Chapter 11: Orochimaru
I do not own Naruto. The franchise belongs to its rightful owners.
The Team made way to the former Land of the Whirlpools. Sakura, glad to be away from the consistent rain that was present during their stay, was brimming with energy.
Though there was a possibility that she may have misheard him two nights ago, she felt she had some inkling into Naruto's emotions concerning her. Needless to say she was elated.
She turned her attention to Naruto who was running ahead of her and Kakashi. He was focused on his mission, granted even more so than he was at the beginning. Not a word came from his mouth, but he had been like that when Kakashi told him the next location was in Whirlpool. He seemed depressed to her. She didn't quite understand it, but she refrained from asking him out of fear it might bring back a bad memory (and with that, the Cursed Seal).
Eventually, after jumping from tree to tree, the vast forest finally opened up to the plateaus overlooking the ocean. The Team jumped down, and walked over to the edge of the cliffs. Sakura whistled low.
"Steep drop from here, huh?" Sakura noted. Kakashi nodded, while Naruto joined his teammate and looked over.
"We'll have to be careful." Naruto said as he scanned the coastline. "At this point, I don't know what Sasuke intends to do. He may engage us on his own, or he'll have left Karin or Orochimaru to watch the ruin." Sakura turned to Naruto.
"Wouldn't Orochimaru be the more likely to be left behind?" she asked. Naruto grimaced.
"I'd rather hope not." Naruto said. Kakashi chuckled.
"I'm in the same boat as Naruto." Kakashi said as he pulled out the scroll. "We'll need to proceed south from here." Naruto looked to Kakashi.
"Are you certain we're supposed to head south? Is it really close by to …." Naruto paused as Kakashi nodded silently. Sakura looked between her teammate and her teacher, Naruto sighed. "Then let's make haste." Naruto said as he turned south. Sakura and Kakashi followed behind, Naruto was seemingly trying to outrun them before slowing down to wait up for them.
"Hey Kakashi Sensei." Sakura called to. Kakashi turned his head towards his former student.
"What's up?" Kakashi asked. Sakura motioned her head towards Naruto.
"Why does Naruto seem depressed?" Kakashi looked to Naruto before turning back to Sakura.
"How about asking him?" Kakashi said. Sakura glared at him.
"Just tell me." Sakura growled lightly. Kakashi sighed.
"You know, I'm trying to push the two of you to talk about these issues." He said.
"And I'll ask him later." Sakura said. "Best if I get some insight now so that I can approach him and not be stumped when I go to talk to him. Now talk." Kakashi rolled his eyes as he turned his attention back forward.
"Uzushiogakure was a prominent Village here in the Land of Whirlpools, though not anymore. It was destroyed by other villages because of their talent with fuinjutsu. Do you recall the relationship between Uzushio and Konoha during the time of the Shodaime Hokage?" Sakura nodded.
"The two became allies. We wear their symbol on the back of our flak jackets as a sign of goodwill." Kakashi nodded.
"Right. It was through the Uzumaki's fuinjutsu that Kurama was captured." Sakura stumbled at the mention of Naruto's surname.
"Uzumaki?" Sakura questioned. "Is that Naruto's family?" Kakashi nodded.
"It was. Though there are members of the Uzumaki Clan alive today, they scattered around the world once Uzushiogakure fell." Sakura turned her head towards her teammate, saddened by her recent discovery of the Clan's fate, resulting further in the sorrow that went along with his loneliness as a child.
He had no one. Sakura thought. Kakashi continued.
"Naruto visited this place while he was training Konohamaru. He told me though, that while he was depressed seeing this, it strengthens his resolve to end further conflict. I think he wants to end this tedious cycle of hatred. He wants the conflict with Sasuke to end."
Sakura turned her attention away from Kakashi and looked out to the ocean.
An ending; that was all they wanted. But did they seek a happy ending, or the ending that would lead to peace.
It wouldn't take long for them to pass by the ruins that once stood Uzushiogakure. Sakura had paused for a moment to look at the sight while Naruto kept his back turned, as if having no desire to see his clan's former home.
