Woah, pleased to see you guys haven't forgotten about this story yet! 3
Hopefully, you enjoy this new chapter too!
Chapter 11. Icebreaking
For what felt like a long while Hinata wasn't sure if she was actually awake or still sunken deep in the realm of delirious dreams. She felt like every cell in her body was still burning, although it would be fair to say this pain was just an echo of what she'd felt when the Cursed Seal was placed on her body… hours ago? Or maybe days? She wasn't sure.
Very slowly did the young woman open her eyes, blinking a few times as the pupil-lacking irises were adjusting to the barely lit space around her. She then rolled on her back, exhaling soundly and looking up. An unfamiliar ceiling, she thought dumbly, wincing. This wasn't the room she'd been occupying for the past week. Where was she?
The girl then carefully moved her hand. Her thin fingers ran through the rough material of the hospital wear, reaching the still aching spot on her chest. Well, aching was probably an understatement in this case. In truth, it felt as though she'd been stabbed with a burning sword. Repeatedly.
She looked down, examining the skin on her sternum. Nothing was visible or tangible, but the kunoichi unmistakably felt the outlines of the pattern of the marking the Snake Sannin had tainted her with.
Tainted… Her lips slowly curled into a tiny, uncharacteristic smile. Strangely, that wasn't how it felt at all. Despite still being shaken and severely weakened by the aftereffects of the ritual, Hinata could sense an unknown power now resting deep in her. Contrary to her expectations, it didn't feel dark, intoxicating or overbearing in any way. If anything, it was just a shamefully pleasant feeling…
"Initial response seems to be adequate... subject shows signs... run tests for..." suddenly a familiar voice shook the Hyūga as she turned around to see the barely visible figure in the shadows writing something down. Orochimaru was muttering something to himself incoherently as he looked at his clipboard, then at Hinata, then back at the clipboard. Apparently he'd been present in the room for a long time, monitoring the kunoichi's condition and waiting for her to wake up. As he finished writing, he put the notes away and walked towards the bed she rested on. Without saying a word, he first picked up Hinata's right hand, looked at it thoughtfully as she stared at him mutely, then did the same to her other arm as he walked around the table.
Before the young woman gathered the courage to say anything, the sannin pushed her to lie down again, now taking a look at her chest where the seal was placed. Orochimaru's fingertips suddenly lit up with his chakra as he thoroughly examined Hinata's upper body. The man eventually worked his way up to her head, grabbing her chin lightly and turning it left and right. Although he was quick in his motions, the Hyūga could nonetheless feel a surgically gentle touch at the same time. Eventually the man finished his examination and smiled as he propped up his chin with one of his hands, looking into her eyes.
"Well?" his raspy voice was now louder and Hinata could hear the ever slight hint of excitement in it. "How do you feel?"
"D-Dizzy", she said in a hoarse voice before clearing her throat and focusing her gaze on the sannin. "But… good, I think," she admitted then, sitting up. Her chest was now almost completely bare, but for some reason the young woman didn't even think about it right now. Somehow, the idea of this man in front of her being even slightly interested in seeing her naked was so outlandish that it didn't even cross her mind at the moment.
"But at the same time… I don't feel like…," she stuttered, lowering her eyes and touching the burning skin carefully once more and frowning. "I can sense its power, and I recognize it as a part of me, but at the same time… I don't know how to use it." She looked at Orochimaru curiously, buttoning her shirt absentmindedly. "Is it supposed to come… naturally?"
The sannin slowly nodded, as if he was lost in his own thoughts for a moment before she asked.
"Correct. Even Sasuke-kun had to struggle to use the seal initially. Though, of course, yours is of a different design entirely. Though I have to admit, you're managing it a lot better than I expected in the first place. Usually the receiver of any kind of Cursed Seal would be experiencing excruciating pain, so it becomes practically useless until they adapt to it." Orochimaru mused as he walked towards the door where the light switches were. Turning the warm lights on in the room, he added, "My advice is to not release chakra in any way for the time being. While I'm sure you can handle the difficulties that will invariably come once you use the seal, you may still disrupt your own chakra flow if an… accident happens. The chances are extremely low as I've almost perfected the ritual by now, but even so, having a Hyūga on a rampage isn't something we want to deal with here," he almost uttered with a slightly disturbing smile. "So if you wish to test it out, wait for an actual battle to occur."
The man motioned to her left side where a small table with water bottles and some food, or rather cheap snacks that, of course, couldn't compete with Jūgo's brilliant cooking.
"Any other concerns you may have in regards to this? Questions, perhaps? While you are in my care, you have my undivided attention. Use this opportunity productively." Orochimaru said with a sly smile on his face, sitting down on a chair next to her bed. She wasn't sure what he was implying, but the girl assumed that this could be the only time she would have the chance to actually chat with him.
Hinata blinked a few times, staring at the sannin with her eyes wide-open as she was rapidly thinking what to say. Such hospitality wasn't something she'd ever expect from a man with such a reputation. But then again, the kunoichi knew she should probably get used to all kinds of surprises coming from these new people in her life by now. Because so far nothing she'd expected of them had come true.
"W-Well… Sasuke-he told me you had trained him…," she began muttering haltingly, almost forcing herself not to look away. "I–I mean, we all knew it, but he told me some things in particular about those times." She blushed, bit her lip nervously and lowered her eyes after all, feeling embarrassed by how incoherent her speech suddenly became. "I–I cannot say that I know him very well, but from what I've observed so far… Sasuke isn't the type of person to give praise easily. And when it comes to you, Orochimaru-san," she looked at him sheepishly, locking her hands on her lap. "He made a few very respectful remarks..."
Orochimaru looked around the room lazily before answering, as though processing what she'd just told him and choosing how to react to it.
"I believe you and your fellow Konoha ninja have a slightly wrong impression of our relationship. Which is understandable as Konoha had its own point of view that it had to defend, regardless of how wrong or misguided it was." He chuckled, looking at the girl again.
"It's true that I had different goals and ambitions when it came to Sasuke-kun way back then, but they weren't limited just to his body contrary to what you probably heard. If it was just that, he would never have come to me by his own accord." The sannin clasped his hands on his stomach and took a more relaxed pose as if he was about to tell a story. "The reason why it worked out so well for both of us, as you can guess, is because we are quite similar. Or at least our younger versions certainly were…" He smiled almost nostalgically, surprising Hinata even more if that was possible at all. Such a humane expression was not something she'd thought he could be capable of.
