Part I: Episode 9
Six Months Ago
It was approaching evening when the ANBU ninja, a rather heavy set man, appeared in the Hokage's office where Orochimaru and Tsunade were finishing up dealing with the various paperwork involved with being the top of the village. He said nothing, but a glance towards Tsunade told the two Sannin that very sensitive information was about to be revealed. Orochimaru gave a quick nod, which the ANBU returned with one of his own.
"It's as you theorized, Hokage-sama. Shimura Danzo was seen at an orphanage towards the northern edge of the Fire Country talking to a former Root ninja. From their conversation, it appears that Shimura-san intends to begin recruiting from the orphanage and train on the job. We also have reason to believe that Root was never fully disbanded to begin with." Tsunade took an angry breath, but Orochimaru remained calm. In fact, much to the ANBU's surprise, Orochimaru didn't even seem surprised. He then nodded as if he had already received the information.
"Thank you, Arashi. You are free to leave." Orochimaru said. With a quick nod, the ANBU was gone. Tsunade took no time in going off.
"That sleazeball! I can't believe he disobeyed a direct order from the Hokage! Who does he think he is?" She growled. Orochimaru couldn't help but chuckle, much to Tsunade's annoyance.
"What?" She snapped. Orochimaru's smile calmed her down. Not because it was particularly charming or sweet, but because it was the smile he wore when he knew something that no one else did. Like when they were kids and he would sneak a win against Hiruzen in shogi without the old man noticing.
"Don't worry Tsunade. Danzo has done nothing that I'm not aware of." The Hokage said as he turned to face the window. A part of him hated how attached he had become to this village in just a few short years. Was this why Hiruzen chose him to be the Hokage?
"So, you knew that Root was still active? You could've had Danzo court-martialed or something!" Orochimaru turned back to face her, his eyes surprisingly soft. It was strange, seeing Orochimaru so subdued. It was like the snakes he was so fond of. Beautiful, stunning even, but his presence used to put her on edge. But now, he seemed so tame even if his eyes still held that dangerous glint in them.
"It was more convenient not to." Orochimaru explained, adding to Tsunade's confusion. Orochimaru smiled again, although this smile was the one she remembered. "If nothing else, Root is an incredibly efficient spy organization. By formally disbanding them, all I really succeeded in doing is getting those obnoxious kids from following me." The Hokage explained calmly. Tsunade sighed, glad that she wasn't the Hokage. All of the political warfare between Orochimaru and Danzo made her head spin.
"So you let Danzo keep running Root because..." Tsunade asked, speaking slowly. She was positive that there was a small smirk on the Hokage's face.
"Because he has some of the best spies in the village. They keep him informed of what's happening in the outside world and, if it's serious enough that Danzo needs me to act, he'll tell me." This surprised Tsunade. As far as she knew, Orochimaru and Danzo hated each other. Then she inwardly smiled. 'Orochimaru must really love this village,' she thought, 'to work so closely with Danzo.'
The tension within the walls of Konohagakure was almost tangible, Tsunade thought as she waited alongside Orochimaru at the northern gates of the village. On the Hokage's opposite side stood Jiraiya, the three Sannin nearly forming a second wall inside Konoha.. Most of the villagers resided inside their homes and much of Konoha's ANBU force had been stationed near the residential areas. The pressure at the gate seemed to increase and Tsunade knew that the Raikage had arrived. The gatekeepers, two Chunin looked hesitantly at Orochimaru who nodded and without further pause, the gate to rise.
Tsunade had never seen the Raikage before. If she had, she figured he would be the man she could never forget. He was a mountain of a man, but it wasn't until he had come closer that Tsunade could really appreciate how big he was. He traveled with three individuals, although Tsunade didn't doubt there were likely more hidden somewhere behind them. The four Kumogakure-nin stood at the gates and Tsunade was surprised that they were abiding by the tradition of waiting to be invited inside a village. Beside her, Orochimaru nodded.
