Here's chapter 14: Growing Pains.
Sorry for the long wait, peeps. My laptop with all my continuity, timeline, characters and background info etc was stolen and dumdum as I am I did not have it backed up on the cloud.
Live and learn.
But I'm back again, and with another chapter of Konoha's Waking Nightmare. Next up on the list should be Mischief Siriusly Managed which shouldn't be too long off. I've also started a worm story called Panacea's Remedy for those of you who'd want to check it out.
A bit of a bridge chapter this one, a minor timeskip being involved.
As usual I do not own, make money off, or in any way have a right to the characters of Naruto or its world. I'm just a lowly fanfiction writer.
Hope you enjoy it!
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Orochimaru finished adding his new observations, writing them down in the quickly thickening folder labeled Tsubiki Inohana.
As the girl's Sensei, he'd had plenty of opportunities to collect samples, the obvious reluctance the girl had to that process had been amusing. But as a part of team 9, she'd been forced to acquiesce his request when he termed it as a full team physical, something needed to collect their baseline physical state in preparation for his training.
Which did help in devising a proper training plan, so it had the amusing consequence of actually being true. He'd taken more amusement than he'd thought he would from observing Inohana's grumpy countenance when she realized it was actually a logical thing to perform as a Sensei. Had Hiruzen derived the same kind of amusement from seeing the stupid expressions that a young Tsunade and Jiraiya had worn when faced with their teacher's superior knowledge at the time?
Being a sensei had some minor amusing benefits he had never considered before.
Of course collecting samples in this manner meant he'd also had to deal with her useless teammates, but if that was the cost in getting constant samples from the girl as she grew, having his finger on the pulse as she developed - it was a minor annoyance in the end.
Orochimaru would have preferred to have the girl to himself. Instead he was saddled with a team of all useless things, just so that he could get the girl, unfortunately that was just how things got done in the village. They'd likely die off soon enough anyway, solving the problem.
No matter. He was used to working around obstacles in Konoha. The people around him were remarkably averse to pragmatism and progress, something that had stymied him again and again.
Because Orochimaru didn't bother to pretend to be anything other than the monster in human skin he was - unlike other Shinobi… He was forced to work around lesser beings that were given the resources or personnel that belonged to him. The one person that could actually make use of it. Not for the last time, he wondered how anyone could make the decision to waste resources on others, when Orochimaru was a proven quantity.
Weak excuses, questions of morality and fairness. All things that should hold no sway in a Shinobi village. And absolutely none before his might. It was the law of nature as well as science - the strongest and most adaptable thrived, the weak and rigid fell behind. And few had the strengths or skills of his caliber, the less said about anyone being compared to his level of adaptation the better. The rigors of tradition held much of Konoha in its sway.
Tradition, such a dirty word. To Orochimaru it was nothing but a weak excuse to wallow in mediocrity.
Well… Orochimaru didn't hesitate to use his skills for his own benefits and by happenstance as well, that of the village - rotten and weak as it was. He'd played Danzo and his Sensei and gotten his prize right from under the nose of everyone else who'd wished for it. Uzumaki Kushina - hah, it had been beyond easy to arrange for her deployment. A stronger person would have utilized their status as Konoha's only jinchuuriki to put their foot down, a more adaptable individual would have slithered away from his schemes in the first place, instead she had meekly gone on her way. She'd proven too weak to hold on to the girl.
Her loss, his gain. Although she'd managed to get an annoyingly tight grip on the girl during her time as her carer. If Orochimaru didn't know she didn't have it in her, he'd have accused her of using abilities similar to his own talents to brainwash the girl, she was that devoted. Of course, Kushina was too weak to take advantage or use it properly.
A common denominator amongst the rabble of Konoha Shinobi.
Not that Orochimaru had ever expected any less from the woman. For all her strength, she was still stubbornly stuck on matters of loyalty and honor. She should have become a samurai, he thought with derision. Then again many in Konoha subscribed to the same ridiculous ideal, just showing to him that a new, stronger Hokage was necessary.
Someone that could save Konoha, remake it into something more. Not this… Stumbling weakened giant, that paid too much attention to flowery words and friendship in an attempt to hide the steel beneath - thereby slowly weakening it over time as the platitudes sunk into the weaklings consciousness. They were Shinobi, there was no need to hide or quibble about what they were. Orochimaru would one day ensure they dispensed with the charade.
He closed Inohana's file, eyes flickering over the different vials of samples nearby, all showing nothing out of the ordinary. It was as frustrating as it was intriguing. The girl was an anomaly but in every way science could prod at, so far she'd come out perfectly ordinary. He suspected her brain was the key, but he was not yet at the point where dissecting her was the only option left.
If he took that step he'd have to be Hokage first or be ready to discard the village, he thought, pondering how badly he wanted an answer on the girl's unique way of affecting chakra systems.
Not that badly. Not yet. He decided, his mind returning to ruminating on the rivals he'd dispatched to get his cold hands on his new fascination.
Namikaze Minato had been a possibility, he already had one genius child under his belt, it wouldn't be difficult to give him two more students, the girl amongst them, he knew one of the councilors had suggested as much.
Orochimaru had people in many places in the world, willing and unwilling to serve, they all did as he asked in the end, and he had other connections as well, even within other Shinobi villages. Sometimes they were even willing connections, so he'd nipped Minato being a candidate in the bud before it became an issue. He'd ensured Minato could not return to the village for any length of time, definitely not long enough to hold a team of three, when he was already having to neglect Hatake Kakashi to the flare ups at the border that Orochimaru had arranged to keep him indefinitely deployed.
He pinned that thought for later, opportunity existed there…
He'd had to sacrifice a couple patrols of Konoha Shinobi to the enemy for their own use, as part of the payment, for the obvious goal of advancing their own careers, but that was hardly even a cost for Orochimaru, a tool of his getting further entrenched in the hierarchy of their village could only be useful. At least in that, they'd made themselves useful for the only time in their mediocre lives.
Orochimaru was a loyal Konoha Shinobi however. So he'd made sure the Konoha trash that would all die screaming in some Iwa dungeon were mostly clanless - no important clans amongst them anyway.
