Child of Truth [Flashback]

[Gotō Daiji]

It had been a rough day to say the least.

Nonstop training over the course of several weeks tended to wear someone out. And Keiatsu was no exception to this rule. True, he had what at times seemed to be ungodly stamina. He was extremely resilient to most physical attacks (and to an extent Ninjutsu). His insane endurance allowed even some extremely hard-hitting techniques to bounce off of him. But everyone had their limits. And today? He had reached his. Night had since fallen on the desert, and the youth was now sprawled out in the living area of his grandfather's small home. His body was riddled from head to toe in scratches and bruises, and he was absolutely soaked with sweat. Shirtless, shoeless, and in rough shape, the boy just lie there, his heavy breathing audible all throughout the house. Gō sat cross-legged at the low table nearby, calmly sipping some tea. He was a bit more sweaty than usual, but besides that he seemed to be in pristine condition. "Training" like this usually had this very same result. "You're improving." the elder Sachi finally spoke, breaking the relative stillness of the air. His grandson wasn't even able to respond, his fatigue and panting rendering him almost completely immobile. "But you still have a long way to go." It was nothing but the truth. If this were purely physical training than it would still undoubtedly be difficult, but Keiatsu would be able to adapt more quickly to it. This was the kind of training he was most averse to. Mental. His "A." abilities didn't exactly require a lot of brainpower to use, but the strengthening of his mind was essential to being able to use them effectively. To know when and where to flex his chakra...to have the restraint to avoid doing it unconsciously (or constantly). It was very difficult, maybe even the hardest thing he's ever had to do. But it was necessary if he had any hopes of getting stronger in anything other than the physical sense.

Still...there was something off about today. Gō was absolutely focused on making his grandson stronger, but there was definitely something going on inside his head other than the training. There was a hint of pain behind his eyes. Internal strife maybe? Keiatsu of course was no where near observant enough to pick up on this fact, but even he could tell there was something different. The truth of it is, there was something he'd been thinking of for years. A subject he had wanted to brooch but simply didn't know how to go about doing. He probably had nothing to fear in Keiatsu's case. if it were anybody else? Yeah. But his grandson was cut from a different cloth than most. For better and worse he was a simple person. So the complexity of this issue might end up being entirely lost on him. Regardless, he deserved to know. "Did-..." Gō began to speak, but his words failed him before he could go any further. Keiatsu perked up at his voice, but still remained on the floor. A sigh sounded out as the older man took another sip of tea. This was....more difficult than he thought. "Did Yama ever talk to you...about your name?" His name? That was a strange question. Keiatsu closed his eyes, letting out a grunt as he forced his sore arms to prop himself up into a sitting position. He slowly turned to face his grandfather while still sitting down, an expression of confusion on his face. "You mean the 'A.' thing?" That had to be it right? I mean, that was the whole point of him being out here. His grandpa taught him about their middle name and the power each "A." wielded because of it. He skipped the history (because he guessed correctly that its weight would be lost on Keiatsu), but he taught him the basics of what he needed to know. Despite these facts, the elder Sachi shook his head at his grandson's question. "No." He clarified. "Your given name." ...huh?

His given name? Keiatsu? Why in the hell would Yama talk to him about that? "Uh-uh." the boy responded, wearily shaking his head. He honestly couldn't fathom why there would even be a discussion about such a thing. Did it have some sort of hidden meaning? Was he named after someone? Gō sighed heavily, bringing his teacup one more to his lips. "I figured as much." After finishing the remaining beverage in the cup, he set it down upon the table and turned his gaze towards his grandson. For a minute he looked him over, taking in everything. His large, befuddled brown eyes. That head of rose-colored hair he inherited from him. He was what...seventeen? The time had come. He was old enough to know. What he chose to do with the information was up to him. "Your name-..." He paused again. No...that was too blatant. it might've been Keiatsu he was dealing with, but he still had to lessen the impact more than that.Even if it was a tiny bit. The elder Sachi sighed once more and shook his head. "You...weren't born as 'Keiatsu'." At this the youth's eyes got even wider than they usually were. "Huh?" "Dumbfounded" didn't even begin to describe the emotion he was experiencing. What the hell did that even mean?! Though he didn't appear particularly happy doing so, he nodded, reaffirming his statement. "Think about it..." he proposed, his facial expression deathly serious the entire time. "Yama's name...mine...your sister's." Surely there was a connection there, but whatever it was Keiatsu didn't see it. "Yours is the only one that doesn't fit." Gō had two to three letters depending on how it was spelled. Yama's was four...his sister's the same. But could such a naming convention really be such a big hint? Apparently so. 'Keiatsu' truly did not mesh with the others. Of course he never even considered this (as he took 99% of things at face value), but...

