Part 3.0: Exchanging Pleasantries
Naruto stared up at the enormous city before him. Large steam stacks rose into the air, only to be overtaken by gigantic buildings. The entire complex was surrounded by a gigantic gate that rose to overtake half of the city; it was a mesh of steel struts across huge wooden beams in a large oval shape. It was painted a brilliant gold and white color that seemed to gleam even in the absence of light in the country. A gigantic emblem standing for Thunder stood in the middle of the gate. All that could be seen over the gate were gigantic steam stacks, continually pumping grey smoke into the air, and the tips of buildings that rose into the sky. Towering above everything else stood a huge, bright green palace that seemed out of place amidst the heavy shades of black and grey that seemed to engulf the city.
The party moved closer to the gate, seeing a much smaller hole that lay at the very bottom of it. As they approached closer, the true impact of how large Thunder Capitol was seemed to hit full force. All of the party had to crane their necks in order to see the top of the gate itself; nothing else inside the city was visible. Suddenly, the lower gates opened. They were at least twenty feet tall and covered with ornate stones that depicted a storm brewing, with yellow stones showing thunder and much whiter and clear ones depicting the clouds. It was quite a marvelous sight to behold.
"Welcome most honored guests," said a very fat and jovial man standing in the center of the now opened gates. He was wearing several layers of yellow robes with white crisscrossing streaks that covered his entire body, including his hands; despite the large clothes surrounding him, he still appeared quite hefty in the gut. "I am the assistant to the Lord of Thunder. Both he and the Raikage wish you warm welcome. However, they had much to attend to so they could not be here to greet you in person." The man quickly went up to Tsunade and bowed deeply to her. "The Raikage has requested your presence later in the week Hokage-sama," continued the emissary. He then took her hand a shook it furiously. "And let me say," he continued, in an extremely friendly voice, "what an honor it is for the Hokage herself to come and see the Chuunin exams; we are most honored by your presence."
Tsunade seemed taken aback, as she was not used to being treated so formally. "Well, thank you very much," she said, trying to hide the discomfort in her voice. "Umm, where is the Raikage as I'd like to speak with him?"
The emissary bowed slowly and backed away. "My most sincere apologies Hokage-sama," he said, "but he is currently in discussion with Otokage-sama and does not wish to be disturbed."
A white hot rage ran through Tsunade, 'So the bastard got here before us did he,' she thought, 'well that's just fine.'
She quickly composed herself and spoke again, her tone light yet very forceful, "I'd like to speak to him now please," she said, her voice shaking slightly.
The emissary seemed to be torn between the two orders he had just been given, "Um," he said nervously, "perhaps Hokage-sama did not hear me clearly, he is curren-"
"I heard what you said," replied Tsunade, "and I'd still like to see him immediately. As in now," she added with a bit more force that was cordial.
The emissary was now clearly nervous, he was rubbing his hands together frantically, his eyes shifting, contemplating quickly what to do. Tsunade crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the snow impatiently, causing the emissary to grow more frantic. Finally, he bowed deeply and said, "I-I-If you will it Hokage-sama, I will try to arrange it. The Raikage is currently in the master chamber of the Thunder Palace... the jade palace in the farthest reaches of the city."
"Thank you," replied Tsunade in a very sweet voice, "I would like to see him immediately. Inform him that I am coming."
"Y-Y-Y-Yes Hokage-sama," said the emissary, his tone ripe with fear. He quickly scuttled down the road in a feverish pace.
Tsunade watched him move down the snowy, his robe leaving a long trail marking his path. She smiled in satisfaction, 'Orochimaru thinks he can one-up me does he?' she thought, 'We'll see about that.'
She looked on farther down the road, a tall man was standing there, dressed in a Chuunin style vest calmly looking at them. He touched a cigarette to his lips and took a single drag before motioning her over to him. She followed the motion, perplexed as to what was going on."
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'How in the hell did I get roped into this,' thought Raan as he watched a young woman approach him. 'There's no way that's the Hokage,' he thought, 'she can't be a day past twenty-five. Must be a representative of some sort.'
He took another drag of his cigarette, 'I could be home right now, in her tight embrace, actually enjoying life for a change,' he thought. His mind drifted back to the previous night...
A hard knock on his door had awoken him from a dreamless slumber. He looked to the clock by his bedside. '3:00 a.m.?' he thought, 'who in the hell is here at three in the morning.'
