Naruto: Uzumaki Yuji [EN]

Yūji looked around quite attentively, and during the day nothing had happened, not a soul had even appeared in those places far away that would be the mines, he sighed bored and scratched his neck, although he never stopped being alert.

He did not think that this passing of the days would be very boring.

The mission was not dangerous at all; at the end of the day the Rokushō team gathered and attested that everything was really quite peaceful, and in those days they stayed they also lived a lot with the villagers, who were warm and showed them their gratitude, but when they saw the samuráis that guarded the Daimyo while strolling, his gaze became horrified, having to pretend to be fine.

Yūji was surprised, now that he was in Toshio's house; Ajisai ate abundantly, her cheeks puffed up with a fierce expression, it had been a long time since they had tasted a decent meal other than bread and rice, and the timid and silent Suiren was the same something that greatly surprised Rokushō and Yūji, both with their eyes wide open.

Yūji, upon seeing his companions adore the food, did not deny it, it looked appetizing a stew of a vivid color and truly fragrant, it seemed that Toshio-san's wife was an excellent cook, timidly he tried a little and, upon feeling it dissolve in his mouth,

he felt the taste and the fragrance, his eyes widened at a flavor so different from what he ate every day in Amegakure, and the boy did not even hesitate; now he complemented the whole team, leaving Toshio and his wife surprised.

" It looks as if you kids never eat " spoke the older woman playfully, Toshio-san's wife, her name Yume-san.

" It's very good! If it's not too much trouble, I would like some more, please! " the red‐haired boy raised his bowl, begging for a little more, his eyes wide open asking for more of that stew, damn! It was the best stew he had ever had in this life! His eyes shone and pleaded for more.

Although the woman felt honored in her eyes, Yūji was a very tender person " Of course, little one, here, have the plate "

When he was about to get some, both Ajisai and Suiren raised their plates, which had startled Toshio's wife.

" More, please! " they spoke in unison.

" Well, at this moment I will give double rations to all three " something a woman loved was the fact that she adored it when they liked her own cooking.

Rokushō looked at the children amused, although it stirred some emotion in him, since he, at least during most of his childhood and adolescence, had always had very good food, after all he came from Konoha, a place rich in land and food.

These poor children ate the same thing over and over; trying different types of food is a blessing that they should not reject.

The children ate until they were full; the adults found it amusing how Ajisai and Yūji ate faster and faster to see who would finish first; because of that silly competition both choked on a vegetable that did not go down well, and from then on they did not do it.

It was a calm moment, at least for these people enjoying a mission that was possibly the easiest to begin their careers as shinobi.

...

The day of expiration for this group of shinobi to withdraw from Katabami Mizan was nearly upon them, and as for Yūji, he had not even noticed any danger in the surroundings.

Everything was so... strangely peaceful.

He simply complied, perhaps three days before the mission was to be successfully completed, for that reason he lived closely with the miners and sometimes helped them carry things or even mine, something that Rokushō wanted to tell him was not right and that he should only dedicate himself to fulfilling the mission.

But the boy had such a good heart that he simply did not listen, at least, that was the case until that day.

One of the last days, they were once again performing the diamond formation, this time Yūji was at the highest canopy of the trees, until he heard screams and an alarm coming from the Daimyo's house, it seemed that the bells were being rung forcefully.

Ajisai saw that too; the Daimyo's house was in flames, something that surprised her, " Sensei! There are problems! " Ajisai went directly to Rokushō, who became serious.

They could not ignore the Daimy, immediately he saw the miners, who appeared frightened by the events.

Although he saw some mysterious people appear in front of the miners, Rokushō's strong reflexes made him appear in front of the miners, holding his special sword in case he needed to use it.

" Stop there, or I will cut the necks of all of you " Rokushō spoke firmly.

The three children positioned themselves around the miners to protect them.

The red‐haired boy held that small knife with which it fit perfectly compared to the kunai; he appeared nervous when facing mysterious men.

Although hearing the cold words of his sensei made him shudder, he could not imagine that his sensei, who is so kind and warm with them, would say something so harsh.

' I like that man ' he heard Sukuna's voice after so much time, which had warned him that that parasite was watching the situation at that moment he did not pay attention, and he became somewhat tense upon seeing one of the armed men step forward.

" We are not enemies, we have only come to speak with the miners of this poor village that is oppressed... we are from the Kurosuki family, and today the Kurosuki family has decided to eliminate once and for all the problem that this village is suffering; the plans to free them from their pain are being carried out at this moment " spoke that man, covered in a black tunic.

Rokushō only appeared tense, Ajisai clenched her jaw, keeping a clear mind, and Suiren had her hands in position in case they needed to use a ninjutsu.

" Eliminating? Have you caused the fire at the feudal's estate? " Yūji's unstable voice was heard in the area, his mouth tense as he looked at those people.

