Hey guys I'm glad you're still enjoying this fic as much as I'm enjoying writing it. I hope you like this chapter, it's got a bit of action for you though it'll get much more heated next chapter I won't lie.
It didn't take them long to reach the meeting point that had been pre arranged, and when they got close Naruto was ordered to stay back and hide some distance away among some trees.
Thankfully they'd arrived slightly early, and so they were there before Orochimaru and Naruto had the chance to hide-which did feel ridiculously unnatural given the fact that she was a fighter through and through-but truthfully she knew that if she didn't it'd just cause more trouble.
Of course it wasn't long before Orochimaru arrived, stopping a short distance from Tsunade.
"So. Have you made your decision?" The snake's voice was low, and Tsunade nodded.
"I have one condition." Tsunade's voice was firm, "I will heal your arms Orochimaru. But you have to stay away from Konoha. If you'll bring them back for me I'll heal your arms."
"Wonderful." Orochimaru had a sly smirk on his lips as he moved forward, "I promise you Tsunade, I won't lay a hand on Konoha. If you give me back my arms I'll leave the village alone." and Tsunade moved forward too as Orochimaru offered up his arms-and clearly even that was a struggle, for Tsunade, who held out her own hands, a glowing ball of blue chakra held within them.
Naruto leaned forward eagerly, a bloodthirsty grin on her lips-hey it wasn't her fault if Kurama rubbed off on her slightly at times-
"Oh admit it brat, you enjoy a bit of violence and bloodshed even more than I do if it's directed at someone you don't like."
"Eh, maybe just this once. He really has it coming y'know?"
"I know. Believe me I know."
The blonde forced herself to focus again-and then a kunai was flying towards Tsunade who leapt backwards away from Orochimaru and Naruto resisted the urge to use some very descriptive swear words that Kurama had taught her when she was still little-the Bijuu had found it hilarious and declared that it was corrupting her innocence when Rin had muttered that he was just a sly little asshole.
Her gaze tracked back along the path of the kunai and her eyes narrowed when she spotted a familiar grey haired figure. That little bastard.
Kabuto. It was Kabuto she'd known there was something wrong about him he was a traitor!
She saw Tsunade's gaze moving to Kabuto too as the boy moved and jumped down behind Orochimaru, who was glaring at Tsunade now.
"What is the meaning of this? Am I to understand that you really came here to betray me?"
And Tsunade glared towards the two traitors.
"You don't think I believed you do you? You'd never leave Konoha in peace."
"After all I've offered you, you would repay me by trying to kill me? Fortunately I can depend on Kabuto-kuns loyalty, a good thing he arrived in time to feel your intentions."
"I know enough about Medical ninjutsu that I could sense that it was an attack." Kabuto's voice was perfectly calm and Naruto had an intense urge-she wanted to strange him.
"Can I eat him?"
"... Maybe after I've beaten the shit into him."
"To think I was going to restore your loved ones to you. I even agreed to leave Konoha alone."
"I've already told you, I knew your promise was a lie." Tsunade was looking down. "But even so... I almost gave in. I almost sacrificed everything to see them again. To see their smiles again and hear their voices-" and Naruto could feel the waves of shame and grief coming off of the woman, "I love them... I loved them so much. The chance to see them again-to hold them in my arms... but then something happened... that girl made me remember something I've been trying to forget-" and Naruto's eyes widened.
That girl could only be referring to her. It seemed her words had an impact, "She made me remember their dream, the dream they died for. You said once that all things on earth crumble and fade away. I wish that were true. I wish this feeling would go away but I know it never will."
"It seems we've reached an impasse. It seems I have no choice but to take what I need by force."
And Tsunade looked up, eyes opening-and Naruto could feel the grief being locked away-still there but not overpowering anymore.
"I'd like to see you try." Naruto leapt down from the tree she'd been perched in, strolling almost casually to Tsunade's side, and she saw Kabuto's eyes narrow and Orochimaru tense, his eyes going wide, "And I don't even just mean because you'd have to get through me to force Tsunade-sama to heal you." she remarked casually, "Oh, hi Kabuto-san you disgusting little traitor." she gave a sunny smile and a little wave, "I'm going to tear you limb from limb soon, just a word of warning-"
"You." Kabuto's eyes narrowed before flicking to Orochimaru, who's expression was one of pure hate."
