Chapter 25 - Young and Beautiful

Somo

Author's note:

Hey guys thank you for all of the support you have given my little fanfiction so far. I never expected this story to have this many followers or favorites. I assumed that a story which suggests a romantic pairing with Orochimaru would only attract a small niche of people, but I was pleasantly surprised with the interest.

We are near the end of Ren's story. When I post the next chapter I will include the storyboard process and random background information that you might find interesting. I'll also do a small Q&A if there is interest. If you have questions about the characters or story please ask them in a review below or PM me with them by the end of this week.

The next chapter is the official end of the story, but I also wrote a juicy epilogue that is over twice the length of a normal chapter for the week following. Thank you especially those who have left kind reviews and helped me keep motivated to write this story.

"... I'm not interested in his plans…"

"... This is insurance…"

"... You fool…"

"... Leave her…"

"... Over my dead body…"

Ren's whole being and brain hurt indescribably. Was she dead or alive? She didn't know… She was so tired. She just wanted to sleep forever and never wake up.

"... we'll do it your way…"

"...As if you could..."

"Orochimaru…"

Her mind went back to a memory, not a memory of this world but of a life past. She was twenty-one again and visiting Japan.

"Karen, look it's the bridge!" Hope, one of Karen's friends said to her.

Karen looked up having been lost in thought and stared wide-eyed at the Kintaikyo bridge in Iwakuni Japan.

"Wow, it's magnificent." She said.

Her other friend, Kai, driving the car, went on to explain the history of the bridge with Karen only half listening. Normally she would be paying attention to every detail but today she couldn't help but find herself lost in her own thoughts while looking at that marvelous bridge. She was feeling off… but couldn't explain why.

They found parking and walked to the base of the bridge. It was April and the area was crowded with tourists as per usual during that season. Karen and her friends stopped and got some ice cream, Hope being brave enough to try one of the infamous flavors of that area.

"I told you not to get ramen flavored…" Kai said after Hope's face revealed her disgust.

"I know, I should have listened." Hope moaned. After sticking her tongue out she laughed and asked. "Hey, Karen, do you wanna walk the bridge with us?"

Karen looked at the beautiful Sakura trees with all the couples taking pictures underneath them.

"No thanks, I wanna go explore around the shops a little bit. But why don't you two go?" Karen replied pleasantly. She knew Kai was interested in Hope and was wanting a chance to spend some time alone with her that day. Kai gave Karen a mouthed "thank you" when Hope's back was turned, and she replied with a "you're welcome" as the two of them went off to pay the fee to walk the bridge.

Karen finished her ice cream slowly, and enjoyed the nice weather and sakura blossoms before heading off to check out the shops. She wasn't Japanese, but had always felt at home in Japan for some reason. As she walked towards the Iwakuni castle she saw a small shop with a white snake logo quite visible. She entered inside and browsed the many trinkets. She saw a lot of white snake omiyage and debated purchasing them.

The old lady owner at the head of the shop noticed her interest and told her in simple Japanese that this area was famous for the white snake. Karen asked her a follow up question in decent enough Japanese that the grandma elaborated on the history of the snake, happy to do so comfortably in her native language. Karen had always liked snakes, as eerie as they were to some, and the white snake reminded her of Orochimaru from the Naruto manga that she had liked so much as a teenager.

Karen picked a snake magnet to buy, but the grandma got a look in her eye and shook her head. She told Karen to wait and came out with a small blue gem necklace on a thin chain instead.

Karen wasn't one for jewelry, so she initially thought to reject it, wanting some snake memorabilia instead, but something about that necklace drew her to it. Without really thinking about it she told the lady she would buy the necklace.

The Grandma told Karen "she had a feeling this is something she would like" and offered to put the necklace on her. Karen agreed, and looked at herself in the small shop mirror. When Karen asked for the price however, the grandma just shook her head and with a twinkle in her eye told her it was a gift.

Karen exited the gift shop happy, albeit a little confused at the old lady's refusal of her money.

On the small trail back to the bridge, Karen stopped in her tracks when she saw something unusual. On one of the rocks nearby sunbathing was a small white snake with piercing eyes. She couldn't believe her luck in finding one of them.

She and the snake made eye contact and then she noticed a glint of light below her chin. She looked down at the necklace, confused at the momentary glow and convinced herself that it was due to some reflected light.

But when she looked back at the snake he was gone, and so she followed the trail back to her friends.

Orochimaru walked in the cave listening to the drips from the water that gathered near the points in the ceiling only to meet a splashing fate at the bottom of the cave. In front of him laid Ume, or perhaps he should think of her as Ren, he wondered to himself, as she seemed to prefer that name in recent years, slumped over limply on Jugo's back .

One of the water droplets landed near her face and splashed onto her nose causing her face to wrinkle up. He wished he could redirect the flow of water so as not to disturb her further.

No, I think I shall always call her Ume, he decided for himself after her face calmed again.

This wasn't how he imagined their reunion to be, should it ever have occurred in the first place. He had not exactly been "living" by traditional definitions in the past months, merely observing through his experiments, Kabuto in particular. But Kabuto had made a mess of things, getting involved in politics, and it was only to be expected that Sasuke would eventually stop Kabuto to get more answers.

But that is how Orochimaru always played the game. Make yourself indispensable, he thought to himself.

Still time in limbo had had its effect on him. Perhaps the decision to choose Sasuke as his future dwelling was… unwise. Afterall he had underestimated his strength which had led to limbo in the first place. His eyes went back to Ren as she began to stir.

