This takes place directly after last chapter.
"You all held up pretty well!" Risa announced three hours later, her grin bright as she surveyed the three sweaty and exhausted children before her. They each made low noises of acknowledgement, which mostly just sounded like pained moans. Risa threw her head back and laughed, loud and joyful and not tired in the least.
The training had started with basic target practice, each of the children better learning their abilities and which projectile they prefered. Dosu had, unsurprisingly, been proficient with every one of the weapons. Mayuri had found she worked best with the shuriken, but could at least hit the general area of the target with kunai. They were weighted differently than throwing knives, flying straight instead of end-over-end, but the theory was similar. It was just a slightly different flick of the wrist. She was still abysmal with the senbon, much to her chagrin.
Hiroko, on the other hand, had continued her streak of almost-perfect aim the whole session. She had very cheerfully kicked both their asses each time Risa directed them to all aim for the same target.
After that, Risa had decided that it would be fun for them to practice dodging projectile weapons. That was around the time that things started getting a lot more difficult and far more dangerous. Regardless of their new sensei's excited promises, none of the kids had any fun at all with that particular exercise.
"Alright, kiddos. Go visit the medics for the worst of those cuts before you bleed out," Risa said cheerfully as she packed up the various tools of her trade. Mayuri wasn't totally sure how she managed to fit so many weapons into her pack, but sure enough, they all disappeared into the depths of her bag.
Right as they reached the exit, though, she stopped them with a call of, "Oh, wait! Hiroko-chan, can I actually speak with you for a moment?"
Hiroko gave her sister a slightly panicked look, but reluctantly headed back over towards Risa. Her movements were already a little stiff from the hours of abuse on her muscles and Mayuri knew that they were all going to be waddling awkwardly for a few days. She had the feeling that Tanuma and Risa were going to be laughing about it behind their backs. Adults were jerks like that.
Dosu and Mayuri lingered by the door, watching as they talked. It was hard to figure out what was being said, but whatever it was seemed to surprise Hiroko. She had her back to them, but even with the thick curtain of hair, it was easy to see the way her posture went rigid only to slowly relax. Dosu and Mayuri shared a look, half relief and half curiosity, because apparently it was something that Hiroko wasn't too stressed about. By the time the conversation was finished and she came bouncing back to them, there was a smile on her face.
"So?" Mayuri prompted as the three of them headed out into the hall. "What was that about?"
Hiroko brushed her hair back, pushing it over her shoulders and out of her face. Mayuri watched it sway with every step, a little jealous of how thick it was. Hiroko stepped forward, then turned to face them so she was walking backwards, her eyes bright and a smile big enough to make Mayuri's heart swell with empathic happiness at the sight of her sister so excited.
Taking a deep breath, Hiroko blurted, "She wanted to know if I'd like to take private lessons with her! She's apparently going to be teaching another girl starting next month and thought that I'd benefit from her lessons. Also, you remember that time Tanuma-sensei found me drawing on my papers and yelled for, like, an hour before confiscating them? Well, apparently Risa-san saw them at some point and thought that I showed "potential." She wants to teach me some of her crafting, too!"
"What?" Dosu snapped, speaking up before Mayuri had even processed her sister's words. His voice was sharp, almost upset. Hiroko's eyes went wide as she turned her attention to him, confused and taken aback at his tone.
"What?"
"You've been asked to apprentice under someone already?" Dosu clarified, tone still strangely harsh, and Mayuri watched as Hiroko's joy disappeared like it had never been there at all. Her smile slipped away, and she turned her back to them.
Mayuri glanced towards her friend, taking in the surprise in his stance and the strangeness of his tone, and noting something darker in the way his hands curled into fists. She frowned.
"Is it really that rare?" Mayuri asked, turning her gaze towards Hiroko's back.
She was still walking in front of them, trying to hide her face and whatever emotions might be displayed there. She was moving stiffly, her shoulders a tense line; apparently, she had heard the strange note in Dosu's tone as well, and it bothered her. Mayuri wasn't sure what to say to let her know that it was okay to be happy about it, because she wasn't sure what Dosu's issue with it was. She didn't want to encourage Hiroko to take an opportunity that would get her killed. Again.
"I mean, a lot of people end up as apprentices if their skillsets get someone's attention. It just doesn't usually happen quite so fast, is all."
"It's not an apprenticeship!" Hiroko cut in, spinning so she was facing them.
