Orochimaru's 5th Hideout (abandoned)

Ryu(1) sighed in relief as he finally saw the familiar archway leading to their hideout underground. He was tired after traveling for a week. It would've been 5 days, but he couldn't read the map and had gotten lost. Not that he was going to tell anyone back at the hideout that. He was looking forward to a nice long nap since he hadn't gotten much rest in the Land of Iron. He would debrief everyone on the security around the gem there later. He entered what had been home for the past few months, and sighed in contentment at the peaceful nature of it. A peace that was shattered as a shriek of rage echoed down the hall.

Recognizing Tia's voice, he booked it down to the west hall as fast as he could and busted open the infirmary door. The sight he was seeing could only be described as one of the most humorous and chaotic scenes he had ever seen. "Don't touch it! It ****ing hurts!" Tia yelled at Airi. She was on one of the tables where Airi was trying to examine a deep gash in the girl's leg. "It's going to hurt worse if you don't let me treat it!" Airi yelled back. In the bathroom Ryu could hear someone throwing up. Lori was sitting on the other examination table watching the scene. She looked like she was having trouble deciding whether to laugh or not. "Airi!" he said getting the girl's attention. "What's going on?" Airi turned to answer him when Tia's boot was suddenly in her face.

Airi turned toward where Tia sat on the table. There was a scary fire in her eyes he had never seen before, and hoped never to see again as she glared at the girl. "THAT IS IT!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "I don't care whether or not it hurts. You are going to sit STILL, and let me treat your leg or I swear I will show you exactly how I learned how to use a knife in Orochimaru's slave camp!" Tia shrank back from the girl in surprise at her anger. In the end, she stuck her leg out sheepishly and let Airi treat the gash with her medical jutsu. "I swear," Airi muttered as she treated it. "For an ex-assassin you act like a spoiled 5-year old. Go to your room and rest so it can mend properly." Tia glared, but was still too shocked by her outburst to do anything so she got up and did as she was told.

Airi turned to Ryu finally, though he was afraid she might lash some of her anger out on him as well. He watched as she took a deep breath and let it out. Then, she turned to Lori and said, "You fill him in. I'm tired." She sat on the bed by Lori who proceeded to explain what had happened in third person. It was a weird way to explain it, but he was used to the raven's story telling antics after four years, and got the gist of it. "Alright." He said after she was done. "So basically what you're telling me is: Riyu is puking in the toilet to get rid of the poison in his system, you're suffering from chakra exhaustion because you used alkaymac memory suppression on the Konoichi from the leaf, and Tia went to finish Riyu's job where the other leaf Shinobi gave her a gash on her leg." Airi sighed. "Yes." she deadpanned while Lori muttered something about the word being pronounced "alchemic" under her breath. Ryu whistled. "All the exciting stuff really does happen when I'm gone." Airi gave him a pointed look. "Why were you gone so long anyway? You were only supposed to be gone for a week. You've been gone for two." Ryu sweat dropped and put his hand up to scratch his head. "Well, uh, you see…" "You got lost again didn't you?" pipped up Lori.

Ryu threw up his hands. "You know what? You try reading that stupid map and get everything done in one week!" he said. Airi rolled her eyes and stood up opening one of the cabinets. Ryu frowned hearing his brother throwing up in the other room. All this happened within a week? He shook his head. He didn't understand anything they did lately. The thefts were a mystery to him. He knew they needed the gems to open the portal, but he didn't understand why they were risking their neck to get them. Lori wouldn't even share her back up plan, though Airi seemed to know all about it. She wasn't about to say anything though. Airi tapped his arm taking him out of his musings. "Can you do me a huge favor and watch Riyu while I go get the medicine from Al? He just got back and I don't want to leave Riyu alone in there." Ryu scoffed.

"He's my brother. Of course I'll watch him."

"Thanks." She said

"Hey wait a minute!" Lori said. "I'm here! He wouldn't be by himself!"