But there's no use dwelling about the past.

Ren first recognized that she was uncomfortable, then the feeling gradually grew to a pulsing dull pain in her head and right arm. She wondered why her head hurt so bad. Images of Sasuke flashed before her.

She opened her eyes. She was being carried by someone.

At first she feared she was blind because of the continued darkness, but after a few blinks her eyes she realized that her eyes were covered by a cloth. She smelled the damp chilly air and figured they must be somewhere underground. She tried to move her wrists but found they were also tied together so that the palms were facing opposite and she couldn't make any hand signs.

"Hey, Sasuke I think she's awake." The man who was carrying her said. His voice was low, she figured it was the redhead.

Ren thought of young childhood days playing "hide and seek" when she would cover her face under the stairs and genuinely believed that so long as you couldn't see the searcher, they couldn't find you either. She wished for that now.

The person who was holding her stopped walking. She heard a sigh of relief from someone to the right, and assumed they had been travelling for awhile. How long had she been out?

The man carrying her slid her off his back against a cold rock wall. He was gentle not to hit her head against the wall, which she internally thanked him for.

Sasuke didn't necessarily afford her the same kindness when taking off her bandana moments after.

They made eye contact. Ren wished to see the innocent eyes she glimpsed moments before her blackout, but unfortunately found them rather inimical.

"... So, you decided not to kill me?" She asked him coldly, knowing it put her in an invidious situation.

Sasuke responded back with equal sentiment. "Still debating it."

She heard the familiar low chuckle from across the room and clenched her jaw when she saw the amber eyes. She was sure her face revealed it all.

"Now there's no need to be reckless, is there?" Orochimaru spoke.

Ren could see from the corner of her eye Sasuke's mouth turn up in a small smile at her facial reaction to seeing Orochimaru. She really had been passed out for quite some time she reckoned, if they were able to bring him back without her noticing.

Sasuke turned his head and made eye contact with Orochimaru. "You get her after the deal is done."

Orochimaru, still smiling, gave a small nod to that.

It took a moment for Ren's brain to catch up. Why was Sasuke using her as a bargaining chip with Orochimaru? Didn't he know that Orochimaru let her go? …

Ren and her old sensei made eye contact again.

… Maybe he doesn't know.

As if Orochimaru could read her mind, his next words confirmed her thoughts. "It's been a long time, Ume. I pray you learned your lesson about escaping, because another try at that won't be successful for you, I fear."

Ren wondered whether time being dead had improved his character or not. She certainly didn't trust him to play along with Sasuke for her benefit but perhaps it would afford her enough time to convince him to give her the necklace.

Ren expected Sasuke to limit her interactions with Orochimaru during the break lest she escape with him, but on the contrary Sasuke seemed rather disinterested in the two of them entirely. Sasuke appeared to think that both Orochimaru and Ren were too weak to escape, and while offended, lucky for him he was correct.

They were given some rations for food, and left mostly to themselves while those who had been travelling rested. The exception being Sasuke, who sat near the furthest reach of the cave and seemed not to sleep at all.

Only after the redhead and sharkboy were asleep did Orochimaru slink over to where Ren was sitting.

"It's been awhile." he said to her while standing over her. His looming figure cast a shadow in the already darkened cave. It was only when she looked up and acknowledged his presence that he sat down next to her.

Ren wished Kakashi were near.

"This is not where I expected to find you, surely I taught you better than to be captured." He said.

"You seemed to forget that you yourself are in the same predicament." Ren added cooly.

Orochimaru smiled at that remark. "I prefer to think of myself as paying off a debt to Sasuke for restoring my life. I happen to be quite invested in what he will do with his new found knowledge..."

Ren turned her head away and looked forward to where Sasuke was sitting silently. She was not interested in listening to Orochimaru twist any words today. He seemed to take the hint.

His smile faded from his face momentarily and he repositioned himself putting more space between them. "... But that's not what I came over to talk with you about."

Ren remained focused on Sasuke.

There was silence while Orochimaru carefully reached into his pocket. Ren's face turned to him wondering what he was doing. When they made eye contact he put a finger to his mouth to remind her they were being listened to. After making sure Sasuke was not moving, he put the finger down and his other hand remained frozen in the pocket.

He continued. "All the time inside my own head recently has given me a lot to think about. I wouldn't normally admit to any of this so I would appreciate it if you would listen to my next words as they are likely never to be repeated."

Ren's eyes widened and her stomach clenched.

"I'll keep it short and simple as you seem to have grown to distaste my manner of speaking. I abhor looking at the past- but for you I'll briefly return. As you know I haven't been a good man in many years, but I hope you will extend to me the courtesy of believing that I wasn't always this way."

His eyes turned up as he reflected on memories.

"There was a time when you were the very center of my existence. If only it could have remained that way..."

Sasuke stirred. Orochimaru looked to him and then back to Ren.

"... But time has never been on our side has it?" He smiled again, but this time with a sincere smile meant to soften the sad truth revealed.

The statement evoked buried emotion in Ren and she struggled to keep it controlled. Tears rose in her eyes. Orochimaru pulled the necklace out of his pocket silently and folded it into Ren's hand. He held her hand with both of his.

Sasuke stood up, suspicious of what was taking place.

He whispered the next words. "Don't cry dear, we've managed to meet in two different realms now. Perhaps we will figure it out on the third try..."

Ren blinked and tears slid down her face and nodded.

Before Sasuke could reach them, Orochimaru removed his hands and Ren blinked.

And then there was darkness.