A/N: Thank you for your patience! As some of you have correctly guessed, the doctor was in fact Kabuto. Yes, I know Kabuto is younger in canon, but in my headcanon he'd be about Shisui's age (so 17 at the moment).
Thank you so much for your guesses and your reviews! They really mean the world to me!
I would also like to give special thanks to Katiebees, my Beta who takes time out of her incredibly busy schedule to make this story great for you!
Also special thanks to Kitsmits for listening to my various rants! :D
Now, let's see what happened to our heroes! Btw, small trigger warning, this is not a soft chapter. I almost wanted to up the rating on this one.
Many theories revolve around the two founding clans of Konoha. Some think that the two share common ancestry, yet this theory had never been confirmed by either clan. Others claim they can trace the clans back to before the age of clans when the age on shinobi was barely in its infancy. Some believe that the Uzumaki Clan is somehow tied into this mystical connection; however, their past secrecy, then extinction, has made these claims impossible to confirm. The truth has died with them.
Neither theory can be proved, as both clans guard their secrets carefully and each claim to be standalone in their power.
-Extract from the notes of a Historian-
-The Snake-
"Come in."
Itachi pushed open the doors to the Hokage's office. It felt strange. Ever since he'd joined ANBU, he hadn't entered through the front door. The norm was either popping through a window or shunshining inside. He wasn't sure if it was something to deepen the mystery of ANBU or just something the troops started when they got bored… some things were happening in the organization that made no sense but served as entertainment for the troops.
As he entered the room, Itachi felt a flicker of surprise. It wasn't the familiar silhouettes of his ANBU team who stood at attention before the Hokage that caused his eyes to widen beneath the bone mask he wore, it was the tall man that stood behind the Hokage, leaning against the window frame. What was this man doing in the village? Could it be that…
The Hokage's voice interrupted his thoughts. "I have gathered you all here for a reason," he paused, giving each of them a pointed look. "Almost four days ago, a team of Konoha genin left for a mission in the Land of Rice Paddies. On the way, they encountered trouble, and after a quick interrogation of the attackers we have reasons to believe that Orochimaru was involved."
Itachi tensed. The mention of Orochimaru's name brought with it the anger and helplessness he felt at that time. His jaw muscles twitched at the thought of hunting him.
By Itachi's side, wearing his dog mask, Kakashi tensed. "Hokage-sama, what could Orochimaru be doing in the Land of Rice Paddies?"
"As of now we are unsure," replied the Hokage. He lit his pipe, taking a deep drag out of it. "The client they have escorted is an important piece for the future of that land. He carries with him the key to make the small nation more prosperous than ever before. One possibility is that Orochimaru received word of that. And if he were to get his hands on it and presented it to the Rice Daimyo, he could grant himself immunity." There was steely resolve in his voice, telling them that they could not allow that to happen. "Even if the Land of Rice Paddies holds no major political influence, it is still a sovereign state and has allies. If Orochimaru were to gain political immunity, we could no longer freely hunt him."
The possibility was a chilling one. Having Orochimaru gain immunity would mean that they could not pursue him in the Land of Rice Paddies. He would have a safe haven where Konoha shinobi would have no jurisdiction. The Hokage was sure to avoid international conflict at all costs, especially with the shadow of the latest war looming over them. Aware of the stakes, they all nodded in understanding. Itachi was well aware of the politics guiding the shinobi system, but at times—mostly due to their absence and aloof manner— it was easy to overlook the fact that there were people up there that held even the Kages on a leash. They were the ones that had the final say on when wars started and which village got to be the powerful one. Each village grew depending on their budget and got missions according to their will. The daimyos were the political leaders that ultimately all shinobi served. It was because of their disputes that the Great Shinobi Wars began, killing millions of people and leaving others scarred for life.
Once a daimyo gave a decree, shinobi had to follow; this was just how things worked—one never bit the hand that fed him.
"You have the last location of Team Four on this map."
Itachi froze as he heard those words. Team Four was Yahizui's team. They were the ones that fought Orochimaru's men? His jaw twitched, hands tightening to fists. Were they all right? Did they sustain any injury?
Calm, he had to remain calm. They had Kaito with them, a veteran jounin… they were okay; she had to be okay.
The Hokage handed a map to Kakashi. "Hatake, you're the team leader."
Kakashi's eyes widened slightly, his head turning toward the unmasked men in the room. "Sir?"
"Don't worry about me," said the tall man in a jovial tone. "Officially, I'm not here, so do your job as if I were invisible."
Easier said than done. Itachi looked over the man's very distinctive appearance and wondered how they would ever manage to keep his identity hidden.
One hour later, as they gathered to leave, he had to admit that their new addition wasn't so bad at disguising himself. Dressed in simple dark attire, with a hood over his head and a mask on he looked like any other ANBU. It was only himself, Kakashi and Tenzo that knew he was anything but.
-O-
Awareness was slow to return to Yahizui's groggy mind. At first, all she was aware of was the throbbing in her skull, each thump of her heart feeling like her brain was several sizes too big for her head. Her mouth was parched, her throat like sand.
Her whole body hurt.
What… happened? Even to her thoughts sounded slow and groggy.
As she became more aware, the pain in her head zeroed-in to a spot on the back of her skull. With a groan, she tried to touch it, but her arms were completely unresponsive, the motion only sending a wave of agony through her shoulders. The sound of rattling chains echoed in her ears. Slowly, the events started to come back to her. Looking for healing plants in the forest, the snake attack and…Her eyes snapped open.
