Disclaimer; I don't own Naruto no matter how much I want to.
Chapter 6; First Chance
"Perfect." Orochimaru turned and returned to his seat. "Kabuto, find her a place to stay for the time being. We have… Things… To discuss."
Sakura hesitated, but she turned and followed Kabuto. He led her through the many halls of the underground base. He turned at last into a small branch which led to a cozy little room. It was simple but small. No bars, no chains. Just a plain room.
"Sakura, stay here." Kabuto turned and disappeared back down the hallway, leaving Sakura alone. She waited until she was sure he was gone, then collapsed up against the wall. She gave a bone rattling sigh. Well, now she was one of Orochimaru's henchmen. She was alone in the lion's den and had been forced to join the ranks. This really stunk.
All Sakura had to do was to wait for her new master's call.
"What?! She did what?!" Sasuke exploded.
The young kunoichi across from him shrugged, her brown bangs covering one of her brilliant green eyes. "I told you the truth. Sakura Haruno agreed to join Orochimaru." She leaned up against the wall once again and gazed at him through narrow eyes.
What the heck is she doing?! Sasuke fumed inwardly. "Sakura would never do that! Moekasu, who told you this?" he asked her.
Moekasu rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Kabuto. He told me while he was checking on my arm." She rubbed her upper arm, were it was bandaged. With a toss of her head, the kunoichi sent her spiky, mid-waist length brown hair swinging. "I don't know her close to as much as you do; I don't even know her at all. All I do know is she joined the ranks of the Sound."
Sasuke's eyes flashed red for a second before returning to his normal black. "No. Sakura would not do this! She is completely repulsed by the thought of betraying the Leaf Village," he hissed angrily.
The girl narrowed her eyes and growled dangerously, "Don't get worked up at me! I'm just telling you what I know. No need to bite my head off!" She curled her lip to reveal teeth that were almost sharp enough to be considered fangs.
The two just glared at each other for a moment, looking as if they could tear out each other's throats, until Moekasu relaxed a little and her gaze dropped to the floor. She knew the hard way that if he got really mad at her, she would be feeling it for weeks, if she even survived. She had known him for quite some time, especially since she had joined the Sound Village not very long after he had. They had become neutral friends and had mutual respect for one another, although the kunoichi knew she would be completely destroyed in battle by him. At this rate, she'd get to spend the next couple weeks in the hospital. Her temper had gotten her there before… "She joined. That's all I really know," the young girl spat.
"She would not do this! What is she playing at…?" Sasuke grumbled to himself.
"You want more details, then ask Kabuto, or better yet, Orochimaru. They can straighten you out."
"I need to talk to Sakura."
The kunoichi pushed herself off the wall and cut him off. "Oh, no. Orochimaru told you to stay out of this. Leave her alone. Last time you tried to kill her."
Sasuke glared at her for a second, but she just stared back at him, not in a provocative way, just a defiant way. "Go talk to Orochimaru. But stay away from her, at least for now," she growled. Despite the fact she was about a head shorter than he was, something about her made her seem dangerous and fiery. He glared at her venomously, but closed his onyx eyes. All she was trying to do was to keep Sasuke out of huge trouble, and he knew that.
"Fine. You're right." Without another word, Sasuke disappeared down the hall to find Orochimaru.
"It's a simple mission, Sakura, but it's only your first. We don't want to… Overdo it." The gleaming amber eyes of Orochimaru flashed as he purred the words.
Sakura's eyes flashed to him as she nodded briefly before returning her sharp gaze to Sasuke. He was standing in the shadows behind her, not even trying to hide the suspicion in his onyx eyes. A sigh rattled in his chest as he noticed their hostile stares.
Sasuke had come storming in as usual a while early and demanded to know exactly what was going on, which wasn't in the least unlike him. Orochimaru had simple told him that Sakura had joined them. He didn't answer any more questions of Sasuke's. But he did agree to allow the Uchiha to watch as he told Sakura her first mission.
Now, the two of them were too busy glaring at each other to really pay attention to him. Maybe allowing Sasuke to watch wasn't the best idea…
"Your first mission is pretty straightforward. I just want you to… Run an errand for me."
