---
The viewing room was in complete chaos. People were crying, some were in shock, and others were angry. The revelation that Asura had killed Ryo, that Kyo was an alien, that even Super Saiyan power wasn't enough - it was overwhelming.
"Is he...?" Kushina couldn't even finish the sentence, her voice breaking.
"NO!" Yuri was sobbing uncontrollably. "My baby can't be dead! Not after everything!"
Ryo sat in stunned silence, processing that this monster had murdered him, that he'd given his Sharingan to Kyo as a final gift.
"The power difference," Madara said grimly. "Even Super Saiyan wasn't enough."
"Alien warrior race," Orochimaru mused, still processing. "Saiyans... extraordinary."
The screen flickered, showing the chapter title, and the room held its breath.
"Memories"
"Please let him be alive," Hinata whispered, tears streaming down her face.
---
"KYO!"
That was the last thing Kyo Uchiha heard before his consciousness faded away. Kyo suddenly blinked his eyes as he saw him in the dark space. He felt like standing on flat ground. He looked down; he saw a deep, endless void in a dark space. It was dark. The only light is on top of his head.
"A void," Itachi observed, his analytical mind working despite his concern. "His consciousness is somewhere between life and death."
"Limbo," Gaara said with understanding. "I've been there."
"At least he's aware," Tsunade said, her medical expertise providing a glimmer of hope. "If he can think, there's still brain activity."
"Where am I?" His voice echoes throughout the entire area. He rubs his hair and sighs. "Am I... Dead?"
"DON'T YOU DARE BE DEAD!" Naruto shouted at the screen.
Yuri's sobbing intensified. "He's questioning if he's dead... my poor baby..."
"The isolation," Kurenai noted sadly. "After everything he's been through, he's alone again."
Kyo asks himself; he wants to know the answer, but he never gets it. He wants to know if his teammate is safe. Is Kakane okay? Is he dead? The answer is that he never knows because he is alone.
"Even in this state, he's worried about others," Minato said with paternal pride mixed with grief.
"That's our Kyo," Ryo whispered, finally finding his voice. "Always thinking of his friends first."
"But he thinks Kakane might be dead too," Sakura said with horror. "The guilt he must be feeling..."
The Saiyan Uchiha is down to his knees. He remembers what Asura said to him.
"The trauma," Lee said, his usual enthusiasm replaced by deep concern. "His spirit is breaking."
---
•Flashback•
"More of that monster," Temari said with disgust.
Asura smiles. "Now, now, don't be like that... I'll give you a question, Tomarot-to..."
"We remember this," Shikamaru said grimly. "The ultimatum."
Kyo growls. "W-What is it?"
"Join me and conquer this planet together or die with this planet," Asura said with an evil smile.
"He wants to turn Kyo into a weapon," Hiruzen said with deep concern.
"Conquer or destroy," A repeated. "No real choice at all."
Kyo was shocked as he said, "W-What!? No WA-" His word cut off when Asura waves his finger.
"Nah, ha... I will give you one year to think about it..." Asura said as he walked away but stopped suddenly. "Oh, I forgot my present." He fires a Ki beam straight through Kyo's stomach.
"The wound that nearly killed him," Tsunade said, her anger flaring. "Sadistic monster."
"One year," Onoki noted gravely. "That's how long we have before he returns."
---
•End Flashback•
"No, I will not let that happen. I must get out here! I can't let Asura destroy the world!" Kyo stands back up and starts running into the dark space void, searching for a way out for hours or days.
"THAT'S IT!" Guy shouted, tears streaming down his face. "NEVER GIVE UP! EVEN IN THE VOID OF DEATH!"
"He's fighting to return," Neji observed with respect. "Incredible willpower."
"Our planet," Kushina said with determination. "He's fighting for all of us."
The young Saiyan didn't know how long he was running. He didn't stop. He must find a way out there. Suddenly, his boy gives up; he can't continue to run, and he is exhausted.
"The human spirit has limits," Jiraiya said sadly. "Even for someone like Kyo."
"Damit, no, I can't stop now. I must find a way out here!" He touches his hand to the ground to stand up, but he feels his hands are wet. He looked down, and he saw water. Water is everywhere.
