A/N: Word count is ~5.6k.

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 17 - Losing Sight

Obito made his way over to the Uchiha compound at a somewhat sedate pace, enjoying the scenery of Konoha.

He realized that, due to the sudden influx of worrisome events, he had become increasingly stressed and focused on… Well, pretty much everything. So, because it was a day-off from his team's usual training, he had decided to take the long route to the compound.

Of course, he still had some sense of urgency and soon found that mindlessly walking around made him antsy (a shame, considering he had been able to do so before without problem… But then again, there hadn't been a war, then) and quickened his pace to the clan head's house.

What he found—or rather, what found him—was unexpected.

"Goggles-niisan!" As soon as Obito stepped through the threshold of Fugaku's house, mid-shout for either Mikoto or the clan leader (because no one had responded) he found himself tackled in his midriff by a familiar, messy-haired Uchiha child. He looked down at the boy that clung to him like a bur, large round eyes peering up at him with curiosity and excitement. "I didn't know you were 'Tachi's teacher 'til today! So I came over to say hi!"

Obito smiled. "It's good to see you too, Shisui," the older Uchiha commented lightly as he slowly relinquished himself from Shisui's embrace, finger by finger. The kid had a strong grip. "Do you know where Mikoto-san and Fugaku-sama are?"

"Nn," Shisui murmured while shaking his head. He grabbed Obito's hand and began pulling him to the backyard. "I don't know where Mikoto-baa and Fugaku-ji are, but 'Tachi is in the backyard 'ready. Let's go!"

Obito allowed himself to be dragged to the backyard by the younger boy, where one Uchiha Itachi stood, facing a few targets and practicing his aim. It gave Obito a strange sense of deja vu, seeing the young prodigy training with such an unwavering focus.

"'Tachi!" Shisui called out, causing Itachi to turn to them. "Goggles-niisan is here! Let's compete now that we have a ref!"

The time-traveler said nothing and turned to Itachi with a raised eyebrow. Itachi nodded. "It is good to see you, Obito-san. Please be the referee to decide the winner."

"'Obito-san'?" Shisui parroted, looking confusedly between Itachi and Obito. "Your name is Obito, Goggles-niisan?"

The older Uchiha nodded bemusedly. "Yep. Uchiha Obito."

"Hmm…." Shisui's face scrunched slightly as he contemplated, and the older Uchiha couldn't help but think it was actually rather adorable. "… Alright! I'll call you Obito-niisan, then!"

"Alright, then," Obito stated simply with a smile.

"So Obito-niisan, can you be the ref for us?" He watched as Itachi and Shisui sidled up to each other, peering up at him with their childishly innocent eyes. He could practically see Fugaku and Mikoto's reactions to the sight. "Please?"

After a brief moment of contemplation, Obito shrugged. It wasn't as if this couldn't be considered training, and he'd have a good chance to judge how strong Shisui was at this point in time, as well. "Sure. How long, or how many?"

"Best outta five kunai and five shuriken!" Shisui grinned widely. "You also give extra points if we do cool tricks."

"Points?" Obito repeated bemusedly. Shisui's unrestrained enthusiasm was as endearing as it was draining to him. "Alright, let's see how you two do."

The two younger Uchiha nodded (one more energetically than the other) and they each took turns throwing their allotted weapons, each throw with varying accuracy and strength. It was obvious that Itachi not only had a natural affinity for this, but also had prior training—something Obito would've been able to pick out even if he hadn't been the one to train the boy—whereas Shisui was rough around the edges. With potential, yes, but with either little or no training.

Finally, they stopped, and the older of the two young Uchihas let out an irritated groan. "Gaaah, this is so annoying!"

Obito muffled a chuckle at Shisui's clear irritation. The small competition had ended in fourteen points to eighteen in Itachi's favor, and his friend was clearly annoyed by the fact.

The young heir looked somewhat lost, wondering about the source of his cousin's irritation. He held his hand out in the seal of reconciliation and stared expectantly (if not somewhat nervously) at Shisui.

The boy didn't notice, and instead, crossed his arms with a pout. "Is' just not fair. 'Tachi is already so good, but I still can't always hit the target. He's always better than me!" He pointed a finger at Itachi, who went somewhat wide-eyed. "And he's only four, and younger than me!"

