Ch. 21 Suijin

"Beni! You're up!" Yoriichi says sitting beside his brother's bed. He's holding a half-empty bag of candy in one hand, he's clearly about to throw one at Beni's face.

"What are you doing?" Benimaru asks shifting away from his brother. Looking at Yo's expression, he looks like he got caught doing something weird. "Have you not heard of personal space?"

"Don't look at me like I'm the weirdo! Have you ever seen someone sleep-eat before? Me either!" Yo says defensively. "And how do you eat so much you glutton! You're so damn tiny!"

Benimaru is completely confused, why is he getting yelled at? It was Yo who was being weird right? He sleep-eats? Looking to the other side of his bed there were a few empty dishes. He sleep-eats…this was new. "Wait don't make this about me! You're the one who was messing with me in my sleep!"

Knowing full well that he was in the wrong Yo didn't actually have a defense for himself. He looks at the candy, then back at Benimaru, then at the candy before flicking it hard enough at Beni's forehead to knock him out of bed. He's gone before Benimaru can even pick himself up.

"You insolent brat! Get back here!" He chases Yo around blasting fire like Yo didn't just beat him up.

"Hahaha brat? Look in the mirror!" Yo dashes across the walls and ceiling avoiding Benimaru's attacks. "Catch me if you can little man, hahahaha!"

"Oh, it sounds like Benimaru is awake." Mikoto says pouring tea for Fugaku elsewhere in the house. Being several rooms away does little to muffle the sounds of Beni and Yo in the background. "Oh my, they're so lively together." To have only spent yesterday together, the two of them seem like they'd known each other for years.

"A little too lively," Fugaku says trying to ignore what is clearly the sound of glass breaking.

"Let go of me!" Beni yells in the background.

"Say Uncle and I will!" Yo yells back. "Ow don't bite me!" Rumbling and crashing continue as they fight.

"You two aren't going to go play?" Mikoto asks Naruto and Sasuke who sit on the floor reading what appear to be manga.

"No thanks," they both say not looking up from their books. Yo and Beni both have a flare for excessiveness it seems, that includes 'play' fighting.

"Hey Sasuke! Look at this guy All Might's attack! It's called United States smash! He totally blew that villain away! Superheroes are the best!!!" Naruto excitedly shows Sasuke a page from My Hero Acadamia.

"Not bad Naruto, but it's not as cool as this! A sword technique from the Ogame school called the purple lightning flash! That guy didn't even see Gamma's attack coming!" Sasuke replies showing a page from Gammaran. "Swordsmen are the coolest!"

"No heroes are cooler!"

"Swordsmen!"

"Heroes!"

"Now, now boys there's no need to fight."

The two of them look ready to fight over it, butting heads until they're startled by Yo appearing in between them. "Personally, I think swordsmen are much cooler but, heroes have a different charm. Their backs are an inspiration to everyone around them." Naruto and Sasuke both heard their option had something better about them and subliminally agreed that was good enough to stop.

"Well, I'm going to be the best hero in the leaf village- no the world so I'll be cooler than you Sasuke." Naruto declares sticking his tongue out at Sasuke.

"You better start training then, I've started on my path to being the best swordsman in the world!" Sasuke says with a puffed-up chest and a smug grin. "I've already started practicing with a sword."

"Don't get big headed Kojiro only agreed to train you yesterday! And he gave you a wooden sword!" Naruto exclaims. "I'll definitely get strong enough to save anyone and beat up all the bad guys, no sweat!"

"You should both train hard. Either way, I'm the last hurdle to achieving your goals…well more like mountain." Yo says in all seriousness, issuing them both a challenge for down the line.

"Well don't cry when we pass you up." Sasuke says confidently.

"Yeah! We're not letting anyone stop us from our goals! Believe it!"

"Hahahaha, my first believe it! How about that?" Yo laughs patting Naruto's head and ignoring the awkward stares everyone is giving him right then. First believe it? Was he expecting Naruto to say that? "I see you guys have found my manuscripts." He says grabbing a manga that was already finished and flipping through the pages. "Good chapter, just like I remember."

