Nothing I can think of right now to start the chapter so as always thanks goes to ncpfan for his work looking over my chapters and let's get this show started.

There were some snakes who enjoyed moist environments.

Yakushi Kabuto was not one of them.

He was incredibly fortunate to be stationed within Hi no Kuni, a country covered in dry woodlands. It was far better than working in a country like that of Rice Paddies, where fields upon fields of rice were grown. There were paths of plenty to avoid them, of course, but that didn't endear the country to him any. No, he preferred things to be nice, dry, and preferably a bit warm.

He was, however, happy to do without the heat and brace the cold so long as it was dry. There was nothing like working on delicate medical experiments and having one's notes become damp halfway through.

Naturally, Orochimaru's bases were always kept dry, though cold, which kept them perfect for what was done within but Kabuto, being a spy, was not all that fond of cramped tunnels. Sure, they gave a sense of security in some cases, but Kabuto had trained to be suited to hiding in plain sight and that could be more dangerous than anything that might threaten one of the many structures in which the hidden sound Shinobi resided.

Open space meant there were no walls, no obstacles, it meant an infinite amount of possible escape routes should something go wrong. And that, unfortunately, meant he liked to spend any of his free time outside their hidden bases.

Places like Mizu no Kuni or Yuki no Kuni were simply far too wet for him to be able to enjoy himself, which would lead to frustration and a higher rate of failures as he set about doing his master's- mistress's?- work.

He could now add Nami no Kuni to that list.

Distastefully his eyes roamed his surroundings, the sounds of footsteps echoing behind him as a small force of Oto Shinobi marched on to the recently acquired country of Orochimaru's godson.

Godson, now there was a surprise. He would never have guessed that Orochimaru was a godparent let alone one who was viewed in good standing by the unfortunate child.

Then again, that child just took over a country. They were likely more suited to each other than he was comfortable with. One Orochimaru even he would admit was not the best for the world but two? Two was a horrifying thought, one that had him tempted to pray to any that might answer in hopes it didn't come to pass.

Having a godson that supported him- her? He tried not to think about it- certainly didn't make him feel good about the situation but it was better than two of them. Orochimaru's brilliance was unmatched, don't get him wrong, but the world could barely handle her- him?- alone.

Kabuto was rather fond of the world.

After all, he lived here.

Hopefully for much, much longer.

Fortunately there were no similarities between the two he was aware of besides having taken control of a country so with any luck this 'Naruto' was simply a loving godson who wanted to help out his godmother.

Kabuto had to wonder if the boy was aware that he currently had a second godmother- Orochimaru had mentioned something about Tsunade at one point when speaking about him- or if this would all come as a shock to him.

Of course, as recently stated, he had taken over a country. So maybe not too shocking.

The thought of his possible reactions, however, at least gave the spy something to distract himself from the awful moisture that surrounded him. As thick white mist swirled upon the road before him and danced in tendrils amongst the trees to either side of him he once again cursed the fact that he had been chosen for this assignment.

He couldn't think of a single reason the job couldn't have been given to one –or all- of the Sound Four or even Guren, who was just about his equal in rank. She really should have been the one here right now, actually. They had roughly the same skill, about the same rank, and the only real difference was that he was supposed to be maintaining his cover over in Konohagakure no Sato right now.

It's not like he had some small position that allowed him to slip away easily, he had risen to be one of the top medics and was the 'son' of the hospital's director. People noticed when he left and it wouldn't be long until suspicions rose.

After all, why did the medic need to leave the country so suddenly? Leaving had proven hard enough considering the constant workload of the understaffed hospital but once he returned the questions would start and he wouldn't have another chance to escape the hospital for many, many more months.

His network was going to suffer for this, he was sure.

He doubted Orochimaru much cared, however, the snake summoner likely cared more for Guren's Crystal release far more than he did for Kabuto's spy network. Considering that the previous plans to invade Konoha had been scrapped out of fear that it could upset Orochimaru's godson he was probably right.

He wouldn't be surprised if the only reason she hadn't had him bring it down was because it could be used to look out for her godson and would give her access to updates of his wellbeing.

The fact that she would care about that was far harder to get his head around than her recent gender change. Or did that imply she became male? His gender change as Orochimaru was now female? Bah, it wasn't important enough for him to worry about.

