Disclaimer: I do not own YYH or Naruto.
AN: Just for the record, I am writing this story in chronological order according to the YYH arcs and parts of the Naruto arcs.
Yusuke in this story is a girl, and the Urameshi family is a clan in Konoha. She has an older brother and a younger sister, along with aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and so on. They own a tavern/inn/private hot spring.
All of the canon characters are in this story, too, and their personalities are all the same or as closely related as possible to the anime/mangas.
I will, however, change a few details. I won't give away which, so you'll just have to read the fic as it goes along. This is also attempt #3 of reposting this fic after re-editing.
Chapter One
Hyuuga Neji, the child prodigy of the Hyuuga clan. He was the strongest rookie ninja in Konoha. But that was all a lie. There was one other, who out bested him—not his teammate Rock Lee, but another. One who was on a completely different team, not someone from the rookie nine, but from his graduating class. And to add insult to injury, that person was a girl.
Urameshi Yusuke.
She too was a child prodigy, but not a very good one, or at least, not before the accident. When Neji was just a rookie genin, word had spread that Yusuke had died saving one of her teammates and was slammed into a tree by a sprung trap (the teammate she saved, by rumor, had disappeared during that attack, and was never found). On the brink of death, her bruised body was brought back to Konoha, her mother, older brother and baby sister, along with the rest of the Urameshi clan were all devastated.
She was admitted into the emergency room where the best medics did their best to heal her injuries. But her body refused the treatments. The truth was, the state her mind was in, she just couldn't care with the fact that she had let down her teammates as one had been taken by the enemy, and the other had fallen into a coma.
She died on the table.
She was only twelve.
Neji had found competition against Yusuke during their academy years, even before then. He always despised the fact that a girl could out best him. Always looking for a rematch, their score practically even, with Yusuke always one ahead, always acting as if their rivalry didn't matter. And when she died, he felt angry, knowing that he would never be able to even the score.
But apparently he wasn't the only one angry—disappointed to never have another rematch. Another boy, from another team, he was always picking fights with Yusuke as well. His name was Kuwabara Kazuma. Though he wasn't a very bright person, so far as Neji knew, but he was very passionate about fighting and improving himself, just like his teammate Lee. But not as enthusiastic and without the stupid green jumpsuit.
Kuwabara had cried out his anger at Yusuke's wake, his two teammates were trying to hold him back, trying to drag him away. Kuwabara's pain was evident in his screaming, his eyes, his face…
The same feelings were ripping through Neji's insides as well, yet he held them in as a punishment for himself. Yet another feeling was eating away at his heart, a feeling he felt was surfacing at the most inappropriate of times. But like his training as a Hyuuga had taught him, he would not show it.
Neji, like all the other ninjas there, came to pay his respects to the family. Yusuke's mother was sitting against a wall with a lost look on her face. While Yusuke's little sister, who was only three at the time, was crying on her big brother's shoulder, who was a few years older than Neji.
Unable to bear with the gloomy atmosphere, Neji left, just as Yusuke's mother began to cry, mourning over the loss of her child.
Only a day after Yusuke's wake, Neji was beyond shocked when he heard that she was still alive. Apparently her heart, by some miracle (according to all of the baffled and perplexed medics), started beating again. From what he was told by Gai-sensei, it was because her "blazing fire of youth" could not be distinguished.
And after hearing about that, Neji was constantly visited by visions of Yusuke. Whether they were dreams or her ghost just coming to tell him that they'd fight again soon. He didn't know which, but knew not to take them lightly as he was then given a strange message through a dream: To bring Yusuke back to the living, he was needed to donate some of his life energy to her—through the lips—when her body was glowing a golden light.
When Neji woke up, he was blushing profusely from the top of his head to the base of his neck. But, being the genius that he is, understood the message clearly.
But ignored it all the same—or at least, tried to.
All day, Neji was off his game—during training, practicing in perfecting his Byakugan or meditating. But all he could think about was the message he was given, what he was to do if he ever wanted a rematch with her. And the more he tried to ignore it, the more irritating it got. And a small part of his mind knew that her spirit was watching him, waiting for him to comply.
That night, Neji snuck into the Urameshi home, more like: into Yusuke's bedroom. He was surprised to see Yusuke's body glowing, and knew he had to be fast, or else there wouldn't be a next time again. He could see the glow fading quickly, as midnight tolled. Making his choice, Neji quickly stepped to Yusuke's bedside and bent down, kissing her surprisingly soft lips.
The glow was gone, and Yusuke was awake. Blinking a few times before sitting up, she turned her head to look at Neji. A teasing smile spreading across her lips as her first words were said to him:
"Hey, nice kiss."
Neji felt that same blush return, before turning his head the other way and left.
Now, when Neji trains, he had all his motivations focused on becoming accepted into the main Hyuuga branch, and beating Urameshi Yusuke.
But he barely got a chance to even challenge her, because one: he can't help but think of that kiss every time he sees her, and two: she had suddenly taken on more missions without her team. Gone for a number of days. Sometimes even weeks, but would return with wounds that she got from whatever she was doing, bringing up many questions among that year's crop of rookie ninjas.
Once, both Yusuke and Kuwabara were gone, but when Kuwabara came back after two days of absence, Yusuke was nowhere to be found. Neji had asked where he had gone with Yusuke, only getting the answer:
"She's with the psychic Genkai, going under some sort of secret training."
