Shifting Sands Chapter 12

This war was taking lives slower but steadier than all the wars he had lived. It was growing tiresome. After all, he had only ever known war. His parents had died in the first Shinobi War. He had the briefest memories of them. The age when that would have bothered him was long gone along with his childhood. Then he had been raised and taught to thrive in the Second Shinobi War, where Hanzo the Salamander had dubbed him a Sannin, etching his title into the public zeitgeist. Now came another one, halting his plans yet again.

Orochimaru didn't like wars. Unnecessary amounts of talented Shinobi died, people suffered, and he had better things to do than to go on months long missions. He had hoped allying himself with Danzo would have given him some leeway from long-term missions to focus on his research. Danzo provided him with humans to experiment on and gave him access to all the materials he needed, but he was on a tight leash. His experiments were only tolerated as long as his skill and strength were available at all times for missions. It was stifling.

Then there was his sensei. Hiruzen was pushing him to take on students for a long time. Initially he had been against this idea, unwilling to waste time nurturing a brat that would most likely die or amount to nothing but Chunin. Jiraiya had taken on students and only Minato had amounted to anything so far. Orochimaru didn't have time to waste, life was limited as is already. His years were numbered, and what little time he had left should be entirely devoted to pursuing eternity, or what was the point of all his efforts?

A student was just another distraction. But it also occurred to him that outside of training, they'd probably allow her to stay in Konoha for a while, keeping a Genin away from long term missions. This would have allowed him time to work on his projects. He was wrong. For a Village that was founded on keeping children away from the front lines, more and more kids were being allowed to graduate early. And now as he read the missions scroll describing an A-Rank, he wondered if Danzo had lost his mind. This didn't read as a classified mission. Hiruzen would have access to this information if he decided to look into it. Sending a green horn Genin without even a singular D or C-Rank mission under her belt in with the big leagues almost instantly was unheard of. More importantly, the operatives assigned here were all ROOT. ROOT proper of course, not the insane child army Danzo was amassing underground without anyone's knowledge.

Danzo wanted his student killed.

Orochimaru didn't like that. If he wanted to kill Hina, he would do it himself. He wasn't about to let Danzo decide to fuck around with what was charged to him. Plus, the child had proven competent and had even shown an interest in research. If he played it right, he could gain an assistant in his pursuit towards immortality, another genius mind to aid him in his cause. That was far more invaluable than a kekkai genkai. He would even share his secrets with her should she prove herself competent enough to contribute.

She could only really do that if she made it past the age of bloody ten. Orochimaru was fine waiting a few years to nurture talent like this. The return on his investment would be worth it. So he decided he would do his best to make sure the foetus in his care didn't get terminated. He dropped the scroll and decided to finally pay her a visit.

He didn't often visit the old man, but here he was in the ROOT cavern system. It connected to his secret laboratory which made access easy, and spying on his work easier. It was a small price to pay for the resources Danzo provided him. Orochimaru hated war, but if nothing it provided him with good material. Even some Clan Shinobi were easier to whisk away under the pretence of missing in action. So far Shin Uchiha had been the most valuable subject from a Konoha Clan they had in their possession. If Danzo could spirit an Uchiha Clan member right under Konoha's nose, then he most certainly could do so to a Clanless child.

He entered Danzo's office with this troublesome thought. The scarred man was looking over some mission plans when he turned up to look at him enter. As usual his face was set in stone. Orochimaru knew their relationship was one of convenience. He treaded carefully when dealing with Danzo, more carefully than he would have even the Hokage himself. Danzo may not be the most physically strong fighter, but he had a kind of cold ruthlessness and cunning to his machinations that made him a formidable opponent.

"You're here to discuss your student," Danzo said.

Orochimaru had practiced his play already.

"Indeed, if you go ahead with this mission of yours it will be obvious what you intend to do to her," Orochimaru said.

"What if that is my plan?" Danzo asked back.

He narrowed his eyes, and smiled wide. It didn't escape him how it unnerved people when he did so. Even Danzo, as hard as he tried to hide it, showed wariness when Orochimaru smiled. It was a dangerous smile that promised retribution.

"You've been getting bold Shimura," he said irreverently.

"And so have you. I give you power, do not forget," Danzo said, voice steel.

