chaoticPie Well i very happy to see that you are excited. So here is the new update! tell me how you felt about it!
A/N: I present my first ever attempt at writing. It is not canon compliant and will be AU since I will be manipulating the timeline as i wish. English is not my first language. Constructive criticism is welcomed but don't be rude. Also my minimum update frequency will by 1 chapter in 6 days. I am writing for fun and hope you enjoy as well.
I don't own Naruto and never will.
"Emphasis"
characters thinking/a simple narration
AN IMPORTANT PART
"characters speaking"
Please note that the chapter names sometimes present a deeper meaning...
If you have any confusion, feel free to ask.
This is a slightly longer chapter. It contains approximately 4K words.
Without further ado, let's continue. Enjoy.
CHAPTER 18: Arrangements
It was Hiruzen Sarutobi, the third Hokage who was watching his student and his student's future apprentice with sharp eyes. What was shocking was that his student was holding the child's wrist in his hand. He could not believe that Orochimaru will hold anyone's wrist willingly, he was not great with the idea of physical touch, Hiruzen knew because he was Orochimaru's sensei and he has seen the boy getting repulsed whenever someone dared to get into his personal space (note: Jiraya). But lo and behold, here Orochimaru was not only holding the child's wrist but also looking at her eyes as if reprimanding her? No, he was supporting her, encouraging her? It has been quite some time since Orochimaru has been this open with his emotions but Hiruzen can certainly discern the relief swarming his student's eyes when the child looked at him.
A child Hiruzen thought, Orochimaru wanted to apprentice and wasn't that a shock when Orochimaru told him that he will train a child willingly, with no persuasion required from Hiruzen. So he had called for a meeting. He had sensed Orochimaru's chakra before they even entered his office, (though it was muted but Hiruzen was familiar with his student's chakra as he was with his own) but looking at the child beside Orochimaru right now, he can tell she has larger than average reserves, maybe high chunin level to low Jonin level, and that is very impressive for a child of 5 years. (Well something has to be unique about the child for Orochimaru to take interest in her). And the child, oh sage looks so much like Minato that he knows that there is at least 50 percent chance that she really can be his relative. But then he actually saw her, and how dim and empty her dark blue eyes were, (as if her entire world burned right before her very eyes) and so so tired, as if she just wants to sleep and not get up anymore because there is nothing left to live for…(Well he is not called 'The Professor' for nothing, he will eventually find out). So he had cleared his throat to get their attention because the child looked ready to faint, as if she has seen some ghost- (He did not know that it was because of Naruto had looked at Guy)- and would you look at that Orochimaru moved as if he wanted to hide someone from the child…or is it hiding the child from someone?
"Orochimaru-sama" a heavy but kind voice greets and Orochimaru just nods back keeping silent.
Naruto doesn't really want to turn her head because she knows she will just find more ghosts but reflex is a dangerous thing and her head involuntarily turns in the direction of the one who greeted Orochimaru and-
"Cho…" an involuntary broken whisper came out. The sound was so low that no one should have been able to hear, but since Orochimaru was standing close to her with a hold on her wrist he could make out she was about to say the Akimichi clan heir's name. (Team Choza included that green spandex wearing genin (Gai), a black sunglasses wearing genin (Ebisu) and a genin with senbon rolling in his mouth (Genma) with their Jonin instructor as the Choza Akimichi himself.)
Kurama's chakra is not helping, whywhywhy, it should rejuvenate him, but there lay Choji- dying in a pool of blood, too thin, too many calories burned, on the verge of embracing death but still holding on to pass on the important information gathered to his allies…Lee is already burning due to the pressure of the eight gates, Ebisu smiling at her saying she will make a good Hokage and he would have liked to serve her, Genma teaching her the basics of Hirashin that he learned from her father and saying that he very proud of her….
Memories of sharing potato chips with Choji, playful comments to Ebisu, Genma's fond head pats and Lee's quirks kept replying in her mind side by side with their deaths and pained smiles. Kurama is trying to suppress the constantly popping memories but there are hundreds of them and his partner is not making his work easier by continuously staring at them. He might be a bit grateful when at least Lee's memories stopped. (Because Orochimaru helped, but Kurama was not paying attention, he was busy getting their combined chakra and the sudden emotions of too much anguish and remorse under control)
Naruto was so lost that she was not able to listen to what Kurama was saying, just staring vacantly at their faces, morbidly thinking how long can her heart work when every beat of her heart is causing her so much pain that it gets difficult to breathe. Her wrist oddly was also aching, Orochimaru's doing no doubt, but Kurama was also steadily leaking a scant amount of his warm, healing chakra into her body.
