Chapter 5: A Little Fight

Naruko strolled through the empty streets of Kumogakure, staring up at the mountains all around her. Built into the mountainside were multiple terraces, as well as a massive blue building that seemed to be constructed around one of the natural spires. In accordance with the terrain, the buildings were made up of mostly stone, in contrast to Konoha's wooden architecture. The air was thin and cold, to be expected from the high altitude, high enough that the clouds almost brushed the tops of buildings. Her way was lit by paper lanterns, which cast a dim yellow glow over the ground as they danced in a soft breeze. Kumo was undeniably beautiful, but still she didn't much like the village. It brought back memories she would prefer stay buried.

It turned out that following Jiraiya's trail was almost laughably easy. Not only was the man relatively famous, but his recognizable appearance and loud personality made him quite memorable even to people who didn't read his godawful books. She had only to ask around in a few villages to find out he had traveled North, and if he was going North he would surely pass through Yugakure, the village hidden in hot water. The man was notorious for peeping at hot springs, there was no way he would pass by an entire village mostly dedicated to that very purpose. There she had found his trail once more, and if he wasn't in Yugakure there was only one place for him to go. Kumo. He wouldn't bother with civilian villages, they were far too boring for his taste, and didn't have his preferred...entertainment to the same degree larger villages did.

And so she found herself patrolling Kumo, searching for either the nearest bar or brothel. At this late hour, she more expected the latter. Naruko almost wished that she could resent him for his perverse habits, but to do so would be hypocritical. She too had needed her distractions, back in the war.

She found him at the third brothel she tried. Apparently, Kumo had quite a few of the establishments. Naruko wasn't sure what that said about the village itself. She brushed past a slightly surprised bouncer, who was probably unused to admitting women entrance, and into the main lobby. Women in various states of undress paraded around the large space, occasionally leading a patron up the stairs at the far end. Around the room were several large couches and tables, occupied by either customers or prostitutes. Sure enough, there Jiraiya sat, a giggling whore in each arm. No doubt their amusement stemmed from the large sum of money they were receiving, Jiraiya's jokes weren't his strong suit. With quick strides, she was in front of him. He hadn't noticed her yet, his eyes were rather preoccupied as one of the prostitutes shed her top, making rather over exaggerated display of removing the garment. It was strange, to see him again. He had died before the war had even begun, and yet here he was. In flesh and blood, and in all of his previous perversions.

"Jiraiya," she said loudly, earning only an annoyed grunt.

"Go awa-" He suddenly caught sight of her, his jaw dropping open as he did a double take. Naruko frowned as a lecherous grin slid across his face. "My dear, will you be joining us this evening?" His tone quickly shifted, his words dripped with sickening honey. Naruko thought she was going to throw up. The problem was, she needed him alone. She couldn't teleport him out in full view of everyone else.

"Let's go upstairs, shall we?" She asked, forcing the best smile she could manage, despite that all she wanted to do was run and never look back. Jiraiya's grin widened, and she took his hand, looking behind her to subtly nod the girls towards the bills she left on the couch next to them. They seemed all too pleased to receive their pay for so little work, quickly disappearing into the crowd. She led him up the staircase, despising the way he was staring at her rear, and ushered him into the first empty room. With one last glance into the hallway, she closed the door behind her. Before Jiraiya had time to react, she grabbed his arm and they disappeared in a crimson flash.

"You fucking old senile prick!" Naruko shrieked, clutching at her nose, which was bleeding profusely. Apparently, Jiraiya had faster reflexes than she expected, and had immediately punched her in the face when they appeared in Naruko's hotel room.

"Why did you take me here?" Jiraiya asked coldly. His previous cheerful expression had been replaced by a cold mask, apparently, Naruko thought wryly, teleportation didn't take kindly to him. "And what was that jutsu you used?"

"I just wanted to talk, you perverted toad. You try to hit me again-"

"If I hit you again it will be to kill you," he interrupted coldly. Naruko held back a sneer, mostly because the gesture would get blood in her mouth. As if he could. "I asked you a question," said harshly.

"You always were a stubborn man," she commented, tilting her head back to try and stop the flow of blood. Jiraiya's eyes narrowed in suspicion, a snarl curling his upper lip. "I'm surprised you didn't recognize my technique, perhaps you need another demonstration?" He tensed, but wasn't fast enough to avoid her as she lunged for him. The moment her fingers made contact with his arm, they disappeared once more.

"Do you recognize it now?" Naruko asked haughtily, this time having the sense to put some distance between them after they appeared. They were outside of Kumo now, at the Hiraishin marker she had placed a few minutes walk from the city walls.

"That's impossible," Jiraiya growled, his body tensed in preparation for a fight. Naruko smirked. Perhaps he realized by now that killing her would be impossible.

"Clearly not," Naruko drawled. It had been said that she wasn't the best at diplomacy.

