Happy Tues-Yay everyone!
I hope you all had a fantastic week.
Not much to say this week, so let's jump right into it!
HOPEFULLY I upload the correct chapter this time around, yes?
Chapter 27: Boo. You're No Fun!
Percy hummed happily to himself as he watched his little gremlins beat the snot out of each other in a free-for-all Battle Royale.
This last week had been the happiest week he'd had in months it seemed.
First, and most importantly, Inoue had finally woken up just two days ago. Percy laughed to himself as he replayed the fond memory for the umpteenth time.
Her eyes had fluttered open and immediately found his. She smiled so warmly, so full of love.
Before suddenly transforming into a fire-breathing vengeance demon.
Percy had spent the next three hours alternating between laughing uproariously as Inoue cursed Yagura's existence into the ground and working on soothing and calming her so she could finish recovering.
He hadn't known what to expect when she had finally woken up. Part of him probably thought it would be like the scene in sleeping beauty.
Then again, Inoue had stated numerous times since he had known her that she wasn't a princess. She had certainly proved that true.
But after hearing her story of how events truly played out, Percy didn't blame her in the slightest for wanting to track the man down and rip his throat out.
Her words, not Percy's.
Gods, she was sexy when she was on a rampage.
Apparently, as soon as Inoue had Yagura at a disadvantage, he began to fight dirty. They were shinobi, so that was to be expected.
However, using your own citizens - innocent women and children at that – as human shields?
Well, just tick one more box on Yagura's checklist for why he was the shittiest Kage in history.
There was one bright spot to be gleaned from this entire ordeal.
Percy was even more madly in love with the powerful kunoichi than he had ever been.
The two-year anniversary of his first meeting with Team Seven was rapidly approaching. That day was the day that Percy learned about the existence of both Biju, as well as their Jinchuriki.
Since then, he'd learned quite a bit about the barbaric practice.
Percy was a Demi-God. He was literally bred for war. Fighting was in his genetics. His heightened senses and reflexes, the reasons he had struggled as a student for so many years, were the smallest cases of evidence to back that claim.
So, he could understand the theory and tactical maneuvering that came with the practice of sealing sentient chakra entities into humans who could then harness their power.
As Mei had explained to him, it was the First Hokage's attempt to create a balance of power between the strongest nations on the planet.
If you had humans that transcended even the most elite soldiers in your ranks; soldiers with the potential to reduce an entire city to ash, you'd have a modicum of protection from foreign invasion.
If every hostile Nation also had such a solider in their ranks, it would deter their enemies from attacking them in fear of retaliation from what was essentially this world's version of a nuclear bomb.
Percy had to agree, that in theory, it was an excellent military strategy.
In practice? It was a load of horse shit.
Percy had always struggled in school, but that didn't mean he was stupid. He just had difficulties concentrating, especially on things that he had no interest in.
Things that caught his attention though? Percy could lose himself for hours.
And that's exactly what he had done during his downtime these last few weeks. He had read all about the three wars that had erupted through these lands in the last five decades. He had made sure to get varying accounts of each major battle.
History is written by the victors, as they say.
However, the losers also write about their own accounts from their own perspective.
To get the truth, you need the perspective from both sides. Then, you have to sift through the preening and peacocking of the winners. You have to muck through the bitterness, resentment, and finger-pointing of the losers.
Pulling a piece from the winners, a piece from the losers, bit by bit, you can get a pretty clear picture of what actually transpired.
Percy had had to laugh at himself when he had come up with this method of finding the truth. Though the laughter was full of bittersweet irony.
Back home on his Earth, he didn't really involve himself too much in the everyday lives of normal humans. However, he did catch snippets and pieces from school. Especially once he had started High School.
Every year, it became harder and harder to be an uninterested bystander in the politics of his world. Where it was once a separate entity altogether from everyday life, day by day, politics and real life began to become intertwined. To the point where it seemed like the political party you affiliated with had become the 21st century personality test.
Apparently, if you were part of one party, you were instantly judged and your entire personality was assumed based off the popular opinion by the opposite party.
Either you were a racist, homophobic, bigot who also hated women and wanted to enact a patriarchal theocracy.
Or, you were a sensitive snowflake who wanted world peace by becoming a tree-hugging vegan whose only hobby was to get incredibly upset on behalf of others and go protest instead of working.
Percy had no idea what had happened for the world to become such a strange place. Sally Jackson said it was because of the internet. Percy had rolled his eyes when she first claimed that it would be the downfall of humanity.
Looking back, she might have been onto something.
In his opinion, the responsible thing to do was to look at each issue by itself and come to a decision based on your own personal morals and values.
Not to just go with what your friends are saying or what you think is expected of you.
He didn't care either way. He had no plans on involving himself in politics, or humans in general. He had more important things to worry about.
Like saving the world and slaying monsters.
Priorities, right?
As the years went by though, Percy found it hard not to get involved. When he left, it was to the point where it was expected of you to have an opinion. An opinion that someone else came up with, not your own. And if you went against the masses, you were ostracized and ridiculed.
Percy had watched friendships that had lasted years disintegrate in seconds all because the people involved had different views on a particular subject.
It was sad. Percy had been raised to always respect the opinion of others, even if you didn't agree. If you couldn't sit down and talk out your difference, then you agreed to disagree and moved on with your lives. Now though?
Well, this was all irrelevant to his current situation.
He still didn't know when or even if he'd be going home. So, thinking about it was a waste of time.
The political unrest and tension of his world would be a problem for the future.
For now, the only thing it had taught Percy was the skill he used to get the true account of what happened during each of the war.
At one point in time, Journalists went to great lengths, sometimes risking their very lives, to uncover and report the unblemished truth; no matter the outcome or political ramifications.
These days, they were nothing but propaganda mouthpieces for the various political factions. "Garbage," is what his mom had once said after turning off a news broadcaster who wasn't even attempting to hide their biased opinions.
Percy had to agree. However, while each network and station may lean one way or another, they all did report current events and breaking news. Granted, it was saturated in biased opinions, finger pointing, and often time's just pure slander.
