As I stated before I will update if I get an inspiration boost for the next chapter or if enough people like what I am writing about. Anyway enjoy and thank you to all who fav'd followed and commented.
CH2
Sasuke wasn't content at eating dinner with just his mother. His father had left on some important meeting with the Uchiha elders but that's not who he was seething silently at while shoving rice balls down his throat. Why did Itachi hide from him and mom? It's not like Itachi ever did anything bad. He was the perfect son, the one that would become the head of the clan. Sasuke didn't mind much about that part but would it really kill his brother to actually pay more attention to him?
Huffing internally because Uchiha don't give into such frivolous emotions he stormed up the stairs, and cursed under his breath when he nearly tripped over a stair in his anger. Knocking loudly at his brother's door he waited and then heard footsteps pad on the wooden floor toward him. He was met with Tobirama's stoic face. His torso was bandaged over the armor rather sloppily as if he had been in a haste to stop his own bleeding so that he could take care of a more grievous wound.
"I want to see Itachi!"
The eyes narrowed slightly.
"I have to see him! Come on!" He heard his brother speak it was muffled because of its low octave. Then more sharp coughing. Sasuke gave his biggest pout. He hated using this but if it would let him see his brother. To his surprise the Senju opened the door more allowing him to enter.
The room was mostly bare save a made bed at the far left of the room. A writing desk that was placed next to the window, a shelf filled with scrolls and a closet where Itachi kept most of his weapons and clothes. At the far end of the wall a door led to a small bathroom in which Itachi was washing off his face. Tobirama leaned against one of the walls lazily as if the blood wasn't seeping through his bandages. It looked painful.
Sasuke swallowed the lump he was holding in, "Itachi?" The lines under his bothers eyes were more distinct as if he hadn't slept for days.
Itachi smiled down at him wanly. "I hope you weren't causing too much trouble while I was away."
Sasuke shook his head vehemently. And walked dejectedly toward Itachi, "I practiced shurikan and I finally made a huge fireball." He mumbled. Sasuke wished he could be happier with his achievement but no matter how much he trained it always felt like he was running a losing marathon. Like his brother was always a step ahead of him no matter what he did. He hung his head in shame because it felt like Itachi hadn't wanted him here in the first place. He really was weak wasn't he? To his surprise two hands awkwardly wrapped around him. He looked up to see his brother smiling down at him. The smile was gentle but it scared him. Itachi was so white that it felt like he could fade any second now.
"You're not lying are you? About not being wounded?" Sasuke asked half afraid of the answer.
"No just tired, mild chakra exhaustion. Besides I have Tobirama-san to vouch my claim."
Sasuke shot a look at Tobirama daring him to lie but Tobirama just inclined his head. "I'll go catch up with Termite to report."
"Thank Orochimaru for me."
"Take care."
The Senju left in a puff of smoke. "Who'd you fight? I know the mission is classified and all but did the shinobi you fought use any new jutsu? "
Itachi chuckled at his brother's sudden excitement only too happy to change the topic. "Well actually…."
oooo
Danzo's frowned at the mission report. The muscle above his eyebrow simply itched to twitch in irritation. Something in the report was off he felt it in his aging bones. But his control over the root was absolute; no one not even a skilled Fūinjutsu master save Jiraya could even attempt to undo the seal. And last he heard that fool was somewhere writing his latest "novel" if that's what was considered "writing" nowadays. Termite wasn't lying unless the information he was providing was what he believed as the truth.
The door to his dimly lit office was opened by Hare. Wolf entered and kneeled in front of Danzo. "Apologies Danzo-sama I have no excuse."
His eyes narrowed as he took in the white haired man whose voice made no indication of the wound. Wolf was usually never late so he let it slide. Besides it would do him no good to berate the head of the Senju clan for his tardiness when a certain Mutt with a disgraced lineage dared appear in his office hours after the designated time. Unofficially of course it was Tsunade who ran the show. But before she chose to leave the village to go waste away her life drinking and gambling or whatever else the vain woman had moved on too. She conveniently dumped the title head clan on Wolf. It was ironic that the Senju who had once created the village were near extinct while the Uchiha flourished. What was once a large clan was reduced to two or three members if he included the unofficial lab rat with the firsts DNA. But Danzo had learned long ago that life had a twisted sense of humor.
With Wolf here he could fill in the blanks. "How is it that they knew of your coming?"