Ahhh she remembers her Biju friends then…. maybe her heart will beat till she kills Black Zetsu? Then she will free her friends and Kurama will not be able to keep her heart working…maybe then she can rest peacefully? Not letting Kaguya be unsealed will surely save the world from annihilation right? She looks at her hand then, and tugs a bit. Orochimaru's back that was facing her when did he move in front of me? And why did he even do that? turns halfway and she smiles closing her eyes-
"Orochimaru-Sensei how much longer do I need to wait to know about your sensei?"
She feels suspicion radiating off Orochimaru but doesn't quite understand why. She also feels burning curiosity and mild disbelief from her surroundings with wisps of 'awe' mixed in (probably aimed Orochimaru from the genin) but she doesn't turn to face anyone, keeping her eyes closed in a too wide smile that perhaps only Orochimaru can discern its fakeness… since he knows that she doesn't have a reason to smile that wide anymore.
"What have I told you about patience being an important virtue child?" Orochimaru asks, reprimanding, taunting and insulting her all at the same time and what? Patience? Virtue?
"I am afraid I don't remember Sensei" Naruto chirps a bit too innocently with her childhood mask back on if he is going to play, then play I shall.
"Ah-" he shakes his head, smooth black hair gliding across his shoulders "I thought your airheadedness was cured but clearly I was wrong"
Being in a child's body, she had many impulses; controllable only to a certain degree, and when emotions like anger got a hold of her she-
"Airheaded?" she tugs her hand completely out of his grip and scoffs "I will have you know Sensei, people call me the No.1 unpredictable knuckleheaded ninja datte-" She was stopped from completing her sentence when Orochimaru put his hand on her head a little too hard to be a pat and she realized what she was about to say and how she had moved unknowingly, standing in front of Orochimaru while showing her back to the Hokage (cataloguing Jiji's chakra to be safe subconsciously) and her eyes widened in horror.
"Pffff Naruto…this just proves Orochimaru correct you know?" Kurama laughs at her in her mindscape.
"What Kurama! How can you take his side, I am not stupid you know that very well."
"Oh so you do know the meaning of an airhead" Kurama teases because it is better to divert her with petty insults than letting her spiral into depression. Plus he is very pleased to hear that familiar verbal tic that was about to come out but he will not point it out right now.
Naruto squawks, offended in her mindscape as well in the real world and tries to remove Orochimaru's hand away from her hair but he doesn't let go. He forcefully turns her head towards the Hokage and puts pressure on it so that she is bowing in front of Jiji.
Ahh so she has got her mother's speech impediment. Tsk how improper. Is she incapable of thinking before speaking? Orochimaru thinks Ughh (he inwardly rolls his eyes) this is why I didn't take a genin team. Children can be slave to their emotions…is her body facing difficulties in acclimatizing to her mental age? Is that why she is unable to hold the treasonous thoughts of his sensei not fit for rule to herself? (Not that he disagrees though). But apparently he has a lot to teach her in this regard. Tsk that's why emotions are a weakness.
"Hina-chan right? I am your Sensei's sensei, Hiruzen Sarutobi; it's very nice to finally meet you!" The third Hokage introduces himself with a chuckle because he found the child amusing and clearly a positive influence on Orochimaru if he can banter with her like that.
Naruto's breath hitches at the familiar voice but she steels herself and takes a deep breath. Straightening up from her previous bow she was about to introduce herself properly this time but her jaw dropped when she caught sight of him and instead blurted out-
"Wow you have brown hair" She exclaimed without a filter in her mouth…
Kurama face palms and Orochimaru sighs both shutting their respective eyes and looking upwards as if praying for strength to deal with the chaos called Naruto.
Naruto is met with raised eyebrows and a bemused smile on Jiji's face. Well not her Jiji anymore and the change in appearance certainly makes things easier for her to differentiate between her beloved Jiji and the present third Hokage, although she is feeling conflicting emotions after the realization that he let Danzo get away with everything.
"Well at least you have a good grasp of the obvious" Orochimaru comments sarcastically.
She bristles like a cat about to retort when-
"We shall take our leave then Hokage-sama" She stills at Choji's voice is it Choji though? You know that he is not yet born but you are just denying that they are all gone aren't you? Her mind whispers.
She refuses to listen to her mind and waves at the team with a big smile, Gai-sensei waves back at her and Genma smiles albeit a bit puzzled whereas Ebisu and Choji only nod at her with the latter sending a warm smile that she quickly turns away from lest she just goes and hugs the man.