Now Sakura's full attention was on Orochimaru. "An errand?!"
"Yes." He blinked slowly. "An errand."
This was stupid. Her first mission… nothing but an errand? This made no sense… Why would Orochimaru make such a big deal about getting her to join him, only to have her run him an errand?
"Your job is this; you must go to one of my bases, located in the Land of Water. It's a small island that serves as one of my many labs. I have been expecting an… Update from them about their progress. I just need you to go and pick that up to bring it to me."
"Go and pick something up? What am I, your slave?"
Orochimaru smirked at her, revealing his sharp teeth. "This mission is a simple one, which will be good for your first. It'll help give you the lay of the land, so you know what sort of things I am expecting from you. If all goes well, then it'll only be a matter of time until I give you something more fitting of your skill level." He didn't respond to her question, which sent a jolt of alarm through the kunoichi's system.
Sakura shot a glance at Sasuke. He was watching her silently; even his eyes said nothing. But Sakura could guess what he was thinking. She knew that didn't trust her. He was onto her… Her and her mission.
"I've already selected a suitable partner for you on this mission."
Partner? Well, clearly Orochimaru didn't trust her. At least, not yet. She shot Sasuke another glare. He wouldn't be as foolish as to assign her to him, would he?
A dark laugh escaped the sannin. "Of course not him. Give me a little credit, Sakura. I'll have Kabuto take you to the entrance, where your partner awaits you. Go on." With that, the snake-eyed ninja closed his eyes.
Kabuto emerged from the shadows and started down the passage. With a shallow sigh, Sakura followed.
It didn't take long to arrive at the entrance of the secret underground base. They were close enough to the surface that Sakura could almost taste the fresh air. She hadn't been outside in who knows how long. But she wouldn't get the chance to race back home to the comfort of her village. Instead, she would get to run an errand for her new master.
A tall, sturdy Sound ninja waited for them. He had crisp blue eyes and black hair, but nothing extremely special stood out about him. He wore simple clothing, with black shirt and pants. His Sound headband was across his forehead, a flash of silver against his shadowy outfit. Sakura would guess him to be in his 30s, and he seemed to be tough and strong.
"Glad you could finally join us," the ninja grunted. "Guess we'll be working together for a while now."
Sakura nodded, her pink hair swinging in her face. "For the time being, yes, we will work together."
Kabuto stepped between them and pulled out a map of the world. "This is where we are…" he murmured, and pointed to the center of the map. "Over here is the place you need to go to." He gestured to the right lower side. "It's going to be a long journey, but if all goes well you'll be back soon. Any questions?"
Both of the ninjas shook their heads no.
"Alright then. You'll be in charge. Make sure this all works out well." The silver haired ninja nodded to the man. "Good luck, and make haste." He turned to the pink haired girl. "Sakura, this will be your first time out as an outlaw. You need to remember that at all costs you must avoid other ninjas. It won't be easy, but don't associate with anyone else."
"Ok," Sakura murmured. "I think I can do that."
With a nod, the ninja stepped back and nodded to them.
The sturdy man gazed at the young woman. "Let's go," he grunted bluntly. The two ninjas left the damp underground behind and entered the crisp, early afternoon air. With a final glance between them, the two dashed off towards their destination; the Land of Water.
They didn't notice the figure standing in the shadows nearby, watching them, his sharigan flashing. I don't know what trick you may be playing, Sakura. But whatever it is, give it up. You'll only make this worse on yourself. Orochimaru is not someone you want to toy with. Or you may find yourself the one who's being played.
A couple of weeks later…
They two ninja were on the brink of the last stretch of the journey back to the Sound base. It would be maybe half a day's travel ahead of them. The other ninja, whose name turned out to be Masao, had a scroll which conveyed the message for Orochimaru. Their journey hadn't been all too difficult; they only ran into one other ninja patrol, which didn't take too long to defeat. Otherwise, they had smooth sailing, so to speak. Now, on the last leg of their journey, Sakura was ready to try and contact the Leaf Village shinobi. She had useful information about where in the Land of Water the lab was. With this information, the Village Hidden in the Leaves could find more out even more about the notorious villain.