Hearing that, Neji only pushed himself harder to get better, stronger, faster. And he did. Now, six months later while Neji and his teammates were out training, they all sensed something strong approaching the area. The three genins stopped what they were doing, and with their teacher standing by, all waited until the said person came forth.
When the person finally emerged through the brush, Neji's eyes widened slightly. Tenten and Lee both gasped. There, standing before them was a rather travel-worn looking Yusuke, with a grin plastered on her lips.
"Hey. Long time no see!" Yusuke greeted.
"Yusuke-san, where have you been?" Lee asked, a blush visible on his cheeks.
"Oh, you know, off training at bootcamp from Hell." Yusuke said with a light heart, as she walked up to them, shaking Lee's and Tenten's hands in greeting.
Neji felt a sudden jolt shoot through his senses. She had gotten stronger, he could practically see her chakra emitting from her body without the use of his Byakugan. And the worse part of it all, she wasn't in a hurry to show it off.
"I'll see you guys around, gotta let the old fart know I'm back." Yusuke said. "Looking forward to that rematch, Neji-kun." she said over her shoulder as she walked off. Neji flinched at the sound of being called "kun".
(Yusuke's Side)
"Okay. This is weird…" said Yusuke, as she floated down to her body.
"Yusuke!" her sensei called, rushing to her student's limp body. "Oh no…hey! Wake up!"
"Yuu-chan—"
Anko turned to the other girl behind her, sitting limp on the grass, clearly shaken and covered in blood. "Keiko-chan! Can you walk?"
"Yuu-chan! Riin-chan!" Keiko choked out as tears streamed down her dirty cheeks, her eyes locked on her dead teammate. Unfortunately the third genin of the team had disappeared, spirited away by something they couldn't see…or explain. There was no trace of Riin.
"Hey! I'm right here!" Yusuke exclaimed, but her teammates didn't seem to have heard her.
"Keiko get a grip! We need to hurry home!" Anko said, picking up Yusuke's limp body and then reaching down to force Keiko to stand.
"Whoa! You think you can do whatever you want just 'cause you're the teacher! Quit ignoring me!" Yusuke shouted, "You can't just write me off!" Irritated she raised her fist— "Listen to me!" –and punched straight through Anko.
"Let's go!" Anko said, taking the lead.
"Well that wasn't normal." Yusuke said to herself as she floated back up into the trees, passing through the branches to hover over the forest. Trying to think of everything that lead up to that very moment. "So if that was me down there, then who am I up here, I wonder." Yusuke then realized with panic. "Could it mean—I've turned into a ghost?"
"Bingo! Bingo! You win the prize!" Yusuke looked up in surprise to see a girl with blue hair who looked about her age, wearing a pink kimono, floating on an oar. "I didn't expect you to figure it out so quickly!"
"Who the hell are you?" Yusuke demanded.
"When people die unexpectedly like you just did, often they can't accept it and become ghosts. You see?" said the girl cheerfully.
"You're not answering my question!" Yusuke said, becoming irritated by the girl.
"Botan's the name, the pilot of the River Styx! I take care of people like you! I believe in your culture they also call me a shinigami! Ring a bell?" Yusuke moved closer to Botan, not believing a word she just said.
"A little girl like you? Please, you're no shinigami." Yusuke snorted.
"Well I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or an insult!" Botan giggled.
"Plus if you were a real messenger of death you'd take this more seriously! Like how grim can you be when you say 'Bingo'? You're supposed to wear a big black robe and look like a skeleton!"
"Now I understand what kind of person you are!" Botan said as she reached into her sleeve and pulled out a tiny book. "It's in my guide book!" She opened the book and flipped through the pages and read aloud. "Rather than be scared or surprised, you yell a lot and tell me I don't know what I'm talking about. Urameshi Yusuke. Age twelve. Personality is impulsive and ill-mannered with a violent temper. She has no respect for authority and is a horrible student." Yusuke grew irritated from listening to all the things Botan was reading. "Things weren't looking up for you, were they?"
"That's none of your business!" Yusuke yelled as she grabbed for the tiny book but missed. While Botan guffawed at Yusuke's temper. "Alright then, can you tell me what I'm supposed to expect next? It's not like I've got no regrets, so you can take me to hell or wherever it is I'm going." Botan began giggling again, making Yusuke once more, irritated. "What's so funny about that?"
"Maybe you should have let me talk earlier. I'm not here to take you away from this world. Actually, I'm here to see if you'll accept an ordeal that could give you your life back." explained Botan.
"An ordeal? What in the world are you blabbering about?" Yusuke asked.
"It's funny, Yusuke. None of us were expecting you to die today. You've thrown us all for a loop! Run someone with your credentials through that scenario a thousand times and they never would have saved a kid like that. No one saw it coming and quite frankly we haven't prepared a place for you yet."
"Oh give me a friggin' break! Are you telling me you guys were expecting my teammate to die?" Botan flipped through the pages of her guide book and looked up at Yusuke.
"Well I wasn't going to tell you this because I knew it would make you even more irritable. But without the confusion caused by you running in front of that trap, that girl would have escaped with one less scrape on her right shoulder because she would have managed to avoid that monster."
"What? But it was headed right for her!"
