Fate

by PancakeFlying

The Kanbayashi were supposed to die, wiped out and never mourned because in the eyes of the world, they never existed. That is not what happens, nor what should have happened. A black alien creature came for them and burned everything they loved to the ground; Sachi, against all odds, survives when she wouldn't have. This will change everything. [Fem!OC] [Fix-it fic]

20. Dead Man's Crawl

First of all, I'm sorry for taking so long. This is the only chapter that I have written yet of five, but at I'm back on track! The updates will take longer because I've become really busy and will continue to be for the forseeable future. BUT! I'm still alive and kicking and I intend on finishing this fic sooner or later. I was feeling a tiny bit guilty for taking so long so I will post this chapter early while I finish the rest of the AN APPROACHING STORM ARC. Hope you enjoy it! Thanks to Windschatten for betaing this chapter 3

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AN APPROACHING STORM ARC:

XX

DEAD MAN'S CRAWL

" —then. Let's move onto Team Two."

The ambience in the room changes immediately, all those gathered hardening their features as if on cue. Team Two had left quite the impression, and the proctors, as well as the advisors, had conflicting opinions on the matter. The Hokage meanwhile, already familiar with their antics to some extent, offers his sympathies.

"If we hadn't indulged Sachi-kun in the first stage after pulling the stunt with the scrolls, Team Two wouldn't have passed," one of the proctors reminds the room. "But what happened in the three-man battles…"

"We're still checking all the teams' movements," Rooster adds once the Hokage gave him permission to speak. "So far, they match."

Because Sachi just couldn't help herself and decided to make a map with all the teams in the Forest of Death and recorded all of their movements. The Hokage had accepted the declaration of competence for what it was, if only to see whether Sachi should be as smug as she had been when she handed the map with the report after reaching the tower. He should have known better, because Sachi would take any opportunity to give a headache to those who tried to dissect that wicked brain of hers.

The Hokage was just glad that he wasn't the only one being stumped for a change.

"They ambushed a large number of teams…" Dan agrees, troubled as he massages his temples. "They sole-handedly defeated a third of the participants without so much as a scratch."

The reports all laid on the table, showing that Team Two's teamwork was flawless. Granted, their opponents were genin, but it was undeniably that Team Two had dominated the Forest of Death. From monitoring everyone's movements to then ambushing or baiting their targets, they had demonstrated their experience in working as a unit as well as their expertise in neutralizing others.

"They still lost composure in their last confrontation with Team Seven," Utatane, one of the Hokage's advisors and teammate, reminds them. "Endangering the lives of their comrades like that because of games…"

"However," Homura speaks evenly, picking up his teammate's statement. "They came back to retrieve the other team, although I fully believe they could have done so successfully without butchering that bear."

Well, it was Team Two; some drama was always involved.

"Individually?" the Hokage prompts, deeming everyone's opinion of their teamwork positive. "Team Two thrives when they are together, but apart…"

But that had been only in the beginning. Orochimaru had a distaste for weakness, and the Hokage had witnessed their progress in their one-vs-one battles. What Hiruzen saw was what Orochimaru had known all along.

Overwhelming potential.

"The girls were able to move onto the second phase of the tournament," Tsuyo remarks, finally bringing himself to speak as if he had a clue. "Not sure about the boy, though."

"I vouch for him." Surprisingly, Tsunade raises her hand. She usually didn't intervene in these meetings, the Hokage knows, but she must have been impressed by Kasui. "He cast a genjutsu via his summons. To the whole lower level of the arena."

The room falls silent, an unsettled kind. "I thought… his teammate, Mitarashi, was the one with the genjutsu prowess?" Utatane asks carefully.

Tsunade shrugs. "They traded techniques. I didn't notice until his teammates pointed it out to me."

"Oh? And you believe them?" Tsuyo prods teasingly, which makes Dan stiffen by the Hokage's side. "They are your teammate's students, right?"

To her credit, Tsunade doesn't rise to the bait. She does however level Tsuyo with an imposing glare that manages to make him shift in his seat. "I'm Chief Medic, Kabi-denka. I guess you've forgotten that it means I'm a neutral party."

Tsuyo bowed his head, chuckling. "I'm not quite that old, Tsunade-dono. I thought only about pointing out the obvious, nothing else."

Tsunade waves a dismissive hand. "Anyway, I confirmed it by seeing his summons. Cone snails, apparently."

"And Mitarashi has snakes…" Homura nods. "We haven't seen anything in the Inuzuka so far."

"Sachi-kun doesn't have summons," the Hokage confirms, and lays that matter to rest, not letting anyone inquiry on it. "Anything else, Tsunade?"

"Kasui-kun also healed himself."

Tsunade seemingly enjoys how the entire room stares at her in disbelief, but none follow Tsuyo's example and question the veracity of her claim. Instead, they slightly pale, and some reach for Kasui's folder to check his chakra control.

"99th percentile…" someone mutters, and then proceeds to unceremoniously throw the folder back on the table. "Ridiculous."

The Hokage holds a chuckle. Team Two was quite the team all things considered, and they had blossomed nicely after only a year. Hiruzen wonders just how much is the student's potential or the teacher's instructions, but if they were to continue like this…

The result was obvious, wasn't it?

"Mitarashi Anko showed great prowess in genjutsu and poison," Dan pushes the conversation before the entire room decides they need to take a break just to get away from Team Two's absurd members. "Her summons were also involved in the mapping out the Forest of Death."

Utatane nods, a poison mistress herself. "Unconventional, but useful. Although, I wouldn't have expected her to use herself as a medium for a jutsu."

They were talking about the blood-smoke jutsu that had sent poor Shiranui Genma to the hospital in order to detoxify him. Utatane had been the one to identify the poison, and was pleased with the composition, which somehow made up for the outrageous fact that Anko was a biological hazard and her own sensei seemed to enable her.

"She's the main hitter of Team Two," another ANBU officer says. "Her ninjutsu and taijutsu are on par with her genjutsu and accuracy."

All in all, another ridiculous student. Anko had the most chances to be promoted on her own, since her skill set gave her the best advantage when adapting to an opponent. She had lost to Yūhi Kurenai, whose only redeeming quality for now was her clan's genjutsu, but had performed poorly in taijutsu and ninjutsu. Utatane was of the firm belief that Anko would have beaten Kurenai, had she used poisons again and not played with genjutsu.

Now, perhaps the most troublesome of all. "What about Inuzuka Sachi?"

Sachi's name brings out some amusing expressions, ranging from miffed to exasperated. Ah, that girl was growing to be quite infamous. Hiruzen privately wondered how it would play out for her in the future. Today, it was her victory.

"We can hardly keep her as a genin, now, can we?" Dan sighs, encompassing everyone's opinion as well as reluctance. "Her health was the main reason why she would stay as a lower ranked officer, but I believe that her performance speaks for itself."

Because no matter what happened, Sachi was at the center. She had found the loophole in the first stage which she didn't hesitate to shamelessly abuse, mapped and monitored the entire ongoings in the Forest of Death and last but not least, forced an Uchiha, a dōjutsu user, into forfeiting. All while almost collapsing the entire stadium...

Team Two excelled in teamwork, yes, but they were powerful by themselves too. Kasui and Anko were working on their strengths and skills, but the results were clear; and with more training and experience, they would be unstoppable. Sachi, however, was well aware of her shortcomings, yet had never let them drag her down.

Anko had versatility, Kasui had control and Sachi had sheer stubbornness.

"Her fight with Hatake Kakashi was…"

"Quite flashy!" Tsuyo laughs, just as he cackled when he watched the fight. "Those two were at each other's throats so nicely! It's been a while since the Exams have been this entertaining," he grins, showing his missing teeth. "Isn't there a chance to promote them directly to jōnin? They would fare well in the field with such feisty spirits."

"Showing that much passion is not something we regard positively," Dan remarks, dignified as he tilts his chin up. Tsuyo is still in high spirits, but his eyes darken when he looks at his cousin. "Sachi-kun and Kakashi-kun have broadcasted their skills thoroughly, but they lack any real experience. Letting them into a higher rank would only get them killed by their own recklessness or set them loose."

The Hokage nods, agreeing with him. Dan was gradually growing more confident in his position, and with that, Hiruzen's retirement was approaching.

"Just kidding," Tsuyo says, leaning back into his seat. "Regardless, it's surprising you got a seal master after what happened with Uzushio. Is she a survivor?"

Ah, but she was. Hiruzen doesn't let Tsuyo's question rattle him, answering plainly. "Sachi-kun took fūinjutsu in the Academy, if I recall correctly." Which certainly doesn't divulge anything. But, Hiruzen amends, confessing that Sachi had been using seals well before she arrived in Leaf wasn't something anyone needed to know.

And yet, Hiruzen is concerned. Sachi hadn't hidden her blood seals during her fight, and even though the majority of the witnesses couldn't tell one matrix from another, they could plainly see that Sachi was well versed in them. If those ear-shattering explosions were any indication.

"You updated the curriculum, eh?" Tsuyo says, which Hiruzen doesn't acknowledge. That urchin had too big of a mouth, and he mourned the fact that they had to meet every year. "But I like her, and that Hatake too. Who knows, maybe someday we will be better acquainted."

Hiruzen shakes his head. Tsuyo was gathering pieces again; as greedy as ever. "Sachi-kun and Kakashi-kun have a lot more to learn, and breaking their units would hinder their improvement."

Not that Tsuyo cared about that. He only wanted power, and Hiruzen had lost enough soldiers to his grabby hands and petty crusades. The Chūnin Exams were a way to advertise their soldiers, but Tsuyo regarded them as a market for his own interests; which only revolved around himself.

"Yes, yes," Tsuyo sighs. "You got quite the bountiful harvest this year. It will be useful soon."

Soon.

No one lifts their heads to look at Hiruzen, but he feels their eyes on him nonetheless. Leaf was the military force of Fire Country, but they still served under the daimyō's orders. Gōman has been weakened for some time now, and Tsuyo, not unlike a vulture, was biding his time until he could sweep down and feast.

And when that day came, it would be war.

Tsuyo grins, knowing full well what kind of power he had. He gets up, winking at Tsunade. "See you soon, Hokage-sama. Tsunade-dono."

Soon.

(Too soon.)

.

"Congratulations."

Orochimaru watches the backs of his students, as they stand in front of the Hokage. They are utterly still, as they have been ever since they were called into the Hokage's office.

Logically, Team Two was at least chūnin level, but they didn't have a good way to compare themselves with anyone else. He's partially at fault for this, since he had trained them thoroughly and couldn't afford distractions. The Hokage was aware of their extracurricular missions, and Orochimaru was the only one that stood between them and ANBU herding them into their ranks.

Team Two was talented, but they were still children in some ways. When the Hokage finishes his speech about the new duties and advantages of their promotion, Team Two turns to Orochimaru and they are holding back tears.

Orochimaru knew that emotions weren't something he gave much thought to, especially the emotions of others. But this was his team, his students.