His thoughts turned to the rest of the coterie that had attempted to put their unworthy hands on his new test subject… Student. He'd have to make sure he didn't say that out loud, he thought with amusement. Imagining the looks he'd receive.
Probably not that different from what he already received from the uneducated rabble.
Uchiha Mikoto - no doubt pressured by her Uzumaki friend, attempted a doomed last minute bid. Orochimaru hadn't even had to work for it to get Danzo to shut that bid down, the old warhawk was amusingly close minded when it came to the Uchiha clan. A major defect in an otherwise decent Shinobi. He'd do much better if he wasn't so hidebound to his ideals, too inflexible to truly reach greatness. Orochimaru had briefly fallen under his spell, thinking he'd found a like minded mentor. Such a disappointment to find that Danzo was not so dissimilar to his Sensei. Just another side of the same coin. Wedded to an idea. How ridiculous.
Why Mikoto had even bothered he couldn't fathom, she amongst all the possibilities stood no chance against Orochimaru's reputation. Orochimaru left nothing to chance either way, but it might have been amusing to allow her bid to come forward. To see the uppity Uchiha and their mighty eyes fail against his mighty reputation and his penchant for setting the stage ahead of time, so there could only be one winner.
Even when he lost, Orochimaru made sure he won. That's what separated him from even other S-ranks.
And lastly, there had been one more rival… The most dangerous one in theory. Dan… Tsunade's weak point. Orochimaru freely admitted that Tsunade herself was his own weak point. Albeit not out loud to anyone. He doubted he could stand to kill the woman if it became necessary. Maim, perhaps - he mused. But not kill. Not something Orochimaru could say about any other living being, including his Sensei and his other teammate. Because of Tsunade, Orochimaru had not taken the obvious route to eliminating Dan as a possible rival.
A comatose patient could perish in a myriad of ways, after all, one of the Sannin as his nurse would not help against some of Orochimaru's more experimental concoctions. Tsunade would never suspect him. He'd worked too long and too hard on trying to pierce the secrets of his condition to ever become a suspect in his sudden death.
It would have been a trifle to point her in Danzo's direction if he needed cover for the assassination. Orochimaru was almost done using the man anyway. But in the end he'd chosen not to, as a favor to Tsunade, he'd let Dan live.
It hadn't been a rush to deal with the man anyway, Dan was after all in a coma, or suspended animation, it was frustratingly hard to tell anything properly about his condition. A very frustrating man, just as he was when he was awake. Even his odd state of there but not - was not giving any secrets away to Orochimaru. Just like the girl in the end, as she succeeded in waking the annoying man - again managing to do it without Orochimaru picking up a single clue.
Just throwing all knowledge on genjutsu and chakra theory out the window, like it was nothing.
Very frustrating. But it was also so very interesting. He so rarely found anything truly interesting nowadays. He desired the child even more after that. Of course now with the added wrinkle in the plan that Dan would make a logical Sensei for the child. He had a similarly skewed way of utilizing chakra, he had a Sannin backing him up in Tsunade, and he was of sufficient quality to prevent the girl's abduction if such a situation was to arise.
Not anything against the quality of Orochimaru himself, but his Sensei rarely acknowledged his superiority out of some misguided belief of fairness, so Dan could theoretically have a chance. He was, Orochimaru admitted, also more likely to be seen as someone that could properly care for children. Not a reputation Orochimaru had cultivated.
Orochimaru knew his physical state could be returned within a decent enough time limit as to not be an overly large obstacle to becoming a Jounin-Sensei. Especially since the girl would be so young.
He'd immediately pushed Hiruzen and Danzo to make his own bid official. Before Dan could try his own arguments. Especially with Tsunade's backing. Orochimaru didn't begrudge her for switching horses in the middle of the race, well, not overly much so anyway. But it had made it imperative that he got his wish post haste.
And he had succeeded.
Inohana, the girl who had succeeded where he'd failed. The girl who already had blood on her hands, half broken already by an abusive father. Really, Orochimaru couldn't ask for a better opportunity to make the girl his. Broken playthings were so easy to glue together in his image, it was hardly even fair.
She was already closer to the edge than she thought, for all that she was wary around him. Her two teammates balked at his labs, at the suffering within, at the experiments he performed. One had lost his lunch even, and that was before Orochimaru cut anyone open.
The Academy didn't train them like they used to. No matter, the other two didn't matter at all as far as Orochimaru was concerned. He'd train them of course. They weren't entirely without potential. And his pride demanded they'd at least not embarrass him before they inevitably died.
But his prize. The girl who watched him with a mask on, the cracks already showing… Projecting a calm face to hide the storm beneath, who assisted him when asked, dealt with blood and gore like it was nothing. The girl that was at home in it all.
She would be his, her reluctance would only make it sweeter once she realized that her future belonged to him.
Orochimaru would prod her along the the slippery slope, until the girl was too far gone to realize it.
He was looking forward to the day realization would hit her.
That she, the desperate little girl. Was just like Orochimaru. Just like her father. That she was a monster.
She'd break so nicely in his hands.
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I can't say that I necessarily dislike having Orochimaru as a sensei so far. Neither can I say I particularly like it either. I'm ambivalent over the whole experience. Although mentally I am aware I can't trust him, it's hard to shy away from what he's doing, just because I know he'll try to condition me to his specifications. I can personally hate him just fine, but do I listen when he speaks? Yes. Yes I do.
Because above all else, he is a spectacular Shinobi. And perfectly willing to impart his knowledge to us, without the usual limiters adults use for children - or Jounin-Sensei use for their impressionable little genin. Orochimaru doesn't b elieve in restricting knowledge. Yes it's brutal. Yes, many days I believe I'm going to die until it turns out I'm not. But it's effective!
The morning air is crisp as I walk down empty streets, Konoha is almost completely silent, not surprisingly considering it's not even 6 am yet. I enjoy these quiet walks in the morning, soaking in the atmosphere, the quiet, the brief pause in my life where my mind and body isn't under extreme stress.
My mind invariably turns to our training. And the missions.