Her face was red, and Mayuri wasn't sure anymore if her eyes were bright with excitement, embarrassment, or unshed tears; it was a little hard to tell with Hiroko, sometimes. They stopped walking, and Mayuri was glad that the passageway was deserted. It would have been awkward to have to stop this conversation midway because someone had to cut through their misshapen little triangle to get wherever they were going.
"Then what is it?" Dosu shot back, crossing his arms in challenge.
Mayuri rolled her eyes but didn't say anything, deciding to let the two of them get out whatever pent up feelings of frustration that hours of hard work and exhaustion had created. As much as she loved her sister and wanted to back her up, she knew better than to interfere right at that moment. The whole situation was being blown way out of proportion, and she already knew this argument had to run its course or else they'd all be pissy for days.
The last time Dosu and Hiroko had had an actual argument, it had been over which one of them was better at genjutsu. It had managed to disrupt nearly every lesson since they refused to work together, and had ended only after Tanuma-sensei had forced them both to spar until neither could stand anymore and stood over them, glaring, until they talked it out and resolved the issue.
Neither of them had even begun learning genjutsu yet.
Mayuri was in something of a nasty mood herself, as tired as she was, and didn't want to add anything to it. Shuffling backwards slightly and rising to balance on the balls of her feet, she watched as Hiroko scowled and crossed her own arms. She lifted her chin to glare Dosu down with her mismatched eyes.
"It's just her teaching me and another girl something she thinks we'd be good at."
"So an apprenticeship," Dosu snarked back, his eyes narrowed.
"Why are you getting so worked up about this? What does it matter?" she snarled, taking a step forward. Mayuri frowned as she watched, wondering if she was going to have to step in after all.
"I'm not getting worked up! You're the one acting all snotty about it."
"I am not! You're the one who's always going on and on about how great your mom is and how much she's taught you! Why can't I have someone who teaches me something without you getting angry about it?"
The silence that followed her outburst was heavy and awkward. Mayuri looked between the two of them, taking in the way her sister's chest was heaving and the red spots on her cheeks, then the way Dosu's eyes had gone wide and how he suddenly seemed to find the floor especially interesting. She sighed and stepped closer so she was brushing against Hiroko's side, trying to show her sister some support.
Hiroko stepped away immediately, a scowl on her face. Mayuri frowned, but ignored the little twinge of hurt she felt at the action. She turned her attention towards Dosu, who was still examining the ground, and sighed. It looked like she was going to have to play peacemaker, after all.
"Hiroko, you said that there's going to be another girl in your lessons, right? What's her name?"
"Kin," she answered shortly, still scowling. Dosu twitched. Mayuri arched an eyebrow, head cocking thoughtfully to the side as she searched her memories to find a face to put with the name.
"Wait, Kin? Isn't she the one that kicked Dosu's ass with that crazy genjutsu, earlier?"
"Oh, shut up," he spat, and Mayuri could see the way the tip of his visible ear was turning red.
She grinned and turned to place a hand on Hiroko's shoulder, mouth opening to make a joke she hoped would break the tension. Before she could say a single word, though, Hiroko wrenched away. Mayuri snatched her hand to her chest like it had been burned, watching her sister with wide eyes as she turned on her heel and stormed away.
The echo of her footsteps faded away, and after a moment more of awkward silence, Dosu hesitantly moved closer to stand by Mayuri's side.
"Should we go after her?"
Mayuri stared down the passageway with narrowed eyes, like squinting would somehow show that Hiroko was still there, waiting just outside the torches' light. She sighed and slumped, head bowed. After a second, she shook her head.
"No, it's probably better to just let her cool off by herself for a little while."
"You sure?"
Another sigh. "No, I'm not. But if either of us go after her when she's angry she'll just get even angrier, you know?"
Dosu hesitated, and his bandages crinkled as he frowned. For a second, Mayuri was left to wonder if she was going to have to stop him from going after Hiroko and possibly getting himself skewered with the shiny new senbon she had seen her sister slip up her sleeves, but finally, he nodded. She patted him on the arm.
"Let's go get something to eat. If you bring her her favorite food, Hiroko might be more inclined to forgive you for being a jerk!"
"I wasn't being a jerk!"
"Fine. An asshole, then. Is that better?"
She barked out a laugh as he spluttered, dancing away from him as he reached out to grab her. He yelled after her, and his scratchy voice echoed off the high ceilings and down the long halls. She led the way towards the cafeteria, making sure she kept herself just a step ahead the whole way, refusing to meet his eye. She wasn't above being petty to anyone who hurt Hiroko's feelings, even if he was the only friend they had in this place.