"Remember this feeling," he tells them, and finds his voice gentle. "It's because of your merits alone."

He had kept himself away from their Exams, avoiding influencing their performance so when they finally achieved their goal they could be proud of themselves. Team Two nods, their lips trembling, and Orochimaru wonders why he isn't bothered by this display of weakness. Instead, he feels warm. Not even the teasing smirk of his sensei is enough to put a damper on Orochimaru's mood, and so he motions for his students to follow him.

They get past the lump in their throats when they exit the Tower, afternoon already setting in. Orochimaru had requested that his team would be called in last. It was odd for the entire team to be promoted to chūnin, on their first try no less, but Orochimaru had known this would happen even before he entered them in the Exams.

"Sensei…" Anko calls, her voice strangled. "Where are we going?"

Orochimaru isn't sure himself; he hadn't expected to be around when his students would be promoted, but given the chance he had wanted to. "I reckon you celebrate a promotion, do you not?"

Team Two brightens, blinking their happy tears quickly away as they look up at him with such vulnerable expressions; children alright. "Really?" they ask, and Orochimaru wonders just what kind of opinion they have formed of him. He was strict, but not that much.

"Unless you don't wish to, in which case we can begin to train for your next promotion."

A little bit cruel, Orochimaru thinks, but he enjoys the way they scowl at him when teased. They had made it to chūnin, but Orochimaru wouldn't stop training them until they could truly stand on their own feet as ninja.

But, as gratified as Orochimaru felt to have his students acknowledge, he forgot about their desire for revenge.

"I have an idea," Sachi says, and Orochimaru later realized he should have run.

.

Sachi's idea apparently involved herding all of them into the Inuzuka clan's main house before proudly announcing, "WE HAVE A GUEST!"

Orochimaru rubs his ears, wondering if one of his eardrums just bursted. He knew that his students could be very loud whenever they wanted to annoy him, but he hadn't dared to imagine they could be even louder.

Cue his surprise when a roaring howl answers back. "STOP SHOUTING!"

The whole Inuzuka Compound should know by now that they are here, with that keen sense of hearing they have. Which is why Orochimaru is thoroughly confused as to why Sachi was shouting like a madwoman. Kasui and Anko aren't fazed however, and instead busy themselves with unfastening their sandals as if it were a normal day for them.

The earth trembles as someone from deep inside the home stomps their way towards the entrance. Inuzuka Ashi appears with her ninken at her hip, neither too excited to see him.

Beside Orochimaru, Sachi beams. "Sensei is here to celebrate!"

Orochimaru briefly wonders just how anyone deals with Sachi's schemes on a daily basis, and judging by Ashi's unimpressed frown, he supposes you just had to get used to a neverending stress headache. "That so?" the Inuzuka matriarch asks, lifting her eyes to look at him up and down before settling again on Sachi. "You're giddy," she notes.

"Yes!" Sachi agrees, still grinning widely. "That's why sensei is here, ya'know, to celebrate."

A moment of tense silence follows, in which Ashi stares Sachi down and the girl, very wisely, doesn't try to challenge her guardian and Clan Head. To Orochimaru's surprise, Haiiro is the one that accepts.

"Sure," the dog drawls. "More the merrier."

Ashi isn't entirely convinced, and Orochimaru has the slight suspicion that Haiiro favors Sachi more than he does his partner. The very same rascal is looking particularly pleased with herself, and gives Ashi the most shameless puppy eyes the Sannin had ever seen on her.

"Ugh, get in here," Ashi groans, motioning him to step in. "You three, hope you know that you're cookin', hmm?"

Team Two nods eagerly and disappears down the hallway in a blink, abandoning him with Ashi and Haiiro in the hallway. Orochimaru supposes he should have known better than to trust his students not to throw him to the wolves, quite literally.

"They're quite a handful," Ashi laments, possibly considering why she took all three of them in, but her voice isn't laced with regret. "Anyway, I do believe we have a talk overdue, you and I."

Orochimaru, despite what the majority of people thought of him, was still human. As such, he still had some notion of emotions, numbed and repressed as they were. And, at that moment, he got an unsettling chill at hearing Ashi's words.

Haiiro laughs, or the canine version of it which sounded very much like a breathless bark. "Don't mind her, Yamata. She doesn't like human business much."

He isn't quite sure what that means, but he follows after them along the corridor. Much to his surprise, the Inuzuka household wasn't falling apart under a sea of fur and drool. In fact, it all looked quite modern, light colored and luminous; with lots of evidence hinting at the human-canine partnership. The floors had carpets, meant for the dogs to walk on without slipping, and the sliding doors had ropes for them to navigate without problems, as Haiiro showed by letting them into what looked like the living room.

And, still no fur that Orochimaru could see.

"Those three are the ones that clean," Ashi offers, catching him staring. "Sachi made some seals to help with air circulation, so the fur gathers in one place."

Ah, he should have probably expected that. They sit at a low table, but tall enough for Haiiro to lounge underneath. "Sachi's panacea are seals," he notes.

"Yes…" Ashi sighs, clearly aware of that fact. "There's really no stoppin' her in that regard."

Now that Ashi mentioned it, Orochimaru can feel Sachi's presence in the house; the humm of her seals murmuring quietly around the walls, the floors… Even the table, as Orochimaru feels the ridges under his fingertips as he passes a hand over the wood. And while their purpose wasn't clear to him, Orochimaru knew that Sachi belonged here.

On the other side of the room was a sliding door, which opens to show Sachi carrying a tray with various refreshments. "I chose matcha for the tea, but we have black as well," Sachi says, pouring some for them. "Also, butter cookies."

"Thanks darlin'," Ashi says, patting her head. "Now shoo, I want to eat lunch today."

Sachi leaves without another word, and Orochimaru has a newfound respect for Ashi. From his own experience, making Sachi do something was an ordeal in and of itself, but the Inuzuka alpha had done so effortlessly. He wonders if he will ever manage to do so without getting a migraine.

Both of them fall silent, with the cooling tea between them. Ashi glances at him expectantly, waiting for him. When he doesn't move, the woman is prompted to ask, "Not one for tea, Yamata?"

"I drink it regularly," he answers simply. Sachi had a good memory for detail, and she undoubtedly noted what blends he preferred, because the scent from his cup is just how he likes to prepare it for himself at home.

Ashi hums, and her eyes squint slightly as she tilts her head. She was analyzing him. After a few minutes she takes her cup and sips from it, before putting it down and continuing to stare at him. It's only then that Orochimaru takes his own cup and drinks it.

"Huh," she comments, thoughtful. "Guests aren't part of the hierarchy, ya'know?"

Orochimaru did. He hadn't found himself in need of utilizing his knowledge of clan politics in some odd years, but he clearly remembers that the Inuzuka were quite particular in their social stratum. The eating order especially was important to reinforce one's position within the clan. Orochimaru, as a guest, didn't need to follow such customs, but he did so anyway out of respect.

The woman huffs, but some of the tension is relieved as she shifts her stance, more open to him. "Okay, Yamata, let's talk."

He braces himself. Sachi had definitely planned for this, and it involved him and her guardian talking in private. Orochimaru didn't have a clue of what the Clan Head of the Inuzuka wanted to talk about, but it must be important.

"I apologize."

And yet, he's still caught off guard.

"... pardon?" he asks, his throat suddenly dry.

Why in the world would Ashi apologize to him? It wasn't as if the woman had wronged him in any way—

Oh.

"I apologize," she repeats, this time more strained. "For punching you that hard."

Orochimaru nods absently, having forgotten about their last meeting that had taken place just after the ambush that nearly took his students' lives. Granted, he wasn't in the best mindset back then, and neither had Ashi been, but it wasn't something he thought warranted an apology. But that wasn't what Ashi was apologizing for.

"I understand," he amends.

He believed that his choice of how he instructed his students to kill was justified, but he was aware of how close his students had come to failing; and consequently losing their lives. For a guardian like Ashi, who had taken in three orphans out of her own volition, just to have them nearly be killed so soon would make anyone angry. Just as Orochimaru had some duties towards his students as their teacher, Ashi had the ones of a parent.

And that involved hurting those who hurt her children.

Ashi had quite the mean punch, and Orochimaru knew for a fact that Ashi could have done much more to him than give him a black eye. Still, he acknowledged that it had been a slip in propriety, and Clan Heads were usually subjected to another set of unwritten social rules that, most likely, didn't involve punching those who personally wronged her. Orochimaru knew because many had tried using their political leverage to punish him for what they believed were wrong actions, but he had his own untapped power in that regard.

Which is why Ashi was apologizing. She wasn't sorry for punching him, but rather shifting the political currents against him. Considering the overall opinion of his person it certainly didn't help his image, but it wasn't something he wasn't accustomed to. But his students had suffered as a result, and the journey to the Land of Marshes might have had some other objective than acquiring summons.

Ashi smiles humoressly. She wasn't asking for his forgiveness, and Orochimaru wasn't inclined to offer it; after all, neither of them needed it.

But, he's glad, somewhat, that his students' guardian doesn't despise him.

It's after they finish the platter of cookies, and Haiiro has begun to snore, that Orochimaru speaks. "This house… is quiet."

Ashi is startled, barking out a laugh that makes her shoulders shake. "We Inuzuka are loud, but not all the time!" she chuckles. "We go a lot by sound, but it can get tiresome for the head. Sachi made some muffling seals, or so she calls them."

"You seem comfortable with Sachi's seals," he comments with genuine interest. "One wouldn't be so trusting of an unknown seal master."

Orochimaru doubted any seal he saw except if it was Jiraiya's, and even then he usually treaded carefully. He preferred not to use explosive tags, but he had taken to using Sachi's brand, since she was open to any requests. It was one of the ways in which Orochimaru used to deal with her; keeping her busy with tricky requirements so he could have a few hours of peace. He did trust his student and her skills, but he was also aware that not many would be eager to try them out for themselves.

Ashi shrugs, not bothered. "Makes her happy and keeps her busy," the woman says, and Orochimaru agrees. "I'm not the type to look a gift horse in the mouth, ya'know?"

Had anyone else been in Ashi's position, with a seal master like Sachi loyal only to them, they would have done much more than just accept whatever the girl wanted to give willingly. When Uzushio had still been standing, seal masters were rare; thus, those that were under the orders of someone else were grossly overworked. Jiraiya had been lucky during the Second Great War, with enough power to fight in the frontlines to be somewhat excused from such slave work. However, Orochimaru remembers how his teammate had still been called to make sealing tags and whatever more fūinjutsu was needed to fuel that war.

("Fūinjutsu wasn't meant for war," Jiraiya murmurs, hands cracked with blisters and ink. "But it's the only thing they use it for.")

"You have many great horses, Ashi-sama."

Sachi was a wild card, with her seals and her mind, but what about Anko and Kasui? Anko, who has the greed to become more than anyone else; taking every skill for herself and making it her own. With summons, her arsenal will only increase. And Kasui, who had dabbled into medicine just because he could, something people spent lifetimes trying to master. His chakra control was useful for support and offensive.