"Yes, well the branch she would have landed on would have snapped due to the force of her landing." Closing the book with a snap Botan looked up and said cheerfully: "In other words, your death was a complete and utter waste!" Yusuke fell from surprise at Botan's words as Botan looked in her book again with a smile. "Surprised? Yes, I can hardly blame you for that." Yusuke came back up quickly and was holding up her fist in anger. "Cool your jets, silly head, I told you, you can get a second chance, don't you remember?" Yusuke forgot about the ordeal and pulled back to listen to Botan. "Just go through this little eency ordeal and you can be back to life in no time! You should feel special! Unexpected cases such as this only happen once every few hundred years!"
"You're just like the adults back home! No idea what's actually going on!" Yusuke said as she floated away. Botan put the book away back in her sleeve and followed Yusuke.
"What's that supposed to mean? I know exactly what's happening, and I'm saying you can fix it if you follow a few steps! Come on, it's a pretty good deal, don't you think?"
Yusuke stopped and stretched her hands and folding them behind her head, and looked down at her home town.
"Maybe, but no thanks. I think I like being a ghost. You said it yourself my life was kind of pathetic, right?" Botan shrugged her shoulders at Yusuke's question. "Everyone's gonna be much happier now that I'm erased. Anko-sensei will be able to rest her big mouth. Plus my family will be able to rest easy knowing that I won't be offending their customers away because I hit their kid. Then there's kaa-san who won't have to be bothered by angry parents."
"I'm sorry you feel that way. At such an early age." said Botan.
"Yeah, well, you gotta agree there's no point in me doing some stupid ordeal." Botan just smiled as she began to float away.
"I don't suppose there's any point making big decisions in a hurry. Why don't you spend some time at your wake and think it over. I'll come back when you've decided!" Botan said before she disappeared.
"You got worms in your ears, kid? I did decide!" Yusuke yelled out in to the empty sky.
Later that evening, Yusuke went to her home to see people standing outside her family's establishment. Most were wearing all black for mourning.
"Whoa, all the kids from my graduating class are here. Just like I thought. Look at 'em all laughing. They probably just came over here 'cause they're getting extra credit!" Yusuke said as she got closer, seeing to her surprise Neji coming out of the tavern looking somber. "Whoa, even you Neji?"
"Come on, let's go back. This isn't right." said a familiar voice.
"Shut up! Let go of me, would ya!" said another familiar voice. Yusuke looked up to see someone she never would have expected.
"What? Kuwabara?" Yusuke said under her breath.
"Damn you!" Kuwabara shouted as he charged through the door as his friends struggled to hold him back. "You think you can just back out because you're scared!"
"Kuwabara! This place is for mourning." said one of his friends.
"I'm not gonna leave! Not until she comes out here and let me fight her!" Kuwabara demanded as he struggled to walk up to the small shrine that was made for Yusuke's memorial.
"She can't do that!" said his friend.
"I'm gonna beat you down, you punk! You hear me? Who do you think you are, huh? Dirty punk! Who am I gonna fight now? Who am I gonna fight?" Kuwabara asked, as his friends continued to struggle.
"She's gone!"
"No!" Kuwabara thrust out his fist at Yusuke's photo, only a sliver of space was left out of his reach. "You're supposed to be here. For me!" Tears fell to the floor as Kuwabara cried as if in great pain.
"Come on, Kuwabara. Let's go." said one of his friends, as they began to drag him away.
"Sorry about all that!" they apologized as Kuwabara was dragged away. Yusuke saw the entire scene unfolded, and had never known. She had never known how much she had affected people.
"Who would have guessed?" Yusuke said softly. She turned around and saw Anko entering, her eyes puffy from crying and clearly had been drinking as she staggered towards Yusuke's coffin and sat down in front of it. Yusuke landed beside her sensei, looking down at the woman's slumped shoulders, seeing them trembling underneath her coat.
"At first I was so surprised, Yusuke. To see you save one of your teammates at the cost of your own life. You've always acted much more selfishly than that. Damnit! Yuu-chan, I don't know why I don't feel like speaking well of you." Yusuke saw that Anko was fighting back tears as she bit hard on her bottom lip. "Why did you have to be selfless this time? You deserve so much more than this!"
"Yusuke..." Yusuke looked over to her mother, who was now, after coming over her shock, was breaking down into a fit of sobs. Her siblings were sitting with her mother, her baby sister crying, wanting to play with her big sister. Looking around at all the people in the room, taking in for the first time the tears and sadness. Her entire clan was there, mourning with her mother and siblings. Unable to take the depressing atmosphere Yusuke leapt into the air and left the room, not able to stand watching everyone cry over her. She went outside, where less people were now, and waited for it all to end.
The images of all the people who were crying for Yusuke, the people who cared for her, came flashing through her mind's eye; Neji, Kuwabara, Anko, her mother, her siblings. It now seemed all clear to her.
After the memorial service was over, Yusuke stayed close to home, floating over her apartment, watching the moon. Botan appeared next to Yusuke, wanting to know her answer.
"Well, have you decided?" she asked.
"Botan, hey," Yusuke began.
"Yes?"
"Have you ever not known about something…that seemed obvious to everybody else?"
"That happens to us all I think. So are you ready now?"
"Yeah, I am."
"Good to hear! Now let's not waste any time and get this baby started!" Botan grabbed onto Yusuke's hand and began flying off. Yusuke's hand slipped from Botan's, gripping onto the tip of the oar as the girl didn't stop or slow down.
