Enjoy! Reviews are appreciated, they make me update faster;p Oh and a big thank you to all those who left reviews, faved and or followed.

CH10

It was a regular hospital room, white smelling of antiseptic and altogether rather uninteresting. Orochimaru wasted no time in approaching his patient and giving him a full medical ignoring the little brat clinging to Tobirama's left arm. He frowned upon inspecting the wound he had only recently mostly healed. Some of the muscle was torn again. Other than that everything appeared normal, too normal.

Orochimaru's eyes widened in realization! Ahhh here it was! A string of chakra left behind in the mind to make it appear that the body was fine. He carefully extracted the thread releasing the illusion. The ruse was clever and skillful save the amount of chakra required. When the illusion dissipated he was met with a badly wrecked chakra flow in his student's body.

The brat suddenly spoke. "Can you fix him? Will he be okay?" The boy demanded.

This produced a half chuckle from the sannin as he called the medical ninja observing him for warm water and bandages. "He will be when I'm through with him." His student wasn't leaving this world that easily. He used the water to fix the various ruined chakra paths smoothing them out. Tsunade could have probably done this faster but then again she was a Senju and started off as a medical ninja from birth whereas he joined in at a later age. He held the water Tobirama's forehead slightly amused at the young boy's scrutiny, the boy though succumbed to sleep as the healing process took up the better part of the hour. He was surprised that there was a survivor but knowing what he did about the sharingan if the boy wouldn't develop his then he would be in for a disappointment when his brother showed up to take the eyes. Perhaps it was better to kill him now…. The thought was intriguing but if his student did save the boy then killing him would be counterproductive. His musings were interrupted by Tobirama who stirred.

Tobirama awoke to warm water which soothing away the pounding headache he had felt upon waking. He forced his eyes open. Orochimaru, well he wasn't that surprised as most of the times he passed out he usually woke up to his Sensei's frowning face and lectures on the value of life.

"I'm starting to think you go out of your way to keep my medical skills in top shape." The sarcastic jibe from Orochimaru elicited a half smile from him as he forced himself into a sitting position. "Yes well, can't have you growing rusty in your old age Sensei." This produced a hearty chuckle from the sannin.

Suddenly he felt feint again the Uchiha massacre reemerging at the forefront of his mind; firm hands caught him steading him and leaning him against the wall. "The Uchiha-" He winced trying to clamp down the echo of pain which racked through his body.

"There was only one other survivor not counting you." The weight of the statement settled on him suddenly pulling him under as more chakra was poured into his body.

"The healing process would be faster if I knew the genjutsu used." Orochimaru demanded.

"Tsukuyome." There was a pause in the chakra flow.

"You are extremely fortunate that you survived. You should thank your Senju blood. Most others would die from the overload of pain. You will retire from the Anbu." It was not a request.

Tobirama forced his eyes open. "The village will be shorthanded after losing so many shinobi you can't expect me to give up my position simply because I was hurt more so than usual."

"More so than usual? You have been tortured to a millimeter of death with ninjutsu nearly turned into a living bomb with funnijutsu, only hours ago your mind was decimated using genjutsu. I am starting to wonder why it was me Jiraya once claimed as insane. You claim that you are fine I know you are not. Now here is what will happen my dear student, you will leave the Anbu or this village will be short one head medic."

"Blackmail Sensei?"

"I am not above using underhanded methods as you are well aware."

Suddenly the air was charged with two killing intents battling each other in a contest of wills. Tobirama caved in first dissolving into a fit of hacking coughs. "I believe that punishment will be accompanied by two weeks of rest." Taking in a deep breath Tobirama looked up his eyes ever defiant. "I'm not leaving root."

The stare down lasted a full minute until Orochimaru sighed. "But you are leaving its active duties for a month."

"Fine." Tobirama knew when it was time to back down and in all truth he was exhausted. The door opened to let in Sarutobi who made his way to Tobirama pulling up a chair next to the bed and opposite Orochimaru who was leaning against the window. "How are you feeling?"

"Better Hokage-sama." The Hokage scrutinized the pail man who looked utterly spent. He suddenly felt young again a wave of nostalgia hitting him. He could almost imagine his Sensei in that same exact pose with that same exact defiance in the shoulders. His Sensei really had been a terrible patient.

"We were just discussing his retirement from the Anbu Sensei." Orochimaru said in that ever present derisive tone.

"Of course, I approve in full." Sarutobi stated. It never failed to amaze the third how much Orochimaru cared for his students. Then again he would have done no different if it were his own students in danger. Though he admittedly failed to protect them on a much larger scale than Orochimaru ever would.

The heap on the floor stirred interrupting the conversation black eyes taking in every person present and the settling on Tobirama's red ones. "Your alive." It was a statement. Sarutobi sighed, what to do with the boy? No doubt he like Kakashi would demand to live on his own.

"Yes well my genetics are rather insistent." The boy rose and after observing Tobirama for a few moments shrugged. "Later." He was about to go but a hand settled on his head messing up the hair. "You're not going back to the compound kid."

"I'm going home!" The kid tried in vain to pull the hand off but it stayed. "No."

"You're not the boss of ME!" The boy yelled.

"Maybe not. But I doubt a child who just witnessed his parents murdered in front of his eyes would want to go back." Sarutobi's eyes widened at the simple solution at hand though the first would have a fit of laughter at the outcome. A Senju taking care of an Uchiha! Itachi, the poor boy was many things but this was the stroke of a genius!

"There are no more bodies there, I'll be fine!" The boy protested.

"No, no you won't be. I'm not your mother or your father but I am much better than a house filled with ghosts of loved ones long gone." Tobirama's eyes bore down into Sasuke's seeming to snap something inside him. Sasuke looked away defeated. "Fine."

Tobirama's eyes settled on Sarutobi the face was empty yet the eyes were filled with the same pain that graced Kakashi and himself at times. "You approve hokage-sama?"

"Yes of course."

"Sensei?"

"Whatever encourages you to start making it back in one piece."

"Sensei how about signing me out from the hospital?"

"Three weeks off duty then."

"Done."

Sarutobi observed the exchange with a glint of amusement chuckling in his head at how soft his student was becoming. He would of course never voice that opinion aloud; Orochimaru just might decide to have his head for that.