What Percy had found out though, was that by watching or reading the news from multiple sources from both sides of the spectrum, he could piece together, little by little, what the truth actually was. Day by day, he got better at picking out truth from lie. And day by day, he was able to come to a conclusion.
Humans were stupid, and they enjoy war and fighting far more than they'd ever admit.
They speak about cooperation, unity, and peace.
Then the second the "other guys" say something they disagree with, those notions are left in the mud and trampled on.
Humans would rather devolve into screaming toddlers who name call, point fingers, and deflect the blame, rather than act like grown adults who sit down and really discuss the issues and get to the root cause.
Why?
Because one is easy, and one is hard.
And at the end of the day, people are lazy. They would rather do the bare minimum than put in even a fraction of extra effort.
During his reading and research; after pouring over dozens of books, tomes, and scrolls, Percy had come to a sad realization.
Even in another time, another reality, humans never change.
This world was plagued by, while not carbon copies of his world's problems, the root causes very strikingly similar.
One country had what another wanted.
This country offended that one somehow.
You're the enemy because you have different beliefs than we do.
Hell, Percy was a Commander in a revolutionary army fighting their legally elected leader because the people didn't like a policy change.
Granted, that policy change was the eradication of an entire group of people based on who they were born to. So, it was a justified revolution any way you look at it.
Revolutions in his world had been started for far less.
But… the fact that they even had to fight such a war was all the more evidence he needed that humans would never change.
They would always find some reason to continue the violence and bloodshed. They would always find some reason to justify their actions. And, they would always choose the easier road of war, rather than the hard road of peace.
In war, you either win or lose. It's only in rare circumstances that any other outcome is reached.
War is easy. You fight, you die, and when the smoke clears, you either celebrate the victors. Or, you mourn your losses.
While the victors lord their victory and spoils over the losers, the losers begin to resent and hate their conquerors. That hatred bubbles and festers for years – decades. Until finally, the pot comes to a boil and the cycle begins anew.
While war is bloody and horrifying, there's only two outcomes.
For peace to take root, blossom, and then flourish, you have to actively work for it. Day in, and day out. You don't get to take a break. There is no lull in the battle for peace.
It's hard, and takes daily, weekly, monthly, yearly hard work to maintain.
And for mankind, that's just too much effort. Because there will never come a day when you stop working and simply expect the peace to continue itself.
Much easier to invade, destroy, and conquer your enemies. Enslave them, then indoctrinate them. And while that works for a time, eventually, the pot of simmering hatred will begin to simmer once again.
Taking all that into account, Percy had dove headfirst into his research on this world and its history with war.
The first war was surprisingly hard to find information on. Percy had asked Ao, who while not old enough to have participated in the first war, was born shortly after the Armistice Treaty was signed by the Five Great Nations.
Ao had informed him that information was so scare from the first war because of how catastrophically devastating it was for every single nation. Had the Kage not come to a consensus and reached a mutually beneficial peace, many had theorized it would have been the end for the village system that was still in its infancy.
Ao told him that before war had been officially declared by any country, skirmishes, both small and large, took place across the continent. The newly established Hidden Villages wanted to flex their newfound military strength by taking land and resources from old enemies and anyone else they could overpower.
That was when Hashirama Senju called for the first ever Kage Summit, at which he distributed the tailed beasts like they were luxury items to the other nations in hopes of creating a tentative unspoken peace that no one wanted to break.
While it worked for the smaller skirmishes with the less powerful Hidden Villages, it had the opposite effect on the Great Villages. Emboldened by the new power they had been gifted, each village wanted to establish themselves as the strongest power in the world.
All-out war between all five great nations tore throughout the land and nearly destroyed everything until the Armistice Treaty was signed.
What caught Percy's attention about the entire ordeal was that, though the distribution of the Biju was the root cause of the escalation of the war, he couldn't find even a mention of any of them being used on the battlefield.
Not even the Kyubi, who scholars say was the first tailed beast to be sealed away and tamed by none other than Mito Uzumaki, Hashirama Senju's wife. One of the most powerful kunoichi to ever walk the planet.
The Armistice Treaty held for nearly two decades. Alas, the greed of humans once again prevailed, and war once again raged through the lands.
In the lead up to the second war, many of the villages, both major and minor, had mostly recovered both their military strength, as well as their economic strength.
However, there were a few that weren't so lucky. Their economies were in tatters and on the verge of collapse. The less fortunate villages began forming factions, and under the guise of "expending fair rights" they began to take military action to expand their territories and take resources by force.
Tensions mounted, skirmishes broke out. And once the coalition of Iwa and Suna began to encroach on Konoha's territory, war was officially declared.
Due to the main participants of the second war, much of the fighting took place and ravaged the small country of Rain. Amekagure was caught in the crossfire between three juggernaut villages. It was in this war that gave birth to Konoha's Sannin after they were the only ones to survive an attack from Hanzo the Salamander.
As a "reward," he dubbed them Sannin and let them live. Though the title was given in mockery, the three Konoha shinobi wore the title with pride. Years later, the connotation between "failure" and "Sannin" was all but forgotten, as each of the shinobi who had been given the title went on to be recognized as three of the strongest shinobi to ever be recorded in history.
While the second war only lasted half of what the first war had, the devastation it wrought was even greater than the first. Knowledge and experience gained in the first war gave birth to new and destructive military tactics that rent the world asunder.
There was no official declaration that ended the second war either. It seemed as though each country pulled back one by one as their military power dwindled to bare minimum until none remained fighting.
Percy noticed once again that, while each country had in fact deployed their Jinchuriki out into the field during this war, none of them made any significant contribution that would have turned the tide in favor of their country. They were treated just like any other shinobi. Albeit powerful ones you didn't want to meet in a dark alley, still just foot soldiers.
No devastating powers unleashed. No nukes dropped on unsuspecting cities.
Nothing.
