I am a major fan of orochimaru/jiraiya pairing, I find it cute for some reason. I'm not quite sure what inspired me to write this of all things, but since I had it written, I decided that I might as well post it to see what you people think.
Declaimer: Yeah, like I really own Naruto, if I did, the sand sibs would have a much larger role. Especially Kankuro.
We can be different together
I stood outside, looking up at the stars with my cursed arms hanging limply, uselessly, at my side. As I stood there and looked up at the tiny white dots that pierced the darkness the sky offered. I remember you being enchanted by the stars, often we talked about them when we lay under them, sprawled out on the grass outside the village. Together.
I was in a clearing, far from my recent hideout. I had wanted to go for a walk. Kabuto wanted to come with me. I wanted him to stay. So he stayed. Though reluctantly.
The wind blew mournfully through the trees, the swished and limbs groaned as they were rubbed together. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The wind blew the faintest scent of blood towards me. After all, those poor, poor travelers needed to die.
So they died.
It was completely cloudless, the stars were clearly visible, and the moon also. It enchanted you more then the stars.
"You know Orochimaru, we could kill each other, and all the Shinobi in the world could die, as well as the earth herself, and the moon and stars would go on looking just as they did before."
I laugh softly to myself. My golden snake-like eyes fixed now on the moon. You did indeed like the moon. Nobody would have thought this of you. After all, you were the class clown. Mr. Popular. Everyone thought you were to busy being cool to consider the heavens. I alone was aware of this part of you.
Though I wasn't when I first saw you, or when you first spoke to me.
I remember sitting in a shadow of a large oak tree, we were eight, I was reading a scroll I borrowed from one of the teachers. You passed with a large group of your friends, laughing and chatting. I raised my head a little, so that my golden eyes looked over the large scroll I had in my hand. I watched you as I usually did.
Your spiky white hair shining brightly under the sun, and your loud laughter raising above the others. You had the most innocent face out of all of us. It was probably because of this you were able to get away with so much. After all, you got in trouble so many times a day.
And it was trouble, your disregard for rules, that got you so popular to begin with. You had many loyal friends. (And a few disloyal ones) During a my moments of weakness, I would envy you.
A couple of them took notice of me, and laughed, only this time it wasn't the nice laugh they gave you. I distantly heard the names "Snake face" and "Freak" as they giggled, for they were girls. I felt my face redden. And I lowered my eyes to writing in front of me, though I didn't take in more the a few words.
Not long afterwards, I heard the sounds of many feet moving away, and the excited chatter of other children grow fainter. I sighed, and began to actually read.
With all my attention focused entirely on my scroll, I didn't notice you walk up to me. Indeed it was the last thing I would have expected.
"Hi"
I looked up and noticed that you of all people was standing right in front of me! You without all your sheep you call friends hanging around! I gave a jerk of my head in response to the other eight year old.
"Orochimaru, right?" You asked, crouching down right in front of me, so that we were eye to eye to each other. You weren't that tall yet. We were about the same size.
Again I nodded. Surprised, yet not surprised that he knew. One of your countless friends undoubtedly told you.
You frowned and leaned closer, as if to check to see if something was wrong with me. Your nose was only a couple of inches away from mine, and you stared deep into my golden eyes, searching them with your dark ones. I felt a blush cross my face. I was not used to having someone this close to me. You obviously didn't have much respect for personal space.
"Whassa matter?" You asked puzzled, "Don't you know how to speak?"
"Yes I do, I don't have to talk to everyone" I growled, leaning backwards, away from you.
"Well, you talked to me, that's something, huh?"
I sighed, not quite sure how to respond that that, and turned back to my scroll, hoping that you would go away.
"So watcha readin'?" You asked, not taking my hints. Not waiting for an answer, you put a small hand on top of my scroll and push it down so that you would be able to see it upsidown.
"Summoning? Why are you reading about that?" you asked looking up at me with an admiring gaze, "You must be real smart to be reading this stuff!" You smiled brightly, you were very close now I could feel your warm breathe on my face, in fact, if you lent over just a couple more inches, you would be right on top of me. I would have edged away, but the traitorous tree I was leaning against stopped me from doing so.
