The forest surrounding hidden Leaf village seemed to know of the sorrow within its walls. The animals had a sullen and somber disposition today. Squirrels sat in the trees, ignoring their day's work and seemingly gazing into the distance. Perhaps they had picked up on the dark and gray mood hanging over Konoha before most of the people had.
Their mood was in drastic disproportion to the man glancing at them as he passed. White hair bounced around chaotically as Jiraiya leaped through the trees of the forest, frantically searching for a clue.
Jiraiya hadn't been around when Sandaime returned; he'ddiscovered Orochimaru's exile through a random conversation in the streets of the great village. He went to Central Command and looked the Third Hokage directly in his eyes to confirm the rumor's truth. After doing so, he knew far more than anyone expected.
"No one's going after him?" Jiraiya asked, and Sandaime's eyes gave him all the answer he needed. Jiraiya declared his intentions officially.
"If no one else is moving," Jiraiya said with authority, "I will find Orochimaru." And with that, he had left the village to find and follow the snake sennin's trail, not even hanging around long enough to hear the Third's response...or notice that the Fourth was in the room...
Yondaime: The Strength of a Nation
Chapter 4: A Man with Weaknesses
Part 2: Streets of Melting Gold
He had been a bit hasty, Jiraiya knew, but no one was better at covering their own tracks than Orochimaru. He had to be pressed quickly, or else he would escape without a trace. It would be impossible to find a snake in the rain.
It'll be hard to find him, period, Jiraiya thought. Orochimaru was the best all-around ninja of his generation. This would not be an easy hunt, even for a hunter-nin.
And here I am, not even a hunter-nin, attempting to do it alone. Yet, Jiraiya suspected that would be the reason he'd find Orochimaru. A hunter-nin would be killed on sight...a familiar face stood a better chance of getting to talk with him. And on top, Jiraiya had personal experience with Orochimaru that might work in his favor. They probably think Orochimaru is long gone by now...but I suspect something. Jiraiya took a deep breath, and suddenly came to a stop on a tree limb. I've been forgetting an important factor in all this.
Jiraiya took a light sniff at the air. The distinct odor of Orochimaru's body came through clearly...he hadn't had a chance to bathe, apparently.Orochimaru was normally a well-kept man,but Jiraiya had been on missions with him that had lasted months. The odor was a quiteeasy identifier to anyone who had been around him when he had not bathed for days. But for the odor to be this strong...I must have caught up. Quickly, Jiraiya scanned the area. Based on the tree size, he had come to the eastern edge of the forest. There was a city a bit further to the north, but there was no way Orochimaru would risk showing up there. Only a bit further to the east, there was a lake...was Orochimaru going to bathe before leaving Fire Country? Risky...but then again, leaving your enemies a trail of your own body musk that crossed into other countries was risky too.
Jiraiya leaped down from the trees and made his way toward the lake...he apparently had good timing, because Orochimaru was just beginning to strip, preparing to bathe in the waters. Jiraiya made his presence known quickly.
"Oi! Orochimaru!"
Jiraiya could see Orochimaru's body stiffen at the sound of his voice. As Orochimaru stopped, Jiraiya stepped forward to confront him.
Orochimaru refused to face him, and spoke politely. "Please do not interfere, Jiraiya. I have to go."
Jiraiya's fists balled, and he grit his teeth in anger. "Why, Orochimaru? Why did you experiment on Konoha's own?"
Orochimaru remained silent and still. The 3rd Hokage couldn't get any remorse out of him...he certainly wasn't about to let Jiraiya do so.
Jiraiya didn't doubt that Orochimaru had done the things he'd heard about, but he still doubted why, and he sought clarification...he would not let this opportunity leave. "Orochimaru. Answer me."
Orochimaru remained still. "Jiraiya, please don't make me kill you. I have to go." The words were measured and patient...and cold.
Jiraiya's eyes widened. "Are you for real? You're just going to up and leave?" Jiraiya began to wish he'd heard the whole story from the Third, because the situation was too unreal for him to digest. This was the favorite of Sandaime...the all-powerful...and perhaps the best (but at least the oddest) friend he'd ever known...just turning his back and running? What could possibly be the reason behind it?
