Book 2: Chapter 7: The Coolest Ninja Part I

A/N: Heyo! (￣▽￣)/ T.K.月狐 here. Just a quick notice that there won't be a chapter posted on Sunday because I feel as if the story would be better posted as two parts instead of three. P.S. slight trigger warning for those who need it for this chapter. 



Book 2: Land of Sand

Chapter 7: The Coolest Ninja Part I

“You can do it!” They said.

I blinked, looking around to find myself surrounded by people who should have been dead. My dad (Ryu Uchiha), my mom (Rin Uchiha), my sister (Yukino Uchiha), The Clan Head (Fugaku Uchiha), His wife (Mikoto Uchiha), the girl I thought was Itachi’s girlfriend (Izumi Uchiha), and even my sister’s best friend (Shisui Uchiha) was there. Even people still alive were standing nearby too, like Kakashi, Itachi, and Sasuke. Though they all looked different, wearing winter clothing, and were a lot younger than I remembered.

Why is Kakashi even here when he wasn’t an Uchiha? I thought before I felt the cold chills of the wind, where I noticed the snow-covered ground decorated with scattered targets and various ninja tools. I was at the Uchiha Training Ground, and judging by the wide-open space in front of me, this was my coming-of-age ceremony. The test which deemed I was an Uchiha. There the memory flowed back into me like clockwork as my dad said:

“Show the Clan Head just how I taught you.”

Then my mom said: “Show them what the coolest ninja can do.”

“You got this little bro.” My sister said, running her hand through my hair as she gave me a cheeky grin. “Show them that you’re just like me. That you’re an Uchiha.”

I took a deep breath, staring at the white fog that formed from my mouth due to the cold. Of course, my dad thought that one of the coldest days in the Leaf Village would be when I finally showed Fugaku that I was an Uchiha. It was supposed to be a private session, but once Mom heard, she went to blabbing about it to everyone.

In the end, our two families and friends came to watch. Big brother Kakashi was such a stick in the mud but couldn’t refuse his subordinates Itachi and Yukino, who had used Izumi and Sasuke to convince the quiet awkward prodigy Uchiha to come. While Shisui… I wasn’t too sure why he came, but he didn’t even seem like he was paying attention. He might have had something to say to my sister and Itachi; I wasn’t too sure.

Though with the pressure of the audience and my family’s words, I weaved the hand signs carefully. Going from Snake to Ram to Monkey to Boar to Horse and finished with Tiger. There I felt the chakra in my body, heart, and soul as the love I felt from those around burned within, giving me the strength to show them how much I loved them right back!

“Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!”

Out of my mouth came a giant round flame so bright, so hot, that the snow turned into water only to become steam as I put everything my little body had into it. And when I was done, I was greeted by an applause.

“You see that Fugaku. I told you Yuki was gifted. Just like Sasuke.”

“That you did Ryu,” Fugaku said with an approving nod towards me, the most I had ever gotten from the guy. “Truth be told, I was skeptical at first about having the boy perform a fireball in this temperature. Especially one labeled as the Joke of the Uchiha clan…. Your boy truly is something.”

My dad smiled, running his hand through my hair. “Isn’t he? Now if he could just fix his attitude.”

“What attitude!” I snatched my head away from him, fixing up my hair, then got on my tippy toes, trying my best to stick my finger in his face. “It’s your fault I’m called a joke in the first place! Taking me to the cemetery all the time! It’s so lame! And no one likes my quips because of it! They think I’m just some weird graveyard kid that tells bad jokes. I’m not… I’m cool, and funny, and awesome, and-and-I’m an adult now! So I say I’m not going there anymore—ow! My head!”

My dad shook his hand, holding back the tear in his eye from the pain. I really had a hard head back then. “And that’s what I mean by attitude.”

“Oh, leave our son alone.” My mom kissed the bruise on my head, and suddenly I felt better as she gave me a big smile. “My cute little Yuki just wants to be cool. Right?”

I jumped up nodding, trying to smile like her. “The coolest! Like you and big sister!”

“Which one?” Rin said, her voice losing its old warmth.

“Wh-what do you mean?” I asked confused until I blinked, and in front of me was Tayuya. Unhurt and standing yet the way she stared at me was telling as she asked again:

“Which sister?”