The best way to do this would be leave some sort of map or something for the Leaf shinobi who were following her trail.
She signaled to Masao to slow down. Both ninja came to an abrupt halt.
"Sakura? What is it?"
"Can we stop for a bit? I need to find more water for my water skin, and we could both use a bite to eat…" Her green eyes gleamed in the faint light that leaked through the leaves.
A sigh rattled through his chest. "And I thought that a young one like you would be bounding with energy… Alright. Go ahead and look for a stream or something. I'll prepare us something to eat."
Sakura nodded, then disappeared through the trees. She raced lightly through the forest until she came to a stream maybe 5 minutes from Masao. After scanning the area quickly, she knelt down next to the brook and dipped her almost empty water skin in the liquid. It didn't take long for it to fill with icy water. Once it was done, she put the cap back on and set it next to her. After taking a nervous breath, the kunoichi grabbed her backpack and started to rummage through it.
She emerged with a paper map and a bit of ink. Using her finger, she circled an island off the coast of the Land of Water. On this island they found the lab. When the Leaf shinobi look here, they can find this and use it to locate the laboratory. Sakura tucked the map under a rock, leaving it so the edge stuck out just a bit. Then, she cautiously stood up and worked her way back towards where her partner was preparing a bit of food.
He finished and tossed her the small snack. They both ate quickly in silence, then went straight back to the road. In a little while, they'd be arriving back at the Sound base. Only a little longer to wait.
"She's supposed to be back any day now," Kabuto purred from the sidelines of the large cavern.
He received a dark glare from Sasuke, who was in the middle of a training session with Orochimaru. "Like I care," he snarled, before concentrating his sharigan back on his master.
"Oh, I know it matters to you, Sasuke. You've shown a relative interest in Sakura since she first got here, although it's clear she'd rather just kill you."
The sharigan flashed back to the silver haired ninja. "Watch it," he growled.
Kabuto fell silent. He was fully aware of what danger he would be in if Sasuke turned his full rage on him. It wasn't an ideal situation…
"Perhaps it would be best if you left, Kabuto. We both know that while Sasuke's training he can be rather… Irritable." Orochimaru smirked at him from where he stood across from Sasuke. "Let's try that jutsu again, Sasuke."
The Uchiha narrowed his eyes in concentration. With a sigh, Kabuto turned and exited the room, leaving the two alone to train.
The two ninjas stopped right in front of the secret base. They both crouched in front of the hidden doorway and glanced at each other.
"Well," Masao muttered, "We're back." He straightened up and gazed firmly at the door. "Let's go. I need to get this scroll to Orochimaru."
"Right." Sakura nodded at him, then they both entered back into the maze of dark corridors.
Masao took the lead and led them through the eternal twilight. Nobody else was nearby; not a sound came from the many passageways. Only a handful of ninjas must still be in this hideout. It must have been time to switch once again.
It didn't take long to emerge in the room which Orochimaru usually lurked, but he wasn't there. It was silent.
Masao stepped out and glance around the room. "Doesn't look like Orochimaru's here. He must have ended up switching hideouts already. After all, he's been here for a while… He moves constantly. Just to play it safe."
Glancing around, Sakura nodded in agreement. "Looks that way."
"Well, well. Look whose back already."
Both ninjas turned around and caught sight of the silver haired medical ninja.
"Actually, Orochimaru is still here. He was planning on leaving in the morning. But since you're here, you might as well deliver it to him in person." Kabuto smirked, his glasses gleaming in the light. "But we'll have to wait… We don't want to… Cause any problems right now."
"Problems?" Sakura blinked slowly at Kabuto.
He let out a pained smile. "You'll find out later." He leaned up against the wall and closed his black eyes. Sakura watched him for a moment before she let out a relaxed sigh. All three people waited silently for Orochimaru to return.
They had to wait quite a while until he came. Lurking on the edge of the room, Orochimaru purred, "Back already? And I was just starting to miss you. I trust you have something for me?"
