Sorry for not updating this on Friday I had to take a road-trip with my mom over the weekend. We had to take a dog up to his new home (or half way there) so yeah, we drove for like 12 hours (or she drove all through the night, and I sort of napped at one point, but still). So yes, now I have this chapter so I can post it up.

This does clear up a little bit from first chapter. Originally this was going to be part of the first chapter, but then I decided to split them up because I like having one POV per chapter so I split it off into two chapters instead.

Also I have a new idea coming in my mind so updates for this might end up being once every two weeks with the new story being the other weeks. I'm not sure if that's going to happen because I have to write that up, but if it does then I will let you guys know.

Also I forgot to give my girlfriend credit for the title of the story. She's really good at coming up with titles.


Chapter 2

Orochimaru

I watch the boy head back to Konoha shaking my head. Such a strange boy.

I turn away from my old home. I shouldn't stay this close to it, but a part of me that I still can't get rid of makes me want to stay. What for? For the teammates who abandoned me? For the teacher who never understood me? No, then what…?

I move through the trees silently. I know this forest better than any patrols that come through so I hardly have to worry about them. Sarutobi-sensei knows that I can't be beaten by normal people. Only Jiraiya and Tsunade can even come close to matching me. Tsunade wouldn't come back though. She swore off being a ninja. So much for saving more people's lives. She's the best healer Konoha has had, but she just up and left.

Not that I blame her. I know how much Dan meant to her. Nawaki was hard enough, but Dan…

I feel a pang of… guilt? Why? Because of Nawaki? I was in charge of that squad. I was supposed to keep them safe, but he just rushed forwards. I didn't even have time to save him before everything exploded.

I would have backed Tsunade, but it was already too late. Too late for a great man and friend. Someone to make Tsunade happy.

Some might say that Jiraiya should be happy to no longer have competition for Tsunade's attention, but then they didn't know him. He is a perverted fool with way too much time on his hands, but he cared about Dan as much as we did. The fact that he wasn't even there made things worse.

He was never there though. He decided to stay behind in the middle of wartorn Ame to train three brats. We should have just killed them, but no, he wanted to play the hero and take care of them. For three years the oaf was training three people who might as well one day become our enemies. Does he honestly think that he gave them kindness so they will spare us if it does come to that? That's not how the world works.

I don't even know why I'm worried. I severed my ties with Konoha. I don't care about the village anymore. I'm going to become immortal. I'm going to prove that they made a mistake letting me live.

Yet… there is something that ties me to the village. More than just that little child from earlier…

"Having fun trying to hide from me?" I ask.

"I wouldn't do that, you know it. You'd probably stab me," Sakumo Hatake says coming out of the trees. A man who-to most people's knowledge-is dead. Had been dead for years. But they were wrong. The man who was said to rival me and my teammates was very much alive. He'd faked his own death instead after much urging from yours truly.

It's not like I care too much about him. I just owed him a favour since he saved my life once. That's all.

"No, that would take too much effort, besides, you're better with blades," I say.

"Eat me then?" he grins.

"You act like my reputation for murdering people without caring is a joke."

"Aww, would you kill me?" he asks. It's times like this that I forget the man is actually a very powerful ninja. Kind and gentle off the battlefield, but give him something to protect, and he won't let up until his victim is dead.

"I will if you don't stop talking like that, and wipe that stupid grin off your face," I say, but the death glare I send him doesn't even phase him. In fact, my harshest killing intent only serves to raise his guard rather than make him quake in fear.

"Well, you sure were enjoying yourself with that boy earlier," he says. He's not even worried. He knows what I've done to people of this village, and he knows I don't regret it. He's devoted to the village. Would he really trust me with someone as important to the village like that boy?

"He is interesting."

"Interesting?"

"Just call it a whim, Hatake. He just reminded me of Jiraiya is all," I reply. I feel a pain in my chest, and I push it down. I hate thinking of my old teammates.

"I see," he says clearly not convinced.

"I hate you," I tell him.

"I like you too," he says cheerfully.

"I don't know what your problem is, but you need to quit being so happy."

"I need to be cheerful because you're so negative that I need to balance it out," he says. But even I can see that his grey eyes are a bit haunted. The whole village shunning him for doing what he believed, and then leaving his son to grow up the way he did has worn on the older man for sure.

"You're an idiot," I decide.

"Perhaps, but you're also interested in the boy more than just thinking about your old friends. What is it about him? The fact that he's alone?"

I glare at him, but again it's lost. Then again, that was part of the reason. Though I must admit, The first time I looked at the boy all I could see was his father. All I could see was the man that stole my dream, but then I looked into his eyes more, and saw a look I never saw in Minato Namikaze's eyes. Such hopeless loss, like the whole world was against him since the day he was born.

"It was just a whim," I repeat.

"Sure," Sakumo says voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Believe what you want; I'm not going to stop you."

"Only because you know I'm right."

"Shove a sock in it," I say moving faster than him. He catches up rather fast. After a while of traveling we arrive at an abandoned house. It's where we've been living. It's stupid for me to live so close to the village, but it's hard to be parted from it.

I'm surprised that Sakumo is still so devoted. I suppose it's because of his son. But really, the village abandoned him, and turned their backs on him, but he still cares. He still wants to save all of them. It's very strange; I don't really get it.

The house isn't much we have to live off the land around here, but that's nothing unusual for ninja on missions. We've lived in a lot harsher climates than Konoha. It's pretty mild here. Being in the middle of the deserts of Suna during a sandstorm is very rough.

Konoha has it's fair share of bad weather though. There's nothing quite like a Konoha thunderstorm to make your hair stand on edge.

"So are you planning on continuing to train him?" Sakumo asks never one to be quiet for too long.

"I suppose I have nothing better to do really. He intrigues me anyway."

"Ah-ha! So it is more than just a whim."

"You already knew that!"

"But I wanted you to say it."

"I'm going to cut your tongue out in your sleep."

"How many times have you told me that now? Try coming up with something original."

"Why are you so annoying?"

"Why are you so uptight?"

"Idiot," I scoff going to my room to escape more of his stupid questions and assumptions.

The worst part about it is… he's right. It doesn't take long for me to get attached to things. I suppose people would argue it's just because of the power he has inside him, and to an extent that is the case, but it's not the real reason. That boy… he's only what? Five? Six? Yet, he's seen a lot; he's been alone. Because he has the Kyuubi inside of him something he had no control over. Just like…

I shake it off. He's a member of Konoha. One day he and I might meet on the battlefield. How strange that would be. To face him if I trained him.

I suppose I should just kill him so he doesn't become a trouble down the road.

Yet… I can't do that. I know that even without looking at the boy.

I guess even after all this I'm still weak in some ways. After all this I still yearn for my home. Even if I'll never be accepted there. Maybe I just need to do something good. Who knows. For now I'll just train this boy a bit, and see where it goes from there.


Hope you guys liked the chapter.