"Water in the void," Mito observed. "The subconscious is changing."
"Water? But how? Maybe I'm getting closer to getting out of here!" Kyo tries to stand, but his body feels heavy. He is down to his knees again, heavy breathing. "D-Damit! I-I must continue... I must keep running..."
"He won't give up," Sasuke said with something like admiration. "Even when his body fails."
He falls flat into the water. First, the water was not deep at all; it was at ankle level at first, but when his body fell into the water, the deep water was no longer at ankle level, and his body continued to fall into deep, bottomless water.
"He's sinking deeper," Kakashi noted with concern. "Further from consciousness."
With half-open eyes, Kyo can only see his body go deeper and deeper.
Kyo extends his arm forward, 'No, I must get back up there...'
"Fighting even while drowning," Anko said with grudging respect.
Kyo lost consciousness again.
The room held its breath, fearing the worst.
Then the Saiyan boy heard someone calling him. He slowly opens his eyes to find a girl with blond hair and brown eyes looking at him beside her. There are two other girls. One has white hair, black eyes, and a red mark under her eyes. The other one has pale skin, long black hair, yellow eyes, and a yellow mark around her eyes. Then the blond one said to him.
"Wait," Jiraiya said, sitting up straighter. "Those descriptions sound familiar..."
"Yellow marks around the eyes," Orochimaru noted with growing recognition.
"Hey! Get up! Sensei said we are going to have a mission!" The blond girl said.
Kyo wants to say something like, Who are you? Or where am I? But it seems like he can't control his body. Then his body reacted on its own and said back to the blonde girl.
"He can't control his body," Tsunade observed with medical fascination. "Someone else's memories."
"But whose?" Fugaku asked with confusion.
"Can't you give me some rest? I just finished the routine of my training, you know..." Kyo suddenly talks without his control.
Kyo is shocked; his body seems to talk back to the blond girl, as if it knows who they are.
"These aren't his memories," Itachi realized. "He's experiencing someone else's life."
'What the hell is happening?! I can't control my body!' Before he could continue, the blonde girl said again.
The blond girl growled, "I don't care! Now get on your feet, or I will make you!"
The blond girl crossed he arms under her flat breast and scoffed. Kyo saw this girl who looked like Naruko, with Asuka's personality; before he could think further, his body spoke to her again.
"She looks like Naruko?" Kushina asked with confusion. "But with a different personality?"
Uncontrolled, Kyo suddenly sighed as he said, "Are you still mad that I forgot our date? Yesterday?"
"A DATE?!" Multiple voices shouted, their emotional exhaustion momentarily forgotten.
"Whoever this is, he's in a relationship," Ino noted despite everything.
The other girl is shocked and looks at the blond with wide eyes when they hear this.
Kyo continues watching his body talk to the girl; he wants to know who these people are and, most importantly, what the hell is going on here!
"The same question we all have," Kiba muttered, still shaken from Chapter 19.
"Wait! You are going on a date?! With Him!?" The white, wild-haired girl asks.
The blonde-haired girl blushed as she said, "Why do you seem so surprised?"
The white girl pauses for a second. Kyo can see The White hair girl frown a bit, the same as the Black girl. Kyo's body gets to his feet with a sigh, and the white girl continues.
"Love triangle," Anko observed, though recent events dampened her usual enthusiasm.
White girl face down as she said, "It's nothing..."
The blonde saw the white hair girl frowning, so she decided to cut her word.
The blond girl scoffed as he said, "But we didn't have a date because! This Uchiha Baka! (Idiot!) He forgot it yesterday!" She pops her knuckle; she slowly walks toward Kyo. Kyo wants to run away, but his body stands there.
"Another Uchiha," Mikoto noted through her tears. "But who?"
"Someone we've never heard of," Sasuke said grimly.
'Body, what are you doing? Run away!'
"Even in someone else's memories, Kyo's survival instincts are active," Kakashi noted with slight amusement.
Kyo closes his eyes. At the time, the blond girl punches Kyo.
"Violence from the girlfriend," Temari said, trying to lighten the mood slightly.
