Chapter 46: A Toad, a Snake, and a Slug
The trails for his former teammate weren't the most subtle, admittedly. In fact, it was more surprising to him that people didn't approach her more from the almost blatant actions Tsunade seemed to take anywhere she went. Almost as if it were on a schedule, she would enter a town, blow whatever money she's carrying on her person in a gambling house, borrow a line of credit that was likely generous due to her name and reputation, then she'd lose that money and run from her debts and collectors. As a bonus, if these collectors or their muscle get too close, no small amounts of damage would be caused and the process would start in another town.
The Legendary Sucker is quite proficient as a title. Legend says that Tsunade has yet to place a winning bet.
Though, there was a subtle stroke of brilliance to such a frantic cycle of movements when it came to tracking the women down. Sure, she was as graceful as a bull on a stage full of dancers, but if that bull was joined by dozens of other bulls, it'd be hard to pick out. Tsunade's reign of terror over the gambling world, stacking up credit debts in countless towns and cities across the Land of Fire, has lasted for almost two full decades, so when trying to determine which town was her latest hit became damn-near impossible. The dates of her arrivals and departures blur all over the map, somehow she's said to be in one town and two towns over at the same time while not having been in either for months.
Jiraiya couldn't quite say if such a spider-web of inconsistencies were intentional by his former teammate, be it to dodge collectors or shinobi from the Leaf trying to reach her, but he had a sneaking suspicion that it was far from an accident. The Sannin were all more than capable of falling from the face of the earth in a heartbeat, just as Orochimaru has accomplished many times. However, that also meant that there were few others outside of themselves that could find one another, and with Jiraiya's extensive web that expanded over the Elemental Nations, it was only a matter of time that he located Tsunade's true location.
After a few days of travel, not truly committing to a specific destination until he had the most recent information on Tsunade, his faithful Toad Summons came through for him. Many toads reported back sightings of the Slug Princess in the western portion of the country, her gambling habits cleaning out many loan sharks from generous credit lines and blazing yet another trail of damage and debt. The Toad Sage was careful not to commit to any of these, lest he start following a trail of smoke laid by his former teammate, but when there were reports of her near Tanzaku Quarters, Jiraiya knew that he hit the jackpot.
Tanzaku Quarters was one of the most prolific cities in the Land of Fire, but not in a traditional sense. There was no impressive lord that was able to build up a stagnant town into one of greatness, there was no legendary samurai that served for the country that made a name for the city, and there surely was no resources that gave Tanzaku Quarters a boon of company and commerce. No, Tanzaku Quarters was a haven for degenerates and destitutes. The city was known for its night-life, gambling houses, and, most importantly, their women. For all intents and purposes, the place was the epitome of what Tsunade was known for in today's world. The heroics of the Second Great Shinobi War were far behind them and now it was the Legendary Sucker that most knew in the land. What better place for the Sannin than Tanzaku Quarters?
Well, realistically, a better place would be a place that didn't have an account already open for Tsunade, but as those places get fewer and farther between, Tanzaku Quarters was the best place to start reopening old debts. According to his sources, Jiraiya was sure that his old teammate had racked up quite the amount of figures from the sharks in the gambling hub, but if she was on her way there now, then she must have a way to bypass that debt and start anew.
"I just have to be there before she leaves the place gasping again."
She stared up at the towering walls that encircled Tanzaku Quarters, but not out of reverence or anything similar. It was quite the opposite, in fact. Tsunade couldn't help but snort at the ostentatiousness of the gambling capital of the Land of Fire. Who cared about the pace enough for them to need a wall? Half their citizens were bums that wandered its streets and the other half were the people that made those people bums. She was sure that the walls were simply there to keep those people in the city rather than keeping anyone out. You can't have those that owe you money running away.
"Too bad walls are never tall enough or thick enough to keep me in…or out."
Tsunade Senju, once a famed kunoichi of the Hidden Leaf Village, had quite the sizable debt here in Tanzaku Quarters. Usually, such a thing was enough to keep her away from the town by a wide margin, but for as much time has passed and her talents as a kunoichi, she was sure she could slip through unseen and unheard. Perhaps she wouldn't be leaving in the same state, but who cares about that? She hasn't seen the inside of the large city in well over a decade, likely closer to two, and there was supposed to be a festival for the changing of the seasons starting tonight and lasting through the weekend. Normally, such things weren't her thing, but she was feeling a little nostalgic, and with nostalgia came memories of those that once knew her as a different person.
