Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
48
48 is a semiperfect number. Meaning it is equal to the sum of all or some of its proper divisors. As a double factorial of 6 and highly compositive, how could it not be? It is the smallest number to have exactly ten divisors.
Tsunade, Shizune, Jiraiya, and Sasuke were staring like they were waiting for me to spontaneously combust. Having retired back to the hotel room after successfully making Orochimaru and Kabuto retreat, they were trying to give me space. Space to process. Space to panic. I don't know. Maybe they weren't saying anything because they were unnerved. The things Kabuto said… The things Orochimaru alluded to…
Hell! Even the pig was oinking anxiously and giving me a wide berth. I could feel their eyes on me. Mostly stealing glances when they thought I wouldn't notice. Sometimes it was full-on staring. They were using their inside voices as they went through the post-battle routine. Tsunade was supervising a knocked-out Naruto; the only reason he wasn't asking a million questions. Shizune was busy healing the last of Sasuke's wounds. And Jiraiya had found himself a nice little corner to nurse a flask of booze.
We were occupying the same hotel room. Tsunade's and Shizune's to be exact. Jiraiya mentioned heading down to see if there was another room available for us at one point, but no one was ready to leave the security of company just yet.
I sat on the opposite side of the room. My knees drawn up to my chest as I pulled and twisted my toes; ignoring the searching stares and worried glances. My mind was racing and stumbling at the same time. Just as soon as one thought took off another soon crashed into it before I could reach any conclusions. For the first time, my body didn't feel like mine. The skin stretching over my bones felt too restrictive. My pulse; foreign.
Burying my face in the gap between my knees and chest, I tried to breathe. The events of the past weeks played over and over like an overused commercial as my consciousness searched for and begged for some sort of pattern to latch onto. Some type of infallible numerical way for the world to make sense once more. But math wouldn't be able to comfort me this time.
Finishing with Sasuke, Shizune turned a wary eye to me. "You're turn", she announced softly; scooting closer on her knees. Bleary-eyed, I looked up and watched in a detached sort of fashion as she reached for me. "Let me see your wrist", Shizune said; vocalizing her movements as she grabbed the wrist she had healed not too long ago. "Bones can be tricky", she said in a gentle lilt. The picture of a perfect bedside manner as her fingers poked and prodded the bone. "Chakra can heal them quick enough. But they can still be fragile for a while after". She touched me with ease. Holding my hand, Shizune manipulated my wrist to roll and bend. "Any pain?" She searched my face.
It amazed me that she wasn't revolted. I mean… did I even constitute as a person anyone more? Numbly, I shook my head; focusing on a small cut on Shizune's temple that had already clotted over. She offered a closed-lip smile. Just a small upturn of her lips. "We'll figure it out", she assured me; moving on to examine the assortment of bruises and cuts I had accumulated on my legs. Anko's hand-me-down shorts, unfortunately, made them easy to see.
Figure it out. I repeated in my head. It became a mantra. A soundtrack as the play-by-play of events continued…
We left for Tanzaku Town the same afternoon Naruto figured out how the make the rubber ball explode. Sasuke and I were relieved because it meant we could ditch the handcuffs without Sasuke feeling like a failure. As soon as we were free of them, I rubbed at my wrist in an attempt to make the raw red line around it disappear. Although my attention only made it worse. Sasuke had too much pride to rub away his discomfort. But the matching red line around his wrist provoked an amount of solidarity between us that we were uncomfortable with.
Chaining two introverts together should be a crime. I now knew what times of day Sasuke was most likely to need the bathroom. I could finish his sentences in my head before the last word left his mouth. The twitching of his fingers, the intensity in his eyes, the minuscule quirks of his lips; I now knew what they all meant.
And worse, Sasuke began reading me as if he were Shino. Better than Shino! When Jiraiya was nearby, Sasuke made sure to stand between us. Any attempt made at goading him into freeing ourselves was quickly shot down before I could even introduce my argument. And Sasuke started paying attention to my actions rather than my words. It was like every deflection I had mastered throughout the years now lay exposed at his feet.
The first few hours on the road, Sasuke walked at the front with Jiraiya and Naruto while I lingered as far behind as Jiraiya would allow me. We needed the distance. Craved it even. We needed to breathe air that wasn't shared. And perform behaviors that weren't immediately analyzed by the other. But when Naruto started working with a new set of balloons as the third and final step to this new jutsu of his; and that was the only thing he and Jiraiya would talk about, Sasuke ended up returning to the background.
"There's no way Naruto can handle that jutsu", Sasuke muttered; black pupils boring into Naruto's back as he walked with his hands crammed into his pockets.
I arched an eyebrow. Despite knowing it was better to keep my face blank at this point. Sasuke was referring to the demonstration Jiraiya had made for Naruto a few miles back. The Rasengan was truly an impressive sight. Pure harnessed chakra that was quieter than the Chidori and carried more destructive power. "Why not?" I challenged; enjoying the clenched muscles in Sasuke's jaw. "He knows how to make multiple shadow clones. Clearly, Naruto has the chakra for it".
Grinding his teeth, Sasuke offered no response. He knew the same thing I did. Naruto would master this jutsu. He wouldn't accept anything else. Sasuke just wasn't ready to admit it. He wasn't ready to acknowledge that his rival was actually worthy of the title.
A mile further down, Jiraiya turned after laughing at another one of Naruto's failed attempts. "Alright, you two". He called our attention to him. "It's time to tell me what you learned from your training".
I blinked slowly as Sasuke scowled. "There was nothing to learn", he reported; eyes still on Naruto's back. "It was pointless".
Jiraiya's eyes started to twinkle. As if suggesting he knew something we didn't. "Was it?" he challenged. Another balloon exploded when it wasn't supposed to as Naruto squawked in frustration; chakra dispersing into the surrounding air. "Are you claiming you two didn't learn anything about each other?"
We, in fact, could not claim that. So, it had to be pointed out, "Except that wasn't why you cuffed us together".
"You said I needed to learn how to listen and Rion needed to learn how to lead", Sasuke agreed with a glare. Naruto continued with his balloons. Seemingly unbothered by the development happening behind him.
"And did you?" Jiraiya pressed; unbothered by the lack of structure in his lessons. If it could even be called that. As well as the animosity we were sending his way. A look passed between Sasuke and me. Each studying the other before we dutifully turned our heads and stared at opposing sides of the road. "No?" Jiraiya teased. "Well, we'll just have to test that".
… Yawning, Jiraiya pushed himself to his feet; leaving an empty flask behind. "I'm going to see about a second room", he announced padding towards the door. Shizune finished dabbing my cuts with disinfectant and retracted her hands. It was the same moment Jiraiya paused at the door. "Will you be alright with the brats?" I didn't miss it when his eyes flickered over Naruto and then to me.
Sasuke scowled; flashing annoyed eyes at Jiraiya. Any reference to him needing minding always provoked such a response. At least, for as long as I've known him. "Of course", Shizune assured as she neatly packed away the first-aid supplies.
At the same time, Tsunade scoffed; smoothing the blanket that was keeping Naruto warm. "It's not like Orochimaru will come back in the ten minutes you'll be gone". Sasuke's hand flew to the nape of his neck to clutch at his curse mark. I flinched; digging my fingernails into the curve of my knees.
"Lady Tsunade", Shizune hissed in warning; casting a sympathetic gaze in our direction.
But Tsunade wasn't subdued. "Go on, Jiraiya. I can keep your tadpoles alive long enough for you to rent a room. I'll probably do a better job than you".
"We're not his anything", Sasuke muttered; carefully keeping his face turned away from everyone else.
