Disclaimer: This chapter includes characters from Kishimoto's outstanding work, as well as a few of my own OC's. It is quite long.
Chapter 2: Snakes, Spies, and Uchiha Eyes
"Your medical skills are advancing admirably," Kabuto said as he led Tsubaki through a section of the hideout she had never seen before. "Which is why I have decided to introduce you to a particularly useful technique for healing those who may be less... trustworthy."
Tsubaki didn't bother to ask him for clarification. She would see for herself what he meant soon enough.
They entered what appeared to be an indoor arena, and Tsubaki was assaulted by a wall of sound that was almost deafening. She noticed with growing unease that the roar wasn't coming from a crowd of spectators. The stands surrounding the dirt floor were eerily devoid of occupants. Instead, two cages in the center of the arena were generating earsplitting shrieks and growls, along with cries that sounded suspiciously like "Death!" and "Kill!"
"Meet Juugo and Kin." Kabuto's voice was barely audible over the noise of the two creatures he indicated. "One of them will require your attention shortly. However, they are quite temperamental. To ensure that they do not immediately turn on you after your healing, you will need to use a new technique. You will leave what I like to call a 'chakra tag.' Throughout the healing, a small bit of your chakra is left behind, like a tag, which allows you to quickly reverse your healing if the need arises, even after you finish."
"Won't that be a constant drain on my chakra?" she shouted over the din.
"The drain is minimal, but you will notice it. Imagine leaving a loose thread that allows the healing to unravel. The tag eventually disappears after the time it would take for the condition to heal on its own. If, for any reason, your chakra is cut off before that time elapses, the healing will reverse. This gives your enemy a powerful incentive not to kill you."
Both cages opened suddenly, and two monsters flew at each other in a blur of fangs and claws. They seemed oblivious to their surroundings as they tried to tear one another limb from limb. One had a bright shock of orange hair atop its head, while the other had patches of white fur. The white fur did not stay white for long, as the orange-haired creature—Juugo, she realized—took the upper hand.
Tsubaki watched the violence unfolding before her. "Kabuto-sensei, please make them stop." She knew her request would fall on deaf ears, but she hated the feeling of being a silent observer of undeniable cruelty. Her response was a mechanical attempt to quiet her conscience.
"That would not suit our purpose," he said. And she knew there was nothing more she could do.
The fight continued until Kin fell to the ground after a particularly devastating blow. He didn't move.
Just as Tsubaki was certain Juugo was going to follow his strike with a fatal attack, another figure flew into the arena at blinding speed. Sharp white rods shot from the pale blur, immobilizing Juugo in an irregular cage.
"Enough," the white-haired man said.
To Tsubaki's astonishment, the orange-haired monster transformed before her eyes. Although still larger than usual, Juugo now looked every bit an ordinary man.
"What amazing strength," Kabuto muttered. Then he commanded, "See to your patient."
Tsubaki approached Kin cautiously. When she was certain he was unconscious, she began her exam.
She immediately withdrew her hand at the foul sensation of the chakra flowing through his system. It was distorted, unnatural, and seemed to carry a malevolent will of its own.
When she glanced at Kabuto, he flashed his glasses at her. She had come to recognize the gesture as a sign that he was testing her. She was sick of his tests, and she was sick of him. She didn't look at Kabuto again.
The second time she examined Kin, she didn't pull away. Everything about the examination and healing that followed drained her more than usual. The added strain from attempting to successfully incorporate Kabuto's "chakra tag" had sweat beading on her forehead.
So focused was she on the healing that she didn't react in time when sharp claws flashed upwards to tear through her abdomen.
The next moments passed in slow motion. She let go of the healing she had been performing, which caused Kin to fall limply back to the ground. She didn't have a chance to appreciate the fact that her chakra tag had been effective because her full attention was drawn to the loops of bowel that she could see beginning to spill through her gaping wounds.
Despite the agonizing pain, she was actually able to call healing chakra to her hands in an attempt to hold herself together, but the damage was too severe.
She noticed that Kabuto made it to her side before she gave in to darkness.
When she woke, she recognized the white room where she had performed so many healings before. She assessed her injuries. The pain was bearable. Someone, most likely Kabuto, had done an expert job repairing the worst of the damage. Three large scars remained. She could repair those to some extent later, but she suspected that even with her healing abilities, she would likely bear the marks to remind her of her lapse in attention for the rest of her life.
