Book 2: Chapter 7: The Reaper of the Leaf! Part II

Book 2: Land of Sand

Chapter 7: The Reaper of the Leaf! Part II

When I opened my eyes, everything felt different, almost floaty in a sense, and did I get taller? What happened to my clothes! And are these boobs?

I took a moment to look at myself, and god damn, I was gorgeous. Long black hair that stopped past my thighs. A chain mesh undershirt which paired nicely with my shorts and bandaged calves. My right arm was covered by a fingerless glove that had a metal Leaf crest on it, but what really took the cake was the white cloak I wore. It was decorated with red flames along the edges, just like the Hokage’s, except on the back was the Uchiha red and white fan.

“Stop groping me, you little pervert!”

“Groping you? But this is my body?”

“Sorry little bro, but right now, this is my body,” Yukino said, moving my arms, her arms, our arms? I’m just going to refer to it as her to make things easy. “So if you can just sit back and watch, I’d appreciate it.”

“Fine…. but do you have to talk out loud? Sui’s looking at us funny.”

“Yu… ki?” Sui stared up at Yukino, the confusion written all over her face, yet that didn’t seem to be the real issue as it looked like she had been keeping Tayuya alive the whole time. Which didn’t seem to be that long, considering Kimimaro was still freaking out some ways away.

“Oh right, it’s you.” Yukino scratched her head as she did her best to hide the malice in her gaze. “Yeah, don’t call me that. It’s Yukino. The Shinigami of the Uchiha Clan.”

“Wait, but how—”

“Like I told you before, Danzō’s little lab rat. Yuki is far stronger than you or your master can even fathom. I’m just giving him a helping hand because he needs to save little Miss Tayuya.”

“You can save Tayuya? How? She’s lost a lot of blood, and none of my—”

“Unlike you girly, I actually learned from the best. Turns out the stories about that drunkard Tsunade were true. Lucky for you, she’s a terrible gambler.” Yukino crouched down, shoving Sui aside as she examined Tayuya’s body. “Now Yuki are you sure you want me to save her? Because if I do, you won’t be able to use my Susanoo. You’ll have to get your own.”

“I don’t know what that is, and I don’t care. Just save her.”

“Alright then. Got confirmation from little bro. So here goes nothing.” Yukino eyes became red as her pupils transformed into three spiraling scythes. There she did one hand sign: Tiger before saying, “Death Style: Creation Rebirth Jutsu!”

Soon after, a large black rib cage made entirely of chakra enveloped Tayuya’s body, almost like a coffin, as we could no longer see her due to the darkness. Yukino then wiped the blood from her eyes, and they went back to being black. I didn’t know what she did, but sensing my sister’s emotions behind it, she had done everything she could to save Tayuya, and now all we had to do was wait. Though we didn’t have to wait with our hands tied as Kimimaro broke out of my Genjutsu.

“Stay out of my mind! Yuki Uchiha!” Kimimaro screamed as I felt the ground rumble beneath us. Sui called out where the bones would emerge from, yet Yukino didn’t listen, nor did she move as she could no longer hide the malice in her tone as she said:

“Annoying.” Then she balled her hand into a fist. “Magnet Release: Sand Control—Iron Grip.”

“What the… the bones they stopped moving….” Sui said with wide eyes as Yukino slowly stood up, finally taking notice of Kimimaro’s presence.

“You know, little bro. How did you ever manage to get beaten up so badly by this second-rate sage mode when you have so much sand at your disposal.”

“Easy for you to say I can’t control sand like you.”

Yukino sighed. “Naïve little brother. Did you forget? Anything I can do, you can do better. Especially since you have my and your chakra combined. Just watch and learn. I’ll show you what it means to control our Kekkei Kanri.”