She left the cafeteria with a heavy tray of food and a sincere apology to Hiroko from Dosu. He couldn't deliver it in person because his mom had returned while they were training with Risa and wanted to spend as much time with him as she could before her next mission. Mayuri really couldn't fault him for wanting to spend time with his mother; after all, she would give almost anything for just one more moment with her own.
The halls leading towards her and Hiroko's room were nearly empty, and she could hear the soft sound of her footsteps echoing back to her as well as the occasional jingle of one of the silver bells looped around her limbs. Whenever she heard the sound, she would remind herself to move a little slower, to be more aware of each step and to make her movements smoother and more graceful.
She was so focused on her own feet that she did not notice there was someone else in the hall until she was colliding with them.
She gasped as the tray slipped from her hands. Before it could fall to the ground, though, the person she had crashed into caught it in one smooth motion, not spilling a single drop. Their free hand grabbed her arm when she stumbled and righted her.
"I'm so sorry!" she gasped before she had even fully comprehended what was going on. The pressure on her arm was light, almost gentle, and she smiled as she accepted the tray back. "That was so amazing! Thank you so...much…."
Mayuri trailed off as she caught sight of the hem of the stranger's sleeve. Slowly, she let her eyes move upwards. She felt her breath catch in her throat as she took in the sight of a black cloak with red clouds standing in screaming contrast. Memories surfaced and, as faint as they might be, she recognized the pattern.
She was left frozen, breathless, staring wide-eyed at the cloak. Her mind was spinning, trying to remember what she could about the organization and trying desperately to figure out what they might be doing in Otogakure. The person's face was shadowed, the wide brim of their kasa and the high collar of the cloak hiding their identity, but she already knew just by what organization they were apart of that they were deadly.
She jerked away at last as her emotions caught up to her, confusion and panic rising in her chest. The bells around her wrists jingled softly as she clutched the tray with a white-knuckled grip. Could she use it as a weapon, somehow? Could she outrun this person and warn one of the grown ups before they decided to attack?
She took another step back, muscles tensing as she prepared to fight or to run. Either way, she would have to be quiet; she was close enough to her room that, if she screamed, Hiroko would hear. She would come to help, and Mayuri couldn't bare to put her baby sister in that kind of danger. No matter how fast Hiroko was, no matter how good she was with projectile weapons, she wouldn't survive in a fight against an Akatsuki member.
Mayuri took another stumbling step back, and steaming broth spilled over the sides of the tray and onto her fingers. She barely noticed, aside from the stirrings of an idea in the recesses of her mind. The Akatsuki member laughed, soft and rasping.
"You seem upset, dear child," a familiar voice said, amusement and something colder in his tone. "Whatever could be troubling you?"
Mayuri's brow crinkled in confusion, and she forced herself to follow the line of the cloak upwards, leaving herself vulnerable as she bared her throat, squinting at the shadowy place his face was supposed to be. Another soft sound of amusement, and in one smooth motion, the top buttons of the cloak were unsnapped and the hat was pulled off. Long dark hair fell free like a black waterfall, framing his face flawlessly.
It was, quite possibly, the most artfully dramatic thing she had ever seen.
"Orochimaru-sama?"
He smiled, and though his lips stretched just as they should to form an expression of warm regard, his golden eyes remained cold and unfeeling. Despite that, a feeling of relief swept through Mayuri; the village wasn't under attack after all. She didn't have to worry about fighting or running for her life just yet.
"I didn't recognize you. My apologies, Orochimaru-sama," she said, bowing. She tried to calm her racing heart and to stop the trembling she could feel in her fingers.
"You thought I was an enemy," he murmured, voice like a caress. He did not sound upset, much to Mayuri's relief, but there was something in his tone that sent a chill climbing her spine regardless. "What were you planning, Mayuri-chan?"
His voice was soft. He sounded curious, and when she looked at him, his eyes seemed to glow in the torchlight. Mayuri chewed her bottom lip and lowered her eyes again, focusing her gaze on his feet. His toenails were painted a lovely shade of purple.
"It wasn't anything, really. I knew that I wouldn't be a match for a real shinobi, so I was going to use this," she lifted the tray a little, and the steaming broth sloshed with the movement. "—to distract you. Then I was going to just run to find someone who would be able to either raise an alarm or hold off an enemy."
He hummed, and Mayuri had no idea what he could possibly be thinking. Head tilting to the side and eyes narrowing, he asked, "Why would you not call for help right away?"