"What do you want with me?" He asked, watching her for any sign of an attack.

"I want you to come back to Konoha with me," she answered evenly, clearly surprising him. No doubt he had expected something much more unpleasant.

"Who are you?"

Naruko smirked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"You might be surprised." She considered him for a moment. She really doubted that.

"I'm Minato's daughter." She had expected him to laugh, but Jiraiya was actually quite good at hiding his emotions when he wanted to. Instead, he met her gaze evenly, clearly trying to spot a lie.

"You're a crazy bitch. Minato never had a daughter, and if he did she wouldn't be nearly as old as you."

"You can doubt me all you want. You will go back to Konoha, whether or not you are conscious for the journey is up to you. You will learn the truth soon enough."

"As if a little girl like you could-"

Naruko hauled his unconscious form over her shoulder, before disappearing in a flash.

"I told you that you wouldn't believe me," Naruko said unhelpfully, enjoying the way Jiraiya's jaw was hanging open comically. Sarutobi had done his best to explain the situation, but even with the Hokage's validation it was difficult to believe her story. Not that Naruko much cared either way. She needed his help, that was all. He could think whatever he wanted of her. All she wanted was to protect her village, and the people in it, no matter the cost. Konoha's will of fire burned brighter in her than any who came before her, or any who came after. That was why she had been made Hokage in the first place. She wasn't a master tactician, she wasn't a diplomat, she wasn't a politician. She was simply the incarnation of the will of fire. She breathed fire as easily as she did air. She with a will hot enough to burn the sun.

"The attack is fast approaching," Sarutobi commented absently. "The genin have already begun the second stage of their exam." Naruko's head snapped up as she took in a sharp breath.

"When? When did the second stage begin?" She asked urgently, startling both Sarutobi and Jiraiya with her tone. She hadn't expected the chunin exams to begin so soon, if she was too late...

"Just this morning," responded Sarutobi, frowning at he curiously.
"Then there may still be time," she breathed, relieved, before vanishing in a flash.

Naruko raced through the trees, almost too fast for the eye to follow. Below her, the genin teams were scattered about the Forest of Death, scrambling foolishly to achieve their given task. They wouldn't notice her presence, not unless she wanted them to. She strained her senses, ignoring the small bursts of chakra from the chunin hopefuls. What she needed to find was much bigger.

There! A spike of killing intent, far too powerful for any chunin level ninja to perform, erupted not too far ahead of her. She unsealed her crimson blade, vanishing in a shunshin.

She appeared a moment later, catching Kiba by the collar as he attempted to launch himself at the tall ninja standing not too far away. Sakura and Sasuke were both frozen in place from the twisted killing intent emanating in waves from the mysterious shinobi. Luckily, she was on time. Orochimaru could adopt many forms, but there was no doubt this was him. He always smelled of snakes.

"And who might you be?" Orochimaru asked, drawing out the syllables eerily. Naruko grimaced, everything about him was snakelike, the fluid way he moved, the way he spoke, even his eyes.

"Don't interfere," she told the three genin, pushing Kiba back towards his teammates. It was their lucky day, she mused absently, they were going to witness a high level shinobi battle firsthand. "Moeru Ha (Burning Blade)." Her katana erupted into flames that coursed over the length of the blade, leaving a fiery afterimage when she move her sword. Orochimaru tilted his head, regarding her curiously with those eerie eyes of his, before his jaw opened grotesquely wide, the handle of a sword rising from his throat. He grabbed it and fluidly drew the blade she knew to be the legendary Kusanagi sword.

"It's rude, you know," he commented off-handedly, before he darted forward, their blades clashing in a roar of flame. "To ignore someone like that," he finished, flicking his wrist around in an attempt to sever her head from her shoulders. Again, his blade was blocked by her own, and she sent a pulse of chakra into the blade to make the flames flare up, forcing him back. A slow smirk spread across Naruko's face. It had been too long since she had really let loose.

The genin staggered back as her chakra washed over them, strong enough to make the very air feel heavy. Even Orochimaru looked wary as her chakra beared down on him. Nobody could match her in sheer chakra potency, whether in volume or density. She was an Uzumaki, after all.
Still, he was too good to actually be slowed by such a simple move.

Again, he dashed forward, his torso extending so that his body looked almost more snake than man. He slithered forwards at a blinding speed, and once more their blades clashed. He struck five times, all in the space of a moment, each clash of blades marked by the roar of fire. Again, Orochimaru jumped back to create some distance between them.

"Sen'ei Tajashu (Multiple Striking Shadow Snakes)!" Large snakes extended from his outstretched sleeve, fangs bared in preparation to strike. The jutsu covered a surprisingly large range, the snakes fanning out as they raced towards her.