The clan heir was silent for a moment before hesitantly reaching out with his other hand. He looked rather awkward, holding one hand out in an abandoned half of the seal of reconciliation, the other hovering near the other boy's shoulder. "… Obito-san has helped me, and I'm sure that if you ask, he will help you as well. You will improve."

"Wait…" Shisui's brow furrowed. "… Why do you call Obito-niisan 'Obito-san'?" Talk about an abrupt shift of topics.

Itachi frowned somewhat, looking between Shisui and Obito. "… It's appropriate, isn't it?"

Shisui's brow furrowed further. "No, you should call him Obito-niisan!"

Now Itachi looked plain confused. "… But he is not my brother."

Obito, at this point, needed to physically use his hand to cover his amusement. He really felt for Itachi, he really did—the man/boy always had some difficulty when dealing with people—but to think that his relationship with Shisui, his best friend, had been so difficult for him before… And Shisui himself didn't seem to even notice Itachi's meager attempts to keep him happy. A child who was a little too literal, and a child that was a little too subjective. It was definitely an amusing situation to watch, and he might've let it continue… But he realized that he should probably interfere, now.

Obito pat Itachi on the head, causing both boys to look up at him. He smiled. "I'd prefer if you called me Obito-niisan, Itachi. In fact, I'd actually like to be called your brother."

His response was a silent stare, and Obito couldn't help but wonder if the clan heir reserved that look just for him—as far as he knew, especially after watching his interactions with Shisui, Itachi didn't behave like this with anyone else. The time-traveler frowned slightly. "… Only if you don't mind, of course. If you feel offended or anything, then—"

"No," Itachi interrupted surprisingly. He turned away, not letting the other two see his face. "…I'll call you that… Obito-niisan."

The three had resumed their previous game (after a small time of cheering from Shisui that he managed to get Itachi to change his ways, and failed attempts from Itachi to keep his embarrassment unnoticeable) only, Obito took Shisui aside and helped the boy with throwing kunai and shuriken. The second time Itachi and Shisui competed, they managed to tie—seventeen to seventeen, and Shisui was overjoyed, while Itachi watched the boy's cheering with fond amusement.

It had been about three hours after he had initially come to the compound that Obito felt it, the muted chakra signature, the absence of emotions (not trained to be muted, but complete absence) and he mentally cursed.

Root.

How the hell did they always manage to arrive whenever he was actually feeling happy?

His eyes narrowed as he observed Itachi and Shisui—both of them having decided to forgo training and chat—half of his attention on the unfamiliar chakra signature. In all honesty, Obito couldn't tell who the Root operative was after. It was likely the target was Itachi, considering the boy's status. It was also just as likely the Obito himself was the target, especially when considering the fact that this was the second time already that Root was following him. He wanted to say that Shisui was not an option, considering the boy was not part of the main branch nor was he particularly prodigious for Uchiha standards, but… Well, he really couldn't. After all, in the future past, one of the boy's eyes had literally became Danzō's right eye. Just because the boy had yet to gain the Mangekyō didn't mean he was completely safe, which meant that Obito had no idea who was the target.

He would be taking a bit of a gamble doing this, but it was most likely that he himself was the target, and even if he was wrong, he could use his Kamui if absolutely necessary. Even though he wasn't quite done with the cell treatment, it should still minimize the over all damage.

"Itachi, Shisui," he called out as he stood, drawing their attention to him. "I need to go right now. I'll see you two next time, yeah?"

Shisui had a near heart-breaking look of devastation on his face. "What? You have to go already, niisan?"

"Sorry you two, but yeah. I have my own training, too, after all, and it wouldn't be right if I slacked just because I'm teaching yo—"

Obito cut off as he suddenly found himself in an embrace. He looked down bemusedly at Shisui's messy hair and was about to reach up and pat the boy on the head… But suddenly found his hand instead occupied by a kunai. He stiffened slightly, catching a worried yet calculating glint in the younger boy's eyes.

"Be careful, Obito-niisan," the younger Uchiha whispered in hushed tones. "… I don't like the stranger."

The time-traveler blinked. Oh yeah. Shisui was a sort of prodigy as well, wasn't he?

"It was nice seeing you, Obito-niisan." He looked over to Itachi as Shisui stepped away, and watched as the clan heir's eyes darted in the direction of the Root operative briefly.

"Uh… Yeah," Obito stated awkwardly, "I'll see you guys later. You be careful, too." He shook his head as he walked away. Geez, genius kids.