Being the cynic that he was, Orochimaru would have believed that Inuzuka Ashi knew something the others didn't. Luck couldn't justify the acquisition of all three of them, and then being oh so pleasantly surprised when they turned out to have quite the potential. But, as Orochimaru continues to look discretely around the house that his students called home, and then glancing back at the woman that he knew they considered their mother, Orochimaru dismisses that train of thought.

Inuzuka Ashi was perhaps one of the few, if not the only person that would take in three children and cherish them simply because of who they are, instead of what they could be. In that regard, Orochimaru is different from her, since he believes in achieving one's full potential through any means in the least amount of time.

"Yeah, well, that's what you get for lovin' horses."

And perhaps it was the other way around, and Sachi, Kasui and Anko had been the incredibly lucky ones. If that's the case, Orochimaru is grateful. Because the world is rarely kind to those that can't yet be powerful on their own.

(Orochimaru should know.)

"Quite an effective method," he amends, and now he too is smiling.

They are interrupted shortly after, and when the door opens, a ruckus can be heard instantly. It's quite jarring, considering the tranquil atmosphere they'd just achieved, but Orochimaru's nerves are eased by his students' voices arguing over spices.

"We have miso soup and tamagodon, with Ashi's favourite fried beef cutlet," Sachi explains, bringing the soup first while her teammates gather the rest of the dishes.

"Custard tarts too for dessert," Kasui adds.

"And for me?" the dog rises from his slumber.

"I found some liver treats lying around..." Sachi offers, but no one in the room believes it was a coincidence.

Haiiro's tail wags happily as Sachi puts his food into the bowl, and Ashi coughs something that sounds suspiciously close to "Sell-off!"

There was a large amount of food, at least two stockpots of every dish, and Orochimaru wondered just how much his students believed they would eat. He counts seven plates, and for a moment Orochimaru is confused before he realizes someone was missing.

He doesn't have to wait long to find out.

"PUPS!" A woman thunders as she comes into the living room. "Tell me!"

As if on cue, Team Two grins as one. "We got promoted!"

"FUCK YEAH!"

Now Orochimaru understands why Sachi planted so many muffling seals around the house. Ashi's younger sister, Tsume, throws herself over his students, tumbling to the floor in a tangle of limbs. She pins them down, cackling with laughter.

"You did it, you little shits! On your first try!" she laughs, patting them all over while they protest her rough love. "We're fuckin' rich!"

Orochimaru looks towards Ashi, perhaps in the hopes of getting an explanation as to why Tsume was howling like a feral wolf. The older Inuzuka is grinning too, but takes pity on him. "Tsume bet on the pups gettin' promoted on their first try."

"I bet the entire house on 'em!" Tsume declares, flushed from wrestling with Sachi, Kasui and Anko. "Oh, thank fuck!"

"... daring," Orochimaru muses, but his words are drowned out by Tsume's yells of triumph as she continues to smother his students while they are rendered powerless under her. It's an amusing sight, and Orochimaru wonders if the Inuzuka household is often this lively.

"Tsume's happy," a black dog remarks, who has a toddler riding on his back as he strides into the room. "I get you bunch made it?"

"Aghuff—" Sachi tried to answer, but it sounded more like a plea for help as Tsume had her in a chokehold.

"Stand down," Ashi says calmly, and the ruckus dies down instantly. "Now that everyone's here, we can properly start to celebrate, yeah?"

Tsume releases the newly minted chunin. "Hell yeah! I'll ready the clan for tonight, Sage's balls, this is gonna be a party."

Orochimaru was slightly unsettled by the sheer emotion in which Tsume said the last word, and he vowed to leave before he'd get the chance to find out just what she was so excited for. Everyone settles down quickly, the scent of the meal enough to put a momentary stop to the overjoyment in order to fill their stomach. Ashi is at the end of the table, opposite Orochimaru, while Tsume and her daughter are on one side and his students on the other. It's cramped, but not overbearing.

Team Two's presence certainly helps Orochimaru's nerves, and he tries not to look at the toddler too much, who is baring holes into him with her eyes. Children weren't Orochimaru's forte, which was perfectly fine with him. On the same note, children didn't like him either, and he had made a few too many cry by merely glancing at them.

Inuzuka Hana, as they coo at her, was focused on him with a death stare. Orochimaru distracts himself by filling his bowl with soup, and then the rice and eggs. Unceremoniously, Ashi takes the first bite, and they can all begin to eat. To his surprise, Sachi was third in the hierarchy—

"'nake!"

Orochimaru looks down to see Hana by his side, patting his leg while saying, "'nake, 'nake!"

"Pff!"

His traitorous students were too busy holding their laughter instead of aiding their sensei. Orochimaru made a mental note to teach them some manners, little Hana all the while getting closer and even daring to try and crawl into his lap.

"Nu-uh, Hana, c'me here," her mother says, reaching over and taking hold of her with one hand and bringing her to her side once more. "You okay there, Yamata? You look as if you swallowed a lemon."

Orochimaru was going to kill his students.

"Sensei is not good with kids," Anko explains around a mouthful of rice. "But isn't it nice, sensei? Hana-chan didn't cry!"

"And she's still sensitive..." Kasui muses. "You like sensei, Hana-chan?"

The girl nods furiously, chanting, "'nake, 'nake, 'nake!" It might be considered cute, but Orochimaru would rather agree to disagree.

"It's snake, Hana-chan. Try saying it, sssss-nake," Sachi tells the toddler gently, and the little girl actually listens.

"S-sss-sssnake!"

"Good!"

Surreal. Orochimaru hadn't thought he would ever find himself having lunch at the Inuzuka's table, much less listening to the Clan Head's niece's attempts at language. Sachi, the sly menace, gave Orochimaru a sweet smile. "Isn't she the cutest? She's still struggling with some words, but she can do basic math."

Maybe this was all a dream. A bizarre nightmare pulled out from his subconscious.

"Huh, this is new," Ashi remarks. "Pups not your thing, Yamata?"

"That's mean, Ashi!" Sachi tells her guardian with fake indignation. "Teasing sensei like that…"

Oh, Sachi was dead.

"At least she isn't punching him anymore!" Tsume chips in, chuckling. "Guess you made up, right?" she asks Orochimaru. "Nee-chan wouldn't have let ya in the house if you didn't."

"We have," Ashi reassures. "Yamata is a guest, we can't give him a hard time, or he won't come back."

As if Orochimaru would voluntarily step foot in this house ever again. But doesn't bother to answer, instead busying himself with the food as his students recall how their meeting with the Hokage went. Ashi and Tsume listened intently, even Hana, and Orochimaru knew the women were proud of them. Anyone would, really; but gaining a fortune certainly added to their good mood.

"That's right! I'll open a casket of sake for ya, whatcha say?" Tsume says in high spirits. "We're gonna have fun tonight, pups, get ready."

By the fading light outside, Orochimaru guesses it's time to leave. But as he tries to stand up, a polite excuse on his lips, he's stopped once again by a tiny fist.

"Stay!" Hana demands, bringing the attention of the room on them both once again. "We're havin' a party."

"Oh-ho! Hana-chan is quite feisty today," Anko praises, making the girl clench her fingers tighter onto Orochimaru clothes. "You really like sensei, Hana-chan."

"He smells like sssnake!" the girl says, as if that explains anything. Orochimaru briefly considers using a shunshin, but he doesn't want to upset the Inuzuka Clan Head yet again.

"Ah, so that's why," Tsume hums, pointing to Anko and then to Orochimaru. "You two smell the same."

"... pardon?" Orochimaru asks, confused.

"We both have snake summons, and Hana-chan took a while until she got used to me when I got my contract," Anko points out. "I guess that was because we smell the same, Hana-chan has taken to you too, sensei!"

Hana is still holding onto him, her eyes enormous. Orochimaru is deeply grateful that Tsunade wasn't there to witness such a wholesome meeting, because she wouldn't have let him live it down. Ever.

"Well, it's been a pleasure," Orochimaru says, trying to detangle Hana's fingers gently to get out of there as soon as possible. "Ashi-sama, I guess it's time for me to—"

"Nonsense," Ashi cuts him off. "It's because of you that our pups here got their promotion today. What kinda host would I be if I don't invite you to stay for the celebration?"

Ah.

Orochimaru understood now.

This was his punishment. Orochimaru hadn't imagined that Ashi would be the petty kind, but one look at her careful blank expression and he knew she was all but laughing at his misfortune. With role models like that, it was no wonder his team was a bunch of troublemakers.

"I am a very busy—" he tries to argue.

"As we all are," Ashi agrees quickly. "But, as my kids' sensei, you have to stay and toast to this wonderful occasion. As our guest of honor."

There was no way to win this, was there? If he refused, he risked crossing Ashi. Normally, Orochimaru wouldn't have troubled himself with such matters, but he didn't want to deal with another political uprising against him. The Inuzuka Clan Head knew this, which is why she was now smirking at him.

"Of course he'll stay," Sachi accepts in his place, noticing the change in mood. "Sensei was the one that wanted to celebrate, the more the merrier, right?"

"That's settled then!" Tsume rises. "I'll go call up the clan, you three take the sake!"

And just like that, Orochimaru is once again left behind with Ashi, Haiiro and…

Hana.

"You smell nice," Hana praises him.

.

"Fancy a spar, Yamata?"

Orochimaru looked up to regard the Inuzuka Clan Head, then down again to where a sleeping Hana was lying on his thigh. "I'm afraid I'll have to refuse."

Ashi smiles, then takes a seat beside him on the porch. He had watched that woman fight her entire clan, including his students, and she had won all the matches easily, and painfully. Not that the Inuzukas were bothered, howling their approval as Ashi maintained her undisputable place as the alpha of their clan.

Which is why Orochimaru would rather pass, thank you very much.

"I can take her away if you're too uncomfortable," Ashi remarks off-handedly.

"I may have accepted your offer earlier in the evening, but it's kind of pointless now, isn't it?" he answers dryly.

His students had kept him company before they were called to the ring, reworking their place in the clan now that they were chūnin. Although they had won quite a few matches, they couldn't contest Ashi or Tsume. Regardless, his students were getting patched up when Hana took it upon herself to entertain him.

In spite of the obvious mental gap and a little difficulty articulating some words, Hana was quite the interesting toddler. She had asked him about his snakes, and fallen asleep without even considering him suspicious or strange. How much his scent was similar to Anko's was debatable, but it had been enough for the girl to trust him. A poor choice, really, but it wasn't as if it was Orochimaru's duty to educate the girl on the matters of stranger-danger.

"Sorry 'bout that, but it was too easy not to tease you a bit," Ashi chuckles in good humor. "When will I ever get the chance to do it again? To tease the oh so scary Yamata Orochimaru?"

Orochimaru huffs. "I would rather be punched again."

That pulls a bark of laughter from Ashi. "Well, you've quite a lot of suitors in my clan. You can choose your opponent, even."

"Is solving problems with violence a trait of the Inuzukas?"