There was a calculated pause. "I believe they expected an attack from a different village, perhaps the Sand. After Hanzo's death the Hidden Rain has begun to flourish. Perhaps they fear a potential thorn in their side if Rain does become power hungry."
A tactical observation worthy of a Senju heir, Danzo himself was beginning to suspect that more was going on in the Rain than even he himself knew. The amounts of "laboratories" for chakra study were increasing and their raids were becoming more and more futile. It was troubling but ever since an anonymous new leadership came to power the door to most of the territory was shut. Regardless Danzo realized that the leaf could not handle another war what with trouble brewing in the Uchiha compound. He proceeded to a full questioning of the Senju but Wolf had little more to add then what he had already heard. Grudgingly he dismissed the squad. Left to contemplate on the villages many problems Danzo's scowl deepened. Sarutobi really was a weak leader no doubt without his help the village would have fallen apart years ago.
oooo
Orochimaru added more of the solvent into the semi thick solution. He was sure this time his proportions were correct. Soon he would have his antidote. There was a hiss and the blood red solution turned brown. Taking note of the change he wrote down a few more sentences onto a scroll. He was closing in, with most of the variables accounted for there were only several variations left to make.
He paused mid-sentence when he sensed a chakra presence. Konoha shinobi rarely visited his laboratory and most wouldn't be able to pass the barrier he set up regardless. A thin smile graced his lips as he recognized the signature which was accompanied by a familiar scent of blood. He looked up from his work.
"Sensei"
"You are getting clumsier…."
"Yes well we were expected."
Tobirama entered the semi dark cave unfazed by the various smells of sulfur, nitrogen and various other odors which indicated intense experimentation on his former Sensei's part. The dripping of water from various stalactite's and dampness of the cave seemed better suited for a missing nin then the head of Konoha's medical division but Orochimaru preferred the darkness and the silence to the endless racket of medical ninja who pestered him endlessly with their various questions because reading his book was too damn difficult when they had someone they could just ask for an answer.
"Any luck?"
"I would have more if my students weren't prone to such careless abuse of their person." Orochimaru motioned for him to lie down on another laboratory desk whose recent purpose was serving as a microscope stand.
"I could always go straight to the hospital."
"Those imbeciles should go back to grade school." Orochimaru hissed. Hands experienced in medical ninjutsu tore open the bandages and covered the wound. Orochimaru's eyes narrowed when he heard a hiss escape his students usually composed lips and hands involuntarily clench at the sides.
"You overdid it." That was not a question.
"I brought what you requested. They are being more careful. I found no written records whoever is doing the experiments is very clever." Orochimaru unbuckled the armor tossing it to the ground as he hurriedly added more chakra to the wound.
"Next time report to me immediately. I can't have you wasting your precious Senju blood when I have experiments that need finishing."
"Getting sentimental in your old age?" Another hiss escaped Tobirama's lips his eyes fluttered closing briefly in pain.
"Hardly."
"He didn't request my blood." There was a brief pause in the flow of Chakra.
"He could have obtained the cells directly from the grave."
"Stealing your hobby? Besides didn't you ensure that no one else be able to use those cells?"
"His medics most likely obtained the samples then years before I started my career."
"Who else would he go to for an implant Sensei?"
Orochimaru frowned as he smoothed a square bandage over the now mostly healed wound. Who else indeed? His student had been lucky that the wound had not been any deeper. Regrowing organs was now possible thanks to his research but it was still an extremely tedious task. Tobirama grunted as he slowly sat up. Rummaging through his kunai pouch he pulled out a shard of metal and handed it to Orochimaru.
"They have improved the chakra it's able to hold tenfold more then the original." Orochimaru accepted the odd shaped metal rod and placed it on a third table on which various other metals were spread out. Tobirama inspected his wound briefly. "Thanks."
"Try not to lose blood in the near future you're two cups away from passing out."
"Itachi sends his regards as well." Tobirama retrieved his battered armor from the ground and slung it over a shoulder.
"He may yet live to regret taxing his body in such a manner." Orochimaru gravitated toward his latest experiment satisfied that his student was no longer in danger of dying from blood loss.
Tobirama made his way out of the cave but paused and turned at the door. "You should get some rest yourself Sensei."
"I'll do plenty of that when I die." Tobirama smiled at the retort and made his way to his small apartment. Upon reaching it he collapsed passing out into a dreamless sleep.
I hope I got everyone's character down right. Feedback is appreciated!