It was to his immense relief that the Root ANBU followed him out of the clan head's house, and it alleviated some of the built-up tension that resided in his shoulders. Perhaps he should've been more worried than he was about the fact that he had seemingly caught the warhawk's interest, but… For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to do so. Perhaps it was because, if things turned sour, Obito could honestly say that he would have little to no problems offing the warhawk with the blink of an eye… In a rather morbid, literal sense.

When he had reached the gates to the compound, Danzō's subordinate finally made himself visually known. A hooded figure wearing a standard ANBU mask dropped down to where he stood and stared at him with a dispassionate gaze.

"Uchiha Obito."

Obito tilted his head slightly to the side as he regarded the pale, lanky figure before him. He couldn't see a face and the hair was covered, but he could see pasty white skin beneath the layers of dark clothing. 'Geez, do they all live in a damn cave?' A pause. '… Never mind.'

It… Bothered Obito, somewhat, that Danzō had sent a subordinate. As far as he knew, the warhawk almost always made certain to recruit potential Root members on his own—especially if they belonged to a major clan such as the Uchiha.

… Then again, Obito really didn't, but that wasn't the point. If Danzō was after him for his Sharingan (which he no doubt was) then he might've, should've seen fit to arrive himself and convince Obito personally. Perhaps the old Konoha elder felt that the effort was wasted on him, that he was simply an ignorant child that would jump immediately for the chance at power like a starved animal.

"That's me," the Uchiha replied with a wry grin. He was feeling oddly vindictive, at the moment. "What can I do for you, Mr. Puppet?"

"Do you seek power?" The tone was cold, emotionless. Unsurprising.

Obito crossed his arms and tilted his head. He exaggerated a look of contemplation. "Hmmm…. I dunno. Most people do, though, right? Everyone likes feeling superior, so… Yeah, sure."

The operative nodded, apparently not understanding or catching the sarcasm in his tone. "That is good. You have been invited by Danzō to—"

"No thanks," Obito interrupted, waving an arm dismissively. "You can go away now, Mr. Puppet."

In a moment of indecision, the Root member hesitated. "… I am to tell you Danzō-sama's terms and—"

Obito stepped up to the operative, and though shorter, he peered up through the mask and right into grey eyes. He smiled, but his eyes shone with a discordant bitterness. "I am not interested."

The time-traveler had realized that he displayed a bit too much confidence and strength the moment the Root member stiffened, but he didn't really care. Danzō's puppet left shortly thereafter, leaving Obito on his own. And that was what mattered.

He hummed on his way home, the quiet tune more strident and forced than he likely realized.

It was… Horrible.

… No. Such a word didn't do the situation justice, didn't do the innocents justice, the grieving families justice. What they had chanced upon, what had slipped past them undetected for so long… It was absolutely vile.

And it was within the walls of their home.

"… Orochimaru," Hiruzen stated quietly, his voice shaking. Why? His student, who was always prodigious and intelligent, capable of so much… Apparently, was also capable of—of this. The aged Hokage took a deep breath. "… What… What have you done?"

Tsunade was behind him, trembling. The blood, the rot, the human sounds that ceased yet still echoed through their ears—it was horrible. Hiruzen should not have brought her. Jiraiya was beside him, looking far grimmer and serious than anyone had likely ever seen, his eyes fueled with anger, disbelief, hurt, betrayal… And he knew his own eyes were the same.

He was Hokage. As soon as he had taken up that mantle, his responsibilities grew tenfold and included the entirety of the village. No longer would he be the first out on the battlefield unless it was truly needed, for his responsibility was to the village and the people that couldn't defend themselves properly. He also stopped hoping that his team would be reunited on the battlefield, fighting for the same cause, ever since Tsunade had lost her loved ones and Jiraiya had appointed himself a spymaster. It was supposed to take a great war, or something equally unavoidable, that would bring back the God of Shinobi and his students to battle.

Sarutobi Hiruzen would never have guessed that the next time he and his students stood on the same battlefield, that it would be in Konoha… And with a traitor in their midst.

Orochimaru sneered—or was it a grin?—as his slitted pupils darted to the aged Hokage. "I thought it would be rather obvious, Sarutobi-sensei."

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed, and the Sandaime could see that it was taking every ounce of willpower that the sage had to remain calm. "… Why? Why, Orochi? Why have you done this?"