"Do you think circumstances would have been different had Uzushio remained standing?" Sakura asked to no one in particular.
"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked. Sakura glanced over her shoulder to look at Naruto who was looking through his bag for something.
"I mean, Naruto wouldn't be here right now. He probably would be here with his clan. And might have been a different person." Naruto slung his bag over his shoulder and looked to Sakura's direction, to which the two maintained eye contact for a moment before Sakura turned her attention back towards the dead village. Naruto joined her and the two were silent for a moment.
"I probably wouldn't have been born." Naruto noted. Sakura turned towards Naruto who remained straight faced. "My parents probably would never meet and fall in love. I might have not been a Jinchurriki. We would have never met …." Naruto closed his mouth and turned south once more.
"Let's get moving. The ruin shouldn't be too far from here." And Naruto charged forward once more. Sakura stood there for a moment, thinking what Naruto was about to say.
We would have never been friends.
This thought scared Sakura, and made her wish she didn't think about the scenario. Life without Naruto … what would it have been like?
Sakura followed her teammates and in half an hour found a crumbled ruin away from the shore. The Team stopped and looked at the sight.
"He left the other ruins intact; why would he destroy this one?" Kakashi wondered. Sakura looked around, feeling a little uneasy.
Why am I feeling like this? She wondered. Naruto sighed.
"He might have wanted to throw us off course. Delay us for as long as he could. It could be anything at this point. The Cursed Seal army, Orochimaru, Sasuke."
Sakura looked towards the tree line and stared for a moment.
"There's someone nearby." Sakura said. Naruto and Kakashi turned towards her and looked in her direction. Naruto walked past her and activated his senjutsu, scanning the edge of the forest. Naruto grimaced.
"Too hazy to pinpoint, but you're right. There's something out there." Naruto said as he shrugged off his pack. Kakashi and Sakura followed suit and pulled out kunai for defense. They waited for a little bit, but nothing happened. Sakura tightened her grip on the kunai and looked around her.
Tree line in front. Sky above. And both paths clear on either side. I have the waterfront behind me and sand between myself and the water. Sakura thought to herself. Naruto grunted.
"That hazy chakra cloud vanished. I have no trace of the signature." Kakashi looked to Naruto.
"Disappeared?" Kakashi asked. Naruto nodded.
"It's odd. A chakra signature wouldn't vanish like that unless the person died or they escaped through means that cannot be detected by senjutsu." Sakura's eyes widened. She pushed Naruto and Kakashi away from the beach as the ground erupted, raining sand over the Team. Sakura and Naruto stood up and prepped to counter as they waited for the cloud of sand to settle. As it did, a giant snake was revealed and on top of its head stood the deathly pale Sannin.
"So it is you." Naruto growled as he prepped a Rasengan. "You know, I'm getting tired of your involvement with Sasuke. Every time we get a new issue, you always seem to have a part in it. And that doesn't necessarily end in the favor for Konoha." Orochimaru chuckled.
"The Kyuubi brat, how nice to see you again. It's been awhile. How's your shoulder feeling? Last I checked, you had a little temper tantrum with dear Suigetsu. Did you kill him in your rage? Or was he spared?" Orochimaru continued to goad Naruto. Naruto bared his teeth and Sakura noted he was struggling to maintain control, his hands clenched tightly and droplets of blood trickled off his hands.
"Naruto," Sakura called out. "He's just trying to push you over the edge. It's because of him that you lost control." Naruto looked to Sakura for a moment as Orochimaru turned his attention to Sakura, who merely snickered.
"Ah yes, the pathetic girl Sasuke mentioned. The one not capable of providing any use for her Team. So you're the reason the Jinchurriki regained control over my Cursed Seal of Heaven … amusing." Orochimaru jumped off the snake as it vanished, landing softly onto the sand and approached the Team. Kakashi stepped forward, but Orochimaru merely smiled. "And I'm honored with the presence of the Rokudaime Hokage. A little surprised you were chosen Kakashi, but every Village has its one dud. So I can't really say too much about you."