"Yeah we found them when we moved all of our stuff here from the old house." Sasuke explains.

"Hmm…I guess it's about time to shake up the world a bit. I'm going to have these published."

"Shake up the world? What are you going on about." Fugaku asks as that line caught his attention.

"Oh you'll see," Yoriichi answers with a mischievous smile. "The power of anime is something unlike anything you've ever seen… I've been waiting to put these out, and I see you guys took the chance to get a head start on the masses. Sadly, if you want to know what happens next you have to pay like everyone else." Yo says plucking up all the books.

"Hey!" Sasuke says.

"What gives!?" Naruto asks.

"That isn't very nice Yo." Mikoto says.

"You would charge your own family to read books they already have?" Fugaku says taking offense to Yo's decision.

"Yup, you didn't ask my permission," he answers casually. "Plus I gotta get my money."

"Well, how would you feel if we charged you rent for living here?" Fugaku asks.

"I'd respect you more, it's hard to separate business and family." Yo answers.

"And Beni's rent as well." Fugaku says with his deadpan face.

"That's fair he's my little brother." Yo responds mimicking Fugaku's facial expression

"And your hospital bills?" Fugaku continues.

"I refuse to pay that, they did nothing to help me…I could've laid up anywhere and made a full recovery." Yo states with a flash of anger. They don't know why but it's clear he does not like hospitals. "Anyways, pay me so they can keep reading…" Yo says with his hand out.

Fugaku's face clearly says no, but the boy's pleading eyes gets to him and he caves. "Fine," he grunts.

"Yes! Thanks dad!" Sasuke runs and hugs Fugaku.

"Yeah, thanks old man Fugaku!" Naruto seconds.

"How much do I owe you?" Fugaku asks.

"Unc! UUUNNNC! Come on!!! You just said you were going to charge me rent, that was a chance to make a deal. I'd have given them completed series to pay off my debt. Learn to do better business, this is why the Uchiha are always broke…" Yo trails off shaking his head as if he made a disappointing discovery.

Fugaku sits there looking embarrassed and frustrated at the same time. "Watch it boy," he warns trying to stay serious. "Just give me a price for the books."

"You're killing me uncle, you're not even trying…It hurts me a little…I kind of just want to give you things. Here, give spread this to the other clan members…" Yoriichi dejectedly puts a scroll summoned into his hand on the table.

"I'm going to have to start giving welfare if the Uchiha are going to survive." Yo says shaking his head.

"Sasuke, Naruto, I love you guys so here's a head start on another series you can learn from." He goes through the manga and gives them both the first few volumes of one piece. There's plenty of useful tricks they could learn, and potentially learn Haki as fundamentally it is just an application of spiritual energy.

'Now show me your true natures sons of the sage. Rise above Naruto! Show me the determination, the overwhelming physique and grit of the heir of the sage himself young Asura. Innovate, create, always strive to grow Sasuke! show me the horrifying talent of the father of ninjutsu and our blood Indra incarnation.' Yoriichi thinks staring at the boys with a smile forming. 'Grow as strong as possible as fast as possible you've seen Benimaru now it's your turn, grow as big as planets so I can crush you too.' He says now fully grinning forgetting all about his angry Uncle.

Fugaku knew he wasn't the greatest businessman, but Yo's words were starting to cut more deeply. What made it worse was that the brat was so damn smug about it. "Look here Yoriichi, I-"

"You think you can tie me up like livestock and get away with it?!?!" Benimaru bursts into the room with a blazing dropkick aimed at Yoriichi's face.

"Oh good timing, we need to talk." Casually avoiding Benimaru's kick Yo grabs him as he flies by, and they vanish.

"YORIICHIIIII!!!!!!" Fugaku yells.

"Wait where'd they go?" Sasuke asks looking around.

"That was dad's jutsu!" Naruto says happy to finally see the flying thunder god up close. Yo has to teach him how it works.

