Disclaimer: Neither of us own Naruto, and we make no profit writing fanfiction about it.
File Title- MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN
(AN - Ajax): Comes around again lads.
A pale, black-haired boy sat on a tiled rooftop, swinging his legs absently as he casually sketched in a notebook. To observant passerby, he appeared to be enjoying the sunshine, but the boy's rapidly flashing dark eyes betrayed his scrutiny of those below.
Closing the sketchbook with a smart snap, Sai regained his feet in a smooth motion. With sure steps on the precarious rooftop, he made his way to gaze in the direction of the training fields, rewarded with an expectant mixture of blonde, black, and white hair.
The Ne agent descended gracefully, landing in a back alleyway to avoid drawing attention to himself - a practice learned from years of merciless training. Sai plastered a wide smile to his face and walked out into the main street where he had spotted his new operative group. He was ordered to make proper introductions.
He waited on the busy market street, affixing the group with a pointed gaze as he analyzed his new 'team'. The dark-haired one seemed cool and collected, hands thrust firmly into his blue pants, eyes hard and dangerous.
The Uchiha. There was little difference between the clan heir Sai could see roaming the streets at the moment and the ROOT agent he'd met in the Den several days ago. Both had that pent up aggressive air to them. Perhaps Uchiha's emotional conditioning was not coming along as it should be? All agents of Ne were taught to try to feign politeness and to be friendly with others in public.
Next was the jounin, the famed Hatake Kakashi, son of the White Fang of Konohagakure. Talking in tones too low to be heard over the din of the city, Kakashi presented a front of relaxed nonchalance, but his posture was slightly tensed, eyes darting besides him at random intervals.
"I will need to tread carefully around him," Sai noted to himself.
Finally came the blonde, bouncing between an somber look of professionalism and childish exuberance, seemingly failing at deciding on an emotional state.
How curious.
Uzumaki Naruto, the container of the Kyuubi no Yoko, seemed to stop himself every time he raised his voice to speak to his sensei. He would snap his head back down, grimacing as forced himself to speak more respectfully in the wake of Hatake Kakashi's whispered discussion.
Sai was intrigued.
Finally approaching his position, Sai glided directly in front of the oncoming ANBU cell, closing his eyes and widening his smile, just as his book on social interaction had instructed him to do.
"Hello!"
Sasuke looked coolly at the new arrival, unimpressed at his sudden appearance. Naruto looked up with questioning eyes, while Kakashi merely raised an eyebrow and uttered a quick, "Yo," in response, eyes roaming to inspect the pale-skinned newcomer for threats.
"My name is Sai. You are Uchiha Sasuke, Hatake Kakashi, and Uzumaki Naruto," Sai stated matter-of-factly, smiling unabashedly at the group.
At the name, Kakashi's eyes brightened slightly, and his posture relaxed a degree. Motioning back towards the alleyway Sai had landed in, Kakashi said, "Let's find somewhere more private to talk. I've been advised as to your arrival by our mutual friend."
Inclining his head slightly, Sai followed the jounin's lead, attracting little notice from those occupying the marketplace.
Kakashi walked through the narrow corridor for a little under a minute before promptly turning and resting his body against a wall, adopting a bored demeanor. Sasuke stood comfortably to the side, while Naruto stopped awkwardly, before deciding to imitate Kakashi.
Sai initiated the conversation with a smile, "I have been assigned to ANBU squad Gamma-3 to serve as a replacement for Haruno Sakura, lost during your mission to Wave Country, for the purpose of entering the Chuunin Examinations in four months."
Naruto stiffened visibly, before Kakashi's firm hand rested on his shoulder in a swift movement. Sai cocked his head to the left, an inquisitive expression replacing his smile.
"Have I said something that is incorrect?"
Kakashi sighed before explaining, "You've broached a rather tender topic, Sai." The jounin's eyes narrowed at the Ne agent. "But what you have said is, in truth, correct. We welcome you as a new member of the team, and we will be working to get everyone up to speed on the basis of teamwork."
