I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 2: The Snake

It's been a day since the Sound Five plus one fled Konoha, leaving a massacre behind and bringing a Seer with them. And they've finally arrived in Otogakure. The Seer-Midori, they learnt, gives the village a unimpressed look, and Kimimaro resists the urge to snort. The guards stutter, all nervousness and fear, and let them in through the large wooden gates. Orochimaru himself is waiting for them.

"Impressive." He hisses, and slithers up until he's practically in Midori's face. Kimimaro grudgingly gives the Seer another point, she doesn't even flinch from his yellow stare, instead meeting it with her gold. The yellow clashes with the gold, and both are staring at each other, unwilling to back down. It's a battle of wills, and Kimimaro already knows who's going to win. The Snake Sannin against The Seer? Orochimaru might as well be dead.

Then Midori speaks. "You search for the kaleidoscope eyes, for the natural energy. Sasuke Uchiha, hm?"

And the Snake smirks. It's predatory, and makes the Sound Five flinch away. "Very impressive." He mildly corrects himself. "I wonder, what else do you know?"

Her gaze swerves to him. "The only one who can cure you, wielder of bones, is the Slug Princess."

Kimimaro flinches and steps back as Orochimaru shifts his gaze onto him.

Predator.

"Why," His voice is dripping with honey. "Was I not informed, Kimimaro?"

He flinched again, because now Orochimaru has no use for him, so he's going to be thrown into the dirt, a broken tanto.

"Because," He swallows. "If I told you, Orochimaru-sama, you would have no use for me."

The Sannin chuckles, his hand going up to ruffle Kimimaro's white hair. The Kaguya ignores the stares and gaping mouths of the rest of the Sound Five, and gulped nervously.

Orochimaru laughs.

"Oh, Kimimaro. I won't throw you away. Why don't we get you healed up?"

He exhales, a sigh of relief, and obediently follows him. They're walking to their base he notes absently, and wonders how much trouble Orochimaru-sama is going to go to get him healed. Because Tsunade's definitely not going to help them without something significant that Orochimaru can offer. They retreat into the Snake's base, and Orochimaru turns to them.

"Kimimaro." He orders. "Go to the infirmary and see what Kabuto can do to slow your disease down. The rest of the Sound Five, rest until noon, then start your daily training regime again. Midori, you're coming with me." He turns and stalks away ominously. They do as ordered.

The world burns. Whole swathes of the village is rubble, and the Hokage monument is blackened by the ashes. Fighting sounds ring in the distance, and suddenly a Biju appears in the forest outside of the village. A roar. A scream. "Assis-"

Shatter

The Snake Sannin clutches his stump of a arm. It's cut off, all the way to the elbow and he glares into the Mangekyo Sharingan. Hoshigaki Kisame lazily strolls up next to his partner, the sword Samehada humming happily. His pointed teeth pull into a shark-like grin. "Ru-"

The

A silver-haired male is half crushed under a rock. His teammates scream denial, wail and pound at the boulder, but it doesn't move. He smiles brokenly. "I'm sorry...Obito,Ri-"

Sky

A bespectacled male is knelt over a dying woman. "No, mo-mother don't...sorry...don't die, pl...please nonono. N-"

The Sannin smiles at her and leads her into her new room. It's much better than the one she had in Root. A bed on the far end of the left wall, a bookshelf, a small table, a bathroom, a closet, and a clock. He smiles. "The kitchen is just down the end of the hall. Turn right when you exit. I expect you at my chambers by 3:00, understood?"

She nods.

After he leaves, she turns to the bookshelf and pulls out a book on the history of Konoha. Midori starts reading.

Konohagakure no Sato was founded by Senju Hashirama and...

By the time she closes the book, it's already 2:30. She hops off the bed, and opens the closet. An array of clothes stare back at her, but she chooses a plain white and red kimono. Carefully, she picks the flowers out of her hair until only one is left. Midori opens the wood door, engraved with seals and steps outside.

She strides down the hall, but pauses as she realises that she actually doesn't know where his office is.

Sometimes...

Elizabeth sighs. "Yea, really wishing that we actually could use the power for more mundane things." And Midori nods in agreement. Just as she starts going right, she bumps into another person.

"Hey, I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new?"

She nods in response to the orange-haired male's question.

"I'm Sora!" He continues, hyped up. "What's your name?"

Elizabeth and Midori consider it for a second, but decide to tell him their real name.

"Midori."

"Nice, do you need any help?"

She nods, her green hair swaying. "I can't find Orochimaru's office, and he's asked me to be there by 3."

And she's suddenly pinned against the wall, the concrete cracking beneath the force of Sora. "Don't. Forget. The. Suffix. Newbie."

Elizabeth snarls. Midori snarls. And her hands, glowing with green chakra, grab onto his arm. Sora screams as their chakra melts his arm. But he lifts her up, and slams her into the wall again. She distantly feels something crack, but it's to hazy. Spots dance tauntingly in front of her eyes, and the world goes black.