It was Kato! He'd knocked her over the head!
As her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, Yahizui saw that the rattling sound was, in fact, the chain that held her arms up. There was a faint light coming from a crack beneath the closed door, casting long shadows on the room's objects. A lone table with different jars scattered on it, a glass shelf and a single chair. The room was cold, with a moist air that clung to her body and chilled her bones. She tried to move her arms once more, take away the numb feeling in them, but the restraints merely rattled. Her wrists were bound with manacles and held away from her body with heavy chains that tied to the wall. A trickle of sweat gathered on the back of her neck and traveled down her spine.
How will she get out of here? Where was she? Would her team even find her? If Kato was the one that brought her here—and she was now just about sure that he was and that his whole sweet persona was just a façade— then was there even a change that her team will find her? Will Hakudoshi manage to take care of Kaito and Tojiro? Did Kato turn back and knocked him out as well? Was he here? Were the rest even alive?
The questions were torturing her, making her head pound and her breath come in panicked gasps. It could have been minutes, or even hours, before her heart stopped pounding in her chest, her panicked thoughts fading away as exhaustion swept through her. Yahizui slumped against her chains, the pain in her skull pulsing with white spots beneath her closed eyelids, succumbing to her exhaustion.
Then she jolted awake.
The room was lighter than it had been, the torches on the wall giving the place a warm glow.
Someone had been there…
A chill swept through her, sending her heart rate soaring once more.
As her eyes darted around the room, she took stock of how she was feeling. Her headache was gone, telling her that she'd been asleep for a while, through the strain on her shoulders had become excruciating over that time. How long had she been out? An hour? A day?
The better question was – who had been in here with her while she was unconscious?
She didn't have time to contemplate more than that when a bone-chilling voice cut through the air. "You're awake, good."
She froze. A feeling of terror swept through her as out from the shadows emerged a monster that could only be from her nightmares. Pale skin stretched over a bony frame, long dark hair that hung limply over his shoulder and serpentine yellow eyes glowed in the torchlight.
The raw and malevolent energy that suddenly filled the room made her want to retch. All she could manage was a gasp.
She knew this man, she'd seen him before! All those years ago when he had come to their open class, and then when she'd seen him in the woods! This was the man that was declared the first Konoha missing-nin in centuries!
Orochimaru.
"I'm glad you remember me, Yahizui-chan." His voice was like gravel and venom, chilling her to the bone. Her name… she didn't like the sound of it on his lips. She could feel the sweat trickling down her spine. She wanted to move, to get away. To move somewhere, anywhere. But her limbs were unresponsive. The aura that flowed from him in waves was suffocating, crawling all over her body and sticking to her like tar.
"My subordinate," he continued in a casual tone. "Told me all about you." He took a seat on the only chair in the room, slowly leaning back and crossing his legs. "He told me how you healed from our newest virus faster than any other ninja, and how…resilient you are. It's very curious."
Virus… subordinate? The image of a hundred sick villagers flashed through her mind. Their feverish bodies, their blotched skin, and retching… their death— they did this… Kato did this? All those people died because of an experiment? Her team suffered, Tojiro had almost died… on a whim?
"How c-could you…" Her voice was scratchy, and her tongue felt heavy in her mouth, but deep inside Yahizui's chest, her heart throbbed with anger. Fear was forgotten, shoved aside by something more powerful, something that ignited her soul. It crawled out of her throat and left her mouth in a roar that demanded answers. "How could you do that to them!?"
Her head snapped to the side, smacking against the wall. Pain erupted in her jaw, bringing tears to her eyes and a scream to her lips. How? Ho could he move so fast?
"Silence." He did not raise his voice, but Yahizui froze nonetheless, her heart quivering once more. "You will hold your tongue my dear, or I will remove it from your mouth."
There was a promise in his words, and she was sure that if pushed, he will do it. Her tears were flowing freely now, yet she was too scared to make a sound. All bravery had left her, the fire of anger doused by his ice-cold temper.
"Good, very good." He was pleased, she could see that. His eyes softened, the deadly aura retreating from her body and coiling around him like a snake ready to strike. "See Yahizui-chan, if you behave and do as I say, you and I will get along wonderfully."
-O-
The smell of sweat, sickness, and death was the first thing that greeted his newly awakened senses. It was a stale air that made his nostrils itch and his skin crawl. With slow movements, Kaito opened his eyes and was greeted with tendrils of light that seeped between the wooden planks of a thatched ceiling above him. His limbs felt like lead as he tried to move and his head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. Then the memories came back. He could remember a burning sensation in his system, carrying bodies to the barn, the kind eyes of a doctor and… nothing.
"Sensei!"
Kaito looked to the side where Hakudoshi was jogging toward him with a jug of water. The boy's eyes were wide with relief as they gazed at him, but Kaito could see the new darkness, the tiredness on his face that told him Hakudoshi had seen too much death. As he reached his cot, Hakudoshi expertly pulled him up and handed him a cup of water. Kaito drank quietly, enjoying how the cooling liquid traveled down his throat and into his painfully empty stomach.
Two cups of water later, Kaito was sure that he'd regained enough strength to talk. "What happened?" he rasped.
Hakudoshi slowly set down the jug on a nearby surface. "I woke up yesterday…Yahizui was already awake and helping the villagers." He paused, and Kaito could see the frustration in his movements, the tension in his shoulders. "They…they keep dying. And I'm not sure what to do anymore."