Sai replaced his expression with a smile again, internally wondering at why his book hadn't broached such a topic before. He would have to investigate the matter.
Suddenly remembering a passage on behavior to follow when attempting to make new friends, Sai said, "I would like to give you two nicknames. You," pointing at Sasuke, "will be Broody." The Ne agent smiled benevolently.
Sasuke raised his eyes in disbelief as Kakashi let out a chuckle, while Naruto perked up at this, a smile tugging at the right corner of his mouth. Looking back towards Sasuke, Naruto let out a full-bodied laugh, releasing some of his pent-up tension, as Sai lowered his raised finger.
Sai internally remarked, "It seems that nicknames are an acceptable way to create a 'bond'". Sai analyzed Naruto for a moment. "Perhaps making a friend will not be as difficult as I originally hypothesized."
Pleased with his success, Sai pointed at Naruto. "You will be…Dickless." Dark eyes dropped pointedly to the blonde's crotch, leaving no confusion as to the implications of his nickname.
The annoyed glare on Sasuke's face swiftly shifted to smug amusement.
Naruto seemed ready to burst out with indignation, but a gentle shake of Kakashi's head reminded him of months of learning emotional control. Hunching his shoulders, the blonde jinchuuriki sent a venomous glare towards the team's newest recruit before walking away.
Kakashi brushed a calloused hand through his wild mane before uttering, "Not a great start, Sai. Give him a moment to cool off." Kakashi continued after his charge, in direction of the wide market street.
The emotionless Ne agent looked inquisitively at Naruto's back, before giving a confused look to Sasuke.
"What did I say that was incorrect?"
Sasuke shrugged off the unasked question, before stalking after his ANBU teammates.
Sai stood still for a moment, resolving to probe his guide to social interactions when he had finished his current assignment. Then he called out to Kakashi in a calm tone, "Hatake-san, I was instructed to relay summons to Hokage-sama's office for debriefing as a secondary order."
Kakashi paused for a moment before responding, "I am aware of that, Sai. I was relayed the same information just prior to your introductions." Kakashi yawned for effect. "Meet us at the Hokage's tower in, let's say, 30 minutes."
ANBU squad Gamma-3 walked back onto the market street and disappeared into the crowd, leaving a rather befuddled shinobi standing by himself, reanalyzing his previous conversation.
Kakashi ambled casually down a side street of Konohagakure, his two pupils on either side of him. Glancing to his left discreetly, the elite jounin repressed a sigh.
Naruto walked contentedly, arms swinging his usual bragging swagger. A few flecks of shredded herbs stuck to the boy's face, ending in a messy splotch of grease around his mouth.
He supposed that Ichiraku's was a good idea to mollify the blond.
Naruto had spent the last hour or so with his face buried in seemingly endless bowls of his favorite food, mixing broth with curses freely as Kakashi patted his back awkwardly, unsure of what to tell him. Sakura would have eventually been replaced. It was standard operating procedure.
Kakashi was considering advising the Sandaime to ask Inoichi for advice on Naruto's mental health - perhaps a Yamanaka would be able to stabilize the jinchuuriki's emotional state.
Stepping over a rather large pothole, Kakashi turned to his right, and was unable to hold back his exhalation. Sasuke stared on, seemingly unfazed by the world around him.
The last Uchiha had betrayed almost no emotions during the entirety of their interaction with this 'Sai' or afterwards, which worried the jounin considerably.
During their training earlier that day, Sasuke had demonstrated a remarkable increase in skill - dominating Naruto in hand-to-hand combat despite the Jinchuuriki's drastic improvement in combat capabilities.
What surprised the son of the White Fang the most, however, was Sasuke's response to criticism. After correcting the form of the Uchiha's intercepting fist, Sasuke merely nodded and thanked Kakashi for his help, foregoing any angry commentary about his superiority.
Unbelievable. ROOT was marking Sasuke quicker than Kakashi had thought.
Kakashi decided to incorporate a higher degree of team-building exercises to assert a sense of interdependency on Gamma-3. Sasuke would need to develop a sense of value for his team, to prevent his complete ROOT inoculation.
