Chapter 97 - FINAL ARC: Part 1

Yuji woke up with his head in Kuroko’s lap. His whole body ached, but his mind was clear and free for the first time in ages.

He sat up slowly, breathing evenly.

“A little longer, Yuji?” Kuroko requested in a voice that was hiding a fair bit of emotion. My lap is lonely.”

Obligingly, Yuji laid back down.
“Did it work?”

Kuroko was too overcome to speak, so instead Azami’s voice spoke to him.

“It did. Naruto and Sakura came. The psychological damage you did during your genjutsu battle took root, and Sasuke left with them freely. Suigestu, Jugo, and Karin went with him as well, saying that Sasuke was the reason they were free, so they would stay with him.”

Yuji nodded, exhaling out of pure relief.
“Good. I was worried I’d have to kill him. Or rather, that he would die before I could completely break his spirit on the physical and mental planes. I’m surprised to find that I really believe I could have killed him, if I had to. I’m less surprised that I still want to. After all, I did just fulfill part of the prophecy for him, in his favor.”

With a question in his voice, Kojiro said “But you aren’t dying.”

Yuji shook his head. “No. But as someone who was more powerful than him, in my authority, I made him one of the next legends…”

“Which means that you won’t be…” Azami murmured. “Why? Why would you do that?”

Yuji turned to face her, but kept his head on Kuroko’s lap.
“If I hadn’t, he would have committed suicide. I know. I’ve seen that look before. In the water right before I hit it. The reflection of my own face...”
--
--

Yuji returned to the Leaf Village, walking through the gate normally. He had shed his white cloak, returning to his old, comfortable black coat. His hair had dulled to it’s normal dark brown after a while, as his chakra receded. His tattoo had also stopped glowing.

It was clear that a celebration had been in progress for at least two full days. Banners that said ‘Welcome Home Uchiha’ and the like were strung all over.

It was surreal. Yuji had never felt so removed from the world. He was still in a state of shock, he imagined. He hadn’t really expected his idea to work so well.

It was as if he was isolated from the party. He walked through silently, right down the center of the road. The party raged on on either side of him, but he walked straight through. The faceless crowd didn’t seem to notice him either. The effects of two days worth of boozing.

He heard his name called, but didn’t answer. He kept walking straight on his solitary journey.

He didn’t stop walking until he reached the memorial obelisk. The black flames from his ‘captured’ Amaterasu attack still burned in the holder where he’d transported them. The holder itself was made by a master craftsman. The stone was thick but beautifully carved into the shape of a lantern that you might see outside a Shinto shrine.

Kneeling near the flickering black flame, Yuji prayed for the deceased, his hands folded accordingly to his religion. How long he stood there, he didn’t know. He was aware that people were waiting behind him. He ignored them, as he was off to the side. If they needed to pass, they could easily. If they were waiting for him, well, he didn’t want to talk to anyone right now.

I’m happy. So why do I feel miserable? Is it because there’s no mission now? Or is it because I really wanted to be a legend? That must be it. I wanted to stand among Naruto and Sakura as an equal for a change. But I gave the honor away to save a life. And I know it was the right thing to do. I guess it’s just going to hurt for a while.

Whoever was behind him wasn’t leaving. Finally, he’d had enough. He turned around to see who it was.

Shiroko and a man Yuji didn’t know.

“Yuji…”

Yuji didn’t reply. Shiroko was too sore a spot to deal with right now. He just looked back at her, allowing himself to betray no emotion on his face. That was in direct contrast to the anger radiating from him.

“I had to see for myself…”

Shiroko reached a hand out toward Yuji’s face. Yuji let her touch his face for a moment, letting her know that his anger had nothing to do with her.

“…I had to see that you made it. I’m glad you’re alive. I was worried.”

“I’m fine.”
Yuji had bit the words off so sharply that even he was surprised.

Shiroko smiled sadly. “No. No, you aren’t fine. But you will be. Given time, you’ll be-”

“Dead. Given time, I’ll be dead, and it’ll be relief!” Yuji exploded. He was suddenly, inexplicably angry. He didn’t want to be consoled. He wanted this anger to consume him. It felt good…no, it hurt…both. It hurt and it felt good.

Shiroko’s smile faded, but she didn’t move away. “I’d hoped I could have done more for you. To ease your suffering. But I wasn’t able to do that.”

“You were. You made me happy. But it’s like you said- I tied my self-worth to my job. And more than that, I tied my entire life to my job. And now, my job is finished. So I need to decide what my life is. What’s left?”

Yuji looked to the man, suddenly knowing his name.

“Kaname-sama, isn’t it? I’m sorry, I don’t know your last name, or I would address you accordingly…”

Yuji bowed to him, and then to Shiroko.

“We’ll catch up some time, okay?” he called back. “He’s welcome, too, you know?”

Shiroko let him go, her hand still extended as if she could touch his face. Kaname moved to join her, his arm steady around her waist. Shiroko leaned her head against his shoulder.

