I don't own Naruto or any of its characters, I'm just a fan I enjoyed the anime but I love the fanfics even more, they made me fall for the whole franchise.

Chapter 45

'Where am I?' I wondered looking around at the dark space around me and thought of what could be happening. 'What were my last thoughts?' I wondered looking around and seeing veiny lines appear around the darkness with a pink substance running inside.

"Orochimaru is biting me!" I panicked when the image played in front of me in a square-like mirror, my eyes widening as Orochimaru bit into my neck, hungrily, before I felt a disturbance in my chakra, the kind you would feel when a genjutsu was being used against you.

"Agh." I held in the scream that threatened to escape me when a heavy headache struck my nerves, I saw my body begin falling from the tree through my own eyes but it was so slow it looked like it was on pause. I suddenly got further knowledge of the place I was in.

"It's my mind." Did I say out loud….. in …my …head? I shook my head at the confusing concept. This was my head, there was only one other thing in here with me and I could feel its interest in my mind like a child who had finally found 'IT', whatever it is.

I took a step into the nothingness I found myself in and a white circle appeared in front of me. I blinked In confusion and tried walking around it. Nothing happened, and I succeeded in my goal of placing the white circle behind me. I took another step and it was in front of me again. My stubbornness made its appearance known and I saw the veins surrounding me bulge and thicken.

"Move…." I grounded out and the circle moved to the side giving me space. I huffed and continued my walk. I counted my steps with the numbers appearing in the darkness every time I did. A second later I found I could change their colors or anything about them really, like fonts or whether I wanted them in words or numerics.

'Is this what being special is like? trouble around every corner.' This was crazy, first Guy-Sensei's shock, Kurenai-Sensei's pride, and the Hokage's praises. 'All good things must have something bad come around to balance them out.' I thought. It was a line taken from the speech the second Hokage made at his older brother's funeral now found in history books.

"I guess my bad is the snake-Sanin of Konohagaru turned traitor finding interest in me." I thought reaching the bigger version of what kept following me around, I got irritated and decided to touch it because this was getting ridiculous, I felt like I was walking for hours.

'Okay Sakura, your exaggerating." I laughed, at that last thought and I saw the darkness glow, giving me the first view of what lay behind. It was so beautiful and it all happened because I laughed. Come to think of it, I haven't laughed in a while. Before the academy, I was so carefree and looking forward to things.

'What changed?' I wondered, with my brain coming up with blanks as an answer. Reaching my hand out I placed it on the surface of the white circle about three times my size and I felt it sink in. I was quick to pull my hand back and it came back with a liquid-like white substance dripping from it.

"Eww" I said wrinkling my nose and before I knew it the circular white substance collapsed in a puddle. I felt panic come from behind me and I looked to the smaller circle about six feet high move back away from me in fear.

"Kukukukuk." My eyes widened when the circle began shifting, first spiking out in random places and then contorted into a small ball that bubbled out for a few seconds before dropping down like a brick in the shape of an egg.

"This is unexpected." I heard a voice project itself around my mindscape before I gagged when a pale arm broke out of the egg-like shell with yolk all over it. A second later another arm came out, its nails elongated looking big and bony. Its index finger raised, palm facing me, and finger pointing up as if to say one moment. The arm then brought its sharp nail toward the egg and tapped it with its index finger.

I took a step back and watched the egg crack before breaking apart and the person inside uncoiled himself from the shape of an egg. After it stood taller than me it took a step out of the egg and stretched out its rubber-like limbs, popping noises coming from every bone in its body. He then sighed in relief with his head facing up and a long tongue sticking out of his snake-like smile, wetting his lips in a disgusting manner that had drool dripping down everywhere.

He took a deep breath of none existent air, his chest inflating up to unnatural capacities, and suddenly brought his face down grinning at me like a lunatic, with crazed eyes looking ready to swallow me whole.