"I take my education as a shinobi very seriously" I replied, trying to think of a way out of my situation. You were sitting on my feet, I'm not even sure you realized it then. To my surprise, you laughed. "You sound like some old person," You said, chuckling, "You speak better then most of my friends!"
I only just realized, at this point, that your hand was right on top of mine, I looked at them, my pure white hand, against your lightly tanned hand, we were so different. So incredibly different. You took no notice of my discomfort and shamelessly examined my face, taking in my golden eyes, my pale skin, and my ink black hair.
Since I was pinned, it gave me no choice but to examine yours.
Your most noticeable feature was your snow white hair, which was slightly golden in that afternoon sun, you had very white teeth, which was good because you had a smile that was almost always there, your face was childish and innocent, with wide black eyes. Wide black eyes with long elegant eye lashes.
How can you be constantly cheerful? How do you manage it? How can you make it seem like you can turn misery into laughter and happiness? How can you make other people believe this illusion? Maybe this was another reason people liked to hang around you.
"What do you want?" I had asked, wondering why I hadn't asked earlier. I didn't think you would randomly walk over to me and start a meaningless conversation. The look on your face suggested that you had forgotten, having gotten distracted by the conversation.
You then grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of your head, "Well..." You said slowly, this time showing hesitation. This sparked my interest, you didn't seem like the type of person that would show hesitation. "My friends and I were going to play ninja, but we're a person short! So I was just wondering if you wanted to play with us?" You grinned hopefully at me.
"Do they actually want me to play?" I asked skeptically. You looked surprised at this suggestion, "Why wouldn't they?" He asked, puzzled. This made my little eight year old heart warm, you weren't paying any attention to the fact that I looked different from everyone. You were treating my like anyone else.
"Well... I'm different then them, don't you think so?" I asked, looking at him carefully, "Yeah... your different," He said seriously, I remember my heart stopping for a moment, until you continued, "You're sitting here and not playing with anyone!" I blinked, this hadn't been what I was expecting, "I mean, I look different from all of them, I have freaky snake eyes and freaky white skin..." I had stopped for a moment, realizing that I had just opened up to you, something that I had never done before, to anyone.
"Why does that matter?" You asked simply. I was shocked, not once in my eight years had anyone ever said that to me. "They don't want me to play with them! They don't want me there because I'm different!" You seem to have taken what I said seriously for once, "Why does it matter...?" You said again, looking carefully into my eyes, "...What they think?" When you saw the look on my face, you continued, "I'm different too, see?" You reached up and pulled a few strands of your own white hair, "I'm different, and so are you! It'd be boring if we were all the same. We can be different together! They won't bother you if your with me. Come play with us!"
You stood us, at last freeing me, "Come play! Please? You're going to be on my team. Come on! I want you to play with me." I had looked into your eyes, and I remember believing you because of the sincerity that shone in your innocent black eyes. You had genuinely wanted me to play with you.
I didn't answer, I just stood up, you decided to take this as a yes, somehow, and then you grabbed me by the arm and began to pull me down the street, "Hurry up! I don't want to keep them waiting an longer!" Eventually, I sigh, and follow, causing you to loosen your hold, though not completely letting me go. This had amused me somewhat, were you worried that I would run away?
Though your friends accepted me, they did so reluctantly. Only because you insisted. It was the first time I ever had "fun". It was the first time I met you. In truth, you weren't what I expected. It was also marked the first time people began to notice my skills. My genius.
Pulling myself back to the present, I tore my eyes away from the moon. And turned back towards my hideout. I walked slowly, I had no reason to hurry. I stopped at the very edge of the clearing, and took another look at the moon, my mind taking me back to when we were young, to when you finally decided that we could be friends. And showed me a part of you I never believed existed. We were thirteen at the time.
"Come on Orochimaru!" You whispered urgently, pulling me through towards the tall wooden wall, the only way out of Konoha. It was evening, the sun had not yet set, and we had just finished training. I was doubtful about where you were taking me. I was also doubtful on why.
For the last few years, since people began to acknowledge me for my skills, you had grown slightly cold towards me, jealous I had thought, of course, jealous is what I think now. I remember always having sensei's attention, something you could only get by causing huge amounts of trouble. Something you had been very good at. While we were still in the academy, you began to whisper loudly to friends, calling me "teachers pet" and such. Trying to make me an outcast again. Now that I was gaining admiration from our classmates.
