Naruto: Uzumaki Yuji [EN]

The days passed relatively slowly. Yūji was gazing at the sky. His sister had once again left for the ninja school in Kusagakure, leaving him alone. Despite his young age, he could already take care of himself. He was outside now, chewing on a piece of grass, feeling somewhat melancholic.

"Why could that be?" he wondered. It was a question that always seemed to go unanswered.

Unconsciously, he placed his small hand on his chest, looking a little sad as he observed the clouds and appreciated nature.

"I feel... like something's missing. I feel so alone. Could it be because Karin always leaves me alone in the mornings?" His small voice murmured softly. His hand clenched a little tighter. Deep down, he knew that was just a blatant lie.

A part of him seemed to yearn for something.

His eyes shifted to his hand, where he noticed an aura that felt sinister and nauseating. He almost thought he could hear screams and whispers emanating from the dark, reddish stain.

"I wonder why Karin can't see this... Is this Chakra?" he whispered again, staring at his hand. He toyed with the aura, even though it made him uncomfortable. His eyes narrowed slightly. "This is... more than anything, curious. At least it has a beautiful color... It's as if it's a part of me, something more personal." The words flowed from his lips.

He stopped moving his hand and abruptly sat down. As he did, he ruffled his hair in frustration—stressful behavior for a four-year-old, ironically.

"I'm tired of always remembering people I don't care about. Why do they keep appearing in my mind? I've never even seen them," the boy grumbled irritably, his face tightening as the unrelenting images of strangers flooded his thoughts. People he had never met continued to appear, over and over, without end.

He heard a sharp, mocking laugh. It came from a very tall man with black bandages over his eyes. The sound was irritating.

Then, he saw the desolate gaze of a dark-haired man staring at him with intensity. Why did they look at him like that when he didn't even know who they were?

"They're so annoying... This is happening because sister Karin leaves me alone every morning," he murmured, stopping his hair-ruffling and letting out a sad sigh.

He took a few short steps before deciding to explore the vast forest. The people of Kusagakure had hidden him and his sister well, believing he possessed healing abilities. They lived in captivity, surrounded by dense foliage—a hiding place so remote that no one in the small village knew their whereabouts. A few ninjas were assigned to keep watch over Yūji.

Yūji had always been curious. After all, loneliness overwhelmed him without anyone to play with, no children his age around. He could only watch as his sister offered him a fleeting smile, wondering why she did so.

When he reached the river where his sister often took him, he crouched to see his reflection.

There he was, a four-year-old boy with large, vibrant eyes—brown that leaned toward crimson. Below his eyes were small black markings that wouldn't open, no matter how hard he tried, as if they were simply birthmarks.

A round face and spiky, yet abundant, red hair.

He gently touched his face, feeling as if it didn't belong to him. It was an uncomfortable sensation that always made him feel uneasy. But what gave him chills were those small markings he was born with, even though his older sister insisted they were cute.

"I feel so alone..." Once again, words slipped from his lips without him thinking. When he realized what he'd said, he gritted his teeth in frustration at such pessimistic thoughts.

"Why do I always have to say these things?" He rubbed the back of his neck with a bored expression.

While scolding himself, a cheerful voice interrupted his thoughts: "Yūji, I'm back!" Hearing that voice filled him with joy.

"Big sister!" he exclaimed, instantly returning to his innocent, enthusiastic four-year-old self. He stood up and ran as fast as his little legs could carry him, seeing the familiar smile and distinctive glasses of his sister.

Karin patiently waited for her brother, always looking at him with a hint of devotion. But her smile gradually faded.

"Karin Uzumaki, we need to talk to you."

The voice came from behind her. It belonged to a man with a stern expression, clearly a grouchy individual. Behind him stood his team—a few of the few Jōnin in their small village, accompanied by five Chūnin and two Genin. This squad was here in case Karin refused. Everyone knew how protective Karin was of her younger brother, and they had used that to manipulate her effectively.

A trade-off: she offered her healing Chakra in exchange for them taking care of Yūji when she left him alone. That was why they lived in such secrecy, hidden in the wilderness, with only a handful of ninjas aware of their location. But now, things were about to change.

Karin turned to look at them slowly, reluctant to submit.

"Yes, Mr. Kare?" Though she disliked these people, she had to treat them with respect as they were a pillar of the village, and she wasn't even a graduate yet.