"Orochimaru," Kakashi said. "I think it's time you considered retirement, because this has gone on way too long. We are ending this feud you have with my Team and the Village once and for all." Orochimaru laughed.
"Feud? That doesn't speak too well for the name of shinobi does it? A shinobi should not act on their feelings should they? Does it not lead to attachment? The days have passed when shinobi were the embodiments of the shadows. Feared and devoted to their Village. Now they are the blinding light that destroys the shadows. Their loyalties wavering like the case of Sasuke. This feud as you call it is one sided. I have what I came for, and that was Sasuke." Naruto growled.
"You still talk as if you own him. Like he is your little trophy." Orochimaru turned his attention back to Naruto.
"In a manner of speaking, you are correct, child. However, Sasuke does as he pleases. I have done all that I can for my student as Jiraiya and Tsunade have done for you two brats. My goal cannot be accomplished since Sasuke asked me to build an army that he could have total control over. He is my true magnum opus. A wonder of the world! And I created him." Orochimaru grinned as Naruto shook in anger. "Make me laugh Uzumaki. Let me enjoy this wonderful moment we have together before I kill your teammates!"
Before Sakura could grab Naruto, Naruto threw himself at Orochimaru, Rasengan in front to land a hit on the Sannin. Orochimaru stood there waiting for Naruto to close the distance. Pulling back and throwing forward, Naruto embedded the Rasengan into Orochimaru's gut. Instead of sending his enemy backwards, Orochimaru gagged as his body collapsed and from his mouth another body launched forward towards Sakura with his sword in hand. Sakura braced herself to jump backwards away from the Sannin while Kakashi tried to assist.
"Seneijashu!" Orochimaru lifted his left arm in the direction of Kakashi as five snakes extended from his sleeves.
"Doton: Doryuheki!" a wall of earth rose from the ground as it protected Kakashi from Orochimaru's attempt to kill. Orochimaru continued to pressure Sakura as he swung for her head. Sakura ducked under Orochimaru's initial attack and proceeded to uppercut him under the chin, sending him skyward.
In succession, Orochimaru summoned his giant snake and proceeded to attack the Team once more. Naruto attempted to blindside Orochimaru, running up the snake with a Rasenshuriken in hand. Sakura started to gather all her chakra together to utilize her Strength of a Hundred Seal as Kakashi went to join Naruto with Raikiri in hand.
Waiting for her chance to counter, Sakura watched as Naruto and Kakashi closed in on their opponent. Once again, Orochimaru waited for his opponents to come to him, and as they neared him with Naruto throwing the Rasenshuriken and Kakashi reverting his Raikiri into Raiju Tsuiga as the lightning best trailed the shuriken. At the last second, Orochimaru jumped over Naruto's attack and as Kakashi's beast lunged for him, he severed the connection.
Ready to go, Sakura evoked her seal and entered the fray with her teammates. Jumping onto the snake as she prepared her enhanced fist. Noticing this, Orochimaru jumped off the snake which prompted the Team to follow suit.
Naruto threw himself towards Orochimaru with another Rasengan prepped, but Orochimaru countered, raising his left arm once more.
"Jagei Jubaku!" Large snakes extended from his arm towards Naruto. Naruto tried to swipe away the snakes, but the snakes slithered up Naruto's arm and bit into him, eliciting a cry of pain from Naruto, before returning to their master. Naruto went limp which caused worry for Sakura as he didn't move to recover from his descent. Realizing too late that Naruto had either been knocked out or paralyzed from snake bite, Sakura called out to Kakashi. But even he couldn't do anything to help his student, and as such, Naruto fell to the ground in a hard thud as Orochimaru landed.
Sakura panicked as she watched her teammate crash into the ground.
He's going to have broken bones from that fall. I hope Kurama will be able to repair that quickly.
Orochimaru gave no time for Kakashi and Sakura to recover, clearly intent to finish this battle.
"Mandara no Jin!" Orochimaru laid on the ground as thousands of snakes poured out of his mouth. Sakura looked in disgust, but Kakashi grabbed Sakura and Naruto and threw them towards the beach as he quickly followed. Sakura went to look at Naruto, but Kakashi caught her attention as he started to perform a series of hand signs.
