To Netbreaker0: I will eventually get to your request.
Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, it wouldn't be as popular as it is.
A/N: I don't like the character who is in this chapter much, but professionality requires that I do my best to keep Orochimaru-bashing to a minimum. To those offended by what ends up being uploaded, I apologize. I also advise people who would be offended, to skip this chapter.
Warning: Light-to-moderate character bashing. If we're fortunate, none at all.
Hints of Sasuke x Sakura.
Chapter 6: Orochimaru
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The snake Sannin was tired. He was tired of this walk to Konoha. He was tired of his arms burning, but never burning up thanks to Sarutobi-sensei's parting gift. And he was very, very tired of aging. Not gracefully like Jiraiya, either. Thanks to years of using jutsu that practically didn't require him to move, he had gotten a bit of a pot belly. Yeah, Orochimaru was tired of all this. But conveniently, this boy, Uchiha Sasuke, would solve it all. After all, Sasuke had healthy, non-cursed arms. And his young, impressive body had gotten him the admiration of fangirls all around. Only one thing remained; to capture said Uchiha boy while convincing him it was his own choice.
That was kind of tricky. In his weakened condition, setting foot in Konoha would basically be the fulfillment of a death wish, immortality jutsu or not. Same thing for Kabuto, his right-hand man. He had to find a way to get Sasuke's attention without getting anybody else's. Only one course of action made sense here. "Kabuto, we need to activate Sasuke's curse mark."
Kabuto's glasses gave off a sinister flash as he grinned. "A joint jutsu, Orochimaru-sama?"
"Yes, Kabuto. Grab my hand with one of yours and form the necessary seals with the other."
"Hai." (A/N "Hai" loosely means "Yes, sir".) Kabuto slipped his right hand into Orochimaru's left while forming seals with his own left hand. I like doing joint jutsu, it makes me feel more powerful than normal.
"Just a little bit, Kabuto," Orochimaru ordered. "If Sasuke-kun screams too loudly, things could get a bit sticky."
"Understood, Orochimaru-sama," came Kabuto's response. Oh sure, give him the suffix.
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Argh, what's going on, the Uchiha avenger thought as he walked toward the village gate. That seal's acting up again. Orochimaru shouldn't be nearby, and I didn't make any conscious attempt to use its power. What gives?
As Sasuke got closer to the village gate, the burning from the curse mark only became more intense. The things I put up with for vengeance, he thought with a scowl.
When he passed through the gate, he noted the absence of anybody, including Kotetsu and Izumo, the two regular gatekeepers. Well, this makes things a lot easier.
With every step he took outside the village, the pain from the curse mark grew stronger, but he could also feel an overwhelming power that began at the mark on his neck and flowed down to the rest of his body. After five minutes of walking, he stopped dead in his tracks, for not three meters in front of him stood Orochimaru.
At the sight of Sasuke, Orochimaru grinned his creepy grin and hissed, "Good evening, Sasuke-kun. I do hope that you're ready to make the trip to Sound Village."
"I wouldn't be here if I weren't ready. So where's the power you promised me?"
"All in good time, Sasuke-kun. All in good time. For me to teach you all I know, it will take time. And of course, you will have to swear and demonstrate your loyalty to me."
On hearing this, Sasuke hesitated, but only slightly. "Fine, then. What do you want me to do to prove my allegiance?"
Orochimaru's four-eyed flunkee leered at Sasuke. (A/N: I wear glasses, I have nothing against people who do.) "Are you sure about this, Orochimaru-sama? I don't think Sasuke-kun has courage enough to complete the task we agreed to give him."
The snake Sannin let out a creepy laugh before hissing, "I think you're wrong, Kabuto." Great role-playing, Kabuto. He is sure to comply with our request just to prove you wrong and me right.
"So, what I would like you to do, Sasuke-kun..." Orochimaru paused for effect, "...is kill both of you teammates and your sensei, and do so before the end of the night. Do that, and I will be completely convinced of your loyalty." When Sasuke hesitated, Orochimaru fairly purred, "Don't worry, Sasuke-kun. Kabuto will help you disssspose of your meddlesssome ssssenssssei." He scowled unnoticeably, involuntarily remembering his own battle with Sarutobi-sensei.
Sasuke visibly paled, if such a thing is possible. Kill Naruto, and Kakashi, and...Sakura?
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Flashback (episode 78, I think)
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There he was, defeated while Gaara held Sakura's life in his hand, to dispose of on a whim. That little dog that was with them couldn't hope to stand up to that sand freak. Only the number one hyperactive knucklehead ninja could get them out of this. It was all he could do to keep the fear and desperation out of his voice as he made eye contact with Naruto. His took a commanding tone in order to save face, and he was pretty sure Naruto knew it. "You'd better save Sakura. No matter what."
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End Flashback
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Naruto is like a broth-- Sasuke stopped his thought remembering that he was in this mess BECAUSE of his only brother. --close, yet bratty cousin to me, I'll never be able to repay Kakashi for all he's taught me, and Sakura...I had always imagined she would be the first to welcome me back after I killed Itachi. Now Orochimaru wants me to kill them all...!
"No," Sasuke mumbled.
"Hmm, Sasuke-kun? What was that?" inquired Orochimaru, not believing what he had heard.
"I said, no." Sasuke repeated with force that anybody except Orochimaru would find threatening. "I hate Itachi, despise Itachi, and train to kill Itachi because he took away everybody important to me. My mother, father, aunts and uncles, he wiped them all out."
Sasuke activated his Sharingan and continued. "And now you're asking me to do the same thing to myself? To kill everybody important to me, with my own hand? Better a hundred times over for me to relive the death of my family and to fail in my quest for revenge than for me to have a hand in the death of my new family! Orochimaru! You're going to die right here and now!"
"Oh dear, Sasuke-kun. Has it really come to this?" Orochimaru yawned. "Well, I guess it's over. My arms are useless as you can see. I surely cannot put up a fight. Go on, take me out. What are you waiting for, Sasuke-kun?"
The Uchiha avenger had just finished making his seals and now had his right wrist gripped with his left hand. Chakra gathered around his right hand, making a sound that could only mean one thing. "Chidori!!!"
Much to the Uchiha's outrage, Orochimaru still didn't seem particularly interested in Sasuke's outburst. He'll change his tune once I drill my hand through his chest, he thought with satisfaction as he rushed in for the kill.
Even so, Orochimaru didn't seem very disturbed or inclined to act at all. He was just staring at Sasuke with that annoying creepy smirk on his face. Are you watching, Itachi? After Orochimaru goes down, you will be next.
It was probably such thoughts that kept him from noticing the obvious; that Kabuto was still present, and would not stand by while his master got perforated by a Raikiri. (A/N Lightning blade, it's another name for the Chidori.) A piercing pain in his right shoulder suddenly made that fact blatantly obvious as his right arm was cut by a pair of thrown kunai. Even worse, his vision seemed to be blurring and the ground seemed to be coming up to meet his face.
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"You've finally awakened, Sasuke-kun." The first thing Sasuke saw when he regained consciousness was the sinister flash of Kabuto's glasses. From that, he deduced that he had been captured, and was at Orochimaru's hideout, like it or not.
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The end.
A/N: I hope you see more merit in this chapter than I do. My next update will likely not be for a while, because I will concentrate on the next chapter of While You Were Away. If I put in any incorrect information, please inform me. PublicNMEno1, over and out until next time. And as always, thanks for reading.