Yoriichi and Benimaru appear in a large spacious wasteland with clear skies above and nothingness going on as far as the eye can see. "Where have you taken us? What is this place?"

"To my special training spot." Yo answers.

"Wasn't-"

"That's what I tell people, but let's be honest everyone knew I was there they just had no reason to really try to bother me. This is my own special room I've created, it rests in it's own pocket dimension. Not even the best sensors can detect us, I mean this place has another entrance in my room at the old house under my bed, but even if they could find the door, they'd just see a basement without proper hand signs no can enter from there. So, now that we have some real privacy…. Let's talk." The two of them had plenty of notes to compare and contrast on.

.......

In a large room at the highest point in a small palace a group of people bow before the throne. Sitting on the throne is a small child of about five years draped in decadent robes, his bright red hair is neatly cut and slicked back. Despite being so young the boy carries himself with the dignity and grace of an old ancestor. He smiles magnanimously as he descends the steps to the kneeling people. He takes a knee to speak at eye level with the man in the front. "Hello my dear guests, what brings you before me today?" Suijin's kind smile and warm demeanor instantly puts the man at ease.

"Young lord Suijin," The man begins. "I have travelled a great distance to ask for your help. My daughter…she has always been sickly, so much so she's spent much of her life confined to her bed. No medicine or doctors I have sought out have been able to heal her. Now she has a fever, and her condition worsens by the day…I beg of you. Please if you are able to heal her, I will pay any cost. Money is no object, whatever you want I can give it to you. Please just save my child."

"Rest assured, your journey was not in vain." Suijin says walking through the group to the girl who still knelt. As you get closer one can hear her labored breathing and she was running an incredibly high fever. It took a lot out of her to come here. Whatever illness it was didn't matter, before Suijin's power she was healed as easily as him taking her hand. "Don't worry you're going to make a full recovery," he says helping her up. Though there was no strength in her body to stand, water appears around the girl and gently lifts her into a ball similar to the water prison jutsu with a mystifying silver glow.

Even trapped amid the ball of water the girl found she can still breathe. Her fever went down, and all her symptoms fade in seconds. When the bubble disperses, she is left standing there in perfect health (and completely dry). "T-thank you," she says as tears well up in her eyes before she falls to her knees which startles everyone.

'Huh did the Underworld water lily powers not work?! Impossible! No…it's purifying water technique is perfect, there's no way a mere disease won't be washed away.' Suijin thinks to himself touching the spot where his lily tattoo is on his chest.

"Are you alright?" One of their servants asks her.

"Yes, thank you." She says wiping tears away. "For the first time in years I can stand with my own strength again. It- it's like I was never sick." The awe stricken girl says bowing again to Suijin. "Words cannot express my gratitude right now. Is there-"

"No need," Suijin puts a hand up. "I can't put a price on someone's life. Your good health is thanks enough for me."

"But there must be something we can give you to express our gratitude." The girl's father says.

"As I have said, being able to save a life is more than enough for me. Live your life to the fullest and I will be happy." As Suijin is talking the doors of swing open and the white-haired hollow enters with a blank expression. He walks past everyone straight to Suijin as if the others weren't there.

'So handsome…' the girl thinks dazzled as he walks by.

"Masamune, you've returned my brother." Suijin greets him. "What is it?"

"I'm bored Suijin… Let's-"

Suijin put a hand up and stopped Masamune, "Give me one moment."

Masamune simply takes a seat on the throne, "do what you must."

'He seems to be in a mood today. I wonder what it is…' Suijin thinks before addressing his visitors. "I'm sorry but have important matters to see to. I wish you safe travels on your journey home." Sending them on their way with a warm smile, the people sobbed about him being a saint all the way until they were out of the building.

"Why didn't you charge him?" Masamune asks having a good idea of what happened. "Aren't we building funds for this plan of yours? Did he not have money?"

"Sometimes a useful pawn is worth so much more than a few coins. That man was a wealthy businessman from a land beyond the five great nations."