"No time. Those snakes are looking rather hungry right now, and I have no desire to be on their menu. Think you can make a little path for them into the ocean." Sakura looked between the snakes and the ocean.
"Are you,"
"Do it!" Kakashi yelled. Sakura quickly reacted as she raised her hands above her head.
"Okasho! Shannaro!" she then hammered her fists into the ground, sending a shock wave towards the large mass of snakes. Kakashi finished.
"Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu!" Sakura grabbed Naruto and jumped out of the way as Kakashi's jutsu formed around him and launched a bullet towards the snakes. Colliding into the spot where Orochimaru was, sending him into the forest, the water washed down the path Sakura had created to wash out the snakes, directing them into the ocean. Kakashi sighed while Sakura checked on Naruto.
"He's fine." Sakura said as he looked him over. "The snake paralyzed him. I think Orochimaru had the intention of killing us off and saving Naruto for something later." Sakura turned towards her sensei, but she found that he was walking towards the forest.
"And where do you think you're going?" Sakura said as she blocked Kakashi. Kakashi looked at Sakura.
"Orochimaru has the scroll, I need to get it back from him." Kakashi tried to walk past her, but Sakura raised her arms so he didn't walk past.
"You're exhausted, the Suiryudan has drained you. But I can go after Orochimaru. Wait here with Naruto, I'll go after him." Kakashi gave her a worried look.
"Sakura … I don't think that's a good idea. He like to play with people's emotions, and with you …" Sakura turned towards the forest, her eyes closed.
"I have a bone to pick with Orochimaru. And I acknowledge that my emotions will be used against me." She turned her head towards Kakashi. "But they are also my greatest weapons. And he will regret having crossed Team Seven." Sakura then rushed towards the trees.
For Sasuke and Naruto.
Sakura made her way through the maze of trees, staying as silent as she could so that Orochimaru would catch her off guard. She maintained even breathing, but she would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. There was no telling what the Sannin would do. He could try to ambush her from any angle.
"So, you are Tsunade's apprentice, aren't you?" Sakura reacted to the voice, trying to look for the source.
"And if I am?" Sakura said, hoping to continue this conversation.
"Well, here I was thinking that you were something special, just as Sasuke and Naruto were. But as it turns out, Sasuke's description was spot on." Sakura growled.
"Tsunade was a great kunoichi of her time. Respectable, powerful. And if I were to be honest, a decent leader. But unlike your teammates who have shown that they have gone above and beyond their teachers, you have not shown that. You remain useless to your team, and even to your Village." Sakura closed her eyes and clenched her fists.
"You don't know me." Sakura said. Orochimaru's chuckles echoed throughout the forest.
"How much have I made you suffer? Is it enough to drive you insane?"
"My Team has suffered because of what you have done." Sakura said as she lifted her head. "The Cursed Seal you put on Sasuke became the start of the snowball. And then he left for power, leaving behind his friends who cared for him. Naruto made a promise to me, to bring Sasuke back no matter the costs … for my happiness. Because I loved Sasuke, my best friend would do anything just to see me smile." Tears slowly fell from her eyes.
"Then Akatsuki, and the revelation about Kurama; I slowly got to learn more and more about my friend. I sought to do my best to help him through his difficult time. And he progressed. He became a hero for our Village. Naruto is its savior. I was proud for him. And when he learned of Sasuke's attack on Killer Bee, he took a beating and went to beg in front of the Raikage to spare our teammate's life. I didn't realize the lengths that he would go to, just so that we can be a team again, and to earn my respect.
"The idiot fell in love with me …" she laughed a little as she kneeled into the ground and kept her head low. "And I was oblivious to it; the burden of pain he carried as he did his best to keep his promise to me. I tried to break the promise, by telling him I loved him. He called me a liar, and I don't blame him for it. I was trying to protect him as he had me. I wanted to be the one to support him when he was sad. But he saw through it, and he still saved me when I attempted to kill Sasuke. He gave me hope, that there might one day be a happy ending for Team Seven.