"How would you solve 'em otherwise? Talkin' with fists is quite straightforward, no flowery bullshit thrown around and all that."

He agrees. Neither of them were a fan of politics, which is why they were solving their differences in this unconventional way. The Inuzuka only invited those they trusted to witness their spars for dominance, as it gave an insight into their power hierarchy. Orochimaru is aware that Ashi doesn't trust him, hence why this was rather a display of strength. As well as the perfect opportunity for revenge.

But… it wasn't too bad. The Inuzuka had regarded him coldly at first, but when Ashi and his students hadn't been bothered by his presence, they relaxed enough to even ask him for a spar. The Inuzukas relied a lot on body language, which was a novelty for him. Orochimaru tried to keep his emotions in check, and thus, showed nothing with his body. But as soon as he unclenched his muscles and relaxed his shoulders, everyone was slightly more open to him. He was still an outsider, but had not been actively chased out.

"Most people wouldn't dare," Orochimaru muses. "I have quite the reputation."

Ashi shrugs. "Who doesn't? It's your business what you do, and if people talk 'bout you, that's on 'em." They watch as Tsume takes hold of another Inuzuka and throws them out of the ring. "Plus, the only thing that matters to me is what you do with my kids."

Orochimaru supposes that the only thing that should matter to him is how Ashi treats them, too. He hadn't wanted to involve himself in their lives, setting clear boundaries about him being only a sensei and them his students. Now he understands that everything is related, and that he shouldn't overlook the influence of their family.

But, he didn't need to be worried. Not when Sachi, Kasui and Anko were as much a part of the Inuzuka as though they had been born into the clan. It only took a glance to confirm that they belonged with them, belonged here, and that they were happy. And that was enough for Orochimaru.

"I'll take this as a warning, then," Orochimaru says evenly.

Anko, Kasui and Sachi weren't his students alone. They had their own lives and a family that looked after them. Which meant that they had some additional measure of protection.

"A reminder," Ashi corrects, reaching for a bottle and two dishes that she plants between them. "I don't agree with your methods, Yamata, but they work. My kids got promoted today because of you, and I think that deserves to be acknowledged."

"I don't do it for praise," Orochimaru replies, but Ashi shushes him.

"When it's due it's due. Have you had Inuzuka sake before?"

"I haven't had the pleasure." Tsunade praised their sake to high heavens, but Orochimaru hadn't been too inclined to try for himself. In truth, his body didn't tolerate alcohol that well, but he supposes he can have a sip out of politeness.

"I'll break you in slowly," Ashi smiles, and Orochimaru should have known that it would be the beginning of the end. "Have a taste."

Orochimaru takes the offered cup and brings it to his lips. The drink doesn't smell of anything, and the taste is mild. "Hmm, not bad."

And from that point onward, Orochimaru doesn't remember anything.

.

The Dead Man's Crawl was a pub crawl, but could be considered a suicide attempt.

The Village Hidden in the Leaves was the largest military settlement of any of the Elemental Countries, but it had plenty of entertainment. Namely, alcohol. The Dead Man's Crawl was a route that passed by the most notorious pubs and bars of Leaf, which added up to over a hundred. It might appear as a flimsy sum, but considering that you had to take the strongest drink each had to offer in one single night, it suddenly became quite substantial.

Those that dared to attempt the Deat Man's Crawl usually had a suicide mission lined up. Or more generally, had lost the will to live. As the legend goes, only those worthy to be kept alive would successfully finish the Crawl, albeit not without consequence. In fact, the pub crawl was infamous enough to warrant the last stop being the hospital.

In the lower levels of Leaf, in a pub named Yopparatta, a red plaque hung from the entrance. That red wooden plank was filled with kunai marks, from those that had previously started the Dead Man's Crawl. Yopparatta was the first stop of the Crawl, and after so many years working behind in the bar, the owner was used to being the first to see the poor souls that were about to try and ruin their livers.

However, he hadn't expected to see Yamata Orochimaru enter.

"Orochimaru-sama," the owner greets the Sannin, barely even getting a glance in return. "What brings you here…?" The man puts four ryō coins on the counter. "Ah."

It's only then that the owner realizes that Orochimaru had brought company. Three children, not even fourteen yet, jumped onto the stools of his counter, swaying from side to side.

"I can't serve you alcohol," the owner warns them, but the Inuzuka girl shakes her head with a wide grin. "You aren't sixteen yet."

"We're chūnin!" The girl declares, pulling out her dog tags to show her rank proudly. "Leaf's alcohol licensing laws state that minors under sixteen can't be sold alcohol unless they are with a guardian." She waves a hand in the general direction of Orochimaru. "Or they are of chūnin rank or above."

The owner blinks. That was quite the articulate answer for someone who was already drunk. He looks over to her companions, finding Orochimaru eerily silent as they wait for him to pour their drinks.

"... I assume you're here for the Crawl?" The three children nod at the same time. "That's… Are you sure? It can mess you up."

"That's the whole point!" the other girl exclaims. "We're celebrating."

The pub owner didn't want any problems, and even though all three of them were chūnin, he was hesitant.

"We're in a rush," Orochimaru's even voice startles him. It carried a sibilant tilt to it that made the Sannin even more terrifying as he stared at him. "Give us the drink and we will leave."

They were paying customers, but still…

"You know what? That's your problem," the owner agrees, reaching out for four tumbler glasses and filling it with a clear liquid that he knew tasted like hell. "Have fun, you lot. And don't blame me for it."

The children cheer, reaching for the glass and downing it instantly, Orochimaru doing the same. They grimace at the same time, but true to their words, they are gone just as fast as they had come.

"Orochimaru-sama and his students doing the Crawl…" the owner shakes his head. "Tonight is going to be busy."

.

The night is quiet and slow until the door to the Nobuyuki pub is kicked off its hinges.

"Bartender!" A blonde boy howls. "Give us your worst!"

The patrons were frozen in their place, watching none other than Yamata Orochimaru enter with his students, going straight for the bar. "W… what?" the bartender eloquently returns, but the boy slaps a hand on the wood of the counter so hard that it cracks.

"Oh, sorry…" he mutters before leaning over. "Your worst drink. Give it over."

"The Crawl, the Crawl, the Crawl!" the girls chant.

"Hurry," Orochimaru says, and the bartender rushes to serve their drinks.

Around them, the entire pub is silent as they watch Orochimaru, one of the most unapproachable shinobi in the entire Elemental Countries, hook elbows with one of his students and down a disgusting red liquor in one fluid motion. Many believed that Orochimaru was unable to show any emotion, but they all see the fierce scowl he makes after setting his empty glass on the counter.

"Disgusting," he hisses with such force that people shiver.

"Fuckin' better than Urami down the street," Inuzuka Sachi retches. "What's next?"

"Yopparatta, the Red Flower, Rusty Kunai…" the other girl, Anko, lists on her fingers. "Urami… Noboyuki… Night Shift?" she asks her intoxicated teammates.

"I think so?" Kasui wonders, slapping his forehead to somehow help him think. "We can double down after."

"You're hopeless," their sensei mutters, and to everyone's shock, he smiles. "It's Hebereke first, then Night Shift."

"Right, let's go!"

And just like that, they leave through the now doorless entrance.

.

"Why is the village burning!?" A civilian woman screams, hoping to alert the Uchiha Police Force.

Down the street, howls of maniacal laughter can be heard, followed by shrieks of terror. A column of fire illuminates the entire neighbourhood, and soon after an even bigger roaring water dragon follows.

"What is happening?!"

"Team Two," an Uchiha police officer explains, frowning deeply.

"What are you waiting for?!" she shouts. "Do something!"

When a giant snake rushes past them, slithering over the houses and the trees with startling speed, hearing, "Faster, faster, faster!" the Uchiha just shakes his head.

"There's nothing we can do."

.

"Four drinks," Orochimaru throws four coins, the ryō embedding themselves into the wall like kunais.

"B-but… you're only three people?" the barmaid trembles, and yelps when Orochimaru furrows his brows furiously.

"Only three…?" Orochimaru turns to his students, who were draped over a single bar stool and trying to stay upright. "One… Two… Three… Four…?" He squints his eyes, using his fingers to count. "One, two…"

After a whole minute of intense staring, he asks, "Where's Sachi?"

"Here!" The barmaid flinches, Sachi coming out from the kitchen and vaulting over the counter. "You bastards! You left me behind!"

"Drink and shut up," Orochimaru advises, taking his drink while slapping his other two students awake. "Where were you?"

"The Uchiha assholes arrested me!" Sachi exclaims, clearly offended. "Something something public misconduct something something attempted murder. Ugh, I hate them."

"... arrested?" Kasui coughs after downing his drink. "How did you get here, then?"

"I broke out of jail, obviously," Sachi huffs. "Those idiots wouldn't even know how to use their handcuffs for kinky shit!"

.

"Agh—"

"Duck, dammit," Orochimaru curses, trying to get past the threshold of the bar if Sachi managed to duck instead of knocking her head on the frame.

Orochimaru was holding Kasui and Anko under each arm, the latter suspiciously dripping wet, just as the boy's face was covered in soot.

"... I'm going to die…" Kasui mumbles, rubbing his face with uncoordinated movements, healing chakra flickering in and out of the visible spectrum as he tries to apply it. "Anko? Hey… Anko?" he calls his teammate. "Shit, I think she's dead. That water bullet wasn't… a good idea."

"Here," Orochimaru gives him a glass of a nondescript liquid in it, which he drinks on reflex. "You." Anko reaches for the glass blindly, but she doesn't even come close, which prompts Orochimaru to tilt her chin up and pour the drink down her throat. "And you."

Sachi, who was on Orochimaru's shoulders, leans over his head to grab her drink, and then throws it back so exaggeratedly that she nearly falls. It pulls a groan out of Orochimaru, who had to straighten his back once Sachi settled on his shoulders again.

"Come ooooon, sen-sei!" Sachi pats his head repeatedly, singing loudly. "We have to— goooo!"

They begin moving again, a thud echoing immediately after.

"I said duck, dammit!"

.

"Do the thing, sensei!"

"Yeah, do the thing!"

"Do the thing!"

They are in the middle of the Prairifire Square, and Orochimaru watches his students cling to him as they cheer.

"Do this?"

His limbs extend, his neck doing a knot in the air as he opens his mouth and takes out his tongue, which nearly touches the ground. Everyone that witnesses this cringes, but Team Two yells excitedly.

"That's our sensei!"

.

"I can... hear god in my head," Sachi blurts out, Anko pushing her head back down.

"Throw up, Sachi," Anko tells her. "We still have... twenty more to go."

"Aghrgh—"

.

"Four drinks!"

"You already went through here!" the owner of the pub shouts at them, tears in his eyes. "Please go away already!"

.

"This... was a... mistake…"

Sachi, Kasui and Anko drag their sensei's body, trying to stay upright at the same time.

"Where... where the fuck are we…?" Kasui wonders, looking around him with unfocused eyes; he might have lost his glasses. "The hospital…?"