Just so long as he didn't have to start calling her 'mistress' he would be fine. With all her dungeons and her tendency to torture captives when she was frustrated – sexually and otherwise- the prospect of calling her such was distinctly unpleasant for the most over-qualified lab assistant in the elemental nations.

'Orochimaru-Sama' should do well enough. Thank the gods he could call them that regardless of gender.

Unless she decided to change her name, of course.

The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

As if things weren't weird enough.

Shaking the thought from his head, he redirected his attention to the oncoming bridge and the guards standing before it. He swallowed nervously as the snarling faces of Wolves became more defined and his hand brushed lightly over the letter kept within his top.

Rumor had it that Momochi Zabuza had been employed by the last person to rule Wave and while no one knew for certain what had happened it had always been Kabuto's motto as a spy to be safe rather than sorry.

So what if it was just a large group that had managed to drive Zabuza away with sheer numbers and were no stronger than bandits individually? It was far less risky to be respectful to them than to risk angering a group in which every member was stronger than the A-ranked missing nin.

Had he not been representing Orochimaru and had the woman- gods that was still weird- not explicitly stated that the mission absolutely could not fail lest she be cut off from her godson and take out her displeasure on him personally than he may have considered changing his attitude as soon as he learned the true strength of their...allies.

That was weird too, they actually had allies now. Sure, they'd had alliances before but more often than not it was just so Orochimaru could turn on them or use them in some way to further her own goals.

But to have actual allies that they were expected to cooperate with and in most cases defer to? That was simply unheard of.

Of course, that also made it interesting and Kabuto oh so hated being bored.

A little bit of change was welcome- far more welcome than his current environment.

That was a change he could have gone without.

He was only half aware- dreaming of the lovely weather they had been having back in Konoha- when they arrived at Nami no Kuni's only bridge.

Stopping a respectable distance from the guards he refocused on his surroundings and made sure to keep his hands easily seen as the wolf-faced guards approached his group. He had seen the occasional glimpse of white porcelain through the surrounding trees as they grew nearer, no doubt guards keeping an eye on them, so he wasn't surprised when he saw them step out behind his group from the corner of his eye.

If nothing else, at least this group seemed professional, a nice change from the usual bandits and warlords he had to deal with for Orochimaru on occasion, and as competent as Konoha's ANBU- the only Shinobi within Konoha he felt really deserved to call themselves such.

He had high respect for that group, even if they hadn't found him yet. After all, he had been a sleeper agent and spy from a ridiculously young age. Hell, most didn't even realize he had been found outside Konoha and adopted by a doctor from Konoha.

Orochimaru's brilliance really knew no bounds.

"In the name of Tsukiyomi, identify yourselves!"

Tsukiyomi? Either Orochimaru's godson wasn't at the top or had placed his new country under the command of another. Well, he could have been keeping his identity secret too, which, as a spy, Kabuto had to respect. Actually, thinking about it, if that was indeed the case the two of them might be more similar than he would have previously thought.

Both of them were from Konoha and kept their true natures hidden from all as they went about dealing with the infamous S-ranked traitor Orochimaru of the Sannin. There were few others- if any- who could claim the same.

The kid had him beat though, Kabuto had never gone about taking over a country.

It didn't sound like a bad idea, though, maybe he'd try it one of these days.

"I am Yakushi Kabuto, here at the command of Orochimaru and brining with me Shinobi from Otogakure no Sato to begin the arranging of an…outpost (Hidden base just didn't seem to be the term to use in this situation, he had a feeling they might not appreciate it)… as we were invited to by Orochimaru's godson; Naruto."

"And you have proof of this claim?" Even as he spoke the Wolves seemed to be preparing to pounce. No doubt the use of Naruto's name had them on edge. Should any falsely use his name it was obvious they wouldn't live to regret it.

"Only a letter to Orochimaru-Sama from young-" As growls-actual growls!- emerged from some of the masks at the thought his address might be demeaning to the boy he quickly added to it. "master Naruto, as was delivered by a Child of Aū summoned in his capacity as high-priest to the Golden Serpent."

The one who had been questioning him seemed confused by some of the details provided, evidently not knowing everything about the godson of Orochimaru, but they didn't necessarily seem surprised that he was greater than they had realized. Kabuto was impressed by the obvious devotion- even Orochimaru couldn't inspire loyalty like this out of anyone but the dying Kaguya.

To be fair, though, Orochimaru preferred to rule by fear and it certainly suited her.

"Show me the letter." The Wolf eventually decided, holding out his hand expectantly.

