Yang-chan: Just me today…yeah. I don't know if this will become a story or if it will remain a one-shot. So cast your votes today!

Disclaimer: Sheesh! Ya think that after a while no one would need to put these things up, but yeah, Naruto will never be mine. Thanks a lot for rubbing it in.

Summary: Why does is Orochimaru so obsessed with crushing the Leaf village? Why is he so tightly wound on the idea of REVENGE? Because when you lose that precious person you lose everything. A long time ago Orochimaru knew what Love was and Love was a girl named Akira. Then his world was forever shattered. A story of love, loss, revenge, and the true meaning of immortality.

My Blood Red Peony

I sat down in that red chair of mine. She loved red and I brought that chair for her. I made that one flower for her. This is all I have of her. All that I could save. My vision blurred. DAMN! Not again. I swore I would never let anything happen to you, Akira. I bring my hands to my face and bury my eyes into their cold feel. Slowly it calms me down. Even after all this time I can not forget everything. I remember it, and I will never forgive Konaha!

I was young and still unsure of what my role in that Damn village was. My 21st birthday had just passed by, most other men my age were already getting engaged or at least had a girlfriend. Me? No, I was never the type to date. Really I was quite shy and would make a fool of my self in front of a girl. The great Orochimaru shy? Hard to believe but yes. It was a warm sunny afternoon when I ran into her. Her that is Akira.

There were no missions to be done so I was wondering the village, bored out of my mind. I walked with my eyes looking at the sky, and I turned a corner. My body collided with something soft, something warm. I remember thinking to myself, Damn, not another bag of rice that I have to pick up!

"I'm so sorry!" I heard. A hand was outstretched in front of my face. I looked up and there was an angel. She wore a light Red Kimono and had her long Raven black hair pulled into a bun that was held up with a Blood red ribbon. Her chocolate brown eyes held a look of concern I have never seen before. " Are you okay?"

"Just fine…" I mumbled. I took her hand and stood up. As I dusted myself off I realized that her basket that she was carrying was thrown on the ground, all her shopping was scattered about. She bent down and picked up the wicker basket and looked disappointed at the sight of cracked egg yokes running on the street, her carrots trampled as we both hurried to stand, a bottle of oil now empty and shattered, and her list now smudged and illegible. I felt my heart stir, I felt pity for the young woman. As a Shinobi I was taught to try to make up for my mistakes to innocent people. I bowed deeply and said, " Please, let me help you buy all the items you were shopping for."

"AH! No! It's okay really." She stammered.

" A Shinobi must make up to those who are innocent. It is the way of the Shinobi. I am bound to you till you feel that my debt is repaid." I looked up at her. Her eyes widened in surprise. A silence hovered over them.

" Well since you insist. I remember everything that was on that list. I just hope you are up for some shopping." She smiled. I smiled slightly as I straighten. " Come now, uhhh…"

"I am called Orochimaru."

"Pleased to meet you Orochimaru-san" She bowed. "I am Akira Kino."

" Where to then, Kino-san?"

She smiled again as she pointed down Sakura street. " I have to go buy more eggs to replace the ones that cracked. But please, call me Akira. After all you are going to get to know me, since we are going to be busy for a while!" She started walking and I followed behind. Every time she smiled I felt a warmth on my cheeks. Indeed I found her quite…intriguing. As we walked around I did find out more about her. She was an only child. Her father was Zaku Kino, and her mother was Ichigo Kino, both well respected people of the village. She was 19 years old. She loved the color red and always watched the Sakura trees blossom. The town that once was dull and gray was now new and exciting, I saw all the colors I had been blinded to, I saw the people in a strange new light, I saw a new world thanks to her. I was disappointed when we reached the last item she needed. Peonies. It was for her table, to add life and bring a little color to her house. So many colors, so many wonderful shades, but she went straight for the red ones, or at least the ones that closest resembled red. In all of Konaha a red one could not grow. How did I know? To say the truth, Peonies are my flowers. Tell no one, what would people think if a Shinobi grew flowers in their spare time?

" I wish they had red ones, these are pink," she held up a small bouquet of those flowers, " they can never be red." With that she paid for those pink ones and we left. We talked of irrelevant things, but those few hours I spent with her had changed me.

" Well this is my house." I was so busy admiring her that I hadn't noticed that we had arrived at her home. What a fool I am.

" Yes, we have arrived." I wanted to do something else, I wanted to figure out what she was. She was not of this world. " Then I ask, has my debt been repaid?"