"Am I missing something?" Tsunade frowned, "Naruto-chan is there something you left out."
"I feel like Orochimaru's the one who left out the most." Naruto gave a smug smirk, "I guess you haven't heard how he tried and failed to launch an attack on Konoha."
"What?" Tsunade's eyes widened "Why didn't you tell me! Wait is that the fight where you injured your arms?" Her gaze swung to Orochimaru,
"Sensei-oh Kami did you hurt Sensei?"
And Orochimaru looked as if he would gladly murder Naruto then and there, and the girl just gave an innocent grin. "Do you wanna tell her or should I?"
"You really are a meddlesome brat aren't you?" Orochimaru snarled. "You-"
"He attempted to kill the Sandaime by summoning the three other Hokage using Edo Tensei." Naruto said, as if that wasn't a completely terrifying
prospect, and she ignored the way Tsunade's mouth dropped open in horror, "Fortunately he failed on resurrecting my dad. And uh-I was tipped off before the attack by my friend Gaara-kun who just so happens to be a fellow Jinchuriki who's seal I fixed, so I'd already come up with a plan for how to deal with the attack. Which included me placing a Hirashin seal on the Hokage's back."
"You-" Tsunade's eyes flicked between them "Are you saying you got yourself involved in a fight between my sensei and my old teammate?"
"Yep."
"If it wasn't for her Sensei would be dead already." Orochimaru snapped, "She's a meddling little brat-"
"I sealed up the first two Hokage's-I'm a Fuinjutsu master." Naruto declared smugly-and Tsunade was looking more and more stunned as Orochimaru got more and more pissed off, and Kabuto also looked pretty pissed off actually. "Then I came up with a genius plan and-admittedly it failed. As is obvious in the fact that Orochimaru is still, in fact, alive, see Orochimaru's arms were hit by my first ever successful Rasenshuriken."
"Rasenshuriken?" Tsunade's brows furrowed, "What-is that to do with the Rasengan?"
"Oh yeah." Naruto nodded, "It's a Rasegnan merged with my wind chakra-" Tsunade nearly choked on air at that, her eyes bulging.
"You actually completed your fathers justsu? He could never do that-"
"I know right?" Naruto was giving a huge goofy grin, "I'm totally awesome."
"Wait so.." Tsunade turned her head to look at Orochimaru. "You got your arms blown off by a twelve year old?" that made the man snarl.
"Soon enough they will be back in perfect working order and both of you pests will be dead-"
"Ooh, scary." Naruto's voice was sing song, Tsunade was clearly trying not to laugh at Naruto's complete and total lack of respect for the snake Sannin "Also, they really won't be."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kabuto demanded, his eyes narrowed, "As if you'd know anything about medica-"
"My mom's a medic dickwad." Naruto rolled her eyes, "I know all the theory-but that's not why I know that his arms are pretty much unfix able-even
if you could get them working again you wouldn't exactly be able to fight well."
"What do you mean?" Orochimaru's eyes were narrowed, and Naruto gave a cheeky grin.
"Well you see-and I didn't know this until I spoke to Kurama after the fight-that's the Kyubi's name-" she ignored the startled look Tsunade gave her, "And he explained what the hell I'd really done-now that was an intense conversation. He doesn't want me using the Rasenshuriken unless I have no other choice cause it does cause some damage to my arm too-even if it's a lot less than the damage it does to you. Anyways according to him... once the initial shuriken shape implodes or whatever it breaks into lots and lots of tiny chakra blades which don't just do physical damage but cellular-" she saw the three other shinobi's eyes widen in shock, "The blades essentially disconnect the Chakra network. Even if you can get your arms healed enough to use taijutsu you'll never be able to use them to mold chakra again.
That got a reaction. Orochimaru's eyes grew wide and Kabuto jerked back in shock. "I created one of the most lethal jutsu ever. Even if you survive you're fucked."
"You're lying-"
"As much as I'd feel zero guilt for lying to you over this I'm really not." Naruto was grinning smugly, "Honestly, this is just one of those occasions where the truth is better than the lie."
