A/N - Yay! An update for another fic that hasn't been updated in a while!
Alrighty, this chapter is kind of a doozy. A LOT happens in this chapter, and most of it is definitely not good stuff. You'll see what I mean as you read it. I fully expect you guys and gals to hate me for what I did in this chapter. lol
Anywho, I'm still really sick and I'm honestly exhausted. So I'll leave this here and see you at the bottom!
Chapter 6 – Immediate Danger
As Naruto glanced around to check on how everyone else was doing, he noticed the ways that other people were cheating. Such as Hinata using her Byakugan to see the answers or that Gaara guy using an eye of sand to cheat. When he glanced towards Sarada, he half-expected her to be using the Sharingan, but found that she wasn't doing such a thing. In fact, the three women from the distant future weren't making use of their gifts to cheat at all! And yet, they seemed to be answering the questions easily enough.
At first, he was a little confused as to why they weren't making use of their gifts. Then, it clicked. Shit! They still have to be careful not to show off their doujutsu. But…can we get away with holding back in these exams? Sure, this first one definitely has some kind of trick to it, otherwise there wouldn't be that tenth question at the end. But, if Orochimaru is here, just like in their timeline…
Clenching his fist tight around his pencil, he soon felt it bending. Quickly relaxing his grip on it so he didn't suddenly shatter his pencil, he took a moment to breathe and calm down. The only reason Orochimaru would come after me is because I hurt Sasuke. It was my team that got him in trouble, after all. No, chances are he'll try to get Sasuke and get him out of Konoha. And, considering Sasuke would take any help he can get right now, it won't take much convincing to coerce Sasuke into going with him. But that wouldn't stop the invasion from happening.
Looking over the questions on his paper, Naruto decided to at least make an attempt at answering some of them. He wasn't as stupid as people believed him to be, but these questions were a hell of a lot tougher than anything he was used to. As he scribbled notes, such as mathematical equations and the like, he continued to think over the current situation. Depending on how quickly he learns that Kabuto and his teammates were captured as suspected spies, Orochimaru might actually come after me in retaliation. But I doubt he cares enough to do that. No, Sasuke is his number one priority right now. Then he'll try to kill the Third and destroy as much of Konoha as he can. He's already come this far, so I highly doubt he'll give up his plans partway through. No, Orochimaru is here somewhere. Most likely, he and his henchmen are planning how to retrieve Sasuke AND remove the seals placed on the bastard. I need to tell the proctor somehow without arousing suspicion. Wait…!
After he finished answering what questions he could, Naruto flipped his paper over and brought it in close, just in case Kankuro got any ideas about reading what he was writing. Okay, I'd write this all down in code, but it would likely take too long to decipher what I'm trying to say. I'll have to take the risk and hope this works out. Come on, Ibiki. Don't let me down!
A short time later, Ibiki called for everyone to stop what they were doing. Thankfully, Naruto had already written the note and was now waiting as calmly as he could for Ibiki's tenth question. As Ibiki took the time to explain a new set of rules for the final question, the blonde frowned to himself and went over the rules once more in his head. He's testing our resolve. Weeding out those too weak of mind and spirit; the ones that wouldn't make it as Chunin.
Glancing around to make sure nobody he knew was going to fall for it, he smiled when he saw his teammates weren't even flinching. Good girls. I knew I could count on all of you.
"Those of you remaining…pass!" Ibiki suddenly declared, snapping Naruto out of his thoughts. When Kiba barked out a question, which Naruto found rather amusing at the time, everyone watched as Ibiki undid his bandana and revealed his scars.
"Damn. You've been through hell, haven't you?" Naruto found himself asking.
Ibiki chuckled and said, "Yes. This is just one example of the kind of price we ninja pay for doing our jobs. There may be a supposed 'peace' right now, but don't let such a thing fool you. There are dangers all around, and the great villages aren't all as chummy as you might think. One day, even your supposed allies could turn on you. Or worse, someone much closer to home might betray you. There's no telling what could happen during your careers, so it's important to exercise caution. To a degree, anyways. You can't live in fear of the 'what ifs' and the unknown. Those of you that chose to remain passed this final test because you've got the steel needed to become Chunin. The next exam will test your skills even further. Now, your next proctor should have been here already. I'm honestly shocked she didn't break in through the window by now…"
"Awww. Why ruin the surprise? Besides, I was more interested in a little something else." Anko's voice could be heard saying. When everyone turned to look, they saw her smothering one Naruto Uzumaki with her breasts. "I bet you missed your sexy wittle Anko-chan, didn't you?"
Naruto struggled for a moment longer before managing to break Anko's hold on him. Taking a deep breath in and releasing it slowly, he looked into Anko's eyes, a furious blush spreading across his cheeks. "Don't do that! I could've died!" When she started rubbing herself against his crotch, he began to stammer for a moment before saying, "P-Please, Anko-ch-sensei! N-Not in front of all these p-people…"
The Snake Mistress smirked devilishly before leaning in close and licking his ear. "I didn't hear a no. Are you finally caving in? Do you want your sexy Anko-chan?"
At this point, steam was practically pouring from his ears. Stammering again as he tried desperately to say something…anything…he soon gave up and meekly nodded his head. Seeing this caused Anko to smirk even more before she kissed him on the cheek. "Just wait, Naruto-kun. I'll show you what a real woman is like under the blanket."
