Snake in the Grass
(A/N: A few things before we start. I know that in the Naruto world, Hachimata is an eight-tailed bull with four horns but I changed that to a snake {like in the original folklore}. So, if you get confused… I'm very sorry. Next, this is a KabutoXOC fic… if you don't like it, don't read it.)
Summary: She was supposed to be dead. At least, that's what Orochimaru had been told. His greatest experiment, lost to the wind and swept away by a lie. Now he's found her… but there's a problem. How the hell did all of this happen? Let's find out.
~xxx~
Oboro looked about as furious as one would expect, being chained up the very moment she stepped back into the village. The pale-skinned, raven-haired ANBU padded noiselessly through the village behind her Kage to the tower. People stared at her, whispered things about her; she was a monster thus the chains and constant surveillance teams around her house.
At sixteen years of age, said monster had seen her share of bloodshed and felt her share of pain. The one thing that hurt her the most was the fact that once her mask came off, her mother refused to look at her. She looked too much like the man that created her. You hared me right. She wasn't born, she had been created for the sole purpose to die for the man that had played God to make her.
She was a monstrosity that served another man that wanted nothing more than to conquer the shinobi world. And he could do it too. All he had to do was remove the seal and -
"It took you less time than expected to finish your task." Joshi commented from his seat behind the desk. Chains clanked loudly as Oboro sat down in the chair to his right.
"Hai, sneaking in was a piece of cake." She answered without a hint of emotion in her young voice.
"And what of the scroll?" he inquired with a raised brow. The shinobi in the room tensed as she reached into her pack. They relaxed at the sight of said scroll as she placed it on the table.
"The Five-Tails was captured during our mission. This is becoming serious, my lord." She said as her golden eyes peered through the slits of her mask.
"Are you worried that they will come for you?" there was a pregnant pause before Oboro lifted her mask to reveal her pale features and the purple eye markings that stretched down the sides of her nose.
"I will be concerned once they appear."
~xxx~
"N-no one knows what she looks like!" the old man cried out as his arm twisted behind his back.
"Remind me where you picked up this… foul… excuse for a man." The redhead snorted. The abovementioned old man hissed in agony as the blonde man behind him gave a firm tug on his wrist.
"Just outside of Grass, yeah." The blonde responded with a shrug.
"Get rid of him, we've wasted enough time and for absolutely nothing."
"If you say so, Sasori-dana." He let go of the pained man and gave him a clay bird. Deidara gave a coy smile and gathered his chakra. "Katsu, un."
BOOM!
"Art is a bang, yeah." Deidara grinned while quickening his pace to catch up with his partner.
"You are mistaken, art is eternal." Sasori deadpanned with a flick of his head, crimson locks swaying to and fro.
"You're wrong Sasori-danna. Art is fleeting; it's beautiful when you first see it then it's gone, yeah." And the argued back and forth for the rest of the day.
~xxx~
Oboro walked a few steps behind Joshi as they passed through the busy streets. Passed the small vegetable stalls, beyond the meat market until the paved road turned into a dirt path. They had walked this path many times before; ending up at the same Torii they always did. The Shrine of Susanoo stood in ruins, decrepit and sickly looking from being unkempt in sixteen years, though, 'Sealer of Yamata no Orochi' could still be seen on the Torii's top pillar. Now sealed away to be used as a weapon, the demon became Hachibi no Hachimata.
'Remove the ssseal and ssset me free.' A voice hissed in her ears. Oboro was all too aware of the menacing whispers Hachimata voiced.
'Now is not the time, Hachimata-sama.' She answered back. 'It is still too soon.' Getting closer to the genius of the Yagami Clan was a lot harder than it sounded.
"I have no doubt that place is uncomfortable for you, so I'll make this brief." Joshi spoke gazing at the ruins that once was a place of great honor. Truth be told, the shrine was the only place where the demon's power could be subdued to a dull murmur in the Jinchuuriki's head. Thus, he took her here to speak with her without the demon's interference. "I have a proposition for you."
Golden eyes focused solely on the Kusakage as he leaned casually against one of the pillars. "What did you have in mind, Joshi-sama?" she didn't like his tone of voice, like he was plotting something bigger.
