Chapter 64 - Arc IX: In Demon's Hands- Chapter 1

As soon as he could be packed, Yuji was ready to leave, save for Asuna‘s insistence that he stay put until he was healed. That was almost impossible for Yuji, but he made sure to slow down for Shoki’s sake. There were still people Shoki needed to talk to, and things he needed to pack. Yuji told him they’d leave the next day.

So he sat at Miko’s grave for a full twenty-four hours. Many things ran through his head during that time. He thought about revenge on and off; about what he could have done differently in that battle; about himself. Could he have had the other two run for it, and he held the Pains and Konan off?
It was the norm for Yuji- questions, but no answers.

He was vaguely aware that Naruto and Sakura had dropped by at about the twentieth hour of his vigil. They didn’t say anything or make a move. They just respected Yuji’s space and let him have his silence. He owed them a debt of gratitude for that, he felt.

I hope you’ve found peace, Miko. Rest easy- I will protect Shoki. And I’ll do all I can to make sure he grows up happy, healthy, and with the right to be whatever he wants.

Yuji stood up, his coat swishing as he turned quickly, fearing that he would cry yet again over what he’d lost. Now was not the time for that. Now was the time to look toward the future.
--
--

At the temple, Naruto and Sakura were waiting with Master Jiraiya. Yuji and Shoki were prepared to leave. They looked like different individuals now.
Shoki had changed to wearing a white shirt, charcoal gray pants, and a black band on his upper arm. The black band was his memorial to Miko.
Yuji had replaced his coat and physically looked better. But he seemed to be less focused- as if there was something going on in the back of his mind.

“Naruto-dono…”

Naruto had been thinking so hard about Yuji’s trance that he put himself in one.
“Uh, yeah?”

“In three months, when I come back, go with Master Jiraiya for your next round of training. While you’re gone, Shoki and I will protect Sakura.”

Naruto’s face shifted just a bit- just enough so Yuji could tell he was uncomfortable about this prospect.
“I gave you my word, Naruto-dono, that I wouldn’t pursue her. You’ve never known me to break my word. I’m not going to start now. In fact…I’ll take her to the Land of Waves. To visit Azami. They can have girl time, or whatever. If nothing else, you can count on Azami keeping my attention.”
With a wry grin, Yuji added:
“Because I never can tell if she’ll kiss me or kill me.”

Hesitating, Yuji decided to amend his statement.
“Rather, I should say, if it’s okay with Sakura. I’ve no business dictating anything to my…masters.”
After another slight pause, Yuji sank to one knee, his fist planted on the ground, his eyes down.
“That is, if you’ll allow me to serve you once again when I return. After this obligation, I would be honored to serve the two of you. I swear to give you the distance and respect that go with both your ages and your stations, of course…”

They were stunned, as Yuji had hoped they’d be. That allowed him a smooth departure.
“Please think it over. You’ve got three months to consider it, so please make the decision at your leisure.”

Yuji turned his attention to Master Jiraiya.
“Master Jiraiya, may I ask that you join Shoki and I, at least briefly? I think there’s something we need to discuss…”
--

Sitting quietly in the back of a bar, the three stared at each other for a long time. Yuji was waging an internal conflict, but ultimately one side needed to win. And he knew which side would from the start.

“Master Jiraiya…Shoki needs specialized skills. What he’s come up with is brilliant, and he’s done it largely on his own. He needs better training than I can give him. I am his guardian for the time being, and I know that’s a dangerous arrangement. For him and me.”

Yuji paused, letting the silence fall for a few minutes. He put his hand on the table, fingers flexing, forcing the tiniest bit of tension out of his body.
“That’s why I’m asking you to come with us to Heat Devil Village. My plan is to scout myself. All I ask is that you keep Shoki safe, and give him some kind of exercise that will enrich his training. Even the slightest bit will do. I’m going in to this truly not knowing what awaits me. They tried to assassinate Miko at one point…they know my face. I’m honor-bound to go, and I can’t stop Shoki. But I can see he gets something out of this trip. And Shoki himself has something he wishes to discuss with you. Something that I cannot hear.”

Yuji bowed until his head hit the table. “Master Jiraiya…consider this the last request I’ll ever make of you. Please help me to ensure Miko’s gift isn’t wasted. She saved my life…and Shoki‘s.”
--

Asuna cautioned her new attendant, Akari, not to disturb her. The new, young miko was very pretty, if a little subdued. The temple of the Fire Daimyo was to be the girl’s orphanage. Her entire family had been wiped out. She had no memory of them. But she pushed herself to find a purpose in her life. And for now, being a miko was her reason for living. She did well at it, so it was no stretch for Asuna/Uzume to choose her as an attendant.

Closing the black curtain behind her, Asuna sat down on the pillow that Miko used to frequent. The same pin in her hair that Miko used to wear, she sat down and focused. Her world went black, then slowly reformed in shades of light and dark; black and white. Only the flickering candle that she kept in front of her was a constant from this world and the next.

