I'm kind of sorry. Don't worry, I shame myself for how many Uchiha OC's I write too. Don't even worry about it.
The Shinigami looked over the paperwork that had been plopped on his desk after another massacre or genocide or whatever it was. It was hard, really hard, to sift through all those documents of what used to be people. He'd been doing this for a long time and he was still somehow surprised by what humanity could do to itself. Even when he was one.
"You're too soft," Ronald said, his legs kicked up on the desk while he lazily read over his work.
"Don't you feel anything for these people?" The Shinigami asked, frowning when he read over the fate of a thirteen year old girl, cut down before she even reached her prime.
"Nah, not really," the Shinigami's partner said with a shrug. He looked at a page and hummed, casting the Shinigami a mischievous look. "Say, you wanna make a little bet?" He asked, flicking the page around, a picture of a young boy on the front.
"What kind of bet?" The Shinigami asked hesitantly.
"Well, you know that in that weird ninja world there's supposed to be some kind of huge disaster caused by that Uchiha asshole and the chick form the moon or whatever. We'd have to stop that event from happening, anyways..." He trailed off and stood up, brining the page with him. "Let's make a bet, we send you in as our agent to save the world. If you succeed, I'll admit that humans are worth something sort of, and if you fail, then you have to admit that humans are a lost cause."
"Don't you think it's wrong to bet on lives like that? Besides, the higher ups would never let us do something like that," the Shinigami argued. He adjusted his tie and pushed his glasses further up his face.
"You let me worry about them," he grinned at the Shinigami. "So, what do you say?" He asked, holding out his hand.
"What would be the parameters of the bet?"
"Well, you'd have to have a completely human experience, so you couldn't have your memories about all of this." He gestured around the office. "Or the Reapers, for that matter, you'll have most of this kid's memories, but some things might have been lost at some point, so you might not have them all. And I wouldn't be allowed to interfere in anything you do. When you come to the end of your human life, then we decide the winner of the bet."
The Shinigami thought, holding out his hand for the page written about the young boy who died so recently. He squinted his eyes and sighed in defeat. Relenting he held out his hand. "So I just have to save the world, then?" He asked.
"Yep!" Ronald said happily, and they shook on it. "Enjoy being Uchiha, Yuuto! And good luck!"
Yuuto's eyes slowly opened, and he was confused. He thought for sure that-
"No! Itachi-san! Please not Yuuto!" His mother screamed, lunging at Itachi, grabbing him by the hem of his shirt. "He's only five years old! Please! Have mercy!" She screamed. Itachi didn't take his unnerving red eyes off of Yuuto's own wide onyx eyes. A sure sign in the Uchiha clan that he had the potential of unlocking the Sharingan when he was older. The only worth in the Uchiha clan was the ability to use their kekkei genkai. Yet, all that use and potential would be snuffed out in a moment. Itachi raised his sword up, and the last thing Yuuto remembered were the horrified screams of his mother.
He couldn't breathe. He could hear a rapid, urgent beeping of a heart monitor. The door burst open and three people in white rushed in, talking to each other in clipped tones. One person, with strong hands, held Yuuto down while screamed himself horse. A plastic mask was slipped over his face, and Yuuto fell under again. His vision was black.
He woke against a few hours later, thankfully, in a much calmer state of being. He lazily rolled his head to the side and saw a nurse checking the machines he was hooked up too. She looked down and let out a little 'oh' when she realized that he was awake. She leaned down and smiled at him sweetly. She laid a hand on his forehead, brushing away his wild brown hair. "Good afternoon Yuuto-san," she said, her voice like a soft summer breeze. "Do you know where you are?" She asked.
"Hospital?" He asked, his own voice rough with disuse. "How...long?" He asked her.
"About a week and a half," she said. "You'll be cleared to leave soon...if you pass the tests the medics want to run on you in the morning. Yuuto-san, do you remember what happened?" She asked, like she was worried he might shatter like glass.
Yuuto gasped, and moved his left hand, grabbing his chest, over where Itachi had struck him. Merciless eyes. His mother screaming. Darkness. The nurse had to call his name several times before he managed to center himself. He looked up at her with frightened eyes and she looked at him with empathy. "Yeah..." he said quietly. "I remember what happened."
"I'm sorry, Yuuto-san." She looked down at her clipboard. "There was one other survivor besides you. Your older cousin, Sasuke. Are the two of you close?"
"We grew up together," Yuuto said. "His mom is...was my dad's older sister." Yuuto looked away from the kind nurse. "Is Sasuke...how is he?"
She swallowed thickly and tried to keep the smile on her face. "He's been waiting for you to wake up. Would you like me to tell him?"
"Give me...ten minutes," Yuuto said. "I just need to get my head together."
"Of course, Yuuto-san," she said with a small bow. "I'll go get your lunch before I go to get Sasuke-san."
"Thank you."
