden aggression, Goro leaned in further.

"Don't make a commotion," Goro whispered urgently. "I've got all the evidence. Make sure you're discharged and they no longer think you have any intentions of leaving the village. Once that's done, I'll tell you everything I know. I've done the digging, Sasuke. This is your chance."

Sasuke's grip on Goro's collar began to loosen, the rage in his eyes simmering down as his mind processed Goro's words. Slowly, his Sharingan deactivated, the color of his eyes returning to their usual black.

Goro leaned back, his voice dropping to an almost inaudible murmur. "Play it normal."

Sasuke stared at Goro for a long moment before giving a single, tense nod.

Satisfied, Goro stood up, adjusting his collar as if nothing had happened. He turned toward the door, giving a small wave to both Kakashi and Sasuke before leaving the room.

As he walked down the hallway, his thoughts churned with satisfaction. 'I've successfully planted a seed. Now it's just a matter of time until Sasuke takes the bait and starts to question everything he thought he knew.'

With each step, Goro felt the thrill of his plan unfolding. 'Danzo, you've got no idea what's coming. I'll humiliate you. You'll die by the hands of the Uchiha you thought were below you.'

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Reminder: For another Double Release, let's hit 500 powerstones by Sunday. This story's continuation depends on your support—so don't forget to give the story powerstones! Goal: 500 Powerstones!