Chapter 36: Questions


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 finally got round to finishing chapter 36 of BHBL! Honestly, these five chapters coming up, including this one are the most nerve-wracking for me, because they are really important to the romance aspect of the plot that will be implemented soon. (I know I've said that since chapter 30, but I'm being serious, I think chapters 40 - 45 will be about the romance.)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!


A groan and a shift was heard in the darkness of Kaede's room during the early hours of the morning, though to anyone living in the hideout, time was irrelevant, only the day, month and year seemed to matter, and even then they were difficult to pinpoint without assistance from the sun. The living mass of defiance rolled over as she blinked tiredly, having overslept once again after overworking herself the night before during her training.

Now she laid there, engulfed in perpetual darkness, before she inhaled softly and blew out a flicker of flames to light the candle at her bedside, filling the room with the comforting orange glow. With a grunt and a complaint, she rolled onto her back once again and sat up, running her hands down her sleepy face to wake herself even just a little.

Assuming she had gotten her calendar in order since arriving here, she knew what day it was, and that fact soured her mood before she had even got out of bed to prepare for it.

Today...Was her forty-ninth birthday. Funnily enough, it also marked the one-year and two-month anniversary since she had been granted access to Otogakure without being confined to a glass chamber. "Ugh..." She grumbled, looking over at the book on her nightstand, then the bathroom door, before she clambered out of bed and into the small room fitted with a shower/bath combo, a toilet, and a sink. "Happy birthday t'me, I guess..." She mumbled unenthusiastically as she closed the door to prepare for the day.

After about twenty minutes of using the facilities, showering, and dressing, the redhead opened her bedroom door to step out into the eyes of the Otogakure members, only to pause in surprise as Sasuke, who had returned from a small mission, walked past brandishing a brand-new sword. It was a surprise, to say the least, considering he had gone out the night before weapon-less and had returned with a sharp, dangerous object as a result.

Though why that was surprising, especially considering who he worked for, she had no idea.

Of course, the sight of him holding that sword made her realize something that would brighten her day exponentially. That sword must have been a gift, and as it was her birthday, she could get herself something pleasant as well, considering she had been saving her ryo since the last time she had splurged a little during a mission.

With a huff and a grin, she went back into her room and collected her small pouch filled with coins, tucking it into her sash as she left once again and closed the door behind her. She would have to make sure she had no missions to attend, but other than that, it was not like anyone could stop her trying to enjoy her special day.

Though she hoped no one was aware it was her birthday, she hated the thought of getting attention and praise from these people. Not that she thought they would even care.

The Ninjutsu expert made her way to Orochimaru's office with a small skip in her step now, excited by the prospect of going to the nearby town and spending her hard-earned cash on some luxuries for herself. Something she had taken for granted back when she lived in Sungakure.

Surprisingly, the thought of Sunagakure did not bother her as much today, it still hurt, deep down, but as she had found something exciting to occupy her mind, it did not take much for her to detach that thought and move onto something else to distract herself.

Within minutes, she found herself stood outside of Orochimaru's study, where a snake-symbol was carved into the wooden door. Without wasting a second, she burst into the room without knocking, something she was known to do quite often. However, to her surprise, she faltered and paused as Orochimaru, who was sat at one of his many tables, slammed a book shut and shot her an irritated, rather dangerous glare.

"Yes, what is it?" He hissed out rather impatiently, hating that she just barged in. "I believe most would knock before entering, so it must be important enough to risk your life!"

Kaede's brow curled up in mild confusion before she grinned deviously and leaned against the doorframe with a hand on her hip. "What's the matter, Snake-Eyes, did I interrupt y'writing in your diary~?" She pointed at the book playfully. "Got t'admit, I never saw y'as the type t'keep one of those!"

Orochimaru chuckled, brushing off her remark, though his chuckle seemed forced as if the sound itself was made to silence her. "And you would be right to assume such. I am not one for journaling my thoughts, this is merely a list of potential jutsu that I could develop in the future should I regain the ability to do such."

"Oh yeah?" Kaede tipped her chin towards the book, a sly little challenge. "Prove it~!"

"Hm, hm, I would, however I know full well that someone of your nature would find the text far too complicated to comprehend~!" He smirked gleefully when her smile fell, then changed the subject, as he was indeed, busy. "Now, what do you want? I am in the midst of my research, and want to be left in peace."

