So, because it's International Nonbinary Persons day and WIP Wednesday, I am contractually obligated to post this chapter today . Orochimaru is officially my first NB character and I admit I had some trouble using the they/them pronouns. If I mess up, let me know! I gotta get used to it for Round 4 (first chapter will hopefully be out this weekend!) where one of the main characters is NB, too! I am always open to critiques and advice from the people I'm representing! Please hold me accountable!
p.s. I keep writing their name as Oroshimaru bc that's how i pronounce it, lol. my norteña accent keeps pushing through.
Orochimaru walked the familiar path to the Hokage's office. It was one they'd walked may times before and they had no trouble reaching their destination despite the weighty thoughts occupying their mind. The war was getting worse. This was hardly their first time fighting in one—or their sensei's first time leading the Village through one—but there was something different about this one. Maybe it was because they were no longer fighting as part of a team. Jiraiya was off uncovering ancient secrets, interviewing every bonded summons he could find, and Tsunade… Tsunade was gone. Orochimaru was left fighting on the front lines alone, leading teams against the worst of Kiri's elite. There were other things they would much rather be doing, but the Village couldn't afford to lose a fighter of their caliber and reputation.
They sighed quietly in exasperation. It was rare for them to be in the Village and their sensei understood the value of down time, so being summoned like this was highly unusual. A creeping anxiety began to bloom in the back of their mind, thoughts of experiments left unfinished and half conceived in the wake of war rising unbidden. If their sensei had somehow come across some of those files…
Orochimaru set those thoughts aside as they rounded the last corner, long strides carrying them toward the tall, imposing doors to the Hokage's office. They reached out to pull them open.
"I wouldn't."
They turned their head sharply, eyes focusing on the child they had somehow overlooked. A young girl, clearly related to Kumo in some way, was sitting in one of the chairs lined up against the wall on either side of the giant doors. She looked up at them with large, upturned green eyes, batting thick golden eyelashes as she kicked her feet.
Orochimaru was genuinely confused, but only for a moment. If they hadn't received any word about a child defector from Kumo, then she likely wasn't important. Still, it stung a bit to think they had been left out of the loop.
"Why not," they decided to ask. They knew the effect they had on children. No one else in the Village looked like them, after all. They were one of a kind and in a conformist society like Konoha that was the worst thing anyone could be.
This child seemed unphased, though. She pouted almost cutely as she spoke. "They're having a meeting."
It would hardly be the first time Orochimaru had interrupted a meeting. Their sensei never minded—a sign of favor Jiraiya was always quick to point out. There was something about this girl, though. It made them want to humor her.
Orochimaru stepped away from the door, lips curling up into a smile. "Really? I didn't know. I was told to come here at my earliest convenience."
Her full lips curled into a perfect 'o'. "You can probably go in, then. Sorry."
She turned away from them, green eyes focused on the tips of her shoes as she playfully smacked them together. It was an innocent, typically childish action, but for some reason, Orochimaru wasn't sure they believed it.
"Where are you from, child?"
She raised short, golden eyebrows at him. "You're the first person to actually ask me instead of just assuming I'm from Kumo."
They had also assumed that, but knew better than to trust appearances. "Are you?"
She smiled at them, revealing crooked eyeteeth that only added to her impish expression. "Nope!"
The giant doors swung open to reveal the Hokage himself standing in the doorway. His old face lit up when he saw Orochimaru and a faded fondness rose up inside them in response.
"Ah, my student. I was wondering where you were. I see you've met our newest troublemaker."
The girl crossed her arms over her chest and looked away with a theatrical huff. "I didn't make any trouble, I finished it."
Memories of a child Tsunade flashed through Orochimaru's mind. How many times had she said something like that? What poor soul had repeated Jiraiya's favorite mistake and invoked the wrath of a little girl with big fists?
Hiruzen chuckled and Orochimaru knew instantly that the child was special. The light in the aging man's eyes was calculating, not at all something that would be directed at an ordinary girl, even a mischievous one.
"I'm glad you two had a chance to chat," Hiruzen continued, stepping back and waving them both into his office. "That will make this easier."
Orochimaru briefly entertained the thought of jumping out the nearest window. Their sensei clearly had some nefarious scheme planned and they would have no choice but to go along with it if they wanted to stay above scrutiny. Their position as the Hokage's favorite student made life significantly less troublesome. Though they had gained their own reputation, fought on the front lines and gained a name—one shared between their teammates, but still—the people of Konoha were insular and closed minded and still regarded them with distrust. The Hokage's favor went a long way.
The child glanced between Orochimaru and Hiruzen with exaggerated suspicion, pursing her lips as she regarded them.