The timing between the second and third war was much shorter than the time between the first and second. While still licking their wounds and recovering, the minor villages across the globe who had managed to avoid being sucked into the last war, saw an opening to establish themselves as one of the new superpowers.
Skirmishes and guerilla tactics waged along the border of every major village. Day by day, the intensity of the fighting grew more and more deadly. Eventually, minor villages began to throw their support behind some of the big hitters in the hopes that upon the conclusion of the conflict, they would be rewarded with big payouts.
Eventually, nearly every country, both big and small, was drug into what was the most deadly and destructive war of them all.
Tens of thousands of shinobi died. Civilian deaths across the globe skyrocketed. Refugees ran in circles just trying to find a single place to find safety in.
Once again, Konoha and Iwa were the biggest aggressors. The resentment and animosity was still as raw as a new stab wound. While the third war was the shortest of the three, the devastation it left behind made the last two wars look like schoolyard slap fights.
Percy was shocked to learn that in this war, there was an actual attempt to use a Biju in a way that was intended.
Total annihilation.
What shocked Percy even more was that it was Kiri that had made the attempt! During a small skirmish, a Kiri patrol had defeated a Konoha patrol and brought back a prisoner.
Initially, she was to be used as forced labor. Kiri had never put much time or resources into developing a proper medical corp. Since the girl was a medic, a Konoha medic at that, she was going to be used to heal their troops.
It was then that the Jinchuriki of the Three-Tails, the same Biju sealed into Yagura this very moment, was brought into the hospital with a life-threatening injury.
They told the Konoha medic to save his life, yet she wasn't experienced or skilled enough to fix the damage.
That was then that they realized she wasn't a full medic, still an apprentice. They released her back into Fire Country.
With a faulty seal that was unraveling by the second. Once it broke, the Three-Tails would be freed. Free of its prison and enraged.
Dead center in Konoha.
Percy had to grudgingly admit.
It was a good plan.
A complete War-Crime to be sure; but in this world, he found that total annihilation of your enemy was always the end goal. And if necessary, do it by any means.
Even slaughtering tens of thousands of innocent civilians in the process.
However, the plan failed. The team responsible for escorting the girl and ensuring she arrived in Konoha in time for the seal to break was found massacred.
Later on, they would find out who had been responsible.
He was now one of their staunchest allies. A foreign general in their army fighting alongside them to end the Kiri Genocide.
A man Percy admired. A man Percy now realized he knew nothing about.
Kakashi Hatake.
Copy-Cat Kakashi.
Kakashi of One-Thousand Techniques.
Kakashi of the Sharingan.
… Friend-Killer Kakashi.
Though he now knew he didn't really know Kakashi all that well, Percy was sure he knew the man enough to know that he wouldn't murder someone he considered a friend.
He hoped he could talk to him about it someday.
Aside from that one incident, an incident that ultimately failed, there was once again no evidence of any of the Jinchuriki wreaking havoc on any of the battlefields.
Percy had come to a conclusion.
The Biju and their Jinchuriki had absolutely nothing to do with keeping a balance of power between the nations.
No.
What they truly were were this world's version of the national security policy "Mutually Assured Destruction."
No one would be dumb enough to send their Jinchuriki out into the field to cause ultimate destruction. Why? Because the nation they attacked would then retaliate with their own nuke, which would in turn create a chain reaction where all the Jinchuriki sacrifice themselves to cause as much death and destruction as they could before being killed.
They weren't to keep the balance.
They were deterrents.
And not deterrents of war as Hashirama Senju intended. Simple deterrents for other Jinchuriki.
That was their only purpose.
It disgusted Percy. It made his skin crawl.
Not only did these people enslave sentient and highly intelligent beings, but they also ensured the lives of nine human beings would be nothing but pure misery.
Since finding out who and what he was, Percy had been teased mercilessly about his hero complex. He could finally admit that he might have a teeny, tiny one. But not as drastic as some people made it out to be. Admitting that to himself, Percy was proud to say that he at least thought he had gotten much better about it.
So as much as it chaffed him, he had to admit that there really was nothing he could do about the entire situation right now.
He was strong, yes. Much, much stronger than when he first arrived in this world.
Was he strong enough to take on an entire nation by himself?
Maybe one day. Right now, probably not.
And even if he could, then what? What would he do? From what he knew, separating a Jinchuriki and Biju would instantly kill the host.
Would he casually murder nine human beings to free nine entities that, while sentient and intelligent, were composed entirely of chakra and not organic matter?
Plus, one of those nine he'd have to doom to death was his ball of golden sunshine, Naruto.
There's no way in Hades he would ever hurt Naruto.
So, until he could find a way to separate the Biju from their host without killing them, he was stuck.
And quite honestly, he just didn't have the time right now to really give the idea more than a passing thought.
They still had a war to win.
He had an uncle to kill.
AND there was still this mysterious threat that he still didn't have a clue about.
Once that short, yet intimidating checklist was complete, then he could really sit down and figure out the Jinchuriki problem.
He sighed.
Then scowled.
How in the hell did his train of thought go from pleasant daydreaming about Inoue to this?
Damn ADHD!
He glanced up and his mood instantly improved.
Percy snickered. "What's wrong, kiddies?"
His only reply was heaving breathing.
"Aw, c'mon. Don't give me the silent treatment!"
"You…" Granny started, words coming between long, gasping breaths. "You… Forgot… To Tell… Us… To Stop….. Sensei."
Percy guffawed. "Oops?"
"Fuck… Fuck yo-… Fuck you… Sensei" Suigetsu wheezed.
Percy casually walked toward the center of the training yard where his three gremlins lay in puddles of their own sweat, shoulders shaking the entire way.
"Aww! But look at how good of little soldiers you've become! You followed my orders until you passed out!"
"What… What… Sui…getsu-Idiot… Said." Hideki gasped.
Percy shook his head in bemusement, turning around at hearing someone call his name. He smiled politely and waited from them to get closer.
"Good morning, Orochimaru. Settling in alright?"