"Tell me Oboro-dono, what's the one thing you want most in this world?" he asked, maroon eyes gleaming with amusement.
'Releassse me, damn it!' Hachimata shouted angrily, eight hissing voices echoed between Oboro's ears.
"I want nothing more than to be normal." she answered in all honesty. Joshi chuckled, he had expected her to answer as such.
"Then I will free you of the demon inside on one condition." Joshi was not the type for charity. No, when he wanted something, he made sure he got it… with a little extra.
She glared at him. Oboro had been his means for power and respect all her life and he gave little regard to her unless it strengthened the tight reigns he held on the village. Still, the thought of being free of the beast within made her bend to his every whim. "What are your terms?" she hissed, very much like the demon that constantly whispered to her.
Joshi pushed himself off the pillar and walked towards her, braided brown hair swaying behind him. His lips curled into a smirk that set off alarms in Oboro's head. But she did not expect the gentleness of his fingers in her hair nor the apologetic look in his maroon eyes. One hand rested under her chin, fingers curling to grasp the edge of her porcelain mask. Slowly, the mask lifted from her face.
"Marry me." he whispered then pressed his lips to hers.
Oboro stilled under him, eyes wide with shock.
'What the… what the hell does he think he's doing?' she thought through the dizzying haze in her mind.
'What doesss it look like? Take the offer and releassse me.' Hachimata snapped.
'I don't remember asking for your opinion, bastard.' Oboro fired back.
'Ah, I get it; thisss isss your firssst kisss.' The great demon chuckled, teasing his host. 'Let me handle it from here.' And she let the demon seep through and take control, not that the beast could do much here. There argument had lasted for a few seconds then Hachimata took over.
Eyelids fluttered closed as her hands moved up and around Joshi's neck. Hachimata moved her body closer to the man and tilted her head to the side. Opening her mouth, Hachimata made her tongue slip passed her lips to lick Joshi's. Immediately, the Kusakage's mouth dropped open and allowed her tongue to explore wherever it wished. She pushed him back against the pillar, hands moving from his neck to his chest; caressing everywhere she touched with calloused fingers.
"Oboro…" Joshi whispered heatedly against her lips. She gave a small hum as her lips moved to his jaw, trailing fluttering kisses against his skin until she reached his ear.
Her tongue flickered out and licked the shell of his ear as her hands worked to unbutton his shirt. "Joshi…" she hissed in a needy tone while her hands ran over his, now exposed, chest and torso. Oboro's lips moved downward, over his rapidly beating pulse-point and to his collar bone. Joshi's breath hitched in his throat as her head dipped to capture his nipple in her hot mouth.
"Nngh…" he couldn't form words at this point, mind all muddled with various erotic images of her under him… and a number of them with her on top. His mind took a completely different turn when Joshi felt her open-mouth kisses trailing further south, stopping just above the waist band of his pants. His eyelids opened halfway and met sliver slit orbs.
"I want out… now!" hissed the woman on her knees. Joshi reeled back, that voice was not Oboro's.
~xxx~
Orochimaru heard a rumor, a rather unsettling one. Apparently, someone had posed as him and stole a scroll from Kirigakure. This also came with the news that his former counterparts of the Akatsuki had captured the Five-Tails. The details were a little fuzzy, due to his anger, but he vaguely remembered Kabuto telling him that the imposter was spotting near Grass just days after the capture. And that's where he was going. The Grass village was just a day's trip south-west of Sound, and with his anger boiling over, Orochimaru was sure to make if ahead of schedule.
"Doesn't Keiko-chan still live in the Grass village?" his silver-haired medic asked. "She may have some information, she still works for you." It was true, Keiko had served as an informant for Orochimaru until she was chosen to carry the child that would inevitably lead to his quest for immorality. What Orochimaru didn't know was that the child, in fact, lived. Nowadays, Keiko sent information in fruit baskets to various locations, and that information would find it's way to Orochimaru. Thus, how Kabuto was able to find out about the Five-Tails.