Despite his demeanor, Kaito sensed there was something Hakudoshi was holding back. Something wasn't right. "Where is Yahizui now? And what of the medic?"
Hakudoshi's fists clenched, shoulders squaring as he heard the clear order in his Sensei's voice. "About six hour ago they left to look for some herbs…They haven't returned since," he reported, his voice wavering at the end. "I couldn't…I wanted to go…" There was a tremble in his tone. "But I couldn't leave these people here to—"
"It's okay." Kaito placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling the tension there. It was hard to choose between what your moral code says is right and what your instincts are telling you to do. For Hakudoshi, he chose to do his best and take care of the villagers rather than go with the first instinct of searching for his missing teammate. "You did the right thing," he murmured in a soft voice, hoping to bring some relief to the poor kid. "I will search for Yahizui."
Hakudoshi's eyes widened, his lips parting to say something, then he stopped. His head bowed low, dirty white bangs concealing his expression. "Yes, sir."
Kaito slowly pushed himself to his feet, ignoring his student's look. His muscles trembled, taxed from the ordeal his body had been through. He pushed through the weakness, forcing his sluggish chakra to circulate, to begin repairing and strengthening his muscle.
He stopped, sagging back onto the bed, ragged breaths tearing from his lips as beads of sweat glistened on his forehead.
His chakra reserves were dangerously low, and nothing but rest would replenish them. Yet the thought of leaving his student out there was unimaginable. With sluggish movements, he reached out to rummage through his pouch, fingers closing around the one item that would help him. He brought the soldier pill up to his lips, his mind already telling him the warnings that had been drilled into his head since he had been a young genin. Taking one of these pills in this state might bring his reserves back to normal, or it might damage his body even further.
Without any second thoughts, Kaito popped the small pill in his mouth and crunched it between his teeth.
-O-
The humid room was no longer cold, the shackles on her wrists no longer bothering her. There was sweat gathering on her forehead, dripping from the tip of her nose onto the floor with audible plops. Yahizui paid no attention to any of that. Her eyes were glued to the man before her, watching his every move like a frightened little bird staring into the eyes of a cobra. He moved slowly as if he had no other care in the world. After what felt like an eternity, Orochimaru closed the scroll before him and swiveled on his chair to face her.
"I'm sure you wonder why you are here." His tone, his eyes, the way the corners of his mouth curved upwards like he knew a terrible secret, it all made her push back into the hard wall behind her, praying to find someplace to hide.
"You see, Yahizui-chan," continued Orochimaru. "You are something extraordinary. I'm sure you've realized that you never really get sick and that whenever you're injured, you heal faster than most." He stood, moving toward her with languorous steps, smirking at her futile attempts to sink into the wall behind her. "Have you ever wondered why?"
Yahizui shook her head, the motion jerky from her shaking, not trusting her mouth to form any words. But she knew that not answering him wasn't an option.
Something in her expression made him sneer, his mouth twisting like he'd smelled something particularly foul. "You're really just a simpleton. I, on the other hand, appreciate rare bloodlines when I see them."
The sound of her frantic heartbeat almost drowned out his voice. What was he talking about? She had no bloodline; she was nobody coming from a civilian village!
"The Uzumaki genes are wasted on the likes of you."
Uzumaki? Her eyes widened as all previous attempts to back against the wall were forgotten. She could see him smirk now, satisfied that his words brought her such shock.
"I see you've heard of them. Maybe you're not so simple after all, Yahizui-chan." He turned back to the table and grabbed a scalpel. Yahizui's heartbeat reached new heights, her lungs straining to take a breath, as she gasped
Orochimaru moved toward her with calculated moves, looking pleased with the fear in her eyes. As he crouched down at her level, Yahizui tried once more to move backward, desperately yanking at the chains that kept her there. He smirked at her futile attempts, grabbing her red obi and slashing right through it. The cold air of the dungeon hit her sweaty skin as her kimono-blouse parted down the center of her chest.
Time stopped, her breath freezing in her chest as a new sort of fear overtook her.
Then she found the strength to fight back.
Suddenly, pure, bone-chilling desperation raced through her, prompting her body to react. Even as she screamed, the sound tearing from her throat, she lashed out at the man before her, arching her back, her legs kicking out to keep him away from her unprotected body. She ignored the burning pain in her shoulders as she tried to find better leverage with her feet.
In her frenzy and blurred vision, Yahizui no longer saw the man before her and had no time to react when his hand slammed down on her left leg.
An audible crack resonated throughout the room, quieting her frantic screams. The pain did not register at first. She was much too scared, the adrenaline thrumming through her veins keeping it at bay. All Yahizui could see was the fury in those yellow eyes and the unnatural position of her leg.
Then the pain hit her like a sledgehammer, causing a different type of scream to leave her throat.
"Shut up!" His hand whipped out and covered her mouth, gripping half her face and cutting off any oxygen she might have taken in. He pressed hard, his fingers bruising as they dug into her cheeks, making her eyes further widen as she tried to yank her head away.
There was no escape; she couldn't run, couldn't move, couldn't breathe!
"You will keep your mouth shut, or I will sew it shut."
The lack of oxygen was making her head swim and her vision fade. Maybe if he kept his hand there… maybe she will run out of air and die… then she wouldn't have to be alive for whatever he planned to do with her body. Just as everything before her eyes darkened, Orochimaru removed his hand and precious air filled Yahizui's lungs once more. She felt weak, tears leaking from the corner of her eyes as the pain from her leg throbbed through her whole body.