Before he could respond, the blue-haired women to his right snarled and stalked forward. "How DARE you!? You will show Lord Orochimaru the respect he deserves, worm! On your knees!"
Percy's eyes lit up in recognition before narrowing in anger. "Hello, Bless You. Nice to see you too. I'll bow before your Master the same day you can even make me break a sweat. I turned the man you expect me to grovel before into fried chicken, think you can do better?"
She howled in fury and lunged forward, only to come to a screeching halt. She collapsed to the ground, a silent scream stuck in her throat as she convulsed. Percy's eyes flickered downward just in time to catch the dozen snakes that had struck the woman disappear in a cloud of smoke.
Orochimaru stared down impassively. "Once again, Guren, you disappoint me. How dare you speak to your betters in such a tone! Be grateful that I am in an excellent mood today and chose not to use any of my friends whose venom is lethal."
He crouched down, gripped her face in one hand and brought it to within inches of his own. A face that promised pain. "Though I suspect by week's end you'll be begging for the sweet release death will bring you. If you ever embarrass me in such a manner again, I will make you suffer every waking moment of the rest of your natural born life. Do you understand me?!"
She whimpered pitifully but managed to nod. Orochimaru sneered, and threw her aside without a second glance. He rose to his full height then dusted off the nonexistent dirt from his kimono.
He turned back toward Percy and smiled. "My apologies, apprentice. I had thought Guren had learned her lesson from last time. Apparently, I was mistaken."
Percy nodded. He glanced down at the quivering form that lay a few feet away.
He knew he should feel something for the woman.
And yet… He didn't. Not a thing.
It was strange. Why didn't he feel anything?
Was it because she reminded him of how Hidan was before his impromptu exorcism? A blind follower with no will or desires of their own?
Was it because of Karin? No, he didn't think so. The woman hadn't really done all that much to her. Even Karin said that the only time she struck her after she attempted to escape had shocked her more than hurt her.
What was it?
He was starting to get frustrated, but no matter how hard he thought about the situation, no clear answer came to him.
He sighed and met Orochimaru's gaze. "No worries. She just respects you and got offended on your behalf. Not like she hurt me, not that she could."
Orochimaru chuckled humorously. "Do you remember our discussion from the other day?"
Percy's brow furrowed. "Which part? We discussed quite a few topics."
"What I stated that I find appealing in my apprentices and followers."
Percy cracked a grin. "That? Nah. I tend to tune you out when you go on your narcissistic rants about how great you are."
Orochimaru scowled.
His scowl deepened as he turned his murderous gaze on the gray-haired teen beside him who Percy swore was hiding his laughter behind such a phony cough.
"Insolent brat! I am not a narcissist! Over the years, I've simply come to realize that I alone stand on a pedestal that only few can hope to match. Is it sinful to be proud of such an accomplishment?"
Percy stared impassively at the man, unblinking. His response was a single raised eyebrow.
Orochimaru clicked his tongue and let out a huff. "We are getting off track. I will refresh your memory and this time you will listen, yes?"
Percy waved his hand dismissively and yawned. "Sure, sure."
Percy withheld his smirk as a multitude of emotions flashed across Orochimaru's face.
He was so fun to troll.
"I told you that I look for and admire in my subordinates and apprentices someone who isn't afraid of my name, title, or fame. Someone who will challenge me on a daily basis. Unfortunately, I find myself saddled with dim-witted idiots. People who cannot think for themselves. Their only thoughts are ways that they can please me, which in turn leads them to make their decisions based solely on what they think I want.
"However, none of them have even the faintest idea of what it is I truly desire. Their blind loyalty and zealotry blind them to the truth. And so, the cycle repeats itself on an endless loop. Time and again, I find myself vexed and at my wits end." He motioned sharply with his head downward, Percy followed the motion with his eyes. They landed on Bless You. "This is the end result. A mindless lemming who consistently disappoints me with their continuous cycle of terrible decisions and failures."
He stared down at her, face slowly morphing into a sneer. "If she weren't useful to me in other ways, I would dispose of her like the trash she is. Lucky for her, she still has a purpose. However, like a kunai, she will eventually lose her edge. And like a kunai, when that day comes, I will dispose of her."
Percy met his gaze. "And how do you dispose of your kunai, Orochimaru?"
His smirk was predatory. "I throw them in the furnace and melt them down to their rawest form."
Percy barely suppressed a shudder.
Orochimaru was an enigma. After their rocky first meeting, Percy had come to learn quite a bit about the eccentric man.
It was strange how he had even gotten himself into this situation in the first place. A few months ago, Percy would have laughed himself into a coma had someone told him this was how his life was going to go.
Orochimaru wasn't the man the world thought he was. The crimes he was saddled with had turned out to be false charges. He had been framed. Well, a scapegoat, really.
He had been correct. No one would ever trust a man that ordered experiments on his own people.
After hearing Naruto go on and on about the man, it was still hard for Percy to correlate him with the man Orochimaru described him as.
Maybe in his old age he had gotten soft?
Maybe he simply had a soft spot for Naruto due to his heritage and upbringing?
Or maybe, it had been nothing but an act the entire time.
It would be a disaster if, the child that housed a chakra entity that nearly wiped out their village previously, grew up in total isolation. Maybe Hiruzen only befriended the boy to make sure the village "weapon" always had at least one person he could go to.
And who better than the Hokage?
It was an answer he'd probably never find out, but it was fun to think about.
Though how he treated one of his "precious" students certainly made Percy entirely skeptical of the man.
So even though Orochimaru had only done what he had did because he was ordered to, it would be foolish to think that that made him an innocent man incapable of hurting a fly.
That incident happened well over a decade ago. Since then, Orochimaru has been hiding from the world, building up his power.
He created his own Hidden Village.
He's been doing his own unsanctioned and unsupervised research this entire time.
Who even knows what all kinds of research the man had done! Percy wasn't an idiot, he knew at least, but more realistically the majority of it, wasn't exactly what people would call ethical.
If he fell into this trap and began to forget what Orochimaru was truly capable of, Percy could find himself in deep shit.