“Does it matter?” I said as everyone within the Uchiha Training Grounds vanished, leaving me alone in the snow. My body no longer that of a five-year-old. “You’re both the most unladylike women I’ve ever met. Actual demons in disguise. From how you talk to how you walk, even in how you kill. Though, at least I know Tayuya feels something when she does. For better or worse.”

“Ouch, sick burns little bro.” I heard her voice call out, but she was nowhere to be seen.

“Quit fucking with me Yukino, and come out,” I said with red eyes.

“And this is why I hate that you know it’s me. Takes all the fun away.”

Out of the tree line came a teenage girl with long black faded hair, almost like ashes. She wore a plain black cloak with no accessories in sight except for the Leaf Headband she had decorating her glove. Her eyes were red like mine, except she didn’t have a Two Tomoe or a Three Tomoe rather she had gone all the way to a Mangekyō Sharingan with three spiraling scythes.

“Wow little bro, I can’t believe this memory is what you decided your Mindspace to be. Is that what gave me away?” She asked as she sat on one of the logs crossing her legs.

“Next time, try to remember that I’ve never brought Tayuya to the Uchiha Training Grounds,” I said still standing, trying to figure out if this was real or a Genjutsu.

“Noted. So why this place? Why this memory?”

“You think I have a choice in the matter?”

Yukino shrugged her shoulders. “Beats me.”

“If I had to guess…” I thought for a moment, then accepted the fact that this wasn’t a Genjutsu. That if I thought it was, it would just be another lie to myself. “It’s because today was the last time I remembered you smiling.”

“Not true I smile all the time, see?”

I laughed as she couldn’t even force a fake smile, almost like her mouth couldn’t curve upward or downward. No matter how hard she tried, it remained neutral. A curse given to her for using her Mangekyō Sharingan. Stripping away her happiness and sadness. To feel nothing but hate, no matter how hard she pretended otherwise.

“Fine, you win this round, little bro. But enough of the chit-chat. Why am I here?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

“Damn it. Not this again.” Yukino scratched her head before standing up, somehow towering over me even though we should’ve been about the same age, and tapped my forehead. “Every time you get into trouble, you call for big sister to help you. So I do. But you can’t control it, so you always fuck shit up.”

“Don’t you mean you fuck shit up, Ms. It’s His Fault. Or the more recent one, Ms. Kill Him.”

“Hey, in my defense, all I did was feed off your anger, which amplified mine. So I’m sorry that seeing the bastard who ordered the destruction of our Clan didn’t make you all warm and fuzzy. I’m Yukino’s Yin chakra after all.”

“Wait what?” I said with question marks floating above my head.

“You know how our bodies are composed of Spiritual and Physical energy. Yin and Yang. You know, chakra.”

I nodded.

“Well, when I did my Jutsu before I died—”

“The one with mom’s body?”

“Yeah that one.” Yukino nodded. “I gave you some of my chakra. In fact, all of my Yin chakra. Along with my eyes, so you’re welcome—”

“You gave me your eyes!” I said, digging into the snow to find my hidden backpack with a mirror inside it.

“Listen here, you little shit. Because I’m going to only say this once. Interrupt me again, and I swear to god. I won’t save that replacement sister you found.”

“Wait, you can save Tayuya?” I said, forgetting about the mirror.

“Of course, did you forget—”

“I’m the greatest ninja ever to be born! The one that can do the impossible! The coolest kunoichi around! The Legendary Shinigami Uchiha!” I said mocking her cocky introduction phrase, only to get locked in a chokehold.

“What did I say about interrupting me!”

“Sorry Sis… I couldn’t help it….”

“Damn it.” Yukino sighed as she released me from her sisterly death hold. “All these years, and you’re still a clown.”

“Hey, I had to get it from someone,” I said, studying my sister’s mannerisms, and it was her alright. She was the only person I knew who could do all that with a straight face. As always, she was impossible to read.

“You better mean mom because I only pretended to be a clown, Mr. I’m twelve and just became a Genin.”

“Pretending sure…. If that’s what you call it. I heard all about you ‘pretending’ from Kakashi. You were the biggest Joke in the ANBU!”