The snake did not reply. He merely drifted his eyes from Jiraiya, to Hiruzen, to Tsunade, and back.

"… F-Fifty-eight…" Hiruzen and Jiraiya glanced to Tsunade briefly before turning back to Orochimaru. They couldn't chance taking their eyes off of the traitor. "… Fifty-eight, all civilian, most of them children. How could you do that? How could you experiment on innocent, harmless people that couldn't even defend themselves!?" Tsunade took a step forward, faltering slightly because of the shivers wracking her form. "How could you!?"

Orochimaru sighed, and it was painful how similar it was to the times he had given that very same reaction to Jiraiya's jokes, or Tsunade's temper, or Hiruzen's worry. "Oh, that wouldn't have been too much of a worry, later on. As you can tell from the… Casualties, civilians are not quite fit for my experiments. I would've been forced to move onto Shinobi, who are more likely to withstand the more strenuous treatments."

"DAMN it, Orochimaru!" Jiraiya took a step forward, eyes glinting with raw fury. "Answer me! Why have you done this!? Why would you betray your own village, betray Konoha!?"

Hiruzen grimaced. This situation… It was affecting all of them, painfully. All except Orochimaru, who regarded them all with a completely dispassionate gaze.

"… Do you recall what I told you, Jiraiya, after Tsunade had lost her brother, Nawaki? Her lover, Dan?" Hiruzen glanced questioningly to the toad sage, who seemed to be searching his memory for what the snake was speaking of. "Well, I shall remind you, then." A vague, hardened insanity glinted in his golden eyes. "Immortality."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed, and he glared at his student. He… Did recall that, the few times he had spoken to Orochimaru about his goals, it had been about reaching beyond mortality. He hadn't thought it would come to this. "… Immortality is a foolish goal, Orochimaru. It is unattainable, and not for humans—"

"Of course not," Orochimaru interrupted smoothly, a grin forming on his lips once again. "Humans, while having potential, have limits as well. What I wish for… Is to surpass that. To become immortal, to gain infinite knowledge, to become the strongest Shinobi in the world."

He walked to the side a few paces, eyeing the trio that stood before him with the gaze of a predator assessing its prey. An unnerving, cold, objective gaze that spoke nothing of the years their team had spent together.

"… You wish to become strong… And you believe that this," The Hokage gestured to the dark halls, the blood stains, the suffocating smell of blood in the air. His mind raced through all of his previous interactions with Orochimaru, the many times he had emphasized the Will of Fire, the necessity of bonds, and the importance of valuing one's village. One's home. And yet, it appeared that all of his teachings managed to slip past the genius's notice. Where had he gone wrong? "… You think that this is the answer?"

The snake tilted his head to the side. "Your ideal is foolish. You believe that power is attained through friendship, through teamwork, and through bonds. It is, an… Adequate method, I acquiesce, but only for limited power, only for as long as those fleeting thoughts last. Now… Absolute, never-ending power? That is what I seek." His fangs bared in a snarl-like smile. "Revenge, hatred. These are the most powerful emotions, and what true power is derived from."

Jiraiya stared at his ex-teammate with clear, bitter skepticism. His fists clenched and unclenched, emphasizing the steadily growing anxiety he felt. "… So, you've been doing this for how long…? … No, never mind that, I don't want to know. And you never thought we'd find out eventually?"

Orochimaru frowned. "… No, I knew that I would be discovered at some point, as I never intended to continue living my life in secret. Admittedly, however… This has occurred far sooner than I would've expected." His eyes narrowed. "I must ask, how did any of you know to suspect me? I know for a fact that, not four weeks ago, you were all blissfully ignorant to the situation. And then, to my surprise, Tsunade returns home, there is an ANBU rat in my lab, and the three of you decide to pay me a personal visit."

Hiruzen winced. His ANBU... When he had sent one of his own personal guard to investigate, he had not expected said Shinobi to go missing. He had decided to investigate himself, and considering how things were turning out... It was likely safe to say that his ANBU guard was no longer with them.

"Sooner than you expected?" Jiraiya's voice was a low growl, and his teeth were bared in a snarl. "What… What has happened to you, Orochimaru?"

"Please, I would appreciate it if you could calm down for once, Jiraiya, and answer my question. I do not have all day," the snake replied flippantly.

