"Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up."
Orochimaru tussled to get the larger man to release his arm, in doing so he successfully felt his limb taking strain from the unnatural struggle. He winced but didn't succumb to the NWs desires, instead only fighting harder to ensure it was not for nothing. Saura was trying to calm him down, saying that if the ninja did not simply run, he would surely let him go. It was not the words the shinobi cared to hear, for the man had lied before, and it had almost ended the Sannin up dead. Worse than that it had ruined his first chance of escape, and he had not forgotten the torture he was forced to contend with in the streets, beneath many curious eyes from passers. Orochimaru hissed and eventually lost his strength, he was not a physical fighter, tiajutsu always being a hindrance to him. Saura hauled the other with a bit too much force, due to the serpent momentarily tiring he was completely swept off balance and his light form slammed into the others chest. The Sannin shook when he made contact, his head spinning for the few seconds he took to recover. Saura mumbled an apology and looked down at the Sannin. Since the black haired male was a good head and a half shorter, the NW lifted his chin up to check if he was alright.
For a moment, Saura mistook the injury on his head as his own doing, haven not known about the serpents encounter with the father. When he laid eyes on it he apologized profusely, trying his best to convey he had never meant to draw blood let alone harm him at all. Light struggle marks had already appeared where the NW man had grasped the pale flesh. The marks may have been invisible on a more normal pigmented skin, but the porcelain white flesh made it stand out enough to be another cause for concern.
Deciding the man did not sound as if he was going to harm him, his composure gone after he thought he had hurt the smaller male, the serpent settled. He met him with angered and questioning eyes. It was obvious their last meeting was not forgotten, and it was even more obvious that the snake would need more than an apology for it.
"I'm glad I found you." Saura tried, the look the Sannin gave him made it clear that he felt quite the opposite. Never one to take a hint properly Saura carried on, he stumbled over his words until he finally blurted out something that made the cold stare watching him soften. Not by much, but enough for Saura to calm his ramblings.
"I saw what Satoru was doing. It was wrong- I swear I didn't know." Saura said, "I would have never called him if I had known the truth."
"It doesn't matter what you did," Orochimaru replied honestly, "I'd like to know what you plan on doing."
"I won't call Satoru I promise. I'm-" he paused when he saw the collar, he seemed even more grief stricken when he saw it, it was likely he knew the story behind the device, "is that..."
"Yes." Orochimaru said knowing full well by his expression alone that he was aware of its meaning, "but I'm free now. I'd like to remain that way if you wouldn't mind it."
"I already said I'm not calling the military." Saura repeated, "I'm not interested in this society any more than you are. I was doing my own research while you were gone- I studied the laws of ninja- the ideologies- how to do jutsu or at least how it works."
"I hope through your studies you've come to see us as no different to you. Minus our choice of fighting, we are all the same." Orochimaru said, "but either way, I need to get back to the others."
He found no point in telling him it was only the copy ninja left, he didn't want the man to think his group weaker. He wanted to remain a large number in his head, so that when he walked the idea of others walking among him persisted.
"I have a question- a few, if you wouldn't mind helping me. I could get that collar off, then it will be a trade." Saura insisted, it felt as if he simply wanted to gain the ninjas time, rather than make a quick bargain, but the shinobi desperately wanted the collar off.
"Kakashi has one as well, will you remove them both?" Orochimaru asked, he almost hissed his lovers name, he was not over his argument.
"I'll show you how to get yours off, then you can get his off yourself if you'd like." Saura suggested, his eyes were genuine, it did not make the Sannin trust him anymore. Orochimaru agreed to the terms, but he requested they first fetch the copy ninja anyway. Saura wasn't keen on the idea.
"You can go to him afterwards surely." Saura said.
"I can. But I don't want to." Orochimaru said bluntly.
"I'd prefer having one ninja rather than two. As far as I know you'll be able to cast more jutsu once I take that off." Saura said honestly.
"I'm capable of killing you without him." Orochimaru said dryly, his honesty dangerous, "whether he is present or not doesn't matter, the risk remains."
"I'll have to keep my eyes on both of you, I'll have to watch what I say more carefully as there are two threats around who could lose their patience." Saura said, "the risk is still higher. Would you have two guns pointed at you or one?"
"It doesn't matter if the first one is intent on shooting." Orochimaru said.
"Are you threatening to kill me?" Saura challenged.
"Are you requesting I walk back into your home alone?" Orochimaru retorted.
"Bring one of your other friends. Kakashi seems unpredictable." Saura finally said. The Sannin almost laughed, the man was clearly bad at reading people. Out of the two of them, the serpent was the one you should be cautious around, the copy ninja far more moral in his moves. It was only the fact that the snake was small, the copy ninja significantly bigger, at least big enough to match Saura dare he try to fight him man to man. As their earlier encounter showed, the Sannin had no hopes of physically stopping the NW, he had always relied on skill.
"They're busy." Orochimaru lied.
"I don't trust Kakashi." Saura pushed.
"I don't trust you." Orochimaru replied.
There was a few moments of silence as both males assessed the other, trying to see which one out of them would back down first. Orochimaru wasn't so much afraid of Saura as he was afraid to leave the copy ninja alone. He supposed the other had good enough sense not to panic and assume he had run off, but any amount of time would make him worry unnecessarily. They hadn't even found a common place to meet up at again, and the white haired Jonin would soon be kicked from the teens house.