The Snake Sannin smiled at this, remembering the last tidbit of information he had gotten from her. Uchiha Sasuke would be participating in the Chunin exams this year, about nine months from now. His smile only grew wider as the village gates came into view.
"Then we shall visit my dear Keiko."
~xxx~
Keiko rummaged through the refrigerator, looking for the lettuce when a knock sounded at the door. She heaved a sigh and walked out of the kitchen.
"Coming." She called from down the hall while tossing her apron on the counter. She wasn't expecting anyone and Oboro wasn't due back until the weekend. The knock came again, this time it was louder and more insistent. Grumbling to herself, Keiko reached for the doorknob and ripped the door open. "What?" she demanded then still completely.
"Long time no see ne, Keiko-chan?" she couldn't believe what she was seeing. At her front stoop stood her master - in disguise - along with his pet medic. Slowly, her hand fell to her side as she gaped at her guests. "Aren't you going to invite us in? It is getting rather chilly this time of year."
"Forgive me, Orochimaru-sama. Please, come in." She said after her initial shock wore off. Stepping back to let them in, her hand reached for the picture on the table and grabbed at it. Shaking hands held the delicate frame to her abdomen as she led them inside and to the kitchen. "To what do I owe the honor of having you in my home, Orochimaru-sama?"
"I need to find an imposter." He answered as he and Kabuto sat down at the table. "A few days ago, someone disguised them self as me and stole a scroll from Kirigakure. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
'Shit… Oboro,' her mind went blank for a moment as her fingers gripped the handle of the drawer. Regaining her composure, she tossed the picture into the drawer and turned to face him. "Nothing about an imposter but the Akatsuki have been moving more as of late. They just captured another Jinchuuriki a few days ago."
Orochimaru frowned. "Yes, I heard about that. Taken down by Itachi and Kisame, if I heard right." She nodded in the positive.
"Would you two like some tea while you wait for dinner?" Keiko asked not waiting for them to answer as she walked around the counter and picked up her apron.
"Where is your restroom?" Kabuto asked standing from the table.
"Just down the hall, the open door on the right." Keiko said while placing eel in a frying pan. As Kabuto took off down the hall, Orochimaru watched Keiko flip the eel with a spatula and add some soy sauce.
Kabuto was washing his hands when he reached for a towel and nearly knocked over a small black framed picture. He caught it and placed it back on the counter before walking to the door. But something about the picture was off. He turned and picked it up. For a second there, Kabuto thought he had seen Orochimaru in the picture but upon further inspection… he found that he had been wrong; dead wrong. The pale face was that of a girl holding a small bear in her arms. The familiar purple eye markings were an exact match to his master's, as was the lop-sided grin on her cherubic face.
With picture in hand, Kabuto walked briskly out of the bathroom and into the kitchen.
"I have something you need to see." He whispered to Orochimaru while setting the picture on the table in front of him. Orochimaru picked up the frame and studied it with a boiling anger. Slowly, he stood from the table and walked over to Keiko. He stood directly behind her, trapping her at the stove and held the picture up for her to see.
"You lied to me." He hissed in her ear. Keiko dropped the spatula and braced herself for the fury he was about to unleash.
"I had to." She answered while she turned in the circle of his arms. "They took her from me at birth and turned her into a monster." Orochimaru's fury only grew as she spoke.
"Yet, you didn't bother to send word to let me know that my creation was alive and well." His eyes bore into hers, golden eyes swimming with anger. One of his hands moved to her throat, gripping it tightly. Keiko chocked, coughed and gagged as the hand around her neck tightened by the second.
"We… are under… constant surveillance." She managed to chock out between gasping breaths.
"That doesn't make sense." Kabuto said from his place by the table. "You've managed to gather information and send it to us."
"She couldn't tell you because they knew from the very moment I was born that Orochimaru was my father." A voice said from around the corner. In two seconds flat, Oboro had swept into the room and freed her mother from Orochimaru's grasp and launched clones to pin Kabuto to the floor and Orochimaru to the sink. "If you had shown up here when I was younger, they would have killed me on the spot to stop you from getting your hands on their weapon." She said from her spot in front of her gasping mother by the living room.