Considering team 9 do not have to do D-ranks in the same vein as the other teams, we have an advantage in training already due to not wasting our time as much on painting fences. Then when you add on Orochimaru-Sensei's skill compared to the average Jounin to that equation, our advantage becomes ridiculous.
Then again, the reason for avoiding the dreariness and time consumption of a regular D-rank - is because our team has a continuous D-rank to assist in Orochimaru's lab after training. Assist being a nebulous all encompassing word, as it basically allows Orochimaru-Sensei to use us for anything, and we can't really say a word about it because it's literally our mission. It's daily. No break, no excuses.
For me, it isn't much of a change from what I have already been through when working with Orochimaru-Sensei before - only much more of it without Kushina-shisou around to limit it. For Genma and Gai however…
They have not taken to our 'missions' well.
With the war heating up, Orochimaru-Sensei has access to many more prisoners of war. (Although personally I hold severe doubts that they are actually prisoners of war - officially handed over and signed for. Based on the procedures I have assisted with, many are obviously civilians.) Unfortunately I don't really have a means to report him and expect an actual response. All this however means he's busier than ever with his experiments. He's quickly made it clear to us that as he is wasting precious hours everyday training our weak useless selves. The least we can do is fulfill our D-ranks without whining.
A people person he is not. Surprise surprise.
I'm not sure he's being totally honest anyway. Probably a good practice for me for my future ninja life to assume I'm being lied to at all times. Because if it was me in his position, I'd just send a clone to train the puny little genins. If we could ever land a hit during our spars, I'm sure we'd find it is only a mud clone or shadow clone leading our sessions.
Those sessions are why I'm having an ambivalent attitude about this whole process so far. The D-rank missions are blood filled, albeit educational about the human body to an extreme level. Not an activity anyone on team 9 is overly pleased with - even if I, at least, do not see it as more than petty cruelty from Sensei, intended to make us desentized to death and the violation of the human body. I'm already too used to the blood and gore, to my own discomfort, so it does not affect me the same. I'm more upset with how I'm not as upset as my teammates over the whole thing.
On the plus side though, these training sessions…
From dawn to right before dinner time, with only a short lunch break during the day. Orochimaru-Sensei beats the way of ninjas into us.
Even Gai can't go on at the end of the day, most days. Which is when we have to trot off for our D-ranks, exhausted and more likely to not raise a fuss about what we have to do. Insidious, as expected of Orochimaru-Sensei.
The man is a genius, as much as I fear him and can't stand his presence, his chakra predatorily pressing down on me at all times - he is a genius. And it shows.
All three of us have separate routines matched up perfectly for our needs. Everything down to our dietary plans and water intake is tracked to perfection. Genma had a sweet pastry one day before training, (How he found one, since sugar is heavily rationed right now, no one knows) and somehow Orochimaru-Sensei knew about it immediately, (My guess is snakes. It's always snakes.) and punished Genma with triple training. For a week. There has been no deviation from our diets since. Even Gai, training nut that he is - isn't looking to get triple training dumped on him. That says a lot about the intensity of what we're going through.
Gai, obviously, has a Taijutsu focused training regime that takes advantage of his superior body and his indomitable will that keeps him going far beyond where a 'normal' ninja would have fallen. Not that Orochimaru-Sensei allows him to focus solely on it. Having introduced weapon mastery as a secondary focus for Gai to have more reach.
Even so, Orochimaru won't let him slack off on only that, constantly interrupting his training with surprise attacks, sometimes with weapons, sometimes with jutsu. Even genjutsu is thrown into the mix. When he isn't attacking the routine, he is forcing more esoteric knowledge into Gai's head. The slippery snake even managed to challenge Gai to find a way to exercise his brain while exercising his body, and now Gai can always be found with a scroll or book while training.
Even Sensei hasn't been able to do anything about the… Loudness, so far. Gai will be Gai, no matter the circumstances it seems.
Genma on the other hand, Orochimaru probably pushes hardest out of all of us. I wish I could say it's because he sees something in my teammate. But Orochimaru-Sensei bluntly told him on our first day, that he saw nothing special in him, and if Genma wanted to survive the experience - he'd follow Orochimaru-Sensei's routine to within an inch. Only with complete dedication would Orochimaru-Sensei allow his continued presence.
Genma was pushed to the limit in Taijutsu, even though not anywhere near Gai's amount in exercise and strength routines - it is still something above and beyond anything I ever saw in Canon. Orochimaru-Sensei focused a lot on flexibility with Genma, surprising us all by beginning the first steps of his own serpent style of Taijutsu with Genma, once he proved his dedication to training.
When not being beaten to within an inch of his life, Genma was being trained in thrown weapons, poison, precision and stealth. Orochimaru-Sensei obviously priming him for assassin work. I couldn't say for sure if that is what Genma was doing in Canon. But I sure as hell am not arguing with Orochimaru-Sensei over it either.
I barely have the energy most days to locate my bed before I pass out for the night.
The state of the house is not… Ideal. I have no energy for any kind of cleaning.
My own routine feels hellish enough, even if I know that it is nothing compared to my teammates due to my undeveloped body. Still, Orochimaru-Sensei pushes me hard. I'm constantly under genjutsu barrage, sometimes spending whole days locked in a battle of the mind, exhausting my chakra almost to the point of no return, constantly. Orochimaru-Sensei somehow manages to perfectly gauge it, to leave me just on the edge of dying from chakra exhaustion.
He's very annoying like that. I hate competence in my enemies. He definitely qualifies.
It's not pleasant. It's not fun. But our team could probably right now - a month after forming, kick all the ass. My chakra pool is steadily rising, to the point I might soon be called an equal… To one of the useless graduating girls from Canon. Yeah. My pool isn't going to be large no matter what. Orochimaru-Sensei sure is giving it an effort though. Making me worry about what exactly he has planned for me.
I have seen the files on me. The improvements he has let me see. To try and entice me no doubt. And damn him but it's working. Knowing he likely can increase my chakra pool through surgery, modifications and seals is a tantalizing thought. Not one I can trust. As much as it would help me improve, even if by artificial means. I can't trust him. Can't trust that I won't wake up with a curse seal on me and a piece of his soul riding along.