Slowly, almost painfully so, Kabuto slipped one hand into his top and grasped hold of the letter. Orochimaru had only grudgingly surrendered it for this purpose and he knew his life was forfeit should it come to any harm for she treasured it immensely. Her evident obsession was just another strange thing about her he couldn't understand.

Making an obvious show of turning the parchment this way and that to show there wasn't anything hidden on it he slowly moved closer and placed it in the waiting hand before retreating back a step and a half.

The note was short, he had been allowed to read it himself, so it took the man only a second for his eyes to move over it. Despite this, Kabuto could sense the frown that tugged down at lips hidden behind his mask.

"I see." He held out the letter to Kabuto who eagerly-though still very cautiously- retrieved it and returned it to the safety of his top. "While that appears to be by Tsukiyomi's hand I will have to confirm this with the commander in his absence."

Well, that confirmed the name theory. The absence, however, was a bit troubling. Orochimaru was planning on arriving a few days from now to meet her godson- she was going to be terribly disappointed. He'd have to remember to send word of his absence and the name he went by while amongst the Wolves soon in hopes of placating her wrath before she had a chance to take it out on one of her subordinates- namely him.

"Of course. Orochimaru-Sama made it very clear that Wave belongs to the Wolves and we were to defer to you until they arrived."

"Orochimaru is coming here?" There was noticeable discomfort, which was to be expected. There weren't a lot of S-ranked Shinobi and just one was a substantial threat.

"That had been the plan, but you mentioned that Na- Er, Tsukiyomi-Sama was not currently present. Orochimaru-Sama was quite intent on meeting their godchild and with him unavailable I do believe the meeting will be postponed."

"Very well, the Commander will be notified of this so that Tsukiyomi-Sama might be informed. Until then, however, I will have to ask that you remain here so we can sort everything out. I hope that this will not be a problem?" The Wolf obviously didn't care but at least he was following the proper niceties.

That was something, at least.

"Not at all, please, take your time. We'll be here." No, he'd rather they didn't take their time but if one of the Wolves so much as whispered that he had been rude during Orochimaru's inevitable- though soon to be postponed- visit then he wouldn't be shedding skin.

He'd be having it ripped from his flesh.

From the tone of the Wolf the man was amused- no doubt sporting a massive grin- and the rising and falling of some of his companions' shoulders meant he wasn't the only one.

"Oh, don't worry, we plan to."

Kabuto only barely managed to keep himself from releasing a defeated sigh. This was going to be a long day.

'Damn you and your Bloodline, Guren, I want to be back in Konoha!'

"Do you understand your orders?"

Three simultaneous answers of 'Hai' echoed from the darkened room, six eyes staring back at him. This wasn't like him, he was treading on new territory-forbidden territory- and one wrong step could have disastrous consequences.

But it needed to be done, he had to know what the boy was up to.

"Remember, if they discover you their wrath will be upon us, if she discovers what it is I've sent you to do her wrath will be upon us, and if you fail we will not support you. The second you step outside this room to the moment you report back success we will consider you traitors to the clan and should Konoha discover your absence you will be marked and hunted as missing nin."

His daughter had done well befriending the heiress, the news she brought back from her mission would have never reached him otherwise and he would have been oblivious to their actions. He wasn't of the distinct opinion that said actions were bad, but they were undoubtedly a possible threat that needed to be looked into.

The fact that he and his kin had history with the group only made it that much more important.

He claimed to be done with their clan, finished making his point and abandoning his project to avoid useless conflict when someone else started meddling in his affairs. He had what he wanted though, he had completed what he originally set out to do and everything else was simply a bonus.

But that didn't mean they still couldn't be brought down by his hand- intended or not.

With him having little to no interest in the clan they were just as likely to be caught up as collateral damage as he was to target them. He had no further use of them, what did it matter if they were wiped from the earth? They were under the protection- and control- of another clan and if that clan couldn't provide the proper protection it wasn't any of his concern.

Not for the first time he cursed the woman who had managed to steal his clan away from him just because the others were scared of the possible political repercussions of going against the ancient clan. He had to admit that her idea to get advice from the Imperial fire court was well played and nicely executed. No one could be sure just who she had asked and while Inoichi was fairly certain she had simply contacted a single member of the court the other clans were understandably cautious that the matter may have been looked into and supported by the court as a whole or at least a good portion of it.

Going against that kind of power was foolish and so they had supported her, old allies turning their backs to save their own skin.