Kaede would have normally continued the conversation down the path it was previously on, however considering her desired plans, she allowed herself to be distracted just this once. "Heh, alright, I'll step back this one time!" She started, pushing off the doorframe to stand up straight. "I was wondering if I had any missions lined up for today?"

"No, any missions I have at the moment are all for Chuunin level shinobi or lower." He arched a brow as Kaede's expression seemed to brighten up, something he was only used to seeing when he offered her a chance for freedom. "Why does it matter?"

Kaede shrugged a single shoulder. "Just thought I'd ask. I wanted t'go to the nearby village for a while, and the last thing I want is your bloodthirsty ass chasing me down for not doing my job properly!"

Orochimaru smirked at her words, amused by the idea that she would worry about him 'chasing her down.' This woman was fearless, he doubted she would even bat an eye. "Hm, I see no reason why you can't do as you please." He stated, placing the pen down and standing to address her properly. "As long as you don't draw attention to yourself and put our entire operation at risk."

Kaede let out a mocking scoff and planted her hands on her hips. "Heh, whether I did or not, y'don't have a choice in the matter!" She stated bravely, lifting her head to look up at him properly, which was quite comedic, given her height difference since his transformation. "I was just asking if I had work, not asking for your permission t'go to the town!" Without waiting for a response, she spun on one of the wooden platforms connected to her sandals and turned away from him, looking over her shoulder and giving him a mock salute as she grinned. "Don't wait up, Orochimaru-sama, I ain't planning on coming back 'til I'm hammered!"

However, she saw movement in the corner of her eye, forcing her to do a full one-eighty, facing Orochimaru again as she caught the small sack that was tossed in her direction. With the way it jingled as she caught it, she knew it was filled with metallic coins. "Wait, what're y'giving me this for?" She asked curiously, glancing from the coins to the Sannin before her, who looked both pleased with himself and amused at her reaction.

"Hm, hm, as you have done your duties up until this point with few complaints and little defiance, I believe a small reward is in order." His eyes gleamed in the candlelight, enjoying her emotions as her tanned, features warped with shock. "Consider it a bonus for your hard work~!"

Though that was how he worded it, he would never let slip that he knew exactly what day it was, and why she planned to go to the town, despite not being interested any other time prior this moment. No, he would never allow himself, or anyone else to assume that this bonus was a birthday present of sorts.

He was not that kind of man, he merely wanted to see her reaction to receiving a bonus for the first time.

Though Kaede looked fairly suspicious for a few moments, eventually she let out a huff of laughter and tucked the pouch into her sash, alongside her own wallet. "Whatever y'say, Snake-Eyes!" She joked, turning again to leave. "I ain't going t'say no to a little extra cash!"

"Hm, hm, I expected nothing less~!"

Kaede once again, gave him a mock salute with two fingers, before stepping out of the door and closing it behind her, leaving him to chuckle to himself over her bold, energetic reaction to his 'gift.' Though he understood her desires to celebrate her birthday, deep down he was rather surprised she would want to even acknowledge the day, considering the many things she had gone through over the course of her life.

After all, he himself did not even consider his birthday to be important anymore and instead spent his time carving a path to his ambitions.

Meanwhile, Kaede bound down the corridor with a spring in her step and her waist jingling pleasantly from the two coin carrying bags she had taken with her. She was mildly surprised to receive anything from Orochimaru, let alone something she actually appreciated. Of course, she chalked it down to being exactly what he said it was, a reward, as she could not fathom the thought that he had actually considered her birthday and remembered it well enough to give her something in return.

And with her most recent mission, a bonus made sense, considering just what that mission meant in regards to her loyalty.

The thought of her previous mission made her falter as she opened the hideout door and squinted against the harsh light coming from the bright mid-afternoon sun peeking in through the doorway above. For a split second, her stomach sank and her expression twisted with guilt and discomfort.

She was being rewarded for the worst deed she had ever committed in her life.

Realizing that she was falling down a slippery slope, she took a deep breath and shook her head, stepping out of the door and up the steps towards the open savannah. Today she would not let herself dwell on the bad things, instead, she would openly try to enjoy herself and live a normal life, even if it was only for a few hours.

It sounded better than beating herself up over something she no longer had any control over. She couldn't turn back time, so there was no point in stressing about it now.

She would not ruin her first day off in years.

~BHBL~

"Huh, I expected something bigger."

Only an hour or two had passed since Kaede had left Otogakure, and now she stood before the large archway leading to the relatively small village that had a looming temple situated right in the middle. Though it was the only town for another good hour or two, it was tiny, and had only a few shops and about twice as many homes that civilians resided within.