"What weapon?" Orochimaru demanded despite the kunai against this throat. Oboro lifted her shirt, showing him the glowing seal on her stomach.
"The demon locked inside of me." There was a knock at the front door then. Oboro turned to her mother and nodded. "That's the Kusakage; the two of you will sit down at the table and stay calm." She said to Orochimaru and Kabuto. "You are family visiting from out of town. Mother, finish cooking before it burns and I will answer the door." And that was the end of the conversation as Oboro's clones disappeared and she moved down the hall.
Dinner was an event in and of itself. Orochimaru had to try to be civil to the man that proclaimed that he and Oboro would be getting married. Joshi was almost twenty-six, ten years older than his daughter. Not that he was trying to protect his creation from harm, no, he wanted nothing more than to take her away from this place and use her for his own means… like he had intended from the beginning. He could tell that the Yagami genius was doing just that and their marriage would be no different; whatever they had worked out to make her say 'yes' had not come up in the conversation.
She had smiled sweetly as Keiko related stories to their guests about her may accomplishments, as if they were really apart of the family unit. And when Joshi left for the night, sleeping arrangements had to be made. Oboro had made it blatantly clear that any more talk of what had happened tonight was not welcome and that they would continue their discussion in the morning. For now though, Oboro gave up her room to Orochimaru while she and Kabuto slept on the couches in the living room.
~xxx~
The sun had crested the horizon more than an hour ago. Sasori never slept, that much was obvious, but he had to wait for his partner before they entered the village. Deidara had slept enough, Sasori surmised as he kicked him from the bed.
"What the hell, Sasori-danna, un?" the blonde shouted as he peered over the side of the bed, one blue eye glaring daggers at the redhead.
"We've wasted enough time." Sasori said while walking towards the door of their room in a dingy inn just outside of Grass. They had spent the last day and a half gathering as much information as possible and relating the info back to Leader-sama. Sasori had been told early that morning to go in and capture the Eight-Tails as soon as possible. "It's time to go." And he was out the door before Deidara could speak another word. Deidara joined Sasori in the lobby less than five minutes later and they departed the instant they made eye contact.
It was a short trip to the village gates. Sasori quickly took out the guards at the entry post and they walked through the gates without a hassle.
"What's the quickest way to flush out a snake?" Sasori mused with a smirk. Deidara jumped on a giant clay bird and smiled widely.
"Set fire to the grass, yeah." He answered while sending out a small number of birds in different directions.
Ka-Boom
A number of buildings exploded, killing many people still asleep in their beds.
~xxx~
Oboro was up hours before everyone else. She didn't trust Kabuto sleeping just a few feet away. The sliver-haired youth slept on his back, glasses on the table just an arms length away and head turned in her direction. Oboro surmised that he slept like that because he didn't trust her either. And why should he? She was the one who pinned him, face first, to the dinning room floor with her knee in his back. The moment she stood form the couch, Kabuto cracked open an eye to see where she was.
"Relax," she whispered to him, "I'm just going to make some coffee."
"Mind if I have some?" he asked, voice hoarse and husky from sleep. Oboro just nodded watching him reach blindly in the dark for his glasses. She walked into the kitchen and clicked the light on above the sink, casting a candle-like glow over the small area. Oboro reached into the cabinet and pulled out two mugs and set them on the counter.
"You may want to disguise yourself before you come in here." Her quiet voice called from around the corner. "An ANBU squad on duty not far from here." A disguised Kabuto walked into the kitchen.
"How do you know that? Can you sense them from here?" he asked as he sat down.
"There has always been a squad or two around to keep an eye on me and to make sure Orochimaru wasn't sniffing around." She answered with a shrug, obviously used to being watched though she hated it. In an attempt to switch gears, Oboro poured coffee into the mugs and walked to the table. "How old are you anyway?"
"I'm nineteen." Kabuto answered before taking a sip of his coffee.
"Hmm… you look younger than nineteen. I would have guessed fifteen or sixteen." It was meant to be a complement but Kabuto didn't say anything. "Normally I'm not a nice person… take is as you will but I didn't mean anything negative by my words."