As they came closer, Tsunade noticed that although the Raikage's party was bigger, they were also younger. The Sannin easily had a decade of experience on them. She refused to let her guard down however. There was a reason these three individuals were chosen to be the Raikage's guards. The entire scene was disturbingly quiet.
Had the situation not been so comical, Tsunade might have laughed at the distinct physical differences between the Hokage and the Raikage. The Raikage had at least a foot on Orochimaru and at least a hundred more pounds of muscle. Compared to him, Orochimaru was whiter than a sheet of paper. Still, the Hokage didn't seem slightly fazed. Of course not, Tsunade thought. He hadn't shown fear when going face-to-face with a bijuu. And what was a mere man to a demon?
"You have some nerve Orochimaru," the Raikage growled. "How dare you slay one of my ninja and then demand that I come to you? You'd best have a good reason for this!" Orochimaru's gaze was cold and absolute, like a snake who had already bitten its prey and was simply waiting for the venom to take its hold.
"Perhaps-" Orochimaru began, only to be cut off.
"No!" The Raikage barked angrily. "I will have none of that 'let's talk in my office' bullshit! You will answer for your crime here and now!" Tsunade took an even breath. She wanted to look to her right at her old teammates, to see how they would react. It was obvious that the Raikage was used to his rage having more effect, because Orochimaru's steady gaze seemed only to be infuriating him more. Tsunade could almost hear the smile forming on Jiraiya's face.
"Raikage-sama, you will remember that it was your ninja who came into my village and attempted to kidnap a child from one of Konoha's noble houses." Orochimaru's voice was steady and calm, but had a hard edge to it.
"Does Konoha not believe in a fair trial? You weren't there! You had no idea what happened!" The Raikage declared mockingly.
"Neither do you, Raikage-sama," Orochimaru countered. The Raikage's face darkened considerably. "And as for your man's trial, I will admit that I would have like to have him imprisoned rather than killed-"
"They why didn't you? Control your dogs, Orochimaru!" The Raikage interrupted again. Because of the distance, Tsunade could practically feel Orochimaru tense slightly. Not even Danzo was so brazenly disrespectful.
"However," Orochimaru began, ignoring the Raikage's outburst, "the girl's father had all right to react as he saw fit with his daughter's life in danger."
"I demand justice!" The Raikage raised his fist and Tsunade tensed until he bought it back to his side. Tsunade had the distinct feeling that if the Raikage had been sitting at a table, he would have smashed it then.
"Raikage-sama," Orochimaru began, only to be cut off again. This time, however, Orochimaru was prepared.
"Raikage-sama," he said, his voice a deep growl that actually seemed to startle the significantly larger Kage as well as his companions. "I have read your demands and I will not accept them. Either you sent that man here for the sole purpose of kidnapping the Hyuga clan's heiress or you made a regrettable choice for your village's head ninja. In either scenario, you are to blame, not me or any other citizen of Konohagakure." The Raikage's jaw clenched and unclenched dangerously, but Orochimaru kept his eyes on the Raikage's.
Even the Raikage's guard seemed uncomfortable with the ensuing silence that seemed to add to the gravity of the area. Finally, the Raikage took a deep breath and spoke, this time in a low, steady voice.
"Well Orochimaru, if you will not give me justice then I will take it from you. The treaty is off. For every one of your men, women, and children that fall in this war, Hokage, I hope they all weigh on your conscience." The Raikage turned to leave when a voice shouted "Wait!" across the field. Everyone turned to see the owner of the voice and Orochimaru was hardly surprised to see Hiruzen walking towards them with a man walking next to him. Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, instantly seeing his former teacher's plan.
"Raikage-sama, I am the man who killed your shinobi one week ago at the Hyuga manor. If you wish my life, so be it. I offer it willingly if it means there will be no more bloodshed between our villages." Orochimaru glared at him, but the Hyuga stared forward at the Raikage. Without using his sensor-skills, Orochimaru had no way of telling if this was truly Hyuga Hiashi or if it was his brother Hizashi, although the Hokage was sure he knew.