The pounding on the door continued, echoing through his entire apartment. He gingerly got out of bed, dressed only in a pair of boxer shorts. The wounds from a few days previous had not yet healed, as most had been reopened by his little 'chat' with Set just earlier in the day. He moved slowly, limping slightly as he made his way towards the door. The pounding grew louder now. 'Is it Set and Julius,' he thought, 'No, they wouldn't knock, just kick the door down if they wanted my attention,' he added with a slight anger welling in him. "Alright, I'm coming," he shouted.
He looked through the peephole in his door and was shocked to see Kimiko staring back at him. She was dressed in her ANBU attire and looked to be very distressed. Her blue eyes were slightly teary, making Raan feel a pang of guilt at earlier in the day.
He quickly opened the door. Kimiko stood there, fidgeting slightly, not looking directly at Raan. It seemed like forever before one of them spoke. Kimiko then said shakily, "I'm sorry if I woke you."
Raan simply stared at her in the silence. He had been angry with her only a short while earlier, but just looking into her deep blue eyes melted him again. 'I'm so easy,' he thought to himself. He laughed slightly, "It's no problem," he finally said, "what's up?"
She walked past him, into the room. Raan shut the door behind them and looked at Kimiko. She still bore an expression of intense sadness on her face; it hurt Raan whenever she felt any unhappiness of any sort. "What's wrong," he asked, his voice filled with concern, "Did something happen on a mission?"
Kimiko nodded. "We were patrolling the pathways up the mountain," she said, her voice very solemn, "and we came across a village that had been destroyed recently. Almost everyone in it was dead, bodies strewn everywhere. Some still laying in their beds, with an expression of peace on their face as they died in their sleep; others bearing looks of horror as their bodies were twisted and mangled, their blood scattered across the snow."
Kimiko was facing with her back turned to him now. Raan had no idea what possessed her to paint such a detailed picture of the scene, but he was all ears if it helped any.
"And then," she continued, "we found a little girl amongst the wreckage of a house. No
more than four or five years old, not even begun to live."
Raan gasped slightly at this, something seemed familiar about all this, the attack in general, but he couldn't place it. He continued listening to Kimiko.
"She was so scared. I carried her back up to the Thunder Hospital. It wasn't until then that she began calling out for her mother and father. She was asking, where they were, what happened to them, where she was. She was demanding them, crying out for them," Kimiko's voice was hiccupping slightly now, "Then, the nurse's tried to explain the situation to her, and she just collapsed in shock."
She turned to Raan now; her eyes were filled with tears that were slowly streaming down her face. Her hands were clutched tightly to her chest and her voice hiccupped slightly when she spoke. "I just thought, just thought..." She suddenly rushed towards Raan, embracing him around the waste, making him wince slightly as she hit his bad ribs. Raan didn't seem to mind though, he simply returned the embrace as Kimiko cried into his chest."
"I don't want to lose anyone, not like that, to be left all alone," she said, her voice slightly muffled, "I don't want to lose...you."
She now looked up at Raan, who returned her look. Her eyes were red and puffy now, but she was still the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. He smiled slightly, "I'm not going anywhere," he replied, his voice reassuring.
"But, but," continued Kimiko, "you always end up in, this condition, and you seem to be hurt constantly. You're always bandaged and broken in places. I just," she hiccupped slightly, "I just..."
Raan cupped her face in his hands, looking down at her. "I promise to you," he said, his voice very strong, "I will not leave you alone, ever. I swear by my own blood, on the pride of anyone who bears my clan's name. I will never leave you alone. You're strong Kimiko, stronger than I could ever hope to be. In reality," he paused slightly before continuing, "its me who needs you more."
There was a moment of silence that seemed to go on forever between them. Their eyes met, her deep, dark blue and his light golden meeting each other. Nothing else mattered, only her, only the moment. He heard a soft "thank you" pass through her lips before she broke the embrace.
"Well," she said, trying to compose herself, "I'd better go." She began to grasp the doorknob, when even unbeknownst to Raan himself, a soft "no" passed through his lips.
She turned around and stared at him, her eyes still wet with tears. "Did you say something," she asked.
Raan's emotions were overwhelming, the love for Kimiko consumed him beyond anything he had ever felt before. He felt like he was no longer in control of his body, as if his brain detached from the rest of his body, and he was riding only on the waves of his deepest emotions. "Don't leave," he said, "Stay with me tonight, please." All his words came out very softly, barely escaping his mouth into the air.