Yūji stopped before reaching his sister. He clasped his hands together, feeling uneasy for her. These people radiated bad intentions.

But Yūji hesitated for another reason.

These people, whom his sister called ninjas... They had an aura visible only to him. An aura reeking of blood. Sometimes, he could almost hear agonized screams and wails. But the ninjas themselves seemed unaware of it.

The one with the most intense, dark, and putrid aura was the squad leader. But, as mentioned, no one else seemed to know. Perhaps only Karin sensed it, as Jōnin Kare's presence was intimidating—but only that.

"We can't discuss this in front of your little brother," the Jōnin said again, with a hint of mockery. Karin gritted her teeth slightly but turned to Yūji, who had stopped in his tracks and not reached her side. She gave him a gentle smile.

"Yūji, I need to speak with the leader. Be a good boy and wait for a moment, alright?" The red-haired girl gave one of her best smiles to her brother, seeing him nod timidly. That gave her the green light to step into the small room with the Jōnin and two Chūnin following closely behind.

Three Chūnin and two Genin stayed outside, though they looked somewhat bored. They noticed the little boy approaching them out of curiosity after his sister had gone inside.

"So, what do ninjas do?" he asked a slightly older-looking boy. Yūji's curiosity was genuine, but his sister had always refused to tell him what they did, preferring to keep him ignorant, though Yūji didn't know that.

"Hmm? You'll find out when you enroll in ninja school, kid," the Chūnin with the headband replied, clearly annoyed by children.

"Oh..." The little red-haired boy felt uncomfortable with how he was treated. He sat on the grass, playing with the dirt. His question had been more about the malicious energy surrounding these people.

Inside the room, Karin stood with her arms crossed, waiting to hear what Mr. Kare had to say. Her expression showed annoyance. Karin hadn't always been this way. She used to be weak and fearful, unable to stand up to the ninjas of Kusagakure. But her brother gave her the strength to be strong. However, she couldn't afford to disrespect this man.

"So, Mr. Kare, what is it you want to say?" Karin spoke softly, looking at the older man, who now wore a mocking smile.

"You think you're so grown-up now, don't you, Karin? But that's not why we're here. This time, you're no longer enough. We've had too many losses lately—too many people biting you to heal. We don't want you dying too soon," the man spoke disdainfully. Unconsciously, Karin placed a trembling hand over the bandages covering her wounds, remembering the pain of those bites.

"What are you trying to say?" She wanted to remain ignorant, but a fearful expression began to take over her face. Her legs trembled slightly. The proud and strong Karin was regressing to her timid beginnings.

"Isn't it obvious, you stupid girl? Your little brother will have to help you with the work now. You should be glad you won't be used as much anymore, giving you a bit of a longer life," the Jōnin said with a smile, enjoying how fear overtook Karin. A fear not for herself, but for her younger brother.

"No! You can't do that to him! He's still just a child. I beg you..." Karin pleaded with fear. She didn't want these wicked people involving her brother. He couldn't even defend himself. After all, she thought he was far too young. She had only been seven when they began using her as medicine.

Karin stood up and clasped her hands together, immediately beginning to beg for her brother. She closed her eyes as she pleaded. "Please, sir..." Karin didn't care about her pride. She didn't want her brother to endure what she was going through alone. Bitter tears began to fall from her eyes.

The ninjas seemed to enjoy watching her suffer.

"Things are about to get hectic for you two. Our ninjas will be coming. These are direct orders, and you must obey," the Jōnin said with a smirk. It seemed he was there merely to deliver the warning, as he didn't linger long before leaving the unpleasant place.

Yūji watched as the ninjas left. His curious eyes wondered why that had happened. Had something bad happened to his sister? He immediately got up and ran toward Karin. "Siste—!... Sister Karin?" He shouted at first but stopped abruptly as he entered the room, only to see his sister hiding her face in her arms. Yūji approached her slowly, touching her forearm. "What's wrong, Sister? What did those bad men say to you?" he asked with concern. Something within him felt fervent, an instinctive urge to rush toward those ninjas who had interrupted their home.

"Sister?" Karin still didn't respond, though she slowly raised her head. Despite her eyes being slightly irritated from tears she'd secretly wiped away, she gave Yūji her best smile.

"Don't worry, nothing's wrong. It's just... It's possible that..." She struggled to explain, her voice breaking slightly. Though she kept up her forced smile, Yūji noticed it and frowned. The little boy believed something bad had happened and didn't want his sister to feel sad.