" Identify yourself with your family's emblem now " the green‐haired one did not yield to that story, silencing Yūji indirectly, that child was so kind of heart that he expected not to face any danger on that mission.

The one in the tunic nodded cooperatively, lifted part of the covering, and there the family's emblem was revealed some crosses on top of a tombstone shape.

Rokushō looked at the miners, seeing that Hachidai-san and Rokusuke-san had their eyes light up upon recognizing the emblem.

Only with that did he cease being tense, " Lower your weapons, you do not need to be so tense, you are of the Kurosuki family " he told his students; Ajisai and Suiren obeyed without protest.

But he noticed that the only one who had not moved from his position was the red‐haired boy who was tense, his eyes wide open.

" So then... are you... killing? "

The family looked surprised, but they only replied, " That's right, we are eliminating the plague at this moment "

" If you are killing the feudal, that means that you are now the ones who will govern the village, right? " the casual speech of Ajisai made Yūji look at her incredulously.

" Yes, that is correct "

" Then, if you are going to take charge of this village, we only want you to maintain our payment in protection of these miners, our mission ends in two days, we are ninjas from Amegakure, Rokushō team, I hope you fulfill this request, otherwise right now we will fight and kill those we protect as payment for our days " Suiren spoke so solemnly, causing Yūji's hand to tremble, as if he did not know his two companions, it seemed that the boy was incredulous at what he was hearing.

Very different was Rokushō, who only smiled quite proudly at how mature his students were.

The one who led that Kurosuki family group nodded in agreement, " We will tell the head of the family your request, he will accept it so that you do not have to commit a vile act against these poor miners "

The man spoke calmly, the miners did not seem worried, on the contrary, they only smiled and celebrated, letting out their shouts of joy upon knowing that the feudal and all those samuráis were dying at that moment, but everything stopped when everyone heard Yūji's shout, " You all! How can you speak so calmly about the death and life of people as if it were a simple market payment! " The anger and the contracted expression on the boy's face were emotions that had never been seen.

So much so that Ajisai and Suiren were surprised not to see the boy's radiant light at that moment.

Rokushō looked at his problematic student, " It is part of being a ninja, I am sure that your other senseis have told you that the mission is the only important thing on the shinobi path, you have to endure it, keep your feelings and never express them "

" S-Sensei! You... right now those people are dying! I cannot let them die! " he clenched his fists with anger, looking defiantly at his sensei.

Rokushō only showed an expression of disdain and calm, as if it did not affect him at all, " It does not concern us as shinobi; if they die, it is on the part of this village, we have nothing to do with them "

Yūji was so surprised; he had only believed that he had to kill people, he was really accepting that fact.

But now... is it true that they had enough power, and they remained with their arms crossed without moving an inch, just because of a stupid mission that they had fulfilled perfectly and it did not affect them to help?

What were the shinobi thinking to ignore the life of a human being as if it were a common exchange of one sweet for another?

What rights did they have to treat human life as if it were an appetizer?

Yūji's gaze was a mixture of emotions; fear, nausea, sadness, anger, agony, denial.

He took a small step back as his arm faltered; Rokushō saw the child's intention, noticing how he had multiple feelings on his face.

" Yūji, do not dare go in that direction... "

He always questioned himself, that it was not the same to kill a curse, something that was malignant for humans, saving and preserving human life, as opposed to this place that kills and where deaths occur as if they were an everyday occurrence.

' These are human lives, Yūji, in the end, these people are not as good as you think, are they? To you they will seem like angels, but to others they are executioner demons that act in search of slaughter and blood, full of disdain for people who are not of their own kind '

' Shut up... '

' Just think about it, brat, if you had never reached the Rain Village... '

' Be silent. '

' Right now your neck would be in your sensei's sword, your limbs in the ninja tools of that little redhead, and drowned in the water-style ninjutsus of the curly-eyed girl '

' SHUT UP! '

he shouted more in his mind, his brow furrowed as he looked firmly at his master, " I have to go save them! I do not care if they do it for good or not, I am sure that that man learned the lesson of his sins! But you do not have the right to decide for the life of others! "

The gesture full of courage from the boy did not go unnoticed, and without saying anything more, Yūji took a strong leap, running straight towards the feudal's house, his forehead was sweating from what Sukuna had said.

In part, he was right.

His morality was now much worse from knowing the cruel reality he had to face; he did not want to kill people, he was not the one to judge.

He tried to convince himself that they could be people who did a lot of wrong, but even if he put that in the foreground, he could not ignore it.

" Ajisai, Suiren! Follow him! " spoke the Jōnin firmly, also taking a leap to start following that boy.

It was something he had seen before in Yūji, his incredulity that did not make him a fearsome ninja, his innocence toward the shinobi path.

The red‐haired one has to wake up, because in the end...

This is the sad reality of the shinobi world in which he had gotten himself into, a world where he has to face death and killings as a game in his record, an appetizer that will never end.

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[ No Illustration, the author is working on commissions :p ]