"Let's just die," Anko proposes. "Watcha think, sensei?"

"... ashja…. ghs…" Orochimaru croaks.

All of them agree.

.

"Are you even listening, Orochimaru?"

Truth be told, Orochimaru was having a difficult time picking his thoughts apart due to his splitting migraine, much less paying any attention to whatever his sensei was ranting on about.

"He's hungover, sensei," Tsunade snickered, she was in such an awful cheerful mood, that one. "What do you expect? I doubt he even remembers what happened last night!"

Orochimaru had ditched the decorum of meeting the Hokage and standing at attention in order to lay down on one of the sofas and put an arm over his eyes. Everything was so damn bright that afternoon, and so fucking loud.

"Ha…" the Hokage sighs, undoubtedly rubbing at his temples.

Not that Orochimaru actually cared. He had his own headache to take care of, and they could have postponed this meeting for some other day had his sensei not insisted so much on bringing him here. The Hokage had even sent Tsunade to fetch him, since his usual messengers wouldn't step foot on the Yamata lands and risk getting poisoned. Orochimaru would have preferred that, because then Tsunade wouldn't have unceremoniously dragged him to the Hokage Tower to get pointlessly scolded.

"Subtract the money from my account to pay for the damages," Orochimaru mutters. He had won his fair share of money by betting against his students, not that he had to worry about money. "Can I go, then?"

There's a beat of silence and then Tsunade starts cackling. Orochimaru reaches blindly for a kunai in his pouch and throws it at her, not really caring where it hit as long as she shut up, for fuck's sake. Tsunade could heal his headache, but chose not to, because she liked to see him suffer, the ungrateful witch. He should have killed her when he had the chance.

"Let me remind you, then," the Hokage offers. "Apart from breaking nearly every door, and the occasional window, of every establishment you visited during your Crawl… You took it upon yourself to engage in a spar in Prairifire Square, which totaled three vendor stands, injured four ANBU officers, put a jōnin in the hospital, and traumatized the civilian neighbourhoods of the entire upper levels…"

Now that his sensei mentioned it, Orochimaru did recall agreeing to an all-vs-one spar. Which had been totally uncoordinated and awkward, since none of them had been able to aim a punch right, much less a kunai. As a result, they had switched to ninjutsu, and blood seals in Sachi's case, and Orochimaru can only guess it didn't end too well.

"One of your students got arrested by the Uchiha Police Force, and promptly escaped imprisonment."

He doesn't remember that. "Who?"

"Sachi-kun."

But, of course.

"Don't forget you summoned Yasu," Tsunade intervenes, which makes Orochimaru glance at her. "To her full size, no less."

So that's why his chakra reserves were so low. "What did she do?"

"Yasu?" Tsunade questions, incredulous. "You rode on her back around the village as if she were a pony. I'm surprised she agreed at all, but you made it to the Hokage Monument and back at least twice."

"... how do you know this?"

"I was there," Tsunade shrugs. "Saw you and your students doing laps on Yasu's back as you urged her to go faster. Took down a few trees in your race, which has blocked off five street blocks and one lift between the levels."

It was strange that Yasu would agree to be used as some sort of vehicle, but his empty chakra reserves proved otherwise. He'll have to ask her, but he doubts she will tell him anything.

"Why didn't you stop me?" Orochimaru wonders in vain. He had lost count how many times he had been left to take care of her, or Jiraiya, when they got so irrevocably drunk that they couldn't walk straight yet still left them capable of using high level jutsus. For Tsunade not to do the same felt like a betrayal.

"How could I?" Tsunade asks, not feeling any kind of pity. "It would've been a shame, you were having so much fun…"

"Ungrateful—"

"Stop, you two!" their sensei scolds them, feeling the tension. "You aren't children anymore."

"Tell Tsunade that."

"I'm not the one that got piss drunk with his students!"

"You get drunk every damn day—"

Hiruzen lets out his chakra and orders, "Stop!"

"... yes, sensei," they say at the same time, which was an embarrassing thing to do when you were thirty four and your team had been disbanded sixteen years ago.

"Orochimaru, I know that you aren't one to drink." Unlike Tsunade and Jiraiya, he doesn't say. "Which is why your sudden drinking spree has shocked me, and with your students no less..." he trailed off, probably shaking his head. "I have no objections to you celebrating with your team, but the Dead Man's Crawl, Orochimaru? Really?"

It should have probably embarrassed him, Orochimaru thinks, but he doesn't feel anything besides some annoyance. Tsunade and Jiraiya have been pub crawling since their first kill, and their teacher hadn't protested, not once. Kind of unfair that Hiruzen would chide Orochimaru now, considering he had been the most well behaved of his team; and remains to be.

"They are chūnin," Orochimaru weakly argues, somewhat remembering something along those lines from his blurred memories.

"I'm aware, as I was the one to appoint them as such," Hiruzen deadpans. "But, had I known that their promotion would lead to a third of this village being terrorized by three drunk chūnin and their equally drunk sensei, I would have reconsidered."

Ouch.

"... a third?" Orochimaru echoes, frowning. "That's an exaggeration."

Both Hiruzen and Tsunade level him a look. "Why don't you take a look at the village, and see for yourself?" His sensei dares him. "You really have no recollection of it, do you?"

Orochimaru doesn't answer.

Tsunade snickers, delighted by his misery. "I have to ask, Oro. What knocked you out so hard? Because I want a whole bottle of it."

Had his skull not been throbbing, Orochimaru would have stabbed Tsunade without a second thought. It has been a while since they spared together, and thus his dear teammate has forgotten that he wasn't someone you pissed off. He will remember this.

"What is the last thing you remember, Orochimaru?" his sensei asks, hoping to be done with their conversation as soon as possible.

("I'll break you in slowly," Ashi smiles. "Have a taste.")

"... Inuzuka sake," he hisses, his stomach lurching.

Tsunade laughs again, loudly, and Orochimaru almost gets up from his seat to choke her to death. The Hokage, noticing his student's killer intent, warns her. "Tsunade…"

"Now it all makes sense!" Tsunade howls, and Orochimaru is tempted to strangle her right then and there. "No wonder you got so completely smashed! Inuzuka sake even puts me down! That thing gets you drunk in under a minute. What were you doing, drinking that poison? You're a lightweight!"

"I was offered a cup," Orochimaru huffs. He isn't entirely certain whether he stopped at one cup or had some more. Either way, he wasn't ever going near Inuzuka sake again. Or Inuzukas as a whole, preferably.

Before Orochimaru could murder his teammate for laughing at him, Hiruzen intervenes. "I assume you were offered that sake from Ashi-sama?"

"Does it matter?" Orochimaru groans, sitting up. "But yes. I don't remember anything from that point onward."

Orochimaru briefly considered that he had been drugged, but he was immune to the vast majority of hallucinogens and psychedelics as well as poison. Tsunade had been right however, calling him a lightweight, which he certainly wasn't going to broadcast. His liver was already damaged and alcohol intoxicated him more than any poison would.

"I'm never going to drink again."

"We all say that," Tsunade smiles, smug. "Welcome to adulthood."

He glares at her, hoping she would combust already. "Says the professional drunkard."

"Let's end this for today," Hiruzen sighs. "Orochimaru, I don't need to tell you that you'll be in charge of cleaning up after your celebration."

"Yes, sensei," Orochimaru agrees, if only to get back to his house and sleep until next week.

Standing up is a painful ordeal, but one he has to go through in order to leave. Hiruzen and Tsunade give him a smile which annoys Orochimaru to no end. "I hope you learnt an important lesson, Orochimaru," his sensei cheekily tells him and Orochimaru wonders if he should just become a missing nin.

Orochimaru finally closes the door to the Hokage's Office, putting a hand through his hair and grimacing when he finds knots. The day couldn't get any worse. It had started with Tsunade finding him in his garden, tangled with his students as they slept peacefully on the grass. That is, until that demon of a woman slapped him awake and bolted when he tried to kill her for the audacity.

"Look at him…" someone whispers, which is still too loud to Orochimaru's ears.

"Did you see?"

"He got so drunk…!"

"I didn't believe he was like that…"

He ignores the sound of his reputation being shattered, instead shielding his eyes from the sun while testing his pathways for a shunshin. His system was still sore, and Orochimaru considered the pros and cons from getting permanent damage from overuse versus enduring the humiliation of a walk of shame all the way to his home.

At least, people still cowered in fear when he glares at them, which gives him a moment of respite. First, a nap was in order, and then planning his revenge. Preferably starting with his students, since they most likely were still passed out in his garden.

"Good morning, Orochimaru-sama."

It's just Orochimaru's luck that the brightest human being decided to appear at that moment. Namikaze Minato was too blond, and today it reflected the light of the sun directly into Orochimaru's eyes.

"Ah… are you okay, Orochimaru-sama?"

No.

"Need something, Namikaze?" he asks, impatient. He only wanted to get to his house and sleep, and then torture his students. Was it too much to ask?

"Actually… yes, I do," Minato nods, and becomes sheepish when Orochimaru openly stares at him. This couldn't be happening. Out of all damn days for someone to approach him, it had to be the day he was hungover. "Will you listen to my request, Orochimaru-sama?"

The world was testing him today, Orochimaru thinks bitterly. "What is it?" he bites out, but Minato doesn't back down as usual.

"Will you and your team join me and my team for a training session?"

"... why?"

"My… my team struggles with teamwork…" Minato rubs the back of his head. "The Hokage recommended your team to me, and I thought we could help each other… Not that I think that you're doing a bad job at training your team! I mean—" the man sighs. "Let me start again…"

"Namikaze," Orochimaru stops him. "I don't think…"

Minato's features harden. "Of course! I didn't want to bother you, Orochimaru-sama…"

A joint training session. Orochimaru's headache worsened just by trying to picture it. Still, it took some nerve for Minato to ask such a thing from him, considering that the boy could barely stop himself from shaking in his presence. Orochimaru preferred to train his team by himself, since the entire village already criticized him enough without knowing what he put his students through.

And yet, through Orochimaru's hazy memories, he remembers one thing.

"I accept."

Orochimaru hates his students, very, very much.

"Y-yes?!" Minato exclaims, slapping a hand on his mouth when he notices his flinch. "Wonderful! When shall we do it? Does next week sound good…?"

"Today," Orochimaru tells him. "Gather your team, I'll take care of the rest."

Orochimaru finally gets to use his shunshin, disappearing before Minato could say another word. He could sleep later; his revenge started now.

.

Minato hadn't known what to expect when he approached the Snake Sannin that day. That Orochimaru would not only accept, but go so far as to propose a joint training session that very same afternoon hadn't really been one of the likely outcomes.

But then again, Minato wouldn't have imagined that Orochimaru was the kind of sensei to get incredibly drunk with his students, so maybe he shouldn't be too surprised.

In fact, they had briefly crossed paths when Team Two had been on their way to the upper level the night prior, on the back of Orochimaru's summons and cackling madly as they did so. Orochimaru's chakra had been fluttering agitatedly, which Minato figured was the adrenaline, or the closest thing to happiness he had ever sensed coming from that man.

