Yu Yu Hakusho: Shinobi Files
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or Naruto.
Note: Enjoy. Updates will come when written.
Uzumaki Naruto stared. What was going on…? He looked down at his body. Was it his body?
His day had been somewhat simple so far. He had worked himself to exhaustion, and woken up in the bed of Shizune. She informed him that Tsunade was going to face Orochimaru. They had gone after her, meeting up with a drugged Jiraiya along the way.
While the three Sannin faced off, Naruto fought Kabuto. He had won, sort of. Kabuto had regenerated his injuries so what would have been life-threatening ended up being minimal damage. Under orders, Kabuto charged at him with the sword Orochimaru tossed him.
He had been fighting Kabuto, to protect the baa-chan. It seemed now the fight was over. They had been victorious, but…
Naruto's eyes widened.
He was dead.
"Does that make me a ghost…?" wondered Naruto. It would explain the floating over his bloody corpse pretty darn well.
"Ding ding ding!" exclaimed a voice. Naruto turned, no, floated around to see a woman with light blue hair and violet eyes in a pink kimono with a blue sash, floating on an oar. "You caught on quicker than I thought you would."
"…" Naruto stared blankly at this strange woman, glaring at her. No need for his mask when he was dead. So he couldn't become Hokage. He died with honor, protecting on of his precious people. But, it sucked to be dead though. It really sucked…
Great. There goes his good attitude.
"Most people don't get the idea after accidents like this." Continued the woman. "They can't grasp their death, can't rest in piece, and become restless ghosts!"
"Who… Or what…" started Naruto. "The hell are you?"
"Botan, guide to the River Styx, at your service." Said the woman cheerfully. "I have a lot of names, but they all mean death I suppose. Nice to meet'cha."
Naruto gave her a blank stare, then a look that read: "Do I look stupid to you?"
"Hey, lady…" growled Naruto. "What do you mean 'Nice to meet'cha'?"
"Now don't try to stare down the messenger of the underworld…" warned the woman, Botan.
"Look, I'm dead and not feeling all that good about, though I died with a good cause…" Naruto shook his head and crossed his legs, floating in front of the woman. "Why aren't you all grave and gloomy like you're supposed to be? I mean, 'Ding ding ding'? Please…"
Botan, however, seemed to find this very funny. She laughed.
"I see by the grade book you're just how you're supposed to be!" laughed Botan cheerfully. "Hee hee! No wonder you don't respect me, let alone fear me!"
Naruto glared. Then again, the afterlife most likely would know about his mask. Even Iruka-sensei was fooled by his mask. Botan pulled something out of her kimono before the nin could continue his thoughts.
"Uzumaki Naruto, 12 ½ years old. Crude, violent, impatient, and reckless. Has sticky fingers and a stupid brain." Said Botan, grinning all the while. "Fights, plays tricks, and wears a false mask of happiness, never letting anyone close. Failed graduation exams three times."
Botan looked at the small black book she had and raised her eyebrows.
"Wow…" said Botan. "Few losses to anyone, obviously. Ooh… You did that too?"
"Can we just move on?" yelled Naruto, as he floated behind the supposed envoy to the next world and glanced at the long list of pranks and tricks he had done. The person below him had a paragraph, he had over a page, at least.
Naruto glanced down and noticed everyone was gone.
"By the way, what happened to baa-chan and everyone else…?" wondered Naruto. "Are they alright?"
"So, even in death, you're loyal to your 'Precious People', ne?" Botan smiled. "Let's go see."
Naruto smiled as he saw Tsunade and Jiraiya enter a bar, Shizune carrying a corpse running to a hotel. So, they were going to cremate him back in Konoha.
"Okay then… So they're alright…"Naruto shook his head, smiling grimly, and turned to Botan.
"…" Botan stared at Naruto, who was floating lower to the ground. She smiled softly.
"So am I, y' know? I have no regrets." Naruto smiled. "I may not have been able to become Hokage, but… So, Botan was it? Might as well take me to hell, or wherever 'm going."
Botan stared, before bursting into giggles.
"What's so funny?" asked Naruto, glaring at the blue haired spirit woman.
"You've got the wrong idea. I'm not here to take you anywhere." Said Botan, holding her pointer finger up. "I'm here to see if you're interested in taking the test to come back to life."
"Test…?" Naruto blinked. "Come back to life…?"
Naruto crossed his arms, but he didn't close his eyes. That was his mask. He wasn't going to wear it anymore.
"What're you talking about?" asked Naruto, cross legged and curious.
"Hmm…" Botan put her finger to her lips. "How should I put it…"
"Yes…?" asked Naruto impatiently. If he hadn't been floating, he'd be tapping his feet.
"Maybe this way will do… Your death was… Unexpected, in the spirit world…" started Botan. "Not even Enma-sama had any idea you would use all of your energy to save that woman. So… There's no place for you in hell of heaven."
"No… Frickin' place for me?" exclaimed Naruto angrily. "You're saying me dying to save the baa-chan wasn't on your schedule?"
"Well, I wasn't going to tell you this, since it would only bum you out…" Botan looked in her book and laughed nervously. "But that woman was going to recover a little after you would have passed out, having not used all your energy. In fact, all of you would be fine by tomorrow!"
"Huh…?" stammered Naruto. "Without… A scratch…?"
"Yeah, so much as I hate to say this…" Botan scratched her cheek. "Your death was totally pointless!"
Botan laughed heartily.
"Yeah, I'd feel pretty terrible about it too." Botan stifled more giggles as Naruto face faulted in mid air, before floating back up to her. "Instead of everyone being fine, the woman got a scar on her arm and you die! Nice work, moron!"
Moron! Pointless death!
Naruto twitched, before moved to punch Botan.
"Now calm down! Death isn't always permanent!" exclaimed Botan. "Not in your case anyway. You can take the test I mentioned."
"…" Naruto looked at her.
"I'm told this sort of thing crops up now and then, about every 100 years on average. And really, I'm as new to the idea as you are." Said Botan thoughtfully, brushing some hair away from her ear. "You won't rest in peace in your current state, that's for sure."
Naruto turned away from Botan and looked over the ground.
"I can't say what the test is, but you have nothing to lose by taking it." Continued Botan. "It's not a bad idea if you think about it."
"… Nah, I'll pass." Said Naruto thoughtfully.
"Huh?" said Botan blankly, flipping through her book to the section of dreams. This boy had many.
"Can't see anything wrong with being a ghost." Said Naruto thoughtfully, crossing his arms behind his head. What he was about to say was hard, but now, he accepted it. "What would I amount to if I came back to life anyway?"
"Gee." Said Botan blankly, staring down at Naruto from on her oar.
"No one I know is gonna miss me. Iruka-sensei will get over it. No one else cared." Naruto sighed. "They'd just curse their luck if I came back."
Naruto smiled darkly.
"Iruka-sensei's still young, even for a good ninja like him." Continued Naruto. "Without having to do stuff for me all the time, he might actually get a girlfriend, maybe married. Times are like that, getting married at 18 and stuff."
"So fatalistic… You're barely 13?" Botan sighed. "Think about it while you attend your wake. You can give me your answer afterwards. Just call, I'll know."
"…" Naruto closed his eyes and entered his mindscape. Might as well ask the bastard fox about this.
Naruto gasped from inside his own mind.
Kyuubi was gone.
End Chapter1