"Dan loved festivals, no matter what they were for. They brought a smile to his face." She thought to herself, more than a little bitterly. Instinctively, Tsunade reached into the top of her robes and pulled a bottle of alcohol that sat amongst her cleavage and took a deep swallow of it. The damn stuff hadn't worked in some time, as her memories were still as vivid as if they happened just the day before, but it was still comforting to act as if it did.
"Lady Tsunade, shouldn't you wait to drink until after we made it inside the gates? We don't want to be caught too soon." Tsunade looked to her left and gave her traveling companion a half-hearted glare at the well-intentioned girl. Shizune, her late-fiance's niece, was a good girl. At many times too good of a girl, but she always meant well. After Dan died, Tsunade took it upon herself to take care of the girl and teach her a thing or two. At some point along the way, though, Shizune seemed to think that it was her turn to take care of Tsunade and start nitpicking at her habits.
"We aren't going to get caught by anybody, calm down. Last time you were here you were just a runt and my genjutsu is flawless. I could really let loose and have fun without anyone finding out, lighten up." She replied with no small bit of exasperation. She wasn't wrong or even being boastful, Tsunade constantly wore some form of genjutsu to alter her appearance and it never fell, no matter the circumstance.
When the walls of Tanzaku Quarters became visible, she altered her appearance just enough to slide past searching eyes. Her light blonde hair became a warm chestnut, brown eyes shifted to blue, and the small blue diamond that sat upon her forehead simply melted away. To drive it all home, she kept her gray robe and green jacket as open as it usually was to display a generous amount of cleavage to stave off any seasoned eyes from her face. All of that put together was more than enough to keep both Tsunade and Shizune away from those that would want to collect an obscene debt that has only grown in the many years of staking interest.
There were many additional comments made by Shizune in their walk up to the gates of the gambling city. Her flat-falling, shoulder-length black hair was starting to stick to her pale face from the sweat of nervousness, coal eyes searched around them like a criminal just begging to be caught, and pressed to her black, ankle-length robes that were lined with white on its edges was a small pink pig that tended to oink along with the girl's dissatisfaction. Soon enough, the swigs of booze that were taken were more to distract her from frantic ramblings and complaints than any old memories that wished to make themselves known.
When they finally walked the line of entering tourists all the way to the tall gates of Tanzaku Quarters, Shizune was so nervous that the words were officially stuck in her throat. The benefit of such was that there was no more nagging, however now it was Tsunade's turn to worry over the concerning shade her companion's skin had taken. Translucent was not a healthy skin descriptor by any means.
But, as she suspected, when the pair of travelers walked to the gate and were inspected by the two samurai present there was no cause for concern. The men in the red and yellow designed armor only glanced at their credentials, which were also heavily altered by her own manipulations, and gave neither woman's aces much fanfare as eyes kept trailing to the exposed skin that Tsunade presented. The whole process was only as long as it was because of the young, greenboy's tongue-tied speech and stumbling as he asked the questions he was meant to ask. Despite that, in a matter of minutes, both of them were once again wandering the streets of the massive city.
At first glance, the city was as grand and boastful as was told. Streets were wide and cobblestoned, buildings were of fine architecture and only grew the deeper one explored into the city, and with the impending festival approaching, many vendors were selling wares and much food was enjoyed out in the street. If one were to look no deeper than this, one might consider Tanzaku Quarters a masterpiece of a society. Not one frown was seen immediately on the faces of those around them, but Tsunade was no fool. She was many things, many nasty things, but gullible was nowhere near the top of that list. If one peeked behind the curtains that were splayed for the tourists of the city, if one were to travel the less beaten paths of the city's infrastructure, you'd find the grotesque that matched the wonderment. You'd find men, women, and children trying to find what they can in the streets and alleys with many other people that lost their livelihoods from the environment in Tanzaku Quarters. An environment of sharks, criminals, and businessmen, all of which are capable of sharing their titles with the other.
