Consequence

Yurei stared up at the night sky, the stars shining down on him. His bones and muscles ached, and his chakra had nearly been drained complete. Yurei forced himself to move despite the pain that felt like thousands upon thousands of needles piercing his body all over. He had pushed himself too far, and, though the jutsu was a success, his could barely stay conscious. Yurei sat in the sandy dirt, breathing deeply. The sun had begun to set, but Yurei could barely move as it was. Each joint ached and his face felt as if it were on fire, one that could not be extinguished. His lungs ached as if they had been burned, and with the number of times he had used his phoenix fire jutsu, the explanation was not lost to him.
The pale boy forced himself to get up and walk home despite the pain. With the sun setting, it was to be dark soon, and that presented more dangers than one. Yurei walked forward, forcing himself to take a step. He ventured into the ‘shinobi district,’ forcing his body to move, each leg to walk for him. It was terribly quiet in the area, and Yurei’s imagination ran rampant with all the dangers that could be lurking about, and, in this state, he wouldn’t stand a chance against a large threat.
The Uchiha boy passed the empty shinobi academy, finding its lights to be turned off. The only thing that illuminated the streets ahead were lamps that lined the sidewalk and the distant flickering lights of the marketplace, teeming with life, food, goods, and noise. That was not like this place. Perhaps it was his vulnerability, but Yurei could not find himself at ease, mentally. His body had been through much, an entire day of exercises and jutsu. If his body didn’t kill him, his drained chakra certainly would. He almost had none left. The otherwise bright flame that had burned inside of him had diminished into nothing more than a spark or perhaps a match.
As Yurei walked on, he found himself in the marketplace. It was busier than ever, with people swarming throughout the streets. Yurei tucked his shoulders inward, trying to take up the least amount of space as possible. Each bump felt like it was going to leave a massive bruise. The boy cautiously wormed his way through the massive crowds, careful not to hit anyone on accident. Even with that danger, he did feel safer here. Theft was none to be a common problem, but there were at least people, and that’s where Yurei felt the most comfortable: among others.
Then he came to the housing district. Dim street lights lined the sidewalks, but this place was nowhere near as threatening as the abandoned shinobi district. Lights were on in homes, and you could hear the sound of families having fun together and laugh.
 By the time he had reached his house, the moon had risen and his legs ached, but the significantly cooler temperatures had cooled his heated body. Yurei walked up the steps leading to his home and entered, exhausted.
Takia came from her bedroom to find her son sitting in the living room with his eyes closed and deeply breathing. “What have you been doing?” she asked, almost frantically.
Yurei licked his lips before looking at his mother. “I’ve been training all day, but I finally got to perfect that jutsu. Combined it too,” his voice was tired and distant.
“Here,” said Takia, who ventured into the kitchen. She drew some water in a glass and handed it to her son. “Drink this,” she said, taking off his sack.
Yurei leaned up and drank the cool glass of water as his mother rummaged through his belongings. “You didn’t eat your riceball?” she asked.
Yurei’s eyes widened as he lunged for the food, ripping off the wrapping and devouring it. It was so good. He had forgotten how hungry he was.
“Well, you are a growing boy, I guess,” she said with a laughing smile.
Yurei smiled in return, swallowing and taking a deep breath. “Thanks, Mom,” he said, taking a drink of the water.
“You must be exhausted from all that training!” she said, wetting a rag. She walked over to her sun and ran the cold rag over his forehead.
“Mooom,” he said, trying to move his head.
“Oh, don’t act like it doesn’t make you feel better,” she said, placing it on his face.
He smiled briefly and leaned his head back, taking one last big breath.
“Stay here,” she said, patting her son’s knee as she left to go to the back.
Yurei sat in silence, relaxing in the peaceful room. He had felt this comfortable in a long time, even with the aching muscles and depleted chakra.
And then it happened.
 
A firebomb crashed through the window next to Yurei. Frantic, the boy leapt from his seat, going on by instinct and grabbing a pot lid to snuff out the fire. His muscles ached with every moment, hindering him. “MOM!” he yelled as another burst through the other window. Yurei recoiled in fear that it would hit him. “MOM!”
Takia ran into the room where she stopped dead in her tracks, gasping. “Yurei!” she yelled, ducking as another firebomb crashed into their home.
“Put them out!” Yurei said, running out of the door. Needles stabbed into Yurei’s leg, stopping it from moving. Yurei collapsed, forcing himself forward. He had exhausted himself, and his body was rejecting further exertion. Even with the adrenaline, Yurei had to drive himself to move forward with every fiber of his being.
The Uchiha slabbed open the door, finding numerous people standing outside of his home with weapons and bottles of sake with rags tied into the nozzles. Yurei clenched his fist and rose his hands to sign handseals, but he couldn’t. Yurei collapsed, and, with the shreds of his will power left, he activated his sharingan, examining the men standing outside. None of them were shinobi as far as he could tell. These were all extremists.
Yurei took a deep breath and reached for his weapons pouch as they threw their fire bombs.
“Yurei! Yurei, get up!” Takia yelled, trying to smother the fires.
His vision was blurred, and he could barely move. I’ve got to get up… I have to.. protect… Yurei forced himself to rise his hands, forming the handseals for the great fireball technique. Yurei forced what little chakra remained inside him to become heated, and he expelled it, launching a fireball the burned his lungs further at the group of extremists. The fireball exploded, igniting their Molotov reserves and scattering them. The group quickly recovered and charged for Yurei, but he couldn’t move.
I black vignette encroached upon Yurei’s vision, beginning him to close his eyes and sleep. He could barely see, and his body had gone limp. I have to.. I have to get up… I..
 