Yukino took a deep breath, then spread her hands out before her. I didn’t know what she was doing at first as she didn’t use any hand signs, yet I felt her molding chakra within our body. The sturdiness of earth and the free-flowing nature of wind combining them to somehow create a magnetic pulse that attracted the sand underground. It was a strange sensation, like being submerged in a pit of sand where you felt every little grain roll against your skin. It wasn't painful like the Lightning Cloak; in fact, it was soothing even though I was sure if Yukino let go for a moment, the weight of it would suffocate us. And as I was getting lost in thought, my sister continued to speak:

“There was this one guy I met while out on a mission. He thought I was a work of art. Love at first sight, he said. Had red hair like your little friend too.”

“Really? I never heard of you dating a guy like that.”

Yukino chuckled. “It’s because I didn’t. The lunatic wanted to turn me into a puppet. I declined, beat him in a fight, and he taught me a little something something as a reward.”

“Can you feel that little bro?”

“So you can talk to me without saying it out loud!”

The ground trembled as the pressure Yukino built up began to rise until— “Here is a technique that only the Third Kazekage could use! Magnet Release: Sand Control—Iron Sand!”

A storm of black sand spiraled around Yukino, Sui, and Tayuya, cloaking us in darkness, yet as Yukino spread her arms apart like some kind of composer, the sand danced away to reveal my sister’s Three Tomoe Sharingan.

“Now, Second-Rate Sage, it’s time to pay you back for bullying my kid brother.”

A wave of bones shot up from the ground only to hit nothing but air as, with a flick of her wrist, Yukino made the iron sand form a cloud-like platform which flew us out of the bones' reach. There she pointed down at Kimimaro, raining a swarm of iron needles at him. Looking at them, there was no way they would penetrate Kimimaro’s armor, yet instead of blocking them, he dodged like no tomorrow. Avoiding every iron needle but not without sending his own wave of bone needles.

Though the difference was Yukino didn’t need to dodge as she simply blocked them with a wall of iron sand. Yet it was that opportunity where Yukino focused on defense that Kimimaro launched himself at us only to not even make it two inches off the ground. His tail had been caught by an ever-spreading plague of iron sand that held onto him in the shape of a hand.

“I’ll give you props for having the intuition to avoid my attacks.” Yukino sat on the edge of the iron cloud and crossed her legs as she stared down at Kimimaro with all sense of emotion gone from her face. “But did you really think I’d be that easy?”

That was when I noticed all the iron needles on the ground were gone leaving behind tiny holes scattered in the earth, which were soon covered up by the passing sand. It was there I figured Yukino had the iron needles burrow underground, following Kimimaro from below until she found an opening to keep him from moving.

“You’re not Yuki Uchiha.” Kimimaro finally realized.

“Maybe if you took the bones out of your ears, you’d have heard me when I said I’m the death of you! Magnet Release: Sand Control—Iron Maiden!”

Clasping her hands together, Yukino forced a wave of black sand to close around Kimimaro, overwhelming him in enough sand that he couldn’t hope to break out of as the weight from his armor and the iron sand restrained him. Where soon enough, there was a large black coffin that took his place, then I felt a warm sensation in my hand. Almost like—

“Little brother, all you have to do is squeeze your hand, and that will end his life.”

“Wait what?”

“You heard me. The choice is yours.”

“Yukino, what the hell are you doing!” Sui called out. “You can’t make Yuki kill him—”

“Who said you could speak,” Yukino said as iron sand wrapped around Sui’s mouth. “Now little brother, it's either you end his life, or I do.”

“Then why ask me to do it!”

“Interesting, so that’s your answer—”

There was a shockwave as the force from Kimimaro’s jump broke the ground under him. He had somehow escaped from Yukino’s hold, yet she also made no attempt to stop him as her pupils became that of spiraling scythes. With the world slowed down, she simply held out the palm of her hand, meeting Kimimaro’s bone lance right before it pierced through her and said: “Return to nothing. Dust Release: Hakai.”

In an instant, the bone lance turned to dust along with Kimimaro’s bone armor, leaving behind his freed hand, which Yukino grabbed, pulling him up where she quickly bit her thumb and formed a blood seal over his heart.

“Death Style: Touch of the Shinigami.”

I didn’t see anything happen to him, yet Kimimaro’s body went limp within Yukino’s grasp, where she soon dropped him. There his body crashed into the ground, and as the dust settled, he was back in his normal state, somehow alive and coughing.

