Hello! And my first day of San Diego consist of a boy skateboarding with his luggage attached, a homeless man digging in a Burger King trash, and a very short night laughing my ass off at my business partner's sleep drunk rage at how our first night in San Diego was degrading into.

I shouldn't laughed, but my friend was one of those ratchet types and she gets hilarious when she gets riled up. And I was sleep drunk as well, I was more terrified at the night life and pointed out the many people that might get mugged.

Yeah, but it's beautiful here.

Thanks!

December 29, 2017- Finished.
March 27, 2018- Edited.

-Line Break-

The little rattler knows how to hold a grudge. A massive grudge.

After their little... misunderstanding, Kiyohime decided that she was going to teach her. Informally that is because her average grades, which she knows were fixed to be like that by the little rattler, wasn't screaming outstanding from the rest of the batch of broodlings. The Academy hasn't quite worked out all the kinks and paperwork to recognize or advance the more special brand of kids, she could drop hints to the Nidaime about her interests but the little rattler was more of a slow approach.

The little thing was too high strung when threatened, after the confrontation, the little thing didn't calm down nor did she moved from the thicket that they were in after Haruka took their merry, little, fun chase. And for a while she stayed there, even after Kiyohime had left, and she only knew that because she continued to watch her, outside Haruka's chakra reach.

But all that didn't matter, she was determined and she and her husband were researchers so making time for a little impromptu student wasn't hard. They managed with Orochimaru so dividing time between the labs and nurturing was simple seeing their personal labs were at home anyways.

But damn, the little rattler knows how to hold a massive grudge.

"Mother, what is this?"

"A peace offering, I scared your friend and now she's offended." Kiyohime sighed giving her son a nicely wrapped box. "Make sure she gets it."

"...You mean Haruka-san? What did you do?"

"Just give her this and invite her to dinner will you?"

Orochimaru gave his mother a strange look. "Very well, though why are you so interested in her? You weren't this interested with Tsunade-san or the moron."

Kiyohime gave her son a serious look. "She'll be useful in the future, you've seen what she can do without chakra."

He nodded in agreement and turned to leave. "I can't guarantee that she'll accept the invitation."

"That's fine, we'll just ask again."

Dread pooled and pity welled for the little girl but didn't feel bad seeing now he has to find her now. Finding her was a task in itself and he had a feeling that his mother was doing this for his expense as well. The fact that he can be in the general area as Haruka curb some of the frustration he had, but actually finding her? Might as well task him to teach a cat how to sit.

Doable but arduous and not really worth the effort.

But the fact that his chakra sensing was being defeated by a girl two years younger than him? Unacceptable.

Her chakra was like a dense fog, it shrouded her nicely when he tries to sense her and even when she steps out into view, it only takes one step before she disappears again. And when he thinks he's found her, the shadow he's been following ends up teasing him.

He will find her.

-Line Break-

He ends up getting lucky, one of the chuunin instructors was talking to her as classes were being released and he easily seized the chance to corner her. Orochimaru gave her a pointed look showing his package when she looked up. He was sure her lips curled downward from her annoying smiles.

His mother said that she had scared her, wholly believable but what for?

"Orochimaru-san, what can I do for you?"

He twitched at how easily she could come up on him. Her foggy chakra was never changing even as she got close, evenly spread despite her moving.

"Mother sent this as an apology." He presented the box. "May I ask what she did?"

"She stalked me, I didn't know who was following me but anyone that follows a little girl in the lesser part of the village can only have malicious intent."

Her words were scalding and blunt through her smile, a far cry from the playful, air-headed annoyance that she usually puts on. Orochimaru couldn't help to wince at how the air twisted at the reminder, like how the air becomes heavy and ominous to an approaching storm. He didn't like the fact that his mother's antics were befalling on him.

"If it makes you feel better, mother usually only do that to people that interests her." He tried for his mother. "She's very... unorthodox. Father says it's her creativity that makes her a successful researcher, her approach to things are... unconventional."

Orochimaru was taken aback when she gave a soft laugh. He was slightly offended when she did and a little angry but this was a far better reaction than he was expecting to get. Her laughing meant something positive, it wasn't a cruel or mocking laughter but it still puzzled him on why she's laughing.

"Compared to all the other adults, she would be unorthodox and unconventional as you say." She said in mirth. "I guess I'm used to being passed over, the attention is new so being stalked freaked me out."

That made his lips thin, the status quo that was far too rigid and unkind to anything that was outside than what was 'normal' and 'acceptable'. The blinders on others that made it hard to step outside his home and endure the not so quiet whispers.

But that did not stop him from reaching higher and going farther, he likes to think that selective ignorance was a small price to pay for their carelessness. As a ninja in training, it's his job to improve himself and he was not above in taking advantage of unsecured doors, windows, and left out keys and notes. He was taught early on that if he wants to learn, he will seek it out himself whether it be from books or self discovery.