"Fine. I'll come alone." Orochimaru said, "but only after I've told Kakashi where I am."
"I'll drive you there." Saura offered, he could see the answer in the others eyes before the male had to speak.
"That won't be necessary." Orochimaru replied, there was no way he was getting in to a vehicle which he could be trapped inside and shipped off to only hell knew where. Saura didn't argue as he tended not to, then followed the serpent back to the teens house where a panicked Kakashi waited. The copy ninja looked horrified when he saw the NW beside the Sannin, so Orochimaru requested Saura remain outside. He could see the millions of questions swimming around his lovers head, but he knew he was only going to answer the most important one.
"He won't call the military- or so he says." Orochimaru started, "he says he can get these collars off."
"And you're going to trust him?" Kakashi demanded. The serpents eyes narrowed.
"What else am I to do?" Orochimaru snapped.
"Ignore him, get as far from that two faced bastard as we can." Kakashi said with equal annoyance.
"And what, ruin another chance of freedom?" Orochimaru hissed.
"Don't be blinded by impatience, we can't trust him." Kakashi said looking over at the man with little tolerance. Having no idea what the copy ninja was saying, Saura tried to be polite and waved in an out of place friendly manner. The copy ninja certainly didn't wave back.
"The military is all over thanks to the attack. I'll be caught one way or another. Might as well give this a shot." Orochimaru said, "I'm not blinded by impatience, I'm driven by it. I see no point taking my time when bullets are aimed at me."
"Has he told you how he can get it off?" Kakashi asked.
"Not yet." Orochimaru answered, "I first wanted to inform you of where I was, we can meet back at the park when I am done."
"You're going alone now?" Kakashi said his voice edged on anger and worry.
"He doesn't trust you." Orochimaru said.
"Or maybe he only has one bullet." Kakashi muttered.
"What was that?" Orochimaru asked haven not heard him his tone still agitated.
"Just go. Run off back to the person who put us in this situation. I'll wait for you here." Kakashi said, "while you were walking around sight seeing I spoke to the family. They are less afraid of us now, unlike your friend they trust ninja. We can stay until we need to leave."
If Kakashi could have swallowed his words he would have, the serpents unimpressed stare had certainly sent his confidence spiralling into a defeated black hole. He wondered if saying more would help soften the deathly glare he was receiving, or if perhaps he would only dig himself a deeper grave. He didn't even receive a reply, the Sannin took the sentence as a queue to leave. Black hair whipped behind him with the speed the serpent abandoned the room. There was no point calling him back, he had already trotted down the street to Saura, who seemed equally as scared when he felt the angered presence appear.
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They got back to the park they had met at and Saura went to his car which was parked just outside it. The first time the NW had mentioned the caged metallic box the serpent had scoffed at the idea, he wouldn't be foolish enough to enter such a contraption willingly. However after his conversation with the copy ninja he wanted nothing more than to get on with it all. Be it he ended up dead or alive. He got in to the sleek machine, once again a new model of something the serpent didn't care for, and awaited the other to start the engine. Sensing the impatience the larger man did not linger, he politely told the Sannin he may want to put his seat belt on, but it was evident the other wasn't listening. If anger alone could root him to the seat then he wouldn't need a seat belt Saura decided as he let the topic go. The car spun out of the small side parking bay and entered the streets, dashing between red and green traffic lights. The house pulled into view shortly after, startling the Sannin into realizing just how close they had been to the man all night. Small world he supposed.
They entered the house leaving the cold behind them. Saura led the ninja up to an office residing on the second floor and shut the door behind them. Orochimaru flashed warning eyes at the man so the NW opened the door once again and apologized, he was well aware he would have much to owe in regards to earning the serpents trust back. He drew in next to his desk and sat in the chair as he messed in his drawer, since there was no other chair present the Sannin opted to sit on the desk where papers were not scattered across. He waited, for heaven knew what, until finally the man pulled out a strange looking device. It looked like a tool, perhaps a screw driver, but it had no end which could be of use. It also had a screen on the side of it, running down in a thin line.
"This will get that off, it'll override anything programmed to make the latches hold." Saura said, "in other words, it will crash the programming and force the device to open to be restarted."
It didn't make too much sense to the Sannin, he knew nothing of how the devices worked. He accepted it as a valid option however and eyed the man expectantly.
"Since I betrayed you last time... I'm guessing you're entitled to simply take that collar off and run off without answering my questions." Saura said, "but I don't want that. So after you answer my questions I'll take it off, and leave the device with you so you can help Kakashi. Also, there is something of yours downstairs, you lost it last we met, I'll give it to you when we are done."
"Very well." Orochimaru agreed, he had in actual fact considered evening the score, but opted rather not to. Since it was a fair point regardless the serpent did not complain with the arrangement, he didn't bother ask what it was he had lost, if he didn't remember he doubted it was important, "ask away."
"Well, I've read that anyone can learn how to cast jutsu." Saura said, "is that true?"
"No." Orochimaru stated flatly, "some of us have more of an ability to bring forth anything worth being called a jutsu. We all have chakara. But we cannot all cast jutsu."
"Is there a way to find out if you're capable?" Saura asked.