It had made Orochimaru appear human, more human at least. Something which in turn gave Minato enough courage to finally ask him to train together. Granted, approaching the Sannin when he had a monstrous hangover had been a risky strategy, but it had worked.

Minato finds Rin in her garden, watering the flowers. "Minato-sensei?" she asks, surprised to see him.

"Good morning Rin," he says, taking note of her upset chakra. She no longer had any bruises on her, probably having been healed, but Minato could tell she had been crying. "We'll be training today."

The girl nods, although she doesn't look at him. "I understand, sensei."

Minato leaves quickly after that. He still felt guilty that Rin had been beaten during her match, and the girl had become so very quiet after the results of the Chūnin Exams had been announced. Rin had been genuinely happy for Kakashi, but Minato knew that she was naturally disappointed for not being promoted as well.

"Obito," Minato greets him, but the Uchiha is too busy throwing kunai at a dummy to notice him. "Obito!"

"Agh!" The boy exclaims, turning around and launching a kunai that Minato easily dodges. "Minato-sensei? What are you doing here?!"

"You should pay more attention to your surroundings," Minato sighs. Obito was still a genin, but Minato hadn't made an effort to hide his presence; the boy should have sensed him. But it was useless, as much as Obito was loud and extroverted, he tended to get stuck in his own head. Not bad per se, but it had cost him his promotion.

"Yes, sensei," he grumbles, throwing another kunai at the dummy. "What are you doing here though?"

"We're training today," he answered, letting Obito question him openly.

"Today, really?" Obito brightens slightly, but then deflates quickly. "Will that bastard—"

"Obito!" Minato scolds him. "Don't address your teammate in such a way, what have I told you?"

Ah, the rivalry between Obito and Kakashi. As their sensei, Minato tried his best to have them get along, but they just couldn't see eye to eye. Now that Kakashi was a rank above Obito, their relationship would likely only get worse if they didn't make amends. Obito wasn't at fault completely, since Kakashi was indeed rather prickly, but Minato was just so tired of their spats.

"But sensei…!"

"Meet us in training ground twenty-one," Minato interrupts his student. "Just don't… don't get lost this time."

"It's not my fault!" Obito complains. "Things just keep happening..."

Minato leaves. Searching for Kakashi proves to be tricky. For such a sensitive sensor like him, finding his student is as easy as turning his head; but Kakashi doesn't exactly like it. Which is why the boy went to great lengths to hide his presence, going as far to train by himself outside the village.

Kakashi is practicing his katas in the fields behind the Hatake lands. Surrounded by his summons and already bruised. The boy doesn't even glance at his sensei as he finds his perch on a nearby tree.

"Kakashi," Minato greets him, but the boy continues blanding his tantō, paying him no mind.

Kakashi only went to his clan's lands when he was particularly upset, which was further indicated by his agitated chakra. One would believe that Kakashi could finally relax after being promoted to chūnin, but there he was, training until the point of exhaustion day after day. Minato could understand the drive of wanting to rise to the top, but he was concerned about how ruthless Kakashi could be with himself, and others.

"Pup," one of Kakashi's summons, Pakkun if he wasn't mistaken, called out to him. "Stop already."

Kakashi stops begrudgingly, and not after he finishes another set of katas before turning to him. Minato lets him be petty, knowing that his student was deeply troubled about something. He knows better than to ask, but Minato hopes that just by being there it will be enough.

"Minato-sensei," Kakashi acknowledges him curtly; he follows rules too rigidly to defy him outright. "What brings you here?"

"We have a training session today," he repeated for the third time today.

Kakashi nods once. "I'll be there."

"Good."

Minato gives a single glance to his student's summons, and they stare back at him. The entire pack only showed up when Kakashi had use for them; he must have been running again. Sensor that he is, Minato can't hope to read one's mind, and certainly not help with their thoughts. He can only feel chakra as if it's his own, and whenever Minato looks at Kakashi, he can only feel sorrow.

It's a while later, when he is waiting for his students, that he realizes he never told Orochimaru of their meeting spot. Team Seven frequented training ground twenty-one, since it was conveniently on one side of the village and close to all of his students' homes.

Rin is the first to arrive. The Nohara lands and Uchiha Compound were close together, since the Nohara clan were the appointed medics to deal with the sharingan. Normally, Rin would have made an effort to fetch Obito, but the girl walks into the clearing with a small wave and a polite greeting, alone. Rin, too, feels like sadness, but with more disappointment than sorrow.

Kakashi is second, and Obito follows soon after. Obito huffs when he sees Kakashi, and the other boy makes a point to level him with a look. Rin stares at them but doesn't intervene; Minato doesn't fault her. He's tired too.

"We're here, Minato-sensei," Obito begins, filling the awkward silence with his loud voice. "What are we gonna do today? Is it a mission?"

Minato ponders it. "In a way."

That perks Kakashi's interest, enough for him to look up. "An assignment?" Kakashi asks, and Minato knows what he is referring to.

"No, you see—"

Not even a breeze. One moment they were alone and then they were being watched. Minato looks up, finding Orochimaru's impassive eyes staring at him, his students at his side, unmoving. Team Seven is still as a statue, and their sensei speaks first.

"Namikaze," he greets coolly, and it shocks Minato to find some satisfaction coming from the Sannin's chakra. He was still very much hungover, however. "Shall we begin?"

Team Seven snap their eyes to the other team across the clearing. The atmosphere ignites before Minato can even answer Orochimaru, and he can feel rage and lightning in the air by his side. Kakashi takes a step forward, actual sparks of chakra flying, and Minato stops him before he dares using that jutsu.

"Tsk," the Inuzuka girl clicks her tongue, not impressed.

Team Two wasn't particularly pleased to be there, Minato notes. All three of them were sporting deep scowls and grimaces of pain, Kasui discreetly healing his temples out of the hangover they all sported. And yet, they were paying close attention to their surroundings, evident in how they regarded the clearing and everyone in it.

As for Minato's team…

"Eh? Isn't that Team Two?" Obito asks, confused and wary. "This is our training ground, right, Minato-sensei?"

Using a training ground required to book it beforehand, but jōnin instructors had the advantage of reserving such a field regularly as long as no other higher ranking soldier had to use it. Genin teams tended to have a trademark training ground because of how regularly they trained. Intruding in another team's field was considered pretty bold, if not a downright challenge.

"Stand down," Minato orders his team, his senses bristling at all that unsettled chakra coming from his students. "Team Two is here to train with us today."

His students are baffled, but Minato nods towards Orochimaru, who was waiting patiently. "Thank you for coming so promptly, Orochimaru-sama."

"Namikaze," the Sannin returns the greeting, not bothering with pleasantries. "Then?"

Direct and straight to the point. It had been Minato's idea, and so he was the one that had to set the rules. The Sannin was giving him a chance to level out the odds before they began. During the Chūnin Exams, Minato had seen only but a fraction of Team Two's skills. He was especially troubled by their summons and the Inuzuka's blood seals. Considering that Minato's goal was to help his own students with teamwork, it wouldn't be exactly fair to have them go all out. This wasn't a test of their skill, but of their bonds.

"Only basic ninja arts," Minato eventually says, and then looks at his students. "This will be a joint training session; the goal will be to defeat the opposing team. Any questions?"

"Yes," Obito immediately answers. "Why do we have to train with them?"

Minato wants to sigh. "Because this will be an important lesson. Anything else?"

Obito might have had more inquiries as to why Team Two was there, but Rin stopped him. Instead, Kakashi raises his chin. "Can we use weapons?"

"Yes," Minato agrees, although he is slightly concerned about how sharply his student requested it. "But you can't fatally injure anyone."

Sustaining injuries while sparring or training was commonplace, but Minato could practically feel Kakashi's killer intent electrifying the air. It was nearly enough for him to cancel the session, but he was growing desperate to find a solution to help his team. It was either this or splitting Team Seven in hopes of finding teams that could accommodate them better.

"Everyone understands?" Minato asks and does glance at Team Two, who is regarding him with a bland expression, very similar to Orochimaru's dispassion of the whole ordeal. When no one speaks, Minato continues. "Then we will begin. Us senseis will be watching from the sidelines, but won't interfere unless you break the rules."

The last part was especially aimed at Kakashi, but also at that troublesome Inuzuka. Minato had heard concerning stories about Sachi's disregard of authority, and although she wasn't his student, he would need to discipline her if she crossed the line. When Minato looks back towards Team Two, Sachi is staring at him.

"Then," Minato prompts, indicating Orochimaru to leave the clearing. "Begin."

The battle begins the moment both senseis reach the tree line. Kakashi aims directly for Sachi, with his tantō forward with lightning sparks already forming. Obito follows Kakashi a second later, the Uchiha quick to throw himself into battle on pure instinct alone; leaving their third teammate behind.

Before Kakashi can slash Sachi, the girl disappears in a blink, being replaced by Anko who dodges Kakashi's blade and uses a roundhouse kick to send him flying. Obito is halfway through a tiger seal when he is startled by Kakashi being thrown away.

That is more than enough for Kasui to use a water bullet to snuff out Obito's fire before he had the chance to release it. The force of the suiton jutsu, highly concentrated and focused, catches Obito square in the face, throwing him backwards towards Kakashi who was about to get to his feet.

"Agh! Get off!" The boys struggle, a tangle of limbs and curses as Obito slips and grabs Kakashi, falling to the ground yet again.

When they finally get their bearings, the fight is already over.

"Rin!" Obito yells once he sees what happened to her.

The girl had a kunai to her throat, Sachi holding her arms tightly behind her back as she loomed over her. Their height difference was big enough for Sachi's chin to rest on top of Rin's head, her smirk clearly visible.

"I wouldn't move, if I were you," Sachi advises them with a teasing tone. "That is, if you don't want her dead."

Rin was trembling in Sachi's grasp, her eyes clearly panicked as Sachi pressed the edge closer; it drew blood.

The clearing is dead silent as Team Seven realize they have lost; and embarrassingly fast. Sachi chuckles, which echoes across the field. "This is just embarrassing. Do you surrender?"

Obito clenches his fist and lowers his head. He cherished Rin, and he wouldn't want her hurt under any circumstances. In spite of being an Uchiha and full of pride, Obito is the first to surrender. This can't be said about Kakashi.

"Oh?" Sachi sings, noticing Kakashi's hesitance. "You're going to sacrifice your teammate because you think you have a chance to win this?"

Kakashi is startled by Sachi's observation, and everyone knows that the Inuzuka had seen right through him. He was still gripping his tantō, but the lightning was gone. His stance was one about to attack, and that wasn't lost to Sachi's eyes.

"Wow," Sachi grimaces, clearly disgusted. "You've lost in one minute, and you're willing to keep trying? Knowing that I will kill your teammate the moment you move?"

"Kakashi!" Obito hisses, turning sharply towards him. "Don't you dare, bastard—"

"If you hadn't interfered…!" Kakashi protests, not facing his teammate, continuing glaring at Sachi. "I would've won this."