Himawari was watching all of this with a deep blush on her face. Squirming a bit in her seat, she began rubbing her thighs together and dearly wished she could get away with slipping a few fingers down south to relieve herself. This is sooo hot! I knew she'd come around and see what we do! I cannot wait to get some more special time with you, my wonderful lover.
Hinata, on the other hand, didn't seem to care as she openly rubbed one of her breasts through her shirt and slid her other hand downwards, into her pants to relieve herself a bit. So. Hot. I don't care what the second exam is like, I'm getting me some Naruto fun time!
Sarada and Chocho, on the other hand, were blushing furiously as they watched the spectacle taking place before their eyes. Whether they were conscious of the fact or not, the two of them were both rubbing their thighs together. I don't think I can wait anymore! I want to take a ride on the Naruto Love-Love Train! They thought as one.
Before Ibiki could say anything to reprimand Anko for her lewd behavior, the woman stood up, patted Naruto on the cheek, and stepped to the front of the room. Looking over the remaining Genin, she smirked and said, "There's more than I expected. Oh well. I'm the proctor for the second exam. I'm in a good mood, so follow me and I'll lead you to the site of the second exam. If you fall behind, you have thirty minutes to find your way, or you'll fail automatically. Now come on!"
As the majority of the Chunin hopefuls followed after Anko, Team 11 took a moment to approach Naruto, who was still a blushing mess. Helping him up, they smiled supportively at him before Himawari said, "Come along, Naruto-kun. We don't want to get left behind, after all."
Naruto slowly nodded before saying, "Y-Yeah. Um, first…" Looking at Ibiki, Naruto gestured towards his paper. When the man nodded in response, the members of Team 11 left to join the others at their favorite training ground: The Forest of Death.
Once they were gone, Ibiki took a look at Naruto's test. The first thing he checked was the answers, considering he hadn't seen the Uzumaki try to cheat in any way. "Huh, so he did manage to answer a few of these right. Not bad, Uzumaki." Flipping the test over, he read the note Naruto had left for him. As he did, his eyes widened and he said, "Shit." Looking around, he shouted, "Somebody collect these damn tests! I need to speak to Hokage-sama NOW!" And with that, without waiting for anyone to move, he disappeared to go and speak with the Hokage. Good job, Uzumaki. If you don't make Chunin after these exams are through, I'll have some words for those in charge.
Sasuke
Sasuke scowled as he stared at the white, padded wall of the room he was trapped in. Ever since his outburst in the Hokage's office almost an entire month ago, things had not been going well for him. First, they had placed seals all along his body, stripping him of the use of his chakra. Hell, he couldn't even activate the Sharingan with these fucking seals on him!
Then he had to deal with the torture. Sure, Ibiki rarely resorted to physical torture, but that didn't make the mind games any more pleasant to deal with. The more Ibiki screwed with his head, the more Sasuke's dwindling sanity seemed to flee from him. Still, Sasuke had managed to keep his attitude and clung onto his overwhelming hatred for those who had taken everything from him.
Once they realized that he wasn't going to break, they had the gall to throw him into the psyche ward of Konoha's hospital! Him, the great Sasuke Uchiha! The one who was meant to rule over the peasants beneath him! It was his destiny to kill his brother and then…well, he hadn't really thought about what might come after. But the longer he was stuck inside this padded room, the more he began to think on it.
He had finally come to a decision a few days earlier. Once Itachi was dead, he'd set his sights on killing the Hokage, Naruto, and his little sluts. After all, they were the ones who wronged him. They were vermin that needed to be exterminated for daring to go against him! Then, he'd take over the village and remake it in his image. Then, he'd find women that were useful to him and force them to bear his seed, whether they liked it or not. After all, what woman wouldn't want to bear his children? He was the great Uchiha avenger, after all! He could have any woman he wanted and they'd better be damn grateful that he even deigned to touch them!
A thought struck him suddenly. Eyes widening for a brief moment, he soon began to laugh evilly. "That's it! I won't kill them! I'll break them right in front of you, Naruto Uzumaki! By the time I'm through with them, they'll be begging for the sweet release of death. But no, I won't give it to them. They'll give birth to my children and you'll be forced to watch every fucking second of it!"
As Sasuke began to cackle madly at his brilliant plan, he was soon caught off guard as the door to his room opened a crack. Going silent, the Uchiha slowly rose to his feet and began to inch closer to the door. Is somebody letting me out of here finally? If it was that Yamanaka bastard again, he would've just let himself right in.
The Uchiha froze when he spotted an eye with a slit-like pupil peering in at him. For a reason unknown to him, the ravenette felt true fear as he peered into that eye. Despite his pride screaming at him not to, Sasuke took a step backwards, away from whoever was staring at him. Then, whoever it was began to cackle madly as he pushed open the door. The moment he did, it was as if night had blanketed the room he was in. Everything suddenly went dark and, the more he looked around, the more Sasuke found himself panicking. If he could have, he would have taken his own life, he was so terrified! Then, it all stopped.
Looking back into the man's eyes, Sasuke blinked a couple of times as he tried to regain his bearings. Opening his mouth, he tried to ask a question of the terrifying man, only to begin coughing. Taking a moment more, he forced out the words, "Who are you?" in a raspy voice. He felt like he hadn't had anything to drink in days!
"I am the answer to all your problems. I can help you get revenge against those that wronged you. I can help you get eeeeverything you want. Tell me that doesn't entice you?" the man said, chuckling darkly afterwards.
"Tempting offer. But that doesn't answer my question. Who the hell are you? And for that matter, why would you want to help me? Nobody in this blasted village wants to help me, so why should I believe that you do?!" Sasuke questioned, sounding angry the entire time.
