Chapter 51 - Relocating


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.

I can't believe it's been three months since I last updated this story. I am so sorry for the wait, I'm thinking of lowering my story amount so I can get this story to the Shippuden arc at least. It's been going on for so long.

I'm a little scared for when this story ends, to be honest, even though I'm only about halfway through my planned plotlines, it's been my passion project for about four to five years, after all.

Anyway, enjoy!

(Also, to the guest reviewer that sparked the motivation to finish this chapter...I am not on hiatus, I just have four stories/five stories on the go at once, so it takes me a while to update all of them. Sorry for the wait!)


The cool night air was a refreshing change for Kaede as she stood in the wooden canopy of the forest, many hours away from the Savannah they had once called 'home.' The way the wind gently brushed against her marred skin make her sigh as she closed her eyes and smirked up towards the glittering stars. Yes, the Savannah had been a good, comforting place to sleep compared to the thick shrubbery beforehand, but the forest they were sat in now seemed to be a soothing mix of the two.

It was hidden, but cool enough that the sunlight did not feel quite so uncomfortable on her overheated skin.

At that moment, the four of them, Orochimaru, Kaede, Sasuke and Henrei were camping in the depths of a large forest that barely saw any visitors due to its thick brush and difficult pathways. Henrei was tied to a tree near the campfire, to ensure he did not escape while Kaede was away from the campsite, patrolling the area to ensure they escaped their previous home without being followed. Orochimaru and Sasuke were currently asleep, well, Sasuke was, Orochimaru was probably just contemplating his beliefs, as he normally did when he had time with his thoughts.

The woman sighed as she stopped by a large tree, a fair distance from the camp and leaned against the oak trunk, looking up at the stars as she placed a hand on her hip. She needed a short break, it was always exhausting to stay awake and patrol the area; even as a young Genin, it was her least favorite task.

With the small time she took for herself, her thoughts began to wander from the task at hand, and she took a mental stroll through her past, seeing the many, many things she had done that lead to her being on the run from two countries already. Her most recent crime being the mass murder of innocent children from Tenkachi City. The mere thought of that made her gut twist and bile rise in her throat. The redhead knew she had given up many of her previous beliefs in hopes of chasing an impossible ambition for revenge and an equally impossible desire for freedom, and it sickened her to no end.

Because of those two factors, she had been easily manipulated by her previous village, which had used her and tossed her aside like trash, and by Orochimaru, who had effectively turned her life upside down, but had also given her a reason to keep living. With a groan, she combed her fingers through her hair for a moment, before clicking her tongue and pushed herself off the tree, continuing her patrol in silence. 'I'm not going t'let anyone use me anymore...' She vowed silently, glaring ahead at nothing in particular. 'I'm not going t'follow anyone blindly and do everything they tell me without putting up a fight first!'

Though, the idea was uplifting and freeing, she feared those words too. What was someone who had lost their way supposed to do if given the chance to choose? Would she be able to forge her own path in life, or would she be forced to continue being the sheep for other's to take advantage of. Of course, it was her decision to let Henrei go in the first place and because of that, she had remembered many of her ideals growing up, ideals that had been shrouded behind her darkened past.

Yes, she was a villain too, she was not delusional enough to believe that she thought she had never done anything wrong over the few years she had worked for Orochimaru. However, the fact that she did not have to let those things define who she was as a person would help her strive to find her own purpose and meaning in life, so she did not have to hang off of Otogakure or Orochimaru's every word anymore.

Was not that what he tried to teach her originally? That she was more than just a village?

Upon coming to that conclusion, her mind shifted towards the time she had attempted to commit suicide using something as silly as a tap full of water. How he had stopped her from going through with her fearful actions and gave her a purpose back then, a reason to keep on living. Now she was very much alive again, and she was stronger for it, but it was time for her to move out of the shadow of his words and strive for her own ambitions as well.

Only...She did not quite know where to start looking.

Suddenly she heard a sound behind her and as quick as a seasoned kunoichi who had seen many battles, she spun around and tossed a kunai from her sleeve, watching with wide eyes as it dug deep into the bark of a nearby tree, only millimetres from Orochimaru's head. The Sannin did not flinch, he just stood there, leaning against the trunk with his arms crossed and that insufferable smirk on his pale features.