Orochimaru laughed. "Don't laud over what you give me like I can't find it elsewhere. You have as much power over me as I do you. Expose my studies to Hiruzen, and I'll expose you just as easily. You poke and prod at my sensei like he's a docile little monkey who'll dance to your tune. You forget monkeys bite when poked too hard."

"Did you come here to throw vague threats at me?" Danzo asked.

"Threat is a generous word. Those were warnings. As for my student, I have found she has use. I won't let her die," he said.

Danzo grunted, scowling. "I don't wish to see a talent like Suzuki snuffed out, even if her pedigree is lacking. Had this been peacetime, I would have given her all the tools to hone and flourish her skills. But this is not peacetime. She is a Genin, and you are a Jounin. Your skills are more immediately needed on the field than training some child."

Orochimaru knew what this was. Danzo had been pushing a reform of the three-man team for a while now. Genin were being pumped out left and right, and Jounin were dying in droves. There wasn't enough talent to assign to teaching the children. Chunin were taking over, but they usually weren't strong enough to keep 3 inexperienced children alive in the middle of war. So more and more bodies were being assigned to C and D-Ranks, that were already lacking in a war-time economy.

Danzo's solution had been to simply dissolve the 3-man teams, assigning all Genin into Chunin roles immediately, sans the rank. That would mean any survival or other team-training would be put on hold indefinitely or until the war ended. Hiruzen had not been happy with the plan.

"Should Suzuki die, you'll be making an enemy of the Nara," Orochimaru warned.

"Hmph, Shikaku is an inexperienced child. An upstart just adolescence who thinks he's smart. He plays war safe, defensively. Afraid to strike hard and first. He won't have his position much longer if I have my way."

"And Hiruzen?" Orochimaru asked.

"He may argue with me, but at the end of the day this is war. He will see reason. If a child needs to die for him to realise this, then so be it."

At the end of the day, Orochimaru didn't have any real way of convincing Danzo to drop this mission. They had been talking of dealing a fatal blow to Kumo for months now. This mission was important. The kind of important you didn't leave to just anyone. He was the only Sannin still available to fight in a team. Jiraiya was doing important spy-work, laying the groundwork for their intelligence networks to orchestrate the war effort, but he hardly conducted missions. Tsunade was probably drunk in a ditch somewhere. In that way he did agree with Danzo's idea of getting rid of the three-man team. It was a waste in this economy and climate. It was probably a waste outside of wartime too. What good were his teammates now? He felt especially betrayed with Tsunade's departure. Years of fighting together and she walked away like they meant nothing. And Jiraiya, he had gone gallivanting off teaching orphans in the delusional hope to find a prophetic saviour to end all wars.

What was the use of investing so much time fostering teamwork if it all fell apart so easily? Orochimaru refused to pick up the pieces. Tsunade and Jiraiya had proven one thing to him. Ones own strength was the most important thing. He supposed his student would know nothing else. She didn't have a team to begin with.

"Though I wager she may survive," Danzo said, snapping him from his thoughts.

"Oh?" he said curiously.

"I've had her watched, both in the Academy and out. She was a potential recruit for ROOT," Danzo said.

Orochimaru held back a frown. She was his student now, and he didn't like the idea of Danzo poaching her talent.

The man continued. "Whether she has battle potential is to be seen. She is simply above average in that regard. But her mind. It is one of a kind. The hospital board was surprised at her insight into several procedures during surgery. She has the kind of advanced thinking and problem solving that is unheard of for her age. Almost unnatural. But I have checked her background thoroughly and there was nothing indicating she was an enemy spy or a plant. Though the sheer normalcy of her origins is suspicious, especially the chakra imbalance she was found with."

Now that was interesting, Orochimaru thought. He did think her intellect was her defining feature. She didn't have aptitude in the finer Shinobi abilities of lying and manipulating, but she grasped complex concepts like they were simple addition and subtraction. The way she had decoded his encryption was a work of art. Having that kind of mind at the age of eight only showed the incredible potential for her future work. If her earlier condition had anything to do with it, it would be interesting to conduct tests on to observe. Though just because she was smart, didn't mean she was inexperienced.

"Intelligence will not be enough to keep you alive in battle," Orochimaru countered.

"If she is intelligent, then she will know when to pick and choose her opponent. I don't wish for such a useful individual to die, but Hiruzen's stubbornness will cost her, her life. If she does survive, we will see how ROOT can make use of her for Konoha's interests."