Orochimaru's most conspicuous characteristic is his snake-like appearance. He has very pale skin, golden eyes with slitted pupils, purple markings around his eyes, and fang-like teeth. He also has pronounced cheekbones and straight waist-length black hair with some locks covering and framing his face and his shoulders, with a slate blue ring, which bears the kanji for "sky" or "void" on his left pinky finger.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Haruno-Chan, I must say you are the most interesting subject I've ever come across, the perfect being Kukukukukukukuk….kukuku….kuuu." I watched as the real image of the Snake Sanin I remembered from pictures and books moved his mouth to make words that came to me in every direction before he began chuckling like a crazed individual, his eyes wide with excitement and nose flaring at the greed in which he was 'breathing'.

"I can't take this excitement." Orochimaru said in greed hugging himself and shivering in bliss "All this knowledge, I need to have it, I must have it." I quickly jumped to the side when my brain suddenly showed me danger signs and it was just in time because not a second later Orochimaru passed past my previous location like a bullet.

I ran, Orochimaru was attacking me in my mind the panic in my system had my mindscape acting weird with my perception turning and changing and yet my balance stayed. I looked up and saw Orochimaru dropping down towards me like a bullet grinning too much to look normal. His eyes drove me to jump away again, I didn't trust those eyes.

"How do you know when to dodge." I heard him ask, I had already given him my back so I didn't even notice when he was suddenly right behind me and before I knew it. I was kicked so hard I flew back for a couple of meters before dropping in a hip twisting and turning.

When I stopped I thought I would feel pain, but I was okay, after recognizing the pain it never stayed it was gone in a flash. I quickly stood up and Orochimaru was in front of me, ready to bite me again I panicked and threw my hand out only for the first thing I could think of to appear in front of me kicking Orochimaru's butt.

"Sasuke?" I gapped openly watching as Sasuke with Sharingan blazing beat Orochimaru to a pulp. The snake Sanin tried everything only to come out lacking, then it clicked. We were in my mind, that was not Sasuke, it was a figment of my imagination, and because I saw Sasuke as the strongest person In the world…..

"What is going on here?….. grrrr, move!" Orochimaru's chakra surged but Sasuke didn't even feel it before he went around and punched Orochimaru in the face sending him far and away. He turned to me smiling lovingly making me blush at the look he gave me. A second later I saw Sasuke gasp out in pain with Naruto behind him laughing Evilly and a sword sticking from his back. I shook my head and both boys disappeared like a mirage.

"Cough cough cough, I see now." Orochimaru said looking at me with predatory eyes. He looked worse for wear but after a quick shake of his shoulders, he was as good as new. I felt a disturbance in my consciousness and I called it forth it came out of nowhere in the form of a white little snake, I screamed and threw it on the floor watching as it turned into a white puddle.

"That is impossible, that snake represents sage chakra!" Orochimaru exclaimed and I looked at his form in the distance while I wondered if I could defeat him here. it was my mind, I looked to my right side and Sasuke appeared again, I looked to my left, and Kurenai the genjutsu mistress of Konoha my sensei appeared and I let them attack Orochimaru.

I decided they were stronger than my opponent so they were, I decided they were faster than my opponent so they became just that. I decide Orochimaru had no power here and he suddenly didn't. The scene became kind of dull as I watched my imagination beat the intruder in my mind so bad he looked like he was made up of bruises and blood but he never screamed in pain. After a while, I wondered if I could dispel him from my mind and I found a pink liquid-like vortex appear behind him making me smirk when his eyes widened.

"Wait, Girl!! I can give you strength, power whatever you want." Again I registered his words and wondered how he could make that possible. "Your chakra holds many secrets, I've seen a glimpse of it and I can tell you my girl you are special." Orochimaru continued and my curiosity got the better of me as a frown registered on my face my mind-cape turned a bit gloomy.

"I love you Sakura-Chan please don't be sad." I blushed so much at those words I felt like dying. My perfect image of Sasuke was there poking my forehead and smiling sweetly at me just as I always dreamt. I began panicking because Orochimaru was there looking at me smugly smirking. I shook my head and the image of Sasuke and Kurenai sensei disappeared.