Orochimaru frowned, his face still turned away from Jiraiya's. What in the world was wrong with this boy? His fists quivering, Orochimaru turned around and faced Jiraiya, letting the venom slip into his voice. "Damn it, Jiraiya, act your age! What do you expect me to do? Wait for Sarutobi-sensei to hunt me down and kill me? Stand trial before a government that hates me? Take my punishment like a 'man'? What would be the point of me staying in the Leaf?"
Jiraiya took a small step back, thrown by the anger he felt in his teammate. The words Orochimaru had just said removed all doubt. The words Jiraiya spoke came out more like verbal thought. "Then, it's all true then...you really did kill those Jounin..."
Orochimaru let out a cold chuckle. "You mean, you didn't even believe that...with the evidence in front of you..." As always, Jiraiya, your slow mind amazes me.
Jiraiya's mind reeled from the truth being thrown at him. It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that Orochimaru was never really a patriot. He had always been cold, and had always sought to improve his own techniques. His selfish qualities came through far more than any urge to protect. And, of course he'd gotten sore when he was overlooked for Hokage. But the jump from selfish ninja to evil murderer was a long one, and Jiraiya looked on in amazement at the pale-skinned man before him. He's already made the jump...he already decided where he stood months ago. "When did you become so...evil?"
Orochimaru frowned for a split second, but he veiled that frown with annoyance. "Why does it matter? The point is that I don't belong here...and I never did. That damned Sarutobi strung me along, and I'll make him pay."
Jiraiya balled his fists tightly in frustration. "You'll do so over my dead body."
Orochimaru smirked for a moment, and put his hands on his hips. "What can your live onedo to stop me?"
Despite whatever anger he felt, Jiraiya smirked back. Something within him sighed as nearly 20 years of interactions played back within his mind. "I can kill you." He mocked Orochimaru, placing his hands on his hips and tilting his head to the side. "...would that stop you?"
Orochimaru chuckled lightly and played along. "No." He couldn't help but notice Jiraiya shift a bit at that response. Sure, it wasn't entirely true, but it meant nothing.
Both of them, he was sure, knew the truth. This would not end in a massive battle...no one would die here. Neither of them had the killing intent for a battle of this magnitude right now. No...this was a solemn moment...a civil farewell between two old friends, though Orochimaru would never use that word. And yet, their acquaintance was close and personal...even he would not argue with that.Orochimaru gave a lukewarm smile. His qualm was not with Jiraiya, and yet he knew this would be the last time they would ever see remotely eye to eye. His loyalty to Sarutobi was too strong to be swayed, and sooner or later Jiraiya would have to die for the snake sennin's plans to succeed. But not now. The next time they met, one would surely die.
Orochimaru knew Jiraiya held him in closer esteem than he held Jiraiya. He suspected that Jiraiya felt much like the Third and would be reluctant to fight, even if he attacked full-force. There was no fun in that, and certainly no merit...in fact, it was risky. A battle outside the forest and so near a city would call attention to the fact that the snake sennin was still in Fire Country. And, he suspected that if the Third Hokage had any clue that were a possibility, there would be a lot of hunter-nin on his tail. No...he could not take that chance. He would simply handle Jiraiya when he handled Sarutobi. Both of their deaths deserved an epic battle...a battle where they had years of preparation and still failed. That would be fitting.
This was nothing more than a closing to their previous relationship.
Suddenly, something within Orochimaru instinctivelyfelt the danger of the situation, and the smile wiped entirely away. He visibly stiffened up, and his eyes began frantically searching for something. His eyes shifted to Jiraiya once more, and noticed a look of slight confusion on his face, but that didn't change the situation at all. "Jiraiya..." Orochimaru looked to him, his eyes expressing a panicked shock.
"You brought reinforcements?" You spurred Sarutobi to action? Have I underestimated you?
Jiraiya's mouth dropped open slightly, and he turned back toward the forest. Based off the sounds in the distance (the attempts to be silently sneaky), there was at least a squad of ANBU approaching. Probably more. Oh no...this could get bad. "No, I came alone, Orochimaru..." Who the hell did this? Jiraiya turned back towards his old ally...
Orochimaru's eyes burned with rage and anger. "You..."
"Orochimaru..." Jiraiya took a careful step forward...
Suddenly, the chase was on. Orochimaru turned abruptly away from his white-haired adversary, and sprinted at top speed toward the forest...and the ANBU. Jiraiya could see his elbows moving as Orochimaru began to do hand seals.
"Shit!" Jiraiya sprinted after him, knowing what would happen if he didn't make it...
