Chapter 31: Konoha Draws Near
A/N: I do not own the Naruto Franchise!
I do however own Mari Kaede and any other OCs mentioned.
Warnings: Contains dark themes, such as depression, murder, experimentation, emotional, mental and physical torture, possible attempted suicide and mentions of sexual activities!
At this point, I also want to point out that the relationship between these two characters is actually toxic if you are in a similar situation please seek help, it is not healthy and it won't end the same way this story will end.
I do not condone these kinds of relationships, despite writing this story.
Hey guys, I've got chapter thirty one here for you today! I'm having trouble liking this chapter, I feel like none of the characters are really acting like themselves. I could be wrong, but if you guys see anything that doesn't sound right, let me know, ok?
I hope you enjoy!
Two months and nothing had happened, no new missions, no chores, nothing that meant Kaede would find an excuse to leave the hideout without all her newfound work crumbling to dust around her. So, to find some semblance of comfort and entertainment, she had opted to take her book into the kitchen, sitting with two of the chair legs elevated off the floor as she read the dirty novel without qualm, despite the newest arrival being right in front of her, brewing himself a cup of hot tea.
She glanced up when she felt eyes on her and caught the young Uchiha child quickly averting his naive gaze from her own. She arched a brow, smirked, but said nothing and got back to reading. He was just a kid, and she was a bit of a...unique looking individual. She could not blame him for being curious.
Anyone sane would stare and entertain the idea of the stories behind each scar marring her flesh. Of course, she did not have to, because she herself had lived through it and no longer classed herself as 'sane.'
The sensation of being watched returned and she glanced up again to catch the boy looking away once more, he had an irritated frown on his features as he stirred his hot tea. She missed drinking tea, but the water content was too high, so it was not a good idea for her to indulge in the warm beverage before bed like she used to.
This time, Sasuke caught her eye, but instead of looking away, she grinned and wiggled her fingers in a playful wave. He huffed and snapped his attention back to the green tea and she sighed, straightening up, aware he was listening when the chair legs slammed against the stone floor and his eye twitched in a flinching fashion. "Alright, talk t'me, what d'you want?" She asked, placing her thumb in the book as she closed it over, ensuring she did not lose her page.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Sasuke said simply, his voice lacking any sort of emotion, such a brat. "You were staring at me, so I should be asking you what you want."
"Pfft, I weren't born yesterday, kid!" The redhead let out a bold laugh and took a swig of her own drink, a can of cola. "I came in here like two hours ago, and since y'wandered in you've been dropping looks in my direction non-stop! C'mon spill, what d'you want?"
The boy went silent and she actually wondered if it was something serious, he was still a child after all. Surprisingly he started blushing and pouting stubbornly. "Could you...Teach me more Katon?" He asked softly, shocking her enough that she nearly leaned back too far in her chair, using the table to catch herself before she fell over.
"Say what now?!"
Sasuke grumbled, glaring at his drink as if it was insulting him without words. "Orochimaru can't use a lot of Jutsu because of his arms, so there's no one else here that can show me how to use my Katon better."
"Heh...I underestimated you, kid." Kaede openly admitted after a moment of silence, she slumped in her chair and looked at the ceiling. "Y'ain't the coldhearted criminal I thought you'd be, since y'decided t'come here by choice!" She looked at him, surprised to see he was watching her curiously.
Her grin fell and she sighed, straightening up before she leaned forward and held the can between both hands, accepting she would lose the page of her book. "I'd love t'help y'kid...But I can't." She ran her fingers through her fringe as she played with the tab of the drink with her free hand. "I've worked for four and a half months on getting t'where I am now...I ain't about t'lose the trust I've built here by going against Orochimaru's orders."
Sasuke let out an irritated huff, and the small semblance of respect she'd gained for him dropped like a stone in water. "I overestimated you...You're nothing more than one of his lackeys if you're willing to give your loyalty to him."