And with that, Kaede snapped. "What the hell d'you think you're doing?!" She hissed, glaring at him as she relaxed her stance a little. "I could've killed you, asshole!"

Orochimaru merely chuckled and stepped away from the tree, taking the kunai out of the wooden surface before twirling it around his finger once, then putting it in his holster. "Your reflexes have certainly improved since you started working for me..." He stated, raising a hand in a half-assed shrug. "Though your attitude towards your superiors still hasn't changed, I see~." He looked back at the delve in the wood. "Nor has your aim, perhaps a target behind my head would have made a difference, hm?"

Kaede clicked her tongue and placed a hand on her hip, letting her other hand drop and fall back under the cover of her extremely long sleeves. "Shut up, Orochimaru-sama!" She said, though a small smirk seemed to twist onto her own lips as well. With her realization that he had aided her just as much as he had tormented her, she could not quite muster up the anger she felt when she was forced to choose Henrei's fate. "I'm a perfect shot, I didn't hit y'cause I knew if it was an intruder, you'd want t'kill them yourself!"

The Otokage's shoulder shook with a deep, rumbling laughter, before he sauntered over to her and grasped her waist, pulling her flush against his body, relishing in the gasp she let out in surprise. "My, it's amazing how well you know me~!"

Kaede grinned, her fanged tooth gleaming in the moonlight whenever it snuck through the fluttering leaves of a nearby tree. "Heh, y'better watch out, Orochimaru-sama, if y'don't go back to the camp, y'might distract me from my mission!"

"Hm, perhaps you don't know me, after all..." He hissed out, leaning down towards her tanned lips. "Otherwise you wouldn't underestimate my abilities."

With that, the two locked lips in a heavy, possessive exchange, and Kaede was pushed against the trunk of a tree as Orochimaru's fingers tangled into her short red hair, keeping her pressed hard against his mouth as he all but devoured her every breath. The kunoichi wrapped an arm around his waist, and the other gripped at his shirt, attempting to keep him pressed against her during their surprisingly passionate exchange.

After a moment, the two parted, breathing heavily as a cloud of lust fell over the pair of them. However, they knew it was best not to satiate their desires right now, not with Sasuke and Henrei only a few hundred yards away.

Instead the two merely tried to regain their composure, staring into one another's eyes as their ragged breathing filled the silence of the space around them. Yellow orbs scanned cocoa ones and Orochimaru noted that there was a little more life behind her gaze than he had seen over the past twenty four hours and her stance around him seemed far more relaxed than he had ever seen before.

Both curious and cautious, the Sannin pulled away from her and stepped back, leaving her to fix her hair and rustled robe. "I believe you have duties to fulfill, hm?" He asked playfully, before he turned and started walking away, leaving her breathlessly laughing against the tree.

Her next words surprised him enough that he paused. "Yeah, you're right!" She said, as she pushed off the bark. Straightening up as the man turned his head to watch her over his shoulder. "You should get some sleep, I'll take care of keeping y'all safe! what would y'do without me?"

His lips curled into his own grin and he laughed. "I wonder~!" He teased, before he continued towards the campsite. "Though if you don't improve your aim, it might be me who rescues you in a time of need, hm?"

He was curious about her sudden change in attitude around him, assuming she would have been far more aggressive, considering what he had asked her to do and the punishment he had given her when she refused to complete the task. It was as if she had, had some sort of revelation that left her without a burden resting heavily on her shoulders.

If only he could read her mind, however for the time being, he could do nothing but speculate until she felt the desire to tell him what was plaguing her thoughts.

"Ha, you wish, Snake-Eyes!"

She watched as he left the area and she settled back against the trunk of the tree again. When he had abruptly pulled away from her, she could not quite understand why her chest ached a little bit, she assumed it was from a lack of oxygen, as he practically absorbed her every breath. However, deep down, something was changing in her, and it was both terrifying and a little exciting at the same time.

Despite the pain, a small smile washed over her features where her grin had once been, and she sighed. She was grateful overall, glad to have something to look forward to, and someone to protect until she found it.

Even if he was the asshole that caused this whole mess to begin with.