Kazama Arashi balled his fists and frowned. Tea was not going to help him relax at the moment, and he wasn't about to start doing paperwork again. And yet, he would wait at his desk until sunrise if it increased his chances of being there when Jiraiya returned. I hope I did the right thing...sending those ANBU to help...
He couldn't shake the feeling he should have gone with them. Arashi clasped his hands together, bowed his head, and prayed to kami-sama. Be safe, Jiraiya...stay alive.
Orochimaru is sprinting towards us. No time to waste.
It was apparent that the jig was up, but no one expected what happened next. A man wearing a fox mask rose from his knee and yelled out commands. "We've been spotted, folks! Get in there and--"
The entire squad looked up to their leader as he spoke, and suddenly gasped in shock. The look of intense pain on his face was shocking enough, but seeing Orochimaru's fangs pierce their leader's neck was a fearsome experience. Especially considering they could still see his body in front of them, nearly 50 yards away and far beneath the layer of treetops where they were hiding. The head jerked around and its fangs tore across the man's skin violently...blood ran like a river down the front of the man's vest.
And suddenly, the eyes looked up from their prey, searching the eyes of every man and woman before it. There was little chance it saw anything but pure panic. His mouth opened and released the leader's neck, and suddenly a sword extended from his throat...
Jiraiya sprinted after Orochimaru, seeing his snake-like neck extend so that his head could kill the ANBU leader. Jiraiya whipped out a kunai and charged towards his back...
Suddenly, the elasticity of the neck kicked in, but instead of retracting Orochimaru's head, his body was pulled forward and into the trees...and away from Jiraiya's assault. Jiraiya looked on in helplessness as Orochimaru quickly carved up the rest of the ANBU in the trees with him. Jiraiya suddenly noted that there were 3 more ANBU squads in the area...they would probably be little more than snake food too if he didn't hurry. He leaped into the trees after the snake.
Too late. Orochimaru had noticed the ANBU as well, and this time, he rocketed through the trees as fast as he could, attempting to leave everyone in the dust. Jiraiya took up a fast chase, the ANBU quickly falling behind. Suddenly, Orochimaru leaped forward toward another tree and turned in mid-air...
Jiraiya quickly caught on and dove down from the treetops to the forest floor, watching above him as fire spread across the treetops. Quickly, he rattled off hand seals and responded. There was no time to waste. "Doton! Swamp of the Underworld!" Jiraiya slapped his palms onto the ground, facing the area he had just passed through. As ANBU showed up around him, the ground in front of his handsmorphed into a gigantic swamp, and the trees began to uproot and topple. A moment later, the swamp began to suck the flaming trees into its awesome depths. We can't afford to have a fire like that spread... Jiraiya turned toward the ANBU. "Take care of the rest of that flame! Leave him to me!" Before getting a response, he took off after Orochimaru.
It didn't take Jiraiya long to find him.
Orochimaru had sprinted his way through the trees, taking a straight path. His panic was obvious...and Jiraiya dared to question whether he was beyond thought anymore. I have to finish this soon, before he gets too wild...before he gets any more desperate. Orochimaru was faster than Jiraiya, however, so what could he do? Jiraiya began a quick hand seal sequence, and leaped onto a tree, palm face down.
"Kuchiyose no jutsu!" A puff of smoke appeared, and now Jiraiya was sitting on a frog twice his size. Jiraiya, pointed in Orochimaru's direction. "Leap as far as you can! That way!"
The frog looked up to him and smirked, then tensed itshindlegs. "Okay! Let's...MOVE!" And they were airborne. Thank goodness for a frog's strong legs. Jiraiya quickly unmounted the frog and inched to one side...
A perfectly-timed leap later, and he had tackled Orochimaru in mid-air. They wrestled, plummeting toward the ground as they fought for position...Jiraiya noted that Orochimaru was fighting him like a scared child, kicking and elbowing. Jiraiya quickly shifted his weight in midair so that he would land on top of Orochimaru...
And suddenly he felt the body he was holding give in ways it should not, and quickly let go of the odd gunk he had been holding. Jiraiya repositioned himself quickly and landed on his feet. I guess he still has some of his faculties...whoa!
Orochimaru's snake-like head was vaulting towards him from a distance...Jiraiya had no time to think, but his hands knew the right thing to do.