Not that it did her any good in the end. The entire reason she had done so was a feeble and poorly planned- or perhaps it was just poorly decided, for it was planned well enough and had given her exactly what she intended to obtain and yet obtaining it did not help her achieve her other goals- serving only to further push away the son she had been hoping to lure back.

To a degree, he felt for the woman. He would go to any lengths for his daughter even if this entire mess could be traced back to her- though the boy held some of the blame for his actions provoked or not- and she demonstrated that in her attempts to regain her son.

The main problem was that she was focused so much on executing the plans that she had stopped trying to figure out what it was he actually wanted.

He wasn't sure if the boy had anything he wanted that the woman could actually give. Hell, according to his daughter's friend the Wolves- who he knew answered to the boy- had recently taken control of a country.

A fucking country!

Unless she was planning on gifting him an army of slaves- which actually seemed pretty likely- or another country- he probably didn't need help in that department, he seemed quite capable- than he couldn't imagine what might endear the boy to her.

And really, bribes weren't the best way to do this, anyway. If she wanted to make things better she'd need to talk to the boy and while he certainly made it hard on her- or really, just people in general, he was rather private- he wasn't actively avoiding her. From what he had heard she knew where he lived, too. Even with him currently taking a vacation- which not many Genin had the chance to because of their team and the low pay of the missions they did- he would be back eventually.

All she really needed to do was crash at his house and it wasn't like she spent much time at her own anyway. Her time was almost completely consumed with managing two clans and she only returned to her home for quick showers and a few hours of sleep. It might actually do her good to start doing so at his home so she could feel closer and if he was really lucky she would calm down and stop making his own job harder.

She might be in charge of his clan but he was still a clan head and had to keep everything running smoothly while she watched from the background, looming over his shoulder and analyzing every tiny detail.

It was absolutely exhausting-

But at least she got the short end of the stick.

After she finished with his clan business he was done, she still had to then go over things for the Uzumaki clan.

Serves her right for screwing up the kid's plans. Had they gone through the Yamanaka would be on their feet again and managed solely by him. He'd be doing his best to ensure his actions didn't interfere with the boy- and when he could, support- and in return he was sure his clan would be protected by the Wolves that had brought them down.

After all, a clan was an awfully useful recourse within a hidden village especially when you're trying to keep an organization hidden.

On that note, he should really keep his eye out to figure out who it was that the Wolves had sunk their fangs into. The kid had plans for his clan but seemed unperturbed when they were cut off and that could only mean he didn't have any problems adapting him.

One of the clans was working with the Wolves, as theirs should have been, and he should do his best to gain their favor. If he was really, really, really lucky he might even manage to convince her to ally with them officially. Now wouldn't that be an interesting little connection between all of them.

Hell, if he came out with his plans to her he might actually be able to convince her that it was a good way to start connecting with her son. It wasn't the relationship she wanted with him but it would be a start, something she still failed to manage.

He would really have to take some time and decide if it was worth showing his hand and the plans he had of allying in secret with whomever were acting on behalf of the Wolves here in Konoha. Maybe he could run it by their daughters first, see what they decided.

It was almost humorous how with the absence of his two best friends- the heads of two clans that had long been allies with his own before they abandoned him- he was now seeking the council of two twelve year-old girls who had only just become Genin.

Unfortunately they knew the boy best and were some of the only to know what was going on with the Wolves while the rest of the village stayed blissfully ignorant- for now, at least.

It was better than no one, though, he needed to be able to bounce ideas off someone and his wife had never cared much for politicking so long as she could tend her beloved gardens. There were many times he wished he could simply stop being clan head and simply join her. He really couldn't wait until he retired, he just hoped that he, his family, and their clan lasted long enough for him to do so.

"Unless you succeed and we manage to regain our freedom the clan will never know what you're about to do for them." His eyes turned to look at the three before him. He had been blindsided by the boy and his Wolves with no chance to defend his clan, but he wasn't going to just sit around as they were torn apart by other players in the game. No, they would not be stationary, they would flow like water- like thought- and position themselves to weather this storm.

He might not be the best at this but he was no fool, he needed what needed to be done and how far he'd have to go for his clan. Because if he wasn't willing to risk his clan it was likely he wouldn't have one by the time everything had settled.

"But even so, know now that you are all heroes and I, if no one else, will remember what you were willing to do- willing to sacrifice for the sake of your family."