"There are many ways. The most obvious one would be trying." Orochimaru said wondering why the man cared. Surely he wouldn't want to learn the art of ninja. They saw their tactics as savage. A gun was an effective tool anyways, and it required less training and energy to use.
"How would you... try?" The NW asked.
"Are you asking me to give you a lesson on chakara?" Orochimaru asked, "that could take a much longer time than we have. I can run over the basics, but you'll need years before you'd be capable of performing any jutsu. Even then, the odds of you controlling your chakara well enough is unlikely, your people have not used it in so long, I'd be surprised if you haven't adapted past it."
"I'd like to give it a try." Saura edged again, "even if it's all for nothing."
The Sannin could see the determination in his eyes, so he decided he may as well get the lesson on with. He had trained ninja before, it was not new to him playing the role of advisor. However he had trained Genin and above, and never had he been burdened with a beginner. That was a job for a Chunin, and he had remained a Chunin for a short period of his life, being well advanced and being promoted at a young age. He did his best, trying to recall how he had been taught as a child, he had been extremely young. Ninja were not expected to be as far advanced as he was when he was merely six years old. He and the rest of the Sannin however, were exceptions and held in great respect for it. He tried for what felt like years but was in fact only an hour and a few minutes. Finally the Sannin had made a break through when the man finally got in touch with the chakara most ninja simply always felt attuned to since birth. It was physically draining for the serpent to work on such a small achievement, but Saura seemed to think he had conquered a small world.
"What you felt was your own chakara. Even people who can't cast jutsu can feel their own chakara with enough patience." Orochimaru said, "it doesn't mean you are now near able to preform any jutsu."
"But it means I have the ability to connect to my chakara. That's good right?" Saura asked. The Sannins golden eyes slipped out the window behind them and then looked back to the mans eager gaze.
"Yes." He said trying not to kill his enthusiasm, "it means you can connect to it, but that still does not mean you can be a ninja."
"At least my people have not lost their sense of chakara." Saura said, the Sannin nodded in acceptance.
"I hope you do not expect me to teach you more in return for that device you offered?" Orochimaru said, "I don't want to spend the rest of my life teaching someone how to be a ninja."
"Of course. Sorry." Saura said still preoccupied with the idea of being able to cast any kind of ability, "How would I know what element I am?"
"You'd see which one naturally comes to you." Orochimaru answered, that would not be a concern to the man in the serpents opinion. He doubted he would make it that far.
"You want to get out the dome correct?" Saura asked.
"Correct." Orochimaru said honestly, it wasn't like it was a secret.
"I could get you out." Saura said, he had the snakes attention now, not his trust, but certainly his curiosity.
"Why would you do that?" Orochimaru asked.
"I want to see the outside of the city. I want to try living with ninja instead of the people here, who are all self entitled hypocrites." Saura said, "I'll get you out safely, if you take me with you."
The Sannin thought it over. Could the man be playing a double agent? Would he track the ninja to a main source so that they would be able to bring the military over to the hiding ninja?
The Sannin thought about it, but he realized that there were no other villages still standing. The army which had barged in was a mystery force, as no one had survived the NW attack to the Sannin's knowledge. Either way, it was an elaborate plan, and the serpent and copy ninja would be equally as clueless in finding out where the ninja hid. He couldn't see the value in following the two ninja, catching them was far more useful. Still, he had his doubts.
"How do I know I can trust you? You could use us to locate other ninja for your cause." Orochimaru said.
"The military has much better ways of tracking ninja." Saura said, "they can sense chakara, they have detectors for it. All they need to do is hover over an area to locate any ninja."
"What if we are masking our chakara?" Orochimaru asked.
"Then it's harder but still detectable for our advanced machines." Saura said, "I spoke to Satoru about it before I met you. He said he sends out drones to search for ninja all the time, and that even the most secretive hideouts have been marked on our maps."
"Then why did the military not sense the ninja army coming?" Orochimaru questioned.
"Like I said, the drones have to hover over an area. It's likely the military only sensed the army once it was too close to stop." Saura said passively, leaning back in his chair to better see the ninja, "the military reacted fast despite the fact that its forces are not nearby. That's because they were notified a bit before the ninja broke the dome."
"Will they send these drones to look for the ninja?" Orochimaru asked, he was hoping they would have some reason not to, he was grateful when Saura calmed his worries.
"They haven't stopped searching the lands. Somehow they are nowhere to be found. Their location remains completely hidden." The NW said, "drones are out there all day and night looking for traces of life. We stumble upon no more than random groups at a time. But they are rogues, not a village."
Orochimaru tried to locate the one place he could think would manage such a feat. Unless the ninja found a way to mask their chakara they would have to have found a location that was not possible for drones to fly over. Either that, or they had gone somewhere the drones would not think to check. Having good knowledge of the nations that existed the Sannin ran their whereabouts over in his head. Hidden Mist was easy, the smoggy land would not be hidden beneath the layers of fog. Chakara was easily picked out from it. The Hidden Leaf he knew was conquered, the Hidden Stone could hide as rocks, but even as a mere Chunin the snake Sannin had learnt to sense when a rock held a sense of chakara. If he could sense it the drones would too. Then there was the Hidden Sand, the desert was large, but not so large the drones would have missed a spot. Other than that it was well in sight. There were many smaller nations, but they would not be able to hold or hide an army.
