Naruto Shippuden -H-: Chapter 028: Story of the Young Serpent
Evening has come to pass as Naruto and his team were on their fifth day of a perilous journey to meet with the leader of the Knights of Dawn. It was now around eight in the evening, and the Konoha shinobi had arrived at the end of the series of mountainous valleys that were ahead of them.
"Man, that was quiet the walk, I thought we were never going to see the end of that ravine!" said Sai who was happy to be out of the valleys.
"Just one more day, and we will be right on that freak's door step." said Sakura with a look of joy.
"You could say that, but only then will we find out if this whole trip was worth the time we spent on it so far." said Shikamaru with a tired expression.
"I think this could not get any more serious, especially after the lengths that those Knights of Dawn have went through to get my attention, not to mention all of the terrible acts they have probably committed." said Naruto to Shikamaru as the team continued to walk briskly on the cliff side that led past Iwagakure.
"I have been looking at the scroll lately, and we are only sixty miles from the actual location of this Lazarus place, so I was thinking that maybe six days, not seven like we originally thought, will be enough to arrive there." said Shikamaru to the rest of his team.
"If that is the case, arriving early would be a good thing, but what if the enemy does not take a liking to that, they could be a group of meticulous people after all." said Sai with worry.
"We will just have to be fashionably early then, that should show them how seriously we have taken that so called invitation of theirs." said Sakura.
"Not only that, but if this boss of theirs really does want to meet me for a certain reason, I would think that the sooner we get there, the better." said Naruto as the gang were closing in on their final checkpoint.
"Naruto, I sense something around twenty miles ahead of you, it is not an enemy, but it definatley is not a normal occurrence." said Kurama from within Naruto's conscious.
"Well, you have been quiet for the most part, but to here you now is refreshing, and what do you think it could be that you have sensed?" asked Naruto in his mind to Kurama.
"I did not want to disturb you on your journey, besides, I have seen those terrible dreams that you have been having as of the past month, every time one of them has occurred, this same chakra that I am sensing ahead of us, it was surrounding you, and only you." said Kurama with a word of caution.
"Huh, you don't say, heh, I will have to keep in my enhanced chakra mode to disrupt this foreign chakra then, I would hate to have to deal with his bullshit again." said Naruto to Kurama as he could picture the vivid nightmares he had when he was back in Konoha, as well as the voice he was hearing in the back of his mind.
"Just remember to keep your senses up, I don't want you to go overboard while on this journey of yours, and if things go awry, unleash me, I will protect all four of you." said Kurama to Naruto.
"Thanks, I will be sure to keep that in mind." said Naruto as he and his friends had arrived at their resting spot for the night.
Orochimaru and Taka had arrived in a road surrounded by a pine tree forest to the left, as they were closing in on their destination as well.
"Fuck, it cannot be much longer right, I mean we should be there soon, we have been on this expedition for a week now." said Suigetsu as he was complaining again.
"That also makes the seventh time you have complained in the last hour, it appears to be a new record, I cannot believe it." said Jugo sarcastically towards Suigetsu.
"Well, you can just go on ahead then, I will gladly take my time approaching this, after all, we have no idea what is coming next." said Suigetsu with caution.
"What makes you so scared all of a sudden, you don't hear Lord Orochimaru complaining do you?" asked Karin as the three Taka members decided to give Orochimaru some room as he stood on the top of one of the many pine trees alone, having decided to take a break for the night.
"Heh, those Taka sure are more impatient by the day, perhaps they want to meet you as well, but it will be different for me, for only one more day serperates us, brother." thought Orochimaru to himself as he stood in front of the sunset with a joyful look.
"I still remember being a child and the things you did during those times, funny how I would go on to repeat them, only for you to consider me a failure." said Orochimaru as he clenched his fist in anger, as his mind decided to look back on the days of his past.
Orochimaru had remembered the days when he was around five years old, living in Konohagakure with his parents, and the few times he got to meet his brother during this period.
"Orochimaru, where are you, I have some good news for you!" said a beautiful woman with long black hair, and a white complexion, having the same purple marking around her eyes as her son did.