"Sorry, I'm not used to someone being nice to me."
"Neither am I." She countered setting her mug on the table and leaning back in her chair. "So, do you know why I was really created? Mother told me that he had planned for me to be his vessel."
"That is true." Kabuto answered with a nod of his head. "Orochimaru wants to be immortal so that he can learn all of the forbidden jutsu in the world. So, he created you to be his vessel to lengthen his life." He supplied with a nod of his head. "But that didn't happen when your mother told him that you were a stillborn."
"No matter what happened back then, my life was never my own." She frowned while glaring at her cup. Oboro glanced at the clock. "I guess we should wake them and get a move on. I have a mission scheduled for this afternoon."
Oboro stood from the table and started to head to her room when Kabuto called out to her.
"He doesn't like it when someone wakes him up before dawn."
"That's too damn bad." She said over her shoulder. "I have a schedule to keep." Oboro opened the door and stepped inside. Kabuto prepared for the worst as the door closed behind her.
The room seemed darker than normal as Oboro slid into the shadows of the room and stalked over to the bed. Orochimaru turned over in his sleep, now facing her.
"Orochimaru, it's time to wake up." She whispered standing next to the nightstand. He didn't budge an inch. "Don't make me wake you by force."
"What could you possibly do to get me out of bed?" Came his snide remark. She chuckled softly, hands blurring with signs.
"I warned you." There was something cold and scaly sliding across his legs. A hiss came from under the blankets as a cold tongue flickered over his skin. Orochimaru was out of bed and halfway across the room in the blink of an eye. "Good morning." Oboro chirped and walked right out of the room, making her way to wake her mother.
They gathered at the kitchen table, Oboro smiled widely while Orochimaru glared at her. Kabuto kept his amusement to himself while Keiko stared between the two. For Keiko, this was a rather odd scenario to find herself in. Oboro woke her up and told her breakfast would be ready soon - strange, considering that Oboro never did anything for anyone… unless there was something in it for her. When Keiko emerged from her room and walked into the kitchen she found Kabuto and Orochimaru sitting - brooding - at the table and Oboro smirking devilishly over the stove.
"You should've gotten out of bed when I told you to." Oboro chimed as she shifted the bacon in the pan.
"I didn't think you'd go so far as to summon Satoshi and shove him under the blankets." Orochimaru snapped gripping the coffee mug tightly in his hands.
"Oboro, you didn't…"
"I didn't hurt your dear master, if that's what you're suggesting." Oboro cut in, shooting a heated glare at her mother. Keiko stiffened, backing up until she hit the wall. Regret flashed in Oboro's eyes at the terror in Keiko's gaze. "Sorry mother." She mumbled and plated the bacon and set it on the table. Bacon and eggs with a fruit and yogurt salad, not bad for someone who cooked only three times in her life.
And so they sat in a strained silence, the only sound coming from the scraping of cutlery on ceramic. Kabuto looked up from his plate, unable to believe the similarities between the girl to his right and his master just in front of him. He was about to comment but a series of explosions cut him off before he could make a peep.
Ka-Boom, BAM
A good portion of the front stoop was ripped from the foundation, shaking the small house around them. Oboro stood from the table and grabbed her mask from the counter.
"Stay here and don't go outside." She told them while walking through the busted front door. In a split second, Oboro vanished from site and the battle had begun.
~xxx~
They didn't have to wait long before the city was crawling with ANBU and other shinobi. One ANBU in particular had caught their attention. She emerged from a small house on one of the side streets, back by the forest. Said ANBU took one step from the doorway and disappeared into the streets. Sasori looked to Deidara and nodded.
Joshi had arrived on scene, shimmering into view next to an ox cart. He spotted Oboro on the other side of the street, ducking behind buildings with a spool of trip wire in one hand and a kunai in the other. They made eye contact for a brief second before another bomb went off, blocking all access to the main gates. In the confusion of the recent explosion, Joshi lost sight of Oboro; thick plumes of smoke obstructed almost everything.