Old hideouts would never do the job of hiding an army and Saura had claimed the drones could pick up on old bases. The Hidden Cloud was the last nation the serpent could think of, at least with a strong enough fighting force and a big enough area. They dwelled on water, Saura had said they'd searched the land. Perhaps they did not know the village was not on land at all. There must have been a reason the large turtle island went unnoticed still, it was giant, it was noticeable from the shore. Saura broke the others train of thought.
"You can decide if I can come with when you're ready. I'm leaving the city with or without you, I'd appreciate help... but I'm not staying even if I'm forced to go alone." Saura said, the serpent could see his eyes were honest. He had felt the same when he ran from Konoha. There came a point when not belonging was more daunting than the prospect of leaving and failing.
"I'll speak to Kakashi. I don't see why the military would need you to follow us in all honesty. But I'll have to get Kakashi's consent as well." Orochimaru said, the NW seemed grateful at the trust, although it was not in actual fact trust at all. It was the Sannin not seeing the other as a threat and more so relating to his need for escape.
"Oh before I forget." Saura said getting up and going to the door, he gestured for the serpent to follow so he did. They trotted down the stairs and entered the elaborate lounge, the employed ninja were gone, the house now empty. Saura moved to the back garden door and the sound of a curios nose sniffing the bottom of the door startled the Sannin.
A whimper of excitement and then a few scratches of claws running down the frame filled the silence next, shortly after followed by more snorts as an excited nose tried to get in. Saura opened the door but the Sannin had already guessed who lay just beyond it and his eager steps over took the larger man. He was knocked back when the dog barged in, tail waving in utter over whelmed excitement his body never able to stop spinning in circles as he delighted to be a part of the reunion. Tsukiko whimpered and whined greeting the long lost friend and Orochimaru was down beside the dog greeting him back with eager enthusiasm.
The dog looked healthier than he had been when the serpent lost him, his wounds were healed, although some scars shone through his fur. He had become larger, probably due to the much needed added weight, he was a dog most people would likely stay away from his jaws capable of serious damage. The Sannin didn't see the threat in his beloved companion and allowed those same powerful jaws to be right beside his face as the dog licked him in devotion.
Saura lent on the doorframe watching the two, he was clearly taken aback at the reaction. Perhaps he had never known the meaning of animal and human companionship. Most ninja saw their familiars as family. Orochimaru had certainly never trusted anything other than his own chosen summonings and pets as NWs called them.
"I put up lost posters and called some local shelters. Eventually someone called me and I went to collect him." Saura said, "I wasn't sure if I was going to see you again, but I felt I owed you enough to at least take him in. I'm glad I did."
The Sannin was still a bit too preoccupied by the dog to fully take in what the man was saying, he flashed grateful eyes over at him but then returned to his friend who did his best to hog the spotlight for a while longer. Saura went back inside, leaving the two alone in the morning air, the cold was not of either of their concerns. Tsukiko didn't feel it with his thick fur, and the serpent didn't feel it in his distraction. The NW returned with the device the Sannin had come for and leant down next to the snake. There was a beeping sound as Saura held a button and then the choking hold of the collar fell away. The serpent hadn't noticed it was a pressure that made breathing more troublesome. He had adapted to the unnatural feeling, he had grown accustomed to taking deeper breaths to get enough oxygen.
"Thanks." Orochimaru said as he hastily took the collar off. He didn't allow the man to know he had jutsu, just in case it freaked him out and made him have another change of heart. He would never trust the man because he was unpredictable. He changed his mind often. It didn't mean he was a bad person, it meant he was a person unworthy of trust.
"You wouldn't have needed the help if I hadn't been so quick to fear you." Saura admitted, he then handed the device to the Sannin and showed him which button he had clicked to destroy the collars programming, "I can take you back to Kakashi, you could free him, and when you're ready let me know if you want my help getting out."
"I will. I'm sure he won't mind it." Orochimaru said, he was in actual fact entirely unsure if the man would be happy with the NW. He almost doubted it, but then again it was Kakashi who preached for second chances. Tsukiko was almost glued to the serpents side so much so that keeping him in the back seat became a bit of a comical mission. The large canine was half standing on the passenger seat while his back legs remained at the back. He almost made Saura cause several accidents despite it being a short drive and people hooted in annoyance. Since the ninja found it amusing, his narrowed eyes and mischievous smile indicating he found their irritation funny, the NW didn't complain or send the dog back to his place. They got to the house and the Sannin hopped out, notably in a much better mood. Tsukiko didn't wait for the Sannin to open the back door and instead clambered over the leather seats, desperate to not be left behind. Orochimaru stifled his laughter and led the dog inside, he had agreed to walk to Saura once he had made a decision.
Orochimaru knocked on the door and waited for the house owners let him in, he didn't trust them and didn't want the father to emerge with the gun. Kakashi was the one who came to the door, he seemed relieved to see the male but reserved his feeling unsure if they were still on bad terms. The energy shifted as soon as they met eyes and the serpent felt his own smile die into nothing, Tsukiko grumbled and waved his tail anxiously. He liked Kakashi, but he liked the Sannin more, and if they walked opposite ways the dog would go with the smaller ninja who had helped him on the first day he saw hope.