"Your defenses are weak," Kabuto said.
She hadn't noticed him standing nearby. "No kidding."
"In light of that fact, you will receive training in combat techniques."
The revelation filled her with resigned sadness. Fighting was different from healing. You faced death either way, but with healing there was hope. Fighting just led to brokenness. It was the part of the shinobi world she hated the most.
Unsurprisingly, Kabuto's lesson plan for combat instruction mirrored his lesson plan for healing. He insisted she learn through practice by trial and error.
She lost a lot of blood and earned dozens more scars in the weeks of combat that followed. With prompt medical attention, she managed to clear the evidence of all but the most severe injuries. Only someone who looked closely would appreciate the marks that betrayed the trials she endured.
Periodically, Kabuto offered her scrolls with new skills he expected her to incorporate when fighting. Chakra scalpels were exceptionally useful, she had realized, and that technique allowed her to advance to fighting opponents with the curse marks.
The curse mark turned ordinary people into vicious monsters like Juugo and Kin. She suffered defeat upon defeat at their fangs and claws, but her attacks grew in strength and creativity. And most importantly, she kept herself alive so that she might someday have a chance to use her skills to save her sister.
Tsubaki was grateful that Sayuri's training was not nearly as brutal. Although her sister was regularly poked and prodded, she never suffered any severe injuries. Orochimaru occasionally placed the girl in a container filled with strange fluid and attached dozens of monitors. On those days, she would return to their room more exhausted, and Tsubaki would gradually help her replenish her chakra levels.
"Will we ever leave this place?" Sayuri asked after one such day.
"I'm getting stronger every day. As soon as I can, I will do everything in my power to get you out of here." Tsubaki was beginning to formulate a plan to free her little sister, but she hadn't figured out a scenario that would allow for both of them to escape alive. She needed more time to think.
The door swung open, and Kabuto strode into the room, interrupting their time together. He handed her a yellowed scroll. "I think you will enjoy this particular scroll." His glasses flashed, and he left as quickly as he had come.
Tsubaki stared at the scroll. The seal on the outside was unmistakable, despite having been broken in the past, and the sight of it made her heart beat faster. This was a Senju scroll.
She burned with irritation that it had fallen into the possession of such scum, but it had found its way back to her, and she held it reverently.
She gently unrolled the parchment and began to read the faded script.
On Countering Doujutsu Interrogation:
The Mind Forest Technique
By: Tobirama Senju
Doujutsu such as the Sharingan pose a threat that cannot be ignored. To face them in battle carries the risk of a swift death. But death is preferable to involuntarily divulging secrets that betray your comrades in arms.
The Sharingan is a dangerous interrogation tool, however the Senju Clan has developed an effective countermeasure for interrogation by Sharingan-wielders.
The "Mind Forest Technique" requires the intentional formation of a mental landscape, to be encountered by the enemy on any forced entry into one's mind. The most effective layout for such a landscape has been established, and it takes the form of an endless forest.
It is hypothesized that the imagined forest reinforced by chakra complements the natural form of the dendritic cells in the neural networks, strengthening the technique. An alternate hypothesis suggests that the technique draws strength from the inherent connection between Senju and the forest. There is not sufficient evidence at this time to verify either claim.
Tobirama's writing was as dry as she remembered. If the way he wrote was any indication, the man probably could have benefited from an investment in a sense of humor. But his insights were ground-breaking, and there was no denying his sharp intellect.
If the Uchiha had the most powerful ocular jutsu as their offense, the Senju had developed the most powerful mental defenses. If it weren't for these defensive tactics, the Senju would have been annihilated by the Uchiha long ago.
She went on to read his detailed description of how to perform the technique. Daily meditation with carefully measured chakra maneuvers served as a foundation. And it seemed the defense needed to build up over time, with at least six months necessary before anyone could be reasonably confident of success.
She wondered why Kabuto had chosen this scroll to give her. Was it a reward for her performance in her training thus far? It was a precious remnant of her ancestors, and she reluctantly admitted she was grateful for the gift. Or was this the next step in her preparation for whatever long-term plan Orochimaru was concocting?