“He’s alive. As alive as he ever is. I had to see for myself. He was…and is… so close to death. Always so close to death.”
--
--

Yuji retrieved his headband from Tsunade’s office the next day, speaking to no one unless necessary. Tsunade had all the details from Azami, who had saved Yuji from having to report, mercifully. Tsunade put up no false fronts of happiness. Yuji had done a great service, but she understood very well the sacrifice it had taken on his part. There was nothing she could do to remedy it.

“My Lady…is the prophecy still in-tact and unaltered?”

Tsunade had checked earlier, once it was apparent that Sasuke would live. The prophecy had remained mostly unchanged. The only alteration was the note that Sasuke was a legend, and that end of the prophecy was fulfilled.

Tsunade informed him of the change, trying to sound upbeat when she told him that the power of ‘Heaven’s Temper’ were his to keep, despite the fact that he and Sasuke still lived.

“…I understand. I’ll resume my duties now. Sorry for the trouble.”
--

Yuji returned home and sat down. He was so depressed and he couldn’t figure out why. He had a girlfriend, he had his old life back, and there was no way he’d ever be unemployed. So what was wrong?

You beat Sasuke, you know. That makes you more powerful than a legend. Naruto may be above you, but you’re above Sasuke. And Naruto is the one you’re never supposed to catch up to. So maybe things are okay.

A small smile crept across Yuji’s face gradually. He had beaten Sasuke, hadn’t he? That wasn’t a small accomplishment. He’d help Naruto and Sakura achieve their mission of returning Sasuke to the Leaf. Another big victory.

So why doesn’t this feel like a win? What is wrong with me?

Yuji rolled over onto his bed and propped his chin up on his pillow, staring at nothing with an angry grimace on his face. He hadn’t expected victory to feel so empty. It was like…where do I go from here?

Sitting at home like this wasn’t helping. So Yuji got up, extracted an outfit consisting of plain, unadorned black pants and shirt, socks, ankle boots, and his long black overcoat. He stalked out into the street, his face set in a dull, angry expression.

How long is this stupid party going to go on for? he wondered, irritated by the festivities suddenly. Why was their no party for the victor? Why did the loser get all the attention? Yuji had been on the losing end enough times to know that he certainly wasn’t showered with happiness when he lost.

Once again, everyone cut him a wide path. He ignored the shocked, angry, and even the sympathetic looks. Apparently, his story was getting around, and some people actually understood that he had been involved in their big celebration.

It made Yuji’s blood boil. These people. Any excuse to party. Why not train and get in decent shape? Then you can rescue your own damned friends. Even as he thought it, Yuji realized that was unfair. But he found that he didn’t care much. Why should he?

Now that he thought about, Yuji couldn’t figure out why he stuck his neck out for anyone. Was it because he just wanted an excuse to fight, but couldn’t bear to be a ‘bad guy’? That seemed eerily realistic to him. It was scary that that seemed to be the truth. When had his values become so warped?
Or was he over thinking things?

Yuji shook his head. He was as sane as anyone else. Maybe more so. This anger, this unfeeling, unflinching, cold anger was not natural. It was only natural to feel disappointed when things didn’t go your way. But when they never went your way? What, then, were you supposed to feel?

Apparently, a cold, dark hatred for people you know are innocent of any wrongdoing.

Yuji had been turning over another thing in his head, and it had been contributing to his foul mood. There was one more giant, looming threat. And that was Pain. They knew his base of operations. They could send a strike force of only the best (so as not to endanger civilians) and wipe Pain out. End this whole threat.

But if we attack first, it would be a nightmare from a diplomatic standpoint. It would cause another war because we’d lose the ability to say it was self-defense. An equal number of lives may be lost either way, so I can’t justify it that way, either.

Yuji’s walk led him outside the village. He wandered with no destination. That was an accurate metaphor for his life, he decided. Now what did he do? If he couldn’t fight Pain, and he had no more reason to protect Naruto and Sakura, then what was there? He couldn’t live a ‘normal’ life- not now. Not after what he’d seen and done, and especially not with Ten no Kishootsu’s ability living inside him.

As he pondered this, Yuji felt someone coming. Not in the normal way, either. A summoning, but in reverse. He’d felt this once before, and the last time he did it was those toads ripping him away from his peaceful reality to deal with Sasuke. He had been absolutely demolished that time, to the point where he’d be embarrassed to deal with the toads again.

This time, he went nowhere, but instead had someone else join him. It was Jiraiya, and with him were two of the toads Yuji had met before.

It was apparent instantly that they had been through the wringer. The toads were beat up and panting from exertion, while Jiraiya himself was missing an arm.

Yuji immediately hived off a clone to go get help. He knelt down to see what first aid he could administer, though it was almost instantly obvious that there was nothing he could do. Jiraiya wouldn’t die, but Yuji couldn’t help him, either.

Then again…

Yuji instructed the Elder Toads to hold onto Jiraiya with a loose genjutsu. Once they had complied, Yuji used his special genjutsu to put Jiraiya in a sort of mental stasis. He left his physical body to tend to the damage while he spoke with Jiraiya.

It was no accident that those toads found him.

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