Jiraiya snorted in a mixture of amusement and disagreement. "You know, I wasn't actually talking about Orochimaru". Sasuke gave his neck an extra squeeze. I returned to burying my head between my knees and chest. "I was asking Shizune if she'd be able to keep them safe from you. Wouldn't want your bad luck to rub-"
Jiraiya was cut off when Tsunade chucked something at his head. I heard it bounce off something wooden upon impact. Causing me to guess that he had ducked behind the door before it could meet its target. "Lady Tsunade!" Shizune chastised. This time at a louder volume. The pig oinked her support.
Tsking, Tsunade removed herself from Naruto's side. Peaking, I watched her stand up. She stretched out her back; moving towards the window and looking out at the setting sun. "That idiot", she said to herself once it was clear that Jiraiya wasn't waiting on the other side of the door. "Who does he take me for? If I'm going to be the fifth Hokage, managing genin will be the least of my worries".
Sasuke kept his eyes on Shizune longer than he normally would. As if trying to determine if Tsunade was talking to herself or waiting for a response. When all Shizune did was finish cleaning up, he found his answer.
An uncomfortable silence followed. Even though it wasn't intended to be one. I felt safe in assuming my presence was at fault. With Naruto unconscious and Jiraiya out of the room, there was little to distract us from our thoughts. What would all this mean moving forward? It was impossible to predict. Mostly, because I didn't know what it meant. Despite learning more, there were still too many missing pieces.
Number forty-eight. I'd been reduced to a number. With forty-seven coming before me. How many came after? Was it still going on? Maybe I wasn't the only… success. But I was struggling to ponder these thoughts to fruition. My brain was still stuck on the play-by-play; searching for insight that wasn't there. Besides, a big part of what will happen next relied solely on what Tsunade decided to do.
With a long exhale, Tsunade turned from the window and immediately pinned me with her eyes. The pain and longing in them were hard to stomach. The thing Orochimaru had promised Tsunade and her morals preventing its obtainment were still affecting her. And I was a physical representation of both. "Who are your parents?" She asked.
It took me a while to answer. Not because I was refusing, but because I needed every second to get my mouth working. "Aburame, Shibi", I started; sounding like I needed a drink of water. "And Momoko". It had been ages since I last said Mom's name aloud. And in this setting, it felt wrong.
Tsunade took many breaths in between her questions. Perhaps being mindful of the warning expressions Shizune threw her way. "No last name?" She checked.
I shook my head; never picking my head up from my knees. Mom. Had she known? Had she cared? What about Anzu? Did she know? Was she a number too? There were too many questions…
By the time we reached Tanzaku Town, it was starting to get dark. We followed Jiraiya from gambling house to gambling house like ducklings who had imprinted on him. Naruto popped multiple balloons as he continued to practice. Occasionally he'd growl and shake an angry fist at Sasuke whenever the other boy made a disparaging comment about his lack of progress. At least it kept Sasuke from being completely bored.
I was spared too. But only because I was trying to think. Plan… Survive. Where did I need to be? Was Orochimaru currently here? Had he already made Tsunade his offer? I stared at Sasuke longer than was appropriate. Something he responded to with a displeased scowl. However, he didn't comment. What would happen if Sasuke were to cross paths with Orochimaru before those Sound creeps were sent to retrieve him? Was that something I needed to worry about? I mean, it's not like I could control the outcome either way. If those stupid handcuffs taught me anything it was that I had no influence over the boy.
After the sixth or seventh gambling house, Jiraiya decided this wouldn't work. So, he led the way to the biggest tourist spot in the town. Some historic castle. "We'll be able to see a lot from up there", he said.
Sasuke snorted in response as he trailed behind a distracted Naruto. Suggesting he found the plan foolish. But he followed all the same. Could I disappear like when Itachi attacked? It would be harder this time around. And suspicious to dodge two fights back-to-back. But not impossible. Jiraiya would be distracted… and partially drugged. Naruto would be reactive. Which only left Sasuke to slip past.
We never made it to a castle. People running in the option direction screaming about some monstrous giant snake was enough of a reason. "Wait!" Naruto called after the person who spared a few precious seconds to tell us more. "Come back! A giant snake attacked our village too!"
Sasuke had his chin tucked downward. One hand clutched at the curse mark on this neck with the other was balled into a punishing fist. Was he thinking about how awful it had been to be bitten? Or the strength Orochimaru had promised? Both?
We didn't make it to the castle, but that didn't mean we didn't move forward. "let's go", Jiraiya ordered. "It might be the same snake. I want to see". So, we jumped onto a nearby roof and traveled that way. But there was no sign of a looming giant on the horizon. And the closer we got; all we saw were broken, crumbled walls.
"Something was here", Naruto observed. Balloons completely forgotten at that moment.
There was no one who remained in the surrounding area. No one to question. Jiraiya exhaled like an old man on his last leg. His shoulders slumped as his arms dangled disappointedly at his sides. Personally, I thought it was the wrong reaction. Most would be happy not to come in contact with a giant snake. "I guess we better keep looking", Jiraiya said as he jumped down to walk the street like a normal person.
"What? But Pervy-Sage-" Naruto complained.
"What if Orochimaru is here?" Sasuke tried. Regardless, the search for Tsunade continued.
"…And what can you tell me about what Orochimaru said? Number forty-eight, was it?" I don't think Tsunade intended for her tone to come out harsh, but I tightened my grip on myself nonetheless.
In truth, there was nothing new I could tell them. We had all been there at the fight. Heard the things Orochimaru claimed and Kabuto supported. It wasn't like I had consented to be a part of this. But, for some reason, a messed-up part of me couldn't admit to knowing nothing. It was too honest. Too vulnerable. So, I just started rambling. "Forty-eight is an even number. It is divisible by two, four, six, eight, twelve, and twenty-four. Actually, it's a semiperfect number. Since twenty-four added to sixteen added to eight equals forty-eight. As well as a double factorial of six".
Shizune's frown dripped with concern; wiggling as she sat with her ankles folded under her. As if trying to decide if she needed to give me a second look-over. While Tsunade was gawking; her hands on her hips and eyes glazing over. "What the hell are you going on about? Shizune, didn't you check for a possible concussion?"
Sparing me from having to explain myself, Sasuke let out an exhausted sigh. One that briefly pulled attention towards him. "That's not it. She just likes math".
Resting my cheek on top of my knees, I turned my face away from them all; choosing to stare at Naruto instead. "Maybe this isn't the right time for this conversation", Shizune suggested. I didn't have to look at her to know it wasn't directed at me…
Jiraiya came to a sudden stop; just past the entryway of a tavern. "Hey, what gives?" Naruto asked after running into him. But Jiraiya didn't seem to hear him. Curiously, Sasuke and I slid up beside Naruto. Our eyes took in the same sight of Jiraiya staring at a woman. And the woman stared back.
"Tsunade!" Jiraiya yelled as if someone had just jumped out and shouted 'boo'. He pointed a finger at her. Like she was some sort of rare or exotic sighting.
Rapidly standing up from behind her table, the dishes on top rattled. "Jiraiya!" Tsunade returned; sounding equally as surprised. Next to her sat a woman with short black hair and clothes that complimented it. Shizune, I assumed. There was even a pig stationed at her elbow that confirmed it.
"Finally!" Jiraiya celebrated as he started forward. "I've been looking everywhere for you. You know, you're a hard woman to track down".