Kimiko let go of the doorknob and slowly approached Raan. She allowed part of her ANBU garment to flow off her shoulders and hit the floor with a thud. She grasped his shoulders gently as Raan encircled her waist with his arms. They pulled closer together, once again in a tight hug. Kimiko locked her arms around Raan's neck and pulled herself up to meet with his tall figure. Their lips finally met together in a warm embrace. Electricity shot through Raan's body as he ran his hands across Kimiko's back, moving them through her long, black hair as she did the same to him. They slowly moved themselves closer and closer towards Raan's bed...
"Hello," came a very irritated voice to Raan's right.
Raan quickly came back into reality to see the young woman he had seen earlier inches away from his face, a very annoyed expression plastered on her.
He turned to her and sighed deeply, inadvertently blowing smoke in the woman's face. She coughed slightly before giving Raan a very dirty look.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he said quickly, "You guys are from the Leaf right?"
The woman nodded, the very ugly stare still being administered to Raan.
"Alright," replied Raan, "can you tell me where your village Hokage is?"
The woman seemed to grow even more annoyed with the last comment, though Raan was unsure just exactly why.
Suddenly, a grin shot across her face, confusing Raan further. "Why, she's standing right in front of you," she said with an air of nobility about her.
Raan looked at her strangely and then looked around her back towards the gate, to the each side, even behind him. Finally, he gave up his search, "I don't see her," he said.
A strong hand grabbed at his vest and pulled him down to eye level with the woman, "It's me you idiot!" shouted the woman.
Raan recoiled slightly, 'Wow, this chick's pretty strong,' he thought, 'I guess she is the Hokage.' The woman let go of him, and he quickly stood back up straight, adjusting his vest slightly. "Well Miss Hokage-sama," he said, his voice more cordial this time, "I've been instructed, along with those people over there," he said pointing over to the right of him to a group of men standing stock-still, in a very militaristic pose, "to show you and your party Thunder Country."
The Hokage raised her eyebrow slightly, "You mean a tour," she asked.
"Yeah," replied Raan unenthusiastically, "something like that." 'I'd better hurry this little expedition up,' thought Raan, 'I promised Kimiko I'd meet her at the hospital in a few hours.'
The woman seemed to contemplate the idea for a moment before nodding to Raan. "Okay," she said, "I'll divide the groups up for anyone who wants to take the tour."
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Tsunade waved the party forward, and Naruto took his first step past the gate into Thunder Capitol.
He was amazed at how different it was from Konoha. Konoha was a village filled with markets, small to medium buildings of stone and brick, with shops and carts line along the streets. Yet the ninja academy was the largest building in the area, easily dwarfing any industrial or agrarian centers.
Thunder Capitol seemed more akin to a bustling metropolis than any kind of village. Large, many windowed buildings scraped the skies and dwarfed many smaller, square buildings in the area. Large spires stood out amongst many large industrial centers that spouted smoke and steam into the air. The air had a very thick and noxious odor to it; as Thunder Capitol simply reeked of commercial industry. Large multi-colored billboards painted the sky a dazzling array of colors that seemed to make even the sun pale in comparison. Huge apartment buildings housed residents for stories up into the air. The streets themselves were filled with people, going about their daily activities; in and out of buildings along the streets. However, every building simply could not compare to a large, crystal palace in the center of town. It looked like it was made from Jade stone, and had many ornate spires coming out from it. The main building had a large domed structure that came into a large point. Naruto watched it in amazement as lightning struck the one of the spires, only for it to be snaked along invisible wires, and split into individual buildings. About every three or four minutes this process would repeat itself, the lightning always hitting a tower, only for it to be divided amongst smaller buildings in the area.
The Jounins began dividing them into smaller groups amidst seven or so people, about ten to each one. The Chuunins were led to a separate area to the right of them, in a very tall, regal looking building that seemed to have a gold trim around it. He watched as they were separated from the rest of the group, but Shikamaru seemed to lag behind and eventually separate to rejoin Chouji in the group Naruto was in. Naruto, Lee, and TenTen were given to the man Tsunade had been talking to (and yelling at) earlier. He was idly smoking a cigarette, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else at the moment.
"Oh yeah," yelled the man to the groups before they left, "I don't know if the assistant to the Thunder Lord mentioned this or not, but while you're staying here, your room and board are free. Just give them proof that you're with the Leaf and you eat and sleep anywhere for free."