Kaede's cocoa brown eyes snapped up to his with a cold, aggressive glare, and she tightened her grip on the can enough to dent the surface. "Watch it, kid..." She ground out, not breaking eye-contact. "I've been through too much to take that kind of crap from a snot-nosed brat like you!" He went to snap back but paused when she relaxed her grip and looked at the can with a dull frown. "But that ain't important, the past can't change the future, y'know. I tried t'get revenge, and it failed, so I ain't got a choice but t'work for him now."
"Why did you give up on your revenge?" Sasuke's tone was serious, as an avenger, he could not understand the ease in which she gave up her ambition. "If you waited, you could've found another opening and actually planned a counter-attack."
The older, wiser kunoichi let out a cold, empty laugh and leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling again. "Y'don't get it, d'you?" She pushed the chair back and stood, taking her book and her drink as she turned to leave. However, she paused at the door and spared him one last glance. "I only tried t'get revenge t'ease my own pain...And when I failed, that pain overtook me and I almost died 'cause of it..." She gripped the doorframe and glared at the cold hideout walls. "If I let it consume me again, I don't think I'd be able t'come back from it, and that ain't a risk I'm willing to take."
She gave him a small raise of the hand as a farewell and stepped out of the kitchen, only to freeze when she felt someone else's eyes on her and turned with sharp shock, staring at the Sannin she despised the most among the other occupants of this hellhole. He was stood against the wall with his arms crossed, his head forward, but leering directly at her from the corners of his snake-like orbs. Realizing he had heard everything she said, she made a choked sound, grimacing as humiliation shot through her entire form, before she scoffed, glared at him, and turned, leaving without another word.
Orochimaru watched her leave silently, and once she was out of sight, his serious frown twisted into a gleeful, demented grin.
~BHBL~
Several hours ticked by since that awkward moment in the hall, and Kaede was now sleeping peacefully on top of her sheets with her book covering her face. She had wracked her brain for hours, scolding herself over and over for not knowing he was there while she poured her heart out to a child who she knew would stumble down the same path she did, but by choice.
Unknown to the tired, older kunoichi, a small, black, red and white snake slithered under her door, flicking its tongue in the air as its yellow eyes scoped the room in search of her. When it found her scent and locked onto her location, it crept its way over and onto her bed, resting on her chest as it used its tongue to tickle her exposed chin, attempting to wake her.
Kaede groaned when she felt a small itch on the end of her chin, using the hand resting on her stomach to wipe whatever it was away. The snake stared for a second, then tried again. This time she let out an irritated growl and lifted the book slightly to see what was touching her. The two locked eyes for a second while the woman's brain switched back on.
"HOLY SH-!" Suddenly, out of nowhere, she let out a startled cry and scrambled to get the snake off her, only succeeding in falling off the bed as said serpent quickly darted off her chest and onto the covers.
"Hhhhhgh...!" She planted her hand onto the sheets and lifted herself to glare at the small reptile as it flicked its tongue at her. "This is why I hate snakes." Standing up, the woman looked around for her battered copy of Icha-Icha Paradise she had tossed into the air in her panic, and picked it up, dusting it off to ensure it was fine.
Of course, a little dust made no difference, the book was an absolute mess.
"Why'd y'interrupt my sleep?" She complained, looking at the snake as it flicked its tongue cutely, which made her shoulders sag with defeat. "Ugh, why am I asking you? It's not like y'can answer me!"
To her surprise, the snake hissed and rattled its rattle-less tail. If that snake understood her, she would flip out a second time. Of course, she sighed in relief when it slithered off the bed and over to the door, looking back at her silently. "Okay, whatever this is, it's weird."
The snake merely looked back at the door, before it squeezed its way out from the gap underneath the wooden barrier. Her curiosity peaked, and she arched a brow, following the snake and opening the door to see it waiting for her on the other side. "Alright, y'want me t'follow you?" She gestured down the hall. "Lead the way. The sooner I figure out what y'want, the sooner I can go back t'sleep!"