Just, no.
Of course the more I think about that, the more modifications are left out for me to see. Ways to improve my bone density, oxygenation saturation, artificial muscle layering, seals for everything under the sky…
He's finding amusement in my frustrations. I just know it. Especially as I know he's likely done all of it and more to himself. So I know it works.
Again, trust.
But I worry I will bite the bullet one day. Lately I've been struggling with the thoughts.
Kami, I miss Kushina-shisou, everything was so much easier with her around as my moral compass.
I shake off the thought, not worth going there. I'll just become depressed at her month long absence, I think, continuing my early morning walk towards Team 9's training ground. Continuing to ponder the training we've been through for the past month.
Orochimaru-Sensei hasn't started on ninjutsu with any of us yet. Claiming we're too weak to handle altering reality. Which is a load of bullshit really, because what is genjutsu if not altering reality, and he was fine with teaching that to both myself and Genma. It is annoying that even the evil monster with no ethics, subscribes to the idea that genin are too stupid to handle fireballs.
I know I don't have the chakra pool. But I want to be able to set someone on fire with my mind, okay. Genjutsu is fun, but it doesn't count the same way.
Gai, Orochimaru-Sensei decided. Lacked the subtlety for genjutsu. Which I thought was a remarkably kind way for our Sensei to explain it. For him it was downright genial.
It's been a strange month all in all. I haven't seen anyone around except for my team and Sensei. Kakashi was gone, Dan hadn't come by that I know of. Kushina-shisou isn't back. She isn't back, why isn't she back? Is she okay?
Right, no more of that!
My training is improving leaps and bounds, Orochimaru-Sensei helping my leaf technique improve, amongst other things.
Like poison resistance.
We all get all the poison resistance.
So. Many. Snakes.
I enter our shared training ground reflexively scanning for snakes, a month has passed. I'm ready for whatever this new month will bring.
Believe it!
Damn it! I thought I got rid of that!
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Before too long I hear Gai coming. I have to get up at ungodly hours to be able to beat him to the training ground, but those few early minutes are the only peace I get in a day, so I force myself to get up earlier and earlier - to continuously beat Gai here and enjoy my few moments of serenity.
"Inohana-chan! YOSH! Your youth shines brightly, you've beaten me once again!" Gai bellows as he enters the training ground in a whirlwind of limbs and dirt, a furrow dug into the ground as he skids to a stop, sweat already dripping off his face, the boulder he was carrying on his back is gingerly lowered to the ground so that Gai can straighten up and give me his customary thumbs up and blinding smile, "I am invigorated by your efforts to be bright and early!"
I sigh in resignation, so much for that nice quiet morning, I think ruefully, I'd been thinking too hard on the way and taken longer than usual. As such, my usual alone time had been minimized, and now shattered, by Gai's arrival. "Good morning, Gai." I say politely, flashing him a small, almost affectionate grin.
It's almost impossible to actually resent the guy. He's just too nice. Thankfully he's not yet as obsessive as in Canon, so I'm not facing a hundred challenges a day or anything of the like. He's loud and will regularly drive me to plot murder… But he's also got my back unquestionably and takes anything I say seriously. I hate that I like him, but kami help me, I do.
I like him so much more than Kakashi for example.
"Oh, goodie, burst eardrums is just what I asked for this morning." Genma says with a lazy drawl as he saunters into the clearing, trademark senbon between his lips, dark bags under his eyes and his face pale and clammy.
I look much alike, the effects of almost 24/7 of training and the various poisonings we've been subjected to.
Gai, skin tan, teeth impossibly white and without a single sign of sleep deprivation, shouts in excitement as Genma joins us, "YOSH! We are all ready for this most excellent morning!" He immediately drops into one armed push ups, channeling his excitement into training.
I share a tired look with Genma, both of us have given up on griping out loud about his impossible stamina and unfair ability to not look like a corpse. It's no fun complaining when the person you complain about just smiles at you and offers to help you train until the poison seeps out of your sweat.
Which… Doesn't work like that. But try telling Gai that. His solution to everything is to train some more. And irritatingly enough it seems to work for him.
"Yes, training… Yay." Genma drones, one hand casually by his hip pouch as his eyes evaluate our surroundings.
He's not the only one, as soon as he arrived I'd begun scanning around us as well, standing lightly on the balls of my feet, ready to move at any sign. Just waiting for it.
It doesn't always happen immediately, sometimes we get a few minutes of sacred peace. But whenever all three of us have all arrived for a day of training, the chance is there that Orochimaru-Sensei will attack. By chance I mean he will. Or snakes will. Or a confused genin team that one time for some reason.
Not as in let's show you how it's done, let me teach you what an ambush is like, kind of way. Orochimaru isn't that nice.
More as a, let's destroy the genin absolutely - to show us how far behind we are and so that we get used to always looking for an ambush, kind of way. Or so I assume, it could just be Orochimaru-Sensei's sadism at play.
Because he sure likes beating us like drums in the morning. I've gotten really good at self healing with the mystical palm thanks to all the practice I've had. Without it I'd have to be healed every day by Sensei, and with my aversion to healing… Yeah… Training is uncomfortable enough as is without that bonus. Thankfully Orochimaru-Sensei heals my teammates because of my pathetic reserves.
"YOSH, it is one of the good days!" Gai declares when a minute passes by with absolutely no giant snakes, poison clouds or A-rank ninjutsu greeting us.
There's not a single broken bone between us and it's already two minutes past six. That's suspicious as hell.
"Don't jinx it bowl-head!" I hiss angrily at Gai, a kunai sliding into my hand as I get slightly lower, bending my knees, ready for the inevitable punishment for relaxing our guard. Even if it is only Gai.
Genma chews on his senbon, rolling it around in his mouth as he looks around, visibly sweating, "I don't like it." He declares. Fingers twitching over his weapons pouch. Genma is usually the first one to fall, Orochimaru-Sensei targeting him first in most scenarios for some reason.