"If she survives, she will be my assistant. Nothing more," Orochimaru snapped.

Then he straightened his flak jacket and smoothed his face back into an unpleasant smile. Danzo grunted, unhappy with the entire interaction no doubt. Orochimaru didn't care. He was tired of playing the Councilman's games.

"Poke a snake too long Shimura, and they'll bite too," he said.

Then he left Danzo who turned back to his papers guarded. He would need to visit his little student and prepare her for the mission in three days' time. Suzuki lived within the Civilian side of Konoha. Orochimaru had rarely come this way. He had once or twice when he had been requested to find a well fashioned silk kimono for a wedding, but what other reason would there be to travel to such a frivolous side of Konoha. The women here wore their hair elaborately, dressed in bright colours, lips lined with deep sexual hues. The men dressed casually and without protection, hair trimmed neatly, holding the hands of their children without any weight on their shoulders. Civilians who lived in Hidden Villages were soft and spoilt. Colourful ornamental peacocks in a castle where they didn't have to worry about having their throats slit at night. Their lack of fear was distasteful.

He ignored his thoughts as he turned up to Suzuki's home. He had expected something different from this. How could a peacock raise a tiger cub? But as he entered into the small bakery underneath their home, he was met with the pleasant smell of fresh bread, and other floral soft scents. The woman at the counter had Hina's same hair, a delicate face, and waifish thin shoulders. Despite sporting superficial similarities they were nothing alike. Hina had sharper eyes, the kind that drooped a little giving her an aloof expression which hid the cunning behind a façade of relaxation. His student was hard lines with little baby fat. She was calloused hands and quick wit in a small frame. By comparison her mother seemed withdrawn, weak, pretty. Pretty in the way only civilian women could be. Soft and weak like how the civilian men liked them.

Orochimaru put on a pleasant smile. "Suzuki-san."

The woman looked up at him in surprise. He had a distinctive appearance. Very few people in Konoha couldn't recognise him, even civilians. She dropped her work to come around the counter to greet him. A little fearful in her step. Cautious. He retracted his earlier statement. She wasn't a peacock in a castle, she was a mouse in a den of snakes. Her daughter had reacted much the same when met with him. He had expected hero worship and awe, not poorly hidden uncertainty, and apprehension. The Suzuki's were a surprise.

"You must be Hina's sensei," she said.

He nodded, noting how she referred to her own child with an air of distance. He didn't mind that. If she were to be his, it was best she cut ties with her family sooner than later. He wondered if he could keep her alive long enough, if Danzo would fake this woman's death and induct his student properly into their ranks. That would take years of isolation, even from the Nara Clan. Danzo would not bother investing time into a plan like that for one measly child, when he could acquire dozens of nameless orphans who were less conspicuous. It made keeping his little student alive harder than it needed to be. Maybe he'd kill this woman instead. But that would risk turning her against him.

"That I am. Your daughter was assigned her first mission last night."

"Oh," she said, eyes widening a smidge.

So Hina hadn't told her. He wondered what doing something like that would accomplish. Why hide her first mission from her family? Most Genin children were excited. Most wouldn't understand the weight of what an A-Rank entailed. Hina was a little too smart to lump in with the rest of the green horns. She had an uncanny knack of deducing situations. The mission summon must have frightened her rather than making her excited. He was never one for consoling, especially consoling children.

"She was helping in the kitchen. I'll call for her."

And as the woman disappeared through the backdoor, he was met with another child. Around ten years of age, he was guessing. The boy was chubby and wide eyed. Amber eyes sparkled up at him both curious and somewhat frightened. Was this whole family skittish? He looked down and the boy jumped.

"You're Hi-chan's sensei!" he yelped.

"I am."

"What's a Sannin?" he asked.

"It was a title I was bestowed in battle," Orochimaru said.

"Oh… was it scary?"

He raised a brow at the child, who fidgeted with his oversized jumper. He was sure this would be considered 'cute' to anyone else, but frankly it was irritating. Hina never acted like this. She was curious and asked questions, but they were smart questions. Her curiosity was work related, not about something as inane as emotions. He was certain this boy was older, but it struck him how much younger in comparison to his student he seemed.