Jiraiya flinched back, obviously not having expected the casual banter. Hiruzen glared, realizing that that was Orochimaru's intention—he was playing with their emotions on purpose. "… Answer ours, and we'll answer yours."

Tsunade turned sharply. "Sarutobi-sensei—"

"Tsunade," he ground out harshly, not even turning to her. He could sense her hesitance, but she backed down.

A grin returned to Orochimaru's features. "It was not in my calculations to be forced out of Konoha so soon, as keeping my base here makes it rather… Convenient, to gain fresh blood, in both a literal and figurative sense. It would have been simpler if I had been Yondaime, as I wouldn't have had much need to sneak around as I do now anymore—" Jiraiya growled at this as Tsunade bristled. Hiruzen felt the same; he had once contemplated Orochimaru as Yondaime, but now? He would sooner die than let that happen. "—but my hand has been forced. It is rather clear that I am no longer at liberty to stay here in Konoha, so it is best if I leave."

"And what makes you think we'll just let you leave!?" Tsunade boomed, her shaking not halted but diminished.

The snake lifted an eyebrow. "I would prefer if you answer my question, now."

"Shut up, you damnable—"

"I was not aware that it was a Konoha policy to leave debts unpaid," Orochimaru goaded, watching with obvious amusement as his words further incensed his teammates. "Considering the honor and Will of Fire all of you spout, I had assumed…"

"Enough."

All eyes turned back to Hiruzen, who kept his eyes trained on Orochimaru. "You wish to know how we knew? Fine."

Jiraiya merely looked confused, while Tsunade was hesitant. "Sarutobi-sensei, this isn't—we shouldn't tell—"

"The reason for Tsunade coming back to Konoha," the Sarutobi began, cutting off Tsunade, "was because she encountered a certain individual. This man held knowledge about you, and warned her about your potential betrayal."

Orochimaru remained silent, almost seeming to expect more. When he received no more information, his mouth twitched downwards in a frown. "… And you listened to this man?" His tone held more sibilance than usual, and the irritation was apparent. "I was… Unaware, that you listened to strange, unknown individuals, Tsunade-hime."

"He was right, though, wasn't he?" The slug-hime riposted, smirking slightly despite herself. "Even if I didn't know him, even if he wore a mask and cloak, he still had valuable information—"

She abruptly cut off at the sudden surge of killing intent from the snake, and she, Jiraiya, and Hiruzen faltered at the oppressive air—it had been many, many years since any of them had felt it, as Orochimaru had stopped its use after finding less direct methods of combat. His strength was still there, even after years of keeping it hidden.

"A… Mask… You say?" He hissed, expressing more irritation than any of them had ever seen him outwardly show. His teeth were bared, and this time, it was obvious it was a snarl from anger instead of a smile from amusement. "And I don't suppose this mask held a spiral pattern with a single eye-hole, all a rather hideous shade of orange?"

Tsunade blinked, confused, but still wary of the traitor's actions. "… Er, yes. Yes, it was," she replied, before narrowing her eyes. "… But how do you know?"

"Are you working with this masked man?" Hiruzen cut in, pinning Orochimaru with a steely gaze. He had to be certain. Of course, they had gained this information from the elusive masked individual, but it was also highly likely that this man had the information to begin with because of past dealings with Orochimaru—wherein, he most certainly was not a friend of Konoha.

To everyone's surprise, Orochimaru let out a bitter chuckle. His eyes glinted with something… Different, from the amusement, intrigue, and calculating wit usually behind them. "No. That man, with all of his power and potential, is not worth my time. He likely fancies himself a vigilante, on the side of 'good'—and I have no need for anyone who clings to those foolish, subjective illusions."

'On the side of good?' Hiruzen questioned silently, considering his ex-student's words. Orochimaru certainly didn't sound partial to this masked man, and, in fact, sounded downright hateful—something rare for an individual like Orochimaru, who respected intelligence, potential, and power above all else.

"Then how do you know?" It was Jiraiya who asked, this time. "Clearly, you have met this… Masked man. What happened?"

Orochimaru remained silent, eyes darting briefly to the side. "… He entered my lab. I had been surprised, to be honest, as he managed to slip through my first-level wards that should not let any non-Konoha resident through." He gave a wry smile. "I had, at first, assumed that he was one of yours, Hiruzen, until I… Realized."