Gai continues with his push ups, seemingly unconcerned, but I know he's smarter than that, he likes pretending though, so we let him have his fun. His brow furrows as he looks reproachfully at me, "Inohana-chan, such nicknames are not good for team synergy. You may call me Konoha's green beast if you wish to adopt a pet name for me."
I swallow, trying a silent Kai, but still nothing. I give Gai a jerky nod, "Sure, buddy, I'll get right on that." I say, flashing a hand signal to my two teammates, trying to cover the sight from the treeline with my body. Underground? Sense?
Out of all of us I have the best sensing technique, except Orochimaru can somehow beat it whenever he feels like it now. Gai is able to sense the vibrations through the ground if he concentrates, sometimes catching Orochimaru-Sensei before he can surface. Basically whenever Sensei finds it amusing to give us a few seconds warning.
So, not often.
Gai's push-ups aren't just for show, he's no doubt doing his best to sense any change in the soil right now, while any onlooker would see him acting with no concern.
Genma isn't much of a sensor, although Orochimaru-Sensei claims he has the capability if he works hard, but he's a hell of a trapper after a month of Orochimaru-Sensei catching him in them. Genma has studied them furiously to try and turn the table, I know he has the entire area covered in them. Not to actually do anything to Sensei, because hah. That's just an exercise in futility. No, they're there to go off at the slightest whiff of chakra, the slightest movement heavy enough to be a human. They're an early warning system.
A system that so far has caught plenty of people throughout the month. Including a very embarrassed ANBU agent two days ago.
Never Sensei.
Gai and Gemma both flash back negatives. There's no sign of anything. Genma grows more paranoid as I slowly step closer to my teammates, Gai slowing down on his push ups, as even his eyes flicker around, visibly wondering now. Where's the attack? Or the trap, the genjutsu nightmare? Anything?
Genma and I get back to back as Gai stands up and finishes the triangle, all of us looking around the clearing in suspicion and paranoia. Albeit Gai is mostly following our lead, he's nuts enough to find the ambushes and torture hallucinations, fun training. But even he can see something is off today.
"Did someone kill Sensei?" Genma jokes quietly, eyes hard and wary. Under the cover of his words a tiny pinprick of chakra alights on his left pinky finger of the hand he's holding behind his back, my senses immediately pick up on it, our own team code that we have crafted based on my sensing ability. Left pinky finger means - move location?
"Perhaps he's received a mission from Hokage-Sama and is simply late." Gai rebutted calmly, before pumping a fist in the air, excitement pouring out of him suddenly, a fire lit in his eyes, "YOSH! We'll finally get a most awesome mission to bring out the spirit of YOUTH!" Hidden under his exuberance Gai does his own query to me, his left middle finger alighting with unseen chakra for barely a second. Gather information?
As both of them do not have the sensing ability I do, my replies can not come in chakra pulses without being completely obvious. So we'd crafted different responses that would not only deliver my reply to the recipient, but my other teammate would also know the query and response based on what I say.
"I wish I'd eaten a bigger breakfast this morning." I say with a small sigh. The sentence has two meanings. If said in a cheerful way it's answering Genma with - no, stay on location. If like I just did, it's answered wearily or tiredly - it means move.
Both my teammates immediately follow my lead as we burst into speed, exiting the clearing. All of us are expecting some kind of response. We've got weapons out, ready to let loose, my chakra already primed to lash out with genjutsu and chakra strings.
There's nothing.
We end up meeting three training grounds down river from our nominal training ground, now really wondering what's changed. None of us let our guard down, but we're honestly baffled at the change in routine. Where's our murderous sensei?
"Should we go to the Hokage? Maybe something has really happened?" Genma asks, several senbons held between his fingers, his eyes scanning the forests around us compulsively. Before flicking up for a moment, returning to our surroundings after verifying nothing is there.
We haven't had too many times where we have suddenly been attacked from the sky. But it's happened enough that we reflexively watch the sky as well at all times.
You can only have so many snakes fall down on you and bite your face or scalp before you start paying attention to all your surroundings.
Gai shakes his head determinedly, "No, friend Genma, If Sensei is late, it is a test of our resourcefulness and youthful vigor!"
It's certainly possible. Just out of character for how the last month has gone, making me lean more towards Genma's theory that something's happened.
I bite my lip, both of my teammates waiting for my decision. I don't much appreciate having the leadership of the team thrust on me, being the youngest and all. I know it makes sense, and I'm certainly the smartest one in the group. But I'm also a colossal fuck up and I don't want to mess this team up. We don't have a choice though, even if my teammates want another choice - Orochimaru-Sensei has laid down the law. I'm the team leader.
I quickly found out this fact last month, that with anything I protest against too vigorously, Sensei finds great amusement in pushing it through as often as possible. Or he makes it permanent, like my team leader position.
It had taken me most of the month to get Gai to stop calling me captain.
"We'll treat it like a stealth exercise." I finally decide. "We'll get into Konoha proper and try and find out where Sensei is." I meet my teammates eyes, blinking rapidly as the rising sun gets in my eyes, "We'll do… Hmm.." I mutter to myself, "Hokage's tower or the research department first? Let's do the tower." I order, the team moving immediately after.
Towards the research department. My blinking, ostensibly brought on by the sun glare, had passed along to do the opposite of my next suggestion.
Yes, Orochimaru has us so paranoid that we have several dozen signals between us to this effect. Mostly because whenever he catches us making any kind of decision or team communication too openly, he breaks something.
Usually me.
We learned quickly.
If someone is that good that they can follow us while we're running, without our notice, then either way, these tricks won't matter at all. But if they're not at that level. We'll lose them on the way and catch them out when they inevitably reveal themselves having to rush to catch back up to us.
We barely get out of the clearing before we're all dragged into the ground cursing and screaming as several mud clones of Sensei appear out of nowhere.
Just another Monday after all.
＊＊＊
Same time, Hokage's tower
Orochimaru curled his lips in amusement as he sat before his sensei, the people in the office, already just by their presence - informing him of the subject matter of the meeting.
The time, six in the morning, an obvious way to have him separated from his students without letting them know something is wrong by calling him away in the middle of training.
How little they know.
Either way, his mud clones could and would play with the kids anyway, once they arrived from the tower, the delay was just another fun game to play.