She left him alone, and Yuuto tried to sit up, but the pain that radiated across his entire chest, sent him back onto the bed crying out in pain. 'Alright,' he thought, gripping the fabric of the hospital gown. 'So, no sitting up then.' He laid back down, and looked up at the ceiling, counting the squares. He tilted his head and looked out the window. He wondered...was there anyone protecting him, just incase Itachi came back. Yuuto winced at that thought. His cousin coming back to finish the job. To murder him. A blue bird landed on the window, cocking its head to the side, looking at him curiously before it flew away.
There were footsteps outside his door, and he could hear the nurse's voice outside it. "Now, Sasuke-san, Yuuto-kun was hurt very badly. I understand if you want to hug him, but please keep that in mind."
Sasuke didn't say anything. He opened the door and walked slowly into the room. Yuuto let his head roll to the side and Sasuke stopped, sucking in a breath. His eyes were vulnerable for just a minutes, before the emotion melted off his face. He grabbed the chair that was placed by a table and dragged it over to sit by Yuuto's beside. He sat down, and gently took Yuuto's hand. "You're awake," he said frankly.
"Yeah...I am." He gave Sasuke's hand a soft squeeze. "When can we go home?" He asked.
"I don't know," Sasuke admitted. "When everyone is positive that you're all healed up."
Sasuke checked out of the hospital two days later. He couldn't stand staying in the clan compound, so the Hokage found a two room apartment that the two survivors could share. He also paired the rent in advance, all the way until the projected date Sasuke would graduate from the academy. Yuuto didn't wind up coming home for another week.
Yuuto walked around their apartment like a small ghost. On several occasions, Sasuke saw him scratching the skin around his fingernails. Sasuke had to stop him before he drew blood. Probably, the hardest part for Sasuke was having to take care of Yuuto. Not that Yuuto was a difficult child, but he did tend to resist vital care. Like baths, bedtimes, or food. Sometimes Sasuke thought his cousin had been replaced with a puppet who only went through the motions when he was ordered too. Sasuke knew that it wasn't fair he had to take care of another child, but he knew he'd manage.
"It's dinner!" Sasuke called into the hallway, knowing that Yuuto was tucked away in his room. He started serving up the two bowls. He wrinkled his nose at the vegetables that he didn't like. But they were full of nutrients that the medics had said would help Yuuto's wounds recover. So he would eat them, right along with his cousin. At least they still got to eat fish and rice.
Sasuke was so relived that he didn't have to worry about money on top of everything else. The Uchiha clan was wealthy and now that were no one was left, all of that money went to Sasuke, as the oldest heir left. So he could take care of Yuuto without worrying about if they would be able to afford money.
The five-year-old shuffled out of his room, his brown hair hanging around his head in a matted tangle. Sasuke sighed. His hair was easy to manage. He just left it dry after washing it, and it dried the same way every time. But Yuuto's obviously needed special attention. "Your taking a bath tonight. Wash your hair," Sasuke ordered, trying to mimic his mother's stern but caring tone. But coming from him it just sounded bossy. Yuuto didn't care. He shrugged and ate his food robotically.
Later that night, after Yuuto had finished his bath, Sasuke sat his younger cousin between his legs, and gently brushed Yuuto's hair. When it was combed out, it looked sleek and shiny. He pinned Yuuto's hair back and sent him off to bed at eight o'clock.
Yuuto-nii. That's what his little sister would scream every time he walked into the room. She'd been the first to fall under Itachi's sword. Next was their father. Then Yuuto. Finally their mother. But Itachi wasn't always like that. In fact, before the actual event, there was nothing about Itachi that even suggested he was capable of such a heinous action. He was like an older brother to Yuuto.
His eyes snapped open. He looked at the clock by his bedside. Only six in the morning. Sasuke wouldn't be in to wake him up for another six hours. But he couldn't sleep. So he sat up and turned on the lamp sighing, running his hands through his hair. He liked it better when there weren't knots in it. The only plus to Sasuke insisting that he sit down while the older boy ripped through his head with a hair brush.
Yuuto's hair was just like his dad's. Down to his ears, slightly curly, pushed out of his face. Yuuto actually looked like most Uchiha boys. Every time he looked into a mirror he mistook his own face for someone else's. It was maddening. So he avoided mirrors as much as he was able too.
Yuuto wondered if Sasuke was home yet. He slowly got out of bed, putting on his slippers and opening his door. Sasuke's door was slightly ajar, so Yuuto snuck across the hall and opened it. He sighed in relief when he saw Sasuke's spikey hair poking out of his blankets. He'd been filled with an unmated determination when he went back to the academy. He'd been training all hours of the day. He woke Yuuto up, make a quick breakfast, then left to go train outside of the academy. Then he wouldn't come home until the ungodly hours of the morning. The present moment was the exception.