"Is this some kind of trap?"
Clever girl. She would do well to hone those instincts, for all they would do her no good here.
Hiruzen simply chuckled. "In a way, I suppose it is, though not only for you."
They knew it. It was too late to escape, though, so Orochimaru could only follow their sensei into his office, the giant doors clicking softly as they closed behind them. They were not surprised to see the council of elders in attendance, but Sakumo Hatake was a surprise.
"Greetings, senpai," they said with a slight bow of their head. "I am glad to see you're well."
Sakumo's face was haggard, dark circles and new lines around his eyes giving away his exhaustion. His smile was still the same, though. "You, as well, Orochimaru-kun."
As nice as it was to see Sakumo, that he was here at all was an…interesting sign. He was hardly someone who involved himself in Village politics. Although…they had noticed he was not on the field quite as often as he once was.
Orochimaru maintained a friendly smile, not letting any of their unease show. The child had no such reservations, glaring at everyone in the room with open disdain.
"I don't know what these schemers told you," she said to Sakumo. "But Kakashi started it."
Sakumo sighed, his smile softening into one Orochimaru thought was reserved for his son. "I know, Beni-chan."
"Good."
Hoh, so the fight she got into was with Sakumo's child? That would explain why the White Fang was there, but not why Orochimaru had been summoned—or why the Hokage cared to insert himself in the first place.
"Orochimaru-kun," Hiruzen said as though reading their mind. He picked up a file on his desk and held it out to his student as he took his seat. "Read through this, if you don't mind."
They took a seat across from Sakumo, crossing their legs and propping the folder open across them.
"Wait a second," the girl said suspiciously as Orochimaru began to read what was apparently her personnel file. "Why am I here?"
Danzo slammed his cane down on the floor, face twisted in his characteristic disapproving scowl. "You are here because you have thoroughly disrespected the values of this Village! You have done nothing but sow discord and spout lies intended to undermine the loyalty of the youth!"
Orochimaru glanced up from a most fascinating diagram of the muscles in her back. They had a pretty good idea why their sensei had summoned them to this meeting, now. The child—Benihime, her records said—raised one eyebrow at the angry councilor, thoroughly unimpressed.
"So?"
"Beni-chan," Sakumo scolded, tone and expression serious. The file in Orochimaru's hands said the older shinobi was the only one who could reliably manage the child, which, while highly amusing, spoke volumes on how special she really was. For a nine year old to need a handler was unusual, especially since she wasn't in Anbu. Perhaps it was because she was a recent immigrant with unknown abilities and Sakumo was listed as her point of contact. Either way, her situation was strange.
"What?" She returned, not at all apologetic. "I've always been like this. Since the very beginning. Every time a bunch of your shinobi ended up in my temple, I told them the same shit. I don't know why you suddenly expect me to keep my mouth shut. The difference being on your turf makes is I have more people to talk to. If you don't like it, then you should've thought of that before letting me stay."
Orochimaru turned a page in her file, finally connecting the dots. This was the child in the temple. The one in the genjutsu forest in the Land of Earth. The one which had Jiraiya asking to speak to Manda and the other snakes in pursuit of ancient gods long forgotten by their worshippers. They glanced over at Hiruzen only to find their sensei looking back at them, an expectant smile on his face. Were they that predictable?
Good. That was exactly what they wanted.
"Beni-chan," Sakumo repeated tiredly, reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder. At first glance it might seem a comforting gesture, but Orochimaru was familiar enough with their senpai to recognize what the tension in his body meant. He wasn't comforting her. He was holding her back. "I understand that this is new for you, but you can't just say whatever you want, anymore. Not here."
"Or what," she replied, shaking off the Elite Jonin's grip with ease. Either he let it happen or she was incredibly strong—Orochimaru was inclined to think it was both. "The guys you have following me will kill me?"
The air in the Hokage's office was suddenly tense. Orochimaru had noticed an unusually large number of Anbu in the area. Clearly, someone saw fit to set a permanent guard on the child. Their interest in her was growing by the second.
Danzo's snarl was laden with murderous intent. "Better that than having you run off to Kumo with Konoha's secrets."
The sigh that left her was so tired, too tired for a child her age. She buried her face in her hands, entire body taught like a string ready to snap. When she spoke, her words carried layers of anger and exhaustion.
"I," she hissed. "Am not from Kumo. We've been over this. A bajillion times."
"Indeed," Danzo agreed. "But it is a place that would accept you with open arms should you choose it."