He may be innocent of his crimes, but even the man himself had admitted that he wasn't an innocent person.
And seeing him interact with his subordinates right now was a stark reminder.
Orochimaru was dangerous. Incredibly dangerous. And not only dangerous, he was remorseless.
He had an agenda, of that Percy was certain. He didn't know what his true motives were for forming this alliance. It could very well be that he does want to see Hades' head roll. Percy would bet money that was the actual reason.
But he knew… it wasn't his only reason.
Percy had to remember to always keep that in the back of his mind, or one day he wouldn't be surprised to find himself on Orochimaru's operating table.
For now though, he was saddled with the man, whether he liked it or not.
He wasn't going to be constantly looking over his shoulder, waiting for an ambush that may or may not come.
He wasn't going to live in paranoia. He wasn't going to spend his waking hours trying to figure the man out and what his plans were.
That's no way to live.
He would go insane if that were the case.
So, for now, he would do what he always did. What he did best.
Be Percy Freaking Jackson.
Percy sighed and knelt down next to the shivering woman.
He placed a hand on her forehead. She flinched and tried to pull away, but tendrils of water had already locked her in place.
He closed his eyes, and with barely a thought shattered the resistance that tried to fight him for control.
Percy didn't know if he had truly become that powerful, or if the woman's condition made her willpower nearly nonexistent. Either way, the last time he had done this he had been enraged beyond belief and was drawing deeply upon his divine power. And even factoring in those two conditions, it was still harder to break that man's willpower than it was this woman's.
Something to test on a healthy person in the near future.
Could he eventually do this without direct contact with them? If so, who would ever be able to stand up to him again?
He shivered at that thought then blanked his mind.
He concentrated, and with an exhale his divine energy surged into the woman beneath him. He connected his consciousness to every liquid molecule in her body. He spent several moments making sure he found what he was looking for.
He nodded to himself, his hand traveling down her body and eventually coming to rest above one of her various puncture wounds.
An oily, tarlike substance began to slowly trickle out of the wound. She stifled a scream and settled into a low keening noise. The process was slower than what he would have liked, but it was his first time doing something like this. He had to find and trap the venom in her bloodstream, surround it with untainted blood, harden the blood so that it didn't damage or contaminate any other cells during transport, direct the quarantined substance through her bloodstream without damaging any veins or arteries, until finally pulling it out of the injection site.
The minutes ticked by. Finally, the last drop was out of her bloodstream. Percy did a final scan to make sure he got all of it, and after he was confident he was done, let the connection fade.
He stood up and nodded at her. She stared back with disbelief and awe in her eyes.
Percy grimaced slightly.
He sighed, then stretched his back. He turned toward Orochimaru, expecting the man to be furious. Instead, one eye was critically assessing him. The other glued to his notebook as his pen worked furiously.
Percy rubbed the back of his head. "Look, Orochimaru. I'm not here to try and persuade you to be something you're not. I'm not going to lecture you on how you should treat people or your subordinates. I just think that if you've found you hit a wall, maybe it's time to try climbing it or going around it, rather than through it."
Orochimaru studied him. "Explain."
Percy blew out a breath. "I mean… If you're having issues with your subordinates and you want them to change, clearly you need to change your tactics since what you're doing clearly isn't working. I mean, look at where you are. You went against what you normally do and look at where it landed you. Do you think this would have been the result if you did what you normally do?"
Orochimaru's pen slowed to a stop. "No. I do not think so."
Percy shrugged. "Well, there you go."
Orochimaru sneered. "And what would the great and wise Percy Jackson suggest I do then?"
He laughed. "No need to get touchy. Look at this way. Say you have a child. That child is playing in your house and by complete accident they break something. They come to you to confess what they did, and your immediate reaction is to yell at them and punish them. They've now made the connection that telling the truth equals getting yelled at and punished. Later down the road, they do something else. They don't come to you immediately, you find out what they did, you confront them and they lie to you. Would you honestly be surprised that they lied instead of telling the truth?"
Orochimaru opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. "No. I would not be surprised. The correlation has developed between honesty and punishment. But I do not understand what point you are trying to make. Are you telling me that I shouldn't punish those who serve under me when they have failed?"
Percy shook his head. "Not at all. At least, the second time they make the same mistake. We're human. Mistakes are expected. Mistakes are how we grow. You're a scientist. Does every experiment you come up with work the first time you do it?"
Orochimaru scoffed. "Of course not. What an idiotic notion."
Percy chuckled. "Of course it is. Humans are the same way. What do you do after your first failed attempt?"
Orochimaru rolled his eyes. "You go back to the beginning, review your data, hypothesize what may have caused the failure, and then rerun the simulation with your new findings."
He smiled. "And if it fails this time? Do you toss it in the trash?"
Orochimaru gasped as if personally insulted. "I think not. What a waste!"
His smile widened. "Then apply that same principle to your subordinates. If you set them to a task and they fail, you figure out what went wrong. If they go back and make the same mistake again, that's when you begin punishing them. However, you can't expect people to always understand where they went wrong. Sometimes you have to look over the data with them and help them.
"Humans learn from their mistakes. The same as in science. It's only when someone stubbornly repeats the same experiment over and over again, hoping for a different result that they need an intervention. If you punish your subordinates the second they make a mistake, they're going to get flustered in their attempts to please you. Rather than a subordinate who understands what they did wrong and how to fix it next time.
"Last thing. Make sure the punishment fits the crime. If someone misplaced a report, would you string them up by their thumbs and have them whipped?"
Orochimaru smirked. "It depends on the contents of the documentation. Quite possibly, that punishment may not be severe enough."
Percy stared blandly back. "You're missing the point of this exercise. The correct answer is no, you wouldn't. You would tell them that until the document is found, they couldn't take their lunch break. And every minute it isn't found, the shorter their break will be."
Orochimaru frowned. "But that's hardly a deterrent to find the document with all due haste! Let alone not to ever make the mistake again!"