"Stay still." I demanded of Orochimaru and he straightened like a rod, hands to his sides legs attached, and his head facing up. Orochimaru still looked smug, but it seemed to be making way for something else. I walked up closer to him, my eyes trained on his unmoving form.

"You are in love with an Uchiha." He stated, I knew the only reason he could speak was that I didn't specify he couldn't do so, I walked around him studying his features. "That is a high order to handle, an Uchiha only finds one aspect attractive Sakura-Chan." As he spoke I listened carefully, Orochimaru was not just a strong Shinobi he was also a scientist and a well-renowned one at that, he could maybe help me with my ability.

"What do you know about the Uchiha, and what they want!" I shouted at the man his words only brought images of Hinata in my head, our class's rookie of the year, and every glance Sasuke-kun ever sent her way and they were all there for Orochimaru to see and he chuckled.

"Kukukukukukukuk….. I know a lot Sakura-Chan, I have studied the psychology and mannerism of the Uchiha clan for years and only one thing corresponds when it comes to their affection for a female." Orochimaru stopped talking and somehow managed with willpower alone to move a finger before bringing his head down to face me looking at me very seriously with those yellow slit eyes of his.

"What is that?" I asked although I already knew the answer, I just wanted it confirmed by someone, anyone, and if that person was the snake Sanin, then it was the snake Sanin.

"Strength Sakura-Chan." He replied and I scoffed but before I could speak he began naming people to me. "Sasuke loves Hinata because she proved her strength both physically and mentally even through her disease. Itachi Uchiha only gave Izumi Uchiha a chance to speak after he found out she had already unlocked her Sharingan, while he did not. There was once a student of the fourth, an Obito Uchiha, he too loved a girl who showed strength and courage. This cycle has been going on since the time of Madara Uchiha who fell in love with one Mito Uzumaki, the first Hokage's wife." Orochimaru smirked watching my eyes widen in shock at his words, did I really not stand a chance?

"Don't feel down my girl, if anything I think Sasuke-Kun should be chasing you around... what you have is special. Your chakra control should be the envy of the elemental nations and I'm including my former teammate." My chakra control was better than the legendary slug Sanin? Was I that special, did I have a chance to win over Sasuke-Kun If I trusted this man?

"How exactly will you give me the strength I need?" I asked and with that question, I felt like my fate was sealed. If I wanted Orochimaru gone I should have removed him from my consciousness the moment I realized I could do so but now with all this knowledge and promises I would only be holding myself back if I was to reject his help.

"Well, you destroyed my curse mark." Orochimaru looked at the giant puddle of white before laughing as a lunatic he kind of reminded me of Naruto. I shivered at the thought and killed it before it became an image in my head.

"But who cares about that outdated technology!!! Mwahahahahaha you are the future of science my girl, you alone hold all the secrets of ninshu!!!" I think he lost it, Orochimaru was laughing uncontrollably making absolutely no sense to me In the slightest.

Then he broke out of my hold with the brute strength of will, I took a step back but he didn't attack, instead, he took a deep breath to calm his hysterical behavior before smiling at me. "Come my girl let me show you what your chakra keeps hidden, I'm so excited, kukukuku…." Orochimaru began making his way toward one of the vein-like lines running around my consciousness and stopped before telling me to place my hand on it.

"I assure you, my girl, you hold all the power here." He told me and I nodded. Ready to dispel him from my mind if he did anything suspicious. Raising my left hand I placed it on the thick veiny substance running a pink liquid. "Now inject your chakra inside." I don't know why I didn't hesitate but when I did do as told everything turned white, I closed my eyes on reflex the whole time calling myself an idiot for trusting a snake, while Orochimaru giggled like a maniac once more.

"Sakura-Chan open your eyes and see the beauty in front of you, open your eyes and behold why you are more than the Uchiha Clan, more than the Senju Clan, and more than the Hyūga clan because you hold the secrets of the sage of six paths within you!!!! Oh my, the talents we find in the exams I could drop a tear of joy." I opened my eyes at Orochimaru's words and I was greeted by what could only be a literal giant library with rows and rows of scrolls, scriptures, and tombs for as far as the mind could see making me gap.