"Good luck" The Hokage nods and she starts when she realizes that they must be going on a mission and she can't let them go because they are going to die again-
"Wai-"
"Naruto that is not Choji, and this team is not going to die on whichever mission they are going on, you know that, you have seen them in your past right? So focus… the Third Hokage is watching"
Naruto gulps the rest of the words down after listening to Kurama's reasoning. Her heartbeat doesn't seem to settle and the thought of Team Choza dying on a mission is making her sick. But the tailed beasts' chakra works wonders and at least now she knows she will not vomit. So she looks at the Hokage again and introduces herself properly.
"Yes Hokage-sama I am Uzunami Hina. I am from land of the waves and have been previously trained in shinobi arts by the ninjas residing there. I want to be Orochimaru-sensei's student so that when I become strong I can protect my precious people" She replies previous emotions hidden behind a too thick wall and a mask perfectly in place but still making eye contact with the Hokage to convey her seriousness and smiles "It is nice to meet you as well Jiji" She finishes after a few moments acting all prim and proper as if moments before she had not commented on his appearance at all.
Hiruzen is impressed with her introduction and the audacity to call him Jiji to his face but he doesn't mind although 'uncle' would have certainly been better than 'grandfather'. He smiles and it only gets wider and a bit dumbfounded when he realizes Orochimaru had just bonked the girl on her head-
"That's Hokage-sama to you child" Orochimaru chides. And Hiruzen would have sent the person to the Yamanakas to get their brains checked if they had reported the same scene unfolding in front of his eyes moments before.(that his student can have a friendly touch and a fond note in his voice outside of his team is an amazing feat in and of itself)
Watching the girl grumble and Orochimaru sighing at whatever she retorted, he decided then and there that the girl needed to stay in the village and close to his student. He will just have keep an eye on both of them till the doubt of a possible spy clears.
Naruto hears the third Hokage clear his throat and snaps to attention like a well-trained soldier. Hiruzen only smiles and says-
"You will have to join the academy first Hina-chan and then after graduating I will allow you to apprentice under Orochimaru. Is that okay with you?"
"Yes Ji- ahem Hokage-sama" She corrects herself when Orochimaru gives her a pointed look.
"Okay then it's decided, you can start the academy from next week. In the meanwhile you can learn the standard and basic format of what the Academy Entrance Exam entails. I am sure Orochimaru will be willing to help." He catches the sneer in Orochimaru's expression before he can hide it completely ah there is the Orochimaru I know! Hiruzen chuckles.
The child nods obediently and flashes a knowing smile to Orochimaru as if she knows he hates to waste his so called precious time on such "pathetic tasks" (Orochimaru's words not his)
"Also here is your monthly allowance." Hiruzen fishes out an envelope filled with some money bills and hands it out to her "The village provides for the war orphans-" He watches her suppress a flinch unsuccessfully (at the word "orphans" or "war" he doesn't know) but he still understands that she has no one to take care of her.
"You can either have your own apartment or choose to live in an orphanage" He tells her when she walks forward to take the envelope and watches her with sharp eyes. What he did not expect was what happened after.
Orochimaru snatches the envelope from the child and deposits in his person somewhere. He can actually hear the pin drop silence and his Anbu guards' flabbergasted gaze on Orochimaru. Before the child exploded however-
"You are living with me, so that means this is mine." Orochimaru comments with such ease that Hiruzen can't help but feel pity for the child who will be staying with his student for who knows how long because he know when Orochimaru sets his mind to something then it is impossible to change his perception. So Hiruzen only nods at the odd situation.
"Well there is that option as well!" Hiruzen says with a slightly higher voice, disbelief not quite concealed.
"But-" As Naruto was about to protest she feels Orochimaru's gaze and well-
She doesn't actually want to live in an orphanage and getting her own apartment will may as well drive her insane if her childhood memories come haunting her on top of war nightmares.
"Plus Orochimaru knows of our situation and real identity. It will be easier to explain if something were to happen and we can also plan things out together. Training and catching up to your previous level will also become a bit easier if one of the Sanin is seen responsible for you all the time by the villagers." Kurama points out. What he does not point out is that it is an absolutely terrible idea for Naruto to live without human company. However sad it is Kurama is only a tailed beast and not a human so he sometimes does not understand the intricacies of human relationships but he does understand their negative emotions very well. Although Orochimaru is far from perfect and maybe not fully human but he is the only one who knows the truth and is willing to help. Plus he is sure until Naruto does not provide Orochimaru with much information he will not kill her. Well it is not like he can kill her even if he wanted to, the fucking snake, but the point still stands.
Naruto reluctantly nods and they are dismissed.
TBC
Well did you expect this? Answer me in the comment section.
Signing out
Yuki Race