However, it wasn't her job to worry about those people. She wasn't here on a mission to upturn the fabric of a booming city that has done such practices for generations. That was a job for some sad sap that chose to care how others lived their lives, and not Tsunade Senju. Tsunade Senju was just looking for a good time risking things that could no longer harm her heart or cost her own happiness, or whatever was left of either. She was here to gamble away any worries and sorrows, capping it off with a show as the festival runs through the town.
Tsunade and Shizune found a hotel that still had rooms available for the both of them, granted in a shared room but that was of no fuss. It was an expensive hotel with high prices and classy recreations, but they had the money to spend. Not from any of her bets somehow turning a profit, but Shizune snagged a brief bout of work as a makeshift doctor by putting to work a few of the tricks Tsunade showed her over the years in medical ninjutsu. People are willing to pay a pretty penny for their own health, and they, for once, weren't walking into a town already in a hole. Well, they were in a hole, and a pretty steep hole at that, but those debts were old and this money was young so it mattered little and less.
Tsunade wasted no time at all dispensing her clothes and traveling supplies in the hotel room, dumping it all on her chosen bed before she turned to exit their hotel and trek toward the closest gambling hall. Though, in a turn for the annoying, her traveling companion voiced her complaints well before Tsunade could leave the room.
"Lady Tsunade, shouldn't we rest first before you go out and start gambling? We only just got here." Shizune called to her just as her hand was reaching for their doorknob. With a loud sigh, the Slug Sannin turned back and glared at Shizune who only looked concerned. There was no true heat to the glare, but she was serious in not being stopped from her turn at the tables.
"I told you that I wanted to see the festival tonight. If I rest now, there won't be enough time to do both, and if I don't do both, why did we bother coming here?" Tsunade replied to her companion's questions with no small amount of force. The question was a rhetorical one, but she paused in place and waited in silence as if Shizune was supposed to have some sort of reply. Using the silence as a triumph from her words, Tsunade snorted once again as the door opened.
"I was just hoping we didn't get into too much trouble before the festival starts. If you go too far today we might have to leave first thing in the morning and we'll miss the other two nights of festivities." Shizune spoke her words softly, more so in a murmur than a full voice. However, Tsunade heard it all the same as she hung halfway out of the door and into the hallway. She wasn't facing Shizune, so the younger girl was unable to see the smile on her face from the expressed concern.
"I promise I won't go too far, not until the festival is over and we have no other reasons to be here." With that, the door was left open as Tsunade walked through the halls of the building and into the busy streets of Tanzaku Quarters with Shizune rushing behind her to catch up.
Despite their interactions, and Tsunade's overall demeanor, the Senju did truly appreciate Shizune and her incessant worrying. Tsunade was aware enough to know that she was a handful, and even if she got annoyed by the young girl's overbearing personality, she truly did appreciate the worrying over her wellbeing. She has long stopped worrying over herself, there was little that Tsunade was working toward in her life that didn't include outrunning her own past. When Shizune expresses her worry, it does serve to help Tsunade remember that there was at least one person that worried about her still.
That thought made the necklace that hung from Tsunade's neck on a black cord feel all the more heavy, as if it were a burden she carried along with all the pain she wishes to leave behind. The actual pendant that the cord threaded through was hidden under the plunged neckline of her robe, but she didn't need to see it to know exactly what it looked like. In fact, she'd rather not see it, for it was a reminder of what was lost.
Only when she stepped into the gambling hall did such dour thoughts remove themselves from her mind. Delicate, yet powerful hands gripped the small pouch of money that they were left with after paying for rooms for the weekend. With powerful strides, Tsunade threw the bag onto the counter at the hall's entrance and exchanged it for the hall's betting chips, walking quickly to the closest card table and buying in immediately. When she sat down at a half-filled table and the dealer began sliding cards between the participants, a desperately chased peace filtered into the woman's system. All of a sudden, worries were washed away and memories temporarily forgotten about. She didn't even look at her cards when she called the first bet that got to her, but rather embraced the action of moving chips across the betting table and gambling money off naught but a thought and an action.
Shizune had found a place behind her, quietly supervising the games as she always did. Tsunade wondered why the girl bothered to watch such travesties. As much as she enjoyed the sport of gambling, she was absolutely dreadful at it and didn't expect it to be all that interesting to watch all their money swindle away like water in a punctured jug. Shaking her head to herself, Tsunade reached into her robe to once again pull the bottle of alcohol from it and drank heavily from it as the other gamblers watched lecherously. Placing the bottle onto the table with a hefty slam, she winked an altered blue-eye at the older men that got their eyeful of her before turning back to the game.