"Hey, where are you gonna take us?" Yusuke asked.
"To Reikai!" Botan replied.
"To what?"
"Reikai! We're gonna see someone who will explain the ordeal to you, and give you what you need!"
"What! What do I need?"
"You'll see!" Botan said cheerfully.
"Hey!"
As Botan flew through the air with Yusuke dangling behind her, she was set to take Yusuke to Reikai.
"So can you explain to me again about this place we're going to?" Yusuke said as she hung onto the oar with difficulty.
"Reikai!" Botan said.
"Right, but what is that?" Yusuke asked, wanting a more descriptive answer.
"It's the realm where people outside of the living world exist, including the person who will explain your ordeal."
"And who is this stupid mystery man? If someone wants to say something, they should come to me!"
"His name is Enma-sama."
"What? Are we dealing with royalty now?" Botan looked back at Yusuke with a serious look.
"That's right Yusuke and you had better not be foul-mouthed or impolite around him like you usually are. He calls the shots and he can send you to oblivion forever if he wants to!"
"Whoa now wait a second! I think we should discuss this!" Yusuke said as she tried to slow Botan down by pulling on the oar. But the forceful speed was too much as a bright light engulfed them both and then immediately thrown into a different world. Yusuke looked around and was fascinated by the size. "Wow, everything's so big! Is that the River Styx?" Yusuke asked as she pointed down at a long, winding river.
"Well of course! And just up ahead is the Gateway of Decision." Botan said, pointing to a great wall with one massive gate. Botan sped up and was at the gate in no time.
Standing in front of the entrance, Yusuke looked up at how tall it was.
"Oh man! What a pad!" Yusuke said. Botan stepped forward and pressed a small button on a voice-box.
"Botan here. I've got a new arrival with me." she said. Stepping back the gates opened and revealed a long, giant hallway.
"This place looks like a giant throat! Are you sure it's safe!" Yusuke said; a bit intimidated to go inside.
"Don't whine." Botan said as she walked inside. Yusuke soon went back to her irritated mood, shoved her hands into her pockets and followed after Botan, grumbling under her breath.
As they walked, Yusuke began thinking about what to expect when they arrived to their final destination. I wonder what this Enma-sama looks like? If he's running an operation this big, he must be gigantic, and ugly, too. Now how can I fight a guy like that? "Ah, of course, I'll punch him square in the nose. And then while he's stunned, I'll go for his eyeballs. I'll squeeze him till he's begging for mercy! See how he likes taking orders!" As Yusuke was too engrossed in her ideas of how to deal with Enma she didn't notice that Botan had stopped walking, and had bumped right into her.
"What in the world are you muttering about?" Botan asked.
"Me? Oh, nothing." Yusuke said as she scratched her chin in a nervous habit. Botan pressed another button on a voice box and spoke through it.
"Botan again. Will you let him know I've got Urameshi Yusuke here?"
"We're opening the gate." answered a voice. The doors opened, a white light flooding out as they parted. Yusuke felt her heart beginning to beat faster from anticipation. The rhythm echoing through her head. Two shadows charging forward. Then it became clear, it was two ogres.
"I need information on Mr. Gen in two minutes!"
"Mr. Uno is ahead of schedule!"
"This place is a mad house!"
Both ogres looked as if they were going to fight, but they only ran past each other. Yusuke was having a hard time taking in all that just went by her, she was almost, disappointed. Botan stepped forward and began walking ahead of her, Yusuke followed quickly, looking high and low at everything they were walking by. Ogres sitting in cubicles, answering phones, running by with stacks of file paper, pushing carts, mainly a replica of a giant corporation. Neck ties, glasses, etc.
"What; is this like the dead people stock exchange?" Yusuke asked. Yusuke followed Botan through another pair of doors and into a specious office.
"Sir, I've brought you the girl you requested to see." Botan said, bowing down. Yusuke stiffened up and looked around feverishly with her eyes, scanning the premises.
"Where is he? Is he invisible?" Yusuke said.
"I'm right here." said a voice, Yusuke looked around again. "Look down." Yusuke obeyed the voice and was surprised even further to see a child that looked no older than maybe two. "Yes, there you go."
"This is the guy that's in charge?" Yusuke asked, flabbergasted by the child.
"Welcome, how do you like my castle?" asked the tiny ruler. He turned on his heels and walked over to his desk, moving behind it to sit in his large, cushion chair. Botan and Yusuke approached the front of the desk.
"This is Urameshi Yusuke and she's honored to meet you." Botan said, she looked at Yusuke and gave her arm a slap to get her attention. "Hey! Are you trying to make me look stupid? Tell him how honored you are!" Yusuke suddenly burst into laughter, making Botan suddenly look shocked at her reaction and the tiny ruler looking irritated at her.
"That's a good one Botan, but let's be serious okay?" Yusuke laughed.
"Why would I lie about something like this, you moron!" Botan yelled, her face turning red with embarrassment. She was mortified that Yusuke was laughing at her boss.
"Why would Reikai be run by a toddler?" Yusuke laughed, pointing a finger at the tiny ruler. Botan forced Yusuke's hand down quickly.
"Don't point your finger at him!" Botan yelled.