Kakashi was forced out of his musing as he noticed the Hokage's Tower in front of him, a red beacon of command in the center of the village. Eyes roaming around the area, Kakashi discovered a certain pale-skinned shinobi standing in silence to the right of the entryway.
As Sai noticed the incoming trio, Kakashi raised his hand and smiled weakly.
"Yo."
Sai shifted his blank expression into a stretched smile, and took a few steps towards the group.
"Captain, I was under the impression that you wanted to meet at this location approximately an hour ago. Was I incorrect in my hearing?" Sai seemed utterly sincere in his question, while maintaining a rather unnerving grin.
Kakashi let loose a feeble laugh. "Well, it really is a funny story. Naruto here bumped into this old lady on our way over here, and knocked her groceries onto the street. Sasuke and I resolved to help Naruto pick them up, but she began yelling at us to buy her new products."
Sasuke rolled his eyes, while Naruto's mouth opened slightly.
Kakashi continued unflinchingly, "After I had finished the purchase, I went outside, but she and Naruto were nowhere to be found. It turned out, she was a nuke-nin from Kusagakure who was hellbent on abducting Naruto for nefarious purposes. Luckily, Sasuke and I were able to catch up and take her down in time for her to be taken in by ANBU."
Sasuke muttered under his breath, "That has to be the most convoluted explanation I've heard yet."
Naruto began to giggle, though stopping himself when he saw Sai's serious face.
"I see." Sai's face turned blank once again. "I am glad that you were able to properly apprehend the criminal, Kakashi-taichou." Sai returned to his previous smile, as the members of the previous Team 7 shared a look.
"Anyways," Kakashi started, "I suppose we should go in to see the Hokage."
Squad Gamma-3 entered the building, Kakashi returning casual nods to various ANBU agents and administrative shinobi that walked through the large building.
Advancing upstairs, the four ninja stopped at Sasaki's desk, a few feet away from the entrance to the Sandaime Hokage's office.
Kakashi quickly noted the hidden positions of two ANBU agents hidden throughout the vaulted ceiling, inclining his head curtly at their locations.
With an utterly bland expression on her face, Umeko blinked up at the jounin, "Hatake Kakashi, you have arrived late to your appointment with Hokage-sama. Do you have an explanation for your tardiness?"
"Maa, maa, no need to get so riled up. We merely got lost on the road of life." Kakashi raised his hands in surrender, eliciting a laugh from Naruto and a curious expression on Sai's face.
Umeko frowned. "No identification will be necessary. No one but you would show such blatant disrespect towards the office of Hokage, Hatake-san. You may enter."
Kakashi grimaced, before starting in the direction of the door, beckoning his team to follow. Opening the large wooden doors, Gamma-3 was immediately assailed by a large cloud of smoke that escaped the office, their eyes watering slightly from the invasive smell.
The Sandaime Hokage sat leisurely with his legs propped up on the wooden desk in front of him, one hand absently fingering his tobacco pipe, and the other leafing through a rather conspicuous orange book.
Kakashi looked on with amusement as the elderly shinobi scrambled to stash away the incriminating material, locking eyes with him as the old man recovered.
"Kakashi-kun! I was expecting you here much earlier - you've caught me by surprise."
The ANBU Captain bowed towards the third Hokage. "I apologize, Hokage-sama. There was a cat who began terrorizing—"
Sarutobi Hiruzen cut Kakashi off with a raised hand and chuckle. "The winding roads of life lay claim to our time, heedless of the desires of man. Am I correct, Kakashi-kun?"
"You are right, as always, Hokage-sama." Kakashi extricated himself from his light bow, a smile hidden underneath his mask.
Hiruzen's stood up and eyed the two dark-haired shinobi in the room, his expression adopting a more serious look.
"Now, let's address the reason I have brought you to my office. Junior members of Gamma-3, you are aware of the upcoming Chuunin Examinations, I presume?" Hiruzen walked with a commanding presence to face the newcomers to his office, a drastic change from his previous demeanor.
