What Happens Next?
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. Hmm not much to say for this one other than I hope you like the chapter.
Chapter Notation: I knew I had to add some drama into this. So I threw a curveball. Hopefully you guys like it and don't think it's lame lol. If it isn't well received, I might go back and revise this chapter. It does open the door to a lot of serious questions getting answered or potential hilarity though.
Chapter Six
"Why are you attacking the Leaf?" Aoda asks one of the other massive snakes once he had slithered over to him.
"We were Summoned and ordered to do so. I have no quarrel with you, Aoda. But if you insist on making it difficult for us to carry out our orders, I will." The green scaled giant serpent says.
Orochimaru's snakes stopped attacking for a moment. They were all anxiously watching Aoda and the green snake. It was one thing to destroy a human village, it would be quite another to attack one of their own. Aoda was a snake like them, certain courtesies were expected.
"I don't need to ask who gave you the order. Why did Orochimaru send you to attack the Leaf after all this time?" Aoda demands to know.
"That is none of your concern!" The other snake hisses and lunges at Aoda with his fangs bared.
Sasuke watches. It looked like talking wasn't going to work. More Leaf Ninjas were arriving and doing battle with the enormous serpents, some of which were actually larger than the hospital.
It was a chaotic scene. Jutsus and weapons were flying. Snakes were hissing and baring their fangs. The snakes seemed able to work together and would occasionally slam their huge bodies against the sides of buildings, forcing them to tumble down and cause the people below to scatter.
"Something's wrong. They don't seem to have a particular target." Itachi murmurs and Sasuke nods.
"This is a distraction." He says, fighting back to back with Itachi.
Itachi was hurling some gigantic fireballs at the snakes. It looked like his older brother was banking on the serpent's having a primitive fear of fire. Sasuke sends a Chidori flying at another.
They had two priorities here. Make sure that no one got killed by the snakes themselves or the falling buildings and to find out what the snakes were trying to distract them from. The first part was easier said than done.
"RASENGAN!" Naruto roars out as he slams his trademark attack into one of the giant snakes.
"64 palms!" Neji shouts as he attacks another one.
Sasuke's eyes widen in horror. One of the buildings was about to go down. Hinata was shoving some kid out of the way. But she was going to get crushed. He slams into her, both narrowly avoided being crushed to death by a fraction of a second.
"You okay?" Sasuke asks.
"I think so. What about you?" Hinata replies.
"BLOOD!" One of the snakes says and lunges at them with its jaws gaping open.
That's when Hinata saw it. When he shoved them onto the ground, his legs had hit the hard rocky ground and gotten shredded up good. He was bleeding. It was a minor injury by ninja standards. Their version of a scrapped knee. But the scent of blood was enough to drive the closest snake into a frenzy.
Sasuke radiates a Chidori along his body and stands in front of Hinata. That snake was going to get a surprise when it tried to eat him! That's when the snake got punched hard enough that it fell to the ground in a daze.
"GET AWAY FROM MY SON." Mikoto yelled at it and shakes her hand after punching the animal.
"Fugaku, remind me not to anger your wife." Hiashi calls out.
"She's a very sweet woman until someone attacks her children." Fugaku muses as the patriarchs continue focusing on their respective snakes.
"FIREBALL JUTSU: PHOENIX FLOWER STYLE!" The Uchiha Clan Head yells at the fireball goes flying at the dazed snake by his wife.
"Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!" Hiashi bellows.
Sakura rushes onto the battlefield and joins Naruto. She slams her fist into the ground creating a mighty crater. As the ground rippled from the force of her punch, one of the snakes gets caught in it and ends up in the crater.
"Thanks!" Naruto says as he creates a few dozen clones.
"Sasuke, I need you to fire off your biggest Chidori after the rain starts falling." Hinata says to him once they were both on their feet.
Sasuke was about to ask what rain, when he saw it. There was a storm cloud hanging overhead. He didn't know if it was natural or if one of the Leaf Ninjas had summoned it. But he could work with it.