"And to think I was scared of the mighty Enma-sama!" Botan seemed like she would be sick from fear at Yusuke's insults. The young ruler cleared his throat to get both girls' attention.
"Well to be more exact I am the mighty Koenma and I am the son of Enma-sama. Even though I appear to be a child I've been around over fifty times longer than you have. So watch your mouth when you speak to me." said Koenma.
"So it takes hundreds of years to move past a diaper?" Yusuke teased. Botan smacked the back of Yusuke's head with her fist in outrage.
"Can't you show an ounce of decency!" she yelled, Yusuke still laughing despite being hit in the back of the head.
"Actually I'm proud to say that in addition to knowing the greatest secrets of the Universe I am quite potty-trained. Now let's skip to the business, shall we?" Yusuke stopped laughing as she looked at the young ruler hop onto his desk and reached into his pocket. "Urameshi Yusuke, I present to you, your ordeal!" Koenma pulled out his hand and extended out to Yusuke, holding up a golden egg.
"My ordeal is a golden chicken egg?" Yusuke asked, looking at the egg still held in the young ruler's hand.
"Your ordeal will be what is inside of it, and I assure you it won't be a chicken." Koenma said, "Hatch this egg, and face what comes out."
"So what's the trick? Do I do something to hatch it?" Yusuke asked.
"No, no. Not at all. You only have to keep it with you. This is a Spirit Beast, and it feeds off the energy emitted from your soul. This will be a true and constant test of your character. The things you do and feel will change the monster inside, for better or for worse. If, as would be expected from your files, your spirit is wicked and cruel, then the beast that hatches will be the same way. It will devour you, and you'll be lost forever. This, as you might imagine, is a very painful experience." Yusuke suddenly felt creeped out from the idea of being devoured by something that would come out of a small thing.
"However, if the energy you emit is good and true, then so will be the Beast. It will take care of you, and guide you back into your living body. Of course if it sounds too risky you can opt out and remain as a ghost. The choice, Yusuke, is yours." Yusuke reached out her hand, questioning whether she should take the risk or not.
"I can't believe I did that." Yusuke said, holding up her ordeal in front of her as she floated over her home town. It was still night time.
"Yusuke, I'm afraid you don't have time for reflection. Koenma-sama said that until the ordeal's finished he'd keep a pulse in your body, but that won't help if it's cremated at the funeral." said Botan, as she trailed behind Yusuke on her oar.
"I forgot!" Yusuke shrieked as she remembered that she was still dead.
"Can't very well be alive if you don't have a body to live in, now can you?" said Botan.
"Oh give me a break! Then what are we waiting for?!" Yusuke shoved the egg into her pocket and flew down towards her home, but then suddenly stopped. Botan flew right past her and stopped a bit short and moved back towards Yusuke.
"Thought we weren't stopping." she said.
"How do we tell them to keep my body twenty feet from the nearest oven? Is there any way for ghosts to communicate with living people?" Yusuke asked.
"Yes!" Botan said, nodding her head.
"So are you gonna tell me?" Yusuke asked.
"You can just stand at their bedside." Botan said.
"What do you mean?"
"Human beings are more attuned to the supernatural when they're asleep, and so ghosts can talk to people in their dreams." Botan knowledgably answered.
"Well I'll be damned." Yusuke said, fascinated about the little piece of information.
Coming to Yusuke's house, Yusuke and Botan both peered through the kitchen window to see Yusuke's mother in a drunken outburst.
"You fool!" screamed Yusuke's mother, as she threw another empty bottle at the wall. Shattering it to many pieces. "Why? What were you thinking Yusuke? No one gave you permission to die! What kind of child of mine are you?! I thought I raised only strong children! Were you mad at me Yusuke? Were you mad, didn't I raise you well enough?"
Yusuke's mother screamed and yelled, chiming a bell with one hand while waving a freshly opened bottle of liquor in the other. Sitting in front of Yusuke's memorial.
"It's so very sad." said Botan, watching Yusuke's mother with pity.
"The only thing sad now is she's got one more excuse to act like that. She won't listen." Yusuke said, turning away from the window. "Let's move on. I think I know someone who will."
Yusuke and Botan went upstairs to her brother's room.
"Look at that. His room is as boring as he is." Yusuke said as she moved to Susumu's bedside. "Hey, what's up, nii-san?" Yusuke whispered, but stopped shortly as she noticed something odd about Susumu. "He's crying. What's wrong?"
"Wait." Susumu breathed in his sleep. "Yusuke wait." Yusuke floated to where she was sitting on Susumu's chest.
"Listen to me, nii-san! I need you to pull yourself together! I'm coming back! It's hard to explain, but I'm a ghost right now, and I have to take care of this egg, and then—"
"Yusuke."
"Hey are you hearing me? This is important!"
"You're heavy." Yusuke jumped off of Susumu and landed next to his bed.
"I need you to take care of my body until I come back. You've got to tell them not to cremate me! And tell kaa-san not to waste her life away 'cause we're gonna be fine! Well, I guess that's it nii-san. I'm coming back okay? So stop crying." Yusuke finished giving her message, as she wiped away a tear from Susumu's cheek. Susumu shot up from his sleep screaming Yusuke's name. But saw that no one was there.
"But she was, I thought...was all that really just a dream?" Susumu put a hand up to where Yusuke had wiped away the tear. "No, I'm sure I felt her."