"Fear is a biological response to threats. When your life is being threatened it is only logical to fear," he said.

His tone was clipped, calling for an end of the conversation. The child seemed to catch his distaste and shrunk into himself shyly. He could see the resemblance there to Hina. The siblings were certainly… expressive. But whereas Hina would very easily emote being flustered, when she showed fear her face turned blank, inexpressive. It was still a tell, but nothing as painfully obvious as the show in front of him currently. He decided he didn't quite like her brother.

"Sensei! You're here… at my place?" Hina said, as she came past the door.

"Jounin-sensei's are given access to their student's Academy files, which lists their address," he said.

She hummed an affirmative, before dusting off the flour on her hands on the apron. Her brother tucked her fringe back into her hair net in a scolding manner making her huff. They seemed close. Orochimaru wondered what it would have been like to have siblings. The closest thing he had was probably being raised next to the oaf Jiraiya, but maybe it wasn't the same.

"Is this about…"

"You can say the word. It isn't a taboo," he said.

Hina didn't bother hiding the apprehension on her face, her body going tense. She turned to her brother ignoring him for a moment.

"Tai-nee, I'm not minding the oven. Please go check up on it for me," she said.

Her brother complied, skittering off to his menial labour. He noted how she seemed to order her older brother around. He was certain children didn't work this way. Once her brother was gone, she sighed deeply, moving back into the store front, and bagging two melon pan buns. Orochimaru raised a brow as she handed him a bag.

"We'll take it for the road," she said.

He nodded. He wasn't sure why, but she didn't bother treating him with the same kind of deference one gave to an older mentor. She had a way of addressing adults like they were peers. Her unprompted sharing of food wouldn't have been odd, if it weren't for the casual way she did it. He supposed it was just an odd quirk of hers. That was a good sign. Most Jounin had a quirk of their own. He hoped this was an indication of her continued survival.

Once she untucked her hair from the net and hung her apron, she followed him out the building, munching on her sweet bun. Orochimaru took a bite too, admitting that it was just the perfect amount of sweet and warm. He supposed he could drop by more often for the baked goods…

"Sensei, I'm going to be honest. I nearly shat myself last night," she said.

He snorted. "No need to be that honest."

"This is not a joke. I'm actually going to die," she said, glaring.

"Hmm, have faith in my abilities then. I will ensure you stay alive," he said.

She looked up at him a little disbelievingly. Her dismal faith in him would in due time be resolved. He was not about to be known as the one Jounin-sensei who couldn't even keep his Genin alive for their first mission. That would be a stain on his ledger.

"Where exactly are we going anyway?" she said, opting not to affirm or deny his earlier statement.

"A supply run. Our mission is to the Land of Frost. The terrain will be tricky for a first-time traveller."

"We did survival training," Hina noted.

"That will seem like a stroll in comparison to the kind of demanding travel this mission will entail."

She remained silent for a while after that, posture stiff again as she ripped nervously into her bun. Orochimaru sighed. He could deal with her eager endless questions, but this silent nervousness was more annoying. He didn't exactly want to deal with it.

"Sensei…"

"Just ask the question Suzuki. If you hesitate next time I'll punish you," he said.

"Punish?" she asked, yelping.

"Do you want a demonstration?" he asked.

She back peddled quite quickly after that, giving him an affronted look. "Heck no! You can't punish me like I'm some naughty kid. I'm an adult the moment I got a hitaite."

"You're a Genin brat. Military punishment."

"Ugh, you're the worst! But not as bad as whoever wants me dead. Unless that's you," she said, narrowing her eyes at him.

She was being brazenly open about the accusation. She wanted him to know she suspected him? He didn't quite understand the logic behind that, or how she even came to the conclusion that he wanted her dead. Her paranoia would get her far in the Shinobi world, but he'd need to nip her suspicions on the bud before Danzo somehow used it against him.

"I don't want you dead. There are more discreet ways of killing you than on a mission that will be scrutinised in reports," he said.

"Gee, you inspire so much faith," she said sarcastically.

"Think about it logically if you don't trust me then. Why would I invest 2 months personally training you in survival to see you dead? Why not simply do the bare minimum if I don't intend to take you on?"