Through her blurred version, she could see him bring the scalpel to his palm, slicing it open; crimson blood immediately leaked from the wound. Then, with precise movements, he dipped a finger into the blood pooling in his hand and began writing symbols across her abdomen. Stunned, Yahizui said nothing, merely trembling at the pain in her leg. She couldn't see what he was writing, but the pleased expression on his face bore no good news. Writings in blood could only be seals, yet what sort of seal was it? And what made him think that she was part of the Uzumaki clan?
"After the fall of the Uzumaki, there were plenty of members scattered all around the world. All red-haired, unaware of the world outside their little island and ripe for the picking. But you see Yahizui-chan, what others didn't know was that not every Uzumaki was a useful one." He smeared another line of blood, trailing his finger over her chest and up her collarbone. "There are some that are more valuable than others, and I know how to find their real worth." After a few more strokes Orochimaru seemed to finish his seal. He pulled back, admiring his handiwork. "Now, let's see your worth."
He placed his hand in the middle on the seal and pushed chakra through it. The symbols pulsed once, twice, then started moving, crawling over her skin like bands of flame. Yahizui's eyes widened as she saw his hand slowly sinking inside her body, the seal glowing around it. It felt like someone froze her insides then poured gas on them and set them aflame. It felt like a saw was hacking away at her soul like someone plunged a hand inside her and was trying to turn her inside out.
Yahizui screamed until she couldn't hear herself scream anymore and then cried some more until her voice was raw. Her mind begged for release from this hell, begged for sweet darkness, but she was wide awake and hurtinghurtinghurting!
It was like every needle in the world was inside her body and pressing to get out from inside her, through her skin, through her mouth, her eyes, her chest. It was like someone was carving her heart out from the inside, found it unsatisfying and then looked for more. And in a moment of painful lucidity, she realized that someone was indeed scratching through the inside of her chest, Orochimaru's immaterial hand looking to pull her soul out.
Why was he doing this?
Why was he hurting her so?
Orochimaru's face twisted up in glee as he plunged his arm deeper inside her chest.
Yahizui could not take it anymore. She felt her mind fray until nothing but pain remained. She would do anything to end it, give anything!
Her eyes were thrown back, her mouth opening in a silent scream and just when her mind was about to crack, something unraveled inside of her and the pain came to a sudden stop.
"Wonderful!"
There was a buzz in her ears. Her shoulders hurt, and her throat felt like sandpaper. Yahizui blearily opened her eyes, meeting the excited look of Orochimaru with her pain filled one.
Unable to hold her head up, she let it fall forward, her chin touching her chest in exhaustion. She wanted to close her eyes and disappear, but the sight before her sent a ripple of shock through her. Her eyes widened, and the world became silent. There was no chuckle from Orochimaru, no heartbeat to drown all noise, nothing. All her eyes could see was a thick, spiked, golden-glowing chain emerging from her middle. It looked ethereal, like an intruder in her body, and yet she knew that this is what he pulled out of her.
This is what she felt unravel. This is what he was looking for.
"You…" he said, pulling Yahizui out of her trance and forcing her to meet his eyes. "You were really worth the trouble." There was a grin on his face that would have normally frightened her, his unnaturally long tongue slipping out to lick his white lips as if he could barely restrain himself. "I think I might even grab a taste…just to be sure."
I…I don't care. Exhaustion washed through her, leaving her with nothing. Her head sunk back down to her chest, unwilling and uncaring with whatever else he had planned for her. I don't care anymore.
Maybe he would be merciful and kill her.
She didn't flinch when he grabbed her arm, yanking the chain and her shoulder, didn't squirm as his warm breath moved over her sensitive skin. And as his unnaturally sharp teeth pierced her flesh, nothing but a gasp escaped her, an instinctive reaction at feeling her chakra leaving her body.
About everything else… she didn't care.
-O-
The team dropped down into what looked like nothing more than a peaceful clearing. Alert, Itachi kept his gaze on his surroundings even as Kakashi crouched down to listen to his summoned dog
"The team was here for a while, fighting." He then pointed to the west among the thick trees. "They went that way."
Without a moment to lose, they set out, their forms flickering through the thick foliage. When the trees thinned, they jumped to the ground, and when the forest gave away completely, They ran over the clay-like earth, not even a footstep left in their wake.
Pakkun, Kakashi's tracking summon, suddenly stopped at the border of a small town. "They're here," said the pug in a gruff voice. He turned toward his master and shook his head. "There's a sickness in this village. It smells of death."
They each reached for their pouches, intending to grab the extra filter for their masks when the tall figure of Murasaki Kaito landed on the other side of the clearing.
"You're here," he said in a tense voice, breathing more cumbersome than it ought to be. His appearance was more ragged than the last time Itachi had seen him. Kaito's hair was plastered to the metal of his headband, his eyes still bright with a lingering fever. There was a distinctive sway to his movements as if all his energy had been consumed by merely coming to meet them.
The weakness Itachi saw in Kaito sent a flare of worry through him for Yahizui. Where was she? Was she sick?
"Kaito-san," Kakashi began, voice sharp as he also took in the other man's sickly appearance. "What happened here?"
If there was one thing Itachi admired about his Captain, it was his ability to keep his emotions hidden. He would arrange his demeanor into one of disinterest, taking everything in with an apathy that could fool even the most seasoned interrogator. There was not much that fazed Hakate Kakashi, and Itachi strived to reach that professionalism as well.