Susumu got out of bed and hurried downstairs to where his mother was, sleeping in front of Yusuke's casket. She had a blank expression on her face as she stared at nothing.
"Kaa-san?" Susumu said, kneeling down at his mother's side and gently waking her.
"Hi Susumu." she said, sitting up slowly.
"Kaa-san, I need to tell you something."
"I just had the strangest dream about Yusuke." Susumu's eyes widened a bit as he listened to his mother, wondering if she had the same dream as him. "Yusuke was living in some other world full of Ogres and she kept knocking them down until she became their leader." She gave a brief half-heart laugh. "That sounds like her, doesn't it?"
"I dreamed, too."
"Was it like mine?" Susumu didn't answer. "Then maybe it was true."
"Yes, maybe."
Yusuke and Botan were in the room, watching, waiting for Susumu to relay her message.
"This dream your mother had seems to give her comfort. And Susumu doesn't want to take that from her." said Botan.
"Well while she's being comforted I'm gonna be barbequed! Botan! Is there any other way for me to communicate with living people! This dream business isn't going to cut it!" Botan put a finger to her chin as if in deep thought.
"I wonder." she said.
"Geeze, you're killing me! I mean call me crazy but I'd think that as being the messenger of death you'd know how to do this!" Yusuke ranted as Botan searched through her guide book as they both left to float over the streets of the town. The new morning waking up the village of Konoha for another day.
"Well if the dream communication isn't working there's always the final method." Botan informed. Yusuke stopped and looked back at Botan with a bored expression on her face.
"You always this vague?" she asked. Botan floated up to Yusuke, closing the distance between them to get her point across.
"Under the final method you talk to Susumu by taking control of someone else's body." she said, moving back to give each other space.
"Oh right, I've seen that in movies and stuff. You mean like a possession?" Yusuke asked.
"Yeah, sort of." Botan said; shrugging her shoulder's in a not-sure sort of way.
"Can I do it with anybody?" Botan looked back in her guide book.
"Well no, there are some rules. First, you have to know them, and second they have to be unusually aware of the supernatural."
"In that case I'm screwed. There's no one like that." Yusuke whined.
Just below where Yusuke and Botan were floating, Kuwabara and his teammates were walking through the streets in the early hours, heading towards their meeting spot to meet up with their sensei. Suddenly Kuwabara stopped and looked behind him, feeling an unnatural presence behind him.
"Something the matter, Kuwabara?" asked one of his friends.
"Do you think we're being followed?" asked another one of his friends.
"I'm feeling a chill." Kuwabara said.
"Gee, maybe it's the flu."
"I doubt it." said Kuwabara.
"It's just the tickle feeling kicking in."
"The tickle?"
"That's what we call it when Kuwabara starts detecting the presence of ghosts around us."
"It's true. I've had the tickle ever since I was five. Voices chase me home at night. Scary old women whisper things in my dreams. Sometimes they're nice. Usually they're not. I think it's 'cause they know I'm kind of a natural leader." said Kuwabara.
"That's a surprise. That goof actually has a purpose?" said Yusuke, never thinking once that someday Kuwabara Kazuma would help her. Kuwabara spun around and looked up where Yusuke and Botan were floating, then immediately turned back to his friends and leaned in to huddle.
"The ghost-monster is behind me man, it made a noise." he said.
"Are you sure?" asked one of his friends.
"Is it the scary old lady with the axe again?" asked the other.
"No it sounds more like a puny low-level ghost, like a haunted raccoon or something." Kuwabara said, making a jester motion with his hand to get his statement across. Yusuke floated down to his level, angry at him for thinking lowly of her.
"I'll show you puny, you—!" Yusuke punched his head but went straight through him. Quickly moving back up, Yusuke made her complaint. "You can forget it Botan! There is no way I'm taking control of that lame-brain!" Botan just looked at Yusuke blandly.
"Here's my impression of Yusuke, 'look at me I'm burning!'" Yusuke was annoyed at Botan for cornering her. "Ready?" Yusuke lowered her head in defeat and nodded. "Good." Botan pointed her finger at Kuwabara, paralyzing him in place.
"What's wrong, man?"
"You look a little pale."
"Earth to Kuwabara!"
"All right, he's ready for the taking!" said Botan.
"Okay." Yusuke said.
"But I've only given you one hour before the effect wears off and you're thrown to the outside. A human body like Kuwabara's couldn't stand any longer than that. If you miss this chance there probably won't be another one, so do the best that you can." The clock turned to four o'clock.
"I will." Yusuke gave the thumbs up to Botan, who returned it, and entered Kuwabara's body. Yusuke, now taken over Kuwabara, looked around and moved the limbs.
"Hey, check it out! I'm in Kuwabara! Feeling smooth!"
"Looks like he's back to normal." said one of Kuwabara's friends. Yusuke then turned serious as she focused back on her goal.
"Out of my way punks! Now!" Yusuke pushed through Kuwabara's teammates and ran down the street.
"So much for normal."
As Yusuke ran down the streets she checked the watch on Kuwabara's wrist. One hour. That's not enough. She thought. Yusuke was running through the streets, searching for Neji when she was stopped by a gang of chuunins who were only a few years older than her.
"Well, if it isn't Kuwabara." said the leader.
"Back off! I know what it looks like but I'm tellin' you I'm not Kuwabara!" Yusuke said, trying to get past them.