Suddenly it starts to pour and charges up a Chidori. Aoda sees what was coming and disappears in a poof of smoke. The other snakes weren't so lucky though. They get stunned by the lightning's powerful voltage.
"Is everyone okay?" Itachi asks and slowly but surely, everyone is accounted for.
"That was too easy. They weren't intending to kill." Sasuke mutters and looks around, his eyes scanning for Orochimaru.
He found nothing though. Damn that was a slippery snake. Why would he attack the Leaf Village now though? It couldn't be a coincidence those Summons were affiliated with Orochimaru. Aoda had identified them as being the Sannin's Summons. That had to mean something.
"EVERYONE SPAN OUT INTO TEAMS AND SEE IF YOU CAN FIND WHO SUMMONED THOSE SNAKES!" Tsunade roars into the crowd, using a jutsu to magnify her voice.
The ninjas didn't need to be told twice. They flit off and begin scanning the village. In almost no time, they had scouted the entire Leaf. Yet, no one could find a trace of Orochimaru or anything out of the ordinary.
"Everyone you may retire for the evening, but be on your guard. We don't know where their Summoner went." Tsunade mutters a few hours later and all the ninjas go their separate ways, unaware that they were being closely watched by Orochimaru and Kabuto.
"Did you get it?" Orochimaru asks him and the silver haired ninja smirks as he hands Orochimaru the scroll.
"Perfect. This jutsu should prove most useful." He says with a smirk.
It was an ancient jutsu. The jutsu had been made forbidden long before he had been born. The truth had a habit of causing complete chaos. It was a truth jutsu that could be used on a massive scale.
"Who are you planning to use that jutsu on?" The younger ninja asks him curiously.
"The entire village. While they are distracted by the chaos that produces, it will be an easy matter to conquer them. Nothing causes panic faster than the truth." He chuckles darkly.
Kabuto smirks. He couldn't disagree. Every ninja village was built on a foundation of secrecy. It was what kept them going. For a village's dirty laundry to be exposed was likely the worst thing that could happen to any ninja village.
That was why spies were so critical. It wasn't kunais or jutsu that were the most dangerous weapons. It was information. Still he wondered how it was possible that a truth jutsu could be employed on such a grand scale.
"But there are thousands of villagers in the Leaf. How can one jutsu influence them all?" He asks curiously.
"That is why it is a Forbidden Jutsu, it's power is too great to get out there and be used by the general public. Quite simply, I will be able to influence thousands of them because I have enough chakra to do so. I don't need to maintain the jutsu indefinitely, just long enough to sow the seeds of discord." The legendary Sannin replies.
Kabuto nods. It did make sense. Fortunately, they had been able to retrieve the scroll without a scratch. Orochimaru's snake Summons didn't appear to be so lucky. He wondered if the Sannin was upset about this or not. He decided it was in his best interest not to ask.
"It's a brilliant plan, Lord Orochimaru. How close to them do you need to be in order to cast this jutsu? Won't they notice it, if you use such a large amount of chakra, so close to them?" The silver haired medic inquires.
"No. I can use it from the Sound. As long as I know who I am targeting. The distance is of little consequence." He replies happily.
Kabuto nods. He follows the dark haired man who was flitting back to the Sound Village. They had to hurry before they were detected. This would all be for nothing, if they got caught. Which was why he really didn't relish the idea of sticking around long enough to be found. The possibilities of what would happen after that, were too horrific to imagine.
Orochimaru smirks as they flit off. Finally, it was within his grasp. He would be able to take over the Leaf Village with ease. Once he had access to their medical labs, he was sure he'd be able to unlock the secret to immortality. He just needed the proper equipment. This was going to be divine.
"We should be able to reach the village before nightfall at this rate." Kabuto says.
"Excellent. I want to get started on this jutsu as soon as possible." The other man replies.
They soon arrive in the Sound. Kabuto idly thought that Orochimaru looked like a child that had just stolen a cookie from the cookie jar without getting caught. It was strange to see the older man look so gleeful.