The scene changes. Kyo blinked a couple of times. The scene changes, and his body hurts, like it really hurts, the same as when he gets injured by Asura, but at the same time, he feels his body grow bigger.
"Time skip," Tobirama observed. "He's experiencing this person's entire life."
"And feeling their pain as if it were his own," Tsunade noted with concern.
Right now, he is lying on the ground as if he were waiting for death.
The mood in the room immediately darkened again, the brief levity forgotten.
Kyo slowly opens his eyes as he sees the three girls he saw before, all grown up; they are all beautiful women now. The blond girl has a purple diamond shape on her forehead. The blonde is currently healing Kyo's injury, tears streaming down her face.
Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock. "Purple diamond on the forehead... that's the Strength of a Hundred Seal!"
"But that's Tsunade's technique," Sakura said with confusion. "How could...?"
Kyo saw the white girl, or may he say woman now; her red mark is longer now down to her chin, and she was holding his left arm while her other hand clenched her left ribs, tears streaming down her face. Kyo wants to touch her face with his right hand, but he can't because he can't control his body right now.
"Red marks extending to the chin," Orochimaru said with growing realization. "That's very specific marking..."
The Saiyan boy didn't want anyone to cry because of him. He remembers his teammate crying before he falls unconscious. Right now, even though they didn't know them, he still didn't want them to cry. Then he felt someone touch his face. The Uchiha trails the arm that touches his face. Kyo saw the black woman give him a pillow, her eyes welling up with tears just about to fall.
"Even in someone else's dying moments, he doesn't want to see tears," Hinata said softly, her own eyes wet.
Kyo's body moves his head down to his right arm; Kyo is slightly shocked at this. His right arm is up to his shoulder. Then he heard a white-haired woman speak.
"Missing arm," Ay noted grimly. "Severe battle damage."
"Just like what Asura did to Kyo," Minato said quietly, the parallels disturbing.
A white-haired woman said in tears, "You Idiot! Why did you do that? Why didn't you save yourself?"
The white woman grabs his hand, tightening her grip.
"She loves him," Kurenai noted with emotion, despite everything.
Then Kyo's body spoke in a weak tone, "I-I can't do that... You guys are someone important to me... S-Someone that I love." His body starts to get weaker and weaker. He coughs up blood, which makes the females panic even more, and the blond increases her medical technique.
"Sacrificial love," Guy said with passionate approval, even through his grief. "Beautiful dedication!"
"This person... they're just like Kyo," Yuri whispered through her tears. "Protecting the people they love."
The blond woman was in tears as she said, "P-Please stop talking! You are going to be fine."
"Medical jutsu failing," Tsunade noted with professional despair. "The injuries are too severe."
Kyo also starts to feel lightheaded, and then his body speaks again. "Hey, can you promise me..."
That catches three women's attention.
A black-haired woman looks at him with teary eyes, "W-What is it?" She gently touches his cheek, with tears on her face.
The room was completely silent, everyone absorbed in the tragic scene despite their own emotional exhaustion.
Kyo's body coughed blood as he said, "W-When I die... can you seal my eyes..?"
"Seal his eyes?" Fugaku said with understanding. "An Uchiha's final request - to protect the Sharingan."
"Honor even in death," Itachi noted with deep respect.
Kyo's body finally closes his eyes; Kyo can only hear now.
"No! You are not going to die! Just stay with us, please..." The black hair woman finally cries, and her tears fall down Kyo's face.
Several people in the room were openly crying now, the emotional scene hitting too close to what they'd just witnessed with Kyo.
"J-Just promise me..." Kyo unconsciously asks again.
Two of the females gave the nod and said yes, while the blonde still focused on her healing.
Kyo smiled as the body said, "T-Thank you... and I love you all... Orochi... Jirayu... Tsunade....." Kyo was conscious, just about to slip away again, and they all said at the same time to him.
The room exploded in shock.
"OROCHI?!" "JIRAYU?!" "TSUNADE?!"
"Those are female versions of the Sannin!" Jiraiya shouted in disbelief.
"Gender-bent alternate reality," Orochimaru said with fascination. "But who is this person who knew them?"
