A/N: I don't own Naruto, if I did, it probably wouldn't be anywhere near as good.
Everyone who favorite, reviewed, or put my story on alert, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I love you all.
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Chapter 6 – Enter the Snake
Sarutobi Hiruzen put down his pen and took a deep breath. His time as hokage had been long and oftentimes draining, but always rewarding. Even so, he was happy to be naming his replacement, it was time to pass the torch, and he was sure he was making the right choice. Now he just had to inform the senior members of the shinobi council and usher in Konoha's new leader.
The stooped forms of Homura, Koharu, and Danzo shuffled into his office and he exhaled. Hopefully this wasn't going to be too difficult. He hoped they agreed with his choice, because no matter what they said, he was certain he would not be changing his mind.
"So you've finally decided to name a successor, Hiruzen my old friend? It's about time. I was beginning to think you'd start to rot before you gave up your claim to that hat," Homura cackled.
Hiruzen smiled at his long time comrade and frequent advisor. He, Homura, and Koharu were the last surviving shinobi from their graduating class at the ninja academy and the people in the world who knew him best. He was glad to know he'd be able to spend more time with them once the Fourth Hokage was sworn into office tomorrow.
"So which one of them did you choose? Who are we entrusting the Leaf to Sarutobi?" Koharu smirked at him. "Which one of your precious students is going to be protecting the village?"
"Please say it isn't Tsunade," Homura begged. "The girl doesn't even spend any time in the village; she only comes home long enough to keep from being declared a missing nin. And from what I hear, her gambling habit hasn't lessened any, while her sake habit has only increased."
Danzo also spoke up, "Orochimaru is not fit for the position, Hokage-sama. He does not care enough for the village."
"Jiraiya is not any better," Koharu observed. "That boy spends too much time spying on the women's bathhouse to be our Hokage."
Homura chuckled at her observation, "I doubt he'll be doing that again anytime soon. After what you did last week I doubt he'll go anywhere near the bathhouse for quite a while. Did she tell you Hiruzen? Ha-ha, she probably scarred him for life."
"No, I think she has neglected to tell me. So why don't you share what it is that has you in stitches?" the third joked back.
Koharu's eyes narrowed menacingly at Homura, but widened innocently as she turned to Hiruzen. "I'm sure I have no idea what he is talking about, hokage-sama," she said demurely.
"Ha-ha, now you know she's full of it. Hokage-sama? In all your years as hokage has she even once referred to you like that?" Homura guffawed and fought to control his laughter. "Last week when little Jiraiya was at the hot spring peeping, our dear sweet Koharu did a henge of a beautiful, busty young blond. Then she chased the other women out and started making kinky faces over towards his hiding spot. Of course he thought it was his lucky day, and his mind went into overdrive thinking about all the ways he could incorporate this new goddess into his novels. So she drops the towel and the henge at the same time, leaving little Jiraiya with an eyeful of her saggy boobs and wrinkly old ass. He came running from the hot spring screaming like a little girl."
At this point Homura could barely contain his laughter; he was doubled over and cackling like a mad man while Koharu shook her head.
"He had it coming," she said calmly. "He shouldn't be peeping, that's not what we train ninja for."
"Ha-ha, maybe your right. But you didn't have to burn his eyeballs out of his head. Do you know what the sight of you naked can do to a man? Ha-ha, little Jiraiya may never be able to look at another woman again without thinking of your pendulum-like boobs swaying in the wind, ha-ha."
Thwack! Koharu smashed him in the back of the head with the palm of her hand.
"Well if you're quite done with this nonsense maybe we can discuss what we came here for," Danzo cut in angrily, reminding the old teammates of his presence. "Have you chosen our new hokage or not, Hiruzen?"
"Ah, you are right, I should let you know who I've chosen," Hiruzen stated. "And I think you will all be pleased with my choice."
"I knew it, you've finally seen it!" Danzo exclaimed. "You've realized the extent of my contributions to Konoha and I'm finally going to be rewarded for my service and commitment. Finally I'll be given my due. Nobody deserves this more!"
Koharu and Homura turned to look at Hiruzen, surely he hadn't chosen Danzo, the man was ruthless and cruel. He thought only of his own power and wealth, and often made suggestions in council meetings that would endanger Konoha's shinobi for an increase to his own pocketbook. In short, he was everything that the kage of Konoha should not be.
"I'm sorry Danzo, but I didn't mean to make you think I'd chosen you. My decision is for Namikaze Minato to take my place."
"That is a good choice my friend," Koharu and Homura nodded their approval.
Danzo's permanent scowl deepened; seething he marched out of the office.
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Far away, across an ocean of sand, another kage made a decision of great consequence, and his wife wept.
"Stop your howling. You are the wife of the kazekage; act like it. You're sacrifice will make Suna great. You will do more for the people dead then you ever would alive," he spit icily, before leaving her to her pain.
The teenage bodyguard looked down at the sobbing woman in his protection and offered his hand to help her up. He was torn between his love for his village and oath to his kazekage, and the urge he felt to save the weeping woman at his feet. The kage was cruel, harsh, and cold at all times; never kind to those beneath him, while his wife was the opposite; always amiable and charming, forever supportive to the shinobi of the sand. She was beloved by the villagers, ninja and civilian alike, and it was to her whom the kazekage owed his popularity with the masses. She was the heart of Suna, even if her husband was unaware.
