Chapter 53:

Book 2: Chapter 4: Promises Part II

Naruto: The Tale of Yuki Uchiha Volume 1 and 2


Book 2: Land of Sand

Chapter 4: Promises Part II

Staring up at the stars in the sky, I took another bite out of the ration bar ignoring its bland taste. Sui, Tayuya, and I walked away from the camp, where there was nothing but short grass. No trees, just a breeze that showed us how far we had come. And I didn’t even get to explore any of it! Yet once I felt we were far enough, I placed my hand on the ground making us three seats. Still not as good as Hiruzen’s, but a block of earth was still better than sitting in grass.

“I see someone’s getting better with Earth Style,” Sui said, taking the middle seat where me and Tayuya took the opposite sides.

“Yeah, I’ve got the fundamentals down,” I said, feeling a slight sense of accomplishment. “Wind Style is next on the list, but I’m not supposed to get ahead of myself.”

Tayuya glared at me. “Is that why you’ve been copying my Justus!”

“It’s much faster than reading the scroll. Sorry.”

“Don’t sorry me, you copycat!”

“Did you just call Yuki a copycat?” Sui asked as she couldn’t hold back her laughter. Soon enough, we were both infected by her contagious laugh. Forgetting for a moment what happened tonight, yesterday, and the night before. Where we were happy being together. Just the three of us. My new home.

And never wanting that moment to pass. To hold on to it for the rest of my life, I brought it up again. “Honestly, we’re out of the Village, and judging by the lack of sand, we’re still in the Land of Rivers. We could just leave.”

“And go where?” Tayuya asked.

“Anywhere we want,” I said with a wide smile, my hand reaching out to the stars. “There are so many places in the world. Even unexplored territories where no one could find us.”

“Sis, he’s joking, right?”

With a weak smile, Sui shook her head. “I wish I could say he is, but what comes across as a joke to us. That’s the truth he lives by. You could call it his Ninja Way.”

“You mean that thing I hear Naruto screaming about all the time throughout the Village?” Tayuya cleared her throat before putting on a broad smile that didn’t quite suit her face as she yelled: “I’ll never give up; believe it!”

Sui and I both laughed as Naruto was really that obnoxious, where even Tayuya knew his catchphrase. It made me wonder how Sasuke was doing on his mission dealing with the knucklehead. The Land of Waves was in the opposite direction from us and a simple escort mission, yet I couldn’t help but feel as if we were both having a rough time.

“Yeah, it’s something like that,” Sui said, calming down. “At the academy, we all had to write one. Simply it was something we had to live by. Whether it be: To never go back on your word, the Will of Fire, or to exact revenge against your hated enemies. Every ninja has one or should since it helps you stay true to yourself.”

Tayuya went silent as I was sure she was thinking about what her Ninja Way could be, but for some reason, she asked: “To exact revenge… who would live by that?”

Sui looked over at me, and I gave them a sheepish smile, glad that the fan on my back was covered by my training scroll.

“That would be me. Or, more importantly, the Uchiha Ninja Way. It was Madara Uchiha who supposedly started it, and my father was the first to leave that philosophy behind.” I let out a sigh finishing off the last bit of ration I had left. “It’s the reason why I can understand the Uchiha Coup De Tat and why they went so far as to kill them. It’s the reason why I want to leave before this Curse of Hatred consumes me.”

“Uchiha Coup De Tat?” Tayuya stared at me, confused, while Sui raised an eyebrow.

“Curse of Hatred?”

“I guess now is a better time than any.” I stared at them both with my Sharingan active. The chills from the breeze were no match for how cold my eyes were. “What I say here doesn’t leave the three of us, ok?”

They both nodded as Tayuya did a couple of hand signs. Sound Cancelation Jutsu! The space around us felt different, and there I told them everything I knew about the Uchiha Coup De Tat. Somehow, I learned even more about it from Sui as she told me the things she knew. From the Uchiha growing restless due to being relocated after the Nine-Tails Attack and feeling as if the Village blamed them for the attack. To the growing discontent that led to Shisui being ordered to use the Kotoamatsukami in order to stop the rebellion. And it was somehow deemed a failure, where soon after, he died. Ending with Itachi being ordered to massacre the entire Uchiha clan.