With another little hiss, the snake turned and quickly darted down the hall. "Oh damn...!" Kaede blurted out, jogging to catch up with the little serpent. "I didn't expect y'to be so eager! Hold up, I'm not as young as I used t'be!"
When she finally reached the snake, she looked at it, then at the door, it had just slithered under. Her expression soured and she growled softly. "'Course it'd lead me here..." With a deep breath, she put a mocking, pleasant smile on her face and opened the door without knocking.
On the other side, was Orochimaru with the snake coiled around his hand, weaving between his fingers, entertaining itself. "Ah, Kaede-chan~." His drawled out, smirking at her as she closed the door. "I trust my 'pet' didn't interrupt anything important~."
"If it ain't Ol' Snake-Eyes!" She said with a more dramatic tone of false cheer, grinning as she placed her hands on her hips. "Y'bet your ass it interrupted something important! I'll have y'know I was catching up on some beauty sleep!"
"Hm, hm, hm, perhaps you were dreaming~. I don't see how such a trivial matter would be important to someone of your nature~!" His smirk widened when her's faltered at his slight insult.
"Excuse me for not having the ability t'switch my face for someone else's!" She stated, flashing him a crooked smile as her one fang gleamed in the candlelight. "Some of us actually have t'work t'look this good!"
"Oh? Do you notice my appearance often?"
When she faltered in surprise, his eyes lit up with amusement, while the little snake at his side hissed softly and looked between them curiously. "Where the hell did that come from?!" She blurted out, ruining the back-and-forth interaction they had going as she tried to make sense of his words with incredulous horror-stricken across her rough features. "I'd rather look at a pile of corpses than your ugly mug!"
It was at that moment that Orochimaru's expression darkened, and her's turned to a grin, assuming she had offended him. However, to her surprise, his next words turned the tide of the conversation. "On that note, I have another mission for you, one that'll bring you closer to your desired freedom..."
"Oh yeah?" She crossed her arms, tilting her head to the side as she listened intently.
"Recently, I sent scouts to the borders of our land to ensure we had not been breached..." His eyes narrowed with venomous irritation. "However, only those from the East and West borders have returned...This means that the South border, leading to Konohagakure has been infiltrated by the enemy, and Konoha shinobi are making their way to our location."
Kaede's own cocoa colored eyes turned dark as she realized just what he was trying to say, and her brows knitted together. "So y'want me t'find them and make sure our location stays a secret?"
"Hm, hm, you're rather sharp today. Perhaps 'beauty sleep' is important, after all~!" Orochimaru smirked and placed his cheek against his knuckles. "Yes. If they find Otogakure, they'll likely try to escape with Sasuke-kun, or return to their village and plan a far larger attack to ensure our demise...Your mission is to wipe them out and make sure they hold no secrets that may reveal our next course of action or other protected locations."
Kaede huffed and arched a brow at him. "Why not send Kabuto or someone y'actually trust?" She asked, tapping her finger off the rope around her bicep. "Y'really want t'send someone like me t'make sure y'stay safe?" She smirked. "Sounds a bit reckless t'me~!"
Orochimaru's chuckle deepened and he held out his hand, watching as the snake slithered down his arm, having moved to get more comfortable, leaning forward towards Kaede, who looked slightly confused as she held out her own hand, nearly touching his, with reluctance of course. The small serpent flicked its tongue at her finger before it wound around her hand and moved up her arm to situate itself around her bicep, under her long sleeve.
The moment the snake was free of Orochimaru's hold, she stepped back with a cold glare, wanting to put as much space between the two of them as she could, which greatly amused her leader. "As far as your freedom is concerned, you will not betray my 'trust.'" His eyes widened and she felt a dangerous air blanket the room, his murderous intent thick enough to cut with a knife. "Otherwise the consequences will be severe..."
"Alright, alright, y'don't need to threaten me." She waved off his words, his threats did cause her discomfort sometimes but she barely believed them anymore. Once again, she'd already be dead if he really meant them. "Just tell me where they are, and I'll deal with it. I ain't 'bout t'pass up an opportunity t'get out of here for a little while!"