"I can get you away from here," the traitorous words poured from his mouth before he could think of the consequences.
She looked up out of red puffy defeat filled eyes and smiled forlornly; a broken woman. "My life is already forfeit. I will not allow you to add yours to his list as well. And even if we could get away, which I know you know we can't, I could not live without my children."
Though he knew it was impossible, again he couldn't stop the overflow of words coming from his mouth when he considered her plight. "We'll take them too."
She climbed to her knees and shook her head sadly. "No."
"But my lady, we can—"
"No," she cut him off, and stood up on her own, she locked gazes with him, and this time when he saw the emerald green eyes staring back they burned a fire lit with an inner strength he had not heretofore seen. "Though many seem to forget it, I am a kunoichi of the sand, and I will not run from my fate."
"He's a mad man, it would not be running—"
"No," she stopped him again. "I will not hide, and live in shame. I will meet my death with my head held high, and die as a woman my children can be proud of."
He nodded his head in understanding.
"Baki, she said, grasping his hand in her own. "Take care of them for me, please? Make sure they are strong; they will need to be to survive their father's madness. I know my Temari will be a powerful kunoichi, she has too much fire in her soul to remain a civilian. And my sweet boy, I know he is shy, but Kankuro will surprise you all, he is sturdy and sure. I know they will both make me proud."
Baki nodded, promising himself that he'd protect them with his life. Nothing would harm those children while there was breath left in his body.
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Orochimaru-sensei's anger raged and bubbled up wildly as he stalked down the long tunnel to his laboratory in the sea country; Anko trailing behind sullenly, wishing they were back in Leaf territory. Her sensei was always volatile but today he'd been worse than usual. Since the ceremony proclaiming the Yellow Flash Konoha's fourth Hokage his fury had been boiling; occasionally erupting in violence and Anko was on edge. She'd taken beatings before, but that was in the name of training, this was different. There had been no training involved when he'd backhanded her and sent her flying across the lab to crash against the hard stone walls. And even though he'd healed her injuries she was still nervous of the idea that she might get new ones.
"Anko!" Orochimaru snarled at her. "Why are you lagging behind? Are you too weak to keep up? Do you need some motivation?"
The ghostly pale sannin's hands flew through seals and suddenly there were two dog sized black snakes snapping at her heels. She ran down the hall, adding chakra to her limbs just to stay ahead of their gaping maws, who knew if they were poisonous just to teach her a lesson; often her sensei was brutal in his instruction. As she rushed past him and into his dark laboratory she could hear him laughing and for some reason it sent chills up and down her spine. She came to the back wall of the workroom and spun around quickly; ready to face off against her serpentine tormentors. Kunai flew from her hands and she began to form the hand seals of a particularly nasty fire jutsu she'd learned from an old scroll she'd found on a shelf hidden away in a corner, it crossed her mind that when she managed to perform it properly it very much resembled one of the jutsu the Uchiha clan were famous for but she'd have to think about that later, right now there were snakes to bake. Before she could finish the seals however, the snakes disappeared into puffs of smoke and she was left with just her sensei leering at her menacingly.
"Anko-chan," he purred. "Do you want to help your help your sensei out?"
"Hai," she nodded immediately. Of course she wanted to help him, why would he even ask the question. He was her sensei after all, and he'd taught her more jutsu than any of the other chunin could even dream of. When she'd made chunin he'd taken to teaching her far more complicated techniques then any of the other shinobi her age were learning, and if some of them happened to be of the forbidden kinjutsu variety, it only made him more thorough in her education. Besides, it only served to make her that much more deadly, and simultaneously that much better of a tool for her village. If she could help him, she would, plain and simple. It was the least she could do for the only person who had ever thought she was worth the effort. Several jounin had passed on the opportunity to train her when her genin cell and sensei had been killed during a mission, yet Orochimaru-sama had welcomed and comforted her. To think that the clanless Mitarashi Anko had been taken in by one of the legendary Sannin was sometimes too much for her to comprehend. She was always in awe of his amazing cunning and skill. He'd been her teacher, friend, and parent through the years and she idolized him. There was no person on earth Anko cared for more, and she'd walk through the gates of hell for him if he only asked. If he needed her help, for anything at all, he would get it.
She wasn't sure what they were doing in sea country, but it must be important. They had left Konoha almost immediately after Namikaze Minato's coronation, and her sensei had said almost nothing the entire trip. Unfortunately, now that he'd begun speaking it was with tones that made her cringe. She'd never been a squeamish girl but the look he was giving her at the moment was darkly sinister, and her stomach was betraying her with uncharacteristic acrobatics.
"Kukuku," Orochimaru smirked perversely at his young disciple. "I knew you would Anko-chan."
"What do you want me to do sensei?" she asked nervously.
"Survive," he hissed as his head shot out lightning fast on an elongated serpentine neck. A dim light in the darkened laboratory glinted off of evil yellow eyes and Anko had no time to even scream before his teeth sank into her neck and pain erupted through her body. She collapsed onto the floor; spasms rocking her body cramping and burning a trail of pain down her nervous system. All she knew was agony before it was too much to bear and she passed out from the torment.
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Endnote: Sorry for the detour, but everything will tie together eventually, I just want to include all the things going on at the time, as Obito will at some point effect almost everyone in the Naruto universe.
Since I wrote down here anyway, I figured I'd shamelessly beg for reviews…. Please please please….