With a shrug, Kaede smirked as she stepped into the town's confines, fully aware that people started staring and whispering to themselves in the background. With her scarred and rather wild appearance, she was used to being leered at, judged and feared.

Therefore, until they purposely aggravated her, she would ignore their very existence as to enjoy her long-awaited day off.

"Right!" She said boldly, surprising a few people as she grinned and pulled out her bonus, opting to use that first since there was more in there than there was in her own. "First thing I'm going t'do is get myself some new books!"

With a gleeful spring in her step and eyes alight with a sense of forgotten freedom, the redhead walked into the small market area filled with little stores and went into the nearest bookstore to buy herself a new read. Even she was growing bored of re-reading the same story over and over again, so now it was time to spice it up.

However...

Though she said that, in the end, the woman left with two more volumes of Icha-Icha Paradise, this time volumes' two and three, the continuation of the book she had kept on her person for over a year of her life, and many more prior her kidnapping.

She let out a laugh and ruffled her hair sheepishly, scolding herself for going straight to a book she understood and loved. 'So much for something new~!' She thought idly before she slipped into a few more stores and finally left with a good stash of items. With her trove in hand, she headed towards the park on the other side of the market.

The birthday girl found a nice wooden bench, shaded by a large oak tree, and planted herself down there, deciding to lean against one arm of the wooden seat while her feet rested on the other. Since she had all the time in the world, a good hour or two reading would not kill her, and she quite enjoyed the bustle of people in the area, as long as they did not bother her, of course.

When you lived in a silent, underground bunker of sorts, the sounds of a living, loving and ever-moving world could be a comfort as well as a distraction.

Of course, at that moment, the comfort turned into pain, when a hard, heavy object hit the back of her head, causing her to hiss and sit up, gripping the back of her skull where the item had made contact. "Agh, what the hell?!"

She turned to the source of the disturbance, only to see a large rock on the ground, with a small speckle of her blood on its sharp surface. She clicked her tongue and looked at her hand, seeing small red droplets there too. Who the hell had thrown a rock at her?

"You monster!"

The redhead hummed and her eyes drifted over to the nearby play park, where a little boy with a bandaid over his nose and a tooth missing glared at her, being hushed by his rather frightened mother. At first, Kaede was confused and looked around to see if he had aimed for someone else, and missed, but when she saw no-one else hovering nearby, the situation really clicked in her mind.

This town was part of a country that had no ninja village, therefore Otogakure's arrival was probably big news, and terrifying at the same time. It would make sense that Orochimaru had sent some of their comrades ahead of time to ensure they would not speak a word of their location to anyone, therefore the people here knew just by the rope belt around her arm, that she was part of said village, and therefore, their enemy.

A heavy sigh left her lips, as she wiped her hand, then tucked her book back into the bag containing her small findings. The mother was still trying to hush her brat as the woman stood up and started walking over, her aura, her entire being, becoming darker and more dangerous with each step. Once she stopped in front of them, the blank frown Kaede once adorned twisted into a malicious, threatening smirk and she glared down at them.

"Hey." She started, crossing her arms as her intense brown eyes stayed fixated on the child who had thrown the rock. "Ain't your parents ever taught y'not to throw rocks at dangerous strangers?"

"I-I'm sorry, he's usually a very good boy-" The mother started, trying to pull her child behind her crouched form.

However, the boy seemed adamant to show his courage, despite the foolishness of the action. "I ain't afraid of you!" He snapped, pushing away from his mother to stamp on Kaede's foot, which usually would have made her flinch back, but she did not move, not wanting to show weakness, even to a child like this. "You're a monster who's working for that evil snake man! You hurt our families and forced us to be quiet about it, I hate you!"

"Oh yeah?" The woman's already sinister smirk widened into a dark grin and she raised her hands to form the signs for her Katon jutsu. "Looks like I've got to teach a brat like you a lesson~!"

The mother let out a terrified scream and picked up her little goblin offspring, who was also shaking at this point, and the morally lacking Oto kunoichi watched with amusement as they ran away in an attempt to save their own skin.

As she said, she was used to people viewing her as something inhuman, and that spoiled little shit was just asking to be scared straight.

Kaede turned away from the retreating duo, and when her eyes met onlookers who had halted to see what the commotion was about, they all flailed slightly and averted their attention. Going about their days like nothing had happened. After a second of regaining her composure, she let out an annoyed huff and went back to the bench where she left her belongings.

Now that the troublemakers were gone, she could read in peace.