"Thanks to that and other reasons, it was extremely easy for us to find a common ground. It is true that I trained him initially, especially when it came to the use of the Cursed Seal. However, it only lasted for a few months. After that Sasuke-kun was adamant to train alone… or at least on his own terms." Orochimaru paused, as he scratched his chin pondering on something. "Perhaps that was one of the first red flags I should have paid attention to before he killed me, hah!" he said in a nearly merry voice, talking to himself.
"Nevertheless, the respect is mutual," the man added, the yellow eyes focusing on the kunoichi in front of him again. "I can say with confidence that I've learned from him as much as he learned from me." Orochimaru smiled.
"I see." Hinata smiled back at the sannin, feeling way more relaxed now, so much that she barely held back the urge to tease him by reminding him that he was about to become a fellow Konoha ninja himself once again. "W-Well, I can definitely see some similarities between you two…," which was a lie, of course – from her point of view Sasuke and Orochimaru were nothing alike, but at the same time the girl realized that she probably didn't know either of them well enough to make such statements, "But, the reason I'm saying this is that–well… among other things, Sasuke told me that you took a particular interest in studying the ways different clans' kekkei genkai worked, and that in his particular case, you helped him figure out a few unusual ways to use his Sharingan…" She looked away again, not noticing the increasing curiosity beaming in the inhumane eyes of the old ninja. Would it be too bold of her to make a request like that? Well, not like she had much to lose. The kunoichi then took a deep breath and met his gaze again, this time with a resolute expression.
"I wanted to ask you if you could help me in a similar manner."
Orochimaru hemmed and shrugged casually as though he'd been expecting to hear something like that.
"I don't see why not. The fact that you came here with Sasuke-kun is enough for me to extend a helping hand, if he asked me to. However, I have to admit that I find you quite a curious subject on your own and that's a reason enough for me." He once again looked around the room, probably thinking of the possibilities her request presented before him, and then returning his gaze to Hinata. "Considering the type of seal you received and your own bloodline, I imagine we can think of a few unique ways to use both of them. I would have to warn you though, some of my methods... may cross the lines of what Konoha, and by extension you as well, might consider acceptable."
The girl nodded, not feeling particularly scared or intimidated by his words. Of course, she knew before she'd even entered this hideout that everything they'd be doing from now on would hardly be viewed as something acceptable by the people from what she at this point would call her old life. There was no turning back anymore regardless, and although she wasn't the type to go off the rails when it came to her moral and ethical limits, Hinata also had no delusions when it came to how dirty and dark the road ahead would be. For herself, and for all of them too.
"I understand that… it doesn't matter, to be honest. With what we have planned to do, I can't afford to be a hindrance to our cause. I need to become stronger… to match Sasuke's expectations and to be a worthy asset to all of you. And right now, I don't feel like I'm good enough," she uttered quietly, biting her lip. It had never been difficult to admit her weakness for Hinata, but she still felt ashamed of it right now.
Orochimaru nodded as he listened to the girl's words. One could easily tell he was enjoying this conversation quite a lot.
"How responsible of you… and very honest as well," he teased the Hyūga mildly, though not in an aggressive way. "Well, the reason doesn't really matter to me. As long as you're willing to overstep the boundaries to reach new heights, that will be enough. We will begin as soon as the Cursed Seal is stabilized and your chakra flow isn't disrupted. It may take a few hours or a few days, we shall see." The man stood up from his chair, walking around it in thought. "I already have a few ideas of what to teach you, but you should think of something as well. As much as I want to believe I know enough of your clan, there are certainly secrets that even I'm unaware of. And I'm looking forward to learning everything about them." He stopped right in front of Hinata who was sitting on the bed and gave her a mysterious smirk.
The kunoichi nodded happily, unable to suppress a warm smile despite his cryptic attitude. This brief conversation made her wonder once again just how many surprises were still awaiting ahead. And how many other things in this world she'd completely misunderstood until now.
It was already night time when Shikamaru finally reached his destination. One of Orochimaru's hideouts in the now abandoned ruins of the former capital. The weather was unpleasant, but the shinobi was thankful that it wasn't raining at least. However, ruthless gusts of cold wind still managed to tire him out by the time he arrived at the hideout. Following Sasuke's not very detailed yet precise instructions, Shikamaru bypassed the security seals and managed to get inside. It was a long walk down the stairs through monotonous, poorly lit tunnels. Some of them were even slightly flooded due to the decaying pipework that made the entire facility appear long-abandoned. The Uchiha had warned him that someone would probably meet him on the way, but strangely enough there were no guards in sight.
Here I was hoping someone would at least show me the way... Feels like I'm getting lost here, he thought grimly, starting to wonder if this desolate dungeon was actually the place he was looking for.
Shikamaru was beginning to get impatient when he finally heard some noise. It was muffled and he wasn't sure what it was, but he was happy that maybe finally he was getting close. The continuing sounds eventually led him to a worn down wooden door, and as he opened it, for a moment the ninja wasn't even sure if he didn't end up in someone's genjutsu. He stood in the doorway completely dumbfounded, struggling to process what exactly he was seeing. Because right in front of him on the opposite side of what looked like a spacious living room was Orochimaru, who recognized immediately. And he was sitting right next to... Hinata?!
The Nara opened his mouth but was unable to squeeze out a sound. Both of them were just casually chatting while drinking something and occasionally laughing quietly. Then a few yards away from them was Sai who was being pestered by a big ginger-haired man while the former was drawing something very quickly on the walls. As soon as the drawings of the animals got finished, they came to life which made the tall man almost jump in joy, smiling widely at them. And the more things Shikamaru kept noticing in this room, the deeper he got convinced that it really had to be a genjutsu. Perhaps he'd triggered some sort of security measure that he was unaware of? Was this a trap…?
None of them seemed to notice him for a while. Eventually he regained his composure, scratching his head with his right hand and muttered:
"What the hell... Where am I?"