The woman's names, Jirayu, Tsunade, and Orochi, said at the same time. "We love you to Kenshi Uchiha..."
The room went completely silent. Then several voices spoke at once.
"KENSHI UCHIHA!" Fugaku stood up despite his emotional state.
"Wait..." Hiruzen's pipe fell from his lips, his eyes widening in recognition. "Kenshi... I remember a Kenshi Uchiha. He died when he was twelve, from a heart virus."
"You knew him?" Mikoto asked in shock, looking between her husband and the Hokage.
Jiraiya's face had gone pale. "Kenshi... the kid with the incredible potential. We all thought he could have been the greatest ninja of his generation."
"A prodigy beyond measure," Tsunade said quietly, her usual confidence shaken. "His death was... devastating. The whole village mourned."
"Heart virus," Orochimaru repeated, his analytical mind working. "But in those memories, he lived to adulthood. He looked exactly like..."
"Like Kyo," Sasuke finished, understanding dawning.
"Different timeline," Itachi realized. "In that reality, he survived the virus and lived."
Ryo's expression had become complex, pain and understanding mixing. "In our world, Kenshi didn't die at twelve. He lived to eighteen and worked alongside Jirayu, Tsunade, and Orochi. They called themselves the Yonin."
"The fourth member of their Sannin," Yuri added softly. "He was... he was like an older brother to us. His death at eighteen broke everyone's hearts."
"So in both timelines, Kenshi dies young," Kushina said with deep sadness. "But in the gender-bent world, he lived long enough to find love."
"The question remains," Madara said grimly, "why is Kyo seeing memories of a dead Uchiha from another reality?"
The Guardian's light pulsed mysteriously. "Some bonds transcend individual timelines, reaching across the multiverse itself. Kenshi Uchiha's spirit resonates with those who share his heart."
"His heart?" Minato asked.
"The willingness to sacrifice everything for those you love. Kenshi, in every reality where he existed, died protecting others. Just as Kyo is willing to do."
"Multiversal connection," Shikamaru said with awe. "Kenshi's showing Kyo how to die with honor."
"Or how to live with purpose," Hiruzen corrected, his voice heavy with old grief and new hope.
Kyo's world is dark again.
Kyo slowly opens his eyes. He found out he was back in deep water, still falling. His body is weak right now; he knows he can control it, but he lacks the energy to move.
"He's back in his own consciousness," Hiruzen observed.
'Was... I... in someone's body before? And what was that? That image... is that... memories..? who are they to him... as far I know he said he loves them... and their name is Orochi, Jirayu, Tsunade... it was sad he died, but that is the way... I want to die; I will die while I protect my friends...'
"He's processing what he saw," Shikamaru noted. "And it's giving him resolve."
"He wants to die protecting his friends, just like Kenshi did," Sasuke observed with something like admiration.
Then Asura's word reminds him.
Kyo shook his head, 'No! I can't die yet! I will not die like this! Asura is still out there! And he can destroy the world if he wants to. I have to stop him! I'll protect everyone I love! Because I... I...'
"His determination is returning!" Lee said with renewed hope.
"The memory of sacrifice is inspiring him," Guy observed proudly.
Kyo hugged himself and tightened his grip. Kyo's power slowly rises. A white aura comes out of his body and turns yellow and back to white.
"Power fluctuation," Madara noted with interest. "He's breaking through his mental barriers."
"After everything that's happened, he's still fighting," Kushina said with motherly pride mixed with relief.
Kyo growled, "I... I..... KYO UCHIHA!"
"NAME DECLARATION!" Naruto shouted, hope returning to his voice. "He's finding himself again!"
"After learning he's a Saiyan, he's still claiming his Uchiha identity," Sasuke noted with approval.
With a roar in the water, Kyo gains a new ability. He flies out of the water. He still saw a dark space void around him. He begins to power up. He crosses his arms and extends his arms to his side with another roar. He became the Legendary Super Saiyan.
"SUPER SAIYAN AGAIN!" The room erupted in desperate cheers.
"He's transcending death itself!" Guy shouted with passionate tears.
"The golden power conquering the void!" Madara said with dark approval.