~BHBL~

With many days of travel, and a rotation in their nightly patrols, the group lead by Orochimaru finally reached the far outskirts of Kusagakure. The city was hidden by the largest trees Kaede had ever seen, and many of the buildings in the far distance seemed to stem from those trees, winding around the thick trunks and connecting via long bridges over thin, meticulous, man-made rivers that did not quite match the natural beauty of the landscape. The group of four were outside the wall that was keeping the hidden village protected, shrouded in the thick foliage of a nearby series of shrubs while they came up with a plan for entering the heavily guarded base without being spotted or followed by the Kusagakure shinobi.

Of course, the Sannin always seemed to be prepared for even the most simple of situations, as he smirked and gestured for Kaede and Sasuke to come with him, closely followed by Henrei, who was tugged along by the defiant redhead who was already over her punishment. After all, the boy hadn't stopped whining and threatening her throughout the trip, and his revenge-addled monologues were getting really old, really fast.

The four-man cell eventually stopped at the back portion of the wall, where a cluster of rocks could be seen, far enough from the city as to not raise suspicions. In that large cluster of rocks, a singular snake's head made out of stone jutted out from the ground, its large jaws open with steps going down to a large wooden door just beneath the dirt.

The kunoichi known for her fiery attitude and unshakable sass grinned as she planted her hands on her hips, watching as the Sannin was greeted by a Jounin who opened the large door and bowed to his leader. "Heh, y'really like your flashy entrances, don't y'Orochimaru-sama?"

Orochimaru chuckled at her little remark. "Hm, hm, I don't know what you mean, Firecracker?" He teased right back, walking down the steps and past the Jounin, who followed meekly. "My hideouts are meticulously hidden and well-designed to amplify their level of secrecy, there are no 'flashy entrances' as far as I am concerned."

"Yeah, yeah." Kaede waved off his words as she yanked on the rope, watching Henrei stumble as he followed behind, glaring daggers into her skull, which she easily ignored. She was used to people hating her now. "I think y'need your eyes testing, Orochimaru-sama, there's nothing 'hidden' about a giant-ass snake's head sticking out of the ground!"

"Hm, hm, well my summons didn't bat an eye during the Chuunin exams, so there must be quite a few locations that sport such massive creatures." Suddenly, Orochimaru grasped the arm of a Chuunin who rushed over to collect their bags, causing the poor young man to freeze up with fear. "Take that boy to the cells, give him food and water, but do not let him leave your sight, is that clear?"

The Chuunin nodded his head frantically and the Sannin's smirk appeared, eyes aglow as he watched the young shinobi squirm. Satisfied that his warnings and orders had been taken seriously, the pale man let go of his subordinate and watched as the Chuunin took the rope from Kaede and dragged Henrei away, allowing the redhead some time to relax after she had done nothing but guard that miserable brat throughout their hike.

Once the young ninja was out of sight, along with their prisoner, the Otkage turned to the Jounin that had followed them from the entrance. "Orochimaru-sama, we received word from Kabuto-kun just moments before you arrived!" He started as he met Orochimaru's gaze, fighting back the shiver of fear he felt at the sight of the Sannin's glowing, yellow orbs. "A-according to the letter he sent, the pursuit was unsuccessful, and the search team from Ishigakure found no evidence of your current location! He also stated that all the bodies inside the previous hideout were un-identifiable thanks to Kaede's flames, and no names could be given to the victims!"

"Well, well..." Orochimaru started, glancing back at Kaede, who hid the grimace she felt as a pit of sickness weighed heavily in her gut. "To think your flames could completely remove a person's identifying features...I'll keep that in mind for future plans, hm?"

"Heh, do what y'want, it doesn't mean I'm going t'do it again!" She sneered, hating the idea of murdering another band of innocent children just to keep herself from being locked up.

Orochimaru chuckled at her response, turning back to the Jounin. "Very well, keep an eye on Kusagakure, if they act suspiciously or show any signs of locating us, report to me immediately."

"Yes, sir!" With that, the Jounin formed the correct signs for Shunshin no Jutsu and vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving Kaede and Orochimaru alone in the corridor once more.

With a yawn, the Ninjutsu expert stretched her hands over her head before she dropped them again, allowing her extremely long sleeves to fall over her hands, hiding them from view. She was tired, and needed a distraction from her regrets. "I'm glad that's finally over..." She muttered, looking back at her leader with a playful glare. "I get that I ignored your orders, but t'make me babysit that whining brat for two weeks was just cruel."