Naruto seemed just as surprised as Jiraiya as he stood still and studied his fellow blond with wide eyes. It took Sasuke walking ahead and bumping shoulders with Naruto to get his feet moving. I glanced at the open door behind me. Could I… No, still too soon. So, I dragged my feet and followed the boys; hoping I'd be able to pass as uninteresting just as I had during most of my academy years.
The table Tsunade and Shizune occupied was a booth so it was easy to squeeze in four more. Though Jiraiya appeared to be sitting closer to her than Tsunade would have liked. Food was ordered. Most likely to keep Naruto quiet for as long as possible. And sake was poured. It was poured more often that food was eaten.
Jiraiya didn't waste time on introductions. And other than Shizune offering a polite nod of acknowledgment, it was like Naruto, Sasuke, and I weren't there. However, Jiraiya did allow time for Tsunade to drink and for himself to get some bites of food before getting to business. "The village has selected you to become the fifth Hokage".
Shizune gasped as the rest of us studied Tsunade; trying to gauge her response. "So, it's true", Shizune breathed. "The third is dead". She sounded like she didn't want to believe it.
"You've heard?" Jiraiya asked; never looking away from Tsunade as he stared at her over the brim of his sake cup.
Tsunade refused the eye contact. "Orochimaru told me". Sasuke flinched. "Claimed he was the one who did it".
I stared at the wood grain in the table as Naruto jerked. "Wait a minute!" He started to say; moving to stand and demand answers. But Sauske and I reached out at the same time. Each of us grabbed onto one of Naruto's sleeves and kept him seated.
"Knock it off", Sasuke ordered. "It's not like this is new information".
"It is to me!" Naruto yelled; trying to break our hold on him. "Why didn't anyone tell me? What are we going to do? If we know who killed the old man, we gotta do something about it!" Despite keeping Naruto restrained, there was nothing Sasuke nor I could do to control his mouth.
"How did you not know?" Sasuke asked. His annoyance grew the longer Naruto resisted. "It's the only thing the jonin have been talking about since the invasion. You're such a dunce".
Naruto gave up trying to demand answers and calls to action from the adults. Instead, he twisted in Sasuke's direction. "What did you say?!"
"Jiraiya, who are these kids? Why are they with you?" Tsunade asked; talking over any attempt Sasuke might have made to answer.
Something glinted in Jiraiya's eye as if he was playing his trump card. He glanced in our direction. "This is Sasuke Uchiha", Jiraiya answered; placing a hand on top of Sasuke's head and ignoring the heated, murderous glare that followed. "The blond is Naruto Uzumaki". Despite Jiraiya acting normally, nothing could disguise the scrutinizing look Tsunade gave Naruto. "Their Jonin sensei is injured and I told them only you would be able to help". Tsunade huffed; shoulders tensing. "The girl is Rion Aburame. It isn't safe for her to be in the village right now. And it will stay that way unless the right person becomes the next Hokage". I kept my focus on the table; leaning back in the booth. So much for blending in. Stupid Jiraiya. "In fact, I think it's safe to say all three of them are better off staying out of Konoha if you don't accept the position".
I felt Naruto relax under my hand as he played around with this new information. "What do you mean?" he asked at a regular volume. No longer seeing a need, my hand slipped off him. On the other side, Sasuke did the same. But only after Jiraiya removed his hand from his head. "Konoha is our home. Why wouldn't it be safe for Sasuke and me?"
Naruto went unanswered. "So, Tsunade? What do you say?" Jiraiya asked as Shizune studied her lady very carefully; eyes filled with worry. "Do you accept?"
… Jiraiya returned before anyone could go much farther. "Managed to snag the room right across the hall", Jiraiya announced; pointing a thumb at himself in praise. "So, how do you want to do this? Three to a room? I could leave Naruto with you since he's still out cold. Or maybe the three ladies would like-"
I was on my feet and shuffling towards the door before Jiraiya finished; cutting him off short. Sasuke followed; hovering close to my elbow and never looking away from where Tsunade stood by the window. Distance sounded good. Maybe if she didn't have to see me, Tsunade wouldn't have to think about… I paused at the door. Stopping right before I would have had to push past Jiraiya. Straining my neck, I let Tsunade get a look at my face even though I wasn't willing to raise my eyes just yet. "Sorry", I mumbled. Almost becoming tongue-tied. It wasn't a word I spoke often. But the choice Tsunade had made… It couldn't have been easy. Or even fair. If I had been in her shoes, I wouldn't have been so selfless.
Shizune's eyes were held wide open as she sat with her hands clasped in front of her. She reminded me so much of Anzu at that moment, that I couldn't stand looking at her moment longer. Jiraiya did nothing as I snatched the room key from his hand and squeezed passed him; Sasuke was inches behind me. "What was that about?" He asked as the door closed.
It was only two steps to reach the door directly across. "You didn't need to apologize", Sasuke said as he watched me shove the key into the lock; probably using more force than necessary. Swinging the door open, I stumbled in without a response. "It's not like you asked for this".
The room was identical to the one across the hall; clean tatami mats, a hanging light controlled by a wall switch, and a closet that concealed the provided bedding. Filled with agitation, it took a while to find the light switch. But as soon as the light flickered on, I moved to the closet. Sasuke watched from the entryway; the door barely closing behind him.
"Unless you want Orochimaru to-"
Leaving the closet untouched I spun around; braid flying with rage. "No, I don't want that to happen! I don't want that snake anywhere near me!" Sasuke stood unflinching at my outburst; stance solid. He didn't even blink. "I'm not like you! I'm not willing to throw my life away just so I can become stronger than everyone else". Gesturing violently with my hands, I stepped closer; teeth barred. "I'm not willing to let some psycho use my body to- to-"
Is it your body? A deceitful voice whispered in my head.
"- Hell! I don't know". I threw my arms up into the air. Sasuke remained unmoved; expressionless in the face of my onslaught. "You know it is a stupid thing to do, right? To chase after a goal at the cost of everything else". My eyes zeroed in on Sasuke; looking for a hint of outrage, waiting for him to return my words in kind. "Revenge isn't going to make you feel better. It's not going to bring back your family. It's just going to make you empty inside. More than you are right now!"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. Other than that, he was doing a marvelous job of ignoring the provocations. "Are you done?" He asked. The stupid jerk.
"No, I'm not done!". Sasuke raised an eyebrow. As if impatiently telling me to go on. "You're not nearly as smart as you think you are. No one is smart if they ignore everything around them and hyper-fixate on one singular thing". I started pacing; waving my hands and making noises of exasperation like a lunatic. "Always grunting in response instead of using actual words. I get you don't want people to talk to you about every asinine thing that pops into their minds, but what the hell does 'hnn' even mean?!"
I changed directions; momentum not allowing me to stop. Both physically and verbally. "And why do girls like you so much? I mean, you never smile. Clearly you want nothing to do with any of them. A goldfish would make for better company than you, and… and… your hair is stupid".
Finally running out of steam, I stopped in front of the window. My hands rose and rested on either side of my head. Breathing obnoxiously and deeply through my nose, I started rubbing my temples; slowly sinking to the floor and spreading my legs out in front of me.
Sasuke stepped further into the room as I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes. "Feel better?" he asked. I heard the sound of the closet door sliding open.
Nodding, I gave myself time to relish in the sudden clear headiness that often followed once I released the floodgates. "How did you know I needed that?" I asked, cracking an eye open in time to see Sasuke drop an armful of bedding in the center of the room.
He offered me a bored expression; suggesting the answer was obvious. "I've already told you. You're just as bad as Naruto"…
Tsunade beat up Naruto with one finger. "Idiot", Sasuke criticized as we watched Naruto fall. It would've been amusing to watch if I wasn't fearing the future. Still, Naruto didn't underperform. He got back up. He attacked again; half harnessed chakra swirling on his palm with the help of a few shadow clones.