"A virus of some sort…deadly. It's better if you don't enter the village," Kaito replied in a tired voice.
The mention of an unknown virus caused the tallest companion at the back of their troupe to step forward. "What are the symptoms?" he asked in a deep voice.
Kaito looked attentively at the man. "It starts with weakness in the limbs, tiredness, followed by intense fever. Then, as the system is weakened, dark spots appear on the skin—like a rash, followed by vomiting and… death. So far the only thing that ensured survival was… chakra."
Itachi's eyes widened beneath his mask. "And the villagers?"
"Dead. All one hundred thirty-two of them."
The number was staggering. What virus could kill people so fast? Itachi didn't know much about diseases, but what Kaito said brought a shiver down his spine. Such a virus was dangerous and could prove hazardous if left uncontained.
To Itachi's left, Tenzo gasped. "All of them?"
"Their systems couldn't handle the disease. Some held on longer than others, but in the end, they all fell." There was nothing in Kaito's voice, all emotion snuffed out in the way that seasoned shinobi usually presented their reports.
The tall man's hooded head tilted to the side in question. "What about you and your team?"
"The sickness caught up with us as well, but as you can see the symptoms weren't as severe. It held me down for three days. The kunoichi of our team was the first to recover."
Itachi frowned behind his masked, though he couldn't help feel relieved to hear that Yahizui was alright. "Where is she?"
When Kaito's eyes fixed on him, Itachi briefly wondered if the man knew it was him under the mask. When the jonin looked at him, Itachi saw pity in his eyes. "Yahizui is missing. She'd been gone, together with the medic that took care of the villagers before I woke up and… my current chakra level is too low to summon a tracker."
"This disease…" said the tall ANBU, ignoring the current discussion between Kaito and Itachi. "I've seen something like it before."
All eyes were immediately on him, and Kakashi voiced their curiosity. "When?"
"In the last years of the Second Shinobi War, Konoha charged Orochimaru to look into possible options of ending the war faster." He paused, letting the information sink in. The mention of Orochimaru had them all hanging on his every word.
"He had always been good with poisons and experiments, so he focused his efforts on creating a biological weapon. As you can imagine, it wasn't easy. He managed to develop something together with Tsunade's medical knowledge, but it did not last. It brought nothing more than the symptoms of a common cold, and the project was closed."
The mention of Lady Tsunade, the War and the experiments that Konoha had made were not something any shinobi knew. The darkness of their village was kept well hidden, yet it was there, lurking just beneath the surface. It made Itachi think if good things had to always sprout from evil deeds, or if it only was so in their world.
His thoughts lay forgotten as the man spoke once more. "The war ended, and the idea lay forgotten... Until the Third War started. By that time Tsunade had left Konoha and Orochimaru was working with Danzo Shimura, who sponsored any project that would expediently end the fighting. The biological weapon idea was picked up again, and Orochimaru resumed his work. I don't know if he managed to make any progress on it since it wasn't used in the Third War either, but I do know what the symptoms and results were supposed to be and they match exactly what you said."
Kaito looked at the man with confusion evident in his eyes. "How can you know all of that?"
Slowly, the ANBU lifted both hands. He removed his hood and mask, revealing long, snowy white hair and a face that every jounin shinobi in Konoha knew. "Because he was my teammate."
Itachi had to hand it to the Sannin, his revelation was quite dramatic, and judging by the shock on Kaito's face, it had the impact he desired. With his long spiky hair, piercing dark eyes and broad, tall stature, Jiraiya was an impressive figure—even more so now that his reputation loomed behind him.
"Jiraiya-sama," said Kaito after taking a moment to recover after the surprise. "It's a pleasure to have you by our side."
Itachi listened to the exchange with only half a mind. Yahizui was missing, and Kaito was too weakened to search for her. Had she been taken by Orochimaru? Why would he have any interest in her?
"Kaito-san," said Jiraiya, his voice clear without the presence of his mask. "I find it fascinating that a genin would have the chakra amount to beat the virus before a jounin, don't you?" There was a dip in his tone as his dark eyes narrowed.
Itachi watched the jounin's eyes darken. His eyes narrowed, attention fixed on the man before them. "I… maybe," Kaito said, his voice unsure. "I can't deny that she has some traits specific to that clan, but there are many with that hair color that don't claim any Uzumaki ancestry…"
The mention of that clan made Itachi think of another woman with long crimson hair and a soft smile. How could he have not seen it? He'd always written it off as her coming from Wind country, where such a peculiar hair color was seen more often; but now that the possibility was there, he felt like a blind man. Her endless energy, her fast healing, the temper he had heard the Uzumaki were known for… they were all there.
Jiraiya nodded, one hand rubbing his chin. "Even if there's the slightest possibility, he will take it."
The creeping feeling of anxiety was crawling up Itachi's back. Orochimaru had her, he had Yahizui, he was sure of it! The image of a limp body with gaping holes instead of bright eyes came to him. Her body was so small, and her hair… her long hair was now red instead of brown, mingling with the blood seeping from her cooling body. They had to find her fast.
"Can we track her?" he asked before thinking to keep himself in check. A muscle in his jaw twitched, unseen behind the mask, his eyes burning with accumulated chakra. Just the thought of what that monster could have done to her made his pulse rush and his teeth clench.
"My dogs can track her scent," said Kakashi in his usual drawl. "Kaito-san, do you have something of hers?"
"I do," said Kaito, pulling an unfinished scroll out of his hip pouch. "And I'm coming with you."