"Shikamaru!" Hinata instantly beamed at the newly arrived shinobi as she finally looked at him, holding a glass with dark-red liquid in both hands.
"My, is that the last guy from your group? I'm not impressed, although… gotta admit, he's kinda handsome!" The crimson-haired woman who was sitting at the same table as Hinata and the snake sannin smirked at the newly arrived ninja, eyeing him with interest.
At the same time Sasuke, who was quietly discussing something with Sai and Ino a bit away from their weird company, just glanced at the Nara and nodded at him in recognition before returning his attention to the other two Leaf ninjas.
Shikamaru didn't respond to Hinata immediately, still looking around the room and making sure he wasn't missing anything. Only now did he also notice that the noise he'd heard earlier was... music? Just what kind of a delirious dream was this…?
Since it was Hinata who called out to him first, he carefully decided to come up to her before anyone else. While Shikamaru always had a tired and sometimes aloof look on his face, this time it was a bit more… expressive. He glanced at everyone from the Hyūga to the redhead, and eventually at Orochimaru, witholding a small pause before saying:
"Please tell me this is one of your tricks," he addressed the master of this den, and then moved his eyes at Hinata again. "Because this… really isn't what I expected."
Orochimaru chuckled as he motioned Shikamaru to take a seat next to Karin, which he reasonably did after a moment of hesitation.
"If it was my doing, you would probably be on one of those things over there." The sannin pointed his finger towards the operating tables in the corner of the room. "Be our guest and help yourself, Shikamaru Nara."
On the table between all of them were multiple bottles of different liquids. It looked like most of them were wine, but there was also sake and something else he couldn't recognize – probably heavier liquor of some sort. Shikamaru hesitated for a moment before grabbing a can of beer of some unfamiliar foreign brand. He stared at Hinata with an expression that still had the same question lingering: what the hell?
The girl smiled timidly and somewhat apologetically, looking away but not exactly seeming embarrassed.
"W-Well, you see, we decided it would be good to relax a little… since we have to wait for the start of our operation anyway… and to get to know each other since we'll have to team up from here on out."
"Yeah, that's one way to put it." Karin grunted, taking a sip from the glass identical to the one the Hyūga was holding. She then winced, giving the liquid a long estimating look before drawling annoyedly, "Sheesh, did we really have nothing better than this cheap garbage?"
Sasuke looked at their table once again, not saying anything. Meanwhile Ino snorted and shook her head.
"Why would you even care what to get wasted with, you little bitch?" she asked, surprisingly sounding rather relaxed and almost… teasing?
Suigetsu chuckled, while Jūgo just smiled, giving the quiet Uchiha a thoughtful look. It was too subtle for anyone to notice, but he was apparently concerned about whatever Sasuke was on about.
"Hmpf! I'll have you know that I have a pretty delicate taste when it comes to my drinks unlike you Konoha savages. Right, Sa-su-ke?" She winked at the raven-haired ninja, as though reminding him of some story no one else in the room was aware of.
"Fuck off, Karin," came the cold response as the ninja looked away again.
"Gah! How the hell do you girls let such an attitude slide?!" she eyed Hinata and Ino with pretentious indignation, not appearing to be seriously upset with his reply.
"I guess that's part of the charm. He was always an edgy asshole when we were kids, and back then everyone still fawned over him. Myself included, unfortunately," said Ino nonchalantly and downed another shot of something. The girl then looked at the empty glass with disappointment. "I hate it that this doesn't work anymore…," she mumbled and poured herself another shot of a crystal clear liquid before looking at Karin. "And while he's not that edgy anymore, he's still an asshole as you can see. But anyway, you're one to talk. From what Suigetsu told me, this kind of attitude is exactly what always got you going, wasn't it?" The blonde woman smirked, while Suigetsu looked as if he'd just been stung by something.
"Don't just tell her I'm the one who said that, you retard!" the man banged his fist on the table disapprovingly.
"Nobody else with a loose tongue like yours is here, Suigetsu." Jūgo commented, staring down at his friend's piercing gaze.
"Hn." Sasuke turned away from the other table, seemingly losing any interest in this banter. Although his eyes lingered at Hinata for a split second when he noticed her curious gaze directed at him. The young man didn't react, though, pouring himself a cup of hot green tea before saying something to Sai quietly.
"Anyway…," Karin sighed, eyeing Shikamaru up and down again before adjusting the glasses on her nose bridge. "I heard you were the most competent guy in this group of the Leaf's rebels. Care to elaborate on what exactly we're getting ourselves into? Cus' Sasuke has been nothing but dramatic about all this."
Shikamaru glanced at Orochimaru cautiously before looking back at Karin and frowning.
"I think we will have a better opportunity to discuss that in detail… tomorrow maybe?" he once again looked around the room. It looked like most of the people present were drunk and relaxed enough not to care about whatever Shikamaru would say. "But in short... there are basically two objectives: preemptively strike at Kumogakure, and either cause a revolution or at least commit a coup in Konoha." Perhaps it was the alcohol beginning to affect him, but as he said this, the words no longer sounded as silly and naive as they had before. They were actually going to do this. Deep inside, a part of him had struggled to believe it until now.
Pausing for a bit to think, Shikamaru continued.
"That's in simple terms. What we need to achieve is a weakened Kumo, and our control over Konoha."
Karin sighed pretentiously, shaking her head and taking another sip of wine.
"Men are all the same, I swear… That's not what I was asking, dumbass," she looked at him again and smiled condescendingly. "We, team Taka, as well as everyone who serves and works under Orochimaru-sama here, are not welcome in your village to say the least. Well, I would know!" she rolled her eyes, recalling her past experiences in Konoha's prison. "How exactly are we supposed to fit in? Cus' Sasuke said we must actually join y'all. Not just to save the day as we did back during the war, but… well, you get the idea."
While Orochimaru remained silent, eyeing the three of them curiously, before Shikamaru could say anything, Hinata suddenly spoke.
"I–I don't think that would be a problem, Karin-chan," she smiled at the crimson-haired kunoichi warmly, but something in her white eyes wasn't warm at all. Perhaps it was thanks to the wine, but if they were attentive enough, others at the table could notice the calculative glimpse that wasn't common for the Hyūga at all. "When Sasuke becomes Hokage, we will be the ones controlling the village… there won't be anyone to object to your presence. And I, as the future head of my clan, will support you as well."