Sasuke didn't look away once. He never could when faced with power. "That's not going to work", Jiraiya commented from beside us as Naruto fell a second time. Only then did I realize that Sasuke's eyes were blood red. "That's not a jutsu you can copy. A ninja needs the right amount of chakra and control in order to master it".
Grunting in response, Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets. Like we didn't already know how tightly he was clenching them. Though he didn't deactivate his sharingan. It wasn't a confirmation I really needed. But I guess Sasuke did have access to it now.
"Tell you what", Tsunade taunted; a hand on her hip as she tossed Naruto's frog wallet in her other hand. "I'll accept your bet. If you can master that jutsu in three days, I give you my necklace and come back to the village. But if you don't I get to go on my merry way and keep the contents of Froggy here".
Shizune took a half step forward. "Lady Tsunade! You don't mean that. That necklace is-"
"Quiet, Shizune!"
And that set the stage for the rest of the week. Naruto spent every minute training. Sometimes, he didn't even return to our hotel to sleep. He'd probably skip meals too if Sasuke wasn't there to track him down and force food down his throat.
Jiraiya did what he could on the Tsunade front. But talking didn't seem to be doing much good. With both him and Naruto distracted, there wasn't anything for Sasuke and me to do. We really were just extras on this mission.
Sasuke roped me into training most days. Something that was made possible after Shizune took pity on me and kindly healed my fractured wrist as she told Naruto the story behind Tsunade's necklace.
After witnessing my chakra shields, Sasuke wanted to see if he could attack while I protected him. Keeping pace with each other ended up being a nonissue as long as we maintained our awareness of the other. We ran into difficulty when trying to work out how Sasuke's attack could get out but nothing could get in. At one point, Sasuke's Chidori came in contact with my shield. Immediately, it shattered and I ended up with static electricity in my hair for the rest of the day. Eventually, we concluded that nothing could be passed through a shield. I had to build and retract them as needed. Which meant our timing and awareness were the keys to success. At least, it gave us something to do.
It was a needed distraction to the approaching judgment day. When Orochimaru arrives, do I run? Do I hide? Do I offer up my limited skillset for a fight that's out of my league? It wouldn't be as I remembered. Sasuke would be a new player… I could be one too. And even if genin were excluded, it'd still be a fight of three against two.
By the time Naruto's deadline was upon us, I wasn't closer to deciding. Naruto didn't return to the hotel again. And Jiraiya only made an appearance before going out into the night once more. Neither were there in the morning. We didn't run into Shizune while on a breakfast run. In fact, that whole morning was eerily calm. "Something's wrong", Sasuke declared; glaring in suspicion at anyone who got too close.
Sighing, I acknowledged the foreboding weight settling on my shoulders. "Yeah, okay". It was time. "Let's look for Naruto first".
Except, our search didn't lead us to Naruto. In fact, we didn't come across one friendly face. All we found was a creep possessing gray hair and round glasses.
Coming to a halt, Sasuke sank into an offensive stance on top of a shingled wall. "Kabuto", he growled as the man in question slowly turned his head in our direction; pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he did so.
"Sasuke", Kabuto returned. He didn't sound surprised to see him. Had he seen us before now? "And number forty-eight", he turned his eyes to my spot. "My, my. What a lucky surprise". He rose into a taller stance; feigning ease. But it wasn't anything Sasuke nor I would be fooled by. "Lord Orochimaru! Look who joined us. You'll never guess".
On the street behind the wall Kabuto was perched on, stood Orochimaru; cocking his head to see what his minion was fussing about. And across from him was Tsunade; eyes wide and panic clear. A vicious grin stretched across Orochimaru's face as soon as he got a good look at Sasuke. "Sasuke. I wasn't expecting to see you so soon". His tongue darted out of his mouth like a snake's.
Sasuke's fingers twitched as he held them over his kunai holster. "What are you doing here?" He snarled.
Orochimaru chuckled menacingly as Tsunade yelled at us. "Get out of here, you brats! This doesn't concern you!"
"Now, now Tsunade", Orochimaru called over his shoulder. "They're just curious". And then he proceeded to ignore her. Or at least, he acted like he did. "I'm just paying a visit to a dear old friend", Orochimaru answered Sasuke. His grin grew when Sasuke's face twisted into a pure look of disbelief. "Who's that with you?" Orochimaru asked; yellow eyes boring into me. "She is not the same kunoichi I last saw you with".
"That's number forty-eight", Kabuto supplied when Sasuke had no intention to. "Surely, you remember, Lord Orochimaru. You were so excited when I told you about it".
If Orochimaru looked happy before, he was practically glistening now. "How fortunate", he hissed. I tried not to shiver as his eyes took in every inch of me. Very much like someone assessing a work of art before purchase. Satisfied with whatever he saw, Orochimaru turned back to Tsunade. "You see, Tsunade. Fate must want you to be reunited with a loved one. The available body I told you about, the one able to accept a new soul, is here for you to claim".
Tsunade's chakra was dense and fierce. I could feel it building from where I stood. Though the only visible evidence of it was Tsunade's pigtails flying wildly behind her ears. Despite to absence of wind. Her focus wasn't on Orochimaru like it should have been. Or even on Kabuto. Instead, agonizing longing attempted to impale me as her brown eyes refused to look anywhere else. The heavyweight in my shoulders was made worse by an additional ounce of dread.
"What are you talking about?" Sasuke demanded to know. His fingers looped around a kunai as he withdrew it. One of mine by the looks of its hilt. Kabuto shifted ever so slightly. It was enough to get me to start building my chakra; already imagining a wall stretching to cover the two of us.
This time, Orochimaru didn't turn around. "Don't worry, Sasuke. I wasn't talking about you. Your path resides with me. Forty-eight, however… Well, I would have liked to study it further. But sometimes sacrifices are unavoidable".
Malice was etched into Kabuto's face as he sneered; keeping one eye on us and the other on the sannin. Maybe Kabuto was recalling his first night in T&I headquarters; his missing fingernails, and the bruises Shinobu had inflicted. It was enough to make my hair stand on end.
"What will it be, Tsunade?" Orochimaru asked as Sasuke stepped back; lightly making contact with me. "Do we have a deal?"
Tsunade hadn't managed to tear her eyes away from me the whole time we talked. A fact that wasn't making the weight I felt any easier to carry. What did it all mean? Everything was revealing itself so fast. I was forty-eight. Orochimaru made me sound inhuman. And… and… that bit about my body? A new soul? I don't… Did Orochimaru know? How?!
"Rion", Sasuke whispered; low enough that Kabuto couldn't overhear. "Do we run to find Naruto and Jiraiya? Or fight?" Orochimaru stood still and silent as he patiently waited for Tsunade to respond. Unlike Kabuto who continually shifted his weight between his feet; adjusting his stance every few seconds. "I don't know what they want with you, so…" And it seemed painful for Sasuke to offer this, "It's your call. What do you want to do?"
The question… the autonomy was enough to remind me to breathe. Shoulders rising and falling as I tried to force my mind away from its approaching spiral, I took up precious time to think. Tsunade would say no. Whatever change my presence had caused, it meant nothing… right?
"Forty-eight looks roughly to be the same age as your dear little brother when he died", Orochimaru continued after Tsunade had been quiet a little too long. "It's regretful that I can only bring back one of your loved ones. But perhaps Forty-eight's age will help you pick which one. It might be hard for you and Dan if he were to come back in such a young body. Nawaki, though… it would be just like old times".