This last statement perked Naruto's interest. 'Free,' he thought, 'just get me to a Ramen stand.' However, even his excitement couldn't compare to Chouji's. He had a very malicious grin on his face and was drooling slightly. "I'll eat them out of house and home," Naruto heard him say.
"Well then," began the tall, golden-eyed man in front of them, "let's begin shall we."
They proceeded to walk down the crowded streets, as the man in front of them pointed out different objects and landmarks. Lee was taking notes at a feverish pace, much like he did when he was with Gai. Naruto found the whole thing exceedingly boring, his mind drifting to much more important matters.
'Otokage,' he thought, "that's what they called Orochimaru. So if he's here, then so is Sasuke.' The mere thought of Sasuke refueled his temper, which was so close to the surface anymore. 'This time,' he continued, 'things will be different. I won't lose.'
A sudden strike of lightning to a nearby tower brought his attention back to the present.
"Hey, Mr. Smoking-guy," he said, directing his question towards the tour guide.
The man looked back with a repugnant expression on his face, "What?" he asked, less than cordially.
"What the hell are those things?" asked Naruto, pointing towards the spiraled towers.
The guide eyed them slightly, "Those are the reason for this city's success. You see, the clouds here are always very volatile and constantly shoot lightning out from the clouds. We utilize this natural resource and turn it into energy, which powers basically everything here. The reason we can conduct everything on such a high industrial level is because we have the largest power source on the continent at our disposal, the weather itself. As for any leftover energy, we ship it down via the lines to nearby nations to make a tidy profit. The energy found here is what has made Thunder Country the richest nation on the continent."
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'Man, now that was a nice speech,' thought Raan, 'I guess I really am the best speaker in the village.'
His attention turned back to the blond-haired boy who asked the question. He seemed to be staring at something to the right of them. "Huh," he said, "did you say something?"
Raan simply stared in amazement, 'Man I hate kids,' he thought, 'I know I wasn't that annoying when I was younger.'
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Naruto stared into the alleyway. The darkness was very thick, but he had a familiar feeling about him. He continued to stare, ignoring the questions of their guide as to what he was looking at. Suddenly, a dark shape moved and retreated back into the alley.
'It's him,' Naruto thought. He then went into the alleys himself to pursue.
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"Hey kid," called Raan, "where the hell are you going," as the blond genin stormed off quickly into the darkness. Raan shook his head. 'I've got enough on my plate without worrying about some stray genins,' he thought. His first instinct was to pursue, 'but that's only going to eat up more of my time. He'll turn up,' he thought.
Raan continued on with his tour until another kid piped up. He turned around to see a relatively skinny kid and annoyed Chuunin looking back at him.
"Hey," said the skinnier kid, "you wouldn't happen to know of anywhere close by where we can pick up some fine cuisine do you?"
Raan laughed at this, "Already going to take advantage of our generosity eh?" he said. "Well, I believe the closest place would be Thunder Break, right over there." He pointed to the right to a building that was well up kept and reeked of fine cuisine.
Raan looked back towards the skinny genin only to find that neither he, nor his friend were there. He followed a trail of dust and watched the skinnier one, pulling his friend at top speed into the restaurant. Raan laughed nervously at this, 'I really hope I don't have to keep a headcount,' he thought.
He looked back at his group and was slightly shocked to see that most all of the students had taken the distraction as a chance to escape. He sighed deeply, blowing smoke down in front of him. He heard a small cough and looked down. What was left of his group was a bowl-haircut kid who was taking down everything Raan said in a white notepad. The other was a very shy looking girl whose eyes were a very pearly white.
'A Hyuuga,' thought Raan, slightly surprised. She was still coughing from Raan's smoke.
"Sorry about that," he said. He bent down so that he was now on eye-level with both of them. "Well, I guess since most of the group has deserted me, so you guys can leave too if you want."
The bowl-headed kid suddenly pumped his fist into the air, "No, Gai-sensei says that I must expand my most youthful horizons," he said, his voice triumphant, "by learning about this country, I can increase my most youthful intelligence." He ended the spiel by giving Raan a thumbs up followed by a shiny smile.
'Who in the hell,' thought Raan, the expression on his face showing utter confusion. His attention then turned down to the Hyuuga, who was looking back towards the alleyway the blond haired kid had turned down into. She had a very longing expression on her face.
Raan thought for a moment and then a smile crept across his face. "Hey you know what," he said, "I'm not really supposed to show you kids this, but I think we'll be alright." He walked down the street and motioned for them to follow.