"He got your collar off." Kakashi observed stepping outside and shutting the door behind him, "and you found Tsukiko."
He said it with little emotion, most likely because he didn't want to be stepping over any boundaries. Tsukiko lay down at the serpents feet, he was not partaking in this reunion, it was not a pleasant one and he would rather mind his own business staying loyally at his chosen humans side.
"I can get yours off as well." Orochimaru said, he held the device to his chest, his arms crossed over it. Kakashi watched as the Sannin clicked the button Saura had shown him, the device nearby the collar still active. Without fail the same beeping sounded and the collar fell away becoming nothing more than a metallic frame. Kakashi rubbed the area that had been restricted for so long. It was certainly much more pleasant being free. He thanked his lover and placed a welcoming hand on the dogs head.
Tsukiko looked up his tongue lolling out his mouth his tail wagging gently in a reciprocated greeting. He then licked the mans hand as he pulled away.
"Saura says he can get us out the city." Orochimaru said, he hadn't felt that awkward around the copy ninja in a long time. They had fought, but there was a haunting distance between them.
"I don't trust him." Kakashi said instantly. Orochimaru didn't allow the interruption to offend him, and continued with his last point.
"He wants to leave the city for good, he says he would like to try and be a ninja himself." Orochimaru continued, "he said he is leaving with or without us, but if we wish to sneak out with him then we owe him a safe journey into our world."
"He doesn't deserve to be a ninja." Kakashi said, "not after what he did. What he let happen to you."
Orochimaru tilted his head to the side in question, "Deserve? Does one need to be of a certain moral capacity to be a ninja?"
"You know what I mean." Kakashi said, his voice was still calm, both of theirs were, but they were disagreeing on everything as of late. Orochimaru sighed, he let the question fall away. He just wanted to get a straight answer.
"Security is tight. We won't get out alone. This might be another way out." Orochimaru said.
"Do you think that we should trust him?" Kakashi asked, deciding to rather see the snakes view entirely before making any more judgements.
"I weighed out our options. This is a rare chance, I wouldn't let it slip us by." Orochimaru said, "he has no gain following us. Anything he could gain from following us he could have gained with more ease simply using the militarized machines."
"Then fine. We will go with him." Kakashi said, Orochimaru knew the copy ninja didn't agree with the plan. If it was up to him he would have said no, he simply did not want to go against the serpent anymore. Although it was the answer Orochimaru had wanted it was not answered for the reason he had wanted. His eyes held his troubled expression honestly. Kakashi averted his own eyes from the hopeless golden ones.
"I'd respect your opinion." Orochimaru said after a pause, "and I'd like to know how you actually feel on matters."
"I think we should go with him." Kakashi said, "we can't waste another opportunity. If you say he has nothing to gain I'll trust you, I don't trust him but I trust you and your judgement. We have our chakara now, we have something between ourselves and threats."
Orochimaru nodded, once again he felt as if his lover was saying what he knew the Sannin wanted to hear. It was pointless trying to give his partner a voice while he was simply trying to please the other ninja.
"We can let him know when we are ready." Orochimaru said, the copy ninja tried his best to ease the tension by acting natural, by acting optimistic. He lead the Sannin and his dog inside and they sat in the lounge waiting for the family to get home. They had all gone out to go get checked at a hospital. The NW citizens seemed paranoid about injury. The ninja decided to thank the family for their help and then depart. Tension finally eased an hour in to waiting, when they sat beside one another on the couch talking about more meaningless things. Orochimaru let a serpent slip around his arm, it had been too long away from his summonings. The serpent did not express as much excitement as Tsukiko did, but it slithered around its summoner in what could only be taken as some kind of happiness. Its tongue flicked in and out tasting the air and the environment. The large serpent eventually moved across to the copy ninja. Kakashi let the reptile do as it liked, he moved his arm out its way and let it move freely up to his shoulder. He caught a smile from his lover out of the corner of his eye. He knew most people squealed and panicked by his unique choice of summonings, he seemed to be pleased when the copy ninja was so calm with them. Tsukiko leapt around in fascination. He bounced backwards and then stealthily snuck forwards to try and sniff the snake. He kept his body far and stretched his neck over, still on edge by the new creature. The snake flicked its tongue out and tried to analyse the dog. Tsukiko scattered around the floor trying to both greet and flee the reptile. Orochimaru was leaning into the copy ninjas chest, the larger mans arms wrapped around his waist as they sat comfortably watching the two animals interact.
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The first part of Saura's plan was to get the two ninjas chakara back. When he discovered they already had it, he was rather eager to get out. He explained the rest of his idea to them. The plan was too simple to put the ninja at ease, Saura claimed all he had to do was go to the gate, he was allowed out if he wanted to. He had the right documents to excuse him, he had the right status and class in society to do as he wished. In short, he had enough money. He was met by questioning eyes. Saura came back after speaking to the border guards then returned to his car where the Sannin and the copy ninja sat with the dog.
"Okay, I've asked to leave and gotten us all permission." Saura said, "if you two are ready we can leave in a chopper."