"Mom, is something wrong, did I forget my items from the academy again?" asked the little Orochimaru as he came out of his room and walked somberly to his mother, who was outside sitting on the porch looking at the streets of Konoha around them.
"No honey, you passed your graduation entry exam, you are in, why the sad face for, tell mom what is wrong, I hate to see you look like that." said the mother with an endearing look.
"Mom, when is big brother going to be back from his mission, I have been missing him, and dad is also away too, but he is not on a mission, I cannot figure out what is going on." said the child to his mother with a saddened tone.
"I know it is hard for your brother and father to be away all of the time, but one day you will be right there with them, protecting the village as the head of the Naga clan, and I believe you will be the strongest shinobi to ever come out of this village." said Orochimaru's mother as she stood up and gently put her hand on his head.
"Let's go to the park, your friend might be there today, he is just as energetic as you are." said the woman with a calming tone.
"Okay mom, thank you." said Orochimaru as he held his mother's hand, and then they peacefully walked through the village happily and without a care.
"I cannot wait to go to the academy in a few days, but I will miss you while I am away mom." said Orochimaru with a sad expression.
"I know, but I will always be in your mind, and your feelings, I can never leave you there, right?" asked the mother with a tone of joy.
"You really think so, as long as I think of you in my heart and mind, you will never leave me?" asked the child as he could see the park right in front of him.
"Yes, I know so, now go on and play with your friend, I will be right back, and remember, Mother always loves you." said the woman with a soft tone as she have a hug to her son before walking towards the nearby store.
"I will see you soon mom, be careful." said the young boy as he ran towards the the park bench, to find his friend sleeping on it, not noticing anything going on around him.
"Hey, wake up, you fell asleep again." said Orochimaru in a quiet tone, not wanting to scare his friend.
"Hehehe, you fell for it again Orochimaru, it was another one of my tricks!" said the spiky white haired boy as he awoken and jumped in front of the startled Orochimaru.
"Jiraiya, that was the second time you tricked me in the past week, I seem to be loosing it." said Orochimaru as he fell to the ground.
"Aww, come on, it was just a prank, anyway let's go play on the rock climbing area, I always win over there!" said the young Jiraiya as he held out his hand towards Orochimaru.
"I can get up myself, I don't want you to think I am soft after all!" said Orochimaru in a playful manner as he ran towards the rock climbing wall with joy.
"Hey, that is not fair, you got a head start on me, I will not go easy on you once I get there, do you hear!" yelled the young Jiraya as he raced Orochimaru to the rocks.
Elsewhere, Orochimaru's mother had arrived at the local shop, but her mood suddenly changed as she noticed someone standing beside the door to the shop.
"Mother, it has been a while, I have returned, and I expect that Orochimaru has entered the academy by this point, right?" asked the tall, dark blue skinned man with long brown spikey hair, and pink eye markings around his green-snake lit pupils.
"Hirudeguarn, leave your little brother alone for right now, he is playing with Jiraiya, give him some time to have fun, he is only a child, besides, I have missed you too, come and give your mother a hug." said the woman with a look of joy.
"Iris, that is enough, I will call you mother only by relation, not by endearment, for when one gets too attached to someone, it can weaken them, I have learned this ever since my sensei and rival passed away." said Hirudeguarn with a stern voice.
"I see, sorry to have bothered you, take care now, and remember I will always be with you in spirit when things get tough." said the mother to her eldest son.
"I don't have a spirit, just a impulse, an impulse to kill, so that you and father can have food to survive on." said the dark-minded man as he vanished from in front of his mother and started to walk on a roof of a building overlooking the park where Orochimaru and Jiraiya were playing at.
"He is still as restless as ever, I hope one day he will come to appreciate the friends and family around him." said Iris as she walked into the store with a now saddened tone.
"I am sorry ma', I do love you, really, but I have to keep my thoughts in check, I must not allow the worthless sinners of this world to get into my head!" thought the disturbed Hirudeguarn to himself, as he was wearing the same attire that his sensei, Hashirama wore when he was a shinobi.
"Hey Orochimaru, I am beating you, I am almost at the top of the wall, you are falling behind." said Jiraiya as he and Orochimaru were almost at the top of the rock climbing wall.