"Why wouldn't I want to help you? You're an Uchiha. That should be reason enough, shouldn't it?" The man responded, a sinister grin stretching his face. "I know your greatest desires. You want revenge against Itachi. But a new goal has shined in front of you. I can help you make Naruto Uzumaki pay for his transgressions against you. All you have to do is come with me. I can free you from this place."
Sasuke smirked at the man's reasoning. "Finally, someone that recognizes the Uchiha's greatness. There's just one problem."
Before Sasuke could say anymore, the man said, "The seal, correct? Easily removed. There is no reason to worry over such a thing, my precious Sasuke. If Sensei had truly wanted to punish you, he would have called for Jiraiya to do the sealing. No, Sasuke-kun, Sensei never truly intended to make you suffer for your supposed 'crimes'. But he still crossed you and, in doing so, gave me my opening. If you come with me now, I can get you out of this wretched village and back home with me. I'll give you everything you could ever have wanted. I can even get you women willing to bear your seed. They'd be most useful to you, as they are to me."
Sasuke smirked evilly and said, "Good. But I know four more women I want to break in. If you can get them for me, then I'll go with you."
"I cannot get them for you now, but I promise you that I'll make them yours in due time. Unfortunately for you, you really don't have many options available to you right now, Sasuke-kun. Coming with me now is in your best interest." The man said.
Sasuke frowned, clearly disappointed with the man's answer. Still… "Fine. Get me the hell out of here. I don't even care who you are anymore, just so long as you stay true to your word."
"Of course, my darling Sasuke-kun." the man said before he guided Sasuke out of the room. Upon doing so, the duo were quickly surrounded by a group of Anbu, led by none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi, the famed God of Shinobi and current Hokage of Konohagakure.
"Damn. It seems he was right. I'm not letting you escape this time, Orochimaru. Let go of Sasuke and surrender!" Hiruzen exclaimed angrily.
"Ah, such a shame, Sensei. Your hopes for dear Sasuke-kun are ruined now, aren't they? Don't you worry your head over it any longer. Allow me to take care of him from now on. After all, you've already taken three of mine. It's only fair that I take one of yours." The now identified Orochimaru said before cackling evilly once more.
Hiruzen scowled and asked, "How the hell could you possibly know about that already?! Just who else is helping y-?!" The Hokage stopped and his eyes went wide in horror. "No…not him! You're getting help from Danzo?!"
"Ahh, so you realized it. Good for you. I'm afraid it's much too late to stop me, however. Goodbye for now, Sensei." Orochimaru said before waving goodbye to his former sensei.
"Goodbye? You have no way to escape me this time, Oro-!" Hiruzen suddenly stopped and coughed up some blood, even gagging on some of it. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that one of his own Anbu had just stabbed him. It wasn't an immediately fatal wound, but it was still severe enough that he would need immediate medical attention if he wanted to survive. "T-Traitor…"
When the other Anbu moved to save the Hokage, Orochimaru cackled and slipped away with Sasuke, the two of them vanishing into the darkness. "Too bad, Sensei. So close, and yet so very far away." were the parting words he shared.
Hiruzen fell to one knee and cursed as he punched the floor. "D-Dammit! D-Danzo…you'll pay…"
It didn't take long for the Anbu to capture and restrain the false Anbu. When they forced off the man's mask, they were shocked to see one Hayate Gekko staring back at them, a glare on his face. One of the Anbu, wearing an Ox mask, asked, "Hayate? But…why? What the hell are you even doing here?!"
Hayate didn't speak a word. Instead, he looked at Hiruzen and said, "I have nothing to say to any of you. I have done my duty and repaid a debt."
Ox scowled behind his mask, but didn't say another word. Instead, he turned to the other three Anbu and shouted, "Get Hokage-sama some help already, dammit! I'm taking the traitor to see Inoichi. I want to get some damn answers!" And with that, Ox disappeared with Hayate, heading towards the T&I facility. Dammit! Just how deep does this rabbit hole go?! Then something occurred to him and he nearly froze. Does Yugao know? Is she in on this? Shaking those thoughts off, Ox redoubled his efforts, dragging Hayate along with him the entire way. This whole situation's gone FUBAR. Dammit…
Team 11
Himawari grinned to herself as she and the other Chunin hopefuls listened to Anko explain the rules for the second exam. Leaning close to the other members of Team 11, she said, "This'll be a piece of cake with the five of us. Nobody knows this forest like we do."
Sarada shook her head and said, "Don't underestimate the other teams, Himawari-chan. Anything can happen during these exams, after all. We have a distinct advantage over the other teams, but…"
Naruto nodded and said, "There's still the chance that Orochimaru might get involved. I'm sure he's not pleased that I got his right-hand man captured. But more than that…"
Hinata nodded in agreement with his line of thinking. "Our team was directly involved in the mission that ruined everything for Sasuke. Orochimaru might just seek revenge for our transgressions."
Chocho scowled and said, "Well damn. If we have to worry about that, then we probably aren't going to get any fun time in. Pooey."
Naruto blushed a bit at the images running through his brain. Sighing after a moment, he said, "They're passing out the waivers. Let's sign them and get our scroll. And please girls, focus on the goal here, okay?"
Chocho giggled perversely and asked, "Which goal? The goal that leads to us getting into your pants? That's the one I'd prefer, anyways."