She couldn't remember her cards for the life of her, or even determine if she ever truly picked them up to inspect what she had, but she continued to bet as if she had the luck of a different woman until they were forced to show their cards. The pot was hefty and the bets were large, but Tsunade tossed her cards on the table as carelessly as a player in a recreational game playing for chips meant for snacking and not true currency. Yet, as eyes looked across the half-filled table, inspecting the hands of those who stayed in, the carelessness suddenly faded away as eyes turned to her once again.
They weren't looking at her any longer for the assets she possessed on her person as she drank from the bottle again, waiting for the winner to be called and the funds dispersed. However, from the bottom of her gaze as her head was upturned, the dealer's arm pointed toward her.
"Winner." The dealer announced stiffly as he collected the cards. At first, Tsunade disregarded the announcement as she always did, but when it finally clicked in her mind that she had won she had to fight herself to keep the alcohol in her own mouth. A large mass of chips were pushed toward her from a winning hand that she couldn't recall, and blue eyes stared at them in stunned disbelief.
"I…won?" She whispered to herself as her hands fell into her lap. Finger pressed deeply into her thighs, ruffling her blue pants harshly. The neck on her neck felt like a mountainous stone that was trying to force her face to the ground and the green jacket on her shoulders felt suffocating. Absentmindedly, she began to stack the chips ahead of her, only focusing on the winnings as the dealer passed out the cards once again.
Once again, she didn't bother looking at her cards. Fingers practically maneuvered her chips by themselves as she blindly bet another hand, eyes empty and mind clouded. Bets got larger and more irresponsible, but when the cards were turned over again she was once again proclaimed the winner. Ice filtered into her veins as Tsunade torqued her body to look at Shizune. Her long-time companion looked as lost as she was, the pig in the girl's arms likely in immense discomfort from the arms squeezing the animal tightly around its midsection.
Tsunade couldn't stay any longer. Whatever solace she was greeted with only minutes ago was quickly turned into dread and utter terror. She stood from the table and quickly turned tail out of the gambling hall, completely ignoring the calls from Shizune or the clacking of the chips she just won as they were hastily collected. The doors of the building were thrown open and Tsunade turned into the alleyway to the building's right immediately. Without any sense of restraint, Tsunade threw a fist into the outermost wall of the gambling hall, a cry escaping her throat as she did so. The wall collapsed on itself the moment her hand connected to it. Her shinobi training long behind her, and yet still ever-present along with her otherworldly strength as gamblers within the hall all turned to her and the destruction she caused. The destruction wasn't acknowledged by the Sannin, but wholly ignored as she stomped through the rest of the alleyway.
She walked aimlessly, eyes not taking in the sights as she was quickly straying from the beautiful portrait of Tanzaku Quarters and into its ratty underbelly. As she paced through the alleyways and into the slums, Buildings became increasingly more degraded, smiles turned into suspicious scowls, and celebrations were replaced with utter silence. Idly, Tsunade could hear Shizune's sandals clapping and echoing in the distance in a hurried pace to catch up to her. In need of some explanation, Tsunade halted in place just before entering a small side street that none walked. A gravely road to nowhere that only showed empty hovels that people gathered outside of.
"Lady Tsunade! Are you okay?" Shizune called from behind her and Tsunade slowly turned to meet the worried eyes of her traveling companion with her own eyes only showing disbelief. In Shizune's hand, the hand that didn't carry Tonton, was the sack of chips that she earned in her pair of hands.
"I won. I actually won." Her voice was shallow and her eyes slowly turned their attention upward to the sky. The sky was clear when they entered Tanzaku Quarters, but thick clouds now littered the sky as if to warn them of an upcoming storm.
"Yeah, I don't think I've seen anything like it. Why did you stop?" She was asked and a chill ran through her body. Meeting Shizune's gaze, Tsunade only spoke in the most serious of tones as she could.
"I never win anything I bet. The moment I bet on something it is practically destined to lose. But if I win…If I win, then something much worse is on its way." She said simply before turning back around and wondering the gross streets of Tanzaku Quarters. There wasn't a specific path she followed or goal she had in mind. Feet carried her and Shizune followed, that's all there was.