Shikamaru nodded in agreement, feeling slightly annoyed at Karin's attitude. It immediately reminded him of Temari, but he shook those thoughts away and said:
"That's the expected result of us controlling Konoha that I mentioned earlier." He paused, taking another sip of his beer. "Your safety and your position in our ranks will be guaranteed as long as all of you remain at our side. However, the opposite is also true. You're gonna share our fate if we fail." Surprisingly to himself, the Nara was feeling more at ease now, finally relaxing in his chair. He looked at Orochimaru who'd remained silent for now. "Though I suppose you would be able to survive any setback we may experience."
Orochimaru shrugged and smiled almost nicely.
"Thank you for the compliment. Being admired by not only the head of the Nara clan, but also Hokage's Chief Aide is an honor to me." The man chuckled at him. After all, he rarely took such conversations seriously. "Though Karin raises a valid point, you will essentially be integrating criminals into your own government. Does that really sit well with you, Shikamaru-kun?"
The ninja glanced at Ino briefly.
"I'm sure you're already aware of how Konoha operates within its borders these days. You and your subordinates will fit right in," he replied, watching as Orochimaru's expression reflected approval. Although he didn't like the way things were, it would be useless to deny that the world right now was anything else but what it is, and they were no exception.
"Well, I'll be honest with you," drawled Karin, rolling her eyes and looking at the ceiling with a somewhat dreamy expression, "I don't really care how it turns out as long as I can just live a decent life there. I mean, n-no disrespect, Orochimaru-sama," she looked at her master with a hint of cautiousness in her eyes, smirking nervously. "Working with you is always a pleasure, but I'm getting kinda too old to enjoy the underworld life as much as I used to. Uhh… some quality of life improvements are long overdue!"
Hinata looked at her thoughtfully, nodding in understanding. From what she'd observed throughout the few days she'd spent in this hideout, that was perfectly reasonable. Although this place certainly didn't lack some bizarre kind of comfort and perhaps even coziness that she hadn't felt in Konoha for a very long time, their living conditions here were objectively quite poor. Especially compared to the Hyūga clan's mansion. Could they really blame Karin for wanting to experience something better? After all… at the end of the day, wasn't that what they all ultimately fought for? Their place under the sun…
"I feel like it would be a miracle if we actually succeed with our plan," Hinata uttered quietly, as though talking to herself, but immediately getting the attention of everyone at their table. "But at the same time, something makes me believe we can do it. And if we come out of this alive… maybe Konoha will become the place we can all genuinely call home."
"Indeed. Though personally I'm not invested in Konoha's wellbeing, I can't deny that I'm intrigued to see what changes your… or I guess I should say our group is capable of bringing. It would certainly be a breath of fresh air for Konoha itself, seeing how all the previous Kages failed at their role miserably." The sannin chuckled in his signature manner, giving the Hyūga a warm look. "I agree with Hinata-chan. If we do everything right, I suppose we can make this a dream come true."
The tone of Orochimaru's voice along with an almost genuinely happy facial expression nearly made Shikamaru choke. Even if the sannin was only partly serious, it was still a creepy sight to witness. This moment, however, was interrupted by an empty can of beer flying over Karin's head all of sudden. As she turned around to look where it flew from, a second one came flying, this time hitting her in the face. Though since it was apparently empty, no damage was caused.
"See, it only took me…" Suigetsu put two fingers together like a crosshair, moving the hands up and down. "Two attempts to do it." He said with a serious expression on his face, as if he'd actually truly been calculating the flight path beforehand. Jūgo frowned while Sai nodded in approval.
"Nice." Ino responded with a deadpan expression. "But I told you to hit the snake guy, not the bitch."
The room submerged in complete ice-cold silence. Hinata and Shikamaru stared at the other table in shock and confusion – until now it had seemed like Sasuke and others were discussing something very important as they appeared to be quiet and focused. But evidently, that wasn't exactly the case…
"Suigetsu." Karin looked at the swordsman with a deadpan expression, taking her glasses off. "Didn't I warn you the last time what would happen if you did this shit to me again?"
Sasuke looked at her curiously, a barely noticeable hint of amusement breaking out in his expression.
"Actually, I don't think that was a good idea…," mumbled Sai, gulping nervously and leaning back on the couch, as though bracing himself for an impact of some sort.
Karin grinned darkly, forming a hand seal while looking directly into Hozuki's eyes.
But then nothing happened. For a few seconds everyone remained motionless. The Uchiha looked around, frowning.
"And?" he asked in a bored tone, as though disappointed by the lack of anything spectacular.
"Oh fuck…," Suigetsu muttered, getting up on his now shaky legs. "I'll be right back…" He stormed out of the hall in the direction of the restroom.
"Uh… what kind of jutsu was that, Karin-chan?" asked Hinata, although she was already starting to figure it out.
"I told the jerk that I'd make him pee himself out into the toilet if he tried to antagonize me again. Now that's exactly what's gonna happen."
"Somehow this feels nostalgic. In a weird kind of way..." Shikamaru said to himself, not sure how else to react to what had just happened, and glanced at the blonde kunoichi. Ino finally looked a bit amused – she clearly hadn't expected something like that either. But now she appeared to be more curious about what else Karin could do if pushed further. She glanced at Sai who quickly looked away, sensing danger.
"Tch. You're no fun." The kunoichi propped her face with her hand, turning to look at Sasuke. "Care to avenge your comrade?" she asked with an obviously fake smile, playing with another empty can of beer in her other hand.
The Uchiha eyed her in a slightly contemptuous manner before snorting and taking a sip of his tea.
"I already did. You're all under my genjutsu right now, Ino. In the real world, Suigetsu didn't go to the toilet. He's still sitting right next to you while doing the deed."
Sai smirked, and so did Jūgo. Although it was an obvious joke, the brief moment of doubt and fear in the cocky Yamanaka's eyes was definitely worth it.
"...Besides, I thought this was supposed to be an evening of team bonding. Instigating your comrades to fight each other doesn't quite align with that, does it?" added Sasuke lazily, leaning back as well.
Ino dramatically sighed with disappointment.