Blushing even worse, Naruto facepalmed before saying, "You know what I mean! I swear, you girls are hornier than I am."
Hinata kissed his cheek and lightly grabbed his crotch through his pants. "You're not complaining about it, are you, honey? You should just be honest with yourself. You need us. You're craving us. I bet you really can't wait to be with us again. Just imagine…" Here, she began whispering ideas to him until they could practically see steam pouring out of his ears again. When he began to giggle pervertedly, she flashed a peace sign to the others and grinned wickedly. "I think he's ready for us, girls."
Himawari smirked and said, "Good. More motivation to finish this exam and get some Naru-Naru fun time in!"
"Damn right, girl!" Sarada exclaimed before high-fiving her friend.
Naruto sighed and decided to just ignore the hornbirds for the time being. When they were given their waivers, they signed them without any hesitation and proceeded to get their scroll, which turned out to be a Heaven scroll. Afterwards, they went to their designated gate to wait for the exam to begin. However…
When Naruto felt arms encircle him and a hand sliding into his pants, he sighed and said, "Girls, really? The exam's about to start."
Sarada smirked and kissed his cheek before saying, "We saw how much you enjoyed Anko's ministrations. Before she gets to you, I think it's only right that we have you first. Chocho and I have been waiting for our time with you as patiently as possible. We can only hold out for so long before we decide to just take what we want."
Naruto was about to reply, but the gate swung open with an announcement blaring to enter the forest. When Sarada released him, the blonde turned to Sarada and kissed her lovingly on the lips. "Sweetheart, as soon as we have some time to relax and be together, I promise that I'll give you girls exactly what you all want. Hell, I'll even have sex with all of you together if that's what you desire. But for now, we need to focus on the exam. And don't forget the other threats awaiting us in here. So please, focus. For me?"
Chocho pouted cutely, but nodded in agreement. "Of course, sweetheart. Let's get in there and kick some ass!" And with that, they entered the Forest of Death and began making their way through the forest, aiming for somewhere they could rest for a moment and formulate some kind of plan.
Finding a location that fit their current needs, they climbed higher into the canopy above and sat down together. Naruto took hold of their scroll and looked at Hinata. "Hinata-chan, you should take our scroll. I think it would probably be safest with you."
Taking the scroll, Hinata sealed it away into a storage seal imprinted into one of her coat's inner pockets. Afterwards, she activated her Byakugan and had a look around. "There are two teams close by. One of them is heading straight for the tower. The other is heading in the opposite direction, moving away from us."
Sarada frowned for a moment before she looked at Naruto. "What do you want to do, Naruto-kun? Whatever you decide, we'll follow your orders."
The blonde shook his head and said, "Thanks for the vote of confidence, girls, but if you have ideas, then feel free to share them."
Chocho smiled at him and said, "It's not that we don't have our own advice or input to share, Naruto-kun. We just want to see how you would handle this kind of situation. Think of it like a test of your analytical abilities."
Naruto smiled at them and said, "Well, thank you." Looking in the direction of the two teams Hinata pointed out, he shook his head and said, "They're both due east of us from here. If the first team is heading straight for the tower, then they're planning to lie in wait to ambush other teams making way for the tower later on. This way, they are pretty much guaranteed to get the scroll they need…if their ambush succeeds."
"The second team is likely going in search of another team already, hoping to snag the right scroll before making their way to the tower. Chances are high that they'll run into one of the ambush teams. We shouldn't go after either of them. We'll let them run into one another and knock each other out. No, we should head in a north-northwestern path. There's one team in particular I'd love to take out during this exam, but the odds of encountering them is rather low, all things considered. No, our main focus should first be to get another scroll. It doesn't matter if it's one we already have or not. If it's another Heaven scroll, we can use it to bargain for an Earth scroll if we encounter another team. I wouldn't bet on that working, though."
Looking around at his girlfriends, he smirked and said, "No, the main goal in doing this is to take down as many teams as we can to remove as much of the competition as possible. We will circle the tower and move in a spiral fashion. If we find the team I'm after, then perfect. Otherwise, they can wait until the third stage of the exams. However, if we do get our hands on an Earth scroll, we should make our way for the tower, just to be on the safe side. With your Byakugan, you can easily guide us away from any potential dangers. I can easily use shadow clones to distract any teams in our way at that point."
"Our biggest threat isn't one of the other teams. It's Orochimaru. If it wasn't for the threat he poses to us, we could easily wipe out most of the other teams and remove our competition. So we should keep on the move and strike when the situation favors us. Agreed?" Naruto finished, looking around again at his girls.
The girls of Team 11 nodded in agreement with him. "A solid plan. I'd love to stay out here for a few days and pick off the other teams as well, but you're right. We can't underestimate Orochimaru." Sarada said.
Himawari looked into her lover's eyes and said, "You want to take down Neji's team, don't you, Naruto-kun?"
Naruto nodded and said, "I do. Not because they're a threat to us, though. It's mostly because I can't stand Neji and his shit mouth. But I'd also like to take out Rock Lee and Tenten. They could be annoying to deal with in a one vs. one fight. Nothing we can't handle, of course, but still annoying."
Hinata smirked dastardly to herself and said, "As I said before, if it comes down to him and me, I'm going to kill him. I hope you all feel the same. If he comes after any of you with the intent to kill, then finish him."
"But of course, my dearest Hinata-hime." Naruto said with a mock bow, a smirk crossing his face. "He may be a fellow shinobi of Konohagakure, but he's an enemy, and like any enemy, we're going to strike him down. I can't help but wonder what his last words will be when he's lying in a broken mess at our feet. Should be fun."