When Tsunade tried to trick Orochimaru, she wouldn't be alone this time. Sasuke and I were here. We were enough to stop Kabuto from interfering when she went in for the killing blow… most likely. And if we ran, who's to say Kabuto wouldn't follow… Yes, this made the most sense to me. I just had to keep thinking and I could confront an existential crisis afterwards.
"We wait", I whispered to Sasuke. Wincing as Tsunade finally tore her eyes from me; her face filled with mournful resolve that had me on edge. "If I know Naruto, he and the others are already on their way". It made more sense to have all our enemies in one place rather than spread out. Especially when we outnumbered them. "If Tsunade fights, we'll support her. And if she doesn't-" I didn't want to think about that.
"You run", Sasuke decided for me; eyes briefly flashing in my direction before fixating back on Kabuto. "I'll buy you time".
That didn't sit well. "What about-" I started to ask.
"Don't worry about me", was Sasuke's immediate response. "You heard him. He has plans for me. I won't be killed".
"Yet", I muttered. But that was all the time we had. I couldn't say anything more.
"Alright", Tsunade said; arms held tightly at her sides as she stared Orochimaru down. "I'll do it. I'll heal your arms. But if you're lying; if you can't bring Nawaki back to me, I'll make sure you draw your last breath".
Okay… that was different. I forced myself to inhale. Orochimaru chortled with glee; his long hair shaking behind him. "An excellent choice", he said as he slithered forward. Kabuto snickered in agreement; the lens of his glasses glinting as he took a step towards Sasuke and me.
"Rion", Sasuke hissed as he held his kunai at the ready.
"Not yet", I said; despite my limbs shaking. Begging me to move. That… that wasn't proof. Tsunade could still be planning on crossing him. "Wait for when her chakra is visible. Then… then we attack Kabuto". Oh, crap. I can't believe those words just came out of my mouth…
I didn't sleep that night. Even though my body needed it. With a blanket draped over my shoulders, I sat cross-legged on a futon and stared out the window. Sasuke slept silently next to me and Jiraiya snored a few feet further down. It was later. And my promised existential crisis was in full swing.
It. Orochimaru had called me it. On the whole, it was a minor detail. But one that kept rearing its ugly head whenever my thoughts wandered. I had a mother and a father. My birth was normal. It wasn't like a test tube had incubated me in a lab. My nervous system was fully operational. There was a head filled with thoughts attached to my neck… what part about me was non-human?
Arching my neck, I tried to get a glimpse at the moon. But it was in a position that was hard to see from the window. The only thing abnormal was my memories. And no one knew. I had never breathed a word of it. So, how did Orochimaru? If he truly did. Maybe all that soul talk had been referencing something else. Though it was hard to imagine. I mean, there wasn't a lot of time to ask questions.
Fingers drumming against my legs, it was a trial to remember that I needed air. If Orochimaru didn't know, then… how did that change my perception? While difficult, I managed to slow down my thoughts enough to give them a thorough once over. Assuming my secret is still safe, then all that stuff about a body able to accept a new soul… Is Orochimaru the reason I'm here?
Horror had me grasping at handfuls of my hair and painfully tugging at it. I mean, Shibi and Mom still played a role in my physical being. But my soul… the thing that was uniquely me, how was Orochimaru involved with that?
Holding my breath a little too long, I was forced to loudly exhale in one short huff. No inhale followed. Was Mom even my mom at this point? Had she wanted to be my mom? Had she known? I mean… I know there had been other babies between Anzu and me. Birth control was too expensive for that to not be the case. But none of them were with us. Anzu said none of them had been strong enough. A fact she always shared while staring tearfully down at her lap. Had those pregnancies been included in numbers one through forty-seven? If yes, was Anzu?
Jiraiya's snoring cut off. Not that it registered.
Did Anzu know about what Mom had been involved in? Furiously, I shook my head. No. There's no way. Anzu would have said something if she had. She wouldn't have left me in the dark about something this…weird.
"Hey kid", a soft whispered murmur tried to interrupt.
Okay, so Anzu didn't know. She wasn't keeping secrets from me. How do I tell her about this? Did I have to tell her anything? Would- would she view me differently? An empty shell. A placeholder. Just a body like Orochimaru alluded to?
"Kid" the soft, gentle voice tried again.
If that happened, all I'd be left with would be Shibi and Shino… What if they didn't want me either after this? Becoming an it was probably too much even for the likes of them. Would Shibi take his name back? Then I'd be forced to go back to the one-name gutter rat. A dry breathless laugh escaped me; borderline hysterical. No. It would be much worse than that. I'd be number forty-eight. Nothing more. Nothing less. Just a number. A number didn't have family or friends. Chouji and Shikamaru; what would they do when they… if they-
"Rion". This time the soft voice spoke with a firm edge. The sound of my name shocked me out of my horrible thoughts like a bolt of electricity restarting a heart. My lungs heaved in an overdue inhale. What followed was my chest rapidly rising and falling as it tried to recover. Slowly, not one hundred percent here, I turned towards the source.
Jiraiya sat up on his futon. His blanket pooled around his waist as his torso was directed at me. "You're safe". He spoke over Sasuke; keeping his voice low so as to not wake the boy. "Orochimaru isn't here. And even if he was, no one is going to let him take you. Not you or Sasuke". There was a kindness in Jiraiya's eyes. Something I hadn't seen in him before. He kept all of it on my gasping form. Giving me something to focus on.
A bit dazed, I shook my head at a slower rate. That wasn't it. That wasn't what I was most scared of. "I… I want to go home". I didn't sound like myself. The words fell out of my mouth like something spoken many miles away. A faint echo in my ears as if it came from the receiver of a telephone. I needed to go home. Needed to see-
"We are going home", Jiraiya stated; refusing to let my attention waver for long. "Soon. Once Naruto is able. But for now, I need you to breathe. In, hold for seven, and out. Ready?" He didn't wait for me to respond. "In. One…Two…Three…Four…Five…Six…Seven…Out… And in…One…Two-"
… Tsunade stepped forward. Orochimaru mirrored her. As the distance between them lessened and lessened, my pulse quickened. Kabuto wasn't still either. He moved a step closer. Sasuke and I refused to give ground. We were waiting. My chakra pushed and stretched to cover us both. This would be our first time (hopefully, the only time) we'd be applying our combos in a fight. I had to focus. We needed to be in sync.
Orochimaru held out his bandaged, almost limp arms for Tsunade as Kabuto tsked. "Sasuke", as if he was rebuking a small child. "Do you really want to waste this opportunity protecting an experiment? This is your chance to observe Lord Orochimaru. See what he can offer you".
Tsunade held out her hands. In only a second, the lively blue glow of chakra formed between them. Sasuke and I did not need a verbal cue. We lunged forward as Kabuto hurried to drop into a correct stance. "Damn it", he cursed; jumping back as he pulled out a kunai. Kabuto's eyes weren't on us.
Releasing the front of my shield, a little chakra came back to me. But not all. We kept moving forward. Sasuke threw his kunai. Forcing Kabuto to block with his own instead of using it to interrupt Orochimaru and Tsunade. "Lord Orochimaru!" He was forced to yell as Sasuke and I lunged again; attempting to throw Kabuto off balance. "That's not healing chakra she's using".
Kabuto's kunai harmless hit my shield before clattering to the ground below. Dispersing the left of my shield, I spun; aiming a chop at Kabuto's neck. But he caught my arm before I could make contact. Busy as we were, I couldn't see or note what was happening below. Before Kabuto could do anything, Sasuke was there, his sharingan in full effect, Sasuke targeted a crucial spot on Kabuto's abdomen. Leaving Kabuto with two choices; he could let me go or he could take the hit.