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'Alright,' thought Lee, 'by persevering I will now ascertain forbidden knowledge from our most intelligent tour guide.'
He started to follow but stopped whenever he saw Hinata looking towards the alleyway. Lee had seen Naruto travel down it in a haste but was unsure as to why.
Lee placed his hand reassuringly on Hinata's shoulder, eliciting a surprised exhale from Hinata. Lee smiled his toothy grin at her, "He'll be fine," said Lee, "anyway, we'd better hurry and follow if we're going to see such amazing sights and gain access to knowledge that would otherwise be forbidden to us. Don't worry, you'll see him later on some time."
Hinata smiled shyly at Lee but then followed his lead as they went with their tour guide.
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Tsunade stormed into the Jade Palace, its cavernous arches and green stone creating a loud echo as her shoes hit the floor. She walked strongly towards the Raikage's inner sanctum, the largest and most ornate room in the complex.
'What does he think he's doing,' thought Tsunade. She picked up her pace, almost into a brisk jog as she went closer to the Raikage's room. The palace simply reeked of power and status. Along the walls, pictures of the past seven Raikages were placed in order, their frames plated in gold.
Tsunade continued to walk on, past gigantic pillars of jade stone, reflecting the heavy lights that hung from the ceiling. She finally came to a large, ornate door ordained in precious metals. A gigantic picture of the current Raikage, the eighth, hung overhead, on top of the door. Suddenly, the emissary she had talked to earlier came in front of her, cutting her off. He was bowing madly, attempting to remain cordial and keep his composure at the same time.
"I am so very sorry Hokage-sama," he said, his voice very shaky, "but Raikage-sama cannot be disturbed. He is in a very important meeti-"
Tsunade shoved him out of the way, against a far wall. "I know he's in and he's going to see me now," she said forcefully.
She pushed the gigantic, double doors open and came into a well lit room that seemed quite plain in comparison to the rest of the palace. White candles ordained all sides of the rooms, separated by a few feet in a very deliberate fashion. An elongated wooden table laid in the middle of the room. Straight-backed and plain chairs were all around it, though only two were being used. In the chair farthest from the doors sat Orochimaru, lightly clothed in a white robe, his long black hair flowing down across his back and chest. He had a slightly smug look on his face as she entered the room. His yellow, slitted eyes bore through her, but she met his gaze unwaveringly.
"I see your boorish reputation precedes itself Hokage-sama," came a very deep and impertinent voice from the center of the table.
Tsunade looked at the source of the voice to see the current Raikage staring back at her. His hands were locked at the center of the tabled and his dark eyes were staring bullets into her as well. Tsunade was surprised at how young he looked. His skin was very tanned, but light streaks of skin were adorned across his forehead and down his left cheek showing scars. His face was very straight and cut, as his chin jutted out giving him a strong appearance. His brow was fixed in a permanent frown, giving him a very angry look, though he appeared quite calm. His hair was a grayish blond that was split in the center and trailed in a braid down his back, with both sides being tressed into a single line.
Tsunade stared at him, but forced herself to bow cordially at him. "My apologies Raikage-sama," she said, attempting to stay pleasant, "but I wished to speak to you as soon as possible."
The Raikage stood straight up, Orochimaru following suit. Tsunade was slightly taken aback by how tall he was. He was at least a foot taller than herself, around six feet seven inches, a giant in his own right.
"Understandable," replied the Raikage, his voice still very serious, "but since both the Otokage and Hokage are here, I believe we should all exchange pleasantries. That is, a sign of good will; I know your two nations have had their conflicts in the past, but I hope that this Chuunin examination will be an opportunity for us all to reach a peaceful understanding between all the ninja nations."
Orochimaru nodded his head in agreement, the smug smile still plastered to his face. Tsunade was trying very hard to keep her anger in check; she so wanted to reach out and snap Orochimaru's neck with a flick of her wrist. The anger was beginning to well inside her, but she pushed it deep down insider herself, not wishing to cause a scene here.
"To a peaceful unison," came Orochimaru's raspy voice. It sounded more along the lines of a hiss than normal speech. There was a hint of satisfaction in his voice which annoyed Tsunade to no end.
A wicked smile then crept across Tsunade's face as she held out her hand for Orochimaru to shake. Orochimaru scowled slightly, put forced himself to pull up a very shaky arm to meet Tsunade's. As soon as their hands met, Tsunade tried her best to crush Orochimaru's fingers without making it look obvious. Orochimaru winched slightly, but refused to release.