She thought about it for a minute as they walked, and then sighed deeply. "This is such a drag. Okay, I trust you want me alive. But whoever assigned this mission was not Shikaku-san. He would never put me on an A-Rank as my first mission. Heck he wouldn't put any Genin on an A-Rank. I'm going to talk to him tonight and sort this out."

That would be the smart thing to do if Danzo weren't involved. He was happy to know at least that she wouldn't stand by and take something like this without a fight. Unfortunately for her she didn't know what she was fighting against. Her ignorance was dangerous. The Nara Jounin Commander didn't have jurisdiction of ROOT agents, which Orochimaru was a part of. Danzo ranked higher than Shikaku on the Council, and his old sensei was weak to the war mongers whims. Hiruzen would more likely hear out Danzo than whatever protests Shikaku would have. More likely than not the old goat would spin the situation around to seem like he had full faith in Orochimaru keeping his student alive.

"This mission was not approved by the Jounin Commander, so there would be no point in taking it to him," he said, after settling on telling her the truth.

Hina didn't look surprised or alarmed. He knew she could have come to that conclusion on her own, but he thought she'd look a little bit curious at least. It took her a moment to even register asking him the question. How odd.

"You know who it is," she said, instead of asking him the question.

"A member of the Hokage's inner council and advisory party. That man is not to be trifled with. We shall discuss the exacts in my office," he said.

Not out in the open. She seemed to catch the meaning and dropped the subject. Orochimaru sighed. This wasn't how he envisioned breaking his double life to his student… or well at least a part of it. He was no fool. She was soft. She didn't know war or bloodshed or violence. He had been like that once. It could only be fixed with time and brutal experience. She would face it sooner and with a fiercer intensity than most fresh Genin. If she survived, Danzo would have forged a child prodigy from blood and war, having taken every little bit of her innocence from her.

That was a good thing. There was no place for innocence in this world. It belonged to children, and one stopped being a child the moment they wore a hitaite and took on the title of Shinobi. Not even a mother's well-intentioned warmth would feel the same again after the cold heat of battle.

They walked in silence for once. She didn't ask questions because he knew she was compiling an endless list once they entered a more secure location. He gestured to his laboratory, situated at the base, parallel to the Hokage Mountain. His location was secure if a little out of the way. Several stone stairways were climbed before they reached the door. His little student looked unusually pale as she hesitated to come in. Maybe her situation was catching up to her.

"Don't lose your nerve now Suzuki. Come in, I won't bite," he said.

"You won't bite," she repeated in disbelief.

Her paranoia was a little annoying. Maybe it was her instincts warning her of his danger. In that case, she wasn't wrong. If she showed to be anything but exceptional, he would help Danzo in his plan of putting her in an early grave. He didn't suffer fools.

Eventually she did enter his lab, marvelling at his set up and looking around at the many scrolls with unhidden curiosity. She craved knowledge as much as him. Her eyes held the same hunger. He closed the door.

"You may speak freely."

She licked her dry lips, forcing her attention away from the lab to instead focus on the more imminent threat at hand.

"If the… Councilman assigned me this mission, then it must be above board, right? If it is, then wouldn't the Hokage have to approve of the mission as well?"

She had a solid understanding of Leaf's structure, but the finer details were left even from the general Shinobi populace under a need-to-know basis. Most Shinobi were fine with the knowledge that the Hokage made the final call on missions, but in wartime it was a little trickier than that.

"The mission approval system is not the same as peacetime. For example, Chunin administration hands out all D-Ranks, and some C-Rank missions. It doesn't have to be approved by the Hokage. There is a revolving door of Chunin and sometimes the Jounin Commander reads through the mission assignments to ensure everything is meeting budget."

"And the higher-ranking missions?" Hina asked.

"Normally we would be taking clients in peacetime, and those clients would have to write a formal request through the Chunin Administration, which would then reach the Hokage. Generally the Hokage or an advisor would approve all missions. In wartime we're running internal missions. The Council, Chief Strategist, and Jounin Commander convene to discuss where to send forces, how best to set up bases, and what enemy posts need to be hit."

Hina frowned. "Then Shikaku is aware of this mission already?"

Orochimaru nodded, causing her frown to deepen. "Although he would not know whose being assigned to the mission."

"But it's his job to assign Shinobi to their missions. He's like a fucked-up HR manager with too much power," Hina said.