Percy sighed. "Again, pick a punishment that fits the crime. If they make the same mistake again, you raise the bar. The second time they lose a document, they now have to stay late and reorganize a filing cabinet. They still don't learn and do it a third time, termination."
Orochimaru hummed in thought as his pen worked furiously. "I am beginning to understand where you're going with this. The document you mentioned was obviously important enough that I needed it, but it wasn't a threat to village security. So, while I needed that document immediately, it isn't serious enough to threaten them with execution if it isn't found."
Percy nodded stiffly, though he wanted to roll his eyes.
He was beginning to realize that Orochimaru was the textbook definition of a drama queen.
Percy sighed. "Look, I understand that people fearing you is kinda your thing. I get it. I do. I respect it. But you don't want those people to be the people underneath you. If people are working in an environment where they feel anxious, they're going to perform way worse than if they work somewhere that they enjoy."
Orochimaru stopped writing to frown at Percy. "That sounds droll. I dislike this new idea."
He laughed. "Hey, these are just suggestions. I'm trying to help you out. Clearly, incompetent workers are a source of stress for you. Just trying to help in any way I can. We're allies now, aren't we?"
Ororhimaru nodded. "Yes. It would be rather lovely to not have to micromanage all of my day-to-day operations. And you truly think this will work?"
Percy shrugged. "There's only one way to find out." He paused and pinned Orochimaru with a look. "And it'll take more than a single day to see results. Don't scrap the idea because someone pissed you off after day one."
Orochimaru sneered. "I am the Great Orochimaru, most brilliant scientific mind this world has ever known. You've given me a new experiment. I am a scientist. I know that adequate time must be provided before conclusive data can be procured."
Percy grinned. "Just making sure."
He nodded stiffly. "Thank you for the suggestions, apprentice. I look forward to seeing the results of your presented hypothesis after sufficient testing."
Percy shook his head in fond exasperation. "So, we got kind of side-tracked. Did you come here just to chat, or did you need something from me?"
Orochimaru chuckled. "Ah, but of course. The smallest distractions often lead to the most invigorating discussions I've found. My original purpose was simply to introduce you to my subordinates who traveled with me. You've already met Guren, so need for reintroductions."
Percy's brow wrinkled in confusion. "Guren? Who's Guren?"
Orochimaru pointed at the woman who had risen to her feet again at some point.
Percy stared in shock. "Wait? Her name isn't Bless You?"
"Bless You?"
"Thanks, but I didn't sneeze."
"What are you yammering about now?!"
Percy shrugged. "Never mind. So, her name is Guren, not Bless You. Got it."
Orochimaru eyed him dubiously. He shared a look and a hushed conversation with Kabuto. Kabuto nodded and pushed his glasses up.
Percy was highly suspicious.
Orochimaru cleared his throat. "Though I know you know of him, I do not believe that you've been properly introduced. This is Kabuto Yakushi. My head medic, as well as my top advisor."
Kabuto offered a polite smile and bow. "A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Lord Percy. I truly must offer my sincerest gratitude to you. The fact that you have taken a chance on my Lord and our village is a debt we can only work our hardest to repay you. Most would have turned us away before giving us a chance to speak."
Percy smiled. "None of that Lord crap. Just Percy, please. You saved the life of the woman I love. I don't let anyone call me Lord, but especially not the man that I owe a life debt to."
Kabuto's eyes flew open. "A life debt?! No, I couldn't possibly. It was but a trifling matter. Lord Orochimaru did most of the work, I was just there to-"
Percy cut him off. "This is non-negotiable. So stop trying."
Kabuto shot a worried glance at Orochimaru before nodding hesitantly. "I… Yes, Lo- Percy. As you wish."
Percy gave the boy a reassuring smile. "Thank you. I'm not a huge stickler on honor and debts, but when it comes to Inoue and what you did? I don't know what I would have done had I lost her."
Orochimaru snorted. "We can hazard a guess. Water Country would most likely be a few islands short, and Kirigakure would no longer exist."
Percy blushed. "Heard about that, do you?"
Orochimaru's grin widened. "Oh, but of course. Such juicy gossip one hears if one only keeps their ears open."
Percy chuckled awkwardly. He turned to the last member of Orochimaru's little merry band of misfits. He had the body of full-grown adult, yet the face of someone just entering puberty. His orange hair complimented his darker skin tone.
It was his eyes that caught Percy's attention though.
Not the strange shade of reddish-orange.
No.
They were terrified.
His gaze darted back and forth as though expecting an attack at any time. They were pinched in worry, and every few minutes he would squeeze them shut as tight as he could and murmur to himself before opening them again.
"And your last companion? Percy asked, turning his attention back to Orochimaru.
"Ah, yes. I see you've noticed him."
Percy snorted. The kid was already a giant. "Hard to miss him."
Orochimaru chuckled. "Yes. Quite. This is Jugo of the Scales. Jugo? Why don't yo-"
"Apologies for the interruption, commander!"
Percy turned and fixed his gaze on the ACE agent kneeling a few feet away. Percy took in his appearance, the light-blue hair giving him away at once.
"What's up, Niner?"
Cypher Nine rose to his feet and snapped a salute. "An emergency war council has been called. Lady Mei requests the presence of yourself and his most honorable Lord Orochimaru."
Orochimaru's eyes lit up. "Oh, this one has excellent manners. Mayhap I shall play with him later."
Percy rolled his eyes and returned Nine's salute. "We're on our way."
Percy felt the man's palpable relief at the quick dismissal.
Percy would be on edge as well if Orochimaru were looking at him like that.
Orochimaru turned to Percy. "Boo. You're no fun."
Percy shrugged. "Someone has to be the responsible one. Shall we go?"
Orochimaru hooked his arm through Percy's. "We shall."
Percy groaned.
Eh, whatever.
He'd been in worse situations.
********************************************PJ***************************************
They entered the room and were instantly assailed with panicked shouting. Percy did a quick glance around the room, his face lighting up upon seeing Inoue sitting in one of the chairs. She still had her IV in, yet her adamant refusal to be excluded any further had won out in the end.
