Chapter 58:

Book 2: Chapter 6: Sui vs Kimimaro!!! Part III

Naruto: The Tale of Yuki Uchiha Volume 1 and 2


Book 2: Land of Sand

Chapter 6: Sui vs Kimimaro!!! Part III

Appearing from above, Sui came down with a palm strike aimed at Kimimaro’s head. Yet, with a swift step back, he avoided the strike keeping his calm composure even as a blue cloak of lightning formed around Sui. In fact, Kimimaro looked outright unimpressed even when the black parallel lines spread across his body in order to dodge Sui’s onslaught.

She sent two palm strikes that missed, then four doing the same into sixteen as she sped up, her eye gleamed red. A multi-layered wall of bone formed in front of Kimimaro only to be smashed to pieces from the thirty-two palm strikes. There Sui rushed forward only to bend backward as a thin spear-like bone shot out from Kimimaro’s chest to skewer her.

It happened in a split second, but I saw it. A simple slight slap from Sui’s hand against the bone spear destroyed it. Almost like a single touch from her was all it took to disrupt the chakra within the bone, making it go from tempered steel to brittle bone.

There the battle went for what felt like an eternity, where Kimimaro sprouted bones from his body only for them to be broken by Sui’s palms creating a stalemate. I tried looking for an opportunity to join in, but at the speed they moved, I was simply lucky to see some of it. Where for the third time in my life, I felt like I’d only get in the way.

“Tell me, why?” Kimimaro asked as he continued to dodge Sui’s relentless attacks. “What makes you go so far with an ailing body?”

“Shut up! Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!”

Sui slammed her fist forward for another palm strike that Kimimaro seemed to dodge, only to get blown back, creating an opening. One that Sui didn’t waste as she sent another air palm, then another, and on her fourth air palm, she blasted Kimimaro into the air. Quickly she dispelled her lighting cloak weaving the hand signs: Dragon Tiger Hare. Water Style: Raging Waves Jutsu!

Sui spat out a wave of water, dousing Kimimaro and keeping him in the air as she weaved the hand signs: Snake Ram Horse Hare Ram Horse Hare Snake Ox and in the end, she clapped her hands together for a Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu!

There the raging water from Sui’s mouth formed around Kimimaro into a bubble-like prison, yet she didn’t stop, weaving two more hand signs: Dragon Hare. Water Style: Water Link Jutsu!

The water from Sui‘s mouth leading to the water prison became a sort of tether to each other. There Sui raised her head, lifting Kimimaro up higher, then she brought her head down, slamming him straight into the ground, destroying the water prison and cracking the ground beneath him.

With sweat beading down her face, Sui clenched her teeth as a cloak of lightning reformed around her before she dashed into her gentle fist stance right in front of Kimimaro, who coughed up blood while lying on the ground. Any normal person would have been dead from that or, at the very least, unconscious. However, Kimimaro wasn’t normal, and I finally understood why Tayuya was afraid of him. Why Sui held nothing back as she said:

“I will never let Orochimaru turn him into a Vessel! You hear me! Now Die! Eight Trigrams: Dragon Fist!

Sui pulled her right arm back. The bandages around it blew away from the pressure as her blue chakra swirled around the palm of her hand, taking the shape of a dragon’s skull. And with all of her fury, she sent it straight down onto Kimimaro’s chest.

For a moment, it was quiet then I heard the bones crack. Then I felt the ground tremble. Then I saw the impact. The ground beneath Kimimaro broke under the pressure sending him straight down to hell, where I didn’t even know when he stopped. All I knew was that my girlfriend could kick ass!

2

I rushed over to Sui, so happy, so amazed that the world was no longer cold. Nor did I feel the dry heat. I only felt the warmth of her embrace as we hugged. Her black and white eyes were way better to look at than Kasai’s. I could simply get lost in them. Neither of us said a word. We didn’t need to as we brushed our foreheads against one another, making us chuckle because of the clang from our headbands.

“Look at you, showing off again,” I said, laughing while Sui blushed.

“I didn’t show off. I simply paid him back for what he did to you and Tayuya.”

“Please remind me to never get on your bad side.”

“Funny because that’s all you’re going to get for getting us into this mess!” Sui hugged me harder, almost like she was trying to crush— “Next time, don’t go running off on your own! Did you forget we’re a team!”