"Of all the things you could create an illusion of, you would really choose the one focused on a piss kink." She closed her eyes, resting her head on her arms on the table. "That's exactly what I'm doing, though. Nobody is hurt, right? Having all these serious conversations while we're supposed to unwind and relax demanded something fun to happen. And Suigetsu-kun was more than happy to help," she reasoned, pitching her voice a little.
"She's right. The relationship Suigetsu and Karin share is... unique, in a way." Suddenly Jūgo spoke, scratching his chin.
"Right, right." Ino supported him with a shining smile.
Sasuke shrugged phlegmatically, looking away.
"Whatever."
"I–I think she's right, Sasuke," suddenly said Hinata, making him throw a sullen glance at her. "This works as team bonding as well. Remember what they taught us in the academy? Sometimes it's better to just let things flow naturally… wouldn't you agree?"
He snorted.
"Hn. I never thought you would be quoting textbooks here, Hyūga. And trying to lecture me, on top of that."
She blushed, lowering her eyes sheepishly. His dismissive, condescending response certainly wasn't what she'd hoped to hear.
"Hey, Sasuke, no need to be such an asshole all the time! There's nothing wrong with an elegant lady such as Hinata-chan trying to talk some sense into a mannerless baboon like you," said Karin, winking at the Hyūga.
"That's not how you're supposed to talk to your future Hokage, you bitch! Talking about manners, huh?!" came Suigetsu's angry voice from behind the door.
"Well… he isn't my Hokage quite yet, is he?" she replied and grinned slyly, looking directly into Sasuke's eyes. "And I'm not officially a ninja of Konoha either. So-o…"
The Uchiha sighed and looked away, staring at the now empty cup in his bandaged left hand. It wasn't clear what exactly he was thinking, but all of sudden it became quite obvious that he wasn't amused by this meeting, nor relaxed right now. Not at all.
"Calm down, Suigetsu." Jūgo stood up from the couch, looking slightly concerned. Now that he showed up form the restroom, his teammate didn't look happy, still walking towards Karin with apparent intent. Karin jumped off her chair, meeting Suigetsu's gaze with excitement.
"Ho-ho, you wanna go?!" the kunoichi motioned him with both of her hands, as if saying 'come at me'. She started to walk backwards a bit, not wanting, or rather afraid of Orochimaru getting involved in any of their games. As if out of nowhere, Samehada appeared in Suigetsu's hands and he was rushing at Karin. The kunoichi jumped away, dodging the first swing, and started running towards one of the tunnels while Suigetsu followed her with a roar. This was how usually a lot of arguments between these two would end. Once in a while one of the rooms would suffer so much damage they would have to block it out completely, but since Orochimaru had multiple hideouts available, this was never a big concern to them.
"I-Is that ok?" Shikamaru asked the sannin carefully as he watched the pair disappear in the darkness. Still hearing taunting and insults echoing through the dungeon. Orochimaru shrugged indifferently.
"They have to entertain themselves somehow when they're stuck here with me. Don't mind them," he replied as he took another sip of his wine.
On the other side of the room, however, it seemed Ino and Sasuke were the only ones who completely ignored what had just played out. The girl was staring at the Uchiha who really was spoiling the atmosphere a bit with his gloomy attitude.
"Right. Now I need to take a leak, so why don't you…," Ino jumped off her chair, grabbing a bottle of transparent liquor in one hand and taking Sasuke under arm with the other. "Show me where the restroom is in this place? I seem to always get lost in this maze." The man barely had the time to react, taken by surprise with her sudden move but following her nonetheless. The pair quickly disappeared, leaving only Orochimaru, Hinata, Shikamaru, Jūgo and Sai in the room.
Once Sasuke finally snapped out, he quickly shook Ino's hand off, stopping in the middle of the corridor and glaring at her.
"Oh please, don't look at me like that. Here." She opened the bottle and offered it to the Uchiha, implying he should take the first sip. The gesture was ignored and an awkward silence fell. She sighed. "Come on. Out of all the people here, surprisingly, I'm the only one you can be honest with. Because we both know I don't give a shit about you and that this feeling is mutual, so there's no need to keep up appearances when it's just the two of us. There's obviously something you've been wanting to chat about... It'll be easier for all of us if our 'magnificent leader' isn't overburdened by his big head." She sat down on the floor, leaning on the wall behind her. The woman peered at Sasuke who still seemed irritated. She smiled as she shook the bottle in her one hand while patting the floor near her with another, inviting him to sit down.
Although very reluctantly, the Uchiha took the bottle from her, giving it a half-disgusted half-curious glance before sniffing the liquid inside and wincing a little. That was something strong… He was no expert when it came to alcohol for sure, and neither did he have any desire to become one anytime soon. But right now, he probably needed to loosen up the tight knot of disturbing and anxious thoughts that have been tormenting his mind for the last few weeks.
He took a few sips, wincing even more before tossing the bottle back to Ino who caught it gracefully and grinned at him.
"I don't trust any of you," he finally said grimly, looking into her eyes with a frown. "Especially not you in particular."
Ino replied with a seemingly sincere smile that probably would have fooled most, but not him, of course.
"That's ok. I would be disappointed if it was any different." She paused. The fact that he didn't just storm away, and even took the drink was already a positive sign. Without even wiping the neck of the bottle, she took a few big sips and then wiped her mouth with her arm in a surprisingly sloppy manner. Clearly, she wasn't worried about appearances at the moment. "Sit down already, the floor is dry here. So what's eating you this time around?"
Sasuke ignored the offer to take a seat, instead just leaning on the wall of the corridor opposite of her and giving Ino a long thoughtful look.
"A few things. Primarily it's that I don't find any of you reliable. Besides the fact that I need to work with you for the sake of establishing my regime in Konoha, I'd much rather prefer to carry out this mission in Kumo on my own." He looked away in the direction of the room they'd just left. "Perhaps the Hyūga could be helpful, but I don't see why the rest of you need to go there as well. And aside from that…," his gaze suddenly became sharp and almost aggressive as he looked into her eyes once more.