Mayuri hesitated, wondering if she should tell the truth of not. Would he know if she lied? Was there any reason to lie in the first place? She wasn't sure, and she didn't want to risk him knowing if she lied. The truth was easier.
"I didn't want to yell where my sister might hear. If she heard me in trouble, Hiroko would come to see what was happening and I didn't want her to be in danger, too."
"And your distraction. You planned to use that?" he asked, eyes sliding down to the tray she held, clutched close to her body to keep it from shaking and spilling any more. His smile was frozen on his features. Mayuri nodded.
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama. I imagine almost anyone would be distracted if they found themselves with a face full of hot ramen."
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Mayuri froze, heart leaping to rest in her throat. Would he think she was being sassy? Would he punish her for not taking this conversation seriously? He was, after all, not only the Otokage, but also the man who would become one of the most prolific villains of this world, if he wasn't already. He obviously had no qualms about killing children for much less than a perceived slight.
Her eyes darted up to his face, wide and scared as she searched his features for any sign of annoyance or threat. Much to her surprise, though, she could find no hint of anger. Instead, there was something arguably far more dangerous in the glint of his eyes; interest.
The silence stretched between them. Mayuri stood frozen, uncomfortable and uncertain, trapped like a mouse beneath a snake's hypnotic gaze. Orochimaru made no move to break the silence. He seemed to be waiting for her to speak again.
Mayuri wet her lips, eyes darting around as she searched desperately for some way to move the conversation along. She resisted the urge to start bouncing, struggling to maintain some semblance of the persona she had worked so hard to mold herself into for the sake of keeping adults' eyes off of her. Finally, her eyes caught once more on the bright splash of color across the darkness of his cloak.
"I like your new outfit," she blurted, and immediately wanted to kick herself.
Orochimaru arched one eyebrow, and Mayuri tried not to wince. Instead, she forced herself to smile, bright and cheerful, and plowed on despite the way she felt her heart was only a few beats away from bursting right from her chest.
"I don't think I've ever seen you in such dark colors. They look good on you! The black really brings out your eyes. Are you thinking about changing the jounin uniforms to look like that, too?" She knew that she was word vomiting all over the Otokage's chest, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. Nerves had her wound too tightly, her mind too busy spinning to focus any attention on a brain-to-mouth filter. "Now that I think about it, I haven't seen you at all recently. It's been strange not to have you sitting in on our lessons anymore. Where have you been? Are you okay?"
And there it was again; the overwhelming urge to hit her head on the nearest wall until she learned how to shut the fuck up. Orochimaru was silent, watching her. He cocked his head a little further to the side, eyes narrowed, like he just couldn't quite figure out what to make of her.
Then, slowly, a smile spread over his features. There was something distinctly unnerving about it, as always, but at least there was still no flash of anger across his features. If anything, Mayuri might have said that he looked faintly amused. She cautiously smiled back, and reminded herself to appreciate the small favors in life, such as not being brutally slaughtered by an angry snake-man.
"It seems we do have some catching up to do. How has your training been progressing, Mayuri-chan?"
"It's been going well, my lord!" she said, relieved at the shift to such an easy topic. "Hiroko and I are actually some of the top-ranked students, even compared to the older kids. Tanuma-sensei and Mao-sensei have both said they were impressed with our progress."
It was the bare bones, the bits of information that he would likely already know. She didn't want to attract any more attention than necessary, but somehow, it felt kind of nice to tell the leader of their village about the accomplishments she was secretly very proud of, as silly as that was.
"You've done very well." His smile was still in place, his eyes predatory as he watched her, and as he reached forward to ruffle her hair, Mayuri couldn't help the little flush of pleasure on her face at the acknowledgement. "Have you advanced at all with your kekkei genkai?"
"Yes, I think so. Apparently my body is changing a little bit, though. Yumi thinks it's to accommodate any changes in my bones, but I don't know much more about it than that. I sort of just automatically know where all of my bones are, and how they move and feel, if I focus hard enough."
"Have you been given the chance to practice your abilities while I was away from the village? Have you been given the opportunity to become stronger, yet?"
Mayuri hesitated, biting her lip. She didn't want to lie, but it also felt like saying no would be the wrong move to make. As she watched, she could see Orochimaru's eyes assessing her, and noticed for the first time just how hungry they were. Slowly, she shook her head.
"Not yet, Orochimaru-sama."
He hummed softly, golden eyes intense as they moved slowly over her small form. Mayuri bowed her head, forcing herself to tear her gaze away from his before she could be consumed by it. She shuffled a little, uncertainty cold as it curled in her gut.
