I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.
Old Habits
Ryuu slowed to a stop beside a small crystal designed like a flower. Naruto stared at it and frowned.
"What is it?" Naruto asked.
"I think it's a sensor of some kind," Ryuu said, kneeling. "Hey Guren, can you come out and play?" He formed a Chidori, destroying the flower, then let it fade and stood. "And now we wait."
"How long?" Naruto asked.
"You've got some nerve calling me out like this," Guren said, stepping out of the trees. "Are you going to try to-"
Ryuu knelt, placing his hands and forehead to the ground, Naruto and Guren both staring at him.
"I'm sorry for the way I acted," Ryuu apologized. "I'm sorry for trying to kill you. I lost my way and forgot how to see that there are other ways of handling situations like that, so I didn't even give it a second thought."
"Why are you...apologizing?" Guren asked. "We're shinobi! Killing is what we do! And besides that, we're enemies! You had every right to try and kill me! Now stop making this weird!"
"You're right," Ryuu said, sitting up but remaining on his knees. "But even though that's our job, and even though I was justified, it was still wrong. Killing is wrong no matter who you are, or what they've done. I used to hate the thought of killing almost as much as the thought of losing my friends. I always tried to save my enemies from themselves, and I actually succeeded with one that anyone else would have considered beyond hope. But I didn't even give you a chance. I didn't even try. I just decided you had to die and didn't listen to anyone saying otherwise, even my friends. I'm sorry."
Guren stared at him for a long moment. "I'm...not angry. But what do you...what do you mean you want to save me from myself?"
"You're desperate to prove your worth to Orochimaru and become his vessel, but if you do that, you'll die," Ryuu said."
"That's none of your business!" Guren snapped.
"You know he'll never accept you as his vessel, don't you?" Ryuu asked, Guren glaring at him. "It's not about your abilities, or your successes or failures. It's about what he wants. Your Crystal Style is amazing and beautiful, but Orochimaru prizes Sasuke's Sharingan above all else. Even if you were to beat Sasuke in a fight, he'd still choose Sasuke, simply for his eyes. You're not the first person Orochimaru lost interest in and cast aside in favor of the Sharingan. For example, Kimimaro was the one Orochimaru wanted before Sasuke for his Shikotsumyaku, his Kekkei Genkai that let him control his bones. But then Orochimaru got Sasuke, and he suddenly had no use for Kimimaro anymore."
"You don't know that!?" Guren snapped.
"Yes I do," Ryuu said. "I do know, because I was that snake's prisoner and test subject for years. All he would talk about as he was experimenting on me and my own Sharingan is how excited he was to take over Sasuke, and how nothing else mattered. I'm sorry, Guren, but you're being used. So is Yukimaru. Orochimaru means to use him to control the Three-tails, and maybe make him a Jinchuriki, but then he'll just throw him away as well. And when he does, he'll kill him. Is that what you want?"
"I...no," Guren said. "I...I won't let anyone hurt him!"
"What will you do?" Ryuu asked. "Will you defend him?"
"Of course I will!" Guren snapped, then faltered, seeming surprised at herself.
"Even from Orochimaru?" Ryuu asked.
Guren remained silent.
"It doesn't have to be that way, Guren," Ryuu said. "You could help us stop him. You could help us save Yukimaru, and get the Three-tails away from Orochimaru, and then you could come to the Hidden Leaf. You'd have to earn everyone's trust, and you'd have to tell them all the information you have on Orochimaru, but you'd be allowed to stay. And then we would help you keep Yukimaru safe."
Guren scoffed. "How stupid do you think I am? Orochimaru's a sworn enemy of the Hidden Leaf. They'd never let me in."
"That's not necessarily true," Ryuu said. "You wouldn't be the first of Orochimaru's followers we've saved," Naruto said. "Well, Ryuu saved them, but you wouldn't be the first."
"Yeah right," Guren snorted. "You've got former followers of Orochimaru living in the Hidden Leaf? I'll believe that when I see it."
"Alright," Ryuu shrugged. "Right this way." He turned sideways, holding his arm out to allow her to pass him, getting her heading at a ninety degree angle from where they were actually camped out, though one of the three clones he'd had following them was already going to get Kabuto, Tayuya, and Kakashi, and to explain to Kakashi what he was trying to do so that Kakashi would go along with it, hopefully.
Guren eyed the two Hidden Leaf shinobi suspiciously for a moment before walking past them. "I don't know where I'm going."
"There's a clearing about three hundred meters up ahead," Ryuu said calmly, walking along just behind her. "On the off chance you decide to stay on Orochimaru's side, I can't allow you to meet with everyone, but I think the group meeting us there will be enough to convince you."
"You're wasting your time, kid," Guren said. "I'm not going to turn traitor to Lord Orochimaru."
"Wait and meet our friends first, then decide," Ryuu said.
After a few more minutes, they reached the clearing, walking out into it, only for Guren to stop as Kabuto and Tayuya walked into the clearing as well, both watching her warily. Then, Kakashi walked out behind them and Guren swore.
"This was a trap!" Guren accused. "I knew it!"
"You're wrong," Ryuu said, tossing his tanto and trench knife at her feet. "We didn't bring you here to fight, only to talk."
"Guren!" Gozu shouted suddenly, falling toward Ryuu, fist expanded, only for Ryuu to spin, catching the punch, grunting in pain as it connected with most of his body, then sighed.
"Chill out Gozu," Ryuu said. "We're not going to hurt her. Or you. We only brought Guren here to talk to her."
"About what?" Gozu asked.
"Joining the Hidden Leaf Village," Ryuu said, Gozu stepping back and shrinking his fist.