"Zanzo (Afterimage)!" She arced her blade in a wide slash, cleaving through several snakes in one strike. As the rest of the serpents curved to lunge down at her, she swung her sword again, this time in Orochimaru's direction, though he was still far out of striking distance. Suddenly, a crescent shaped blade of fire erupted into the air, following the exact plane and pattern of her initial sword strike, cutting easily through more of the snakes. Orochimaru's eyes widened in realization, but he had no time to dodge as fire exploded in a delayed imitation of her second swing, rushing outwards to mirror her blade's attack. The attack struck him in the middle, easily severing his torso from his legs. Where there should have been blood and gore, snakes shot from both severed pieces, meeting in the middle and drawing the two halves together, healing Orochimaru seamlessly. Naruko grimaced. Orochimaru was annoyingly good at living when he shouldn't.

"To think you could match me even at this level," he hissed. "Most impressive." The fool. He always had been an arrogant bastard.

"You really need to learn how to die. Katon: Ryuu no Iki (Fire Style: Dragon's Breath)!" Flames erupted from her mouth as she poured her chakra into the technique. The attack races forward with a loud roar, drowning out the cries of the genin.

"Kuchiyose (Summoning): Rashomon!" A massive ornate gate appeared to intercept the flames, a bizarre snarling face painted on its surface. It was tall enough to easily tower over the surrounding trees, but even still it buckled under the pressure of the flames as they smashed into with with massive force. Naruko released the jutsu, watching impassively as the Rashomon gate burned, it's ornate frame now blackened and twisted by the heat. As suddenly as the gate appeared, it vanished from existence with a puff of smoke, and Orochimaru was nowhere to be found. Naruko sighed. She knew that she would be seeing more of him soon.

"Holy shit that was awesome!" She turned to find Kiba beaming up at her with a disturbing amount of reverence. "You totally kicked that guy's ass!" Sasuke was scrutinizing her with a look she could only describe as hungry. She didn't like it. Not one bit.

"What are you looking at, brats? You need to get out of here, everyone in this stupid forest will have felt that." She noted, with a small amount of smugness, Sakura's terrified expression. They would be fine, they learned from the best, after all.

With one last look, she disappeared in a whirl of fire.

Anko was not having a good day. First, she had been forced to get up early. If that wasn't bad enough, she was forced to get up early because of a meeting. Then, at the meeting, she learned that Konoha was most likely going to be attacked by Suna and Oto, most likely during the chunin exams. Now, she learned that her old mentor Orochimaru was seen in the Forest of Death for an unknown purpose, and that he was scared away by a kunoichi who happened to be there at the time. She hadn't even had time to stop and get dango for lunch. In essence, it was the worst day imaginable.

Luckily, she was about to go interrogate the kunoichi, which she figured would be a good way to better her mood, and maybe learn some information vital to her village's security...as a secondary objective. Of course, she was really just supposed to question the kunoichi, not interrogate her, but where was the fun in that?

Still, if Anko were honest with herself, there was something off about the situation, and she was going to find out what. There was little reason Orochimaru of all people would be in the Forest of Death, and it was equally perplexing that someone had been there to stop whatever he was doing. Anko paused in front of the door to the interrogation room, adopted the most sinister grin she could manage, and burst into the room.

"Alright you floozy, this is how things are going to-" Anko paused, her grin slowly fading away as her eyes made contact with Naruko's, who was leaning back casually in her chair with her feet propped on the metal table in the centre of the room.

"Hello again, Anko," Naruko said coolly.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Anko asked, unsure of how to proceed. How are you supposed to interrogate someone you really want to bang?

Anko realized she may have answered her own question.

"I'm here to be questioned, I think," Naruko responded, examining her fingernails absently. "Something about a little fight I was in." Anko's eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets. A little fight? With Orochimaru? She slid into the chair across from Naruko, trying with difficulty to school her expression.

"What were you doing in the Forest of Death?" To business, then.

"In light of some new information, I was sent by Sarutobi as an extra precaution during the second exam."

"Would this be the 'new information' learned at today's meeting?"

"It would."

"You weren't there," Anko pointed out. Naruko waved an airy hand.

"I was debriefed this afternoon."

"Do you have any idea who you fought today?"

"Not sure," Naruko shrugged, "but they were way above chunin level."

"It was Orochimaru," Anko cut in. She still had trouble believing that the woman before her had gone toe to toe with her old teacher. Either Naruko was ridiculously strong, or Orochimaru had never wanted to actually kill her. That too raised even more questions, because Anko suspected the latter was more likely. Especially when she noted Naruko's clearly feigned surprise at the supposed revelation that she had been fighting Orochimaru. Anko stood from her chair, nodding curtly at Naruko. "I hope next time we meet, it's under more...pleasurable circumstances." As she turned to leave, a frown crept across her face. Anko was good at telling when someone was lying, and Naruko was definitely lying.

Her bad mood rapidly returning, Anko couldn't help but grimace. It was a shame, really. she always did seem to be attracted to the crazy ones.