"How is this possible?" I asked out loud involuntarily making Orochimaru wave the question away like a bee buzzing around his face.

"It does not matter how, for now, I need to figure out this chakra." Orochimaru walked up to a scroll and flipped through its pages before laughing like a maniac. "This is the secret of the Kurama clan's genjutsu, have you associated with a member of the Kaguya clan before?" He asked me and my eyes narrowed in concentration a second later It clicked, we had a mission once to babysit the heiress of the Kurama clan.

"Yes." I replied and he smiled looking as though he was finally getting a picture and I wanted him to share that picture with me. "So?" I asked him as he read through the scroll humming at the things he saw, I don't know why I was letting this man do what he wanted but somehow, though I didn't trust him his voice had this compelling quality that said before anything should ever happen to me I would know everything I wanted to know about my ability.

"Your Chakra has engraved the Kurama's chakra quality into itself, with some training you could become as proficient in genjutsu as a Kurama clan member with the bloodline limit to make genjutsu reality. kukuku interesting." Orochimaru rolled up the scroll and placed it back in its original position with such care you would think he was putting his child to bed.

"Sakura-Chan how would you like to become the apprentice of the snake Sanin?" He asked me with a very sweet smile that did nothing to hide his devious nature, I opened my mouth to speak and he closed it. "But first you have to prove your worth, we need to know if my theory is true. How about a test run?" He clapped his hands in front of his face grinning at me with clear want and curiosity.

"How do we experiment?" I won't lie I was curious as well, this was the first time I was getting anywhere with my talent. Everybody had theories and assumptions but Orochimaru figured out my hidden ability from who knows where, tracked me down, made quick work of my team, and a few minutes later is giving me information on my ability with a way to prove his theory, if this was not a genius then we were all apes.

"We take you for a spin of course, there is only one person here with a bloodline limit I believe you can copy, no it is not the Byakugan or the Sharingan, kukuku." Orochimaru killed my hopes with a smile that said he was not happy with the prospect I couldn't copy dojutsus as well.

"But first let's make a deal." He outstretched his hands towards me. "You have great potential, but you lack Chakra capacity to use them efficiently, I have a way to make that null and void but I won't lie to you my girl, you interest me Sakura Haruno. The knowledge within your chakra is my life's mission to uncover so I will help you as long as you let me come back here occasionally to read through the information your chakra gathers." He smiled at the end of his offer, again it creeped me out but Sasuke-Kun...didn't I enter these exams saying I would do anything to prove my love for him? I stretched out my hand and he grabbed my smaller one in his larger and smoother hand shaking mine eagerly.

"When I am done with you, you will become a legend." Orochimaru promised with a grin that threatened to split his face in half before he turned into that white form from earlier and covered me with the white substance. "Don't fight it, although this is temporary because you destroyed the more permanent curse mark I want you to know that Orochimaru does not make empty promises. Kukukuk." I stopped struggling and felt his chakra mix into mine and become one with mine before all came into my control.

"Interesting." I heard Orochimaru say in my mind's mind. Then I found myself back in reality, I quickly twisted and turned before landing with my right leg bent at a 90-degree angle, my left knee on the ground and my right fist on the ground. I felt powerful I felt rejuvenated I felt strong, and for the first time, I felt like I could take on someone and win. Was this the power Orochimaru mentioned?

"Sakura-Chan my prospective apprentice, welcome to the world of the strong and powerful." I grinned despite myself looking up at Orochimaru's appearance in the outside world of a Kusa genin. This was just wow! I felt so much chakra in my system. It all felt intoxicating like I could do anything and get away with it because I was strong, I stood up straight and looked at my hands in contemplation.

