Tora's P.O.V.
"I think I know what's going on." I was at Sasuke's place, sitting down cross legged on the floor facing him, talking to him about our new found healing ability. "In the forest when I got hurt, you felt it but nothing else." I nodded at Sasuke. "It was the same in the preliminaries when you got that cut on your face I felt it." I held my hand up to stop him from speaking. I knew what he was thinking; that if one of us got hurt while the other is fine the one that's hurt heals faster.
"That's the opposite of what the bond is supposed to do."
"What if it's different because I'm an Uchiha or because of what Orochimaru did to you?" I didn't like the last one he mentioned but he did have a point, no one really knows what Orochimaru did to me in his laboratory. I was leaning more toward the reason being that he wasn't Irai. 'I know you don't like it but you have to at least consider it.' Sasuke spoke telepathically and I reluctantly nodded.
"Ok let's put it to the test." I said pulling out a kunai, was about to cut my right forearm when he stopped me. "Relax it's not going to be deep." He hesitated . 'You need to start trusting me more when it comes to sharp objects.' I teased. "Can you blame me? You've threatened me and others more times than I can count with one of those!" he said with a sigh and let me do it. As quick as the cut appeared it disappeared; Sasuke was right.
'I usually am.'
"Yeah and Naruto is not in love with Sakura." I said slightly annoyed at his cockiness. Sasuke moved closer to me I felt my mark burn. "Don't you dare." Sasuke looked disappointed, so I brought up another topic. I couldn't have him close.
"How's the curse mark?" Being linked to Sasuke's mind did come with its perks, when he was thinking about the event with Orochimaru everything that was explained to him about it came up; since we're bonded I knew everything he did.
"It bothers me." He was looking down at the floor when I looked at him. Judging from his thoughts it did a lot more than bother him. "Don't let him get to you." I said inching closer to him and kissing his cheek. I moved back when I realized what I had just done; I must be losing it.
Sasuke laughed, most likely because he knew what I was thinking. "Why didn't it work on you?" I shook my head. "I don't know."
"Maybe it has to do with what he did to you when you were younger?" Sasuke said but the more I thought about it the annoyed I got. Orochimaru kept calling me his 'little lab rat' and when he tried to put the curse mark on me I felt like he was making me into his test subject again and that angered me. The dream I had in the forest of death was bothering me too. It was almost as if Orochimaru was in my dream taunting me. "Don't worry about the dream" Sasuke interrupted my thoughts; he was the only one I had told about the dream. I'm sure it was just your subconscious imagination getting the best of you." I wasn't convinced it was that simple.
"Don't let him get to you." Sasuke said mimicking me causing me to smile. While I was off guard he surprised me by kissing my lips but I pushed him away. He looked disappointed and it's not that I didn't want him to kiss me I just didn't want this to go too far so.
"I should go. I start training with the Hokage tomorrow." I got up from the floor and walked to the door. "See you in a month." I already knew Sasuke was leaving with Kakashi for training and he wouldn't be back for a month and right now I think it was the best; who knows what could happen from now to a month if he was always around. Just being next to him was invitation enough to jump him.
The next day
I was having a picnic with the Hokage in the forest; he insisted that before we began training I had to go on one with him because there were things we had to talk about.
"Tora before we start talking about what happened in the forest of death there is something I want to give you." The Hokage set his hands on a slim rectangular case in front of him. "This is belongs to you." He picked it up and handed it to me. I opened the case shocked to see what was probably the most beautiful katana I have ever seen. I traced my hand over the ice blue hilt, the blade was silver so elegant and well-polished that it almost looked white and on the bottom of the blade before the hilt written it ice blue characters was the word Irai. That's when I realized the color of the characters and hilt was the same as my eyes when I activate my kekkei genkai. "It belonged to you Father, the leader of the Irai." I never knew my father was the leader of the Irai, the Hokage never told me. "I was going to wait till you were older to give this to you but considering the circumstances I decided now was best." The Hokage went on explaining to me how the katana had an identical match given to my uncle but it was lost, most likely destroyed, the day my village was attacked.
Soon after I explained everything that was going on with Sasuke, the dragonfly mark and Orochimaru to the Hokage. He came to the same conclusion that Sasuke did; that maybe Orochimaru was just testing whatever it was that he had done to me in his lab. It's not the answer I wanted but it was the best one the Hokage could give, considering he too had no idea what Orochimaru was thinking or planning. The Hokage also though that the reason behind me still having visions had to do with the fact that the bond between Sasuke and I was incomplete. I went on to tell him about my vision of the giant snake attacking the village when Orochimaru bit me at the forest of death. The Hokage was concerned but put it aside for the rest of the picnic, so we could enjoy our afternoon together.
After we ate we headed back home, before I was about to go to my bedroom I stopped the Hokage. "I know I haven't been the easiest person to put up with these passed years but you still took care of me…" I hesitated for a second. "I really missed this, just us hanging out. We should do it more often." He nodded in agreement "Right now we don't have much time but when the Chunin exams are over we will." He said and I smiled rushing over to hug him; something I haven't done in years. Then I had a vision of the worst possible thing, his death.
One month later
When I said being away from Sasuke might best I was so wrong if anything it made me want to jump him even more, especially since we were always able to hear each other's thoughts. It was like he was with me but he wasn't. One thing's for sure I had gotten closer to Sasuke. It was the day of the Chunin exams and he was still a no show.