The ninja nodded, they had no reason to wait, both ninja cast themselves in jutsu and took on the forms of NW citizens, they would pretend to be friends of Saura and he had claimed they were exploring out the dome. The borders had been shut to the public, but Saura was an exception with his relations to the Superior. And once again thanks to his wealth. The city was seemingly run on money.
The guards looked at the ninja, who now appeared to be NW citizens. They let them pass, both ninja were good at acting and kept their composure. Playing the part as people excited to simply get a view out the outside world. The plan was to work smoothly. They would be taken around a designated zone, a zone the military deemed safe for the NW. The chopper would let them sight see some of the outside world, then turn around and take them home. Naturally, the ninja, both capable of jutsu, would stop the pilot from turning the plane around. They would force the man to land, then they would knock the man unconscious and they would take off into the forest. Orochimaru had opted to kill the pilot, but the other two men decided that was too harsh. They would be discovered as missing eventually. There was no need to kill him.
The plane juddered into the air, Tsukiko grumbled in distress as the ground moved, in all honesty Orochimaru didn't find he was faring well either. He had shifted into the form of a woman, and the pilot spoke over calmly trying to reassure the only female on board. Tsukiko was played off as a companion dog, a dog who would calm the female in the group down. Service dogs were exceptions, so they allowed him on board. After all, if a service dog was removed from their dedicated human, the human with the condition could fall into panic.
The pilot was kind, and pointed out things the ninja didn't find interesting, but Saura seemed impressed by it all. He must have been sheltered, he was amazed at the amount of nature. Orochimaru realized it was probably best they didn't kill the man after all. He would have felt something like guilt, when they got just past the military's sights the two ninja took on their proper forms. The pilot seemed to freeze up in fear.
"Land the plane and we won't hurt you." Saura instructed. It wasn't convincing enough so the Sannin took over, a large deep brown snake slipped out from his sleeve and wrapped around the man lightly. The pilots eyes went wide, he was half way through panic and trying to remember his military training.
"If you steer us towards the gates we will kill you. If you land us safely we will let you go." Orochimaru said, "over there."
The man did as he was told when the Sannin instructed him to and the plane shakily made its way down scattering leaves as they landed. Kakashi helped Saura out, chakara flaring around his feet. He felt much more alive out the dome, away from its influence over his chakara. Orochimaru let his serpent turn to smoke, then swiftly knocked the man unconscious. He would be fine when he awoke, a bit fearful perhaps, but unharmed in every other sense.
Orochimaru couldn't explain his excitement as he leapt out the chopper to stand on his own two feet, a dark purple and black chakara flared around him for a few seconds as he checked to see if it was all real. Tsukiko barked in joy catching on to the other energy as he bounded beside him. Saura watched the ninja in fascination. He was curious and nervous. He was out of his element, he had left his world with nothing more than a gun and backpack.
"Where are we going now?" He asked, it seemed he wasn't sure where anything was, he would have been royally screwed without the ninja, despite saying he would have gone it alone. It was evident he was vastly unequipped to be in nature as he half stumbled over roots following the ninja into the giant forest.
"We don't know exactly." Kakashi replied, Tsukiko yipped and tunnelled ahead, stopping once in a while to throw his head backwards to ensure the humans were following. Orochimaru eventually got bored with the NWs slow pace, and much like an excited puppy himself, galloped after Tsukiko sticking to his side as he hopped through trees and leapt over branches. Saura laughed when he saw just how lively the ninja became when he was in his own home.
"You seem a lot more at ease in your own habitat." Saura blabbered never once stopping to think how dehumanizing the wording was. He wasn't met with annoyance like he would've been back in the city. The energy was too happy and relieved.
"Careful, you're running with wolves now." Orochimaru mocked, "we are unpredictable."
Saura was slow on the joke and didn't pick up on the fact that the Sannin was playing off the NWs view of them being animals. He took it literally and looked over at Kakashi for reassurance as he half tumbled over the next root ahead of them.
"He isn't serious." Kakashi said, "we are no different from you. Even in our own habitat."
Saura took the words easily and then tried to keep up, his breath was faltering and he called for the group to slow down. Orochimaru called for the dog to return and the loyal beast did so, galloping over roots with much more grace than the city human counterpart.
"Catch your breath." Orochimaru said kindly, he wasn't mocking the man, he had experience with non ninja back in his Konoha days. He would lead them to safety on missions, acting as a body guard. He was not unfamiliar with slowing down his natural pace, "but we must keep moving as soon as you feel fine again. They will find our pilot and try track us with your drones."
The NW was aware of the looming threat and took only a few minutes to recoup. He tried to act manly again as he rose, it must have been awfully embarrassing being the one in need, he had loved the role of provider back in the city, the serpent forced to acknowledge his leader position. Now tables had turned. Saura watched the two ninja with interest. Orochimaru took the lead physically being in the front, but it was still Kakashi leading. Tsukiko and the Sannin simply could not contain their new found energy, jutsu had always awakened the Sannin, and the dog merely borrowed from that. Regardless, it was the constant glancing back to affirm Kakashi was going the same way that caught the NWs attention. Golden eyes often landed on the copy ninja, who didn't once check on the serpent. He kept his eyes set on the road, set on leading them where they went while also guarding them and keeping an eye out for danger from the back. They continued down the seemingly never ending forest path, the ninja found themselves helping the man get over minor obstacles and even calming him down when the NW spotted what he thought to be threats.