Orochimaru was certain that they were freaking out right now. The routine changed, they wouldn't just accept that, not anymore. They were absolutely paranoid now, almost ready for joining the war, just lacking the fine tuning of their skill and the experience - which would come by itself once they jumped in the deep end.
Oh, he couldn't wait!
He, perhaps, should thank the people present today. In his eagerness to instill a degree of competence in the children, it had made him forget that random chaos had its uses as well.
His team off its leash after the last month of constant hardcore training would make for an amusing sight running around Konoha. Ah, perhaps he'd erred in sending his clones after them after all.
His smile widened as the Hokage settled himself in front of him, he was already looking forward to punishing the team later for failing. What exactly they failed at, he could make up later.
It didn't matter after all. They'd improve anyway in a childish attempt to spite him. Playing right into his hands.
"Orochimaru, you can guess, I suspect, why you're here." His sensei said tiredly, waging a war again was markedly aging the man, and yet he refused to plunge to the depths to fix that problem. Orochimaru couldn't understand his sensei at all. All that power yet not the will to properly apply it.
Orochimaru's eyes swept to the side, where Tsunade and Dan were sitting next to each other, but markedly not close together. "I have no idea, sensei." He replied blithely, inwardly amused.
Dan, looking much fitter already after a month, made a protesting noise in the back of his throat as he sat with Tsunade, not willing to speak out over his Hokage but also not willing to sit silently. Ostensibly the two were here together, but still they sat just apart, there was no hand holding or anything like that. How interesting. Orochimaru thought, eyes sliding to his morose looking teammate. Ah, she's still not managed to earn forgiveness. How ridiculous…
Orochimaru put it out of his mind. It wasn't anything he could use, what with his internal promise to not interfere with Tsunade. He made a note to speak with her afterwards though, and point out how this weakness of hers and her propensity for making it so obvious, could lead to future issues with their enemies.
"By all means, Dan, if you wish to speak, explain it." The Hokage said wryly, taking the opportunity to start packing his pipe.
Orochimaru sent it a dirty look, receiving a mischievous look back from the old man. Having such a habit was just begging for someone to poison the supply of tobacco or replace the pipe with one with an exploding seal on the inside. Sentiment, such a useless thing… And trust his sensei to delegate the discussion to the complainant, likely just to prick at Orochimaru's patience.
"He knows why he's here…" Dan said darkly, face grim, "His continued abuse of three genin!"
"Ku ku ku." Orochimaru chuckled, tilting his head and giving Dan a superior look, eyes glinting with malice, "What would you know of training genin?" He hissed out, delighting in the dark look he got in return.
Having stolen said prospective genin from him, Orochimaru delighted in the barely held back rage he felt simmering under the surface in the recovering Jounin.
"I know that breaking their bones, poisoning them, wearing them down for sixteen hours a day, are all abusive practices and proves that you're unfit to be a Jounin-Sensei, Orochimaru!" Dan ground out, a vein visibly pulsing in his neck.
Tch, showing his anger like that. It was like he was new to being a Jounin, had his coma wiped away all his conditioning? Orochimaru thought with scorn.
Orochimaru smiled pleasantly, laying his hands in his lap, obviously he'd gotten to the other man by constantly breaking and rebuilding the girl. But it was unseemly for him to be so obvious about it. "They haven't complained." He said mildly. Amused at the way both the Hokage and Tsunade were taking a backseat in this discussion, both of them were hardly the kind to shy away from taking charge normally.
He'd initially been annoyed that the Hokage let Dan begin this discussion, but with how poorly the man held on to his emotions, it was actually turning out to be quite the treat.
"They're obviously too afraid to complain because of your stature…" Dan rebuked, turning to the Hokage imploringly, "Hokage-Sama, surely you see that it's excessive, the damage that is being done?"
Hiruzen puffed out a smoke ring, before briefly eyeing Orochimaru, "It is a bit excessive, Orochimaru-kun." He said slowly, in a way that Orochimaru knew meant that he needed a good excuse to make this all go away.
Orochimaru smiled, "We are in a state of war. My team, thanks to my efforts, have gelled so perfectly that they can practically read each other's mind, their physical state is beyond that of any of their yearmates to the point I would pit them against all of them at the same time and expect their victory." His smile widened, fangs visible as amusement danced in his eyes, "By that I mean each of them, by themselves, against all the rest." He hissed jubilantly.
Ninjutsu, while the pinnacle of Shinobi skills in his opinion, at this level, was mostly pointless. His team had learned how to always stay on their toes, strike to debilitate or kill only, trained their senses to the max. They'd eat the other genin alive.
Dan growled, making a move to stand up, but Tsunade reached out and stopped him, giving a slow shake of her head. Dan gave her a disgusted look, pushing her hand away as he stood up anyway, facing Orochimaru.
Orochimaru almost rolled his eyes at the dramatics. What did he think it would achieve? Pushing away the Sandaime's favored student was going to help him win this argument how? If the dunce had a clever bone in his body he'd have made up with the slug princess before this, no matter his personal feelings. Then he could have manipulated the Hokage through Tsunade. As it was, he'd already handed the argument on a platter to him by his emotional reaction.
The Sandaime sometimes succumbed to a good sob story, but not to anger. Or hypocrisy.
"They are children! They are not a part of the war, you can not justify your actions with that excuse, Orochimaru!" Dan argued stubbornly. "Give them to me." He said passionately, turning towards the Hokage. "I can help them progress more naturally."
The Hokage didn't even need to hear Orochimaru's words at that point. Dan was misunderstanding the balance of power in the room to a frankly - to Orochimaru - hilarious degree. The snake Sannin chuckled audibly as the Hokage slowly shook his head.
"There will be no swapping of Jounin-Senseis." He stated firmly, pointing his pipe at Dan, "I appreciate your concern, Jounin. But we are at war, and I am seeing results in their trajectory. Unless the genin in question make a formal complaint and it is proven true, this is neither the business of the Hokage, nor of unrelated Shinobi as yourself."