"Unlike you, you mean." She scoffed and shook her head. "I have been in this Village for less than a week and I can already tell I'm going to hate it. The people are nice but the government's shit and the people have been indoctrinated into worshipping it in place of the gods old Hashibaka killed in his quest for world domination. But," she continued as though she hadn't said one of the most treasonous things Orochimaru had ever heard. "I can also say that, even if I leave, I won't ever go to Kumo."
She raised her hands and exposed her wrists, the thick dark bands of tattoos standing out against her brown skin. "See these? They mark me and my entire family as a slave class in Taki. My great grandpa failed a mission and everyone related to him was punished. He's a missing nin now, but the rest of us weren't so lucky." She looked Danzo right in the eye, pride rolling off her in waves. "My mother was born and raised as the lowest member of Taki society. She suffered more than anyone else in the Village. And yet, when the opportunity for escape presented itself during an undercover mission in Kumo, she didn't stay. She could have had me there, raised me there where I would, presumably, be safe from the horrors life in Taki would mean for me, but she didn't. She actively chose to return to a Village that hated her and her child rather than stay in Kumo. Kumo, in her mind, was worse than slavery. So, no. I will not go to Kumo, no matter what."
Those were powerful words, ones Orochimaru was inclined to believe. Sakumo was looking at her with open sympathy and even Hiruzen had visibly softened. Danzo was undeterred, however, and he slammed his cane into the ground again.
"You," he spat. "Are the exact opposite of everything a Konoha shinobi must be. The Village will never accept you if you remain as you are."
"Oh, because it totally accepts them, right?"
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow at the slender finger pointing right at them. Following it up the accompanying arm, they met the girl's green eyes. There was knowledge there, and understanding. Of what, they couldn't be sure, but it made them uneasy.
And curious.
Benihime raised an eyebrow at them, the motion almost imperceptible if one wasn't looking right at her. It was almost as though she was asking them a question. They nodded back, interested in what she might do or say. She smiled and turned back to her raptured audience.
"They're the exact opposite of me, if you wanna go by outward appearance alone, but something tells me the Village doesn't like them any more than it likes me."
Ah. So that's what she was asking about. Well, she certainly had good intuition. This was their first meeting and they had only exchanged a handful of words. And yet, she understood Orochimaru's precarious place in the Village's collective consciousness perfectly. In all likelihood, she had been put in a similar position. Visibly different from the rest of the population, no amount of friendliness or compromise could breach the invisible wall built by the villagers to keep anything 'foreign' at bay. It didn't matter that they were born in Konoha. Orochimaru was one of a kind and that made them untrustworthy.
Idiotic, but what could one expect?
Hiruzen chose that moment to clear his throat, brushing away Benihime's words the same way he had Orochimaru's when they were young.
"Yes, well, I have a few ideas to make your stay here in the Village less stressful." He gestured at Orochimaru, finally revealing his reason for summoning them. "Your…altercation today has made it obvious that your combat abilities are far beyond Academy levels. I have decided to assign Orochimaru-kun to you as an auxiliary sensei. You will still need to attend academic classes, of course. I understand your general education up to this point has been given almost entirely by Sakumo-kun, so this will simply be to help you catch up with your peers."
Orochimaru watched as their newly assigned student smirked. "Not gonna let me graduate early like Kakashi? I don't think his education's any better than mine, considering he's a literal five year old."
"Kakashi-kun is—."
"If you're about to say 'genius' then can it. He's a child. A baby. Sending him and anyone like him out to the front lines is fucking murder and you know it." She glowered at the Hokage, clearly unafraid of any consequence her insolence might bring down on her head. "If you let him graduate but force me to stay, then the Academy obviously has a different purpose beyond training shinobi."
Orochimaru had to smile even as their sensei sighed. Their new student was clearly a cut above the rest if she could figure that out after so little time in the Village.
"I'm stronger than him," she continued. "I've already proved that. I come with a built in spy network, have insider knowledge of another Village, and was literally raised on the frontlines of the fight with Iwa. The way I see it, I would be a greater asset than he would, but he's the one you're gonna send out to fight. I signed a contract with you, so loyalty shouldn't be an issue. It really makes me wonder what you're hoping to accomplish by separating him from his peers at such a tender age."
Saying things like that in front of the Hokage was one thing. Saying them in front of the subject's father was quite another. Sakumo was a good shinobi. A loyal shinobi. But he was also a fairly decent father.
"She's right," he said, turning to look at the Hokage. "I don't think Kakashi is ready to join the fight. I agreed to let him skip a few grades because he needed the academic challenge, but he is not ready to face the kinds of things we see on the frontlines. I would like him to be a child for a little longer, if he can."