"No?" The leader stepped up and looked up and down at Yusuke. "I remember that face and I owe it some bruises!"
"Fine! Just wait an hour! You can hit me all you like!" Yusuke shouted.
"Sorry, but I don't take requests."
"Oh? Then take this!" Yusuke threw a punch straight at the leader, knocking him to the ground.
"Try that with me!" said another guy, coming up at Yusuke. Only to get kneed in the stomach. Another came up from behind and took a right hook at Yusuke.
"Okay, now I'm pissed!" Yusuke said as she lunged forward and caught the guy square in the jaw.
"Man that hurt! I didn't think anyone could throw a punch that hard core besides Urameshi Yusuke!" said one of the guys. Yusuke spat out a bit of blood.
"Damn, I'm giving Kuwabara a good name." Yusuke said as she began looking for her brother again. A little later in a back alley, Yusuke ran into some more trouble as she was then surrounded by more thugs wanting a piece of Kuwabara.
"Kuwabara, it's time for me to even the score." said one of them.
"Yeah, me too."
"And me!"
Unbelievable! Does Kuwabara pick a fight with everyone he meets? Yusuke thought as they all launched an attack.
"Can't you understand? I don't—" she knocked two out, "—have time—" she bashed two heads together, "—for this!" After it was over Yusuke staggered out into the open street, breathing hard. Well that was fun. But probably not so good on the time situation.
Yusuke ran to her house, hoping her brother hadn't left yet.
"Nii-san!" Yusuke called, getting her brother's attention who was sweeping the front of the tavern.
"Who are you?" Susumu asked coldly.
"I'm Yusuke."
Susumu was a bit confused until he swore he saw Yusuke looking back at him instead of a stranger.
"Don't tease me Yusuke. Is it really you? It's too strange. Why do you look like this?" Susumu asked.
"I borrowed somebody's body, but only for an hour! I know this is weird, but you have to believe me." said Yusuke.
"Then tell me what's going on. What's next?"
"Next I'm gonna give you my message before this dummy gets his body back. Which, by the way, happens in about a minute! I'll say this as straight as I can. I'm taking this test to get back, and I'm trying hard not to fail. So just trust me and take care of my body until then. And tell kaa-san she's got to stop the funeral because I'm coming back!"
"I will." Susumu said. Yusuke was relieved, glad that something went right for once.
"Okay Botan, I'm ready." Yusuke said, leaving Kuwabara's body to become a ghost again. Kuwabara regained control of his body again, looking around, wondering where he was.
"Uh that's funny; I thought I was with the guys."
Susumu had gone inside to where Yusuke's casket was, finding his mother hovering over it with the lid open.
"Kaa-san, Yusuke is coming back. I know it sounds crazy but she is." Susumu said.
"She already has." said his mother who looked back at him. "I opened up her coffin again because well, I was going to smack her one more time for leaving me, but then I saw...Yusuke's cheeks have some color. Her skin is slightly warm. Her heart is beating. It's slow, but...My girl's alive!"
Outside, Yusuke and Botan were watching.
"All things considered, I think I'd call this quite a successful day, Yusuke." said Botan.
"Yeah." Yusuke pulled out her egg and saw that it had a slight pulse. "Hey, I think it's feeding now. I only did good-natured things today, don't you think so?" Yusuke asked.
"I don't know Yusuke, you did beat up a lot of kids as I recall." said Botan. Yusuke looked back down at her egg, watching it feed, and wondering if it would help her back to her body.
Yusuke and Botan were both floating over Konoha, under the moonlit night as they waited for Koenma to arrive who had sent a message earlier that day announcing that he was going to be visiting soon with news. And Yusuke was quickly losing her patience.
"There are two things I hate. Waiting, and being rushed. And what do you know—that's all I've been doing lately!" said Yusuke.
"Well, Yusuke, important people like Koenma are always quite busy." said Botan.
"Those guys just like to keep you waiting to make you think that they're important. Besides, how busy can a toddler be?" said Yusuke.
"I thought we agreed you'd stop calling me that." Yusuke jumped at the sudden appearance of Koenma, floating right next to her.
"Koenma!"
"Yo." Koenma greeted.
"Don't sneak up on me! It really pisses me—" Botan covered Yusuke's mouth before the sentence could be finished.
"Hey, Koenma-sama, Yusuke was just wondering when would be a good time to bring her back to life." Botan quickly said.
"Ah yes, about that matter. It seems we're going to have to rush. Come with me!" Koenma grabbed Yusuke by the wrist and flew off, dragging her along to rhe Urameshi home.
"So are you going to put me back in my body now?" asked Yusuke.
"Not just yet. Energy of the body and energy of the soul have their own wavelengths. Unless the two are perfectly aligned, they cannot join, which won't happen until—Tomorrow." said Koenma.
"Wow! Starting tomorrow I'll be a human with real fists and everything!" Yusuke said excitedly.
"Well that's the best-case-scenario. There is a small problem. The frequencies of your wavelengths, interesting enough, are lower than most people. If you miss this chance tomorrow, you'll have to wait a while to realign." said Koenma.
"What are you talking about? Like weeks, or months?" asked Yusuke.
"Fifty-two years." said Koenma rather blandly.
"Fifty-two years?!" Yusuke repeated.