Rin shakes, speaking through her teeth. "Ka...kashi…"

Obito's sharingan flares, obviously angry that Kakashi would even consider sacrificing Rin. He throws one arm back, ready to punch him, before Sachi clicks her tongue.

"Disappointing," Sachi comments, apparently bored. "Your teammates suck, Rin-kun; you're dead."

Sachi taps the kunai to Rin's throat, smudging the blood a little. With a push, Rin falls forwards, tripping. It's enough for Obito to forget his spat with Kakashi and use a shunshing to get to her side, catching her before she collided with the ground.

Kakashi stands in the middle of the clearing, unyielding.

(Alone.)

Sachi flicks her wrist. Her teammates materialize by her side, a genjutsu that had passed unnoticed by all of them. It becomes clear to Kakashi right at that moment that he had no possibility of winning, not when Sachi had planned it all beforehand.

"Well," Sachi shrugs, looking towards where their teachers were watching. "Is this enough, sensei?"

It wasn't clear which sensei she was referring to, but she was grinning cheekily at both of them. Minato supposes it doesn't matter, and so he takes a step forward. He had seen everything, and he was troubled. Was his team so dysfunctional that they couldn't even fight for one minute straight?

"Care to explain your strategy, Sachi-kun?" Minato asks her, spreading his senses carefully.

Fear. Anger. Disappointment. That was what his students were feeling at that moment, and Minato hurt for them. But he was also irked that one of his own students would sacrifice another without a second thought, while the other one had been about to fight said student in the middle of battle and the last one hadn't been able to defend herself.

Just what was Minato doing, to train such a hopeless team?

"Sure," Sachi chirps. "It was clear that Kashi-chan would target me, so to counter that we only had to switch. Anko has at least twenty pounds on him, and much better at taijutsu than I am, so she was the best opponent to drive him away," she explains, patting Anko's back proudly.

"As for the Uchiha," Sachi bares her teeth. "The sharingan can predict only what it can see, and Kasui had hid his presence well enough to attack him from his blindspot." Pointing to Kasui, Sachi smiles fondly at him. "A suiton jutsu because Kakashi had been about to use a lightning jutsu, so unless he wanted to electrocute himself as well as his teammate, he would need to switch affinities."

Incredible. Orochimaru had described Sachi as a strategic genius, and Minato marvels at just how much information that girl had collected in the brief seconds that it took for the battle to begin. And not only that, but to relay that information to her teammates without giving any indication to her opponents. Sachi had used herself as bait, while her teammates used that advantage to plan their movements according to the Inuzuka's strategy.

"While my amazing teammates distracted those two idiots, I only had to use a shunshin to reach Rin-kun, who had been left behind." Sachi hisses those two words, strangely heated for someone who hadn't hesitated to put a blade to her throat. "A hostage is useful to stall a battle and as leverage," she says, before adding darkly. "That is, if their allies care for them."

"... I see," Minato mutters, the fear in the air turning into hatred before simmering down into resentment. "Why didn't you continue the fight?"

Sachi had 'killed' Rin, but the battle could've continued.

The Inuzuka shrugs, not really interested in his question. "Why would we? It's clear that this team sucks, and we're three chūnin against one genin and another chūnin." Sachi waves a hand dismissively. "Plus, the goal was to defeat the opponent team, and I believe this is enough."

Rin kneeling on the ground, touching her bloody throat, while Obito was considering murdering Kakashi. Said chūnin was obviously upset, his chakra fluttering agitatedly. Minato looks away, not being able to watch such a scene.

Was there any hope at all?

"... I could've done it alone," comes Kakashi's words, which startles Minato. "If they hadn't interfered…"

That's enough.

"Kakashi, stop," Minato orders, his tone sharp. The boy does, but barely. He could be incredibly stubborn, that one. "Thank you for your explanation, Sachi-kun."

The girl nods, but her eyes are calculating. "Anytime, Minato-sensei," she grins, and Minato tries to spread his senses further, hoping to decipher what that girl was thinking.

Team Two was curiously good at tampering their chakra. Although they weren't able to completely hide their chakra from a sensor like him, their energy was a whisper that many would overlook. When Minato tries to gather what they are feeling, he can only hint that they are bored, but also focused.

Kasui and Anko had let Sachi take control of the battle, in a way that has been practiced again and again. That girl was a born leader, but there was also a vast trust between them that allowed Team Two to work as flawlessly as they did. They are feeling the same, and that makes Minato realize something.

All three of them think the same. Sachi might give the orders, but Anko and Kasui were able to know what Sachi's strategy was because they could understand her point of view. That could only be achieved after countless battles together, until they found a rhythm that resonated with all of them.

On the other hand, Team Seven was a disaster. Kakashi was good in terms of skills and strategy, but neither Obito and Rin could understand him. That's why they couldn't follow him or keep up with him, which in turn had left Rin behind and Obito rushing forward to match Kakashi.

However, something still bothered Minato.

When he tries to prod at Sachi's feelings, he finds that he can't. Something blocks his senses, and in turn he can feel absolutely nothing. It's as if Sachi belongs to the background, a tree to be overlooked, a small animal that is completely harmless.

Strange.

"Hear, Minato-sensei," Sachi calls, and her eyes are eerily bright. "Why don't we test what Kashi-chan said?"

Minato blinks. "Come again?"

"He says that he can take us, three chūnin, by himself because he thinks his teammates are weighing him down," she insists. "Why don't we confirm if it's true?"

Sachi was planning something. Perhaps Minato couldn't read her chakra, but he didn't need to when his own instincts told him that the Inuzuka was bad news.

And yet.

"Kakashi?" Minato asks, and the boy is more driven than before. "Do you agree?"

Let this be a lesson.

"Yes, sensei."

Maybe it's too cruel for Minato to let his student, who clearly isn't thinking right, to fight three people on his own. But Kakashi only learned through trial and error, and Minato just couldn't continue trying to explain it to him. Minato could only guess what Sachi was trying to do, and he finds himself agreeing.

Anko and Kasui's chakra spykes, but simmer down. A mix between excitement and resolve, only to end up in a trained apathy found in experienced shinobi that knew to control their emotions or risk being blinded by them.

"Do you agree, Team Two?"

They shrug at the same time and in the same manner, and Minato knows what they are thinking. "Then," Minato amends. "Begin."

This time, Kakashi doesn't rush. Instead, he creates two earth clones and then takes out some shuriken that then uses to separate Team Two. It fails when Anko and Kasui use a fire and water jutsu respectively and then fill the entire training ground with mist.

Two seconds later, the mist dissipates and Kakashi is laid flat on the ground, Anko's knee on his back.

"... what… happened?" Rin mumbles.

Sachi is positively satisfied, smirking as Anko pulls out a groan from Kakashi. "Now, that was fast," Sachi remarks. "If you three managed to last one minute, then Kakashi took thirty seconds. That's a record, right?"

Ruthless.

"Sachi-kun?"

"Of course, Minato-sensei," the girl answered brightly. "Kakashi didn't target me directly this time, but our teamwork. But we don't need to be together to work together, you see…"

Sachi trails off, leaning over Kasui as the boy cleaned his glasses. They were close, even by teammates' standards. "Kakashi was working alone, and clones can't compare to real human beings in terms of intelligence and autonomy," she continues. "When deprived of his sight, he had no way of gathering information about our strategy, whereas we had the advantage of working together and knowing how to navigate the fog. Also, Anko has a very mean punch."

Kakashi's eye was swelling.

"... get… off—" Kakashi growls, but Anko presses down harder.

"Nu-uh, Kashi-chan. You're dead right now, or perhaps we'll torture you, since you were foolish enough to believe you could take on three people of the same rank." Sachi goades him, snickering.

"You… cheated—"

"So what?" Sachi questions, becoming serious abruptly. "Do you think it's unfair? Of course it is, dumbass. And you chose it. Seriously, Kashi-chan, not even a minute. That's just embarrassing."

Perhaps that was a bit too much.

Kakashi grits his teeth, his chakra flaring up, angry and embarrassed. Sachi was good at getting a reaction out of him, pressing all his buttons like that. Because Minato was paying close attention to everyone's chakra, he could feel the shift from apathy to annoyance coming from Orochimaru.

Orochimaru hadn't involved himself in this matter, watching from the sidelines. However, now that Sachi was overstepping, he straightened his back and shifted his stance. To Minato's shock, Team Two notices that subtle change, because their chakra stutters once.

But they don't stop.

Sachi squats in front of Kakashi, her eyes dangerously focused on him. Kakashi's chakra becomes even more irritated. He's powerless as Team Two has him pinned to the ground, and whatever they had done to him in the fog, it was enough to make him reconsider attempting something reckless. And yet, it's the satisfaction that comes from the Sannin's students that makes Minato worry.

They had joked of inflicting torture.

"You know, Kashi-chan…" Sachi remarks, forcing him to look at her. "Do you know why it's important to be on good terms with your teammates?"

Kakashi doesn't answer. Sachi continues.

"When your skills fail you, and you're unable to fight on your own, your teammates are there to help you, and potentially save your life." Sachi was speaking from experience. "If you remove that trust, and instead have the certainty that you will be sacrificed the moment you aren't useful… Then what's the difference between you and an enemy?"

Sachi doesn't need to ask what you do when faced with an enemy. Surprisingly, her voice is even, but Minato can feel the slightest trickle of chakra from her. It was such a heavy disgust that it made him choke. Anko and Kasui match Sachi's rage, quiet but destructive.

Team Two has learned that lesson well.

"Just because you're ahead of your teammates doesn't give you the right to leave them behind," Sachi reprimands him, voicing Minato's opinion without caring how it made Kakashi feel.

Harsh, but necessary.

Sachi gets up smoothly, gazing down at him as if he was trash. "Maybe the problem isn't your teammates, Kakashi, but you."

Anko releases him, and Kasui keeps close watch as the girls nod at each other. It's then that Orochimaru steps in, and his voice is commanding, leaving no room for discussion. "Sachi. Fifty laps." Minato swallows the knot in his throat, and can taste bile. "Anko, Kasui; join her."

Team Two leaves with a yessir, but the tension doesn't ease. Kakashi gets up, and there's more blood on him than Minato has ever seen. Obito and Rin are pale, but don't offer words of consolement or try to help him. Kakashi had been willing to abandon them, and they had realized it as well.

The wedge between them widens, and Minato isn't sure if he made the right decision.

"I believe this is enough for today," Orochimaru tells Minato, and he can only agree. "I hope this has been of use to you."

Minato doesn't know how to answer that, but is thankful nonetheless. "Thank you, Orochimaru-sama. My team is struggling with teamwork, and I thought that having them fight a team that excelled in it might change something…"

But Team Two had practically dispatched his team in less than a minute, so swiftly that he doubted his students had even understood what had happened. Minato couldn't fault Orochimaru's students for following his orders, but his own team for being unable to follow them.