So, his ever restless mind brought up the next question.

"How did you know that she was stalking you?"

Haruka looked up in thought. "I'm not sure, there was a prickling sensation and a chill that kept following me."

Orochimaru gave a calculating gaze. "You might be a natural sensor, even I can't sense my mother even though I've been training at it for a couple of years now." He scowled.

"I think you're giving me too much credit, it was just a gut feeling." She said. "And it's like I said, the attention is new so I think I'll be more receptive to it."

So this was humbleness, he had seen it in the scant few adults that were old and wizened that touched the outskirts of his memory but to see it from someone near his age was strange. All the kids were arrogant in a way, prideful and exaggerated from either heritage or skill and even he knows he fell into that trap to prove himself.

But he knew she was skilled, far more than anyone believes her to be and he doesn't understand why she hides it. Certainly not modesty, that light in her eyes sometimes mimics the one his mother has when she knows something that he doesn't and is fond at the fact that he gets frustrated with her.

Haruka was not his mother.

"You're confusing, why do you not show the instructors what you can do? My father dug up the fact that you've been purposely fixing your grades to be average. Why?"

"Ah, I'm an orphan child, one of many that the poor matron takes care of."

Orochimaru was not impressed. "That does not answer my question."

Her lips twitched and that light in her eyes just shined before she beckoned for him to have his ear. The almost sly look made him hesitate but leaned forward anyways to listen to this taciturn secret that she had.

"There's a certain freedom you can have without the recognition, trade in the security to go out of bounds, and watch the world go 'round from the highest perch." She whispered before backing away. "I'm rather happy to watch."

He didn't understand, he knew the words but the way they were stringed together was foreign to him. The faraway look that hazed over and the suddenly, he felt like that secret was something that he wouldn't get 'until he was older'.

Which was frustrating because he knew he was older than her. What was the difference between him and her for her to be able to have a glimpse of the world that the adults knew?

Orochimaru let out a huff and his eye twitched seeing her amusement spike up at that. He loathes the thought that there was a person that was similar to his mother but at least she was quiet, he likes that she doesn't initiate the first words to a conversation but so far she's always lead it to her liking. Whimsical and yet direct, not a combination that he liked but at least she understand what he's saying.

"Mother invites you to dinner tonight, I recommend taking it or else she'll use more drastic measures." He said briskly. "Save us both the trouble that she's more than willing to cause."

"Oh, so this is normal for her, I'm sorry."

He rolled his eyes. "You can be sorry by coming to dinner, you can suffer with me."

She giggled. "You have such high hopes in life, such a sunny person you are."

What the hell did that mean?

-Line Break-

"Geez, what the hell are you so broody about now?" Tsunade sat next to Orochimaru. "You've been like this for a couple of days now."

He made a noise of annoyance at the reminder. "My mother tasked me with getting Haruka-san to join us for dinner but it seems like my mother's antics were much more consequential than she realizes and I'm paying the price for it."

"You're still bothering with the creepy girl? Why?!" Jiraiya shouted.

Why indeed. Haruka has been far more trouble to deal with and she hasn't been doing anything in regards to said trouble. But it was the combination of curiosity and out right being forced to interact with her by his mother. He does not like playing this massive game of hide and seek with Haruka but his pride all but demands to keep doing it at each failure.

Luck should not be the reason why he succeeds, both times he's been able to find her was due to luck and he'll be damned if he doesn't succeed in tracking her down to her exact location.

"Your fear of her amuses me."

Jiraiya made a noise. "She knows where I live!"

Orochimaru rolled his eyes. "She's an orphan as well, she lives there."

"She does?!"

Tsunade punched him. "Of course she does! How many orphanages do you know? I'm pretty sure that's the only one!"

Jiraiya whimper at the pain and the thought of sharing the building with Haruka. "But I never see her, the only other girl there is Ayame-chan and she has a room to herself."

That was disturbing, Orochimaru had easily discarded the notion but his childish mind still entertained the thought of Haruka being a ghost. A spiteful doll that haunted these halls and her way of disappearing was almost supernatural along with how the air shifts around her.

"Stop it!" Tsunade growled nervously. "You're being stupid!"

Jiraiya shot up in terror. "Could it be Ayame-chan that lost a doll?!"

"Shut up!" Tsunade punched him again with more force to knock him into the nearby wall. "Stop spreading rumours like that!"

"You can't fight a ghost!" Jiraiya said hysterically. "Everything will just go through it!"

And a thought popped into his ever thinking mind.

Haruka was similar to his mother, they were like forces of nature that you can't simply power through. His mother was like a raging storm, something that he and his father endured lest they get blown away by the unyielding wrath of her determination whilst Haruka was the rolling fog that rendered any person blind unless she deems them worthy of her guidance.