"Oh yeah, well I will not give up so easily either, come back here!" said Orochimaru as he grabbed on to Jiraiya's leg and pulled himself above the bespectacled boy, almost reaching the roof.
"Not on my watch!" said Jiraiya as he grabbed on to Orochimaru's back, and hugged him tightly, in order to slow the boy down.
"Hey, now you are cheating, and I am going to fall, let go Jiraiya, you idiot!" yelled Orochimaru in panic as he and Jiraiya were about to fall off the fourty foot wall.
"Oh no, sorry about that Orochimaru." said Jiraiya as he jumped ahead of Orochimaru and made sure to hold on to his friend's hand, making sure that neither of them fell off.
"Hey look, it seems we are both going to reach the top of the wall together, now isn't that something?" asked Jiraiya as he was still scared from almost falling off earlier.
"Yeah, but no thanks to you almost causing us to fall, you air head." said Orochimaru back comically.
"What would you like to do next?" asked Jiraiya with a tone of joy.
"Umm...well...I.." said Orochimaru as his mood suddenly changed from joyful to somewhat scared.
"Playing children's games again, eh?" asked the looming, menacing Hirudeguarn as he appeared on the roof of the wall where his brother and Jiraiya were at.
"Well, we are children you know, duh." said Jiraiya laughing to himself.
"Please forgive him brother, don't get mad, that is just the way he is!" said Orochimaru, not wanting his friend to get hurt.
"Hehehe, don't worry about that, I have another thing to tell you though, although I have yet to tell mom, I will talk to you about it in private, so tell your little friend goodbye." said Hirudeguarn with a serious tone.
"Awww, you have to leave now, we were having fun." said Jiraiya in a disappointed tone.
"I will be back tomorrow, I promise." said Orochimaru to his friend with joy.
"That is only if there is a tomorrow." said Hirudeguarn as he forced his little brother to follow him back home.
"Ugh, brother, you are hurting my arm, what is the matter, did something happen, ugh, owww." said Orochimaru as his brother was pulling him by the arm, forcing Orochimaru to walk along side him.
"Father is dead, he died as the result of Konohagakure not giving him any reinforcements when an Iwagakure shinobi attacked his platoon, but then again, he was a little too old to be doing a killer's work, hehehe." laughed Hirudeguarn as he looked down to see his brother's reaction.
"What, father is dead, no, what...do you mean?" asked Orochimaru with a saddened tone.
"Hey, he died as a shinobi in the end, that is all that matters, and you must learn that too once you enter the academy, to become a shinobi, is to be someone who masters all jutsu, and to never give up, and I have mastered both, but for you, it will be a different path." said Hirudeguarn as he and Orochimaru arrived at their house.
"Now, I will teach you the Naga clan's greatest jutsu, of course it will take a while before your weak mind comprehends them." said the older brother with a harsh tone.
"But big brother, we should tell mom that dad is hurt, and that he is not coming back." said the young Orochimaru as he was trying to hold back his tears.
"Hehehehe, hahahahaha, who the fuck cares, and if you don't listen to me, I will make sure mom joins him, is that enough motivation to listen to me, you ignorant little shit!" yelled Hirudeguarn with a tone of hatred to his little brother.
"Umm...yes.." said Orochimaru as he was very scared and tried to hold back his tears the best he could.
"Good boy, and now, to teach you how to be a killer, and for the next four years, this will be your purgative." said Hirudeguarn with a look of malice.
"What do we do first then?" asked Orochimaru as he tried to remain serious in front of his brother.
"We have to learn to not be affected by our parent's deaths, of course mother is still alive, she said she would always be in your heart and mind, well erase her from your heart and mind, only feel your thoughts with ambition and reason, don't lurk to the idle mind of attachments and feelings, the only feelings that matter is pride and respect, and never become attached to anything, and I mean never, for if you listen to me, you will be like the Hermit of the Six Paths." said Hirudeguarn with a disturbed look.
"Ummm, only if that makes you happy brother." said the young child as he did not know what else to say.
"Good, being blind to your own will, and clinging to mine, that will allow you to be like an extension of me, that is what being an elder brother is about, hehehe." laughed the man as he looked upon Orochimaru, with a deadly intent in his mind.
-To be continued next time with Chapter 029...-