That earnt her a snort of amusement. "Except he doesn't control all Shinobi ranks. Just Genin through to Jounin."

Her eyes widened. "That excludes ANBU. Who are directly under the Hokage."

Orochimaru nodded, and then he saw the gears working in her head. She seemed to come to a conclusion much faster than he thought she would, almost as if she already knew it.

"If a Councilman is giving this order and Shikaku-san doesn't know. That either means Hokage-sama has provided the Councilman with the power to control the ANBU, or the Councilman has a similar unit like the ANBU he controls."

She waited for a response, lips thinning tightly. She wasn't surprised. How odd. He wondered if she had come to this conclusion before and hadn't voiced it. But that wouldn't make sense considering the gaps in her knowledge about Konoha's mission structure.

"That's right. It is a team even more secretive than the ANBU. They are known as ROOT. I am a participating member," he said.

"So you're telling me a Councilman with an army not bidden to the Hokage wants me dead," she said, scowling.

"Yes, that sums it up."

She threw her hands in the air, shouting something about a 'Jesus fucking Christ' in an odd accent, and then mumbling incoherently as she paced around. He wondered where she had come up with such gibberish, or if she had a speech impediment when she was stressed. Orochimaru let her have a moment to melt down in peace, before getting her attention when she eventually calmed down.

"Okay, so I'm definitely taking this to Shikaku! I don't care who the Councilman is, he isn't playing with my life like this," she said, clenching her fists.

"If you complain to the Nara, all you'll serve to do is annoy Danzo into killing you some other way."

Hina scowled further, murder in her eyes. It was at least better than fear. He could handle anger. He couldn't handle another meltdown.

"He would kill his own forces over something so small? Let me guess, he's not happy I'm your student so he's throwing a little tantrum and trying to get me killed. Figures the Hokage wouldn't do—"

She stopped herself mid-rant, remembering she was openly talking ill about the venerable Hokage-sama no doubt. Orochimaru didn't disagree with her. The man was far too pliant to the wills of his old teammates. Too easily persuaded to back down from people who should be subordinate. Hiruzen was weak. It had been a long time coming for the mantle of Kage to be passed to him. Orochimaru could think of a million ways to revolutionise Konoha, things that Hiruzen refused to do stuck in his old ways.

"Alright… okay," she said, taking in a deep breath and finally looking at him in a calculative manner. "You trusted me with all this. I can believe you're not out to kill me."

For now, her eyes said. He could take that. Trust was earnt, not freely given. Still, Suzuki Hina was a tiny package with a surprisingly large amount of paranoia packed into it.

"So what's the plan then? To ensure I stay alive?" she asked.

Orochimaru huffed a laugh. "You have no chance of surviving an encounter with a Jounin, let alone a Chunin."

"Wow, appreciate the confidence," she said dryly.

"—Let me finish Suzuki. I don't expect you to fight anyone but other Genin. When we're out there you report to no one but me. If any of the other members asks you to do something you don't want to do, ignore them. You're not a part of ROOT, you're my student."

She blinked up at him as if in disbelief for a moment. Then she got uncharacteristically timid.

"Alright… yeah. I'm going to do that. Thank you… sensei," she said.

The earnestness in her voice made him a little uncomfortable. It had been a long time since anyone had used that tone on him. When had it been last? The playful jeering he had with Jiraiya that turned sour over the years? Tsunade's snide little comments towards him that disappeared along with her. The years before he joined ROOT, when Hiruzen looked at him like he could actually be trusted.

He wondered how long it would last on her innocent little face, before he crushed every good part of her. Every weakness grinded into dust, with all that would remain be nothing but a drive for more. Right now they were insignificant. Their lives meant nothing. What would be the point of all this pain and suffering, of the loneliness and killing, if not to carry on living. Her trust meant nothing. She was clinging to life in the face of inevitable death. Everyone eventually died, he thought bitterly. It made living pointless unless one was trying to achieve immortality. Suzuki's trust, her little moments of humanity, it was what would get her killed.

The meek would not inherit this kingdom. Her timidness would need to be burned away if she wanted to live another day. Orochimaru would see to it.

And then maybe… maybe one day he could share that immortality with someone like him.

A/N

And then they go and buy some water resistant clothes for icy terrain, like a dad and his daughter going on a hiking trip ( ﾟヮﾟ)