"Something is wrong with you. Others seem to be ridiculously ignorant to it, but I can tell you're going insane. There's something inside you…," he narrowed his eyes, the Sharingan suddenly activating and spinning in his right iris, "I've sensed it since the moment we'd met back in the village. And while, as you correctly noted earlier, I don't give a tiniest shit about you, that still makes you even less reliable in my eyes. So tell me, Yamanaka… why the fuck should I endanger my goal by letting you be a part of this group?" As he was speaking, the tone of his voice was becoming increasingly more intense, and at some point it would seem like he was about to attack her. "Tell me, why shouldn't I just crush your mind with my genjutsu and make you my obedient puppet? Or better yet, just dispose of you before you screw things up?!" he roared, and his Sharingan turned to its Mangekyō pattern.
Ino sat without moving, hugging her knees and holding the bottle firmly in her hands. She was just watching Sasuke as he talked, occasionally moving her gaze away to dramatically roll her eyes. Never once throughout his speech the 'warm' smile disappeared from her face.
"That's a lot of pent up rage," she chuckled. "Insane, huh? Even with your incredible observation abilities, you're still just scraping at the surface of things." Her tone was shockingly calm and somehow understanding, yet oddly distant at the same time. "I'm flattered that you're finally paying me the attention I deserve, but let's not make this about myself. If you're worried so much, you can trust Shikamaru to be both my restricting jacket and my muzzle." She laughed for a bit before taking another sip and pushing the bottle to Uchiha's feet.
"Although we live in a pretty sad world at the moment as a result of the last war, I thought that the war itself had finally convinced you that you can't do everything just by yourself." Ino paused for a bit, thinking of what to say next. "There was another Uchiha who thought he could shoulder the weight of the world in solitude. We all know how that ended. Is that where you're heading?" the smile suddenly disappeared and her expression changed to genuine curiosity. "Is this your weird way of atonement of some sort?"
Sasuke narrowed his eyes, looking away after a few seconds of silence.
"I don't need any atonement. A strive for atonement would imply that I feel guilty. I do not. The problem is, as I said, that I can't rely on any of you. I never said I could rely on myself, though." He finally lowered on the floor and grabbed the bottle, taking another sip. "Still, I'd much rather take the responsibility for my own actions rather than for yours. If I fail, it would be my fault. If any of you fails, there's nothing I can do."
He looked up and stared at the old ceiling of the passageway for a while before deactivating his Sharingan and sipping the liquor again.
"Contrary to what you all are used to believe, I'm not just some soulless murderer who has no understanding of bonds and feelings. I know what you all are doing. This little social gathering of yours… I realize that Hinata has a point, and that it's probably for the better of the squad. But… I just don't want to be a part of this. I'm not used to it. This isn't in my nature – to enjoy such things. Especially not in these current circumstances." He remained silent for some time, taking one more shot of the liquor as he was thinking. Surprisingly, Ino didn't say anything either, waiting patiently for him to continue.
"And on the other hand, I know I need to be a part of this as the next Hokage. It is… maddening. But I have no choice, do I…?"
As he was getting tipsy, the Uchiha didn't really notice that Ino remained unusually quiet and attentive, just listening to him instead of interrupting him after every sentence the way she'd always done before.
"This controversy is what I find so annoying. Relying on my comrades, huh…" He looked down, smirking bitterly. "No, I don't think the war necessarily proved that I need to do it. At the end of the day, all of you were pretty useless. It was Naruto and myself who saved the world while you all remained trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
Ino fidgeted a bit as she was listening to Sasuke speak, at the end of his monologue giving him yet another smile, this time a really warm one.
"That's true, but there's always a bigger picture. To reach the point where you and Naruto managed to do what was necessary, a lot of the shinobi of our world paved the way for you two with their lives. Even in death, your brother played a crucial part in that as well. Even if you ignore all of it and brush it away as meaningless, there's still Naruto who's played his role. You weren't alone. None of us were." Yamanaka paused, swinging her body a little bit from left to right and back. It was refreshing to see the Uchiha drop his guard and his stoic mask, even if it was just a little bit.
"As for our beliefs, well... we are shaped by our environment as well. Sure, by the end of the war you were vindicated sort of, but then you just… disappeared. People didn't have the chance to get to know you. The real you. And once everything started going to shit, well... negativity breeds negativity. But that's irrelevant anyway, because you will be viewed in a different light once we're done with whatever we've set out to do."
Silence fell between them again for a bit. Ino looked around to double check if someone might decide to join them, but she didn't see anyone, and neither did she hear any footsteps, so she decided to continue:
"You're still trying to make it as if you're the only one who needs to bear some kind of burden. I get that, given your history... but times change. People change. I can't speak for your ex-comrades and Orochimaru, obviously. But you don't have to feel responsible for Shikamaru and myself, for one. Even if you didn't come back to Konoha, eventually we would've made a move on our own, I assure you. Probably would die trying to make a change but eh, it would still happen. So instead of looking at your peers as someone you need to guide, maybe sometimes it could be useful to seek guidance from them and look at them as your equals. Not because they might deserve that treatment, but because you deserve it. To have others supporting you. Isn't that what your brother would have wanted for you as well?"
The Uchiha shrugged somewhat apathetically, taking another sip.
"Beats me, whatever the hell did he want. In the end he admitted himself that everything he'd done to me was a series of fuckups." He sighed, closing his eyes. His speech was starting to get slightly unclear – the alcohol was beginning to affect him. "Anyhow, I still believe that in the end, power is all that matters when it comes to achieving big goals such as mine… ours, whatever. Back during the war, Naruto's role was just that – we were both given–" He stopped, realizing that he probably shouldn't reveal the story behind their Six Paths origins to this woman. "...Basically, if he didn't have the power equal to my own, he would've been just as useless as the rest of you. And guidance from my comrades…" He smirked, but there was no sign of amusement in his expression. "I already relied on that of Naruto at some point in the past. That's exactly why previously I did actually seek atonement and tried to adapt to his way of viewing things. Now we can all see where it's led us. That was a mistake. I never should've gone away."
He finished the drink and put the now empty bottle on the floor next to himself, looking at the blonde kunoichi appraisingly for some time.
"I will still need all of you to maintain order in the village, though. So I guess I can't exactly call you useless after all."
Ino's eyes squinted for a moment before returning to the same serious expression. She nodded.