While he was at school, Sasuke hired a Genin team to take care of him. They'd be over at noon, and made Yuuto breakfast. They'd make him do homework that the academy recommended children did before they began their tenor there. Mostly just basic math and reading and writing. By the time he was finished with that it would be about two or three in the afternoon, sometimes the Genin team would take him to the park or they would play games with him in the apartment. Then at five, they'd make him take a bath while they made dinner. Then they'd all sit down together. They'd put him to bed at eight o'clock, and they would leave at some point, but Yuuto would never be awake to see them off.
He normally got one of two teams. Team three which consisted of Hyuga Shin, Tanaka Mei, and Sato Sota. Their Jonin instructor was just called Ryusei. Yuuto called them the 'boring team' because they were all so serious. Like a group of teenaged elderly men. The next team was Team eleven. Watanabe Yuki, Ito Ren, and Inuzuka Hana. Their Jonin sensei was Shin Koharu. They were the fun team, because every time they came over, Hana-san brought her dogs with her. Sometimes they even let Yuuto stay up late so he could finish watching a movie or play a game.
But that night Sasuke was tucked into bed. Yuuto went back to his room and put on his clothes for the morning. He went into the kitchen and opened the fridge. There were a few leftovers from yesterdays dinner. Yuuto pulled it out and set it up on the counter. He grabbed a chair and stood up on it, grabbing two plates from the cupboard. He climbed down and turned on the stovetop. He put the two pieces of leftover fish into the pan and watched them cook. When he thought they were finished he put them onto the two plates. He didn't know how to use the rice cooker, so he just cut up a tomato for Sasuke and an apple for him. He put both plates on the table, laying the chopsticks on their little holders.
Yuuto looked at the clock. It was about seven. He shrugged and walked to Sasuke's room. He knocked on the door, before sliding it open. He saw Sasuke blink his eyes open sleepily. He looked really young, his cheeks pressed against the pillow, squishing it. "Yuuto?" He asked, sitting up. "Is something wrong?"
"No," Yuuto said, hiding behind the door shyly. "I made breakfast, so you should come eat," he said with a smile.
Sasuke nodded and rubbed his eyes. He flicked his hand towards the door, and Yuuto took that to mean that he wanted privacy. He shut the door and walked back to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and grabbed the gallon of milk. He grabbed two glasses from the drying rack and walked back to the table, meeting Sasuke there. He put the cup beside his cousin's plate and poured him a big cup of milk. "If you wanna be a strong ninja, you gotta have strong bones!" He grinned up at Sasuke who blinked slowly, not quite awake.
"The new semester starts in three months," Sasuke said, chewing a slice of tomato. "You'll be six by then, so I think you should sign up."
"Alright, when do we have to submit my application?" Yuuto asked.
"Next month. I'll fill out the paperwork, don't worry about it."
"Okay." They fell into silence. Yuuto finished his food before Sasuke, but stayed sitting across from him. "So...what are you going to do today?" He asked.
"I'm going to train," Sasuke answered.
"Oh." Yuuto tapped his fingers against the table top. "Can I come with you?"
Sasuke was quite while he thought it over. "Yeah, you can come. Just make sure not to get in my way."
"Yes!" Yuuto cheered, throwing his hands up in the air.
Yuuto pulled at the new navy-blue shirt that Sasuke had given him that morning. It went well with his black stirrup pants. The shirt was loose fitting, long sleeved, but very comfortable. They'd paid the tailor to sew the Uchiha clan crest onto the right sleeve. He'd even tied his brown hair up into a bun and stuck an Uchiha fan hairpin in it. He thought he looked very handsome for his first official day of school.
The Hokage was giving a speech, and Yuuto was too nervous to listen to anything that was being said. He looked over and saw Sasuke was holding his book bag, and when he caught Yuuto's eye, he gave him a proud nod. Yuuto turned back around and stood straighter, pushing his shoulders back.
"You are the next generation," the Hokage said, holding out his arms to the group of children. "In your hearts, you carry our will of fire, and I know that you will all make our village proud!" The Chunin instructors clapped when he was finished with his speech. The Hokage bowed his head, and they were being divided into classes. There were four teachers for first year classes. The biggest group. By the second year, half of the kids would have moved on to something else. Either the civilian academy or some kind of specialization.
"Uchiha, Yuuto."
When his name was called, the young boy snapped to attention and marched stiffly to his teacher. A woman, who looked to be in her mid-thirties. She had laugh lines around her eyes, and had an air of kindness around her. Her hair was bright red, and her eyes were green. She leaned over and checked her list. "Alright, that's everyone!" She clapped her hands together. "We're all going to meet in classroom 1-E in fifteen minutes, if you'd all like to say goodbye to your families and collect your things."
Yuuto ran over to Sasuke and grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "Sasuke!" He breathlessly grabbed onto Sasuke's shirtsleeve. "I'm going to be an awesome ninja!"
"To be awesome you have to get to class first," Sasuke said blandly. He turned Yuuto around and pushed him gently towards the building. "I'll come pick you up after class."
"Yeah!" Yuuto ran towards the school, dodging children who were talking with siblings or parents.