"You said we would be going on a test run." I started feeling excitement boil in my heart, my question made Orochimaru chuckle in approval beckoning me to follow him as he took off jumping on a branch I jumped to follow him but With the amount of chakra traveling through my body I overshot my jump leaving a crater where I stood and I soared high, I quickly twisted and placed my feet on the adjacent surface of a tree I almost knocked into and dented it with the force of my landing yet I felt no strain on my legs.

"Come my girl we have much research to do." I followed Orochimaru slowly until I had a hang of the abundance of chakra that was now at my disposal. I was actually mad at myself for destroying the more permanent mark, I was sure that one would have hit differently right now.

"You said the mark I destroyed had something called sage chakra." I began and Orochimaru looked back at me before looking forward.

"Senjutsu is Nature chakra found in everything around us, the most potent of all chakra types. My curse seals use Senjutsu and my chakra to force a human body to absorb this energy subconsciously and heighten all their attributes. What you are using now is simply my chakra that was mixed with the Senjutsu, which somehow you destroyed...Kukukuk, such a wonderful find you are." Again I was weirded out by the snake Sanin but here I was feeling this strong, I wondered if I could get him to give me that Senjutsu curse mark.

"Do you wish to try another go at the curse mark Sakura-Chan?" My eyes widened when he asked the question and immediately thought he was reading my mind. "I cannot read minds Sakura-Chan but I can smell your curiosity about the mark from here, kukuk." I kept quiet and followed him as he led me further and further from my team.

'Oh no, Shino and Kiba!' I can't believe I forgot about them, was I such a bad teammate, and what I am doing, was this not treasonous to the leaf village? I watched Orochimaru's back and wondered if I could kill him but I shook my head at the thought. I needed him and he needed me for his ninshu studies or something like that I would get all I want from him and then bail.

"We have arrived." Orochimaru said, and I stopped. I didn't even feel winded, we crossed so much distance at such high speeds yet I was ready to go again. My mind helpfully reminded me a few minutes ago I would be sweating, heaving for breaths, and on my knees but now I felt like I could go on running forever.

"You see that boy." Orochimaru pointed at an auburn-colored hair boy with a guard on his back traveling with a blond girl with a giant fan on her back and a boy wearing a cat-like costume with something on his back wrapped in bandages. "That is the son of the fourth Kazekage and the wielder of the magnet release bloodline which gives him the ability to control sand" I nodded listening to him speak and as he spoke I began seeing what our dependent variables were, what our control was and who our independent variable is.

"How do we register his bloodline into my chakra network?" I asked and got a carefree shrug from the man before he pushed me forward softly chuckling so much like a very bad man.

"By trial and error Sakura-Chan, I will be right here to bail you out if you need it." He said with a very curious twinkle in his eyes and because of that I was at least sure I wouldn't die today. Orochimaru sat down Indian style with legs folded across each other and taking a meditating breath. "I will be entering your library to see what exactly needs to happen when information is recorded and stored didn't fight the intrusion. kukuku, please my girl, do be the one I've been looking for all along." Orochimaru closed his eyes and became still like a rod. I was scared, going up against a bloodline user was tough and this was three against one, how was I supposed to make this work?

"Follow my instructions and everything will work just fine." I heard Orochimaru say in my head and I took a deep breath to calm down remembering his words of reassurance. I jumped down performing one of the academy three and created 2 clones that dashed along with me all along hearing Orochimaru hum in interest of whatever he was reading in my chakra while his body stayed behind.

Authors Note:

Sakura has found a teacher, a man of many qualities and very little morals, the epicenter of everything about to go wrong in the world. Orochimaru has found his pandora, he has no power in Sakura's spiritual aspect of chakra her absolute control in her 'mind-cape' . So he has to be devious with his way of manipulating her. All that knowledge in Sakura's chakra is from her many interactions with different clan members in her class. She has all their chakra signatures engrave in her own so with a little training she could become as proficient as them in anything to do with simple chakra manipulating and not something that is also part of your blood like a dojutsus but if she were to perhaps get infused with a Sharigan...!!!!!! Take it how you want it Mwahahahahaha