"True, but if it was just you back then, you probably would've lost, right? And besides, Tobi had power. Madara had power. Both of them thought they could reach greatness on their own, seeing only themselves at the end of the road. Now they're both dead, and we're still here, aren't we?" she paused, sighing soundly. She looked at the empty bottle with a bit of sadness. "You think that one bad experience is a good enough result to paint a broad picture about all the other similar possibilities. But you're just limiting yourself, Sasuke-kun." With her last sentence, Ino tried to imitate Orochimaru's voice, failing miserably at it as she started to cough and laughed quietly. As the fit finally passed, she smiled at the Uchiha teasingly.
"Don't forget that you'll still need to restore your clan as well, like you always wanted to. But I guess you already got that covered with a certain brunette, hm-m?"
Whether Ino expected it or not, Sasuke remained impassive at that sudden suggestion that came out of the blue. He continued to look at her for a while before turning away, grabbing the empty bottle and taking a thoughtful look at it, as though he forgot he'd just finished it himself, before snorting again.
"That's an option, I suppose. She isn't bad… not as bad as you or Sakura, at least. But you're getting way ahead of things. For now, Hinata is just an asset to me. Nothing more." It didn't miss Ino's attention that, unlike with the rest of them, he didn't classify the Hyūga as a burden, but rather as the opposite. That already was quite something, coming from him.
Her expression changed as if she caught someone red-handed.
"Ho-o, you're even comparing her with other girls? But I know what you mean, mr. stoic man. She definitely grew to be an asset." The kunoichi giggled as she gave Sasuke a nod of approval.
The Uchiha shrugged indefinitely, grimacing at her teasing tone.
"Cut this crap, you know me well enough to realize that's clearly not what I'm talking about." He sighed quietly and hiccupped – the alcohol from the liquor was finally kicking in. His eyes became foggy and he now seemed unfocused as well as slightly clumsy which, for sure, was quite an odd picture to observe.
"What makes her different in my eyes, though, is that she isn't just another two-faced bitch who wants to gain something for herself by joining me…," he added thoughtfully, as though spacing out for a bit before focusing his gaze at Ino once again and frowning. "If you truly wish to help my cause, don't play any stupid games with me, Yamanaka. I mean it. I'm done with people trying to fuck with me throughout all of my life. You're either with me, genuinely, or you're a chaotic factor that I'll view as disposable in the long run. Same goes for all the rest of you including Hinata. Is that clear?" He glared at the blonde, but now his face looked more tired rather than angry.
Ino was hugging her legs as she rested her head on her knees. Looking up at Sasuke from below, she gave him a playful smile.
"Crystal clear, Uchiha-san." Her response was surprisingly brief. Even though pressing his buttons was apparently a fun way to pass the time, she felt that she had done that enough for one session already. Besides, her body language was probably just as annoying to him. "Admit it though, feels good to finally speak about such things, eh? Even with such a lousy listener like me. And your account as to what makes Hinata-chan different for you? I'm sure she would find it most… interesting, if she finds out that you even gave a thought about it, hm?" Her tone once again was playfully-teasing after all. It was hard to resist, especially seeing Sasuke in such a state. Now that she thought about it, had never been noticed in such circumstances before.
"Tsk. A bitch is always a bitch. None of your business." He got up on his now shaky legs, putting his hand on the wall as his body coordination was rapidly deteriorating while the alcohol was getting metabolized in his body. "I need some time alone. Don't follow me." The young man hiccupped again and began to walk away, eventually disappearing in the darkness of the passageway that led to his personal quarters.
Ino followed his back with her eyes, but remained sitting on the same spot, not moving for a while and deep in her thoughts. After an uncertain amount of time the door that led to the hall where everyone was sitting opened again. As Yamanaka raised her head, she saw Hinata quietly approaching her with a slightly worried expression.
"Uh, Ino-chan… is everything alright? Where's Sasuke?" She looked around, though not activating her Byakugan despite that being the most obviously reasonable thing to do in order to find him.
Ino eyed Hinata thoughtfully for a bit, not responding immediately. But after a few seconds she smiled and quickly got up on her feet, dusting off the bits of dirt from her clothes.
"Don't worry about him, he's alright. You'll find him in his gloomy room, but… Do me a favor though, check up on him later and bring him a glass or... actually, maybe a bottle of water, ok?" She patted Hinata on her shoulder as the other girl just nodded uncertainly in confusion. "How are things back there? Is Shikamaru alright? He looked a bit shook when he joined us earlier. Hopefully Karin and Suigetsu didn't make a bad impression on our guy, hm-m?"
Hinata smiled mischievously – not exactly a typical expression for her, but the situation was hard to react to in any other way. And besides, the wine she'd drunk previously, although it was just a couple of glasses, made her feel a lot more liberated when it came to her typically restricted emotions.
"O-Oh, actually, I think it's quite the opposite… They seem to be getting along pretty nicely. To be honest, it's pretty surreal… I never could've imagined that a group of people who are as different as we are can feel so comfortable together. It makes me wonder just how much I've missed out on… the way I lived before," she mused dreamily, a faint smile not leaving her lips.
Ino looked a bit surprised for a moment, but then nodded understandingly.
"I'm sure the amount of drinks everyone has consumed was one of the deciding factors for that to happen," she replied with a grin. "Make sure to grab another glass of wine before checking in on Sasuke as well. I fear we'll be running out of it soon. And I feel like you're gonna need it," said Ino while poking into Hinata's stomach with her finger. "I agree that you have missed out on a lot in your life so far, but that's not important anymore. What's important is that you're here – you've finally started living, and living how! Can you imagine telling your past self from even, I dunno... a couple of months ago? That this would be where you'd end up. Wild, huh?" Ino added as she looked away, for some reason looking a bit concerned.
"Yes… to be honest, I feel like I'm only starting to live for real now, for the first time ever." Hinata smiled at her friend, patting her shoulder gently. She could see that the Yamanaka had something heavy on her mind, but whatever it could be, the girl decided not to pry. Afterall, if Ino wanted to share something with her, she would do it anyway, and if she didn't – it would never happen regardless. "I think you're right. I feel like I should check on Sasuke, indeed. Maybe I can cheer him up a little? He seemed… concerned with something… did he tell you anything by chance?" she then asked, trying to conceal the mix of worry and curiosity in her voice.
