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ـم 08 ـم
Infiltrating the Cave Hideout!
Fuzaki Senju was leaping quickly through trees, leading his three students to Anbuku. They were the backup for Team Three. Even though the mission was only B-rank, shinobi numbers were too diminished for the Hokage to be taking risks. His left eye was covered by a patch, but his right one was trained to make up for his lack of depth perception. Fuzaki spotted something in a nearby tree: a small white snake peeking out from the leaves.
"Everybody stop!" He suddenly ordered, springing down to land on the ground.
His three students were surprised but touched down behind him in a crouch. Fuzaki turned to their questioning faces.
"Sensei…?" the white-haired boy said.
"What is it?" the brunette girl asked.
"I want the three of you to stay here," Fuzaki ordered. "I have to check something."
"Why are we stopping now?" The hot-headed Uchiha raised his voice. "If we don't get to Anbuku quickly the mission will be finished without us!"
"Zakuyo… do not question my orders." At his hard stare the black-haired youth turned away sourly.
It was obvious that he hated his sensei for being a Senju. How strange for such an ancient rivalry to exist in one so young - it must be the result of his fellow clansmen. Poisoning his mind against not just Senju but the village as a whole. The Uchiha, with their frightening abilities were treated like outsiders in their own home village. There was a tension among them, and it was logical that the Senju would be at the forefront of their hatred.
Fuzaki turned away, "Do not follow me." He then dashed through bushes and away.
"...stupid bastard." Zakuyo seethed then turned to his comrades, "Tanbo, Yumi, we need a better team leader than a Senju."
"You shouldn't be so disrespectful," Tanbo criticized.
"There's nothing we can do about it anyway," Yumi agreed with him.
"Tanbo, you're from the Hatake clan, same as the White Fang of the Leaf. Yumi is from the Sarutobi clan, same as the current Hokage," their teammate mused. "Both your clans were allies with the scummy Senju. Then there's that Kawari bastard in Team Three who has a Shimura for a sensei. She'd be much better to lead our team…"
Yumi was nervous. Her brown hair was a light chestnut shade, she fiddled with the braid hanging over her shoulder. She knew Zakuyo to be aggressive and also the best at fighting.
Tanbo was usually subservient but had reached his breaking point: "We're more than our clans! We're all ninjas of the Leaf! Stop hating on the Senju! You haven't even awakened your Sharingan so you have no right to keep harping on about the Uchiha!"
Yumi waited tensely throughout the rant. Tanbo held his ground, despite the inner fear.
Instead of reacting with anger, Zakuyo stared side-on with a single black eye. A curious reaction. He was cool as he faced away, "You just wait… soon the Uchiha will restore our own honour…"
Through the forest, Fuzaki was tense as his footsteps carried him further from his students. He scanned the wilderness anxiously. At the sound of cracking he stopped in his tracks. Across from him a tree split and a man emerged, his sandals stepping out and he approached slowly.
Fuzaki immediately knelt down and bowed his head, "...Master Orochimaru."
"It's good to see you," the snake-like man spoke, a smile splitting his face. "Your intel reached me fine."
"Do you wish for me to capture the Zero-Tails Jinchuuriki for you?" There was loyalty in his gaze.
"That won't be necessary. I have a different plan in mind… It involves undoing the seal I placed on your left eye."
Terror overcame the man's expression, "No… please Master, I'm not strong enough!" Orochimaru's smile went away, a dangerous sign. Still Fuzaki continued: "Last time I almost lost my mind. It almost took me over! I can't!"
Orochimaru took another ominous step closer, "Your power is strong for a Senju, and as a Jonin you are among my most valuable of spies. And you carry one of my greatest experiments. I must test it. This is not negotiable." Orochimaru made a seal with one hand, with the other he aimed two fingers at Fuzaki's eyepatch.
Fuzaki was scared but closed his eye and resolved himself.
A kanji appeared on the eyepatch and markings spread out in lines that weaved around his head and neck, like a spiderweb.
"Release!" Orochimaru cried and the markings faded. He then stepped back while Fuzaki grappled with the overwhelming pain and sensations coming from the eye. Orochimaru's smile broadened as he continued walking backwards to the tree he'd emerged from. "Show me the results… what happens when the Uchiha's sharingan is combined with a Senju's cells..."