Airi grabbed the raven's arm surprising her. Ryu snickered as Airi made off with the girl. "I beg to differ." She told her. "You're going to go rest some more because I'm not reviving your butt if you collapse from chakra exhaustion in the Land of Iron." she said rushing off down the hall. Ryu went to the bathroom where he could hear his brother puking. He leaned against the door waiting for him to finish. He had never questioned Lori's reasons behind her actions before, but this bothered him. If this kept going the way it was they were going to have a lot more shinobi after them. He set aside his worries when his brother finally lifted his head. "Guess you finally found a girl to hug you back huh?" he teased him. Riyu glared at him. "At least I can keep 'em for more than thirty minutes." He shot back. Ryu laughed at him and Riyu smiled. Riyu suddenly got a weird look on his face and stuck his head back over the toilet to barf some more. It was kind of a mood killer. Ryu frowned in worry, and waited until his brother was finished again. "How long does Airi think you'll be doing that?"

Riyu looked up panting. "She said it shouldn't be too much longer since she used whatever was in that needle to keep it all together so it would come out faster."

"Yuck." Ryu commented.

Riyu just nodded. Ryu studied his brother then squatted down next to him. "So what's wrong?" he asked.

Riyu looked at him pointedly. "You mean besides me barfing because I have a bunch of poison in my system?"

"Don't make me poke you."

"I'd probably just puke on you."

Ryu laughed. "Mom always said you could never get captured because all they would have to do is tickle you to death and you'd spill exactly what was on your mind."

Riyu looked at the toilet before replying. "I'm not really sure what to do anymore. We can't keep stealing the gems like this. We'll be hunted down by more than just Yore if we're caught. Lori won't even tell us what the fall back plan is if Tallah can't help Naruto retrieve his memories."

Ryu was silent. He had no idea what to do next any more than his brother did. It made no sense why they were stealing all these useless scrolls as a cover while the real prize was the green gems that she hid in her room. It was like they were a precious treasure, and she was the dragon that was hoarding it. He realized his brother was staring at him waiting for an answer. As he watched him shift his head over the toilet once more he knew there was nothing he could really say. Worst case scenario they were all looking at a death penalty or life in the blood prison. He couldn't tell him everything would be alright when it obviously wasn't. So he just patted his brother on the back and said, "Do what you have to."


Airi had already dropped Lori off in her room. She had left Ryu to be alone with his brother for more than one reason. She did need someone to watch him so he didn't hurt himself, but she also knew he needed someone to talk to. He wouldn't talk to her about anything, and she couldn't blame him. She knew he resented her for knowing Lori's plans when he was shut out. What he didn't realize was Lori had tried to keep her out as well, but that was hard when they were connected by the same fate. Airi knew as much about the gems as she did, so it had proven a secret impossible to keep. She rubbed her shoulder where the dragon tattoo on her left blade was only slightly visible under her clothing. It was the mark that she was chosen to bear like Lori and Tallah. It was the card fate had dealt her, but who was she to complain?

She made her way to Al down the hall. When she reached him he held up the bag with an apologetic grin. "Delivery." He said. Airi smiled. She had always found it hard to be mad at Al. He was too sweet to stay mad at. "What took so long?" she asked him. Al dropped his grin and looked serious. "The whole village was on high alert from the stunt Tia pulled going back to the Archives. The memory suppression Lori put on that Konoichi from Konoha will only last a few weeks so the sooner we relocate the better." Airi shook her head. "All that chakra used as a price and it'll still only last a few weeks. We'll probably leave as soon as Riyu finishes getting rid of the poison in his body."

Al winced in sympathy. His expression softened as he handed over the bag of medicine to her. "So," he said. "When are you going to rest?"Airi stared. He cocked his head at her giving her a lopsided grin. "C'mon Airi, you aren't invincible. You need to rest too."Airi looked down. He was right she did need to sleep sometime. She didn't remember the last time she had slept at this point. So much had happened with this last raid. Most nights she had been awake making sure Riyu's fever from the poison didn't get worse. He had kept a cool façade while he was awake and she was giving him shots, but as soon as he fell asleep he would thrash around groaning and sometimes almost screaming. So she had stayed awake. Then Lori had gone and done something stupid again, and she had to stay up giving her medicine to help stabilize her chakra. On top of all that the dreams had been getting worse for both of them. She didn't know if she could take watching Victoria bleed out her counterpart again. All of this was swimming around in her head, and she was surprised when she felt a light pressure on her shoulders. She looked up to find Al bent over with his face inches from hers and both his hands on her shoulders. He stared at her intently. "You don't need to shoulder everyone's problems," he told her gently. "Go rest."