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath before snapping them open once more, giving the final order that would set things in motion irrevocably.

"For the sake of the clan and with the speed of the swiftest spirits, go!"

"Hai, Inoichi-Sama!"

Three shadows vanished from the room, leaving Yamanaka Inoichi alone.

Three spies had sped off on a mission for their clan.

Three Shinobi had, as far as the village would be concerned, become traitors.

Three men were about to risk their lives sneaking into a country ruled by Wolves.

He could only pray they would all make it home safe.

But the Wolves weren't known for mercy.

It took monumental effort to keep his face in a pleasant half-smile as he followed behind the Wolf guiding his group.

Four hours- four fucking hours they had been made to wait!

They would have been able to clear everything up in a matter of minutes and yet they had to stand out in the terribly moist air of Nami no Kuni for hours. What made it worse was the fact that the Wolves left as guards had been laughing most of the time, taking obvious pleasure in their discomfort.

Sadistic bastards.

Not that it was too unexpected- the sadism, that is- from the group controlled by Orochimaru's godson. It was just another similarity between the two of them. Despite the familiarity- or perhaps due to it- it was not comforting in the slightest.

Of course, he couldn't let their most gracious hosts- and he meant that in the most sarcastic manner- know what he was thinking about them and their…hospitality. Orochimaru would be most displeased to hear of it.

As all who followed the women knew, her displeasure tended to translate to your displeasure. She had the most awful tendency to take out her anger on her subordinates until she was calmed down, too tired to continue, or had run out of people to inflict pain upon.

He could, quite unfortunately, speak of it with intimate experience.

These days he was in the habit of sending other unfortunate souls with his reports- just in case. Because even if his report was positive her mood could be anything but, something especially true when she first changed bodies. The sheer contrast between the hormones of the two bodies had certainly hit her hard and it took a few weeks for them to properly settle.

It had certainly been an interesting week though, lots of promotions (to fill newly emptied spaces), a few recruitment drives, and he was fairly certain he remembered her throwing a birthday party for one of the prisoners.

Thinking back on that strange occurrence was enough to let his face relax slightly, a small, amused smile gracing his lips naturally. Things were rarely boring in Orochimaru's bases, even if that could be considered a bad thing in most cases.

His mind sufficiently distracted from his feelings for the Wolfs- didn't they know the importance of first impressions?- he paid a bit more attention to the world around them. The concrete bridge they walked over rose in the middle and allowed a good view of the village not too far away.

He doubted they would actually go through it, at least not directly, but it wasn't too big that he couldn't see most of it. Most of what was currently there, he should probably amend, for a number of construction projects seemed to be underway to further the size of the rather modest town.

Then again, this was modest only if one considered other villages in the world. Considering the state this place had been in a month before under Gato's rule the state of growth was nothing short of amazing.

Bright neon lights proudly hung outside the most successful of the businesses and every building seemed to have electric lighting. Crowds of people went about their business with an unmistakably cheerful air despite the small size of the town and the state it had so recently been in.

Banks of mist spilled gently from alleyways that lead outside the town proper and flowed into the newly paved streets to nip playfully at the heels of passersby as it danced. That was both new and uncommon. Paved streets! In most cases such was only done within compounds such as those for clans of palaces of lords.

For an entire town to have such walkways was incredible, and in so little time too. The small size undoubtedly helped but even Konoha didn't bother to pave the streets-preferring to leave them dirt to avoid cost and maintenance associated with such roads- and it was one of the most financially powerful villages there was.

There was some, however, placed in the early days of the village, but that older area had evolved to become Konoha's own red-light district. With that in mind, he could see the resemblance. While most of the stores seemed reputable and he didn't see and shady characters on the streets- probably because of the Wolves- it had the same feeling.

He had to admit that despite his hatred for the environment he found himself in the town looked pretty inviting. The larger villages tried to hold on to tradition as much as possible despite the changes and their own growth and most small countries simply couldn't afford to advance themselves.

This, however, was a completely different situation. The town was small and pretty young but it was also rich, even if it hadn't got back up to speed. The amount of wealth that had been distributed from Gato's stores had seen that the town thrive and this is what it looked like- a town- do doubt soon a city- that didn't care for where it came from but rather where it was going.

The past was done, the foundation, and now it was time to build upon it.

Kabuto very much approved.

There's chapter XXXIV and XXXV is well underway, I should reach the halfway mark today.

See you next week.