Fuzaki managed to get a hold of himself somewhat, his patch turning over to reveal a Rinnegan. The ripple-eye pattern of the Sage of Six Paths. He remained kneeling and panted.
"Wonderful…" Orochimaru purred, the tree closing up behind him as he vanished from sight.
Fuzaki quickly pushed the eyepatch back then pulled bandages from a pocket in his vest. He started winding them around until the patch was firmly in place. After another moment he found the strength to stand.
The Rinnegan isn't easy for someone like me to control, even as a Senju, he thought. It wasn't enough to keep it covered up, I needed it sealed with Orochimaru's special sealing jutsu just to keep it from draining all my chakra and killing me. He stared at his hands, clenching them. But now that I've adjusted over the years, it doesn't feel like it's killing me anymore… I actually feel strong.
Soon afterwards, the three students were standing together quietly and looked up when their sensei returned. They noticed his new bandage.
"Are you alright, sensei?" Yumi asked.
"I'm fine. I received a message from back home. We are to redouble our efforts, it seems Team Three has encountered problems after all."
"That's what I'm talking about!" Zakuyo was eager.
Fuzaki was neutral as he turned then sprang off into the overhead branches once more. The Genin followed.
As they continued along Zakuyo was suspicious. Why the new bandages over his eye? He knew enough about doujutsu to wonder if that could be what his sensei was hiding. Having not awakened a Sharingan of his own, Zakuyo had not read the secrets transcribed on the tablet below the Nakano Shrine. That was also why he was keen to put himself in as many life endangering missions as possible: whatever it took to awaken his eyes. But there's no way a Senju's body could be compatible with Uchiha power… right?
"Took a while, but we did a sweep of the whole village. No more Takegetsu Moon gangsters, that we could find," Kawari reported to a young man who was comforting the boy who'd led them around town on the first day: the village leader's grandson. The three bandits from earlier were tied up and being watched by villagers.
"If that's the case, please go after your sensei to their hideout up the mountain," the man's request startled them and they looked amongst each other.
He continued, "You do want to support your sensei, don't you?"
"We do… but Tamuki-sensei ordered us to defend this village," Manzu answered with uncertainty.
"I would bet on this chance to stop those criminals once and for all. We can hold off any stragglers who come back."
"Please save my grandfather," the young boy whispered, wrapped in his father's arms.
Tojike clenched his fists, "We'll do it. We'll do our best to bring the village elders back."
Kawari and Manzu were a little surprised but were quickly on board as well.
The small Mr Baki sat on his bushy tail and sighed, "Guess we might as well…"
Soon after that the three were making their way up to the old mine shafts, springing between branches, unaware of the small white snake peeking out from under a leaf. It started lightly raining, ripples appearing in a nearby puddle. A bead of water weighed down a leaf before depositing the droplet onto the reptile's head. Its small tongue flickered out, tasting the air.
"We're going to have to use stealth to get through the tunnels," Manzu called out to her teammates. "Expect traps."
Tojike gulped but forced away his fear for the sake of the mission.
Deep within the bowels of a mountain was the gang's headquarters. Inside a cage were various villagers, all too old to fight back. The village leader gripped the bars, peering from beneath his bushy grey eyebrows.
"Gumo, leader of the Takegetsu Moon, is that you?"
"Quiet, old man!" A soldier banged his weapon against the metal, scaring him back.
The man he'd been speaking to was facing away, sharpening a long sword. He was sitting on a crate, a wide straw hat covering his face. One more reverberating shing and his weapon was satisfactory; he set it down and turned. He approached the bars, putting his hands behind his back and giving a smile that showed a gold tooth.
"Kidnapping us was foolish. As the older generation we'd happily lay down our lives for those to come," the elder said nobly.
"Indeed!" an old woman croaked in agreement, "we elders may be important for how we shaped the village, but we've left everything to our sons and daughters!"
"You foolish old fossils. My men are burning Anbuku to the ground as we speak," Gumo retorted.
"No…" one of the prisoners lamented and their old faces bunched up in grief.
Gumo roared with laughter that shook his body.
"Um, Sir…" one of the guards interrupted him, "shouldn't we have heard from them by now? Could the Leaf Shinobi have bested them, after all?"