"Am I still useless?" The red-haired boy thought, a flash of maturity crossing his face before disappearing in confusion.

He didn't dwell on it. He sighed deeply before grabbing his sister's arm. "Big sister! I'm hungry!" He shook her arm playfully. Karin appreciated that he didn't press further for now and smiled sweetly at her younger brother.

"Alright, alright, I'll get you something to eat, you little troublemaker," the red-haired girl said, immediately attending to her little brother. He sure ate a lot.

Yūji just didn't want his sister to feel bad. Today, they would enjoy themselves.

He would protect his sister. He wouldn't let her suffer. He wanted to be the light in her life, just as she had been for him.

The afternoon passed quickly with laughter and games between the siblings. Karin's genuine smile was something Yūji adored seeing. It was also on his face.

Now, as night fell, the little red-haired boy slept peacefully in the same room as his sister. Karin was asleep beside him. But this time, Yūji's dreams weren't so pleasant.

His expression twisted into discomfort as he dreamed.

The boy found himself in a dark place, pitch black. Despite walking and searching for someone, he found no one. When he looked down, he realized he was very high up, so high that it scared him. He thought he might fall. He looked at his hands.

They were large, like the person who had come to talk to his sister—the Jōnin ninja.

He kept walking. It was a thick path that looked like water, but red—bright red. It smelled bad, like the strange aura the ninjas emitted.

"Hello?" he called out, searching for anyone, until his gaze fell upon a pile of bones. Following the trail of bones, his eyes landed on a strange figure.

It was him. Or... an adult version of him?

The figure had four eyes, strange markings on its face, and hair that was no longer red but a pinkish hue.

It was undeniably his face, only older.

The figure wore a white yukata with blue stripes, sitting on what looked like a throne of bones, gazing down as if watching an ant.

Yūji froze in fear, his breathing shallow.

"W-who are you?" His voice echoed as he addressed the figure. The shadowy man smiled, radiating an immense killing intent.

"You don't recognize me? Strange. How amusing..." The figure's voice was rough, mature, and terrifying, sending chills down Yūji's spine. It was like staring into the abyss.

"I-I don't... I don't recognize any of this. I think I'm having a very strange dream," said the boy who appeared as an adult version of himself. His expression showed surprise, disbelief etched on his face.

He didn't expect the person seated on that throne of bones to suddenly burst into uncontrollable laughter—dark, sinister, and completely insane. The sound made Yūji tremble, clutching his head tightly. It was a primal fear, an instinctive response his body couldn't suppress.

The problem was, little Yūji had no idea why he felt such natural fear toward the man laughing so sadistically.

"HAHA! Don't lie to me, brat! That's definitely the best joke you've told in a long time! Even after dying by my hands back then, now you act like a clueless fool? How... pathetic," said the man on the bone throne, his sadistic grin widening in amusement at what he was witnessing.

Yūji's eyes were vacant as he clutched his hair tightly, gasping for composure. "I... I truly d-don't know who you are... I can't remember you," the terrified boy stammered.

But before he could react further, he felt a hand pierce through his chest. He froze, staring at the tattooed hand with sharp nails protruding from him.

"You're so pathetic, it's pitiful to look at you. Just get out of my sight, brat. You're not entertaining," said the man, his voice dripping with disdain.

"AH!" was the last thing Yūji cried out before he woke up, gasping for air. The boy's eyes flew open as he began to hyperventilate, feeling as though he were suffocating. He sat up quickly, clutching his chest where he had felt the hand pierce him. The pain had been so real. Tears streamed down his face as he sat there, utterly lost.

Karin rushed over, alarmed by Yūji's crying and labored breathing. "Yūji, what's wrong?!" she asked, her voice filled with worry. She hurried to help calm him down, quickly realizing he must have had a nightmare. It was the first time something like this had happened, so she worked to soothe him, her own fear growing as she saw his distress.

She noticed how Yūji clung to his chest, but she didn't ask about the nightmare. She didn't want to risk frightening him further. Whatever he had dreamed, it must have been truly terrifying to leave him in such a state.

Yet Yūji remained lost in thought. That dream didn't feel like just a dream. It had been so vivid, so real, that the pain in his small chest refused to fade. Bruises even appeared in the spot where he had felt the hand.

That night, Yūji didn't sleep at all. He stayed awake, gripped by fear and dread, terrified of returning to that strange, unknown place.