“How is he still alive?”

“Because you let him live.” Yukino stepped down from the iron cloud, creating a staircase of black sand as she approached Kimimaro, who slowly stood up yet made no move to attack her.

“What did you do to me?”

“Gave you the worst death you could imagine. Failure.”

Kimimaro stepped forward only to stop in place, his face filled with dread. And as Yukino glanced behind her, I saw it too. A gate made of skulls. Some human, some animal, some I couldn’t tell apart. They all rattled as the chains crossed over the gate seemed to be close to breaking, yet they didn’t. Keeping whatever was on the other side trapped within. However, that didn’t stop the dark aura it cast from going unnoticed by the three of us who saw it. As Sui broke us from its hypnotic spell the moment the iron cloud finally brought her down.

“Why are you all staring out into space?” Sui asked.

“She can’t see it?”

“No,” Yukino shook her head. “Only those with fates worse than death can see the mortal world’s folly.”

“Is that what awaits me….” Kimimaro asked.

“Yes, you can thank my little brother for taking pity on you.”

“He pitied me!” With a rekindled hatred for me, Kimimaro’s glare made the gate rattle even more, but it soon stopped as Minato appeared in between us, tossing both Hiruzen and Kurai aside.

“Why is Kurai with him?”

“Beats me.” Yukino shrugged her shoulders.

“Can you stop talking out loud please!”

“You worry about the wrong stuff, little brother, more importantly.” Yukino waved as she walked towards Minato. “Lord Fourth, it's been a while. Though, I’m surprised to see you freed from the Shinigami’s belly.”

“Have we met before?” Minato stared at Yukino as confused as me because when did she have time to talk to the Fourth Hokage!

“First-time face-to-face.”

“Right… Lord Third, have you met this Uchiha girl who’s wearing a Hokage cloak.”

“An Uchiha Hokage. Tobirama-sensei would roll in his grave if that were to happen.” Hiruzen said as he got up, patting the dirt off him, only for his jaw to drop. “Yukino Uchiha.”

“In the flesh, sort of.”

“Wait, how?”

“I’d love to explain, but time is running out on this form. And there are things I still need to do.” Yukino stared up at the Fourth Hokage, and that was when I understood she cared about him. She had known him. “Minato Namikaze. I know you enjoyed your brief time returning to the ninja world. How was it seeing your son?”

“Well…” Minato scratched his cheek with a laugh. “Zabuza is giving him a hard time, but he’s so big. Very loud. However, his heart more than makes up for it. I can tell he’s going to be a great ninja someday.”

“Good. I’m glad. Now I must return you back to the Shinigami’s stomach. As you shouldn’t have been freed in the first place.”

“That’s what I thought too. The Impure Reincarnation shouldn’t have worked unless….”

Yukino held her hand out. “Don’t worry about it. I’m probably the one who did it anyway, so it’s only right I make amends.”

“Wait, doesn’t that require a sacrifice? I can’t allow you to—”

“No worries, Minato-sensei. It’s much easier to return a soul than to take one.” Yukino took a fire-tagged kunai from her pocket and used the blood from her thumb to rewrite the fire seal for something new. There she ripped the tag free from the kunai holding it against Minato’s chest with one hand while she weaved hand signs with the other until she spoke with a weak smile. “Besides, I’m already dead. Sealing Art—Shinigami’s Oath: Restoration!”

Minato’s eyes widened as his body began to crumble into a transparent blue form of a human body with no discernible features. There Yukino pointed to the figure behind her, and where I expected to see the gate, instead I saw a demon. Like one of those Oni in old history textbooks. Long shaggy white hair with a large ghastly translucent body where two large horns protruded from its demonic skull holding an unsheathed tanto in its mouth all while it wore a long white ceremonial robe that draped off its body.

“You who has escaped from the Shinigami’s bowels must now return as your debt has not been paid.” Yukino declared to Minato’s spirit.

