Chapter 13: 13. Awakened
In Yoriichi's hospital room Benimaru sits in a bedside chair reading quietly to himself. As he's flipping a page Yo mutters something very lowly and turns his head causing Beni to stop and stare "Yo?" He calls out to his brother, Yo answers by muttering something else with a distressed look on his face. "Yoriichi?" Benimaru tries again putting the book down and getting closer. However, Yo doesn't respond, the tension in his face eases and he goes back silent.
Benimaru can only sigh and step back, this wasn't the first time this has happened either. Yoriichi would say something occasionally, sometimes responding to someone in the room other times he'd say something with no context at all, but in the end he'd never actually wake up. All of his vitals were healthy, so no one knew why he wouldn't wake up. They could only wait. "What's going on in your head Yo? When are you going to wake up?" Benimaru wonders.
"When are you going to wake up?" The question resounds in Yoriichi's head, but not in Beni's voice. Still, it is a familiar one, one he couldn't forget. It was the only person he's been able to communicate with for the last few years, his zanpakuto spirit. "Are you going to sleep the entirety of your life away you sluggard?" The arrogant spirit continues with irritation pointed Yoriichi. "What gives you the right to sleep so long!?"
"Shut up! You think I want to be stuck in a shitty coma?! I've spent enough time for two lives in a hospital bed dammit!" Yoriichi yells back to the voice even more irritated than it is. "I'm missing a second chance at youth. How can anyone be happy with that!?"
"Did you not think something like this would happen abusing all of your power so? Just give up and die already, maybe my next master won't be so stupid…"
"You go to hell! I did that to save teacher and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!" Yoriichi stands by his actions firmly. She's still alive is all that matters, he's heard her voice in the room many times. "If you had helped more, it would've been easy for me to defend the village!"
"Hah! You would blame me for your shortcomings?!" The voice laughs in his face, "such nerve! You are not worthy of me."
"Me not worthy? You're not worthy of me!" An offended Yoriichi retorts.
"Keep spouting your foolishness. You aren't worthy of a rusty katana…not even a knife."
"I told you to SHUT UP!" Yoriichi shouts. Yoriichi can put up with a great deal, but no one on this green earth will dare to believe they are superior to him. Not even an extension of himself. Yoriichi was so livid that he woke up, sitting up in his bed.
Finally awake after five long years Yoriichi springs out of bed with seemingly boundless energy. He stops and pats his body down. No injuries, not even a scratch. "Hahahahahaha!" He lets out a triumphant laugh, throwing his fists up victoriously. "So I lived! Where am I though?" Despite being ecstatic that he's alive, he has no clue as to when or where he is.
"You're in a hospital elder brother." A child sits in a chair with a pile of books right next to him.
"Elder brother? Wait, are you little Benimaru?" Yoriichi asks, turning to the kid with an excited gasp.
"Yes, it is I. Benimaru. Nice to officially mee-" Before he can finish his greeting Yoriichi snatches him up out the chair with a big hug.
"AWWW my little brother's so big now!" Yoriichi says spinning him around.
Benimaru tried to struggle out of Yoriichi's grip but he was strong. Uncannily strong for someone who had just spent five years wasting away in a hospital bed, he showed no signs of deterioration at all. "Put…me…down!" He says as Yo let's him go, on the far side of the room he straightens his clothes out. 'It's been years since I've had to deal with this indignation…' he thinks to himself.
"Nooooo! I missed all your cute baby years, now you're already talking clearly and demanding to be treated like a big boy. Woe is me!!!" A dejected Yoriichi cries out dropping to his knees.
"It is not that serious brother, please calm down…" Benimaru says not sure if he's consoling or reprimanding him at that point. Not even five minutes and he was reminded how extra this elder brother of his is.
"It is to me!" A teary-eyed Yo exclaims looking up. Finally taking a good look at Benimaru he is surprised to see the spitting image of Indra Otsutsuki, their ancestor and the father of the Uchiha. The only difference is his hair is short and solid black, but even as a five-year-old Indra's look is very distinct. "Hold up, are you really my brother? Not like some sort of apparition or my zanpakuto spirit?"