"Joshi, move away from the wall." A voice called out to him. It was Oboro and she was just a few feet away. He moved toward her voice and found her out stretched hand. Grabbing it firmly, Joshi allowed himself to be pulled down a side street. Bricks, wooden planks and various other types of debris littered the ground, making it difficult to navigate.
"Where are you taking me? The enemy is the other way." He shouted over the screams of the villagers.
"We are going to take out the explosives expert first. With him out the way, the villagers can make it to safety." Oboro hollered over her shoulder.
"And just how do you suppose we do that?" another explosion rocked the village. Shinobi and villagers alike scrambled to find cover as heated debris rained over them.
"The one on the bird," she started as she tugged him behind a building, leaning dangerously to one side. Oboro pointed the blonde Akatsuki member swooping over the other end of the road. "Lead him this way and I'll take care of the rest." He nodded and moved away from her. Oboro immediately began threading the trip wire through the loops of several kunai and threw them towards a building adjacent to where she sat. It stuck and she tightened her end.
Joshi came streaking down the road with the blond hot on his heels. So far, the redhead had yet to make a move from his perch atop the gates. As he came thundering down the street, Oboro braced the kunai with one foot while her hands covered her head.
Ka-WHAM
It was like a fireworks display at a festival. It had been so huge, Joshi was sent flying and Oboro crashed through the ceiling of the building and into a local families mask shop. Deidara had been upward and outward, landing and then skipping to a halt. Now he lay with his lips firmly planted to someone's feet… literally.
Oboro sat up with a groan, her mask cracked and fell to the floor. It took her a moment to gather her bearings and when she did, there was a little girl standing beside her.
"A-ANBU-san, are you alright?" the child asked, big doe eyes staring at her with a mix of shock and awe.
"I'm fine little one." Oboro answered as she stood on shaky legs. "You should head for the hills, it's safer there."
The girl ignored her and continued to look over the staggering ANBU. "Your mask is broken; wait here for a second."
She wasn't about to argue with the child. If she took one step, Oboro felt she might faint. The girl came back with a black half mask, one designed to cover the upper portion of the face. It had little cat ears attached to it, but the girl had enough sense to cut them off with a pair of scissors she found on the floor.
"Here you go." Oboro took the mask and slipped it on.
"Thank you." She said as she looked down at the girl. Thinking quickly, Oboro grabbed a nearby blanket and wrapped the girl in it then picked her up. Walking over to a table in the corner, Oboro set the girl down and patted her head. "Stay here until things quiet down or help comes. Don't mover from this spot." The girl nodded and huddled in the corner.
Deidara looked up to find Orochimaru smirking down at him. A swift flick of the ankle sent Deidara hurtling through the streets and into a wall. Sasori chose this moment to step in and landed in front of his former partner.
"Why are you here?" Sasori growled.
"You are trying to steal what belongs to me." He sneered as he crossed his arms. "And I can't allow you to do so."
"My orders don't concern you. Move or die."
"Let him try… let's see how long he lasts." Oboro said as she walked towards them.
"I am here for the Tailed Beast, stand aside girl." And before anything else could happen, a gull flew over head. Sasori growled again and turned away from the duo. "Deidara, we're leaving." Deidara nodded as he stood and the two disappeared from sight.
~xxx~
Joshi had been killed in the blast. His left leg had been severed by a piece of metal and he bled out before anyone could reach him. Orochimaru watched as Oboro approached the corpse and knelt next to him. She didn't look sad, didn't cry nor did she embrace the fallen man. No, she was angry, disappointed and glaring at the body.
"Pathetic… absolutely pathetic. This turned out to be a complete waste of our time, Hachimata-sama." She growled.
"Something the matter, Oboro?" Orochimaru asked as he stepped closer.
"I wasted ten years, getting close to him. And for what? This pathetic waste of flesh dies before he can fulfill his promise." She snapped while fixing her glare on Orochimaru.
"Then come with me. I'll find a way to help you." He held out a hand to her… and she took it. This village held nothing for her. Her only reason for staying so long lay dead at her feet.
"Fine." And they were gone in a flash.
A/N: Yay or nay? Let me know what you think, please and thank you.