...could this possibly be true?

 

[Gotō Daiji]

"So..." the younger Sachi began, his voice eerily even. All the while his expression had been one of utter confusion. Could you blame him? "I'm not me?" Some might consider this a stupid question....but for Gō it nearly brought tears to his heavy eyes. What he had told his grandson was true. The name he'd been born with wasn't "Keiatsu". It didn't even mean anything in particular. He could still recall the day his grandson was born, him giving the child his false name after coming up with it on the spot. He'd been forced to change it...in order to keep him safe. But that was a different story for a different time. "Of course you're yourself." He responded, his stern frown softening at his grandson's question. Identity issues were never a good thing...but in this case it was almost unavoidable. Gō motioned towards the empty spot next to him at the table, Keiatsu sluggishly approaching a few seconds later. He couldn't even imagine the kind of internal conversation he must've been having now. His very name was a lie...so what else in his life was? "You'll always be you. If you want you can even keep going by Keiatsu...it's your choice." Just because it wasn't his true name doesn't mean he had to stop using it. And even if he did, that didn't mean he'd stop being the person he was all of a sudden. "But that isn't your birth name." What did that mean for him? What sort of weight did that hold? That was something Keiatsu had to look inwards and find for himself...

Finally the boy's wide eyes narrowed a bit. His gaze drifted upwards towards the cracked ceiling as he seemingly became lost in thought. "Hm..." What did his own name mean to him? Who was "Keiatsu"? It was sort of amazing really. The fact that he was actually pondering something was a small miracle in and of itself. Maybe that training was finally starting to kick in? "What's my real name, then?" he asked, his gaze still upwards. Typically this sort of shocking revelation would be met with anger, feelings of betrayal, or maybe even outright hysteria. But he was not your typical person. Not by a long shot. His uncharacteristic thinking was a bit unnerving though. Gō brought a hand up to stroke his graying beard, averting his own eyes as he did so. This was something both he and Yama had been keeping from him his entire life. But it was too late to go back now. He deserved to know...at the very least. "It's..." This time, his voice didn't trail off. He spoke his grandson's true name...and it was one of the only times in his life Gō's voice had ever been quiet. Delicate, even. After hearing it, the youth's eyes once again widened, and he locked gazes with his grandfather. It was like an old memory had been reawakened within himself. He was a baby at the time, so there's no way he could've known of it. And yet...it just felt right somehow. Like something that was always meant to be but never was. 'Keiatsu' had been his name his entire life, but it wasn't really his name. Now he knew. Gō placed a hand on his grandson's shoulder, squeezing slightly as he looked at him. "You're your own man. Decide for yourself what comes of this." And with that? He rose to his feet and began to shuffle back towards his room. "Oh, and don't forget...." he spoke, his voice growing more and more distant as he moved down the hallway. "Training first thing in the morning!" Of course! Drop a bomb like this and expect them to get right back to work tomorrow. Classic grandpa. The sound of a door opening and closing sounded out...and then? Nothing.

This had been quite a lot to take in. In an instant something that had been a constant his entire life was uprooted. Luckily he was who he was, or else this exchange could've gone very badly. Like I said, for better or worse he was a simple person. Sure he was usually a bit slow on the uptake, but this also meant he wasn't at all plagued by the myriad of issues a system shock like this would cause in a more typical person. There weren't any identity issues to be hashed out. He was absolutely certain of who he was. Never truly doubted that for a second. Only now he knew his true name. The one his parents had given to him long before his birth. It made a lot more sense than 'Keiatsu', and was a direct homage to him being an "A." bearer, and the weight that represented. It was likely meant to be "Child of Truth"....but it could just as easily mean "Demon Child" depending on how it was written. He had decided almost immediately after he'd been told. This was the last day he was going to be known as "Keiatsu". A light smile formed on his face as he lie down on the floor, his body ecstatic that it would finally be able to get some rest (even if it was only a few hours). In a way...he was sort of glad this had happened. He was still the same person he'd been...but now he was also exactly who he was meant to be. He only said two words before his eyes shut and the warm embrace of sleep gripped his body.... "Mako, huh..."

[Flashback Over]