The demon, or rather the Shinigami, stared down at us. Then, with a slow nod, it removed the tanto from its mouth, revealing the demon’s jagged teeth where Minato’s spirit was swiftly sucked into the Shinigami’s mouth, leaving nothing behind except for a corpse of—

“Sayana…”

Yukino fell to her knees, tears forming in her eyes. “Damnit little bro, it looks like my time really is running out. You must have really cared about that girl.”

“Yeah…”

“Good, remember this feeling because the dead can’t be brought back without sacrifice. The Impure Reincarnation Technique should have never been created. Tobirama was a fool to have invented it.”

“Yukino do not—”

“Mock the dead.” Yukino scoffed as she slowly stood back up and walked up to the Shinigami, who gave her another slow nod. “Save your words for someone who cares. Because it's your fault Orochimaru is even alive to use this technique but worry not.”

Yukino struck her hand through the Shinigami’s belly, and as she pulled back, an Oni mask resembling the Shinigami’s face was in her hand. There she tossed it towards Hiruzen, who caught it, seemingly unaware it literally came from a demon’s guts.

“What is this?”

“An extra protective measure. To prevent those sealed within the Shinigami from being freed.”

“Wait, that thing is here? Is that what you did with Minato?”

“Of course.” Yukino stared up at the Shinigami and let a hollow chuckle as it faded away.

“You laugh, but do you understand the severe ramifications of using that forbidden technique?”

“Do you?” Yukino shot back. “Because the Shinigami says it looks forward to the day you finally see it. You who has been in its presence twice now. Never thought the God of Death would ever be interested in anyone besides me, but it looks like you got yourself a fan, God of Shinobi.”

Hiruzen went silent. The feeling of dread hung in the air as you didn’t want the God of Death interested in you.

“Though it’s time I also take my leave. Little bro, this was, for the most part anyway, a one-time deal. An older sister taking care of her younger brother kind of thing. So don’t expect to see me again. Even if shit goes down, you’ll have to handle it yourself with this new family of yours.” Yukino yawned. “You’d have to raise hell to wake me up next time. Because boy am I tired. Though try not to forget the things that happened here today. All of this I did. You can do it too. If you just—

“Put my mind to it. I know Sis.”

“What did I say about interrupting me!” Yukino stopped then started laughing along with me. A genuine laugh that came from her heart. It had been so long since I heard the sound it was surreal.

“Alright, it's been fun. Hiruzen, I’ll never forgive you or Danzō for what happened to my clan, but I’m glad you’re making it up by taking care of Yuki.” Yukino glanced at the black ribcage coffin that held Tayuya. “I wished I could have talked to the little sister taking care of my brother for me and thanked her. I suppose she’ll have to settle with being alive.”

Yukino then looked towards Sayana's corpse. "Also, Yuki. That Sayana girl, her spirit is restless. I assume she has unfinished business here?”

“She’s probably waiting for her sister.”

“Well, the doors to the Pure Land don’t remain open for long. She’ll be trapped here unless she moves on soon.”

“Don’t worry Sis. I think I can convince her.”

“Oh look at you already being all dependable. You know little bro, you don’t know how proud I am of you... I truly do love you, Yuki.”

“I love you too, Yukino,” I said as the transformation wore off with a puff of smoke, and I was back in my body with Hiruzen’s scroll on my back, seemingly lighter than ever.

“And one last thing…. Don’t end up… Like our…. Gramps….”

“Yukino? Yukino!”

“Zzzzz.”

“No fucking way…. Is she snoring!” I shook my head, clearing the sound from my mind. I had no idea why she said not to end up like our grandpa, considering both died during the Third Great Ninja War. I doubt she even met them. Though I guessed that just meant I needed to do some research, I thought as Sui barreled into me.

“Yuki!” Sui called out as she pulled me into a hug. “It is you right? Not some weird possession.”

“Yeah it's me,” I said, tapping my head. “My sister is asleep right now and snoring my ears off.”

“Wow, that must be annoying.”

“It is, but I can only really hear it if I concentrate on her presence.”

“So wait, you’re like a Jinchūriki?” Tayuya asked, shaking the sand out of her flute.

“Tayuya!” Sui and I screamed as we tackled her to the ground.