“I’m gonna be Hogokage!”
Yurei had said that not long ago. He couldn’t remember the context or the situation for the life of him, but it seemed as though that dream was lost. He couldn’t do anymore. It was over. He wouldn’t be able to achieve the peace he desired, and, for a moment, Yurei thought his father was right. This violence would destroy them all..
Yurei’s eyes struggled to stay open. Is this… the end? Have I worked so hard for…this? Mom… Dad… I’m scared. I…I don’t know what to do. I can’t protect you… I failed again..
No.
No, I can’t…
I can’t let them win…!
I won’t fail, Father….
I have… to prove you wrong…!
Mom needs me.
The village needs me.
The Shinobi need me,,
I am Yurei Uchiha.
I will be the most powerful Genjutsu User in the world!
I’m going to be the Hogokage of Hoshigakure!
I’m going to stop all of this hatred and violence!
And I’m going to protect the ones I care about!
Yurei’s sharingan activated, and the single tomoe split into two. “I won’t give up!” Yurei yelled, forcing his body to move. He grasped his kunai and ran out into the crowd of assaulting zealots, hacking away at their tendons and immobilizing them. They swung their swords at Yurei, only to be surpassed by his sudden burst of speed. His eyes, that white Sharingan, glowed in the dark of the night, watching his opponents’ strikes, and, for every one of theirs, he dodged and countered. His eyes darted across the scene, allowing him to move faster than he had thought possible in his state. The zealots gathered around the boy, striking at him from all directions, but he evaded every strike. These were no shinobi. They were just villagers. There was no way they could keep up with him, not without chakra. And they severely lacked it.
Yurei leapt into the air, kicking one of the men in the nose and shattering his cartilage. These were the people he wanted to help. That was the truth. But right now, they sought to hurt him, and they came after his mother and his home. That could not be allowed. I won’t kill them. I won’t give them injuries they can’t walk away from.. but right now, I have to do this. I have to protect my Mom. I have to protect the shinobi. I have the protect the villagers. But I will not protect those who seek to do harm!
The pale Uchiha slashed at their hands, forcing them to drop their weapons. Some fled, the others tried to strike at the boy but found themselves too slow.
“The brat’s too fast!”
“I can’t keep up!”
 Yurei planted his foot into one of the men’s gut, forcing him to heave. He slid between another’s legs, got back up, and kicked him as hard as he could from behind. Another zealot lunged for Yurei, slashing at his neck. Yurei squinted with his glowing eyes and bent backward, waiting for the man’s arm to swing past him. Yurei stood upright, grabbed the man by his wrist, and then punched his elbow in, breaking his arm. The man fell at the boy’s feet, sobbing and screaming in pain.
Yurei turned to look at the remaining zealots who stared at him in awful terror. “Don’t mess with my family,” he said. The remaining villagers bolted, carrying their wounded and leaving.
Yurei’s sharingan deactivated, and he collapsed into the sandy grass beneath his feet.
 
 
When he woke, Yurei was in his bed. His body ached, as if every bone in his body had been broken. He turned his head and was greeted by his mother.
“Good morning,” Takia said, smiling. “You’ve been asleep for a long time.”
Yurei lowered his brow, confused. “How long have I..?”
“Three days.”
Yurei’s eyes widened. He leaned upward, pulling his back muscles. The pain was intense.
“No, no, no,” his mother said rapidly. “Lie down. I don’t want you to over exert yourself.”
Yurei breathed deeply. “What happened?”
“You saved us. You saved me,” she said, brushing his hair out of his eyes.
“That wasn’t a dream?”
“No. You fended them all off. All by yourself!” Takia said with a smile.
“And the fires..?”
“I snuffed them out. Just some burn marks. I already replaced the windows, too, so don’t worry.”
Yurei huffed hot air out of his nose. “I’m sorry, Mom, I shouldn’t have been wondering around the village with my headband on. I’m the reason they came here… I’m so, so sorry. What would Dad think? I put you in so much danger, I-“
“It’s ok, Yurei,” said Takia, comfortingly. “We’re safe now. We’re safe.”
Yurei fell back into his cot and looked up at the ceiling. His eyes widened with urgency. “What about the Chuu-“
“You’re fine. There hasn’t been any word on them yet. I checked for you.”
Yurei smiled, closing his eyes. “Thank you, Mom.”
 
I don’t know what I would do without you.

WC: 2003

Exit

Requesting: 2nd Tomoe Sharingan

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