She is a rolling fog. Her chakra extends her reach and the feeling of disorientation and being lost from trying to aimlessly navigate through it eventually builds the foreboding feeling similar to being in the dark.

Nobody was truly afraid of the dark, but rather what could lurk in it.

But the conclusion he reached from this little epiphany did not not mean he liked it. His mother was trouble enough to go along with and the thought of indulging another female like her made him grimace. It was the same reason why he didn't indulge Tsunade, the aggression that his friend displays was painful and he was just glad that the oaf was there to bare it.

Although, compare to Tsunade, Haruka didn't seem that bad and she's definitely the type to read rather than to unnecessarily get into trouble.

He hopes.

-Line break-

Something's changed, rather than get all huffy in trying to seek me out, Orochimaru sat in a nearby chair and started to read. He obviously knew I was in the area but didn't bother to waste energy to actually find me. He still wanted to talk to me but it seems he got tired of my hiding.

It was the same as the next day, this time outside, and did the same with taking out his book. He seemed happier to soak up the sun rays and easily crawl under the tree when it got too much. Like a cat but he was more of a snake, an adorable little snake.

On the third day, I decided to humour him seeing that it was only fair now. Being fed up with trying to find me and instead decided to use whatever time he had to be productive than do something that entertained me.

"How can I help you, Orochimaru-san?"

Seeing him jump made me gleeful and the irritation on him made me giggle. "So you finally decide to show yourself."

"You're always rushing to get to the end, Orochimaru-san. It's good to see that you're slowing down."

His downward curl of his lips said it all, he was not happy with me but nodded anyways. It was a leap for a nine year old to consent to someone younger than them, but then, this boy wasn't exactly normal and boring.

"Have you thought about the dinner invitation?"

"I think it's about time to face the music, your mother is very persistent." My eyes stayed steady on him. "A family trait?"

He turned away from me. "Follow me, it's a long walk."

I followed his command with a beaming grin, he was definitely fed up with me. It wasn't exactly fond, but more like he's resigned to deal with me and chose to continue to deal with me.

"We're all idiots, but there are somethings that stupid is good for."

"I swear if you weren't around, I'd roast that fucking bird and eat it."

"Your brother is special, special in the head, he's a damn piece of work and I just hope you won't be up there with him."

My legs stopped moving at the memory, the hard beat of my heart was resounding and the familiar black hair that went in every direction as it fell like a waterfall staticked in with the voices.

The few years that I was conscience to these memories, the memories that stripped the naive innocence of this body's mind to mature it to an adult's, this was the first time that made me come to a standstill. Something that was so moving that it froze me to the spot.

I had a brother. A big brother.

"Let me paint you another flower, we don't have enough of those around."

"I brought you back something, the others said that you'd like it, it seems stupid."

"-! Don't listen to them! I didn't do it and they fucking know it!"

He was brash and rough, too violent, and yet he liked his solitude. He was kind under the many layers of bristling energy that he expended on his missions and he always kept his promises. He never hid anything and came back from his jobs for me.

That bird he got was for me too, some type of crow to keep me company because it was just like him, trained it to be like him.

"Caw!"

"Shut up!"

"Caw!"

"Dammit, Fuck off!"

"Caw!"

"-! Tell your damn bird to fuck off!"

I couldn't remember his name.

"Haruka-san?" My vision cleared to see black, cascading, silk hair. "Are you alright?"

He was faceless, no other outstanding features to identify him. Just like all the others.

"Sorry, I just remembered something." I looked up to the sky. "It's nothing concerning though, just startled."

But he shouldn't be like the others, he was the most important person to me.

"I will never forget you. Never."

And I knew he wouldn't, but I did.

-Line Break-

Dinner with the Fuyuchi's was like any normal household dinner. With snakes that is.

Kiyohime was still as pushy as I met her and Ryuuto was the typical husband who read the newspaper that nodded along with his wife. Only he was reading his research notes and scribbling in them and I couldn't care what he was studying. Science stuff was never my area, the detailed stuff anyways, I liked biology better seeing you can snap a neck and not learn the mechanics of it.

My fellow student up and disappeared to leave me to these snakes, much more better conversationalists than him anyways.

"Hatchling, you should not hide the prowess of your mind. Why you would do such a thing is inconceivable."

"Yes, the pursuit of the mind is one of the many things you humans lack. You don't have to share knowledge, it isn't free after all, but when tested you should prove your superiority to the rats that scrabble for the crumbs you leave behind."

"I already know I'm smarter." I said lightly. "I'm using my time to train my body, I don't need to waste it to show up other children."

The brown snake shook his head. "I forget you humans are so fragile, weak bodied unless you train harshly. Us Snakes have naturally strong bodies, of course if we can't crush you, then our poisons will do you in."