Kakashi's dog mask was trained upon Kaito's still sweaty face. "That is out of the question." He pointed to his hands. "Your strength is not back yet. Your hands are trembling, and you've most likely already taken a soldier pill. If you join us, you will only be a liability. Your orders are to stay here and recover. We will go after your student."
Itachi saw a battle in the jounin's eyes. He wanted to join them, but he was painfully aware of the protocol. If he came with them in his current state, he would be a liability at best and dead at worst. In the end, reason triumphed, and Kaito spat angrily to the side and turned around. "Bring her back."
I will, Itachi thought as his fists tightened, making the leather of his gloves creak. I will bring her back no matter what!
-O-
Measured footsteps echoed down the empty, humid tunnel. The walls were illuminated by torches and moss clung to the rounded walls. A true snake lair, thought Danzo as he advanced, a platoon of Root agents slinking in the shadows behind him. As he turned the corner, Danzo could see the corridor widening, leading to a single, large chamber.
"You must have a desire to die if you called me here," said Danzo, his arm twitching, ready to give the killing order. "I was under the impression that our association ended when I kicked you out of Konoha."
From the shadows, Orochimaru rose like a cobra, an entertained smile on his lips. "I'm surprised you came. Did you not fear that I might plot your demise?"
A guttural, croaky sound escaped Danzo's throat. "I see you've kept your sense of humor in these dire times. Remember Orochimaru, I made you who you are today. I don't fear the likes of you. I came here because I'm interested in what it is that you could possibly offer me for my cooperation. After all, that is what you need, do you not? Trying to charm the Rice Paddy Daimyo, without my support…it is a dangerous game. The fact that you asked me here makes me wonder if you are regretting your life on the run."
Orochimaru's yellow eyes flashed with malice though his voice remained cordial. "Mock me if you want, but the truth of the situation is that you are here." He gestured toward a shadowed table with two facing chairs. "So, shall we get to business?"
Danzo watched the man move with veiled distrust. For him to call him here so boldly… he had to have something up his sleeve. And leaving Orochimaru with an unchecked advantage was the last thing Konoha – the last thing he needed. "There is no business to be done between us, Orochimaru." He made no move to accept his invitation to sit down, keeping the other man's hands within view at all times. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't turn and leave, and you might get to keep what little freedom you have as a missing-nin."
The Snake Sannin simply took a seat in response, crossing his legs and comfortably leaning back in the somewhat uncomfortable looking chair. "Always so impatient… this is why you don't have a head for science."
"I am a patient man, but in your case, I deem to make an exception." The banter was starting to get on Danzo's nerves, making his jaw tense. "Now, speak."
"Very well," Orochimaru smirked.
Danzo could practically feel the self-satisfaction radiating off the man seated before him. He deigned not to react as Orochimaru's yellow gaze trailed down his body and came to rest on his arm.
"How's your arm?" Orochimaru cocked his head to the side, false concern crossing his features. "It can't be that good, not by the looks of it." He waved a hand in the direction of Danzo's right arm, which was covered in seals and bandages to keep the cells stable. Though Orochimaru could not possibly know that.
Danzo did not react to the other man's clear provocation.
Orochimaru nearly pouted at the lack of reaction, before his lips stretched into a smile. "I can fix it, you know," he continued. "I can make it even more powerful than it is now. I can make it...better."
"You have my attention."
Orochimaru leaned forward, his face taking on the contemplative look Danzo had seen every time he spoke of some new discovery. "After the fall of Uzushio, documents about the clan started popping up. Many were hungry for the knowledge, but found…"
"Yes, the documents were all written in sealing code that was almost impossible to decode." His left foot twitched; the impulse to tap into becoming increasingly hard to control. "Everyone knows that."
"I know how to decode it."
-O-
"We're here." Pakkun stopped before the entrance of a cave. "The girl is inside, but there are around twenty other people between her and us."
Jiraiya stepped forward. "Is Orochimaru there?" he asked in a tense voice.
Itachi wondered that if somewhere deep down, the Sannin dreaded the thought of fighting his former teammate. They must have been friends at some point…
"Not sure," muttered the small summon. "There are too many scents, it's confusing."
"We go in," Kakashi ordered in a firm voice. He glanced back at Itachi and Tenzo. "One gets the girl, the rest of us will focus on any enemies and Orochimaru if he's there." He met Jiraiya's hardened gaze. "Jiraiya-sama, we're counting on you."
Before anyone else could speak, Itachi stepped forward. "I'll go get her," he volunteered. He had to find her and make sure she was all right.
Kakashi nodded. "Take Pakkun with you, he'll guide you. And be ready for anything."
At Kakashi's nod, Itachi slid into the darkness of the cave, activating his Sharingan with a flood of chakra, sensing the dark interiors into sharp focus. His movements were swift, his steps sure but his heart was thrumming in his chest with anxiety. Would she be all right, or would he find a cold corpse, once again too late, as he had been with Izumi? The thoughts made the muscles in his jaw clench.
No, he told himself firmly. She would be alive. She would be okay.
She had to be.
The small summon dog seemed to sense his anxiety and ran faster, guiding him through a labyrinth of hallways. He memorized them all, each turn, each crossroad. Then the tunnel began to widen, and Pakkun slowed down as a door came into view, sending Itachi's pulse racing once more. She was there, behind the door! The presence of the two large guards did nothing to deter him. His goal was beyond them.
