Relic
By Oberon
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and I don't own Ranma. Naruto is the property of Jump Comics, Viz Media and that Uchiha loving bastard whom shall remained unnamed. Ranma is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan publishing. All usage of characters in this story is without permission.
Chapter 1: A promise to keep, 15 years in the making!
The brat thought he could hide it from him. The upstart thought he could keep something like this a secret. The little punk was wrong. He couldn't fool Orochimaru, of the legendary three, so easily.
The snake sannin grinned evilly before he plunged the syringe into jugular of the helpless Jonin before him. The man's primal howl of pain only served to further Orochimaru's excitement.
"But I told you everything!" The man screamed out his last coherent thoughts before every nerve in his body exploded. Even the most loyal and devoted soldier can be broken; it is only a matter of time and effort.
Orochimaru did not deign to answer the subject of his experiment. Besides, the snake sannin doubted the thrashing konoha Jonin still possessed the mental capacity to appreciate his answer.
The Konoho-nin outside the Hokage tower snapped to attention when Orochimaru approached. "Orochimaru-sama, I wasn't told you'll be coming today." Nonetheless, the nin opened the way for Orochimaru.
The pale sannin's face cracked into a fake smile. "That's all right; the Yondaime didn't know I would pay him a visit today."
"Please, wait at the lobby. The Yondaime is in conference with the village counsel." Orochimaru could tell the guard was nervous.
"Oh, thank you for informing me. And since you're going such a good job, I'll be sure to put in a good word for you with the Hokage." The pale sannin kept up his smile but deep down he hated coming here. He should be the one in this office, not Kazama Arashi.
"Yea… yes sir! Sir!" the guard saluted then closed the door behind the sannin.
About an hour later, the Yondaime came by the guard post on his way out for the daily stroll through the village. The Yondaime tipped his kage hat to the guard with a silent knob of his head.
"Hokage-sama… have-have you spoke with Orochimaru-sama?"
"Not recently," The Yondaime replied, suddenly curious about Orochimaru. The sannin was not what the Yondaime called a people person. Intensely private, the pale sannin usually kept to himself and rarely spoke with anyone. The former Hokage and Jiraiya, are the only exception. Even then, those conversations were far and in between as far as the Yondaime knew. So why would the guard think he would have spoken to Orochimaru? "Did Orochimaru came by recently?" The Hokage inquired.
The guard had an expression of shock on his face. "You mean you didn't see him outside your office, Hokage-sama?" The guard suddenly realized he might have let an unknown into the Hokage's office, a spy from another village posing as Orochimaru-sama. He swallowed involuntary, so much for that promotion.
The Yondaime stopped in his tracks. "Call the ANBU," he ordered while running back into the tower. "If there is a spy, he is still here."
Somewhere, in the Hokage tower, Orochimaru found the golden bowl the Yondaime took from the Iwa-nin some years earlier. The Yondaime had put a coat of black paint on it to make it less attractive.
"Quench my thirst and I will answer all thy questions…." The snake man grinned then filled the bowl with a bottle he brought. "Tell me of how to obtain my heart's desire," Orochimaru whispered to the bowl like a lover. "How do I live eternal?"
Orochimaru suddenly reeled as a booming voice filled the tiny broom closet where the Yondaime had hid the fortune-telling bowl. For a moment, Orochimaru feared the thin walls of the Hokage tower would give away his location. Then he froze as the booming voice told him what he had feared all along. "Impossible, immortality cannot be achieved by mortals. All things born must die, that is the way of the universe."
For the first time in many years, the snake sannin felt his knees give out from under him. He slumped back, leaning against the back of the broom closet, sliding down even as a foul depressing mood washed over him. Orochimaru sat silently on the floor of the broom closet for the longest time, and then just as sudden as a cobra's bite, the snake sannin uncoiled and smashed his fist against the infernal bowl that had crushed his dream. The object of Orochimaru's hatred proved too tough for even a sannin's wrath.
Then it suddenly occurred to Orochumaru that he had asked the wrong question. Instead of asking for true immortality, he should have asked for more time. "It seems I have asked the impossible. But now, tell me, is there a way to halt indefinitely the degradation of my body from age?"
"Whatever lives must eventually die, but… there is one exception to this rule." The voice of the prophet paused, possibly to give itself a good chuckle on some far-off astral plane or perhaps it simply understood the importance of a good dramatic pause.
Orochimaru grew impatient. "Yes, yes, what is it?"
"A longtime ago, in ages long passed, a mortal named Ranma Saotome achieved by accident that which your heart desires."
"You mean this Ranma is still alive? Where is he?" Orochimaru demanded. If someone had found a way to live forever then the snake sannin must have his body. He must find the secret hidden in this Ranma's body.
"Ranma Saotome still lives but the gods had hidden him away so even one such as I cannot find him."
For the second time that day Orochimaru lost his cool but this time, he knew better than to take out his frustration on this accursed bowl. The sannin smashed against the broom closet wall with all his might and punched deep into the plaster.
Later that day, a knock on Orochimaru's front door drew the sannin's attention. When he opened the door, the snake man found the Yondaime-brate and his ANBU outside.
"Yondaime-sama, so nice of you to visit." The pale man grinned at the Yondaime's sudden but expected appearance. Orochimaru purposely let a tinge of sarcasm slip when he greeted the young Hokage. It was no secret that Orochimaru still resented the Yondaime for taking something what the sannin thought rightfully belonged to him.
"Orochimaru-san, you're as pleasant as ever." The Yondaime shot back. "But still, it is good to see that you are all right. We were worried for a second that a spy might have killed you then taken your appearance to infiltrate the Hokage tower."
Orochimaru kept up his fake smile. "Well, as you can see, I'm perfectly myself. But if you still have doubts, I'm willing to let a few of your man test my abilities. I'm sure this spy wouldn't be able to duplicate some of my unique techniques."
The Yondaime knew of course that this is the real Orochimaru the second the laid eyes on the paleface man. The man that answered the door gave off the same 'creepy' vibe and uncomfortable chakra that only the real Orochimaru would possess. "That wouldn't be necessary," the Yondaime tipped his hat to the sannin. "Sorry to have disturbed you."
Orochimaru saw the Yondaime turned to leave. "That's quite all right, but thank you for caring so much about your follow Konoha-nin's safety." Then Orochimaru closed the door on the Yondaime's face when the man turned to face him.
Orochimaru watched from his window as the Yondaime and his ANBU disappear in a large cloud of ninja smoke. He grinned, the last words of the fortune-telling bowl still fresh in his mind.
"Ranma Saotome will be in this exact room 15 years from now…"
Fifth-teen years, but Orochimaru was patient. He will possess the secret of immortality. He had promised his dead parents and even sworn to them at their graves. He will bid his time in Konoha for 15 years wasn't such a long wait, even if he has to spend it in the hateful village that scorned him.
A year later, the former Hokage found out about his former student's experiments with Konoha-nin, forcing Orochimaru to flee from Konoha.