The whispering guilt she felt deep down became quieter and quieter each time she did something she once deemed cruel, and with her most recent mission, she no longer cared about such little acts of malice.

Why should she care, when others did not care about her?

The Ninjutsu expert sat down and leaned back, looking at the sky for a moment, as she thought of their reactions and the boy's words about Orochimaru. It was all thanks to his devious nature that she had been given the title of 'monster' to begin with, being a monster himself.

However, that thought drifted her attention to the paper bag beside her, where her most recent read sat atop the pile of treasures. 'Is he really a monster though...?' She thought idly, taking the book out of the bag and looking at its brand new, glossy cover. 'I ain't heard of a monster that gives his traitorous subordinates a bonus before...'

Even she could not deny kindness when the proof of it was right in front of her face. Though she really wished she could, as her stomach sank and a grimace crossed her features.

'I get saving my life...' She pondered, slipping the book back into the bag as she stood and gathered it in her arms. 'Especially since my jutsu's improved thanks t'his annoying experiments.' That thought made her scoff and glare, she hated merely acknowledging that, but it was the truth. 'But the bonus? Nah, that ain't right...A monster doesn't reward failures. A monster kills them.'

A groan escaped her lips and she dragged her fingers through her fringe, feeling the start of a headache forming from her overthinking, and the recent trauma caused by that fairly big rock. Instead of letting herself think too hard about it, she decided finding a good bar to drink in would be the best course of action.

Maybe loosening up with some strong alcohol would do her some good, it definitely did not do any harm, considering the last time she got a drink.

Sometimes she still smiled slightly at the compliment Jiraiya gave her when she bumped into him. 'Heh, he would've made a good friend, if we'd met when I was a kid!'

With that pleasant memory, she sauntered away from the bench and towards the market once again, just as the sun began to set over the horizon.

~BHBL~

Stars glittered over the unique rock formation that hid the snake-shaped entrance to the hideout from view, silence filled the savannah as most creatures living in this environment chose to sleep through the remainder of the night, as it was already past the stroke of midnight at the very least. The few creatures that were roaming around during this hour, were frightened off as the sound of terrible singing broke through the peace, and a woman with red hair and a half-empty bottle of sake in her hand stumbled up to the entrance of her home.

In the end, she had spent every last piece of ryo she held in the bar, and knowing the trip to Otogakure was about an hour to two hours long, she had opted to purchase a drink for the trip, enjoying the silly buzz that the alcohol gave her. Honestly, most expected her to be the depressed kind of drunk, considering the last time she had a drink and everything she had been through. But in all honesty, during that moment, her more wild, boisterous side tended to show itself and settle down as her base personality during those moments.

Of course, that personality was not going to help her get down the stairs any easier, as she stumbled into the hideout entrance and down the staircase leading to the main corridors. Her scarred, tanned hands feeling the wall for any sense of purchase to ensure she did not fall and break her neck.

Overall, she would say it was a pretty successful birthday, she had fun, despite getting a rock thrown at her head which, luckily, had stopped bleeding at this point. "M'gonna get that checked t'morrow..." She slurred as she finished descending into the darkness and let out a sharp curse when she tripped on the last step, looking at it like it was not there a moment ago.

When she was satisfied that she had imagined it, she shrugged and spun to face the hallway, staggering down its shadowed structure as she hummed the off-key tune she had been wailing above ground. Though she planned to sleep, the bag she was carrying with her spoils inside meant she had to make a quick trip to the kitchen first, as there were some ready-made curries in there that needed packing away for a later date.

With that thought, she halted by the door to the kitchen before she could pass it, and pushed it open, peeking inside to see if there was anyone there to witness her intoxicated state. Once certain it was empty, she grinned and sauntered inside, unpacking her curries to store away, dropping the frozen food once or twice with a curse as she did so.

Unknown to her, Orochimaru had heard her stumbling down the corridor and had curiously followed her in the darkness to see just what she was up to, now he was leaning against the wall near the fridge, smirking as the amusing sight of her drunk blunders entertained him greatly. "I should have known you would spend your bonus on those infernal books." He stated, eyes gleaming when she screamed in surprise and spun around, slipping on the smooth floor and using her hands to grab the counters behind her, leaving her in a very foolish position, hunched against the stone surface used to prepare food. "Hm, hm, I see your senses have dulled with the sake you've been drinking~!"