He was about to begin his trek through the packed crowd when he decided against it. He rose into the air, and within seconds was leaning down to give Inoue's forehead a kiss before settling in behind her chair. He placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed gently. Inoue's left hand came up to rest on Percy's right hand just as Percy noticed the silence.
He glanced around; every eye in the room zeroed in on him.
He glared.
"What? Can't a guy greet his girlfriend without a bunch of lechers ogling them?"
That did the trick, almost everyone instantly went back to minding their own damn business. All except a few.
"Jackson, since when can you fly like it's no big deal?"
Percy placed a finger to his lips, waited a moment, and then pointed at his companion he had left near the door. "Since I whooped his ass."
Orochimaru sneered. "Relish your victory now, apprentice. We shall see who gets the last laugh."
Percy went to reply, but Mei cleared her throat.
"We're all here, let's begin."
"Lady Mei, what's going on?"
She swept her gaze slowly across the room. "Our scouting party just reported back. It seems as though Yagura grows tired of this conflict. He has mobilized his remaining forces. They march toward us as we speak."
Shocked silence filled the room.
"So, what's our plan?" Ao asked. "Do we seal ourselves in and prepare for a siege? Or do we meet them head on?"
"We meet them. I've already ordered our deployed forces to mobilize. They will meet us at the designated location. If Yagura wants to end this conflict, then we will make sure to meet him in a place of our choosing."
"And which location have you chosen, Lady Mei?"
She grimaced. "The Dead Lands."
Another pregnant pause.
Percy stared around the room, shrugged, and raised his hand. "Question. What's the Dead Lands and why does everyone look like they swallowed a lemon?"
The door crashed open and a voice like nails on a chalkboard answered him. "The Dead Lands, Useless, is an area in the center of the main island where the previous host of the Six-Tail Demon lost control of the beast and annihilated all living things in a five-mile radius. Even now, almost two decades later, nothing grows there. No water flows. It's like a little pocket of desert in the middle of the marshlands that's been frozen in time."
Percy sneered at the man, though he was secretly incredibly happy to see the man. "And why does everyone look like they're already resigned to their fate?"
Zabuza smirked. "Because they're all one trick ponies. Take away their water supply, half the people in this room couldn't handle a Genin."
His declaration was met with murderous looks and dangerous mumblings, but no one openly refuted him.
Percy glanced at Inoue.
Orochimaru saved him from embarrassing himself with a stupid question. "I'll assume you mean to limit the Three-Tails power as much as possible by denying it a source of water to empower its techniques?"
Mei nodded grimly. "Yes."
Orochimaru nodded. "You're also severely hampering your own troops though."
She flinched. "I can think of nothing else. Yagura is a perfect Jinchuriki. The battle will result in enough casualties already. By keeping him away from any source of water, we may save just a few extra lives before we defeat him."
Orochimaru grinned. "I did not state it wasn't a good plan. It is. However, it is not necessary."
Mei shot him a questioning look.
His grin widened. "Did you forget that you have a young man in your army that can control more water in slumber than the Three-Tails could ever hope to dream?"
Mei shook her head slowly. "I took that into consideration, but I cannot risk even the smallest possibility that we overestimate Percy's ability. An error on our part could be disastrous."
Orochimaru nodded. "I understand your concerns, but I am telling you with complete confidence, your worries are misplaced. Percy can handle anything Yagura can throw at him, can you not, apprentice?"
Percy snorted. "Of course I can. No stupid turtle can outdo me."
Orochimaru grinned. "See? Now, choose another battlefield. It won't matter which you pick regardless. I will be fulfilling my promise to you and helping you win this war. Your troops will not even need to lift a finger. Percy and I will be more than enough to win this war."
The silence was so deafening, it was almost painful.
Dubious and incredulous glances were shared amongst the gathered crowd.
Mei cleared her throat. "Lord Orochimaru. I do not mean offense, nor do I doubt your prowess, but surely even you cannot take on ten thousand troops by yourself?"
He smirked. "I won't be alone. Did you not hear? I will be taking my apprentice as well."
Mei glanced at Percy. "Lord Orochimaru. I do not know if you know this, but-"
"You do not wish me to slaughter the entire army. You wish to incapacitate as many as possible so that they may be questioned and possibly reintegrated into the new Kiri. Yes, don't look so shocked, Lady Mizukage. I know more than you think I do.
"Now, your next question will be will I still be able to take on Yagura's entire army while restraining myself so that I do not cause massive casualties. The answer to that question is also a yes. Did I miss anything?"
Mei gaped. Her mouth opened and closed several times.
"I like it. But I have a request."
Orochimaru turned to the speaker and nodded. "Yes, Demon of the Mist?"
"Jinin Akebino, Kushimaru Kuriarare, Jinpachi Munashi. Those three belong to me."
Orochimaru nodded. "I assume this is some type of Seven Swordsman tradition?"
Zabuza smirked. "Technically, no. But as the newest leader, I'm making it a tradition."
Orochimaru smiled. "I look forward to watching the Demon of the Mist in action. Do well enough and I'll make you my pet."
Zabuza's smirk faltered. "Um… No thank you."
"It wasn't a request."
Percy cackled.
Orochimaru ignored him and turned back to Mei. "Well, Lady Mizukage? The final decision rests with you. Will you accept my help?"
Mei peered around the room, grave nods and quiet acceptance were her only answer.
She sighed. "I feel as though I am taking away the rights of my people by accepting. They've fought so hard and for so long. So many lives lost. So many innocents murdered. You ask me to throw that all away by refusing them to finally face down the man responsible. I… I can't…"
"Lady Mei," Kiyoshi Yuki said. "You are correct. Our fight has been long and hard and full of death. However, I do not feel the same way you do. I do not feel cheated for not fighting the final fight. Lord Orochimaru is our ally. We are accepting his help. If he can do what he says, then when the dust clears and the sun rises over a new Kiri, the loss of life with be nearly nonexistent. Our estimates for our active-duty troops when we take back the city will be more than double what we initially believed."