A chorus of, "Hai, Hokage-sama" echoed throughout the room.
Hiruzen's lips tugged lightly at his pipe. "I will illustrate this bluntly for you all. The Chuunin Exams are a method of showcasing a Hidden Village's strength to potential clients."
The Sandaime Hokage continued, "The best and brightest of our gifted shinobi are funneled into this system to combat against their peers to seek the honor of being promoted via the Examination's structure."
"In light of recent circumstances," Hiruzen looked pointedly at Naruto, "you will not be entering the Exams as typical genin hopefuls, as you may have imagined. You are a carefully selected ANBU cell responsible for the completion of a variety of objectives during this period."
Naruto looked on questioningly, while Sai and Sasuke listened intently, without emotion.
Sarutobi paused for moment to relight his pipe, sparing a sideways glance to Kakashi's form, reposing against one of the walls of the office.
"Firstly, you will insure your own advancement into the third and final round of the Examinations. This will be your primary objective." The Hokage puffed for a moment, releasing languishing tendrils of smoke into the air.
"The structure of the event is thus: the first test will be a written exam, emphasizing the ability of a shinobi to cheat, use his surroundings to his advantage, and cultivate resourcefulness."
Sasuke and Sai stoically listened on, but Naruto's obvious grimace provoked a hearty chuckle from the God of Shinobi.
"Do not fret, Naruto-kun. You will be briefed over the coming months in greater detail as to the specifics of each portion of the Exams."
Naruto looked at the Hokage with a relieved expression, comically wiping away sweat from his brow with a small grin.
The Sandaime Hokage resumed his speech, "The second task will be to progress through Training Ground 44, the 'Forest of Death', and deliver a pair of scrolls to the center of the zone."
Hiruzen cleared his throat. "Each team will enter the forest with one type of scroll, and be forced to retrieve that of another team's to successfully pass the test."
Sarutobi affixed his gaze on each boy in front of him. "I warn you, this will be one of the most critical functions you will serve here. Your task is twofold: to eliminate the competition from foreign villages, and protect Konohagakure shinobi."
"However, you must be careful not to pursue this objective too far. It will look incredibly suspicious if the Konohagakure shinobi are the only contestants to actually proceed to the final rounds - exercise a degree of restraint."
The group nodded in unison, carefully taking in the words of the leader of Konohagakure no Sato.
"Now," Hiruzen continued while stroking his pointed beard, "recent intelligence suggests an unprecedented number of genin arriving to take this exam, partly due to the inclusion of Iwagakure and Kumogakure in this test."
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a look of surprise, before the Uchiha snapped back to rapt attention, with Naruto following suit.
"We will likely have a preliminary round to thin the competition, which will take the form of a combat exercise against opposing shinobi. This, in turn, will lead to a single-elimination tournament for the third and final test."
The Hokage grimly explained, "It is customary for villages to seed their entrants with shinobi of a higher caliber than one may expect to see in a competition of this nature."
Nodding towards a stack of files on his desk, Sarutobi continued, "Based on preliminary reports on each of your capabilities, your skills currently exceed that of the typical chuunin prospect entering a locally hosted exam by a moderate margin."
With a dose of killing intent, he stated, "This will not suffice."
The trio in front of him recoiled involuntarily, with even Kakashi stiffening from the forceful reminder of the Sandaime Hokage's strength.
"You three have a total of four months to hone your skills in preparation for the Chuunin Examinations, and I expect that any ANBU squad would be more than ready to handle the challenges presented by your upcoming trials."
He explained further, "However, I advise you to downplay your skills if possible before your showcase during the third test. Unless you are required to bring your full strength to bear, it will be useful to foster underestimation in the eyes of your opponents."
Again taking time to lock eyes with each person in front of him, Hiruzen stated, "Expect further briefings on specific requirements for each stage of the Examinations over the coming months. You are dismissed."
The Sandaime Hokage turned his back to the trio, flashing a subtle signal to Kakashi as he reclaimed his seat with a sigh, appearing to resume his paperwork.