Kaede blinked once or twice as her mind caught up with her and she huffed, actually pouting at him for scaring her. That was quite the surprise for him, and he admired the expression for a moment, wondering what it would take to get her to make such a face when sober, as it would likely humiliate her and give him more ammunition to taunt her with. "Y'need to tell me when y'enter a room, asshole!" She slurred aggressively, snapping him out of his thoughts, both unaware that he had been staring at her lips for a moment.

"Oh? I believe a Jounin of your level should know instantly when someone approaches from behind, hm?" His smirk turned into a grin, and he crossed his arms, arching a brow as if challenging her. "Whether you're intoxicated or not!"

"M'not intoci-intoxis- drunk!" Kaede grumbled, turning away from him to continue unpacking her items, seeing the book peeking out of the bag, which made her blush slightly through the drunken haze.

So that's how he knew about her books.

"What y'doin' up, anyway?" The inebriated redhead asked, as she finished putting her perishable products away and scooped up her books without the bag to take to her room. "We ain't on a mission, so y'can sleep now, right?"

"Hm, hm, I'm flattered that you care so much for my wellbeing, Firecracker~!" He started, cutting her off when she went to protest, earning yet another childish pout. "However, I was merely waiting for you to return so I could brief you on your next mission."

"Right now?!" She blurted out, eyes wide in surprise.

Orochimaru chuckled, shoulders shaking slightly, he had never seen her drunk, this was quite an amusing sight to say the least. His interest in her reactions and retaliations only increased further with this knowledge. "No, you will have enough time to sober up, I assure you." He glanced at her with that sly gleam in his eyes, only accented further by the candlelight. "Even then, I believe this is something you could accomplish, even in your current state."

"Oh yeah?" Kaede took a swig of the sake, swirling it around in the bottle. She was half-tempted to offer him some, but even drunk, she knew she would never forgive herself for being kind to him and offering him some of her precious booze. "What y'got for me?"

"Hm, hm...Important news has reached us from our base in the Mizu no Kuni which demands my attention." Orochimaru pushed off the wall and stepped closer to her, dropping his arms by his side. "Therefore I will be departing tomorrow alongside Sasuke-kun and Kabuto." He glanced at her sake bottle, then her shorter stature before meeting her eyes. "Until we return, you are in charge of this base and the shinobi stationed inside. I expect you to take your job seriously, and ensure no-one finds our location."

Kaede arched a brow and scoffed, grinning at him, leaning against the counter again as if his taller form did not intimidate her. "I never thought I'd see the day y'trust me with your hideout, Snake-Eyes~!" She stated boldly, taking another swig of her sake. "Gotta watch out for that, otherwise people will think y'goin' soft!"

Orochimaru hummed curiously as his smirk widened, without giving her a chance to react, he snatched the bottle and tipped his head back, draining the last of the alcohol into his mouth, before he held the bottle back out to her arrogantly. "I am no such thing, Kaede-chan~!" He started, watching with glee as she grumbled and snatched the bottle back with a glare. "You're merely the highest-ranking ninja below myself, therefore it made sense that you would be put in charge until we return."

"M'kay, whatever y'say..." She slurred, eyes drooping tiredly, she wanted to find her bed immediately and sleep, but this asshole was too busy talking to her.

"Hm, hm, those words don't suit you." He commented, turning to leave, only to pause and glance back at her. "I assume I don't need to explain what'll happen if you fail me, correct?"

"Yeah, yeah!" She waved him off. "Y'ain't hard t'read Snake-Eyes! If I fail, you'll kick my ass, torture me, then kill me where I stand, right?"

"Hm, it seems even inebriated you hold some semblance of intelligence~!"

Her only response to that little tease was to flip him off, to which he laughed deviously and began walking away. However, it was Kaede who stopped him this time, as she glanced at the bottle and worked up the courage to speak. "Hey, Orochimaru."

He halted mid-step, glancing at her from the corner of his eye, though she refused to meet his gaze.

"Why'd y'keep me alive for so long, knowing I'm a loose cannon?"

His eyes widened and his smirk curled into a gleeful grin. Oh, she was clever, even now. Every interaction with her only further increased his desire to understand her inner-mind further. "Hm, hm, why does the wind turn the windmill, Firecracker?" He pondered in return, which made her scoff and roll her eyes.

"I shoulda known y'would say somethin' like that." She responded, then waved him off again, her silent way of telling him he could leave now, which he did anyway, as he had to rest before the trip to the Mizu no Kuni.