"So you could have charged him a lot…but since you didn't he feels like you're a good person and likes you more?" Masamune surmises.

"Precisely, imagine if he was wholeheartedly making all that money for us instead of a single insignificant sum. I need only put on a show and even more like him will flock to us." Although, people in general were uninteresting to Masamune, he was impressed with Suijin's ability to manipulate them like game pieces. "Also, I have acquired some information I think you'd be delighted to know about."

A smile creeps across Masamune's face. "Has that time come?"

"Yes, after five years Yoriichi Uchiha has finally awakened. I'm sure that will ease your boredom for the time being. However, no large-scale attacks. I have a plan for the hidden leaf village, and it needs to remain standing for now."

Masamune stopped to consider Suijin's words before he glares at his little brother, then without warning he unleashes his spiritual pressure on him en masse. Suijin struggled to withstand the pressure but he stood strong, he never broke eye contact with Masamune showing he would not be intimidated. Even pushing back with his own spiritual pressure it was as if a lake was being compared to a sea. "Was that necessary?" He asks after Masamune stops.

"Yes it was," Masamune answers bluntly. "Sometimes I feel you think you can order me around because you're smart. Remember I was born first, I'm the BIG brother, do not mistake me for one of your pawns…and I am strong."

"Still an Idiot! You are stronger than me, but you're also so incredibly stupid. Like a wild animal," Suijin says to the hollow. "And get off of my throne. You said you wanted to fight this Yoriichi over and over, not help rule."

"And you just said I can't attack him." Masamune retorts. "It would seem we've reached an impasse."

"I said nothing excessive. You always hear what you want to hear. Over six hundred years with you and you've grown no smarter and don't think just because you can use the word impasse your smart …" Suijin says with a sympathetic look, as if Masamune's lower intelligence is a medical condition.

"I was smart enough to save your soul from crossing over to the other side," Masamune says getting angry. the impasse thing was fresh stuff he got that word from the serpent.

"And you've been following my plans since…now get out of my seat." Suijin tries to force Masamune out of the seat, but his older brother pushes back turning which just started a shoving match. "This is the rulers seat!"

"I am strong! Everyone has to listen to me!" Masamune says antagonizing Suijin for daring to compare him to a lackey.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything…" A raspy chuckle comes from the corner as Orochimaru appears from the shadows.

"Not at all," Suijin gets up quickly putting up his benevolent persona.

"Yes, you are, I was just about to teach this brat a lesson in respect to his elder brother." Masamune answers the opposite of Suijin. "And why are you acting? He already knows the real you. You're a very shady guy." He shifts his attention to Suijin. "You're both actually very shady."

"No need for such harsh words my lord," Orochimaru says with a fake offended tone.

"Don't call me that, I don't need to be intelligent to know I shouldn't trust you very far." Masamune says as his gaze sharpens and his hand drifts towards his sword.

Not bothered in the slightest the white snake responds casually. "But was that fact ever in question? None of us are very trustworthy, our goals simply align. We have been using each other for our own benefits this entire time." He chuckles as Masamune's hand drops.

"True…" the hollow says thinking about it.

Getting back to what is important Suijin addresses Orochimaru. "What news do you have for us?"

Orochimaru smiles slyly and gives a triumphant chuckle. "I have completed the mask project. The process is now perfected and ready to employ."

"Is that so? Good, our military power will be significantly bolstered with this…" the news was so good Suijin couldn't help but laugh. His vision was coming closer into view with every move he made. "Heh heh…hahahaha this is perfect. Everything is going according to my calculations. HAHAHAHAHAHA!" He breaks out into maniacal laughter.

"Soon I will destroy the hidden leaf! HAHAHAHA!" Orochimaru joins Suijin laughing.

Destroy the leaf means fight Yoriichi. That's all Masamune wanted. The anticipation of their thrilling reunion brough a sadistic smile to his face.

"Hahahahaha!" The excitement was too much as he found himself laughing as well. Finally, something interesting was taking shape.