Orochimaru laughed darkly, arching a brow as he tucked his hands into his sleeves, connecting his arms together like the links of a chain. "Oh?" He asked, tilting his head to the side, his black hair fluttering to the left from the motion. "Is that a hint of regret I sense in your tone?" His arrogant smirk only widened when she rolled her eyes. "To think, your kindness would waver so soon after your succumbed to your desire to rescue another...Perhaps my influence was far stronger than I realized~!"

"Hah! You wish!" She barked out, turning and walking down the corridor towards whichever room was her's. While she did so, she glanced at him over her shoulder. "I ain't a dog that y'can train t'bite whenever y'want! I'm Mari Kaede from Sunagakure, and I ain't gonna change who I am for anyone!" He had taught her that lesson, and she planned to keep it in mind going forward, no matter what happened next.

"Perhaps I should test you for age-related delusions, hm?"

Kaede's laugh echoed down the narrow halls and she turned to walk backwards, arching a brow at her pale lord. "Only if y'get tested first, y'senile old snake!" She then raised her hand, giving him a mock salute before she did another one-eighty turn to keep walking. "I hate t'kick your ass and run, Snake-Eyes, but a nap's calling my name, and I ain't about t'let that siren's call fall on deaf ears!"

She would never admit to her conflicting thoughts outright, but he had a point. She both regretted killing the children, and regretting saving Henrei, it was a confusing and unsettling sensation that made holding food down a little more difficult. Next time she found herself in that situation, she knew she would spend more time considering her options before making a decision, to avoid this horrible, gut-wrenching sensation from ever plaguing her again.

A Jounin of her status could not move without thinking, not if they wanted to live to see another sunrise. And someone of her stubborn nature could not spend their days waiting hand and foot on someone else for their own decisions. She had to start making her way in the world alone, despite being surrounded by others that she knew she had to protect. After all, one of those people happened to be the one to give her a new lease on life.

With that, she turned the corner and was finally out of sight, leaving Orochimaru to chuckle at her foolish banter before he headed into his office. He had a lot of work to do if he was going to set up his base for future operations.

Hopefully they managed to evade Kusagakure's watchful eye, so he could finally focus on bringing out Sasuke's true potential in battle. The sooner the young prodigy could defeat his brother, the sooner the snake shinobi would be able to claim his new vessel. The idea alone made Orochimaru lick his lips with glee.

The Sharingan would eventually belong to him, at long last.

Meanwhile, Kaede finally reached the room she knew to be her's, as there was a seal on the door with her name scrawled across it. She created the signs to break the seal and as the paper burned and disintegrated in the air, she ripped open the door and stepped into the room. To her surprise, it was a little larger than her previous rooms, and there was a bit more furniture inside than before as well.

The bed was still the same size, and she still had a nightstand, but instead of just those and a chest of drawers for her clothes, she had a relatively small bookcase, a table with a candle in the center and a chair for her to lounge on to her heart's content. She had not expected this, since she was so used to the smaller, emptier rooms that many Otogakure shinobi were given, however, it was a pleasant surprise.

The redhead huffed out a laugh as she dropped her backpack on the table, looking around at her new surroundings. She knew that Orochimaru was behind her space upgrade, and she knew he would tease her to no end because of how much space she took up, but in a way, she was grateful, because it actually felt like she had a place to call home again. Something she had not felt since she was confined eleven years ago and had been amplified exceptionally when she had been attacked by her family in Sungakure.

'He might be an ass, but he's not so bad when you get used to him.' She thought absentmindedly as she went about unpacking her clothes and beloved books.

She had to admit that she knew her hatred for him was almost gone at this point, thanks to that little revelation she had in the forest. Of course, now that she realized she needed to find her own path in life, instead of just following anyone who gave her a roof over her head, she did not quite know what to do with herself. All she knew was that she needed to take some time to really think about what she wanted to achieve, and who she wanted to become.

But she was sure of one thing...

'I'm going t'get a raise so I can fill that bookshelf.'


A/N: Thank you for reading, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I need to figure out how I can evenly space out these chapters without overwhelming myself with my four stories...If anyone has any ideas or thinks I should lower my story amount, let me know!

Also, please drop me a review or a favorite, your comments and support inspire me to work harder and it really motivates me to know how I can improve!

Japanese = English

Otogakure = Hidden Sound Village

Otokage = Sound Shadow

Kusagakure = Hidden Grass Village

Shunshin no Jutsu = Body Flicker Technique