"Feh… if they have, we got plenty more surprises for them…" He walked to another box upon which sat a metal gauntlet. He slipped it onto his right hand and it clicked a few times, looking rather complicated in design. Gumo smiled at it and then the lights shut off, bathing everyone in blackness.
There were shocked gasps.
"Light the oil lamps!" Gumo yelled, "surround the prisoners! The Leaf ninja is here…"
Soon flickering firelight illuminated the space and the guards all stood in their armour, holding spears and facing away from the square cage. They waited, watching the entry tunnel which was the only way in or out of this section.
"They sprung none of the traps!?" a guard murmured.
They waited patiently, one of the bandits threatening the prisoners to stay quiet.
There was an explosion outside and dust poured in.
"Yes!" the guard beside Gumo cheered.
From outside were running footsteps, then yelps and stifled screams. Following this, calm footsteps and then Tamuki strode into view and crossed her arms. She looked bored.
"The Jonin, huh?" Gumo sneered.
Suddenly the wall behind them exploded and a giant raccoon swatted the men behind the cage, they flew across the room, smashing boxes and slumping over old wheelbarrows. The bandits turned as the huge marsupial lifted the steel cage and carried it into the tunnel behind it, its bushy tail disappearing into the shadows.
"The prisoners! It just took them!" a man cried.
Tamuki smiled.
Gumo glared at her and raised his arm, then bringing it down "Now!"
The boxes around the edges of the room all detonated, flinging kunai in random directions. The men had covered their eyes and felt the weapons bounce off their armour. After the smog settled they lowered their arms and stared at the kunai that embedded the stone walls and dirt ground. Nowhere could they see the fallen Jonin.
One of the guards looked up, struggling to peer through the flickering lantern light. Standing horizontally on the wall, Tamuki was above the exploding kunai's range. Her dark eyes were cold within the black smudges. The guards tensed up when they caught sight of her.
"So fast…!" Gumo breathed.
"Having all these weapons around for me was a mistake. This is the end for you and your gang! Death Blizzard!" Her chakra flowed out into the room, her skill at weapons and wind style combining into her own original technique. The wind started to circulate and the bandits moved about nervously. Chakra from the air began to imbue into all the weapons.
Tamuki extended her arms and with one final hand seal the air became a maelstrom. Inside the kunai moved at remarkable speed, fast enough and sharp enough to even pierce armour. The bloody yells were drowned out by the wind and the cave trembled. It took several seconds but then the winds stopped, revealing the kunai scattered once more, but holes through the dead bandits' armour and the surrounding metal equipment as well.
Tamuki let out a breath. She heard a click.
The bandits didn't have the chakra training to climb up walls, but Gumo did. He was the only one still alive, having sprung out of the destruction and now facing her on the opposite wall. His gauntlet clicked again and fired an explosive tag. Tamuki ran upward and there was a boom beneath her. Gumo's gauntlet whirred and reloaded, firing more explosive tags that chased Tamuki up to the high ceiling. She flipped away from the continuous explosions until she was standing upside-down on the roof. Cracks were spreading all the way around.
Gumo roared and sprang to her, armed with his long sword. Tamuki poised to jump before the ceiling came loose, the entire chamber was caving in.
"I can see traps: a wire by that box, an explosive tag on the roof, three metres in. And another to the right, another five metres in." Mr Baki explained as the three teens peered into the dark tunnel.
"It's a good thing you're with us," Tojike said.
"Of course, raccoons have excellent vision in the dark." He led them inside.
"Why is it so dark?" Kawari wondered.
"They may have shut the lights off, or maybe Princess Tamuki cut the power. Stay close."
They made their way through the dim, cautious and with kunai drawn. They made it through the first two traps but then Kawari felt a pressure tile sink under his foot.
"Look out!" He shoved the other two back.
A log attached to wires swung at him. Kawari was fast enough to jump up and cling to the end. However the log was aiming for the other explosive tag. He swore and quickly wrapped hands into the snake seal. There was an explosion from the wall as rocks burst outward. The tunnel trembled and dirt sprinkled down.
Kawari had lunged away but his leg was burned. He slid down onto his butt, covered in soot and gritting against the pain. They ran over to him.
"You're alive. But now they know we're coming," Mr Baki remarked.
Manzu knelt beside him and made the ram seal with her hands. She focused, harnessing her life force then imbuing the blue energy into the burn. It quickly healed. Kawari felt his bare skin through the tear in his pants. He moved his leg and felt no pain.