The members of Gamma-3 exited the room sharply, and the junior members looked towards Kakashi for further instructions.
"You all have the rest of the day off, use it as you see fit. We'll meet up again tomorrow at Training Ground 72, at say, zero eight hundred."
Sasuke stalked off with a curt nod, while Sai disappeared without formality. As Naruto started to set off, a strong hand on his shoulder pulled him backwards.
Kakashi beckoned Naruto silently with a sideways motion of his head, indicating that he should head back into the office. Naruto followed with a consternated expression.
Hiruzen's face was genial now, in direct contrast to his earlier steely posture. "Naruto, my boy, come here."
Rising to meet the blond-haired youth, The Sandaime ruffled Naruto's hair with a light laugh.
"It's been too long since you've visited, Naruto-kun."
Naruto responded grumpily, "It's not like I've had any time, old man. Between Kakashi and the Super Pervert, I barely have the freedom to sleep at all!"
Hiruzen laughed affectionately, which was returned by Naruto's boisterous smile.
Taking his seat once again, Hiruzen indicated Naruto should sit in front of him. Raising an eyebrow at the elite jounin, he said, "Kakashi-kun, why don't you give me and Naruto a moment of privacy? I'd like to have a private discussion with him."
"Of course, Hokage-sama." Kakashi bowed slightly and exited the room promptly.
Sarutobi sunk deep within his chair, gripping the weathered leather of the armrests with a grunt of satisfaction.
"Naruto-kun… It's been far too long, hasn't it? I've missed you in my office, of late. You have a knack for relieving the tension in the air."
The Uzumaki responded a little sadly. "Everything's moved so fast lately, jiji. After what… what happened, nothing seems to make sense anymore. But I know I have a job to do. I won't back down."
Hiruzen's smile cracked, aging visibly before Naruto's eyes. "I never wanted this path for you, Naruto-kun. All I ever wanted for you was a normal childhood, but it seems that fate has conspired to take that away from you."
Naruto witnessed an expression he'd never seen on the Hokage's face before - shame. "I am responsible for your situation, Naruto. My failures on your behalf weigh upon me heavier than any I have made in my long life, which I assure you are plentiful."
Naruto's lip trembled precariously, threatening to break into more violent quaking.
"Above all, Naruto-kun, you must not blame yourself. All I ask…," Hiruzen failed to repress a crack in his voice, "would be that you could find it in yourself to forgive me."
Naruto released his pent-up anguish, as he leapt across the desk to envelop the Sandaime Hokage in an enveloping hug with tears streaming down his face. Sarutobi matched Naruto's emotions as he returned the embrace, hand gently patting the back of his neck as he set down his pipe.
A hidden ANBU agent extricated himself from a hidden position in the office, silently exiting through an open window to give his leader a true moment of privacy.
The two remained in their embrace for several minutes, until Naruto's sobbing descended into snuffles, and eventually petered out.
Peeling himself from the Hokage and cracking his neck, Naruto responded, "You know I forgive you, jiji."
Sitting back down in the chair opposite Hiruzen, both leaned back into their chairs with relaxed shoulders.
The Professor picked back up his pipe and relit it with a basic fire jutsu, contentedly puffing away. The two shinobi sat silently for a moment, enjoying each other's presence and the scent of quality tobacco.
The Sandaime Hokage was surprisingly the first one to break the quiet, affixing his eyes on his successor's son as he began, "Naruto. There are still things of great importance to discuss about the Exams, particular to you."
Naruto responded with a quick, "What do you mean, jiji?"
Sarutobi continued, "You are much more important than you realize, Naruto-kun. Being a Jinchuuriki is an incredible burden, one that comes with a great deal of influence. You are the cornerstone of the Chuunin Examinations."
Naruto nodded his head slightly, eyes squinted with a slight degree of confusion.
Hiruzen sighed audibly, eyes looking up as if searching for something on the ceiling of his office. "Naruto, the entire world will be looking to you to gauge the strength of Konohagakure. If you prove to the world that you are strong, people will think the same of the village."