He truly thought this would work. That's what the silver haired medic was thinking as he watched Orochimaru perform the Forbidden Jutsu. He watched as the strange white mist flowed off into the air, apparently being directed by Orochimaru. Things were about to get very interesting, he mused.
The next morning, Sasuke decides to go pick up something at the bakery. He didn't have time to time to eat breakfast with his family. He had overslept. He didn't to be late for training.
He walks into the bakery and blinks at the chaos he saw. What the Hell was going on here? Sasuke had never seen anything like it.
"You know, I always spit on your food because you are a bad neighbor! Your dog never shuts up!" One of the bakers said to a patient.
"That's disgusting! I can't believe you would spit in someone's food because you didn't like their dog! This is the last time, I'm coming here again." The patron snaps right back at the baker.
Things only got worse from there. Soon enough everyone was yelling at each other. Food was being thrown.
"What the Hell is going on here?" Sasuke asks the owner of the shop as a couple were now tearing into each other, something about an affair.
"I have no idea. I wish it would stop though. It's very bad for business. I want to retire in a couple years." He mutters.
Sasuke blinks. That surprised him. Teshi seemed to enjoy running the bakery. He had been doing it long before Sasuke was born. So it was shock to hear him say such a thing.
"Well I'm sure it will calm down. I still don't know what got into them." He watches the fights play out and contemplates breaking them up.
Hiashi enters the bakery. His reaction was similar to Sasuke's. He couldn't believe what was going on before his very eyes. People were screaming, throwing foot at each other, and more than a couple looked very close to coming to actual blows.
"STOP! This type of behavior is not befitting of any Leaf Villager. What on Earth has gotten into all of you?" Hiashi bellows.
"Oh you can just shut up. Just because you are the leader of a Clan doesn't make you better than us. Stop trying to lord over us. It's annoying." A middle aged woman grumbles at Hiashi and he twitches.
Sasuke winces. Shit. This was bad. This was really bad. He had to find a way to calm things down before they got worse.
Unfortunately, he had never really been good at playing the part of a diplomat. That was more Itachi's area of expertise. He really wished his brother hadn't been sent off to do a solo mission right now. Itachi would have know what to do. Sasuke didn't.
"How dare you speak to me in such a fashion? You filthy savage!" Hiashi growls at the disrespectful ninja.
"Hiashi, please don't kill him. I think that it isn't his fault. They are all behaving so strangely today. It can't be a coincidence." Sasuke mutters and wasn't entirely sure if his request would reach Hiashi.
The Hyuga Patriarch blinks. He looks to see who was addressing him. He was surprised to see it was Sasuke.
Hmm well that was unexpected. Though he supposed it was rather convenient he had been planning to speak with the boy anyway.
"You may be right. We should go warn the Lady Hokage about this strange turn of events." He suggests and the Uchiha nods.
Sasuke follows Hiashi. They head towards the Hokage office, but he noticed something odd. The Hyuga Patriarch didn't seem in a hurry to get there.
"I wanted to thank you for saving Hinata. She could have been crushed to death yesterday." He whispers to him as they continue walking.
"You're welcome. Anyone would have done it though." He states.
Hiashi shakes his head. No anyone wouldn't have done it. That building had been going down too fast. If it weren't for Sasuke's speed, they likely all would have died. Hinata, him, and that child she saved. They would all be dead now, if it wasn't for Sasuke's quick reflexes.
"I must admit that it did surprise me. It is not everyday that an Uchiha risks their neck to save a Hyuga." He says.
"I am tired of my motives always being questioning because of my last name. It's this village that isolated us! Not the other way around." Sasuke snaps at him.
He mentally winces. The young Uchiha couldn't believe he had just said that to Hiashi! If he wasn't careful, he might incite a Clan War with his loose tongue. What was wrong with him?
"Perhaps there is some merit to what you say. But your Clan has always been one that strives for power at all costs. It is difficult to trust anything you do isn't because of an ulterior motive. Still I do feel that I owe you. You saved my daughter's life. And there may be advantages in building a closer relationship between our Clans." He says.