"Your food is getting cold, my dear," he rasped at last, one hand coming to rest on the top of her head. His touch was deceptively gentle as he ruffled her hair once more. This time, Mayuri did not lean into the touch. "Go ahead to your room. We shall see each other again soon."
With that, he swept off down the hall, long hair fluttering behind him. Mayuri watched him, lips pursed with her confusion, until he turned a corner and disappeared. Still, she hesitated, halfway expecting him to suddenly reappear before her like the ghost she had once thought he was.
After a long moment, Mayuri heaved a soft sigh and continued to her room, shoving her discomfort and rapidly-spiraling thoughts to the back of her mind, to be dealt with later. The door to the bedroom was closed, and after a second of hesitation, she knocked. Silence was the only response she received, so she shifted to balance the tray with one hand, and pushed the door open.
"Honey," she called softly, eyes sweeping the room. "I'm home."
She smiled when she caught sight of Hiroko, splayed out on her bed. Her mouth was hanging open, limbs twisted into what had to be very uncomfortable positions, and her blankets in a pile on the stone floor. Apparently, she had really needed a nap.
Sometimes, it was so easy to forget the fact that, no matter how old their consciousnesses might be, their bodies were still only five years old. Just like any other little kid, they were both subject to becoming ridiculously grumpy when they were tired. Mayuri just hoped that her sister's nap would be enough to prevent any more temper tantrums tonight.
She set the tray down on the floor, next to the blankets, then settled herself on the edge of the bed. Gently, she nudged Hiroko's shoulder, and smiled when her sister grumbled and rolled over. There was drool on her cheek.
"Hiro, wake up." Another shake, this time a little rougher. "I brought you food. Come on, it's time to get up. You need to eat something."
Mismatched eyes fluttered open, bleary and searching. Mayuri smiled down at her sister, and felt warm relief blossom in her chest when Hiroko offered a sleepy smile in return.
"I brought you food," she repeated, dipping to retrieve the tray and place it in Hiroko's lap as she sat up and readjusted herself. "Dosu picked it out, and he wanted me to tell you that he's really, really sorry that he was so snippy with you earlier."
"Why didn't he come to tell me himself?" Hiroko asked around a mouthful of food, eyes darting up to give Mayuri a look.
"His mom came home. She wanted to hang out with him for a while since she's gonna have to leave again pretty soon."
Hiroko grunted and returned her attention to her lukewarm ramen. Apparently, that was a good enough reason for her for Dosu to not have come to apologize in person. She understood just as well as Mayuri did that, no matter how envious she was that Dosu had a mom, she really couldn't begrudge him for it, or for him choosing to spend time with her over them.
Mayuri watched her sister eat in silence for a moment before turning away. Her eyes were unfocused, just barely aware of the shadows of the torches dancing across the walls as she lost herself to thought. She did her best to picture the look on Orochimaru's face, to figure out what that hint of fascination and that awful hunger could mean, and what could be coming. She turned his words over in her mind, careful and assessing.
By the time she turned her attention back to her sister, Hiroko was nearly finished with her dinner, picking at the rice with a frown. Mayuri watched her eat the last mouthful, chewing like the cold rice had personally offended her. She wet her lips, cleared her throat, and when Hiroko's bored gaze met her own, Mayuri spoke up.
"I think Orochimaru wants our bodies."
Hiroko stopped chewing, going horribly still as she processed the words. Mayuri watched the expressions flit across her face, horror and confusion and something unreadable all vying for space across her features. Then, her expression smoothed out, controlled so carefully that Mayuri automatically knew that she was doing her best to fight back an anxiety attack.
Hiroko finished chewing, each tiny movement carefully controlled. She swallowed, then pursed her lips, deep in thought. Mayuri waited, dreading what her sister might say. After a too-long moment, she met Mayuri's gaze evenly.
"Give it 15 years, and he won't be the only one. We're gonna grow up to be fucking hot."
Mayuri choked on her spit.
Lmao how does one write Orochimaru? I have no clue.
Well, welcome back to another chapter. It's been rough irl lately. I just lost my grandpa, and since I'm living with my grandma right now, it's been very difficult emotionally. I'm really sorry to anyone who left a review that I didn't get around to answering last chapter. The only reason I'm trying to continue writing this atm is because of the lovely comments people leave. So please, if you want to see more anytime soon, drop a review. Each one is appreciated more than I can ever properly articulate.
Thanks and I hope you enjoyed.