The blonde kunoichi gave her friend a playful, yet somehow mildly disturbing smile at the same time.
"Ho-ho." She stretched out dramatically. "How on point you actually are, very perceptive of you! Truly, the observation skills of the Hyūga clan are something to be fearful of," she added teasingly. Ino was obviously playing around as usual, but since Hinata was already drunk, she either didn't give it that much attention, or was actually playing along, enjoying this little exchange. "Indeed, something heavy weighs on the mind of our esteemed leader, and I'm afraid only you can help and ease his burden..." The Yamanaka coughed as she realized that she was starting to sound too ridiculous and cryptic.
"But, anyway… Yeah, Sasuke felt a bit overwhelmed being in such a big company of people, some of whom he barely even knows. Not exactly his kind of thing,eh? That's why I had to steal him for a bit to give him some room to breathe. But you know, we don't really know that much about each other. That's why he decided to go and rest in his quarters, though…" She grinned at Hinata and narrowed her eyes mysteriously.
"...Yeah, he did tell me how he felt during his time with you, and it wasn't a negative experience for him. You two do share some similarities, with the obvious one being your ocular jutsu. Of course, he refused to go into detail, but you can trust me as the best interrogator in Konoha, that's not the only thing on his mind!" Ino finally paused to let the Hyūga digest all of that, as she was finishing her theatrical play. "So, basically, I feel like you might actually be the only person besides maybe Orochimaru who can possibly help our boy relax a bit. That's why, as I said earlier, you should definitely check up on him. But don't forget to bring a bottle of water. That's important, too." Ino appeared to be slightly concerned that this was all a bit too much on the nose, but at the same time hoping that Hinata's inexperience in relationships and her current alcohol intoxication would help her deviate from the level of absurdity of this conversation.
Fortunately, the Hyūga seemed as ignorant as ever. If anything, she just looked utterly confused, staring at the blonde as though she wasn't making any sense whatsoever.
"Ino-chan… sometimes I feel like you read too many romance novels, honestly," she finally uttered in response, her eyebrow cocking slightly. She then smiled at the blonde in an almost ridiculing manner, which was another uncommon expression for Hinata. But then the dark-haired kunoichi's face became more serious as she looked in the direction of Sasuke's room. "I'll see you later!" With that, the brunette disappeared into the darkness of the corridor. To Ino's surprise, the last thing she belatedly noticed was that her friend already had a water bottle barely showing from her bag.
Ino didn't add anything else as she watched Hinata go towards Sasuke's room. She left quite abruptly… Not the reaction I was going for. Did I overdo it? Eh… Whatever, she thought, shaking her head. Although she wasn't sure what exactly she'd expected Hinata to do or say in this situation, the end result was still satisfactory to her. The young woman sighed as she was once again alone, wiping her face with her hands tiredly. Despite having taken way more liquor than Sasuke, she didn't appear to be drunk in the slightest.
"Okay. Hopefully after tonight things will be less... awkward," she muttered to herself and once again looked in the direction of Sasuke's quarters, frowning next moment. "Though, who the fuck am I kidding..." Ino muttered as she finally started walking towards the main room.
It seemed like some of the others had already left to rest as well. At least Jūgo and Sai were absent. Orochimaru was reading some kind of book in the corner of the room, while Shikamaru, Karin and Suigetsu were... Playing cards? Wow, turns out Hinata was right. They are getting along already, what a surprise, the Yamanaka mused, walking up to the group.
"Again? How the…?! You don't even look like you're trying!" the white-haired man yelled as he threw his cards on the table, glaring at Shikamaru. The latter just shrugged, throwing his cards as well. Seemed like he was getting tired, but still willing to keep playing.
That's right, he did spend most of the day and maybe even half of the night traveling to this place and didn't even get a chance to rest... Ino sat down next to Karin as she watched her shuffle the cards.
"Back already, huh?" Karin smirked at the blonde, giving her a set of cards. "Wanna join? Your boyfriend has been wrecking our asses hard for the last half an hour, maybe you could give him a run for his money?"
Ino hummed, resting her face on her hands as she looked at the table and everyone around it, smiling slyly.
"I'd love to, but I'm afraid our poker master needs a little bit of rest."
Shikamaru gave Ino an annoyed look but quickly yielded under her piercing gaze, looking away.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure to pick you up on that offer later. After all, it's so easy to make him lose when you know his weak points." The Yamanaka giggled as she stood up from the couch.
"What, you're not even going to refute the claim about being her boyfriend?" Suigetsu asked Shikamaru mockingly. He was still trying to find a way to poke at him, at least outside of the game. The latter just shrugged as he stood up as well, joining Ino.
"Eh… you know how some people are with alcohol." He finally retorted, and immediately got slapped on the shoulder.
"Rude." Yamanaka wedged in, grabbing his hand. "Anyway, we'll see you guys tomorrow! Please don't argue anymore, wouldn't wanna wake up under the rubble of this already falling apart shit hole," said Ino as she started to lead Shikamaru away to one of the tunnels that led to her room. Orochimaru overheard her, giving the blonde a weird smile. It looked like the 'falling apart' comment didn't win her any favors with the master of the den to which the kunoichi just smiled back, strangely not seeming afraid of him at all.
After a few minutes of walking, the pair finally entered a small room. The ceiling, floor and walls were just like the main room outside – completely worn out. But that didn't matter to Shikamaru as he finally saw a bed where he could rest after such a long day.
"You got accustomed to everything and everyone here pretty quickly, huh?" he asked as he started undressing, glancing at the kunoichi curiously. Ino just shrugged.
"Well, you noticed how easily that goes by yourself, no? Funny, but the only person with whom there are difficulties getting along with is Sasuke. Not even Orochimaru," she replied, taking off her skirt and smirking. "But don't worry about that. I think he's in good hands now."
"Don't like how that sounds…," mumbled the young man, sitting next to Ino on the bed.
"Told you there's no need to worry about it, didn't I? Why do you never listen?" replied the blonde, looking visibly upset for dramatic effect and then pushed Shikamaru on the bed, before reaching out to turn off the lamp on the nightstand.