Once he was out of sight, Kaede let out a long hiss of breath, then tossed the sake bottle into the trash can by the door, before carrying her books out of the kitchen and down the corridor towards her room. She was too tired to ponder his stupid metaphors, so she opted to just forget it and sleep off her drunken state. Though there was a small part of her, a part she could not ignore as much anymore, that believed he did not just keep her alive because of her power...No, there was something more to it, but she could not quite put her finger on it.

However, Orochimaru himself was pleasantly surprised by her intuition despite being intoxicated, she seemed to see past his obvious logic, despite him giving her no other indication that he had other intentions. In the end, he had given her a reason to live to gauge her reaction, to get a response from her that would bring forth an entertaining number conversations and interactions that left him amused and drained of all boredom he felt prior.

Every time he spoke to her, she would surprise him just a little more.

~BHBL~

"Ohhhhh, my head..."

Kaede rolled over atop her sheets, stroking her temples with her fingers as she tried to recall the events of the night before. Every thought caused her head to throb painfully, and she was reacquainted with the negative effects of drinking heavily, for the first time in over eleven years. With effort, she could remember one or two details after hitting the bar, one of which was her interacting with Orochimaru, though she could not remember what was said.

"I better not've been buddy-buddy with him." She told herself sharply, glaring at the ceiling as she dropped her hands to her sides, slightly sprawled out where they fell. "I ain't going t'be seen dead being friendly with that asshole!"

She hissed as she raised her voice, pinching the bridge of her nose when she aggravated her already thrumming hangover. "Ugggh, I'm too old for this crap..." Unable to lay down with the pain any longer, the tired, stressed redhead sat up slowly, groaning when it caused more pain. "Yep, too old, I need t'retire."

She let out a cynical laugh. If only that was possible with her situation.

After pushing herself to stand and dress for the day, she opened her bedroom door to leave, only to pause when she noticed a sheet of parchment pinned to the outer surface of her door. She carefully pulled it off and squinted through her blurry vision to see what was scrawled onto the paper.

'Judging from your behavior the night before, I have come to the conclusion that you won't remember our conversation prior to waking up. I have assigned you as the acting leader of Otogakure during my absence regarding an impromptu mission alongside Kabuto and Sasuke-kun. You'd do well not to let me down.

-Orochimaru.'

Kaede scoffed, crumpling up the paper in her hand, at least she had an answer for what they talked about. "Like I need y'to remind me." She stated stubbornly, knowing full well he was right, and she had forgotten their interaction. She turned and tossed the paper onto her bed, before leaving her room and walking down the corridor towards the kitchen.

Whether or not she was in charge while he was away, she knew she needed something to eat, first and foremost. Otherwise, she would spend most of the day huddled over the toilet, as nausea was beginning to ebb at her, not enough to be distracting, but enough for her to feel queasy. "Ugh, I wonder if I put those curries away properly..." She mumbled, combing her fingers through her hair as she tried to relax, she ached all over.

However, as she passed one of the bedrooms leading down to the kitchen, she faltered and paused, glancing over to see the door slightly ajar. Looking at the carving of a snake on the outer surface of the barrier, she knew who's room it was and was surprised he would leave the door open for anyone to walk in.

Not that anyone would, they all knew they would die if they tried, that is probably why he felt comfortable leaving it open.

"Heh, that asshole owes me, big time." She drawled out with a smirk as she turned and grabbed the doorknob to close it, however with a fleeting glance into the room, she stopped before she sealed it shut from prying eyes. On the bed, was a small book with a hand-written cover, a book she remembered vividly from barging in on Orochimaru the day before to ask for time off.

Curiosity bubbled up inside her and she tilted her head to the side in thought, despite her head thumping from the motion. Maybe she was still slightly drunk, or just suicidal, but there was a part of her pulling her towards picking up the book and seeing just what the Sannin was writing about.

She doubted it was a diary, as Orochimaru did not seem like the type to write his thoughts and feelings down. It may have been a list of jutsu, after all, but whether it was or was not, there may have been something in there that would ease her training, or give her something new to learn.

With the temptation winning out over the quiet voice of reason whispering in the back of her mind, Kaede stepped into the room and closed the door behind her.

Unaware that her actions would have dire consequences.


A/N: Thank you for reading! Please review, all comments help me improve my writing and inspires me to keep creating!

Japanese to English translation

Mizu no Kuni = Land of Mist

Otogakure = Hidden Sound Village

Sunagakure = Hidden Sand Village

kunoichi = female ninja

shinobi = male ninja

katon = fire release

ninjutsu = ninja techniques