Airi blinked in surprise and blushed. She moved his hands and looked away. "You should start working on the bombs for the Land of Iron." She said. She saw him nod from the corner of her eye and walk off. She walked to the medicine room and started piling it into the cabinet. Ryu walked out of the bathroom.

"So I think at this point he's just sleep barfing." He commented.

Airi scoffed. "He is your brother Ryu. Show a little worry or respect for once."

"Always." She heard him respond.

She sighed. "You should go sleep. You've had a long journey."

"Right back at you." He said pointedly.

"Ryu I have to stay awake. Your brother…"

He held up his hand to stop her. "My brother is a big boy. He can stand up if he needs something. He may be fragile at the moment, but he isn't as breakable as you think."

Airi raised an eyebrow. "You realize that you kind of contradicted yourself in that phrase?"

Ryu just smiled. "He'll stay intact."

Airi knew she would have to give in. Every fiber in her body was screaming for sleep. She would sleep, but she wasn't sure how peaceful of a sleep she would have. Secrets were like bad memories. They screamed at you constantly. Even if you were no longer conscious they still moaned and wailed clawing at your very being. Ryu was right. Riyu would stay intact, but would everything else?


There was a fire. It was all burning, blazing red across every corner of the world. Lori looked around herself in horror. There was nothing left. She could see the horrified faces of those around her running and screaming and praying for something to save them. She ran trying to escape them, but it was not to be. It didn't matter how many miles she ran. The world was always burning, and she was always running. She curled into a ball when even that was no longer possible. She put her hands over her ears chanting to herself over and over again. "This isn't happening. This isn't real. It's just a dream. It's just like all the others. It's just a dream!"

"Maybe so," An all too familiar voice said from behind her. "But you know it won't work." Lori's blood turned cold as she faced the voice she knew all too well. Behind her was a twelve-year old girl with red hair and brown eyes. She was still wearing the ratty brown pants and grey t-shirt from Orochimaru's camp. "The price is too large." Yore said. "Your soul can't even pay half of it. You'll just be giving Victoria what she wants." Lori yelled at the apparition. "You're wrong! I'll have no choice if he can't get them back! I'll be the only one who can fix this." The girl scoffed at her with those lifeless brown eyes. "Oh please. Spare me the act. Have you learned nothing from your brothers? The path of self-sacrifice never ends well. Tallahknows what needs to be done, and so does Airi. Why are you the only one still running from the truth? Do you want to be punished so badly?"

Lori struggled to free her hand from the girl's grip. "I don't want to live through that again! I don't want to do what started everything in the first place!" she practically screamed. Yore threw her hands down in anger. She gripped Lori's hair in her hand making her yell in pain. She looked her straight in the eyes. "Then you will kill the very thing you were charged with at birth to protect!" she said lifting a sword. Suddenly Yore was no longer standing in front of her. Instead, Sasuke held it in his hands a murderous glare on his face. "And you along with everyone else will die!" he yelled finishing Yore's thought and plunging the sword through her heart.

Lori bolted from her pillow gasping for air. Her hand reached out grasping nothing. She stayed there like that for a moment her body covered in sweat. She could feel Tallahpulling at her walls struggling to find out what plagued her other half. She called her, and Lori relented letting the girl pull her into their mindscape.

She looked up seeing the cage baring her from the girl she was forced to share her body and chakra with. Was girl even the word? She had always thought so, but lately she had seemed more of an alien than ever to her. But she had caused that rift as well hadn't she? Being a Jinchuriki had never been more of a burden to her than now. She looked at the girl in the cage studying her appearance more than ever before. Her tanned skin, flaming red eyes, and mid-back length brownish-red hair that had a wild yet beautiful look were all haunting to her now. She stared at her brown jagged dragon wings that jutted from her back and the sharp teeth that showed when she opened her mouth to speak. "Just hold on." She pleaded uncharacteristically. It was almost like the girl's appearance and voice could not belong to the same person, and yet they did. Her gaze grew frustrated. Her hands gripped the cage bars harder. "We're nearly there. Just hold on." She repeated.

Lori looked down refusing to make eye contact. Hold on to what? She was tired of all the games and guilt. She didn't want to hold on anymore. She hadn't asked for this. She hadn't asked for anything. She was tired of working for a cause that never ended. She was tired of watching her other selves be tutored because of her mistake. It was exhausting and painful and lonely. She just wanted to run and keep running and never look back.

She whipped her head up again when she felt a light brush by her arm. She hadn't realized how close to the cage she was. The Bijuu stared at her Jinchuriki with more intensity than the girl cared to examine. "You can only keep running for so long Lorienn." She said drawing out her full name. Before she could reply Lori heard knocking at her door and was brought back to the real world. She recognized the chakra signature and sighed. She got up from her bed, and opened the door to find Riyu standing there with a determined look on his face. The expression switched to one of concern though as soon as he took in her appearance.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"I'm fine." She said lying through her teeth.

Riyu frowned at her. "Look I know you're tired and all, but we need to talk about these gems we've been stealing."

"We already talked. Besides, we're not stealing them. We're just borrowing them for a short time." She replied trying to brush him off by closing the door.

Riyu's hand slammed against it keeping it open. "You're in denial." He said dryly. "And no we didn't talk. You got up and left remember?"

She glared up at the boy who she considered her best friend. "I'm not in denial. It's not like it wasn't the guardian's in the first place anyway." she said.

Riyu rolled his eyes. "Right. Let's go with that story when we get arrested."

Lori huffed in annoyance. "C'mon Riyu. You already know the gem opens the portal to the gate, and that Naruto and I are the only ones who can use. What more do you want from me?"

Riyu gave her a pointed glare. "Gee I don't know. Maybe a reason why you've pretty much shoved everyone away, and why you won't tell me what the second option is for opening the portal if Tallah can't help Naruto remember you."

Lori glared right back. "It doesn't concern you! That's why!"

Riyu clenched his fist in frustration. "If it doesn't concern me then why am I helping you? Why are Tia, Al, Ryu and the rest of us helping you collect these shards?"

Lori looked to her left trying not to make eye contact. "I'm not telling you, and you can't make me." she said showing a bit of her childish side.

Riyu scoffed. "You can't tell me," he said his voice hard. "Or you don't want to tell me because you think I'll try to stop you?"

Lori's looked up startled. Riyu met her gaze evenly. "This isn't a game Lori." He told her. "I don't know what it is you think you need to hide from everyone, but we sustained injuries here that could've been fatal. We're facing a death sentence or a life in prison if we're caught. Please at least tell me you understand that." Lori nodded staring at the floor again. Riyu sighed tiredly. "After we finish in Iron you're on your own." He said quietly making her look up in surprise again. "I'm not putting us in any more unnecessary danger, and Ryu's not either. So are you going to come clean, or is this it?" Lori looked him in the eyes. She wanted to run. She wanted to hide. She wanted… "I'll leave for the Leaf after we're done then." She said quietly. Riyu's face crumbled in disappointment. "What, no story about how you came to this grand conclusion?" he questioned. Lori shook her head. "Not this time."

He left her there without another word and was down the hall before Lori could even blink. She stared after him for a moment wondering what to do. When she couldn't figure it out she just slid down the wall and buried her face in her hands. When had she gotten so stupid and weak? She felt Tia's chakra signature coming toward her a few minutes later. At least, she assumed it had been minutes. "What do you want Tia?" she said when the girl was in front of her. When the girl didn't answer right away she looked up at her. Her expression was unreadable. "What's wrong with you?" she questioned the ex-assassin. "The gem." She said. "The blonde brat took the gem from me." Lori froze for a moment, and then face palmed again. "It's official. The entire universe is conspiring against me." She said sarcastically hearing Tallah make a satisfied hmm sound in her head.


Sasuke stared at the wall in Madara's hideout. He was growing impatient. Madara had said he had news for him. That had been days ago. Karin was oogling at him from across the table. Annoying woman. Suigetsu was polishing his sword in a corner while Juugo was… staring out from a corner at nothing. Sasuke sighed. He didn't even pretend to know what Juugo thought half the time. Nor did he care. All he knew was that if Madara made him wait any longer he was going to leave. "Patience Sasuke." The cloaked figure said from the shadows suddenly materializing behind the raven-haired boy's chair. Sasuke eyed the man angrily. "Give your news before I decide to test your materialization abilities on my sword." He said. Madara chuckled at him. "Patience is not your virtue I see. My news is that your chance for revenge has come. There has been a Kage Summit called in the Land of Iron. Danzo will be there." Sasuke's grip on his chair tightened. His eyes lit up in excitement. The moment he had been waiting for was so close so soon. He could almost taste the man's blood on his sword. "When do we leave?"


Madara enjoyed the look of glee that crossed Sasuke's face as he told him Danzo would be at the Kage Summit. He couldn't wait to see the perplexed faces of the Kages when he slipped right under their noses. The discord and chaos it would cause excited him. "When do we leave?" asked Sasuke. Madara registered the pure glee on the boy's face at the prospect of revenge being so close at his hand. It was beautiful. He suddenly felt a chakra signature in the hallway. It was like a flicker. One moment it was there, and then suddenly it wasn't. "We will leave tomorrow." He told the boy. "Now," he said narrowing his eyes. "If you'll excuse me, I have separate matters to attend to with a friend of mine."

He left the group who was clearly not listening apart from Juugo. He stared after the man. Madara had to be careful around him. He was smarter than he looked. Madara came a considerable distance down the hall before stopping. "I must commend you once again for your expertise in stealth girl." He said to the air. A hooded figure emerged from the shadows her face obscured by the shadows. "It is not so much of a feat." She said simply. Madara turned facing her. "I beg to differ my dear." He stated. "It is a most peculiar feat from one who comes from an entirely different world where a chakra network has no existence my dear Yore. Or should I call you your true name, Victoria?" The red haired girl threw back her hood revealing her face. "That name died the moment I sat foot in this land." Madara laughed at her fierce expression.

"Fair enough my dear. What have you come all this way to tell me?"

Her expression seemed to light on fire. "Lord Danzo has also been made aware of my suspicions, but refuses to head. I hope you will not be as foolish as him."

"You might want to be careful who you call a fool." He reminded her. If she feared his words at all she did not show it.

"I don't suppose you've heard about the thefts in Sunagakure?"

Madara nodded. "I have heard of them as well as the thefts in Kirigakure, Iwagakure, and various other places. Why does this concern me?"

Victoria's expression was fierce. "The Shadow Dragon is among them."

Madara's interest peaked. So Lori and Tallah were finally revealing themselves. The female Uchiha had specialized in the art of disappearing underneath the Akatsuki's noses over the years. Sasori had called her the elusive shadow. Deidara had attached "dragon" to it as a symbol of her Bijuu. "I told you if I found her valuable I would see no grounds to get rid of her. Aside from her status you and Danzo so conveniently forgot to mention, she served as a wonderful tool of control over Itachi." Victoria glared. "I don't know much about the guardians here, but I do know this. She and the Key Keeper will get in the way no matter what the cost."

Madara chuckled. "I have no wish to entangle with the forces the guardians serve. Even if she does interfere she will only help my cause. At the very least I'll have one more thing to hold over Sasuke's head." He watched as the girl stared at him in shock. She was as foolish as she made Danzo out to be. Though they were similar, her goals did not coincide with his as much as she thought they did. He would follow with his plan and she could do whatever she liked as long as it didn't interfere with his overthrow of the ninja world. "You should remember." He told her. "My goals are not centered on you. You may do what you like under me to help further your own plans, but rest assured it doesn't matter to me whether they succeed or whether you die where you stand." Victoria narrowed her eyes at him. "Then I hope our goals do not coincide negatively for you are someone I wouldn't wish upon even my worst enemy. This is the last time I will come here." Madara smiled wryly behind his mask. "Safe travels friend." He said as he watched the otherworldly girl fade into the blackness, and gleefully planned his entrance to the Summit.


1. One of my friend's expressed confusion on this point so I'm explaining it. Riyu and Ryu are twins. Ryu is the older of the two and technically the leader, but since they are twins they kind of share the role and bounce off each other's strengths and weaknesses.

On another note, there isn't a hidden village in the Land of Iron so I kept the English translation as is.