"As I said, that would never actually be allowed," Guren said.
"Why not, Guren?" Kabuto asked. "They let me come back to the Hidden Leaf."
"And who are...wait, I know that voice," Guren said, narrowing her eyes. "Kabuto? You left Lord Orochimaru for the Hidden Leaf?"
"I did," Kabuto nodded. "And I haven't regretted my decision for an instant. Thanks to Ryuu, I managed to remember who I really am. Although, I remained under Orochimaru for some time as a deep cover operative for the Leaf, as well as to try and help as many of Orochimaru's victims as I could, but ultimately, I had to blow my cover when I saved Ryuu and got him out of Orochimaru's prison."
"You saved Ryuu?" Guren asked. "Wait, was this that prison where the Kekkei Genkai wielders were locked up, the one that was destroyed in a riot?"
"That's the one," Kabuto nodded. "And I'm sure you remember Tayuya."
"Tayuya?" Guren gasped. "From the Sound Four? Impossible! I heard they all died!"
"I would have too, if Ryuu didn't save me," Tayuya said. "I was crushed by a tree, but didn't die right away, so he stabilized me, took me back to the leaf, and treated my wounds, then rehabbed me. After the Leaf determined I'd told them all I knew, they agreed to allow me to stay, and gave me a chance to prove my loyalty."
"It certainly won't be an easy path, if you do decide to come with us," Kakashi said. "But we will treat you better than Orochimaru did, and we'll protect Yukimaru. Gozu, you're welcome to come with us too."
"I go with Guren," Gozu said, Guren glancing at him, Ryuu catching the corners of her eyes crinkling for half a second and the corners of her mouth twitching before she returned her gaze to the ground.
He smiled. So, she was human after all.
"If you come willingly, and willingly give them all of the information you have, you won't be tortured," Tayuya said. "You will have to let Inoichi Yamanaka search your memories to make sure you aren't lying, but he's careful about it."
"What guarantee do I have that this isn't all a lie?" Guren asked. "Can't you promise me anything concrete?"
"The thing about trust, is that it's a two-way street," Ryuu said. "No one can earn your trust if you're not willing to give it to them first. You have to take it on faith that we mean what we say. And if you do, you have my word I will do everything in my power to help you become a Hidden Leaf Shinobi."
Guren was silent for a long while. "It doesn't matter. Before we could defect to the Hidden Leaf with you all, Rinji and the other three with him would have to be taken down, and then there's that doctor. He's basically become the new Kabuto."
"What's his name?" Kabuto asked.
"Amachi," Guren said.
"Amachi?" Naruto asked. "That name sounds kinda familiar."
"It does?" Ryuu asked.
"Amachi was the head scientist in charge of the Kaima project, the same that resulted in Isaribi's condition," Kabuto said.
"Oh yeah," Naruto nodded. "That bastard!" He blinked. "Hey wait! We totally beat that guy! What gives?"
"Apparently after his project there failed, he managed to survive thanks to the experiment's effects, then was spared Orochimaru's wrath because he actually managed some progress with it," Guren said. "I guess when you defected, he was chosen as your successor, Kabuto. Although, I doubt Orochimaru really trusts him."
"Orochimaru doesn't trust anyone, even Sasuke," Kabuto said.
"So, how is Isaribi?" Naruto asked. "Tsunade said she'd try to treat her, but I never heard about her again after that."
"She's much better now," Kabuto said. "Tsunade wasn't able to help, but once I got back, I was able to...shall we say, adapt the condition. Now, she can generate her altered appearance and her scales as armor in combat. As for where she's been, she's been helping out at the Konoha Orphanage. She's rather popular with the children there."
"I see," Naruto nodded, smiling.
"Who's Isaribi, and what's the Kaima project?" Ryuu asked.
"Isaribi is a former experiment of Orochimaru's, who was mutated into a fish-human hybrid partway," Kabuto said. "She kept the scales and fins hidden with bandages, but she was feared and hated by the villagers of her home for being different. She began to work for Orochimaru, through Amachi, in hopes of a cure, but Naruto managed to save her. As for the Kaima project, it was a series of experiments aimed at creating a perfect fish-human hybrid, one with a body perfectly designed for water combat."
"Like Kisame?" Ryuu asked.
"That was the idea, yes," Kabuto said. "Although, to my knowledge, the only two test subjects to survive were Isaribi, who was deemed a failure due to not having control of her appearance and only mutating partway, and Amachi himself."
"Yeah, that creep could turn into this weird fish person thing with black scales, or maybe they were red," Naruto said.
"As I recall, Orochimaru also had a handful of other failures, who mutated too much and couldn't change back, as well as losing some cognitive ability, but I believe they were all killed," Kabuto said. "he liked pitting them against other, more interesting experiments, such as Suigetsu Hozuki."
Ryuu nodded. "Alright, so we know who we're up against. So, what do you say, Guren? Are you willing to trust us?"
Guren watched him silently for a few moments before sighing heavily. "I'll think about it. I have to get back to Yukimaru before that bastard Amachi does something to him, or Rinji does. Rinji's almost as much a snake as Orochimaru. Kind of like you acted like, Kabuto."
"We'll handle him, not to worry," Kabuto said.
Guren nodded and she and Gozu left quickly. Ryuu sighed, looking to Kakashi, who reached up to run a hand through his hair.
"It's personalities like the two of yours that made my hair turn grey," Kakashi sighed.
"Yeah right!" Ryuu snorted. "You were born silver-haired."
Kakashi smiled behind his mask. "Come on you four. We should get back before we're missed."
The others nodded and they all headed back to the rest of their group, Ryuu immediately going to join Fu on watch.
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