"I agree with Kiyo," Ao grunted. "Sure, some of the younger kids might be a bit put out by not fighting. But those idiots would be the first ones to die if we did have to take on Yagura and his men. When you take the seat, we'll be able to hit the ground running on getting back to normal. We won't be nearly as vulnerable to an outside attack if we have our entire army ready to mobilize from day one. Don't let your pride blind you, Lady Mei. This is a gift from the Gods themselves. We fulfill our goal, and we minimize loss of life on both sides. Take the offer, Lady Mei."
'Offer? My pride? Take it…? God's gift? Marriage?!'
Mei smiled sweetly. "Ao?"
"Yes, Lady Mei?"
"Shut up, or I'll kill you."
"EH?!"
Mei sighed. "You're all right. Of course, you are. The end result is the same. Yagura lies dead, and Kiri can begin taking its steps toward the future with more of our men and women alive than dead."
She met Orochimaru's gaze. "We accept your offer, Lord Orochimaru. Please forgive my hesitance and accept my deepest gratitude for your services. If there's anything we can do to support you, do not hesitate to ask. We will deploy our entire force and be on standby behind a barrier just in case."
Orochimaru bowed politely. "No need to apologize, Lady Mizukage. It was a decision that needed careful consideration. As for your gratitude, I only ask that you keep an open mind about a possible alliance between our villages in the future."
Mei nodded in acceptance. "It is the least I can do. Now, what is your plan so that we may make sure that you have all the support you need?"
A slow smile stretched Orochimaru's face. "My plan is to allow the greatest Mizukage in history his chance at redemption."
Confused and excited chatter erupted at his declaration. Mei silenced them all with a sharp word. "Please, explain yourself, Lord Orochimaru."
He shrugged. "It is as I say."
Mei shared a glance with Ao. "I… The greatest Mizukage in history is often said to be Genetsu Hozuki."
Orochimaru nodded. "Yes, this I know."
Mei paused and considered her words. "Lord Orochimaru, forgive me of any offense for my ignorance. If there's something I should be aware of, please tell me. As far as I am aware, as well as the rest of the world, Genetsu Hozuki has been dead for decades."
Orochimaru's smile only widened. "Oh, he's very much dead, Lady Mizukage."
"Then I don't-"
Orochimaru moved. In less than a heartbeat, his palm was on the ground. He stepped back as a cloud of smoke erupted. From the smoke, something began to slowly rise from the ground.
Percy felt his heart sink; the hairs on the back of his neck rose as a wrongness seemed to radiate from what he now recognized as a plain wooden casket.
Inch by inch, the casket rose higher and higher. And with each passing moment, Percy's senses began to scream at him. He snarled, Earthshaker in his palm before he even realized it.
Finally, the casket stopped moving, and with a crack like snapping wood, the top fell open.
Percy's eyes widened, as something inside him told him that this was wrong, wrong, wrong, WRONG!
At the same time, Mei's face became translucent as her eyes widened in fear.
"W… What is this?" She hissed in horror.
Orochimaru's smile became predatory. "This, Lady Mizukage, is the redemption your predecessor has been longing for for decades. This is the key to your victory."
The room erupted into chaos. Percy glanced down at Inoue whose stark white features surely mirrored his own.
Orochimaru met his eye, victory flashing in his gaze. "Let the fun begin."
Fin!
That's right, ladies and gents, the civil war arc has taken a dramatic turn and will be coming to a head sooner than we thought!
What were your thoughts on this chapter? Are you excited to see Percy and Orochimaru take on the entire Yagura army?!
Let me know your thoughts!
Reviews are love! Closing in on the 400 club! UwU
Gamelover41592 - Yeah. I wanted to make sure that people realized that even though Percy acts like an idiot most of the time, he's definitely starting to think ahead and more like a shinobi!
Greer123 - Thank you! Percy can be an idiot, but he's also smarter than people give him credit for (especially himself!)
S.S Slayer - No you're awesome! Unfortunately, Percy is gunna be OP enough without adding on something like Sage Mode. Besides, we don't wanna take away any powers from the OG cast!
bearthekingofhell - I love writing Percy and Orochimaru together. Honestly, I just love Orochimaru in general. He's an amazing character that doesn't get enough love!
MYPJOWORLD - Those two are about to become THE power couple in the Naruto-Universe!
FanficSim13 - No, Percy will not be dual-wielding any time in the future. You'll find out soon why! As for why you feel that way, it's because Orochimaru is always hiding at least two dozen plans up those big sleeves of his! As for forbidden techniques like you're describing, the only thing I can think of is the Eight Gates and Percy won't be able to use those. (Again, you'll find out why in the future)
demigodninja21 - Of course he will! He's Orochi-Freaking-Maru! XD
Rakuzai - Itachi is a stinker in this story! And... I'm... Sorry? XD I promise, by the end of this story you'll be scouring the site for more Orochimaru stories :D
SentinalSlice - As we caught a glimpse of in this story, Orochimaru is certainly still not a person filled with sunshine and rainbows. But even in canon, Orochimaru mellowed out. I'm working toward a happy medium between the two!
Darkanaklusmos70 - Sorry to disappoint! But don't lose hope. That is a conversation that WILL be happening down the road. Just not for awhile.
Rakuen - Well, if you'll remember in his fight with Kakuzu. His threads were slowly but surely able to burrow their way into Percy's chest because they were saturated with chakra. His CoA doesn't make him immortal. Someone can still easily kill Percy if they were to choke him to death. Lightning, while much less dangerous to him now with his new powers, could do some damage as well. I simply added that extra potential weakness because there has to be SOMETHING that can get through his curse. And what better way than the energy that they weaponize in the land he now lives in?
S9B - Lol. Izumi liked Itachi, Itachi had no interest in her besides friendship. She admitted to liking him and he was like "What're you talking about?" But he did care for her in his weird Itachi way which is why he gave her such a peaceful death.