"Tsunade", Orochimaru hissed as Kabuto chose the first. "Are you really betraying me? After learning what I could give you?" Free, I circled around to protect Sasuke's back; managing to push a shield between him and our opponent before Kabuto could land a blow.
There was distance between Orochimaru and Tsunade again. Her head hung low; her body racked with grief. "There's nothing I want more". She admitted. Kabuto reached out and knocked on my shield as if asking permission to enter. He grinned; intrigued and hungry when his knuckles encountered a visible and solid force. "Dan. Nawaki. To hold them in my arms. Even if it was just one of them". Tsunade hugged herself; voice sounding wet. I tried not to judge; deeply relieved that she hadn't picked a different option. But was this really the time?
"You really are a wonder, number forty-eight", Kabuto said easing his body into a relaxed pose as if we hadn't been aiming to bodily harm each other a few seconds earlier. "And now that Tsunade has denied Lord Orochimaru's gracious offer, maybe we will have the opportunity to examine you more closely". It was easier to ignore the words than analyze them. And I tried very hard to do exactly that.
Tsunade was sobbing. Her shoulders shaking. But she didn't allow herself to break entirely. A few sobs. A few escaped tears. And then Tsunade pulled herself to stand taller. "But then, someone helped me remember something important. Dan. Nawaki. They would never forgive me if I sacrificed what they died to protect. They'd be disgusted if I traded a life for one of theirs". She rubbed the tears from her eyes.
Sasuke stood low; his back arched. Experience told me I needed to copy him. "Rion isn't some specimen in an experiment", he growled out. The interaction kept Kabuto's eyes on us instead of what was happening in the street.
Kabuto's lips pulled back in a sneer. "Oh, but it is". Sliding a foot back along the wall, Kabuto lowered himself in a defensive stance; weight evenly distributed between his feet. "Ever since forty-eight was in its mother's womb". I felt sick.
When her eyes were dry, Tsunade glowered at the monster in front of her. "I will never let you dishonor them". She declared; chakra swirling around her once more. "I haven't sunken that low yet!"
Tsunade charged forward; the ground cracking under her feet. Sasuke and I sprung into the air; intercepting Kabuto before he could run to Orochimaru's aid. He managed to get a face full of my shield. Forcing him to stumble back and only having milliseconds to dodge as Sasuke threw a fist full of senbon at him.
My chakra quake and I had to let it fall. Some of my chakra came back to me. Half of it didn't. Landing on the ground below, Sasuke and I barely maintained our balance as Tsunade kicked a giant crater into the ground where Orochimaru had stood a few seconds before.
"I'm at my limit", I told Sasuke as our eyes tracked Kabuto. "If I use any more shields, I'll run out of chakra". And pacing myself in this fight was going to be crucial.
Sasuke gave a curt nod. Unsurprised as we watched Kabuto bound over to Orochimaru. At least he had the respect to not show us his back. "Recovery time?" Sasuke asked as Tsunade prepared for another attack. In training, I usually needed ten minutes between full body shields before my chakra was depleted entirely. But that was in controlled conditions and not when I was using chakra for other things.
"Fifteen or twenty minutes", I hedged a guess. One that probably wasn't as conservative as it needed to be. But there wasn't time for this. Tsunade was running at full throttle for Orochimaru. Orochimaru and Kabuto were whispering amongst themselves. And backup still hadn't arrived!
Tsunade punched through a wall. Sending Orochimaru and Kabuto leaping into the air to escape. They ran; heading for greener pastures. And Tsunade, with determination gleaming in her eyes; followed. "Stay here!" Tsunade yelled at Sasuke and me before she was too far away to be heard. "This isn't a fight brats like you can win!"
Displeased, Sasuke clicked his tongue. Evidently, Tsunade had no clue who she was talking to. As if Sasuke would ever accept that as a valid reason not to fight. His eyes bore into me. "Are you ready?" he asked.
I glanced around our surroundings instead of responding. Was running after Tsunade the smartest thing to do? We could stay as instructed and wait for Naruto and the others to find us. It was the choice that made the most sense to me. But… heart beating in my chest, I couldn't get passed everything Kabuto had said. Besides, if I said no, would Sasuke run off alone? Which leads to an additional question: could he be trusted in a fight against Orochimaru? Would the allure of power be too great?
So, in spite of myself, I took a big breath and found myself nodding. "We have a small advantage", I reasoned; staring in the direction the two sannin and Kabuto had disappeared. "They need Tsunade to fix Orochimaru's arms. Your curse mark means they have plans for you. And me… well, it sounds like they want me alive a little while longer". Sasuke had the decency to offer me a bothered frown. "We'll be aiming to kill while they'll be limited to just trying to subdue us".
Sasuke's only sign of agreement was his lack of argument. "Kabuto is still our target", he decided. Or more like, he confirmed. Not wasting any more time, we ran after Tsunade and our opponents.
… Despite being the one who suffered the most, Naruto was fully recovered by the time morning came. "Man, did you see when I did… and then Sasuke… And Grandma Tsunade was so cool!" He ran through the whole battle; from start to finish. Singing praises for everyone as we checked out of the hotel and started for home.
Sasuke was pretending not to listen. Though he'd occasionally respond with a pleased smirk or a huff of amusement, and therefore; wasn't fooling anyone. I walked ahead of the group; trying to hurry them along by walking fast. But they were being annoyingly stubborn as they followed at a casual gait.
It was a nice day. The sun was out but not garishly so. Not a single cloud shadowed our path. The road was quiet with only the sounds of our feet and birdsong accompanying us on our way. But I couldn't enjoy it. I barely noticed it. My limbs felt too heavy. My eyes felt like they were about to pop out of my head. Only nervous energy propelled me forward. In fact, I suspect I wouldn't be able to stop if I wanted to. It felt like the weight of my pack on my back was the only thing keeping me grounded.
Tsunade drew up beside me. Behind us, Jiraiya teased Naruto about his failed toad summons. Which Naruto returned in kind. "You brat!" Jiraiya defended himself. "I was drugged. What's your excuse?"
I eyed her warily. What was the point of this action? I couldn't give her what she wanted. This body was occupied. It was mine. I… I didn't want to give it up or the people attached to it. Even if it meant they wouldn't… Even if it meant Tsunade's continued grief was entirely my fault.
Tsunade sighed. "I wasn't going to go through with it". She kept her voice soft and true feelings masked by a hint of annoyance. Behind us Naruto was going on and on about how awesome the combined power of the Rasengan and Chidori were. How they would have blown Kabuto away if they had gotten another chance.
"Then don't pass out next time, and we will", Sasuke gave his input.
Tsunade ignored them. "It was always my plan to betray Orochimaru. I wasn't going to let him…" She trailed off. I understood why. What was the correct word choice? They hadn't been planning on killing me. My body would have gone on. But Rion would have perished.
"What's going to happen?" My worries came spilling out. "When we get back to the village, what will you do to me?"
"Nothing", Tsunade tried to assure, but my eyes flashed darkly in her direction. It was the only way I could think to communicate my disagreement. False assurances wouldn't comfort me. I knew too much to fall for them. We didn't know what Orochimaru did to me. Or to how many others. Danzo might know but that wasn't a subject that had been breached yet. I was going to let Ibiki make that call. But… what if I was dangerous? A remote-control bomb that Orochimaru could set off without any warning. Tsunade was now tasked with protecting the village. She needed answers. And currently, I was the only clue.
