Hot Spring into the Future

The boat ride across the Kaizoku sea had been a rough one and the trek inland hadn't been smooth either. Twice Kaji had been assaulted by bandits, twice he had ended the lives of young men and women. When he reached the gates of Yugakure everything started to ache. It was as if every niggling pain he had ever gotten had come back with a vengeance. He just wanted to get inside and relax.

The gate guards asked him some questions.... okay a lot of questions. He didn't get testy with them, it was their job to ask things like 'who's blood is that' etc. etc. He had answered honestly and the story had checked out. Apparently he had stolen a job of some genin teams. He shrugged, he was chunin probably on par with a jonin is he wanted to climb that far and they had given him a hard time. Those genin wouldn't have stood a chance and Kaji gladly accepted the bounty.

The new found coin felt heavy on his hip and his stomach let out an audible growl. He needed food and he wanted to feast. He ended up walking into a all you can eat buffet, perhaps he was looking to fill the proverbial void.
He looked at the mountain of food and closed his eyes and muttered "itadakimasu"

-Mean while-

Shin looked at his genin team and smirked beneath his half mask. He had lucked out with this lot. He had tested their elemental affinities and was pleased to see combination potential of Earth, Wind & Fire. They were a bit old for genin but perhaps this peace time era called for longer stint in the academy. Yes Isamu, Kenta and Nami would really put the hidden Hot Spring village on the Map again.

-Some Time Later-
Kaji reclined in his chair and groaned. He had been past full three courses ago but he just kept going. The stabbing pain in his ribs were caused by a rack of ribs, his heart burned twice as hot now. He groaned and patted his stomach, it felt like the contents would burst forth with every breath.
"Guess my Akimichi genes are few and far between"
He rubbed his bloated belly rhythmically and groaned. His really regretted that  last plater of dango but the longer he stared at him the longer he thought about old times. One by one they were devoured, each a bitter sweet lump in his throat.

"You gotta put the past behind you Kaji" he said looking up at lights of the restaurant.

The mark clutched at his chest.
How had this happened to him? Why was there a knife inside of him? Oh sweet Kami there was a knife inside of him. He went to gasp but only a burble of thick black blood escaped his lips. Darkness had started to take the light of life from the elderly eyes. All the warmth of life began to leave his wizened body, death would soon take him.
Cold blue eyes watch the elderly man come to the realization that he will not see another day. It always amused the reaper when it dawned on the dying they were just like a candle flame. The lives of men were so easily snuffed out, from birth they were set to die. It had not always been so, the first were less breakable.
The original humans were strong of body, mind and spirit. Lilith broke away and defied Kamis will. The first woman had left paradise and struck out into the land of Nod. She survived, she adapted to the wasteland with a little help from the Martian. It had taken time but the transformation was complete and the reaper had the admit the Martian had outdone himself.
This iteration of humanity said much of their designer.  They were made weak so that they would not defy heaven or so Archangels said.

Humanity 2.0 had become strong with some help. The Martian had aided them, taught them the secrets of chakra manipulation when he wasn't busy ruling hell or the fifth heaven. They had soaked up the knowledge like a sponge, now perhaps 3 in 10 children could not access there chakra. It amazed the reaper how they flourished, knowledge and adversity had been the bread and honey. It was amusing that Morningstar had made mock of them and raged war with heaven over being commanded to observe the mortals defiance of heaven. The celestial family was not short of hypocrites.

The sun had been down for a good hour before the body was found. Poor child, not only had she found her grandfather corpse but she had dropped her ice cream. This part was always the worst the reaper had to wait around for the body to be found. Only after the body was found could the reaping begin.  
He knelt down by the little girl and whispered in her ear.
The child's shock was ended and her screams echoed throughout the night.