Orochimaru smirked in response to her words, though annoyed by her flippant attitude towards his serious words. However, at least she openly accepted the mission without complaint. "Of course." He replied in a teasing tone, fangs gleaming in the candlelight. "I forget you lack the skills needed to navigate the forests~."
"Hah, I could find them easily on my own!" Kaede countered, planting a hand on her hip with a bold grin, her own teeth glinting in the soft amber glow. "I just thought you'd want me t'deal with them sooner rather than later! But if y'really want to test my skills, then fine, I'll take longer and find them myself!"
"Hm, hm, not so fast, Firecracker." He stated, irking her with the use of her hated nickname. He lifted his hand slowly and pointed to the snake slithering up her shoulder, tickling her ear as it used its tongue to collect her scent. "The snake I have given you has the scent of Konoha's forests memorized...It will lead you to our 'guests'." His expression turned dangerous and manic as his eyes widened once again, revealing the red veins around the edges of his sclera. "Once you find them, show no mercy, their information is a disadvantage towards not only my plans but your desired redemption!"
Those words struck a chord in Kaede's mind and her fingers clenched tightly around her hip for a second, before she crossed her arms with a sneer. "Don't worry, there'll be nothing left by the time I'm done with them..." She meant it, never again would she be confined to a cell, to a small space where others could watch her day-in day-out.
"Hm, hm, excellent~. You are dismissed."
Kaede hesitated, but bowed slightly, showing how serious she was, before she turned and left the room without another word, unaware of how much her 'respectful' action affected him, his grin wide as she closed the door behind her without looking back.
Her mind was now focused on keeping herself safe, forget this village, her previous village, or the alliance she once held with Konohagakure...If her own freedom was threatened, then she was officially motivated.
"C'mon..." She started, looking at the snake who peeked out of her sleeve, having hidden after sniffing her ear. "Lead the way...The sooner they die, the closer I get t'having a nice nap in the trees 'round here."
The snake hissed as a soft response, and Kaede nodded, kicking off towards the opened hideout doors. Prepared to take as many lives as was necessary for her own sake.
That is how far she had fallen, and honestly, if it was her only means of survival, she did not care anymore.
~BHBL~
"Found them..." Kaede whispered to the snake softly as she crouched, in the dense foliage of a tall tree, about halfway from the hideout to the border. The Konoha shinobi were beneath her, conversing over a piece of rough parchment which caught her interest. "I'm going t'guess that's how they're getting 'round here."
Kaede took a deep breath, timing it with a tired sigh from one of the shinobi, before she formed the seals for her air bullets, not wanting to cause a forest fire, since she was undercover, and risked harming herself in the process. 'Futon: Rendukan!' She thought as she took a deep breath in, and spat the bullets at a high speed, watching as one of the males in the group let out a pained cry as they hit him and rendered him injured and unable to fight.
Of course, this lead to the others realizing they were being watched. "Who's there?" The female Chuunin called out, both her and the two other males in her squad on alert now. "Show yerself!"
"Alright, then~." Her voice echoed out from the nearby trees, the foliage rustled and suddenly she dove out towards them, branding a kunai and a dangerous grin. "But y'can't blame me for this!"
One of the male shinobi dove in front of their Chuunin comrade and pulled out his own kunai, however, Kaede's weapon just phased through his own and he gasped. He turned quickly, but was not fast enough as his female friend cried out and was kicked so hard, she slammed into the male protecting her resulting in the two of them hitting the dirt ground in a heap.
"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" She shouted, inhaling deeply as they scrambled to get up and out of the way, unable to do so as their limbs were tangled together from the fall. With a deep exhale, their cries filled the forest as they were burned alive right before her eyes.
"Suiton: Mizudeppō no Jutsu!"