Tsunade knew this. I knew this. It was only a matter of her being willing to admit it. Glancing over her shoulder, she stole a look at Jiraiya. Jiraiya didn't notice. He was too busy complimenting the right hook Sasuke had landed on Kabuto. "There will be tests", Tsunade said. "Blood work, EEGs, a routine physical, and probably a psych eval. Most I'll manage myself. And I classify everything as an S-rank secret. Only a trusted few will know and I'll do everything I can to make the tests as non-invasive as possible".
I nodded; appreciating the consideration. We passed under the shady branches of a tree. And I used that time to look skywards while the sun couldn't blind me. But being examined wasn't what I was worried about. It would be a pain. I'd hate every minute. But as an experiment, what else could I expect? It was the logical next step. An S-rank secret meant I couldn't tell Anzu. Which may be for the best, I guiltily thought. Especially if these tests led to a Yamanaka taking a trip inside my noggin. Then not only would an S-rank status be crucial, but it would also be necessary to get rid of me.
"And what about Rion and her shields!" Naruto exclaimed from behind. His exuberance wasn't enough to pull me from my fears. "Did you see the look on that snake's face when he couldn't get anywhere near her?" Naruto cackled. "Stupid reptile".
"You all fought very hard", Shizune praised; kindness evident in her every word. She walked next to Jiraiya, cradling the pig in her arms.
"You were great too, Shizune", Naruto was quick to include her. "That poisonous smog thing you did…"
"Ibiki-Sensei and Shibi already know about the forty-eight bit". I shared. Just so Tsunade had an idea of who needed to be included in this secret.
"Your jonin instructor?" Tsunade checked. I nodded to confirm. "And Shibi is your father?" Again, another nod. "You call him by his first name?" This time, I shrugged. To her credit, Tsunade didn't press. "Right. Anyone else I should be aware of?"
Chouji. My mind supplied. And probably Shikamaru too. Though nothing could force me to say their names. I didn't want Tsunade's first introduction to them to be viewed as possible security risks. No. Slowly, I shook my head. If I had to fall, I wouldn't drag them down with me…
By the time we caught up to Tsunade, she had already made multiple impressive craters on the hilly, grassy landscape. Orochimaru stood aside as Kabuto and Tsunade battled it out. "What's our play?" Sasuke asked. Both Tsunade and Kabuto were on their knees. Kabuto's limbs were trembling as if he didn't have complete control over them. While Tsunade was breathing as if it was painful to do so.
Uh… my brain scrambled. What should we do? Preferably something before Kabuto figured out how to regain control of himself. My hand dove into my back pouch; digging around my spools of ninja wire before pulling out a wad of paper. "Explosive tags", I suggested; holding them out for Sasuke to take a few.
He scowled at the very sight of them. Almost missing it when Tsunade charged forward and slammed her fist into Kabuto's face; sending the creep sailing backward before he collapsed in a heap. Tsunade continued breathing heavily and painfully.
Sasuke freed me of five of them. The wind blew between us; tussling his hair. "You better not set them off all at once", he told me as Tsunade started healing herself; placing a green glowing hand against her chest.
I scoffed as we ran to join the fight. "I only did that one time". However, everyone seemed determined to not let me forget.
Kabuto was trying to figure himself out. His fingers twitched. He tried rolling a shoulder. Orochimaru stood a distance away; looking far too amused for someone who's underling just got the snot knocked out of him.
We slid in front of Tsunade; blocking her from Kabuto as he slowly and shakingly pushed himself to his knees. "Sasuke", Kabuto growled; ignoring me entirely. "This is becoming tiresome".
Between labored pants, Tsunade hissed at us, "I told you brats to stay away".
I already had one paper bomb wrapped around the hilt of a kunai. Letting it fly, I hurled it straight in Kabuto's direction. Aiming for the center of his eye. Still rewiring his body, all Kabuto could do was fall sideways to avoid it. Making a one-handed ram sign, I ignited the tag and flinched in satisfaction when it blasted over Kabuto's being. "How many paper bombs do you think are needed to kill someone?" I asked; already fiddling with another one.
Sasuke let out a suffering sigh as we waited for the smoke to settle. "Wait", he told me. "We don't want to waste any". Behind us, Tsunade was gaping as we bought her more time to heal herself. Off acting as a spectator, Orochimaru was cackling.
Once Kabuto was visible again, it was disappointing to see him on his hands and knees. Apart from some singed clothing, he seemed relatively untouched. "Oh, forty-eight", he coughed; trying to clear his lungs. "You're going to wish you-"
Sasuke let one paper bomb decorated kunai sail through the air. Igniting it before it made contact, Kabuto was again hidden by smoke. A gasp of pain cued us in that more damage had been dealt. Or so we hoped.
Even though we had delayed him marvelously, Kabuto managed to regain command of his body. He lunged out of the smoke with an angry burn running down the side of his face "Did you really think that would work?" He demanded to know; a kunai ready in his hand. The closer he approached, the more confidently Sasuke held his stance. Leaving me to inch back to create two lines of defense between Tsunade and Kabuto.
"You idiots", Tsunade declared as she finished healing her chest. "I don't need you to do this. I can handle him on my own". Swinging the blade in front of him, Kabuto was ready to attack when-
There was another cloud of smoke. This one wasn't accompanied by an explosive blast. Or any heat at all, really. And it hadn't come from Sasuke or me. If it wasn't for the smokey coverage, I would have sighed in relief. Finally! What took them so long?
When the wind blew the smoke away, Jiraiya, Naruto, and Shizune stood in front of us. All three faced Kabuto. They even brought the pig along.
"Hey! Rion!" Naruto jogged to join me in the front. Sasuke followed at a more sedate pace; leaving the adults to make up the rear. "Let's get some ramen when we're back in the village. We'll take Anzu nee-chan with us and tell her all about it. She's gonna feel great that you're not actually MIA". I winced but didn't comment. "Sasuke, you can come with us. You gotta meet Anzu nee-chan. She's great. Not as pretty as Sakura because, you know, she's old. Like Kakashi-Sensei. But she's nice and-"
"Slow down", Sasuke interjected; sounding as annoyed as he looked. It was a good reminder for me to unfurl my hands and give circulation a chance to recover. "We're still days out from the village".
"Yeah, but-" Naruto argued.
I didn't hear the rest of it as my thoughts took me elsewhere. Days. We wouldn't be crossing the village gates for days. Hope and longing made the wait painful. But a part of me was grateful. More time before I would be poked and prodded. More time before I had to face exposure. Days where I wouldn't immediately know… the outcome. Would I end up in a cell? Strapped to a lab table? Would anyone care once they…knew?
Glancing to the east, I thought about running. Haku was still an option. Most likely. I'd never see Anzu again. Which may be safer for her. And if I ever ran into my friends, they'd have to treat me like a rogue… Closing my eyes, I shook my head to rid myself of the thought. No. It would be better to destroy myself instead of making Shikamaru or Chouji do it.
"Here". A small slip of paper was shoved under my nose. Not hearing an approach or sensing a presence, I nearly jumped out of my skin; eyes snapping open with alarm. Jiraiya had snuck up on me and the paper he was holding was… the cartoon toad.
My shoulders deflated and I fought the sudden urge to stab something. "Really?"
"You'll torture yourself thinking about everything that happened. And as Sasuke said, the village is still days out". Feeling defeated, I plucked the little drawing from him; holding it between my thumb and forefinger. "Focus only on making the toad dance. Let the task distract you".
Sighing, I caved; nodding with each step I took. Jiraiya was right. It was a better option than contemplating my demise as I knowingly marched towards it. "How do I do this?" I asked. My voice came out forlorn as my feet dragged in the dirt.