"Of course, I'm your brother. What nonsense are you on about?" Benimaru asks with some growing concern.
"You look like the spitting image of Indra Otsutsuki, but with shorter hair." Yoriichi's face went a little sour looking at Beni's haircut. He never pictured Indra with short hair and now seeing it, it's not his favorite aesthetic. "It's almost like you're supposed to be a familiar face... You really should grow your hair out though, that'd be pretty cool."
"Stay on topic brother," Beni says as he tries to ignore the subliminal insult. "What were you saying about lord founder? How do you know of him?"
Yoriichi's head tilts to the side. "Lord founder? You mean Indra?"
"Yes, I believe we are referring to the same person. It seems I have much to expl-"
"OOOOOH it all makes sense now! You're a reincarnated person too! But, from the past huh, somewhere during the ninja sect's time. Nice. Do you have like some kind of new cheat power?"
Benimaru was a little shocked how quickly Yo put everything together, but still it saved him a lot of exposition. "that about sums it up."
"A reincarnator who transmigrated from another world and a second from the past, born as brothers… I don't think I've read any novels with that premise, hope it's interesting." Yo thinks aloud. "We'll have to trade stories when we get a chance."
"Most definitely," Benimaru agrees. "It seems we will have to save it for another time though, someone is coming." Their attention shifts to the door.
On cue the door opens up and a nurse walks in, "I everything alright Benimaru? I heard-" she stops mid-sentence when she sees a fully recovered patient just standing in the middle of the room. "Y-yoriichi. You're awake!?!"
"Hi," Yo waves with a friendly smile. She nearly trips over herself running to tell someone. Yoriichi's physical exam didn't take long to finish and concludes with him being in perfect health. In fact he felt that his body had actually improved while in the coma, he'll have to test the extent of it out later.
Just as soon as the doctors and staff finished their work a group of people come bursting in the door. First in the door is Fugaku and his family Mikoto, Itachi, and Sasuke. Kushina brought Naruto. Toph and Yami even showed up, bringing along their stand-in teammate Hana Inuzaka. The nursing staff in the background were murmuring things like 'the hero of the leaf' and 'the dancing swordsman' among other titles he acquired for his efforts in hollow slaying. It seems his teammates, as well as Itachi all got cool/embarrassing titles. No one loved it more than Yoriichi though. He felt like a celebrity.
"Yo!" Toph and Yami begin at the same time.
"Little Yo," Kushina starts.
"Hello Yo," Itachi says calmly.
"Yoriichi!!!" Sasuke shouts
"Big brother Yo???" Naruto questions.
"Yoriichi Uchiha" Fugaku addresses him (formally) as well. Of course, all of them speaking at once only served to confuse the boy who isn't sure who to respond to first. Yoriichi looks around the room again at the people present, and who's not. "Wait where is-"
"Baba is well." Benimaru answers before he can finish talking, this gets a laugh from everyone.
"Definitely brothers. Benimaru's known him the shortest time and still knew who Yo was looking for before he could say anything." Mikoto giggles.
"Benimaru has always been smart, and he was in this hospital room as much as me and Naruto.. I think he taught himself to read too. I heard he even mastered his chakra control to be able to walk on walls and water." Kushina's bragging immediately goes to Beni's head. Being treated like a genius always felt great, and with his skill it was easy to play the part. Still he gets 'aww how cute' instead of awe so his moment was ruined.
"Didn't you all come to see elder brother!" he states as his pride shifts to embarrassment. Kushina pinching on his cheek didn't help either. The group carries on talking and reminiscing happily until the third Hokage and his advisors' arrival sours the mood almost instantly. Smiles fade and the laughing stops as the hokage's group enters the room.
"Hello everyone. We're glad you're finally awake. How do you feel Yoriichi?" the Third Hokage asks with a jovial smile. The kind old man routine was already started.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone