Chapter 10: The Will of Fire
A/N: Mmm… it would seem I had no choice but to push my original chapter 10 to instead be chapter 11. Damn. Lol oh well can't get around what needed to be written now can I? :/
Just for the hell of it, I was trying to estimate how many chapters the story will eventually have. I'm thinking 40-50 now when I used to think 30-40. But we'll see…
Oh and just for the sake of being honest, I see that letter in chapter 9 didn't sound right… I definitely did a poor job making it sound like Orochimaru wrote it, though I think I keep him fairly IC during the dialogue.
Enjoy
"I expect an adequate explanation, Orochimaru."
Orochimaru waved it off dismissively. "I see Zetsu was still spying on us. If he was doing his job he'd know I used a powerful water jutsu that was sure to rip Jiraiya's body to shreds. We cannot collect bounty without a body," He stated with a hint of sarcastic obviousness.
Pein's emotionless gaze shifted to the illumination of black in white. White Zetsu stuttered like an idiot, and Black Zetsu's eye subtly glanced at Tobi. How are we supposed to confirm that?! He silently demanded of the masked shinobi who made a gesture to go along with it. "Yes…" Zetsu finally answered the unspoken question alarming his white half in comical fashion.
Itachi, somewhat uncharacteristically, scowled. "Then why are you wasting our time, Zetsu?"
"Enough," Pein interfered. "Orochimaru, Itachi. I am sending you after the remaining Sannin. You will bring back a body, as proof of your loyalty to the Akatsuki. Since I cannot spare Zetsu… And Kakuzu has enough tasks to tend to… I will send Sasori to assist in tracking her down," He offered, aware of how elusive the legendary Tsunade could be.
Shit "That will not be necessary…" Orochimaru declined.
"I did not ask if it was. You may leave; Zetsu will contact you once we establish where Sasori will link up with you. Is that understood?" Orochimaru gave a brusque, annoyed nod and Itachi made zero acknowledgment but Pein didn't bother to press, not at all surprised by that.
"Why Sasori? Wouldn't it have been simpler to just send me?" 'Tobi' pried in bewilderment after their projections faded into darkness.
"Tobi? You consider yourself that capable of a tracker?" White Zetsu asked in surprise. "Capable is likely a stretch," the black half mocked. "competent is even a stretch in all likelihood."
"Zetsu, you have tasks to attend," Pein reminded, wishing to get Madara alone.
"Of course," "Byeee," the white half unnecessarily bid.
After their hologram vanished Pein relaxed, knowing he could sort out his thoughts now without watching his tongue. "Zetsu never ceases to prove interesting…" Madara commented absentmindedly.
Ignoring him, Pein cut to the chase. "You will still need to watch them… Sasori present or not. If they chose to turn, he cannot take them both. Especially if they had help from Tsunade Senju."
Under the mask of Tobi, Madara raised an eyebrow. "Why did you send them after the Senju anyway? My Sharingan could see all too easily that his jutsu was not nearly strong enough to 'rip Jiraiya's body to shreds' as he put it. In fact it proves that Itachi is also a traitor… Perhaps they are co-conspirators."
"Amongst our own ranks," Pein added thoughtfully.
"I saw Orochimaru's snakes pull Jiraiya out of the water to ensure he would not drown. He showed no real surprise upon learning that."
Pein made the connection he was leading on and clenched a fist at how quickly things were escalating. "They aren't just traitors; they are working directly with the Hidden Leaf village."
Anko rested in silent solitude, a grim expression plastered onto her face. She felt annoyed, betrayed, furious, and confused. Annoyed that she only knew what she knew because Orochimaru found out when he wasn't supposed to. Betrayed that the Hokage and select few others kept everything from her and the rest of the village and hell even that Sasuke brat regarding the true story of Itachi Uchiha. Furious that the village put Itachi up to such an atrocity in the first place… against not only members of their own village but HIS OWN CLANMATES. Confused that not only had Itachi not opened the suicide doors up but even now he was working to protect the village that forced him to slaughter his own.
Shisui Uchiha. She read.
She was at the Uchiha Cemetery. A sector of the Uchiha district dedicated to all of their clan's deceased shinobi and civilian family members alike. Why had she come here? She did not know. Perhaps this was how she was trying to find peace with what Sarutobi begrudgingly revealed to both her and Jiraiya. She wanted to resent Orochimaru's former sensei. But she couldn't bring herself to do it after seeing the pain written on the old man's face. Itachi's doings were not his wish; it was simply a prime example of what Orochimaru taught her right before he left the village.
"A Hokage must always put the village first. He must make extremely difficult decisions that may bring him pain but ultimately were for the best interests of the Hidden Leaf. That is what it means to be Hokage… to provide protection and guidance to the shinobi who follow him."
"No, this isn't for the best of the village! This is a suicide mission!" Anko argued.
Orochimaru did not lighten at her concern. "You have much to learn Anko my dear… I wish to become the fifth Hokage someday. And this is just the kind of thing a Hokage needs to do but can't."
Anko stared back, not understanding and so he went on. "For any Hokage to protect his village and beloved… He would want to take this mission personally. But Hokage do not take missions now do they? No they stay in the village itself… to defend it and make decisions for us. However, I guarantee you any of the four would accept this mission if they believed they could stop the Akatsuki from becoming the threat I perceive it to grow into. But unlike Hashirama and Tobirama Senju, sensei, and Minato… I am not a Hokage so I can and WILL do what I must."
He smiled at her. "This is why I am not the fourth and Minato was…"
"W-What do you mean?" She stuttered back, losing a grip on her emotions as she realized she couldn't stop him. He was going to do this. He was going to walk into Sarutobi's tower and accept that…that dreadful mission that had death written all over it.
"It took me too long to understand what you still do not. I would've been the fourth Hokage if I hadn't been so obsessed with becoming stronger and learning all the jutsu I could."
"But you always said power and strength were the way a shinobi like you were to enable themselves fit to rise and protect the village!" She interrupted.
Orochimaru nodded. "I said that numerous times, more than I could count. But what is true strength, Anko? Is it true strength to master a long list of jutsu or is it true strength to force one's self in harm's way to ensure the safety of those he cares about?" her sensei challenged.
"The latter…" She conceded after a moment of consideration.
He smirked. "Now do you see? When sensei originally retired, I lacked the Will of Fire, and so Minato was given the title. I remember being so bitter and offended…" He thought back. "But now I understand that I didn't deserve it. But then again perhaps it's better not being Hokage."
"It was always what you wanted…" Anko stated, unbelieving.
"If I were the fourth, I couldn't take this mission." He paused to note that her expression practically shouted 'that's a good thing!' and he suppressed a chuckle. "Sometimes protecting the village cannot always take place in the village. At least as a normal shinobi I can handle a Hokage worthy job that my sensei ironically cannot. Besides… I'd hate to be Hokage and send someone else to do this 'suicide mission' as you put it. It would eat me up inside," He proclaimed, turning to enter the Hokage tower and leaving his former student behind.
Anko, try as she might could feel the tears start to slip. She was tough, yes. She acted like she cared so little about how anyone felt or their well being frequently. But as far as she could see… her sensei was accepting a mission he likely would not survive and he was dramatically embracing it. And for once, she didn't care how weak she appeared for admitting that tore her to pieces.
A hand rested itself on her shoulder, causing her to jolt around and see Jiraiya's serious face. "Have some faith in your sensei." She gave him a slow nod, accepting a Kleenex in defeat.
"The Will of Fire… So that's it. Itachi inherited the Will of Fire, and it was so strong that in its embrace he was able to slaughter the Uchiha clan to prevent a civil war," she muttered thoughtfully.
For the best interests of the village… to protect it. So Itachi was like Orochimaru? Taking huge sacrifices to do Hokage-like jobs. If Sarutobi successfully eliminated the Uchiha clan personally a civil war would've broken out anyway, in response to their own leader's tyranny. A prodigy gone wacko and wiping them out and escaping the village on the other hand not only prevented a war against the Uchiha but any war that could've happened if Sarutobi or anyone else attempted to take an open action.
If a Hokage's job was to protect, there were still circumstances beyond his power. And the truly amazing Leaf shinobi would rise to the occasion when those circumstances came about… no matter the consequence no matter the risk. That was the price of keeping the village together, united, and void of was finally beginning to understand why Orochimaru insisted on taking this damned mission to dismantle the Akatsuki.
He was being guided by the Will of Fire, and he knew it.
"Zetsu is not present."
Orochimaru nodded. "I know."
"Then perhaps we should come up with a plan."
"Itachi? Are you admitting you don't have a plan for a change?" He commented in amusement.
"This isn't the time for your-"
"Yes, yes I know! But I haven't been able to come up with a single idea that doesn't expose us…"
Itachi's Mangekyou eyed him in their bizarre questioning fashion. It had taken awhile for Orochimaru to distinguish the different expressions behind his red and black eyes and it didn't help that Itachi usually guarded his emotions at all times. But eventually, he did catch on. "I presume your plans involve Sasori dying?"
"Something along those lines, yes," The Snake Sannin submitted.
"If Sasori dies, Pein will know we're his enemies. Even if we somehow set up a scenario where he fought and lost to Tsunade Senju by himself, he will know."
Tsunade… "If there's anything going in our favor… It is that I know how to track down Tsunade easily... She was my teammate after all. Which means I can also make sure it takes us forever to find her, giving us additional time to figure out how to get rid of Sasori. But that also means we'll fall way behind on our bounties, pushing back our date with the Hidden Leaf village."
The bounties were a problem in their own right, but the rogue ninja agreed to find high value targets outside the Land of Fire that they suspected were true criminals. At least that way they weren't killing innocent and honorable ninja. Pein was the thorn in that plan, demanding Tsunade Senju to prove their loyalty. Mainly Orochimaru's. On top of that, Itachi suspected Pein planned to make Tsunade into a new one of his 'paths.'
What the hell are we going to do?
Shikamaru was questioning why he had agreed to have dinner with her. It wasn't a date; Ino simply wanted to hang out with him somewhere that wasn't a hospital. Which was fine, it actually sounded like fun at first… He wasn't lying to her when he told her he enjoyed her visits before he got released from that contraption of a bed. The problem was Ino felt like sharing all of the stupid things she was thinking and feeling about Sasuke, giggling happily on occasion and telling him things that to him meant nothing and he quickly figured out that Ino was turning him into her replacement for Sakura because their relationship was strained. Doesn't she realize I'm a guy? And having these sorts of conversations about Sasuke's body is pretty gay. And as much as I think women are trouble I can assure myself that I am straight. He silently ranted.
"And anyway by the time his shirt was dry practice was over and we all split our separate ways!"
"…Glad you're so happy about it…" Shikamaru forced himself to say.
She raised an eyebrow as she took a bite of steak. "Can we just not talk about Sasuke? Especially like that."
She giggled. "I'm sorry did I drag you into a touchy subject? Jealousy is a terrible thing Shikamaru."
"I'm jealous? Are you kidding me…" He stopped cold as a familiar figure approached in his peripheral. Oh God.
"Shikamaru! Fancy running into you here, why didn't you mention you had a date?"
"It's not a date sensei," He protested. "And what's with your hair? It looks weirder than usual." The spike shaped banes were extremely disconcerted. Ino seemed to notice because she tried to maintain respectability and stifled her laugh. She had never conversed with Anko-sensei and wasn't going to get on her bad side anytime soon. Shikamaru also noticed she was wearing a pair of earrings shaped as 9's and he couldn't recall her ever wearing earrings before.
It was Anko's turn to raise an eyebrow. "That sounds like something Naruto would dare say to me. You feeling idiotic?"
Shikamaru sighed. "If you don't want to listen to me, ask Ino," he turned to smirk at her. This was payback for that horrid conversation she put him through.
Ino glared at him as Anko stared down the kunoichi, daring her to say something wrong. The Yamanaka beamed as an idea popped into her head that was sure to save her ass! He fumbled through things in her bag and pulled a small mirror out. "Why ask me when you can observe for yourself!" She cheerfully offered, and stuck a tongue out at Shikamaru after the Jonin took it from her grasp.
"I guess the wind messed it up while I was over at the Uchiha district," She suggested as she combed through it with her fingers. "Thanks for saying something, kid."
Shikamaru shrugged but Ino jolted up in interest. "Uchiha district? What were you doing there? Did Sasuke convince you to help with his training!? Oh my God! Why wasn't I invited-"
"INO!" Shikamaru barked irritably. Can she NOT think about him for five minutes?
"No," Anko dismissed. "Nothing of the sense, he didn't even know I was there. Well, they're calling my order number! Bought some takeout, gotta run see ya tomorrow kid!" She broke off quickly and left them, without a sarcastic jab about it being a date to the Nara's surprise.
I got to watch my tongue! Anko scolded herself. Sensei would not be impressed… Oh well it's not like I committed a crime by visiting the Uchiha cemetery, private land or not. She grabbed her takeout and proceeded out of the restaurant. Seeing the Genin back there actually cheered her up mildly, she was getting the feeling that they were going to like each other but didn't know it yet.
The initial shock about Itachi had come to pass by the end of the day, and she would get back to work tomorrow. Her Genin had a lot to learn, and she smirked at the thought of how much fun it would be to push all three of them.
A/N: Well that's 2 short chapters out of 3… had to get that stuff in there and jammed the Shikamaru scene in to stretch the length a little more. As implied in this chapter and the last one, ShikaXIno will come around eventually.
Anyhow, hope it was enjoyable I couldn't ignore the Akatsuki considering what happened last chapter. They aren't going to just do nothing about knowing Orochimaru is a traitor lol. And in the next chapter we jump ahead a little in time so I couldn't put this off for that reason as well.
'Til next time