It wasn't as if she was being overdramatic. Tsunade has been cursed for as long as she could remember, be it from the necklace she carried or some deity that held a grudge on her mere existence. Something was coming, something foul and she was powerless to stop it. In the back of her mind, Tsunade thought about sending Shizune elsewhere so she could handle whatever trial that was coming on her own, but the tingle that traveled down the length of her spine told her she was too late. Far too late.
Tsunade halted in place in the middle of some other empty street. In the background, the dull rumbling of those celebrating in the main portion of the city was still heard, but immediately round them was still eerily silent. Glancing around, Tsunade noticed the utter lack of vagrants around them and to her left was a singular alleyway that appeared too dark for any place in the middle of the day. Light seemed completely unfound only a couple steps in between the pathway and Tsunade knew whatever she was waiting for was hidden deep within that darkness.
She squared her body toward the side path, hands tightening at her sides and knuckles popping in preparation for what was to come. She let her genjutsu fade back into her traditional appearance. There was no need to hide from someone that clearly knew who she was. From her side, Shizune pulled herself closer to Tsunade and a step behind her, her face just behind the older woman's shoulder. Nothing happened for an unknown amount of time, only a tense stalemate between the Sannin and the darkness in front of her.
Then, suddenly, a pair of sickly yellow eyes appeared at the heart of the darkness that was joined by a smile that stretched open just underneath it. Palms began to sweat, breathing became heavier, and a heart began to pound like a tightly skinned drum. For the first time in countless years Tsunade was nervous and she's long forgotten what to do about it.
To hunt was the most invigorating thing one could do. To become a being whose sole purpose was to trap and force another into your mercy was equal to nothing else in this world. Very little could bring excitement to his life at this point, there was little he hadn't seen, but today's activities were a drastic change in circumstance. Many would find fear or a sense of nervousness when putting themselves into harm's way so loosely, but Orochimaru had little care when it came to such things.
After all, what was there to be fearful of?
His loyal subjects gave him word of Tsunade's travels soon after he requested it and he was disappointed at how predictable his former teammate was. A flameout gambling addict meandering off to the gambling capital of the Land of Fire was a stale happenstance to fall into, but there was nothing he could do about it. Soon after he learned of Tsunade's movements, he made sure to gather the bodies and supplies he would need for his little return to his home country and swiftly went about initiating this little reunion between long-time friends.
He waited until the last minute to move in on his target as his precious patient was in no condition to be kept from direct medical assistance. When he left, though, it was only the four of them. Himself, his patient, and two of his generals were all he needed to see this little side mission to fruition. He had time yet until the next steps were made toward his true goals and there was no better time to ensure himself a future vessel with immense capabilities.
They left in the dark of night, which was a necessary caution. The compound they were residing in was one that was close to the border of the Land of Fire and, for the sake of simplicity, it was always easier to bypass the border wall in the cover of darkness. It would've been easy enough to do it in the day, but pointless risks were a stupid gamble with the cargo his two generals carried along with them. It was a peculiar group of individuals, to be sure, but Orochimaru was always intrigued with the grotesque and otherwise unsightly. Perhaps he had a morbid curiosity that went against the normal grain, or maybe he saw himself in things that go against the traditionally beautiful. Whichever it was, the reasoning would still be hard to justify those he named generals.
Orochimaru himself traveled in what he made as the customary uniform for his elite forces in the Sound Village. A tan shirt hung and long on his shoulders, splitting at his hips to fall between his legs as a long loincloth would. Under this was a skin tight, high collared black shirt that covered the length of his arms and covered the gap around his neck made by the loosely hanging top garbs, and below that was a pair of gray pants that tucked into wrappings around his ankles. Tied at his waist was a thick and long purple rope whose loops arced perfectly behind him, slightly reminiscent of tied monk's robes. These clothes were shared by his companions, but in comparison to his generals, Orochimaru would be the first to say that he represented his designated clothing the best.
Trailing just a few steps behind him were the Southern and Eastern Gates of the Sound Four; Jirobo and Kidomaru. Between them, passed out with an arm across the necks of his carriers was the former fifth member of his generals, a man by the name of Kimimaro Kaguya. Jirobo of the South Gate was a big barrel chested man with fiery orange hair cut into a trio of stripes up his scalp and a face pulled permanently into a scowl with beady brown eyes. He was a dull man, a brute, but a man that knew how to do his job, albeit with little grace and all power.