"Ninpou, Hari Jizou!" His white hair quickly shifted to surround his body, and hardened into sharp spikes like a hedgehog's. The last thing Jiraiya saw was Orochimaru's evil grin...
And suddenly he felt a piercing pain move deep into his right thigh. Jiraiya howled in pain and shut his eyes, fighting back tears and attempting to concentrate. This isn't good!
Orochimaru began to laugh (as much as he could with his fangs in Jiraiya's leg). Did you really think I'd be so foolish as to panic without any thought? One of his fangs had caught a major artery in Jiraiya's thigh, and he prepared to make one final twist to end Jiraiya...
"AAAH!" Suddenly, blades pierced his face and forced his fangs back, and Orochimaru quickly retracted his neck to escape the pain. How? I evaded that jutsu...He slowly opened his eyes once more, forcing back the pain with an intense growl...
Jiraiya stood in the same spot, panting heavily, his pants full of holes from where his leg hair had sliced through his pants. Profuse blood ran down his right leg.
Orochimaru screamed in rage and covered his face, dropping to one knee and feeling to see how deep the wounds were. They were not life threatening, but they certainly were painful. Throbbing pain overtook him when he tried to move his eyes, and his lips quivered in anger. His eyes began to tear up from the pain, and he discovered it hurt to cry as well. Quickly, almost blindly, Orochimaru stood, turned, andran through the forest and away from there.
Jiraiya attempted to run after him, but only managed to collapse in pain. Those fangs had torn a major muscle in his leg, it seemed, and he was still bleeding heavily. Yet, all he knew was that he might have just lost his final chance to end this.
"OROCHIMARU!" The scream echoed in the air, and Jiraiya went unconscious.
Arashi didn't know what had happened. The leader of the mission was dead, and his second in command had been putting out a fire...and those who had brought him back were far too concerned with what they were seeing now to run to Command give a report.
All he knew was that from his window on the fourth floor of Command, he heard Tsunade scream bloody murder. The panic in her voice was clear, and Arashi found himself scared to imagine what could have happened. Instead of imagining, Arashi jumped up from his desk and ran out of the building and over to the medical center next door, and covered his mouth in shock.
In the back hall opposite his current position, Tsunade was standing still, her back turned, her legs quivering...Arashi quickly made his way over and looked to her. The look on her face spoke of fear, and tears were flowing from her eyes. He looked towards what her eyes were locked upon...
Two ANBU who had apparently stormed in through the back door were carefully holding Jiraiya...attempting not to move his legs in any way that might twist them. The reason was obvious enough...there were two holes going deep into his thigh...one dangerously close to a major artery. Blood was everywhere...the artery was probably already punctured slightly. Arashi watched in shock as the two ANBU hastily but carefully slipped him onto the ground in front of Tsunade, and she took a step back as she saw the blood begin to puddle beneath his leg. "No! Not him too! Not him too!" Tsunade turned away from the scene...it was just too much.
Arashi looked her in her panicked eyes, then turned away from her pained stare. His mental faculties started to return. "Is he still alive?"
One of the ANBU turned to him and nodded. "He still has a pulse. Weakening, but alive. He's lost a signifcant amount of blood."
The second one, apparently a medic nin, turned to Arashi. "We can't operate on him with that artery punctured like that. One wrong move and it'd be all over..."
Arashi frowned. "So you need..." He turned back to Tsunade.
The panic on her face was two fold. Yes, her fear of blood was rearing its ugly head. But, Arashi knew this was also probably the best friend she had left...such had been the way her life had gone. Arashi saw the look on her face and pulled her in to a consoling hug. Tsunade cried on his shoulder, but Arashi knew there wasn't much more time to waste over her sadness. "Tsunade...Jiraiya needs you."
Tsunade cried all the more, and screamed in agony. Nawaki...Dan! And now him too! I can't lose another...
"We can't do anything to help him, Tsunade..."
He felt her body spasm and twitch in his arms, and squeezed her harder. He began to cry himself, and quickly forced the tears back. It would do no good for them both to break down.
"Aunt Tsunade, you can help him..."
Slowly, he shifted his weight, turning them around so that he was facing away from Jiraiya's body. He felt her shift and look over his shoulder once more, and he could feel her body stiffen as she panicked again. Arashi spoke lightly into her ear.
"I know you're afraid...and he might die. But if you don't help him, it's definite. Do this for him..."