“I-I’m sorry…. I just couldn’t help myself….” Even as my ribs were being crushed, I somehow managed to cough out an apology, one that wasn’t enough.

“You couldn’t help yourself! Don’t you know how worried you made me! You, caught in an enemy’s trap alone with Kasai….” Sui’s voice lowered as she looked away from me. Trying her best to hide away her fears and tears. “I honestly thought you were—”

I held her close. She shouldn’t have to finish that statement. “I’ll never leave you, ok.”

“You promise?” Sui asked, her voice muffled by my chest as I gently ran my fingers through her hair.

“Of course,” I said, feeling her pinky wrap around mine. There we sat in silence for a while, listening to the wind and ignoring the sound of the battle that raged on in the distance. We weren’t ready to face reality just yet.

“Yuki….”

“Yeah?”

“Do you remember what I said against Suiko?”

“You said a lot against Suiko,” I said, laughing, only to receive a glare from Sui.

“Not funny. You know what I’m talking about.”

“Sorry, I just barely get to see you get all girly.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” The playfulness in Sui’s eyes faded as it became a real death glare.

“It means I should shut up now.”

“That would be smart.”

“But why would you want me to remember that?” I said as my face became flushed.

“Well… I wanted to know if….” Sui took a deep breath. Her face was as red as mine. Our hearts were almost in sync, going badum badum badum. Then she exhaled, and our eyes met. Black to black and white. “Do you… love me—”

“So that explains it. A selfless desire to simply protect the one you love. Something even I can understand. Thank you, Sui Hyūga, and farewell. Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Seedling Fern!”

“Both of you, get out of there now!”

“Earth Style: Great Mud Wall Jutsu!”

Our eyes widened as the moment was ruined, yet it was thanks to Tayuya's scream and Hiruzen’s Jutsu that we avoided the tens of thousands of bones that sprouted from the ground. The area went from a desolate yellow with nothing but dry earth and sand to a bluish-white bone forest.

At the edge of the forest were Hiruzen and Tayuya, staring at us as we were safe atop a wall taller and thicker than the one I had made. And honestly, I couldn’t even be pissed at the old man for showing me up because he saved my and Sui’s lives.

“So, you managed to survive thanks to more of your loved ones?” Kimimaro said as he stepped out of one of the bones in what I assumed was his Curse Mark Stage 2.

It was different from the demon that Tayuya could become and the monster that Kidōmaru was. His skin color had become a dark grey while the white in his eyes became black with yellow irises. Six bones sprouted out of his back along with a long thick tail where at a certain angle Kimimaro looked like a dinosaur. Yet the pressure I felt from him was nothing like anything I had felt before. He was toying with us. He wasn’t any different from the rest of the Sound Five. He could have killed all three of us if he wanted to. But for some reason, he didn’t. Instead, he turned his attention to Hiruzen-sensei.

“Finally, we meet at last. The teacher to my master. The Third Hokage: Hiruzen Sarutobi.”

“Yet another one of my past failures coming back to bite me.” Hiruzen sighed. “Though you may have my students enraptured by your new form. You still have a few more years to go before you can take me on, child.”

“Indeed, you are quite right. In a few more years, when I’m ready, I’ll kill you. But I doubt you’d survive today, let alone a few more years.” Kimimaro clasped his hands together, clearing the area around him of bones. Then I noticed the blood that dripped down his arm right before he placed his hands on the ground. “Summoning Jutsu: Impure World Reincarnation! Come forth, Fourth Hokage: Minato Namikaze!”

“What?”

“No way…”

“He completed it?”

“Fuck!”

A yellow coffin rose from the ground in front of Kimimaro, and as it opened, a man with golden hair stepped out of it. Wearing a green flak jacket and a long white coat decorated with flames along the edges. On his back, the words written said: Fourth Hokage. It was really him. The Fourth Hokage… And he looked nothing like the rock statue! In fact, he looked closer to— No….

“Hm. I didn’t think I’d regain consciousness so soon. Did Naruto already try to remove the seal?” The Fourth Hokage mumbled as he scanned the area.

“There’s no fucking way….” I muttered as Sui was still in shock.