Orochimaru regards him oddly, his chakra momentarily curious. "My students have had more time to get accustomed to one another, and their teamwork is a result of their close bonds," he explains, which is strangely soothing. "Your team was appointed a year ago, but it's clear that there is an internal struggle born out of miscommunication."

"Yes…" Because Kakashi refused to relate to his teammates and Obito was too impulsive to listen, whereas Rin wasn't heard at all. Kakashi was the leader of his team because he had more experience, but neither Obito or Rin trusted him. If only they could at least speak to one another without fighting, maybe they had a chance. "Do you have any advice on this matter, Orochimaru-sama?"

The Sannin takes a moment to mull over his answer. "The fear of death is a powerful instinct, and survival is the ultimate goal for everyone."

"Ah…" Minato coughs, taken by surprise. "So… if my team faces life-threatening situations and they're forced to cooperate… They will learn teamwork?"

Orochimaru shrugs. "From my experience, yes."

That wasn't what Minato had expected, but he'll take it. "T-thank you, Orochimaru-sama. I'll follow your advice." Although, he wonders, is what Orochimaru had done to his team to have them get along so well?

The Sannin nods, taking a step back. "Then, I'll be leaving."

"Ah, yes—" But he's gone already, and Minato can finally breathe. "Survival, hmm?"

Minato looks back to his students, forlorn and shaken. He has been too kind to them, it seems. Coddling them would do them no favours, and even though he had different teaching methods than Orochimaru, Minato could understand the reasoning behind his hard teaching.

Maybe he'll do the same.

"Pack lightly, we're going on a mission."

.

On the other side of the Continent, nearing the Northern Belt, a traveler stops at an inn.

The barmaid regards him with keen eyes, gauging the stranger's character. "Need something'?"

"A room." He puts one golden ryō on the counter.

The barmaid reaches for the coin, but the traveler grabs her wrist gently yet with unexpected strength. "And a poppy," he whispers, sliding another coin into her hand, away from curious glances.

"U-understood…" the barmaid mumbles, taking both coins smoothly. "Room thirty, third floor."

The man winks at the girl as he takes the stairs, his bones groaning after many months of difficult travel across the borders. The room is sparsely decorated, but it has a futon and a table, which is more than enough for him. This inn was situated near an outpost of Iron Country, and hence highly frequented by traders and other travellers. Bounty hunters were aplenty here, and so were sources for information.

"Ahh…" the traveler sighs, taking out his dusty cloak and settling on a cushion. "Maybe some sake is in order…"

"You need to keep your eyes open, Jiraiya," a gravelly voice comments, just before a creature hops onto the table. A toad, maroon with red markings, and small ochre eyes. "You'll have company, don't you?"

"Don't worry, don't worry," Jiraiya reassures, already used to his summons questioning his ways. "Poppies are great wells of wisdom."

"Wisdom, hmm?" Gamabunta hums, giving him a look. "You do you, but I ain't gonna help you if you get mugged. Or get crabs."

Jiraiya chuckles, sticking some sealing paper underneath the table, meant to silence the entire room. "A fair price for information," he amends, but his summon isn't impressed. "How come you're so small, Gamabunta? You don't visit me unless you wanna boss me 'round."

Gamabunta, the old toad, huffs. "The old man wants to speak to you, said is important."

Jiraiya frowns. The Great Toad was rarely lucid these days, but when he was, he always called for him. "That's troublesome," he mutters.

He had to follow a lead to Frost Country, and soon winter would be upon them. If he had to visit Gamamaru, he'd certainly need to have a lengthy discussion and then decipher whatever that old toad wanted to riddle him about.

"Not my problem," Gamabunta offers.

"Maybe it is," Jiraiya counters. The world was reaching a breaking point, and Jiraiya didn't like it one bit. He had done his best to fulfill his role as a teacher for the next generation, but he could do only so much when there was all this work to do. "Will it be that story, I wonder?"

(The Prophecy.)

"Dunno," the toad answered, bored. "That's for you and the old man to talk 'bout."

Gamabunta has never been one to involve himself in politics, much less in what involved the world outside his own realm. Jiraiya was fine with it, as long as the toad came when he summoned him. "Still, it's strange to have you acting as the messenger."

The toad flicks his tongue, catching an unsuspecting fly. "No one else was home to do it. Everyone's busy, your tadpole is at fault, I think."

Tadpole.

"Minato-kun? Really?" It has been a while since Jiraiya wrote to him. That boy was bright, so surely he was doing alright. How many years has it been, now? Ten, fifteen? Time flies, Jiraiya hums. "Is he busy, then?"

"Ask him yourself," Gamabunta scoffs. "He's yours, after all."

Right. Minato had been his first student, and oh so talented. It had been easy to teach him, but Jiraiya realized that he wasn't the one he was looking for. He had found the rinnegan after the Second War, and Nagato fitted the description of the Child of the Prophecy. Two years ago Jiraiya had left his second team in Rain Country, having taught them all he knew. They would do well.

It's what the Prophecy states, after all.

"Right! He did send me something…"

Jiraiya takes out his sealing scroll, rummaging through the seals in hopes of finding the package his student had sent him a few years ago. He has been so incredibly busy that he hadn't had the time to look at it, but Jiraiya figures that he can spare a few minutes, now that his plans have been altered.

"Here," Jiraiya grins, planting a simple retaining scroll on the table.

"What's that?" Gamabunta frowns. "That tadpole hardly knew how to read seals, is he trying again?"

Minato had attempted becoming a seal master, but he didn't have the aptitude for it; a pity, but not something Jiraiya could solve. "He did send me a letter, saying that Kushina-chan wanted me to give it a look. A riddle? An Uzumaki relic?"

Uzushio was lost, and with the island, all the Uzumaki heritage. Jiraiya had visited the wreckage, but nothing could be salvaged. Another worrying sign, that such a powerful and ancient settlement would be destroyed so thoroughly.

The scroll is simple parchment, typical Iron paper that wasn't meant to last. Jiraiya opens it, and glances at the first matrix, and then stops abruptly.

"What…?"

The matrices. The connectors. The damned structures were all foreign to him. Jiraiya hunches himself over the scroll, unrolling it to the core and reading all the sentences scratched on the paper. He has studied with the Uzumaki priests, and as such, he has learned about the roots of fūinjutsu.

Which is why, when he tries making sense of these seals, he can recognize ancient matrices that he hasn't seen outside of the carved seals of the first Uzumaki settlers. It's such a shock, to see them again, that it has Jiraiya breathless.

Those matrices weren't viable. Fūinjutsu was akin to language, and you could only communicate when you had all the words, and understood its structure. When Jiraiya tries to seal a brush, the scroll functions flawlessly. There's not even a puff of smoke when Jiraiya unseals it again, distributing the chakra efficiently so nothing is wasted.

"Incredible…" Jiraiya mutters, excited but confused.

The connectors to those retaining matrices had been lost to time, and they were so old that not even the most dedicated scholars had been able to bring them back. Jiraiya had tried once, when he was young and full of pride, only to be severely disappointed.

And yet…

"Jiraiya…?" Gamabunta calls, and Jiraiya ignores him, using a trickle of chakra to ignite the scroll.

It was intricate work, but simple at the same time. The orders and the sentences were direct, supporting the matrices so the slots of the retaining scroll could be sustained by chakra, keeping a steady flow of chakra through the ink. It was achieved by recirculating the energy used to seal and unseal items, almost as if it was a self-sustainable scroll that wouldn't be overwhelmed like a regular scroll.

"Who did this?" Jiraiya takes his own scroll, hastily searching for the note that his student had sent to him and he had only glanced at it. "Dear teacher… Kushina… A student…? Wait. An Academy student?"

He glances back at the scroll, which is mocking him as it's laying sprawled over the table. At the center of the scroll, at its very heart, was a matrix that Jiraiya couldn't recognize. There were several sealing styles, but fūinjutsu had the same roots for all of them. Yet when Jiraiya stares at that braided matrix, with characters that he can't read and a series of connectors that seems like a tangled mess to him… He's simply lost.

"No wonder Kushina-chan sent me this…"

If Kushina, a sealing master in her own right, who had studied in the same class as him, was at a loss, then Jiraiya was hopeless. Surely, Kushina would've recognized those ancient seals, but that matrix stood out. It couldn't be another language, because that scroll wouldn't have worked otherwise, but then…?

"Just how old is this matrix?" Jiraiya wonders out loud, frowning deeply.

Gamabunta peeks curiously, and the spirit is startled, blanching at the sight. It's enough for Jiraiya to glance at him, and he knows the toad recognizes it.

"What's this?" Jiraiya prompts, perhaps a bit too sharply. "You know this, don't you?"

"I don't know what it says," the toad seems hesitant to answer, and shakes his head. "It's old."

"I figured as much. How old are we talkin'?"

The Toad Tribe was one of the oldest spirit settlements of their world. They had been there when the Sage of Six Paths began his quest to unify this world, back when Uzushio was still a volcanic mess hoping to one day become an island.

"Where did you get this?" Gamabunta questions instead. "Who gave it to you?"

"Minato-kun and Kushina-chan," Jiraiya answers, becoming slightly nervous as to why his own summon would try to keep information from him. "They wrote to me saying that a student in the Academy made this for their fūinjutsu exam."

Simply ridiculous. A child wouldn't be able to know this. Academy children weren't able to distinguish a connector from a matrix, much less having access to ancient seals that not even real seal masters knew of.

"Did they describe the child?" The toad inquiries, and his voice has become suspicious. "How old are they? And where did they come from?"

"What's with these questions?" Jiraiya questions. "They only said it was an Academy student, nothing else. Why would their age and origin matter?"

If they were attending the Academy they must be a Leaf citizen. But clearly, Gamabunta doubted that. There had to be something else.

"This matrix is too old," Jiraiya states. "No one is this old. Not even the Uzumaki. Not even you."

Because Gamabunta had been able to recognize the pattern, but not the meaning. At the back of Jiraiya's mind, something is nagging him. That matrix had very small characters, overlapping and shifting whenever chakra was applied to the scroll. It was meant to allow the rest of the fūinjutsu structure to seal and unseal an item, reverting back to a stationary state to avoid wasting chakra.

Those seals were able to change depending if chakra was applied or not, meaning they were moving seals. Jiraiya knew only one type of moving seal, and that was…

"The summoning jutsu."

Of course Gamabunta would recognize the matrix. It belonged to the fūinjutsu branch related to blood seals, which were even older than chakra seals.

Blood seals predated the coming of the Sage.

"Gamabunta," Jiraiya warns, and he feels his skin break into goosebumps. "What is this?"

For a moment Jiraiya believes Gamabunta will try to lie to him, pretending as though he doesn't know, but Jiraiya has known him ever since he made the contract with his tribe. It would be a betrayal, and a breach of their contract if Gamabunta decided to hide something like this from him. Jiraiya had chosen toads to gather and share information, and in turn he has helped them too many times for the spirits to back off now.

In the end, Gamabunta lets out a heavy sigh, and asks, "What do you know about the Kanbayashi?"

.