Tsunade looked at Jiraiya's unconcious body as Arashi spoke, and began to gasp for air, hyperventilating. Arashi hugged her closer and deliberately slowed his own breathing, moving his whole body with each breath, forcing her body to match his rhythm. Slowly, she calmed, but she was still afraid...a moment passed before either of them moved again.
"Please, Tsunade...help my sensei..." Arashi began to cry again and closed his eyes. Silence followed. Arashi felt a light squeeze on his hand. Helet go, and Tsunade made eye contact with him. Her puffy eyes attempted to express thanks as best she could, then she turned and walked toward Jiraiya.
Dropping to her knees at his side, she gasped as her knee dipped into the pool of blood on the floor. Quickly, she closed her eyes. She attempted to reach a hand forward towards his thigh, but was shocked when she couldn't actually control the movement of her own hand. Her heart started to beat quickly...
Tsunade's eyes quivered beneath their lids, and the tears began to flow. No matter what, Tsunade vowed to herself...no matter what, I have to help him! She forced her eyes open, and carefully moved her hands to his chest. Manipulating her chakra flow, she coaxed Jiraiya's heart to slow its rhythms a bit more...and the blood stopped leaking from his wounds. Quickly, she shifted her hands until it was over the bloody wound (but not touching it), and attempted to extend her chakra flow into the wound to help healing.
This process was too slow. She knew Jiraiya would need a blood transfusion soon if he were going to live...and this wouldn't cut it. She just couldn't extend her chakra projection far enough from her own body to do it without touching his. Everyone in the room knew what had to be done, and Tsunade's body began to twitch again.
"Please, Tsunade...help your friend..." Arashi walked over to his sensei's left side, and grabbed his hand, feeling for his pulse. The words came out without him realizing he'd spoken them aloud.
Tsunade screamed in panic, but her body did something different. Quickly, her hands latched onto Jiraiya's bloody thigh. Her eyes shut tight and she twisted her head away from the picture stuck in her head, but she continued to hold on. Concentrating everything she had on her healing, she began healing the artery in Jiraiya's leg. She bit her own lip hard to stop from screaming, and the tears would not stop flowing...Arashi remained as silent as possible, watching and hoping she'd pull it off.
A minute or so later, Tsunade began to hyperventilate again. She quickly reached over to Jiraiya's chest and reactivated the full chakra flow of his heart. Then, opening her eyes, she saw how bloody her hands were. It was only a split second before she screamed in blood-curdling agony and pure fear, and she ran from the hallway to the bathroom.
Arashi released a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. She did it. But at what damage to her own psyche? Arashi turned to the ANBU. They moved without a word, and took Jiraiya as carefully as they could to the nearest operation room. Arashi wiped his eyes and went to the restroom to check on Tsunade.
TO BE CONTINUED . . .
It's been almost a year since I've updated this fic, and I figured it was about time to get it done.
The Yondaime Arc is reaching a dangerous crossroads...where no real information is available about what happens when. The real fear I have is a lack of consistency, and I endeavor to make sure it's not my fault. There are already enough vague things in Naruto without me creating misinformation about things we know for a fact. This is part of the reason I've been so slow on writing for it...I was stalling hoping more info would come out. Since it hasn't, I'll move on and put my ideas out there as orignally planned.
Other than that, this thing is beginning to reach a higher rating standard as the situations get more serious. I may have to kick it up to teen before it's done, but it's definitely not K anymore. I personally don't see the ratings as a big thing, but I want to make sure that those who do realize that I'm covering the darkest parts of Konoha's past...this fic will probably end up teen for blood and violence, and a few characters with dirty mouths nearer the end.
I haven't proofread this one nearly as much as I normally do, considering I wrote nearly all of this today. Here's hoping it's not chock full o typos and stuff. If it is, someone shoot me a PM and let me know. Otherwise, it might be weeks before I notice, and everyone'll think I'm some sloppy 10-year-old and stop reading.
This chapter came out so well, I actually considered turning it into a oneshot. If not for Arashi's role (and the fact that he's somewhat of an OC who'd have no origin in the oneshot), I probably would have.
On another note, is anyone else having problems with things in ff? I seem to have a consistent issue where things I know I put a space in suddenly don't have them sothewordsenduplikethisandihavetore-edit it. This is an excessive example...but you get the idea. It makes it really hard to write on here when you're having to cover up the editting program's typos too...anyway...
I'll try to keep writing until midterms hit, so please review and let me know what you think!