Dan sank back into his seat, looking aggravated, but not enough to outright question his Hokage. "Inohana doesn't have her guardian available to complain to." He tried one last shot, proving to everyone in the room what his complaint was really about. Not aiding his quest there, to show his hypocrisy so blatantly. He'd really lost his step being away from the action for so long, Orochimaru thought.
"Her father hasn't complained, has he?" Orochimaru hissed out pleasantly. Dan's face grew red in anger, but he had nothing to really say back, for all the theatrics, the man was still the child's legal guardian.
Orochimaru knew his sensei. Although he'd step in if he believed the situation was dire enough, he wouldn't involve himself in such an obvious play as this. Dan had made a complaint because of a student he'd missed out on, in an attempt to grab that student for himself. In the meantime showing less concern for the whole team he'd actually filed a complaint for. His sensei wouldn't be pleased with such obvious maneuvering.
Few things could set the Sandaime on a warpath such as Jounin interfering or sabotaging other Jounin-Senseis teams. And if team 9 was showing promise, and had made no official complaints. Poking his nose in, as Dan was doing, was definitely not looked on favorably by the old man.
Dan would have saved them all some time by being honest about what he wanted from the beginning. He'd still have been turned down, but the Sandaime wouldn't have wasted time on this meeting then at least.
To Orochimaru, it reeked of desperation. A ploy by a man lacking any other means and giving a last ditch effort to at least be able to say he tried.
Time would tell if he'd see Dan interfering again to try and help the girl. Or if this had been more to soothe his own feelings before returning to Tsunade's tender mercies, more than anything else.
Orochimaru watched the man cynically. Cataloging all his tells.
Personally he believed the latter. After all, nothing really stopped the man from tracking the girl down after - or even during his training, to speak to her.
And he was fairly certain his snakes would have caught the scent of the man if he had. Especially considering they were specifically looking for his particular scent, as he'd be able to disrupt his plans if he interacted too much with his plaything.
He kept track. So far, no one had interrupted what he was doing with the girl. Not even at her home, where Orochimaru was not present. To his surprise, a pleasant surprise that he had not expected. Even as cynical as he was, he'd still expected those still in the village - like Mikoto and Dan, to attempt something.
Orochimaru shook his head as his sensei and Dan continued on with the argument, even though it was obvious it was already decided.
What a pointless waste of his time.
＊＊＊
"This does please me." Ichimaru said gaily, waving the scroll he'd been given in the air. He hummed thoughtfully to himself, "I suppose you can keep your hand." He allowed, magnanimously.
The pale rogue ninja that was being held down by two silent blank-faced men shuddered in relief, "T- thank you, I'll j-just be g-going then?" He stuttered out, sweat dripping off his face. It had just been a minor job, some information gathering for a mercenary group. He hadn't signed up for this! Where did a civilian get this kind of firepower or the balls to torture a ninja like this?
Ichimaru nodded seriously, "Of course. I'm a man of my word." He gestured to the silent ninja to the right of their captive. Eyes gleaming as he leaned forward slightly as if cherishing the moment.
The drawing of a blade had the rogue ninja begin struggling against his captors, but it was no use, his chakra was fully suppressed, and the bugs on his skin were secreting some sort of paralytic, hampering his efforts. He let out a scream as his right hand was cut cleanly off in one swing, the chakra blade shining briefly as it cut through him like a knife through butter.
He tried to hold himself together as the pain hit a crescendo when one of the oddly blank and expressionless ninja cauterized the wound. His face turned to the scary civilian, the question obvious on his face, even as the paralytic was making it impossible for him to speak.
Ichimaru raised an eyebrow, a mocking look of surprise on his face. "Such an insolent face, I said you could keep your right hand, and you can!" He waved to the obvious Aburame, "Give the gentleman his right hand back, we can't have him thinking I don't keep to my word, can we?"
The severed right hand was put in his belt, the rogue ninja regretting ever taking on the job in the first place, even if it looked like he'd leave with his life at least. All this for spying on some girl. Skilled for a genin, maybe. But she wasn't even from a clan. Why a mercenary organization even wanted to keep tabs on such trash, eluded him.
Although, he thought, as he watched the man who'd tortured him for information and took his scroll containing the information he'd gathered so far, if she had a father like him. Perhaps there was some logic to keeping an eye on her.
Tsubiki Ichimaru gave him one last lazy look, "Do what you want with him." He ordered the gathered ninja."I've given him his hand, so it doesn't matter to me what happens to him now."
The rogue ninja sent a hateful last look at Ichimaru as death rushed for him, the fear driven out of him with the knowledge of his end. People that played the kind of mind games he did - they were the worst kind of people. His last thought was that hopefully the organization that hired him would end up moving for the girl at some point - and by extension harm the father.
Without ceremony, the rogue ninja was killed, one of the ninja in the room dragging the body out, making a mess as he did from all the bleeding the corpse had managed in the short time since it's death.
Ichimaru wrinkled his nose, "So messy." He complained lightly, not meaning a word."I thought you were all so devoid of personality that you'd just stab him in the heart or something." Idly he mimed stabbing someone using the scroll he was still holding, chuckling to himself.
The deal he'd struck was becoming sweeter and sweeter over time. Even if he had to deal with cockroaches and boring bland puppets that were hardly even worth cutting up.
The root agent cocked his head, answering blandly, "Severing the carotid artery is a valid means of inducing death."
Ichimaru itched to show the drone all the valid means of inducing death he knew, but for now, he needed his ally. For all that the man thought Ichimaru was nothing but a pawn. Ninja and their silly underestimation of what a rich enough civilian could accomplish.
Someone had hired the useless scrub to spy on his lovely daughter. He'd have to go ahead and hire someone to explain to them why no one should touch his things. He could use his borrowed drones of course, but they were just so boring.
He wanted a slaughter, not a snoozefest.
"But it's hell on the carpet, bah, you don't understand my pain." Ichimaru groused, tapping the scroll against his chin, not really caring about the blood on the carpet, he had twenty of them in storage due to how often that happened after all. "My baby girl is getting to be a real killer out there, you're keeping your word to me, I like that." He said, eyeing the silent agent at the door who hadn't participated in the execution. The handler for the pack of drones he'd borrowed.
