For Otsutsuki Toneri, the so-called treachery of the human heart was something profoundly difficult to understand.
He had lived upon the moon. As a child, he had a father who cherished him; in the years of loneliness and helplessness, he had puppets that protected him day and night. When solitude became truly unbearable, Zaraki Kita appeared in his life—then Uchiha Obito.
Toneri could not tell who was good and who was bad, so he used the simplest rule possible: those who treated him well were good people, and those who did not were bad people. Thinking carefully, both Zaraki Kita and Nagato had been very kind to him. They told him stories of the colorful world beyond the moon and brought him delicious foods he had never tasted before.
To Toneri, everyone who wore black cloaks patterned with red clouds were good people. They were strange in all sorts of ways, but all of them treated him kindly. The best among them were Deidara and Hidan—whatever fun things they had, they let him play with. Then there was Obito. Although Obito often hit him, sometimes he would knock him on the head like a father would and call him stupid.
Sister Konan used to be cold and distant, ignoring everyone. Brother Nagato said she treated everyone the same. Later, when Sister Kita and Sister Konan reconciled, Sister Konan began to treat him very well—teaching him tricks for teasing girls, telling him what girls liked and what they disliked. Sister Kita treated him even better, always helping him with chores and even making kites for him to play with.
Kakuzu always looked fierce and terrifying, but he never hit him or scolded him. He wouldn't call him stupid like Brother Obito did, yet he never hurt him either. Hidan said Kakuzu was just like that—interested in nothing except money. That seemed true. Kakuzu didn't play with him, but he relentlessly forced Toneri to explain how his ancestors' puppets were made, constantly threatening him: if he didn't study properly, he'd turn Toneri into a puppet himself.
Yet even now, Toneri was still not a puppet. Kakuzu had even shown him his proudest creation. They called it the "Third Kazekage."
There were also Brother Itachi and Kisame. They weren't especially kind to him, but several times they made things for him to play with. Brother Itachi once braided him a butterfly out of grass. Kisame mocked it for being ugly—then promptly braided an even uglier one for him.
Brother Nagato said they were not good people. He said they were bad people who killed indiscriminately, and that the only reason they didn't kill Toneri was because their interests didn't conflict with his. Toneri didn't really understand what that meant. Sister Konan told him he didn't need to understand—just remember it.
He remembered. He remembered for many years.
Yet even now, he still couldn't tell who was good and who was bad. And even less could he understand why simply coming to Konoha to play with Hyuga Hinata had turned into this.
"Come out. Hurry and go."
Toneri couldn't tell who was speaking. There were too many people he didn't know, and too few he did. But in the end, he stepped out of that tiny prison of earth. His blue-and-white garments were filthy beyond recognition. He couldn't see the face of the one guarding him, nor could he know who it was—but there was a familiar presence about them.
It was the presence of the Byakugan. Toneri could feel it.
That person with the familiar presence said, "I'll leave the rest to you. Thanks for the trouble."
Then Toneri heard a low, subdued reply. "It's nothing."
There was nothing distinctive about that voice. In the darkness, Toneri couldn't sense much, but he could feel that the person with the familiar presence was about to leave. He staggered forward and reached out, failing to catch the one departing. Still, the movement drew their attention.
"Hm? What is it?"
The unfamiliar voice was gentle and warm. Toneri couldn't see the face, but he knew the person with the familiar presence had stopped.
Then Toneri took out something hidden in his sleeve—a grass butterfly woven from straw by memory alone. Brother Itachi had taught him how to make it. Now he couldn't see at all, so he didn't know whether it looked good. But a promise was a promise.
"Please give this to Hinata. I promised I'd make her a grass butterfly."
Toneri was blind, but the two present were not. That thing could barely be called a butterfly—just several blood-stained stalks of straw crossed together. Aside from a vague butterfly outline, it had nothing going for it. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't cute. And with blood smeared across it, it was simply hideous.
The one who was about to leave said nothing. After hesitating for a long while, he turned to go.
"Wait."
The unfamiliar person spoke, stopping him. He took the ugly grass butterfly and placed it into the other man's palm. Along with it, he offered a considerable sum of money—something Toneri could not see.
"Let it count as fulfilling a heartfelt wish. Thank you."
"You…"
"Please."
"…Fine. I understand."
The person with the familiar presence left. Toneri didn't dare take another step forward. He lowered his head and stood there like a child who had done something wrong.
Kakashi sighed. The boy was only as tall as his shoulder. Kakashi placed a large hand on his head and spoke as gently as he could.
"Toneri… I'm sorry."
Toneri didn't understand where the apology came from, nor what that look of pity meant. He didn't recognize the man before him, couldn't sense his presence, couldn't see his face.
Father said that if you can't figure something out today, then think about it tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow, you'll understand.
So Toneri stopped thinking about it. He raised his head toward the source of the voice and asked softly,
"Is the one I made pretty? Will Hinata like it?"
Kakashi didn't know how to answer. So he chose not to answer at all.
"Let's go,"
he said, lifting the boy onto his back.
"Where are you taking me? Are you going to hit me again? I already told you, I don't know how the Byakugan evolves. I was born like this."
Kakashi's stomach clenched violently, the pain so sharp it nearly brought him to tears.
"Don't be afraid. We'll never go back there again. I'm taking you somewhere that will protect you properly. Toneri… I'm sorry."
"Don't say sorry. You didn't do anything wrong. Um… I'm not strong anymore. Will Hinata stop being close to me? Is she with Naruto now?"
Toneri asked quietly, lying against Kakashi's back. Kakashi didn't know what to say, so once again, he said nothing.
Toneri fell silent as well. After a long time, he spoke softly.
"I'm sleepy. I want to sleep."
"Go to sleep. When you wake up, everything will be fine."
…
When he woke, he was in an unfamiliar place. Toneri couldn't see anything. He had returned to his former state—no eyes, no vision.
But his body no longer hurts. Everything felt cool and calm. His chest no longer felt tight or uncomfortable. Even that stabbing pain was gone.
There was a familiar presence beside him.
"Brother Nagato?"
His voice was hoarse, choked.
"Mm."
Nagato answered. He had always known that hatred came like a raging tide—but this was the first time he realized how profoundly twisted human nature could become.
Toneri smiled, bright and radiant.
He sat up on the bed and, as he always did, threw himself into Nagato's arms, rubbing his face against the familiar clothes, breathing in that presence that brought him incomparable peace.
Nagato stared at him in a daze. This time, he did not push him away. He lifted his hand and rested it gently against the boy's back, his movements light and careful—afraid of hurting Toneri, who in just a few short days had become nothing but skin and bones, afraid of hurting the scabbed wounds hidden beneath those oversized robes.
"Toneri… these Rinnegan eyes of mine were given to me by someone else."
"I know. Asura wouldn't carry Indra's aura."
"Then why are you still so close to me?"
"Because you're Nagato."
Nagato closed his eyes. As he did, tears rolled down, scorching Toneri's face.
"Eh? Brother Nagato, you're crying? Don't cry. When you're sad, you should smile. That way, you won't be unhappy."
"Is that so…"
Nagato forced a smile—an unsuccessful one. Fortunately, Toneri could see nothing at all.
…
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