"Oh stop bitching, and just trust me!" Was all you said, dragging me along through the forest. Eventually, I pulled my arm out of your grasp and follow, though reluctantly. Trust you, there were times when you would say something that I wouldn't know how to respond. This was one of them.
You led me up a mountain, it was nearing sunset, and you seemed to be determined to reach our destination before that time.
Finally, we got there, just before the sun went down. It was a patch of grass that sat on a rock jetting out of the side of the mountain. If you were to sit yourself on it, you would have a spectacular view of Konoha. And we did, we just sat there and watched the sun as it slowly set, bathing the village and the surrounding forest in a golden glow for a few minutes, before disappearing and allowed Konoha to sink into the darkness.
"That was nice wasn't it?" You asked me quietly, watching Konoha, even though the sun was now long gone. "I like watching the sunsets, I'm never up in time for the sunrises," You looked towards me and gave me one of your bright smiles accompanied by a soft laugh. I didn't know what to say, again. You were not the type to watch sunsets, at least that was my impression of you.
For a little while, we sat in silence, the full moon was out, and the stars shone clearly in the cloudless sky. You were on your back and you were watching the stars with a thoughtful expression. I sat with my legs crossed in front of me, leaning back on my hands so that I too could examine the heavens.
After a while, I just had to ask, "Why did you show me this?" I has asked rather bluntly, which caused you to blink in surprise, almost as if you weren't expecting the question. "Well... I don't know," You said with a sheepish look on your face, "I... just wanted to," with that, you looked back at the moon with the same thoughtful expression. I remember wondering what were you thinking.
I found that sitting there with you was very peaceful, the wind blew gently through the trees, causing a gently swish swish that had a rather calming effect on me. A soft snoring suddenly reached my ears, and looking down, I saw that you had fallen asleep.
I quietly examined you. You hands were still behind your head, and your body was utterly relaxed, your chest rising and falling with each gently breath that you took. You had looked so peaceful, so innocent, even though you were anything but, I had known then about your frequent visits to the women's baths, and also about the book that you were beginning to write.
Your hair seemed to absorb the light from the moon, making it seem silver instead of the usual white. Much about your face had changed since I last had the opportunity to examine it. You had a strong handsome face that was framed by your amazingly spiky hair, you now had two markings below your eyes, and each year you made them longer. You eye lashes were still long and elegant. And you still had that innocent look in your eyes that you had when you were eight. It will be a while before you lost that.
The moon highlighted these features, and I couldn't help but find them attractive.
I'm different, and so are you! It'd be boring if we were all the same. We can be different together!
Yes, we can be different together. I suddenly realized that I was far closer then I was before, I had edged closer to get a better look at your sleeping face. At this point I was leaning over you, actually wanting to brush aside the lock of white hair that had blown across your face. But I was afraid that it would wake you, and that would have lead to awkward question.
But still...
I leaned over gently pressed my lips to yours. I didn't leave them there long, but as I sat up and edged away, I felt my lips tingling slightly, your warm breath seemed to have stuck onto my face, refusing to leave.
"Orochimaru?" Came a sleepy voice from your direction. I can honestly say that my heart had stopped, "Did you just kiss me?" For once, my mind had frozen, unsure what to do or say. After all, I had never been confronted with such a problem before.
"No," I said in a dry voice, hoping against hope...
"Oh, must have imagined it then... to bad..." You said, before drifting off again. I was too relived that you had only thought that you imagined my kiss to realize what you had just said.
"...to bad..."
Did that mean you had actually wanted...?
In the end I decided it was probably best not to think such thoughts. I got up and left, leaving you to sleep there on this patch of green grass. From your calm manner, I guessed that you had probably slept there before. What did your parents think of that? Did you even have any? There were always orphans, I wasn't surprised to find out later on that you were one.
I sighed, and pulled myself back to the present, once again. The past was the past, love that I lost cannot be gained again. Turning my back to the clearing again, I left. Heading back towards my hideout, and Kabuto.
Jiraiya, you were my first, and only.
Sweatdrops yeah, the ending could have been better, and the whole thing could have probably been longer, but... ah well :p This is my first Oneshot! Anyway, please Review.
Please?