The members of Team 11 giggled before they went on the move, aiming to travel the forest in search of other teams. They would have loved to take it easy for a while, but with the threat of Orochimaru hanging over them, they just couldn't afford to.
Inoichi
Inoichi Yamanaka. This man was not just Ino's father, but he was also the head of his clan, a T&I specialist, a therapist to those in need, and more. And right now, he couldn't quite make sense of what he was seeing. Sitting on the other side of a two-way mirror was Hayate Gekko. His hands were bound tight with fingers tied apart at awkward angles to prevent him from using any jutsu to escape. Looking to the man standing beside him, Inoichi asked, "What exactly is going on here, Ox? What the hell happened?"
Ox shook his head and said, "Naruto Uzumaki left a note for Ibiki at the end of the first exam. He warned us that Orochimaru was after Sasuke and that somebody needed to act before he could retrieve the rotten little punk. Upon arriving at Sasuke's room, we found Orochimaru taking Sasuke out of his room. He had no way to escape at that moment in time and we were ready to act on Hokage-sama's orders. Then…" Turning to Hayate at this point, Ox scowled and said, "Hayate stabbed Hokage-sama through the back and nearly killed him. I think that if he truly intended to in that moment, Hokage-sama would be dead. No, Hayate left him alive for a reason."
Looking into Inoichi's eyes, Ox said, "Before Orochimaru escaped, Hokage-sama seemed to come to some form of realization. According to what we heard from him, Danzo is helping Orochimaru. They are working together. I need you to get whatever information you can out of Hayate. If I'm right in my assumption, then he's working directly for Danzo. And if that's the case, getting him to talk is probably going to be impossible. Our best hope here is for you to perform a mind dive and extract whatever information you can. Please, Inoichi."
Inoichi frowned as he looked at Hayate and said, "It might be too dangerous to perform a mind dive. If Danzo's involved, he could have easily worked to implement some kind of mental defense to stop me from taking any information from him. But…" Sighing softly, the blonde mindwalker looked at Ox and said, "I'll try. I'll talk with him first and try to learn why he'd betray Hokage-sama in such a way. There has to be a reason behind what he did."
Ox frowned distastefully, but didn't say a word. Instead, he watched as Inoichi entered the room with Hayate. Figure out what this is all about, Inoichi. I'm counting on you.
Inside the interrogation room, the blonde man looked into Hayate's eyes for a time, simply watching him. Hayate was unblinking as he stared into Inoichi's eyes. If it wasn't for the fact that Hayate was clearly breathing steadily, Inoichi would have likely thought he was dead, he was that still. Frowning, he asked, "Why did you do it, Hayate? I've noticed you aren't coughing like you used to. Tell me, why is that?"
Hayate's gaze turned from Inoichi to the two-way mirror for the briefest of moments. Eyes returning to Inoichi, Hayate said, "I was cured. I owe my life to the man that saved me. It is as simple as that."
Inoichi frowned and began to jot down something in his notes. So he was cured. Danzo likely wouldn't give a shit, so it had to be Orochimaru. If that's the case, is he more loyal to Orochimaru, or Danzo? If those two are working together, then I can see Hayate being traded to Danzo for a time. Hmm…
"Was it Orochimaru that cured you of your illness? I can't honestly see Danzo doing something like that, even if it would net him a good soldier."
Hayate shook his head and asked, "Does it really matter at this point? I repaid my debt and I have no regrets. It doesn't matter if I rot in prison, die, or whatever else you have in mind for me. In truth, I did this for Yugao."
Inoichi's brow rose as he stared at Hayate with a curious gaze. "Interesting that you should say that. I do believe we should bring her in for questioning as well. How would you feel about that?"
The traitor chuckled darkly and said, "Do you really think she knows anything about this? I care about my girlfriend and want only the best for her. She was questioning the Hokage and would have likely been 'dealt with' sooner rather than later. Protecting her is what matters most to me. Keeping her happy was my goal."
Inoichi frowned and said, "Do you really think your actions today were protecting your girlfriend? If anything, this just puts her loyalty into question. She will be interrogated to find out what she knows. All you've done is put her in more danger. Not the smartest way to go about 'helping' her. So what are you really after, Hayate? I want the truth."
The swordsman shook his head and said, "Believe what you want, Inoichi. I'm not saying another word. Just do what you have to do and get it over with."
The mindwalker frowned for a time before saying, "Very well. Let's see what's going on in that mind of yours." And with that, he used one of his clan jutsu to enter Hayate's mind.
Once inside, he looked around and frowned deeper. "This is about what I expected. It's virtually empty in here. Not completely, though." Looking towards a set of three doors some distance from him, Inoichi walked up to them and looked them over carefully. "They're likely all boobytrapped. It will take some doing, but if I can tear down these defenses and sneak a peek at his memories, I should be able to get the information I need."
Closing his eyes, the mindwalker took in a deep breath and released it slowly. "Here goes nothing, I suppose." And with that, he began to carefully disarm the traps. When he was finally finished, he looked at the middle door and thought, If I had opened this door, I could have died. I think I'll start with the one on the left first, just to test and see if it worked.
Opening the door, Inoichi stepped through it and looked around at his new surroundings. It was a dark room with barely any light trickling in. He could just barely make out two figures in the dark. One he easily recognized as Danzo, while the other was a young man Inoichi could have sworn he'd seen before. Frowning slightly, he listened as the younger man spoke up.