“Guys! The sand! My flute!”

“Sorry.” We both said, getting off Tayuya and helping her up.

“We’re just glad you’re alive,” I said.

“Yeah, you really had us worried. Yuki even lost his mind when he thought you were dead, literally.”

“Hey, what else was I supposed to do.”

“Let me die, obviously,” Tayuya said like that was the best course of action.

“Not funny.”

“What? It's not like I haven’t died before.”

“That’s a whole can of worms you just opened up,” I said, scratching my cheek as I realized there were a couple of problems we still needed to deal with. “What should we do with Kimimaro?”

“Do what with him? He’s gone,” Sui said, pointing at the empty spot where my sister had left him.

“W-When did that happen? How could he even move after my sister’s Jutsu?”

“Well whatever it was, it didn’t stop his chakra in fact as far as my Byakugan could see, nothing happened. So he simply ran off while we were focused on Minato. I did hear him cough a few times, so maybe she gave him a cold.”

Tayuya facepalmed. “Sui, you really have been hanging out with Yuki too much.”

I scratched my cheek as Sui laughed, yet knowing my sister, whatever she did to him was anything but nothing. Though that wasn’t my problem anymore. However, Sayana’s corpse was. The closer I got to her, the more I wanted to collapse. It was all my fault. I shouldn’t have left her in the cave. I should’ve taken her with me—

“There’s nothing you could have done, little bro.”

I turned my head expecting to see Yukino, only to find that the one who spoke to me was none other than Tayuya, who held onto my shoulder.

“You know she said you were some scary red-haired demon.”

“That little runt!”

“I think you would’ve liked her.” I chuckled. “She got on Kasai’s nerves the whole time.”

“Really?” Sui said beside me.

“Yeah, he wanted to kill her too, but I convinced him not to. Thanks to some talk you two had.”

“I guess I was worried about you for nothing then.”

“Oh no, never leave me alone with that guy again!” I laughed until Tayuya began to play her flute. It was a somber tone, yet it was oddly soothing. “What’s it called?”

“I don’t know. Just something I learned to play whenever Lord Orochimaru took on a new vessel. He said it put the body at ease, and right now, for some reason, I can tell she’s restless.”

“Yeah, that’s what Yukino said too… And if we don’t hurry, she won’t be able to move on.”

“Then what should we do?” Sui asked.

“Well, there’s nothing we can do except—”

I stared at Sayana’s corpse. Her cyan-colored hair no longer carried the clear sky’s beauty. Instead, it was muddied to the point you probably couldn’t tell that she didn’t have brown hair. There were lacerations all across her body, and for a second, I wished I had crushed Kimimaro when I had the chance. Yet it was because of that weakness I could say:

“Little Sis, don’t worry about a thing here. Your Onii-chan will save Seyome, so you don’t have to stay for her sake. She’s super attractive with violet hair, right? That’s definitely not someone I’d be able to miss.” I felt the world slow down, yet there weren’t any chills as I focused on the area around me. 

Everything became distant in a way as the feeling of being weighed down overwhelmed my senses. With a deep breath, I kept my cool, controlling the sensation by using the memory of those who loved me as an anchor to my body. There I saw the surge of my purple-black chakra overflow until I felt I had a grasp on my surroundings. Clasping my hands together—Magnet Release: Sand Control—I buried Sayana’s body in sand, giving her the best burial I could.

“So rest easy because I’ll become the greatest ninja ever! The one that can do the impossible! The coolest shinobi around! The Legendary Shinigami Uchiha!”

“What”

“The”

“Fuck!”

“Too much?” I asked, scratching my cheek as I began to drown in my embarrassment.

“Yes!” Tayuya, Sui, Hiruzen, and even Kurai stared at me like I had lost my mind. Yet I didn’t say that for them. I said it for the little girl whose smile was like sunshine as I could’ve sworn—No, I know she said:

“Ok! You better! Perverted Onii-chan!”

She didn’t have to add the pervert part, but I was glad her spirit had moved on. Though it came at a hefty price: Tayuya’s nonstop teasing.