"Sorry… Manzu," He knew what that technique cost her. Mr Baki looked stern but said nothing.
"The important thing is that we keep moving." She stood.
"My, my… what an interesting group of children… interesting indeed," a snake-like man emerged from the darkness behind them.
What the…? From within Tojike, the Reibi roared at all the negativity it felt from this man. He must have approached quickly, whoever he was, because that negativity was the most palpable Tojike had ever felt. Whoever this man was, he was an absolute monster. It was doubtless that he'd killed many, many people. Immediately Tojike fell to his knees, already defeated by the sheer darkness he was sensing. He grabbed his head with both hands, wide eyes at the ground, terrified.
"Tojike…?" Kawari was now standing.
"Who is he?" Manzu asked, scared by his presence but keeping herself together.
"It can't be…?" Mr Baki's voice shook, "He's Orochimaru! He's an S-rank criminal!"
"Orochimaru… he was a Jonin who left the Leaf Village about five years ago," Manzu recalled.
"My experiments were never to that old fool Hiruzen's liking. I suspect that's why he chose Minato to be Hokage over me… but I shouldn't still be bitter about that, after all it's allowed me to continue my experiments in earnest, and seeing that Minato's appointment was over so quickly, it seems justice was done."
"The fourth Hokage was a hero of the Leaf!" Manzu retorted.
Orochimaru stared at her and only smiled, "...you must be quite impetuous to use the reanimation jutsu to heal non-fatal wounds. By your red hair, you're an Uzumaki I presume?"
Manzu didn't feel good about his fascination, not at all.
Orochimaru pointed, "And to think I didn't even come here for you, but for the child grovelling on the ground behind you."
"What?" Manzu turned and saw Tojike on his hands and knees, out of his mind with fear. Surprised, she looked at Mr Baki whose marsupial face was tensed up. Kawari was looking down at them both with worry.
After taking a moment to read her comrades she faced back to their confident enemy. Apparently, they all believed escape would be unlikely, let alone beating him. Tamuki-sensei being somewhere in these tunnels didn't seem to matter much either.
Manzu faced back and tried to fight the fear closing around her heart, "What do you want with Tojike?"
"You don't know? That child contains a powerful creature known as the Zero-Tails." A long tongue slipped out and licked his chin, "That's right… he is a jinchuuriki."
Kawari and Manzu stared down at him in shock.
Mr Baki already knew this, of course. He was battling with a different internal dilemma: does he undo the summoning technique to retreat back home to safety? There was no way the students stood any chance, and yet he couldn't bring himself to abandon them.
"Why don't you three come along with me, quietly?" Orochimaru proposed, "The Zero-Tails Jinchuriki. An Uzumaki who can control her life force on instinct. Even a normal Senju would have some use," he extended a hand toward them.
At that moment Tojike's face whipped up, and with a distorted voice he spoke: "You're not going to touch them!"
Kawari, Manzu and Mr Baki moved aside. They got their distance from Tojike who was writhing on all fours, body cracking and then yellow arms stretched from his back, lifting him up.
"Ho… the chakra suppressing the Zero-Tails is gone," Orochimaru spread his feet then turned his arms back, "This will be interesting…"
Suddenly Tojike was swallowed by the eel body of the Zero-Tails, it turned its mask face toward him.
"Heh… thank you for freeing me from that brat's control, Orochimaru. But I have no interest in becoming your latest specimen!" Dark cords shot from its body and speared the cave in several places. Orochimaru had vanished in a blur.
He was falling from above, tongue hanging out and aiming his arm, a snake wound out and lashed with a fanged bite.
"Pointless!" The Zero-Tails whipped its body through the wall and flung boulders that seemed to bury its target in a pile across the enclosure.
Suddenly multiple snakes burst from the ground, their hissing filled the tunnel. They wrapped around the Zero-Tails' body and it struggled as Orochimaru raised up from below ground, multiple snake bodies leading up into his sleeve.
"I will seal you shortly, and take this power for myself," Orochimaru grinned and his free hand formed a seal.
The others had to do something, and fast.
AN: I didn't get any reviews for my last chapter, so I decided to take a short break of four years. Anyway I've been sitting on a lot of plot revelations stuff so decided we can get into it now. Please review if you want faster updates, you can say whatever you like!
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