Asuna walked along, seeing many spirits. All of them were attached to tall, thin grave markers. There were a few demons among the spirts, doing grotesque things with their faces and bodies in an attempt to draw Asuna’s attention.

She walked straight forward, steadfastly approaching her target. In the distance, she spotted her target. Even from this distance, she could tell that her target was sad. A lifetime of suppressed emotion was exiting her now, before her final transition to peace. But her clothes were ragged, her hair had lost it’s sheen, and the dignity she projected was gone.

The Shinigami’s stomach…it’s a horrifying place.
--
The people here were all dead, to be sure. But their deaths were not naturally occurring. They had been ingested by the Shinigami himself through the use of various jutsu over the years. It was a horrifying thought that one jutsu could cause the Shinigami to appear; the hundreds of jutsu evidenced by the number of victims here was unthinkable.

“Hello there, young lady. Might you have a moment?”

The Third Hokage approached Asuna, his hands behind his back, a cheerful smile on his face.
“I’m sorry to disturb your question, but I believe you are acquainted with my apprentice? He goes by ‘Yuji’ now, but I knew him as Ryouko.”

Asuna closed her eyes, placing a name with the face. “That’s correct, Lord Third Hokage. Am I to assume that you have some message for him?”

Sarutobi gave a small smile. “Well, I hoped for a little more than that. That young woman at the end…she possessed the skill to call people back from the dead for a short time. She swore off it, of course. But there’s a grave danger approaching. My apprentice will play a vital role in many lives, if he survives. If I can speak with him, even for a moment, it may make all the difference. And if he sees his bride-to-be alive one more time…”

It hit Asuna suddenly. The feeling she’d gotten from Yuji at the burial of the fourth Uzume. There was none. With her heightened sensory abilities, that wasn’t right. She should have felt a lot more than that. The most conspicuous emotion was missing.
“Revenge!”

Sarutobi produced a pipe and began to smoke. It emitted smoke, but no smell. “If he attempts revenge as he is now, he will die. If he dies, so will the two of the prophecy. If they die, all hope is lost.”

Asuna shook her head. “Even if he’s successful…”

Sarutobi narrowed his eyes. “Yes. The worst could still happen. If he kills that threat, a worse one will come about. Even I cannot foresee what that would be…”

Asuna concealed her panic. Focusing her almost white chakra, she slashed through the chain that bound Sarutobi to his grave marker.
“Come with me. We have someone else to save, too.”
Yuji strode through Heat Devil Village by himself. Every eye was on him. Outsiders weren’t rate, but not many had the nerve to march through town alone, asking questions about a kekkeigenkai that was thought to be long gone.
--
--
Jiraiya had accompanied them all the way to Heat Devil Village, but couldn’t stay with them beyond that. Yuji begged him to take Shoki upon seeing what this place looked like. Jiraiya agreed, apparently thinking the same thing as Yuji: If a place qualified as hell on earth, this was it. People impaling themselves and others in the street en masse, blood everywhere. The place stank of death. And yet, there were no graves.

Approaching a saloon of sorts, Yuji entered it, looking immediately to the bartender. They heard a lot of information. For a price, he would likely talk. If Yuji lived that long. He was constantly aware of people scanning him.

The bar was simple; just a few tables and a long counter made of wood. There were windows only in the front, and one door in the back. Yuji noted those in case he needed to beat a hasty retreat.

Going up to the bar, he leaned against it, buying the most expensive drink right away. Like he’d drink anything they served here, but it endeared him to the bartender right away. Especially when he tipped well.

“You know, I bet you hear a lot of things behind that bar…” Yuji began. He let a coin drop on the counter. It bounced to the bartender.

“A fair amount. I’d be interested enough in passing along what I know…”

Another coin hit the bar. This one Yuji placed between his thumb and the bar, and gave it a spin. It spun right into the bartender’s hands.
“I’m looking for information on the Issekigan. It’s an eye condition…”

The bartender turned away from Yuji.
“You’ve been a nice guy. Leave, quickly.”

Yuji didn’t get that, but he figured it out quickly enough. When he turned around, he saw a whole bunch of people with symbols around their neck.

Church of Jashin symbol? The one’s who murdered Shoki’s father…no wonder I’ve been getting stares…
They must‘ve killed everyone who could have learned the Issekigan. Now I‘m asking about it. Of course they‘d be suspicious of that. I‘d better think fast, or-

CRASH!

An axe that had to weigh two hundred pounds crashed down on the bar, smashing it. Yuji escaped just in time, using his chakra to stick to the back wall. That axe wasn’t the only weapon down their, either. There were a good half-dozen of weapon-wielding zealots.

They’re immortal, so you don’t have to hold back.

Yuji smirked a little; these guys had no skill, or he’d be in pieces by now. This would be easy, if he played his cards right.

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