Orochimaru was about to say no, when Hiruzen caught his eye.
"Orochimaru," he said, his voice stern but pleading. Orochimaru's eyes floated from Hiruzen to the Hyuga and to the Raikage, who had an angry smirk in his eyes, even while his face remained stoic. Just as the Raikage was about to accept the trade, Orochimaru cut him off.
"No," he said. It was a simple word, but it seemed to have the weight of thunder. Hiruzen visibly paled and the Hyuga quickly turned to face the Hokage with a look of disbelief. The Raikage growled again, this one far more angry and menacing than before. Orochimaru turned to him, returning his glare with the same amount of rage and intensity. It was clear that the Raikage had not expected because his rage, if just for the briefest of seconds, disappeared.
"Raikage-sama, let me make one thing perfectly clear. I will admit that what Hyuga Hiashi did was reckless and he will be punished for it as a court sees fit. And it is for that reason that I will call the Hidden Leaf's ninja back home and will not continue this war. But if so much as a hair one of the my ninja's hair is plucked, I myself will be at your village. I will tear down the mountains you call home. I will rip the demons from your jinchuriki and I will do to them what I did to the nine-tailed fox. If you wish to continue this war then you will feel my full wrath." It was as if Orochimaru's words were hanging in the air above them and everything seemed suspended in time. At the bijuu remark, Orochimaru had noticed two of the Raikage's guard involuntarily scooting closer to the one who looked like his could be the Raikage's brother.
Even the Raikage himself seemed to adjust himself so that he was perfectly between Orochimaru and his guard. The intensity in his eyes changed. At first, the Raikage's anger had been that of a man whose pride had been injured. But for whatever reason, the rage in the Raikage's eyes went from burning hatred to a cold fury. He stood up to his full height and Orochimaru found it difficult to read his face.
"Let us go," the Raikage said as he turned. His guard looked bewildered, turning their heads from the Raikage to the Hokage and then back before they followed their leader outside of Konoha's gates. Tsunade swallowed and released the breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. Everyone present, in fact, seemed to let out a sigh of relief. All except Orochimaru, who never lost his cold gaze as he himself turned and began walking away.
"Are you out of your mind Orochimaru!" Homura barked when the story of that morning's events had been told to the council. Orochimaru regarded him coldly. Jiraiya looked back at Hiruzen, who seemed to have aged another ten years in the past few hours. Danzo was disturbingly silent, and Jiraiya and Tsunade desperately hoped he would say something.
"Homura-san is right, Orochimaru." Hiruzen chided. "That was a gamble you had no right to make. We've been at war with Kumogakure for years and that was our chance to finally end it with as little bloodshed as possible." There was a tense silence before Danzo spoke.
"I approve of the Hokage's actions today," he said, much to everyone's surprise. His eye never left Orochimaru, whose face remained equally stoic.
"Kumogakure cast a deep insult against us and I for one will not stand for one of Konoha's own to have to suffer for another village's ineptness. Where is your pride, Hiruzen? Homura? Are you truly so eager for this war to end that you'll march one of your own villagers, a man who you called family, an innocent man with a son and a wife, to death?" Tsunade found herself moved by Danzo's words. For all his blatant narcissism, Danzo truly was a patriot before all else.
"It probably wouldn't have been a pretty death anyway," Jiraiya added, causing the heads in the room to turn to him. Tsunade envied his ability to keep such a light tone despite what was happening. In a way, it's probably the only thing that regularly kept the Council meetings somewhat civil.
"There's not a doubt in my mind that Kumogakure wanted the Byakugan and that they would have tried anything to get it out of Hizashi's head. And I doubt they would have given him the pleasure of death before doing so." The council room was quiet. There was nothing else to talk about. The only thing to do now was to wait and see what Kumogakure would do. And so they did.
Orochimaru made sure to increase the security around the village and emissaries were sent to Sunagakure to make sure they kept their word and would come to Konoha's aid if necessary. It was less than moralizing when the Kazekage informed them that he would send what aid he could when necessary, but that the economy of the the Wind Country prevented him from doing more.
Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months with no sign of attack from Kumo. All of the Konoha-nin that had been stationed between Konoha and Kumo had been successfully recalled and after arduous psychological screening and interrogations, they were reunited with their families. No spies had been seen or reported at all within village - not from Danzo or Jiraiya. Whatever Orochimaru had said to the Raikage, it had been successful. There had been no official peace treaty, but the war between Konohagakure and Kumogakure was over.
It had been two years since the ordeal and Koharu suggested sending a letter to the Raikage, but the rest of the Council had shot the idea down. There would simply be no communication with Kumo unless it was absolutely necessary. And even then, it would be kept as brief as possible. There was little use in looking that particular gift horse in the mouth.
"Well then, let's turn our attention to Sunagakure," Hiruzen said. Even though the war had been avoided, Jiraiya noticed that his former sensei still looked far older than he was and briefly found himself wondering why before the meeting picked up.
"From what I understand, their financial situation has only deteriorated since the last we spoke to them. What's happened to the money we've sent them?" Orochimaru asked. Hiruzen let out a deep sigh.
"It would appear that their situation is far more dire than they originally let on." Homura stated.
"I suppose they didn't want to burden us with such a thing while we were dealing with Kumogakure." Tsunade said aloud. Danzo scoffed.
"Such pride could easily be their downfall if that Kazekage isn't careful," Danzo warned to no one in particular although echoes of agreement were murmured. Orochimau took an even breath.
"I'll send a letter after the meeting, then." Orochimaru said. It was Hiruzen who spoke.
"Orochimaru," he said, causing his former student to look at him. It was rare that Hiruzen used Orochimaru's name during Council meetings. Something about not undermining the Hokage's authority by being familiar, although the other Council members were rarely as polite. "Perhaps it would be best if you meet with the Kazekage personally. Something is generally best handled face-to-face." Orochimaru nodded at the advice.
Of course, this suggestion opened a new debate about whether or not it was okay for the Hokage to leave, but Hiruzen managed to convince the Council that it was for the best. Still Orochimaru decided to leave Jiraiya in Konoha. The toad sage was the closest thing Orochimaru had to a spy and the last thing the Hokage wanted was for Danzo to run around unsupervised. Tsunade frowned when she realized this meant she would be traveling to Suna.
"I'm sure Chiyo still hates my guts," she said once the Council had adjourned. Jiraiya laughed.
"Yeah she probably does. At least you'll have your knight in scaly armor to protect you." The white-haired Sannin teased, causing Tsunde to blush and shove him. Orochimaru said nothing although he did begin to pay particular attention to the tiles on the roof. This caused Jiraiya to chuckle.
"Hey no one's judging you two. Well besides Danzo. And Koharu. And probably Homura too." Tsunade glared at him, but he only smiled. She rolled her eyes and Orochimaru followed her outside.
Author's Corner: Hey guys so I really want to apologize for last weekend's lack of chapter and this weekend's late update. I'm pretty much over my writers block, so that's good. But about a week ago I was hit by this really deadly virus called Pokemon X. So yeah, it was pretty intense. I've got most of it out of my system now though.
So yeah, I kind of liked this chapter. I liked showing how Orochimaru wasn't like Hiruzen in a lot of respects and this is one of those big ones. Orochimaru is not the kind of guy who's just gonna roll over. He has way too much pride for that. I don't like how I keep making Tsunade seem so ignorant of world affairs though, I need to work on that.
So it's like 1 in the morning and I gotta be up soon and I have no time to proof read this tomorrow, so if you find any mistakes or anything please feel free to PM or leave a review and I will totally fix it.
But anyway, I really do hope you guys liked it and you know how to make my day if you did. Next weekend I should have the next chapter up, so keep an eye out for that. As always thanks for all the feedback you guys give and also thanks for your patience for this chapter, you guys are amazing.