As Pakkun slowed, Itachi darted ahead, his movements swift but quiet as he approached the clearly unaware ninja, reaching for the tanto strapped to his back.
The men barely had time to twitch before he was upon them, and blood sprayed from their open throats. Itachi didn't spare them a glance, already moving past them as they sank to the ground with a gasp of wet gurgles, and cautiously opening the door into the darkened room. His crimson eyes barely had time to scan for her before his breath froze in his lungs.
Her body looked small and fragile, chained to the wall behind her, manacles bound tightly around her wrists. Crimson hair spilled over her bare shoulders, unbound from its usual tie, only partially hiding the purplish bruises that were already blooming across her ribs.
In a split second, Itachi was before her, his cloak ripped off his shoulders and wrapping it around her own, covering her bare chest and the markings written over it.
His eyes roamed over her bound hands, the angry-looking bite mark on her forearm and the unnatural bend of her one leg. A snarl crossed his lips as white-hot anger flashed through him. He was going to make Orochimaru pay for this!
Then he heard it. A whimper, soft and scared, came from the girl in front of him. Itachi's rage cooled with his worry.
"I'm here, Hizui. It's going to be okay," Itachi said, reaching out and gently brushing a few strands of her hair behind her ear, hating the sight of the purplish bruise that marred the side of her face. She'd been hit, hard.
"I-Itachi?" Her voice was hoarse, though her disbelief was evident even through the tremble in her voice.
"I'm here," he repeated softly. "Hold on - I'm going to get you out of here." His voice seemed to calm her and worked as a mantra for his own nerves, slowly bringing back the calm that typically overlaid his mind.
She was alive, that was all that mattered. Now he needed to get her out of here and back home.
His fingers gently brushed her cheek before he stood, shifting his grip on his tanto, before infusing chakra into the blade. With a flick of his wrist, the chains holding her up snapped and Yahizui's arms flopped uselessly to her sides. Itachi gently caught her as she sagged forward, reaching out and adjusting the cloak better around her shoulders.
She didn't say or do anything, her head still bowed, her body trembling.
Her silence unnerved him. Carefully, to avoid hurting her, he gripped her chin gently and tilted her head towards him.
The expression on her face made his heart clench and his rage spike. Her eyes were haunted, lost somewhere between terror and emptiness. "You're okay now," he said firmly, with all the reassurance he could muster. "We're going to go home."
The flicker of recognition that flashed across her face gave him hope, even when she bowed her head and huddled inside his cloak once more.
"I'm going to pick you up," said Itachi in that same controlled tone. Her leg had been broken, but he didn't have enough expertise to handle something like that. Maybe Tenzo could fashion a splint until they reached Konoha, but until then she would have to be carried.
She weighed little to nothing as he picked her up, the still attached manacles clinging around her body. Slowly, her arms lifted as she huddled them close to her chest. His chest clenched but he said nothing. This wasn't the time for that. He had to stay calm, get her out of this place and back to safety. He glanced back toward the silent summon and gave a curt nod.
Itachi darted back the way he had come, Yahizui pressed to his chest. It didn't take long for the sounds of battle to greet him. The ground shook beneath his feet, but he ignored it, pushing forward through the twists and turns of the tunnels. He had almost reached the last corner when the structure around them shook dangerously, and the wall to his left collapsed completely Large stones fell from the ceiling, forcing him to jump into the newly opened room.
Only to come face to face with Orochimaru.
"So this is what you were up to, Itachi-kun. It's not nice to simply take my prisoner."
Itachi could feel Yahizui tremble in his arms and his grip on her tightened. He took a step back, intending to her find her somewhere safe before facing the Sannin when Jiraiya's voice boomed behind him. His grip loosened a fraction. He was not alone, his team was here, Jiraiya was here.
"You're surrounded, Orochimaru. This is the end!"
Itachi's Sharingan was trained upon Orochimaru's white face. If only he would look his way, then he'd manage to trap him in a genjutsu, but the man kept his eyes carefully averted.
"You couldn't be more wrong, old friend," replied Orochimaru as he leaped in the air, raising his arms and shooting hundreds of snakes at them from within his sleeves.
Itachi jumped back, his speed and agility allowing him to avoid the snakes. He retreated to a corner, watching Tenzo put up a Wood Style barrier between them and the attack. "Yahizui," he began quietly, kneeling down the place her on the ground, but paused as he saw her evergreen eyes looking at him with blazing anger.
"Make him hurt," she said, her voice filled with venom.
He nodded, though the hate in her eyes raised questions in the back of his head. With one look toward Tenzo, the man stretched his hand toward Yahizui and immediately, thick wood boards grew around her like a cage.
"Wait here," said Itachi. He spared her one last look, his eyes traveling from her trembling hands to her burning gaze, and turned around.
Jiraiya was already locked in a fierce hand to hand combat with his former teammate, while Kakashi and Tenzo intervened with flash attacks meant to destabilize him. Itachi's chakra flared in his core, molding to perform any jutsu he set his mind to when a shadow appeared before him, his hands glowing with chakra scalpels.
"Not so fast," said the one before him his large, round glasses reflecting the flickering light of the cave. "You'll first have to get past me."
Itachi was never one for talking while fighting. He saw no reason in that. Why chatter when that time could be better spent analyzing your opponent? He pulled his tanto and waited. His eyes could see that the chakra concentration around his hands was not something to be underestimated. But the overconfident smile of the gray-haired teen told him that he was judging him based on his age and size—a mistake all his enemies made and regretted. His muscles tensed, eyes looking for an opening to ensnare the other in a genjutsu.