"Are you sure you want this, Danzo? What use could this sickly person be of to you?"
Danzo stared apathetically at the younger man before saying, "Do not question me or my interests, boy. My interests are mine and mine alone. Can you cure him or not?"
The young man walked over to the bed Hayate was lying on, revealing his face to Inoichi in the process. "Easily. It won't take long. If Tsunade was in the village, she could have just as easily have taken care of it. The quality of doctors in Konoha has greatly dwindled without her. Such a shame, too."
Having seen enough, Inoichi left through the door and exited back out into the spacious room where doors #2 and #3 were still waiting for him. Ignoring the door in the middle, he entered the door on the right. This time, Hayate could be seen standing over a pile of corpses. "Just how many more times are you going to demand I do this, Danzo-sama? Just tell me what you want from me."
Danzo stepped into view above the small arena Hayate was currently standing in. "You will do this until I am satisfied. But I suppose you've done enough thus far. You've proven your worth to me by now. With your illness cured, you're stronger than ever and can easily fulfill your purpose."
"Which is? I'm tired of being left in the dark, Danzo-sama. You didn't cure me out of the kindness of your heart. I swear, if you ask me to hurt Yugao in any way…!"
Danzo scoffed and said, "Yugao? She's been claimed by another already. I'm honestly amazed you haven't figured that out yet. She's been working for him far longer than you have me. Who do you think it was that asked Orochimaru to cure you in the first place?"
Hayate's eyes widened for a moment before he began to chuckle dryly. "Of course. Now it all makes sense. I was being used for her cover of being a loyal Anbu of Konoha. Wasn't I?"
Danzo shook his head and said, "Not quite. At first it might have been like that, but she genuinely fell in love with you. Such a foolish notion, the concept of love is. But to each their own, I suppose." Shrugging, he looked into Hayate's eyes and asked, "What will you do now that you have such information? Will you betray us and go straight to Hiruzen? Or will you do as I command when I desire it of you?"
Hayate sighed and said, "I repay my debts, Danzo-sama. And, despite everything, I do love Yugao. I'll always be there to protect her, even if she doesn't need me to. If she were ever found out…"
The warmonger shook his head again and said, "Do not worry about that. If all goes according to plan, she'll be just fine. She actually has a vendetta of her own she'd like to settle. After that, she'll be whisked away to safety. No, you won't really have any time to worry about her. Just know that your debt will be repaid to me soon enough. When the Chunin Exams begin…"
Inoichi scowled to himself and left this memory behind. That's just what I was afraid of. So, Yugao's with Orochimaru. But what's this vendetta she's after? And what is so bad that it could warrant such intense protection from mental protrusions? Looking at the final door in the middle, Inoichi hesitantly reached for it. Whatever's behind this door, I'm not sure if I want to see it. But, we need all the information we can get right now. Orochimaru and Danzo working together can only mean one thing: trouble, and lots of it.
Opening the door, Inoichi stepped inside and shielded his eyes as a bright light suddenly blinded him. When it finally died down, he rubbed the spots from his eyes before glancing around at his current surroundings. Alright memory, what do you have to show me?
"Let me get this straight. You don't want me to kill the Hokage? If I pose as one of his Anbu guardians, it would be easy enough to finish him off for you, Orochimaru-sama." Hayate could be heard saying.
Glancing towards the people involved in this memory, he scowled as he saw Yugao standing to Orochimaru's left while Kabuto stood on his right. Kneeling before them was Hayate Gekko. Just what are you after here, Yugao?
Orochimaru cackled for a moment before saying, "That honor will go to me, whether Danzo likes it or not. No, if you are meant to listen to either of us, then you should obey me, Hayate. I know you feel a debt towards Danzo, but I was the one who supplied a medic that was skilled enough to cure you. All for little Yugao-chan here. Do you really want to disappoint her?"
Hayate found himself scowling at this point as he looked into his girlfriend's eyes. It looked as if he wanted to say something to her, but he refrained from doing so. Instead, he looked into Orochimaru's eyes again and said, "Very well. What do you want from me, Orochimaru-sama?"
Orochimaru smirked for a moment before licking his lips with his long, snake-like tongue. "It's quite simple, Hayate-kun. After what's been done to Sasuke-kun, I'm going to need a little help to get him away from the village. That's where you come in. All I need you to do is disable Hiruzen and give me the time I need to make my escape. You will be captured by the other Anbu, but do not fret. If I am unable to come to you, then I can promise that my men will rescue you from their clutches. I can't afford to let Yugao-chan here suffer because you were executed for your crimes. I suggest you do NOT reveal my plans to Danzo Shimura. That man is a greedy fool that has lived way past his expiration date."
Hayate frowned for a time before lowering his head and saying, "Very well. I'll do what must be done. But I must ask: what do you plan to do about Team 11? They're the ones responsible for what happened to Sasuke. Surely you have something in mind?"
The Snake Sannin simply chuckled and said, "I'll give Sasuke-kun what he wants. I think I'll 'play' with little Naruto for a while. Then, I'll take one of his darling little girlfriends and deliver her to my darling Sasuke-kun, just like he wants. Should I fail for some reason, I believe I can settle for giving one of them my curse seal. Get her addicted to the power my seal grants her and entice her with the promise of more power where that came from. Whoever she is, she'll be a perfect match for my Sasuke-kun. But…hmm…"
Yugao looked at her master and asked, "What's on your mind, Orochimaru-sama? Is something wrong?"