"The War was an eye opener." Sakura picked at the grass as she studied her hands. "I felt Naruto's emotions, I pumped his heart when Kurama was extracted and his body stopped functioning. And the one thing driving me, was Naruto's passion to become Hokage. His dream that I wanted to see come true. The dream I wanted to see. But … there was still Sasuke. And despite working together again, Sasuke still turned on us. For his revolution. Naruto continued to look for Sasuke, to bring him back to me. To the Village. When he came back, we kissed. He was doing it to keep me from overexerting myself, but I'd be lying if I said that I hadn't fallen in love with him then. I didn't recognize it before, but now I do." Sakura clenched her fists.
"I am Sakura Haruno; a kunoichi of Konohagakure. My duty as a medic nin is to heal the injured, to avoid fights until it becomes necessary to engage the enemy. To protect the ones I love … and when provoked, to defeat scum like you!" Sakura opened her eyes and jumped backwards, avoiding Orochimaru's sword as it swung where Sakura once sat. Once she touched the ground, Sakura charged Orochimaru. Out of frustration, Orochimaru charged Sakura, swinging the sword once more. Like before, she ducked under and slammed her fist into Orochimaru's gut.
"This is for Tsunade, Jiraiya and the Third!" Orochimaru was sent hurling into a tree. Without rest, Sakura charged again. Orochimaru tried to retaliate.
"Jagei Jubaku!" A large snake shot out of Orochimaru's sleeve, mouth open and fangs protruding from its mouth. Sakura did not flinch as she waited for the snake to strike first, then grabbed it and swung it over her head, bringing Orochimaru with it as she slammed him into the ground.
"That was for the victims you tortured!" She then jumped into the air and proceeded to drive her knee into Orochimaru's gut, causing him to grimace.
"For Sasuke and Kakashi!" She got up and picked him up by the throat and cocked her arm back. "From me to you." She then uppercut Orochimaru into the sky, charging her chakra as she waited for the Sannin to come back down, pulling her arm back. As Orochimaru fell back towards the earth, Sakura jumped to meet him halfway.
"And this is for Naruto! SHANNARO RENDAN!" With all her might, she punch Orochimaru, sending him flying out towards the direction of the beach. She landed back onto the ground, huffing from all the pressure she had built up to finish off Orochimaru. With haste, she rushed back to the beach to ensure he was done for the count.
Upon arriving, she saw that Orochimaru had been drugged in from the water, seeing Kakashi standing over him, and Naruto sitting up looking at her. But her attention was focused on one thing; Orochimaru.
She approached the Sannin and stood in front of him, silent. Orochimaru still breathed, and looked up to look Sakura in the eye.
What had caused her to flinch years ago, she had now overcome.
"How?" Orochimaru asked. Sakura smirked.
"I'm a kunoichi. Kunoichi are taught to seduce their opponents into favorable positions so that they can seize the upper hand. I lured you into a false sense of security as I talked, while I located where you were as you approached me. Whatever Sasuke told you about me was wrong. He doesn't know me as well as he think he does. You underestimated me." Sakura approached Orochimaru and pulled out the scroll. "And this is rightfully ours." Sakura then turned on her heel, grabbed her bag and went to the forest, walking off the adrenaline she had pumping through her body. As she walked away, she overheard Naruto muttering to Kakashi.
"Remind me never to piss her off again, so long as we live." This had Sakura smile.
Author's Note:
I'm a little late, hope you guys don't mind. I was helping an old lady cross the street … yeah I couldn't help myself. I've been working on final papers. But hey, I'm done with school next week so that means more time for writing.
I mentioned that I had a hard time writing fight scenes, and I had run into a little snag;
I almost killed off Kakashi ….
Luckily logic ran through my head and I said, "Oh yeah, they're not frozen to the ground. They're freaking shinobi." But hey, he's still alive and he'll be sticking around for a long while.
That said, if you guys enjoyed this chapter, I'm glad you did. If you didn't, hopefully the next chapter will be better.
Until next time, see ya!