Kidomaru of the Eastern Gate was an odder man, odder in the sense he had an extra pair of arms that sprouted just under the traditional pair. Where Jirobo was a blob of man, Kidomaru was more lean, darker of skin, and always had a conniving smile on his sharp face. Their passenger, Kimimaro, however, was the true prize of the three. On the best days, Kimimaro was almost as pale as Orochimaru, but as he was now, his skin was nearly translucent. Hair so blonde it was nearly white tended to be silken locks that were braided together, but not hung in a matted mess as his head hung to his chest. Bright green eyes, lined in red markings that matched the two dots near the center of his forehead, were shadowed and sunken in as he showed the effects of his sickness quite prominently, not only in his face but also the weakened conditioning his body was in. Muscle mass was lost and bones became more prominent through the boy's skin and a dry cough sounded out quite frequently.
The boy, though not one of sentimental value, was the most important shinobi in his ranks as it were. Kimimaro was the last to hold the surname of Kaguya and the only to hold the powerful bloodline of the Dead Bone pulse, or the ability to manipulate his bones as he so needed. He wielded his body and bones with such beautiful lethality that Orochimaru couldn't allow him to succumb to this illness that's plagued the boy into such a sorry state, hence the measures they were going through to procure a proper medical professional to get him right.
Less than a full hour passed from their exiting the compound to being a mere mile away from the border wall of the Land of Fire. The wall was a response to the countless attacks on the Land of Fire by samurai and shinobi forces, but it has yet to be tested in a true war, something that would change soon enough. On a smaller scale, such as a group of four, it was an easy enough pass. With a bite of his thumb, Orochimaru summoned a python that was as thick as any oak and no less than two dozen feet in length. A massive reptile, to be sure, but it was a necessary summon. The python was bone white and held bright yellow eyes with purple arches of purple scales that extended over them, a visage that Orochimaru felt was almost a mirror image. Orochimaru turned to his generals and called out his orders.
"Get in." He told them, voice leaving no room for questions or free thought. Still the two men glanced at one another briefly before bounding toward the large snake. The Sannin had no reason to tell the snake what it was to do, it had done this song and dance many times before. This was nothing more than routine now.
The mass of three Sound shinobi meandered to the massive snake, stopping just in front of its large head as they tried to bend down awkwardly. Like a flash of lightning, the reptile shot forward and unhinged its jaw in an unnatural range of motion. In a single, fluid motion the three men were consumed and flowing down the python's body as if it were no more than an appetizer for the summoned beast. Luckily, the shinobi didn't fight Hebidai, for there could've been some unfortunate consequences. Orochimaru chuckled to himself, amused by his own thoughts as he too approached the beast.
"Let's get this done, my friend." He spoke to the snake, a fondness coming from his own voice that wasn't meant for any human that walked the earth still. The snake's yellow eyes glinted at his words and soon Orochimaru, too, was within the snake's gullet.
To some, the usage of a snake as transportation would be both disgusting and uncomfortable, but he felt neither as he lay in his silent friend's body. Only the thick flesh of the reptile kept the Sannin's face from scraping across the rough ground and the tall walls of the Land of Fire, but it was more than comfortable to him. It couldn't have been more than a couple hours for the makeshift carriage to slither its way to the tall barrier, up its side, and then back down to carry them safely to its other side unseen and unheard. As quickly as they were swallowed, the quartet of Sound-nin were regurgitated and left on the floor of a forest, slimy and covered with reptilian bile. Orochimaru heard coughing and sounds of disgust from his soldiers as they gathered themselves, but instead of considering them at all, the Snake Sannin turned to his friend once again.
"I thank you again, my friend. Expect another summoning soon enough for the return trip." Hebidai didn't reply with words, but only a shallow nod before dissolving into a puff of smoke. With his friend gone, Orochimaru turned to his men and spoke his orders again.
"I want to reach the site before the third day of travel. Do not disappoint." Quick words. Quick words followed by quick actions as they were all blurring through the trees of the Land of Fire and to the west. Their destination was just outside the large city of Tanzaku Quarters, a worthwhile trip. They couldn't be more hasty as they also had a rendezvous with someone within that city's walls. Oh how he hated tardiness.