The Sandaime Hokage frowned. 'Realized…?' Realized what? This game of back and forth was grating on Hiruzen's nerves, as well as Tsunade's and Jiraiya's—politically savvy to a certain extent they may've been, this was not a political affair. This was regarding a traitor from their own team. "What do you mean by that—"

"I apologize," Orochimaru cut in smoothly with a downright malicious grin, causing the other Shinobi in the room to freeze. "But I really must be going, now."

Jiraiya was the first to react. He leapt towards the snake with a Rasengan, slamming into the diaphragm of the dark-haired man with a sickeningly wet crack. Hiruzen was the first to notice, and called out to his white-haired student with a desperate tone.

"Jiraiya, watch out!"

The toad sage Shunshin'd away from the now-reforming Doton Kage Bunshin, and that was when he saw them. The explosive tags.

And a handful were bound to Jiraiya's hand.

"It is a less than graceful method, not to mention brutish," Orochimaru stated with slight distaste, "but it will have to do, considering the circumstances. Goodbye, Hiruzen, Jiraiya, Tsunade." And then he reduced to a muddy puddle.

The toad Sannin ripped off the explosive seals without restraint and turned to the remnants of the Orochimaru clone. "I'm a seal master, I think you've underestimated me, Orochi." He glanced around the room. "Where is he hiding, anyway? Sarutobi-sensei, Tsunade-hime, he can't be far—"

A series of muffled explosions went off, and tremors were felt through the ground. The three remaining members of Team Hiruzen turned to each other with wide-eyes. They were under Konoha, and the explosions were steadily getting louder. A choice had to be made; use their spare seconds to find out what their wayward teammate had been up to, or attempt to do damage control? Hiruzen was the first to make his decision, listening intently to the steadily increasing frequency and volume of the explosions as he quickly wove through the necessary seals: Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram—

And then, the room they stood in collapsed.

Obito had a vague idea of what to expect, the morning Team Seven met up.

He had felt it, last night—the twenty-something rolling explosions underground—and he was fairly certain that the majority of Konoha felt it. And if anyone actually hadn't felt, seen, or been alerted to the tremors, the fact that a small sector of abandoned buildings bordering the monument and north-eastern wall practically caved in on itself would do it.

He was certain that this happened sooner than last time. Orochimaru hadn't defected until after Naruto's birth, after Minato's death, meaning that Obito had already changed something major. But what, exactly, was the deciding factor? Was Orochimaru simply afraid of the threat "Uchiha Madara" posed? Or perhaps Obito's small trail worked? Had the snake been confronted by Minato, as he had hoped, and been captured? Killed? There was also the possibility of Tsunade having been involved, considering her current presence in Konoha.

But he couldn't make any assumptions yet. He had yet to find out exactly what had happened, aside from the obvious explosions that took place the night before.

With that in mind, Obito, for once, was the first person to arrive at his team's meeting spot. After traveling to the past, he had forced himself to re-adopt his customary tardiness that was so prevalent in his younger years, and as such, was anywhere from ten minutes to an hour late to each meeting. He had broken that habit for the day, mostly because he wanted—needed—to know how the confrontation with Orochimaru went, and could use an excuse if any of his teammates questioned him on his atypical lack of tardiness. Say, he had been woken up by the tremors and was worried, couldn't go back to sleep, and had therefore walked over to the training grounds early. It was both vague and true enough that no one would question it.

The first to arrive after Obito was Kakashi, who looked a smidgeon more nervous than usual. It was well veiled for a thirteen-year-old Chūnin, but easy enough for Obito to see. The next was Rin, and she had dark circles under her eyes—she immediately asked Kakashi if he was alright, since his apartment, out of all of them, was the closest to the row of buildings that fell to ruin. Kakashi had given a curt, "I'm fine," before regaining some semblance of (forced) reticence.

About thirty-minutes after Rin had arrived, ten minutes after the chosen meeting time, Minato finally arrived.

Obito, while truly worried and curious, had to pretend that he hadn't had a single clue as to the cause of the tremors from the previous night, and instead asked his sensei, "Minato-sensei, you're not usually late. What happened?"

Minato was uncharacteristically grim, his mouth thinned to a tight line as he turned to regard Obito. The time-traveler didn't like the implications of the look… Had Orochimaru escaped?