Orochimaru looked at her for a time before staring ahead at seemingly nothing. "Those girls, Himawari, Sarada, and Chocho. Something is 'different' about them, but try as I might, I just can't put my finger on it. Tell me, Kabuto-kun, have you managed to get ANY information on any of them?"
The bespectacled young man shook his head and said, "Nothing at all, Orochimaru-sama. It's unusual. There are records of virtually everyone in the village. Security purposes and all that. But the only information I have is that the three of them are in love with Naruto Uzumaki and Himawari is related to him in some way. It's all rather unusual."
Orochimaru frowned deeply and shook his head. "No matter. Yugao." Turning to face his purple-haired companion, Orochimaru said, "I'm counting on you to deal with Anko-chan. You've been waiting all this time for your chance to get at her. So, feel free to go wild. Kill her if you so wish it. I'll be dealing with Team 11's Genin in the second exam. I think I know just the one to mark, too."
Yugao smirked devilishly at her new orders. "Perfect. Thank you, Orochimaru-sama. I've been waiting to make her pay. She wasn't grateful for your gift. She's far too loyal to the village, despite being an outcast. I don't see what she loves about this place. And the way she goes on and on about how evil you are and how much she wishes she could kill you…it just makes me so angry! This is the perfect opportunity to put her down for good."
Hayate lowered his gaze to the ground and frowned deeply. Yugao…
Before anymore could be said, Inoichi was suddenly ejected from Hayate's mind. Clutching his head as a sudden migraine hit him, Inoichi looked around the room for whatever it was that ripped him from the traitor's mind. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he frowned deeply and looked into Hayate's eyes. I was allowed to see all of that. But why? What purpose is there in letting me know their plans? Just what the hell are you up to, Orochimaru?
Deciding to put those thoughts on the backburner for the time being, the Yamanaka clan head exited the room and looked at Ox, his vision somewhat bleary due to the migraine. "Ox, you need to hurry! Deploy the Anbu and contact whoever you need to. You need to hurry to the Forest of Death. Orochimaru…ugh." Collapsing to his knees, Inoichi struggled to deal with the throbbing migraine. "Orochimaru's after Team 11. Yugao…Yugao's going to kill Anko Mitarashi. You must save them!"
Ox chanced a glance at Hayate and frowned deeply. "What about him? Any recommendations?"
Inoichi slowly rose to his feet and glanced at Hayate as well. "Get someone to dispose of him. Orochimaru's men are coming to rescue him. Might as well execute the bastard before they can escape with him."
Ox nodded before producing a single shadow clone. "Kill Hayate and look over Inoichi. I need to get a move on if I want to stop them from completing their objectives."
As Ox and his clone got to work, Inoichi wobbled a bit before leaning against the nearby wall. Why? Why show me all of that? What am I missing? If I don't figure it out soon…
Team 11 – Later that night
Naruto sighed happily as he downed a large gulp of water. "Damn I needed that. I was feeling really parched for a while there." He said with a chuckle. "It's a shame we didn't get the Earth scroll we need. Just two more Heaven scrolls."
Himawari nodded as she bit into some fish they had grilled moments earlier. "Yep. Kinda sucks. At least those teams were pretty wimpy. I don't want to waste too much time and energy on small fry like that. Gotta conserve it for better things, like all the wonderful sex we could be having." She said with a grin stretching her face.
As the girls giggled, Naruto shook his head in mild exasperation. "I swear, the things you imagine would probably give Jiraiya such a powerful nosebleed he'd die from it. Not complaining, though. The sex IS great."
Himawari giggled some more and gave him a thumbs-up. "Damn right it is!"
As they laughed together and went about devouring their meals, they kept their senses and their eyes open. Himawari and Hinata had their Byakugan active to aid them in keeping the team safe.
After about twenty minutes, the team had finished their meal and put out their small campfire to douse the light in the area. As they were deciding who would take first watch while the others got some sleep, a strong, oppressive feeling suddenly washed over them. They expected some kind of attack to follow, but there was nothing. Instead, the pale visage of Orochimaru stepped out of the darkness and into the little bit of moonlight lighting up the small clearing they were in. "I do believe you were expecting me." He said to them.
Naruto shrugged casually and said, "You could say that. Can't say I was entirely sure who Kabuto could have been working for, but after taking things into consideration, you were the safest bet."
Orochimaru chuckled and said, "Clever of you. However, you're not being honest with me, Naruto-kun. Somebody told you I was coming ahead of time." Looking at the three oddities in the team, he licked his lips and said, "These three know things that nobody else could possibly know. I am ever so curious as to why that is. One way or another, I plan to extract that information from you."
Naruto cracked his knuckles loudly to get Orochimaru's attention back on him. "You won't be learning anything about them or us, Orochimaru. Yeah, I probably don't stand a chance in hell of taking you on by myself, but I'm quite confident in our teamwork. If we work together, we can defeat even you, Orochimaru."
The Snake Sannin cackled to himself before focusing an extreme blast of killing intent on Naruto. He was stunned into silence when Naruto just shrugged it off like it was nothing. "Okay, I'll admit, I am impressed. Perhaps there's more to you than I originally thought, Naruto-kun. You still have nothing on Sasuke-kun, though."
The whiskered teen chuckled to himself and said, "Yeah, I get that a lot. Sasuke this, Sasuke that. Everyone seems to love sucking his microscopic dick for some reason. Can't imagine why."