"Yes, but I think it'd be wise if you tried to do it tomorrow instead. And in order for that to happen you'll need someone in the living world who cares about you at least a little bit to donate their life energy."
"You mean like a human sacrifice?" asked Yusuke.
"Are you kidding? I'm not evil! They must give it to you, through the lips." Yusuke cringed as her face began to turn pink. "I don't see what's surprising about that. Haven't you heard of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?" Koenma teased.
"I guess so."
Koenma checked his pocket watch, it was now midnight. "It's time now." Koenma placed his hands about Yusuke's body and began preparing for Yusuke's revival. Yusuke's body glowing as it prepared.
"Hey! Why are you making me glow?" Yusuke demanded.
"Standard procedure. I'm opening the road between your body and Reikai, so the transfer can be made. In the morning, your body will shine in gold. Tonight, while your body prepares, you must enter the dreams of the three people who want you back the most. Tell them each what to do, and if one of them understands the message and kisses you before tomorrow at midnight, then you will return to the living world."
"Three people, huh?" Yusuke said. In the other room, Yusuke's mother had finished off her bottle of alcohol.
"Poo." she said, "Empty already? Must be a sign that someone's thinking about me at the bar." Standing up, she swaggered over to Yusuke's bedside and knelt down. "Hey there Yusuke. Watch over the house for me while I'm gone." Standing up again, she turned and swayed to the door. Yusuke, Botan, and Koenma all watched as Yusuke's mother left.
"The first is your mother, who seems to be leaving now." said Koenma.
"Oh yeah, we better rule her out. She'll be on this streak for days. Who are the other two people I've got?" Yusuke asked.
"You should know. It's the ones who are closest to you." said Koenma.
"Okay, okay, I'm sure Nii-san is one. And the other two must be—"
Kuwabara woke up screaming in bed. Sitting up he felt sick to his stomach at his dream, or in this case, nightmare.
"It's terrifying! I didn't know nightmares could be so bad!" he said, remembering his dream about Yusuke glowing gold, and kissing her so that she would come back to life. He screamed again, slapping himself to get rid of the horrifying image.
Back in Yusuke's room, Hyuuga Neji sat at the unlocked window, peering inside and looking at her, and pondering about his dream. Yusuke. She certainly doesn't look golden, but was it? Should I try? Don't be silly. It was just a dream. Neji thought as he turned and left without being seen.
"Hey! Didn't he see me glowing?" Yusuke said, disappointed that Neji did not get the message.
"I forgot to tell you. The connection starts from the feet and gradually moves up. You won't be completely gold until noon. Guess he should have checked the sheets." said Koenma.
"Kuwabara, Nii-san and my mother are hopeless. I'll just have to wait until Neji gets the point. I hate waiting." Yusuke said.
Rock Lee was napping a few feet away from Neji who was meditating after their sparring match. he had won again against Rock Lee, finding the determined ninja no match for himself, not like Yusuke. He looked up to see the dark night sky, wondering when it had gotten so late.
"Yusu..ke... Yusuke." Neji looked up at Lee, talking in his sleep. "You must save her. Her time runs out at twelve. Remember what you dreamed. It was more…than that. Neji, you must not be afraid. Believe."
Neji stood up immediately and without a word he ran off back towards the village.
Yusuke and Koenma were waiting outside Yusuke's house. Koenma took out his pocket watch again and checked the time.
"Five more minutes. What will you do if he doesn't make it in time?" Koenma asked.
"The only thing I can do. I'll wait around another fifty years. Then I'll go see Neji when he's a shriveled up old bat." Yusuke said sarcastically. Yusuke looked down and saw Neji running to the apartment as Botan soon arrived from wherever she was and stopped next to them.
"His friend was asleep so he was tuned to Reikai. I relayed the message through him." said Botan. Neji ran up the stone steps leading up to Yusuke's street and jumped up from roof to roof to reach Yusuke's house and around the back to her bedroom window.
"Will he make it?" Yusuke said, the tension beginning to rise.
"It is now eleven fifty-seven." said Koenma. Neji came to the window, cursing under his breath to find it locked of all nights. He quickly began to pick the lock as quickly as he could.
"He's only got three minutes!" said Yusuke.
"Actually, make that two minutes." said Koenma. Neji finally opened the window latch. "Eleven fifty-nine!"
"It's too late!" said Yusuke.
The clock stroked to midnight as he finally entered her room. Neji paused at the sight of the golden glow around Yusuke's body.
"She's fading!" Neji quickly ran to her side. After the last second to the final minute, Neji parted from Yusuke's lips, as the golden glow faded away. He watched with anticipation, the sinking feeling settling in his chest as he lowered his head.
"He didn't make it." said Koenma. Botan lowered her head, but then noticed that Yusuke was missing.
Neji covered his face in his arms when he suddenly felt the sheets move. Looking up at Yusuke he saw her eyes open and then sit up in bed. Yusuke turned her head, and looked at Neji.
"Hey, nice kiss." Yusuke said. Neji jumped up and embraced Yusuke, laughing happily now that Yusuke was back.
"He barely made it. I was holding my breath and everything. Well I guess this case is over." said Botan.
"Don't be crazy Botan. This girl's case is only beginning, didn't you know? The real ordeal will be much harder. Let's see how our little Yusuke fares when she's not floating in the sky." said Koenma.