"Danzo-sama always delivers, you will deliver on your end." The masked man said, equally as bland as the rest of them. Ichimaru was fairly sure that was supposed to be a thinly veiled threat, but the delivery had been so bland it was hard to tell. Ninja. Absolutely useless at making proper tools.
At least that Sannin seemed to be wielding his daughter properly for the moment.
"Of course, of course." Ichimaru chuckled, before grinning sharply, "I am a man of my word, after all!"
＊＊＊
The next day.
Team 9 training ground, early morning.
I glare suspiciously at my sensei. "Why am I the only one here?" I ask, warily glancing around the clearing, seeing nothing, but that is hardly comforting, considering Orochimaru's skill level.
The chilly air and the sounds of bird song that usually soothes me before my training, does not help me now as I ready myself, my thoughts going a mile a minute as this deviation from norms induces a fight or flight state in me.
Orochimaru smirks, looking very pleased with himself, the fact he openly shows it, makes me even more wary. Nothing good can come from it. A happy Orochimaru-Sensei is never a good thing for me, or my team.
At the very least, I can count on pain in my future, I pessimistically suspect.
"They're busy with their own tasks." He hisses out, predatory eyes watching my every movement as I shuffle my feet nervously, trying to be ready for anything, including surprise attacks.
"And my task?" I ask, trying to straighten my back, firm up my resolve. Showcase that I won't back down to him. For all that would be worth, if he intends to do anything I disapprove of. I am as likely to actually stop Orochimaru-Sensei as a deep breath is to stop a hurricane.
"Unroll your sleeve, child." Orochimaru says sibilantly, a large purple snake head peeking out from under his own sleeve, its tongue flicking out to taste the air. Its yellow eyes intent on me.
I look at it with tired wariness, I've been chased by snakes so much these last few weeks, I doubt it's as simple as that this time. "Why?" I ask, belatedly rushing out a quick, "Sensei."
I've learned quickly that Orochimaru-Sensei only tolerates disrespect for so long, before it isn't amusing to him anymore, and I'd rather not be bitten by snakes anymore. Poison resistance or not.
I'm not Gai, at some point pain just becomes pain - instead of more training.
Orochimaru chuckles darkly. Raising an imperious eyebrow, my cue to do what I'm told or else. I sigh, but slowly roll up my left sleeve. Leaving my arm bare, for whatever this is. My gut is churning. It can't be… Not the curse seal? He wouldn't dare! I think, a sinking feeling taking hold of me, because he's dared quite a lot. My father dared quite a lot. Neither, to my knowledge, have seen any consequences for their actions.
"The snakes will accept you without difficulty, I believe." Orochimaru says pleasantly, the snake sliding out from his sleeve and approaching me. "A true apprentice." He hisses, amusement shining in his serpentine eyes. A cruel flick of his lips showcasing how much he's enjoying my rising fear. I know he can hear my heartbeat as it speeds up.
I back away, one step at first, then several, keeping my distance from the approaching snake. "I already have a shishou!" I snap, as I start to perspire in cold sweat, not seeing an escape from the situation. Fighting back is beyond pointless. What can I do against Orochimaru? Absolutely nothing.
I can't even die against him to make him lose a potential asset, because he's skilled enough to bring me back. I have literally no moves to play. My fists clench as I grit my teeth. So, damn WEAK! I rage against myself as I stand, shaking in front of the ultimate predator.
"You'll find that I'm a better one." Orochimaru says coldly, as he stalks forward, following his snake, "Inohana, there is no need to make this more difficult for yourself, child. This will happen." He says forcefully, his voice going low enough to be barely audible. The chill in the clearing now, is not only a product of the breeze. Orochimaru pressing his intent down on me, killing intent flaring up, caressing my skin like a lover - if the lover was a sociopath wanting to skin me to wear me to a party…
I'm too weak. Always too weak. I glare back at the monster in front of me. I will get stronger. I have to! I will get stronger and destroy people like him!
"I don't want to summon snakes!" I reply, voice steady by some miracle, or a feat of will I didn't know I had. "That must count for something? Surely the snakes don't want a summoner who's unwilling?" I pose this to the snake as much as Orochimaru, a last hope attempt.
It's just barely perceptible to me, as Orochimaru disappears from where he stood in front of me, and appears behind me, immediately locking me down with paralysis by a touch, my bare arm free. I can't even panic properly, not able to move at all.
Orochimaru chuckles above me as the snake rears up to strike. "Ah, you'll get to know the snakes, child. Wants have very little to do with it. There's prey and predators… That is all they know or care about."
I can see the cold smirk on his face in my peripheral vision as he bends down to whisper to me, "I'd advise you to shed the moniker of prey soon, for your own good."
The snake strikes, sinking its fangs into my forearm. I can't even scream, locked in paralysis as I am, but tears appear and run silently down my face, as fuuinjutsu slowly appears on my arm, a copy of Orochimaru's summoning tattoo. The pain isn't anything, pain is an old friend by now. My choice being taken away. Again. Forced into this… That's hard to deal with, my emotions in turmoil as I chastise myself for showing weakness in front of Orochimaru-Sensei by crying.
For better or worse.
I'm now a snake summoner.
＊＊＊
Author's note:
Inohana won't have the chakra capacity to use any snakes worth anything for a while, but Orochimaru doesn't care about silly little things like a person's capabilities. Or ethics and morals. You know, those useless things.
As with everything else, don't take everything Orochimaru says as the word of God. He has his own biases and way of looking at the world.
Not sure how happy I am with this chapter. It's a bridge chapter, sure. Setting things up and dumping a bit of information instead of anything particularly exciting, but maybe it's my hiatus just making it feel off. Or perhaps because much of the story has been Kushina and Inohana playing off each other and now Kushina is temporarily not in the picture.
Anyways.
I'm back in the saddle so hopefully won't be as long until the next installment of how much Inohana can suffer before she snaps and kills everyone.
And she's a genjutsu user primarily, so killing everyone would be done in a very creative way.
But she won't.
Maybe.
Cheers
JollyHippopotamus