Sasuke blinks. Was Hiashi offering some sort of alliance? There were a lot of backhanded compliments in there. But the fact that the Hyuga Patriarch hadn't started yelling or attacking him was shocking by itself. But an alliance?
"If you wish to discuss Clan relations, you would be better served to speak with my father on this matter. He is the Head of our Clan and makes such decisions." Sasuke replies.
"Of course. I shall be certain to do so. Your loyalty to your father is admirable. But I wondered your personal thoughts on the matter." He inquires.
"I hate how our Clan has been pushed to the fringe of this village. An alliance with your Clan could bridge the gap between us and other members of the Leaf. It'd be nice to be able to speak with Hinata without worrying about whether it would trigger a Clan War." He answers his question, not at all sure why he had told him all of that.
"Why do you desire to speak with her?" Hiashi asks.
Sasuke didn't know why. Why couldn't he stop talking? It was if he was under some kind of spell.
"Because she's one of the few people in this village that doesn't judge me as guilty of some unnamed crime because of my last name." He mutters.
"I suppose that is fair enough." Hiashi replies and they enter the Hokage's office.
"I'm sorry. Unless it's an emergency, I don't have the time to speak with you today. It seems everyone in this village has gone crazy." Tsunade mutters as she sees the pair walk in.
"Yes, everyone seems unusually aggressive." The Hyuga Patriarch says.
"It's the strangest thing. I don't know what is causing it." The busty Hokage admits.
"People are being brutally honest." Sauske mutters.
Tsunade's eyes widen. Suddenly, it all clicked. Could it be? Orochimaru wouldn't have stolen THAT jutsu would he? How would he even know about it? It hadn't been used in well over a century.
"Thank you for coming to see me. I will let you know if I find anything out. Thanks to Sasuke, I may have an idea what is going on." She says.
The men nod. They could tell when they were being dismissed. They head off. Sasuke towards the training grounds and Hiashi to the Hyuga Estate.
Meanwhile Hinata heads to Team Seven's training grounds. She felt she had to thank Sasuke for yesterday. He had probably saved her life after all. When he finally got there, he was surprised to see none of his teammates were there. But Hinata was.
"Morning, Hinata. Have you seen Kakashi, Sakura, or Naruto?" He asks in confusion.
"Um well they are all at the hospital." She mumbles.
Sasuke raises an eyebrow. All of his teammates were at the hospital? Why? That didn't make sense.
"I don't know what happened. But Naruto said something to Sakura. She got really angry and beat him up. So Kakashi had to take him to the hospital. I think Sakura felt a little guilty." She tries to explain.
"Oh. That's weird. Kakashi is usually really late. I'm surprised he was there when Sakura tore into the loser. Hope she got him good. Honestly, I think he is a masochist or something. The idiot just loves to get beaten up." Sasuke says with a smirk.
"Sasuke, that wasn't very nice and I'm surprised you know what a masochist is!" The bluenette says.
Sasukes at Hinata with an adorably cute expression. He was confused. Why wouldn't he know what a masochist was?
"Why wouldn't I? I'm not Naruto. My vocabulary includes words other than believe it, remand, Hokage, and bastard." He states.
"I don't know. You've always seemed so…aloof. You've never been interested in anyone. So it surprises me that you'd know a word that usually…" She trails off and blushes deeply.
"I didn't mean it in a sexual way. I'm just saying that Naruto likes getting beaten up." Sasuke defends himself.
Hinata nods. She couldn't believe she had said that in front of Sasuke. What was wrong with her? Something very strange was going on. First, Sakura beat up Naruto and now Sasuke was talking about masochism.
"I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that." She says, still blushing madly.
"It's fine. Anyway, what are you doing here?" Sasuke asks.
Hinata tries to get her blush to go away. For some reason, her imagination had decided to go into overdrive. Dungeons and handcuffs were involved. Yes, that wasn't helping.