The grimness of the situation dissipated, however, when the blonde shook his head and smiled, even though it seemed strained. "I had to meet with Hokage-sama, again. But anyway, I hope you guys added some training to yesterday's day off, I heard from Tsunade-sama that she made sure to… Beat you into shape."

Kakashi bristled. "'Beat us into shape'? That's exactly what happened," he grumbled, glaring at the ground. "That woman is a psychopath."

Rin blushed faintly as she scratched her arm.

"Tsunade-sama means well," Minato chided lightly, frowning. "… And I suggest that if you see her again, you behave with utmost respect."

Obito tensed minutely. Neither Rin nor Kakashi caught the underlying meaning, and the latter scoffed. "Why? She may be strong, but she's not a good teacher. I don't want her being your substitute again, she's too proud and annoying."

"Kakashi," the blonde murmured quietly in a stern tone, causing the three Chūnin to look at him with varying levels of surprise. "I expect that, the next time you see her, you will be on your best behavior. That applies to all of you."

… It was possible that, on the day Tsunade had been the substitute for Team seven, that Minato had gone to the Hokage—not to talk about his candidacy, no, but to talk about Orochimaru. It was something that the Uchiha hoped fervently; but he couldn't make any assumptions, not yet. His sensei had yet to divulge what he knew. And based on the emphasis on Tsunade's condition, Obito felt it was safe to think that the woman was at the very least in the know.

"What happened?" All eyes turned to Obito, who feigned distressed worry. "Minato-sensei, are you alright…? What about Tsunade-sama?"

Minato regarded his raven-haired student for a moment, eyes unreadable, before turning away and closing his eyes with a sigh. "… I suppose the three of you will find out eventually, anyway." He looked up at his students. "The tremors last night were caused by explosions caused by the once revered Sannin, Orochimaru. The damage was minimized thanks to Hokage-sama, Jiraiya-sensei and Tsunade-sama's efforts, but they were unable to stop Orochimaru from escaping. He has officially been declared a missing-nin."

Obito's fists clenched, an action that was thankfully camouflaged by his teammates' own reactions. It no longer mattered if it was Tsunade, Hiruzen, Minato, or a random Genin that had confronted the snake—the fact was that he had escaped. The fact that his defection occurred years earlier than last time was proof enough that Obito's plan had worked, to an extent… But clearly, not enough. Because the bastard still escaped.

Now, not only did he have more to clean-up (there was no way he could allow Orochimaru to run around freely for long; maybe a couple months while he situated himself in a foreign lab, but not longer) but there was now a grave importance that the Senju cell treatment he had worked.

At least with Orochimaru still in Konoha, there was a chance that he could retrieve the cells a second time with some ease if the first batch proved to be a failure. Unfortunately, the snake was always a methodical and thorough thinker, and if the wide-spread explosions last night were any indication… Whatever remaining research he hadn't packed up, whatever other vials of the Senju cells that might've been there, were now beyond salvageable.

Obito paused his thoughts, crossing his arms as he turned to the side. But.

Even if he had changed things, Obito still knew where each of Orochimaru's hideouts had been previously. And he knew that, each one was created for specific, topographical reasons. One or two may end up not being used this time around, but the time-traveler still had a general idea on where Orochimaru would end up. He could find him and gain another vial of the Senju cells should his current treatment fail. He knew where the snake made its lair, so he wasn't too worried.

… On the other hand, if the current treatment did work, then Orochimaru's part would be over, and… Well… He knew where the snake made its lair.

A small, malicious smile creeped onto the Uchiha's lips as his eyes glinted with a strange gleam.

Being useless, it only made sense to dispose of it.

A/N: I suppose I should note that the confrontation with the Sannin and Hiruzen had a battle scene. A long one. But I realized, Tsunade still has her fear of blood. Hiruzen had let his student go the first time. I realized that, instead of jumping into battle, they would talk, try to find out why Orochimaru had done all of this—try to sympathize and reach out to their teammate. Jiraiya was the only one who got an attack in (or tried to) because he is definitely Naruto in this regard. Beat the shit out of the wayward teammate and then have some heart-to-heart… Of course, the latter didn't happen, but still. Originally the confrontation scene wasn't even going to be there, but it was just too ironic to pass up. It had kinda been a happy accident that the entirety of Hiruzen's team happened to return to Konoha at the same time, and none of them were even supposed to have major roles.

Just figured I'd point this out now, because I can guarantee, you guys will be focused on another issue in… Two chapters.