"Of course I'm gonna kick ass!" Naruto retorted in a scandalized tone, wrapping his braggart persona around himself like a cloak. "I'll make sure no one wants to mess with Konoha!"
A wry smirk curled the corners of Sarutobi's lips fondly. "That's my boy." The Hokage mused, chewing at the tail of his pipe. "Just remember that you're a proud shinobi of the village Naruto-kun. Don't live down to the expectations of those that just think you're an animal."
The wordless look the Uzumaki replied with was full of burning resolve.
Two hard months later, Naruto hit the grass with a groan, flopping down on his back and trying to suck in oxygen to relieve the burning in his lungs. "Another fifty laps," the blonde puffed, face red from exertion and glistening with sweat. Naruto swung his fist half-heartedly at the sky. "Take that, you bastard."
"Don't make me wash out your mouth with soap, kiddo," Kakashi mused out of the line of the Uzumaki's vision. A foot nudged at the genin's aching leg. "You're a hundred years too early to be talking back to me."
Slurring a nonsensical grunt back at the ANBU Captain, Naruto shut his eyes and hoped that Kakashi would simply get the hell out and let him sleep for a bit. A minute passed as the genin gulped greedy breaths, slowing the throbbing pulse in his veins with a diet of inactivity and air.
Grass rustled as Kakashi shuffled around his student's prone body, lowering to a crouch with far more grace than the sweat soaked jinchuuriki exhibited. "You did well." the man complimented awkwardly, peering down at Naruto's whiskered face through a single dark iris.
Grunting wordlessly in reply, Naruto cracked a tired eye open to glare at his squad leader. "Might as well ask what you're gonna ask." the blonde sighed after a moment.
Kakashi tilted his head to the side before shrugging. "Let's say you've been assigned a mission to sabotage an enemy supply depot during a period of war between Konoha and another hidden village. You successfully destroy it, but in doing so you were detected by a squad of jounin. You're fifty miles behind enemy lines. What do you do?"
"Bum rush 'em with clones." Naruto replied without hesitation, throwing his forearm over his eyes. "Since it's, ya know, me, I can spit out a hundred of them easy. Half the clones attack, and half of them run away. I'll run too, and create some more as soon as I'm outta sight. Have all the clones run for the border while I hole up about halfway there. They'll expect me to try and make it back home as quick as possible. Spend a day or two waiting for things to cool off before trying to cross the border for real."
"Ahh." Kakashi hummed, weighing Naruto's answer to his proposed scenario. The jounin had taken to proposing scenarios to the jinchuuriki every time they trained in the two months since that emotionless artsy bastard had joined squad Gamma-Three.
On the one hand, it had gotten real old real fast for the blonde. But on the other, it was actually sort of nice that there was someone who treated Naruto like he actually had a brain between his ears on a regular basis. He wasn't all clumsy brawn, no matter what the other kids back in the Academy had said.
"Typically, what you'd want to do in a situation like that is run like hell for the border. Most of us can't spawn armies on command, but once you cross into Konoha territory your chances of reinforcement increase exponentially." The jounin's single visible eye crinkled in approval. "That being said, you strategy is viable and depending on your skill and evasion and concealment might have a higher probability of success."
"Mmhmm." Naruto acknowledged, pulling his arm away from his face and cracking his knuckles. Absently, he bent his hands through a slow series of seals. Ram. Snake. Tiger. With a simple push of chakra through the motions that had been beat into him over the years, Naruto would summon a bunshin.
A bunshin that wasn't malformed or sickly, but was visually healthy and full of life. A true bunshin that was created with mastery of the technique. Sasuke - the bastard - would have sneered about it if Naruto made noise about it, but the blonde couldn't prevent the simple happiness that mastering it gave him. The stupid jutsu that had tripped Naruto up and caused him to fail the Academy over and over was his to command.
Jiraiya's chakra control exercises had done good for him after all. Spinning a chopstick on his finger with chakra even made for a good party trick.
The last time that Naruto had seen the white-haired deviant, they had worked on bringing out and then rein in the Kyuubi's chakra.