Kaguhime huffed. "Do not gloat Tezuka, I remember that your arrogance once made you fail to strangle a little mouse, strong as you made be that cockiness has made you lose sight of your prey."

Tezuka reared his head and hissed angrily. "You try to kill a tiny appetizer and see if you can successfully strangle it. I wasn't about to flop on it like the Toads, I like my kills dirt free."

"Excuses."

It was fun and all to watch two snakes fight but the new area that I was invited to was distracting. Cool colours of purples, blues and greens that were lined with various tones of brown decorated the house. It smelled of various herbs and chemicals, though I could smell mint trying to cover it. It was a mixture of trying to be sterile and comfortable at the same time. Something that hospitals try to achieve.

Do they have hospitals here?

I don't want to go to a hospital.

"Hatchling, care to share your thoughts?"

"It's very beautiful here, I would like to live among the trees too." I stepped up to look out the window. "Maybe on top of a mountain too, the view would be wonderful."

The birds chirped and sunlight danced through the leaves.

"There's a whole world out there, I'll bring back a little piece of it, I promise."

This world wasn't too different from the other, people still lived and died, wars are still raging on, and families were still important. The birds, cats, and dogs were the same and I haven't met any mystery animal from my hunting excursions but the talking snakes.

The life style was the same too, only I can be apart of it.

No, not apart, but exercise it.

We weren't part of a military or fancy organization, just a ragtag team of violent killers that were aimed at the darkest of human decency. A little group that was free to do whatever they want in the dark while scouting out the game in the day.

This organized setting was too suffocating for my tastes but it's a start and I won't waste it.

"Play that song, just one more time."

"It's too bad you didn't get to kick their asses, only the idiots here."

"We'll miss you."

I'll choose my freedom, there's nothing to hold me back.

-Line Break-

"She is a dense fog as you say but when she is not on the ground she is up in the sky with the clouds." Kaguhime said. "She is a bird, either an owl or a song bird, I don't know."

"Does it matter? Our cousins are flighty and are always singing one song or another." Tezuka said. "The Lizards will have a fit once they hear that another one of the Bird clans might get a summoner, well if the hatchling signs a contract that is."

"Hopefully not the song birds."

"Definitely not the song birds."

"I still want to train her." Kiyohime cut in. "She'll be a waste and Orochi needs a sparring partner anyways."

Orochimaru frowned at his mothers declaration but didn't say anything. It was best to let her do as she wished and it wasn't like anyone was going to stop her. Nobody would raise a brow to a little orphan girl's goings and if anyone important does notices, his mother knew the Nidaime.

He didn't understand the fascination, he himself is fascinated but in the end Haruka was a nobody. A nobody that likes to stay as a nobody. She doesn't speak to other children and let the instructors look down on her along with the fact that she has no one to go back to. A lonely person that likes to be alone.

But she speaks well when he talks to her, no stuttering from disuse or a nervous habit to show her discomfort. The state of knowing and a silent confidence to show she doesn't really need the help. Or want it.

Unlike Tsunade who turns to her grandfather and uncle for help and unlike Jiraiya who dismisses it for pride.

So unlike him despite the fact they both sought out their own foundations, because he has parents to guide him whilst she doesn't. Like she was her own guide to the surrounding world around them, the easy amble to take in the sights while he was rushing to the end.

Orochimaru would like to know what she sees in the world. His father did say that his mother's point of view of things were unique and help him think on different tracks.

But as nice as it sounds to have a soundboard that wasn't his parents, the issue still stands that he wasn't willing to put up with.

"Mother, if you wish to train Haruka-san, then you must ask her yourself. It's hard to get a hold of her and I will not waste my training time running around uselessly when she doesn't want to be found." He scowled while crossing his arms.

Ryuuto snorted. "I'll have to agree with him, Kiyohime. Haruka-chan is your problem if you want to teach her."

The mother pouted. "Fine, Orochi, when we all start training, we're going to play a mass game of hide and seek since you can't find a girl who's younger than you." Her son paled even more at the thought. "Ryuuto, I want egg custards."

The two snakes perked. "Oh, may I have some too?"

"Yes, I would love to have egg custards as well."

The sight of his son looking longingly at him as well made him slouch in defeat before getting up to prepare the ingredients. He was thankful that it was easy to make but making the dessert always fell to him. Ryuuto won't deny that it was one of the things he charmed his wife with when they were first going out, she favoured egg dishes so it was natural for him to present his dessert to her.

To say, marrying into a family of snakes was much more easier than others would think, it was Kiyohime that had a hard time grabbing his attention. Snakes were vain and prideful but were easily swayed by the right offerings. They were also very possessive in anything that catches their eyes and he didn't know whether to pity the little girl or fear that he may have a daughter to worry about.

He was a smart man. Blind he was not.

-Line Break-

Hope you enjoyed! And please review!