Kaede gasped at the sound of 'Suiton' and spun around as the final male shinobi pointed his finger at her, a bubble of water attached to the end of it. With a jerk of his hand in a gun-like motion, the droplet flew at her, several at a time. She let out a sharp hiss and quickly used the Kawarimi no Jutsu to replace herself with a ball of fire that was quickly extinguished under the heavy water bullet assault.
"Dammit, I didn't know they had a Suiton user here!" Kaede ground out from the cover of a nearby tree. "Can't I catch a break?!" So far the battle had been relatively easy, due to her training, and the level of the Chuunin below, she barely had to break a sweat.
Now she had to be careful, water could kill her, and she was painfully aware of that fact.
The snake flicked its tongue slightly, then slithered down and off her arm, onto the branch below. She watched, slightly confused as it continued down the trunk of the tree. "Coward." She sneered, when she came to the conclusion that the snake was bailing on her. With a heavy growl, she formed seals and spat some more air bullets at the last shinobi.
"Suiton: Suirō no Jutsu!"
Kaede inhaled sharply, expecting to be subdued in water, but to her surprise, the man encased himself, holding his breath as the air bullets merely hit the surface of the bubble, not even denting the dense surface of the water. 'Heh, clever.' She thought as the bubble popped and water hit the ground.
Of course, she quickly scrambled to jump to the next branch when another barrage of water bullets was sent her way. She kept running, dodging bullet after bullet as she tried to come up with a plan to get close to her enemy.
'Considering how he's using his jutsu, he's probably like me and doesn't use Taijutsu very much...If that's the case, I have the advantage 'cause I've been practicing!' She thought, dropping off a branch and swinging on it like a gymnast to get to the next one when a bullet hit the place she had just been standing. 'I need t'get close enough t'immobalize him, but how can I do that when he's got so much Chakra?!'
However, her thoughts were interrupted when she paused on a branch, hearing the sounds of the man choking below as his assault stopped. She looked through the thick sticks and leaves and her eyes widened when she saw the little snake she had traveled with wrapped around his neck tightly, as if he was a mouse, waiting to be devoured after death.
The man, in a desperate attempt to remove the serpent around his neck, pulled out a kunai to kill it, but Kaede was not having that. She kicked off hard with her kunai in hand, much like the time she fought Konoha during the Second Great Shinobi War, and gave him a triumphant grin as she stabbed him through the chest, hearing his choked cry as he collapsed on the ground, and the snake loosened its grip.
Kaede remained there, her blade embedded in the man's chest, as she caught her breath. Her ear twitched when she heard groans from nearby and turned to see the shinobi she had attacked first, trying to sit up, injured greatly by her drilling air bullets, but not yet dead.
"Wh-who are you...?!" He rasped, gripping the dirt between his fingers as he coughed.
"Oh y'know..." She tossed a kunai at him and hit him between the brows, watching as he slumped back down, dead with wide eyes that rolled back in their sockets. "Nobody important..."
The snake hissed and she looked at it, letting out a huff as she smirked and crouched down, holding out her hand. "Heh, maybe snakes aren't so bad, after all~." She commented as she watched the small reptile slither onto her hand and under her sleeve. "Why're Konoha sending Chuunin t'such a dangerous place though?" She asked herself, as she started sifting through the dead ninjas' belongings for anything that even remotely connected them to Otogakure. "Considering we're all S-Ranked rogues, y'think they'd send some Jounin at least!"
The serpent hissed in response as she found a map and a Bingo Book with Orochimaru, Kabuto and her own information circled inside. Her eyes narrowed. "Looks like they're pretty well-read on Oto." The redhead rolled up the map and tucked it into her sleeve, using her sash to keep the book against her body, since she did not carry a bag. "Better get these back to Ol' Snake-Eyes, before he throws a hissy fit."
She grinned at the snake. "Heh, get it?" Silence passed for a moment before she clicked her tongue. "I've really lost it, haven't I? I'm talking to a snake, for God's sake!" The Ninjutsu Expert shook her head in disbelief, and spun around, kicking off towards Otogakure again.