"I wanted to thank you for yesterday. You saved me." The bluenette says.
"Oh. You don't have to thank me for that. Anyone would have done it, if they were close enough." Sasuke reasons.
Aoda had come back after the battle. He wanted to check on Sasuke and make sure he was alright. He hadn't heard anything after the battle and was worried.
The giant snake blinks when he sees Sasuke in the training field with Hinata. Oh she was new. Was Master Sasuke trying to Mate with her? Hmm.
"Either way, I still appreciate it." She says with a smile.
"Oh I quite like this one, Master Sasuke. She does have such lovely scales!" Aoda says cheerfully.
"L-ovely scales?" Hinata asks as her eyes widen at seeing the massive snake.
Sasuke smacks his forehead. Leave it to Aoda to make a dramatic entrance. Great now he was going to have to explain that comment.
"Don't worry about him. This is Aoda. He's my Summon." Sasuke explains and the snake nods.
"Oh it's nice to meet you." Hinata says with a shy smile.
"And it's very nice to meet you as well. I didn't know that Master Sasuke was trying to find a mate! I'm sure you're hatchlings will be beautiful." He says in a friendly manner.
"M-ate? H-atchlings?" The bluenette asks and looks about ready to faint.
Sasuke gets behind her. He wasn't going to take any chances. Damn it. He knew that his Summon meant well. He was just trying to be friendly. But in reality, he was only making things awkward.
"He means that you have beautiful skin. Ignore the rest of it. Aoda fancies himself a matchmaker and a babysitter, I guess. Snake Summons are apparently big on the whole hatchling thing." He mutters.
"Oh. I get it. I think." She mumbles, still feeling flustered.
"Anyway, since my team apparently isn't going to be showing up today, I could walk you home if you like. I think your father warmed up to me a little bit." He says as he leads Hinata off.
She tilts her head. Her father was starting to warm up to him? What did that mean? Had Sasuke spoken with him?
"He's going to talk with my father about interclan relations. I think it's because of what happened yesterday." He elaborates and Hinata nods.
The two rub the back of their heads sheepishly as they make their way towards the Hyuga Estate. An Uchiha and Hyuga walking together was more than enough to turn some heads. Sasuke really hated the fact that no one in the Leaf ever seemed to mind their own business.
They weren't doing anything. Hinata was only walking with him. It wasn't like he had got down on one knee and was proposing to her or something. Really these people needed to get a life and badly.
"Thanks for walking me home. I hope that Naruto recovers soon. Sakura was pretty rough on him." She mumbles.
"Eh he's had worse. You'd be amazed at how thick his skull is. It would take a lot to actually hurt him. Thanks to the Nine Tails he heals a lot faster than the average person." Sasuke assures her.
"Oh well that's good to know. I'll see you around?" Hinata asks and Sasuke nods.
He watches as she heads off into her estate. Sasuke was so entranced by the image of her hips swaying as she walked off, that he didn't realize at first that he wasn't alone. Sai had joined him.
"What are you doing?" He asks conversationally.
"Admiring the view." Sasuke comments without thinking.
"Of Hinata's backside?" The artist asks in such a causal manner that Sasuke replies without thinking about it.
"Yes." He replies.
"So that's what you are attracted to? A woman with a nice round bottom?" Sai inquires curiously.
"Well it's always nice. I'm more of a breast ninja honestly. Wait. Why am I discussing this with you?" Sasuke growls.
"Most likely because I asked the questions." Sai replies cheerfully and Sasuke twitches as he contemplates firing off a fireball at the strange ninja.
Sai smiles. This was going much better than he thought. If Sasuke was willing to publicly ogle Hinata, that had to be a good sign.
Maybe Ino was right after all. Maybe there actually was something there to build off of. In any case, he couldn't wait to tell his blonde lover what Sasuke had said about Hinata.
He knew how much the flower lover adored playing matchmaker. This was going to make her so happy. And there was nothing more beautiful in the world than the sight of Ino's smile.