-O-
Danzo's visible eye widened. To think this snake had managed to do such a thing…
"Seals fascinate me," continued the Sannin, "and I decided long ago to take the difficult path of learning the sealing code and deciphering instead of merely replicating. It's a time-consuming task, but the results are worth it. At this point, I am the only non-Uzumaki that can read their scrolls. And trust me; there are incredible things to be found there. One of these things is the key to stabilizing the Uchiha and Senju cells in your arm."
With the arrival of Uzumaki Mito in Konoha nearly eighty-seven years ago, seals had been introduced to Konoha through her knowledge. But even so, for reasons unknown to him, Mito had given Konoha a different sealing language than that of her native village. Whether it was to protect the secrets of Uzushio, or due to her own inability, the seals of Konoha were never meant to be on par with those of the Uzumaki. That Orochimaru had managed to learn their secret code… maybe he underestimated him. His eyes narrowed. Even if he knew how to break the Uzumaki codes, the island had been sealed off ever since the war, and no living being could enter it. Orochimaru had nothing but scraps to work with, things that escaped with the refugees. Still, the information was most curious.
"That is interesting. I imagine you want something in return for it."
The smirk on Orochimaru's lips betrayed how pleased he was with how things were going. "I'm trying to build something here," he said with a theatrical wave of his arm. "Having Konoha breathing down my neck while I'm doing it is…inconvenient."
Danzo's eyes narrowed. "The Konoha hunter nins are not under my command."
"Oh, I'm not suggesting something so glaringly obvious. Help me gain immunity from the Daimyo of Rice Paddies, and I will help you."
Something didn't fit, and he didn't like the feeling of it. "Having immunity from a minor Daimyo will do nothing for you. What exactly do you want?"
Orochimaru rose from his seat and took a few steps backward, his eyes hidden by the room's darkness. "When you put it that way…" He said, the grin on his face spreading unnaturally. "Immunity granted to a new village leader—me, from the Fire Daimyo and official recognition of a newly formed village in the land of Rice Paddies."
What arrogance! His left arm slashed before him in a downward stroke, voice rising. "Not possible!" The sound of drawn weapons could be heard from the shadows as the agents reacted to his ire.
Orochimaru didn't flinch, as if the threat wasn't even there. "Then allow me to sweeten the deal. I —"
"Why do you want this so badly?" It wasn't like him to settle down. There had to be an ulterior motive, and for a man such as this to have immunity… what will that mean for Konoha?
-O-
"I see you found her, congratulations!" the gray-haired teen said mockingly as he danced away from a Katon jutsu.
His tactics so far seemed to consist of trying to tire Itachi out and verbal jabs. They had been circling one another for the last minute, neither able to land a hit on the other. Itachi's eyes kept him safe from the chakra scalpels, but his opponent seemed just as skilled at avoiding hits.
"You know," he continued in a snide voice. " Her screams are really something to behold. You should have heard them… music to the ears!"
Deep breath. Itachi freighted to the left, his right leg raising for a kick, then changed his direction in the last moment, twisting his body mid-air and coming face to face with the older teen. His eyes were dark and wide, staring into the spinning Sharingan. The illusion he placed him in was not a pretty one, and Itachi was glad to hear his screams echo in the illusionary world.
Just as the gray-haired's teen mind was about to snap, Itachi plunged the tanto in his chest.
The flesh around the blade melted, flowing like play-dough on a hot summer day.
"It's a clone!" He heard Kakashi shout, followed by Jiraiya's loud curse.
-O-
Danzo watched Orochimaru lean into his chair, his fingers drumming over the wooden table, then stop. For a second, the breath in his body seemed to freeze, his fingers pausing mid-air. Then his eyes rose, and all was back to normal.
"I have my reasons," he said in a casual tone."But you're not really interested in hearing them. What you want to know is what this means for Konoha, no? Don't worry, I have bigger fish to catch…at the moment."
Danzo measured him from head to toe. His confident smirk could only mean that whatever this thing up his sleeve, he was sure that it would grant him victory. This made him curious. "You will need to put something more on the table than what you have. This is treason we're talking about."
Orochimaru's eyes flashed with joyful malice. "Well then, you really give me no other choice. You see, I have had the unexpected luck of coming into possession of something every Daimyo out there needs. Who would have thought that something as common as rice would be eventually seen as more important than gold? Strange times we live in… but in the end, it will be a pity if the nations were to starve…"
No, he couldn't… "You think that having one type of rice seed will bring you victory?"
"Not at all. However, poisoning the rest of them and making them the carrier of a deadly disease will."
"I see…" This had been his plan all along. He'd had the upper hand all along, that grin should have told him that much. Danzo had to hand it to him; he had been bested in this round. Orochimaru had always been a fast learner, and such a play, it was exactly what he would have done if put in the same position. That he offered the scroll as well showed how well the snake knew him. After all, a few months of dwindled food supplies wouldn't cause much drama. A few farmers would die here and there, maybe a few ninjas as well, but Konoha would endure, and he would make sure of that. Still, the combination of threat and reward was interesting and dare he say, very well planned. "I should have expected this from you."
"I try my best."
"Very well, tell me of the Uzumaki scroll."
A/N: Wow, this was a ride! And yes, I'm leaving you hanging again… I know I'm horrible.
Let me know what you think of it! And if you have questions, critiques or anything at all, write it down in a comment and I'll make sure to answer them!