"Brat." Tsunade's lips were twitching, "You really are something else aren't you?"
"Yes, yes I am." Naruto nodded sagely, a proud gleam in her eyes, "I mean-what can I say? I kick ass." she curled her fingers into fists, tilting her head, "So. You two wanna fight do you? Well I'm pretty sure Tsunade-sama and I can kick your asses." then Naruto was moving, rushing at the two traitors, and Tsunade was by her side, Tsunade targeting Orochimaru while Naruto targeted Kabuto, and the boy was fast she had to admit as he took off and she followed-she had faith in Tsunade's skills, the blonde woman had the advantage of two working arms after all.
Kabuto eventually came to a stop in a more open area, exposed-well that was just fine with Naruto, it meant that there would be less collateral damage.
They both came to a halt facing one another and Naruto clenched her fist, tilting her head to the side slightly. "I knew there was something off about you as soon as I met you."
"I could say much the same." Kabuto pushed his glasses up, an almost curious look on his face, "I didn't expect to learn that you stood against Orochimaru-sama in the Forest of Death though-he was injured when I found him."
"I'll admit I wasn't in great shape myself." Naruto acknowledged, "But then, I didn't go all out."
"The long lost daughter of the Yondaime returns." Kabuto hummed, "If I had realized who you were I'd have taken you much more seriously from the moment I met you."
"You know what they say-you should never judge a book by it's cover."
"I knew you were different of course. But this.. I could have never imagined that you were as strong as you clearly are. It's impressive for your age, truly it is."
"I really don't need to be told that by you." Naruto gave him a disgusted look, "No offense Kabuto-san, but honestly, right now all I want to do is beat the ever loving shit into you."
"That must be the Uzumaki temper." Kabuto remarked, slipping into a defensive stance, "From what I know you seem to take more after your mother than your father."
"I have been told that by people who actually knew her. I have no interest in your opinions of my strength, my personality or my parentage." Naruto's voice was sharp, "I know who I am, what I am and why I am. Which is better than most people honestly. Now, are we gonna fight or are you going to talk at me all day?"
"As you wish." and then they were fighting-and it was very obvious that Kabuto was simply trying to gauge her skills during the first short bout of taijutsu before they pulled apart, and he nodded approvingly.
"You must train very hard."
"All day every day." Naruto shruged before rushing at him again, this time harder and faster-and he was struggling she noticed- that was interesting.
Time to up the stakes-she smirked to herself, hands moving-and then there were a dozen lookalikes all rushing Kabuto and she leaped back away from him, forming a Rasengan even as she did, slipping behind him while he fended off the clones from the front.
Unfortunately for Naruto he caught on a just in time and managed to twist enough that the Rasegan hit his shoulder rather than his back.
Still let out out a shocked cry-but as he did he was twisting and-her eyes widened in shock when she saw that his hands were glowing blue-and his hand sliced at her arm, slicing downwards from just below the shoulder towards the elbow-and Naruto gritted her teeth in pain as the sharp edge of the chakra acted as a blade.
Oh he was good wasn't he?
The thought was bitter and angry and she gritted her teeth-he'd sliced through muscle she could feel it-why was it always her right arm for fuck sake?
She shook her head, forcing away the thought as she moved.
Kurama still wasn't healing her either-not unless it was life or death-he needed to conserve his chakra so he could recover faster-a fact that she mentally hissed at him when he tried to offer to help.
They both fell back panting, Kabuto clutching his shoulder and Naruto clutching her bloody arm they stood sizing each other, right until Naruto heard a faint pained yell from some distance away.
That sounded like Tsunde.
Before Kabuto could react Naruto was taking off lightning fast, hands flashing through the familiar signs-and then she was next to Tsunade-who had dropped to her knees, she didn't look injured-other than a bruise on her cheek, but she wasn't getting up, her face had gone deathly pale.
Her expression was one of horror, and she was shaking.
Naruto turned her head and her heart dropped-Orochimaru had a kunai in his mouth-he'd sliced the bandages off his arms-which were twisted and mangled-and his right arm had a new gash over the damage Naruto had done.
He'd sliced his own arm open Naruto realized-and it was dripping blood.
Blood.
And Tsunade was afraid of blood.
Well fuck.