Luck wasn't with him on this side of the large wall, for he didn't expect the traffic they were forced to dodge in the Land of Fire. The Leaf's black ops groups were numerous and active within their own country and that made their steps more cautious and their travel more time consuming. Two days of travel was no longer a feasible goal as they had more to consider in their trek. Halfway through the third day, however, the hidden bunker that sat practically in the shadow of the walls of Tanzaku Quarters became visible and they quickly set the preparation for the procedures to be done shortly.
It took the rest of the day and into the next for the proper preparations to be made, after all, surgery was a fragile process, but all appeared to be right in the world of the Snake Sannin. Just as his generals reported their completion he had confirmed Tsunade's presence in the gambling capital just beyond their hiding place. The large gambling city, though fashioned with tall walls and thick stone, was not as much of a chore to pass in comparison to the country's border. He and his two soldiers passed by without a blink of suspicion from the samurai that manned the large walls and soon they were tracking the woman that had the pleasure to carry the same title as he.
Orochimaru couldn't help being disappointed at what he found in the city. The years since seeing his former teammate haven't been kind to the Senju princess. Though not one for compliments or niceties, Orochimaru carried an undertone of respect for his former teammates. He served with them in the Second Great Shinobi War and that held an importance even he would acknowledge. But, for a woman that once was feared across the continent, it was rather disheartening to see her not recognize the six eyes that were centered on her travel through the large city. Surely she didn't expect that sad excuse of a disguise to fool everyone, right?
Despite his disappointment, he had business to conduct, and so he followed the woman closely from her hotel and to the gambling hall. He had expected to sit in wait for sometime, but soon after she entered, Tsunade came out almost hysterically with her little charity case and the pig following close behind. With a single look, Orochimaru indicated that they were to move in, and in a dance of shadows the three Sound-nin followed Tsunade into a deadened path that left her with nowhere to go besides into their grasp. Finally though, when it was far too late, she finally turned herself to her followers and dropped her sad disguise for the appearance he was familiar with decades ago. Another genjutsu, to be sure, but one that was much more sturdy in its composition. He smiled through the darkness, watching her panic silently as did her companion, watching a once hardened warrior be fearful of mere darkness itself.
With a small signal, his generals shot from the shadows and ensnared their prey with well-practiced movements. Kidomaru spit a large, sticky blob of his chakra-lined saliva that burst through the darkness and enveloped Tsunade. On impact, the saliva expanded and when Tsunade's back hit the stoney wall of the building behind her and trapped the Senju princess in a thick web against the wall. Jirobo was the first to fully reveal himself, slamming his hands on the ground where Tsunade once was and funneling chakra into the graveled road.
"Earth Style: Binding Stone Jutsu!"
Before Tsunade could use her obnoxiously vast strength to free herself from the web, Jirobo's jutsu made slabs of stone from the wall she pressed against to keep her in place with segmented pieces of stone that was strengthened by continually supplied chakra through Jirobo's grounded hands. Fortunately, the extra girl and pig that stood stuck in place made Orochimaru's job easy, painfully so. In another smear of blood, a smaller snake than Hebidai puffed into existence to slither toward the useless girl. Similar to their way of entering the country, the girl was swallowed in a single movement of the reptile, much to Tsunade's immediate displeasure. A loud, desperation-filled scream of anger, Tsunade fought uselessly against her restraints. Restraints he specifically planned for to keep her in place without much issue. The woman was silenced quickly by another glob of Kidomaru's saliva, making her no more than a grumbling mess.
Slowly, Orochimaru walked into the open street and looked at his former teammate with clear and obvious pity, false pity at that. An act that was short-lived as a cruel smile played at his lips in seeing the deep and aggressive furrowing of the woman's brow.
"My, my, it's been a long time. Hasn't it, Tsunade?" Orochimaru laughed at her failed insults, his chuckles echoing into empty air. "I'm glad to see you, too. In fact, I have a very special job for you. What do you say?"
I really like how this one turned out. We got a glimpse into the Sannin as they are and the paths they're walking. I feel like it's a solid introduction for how I plan to use Orochimaru, expect to see more of him from here on out. This is the second step to this section of the story, the next one to come on wednesday. After that one, we'll have the whole spread of actions that are happening at once.
