Nyoko
As I make my way south of the Daimyo's estate, I can't help but worry for Ryuji. I'm confident in my brother's abilities, but we've always fought alongside each other. This is the first time he has ever sent me ahead without him.
Just don't die, brother.
He said he would catch up soon, and I hope he does before I reach Madara. I still don't trust that masked man. I can tell he has evil intentions.
Ryuji, don't leave me alone with Madara.
I feel like I've been travelling for hours, yet I doubt that such a length of time has passed. I just want for this to all be over soon. The past week has been horrendous.
I stop for a moment. Mother died one week ago. With everything that has happened in the past week, the true weight of that has not yet pressed down on me.
My mother tells me that my true father was the head of one of the most powerful clans in the Hidden Leaf. Ryuji and I then left the village we grew up in. Then we learn that our father is dead. Then we meet a masked man who says he can arrange for us to meet our half-brother. Then we commit grand theft against the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers. Now here I am, sitting in the dirt with a sack of money for a creepy man in a mask.
I start hyperventilating. The weight of this past week's events is finally hitting me. Hard. My heart is racing. How has my life fallen apart so quickly?
I try to regain my composure. I have to get this to Madara. I need to do it for Ryuji.
Ryuji.
Ryuji still hasn't caught up yet. Is he ok?
I can't worry about that. I have to keep moving.
I get myself back to my feet and get back to travelling. I look up at the moon. A waxing crescent, bright in the sky. It brings a strange comfort to me. The night's cool air on my face helps calm me down. Everything will be fine. I'll be fine. We'll be fine.
Why can't I convince myself that it's true.
After what feels like a lifetime, I am able to see the black cloak with red clouds in the distance. He didn't lie. He came. I reach a grinding halt and try to catch my breath. I didn't realize until now how exhausted I was.
"Where is your brother?" he asks. I hate his low, gravelly voice. It makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up straight.
"We ran into some trouble… he told me to go on ahead while he took care of it," I reply, still panting.
"Trouble? What kind of trouble?"
"One of the Daimyo's guards got in our way. He handed the money off to me and told me to go on without him. He said he would catch up when he was done with him."
"How honorable. Were you really comfortable allowing your brother to stay by himself?" He speaks in such a condescending tone.
"I did what I had to do to get this for you." I hold up the sack I carried and hand it to him.
"Well, thank you for your devotion. If you don't mind, I would like to wait here for your brother to return."
I sit down and stay silent. This guy is shady.
I wish Ryuji would arrive already. I would've expected him to be long since wrapped up by now. Ryuji is no slouch in battle, I know that better than anyone. He is powerful, clever, crafty, and not someone I would want to find myself standing across from.
"What's the matter, you don't want to chat with me?" Madara's voice rings throughout the night.
"I'm just waiting for my brother to arrive."
"Do you fear for your brother's safety?"
"...Of course I do. He's my family… But I have faith in him. My brother is strong… I know he's okay… I know he is…"
Thankfully, he doesn't say anything else. The last thing I want right now is to have to have a therapy session with the strange man in an orange mask. Just what is taking Ryuji so long…
My concern grows larger and larger for the next half hour. There is still no sign of Ryuji.
"Alright," Madara chimes. I look at him. "I've gotten bored waiting. I shall find your brother. If you'll excuse me, I'll be back in just a couple of moments." He waves his arm in a circle, and just like last time in that village, his body disappears behind it. How does he do that…?
He didn't lie, as within only a couple of minutes, the space to my right begins to swirl, and Madara appeared. However, this time, he holds in his arm, the limp body of my twin brother.
"Ryuji! What happened to him?!" I cry.
"Fear not, young one. Your brother is fine. He dispatched his adversary, whom I would say is in far worse shape than your brother is."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, your brother here, killed the man he fought."
"He… he killed him?"
"I know a corpse when I see one, child. Now, calm yourself. If you get too loud, you'll wake him. He needs his rest. He used a lot of chakra in his battle." Madara carefully places Ryuji on the ground. "I want the two of you to stay here for the night. I will come back in the morning. Don't worry, no one will attack you here. I am certain of it."
I hear every word Madara says, but I have trouble processing them. I can't take my eyes off of the unconscious body of my brother. He… killed that guard? Ryuji has never killed a man in combat before…
"Farewell, Nyoko. I shall see you soon…" Madara once again disappears in a swirl.
There is no chance that I will sleep tonight. What the hell happened, Ryuji?
Ryuji wakes up about an hour after sunrise. He looks around, a bewildered expression on his face. "Where am I? How did I get here?" he ponders.
"You never caught up. Madara got tired of waiting and went and found you. You collapsed after your battle. How are you feeling?"
"I feel like every cell in my body is crying for help."
"It was a hard fought battle I assume."
"You could say that." Ryuji's demeanor is cold, but not the way it usually is. Something seems… off.
"Madara should be back some time this morning. At least, that's what he said last night."
He doesn't answer me. After a few moments without speaking, I can't hold my thoughts in any longer.
"Madara said you killed that Guard… What happened?"
Ryuji pauses as if he isn't sure how to answer that question. "... I was in over my head. His power level far exceeded anything I had ever encountered before. Every strategy, every plan, every idea… they all failed. I was no match for him… he nearly killed me, I had nearly accepted my fate… but then…" He pauses again.
"...then what?" I ask. I fear for his response.
"I awakened the Sharingan."
"You did?"
"Yes… Since you awakened yours when we decided to leave the village to find Fugaku, and I awakened mine upon nearly dying, I think it has some sort of stress-response."
"Stress-response?"
"Good hypothesis, Ryuji! You nearly hit the nail on the head." I hate that gravelly voice more and more each time I hear it. "You see, the Sharingan awakens whenever an Uchiha goes through an event which elicits a powerful emotional response. It could be the loss of a loved one, the fear for one's life, the resolve to fulfill one's dream. The possibilities are virtually limitless."
"But aside from that, it's good to see you awake, Ryuji! It looked like you had a hard fought battle. I commend you for your strength and determination."
"Thank you, Madara. Now that we've gotten your money, will we get to meet Itachi?"
"Ah, yes. You have held up your end of the bargain, I shall hold up mine too." Ryuji's face now beamed with excitement. He really wants to meet Itachi, doesn't he? "Unfortunately, he is currently out on an assignment, but rest assured, as soon as he returns, you will get to meet him. If that is all, I shall bid you a farewell, and revisit you when the time comes." Madara begins to wave his arm in a circular motion, but Ryuji extends his arm out towards him. Madara pauses.
"I have one more question for you, Madara," my brother says.
"Oh? And what would that be?"
"I realized something in my battle with the Daimyo's Guard… I was weak, measly in comparison to him… without the Sharingan, I would be dead right now…" I wonder where Ryuji is going with this. "Since we have to wait for Itachi to return… if it wouldn't be too much trouble…" Where is Ryuji going with this? I break into a cold sweat.
"...would you teach Nyoko and I how to best utilize our Sharingan?"
My heart sank. I feel like I could vomit. Did he really just ask Madara to…?
"You are asking me to train you two?" Madara inquires.
"Yes," Ryuji answers.
Madara begins chuckling to himself. My anxiety grows more and more with each passing second. "Well, it would be a pain to have to track you two down once Itachi returns… plus, who knows how long this assignment could take him… I wouldn't want to waste anyone's time, after all." Ryuji stares intently at the masked man.
"Yes, I'll train you two."
Ryuji bows his head. "Thank you, Madara."
Rivers of cold sweat run down my body from head to toe. Slowly, it's as if my will has become insignificant, and I have been made to only do as my brother wishes.
What have you gotten us into, Ryuji?