'You're not going to make it on time.' I told him telepathically as we were being presented to the crowd but he ignored me. Naruto was up first and we all were allowed to leave, wanting to be alone I found an empty room and waited there. Soon enough Naruto's match was over and Shikamaru was up next. 'They already postponed your match when are you going to show?' I asked but again I was ignored; Sasuke was beginning to anger me.
'Are you getting mad because I'm ignoring you or you just miss me?' Finally!
'Miss you Uchiha? Not likely. I'm not even mad.' I was not going to admit the truth even though he could sense that I did miss him and that I was angry.
'You called me by my last name.' He knew me too well. Only when I was mad or annoyed at him did I ever call him by his last name.
'Whatever, where are you?' Again no answer but then again I didn't need one, he was in the room. He'd gotten better at sneaking up on me, meaning he'd gotten stronger. I turned around and before I had the chance to do anything he crashed his lips onto mine. In an instant I felt my mark burning, a sign that I should push him away right now, like I always did but instead I pulled him closer deepening the kiss. Too soon I had to pull away when I heard my name being called on the stadium.
"Still mad?" He asked me with a huge smirk on his face causing me to push him back.
"Don't go getting full of yourself." I said while walking out causing him laugh.
"How'd it go?" I asked Shikamaru as I passed him on the way to the stadium.
"I forfeit."
"You what?" I asked surprised as I walked backwards, which was a bad idea when I bumped into someone; the contact causing me to have a vision. Explosions everywhere, fire... an attack on the village and the Hokage's death. I've never had so many visions just by touching one person, I turned to face Temari. "Watch it!" She said pushing passed me.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion as I made my way to the center of the stadium. When I told the Hokage about the vision I had of his death he told me he's was going to be around for a long time, not to worry, but he knew that an Irai's visions are all to accurate and this confirmed that it was sooner than he thought. I looked up to where the Hokage and Kazekage were; it was the same place I saw in my vision.
"Are you ready?" the match referee sounded annoyed it must not have been the first time he asked me that. I nodded my head. I was up against a ninja from the sound village. "You may begin." I was paralyzed, I couldn't fight. Not now, knowing what was about to happen. I dogged the sound ninja when he came at me and the next second I found myself forfeiting. 'Tora, what's wrong?' I heard Sasuke ask me telepathically.
'Something's not right.' I told him and appeared next to the Hokage.
"Tora." The Hokage sounded disappointed.
"It's amazing that you were able to get passed my sand ninja with almost no effort at all." I heard the Kazekage say to me and it wasn't till he spoke that I realized how on edge his guards were. "You are very skilled for a genin." He complimented, but something about him was off.
"No need to worry Kazekage Tora is harmless..." The Hokage looked over to me. "Most of the time." He joked with a smile.
"I find that insulting."
"Why did you forfeit?"
"My vision-" The Hokage interrupted me. "Tora we've talked about this."
"But I had another and I fear it will take place today."
"We both know that an Irai's visions are absolute. You cannot change-" now I interrupted him. "I can try." He was trying to get rid of me, but that was not going to happen. I was going to stay next to him and make sure everything was going to be ok.
Sasuke was up next and the interest the Kazekage show in Sasuke was somewhat disturbing. The battle got more intense and so did the Kazekage.
"Kazekage, forgive me for being rude and not properly introducing myself. I'm Tora Irai." I said to him I had to know it what I was thinking was true the similarities were just too much. The Kazekage nodded his head but refused a hand shake. "I know very well who you are and I rather not shake hands with a 'lab rat'."
"Excuse me?" I couldn't believe what I just heard him say. In seconds my visions started to unfold there were explosions, fires and a snake attacking the village. The Kazekage was Orochimaru in disguise and a battle between the Hokage and Orochimaru was about to begin. I couldn't let this happen; I couldn't let the Hokage die. I headed straight at Orochimaru about to attack with a fire jutsu when out of nowhere snakes flew at me from all sides. "Tora!" I heard the Hokage call out to me but it was too late the snakes were already rapping themselves around me to hold me in place.
"Now, now my 'little lab rat' this is not your fight." The Hokage and Orochimaru began to fight while I was forced to watch.
"Don't die old man." I said while trying to break free. 'I hate snakes. I hate snakes. I hate snakes...' Of all the things why did it have to be snakes? Their hissing was getting to me and every time I managed to break free of one two more took its place rapping themselves tighter around me; causing me to yell in pain. I heard Sasuke call out to me telepathically and I assured him I was fine; I lied and he knew it. The Hokage was getting beat by Orochimaru, I had to help him. I finally managed to break free by burning the snakes off. I made my way to where the Hokage was battling but I was too late he was dead and Orochimaru was gone.
I felt something in me snap; I wanted to destroy everyone that helped make this happen. My whole body caught fire it was hot but the flames did not seem to hurt me and as if I was on auto pilot I headed for the giant snake while it was distracted with the leaf ninja I landed on his back and placed my hand on it burning it to a crisp within seconds. Two sound ninja came at me but before they had the chance to get near me they were engulfed in flames. As the battle came to an end I couldn't stop, I was so angry, so sad. I couldn't control myself and I barely recognized anyone of the leaf ninja in front of me; I hurt so much everything felt unreal. I barely recognized Konohamaru and Kurenai in front of me urging me to stop; 'Tora, it's over.' it wasn't till I heard Sasuke's voice telepathically that I stopped. When the flames around me vanished I fell to my knees crying; I can't remember the last time I cried. "I'm sorry." I said but not referring to the leaf ninja I attacked but to the Hokage who I couldn't save. Konohamaru, also crying, came up to me and hugged me.