" I guess so." She bit her lip. She wanted to say something more, I could tell but the words did not want to come out. I bowed. Typical of me, being a grand Shinobi. I turned to take my leave when she called out. " Wait! Wh-why don't you come in f-for dinner? I'm sure my parents would be happy to meet you." She played with her wicker basket, twisting a lost twig. For the first time in a long while, a real smile spread over my face.

" I'd love to."

From there we would happen 'to bump into each other' at the plaza. Then we would invite each other for a stroll and go 'shopping'. I knew now what she was. She was the angel of love. She was love, and I loved her. She was my everything. My world. Under a large oak tree I proclaimed my love for her. It was a risk I had to take. She could have rejected me, turned away and run. I waited for that. Nothing prepared me for those words. " I love you Orochimaru. I always loved you." To say that Heaven can not be reached by mortals is a lie, I found Heaven. Since then I worked hard in my spare time, taking Peonies and cross breeding. I managed to find dark pinks and lavenders, but still no red. I promised that I would find that red Peony for her. I made that promise and then one night after the one year anniversary of our beloved meeting, I completed my promise. But that same night I broke one.

The Hokage must protect the people. That is why I need to be the Hokage, to protect my Beloved Akira. He refused. HE REFUSED! Every day I replay that scene.

" You are not made to be Hokage Orochimaru."

" I have toiled heavily to be in the position I am now! I have worked hard and trained endlessly. I love this village and I wanted to protect it not as Orochimaru, but as Lord Hokage!"

" I have told you, You can not be Hokage. Your ambitions are too dangerous! They could endanger the people of Konaha!"

" My visions can save Konaha!"

" As Hokage I say this one last time, You will never succeed me as Hokage. Now leave!"

That was it. Worse off, he sent me off on a Mission. It would be the last one I would ever do.

I had returned. The mission was hard but we had succeeded. Again I sat down and worked with that one little plant. When I had left it was still in a bud, but now it had blossomed. A Red Peony was born. Excited I took the plant and ran to her house. The lights were out, and it had a odd feel to it.

"AKIRA! Look! Look at what I brought for you!" I shouted as I opened the door and stepped inside. The only respond was silence, a calm eerie silence I had never heard before. I walked around trying to find Akira or maybe one of her parents. I opened the door to her room and there they were, laying in their own pool of blood. The Peony I had in my right hand fell and it blended right in with her blood. I stepped away and shook with fear and disbelief. It could not be happening, not to her. Not to my beloved Akira. Where was the Hokage and the rest of the Shinobis?! Where were they?! Is this how the Hokage was going to protect the villagers?! HOW CAN THEY LIVE WITH THEMSELVES?! HOW COULD THEY NOT BE ABLE TO PROTECT THE ONE I LOVED?! I felt a rage build up in me. An anger at the Hokage, anger at the rest Shinobi, anger at the Konaha village. They allowed this to happen. They didn't even bother to send anyone to check out the area. How could they?! HOW COULD THEY?! My beloved lay dead in her own blood and the Hokage unaware. I'll make him aware, I'LL MAKE HIM AWARE!

" They were in the way?"

" Yes Lord Hokage. We had to kill them."

" It could not be helped. It was their lives or the whole village. "

" What about Orochimaru? He was in love with that girl, Akira."

" Do not tell him. We can not let him find out about this." The Hokage let out a sigh. " We only wanted to capture that Missing-Nin. Now at my hand three other people are dead."

" Hokage, please it was not your fault. They were just caught in the middle. At either end lives would have been lost. We just chose to have three lost instead of the village. May they rest in peace."

As they held a moment of silence I stood outside the door. My hand was resting on the knob ready to turn it when I heard it. The Hokage had ordered the death of Akira. He killed her. He forced that order. He could have prevented it! My grip on the handle loosened and I turned on my heels and ran. That night I lost everything. That night I had lost my life.

That memory is still fresh in my mind. I can't help but replay it over and over in my mind. I swore revenge on the Hokage. I can not rest until everyone in the Village pays for the blood that was spilt that night. I studied the forbidden secrets. I mastered Immortality. I could live forever until I was satisfied, but I will never will be. I will live for ever in my sorrow. I could bring the dead back to life. I could grant the desire of those who have lost a beloved, but I know, oh, I know that they will never be the same. IF only they would be the same. Then maybe I could bring her back, Oh how I wish. I shake my head and stand up. The red Peony is starting to wilt, a short lifespan. My hands reach out and they hover above it. The flower glows a faint red, and it springs back to life. It is forever tainted with blood. My Blood Red Peony.

Yang-chan: So what do you think? I hope you remember to review. Thanks!