Jiraiya smiled. Though it wasn't as broad as his usual grin. "That's for you to figure out. But I'll give you a hint. Think about the ink. Not the paper".
The ink. Not the paper. I repeated in my head; frowning as I stared at it. A little chakra flickered from my fingertips and brushed against the picture. I tried to trace it around a curve of the toad, but the only thing I had a sense of was the paper. How was I supposed to separate ink from paper? Especially when it was already dry.
"And kid", Jiraiya before I could become too invested. He waited until I was looking at him before continuing. "It won't be as bad as you're thinking. Anyone who would assume the worst would have to get through me and Tsunade before they could do any damage. There are two sannin on your side. That has to count for something".
I turned back to the paper just so Jiraiya couldn't get a good look at my eyes. "Why would you care?"
For a long moment, Jiraiya didn't answer. And when he did, it was frustratingly uninformative. "Because you're just like me when I was your age"…
Now it was five against two. And Orochimaru could no longer fill the role of a spectator. That's not to say we didn't run into further complications. Tsunade caved into herself at the first sight of blood. Naruto impulsively charged ahead without communicating with the rest of us. Jiraiya was slightly sluggish from coming to a fight partially drugged. But the fight still resulted in; Naruto collapsing, Tsunade doing everything she could to protect him, and the appearance of three oversized animals that had no business being the size of buildings.
Orochimaru were perched on the head of a giant purple snake. Shizune, Tsunade, and a passed-out Naruto occupied the back of a colossal slug. Leaving Sasuke and me to share Jiraiya's behemoth boss toad.
Sasuke and I were equally out of breath. Our shoulders rose and fell dramatically as Jiraiya stood proud; one hand on each of our shoulders to make sure we didn't slip off the toad's face. Sweat mixed with blood dribbled down the side of my face as my leg muscles twinged from overuse. Sasuke's state was more disguised as his curse mark had activated somewhere down the line.
In the few quiet moments before the battle truly began, Jiraiya talked quickly. "I don't have time to get you two out of the way". He sounded almost apologetic.
"Don't w-" Sasuke tried to get out between breaths.
But Jiraiya wasn't having it. "So can it, and listen up. I need you two to stay on Gamabunta. No matter what, do not let yourselves be knocked off. If you have to hold on to each other, do it". The assessing look Jiraiya paired with his words was the most serious we'd ever seen from him. "If I could give you the chance to run, I'd do it. But I don't trust Orochimaru won't send someone or something after you. So, you're stuck with me, got it?"
I nodded while Sasuke gritted his teeth. But his lack of response is pretty much the same as assent from him. "Alright", Jiraiya said as he removed his hands from our shoulders to slam them together in a hand sign. "Then sit tight and get ready to watch a master at work".
The slug made the first move; shooting out acid at the purple snake. Causing the snake to shoot towards her in a slither; wrapping his coil-like body around the slug. Gamabunta followed without so much as a direction from word from Jiraiya; drawing a sword as he hopped in the fray. Because it makes complete sense for a toad to be able to yield a blade with webbed hands.
Despite low reserves, I stuck myself to Gamabunta's head and engaged my core to keep myself upright. It felt like riding a bucking horse as Gamabunta bounded in all directions and dodged the snake's tail and fangs when it lashed out.
No matter Gamabunta's interference, the snake didn't release the slug. Though, for this particular summons, strangulation wasn't effective. I'm not sure how it's possible, but the slug dissolved herself into thoughts of little slugs. Slipping out of the snake's grasp and scurrying away to reform behind it.
Sasuke's breath hitched. "Naruto", he breathed: watching as Shizune grabbed ahold of his teammate and leaped out of harm's way with Tsunade leaving in the opposite direction. I felt Sasuke lean forward. As if his instincts called for him to act.
"Trust Shizune", Jiraiya told us without sparing a glance. "And don't get in the way". His hands were rapidly forming different signs as Gamabunta leaped backward to create more room. "Gamabunta, how about some oil?"
"You got it", the toad agreed. Leaning back on his hind legs, the toad's cheeks started to bulge. Tsunade returned to her place on top of the slug. Shizune and Naruto were notably absent. But there wasn't a whole lot of time to ponder this. Jiraiya finished the last of his hands. He took a deep breath, drawing his head back and- "Fire style. Toad flame bomb!"
Fire mixed with oil turned into a massive fireball. All hurtling in the purple snake's direction. I leaned back on my heels; the intensity of the heat reaching me despite being behind it. Sasuke's eyes were wide as the effects of his curse mark slowly began creeping off his skin once again.
The entire snake was engulfed. Orochimaru and Kabuto included. Or at least, that was how it appeared from our angle. "No way", Sasuke breathed as the fire died out; leaving scorched earth and… a snake's skin behind.
"Too easy", Jiraiya scoffed as if he had anticipated it. "He just shed his skin".
My eyes scanned the field with no systematic fashion. "Then where could he be?" I wondered aloud. It wasn't like there were any structures or boulders big enough to hide a snake of that size.
The answer came when Gamabunta sprang into the air. In the same second, the snake crushed threw the ground under us; sending fragmented rocks everywhere. It was like a very morbid version of whack-a-mole. You know, if whack-a-mole attacked back.
The inertia had me flattening against Gamabunta. I couldn't understand how Jiraiya remained on his feet. We got out of the way just in time. A snake head hissed up at us; mouth wide and fangs fully out. Though an incoming blow from Tsunade, using Gamabunta's abandoned sword, impaled the snake through his mouth and pinned it to the ground before we were in true peril. Sort of like one of Shibi's prized butterflies.
"Take that!" Tsunade yelled as she landed on top of her handiwork. Where was the slug? I asked myself. Orochimaru responded by lashing out with his tongue. A long snake-like organ that had enough length and muscle to wrap around Tsunade's throat. Where was Kabuto?
I lost focus on the fight as I tried to keep track of all the moving pieces. Kabuto was still on the snake; yelling for his lord. While the slug was… Where was the slug? I turned my head. Somewhere… behind us. Why? This fight was difficult to follow while in the middle of it.
When I looked forward once again, it was just Tsunade and Orochimaru decking it out. A beautiful sight. If I was being honest. Because Tsunade was absolutely wailing on him. "Look at that, kids", Jiriaya said; sounding like a chaperone on a school field trip. "Behold the strength of our next Hokage". Tsunade's face slammed into Orochimaru's face; sending him flying backward and into the air.
"It's over", Gamabunta announced.
"Yeah", Jiraiya agreed as the snake vanished. Followed by the slug and then Gamabunta. Sasuke and I weren't prepared for it. As solid footing evaporated from under us, our limbs failed. We would have fallen, and incorrectly at that, if Jiraiya hadn't hooked an arm around each of our waists; keeping us tucked against him until his feet were on the ground.
We landed just in time to hear Orochimaru's parting words. He didn't look too good. Arms blackened and hanging uselessly at his sides, Orochimaru's breathing was labored as his yellow snake eyes bore into Tsunade. Kabuto knelt at his side; clothes torn and face dirtied. Half of Orochimaru's face was peeling off. Like a facial mask at a spa. "If you won't heal my arms, there are other ways", Orochimaru promised. He was sinking; chakra infusing him into the ground for his escape. "This isn't enough to stop me. I will destroy the leaf". His gaze switched over to the three of us. Or more specifically, Sasuke and me. "And thanks to Sasuke and forty-eight, my future bodies will be…" His tongue darted out and licked the far corners of his mouth. "perfect".