"Well," said the Raikage, "that's better. It is essential that all participating nations show signs of tolerance and a will for diplomacy during these troubled times." His voice was very pleasant now, as if trying very hard to stay polite during this entire excursion.
Tsunade released Orochimaru's hand, the look of satisfaction now on her face. She looked back at the Raikage, "I agree Raikage-sama," she said, "but I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time along with the...Otokage," she said very forced.
"Tomorrow," replied the Raikage, "the Otokage came to us in a more 'prompt' manner and thus has my full attention at the moment. But don't worry; there are still a few days before the Chuunin examination begins, and you will have my undivided attention later on."
Tsunade took slight offense to this, but realized she could not convince the Raikage otherwise. She bowed deeply, thanking him for his time before turning to leave.
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The doors shut behind her as Tsunade left the Raikage's inner sanctum. Orochimaru and the Raikage went back to their seats and continued their conversation.
"So," continued the Raikage, his voice serious again, "you say that the Hidden Leaf are a crippled and downtrodden village now?"
"Yes," replied Orochimaru, his voice malicious and devious, "the attack on their village left them weak, even weaker than they were previously. An attack on them now would decimate the village completely, leaving whoever conquered it in control."
The Raikage rapped his fingers against the wood of the table. "I'd be lieing if I said your words did not intrigue me Orochimaru. It is no secret that my village has a certain, shall we say, disdain for the Hidden Leaf. But alone, I cannot carry a war. If other parties such as the Hidden Stone or Hidden Mist decide to play their hands, I will not be able to defeat them all, despite my nin's abilities and size. Even with your forces combined with mine, we could only make this to a draw."
"Yes, Raikage-sama," said Orochimaru, "but I have in my possession weapons of great power and skill that if developed properly can be the equivalent of three of four of the Leaf's best. They just need time and proper support to mature."
The Raikage chuckled slightly, "You're asking me for funding then?" he said.
"No," replied Orochimaru, "I'm asking for an alliance, with which we can crush the Leaf village, once and for all. I know the Hidden Cloud's hatred for the Leaf runs deep within all of you as it does me. With an alliance, you can take your revenge upon the Leaf and become the strongest nation on the continent."
The Raikage did not answer at first. He continued drumming his fingers upon the wood table. He suddenly started chuckling again, "That's a very nice proposal Orochimaru," he said, "but I think the real issue at hand is 'why should I trust you?'"
Orochimaru looked slightly taken aback at this. "You see," continued the Raikage, "you don't strike me as the most honorable of characters. I have heard of your betrayal of the Leaf's allies the Sand nins. How do I know that you simply won't repeat the process if we happen to fail?"
Orochimaru did not have an answer for this and a silence once again interrupted the proceedings. Before Orochimaru could speak again, the Raikage stood, "I will need time to consider your proposal Orochimaru," he said, "There are many options to weigh into this decision. However, before the Chuunin examination is over you will have an answer. Now leave please, I have much work to attend to."
Orochimaru bowed slightly before leaving, a frustrated look on his face. He closed the doors behind him, leaving the Raikage alone.
'Well then,' he thought to himself, 'only one more matter to take care of.'
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Tsunade leaned against the back of a jade pillar, waiting patiently for Orochimaru to reappear. She heard the gigantic double doors open again and close suddenly. Footsteps could be heard echoing in the cavernous hall, bouncing off the jade archways, pillars, and decorations that ordained this place. She continued to wait patiently, her arms crossed over her chest, staring only to the right towards the main hall.
Finally, she caught sight of Orochimaru. He continued to walk forward, but then abruptly stopped and looked straight at her, a grin appearing on his face. "Hello Tsunade-sama," came his harsh voice, "waiting for something?"
Tsunade allowed the anger raging within her to burn to the surface. Her eyes stared holes through Orochimaru, and the fury was easily shown in her face. However, Orochimaru continued to smile triumphantly at her.
"I don't know what you're trying to do Orochimaru," she said, her voice full of malice as she slowly approached him, "but if you think I'm going to let you have your way-"
"You'll do what?" said Orochimaru in a very sardonic tone, "Attack me? I think not Tsunade. You see, you and your Leaf rats have their backs up against the wall now. You cannot harass me nor any of my pupils lest you face retaliation from the Hidden Cloud."
Tsunade just scowled at him; she knew what he said was true, but that didn't keep her from detesting him for it. "He hates you, you know," continued Orochimaru, malice evident in his voice, "he hates all of the Leaf, a really admirable quality. Oh course, that should be obvious to someone even as inept as you Tsunade-sama."