"HAAAAA!!!" Kyo bright golden light. Light the whole dark space void, his light brighter and brighter, the whole scene turns to white.
"The light is banishing the darkness," Mito observed with wonder and relief.
"Hope conquering despair," Hiruzen said with deep satisfaction.
"He's coming back to us," Yuri whispered, hope finally returning to her voice.
---
Kyo once again felt his body hurt. He felt he was lying in a comfortable place. He slowly opens his eyes, and the first thing he sees is the ceiling, and the first thing he hears is a beeping noise from his left side.
"Hospital sounds!" Tsunade said with medical relief.
"He's alive!" Sakura shouted. "He's back in the real world!"
"ALIVE!" Kushina screamed, jumping up. "OUR BOY IS ALIVE!"
The Saiyan Uchiha turns his head to his left. He saw a heart rate machine. He turns around the room, and he knows he is in the hospital. He saw on his body a couple of live support items, and he removed them all.
"WHAT IS HE DOING?!" Tsunade shouted in alarm. "Those machines are keeping him stable!"
"Kyo, no!" Yuri screamed. "You need medical care!"
"Saiyan physiology," Ryo said with understanding, relief evident in his voice. "He heals differently."
First, Kyo removes the heart rate cable from his hand and removes a couple of syringes from both of his arms, and finally, he pulls off his breathing mask from his face.
"He's disconnecting life support," Hinata said with worry.
"But he's conscious and moving," Minato noted with hope. "That's a good sign."
Kyo slowly got up to a sitting position. He felt pain in all parts of his body, especially his abdomen. He sees a clock, and it shows him it is 4.30 am. Suddenly, his abdomen felt a sharp pain.
"4:30 AM," Kakashi noted. "Early morning recovery."
"The stomach wound," Tsunade observed with concern. "Still causing pain."
Kyo yelps in pain, "Ow, Asura really got me good... but it doesn't matter... I must train..."
"HE WANTS TO TRAIN?!" Multiple voices shouted in disbelief.
"He nearly died, and he wants to TRAIN?!" Ino screamed.
"After everything that happened, his first thought is getting stronger," Gaara said with dark understanding.
"Saiyan instincts," Bee noted. "Pain only makes them stronger."
The Saiyan boy realized he was alone in that room as Kyo slowly got out of bed. He wants to leave the room and board the train. At first, he wants to jump out the window, but in his condition, the landing won't look good. So he decides to use the door.
"At least he's showing some sense," Kurenai said with relief.
"Barely," Asuma added with a tired chuckle.
When he gets closer to the door, he finds a mirror. He looks at himself; he has a bandage with a bloodstain on his bandage covering half of his body, and his hair has grown long to his back. He wears a black T-shirt with short black pants.
"Long hair," Ino noted with concern. "How long was he unconscious?"
"Bloodstained bandages," Tsunade observed grimly. "Severe injuries."
Kyo pulls his T-shirt to his chest. He saw another bandage with more bloodstains on his abdomen. He carefully pulls off the bandage one by one from his abdomen. When the final piece of bandage is away from him, he looks at the mirror again with his left eyebrow slightly rising. He has scars on his stomach and back, and his body is also a bit slim.
"Permanent scarring," Tsunade noted with medical concern. "That Ki blast went clean through."
"He's lost weight," Choji observed with worry. "Muscle mass decreased."
"Battle scars," A said with grim respect. "Proof of survival."
Kyo released back his shirt and sighed, "My hair got longer, I see..."
"Typical teenage boy," Tenten laughed despite everything. "Worried about his hair after nearly dying."
Then the door of the room suddenly opens. Kyo saw a half-wake Satsuki. He saw Satsuki rub her eyes, walk to Kyo's hospital bed, take the chair beside the bed, and continue to sleep.
"SATSUKI!" Mikoto exclaimed, her relief at Kyo's survival mixing with motherly concern.
"She's been staying at the hospital," Kushina realized. "Waiting for him to wake up."
"Poor girl," Yuri said with understanding. "She's exhausted from worry."
Kyo sweatdropped at this act. Satsuki doesn't notice him beside the entrance; maybe she is tired and sleepy.