"When's that old pervert back?" Naruto grunted as he let his hands fall back to his sides. The toad sennin had taken off for 'business' a couple of weeks back, and he was starting to miss the lecher.
"Three days from now. Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering." Naruto muttered, mind settling on the promise of more jutsu to master under Jiraiya's teachings, as well as a measure of control. "Just wondering."
A solitary bubble tenaciously clung to the side of the glass vial, disrupting the otherwise continuously garish orange compound. Thin lips curved down.
"Contaminated." Orochimaru sighed to himself, giving the tube one last absent spin before popping off the stopper with a pointed nail and dumping the useless sample into a bright yellow barrel marked HAZARDOUS WASTE in screaming black letters.
Deciding that he would need to immediately dispose of the latest buffoon claiming to be his lab assistant, the snake sennin glared at the filthy stainless steel table that held up his newest centrifuge. Kabuto had never allowed a single speck of dirt to be left before or behind an experiment. Kabuto had certainly never been so utterly incompetent that he ruined a week-long experiment with a careless technique.
"There is no need to lurk in the shadows like a frightened child, Guren." Orochimaru scolded with a hint of amusement. Divesting himself of his lab coat, the nukenin tossed the barely used garment in the lab's laundry cart before turning his golden reptilian gaze to pin his blue haired subordinate.
"I assume you have something worthwhile to report. Unless you've decided you wish to submit to true experimentation at my hands? Remember my promise. Only the best, most proven procedures for such a valuable subordinate."
Lowering her dark eyes to the floor to escape the leader of Otogakure's slitted stare, Guren shook her head slightly. "I'm here to report success with the mission you assigned me, Orochimaru-sama." the woman denied the 'offer' implicitly, not wanting to dwell on it. Orochimaru of the Sannin did not always ask permission.
"And Akatsuki was none the wiser?" the sennin queried sharply, golden orbs flashing. "There were no complications?"
"None." Guren denied, raising her eyes and assuming a bolder look once the dangerous topic of Orochimaru's favorite pastime was glazed over. "The Rokubi is safe and hidden. Akatsuki's agents were successfully eliminated, and with the jinchuuriki's tendency to act the hermit, it will be months before they have a hope of beginning to locate him again. We did not engage or allow discovery without your order."
Nodding agreeably, Orochimaru beckoned Guren closer with a lazy wave of his hand. "Good, good." A distant expression filled the man's pale face, purple markings tightening around his eyes as his genius mind began constructing further plots. "The fools." Otogakure's leader murmured with a fond sort of contempt to himself. "Misguided fools. Destroy everything and hope that somehow the world will be saved?"
The S-ranked nukenin shook himself from his daze, curving his mouth into a dangerous smirk. "Now that we've successfully taken the only vulnerable container and placed it out of Pein's reach for the moment, it is past time we attacked. Take a squad of a dozen of our finest and clear out every Akatsuki outpost you can locate in Tetsu no Kuni. Leave none alive."
"Shouldn't we clean up our own house before going to clean up the neighbours?"
"Otogakure is not ready for open conflict with Ame and Akatsuki together. I have no desire to gamble with my own 'little village' when I can lay the blame for the attack at the door of the neighboring samurai. Even Pein would be wary of incurring their wrath."
Guren tilted her head, considering before she nodded sharply in agreement. "As you command, Orochimaru-sama. Only… while I'll gladly do as you ask, I would much rather be at your side when we strike out at those Konoha bastards."
The look that Orochimaru returned to the Shoton wielder was one she had never witnessed before - an odd mixture of apprehension, anger, and… sorrow?
Orochimaru suppressed his emotions near-instantly before responding, "No. You have received your instructions; that is all that will be required."
As Guren turned to exit the laboratory, she faintly heard the sannin mutter to himself, "Vengeance is of no import. All that matters is Sarutobi-sensei and the Akatsuki."
(AN - White): Well here we are with another 5200 words. We moved from four months until the Chuunin Exams to two months until the exams in the last couple of scenes, in case that was missed.