Tsunade drew back a fist and charged at Orochimaru. However, she stopped short of punching him, her hand only inches from his face. She had almost lost control of herself, but had stopped herself short of actually hitting him. Orochimaru stood unflinching to her mock assault. A broad grin came across his face, "A wise decision Tsunade. I would hate to report any threatening acts from you to the Raikage," he said, chuckling slightly.
Tsunade returned to her original position. "The Hidden Cloud are no longer our enemy. The same cannot be said about you Orochimaru; the Hidden Cloud does not hate us enough to restart the fifty years war with us."
"Oh please Tsunade," said Orochimaru, laughing openly, "the Leaf was responsible for destroying every Thunder bloodline in existence; you killed their best ninjas. How long do you think it takes for the hate from such an act to dissipate? A year? A decade? A century perhaps? No Tsunade, hate of that magnitude could not be dispelled for a hundred generations; it will carry on from parent to child as they tell the story of how the evil Hidden Leaf crippled the Hidden Cloud."
The gigantic doors leading into the palace suddenly opened. Tsunade's attention was still drawn to Orochimaru, but her eyes shifted to see the new arrivals. From a distance they looked like adults, but as they grew closer, their faces revealed them to be around thirteen or fourteen years old. They looked very odd. The one to the right was dressed completely in a tight, scaly, red suit, and his eyes had a very weird, red design with black crisscrossing lines in them. The other wore a very lose, white garment that covered his entire body. His eyes were a strikingly pale green, despite the fact that hey were half-closed.
"It won't matter what you say to the Raikage," continued Orochimaru, "the Hidden Cloud would never even consider total peace with the Leaf village. I personally think they'd rather see every Leaf nin's head on a pike-" he quieted down as the two Thunder nin passed, not wanting to be overheard. Tsunade watched them as they pushed the large doors open and went into the Raikage's inner sanctum.
Tsunade's attention turned back to Orochimaru, but she was shocked at his face. His eyes were wide and a slight bead of sweat swept down his face. He looked like he had just seen a ghost, his expression changing from confident to terrified so quickly.
"Cat got your sickly, long tongue Orochimaru," asked Tsunade, a slight hint of satisfaction in her voice.
Orochimaru quickly regained his composure. "I have nothing further to say to you Leaf rat," he said, quickly storming off back towards the entrance to the palace. Tsunade watched him leave before punching one of the jade pillars in frustration. Despite her massive strength, it did not budge, but she left a deep dent in the stone there. She rubbed her hand to dull the slight pain, her mind still fresh with what Orochimaru had said. As much as she hated to admit it, there was much truth to his words, and she knew it would be difficult for the Raikage to agree to any peace with the Leaf at all.
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Orochimaru left the Jade palace. As soon as the massive doors slammed shut behind him, he leaned against a far wall, out of site from anyone. His breathing was very heavy, and the frightened expression was still on his face.
'That feeling,' he thought, 'it's so similar to back then. Does that mean...no. No that's impossible it can't be. But still, who were those two nin."
Orochimaru shoved the thought from his mind and continued back to the room that he had lodged himself in.
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Julius and Set stood before the Raikage. Candlelight bathed the entire room giving it an eerie glow as shadows flickered forming shapes upon the walls. The Raikage was seated, staring at the two of them, his dark eyes piercing. They stood there, waiting for him to speak.
"So," he finally said, "I take it the mission was a success then."
Set chuckled slightly, "Slaughtering weak and stupid cattle like them seems to only get more fun every time we do it," he said, "I created quite some lovely masterpieces that day."
"I don't care about your sick acts Set," said the Raikage, eliciting a slight scowl from Set, "I want to know if the mission was a success or not."
"We accomplished our objectives," replied Julius coldly, "the village was decimated and no one was left alive."
"Really," said the Raikage, his voice rising slightly. He got up from his seat and walked to them. "You see, I have heard differently. The ANBU squad that was patrolling that area said they found one survivor. A little girl, around four or five years old was found under the floorboards of the only destroyed building in the area. Does this ring any bells," he added, his voice filled with rage.
Set's eyes widened slightly at remembering the thing under the floorboards of the house he had been pawing at, and the explosive notes he had placed on the sides of the building. He then felt a harsh slap come across his face from Raikage, knocking his face to the side and leaving a slight pink mark on his face.