"She's running on pure exhaustion," Kurenai noted with sympathy.
Kyo's eyes widened, "She didn't notice me?"
Then, Satsuki suddenly stands up straight and looks at the bed. Kyo is gone from the bed.
Satsuki was panicking, and she thought Kyo had been kidnapped when he was gone from his bed, "Oh no... no..."
"Panic mode activated," Kiba observed.
"After what happened with Asura, she'd be terrified of him disappearing," Hinata said with understanding.
Then she felt someone hold her shoulder.
"Uh... Satsuki-Chan, I was on your back all the time...." Kyo said with a sheepish smile at her.
"Classic Kyo timing," Naruto laughed, relief making him giddy.
Satsuki quickly turned her head to her back, and she saw Kyo Uchiha smiling at her. The smile she wants to see in two months after Asura almost kills him right in front of her eyes.
"TWO MONTHS!" Multiple voices shouted.
"He was unconscious for two months?!" Tsunade said in shock.
"That explains the hair growth and weight loss," Shikamaru noted.
"Two months of worry," Mikoto said with deep sympathy.
Satsuki got tears welling in her eyes as she stuttered, "K-Kyo..."
Kyo gives a warm smile, "It's me, Satsuki-chan."
The room fell silent as the emotional weight of the moment hit everyone. After the trauma of Chapter 19, this reunion felt like a miracle.
Satsuki smiles and hugs him tight.
"REUNION!" Kushina squealed through her tears of relief.
"She's been waiting two months for this," Ryo said softly, his own eyes wet.
Kyo ignores the pain that came from the hug and hugs her back. Her tears wet his shirt, but he didn't care. "It's okay, Satsuki... I'm here..."
"He's ignoring his pain for her comfort," Hinata noted with admiration.
"That's our Kyo," Yuri whispered, overwhelming relief in her voice.
Satsuki was crying in happiness, "I-I miss you... I really miss you... Naruko and Asuka Hinata are so worried about you... y-you Baka!"
"Two months of missing him," Mikoto said with understanding. "All the girls have been worried sick."
"He scared them all," Kushina said, wiping her own tears.
Kyo gives her a sad smile. "I miss you too... and I'm sorry I made you worried." He kisses the top of her head.
"Tender moment," Mito observed warmly.
"He's back," Ryo said with deep relief. "Our son is back."
"But Asura is still out there," Madara noted ominously. "And Kyo has less than ten months left to get strong enough."
"For now," Hiruzen said with satisfaction, "let's just be grateful he's alive."
---
•To Be Continue•
---
The screen faded to black, leaving the room in contemplative but much more hopeful silence than before.
"He survived," Naruto said with deep relief. "After everything, he survived."
"The Kenshi memory sequence," Orochimaru mused. "There's definitely a connection we don't understand yet."
"Ten months," Tsunade said grimly. "Less than ten months before Asura returns."
"But he's alive," Yuri said with overwhelming relief. "That's what matters right now."
"The question is," Sasuke said seriously, "how much stronger can he get in ten months?"
"Strong enough," Kushina said with determination. "He has to be."
"Guardian-sama," Hiruzen requested, his voice much lighter than before, "might we continue? Seeing Kyo alive has given us all hope."
The Guardian's light pulsed warmly. "Indeed. His recovery marks a new chapter in his journey. But the real training is about to begin."
Everyone settled back, the relief of Kyo's survival giving them strength to face whatever came next.
---
(That's a wrap for chapter 20, guys! I hope you like it!)
(If you ask who Kenshi Uchiha is, he is another secret Oc)
(What does he look like? same as Kyo Uchiha)
(And for the final result of gender bender)
Naruto = Naruko Sasuke =Satsuki Itachi = Isachi Kakashi = Kakane Jiraiya = Jirayu Orochimaru = Orochi
(And that it's. No more gender-bender characters for now.
(Fact: Asura's real name is Asura Halestrom, and blood brother to Kyo Rangi in my novel.)
(Vote if you Like it! Follow if you Love it! And a Share will be Epic! And if you do all that, you will be a LEGEND! See you guys next time!)
(See ya😁)