Tsukiko charged the wildlife, but he responded well to the Sannin, so when the dark haired male called for him to come back he obeyed. They ventured further until the land leading forwards was cut in the middle by a wide river. Its waters were rough and it seemed to be deep. Saura looked at it as if it was a mountain, an impossible obstacle which forced them to choose a new direction. He looked mildly shocked when he saw the ninja walk on to it. They both stopped, realizing now that the man would not be able to use chakara to defy the water. Tsukiko whimpered, equally as unequipped. He placed one paw in the fast paced stream and backed away. It was not strong enough to claim anyone who dared swim across it, but the residents of the river were unknown, and so it was daunting to enter its depths.
"...Shall we wait here or...?" Saura mused as he gave the impression he was not entering the rapids. Kakashi doubted he could carry the man across, but he had no problem going back to awkwardly pick the dog up. Tsukiko was by no means small enough for it to be easy, he had been thin when Hidan held him. Now he was bulky and tall, a large breed for that matter. A happy and satisfied smile was on the clumsy dogs face as his mixbreed features looked around.
Once on the other side the dog shook himself off, as if he truly believed he had swum across. The copy ninja turned back to see what he was going to do about Saura, but his lover had already decided on a plan. A large serpent, much larger than the humans beside it slipped easily across the river. Because it was long rather than tall it would not be noticeable by anything above the forest. Its long and thick body could reach the bottom of the river and it could be coiled on both sides. It didn't have to try to swallow the humans whole. It could have easily swallowed all three of them plus the dog if it chose. All in one gulp, not needing to stretch its jaw unnaturally either. Saura paled before it and Orochimaru placed a welcoming hand on its head, he was rather fond of his summons.
"Just hop on him, he will get you across." Orochimaru said when he saw the hesitance on the others face, he forgot the other was not used to being up and personal with an over sized predator, "he won't attack unless I ask him to, and he doesn't eat humans anyway."
Kakashi wondered if the last part was a lie, he was used to all the snakes the Sannin summoned being rather fond of human flesh. It wasn't the time to bring that up. Saura seemed more ready to rather swim across, but the Sannin and the copy ninja knew the waters held less tame predators.
The giant serpent flicked its tongue out and then let its large slitted eyes shift between Orochimaru and Saura. It was being as patient as it could, but it was notably asking why the man was taking so long. Snakes lacked the ability to communicate socially in a way humans understood. The snake summoner himself seemed to pick up on their language, he seemed able to read them easily, but other humans were not as attuned to their ways. Likewise the snakes were not accustomed to human body language. They could read it, but they could not mimic it.
"If I wanted to kill you I'd have left you behind." Orochimaru said, "my serpents have helped many people without fail. They never turn on their summoners."
Saura nodded, but it took him a good few more minutes to get closer, then another few to touch its large head. When its tongue flicked out he rushed away again uneasily. The ninja waited patiently, they knew it would take time. Tsukiko grumbled and lay down where he could find a soft patch of dirt. Finally Saura found the confidence to clamber on to the snakes back. It was submerged in water, so he could climb on where the river dipped deeper, meaning the snake acted as the rest of the land. He got slightly wet, but all in all he was safe from predators.
He mumbled a thanks to the Sannin, then tried his best to shuffle away from the giant snake. Orochimaru stroked the reptile once before allowing it to return to its own world. Orochimaru was glad Saura had thought to buy them all warmer clothes, they donned long cloaks which passed off as winter wear, but helped them keep their identities hidden as well. It did its intended job of shunning the nipping cold air, but ultimately the Sannin liked to slip away from eyes at will with the hood, he didn't always need onlookers. Although the forests appeared baron he knew better than to assume they were uninhabited. When the woods became less strewn with obstacles and the ground became flat Saura had found the confidence to speak. He questioned the ninja mercilessly about jutsu and how it worked, he even tried to start learning it as they proceeded. The ninja took turns focusing on the area and scanning for enemies while the other would answer the endless stream of questions. It was the copy ninjas turn, and he was already back in teacher mode and he tried his best to get the NW to show any sign of chakara emerging from his flesh. Both ninja felt the different pressure added to the air, Orochimaru stopped dead to throw his eyes back at the NW. He had a light flare of blue faintly glowing around his hand, the one he focused on intently. He looked like a Genin when he realized what he had done.
"Looks like the NWs have not lost the ability to use jutsu." Kakashi said impressed, "well done."
Saura was delighted with himself, and the rest of the journey resulted in him trying out this new found ability. The glow got less faint but not by much, it was also uncontrolled and was nothing more than chakara surfacing. Even Genin were able to do such a trivial feat, but since the man had lived in a world without jutsu it must have been greatly impressive, an ability he didn't even know existed was no in his grasp. It grew dark and they decided it would be time to take a proper break. Although Saura was not as fit and nimble as the ninja he managed to keep up when he was excited about his success. Orochimaru slowed and then turned to the others.
"We are heading to the ruins of Konoha." He said, more so that Saura knew, Kakashi and the serpent had already mutually agreed on their destination, "that's still a day's journey away. We should rest for a few hours."
"We can carry on in the morning." Saura said eagerly, he was happy to have a break.
"Early morning. We will leave when it is still dark to make good time." Orochimaru said, "Kakashi we can take turns guarding."