All jokes and complaints aside, she needed to let her 'boss' know what she found, otherwise, her own life would be in as much danger as his. Not that she cared whether he lived or died.
Unknown to her, Orochimaru had seen and heard everything through the eyes of the serpent she carried, and he was far from happy with her discoveries.
~BHBL~
It did not take Kaede long to return to the hideout after receiving the items she had been assigned to collect. The snake was comfortably wrapped around her bicep and peeked out of her long sleeve to watch their surroundings as she walked down the long corridors towards Orochimaru's throne room. Her footsteps echoed through the quiet air, and she knew it would thicken with tension once she handed the map and book over to the older Sannin.
She finally stopped at her destination and knocked on the door quickly, an erratic knock she knew he recognized without her having to say anything. "Enter." Came his hoarse, intense voice from the other side. Kaede opened the door and stepped into the room, closing it behind her, she was unaware that he knew about the existence of the map and book, so she came in with an air of seriousness so he would guess she had found something important. "I see your mission went well since you aren't dead." He stated mirth in his tone, despite it being fake. He did not want her to find out he had been watching.
The fact that she obeyed him without knowing he was observing her was a success, despite the unsettling knowledge hidden on the rough parchment she carried.
"Yep, didn't take me long t'finish them off." Kaede started, her lips twitching with a confident smirk, but her eyes remaining stoic. "But I got t'say, I didn't expect Konoha t'be stupid enough t'send Chuunin out on a mission like this."
"Oh? My attack on Konoha must have weakened them more than we originally thought." That pulled a smirk onto his lips and glee danced in his yellow eyes. "Perhaps their remaining Jounin from the excessive battle are out on other, more important missions...Still, it was foolish of Tsunade-hime to think that we couldn't execute a 4-man cell comprised of Chuunin, no matter their potential."
"'We?'" Kaede asked, grinning as she arched a brow and placed a hand on her hip. "There's no 'we' 'bout it! This was all thanks t'me and me alone!" She took the book and the map from her sleeve and sash, then tossed them to Orochimaru who caught both with ease. He placed the book in his lap and read the map first, his eyes moving with the words on the paper, while his redheaded subordinate tapped her finger on the purple rope around her arm impatiently.
A soft hum left Orochimaru's throat as he finished reading the map and moved on to assess the Bingo Book their enemies had been carrying. It was quite disturbing to see they had so much information on their current location and weaknesses, let alone their next potential locations and possible advantages they could gain in battle.
This information could have been devastating had they not dealt with the squad before they arrived. Sometimes when he overanalyzed, his concerns were on point, and he was glad he chose to listen to them when the assigned scout did not return.
"Looks like they know more 'bout us than y'thought, eh?" Kaede commented, watching as his eyes lifted from the book to meet her own. She wasn't smiling, she knew how serious this was.
"No." Orochimaru's lips curled up into a dark grin as he closed the book and tossed it onto the table at his side, straightening up in his chair as he looked down at her. "They know very little if they underestimated us and practically handed this information to us without difficulty. We now have the advantage, thanks to you."
"Was that a compliment?" The redhead asked, arching a brow as she faked a shocked expression. "I think you're going soft, Orochimaru-sama~!"
"Hm, hm, perhaps it is you who underestimates me, dear Firecracker~." His eyes flashed in warning, he was not soft, nor would he ever be. "Perhaps Kabuto should be assigned to teach you the manners used when speaking to your superior."
"Hah! You, my superior?" She scoffed and waved off his words. "Please! I can run circles 'round y'on a good day!"
"Oh? I believe our battle prior all these events proved that incorrect, Kaede-chan~."
Her grin faltered at his words and he knew he had won in their little debate once again, enjoying the glare she shot him as retaliation when she could not find the words to do so instead. "Hm, hm, however, on a more serious note, you performed your task with no risk brought upon Otogakure, therefore you'll be rewarded."