Yukino gazed up towards the sky, scratching her cheek as I could’ve sworn I heard her heart skip a beat. “So… Kakashi still talks about me. Damn that Hot Fox. He should move on already. Find a new woman. Probably not as beautiful, or as strong as me, but he could just lower his expectations.”

I gave my sister the blankest stare I could muster. “Sis, I don’t know what kind of fantasy world you’re living in, but you two were never a thing.”

“You shut your mouth! If I wasn’t dead that Fox and I would be…” Yukino’s voice trailed off as she sighed once more. “There’s no point in worrying about that now, is it?”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s thanks to that we can get back on track. So, you want to save my replacement, right? I can do it for you. All you have to do is give up control of your body to me.”

I gave Yukino another deadpan stare. “Yeah… That sounds like a bad idea.”

“Don’t you trust me?”

“Hell no!”

“Well too bad! It's your only option. Take it or leave it. To be honest, I’m fine with watching my replacement die. That way, I can see what this Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan is.”

“Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan? What’s that—”

“Yuki!” Sui’s voice rang throughout my Mindspace, causing tremors and a major headache on my part.

“Yikes, looks like your time is up little brother. Danzō’s little lab rat needs you.” Yukino said with such malice that I knew she was definitely the same voice I heard during all my episodes. I didn’t even think Yukino could hate someone like that. Especially someone who did nothing to her. She didn’t ask to be raised by a fucking sociopath.

“Really, Yukino? Not cool. She’s my girlfriend.”

“And I’m proud of you for managing to get one after all the years of begging but dating the enemy is also uncool.”

“You know what’s really uncool.” I stared into Yukino’s eyes, for once unafraid of the consequences. Because I had been holding onto this for years. “Leaving your brother alone to fend for himself! Leaving him with the trauma of your suicide! Especially when you could have won! Hell, you probably could’ve saved everyone, but—”

I stopped as I saw something in my sister’s eyes I had never thought I’d ever see again. At least not when she had her Mangekyō Sharingan. At first, I thought it was fear, but it seemed more like regret until I realized it was sorrow. And that was when she turned away from me as the truth poured out of her mouth.

“I didn’t want to live anymore.” My sister started. “You don’t understand how hard it was…. Watching your best friend kill himself. Not knowing whose side to choose…. Your Clan or the Village you swore to protect. The whole reason I became an ANBU was to prevent tragedies like the Third Great Ninja War. In the end, I watched my other best friend kill our clan. It was too much for even the Shinigami to handle.”

A part of me wanted to comfort her, but another part still hated her. I finally got to see her again, and I didn’t even want to see her. I wanted to leave. I wanted to run. Yet where would I go? So instead, I said what was on my mind to get her to leave. “Too much for you to handle but enough for a 7-year-old child to handle? To leave him to carry the burden of the dead.”

“Damnit Yuki, don’t go all dad on me.”

Yukino turned around, but I took off before she could see the tears in my eyes. I didn’t want to be there anymore, and by some strange feeling, I knew that if I walked past the edge of the woods, I’d wake up, so I did, leaving Yukino behind. Yet before I could cross the threshold, I felt her arms wrap around me.

“You know as well as I do with these eyes, I lost all my feelings from before. Everything went numb. Except for hatred. Yet whenever I saw you. Whenever I was with you. I felt the cold subside. You had become my light in the dark. So I tried to keep you from being tainted by this world’s evil. I just wasn’t strong enough. But I knew you’d be.”

Soon two more pairs of arms wrapped around me. One was rough, and the other was soft, instinctively telling me who they were, yet it was Yukino who spoke for them:

“So never forget that we love you. That, to us, you’re the coolest Uchiha to ever be born. So please, just this once, let your big sister help you. Just like she tried to do all those years ago.”

“No fair… Using mom and dad…. Of course, I can’t say no…. Especially since... you’re so stupid... Tayuya isn’t your replacement. No one could ever replace you. Because to me, Yukino, you’re the coolest ninja to have ever lived.”

And with tears streaming down my face, I knew what I needed to do as my sister met me halfway, completing the hand signs: Dog → Boar → Ram, and together we said with red eyes of spiraling scythes:

“Death Style: Transformation Jutsu!”