"Imbeciles," yelled the Raikage, "I give you one simple job to do and you can't even accomplish that. What good are you then!?" The Raikage turned his back to them and stared out a nearby window.
Set's teeth were bared; he was growling slightly, the fury rising up in him. He raised his hands to the attacking position, ready to spring at the Raikage. A hand came across his chest as Julius held him back. He slowly shook his head. Set reluctantly calmed down, "If your damned ANBU hadn't interrupted we would have finished the job flawlessly," said Set, his voice still harboring the anger he felt towards the Raikage.
"If you hadn't spent your time indulging in your macabre pleasures you would have gotten done faster," said the Raikage, "Well don't worry, I'm giving you an opportunity to redeem yourselves before the Chuunin examination."
"What do you want us to do," asked Julius, his voice still cool.
"Two things," replied the Raikage, "first, the little girl is still alive; I want her dead by tonight. Set, that will be your job; don't leave any evidence that can be traced back to us."
"They will be suspicious," replied Set, his voice still having a tone of fury to it, "Little girls don't just die by themselves, and we can't blame bandits on this one. They'll know it was someone of at least decent skill."
"I want them to be suspicious," replied the Raikage, "I can turn your mistake into my fortune very easily." Set reluctantly nodded his head. "As for you Julius," continued the Raikage, "I want you to do some scouting for me."
"Oh," said Julius in surprise, though there was little inflection in his voice, "you want me to do recon work? Isn't that a job more suited for the ANBU?"
"Not in this case," replied the Raikage, "Orochimaru has placed quite a bit of stock in that Uchiha lad of his. He claims him to be the most powerful genin to take place in this exam, placing him even up to Jounin strength."
Julius raised an eyebrow, "Really," he said, "and you wish for me to confirm these suspicions?"
The Raikage nodded his head. "Is he really that powerful," asked Set, a slight hint of excitement in his voice.
"Hard to say," replied the Raikage, "I know for a fact that the Uchiha are strong, but Orochimaru has a tendency to over exaggerate certain things. I doubt that he's as strong as you two though."
"What makes you say that," asked Julius, "there's no telling how powerful he could be."
The Raikage chuckled slightly, "Just because of who you are and who his sensei is. Now leave and come back to me only when your missions are finished."
They both turned on their heels and left the inner sanctum.
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"INSOLENT BASTARD!" screamed Set as soon as the double doors closed behind them. Set was seething with rage, "To think that he mocks us so easily. I should pull out his entrails and hang him with them from the top of this damned palace."
"Calm down," replied Julius, "don't do anything brash. He is the Raikage after all, we won't be able to kill him."
"Frightened of him brother," asked Set, the fury still fresh in him.
"No," replied Julius coolly, "but I'm not stupid either. I don't like to fight battles I know I cannot win. He is the Raikage after all; it would be wise not to underestimate him."
Set contemplated this for a moment before finally agreeing with his brother. There was silence between them for a while as they walked down towards the palace entrance.
"What do you think of the Uchiha," asked Set, "do you think he really is so powerful?"
"Possibly," replied Julius, "I have heard that the Uchiha clan was the strongest in Konoha. But I guess I'll find out won't I," he added with a slight hint of a smile.
"You're going to confront him brother?" asked Set, slightly excited.
"If it's necessary. We'll just have to see how things play out."
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Naruto ran faster into the dark alleyways, behind buildings of brick and stone. The rancid smell of garbage mixed in with the smells of the sewer beneath him as steam from the heat of the waste beneath him rose forth to the surface. He hurried on, into the darkness, following a familiar feeling. He turned left, right, went straight, eventually he lost track of just how to get back to his starting position, but none of that mattered. 'I'm so close, I can feel it,' he thought. The noise of the crowd had long since died out, and it appeared that he was in an abandoned industrial district. Besides the occasional bum or drunk he did not see what he was looking for.
Suddenly, he stopped and looked at a large building. It was a rusted, metallic grey and reeked slightly. Windows were broken or boarded up, but the doors were open. He walked inside, his footsteps echoing on the hard, metal floor. He was so close now. The light from outside permeated through the windows and shot onto the floor. He heard footsteps, but they were not his own. He looked into the darkness. A figure was coming forwards, closer and closer with each successive step. Finally, he came into the light. Naruto's eyes opened slightly and then furrowed, an expression of rage on his face. Finally, after all this time it was finally here. After four months he was here again.
Before him stood Uchiha Sasuke...