Kaede hummed in surprise and her expression softened slightly, it seemed she hadn't expected a reward. How amusing.
"I will reinstate your salary starting today, you should receive your first paycheck in the next week." He smirked as he placed his cheek on his knuckles, watching her features melt into that of surprise. "Once your freedom is reclaimed, I guarantee it will come in handy to continue that ridiculous book collection you choose to keep~."
The Ninjutsu Expert remained silent for a moment, thinking over his words. From this moment on, she would be considered an employee, rather than a traitor. It was one step closer to what she wanted, and she clenched her fists as hope bubbled to the surface of her entire being. If she kept this up, she would be free.
She could read by the lake, buy liquor and enjoy a good chat with a complete stranger who had never seen her face before. She could pretend all this crap had never happened, even for a second.
"Heh." A soft huff of laughter left her throat and she placed her free hand on her hip, stepping forward with her hand outstretched, indicating that she would return the snake snugly attached to her arm. "Alright, I ain't going t'say no to a little cash~! Y'better take your snake back though, he's freezing and I can't feel my fingers 'cause he's holding on too tight!"
Orochimaru chuckled and held out his hand, palm up, near her own. The contrast between their skin tones clear as day. Her's tanned while he was as white as snow, complete opposites with similar views on life by this point.
Silence passed for a moment, and the snake did not move, it just tightened its grip further, enjoying her warm skin. "Uhhh..." Kaede started, giving the serpent a look fueled by concern. "Y'need t'get him off me, my fingers're going numb."
"I believe our little 'friend' enjoys your company, Firecracker~. Though I can't understand why." Orochimaru teased, grinning when she shot him a glare.
"Either that, or he can't stand you, eh Snake-Eyes~!" She retaliated, gently attempting to pick up the snake with her fingers, only to curse when its grip tightened with a hiss. "C'mon! I know I'm warmer than that cold-blooded bastard, but I need my arm back!" With a few gentle prods, the reptile finally relinquished her limb, and slithered over to Orochimaru's hand, coiling around his wrist as the two lowered their arms at long last. Kaede sighed as the blood rushed into her fingers once again, leading her to clench them into a fist several times to ensure they still worked properly.
"Jokes aside, your actions today will not be forgotten." Orochimaru started, looking at his little serpent as it flicked its tongue at him cutely. "You have made strides towards your desired freedom, continue down this path, and it won't be long before you're able to do as you please."
Those words made that bubbling hope flow over and he saw it in her eyes, which then pulled a grin from her. "Y'got that right! I ain't going t'stay locked up in his shithole forever!" She turned and looked back at him, her teeth glittering in the candlelight. "See y'later, y'sick bastard!" She flipped him off tauntingly and left with a bounce in her step and a more positive vibe surrounding her.
She was changing from a hopeless traitor to a valuable asset, and now that he knew the trigger to her compliance, he would not stop until she was completely tamed. That thought entertained him more than anything but was soured when he glanced at the rolled up map in his hands.
The handwriting was familiar, the Suna Jounin that had accompanied him during his plan to destroy Konoha held the same style of writing. Sunagakure must have allied up with Konoha once more and are now giving them all the information they need to find his whereabouts.
That was unacceptable, he could not allow them to gain the advantage over him, he would plan accordingly and deal with this situation before it got out of hand.
Until then, he would continue to test his former experiment's loyalty until he was satisfied while researching into where Suna could be storing their information.
No one would best him, not while he had breath in his lungs and a beating heart.
A/N: Thank you so much for reading! Please review, any comments given help me strive towards being a better writer!
Jutsu List
Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu = Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique
Futon: Rendukan = Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullets
Suiton: Mizudeppō no Jutsu = Water Release: Water Gun Technique
Suiton: Suirō no Jutsu = Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu
Kawarimi no Jutsu: Replacement Technique
Shunshin no Jutsu = Body Flicker Technique
Otogakure = Hidden Sound Village
Sungakure = Hidden Sand Village
Konohagakure = Hidden Leaf Village