"You can sleep first." Kakashi offered.
"Fine, but don't try and do the entire shift on your own. Wake me up half way." Orochimaru said, or more ordered, he knew his lover would attempt to take on full responsibility. The copy ninja decided he would listen to the male, after all he would be angry when he woke up.
It was a biting cold air now that the sun was gone, it was almost pitch black but the ninja were used to the dark. Saura was skittish, wondering how they could be calm, he couldn't see more than a few feet in front of him. The trees covered the moon and only a few stars lit the area. Orochimaru came up beside the NW, he could sense his nerves.
"We can sense anything coming from a mile away." Orochimaru said, "so rest easy. One of us will always be up."
Saura nodded, then wrongly assuming the other couldn't see him properly in the dark, he added a quick "ok". They settled down on the moist floors, it wasn't comfortable but it was all they could accept. Orochimaru settled down and nestled into Kakashi's chest trying to share the warmth they both made, Tsukiko was quick to cuddle between them. Kakashi sat up allowing the other to still rest comfortably on him, he ran his hand through his hair untangling the loose knots as he did so. He felt the even breathing of his lover shortly after everyone fell silent indicating he was asleep. He could still tell Saura was not asleep, his breathing still too focused. Kakashi wondered if it was cold, fear or just the unusualness of the situation which made him struggle.
"Are you cold?" Kakashi finally asked the man, he spoke softly so that the Sannin remained sleeping beneath his secure arms.
"I'm fine." Saura said, "is he asleep?"
"Yes." Kakashi answered, he hated how interested the man was in the serpent. He wasn't one to get jealous, but it would be annoying to anyone in a relationship having their partner hounded by another infatuated party. What made it worse was that he tried to act inconspicuous while directly hinting at his interest in the copy ninjas lover. Kakashi kept his collected demeanour when he spoke, there was no need to say anything harsh. It was all petty words for now.
"Which one of you is stronger?" Saura asked, "I don't mean physically, he isn't very strong physically."
The next question also irked the copy ninja, he wasn't a fan of people mentioning the other males physical weakness. It was obvious, a statement which did not need to be said to be known. Orochimaru never cared about it personally, he knew he was slim in build, and he worked with it rather than against it. He would use another's size against them, and he did not get too insulted when someone took a shot at his small feminine form.
"We have never fought to the death." Kakashi said as he avoided the question.
"So you are equal most likely." Saura decided, "how long have you been together?"
Kakashi thought it over, almost two years he supposed, they started during the last NW attack.
"Almost two years." Kakashi said, he glanced down at Orochimaru as the male shifted in his sleep, one hand grasping the dogs fur the other the fabric on the Jonins shirt. He looked peaceful despite a slight shiver running down his spine every time a breeze blew past.
"Not too long then." Saura said, Kakashi saw light blue flash by the man, he was testing out the chakara again. Kakashi wanted to punch him. What did not too long mean? That there was less love built, that they were easier to pull a part? Two years was a long enough time in his opinion. Not many ninja dated, it was hard to maintain missions and private affairs. Death was a causality on a regular basis as well, so lovers became disparaged and often neglected to form bonds of such connection. The two ninja were highly skilled, it was even harder for shinobi of their level to stay in a relationship. Everyone looked to them when things were hard, and love was a fragile flame, it could easily be suffocated when the eyes of the public fell to the well-known couple.
"Long enough." Kakashi replied, his voice still hid his annoyance.
"So you're both still happy then?" Saura asked, he was awfully obvious.
"Never been better." Kakashi lied, they had just gotten over a fight, and the tension of that lingered even though they were once again communicating properly. Saura remained silent then spoke.
"I heard if ninja break up they fight until the death. The stronger ninja wins and moves on. Would you kill him if he wanted to leave you?" Saura asked. Kakashi looked over, this time he couldn't hide his irritation. There were many things which triggered the anger. Firstly, he truly believed ninja were so savage.
If that was not worse he made it obvious he wanted, or more expected the ninja to break up. On top of that, he had only asked the man which one of them was stronger because he wanted to check if the Sannin would be able to leave the copy ninja dare he try and kill him. The prospect was ridiculous. If the Sannin turned rogue and started committing more crimes Kakashi still would never be able to sink his blade into the male. He felt his arms wrap slightly tighter around the serpent, almost as if Saura would dare try and physically take the Sannin away.
"That's a myth." Kakashi said, "and a foolish one. I suggest you go to sleep. We won't stop and wait for you if you are too tired."
Saura caught the hint of threat. Although it took him more time to fall asleep than he would have liked it turned out he was just tired enough to ease into slumber. Kakashi was grateful, Orochimaru shifted once more in his sleep, his calm features made the copy ninja collect himself. He enjoyed the scent of his lover and the feeling of his hair. It was most certainly helping his sanity being close to the serpent. He could just barely make out the scratch on his head, the one he had received at the teens house. The Sannin had not regenerated as it was far too minor an injury. Still it would bother the copy ninja until it had completely healed.
Authors note- Thanks for the super inspiring reviews! I look forward to hearing your opinions! And since I get a review without fail from the lovely Vampiredoll666 it is only fair I give special thanks for the kind words! Hope everyone reading enjoyed the chapter!