"Indeed." Orochimaru said simply. "Do you really think that five Genin can defeat me, the strongest of the Sannin? I've got far more experience than any of you. Just face it, you don't stand a ghost of a chance."
Hinata smiled pleasantly at him and said, "I think we'll take those odds. You'd be surprised at what the five of us can do when we put our minds to it."
Quirking an eyebrow, Orochimaru realized that their teamwork likely could cause him some problems. Sure, he was confident in his ability to defeat them, there was no question there. No, something was telling him that it just wouldn't be in his best interests to underestimate them. It was at this point that he decided on something that would likely aid him in his endeavors. "Hmhmhm. You know, I was going to let the Anbu tell you, but I honestly can't pass up this chance. You see, children, your sensei, your darling Anko-chan, is likely lying dead somewhere else in this vast forest. Betrayed by one of her closest friends. A woman she thought she could trust with anything and everything. Someone she confided in. Poor Anko-chan would never have expected it. She never saw it coming. Too bad."
Team 11's eyes went wide at this new bit of information. As much as they wanted to refute such a notion and tell Orochimaru that there was no way in hell Anko's friends would do that to her, they couldn't. The truth was, they believed Orochimaru.
Clenching his fists angrily, Naruto glared hard into Orochimaru's eyes and said, "You'd better hope that Anko-sensei will be okay. If she isn't, I'll do absolutely everything in my power to bring you down. So I suggest you get lost before I really let loose on you."
Orochimaru's brow raised again and he found himself chuckling at Naruto's bravado. "Oh really? You'll take me on all by yourself, then? What, do you have no confidence in that teamwork you prattled on about earlier? Or are you that desperate to rush to Anko-chan's aid that you're foregoing all notions of self-preservation in the slim hope that you can beat me all by yourself?"
Himawari stepped up to Naruto's side and glared into Orochimaru's eyes. "He won't be by himself. We're all with him. So I'll reiterate for you. Get lost, Pedomaru! Anko-sensei needs us right now!"
"Pedomaru? That's a new one." Orochimaru muttered to himself. Shrugging it off, he said, "I think I'll stay right here. After all, I did make a promise to Sasuke-kun that I'd do a little something for him. So, if you really think you can take me on by yourselves, then be my guests. I'll teach you little brats what it means to challenge a god!"
Anko - Earlier
Anko was enjoying a little snack of dango when Ox appeared before her. "The hell? What's going on now?"
Ox looked into Anko's eyes and said, "You and your team are in grave danger, Anko Mitarashi. Orochimaru has returned and is working with Danzo Shimura. They've already gravely wounded the Third. We have received information that Orochimaru is going after your team. I do not know the extent of what his plan entails, but it is most assuredly NOT good. Then…someone else is out to take your life. Some of my fellow Anbu have already entered the forest to try and save your team. A few of my fellow Anbu will remain with the two of us to keep you safe and, most importantly, alive."
Anko's eyes widened as she dropped her skewer. When the treat hit the ground, she stood up and turned and moved as fast as she could into the Forest of Death. Not my team! I won't let you take them from me you wretched bastard!
"Shit! Anko, don't go off by yourself!" Ox exclaimed as he chased after her, a small party of Anbu following after him.
"Where the hell are they?! Dammit! Please, please let them be alright!" Anko shouted into the darkness as she searched frantically for her precious family.
When somebody landed on the branch beside her, Anko paused for a moment to turn and look at the person. Seeing the familiar face of Yugao, she approached her slowly. "Yugao! Please, you have to help me! Orochimaru's after them! He's after my Genin!"
Yugao simply smirked at Anko before saying, "I know. You have nothing to worry about now, Anko."
Anko's eyes widened for a moment. When she went to speak, she suddenly gasped when she felt Yugao's blade pierce her body. Spitting up some blood, Anko slumped forward a bit before asking, "W-why? Y-Yugao…"
It was this scene that Ox and his team stumbled upon. Cursing under his breath, Ox barked out his orders before he leapt at Yugao. "Damn you, traitor! I won't let you and your master just have your way!"
When Yugao withdrew her sword from Anko's body, the Snake Mistress collapsed to her knees and would have fallen from the tree had one of the Anbu not caught her. She began to grow colder and her eyes began to dim. Am I going to die here? Like this? I…I don't want to die. Please…don't…don't let me…
A/N - And that's the chapter! I told you that you'd hate me for what I did! :P
Anywho, as you can see, a ton of stuff happened in this chapter. I wonder if all of you can figure out exactly what's going on and what the missing piece is that Inoichi is trying to figure out. Then there's what I did to Anko and the others. Can you guess which of the girls Orochimaru is going to go after? I'm really curious to see your responses. lol
Again, no lemons or limes or anything in this chapter. It was a rather serious chapter after all. I'll try to include more of those lemons and such in future chapters, but right now they just don't have the time or the drive to go wild with the kinky stuff.
I think I'll put a new poll up on my profile to get your opinions on what to do next in this story. I'm curious to see how you'll vote on this one. *cackles evilly* ...Ahem. *coughs* Sorry. Getting a little carried away. lol
Okay, I honestly still feel like shit, as I've mentioned in my recent updates. Thankfully I got the results back yesterday afternoon and I do NOT have Covid. I'm still just very sick with something else. Not quite sure what, but I've contacted my doctor and I am currently waiting on her to reply to me. Here's hoping it's nothing all that serious.
Anyways, I need to get some rest or just relax with a nice game for a while or something. Hope you guys and gals enjoyed the chapter! Ciao!