“And that old geezer just did nothing!” Tayuya yelled with her fist clenched, leaving a small trickle of blood that ran down her arm.

I let out a sigh. “That’s what I said.”

“No wonder Lord Orochimaru left. That man can’t be trusted.”

“And Orochimaru can?” Sui scoffed. “I’m certain he’s killed more people with his own hands.”

“At least they’re not the people he’s supposed to protect!” Tayuya stood up and moved to get in Sui’s face, but we really shouldn’t be fighting each other.

“Stop it, you two. We’re not getting into this again.”

“Fine…”

“I know…”

I scratched my head, still confused about how they could get so heated so quickly over who’s less shitty. It was ridiculous. Then again, it was one thing they could both relate to, yet I couldn’t. And that may have been a good thing. They just had to remember not to kill each other over it.

“Sui, Tayuya, lets make a promise.” I watched as they both stared at me with question marks floating above their heads. “Just hear me out. If I’m ever gone for some reason, could you two not kill each other.”

“Motherfucker, we get into an argument one time, and all of a sudden, we might kill each other???”

“It’s been more than once,” I said, pointing out it’s been the same literal argument every time since the first one, yet Tayuya still stared at me like I was the idiot.

“And? Don’t you and Sasuke argue? Isn’t that what siblings do?”

“I guess… but you two are way more aggressive than us—”

“Yuki, why would you be gone?” Sui asked, seeing through my question.

“Well, it was just a hypothetical… Stop staring at me like that!”

“Then you better tell me what’s on your mind.”

“I-I already told you I wanted to leave….” I looked down, fiddling with my fingers just to avoid her gaze. “So one day I just might.”

Tayuya laughed. “Yeah right, even I know you wouldn’t leave without us.”

“Agreed, so spill it,” Sui said, nodding.

I didn’t know what to say. Was I just that see-through that even someone like Tayuya could tell when I was full of it? It wasn’t like I didn’t want to leave. After I woke up and they were gone, my entire family, my entire clan. I wanted to leave. To disappear with them, yet I could never go through with it. Sasuke needed me, and I him, but that changed when I met Sui. I didn’t need Sasuke anymore, just her. I took a deep breath then exhaled.

“I think I’m losing my mind.” I started feeling the chill of my Sharingan wash over me, and if I fell deeper, I could hear a faint whisper. “Ever since that encounter with Danzō, it’s like I can hear a voice in my head. Yukino’s voice, to be exact. A hallucination that blinds me whenever I get angry. And this mission has made it so much worse.”

Sui placed her hand on my shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? We could have gotten it checked out.”

“And then what? I end up like Naruto? An outcast in his own Village because I can hear my dead sister?” I wiped my eyes. I had no idea how he could handle something like that. If it were me, I’d have just left.

“Yuki… how are you supposed to help me with my dreams. If you’re stuck in a nightmare. Let me help you, please.”

I hated how easily I gave in. From the moment she said my name to the end with her plea. I just couldn’t say no. I just couldn’t push her away. Instead, I wanted her to help me. I wanted someone to save me, so I said ok. There Sui’s eye became red as she unveiled her Sharingan. She held onto my cheek. Our eyes locked in each other’s gaze. It was almost hypnotic how much beauty could be found in accursed eyes like ours.

Then, in what felt like hours, it was over in a second as I felt the quick pull back of Sui’s palm shock my cheek. She covered her Sharingan with her face covered in sweat. It all happened in an instant. One moment we’re fine. The next, she’s gasping for air like her life depended on it. Tayuya and I had no clue what was going on. I reached out to her only to be pushed away as Sui laughed softly. A smile began to form on her face.

“Yuki… you’re a terrible liar.”

“Wait, what are you talking—”

Sui shook her head, waving away my question. “It’s fine. I already knew the truth. I just needed a confirmation.”

“Sis what did you see?” Tayuya said, looking equally concerned as me.

“Sorry, I was explicitly told not to.” Sui chuckled. “Well, it was closer to a threat.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Sui, are you sure you’re ok?”

“I’m more than ok. I’m amazed!”