Masao nodded and stepped forward. He reached out with the scroll flat on his palm. A dark smile lit Orochimaru's face and he snaked out his tongue. It wrapped around the scroll and brought it back to his hand. The sannin unrolled the scroll and scanned it quickly. After a moment of reading, he closed the scroll and turned his smug gaze back to the two ninjas in front of him.
"Well?" Masao asked calmly. "Good news, I presume."
He smirked but did not answer his question. "Nice job, Masao. You may go."
The blue eyed ninja dipped his head and shouldered his way past Orochimaru before disappearing into the tunnels. Sakura turned to try and follow.
"I never said you could go, Sakura."
The pinkette froze.
"You didn't think that you could just leave, did you?" Orochimaru's amber eyes flashed to the kunoichi.
She closed her eyes and reopened them again. Her emerald gaze fell on the floor as she murmured, "What do you want?"
"I have another mission for you."
Already? That was fast… She thought to herself. I've hardly been back an hour…
The sannin licked his lips with that long, eerie tongue of his. "But you won't carry it out quite yet. In the morning the other ninja who I've chosen to go with you should be back. I'll give you more details in the morning." He turned and disappeared down the path.
Kabuto sighed with a smile. "I suppose I should lead you to a room for the night." He turned and followed Orochimaru. Sakura trailed him down the tunnel.
They weaved through the branching tunnels, most cast in darkness. As they walked, Sakura had to ask why they had waited for Orochimaru.
"Why didn't I lead you Orochimaru right away?" Kabuto continued at his leisurely pace and smirked back at her. "Because he was in the middle of something important. Lord Orochimaru wouldn't have minded as much as who he was with."
Sakura knew in her heart who it was, but she asked anyway.
"Well, Sasuke of course. He can be quite irritable when you disturb his training with Orochimaru, and even more so when he just woke up."
Fighting a low growl of fury, Sakura didn't continue the conversation. She just walked on in silence, keeping her emerald gaze down at the ground. The rocky ground was rough under her sandaled feet as she continued to trek the pathway. Kabuto shrugged casually and led her forward quickly.
At last, they arrived at a small room. It had a bed and a table, with a bathroom in the back room. Kabuto entered the dark room and lit a single candle. He placed it back on the table and turned to Sakura.
"Here's your room, at least for the time being. Make yourself comfortable." He turned and walked out the doorway, grabbing the large wooden door behind him. It slammed shut with a loud bang and Sakura could hear the "Click!" of the lock as he locked her inside the room.
With a sigh, Sakura plopped down on the bed. The plain white sheets were soft and clean, which felt wonderful on her dirty skin. The young kunoichi could feel in ache in her muscles from exhaustion. She was beyond tired, which was mostly because she had been travelling quickly and lightly for many days. It was nice to finally get to sleep on a real bed. No matter how refreshing the outside air was, even one excellent night's sleep in this cramped cave would be phenomenal for her mind and body.
Her eyelids drooped with the heaviness of sleep. She lay there, on the brink of unconsciousness yet at the same time on the verge of wakefulness. In the morning, she would be off again. Who knows what Orochimaru would plan on having her do this time. But if anything, hopefully it would bring more useful information to the Leaf Village. Sakura was ready for this mission to just be over. But something in the pit of her stomach told her that this adventure was only just beginning…
A/N; Here's the 6th chapter on in this story. I'm sure getting farther in this story... I'm getting close to the point I've been waiting for! This is gunna be a long story... Hope you've enjoyed it.
I created two ninja in this chapter. The guy isn't that important, but you'll be seeing more of the girl. She's gunna be a relatively important character, although not too important.
Got Questions?
If you're confused on anything at all in the story, feel free to ask! I don't want any confused people walking around. No matter how stupid you think the question is, ask away! After all, the only stupid question is a question not asked. (Don't forget that I have the right to not answer any questions… don't want to give away any surprises I have in the future!)
Review, if you please!
I'd really appreciate if you'd review. Tell me what you think I should change, any ideas you have, etc… I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Have an excellent day! ;)
-Cynder7777