“No, that’s not it.” The Fourth Hokage glanced back and watched as his coffin receded back into the ground. “So, this is the Second Hokage’s Legendary Jutsu.”

“You’re fast, just as the stories say. Yes, you have been brought back to the land of the living thanks to Lord Orochimaru’s Reanimation Jutsu. Though, not in top form, as you can tell.” Kimimaro said, ignoring the killer gaze the Yellow Flash carried. That facial expression was one I never saw Naruto use but those blue eyes—

“There’s no fucking way!”

“Huh?” Minato and Kimimaro stared at me as my outburst drew everyone’s attention.

“You’re Naruto’s dad, aren’t you?” I asked only for Minato to scratch his cheek.

“What?”

“Wait, now that you mention it, he does kinda look like that loudmouth,” Tayuya said as she tilted her head.

“L-Loudmouth?”

“There was nothing in his file that said Minato had a kid,” Sui said, holding onto her chin. “But I do see the resemblance.”

“Lord Third, why don’t they know I’m Naruto’s father?” Minato asked.

“Wait, you’re Naruto’s dad!” Me, Sui, and Tayuya all screamed at the revelation. There was no way Naruto, of all people, was the son of the legendary Fourth Hokage. In what world does that clown come from that hero!

“I-is it that unbelievable?”

“Yes!”

“Oh…” Minato said, trying to laugh off our surprise. “Is he doing well, at least? Made any friends?”

“Uh, define friends….” I said, almost feeling sorry for the dad as I didn’t know if Naruto had any friends.

“People he cares about. People who care about him. You know, friends.” Minato reiterated.

“I think Iruka-sensei cares about him,” Sui said as I shook my head.

“Does a teacher actually count as a friend? Though, what about Konohamaru?” I suggested.

“Konohamawho?”

“Apparently, he looks up to him like a big brother.”

“That’s not really a friend though,” Sui said, shaking her head. “Konohamaru is still a child.”

“Wasn’t he invited to that barbeque thing with us?” Tayuya pointed out.

“More like he invited himself,” I muttered as Sui chuckled.

“Didn’t you knock him out?”

“Yeah, because the fucker is annoying as shit.”

A shadow cast across Minato’s face as he shook his head. “Oh Kushina, our son’s an outcast….”

“Don’t listen to them Minato,” Hiruzen said, waving away our comments. “Naruto’s doing fine. He’s a Genin full of energy, and Kakashi has been teaching him all he knows about being a ninja.”

“Oh, Kakashi’s a Jōnin sensei now. That’s great to hear.”

“Your son still can’t walk on trees,” Tayuya added just to rain on their parade.

“But we learned that in the academy!”

Hiruzen coughed with a glare aimed at Tayuya. “Those were different times. We’ve cut back on certain lessons.”

“More like you cheeped out on schooling,” I said, remembering how many things I had to learn on my own. “Naruto failed three times and still managed to graduate.”

“He failed three times! And still ended up a Genin???”

“It’s because he can use the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu,” Sui said, trying to sound as if she was helping when in reality, it only made things worse as Minato asked.

“You mean the one that can kill him?”

“Yup.” The three of us said.

“Lord Third. With all due respect. How the hell have you been raising my son?”

“Hiruzen was supposed to raise Naruto???”

The Fourth Hokage threw a trident-shaped kunai at Hiruzen, and after seeing Kurai do it, I knew what would happen, yet I was still amazed by how he appeared in front of Hiruzen in a yellow flash. There, a clang rippled through the air as the Third Hokage pulled out a kunai to match the Fourth Hokage’s.

“Sorry about this, Lord Third. It looks like I’m being compelled to fight you.”

“You know I never gave you deception missions for a reason,” Hiruzen said with a quick glance towards Tayuya. “I’ll stop the Fourth Hokage. Go help your team defeat Kimimaro. It’s the only way to stop the Reanimation Jutsu.”

“Alright, try not to croak, old geezer,” Tayuya said as she stared up at the tall wall we were on.

“It’s nice to hear you care about an old man like me.”

“Like hell I do. I just know Yuki would be a bawling mess if you died.”

“I heard that!” I said as Tayuya laughed.

“You were supposed to! Now sit tight, you little crybaby Uchiha! Your big sis is on the way!”

T.K. 月狐
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