“Amazed–“

Sui grabbed both of our arms, pulling us further away from the camp with a smile so bright it might as well have been the sun. It was so surreal. I looked over at Tayuya, who was just as in the dark as I was. Neither of us knew what had happened in Sui’s mind, but we soon didn’t care. She really was infectious. From her laugh, to how she moved, even the whimsicalness of the dreams she told us. They were contagious to the point that when we dropped to the ground, we simply stared at the stars in the sky and listened to her.

“The three of us.” Sui began as she held our hands. “We’re going to change the world, ok.”

“Why?” Tayuya asked.

“Because no one should have to live in a world where children have to clean up the mess of adults.”

“Clean up the mess of adults….”

Sui’s smile grew as Tayuya started to understand what she wanted. “Yup, we should have our own lives. Ones where we get to choose how we live. How we die. Our own future.”

“And how are we going to do that?” I said with a slight chuckle as Sui shrugged her shoulders.

“No clue. The simplest solution is to become the strongest.”

“In the Village?”

“Nope. In the world!” Sui said, laughing as me and Tayuya stared at her like she was crazy.

“Ok, I think someone poisoned our water again.”

“No, no, hear me out. It’s like you said: the Kage have the power to make changes in the Village. The ability to prevent catastrophes even at the cost of their life, and to become one, you have to be the strongest in the Village.”

“Yeah…” I scratched my cheek. “But I’m pretty sure there’s more to it than that.”

“Of course, but just think. If the three of us become the strongest. Surpass the Sannin. Surpass the Kage. Then we can make the decisions.”

Even as the fire in Sui’s eyes grew, I had to point out the clearest issue with her idea. “And you want Tayuya to make decisions?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Tayuya shot back with enough venom in her gaze to kill someone and outright prove my point.

“You’re definitely not the nicest person.”

“Well, sometimes an iron fist is necessary.”

I let out a sigh. “And we’ve already created a monster.”

“I’m in Sis. First Sakon and Ukon, then Kimimaro, then Orochimaru. I’ll be stronger than them all! I can even make the Sound Village an actual place.”

“Of course, I’m in. If only to keep Tayuya from going mad with power. Not to mention I’ll show Hiruzen that he could’ve done something. That there’s no such thing as no choice.”

“Then it’s settled.” Sui let go of my hand then reached out to the sky, her eye uncovered. “The three of us promise to become the strongest so we can change the world.”

“For better,” I added, reaching out to the stars, feeling the warmth in my heart that not even my Sharingan could chill. Leaving one more person who we both stared at until she gave in.

Tayuya sighed as she stared at her Leaf choker for a moment, then glanced towards her flute only to give an ever so slight squeeze to Sui’s hand before she too, reached for the stars. “Or worse.”

“Really?” I said, raising an eyebrow.

“What? I summon literal demons. If I became the strongest in the world, you think I could make anything better?”

“Of course, it’s not the power but how you use it. Don’t forget I mind-controlled you at one point, something that I still regret, yet I’ll always do better to make up for it.”

Sui nodded in agreement. “And I gave you guys impossible expectations. None of us are perfect Tayuya-neesan. The fact that we can see that when others can’t. I think it’s a pretty dang good quality for someone trying to make the world a better place.”

“Funny.” Tayuya scoffed. “All I’m hearing are reasons why we’d suck at making the world better.”

“Well, what if we just check each other? If one of us is doing something bad, we knock some sense in them.”

Tayuya cracked her knuckles. “Now that I can live with.”

“You just want to hit me!” I said, jumping up only for Tayuya to follow suit with a devilish smile.

“Then you better not fuck shit up.”

“Shouldn’t I be saying that to you?”

Tayuya shrugged her shoulders. “Hey, you’re the most unstable one here.”

“Wait, but I thought—”

“You don’t need a Genjutsu to trick people, little brother.”

I stared at Tayuya dumbfounded as I could not believe what had just happened. Was I rubbing off on her? Sui even stood up simply to give me a pat on the back as Tayuya laughed.

“She got you there, Yuki.”

“Were we just manipulated by Tayuya of all people???”

“Once is an accident, twice is a pattern. Stop looking down on me, you piece of brotherly garbage!” Tayuya blew into her flute, and a baby Doki lunged at me from out of nowhere.

“Wait, not the face!”

“Man, what am I going to do with you two.” Sui sighed with a smile while I tried my best not to be mauled by a Doki controlled by Tayuya. A moment I wouldn't change for the world.

T.K. 月狐
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