Danzo's face folded on itself like he'd swallowed a lemon, but Hiruzen held out a hand to silence him. His expression was no longer kind when he looked at Sakumo.
"Is that your final decision?"
The White Fang didn't hesitate to answer. "It is."
Hiruzen sighed again. His patience had clearly run out. He must have had plans for Kakashi that were no longer feasible. The Hokage had a lot of sway, but interfering with Clans and their heirs was one thing he absolutely could not do. If the head of the Hatake Clan said no, that was the end of it.
"Very well, then," the old man said. He put on a smile, this one far less genuine than the one he'd started with. "I think that's all I wanted to speak with you about. You may leave."
Orochimaru closed their student's personnel file and bowed in tandem with Sakumo before turning to exit the office. The child was already in the hallway, not sparing even the most minor of niceties for the leader of the Village and his council. They watched with open amusement as Sakumo placed his hand on her head and turned her around, marching her back into the office and forcing her to bow. Hiruzen's chuckle followed them out before it was cut off by the closing doors.
"Benihime," the White Fang scolded gently, wielding her name like a weapon in the way only parents could. "You can't speak like that."
"Menemyemenyeh," she mocked, sticking her tongue out at him. "Why were you even here, anyway? They wouldn't have talked about Kakashi if I hadn't brought him up."
"Sakumo-senpai is your legal guardian," Orochimaru provided, greatly enjoying the look of scandalized terror that crossed her face. "Or, he was. Now that I am officially your sensei, I am responsible for you."
She narrowed her eyes at him, hiding pupilless green irises behind a screen of golden lashes. "Are you gonna make me live in a house?"
"Do you want to live in a house?"
She held out her arms and crossed them at the wrists in an 'x'. "No!"
"Then you don't need to."
"Awesome." She turned to Sakumo, a smirk pulling at her lips. "See? That's how you do it. None of that coercion bullshit."
Sakumo looked like he might protest, but she held up a finger to silence him.
"Don't you have offspring in the hospital," she said not unkindly. "Shouldn't you, I don't know, check on him?" When Sakumo visibly hesitated, she sighed. "See, this is why he hates me. He's jealous because you play very obvious favorites, old man. You can't do that. If he finds out you're here with me while he's stuck on bedrest because of something I did to him, he's just gonna plan my murder."
Orochimaru placed a hand on her shoulder. The gesture allowed them to not only insert themselves into the conversation with Sakumo, and effectively end it, but also let them gauge their student's muscle density. She let them steer her away from Sakumo.
"If you'll excuse us, senpai," they said with a smile. "I need to get acquainted with my student."
It was a dismissal. A polite one, but a dismissal all the same. Sakumo's jaw clenched as he nodded before using shunshin to disappear. Almost instantly, Benihime relaxed under their hand.
"Ugh," she groaned. "He's so overbearing."
They chuckled lowly. "He means well."
"Yeah, I know. That just makes it worse."
She looked up at them, then, expression serious. "Are you really gonna be my teacher?"
"I have as little choice in the matter as you do," they replied. "Though I don't anticipate our relationship being quite so strained as the one you have with Sakumo-senpai. Shall we find somewhere to talk?"
Normally, they would have objected to being assigned any students. The Village was at war, after all, and they were the only member of the Sannin still fighting on the frontlines. Kiri was bringing the fight further and further inland, laying waste to the coastlines as they went. Konoha could not afford to keep Orochimaru in reserve.
However, if the information they'd glanced over in her file was true, then Benihime really could be the asset she claimed to be, and more. Her distrust of Konoha's government and education system aside—as warranted as it was—she had pledged herself to the war effort. With proper training, she would most certainly be worth more than the average genin.
And she had such an interesting kekkei genkai, too.
"Ok," she agreed easily, falling into step beside them as they led the way through the building. "But I have a question."
"Go ahead."
"Do you like bugs?"
They pointedly ignored the way their skin crawled. "I am aware of your…relationship with them, if that's what you're asking."
"It's not, but that's ok. Mushi likes you, so that means you're good. For now, anyway."
They did not ask about 'Mushi'. They would not ask. No. "Come, this way. There is a private room we can use."
She raised a golden eyebrow at them. "Private private, or private with exceptions?"
A smile was the only answer they gave.
Yes, she would be an interesting student.
I know it's been a bajillion years since I updated this. Sorry about that. A lot of stuff has happened irl, but the long and short of it is I had really bad burn out. I had to take a long while to recover my creative impetus, but I'm back now. I'm trying to work on a schedule where I would update every fic in this series on a monthly basis, so one update a week, but for different stories. Idk if it will be feasible, but I'm gonna try my best.