She suspected the latter. The Snake Sannin would not pour so many resources into her formation without a larger end goal. He wanted her strong, that much was evident. But his greater purpose continued to elude her.
After finishing the scroll, she found a comfortable spot and began to follow Tobirama's instruction. It was challenging for her to concentrate initially. Ideas for escape coupled with the knowledge of the chilling consequences of failure prevented her from fully relaxing. She reminded herself that she still didn't have the necessary power to change her situation. The best she could do was to bide her time and increase her strength and skill.
Slowly, she calmed herself and began to shape her mental forest.
The answer to her questions about the purpose of the Senju scroll came six months later.
Tsubaki and her sister were eating lunch together. Such an opportunity was rare between Tsubaki's training and Orochimaru's ever-increasing experiment sessions with Sayuri. A knock sounded on their door, which opened to reveal a man they had never seen before.
He had long, free-flowing blonde hair, and wore bizarrely tinted glasses. Tsubaki wondered why he didn't remove them to see better in the dimly lit quarters. He didn't seem to mind.
Tsubaki tensed when she noticed Orochimaru standing behind him.
"Perhaps I should drive a harder bargain," the man said jovially. "You sure I can't convince you to hand over the younger one? I'll pay handsomely."
The depraved characters who managed to associate with Orochimaru had long since ceased to surprise Tsubaki, but she bristled at the way he spoke of her sister.
"She's not an item to be bought and sold," she said through gritted teeth.
"Ah, but of course. She's so much more than a mere item. A treasure would be more accurate, and I am always careful with my treasures." The man's gentle smile was at odds with his words.
"En," Orochimaru spoke.
"Oh! Where are my manners? My name is En Oyashiro. At your service." He bowed with a flourish. "And Orochimaru-sama, I would never deign to lay claim on what is yours."
"Just test the girl, and we will proceed with negotiations." Orochimaru's tone brooked no argument.
"Alright, if you insist."
Tsubaki and Sayuri watched in wary silence as En removed his glasses. His eyes were purple.
A moment later, they glowed a terrifying red.
Tsubaki felt a violent pressure in her head and fought to keep from crying out. This man had a Doujutsu. As she made a frantic effort to reinforce the defenses she'd been constructing ever since reading the scroll, she distantly heard Orochimaru's voice.
"The Ketsuryugan. Not equivalent to the Sharingan in prowess, but formidable in its own right. Don't worry, Sayuri, your sister has been preparing for this."
His words sent goosebumps down her spine, even as the monstrous pressure on her mind receded.
"If I ever want to spend the day surrounded by trees, I know where to go," En winked. He redirected his attention to Orochimaru. "You really hit the jackpot on these two."
En Oyashiro's visit marked a turning point in Tsubaki's training.
The next morning, instead of being greeted by Kabuto, Orochimaru came to her door.
"Kabuto has done well with you. The final phase of your training will be under my supervision."
Tsubaki set her mouth in a grim line at this news. Kabuto was undoubtedly evil, but she had learned to tolerate him. Orochimaru made her blood boil.
"Don't look so disappointed. You won't have to see much of me. I'll be sending you on missions."
Tsubaki looked up in surprise. It had been two and a half years since she'd been outside their compound. He planned to let her go?
"You will return between missions, of course, within the time frames I specify. Failure to do so will result in unpleasant consequences for your sister. My research has me quite confident that she would survive the curse mark transformation. You Senju are nothing if not resilient."
She tried to maintain a stone-faced expression at his threat, but she failed, and her eyes narrowed in anger. Months of fighting with victims of the curse mark transformation only reinforced her desire to protect her sister from such a fate.
"If you can't learn to hide your feelings, you will quickly fail on your mission. The best spies have absolute control over the emotions they choose to display."
She would be a spy for Orochimaru. The thought disgusted her enough that she weighed the consequences of deserting and finding a way to ask for help.
She could not break free of the hold he had on her through her sister, however. The snake wouldn't hesitate to make good on his threats.
Her first assignment took her to the Hidden Sand. The nation was short on autopsy specialists, and Tsubaki quickly realized why. The Kazekage's son was a loose cannon, and she found herself facing a homicide case load that would drive away even the most morbid of pathologists. She made a note to stay far away from Gaara of the Sand.
When she shared her insights, Orochimaru was delighted. She should have expected his reaction.
He extended her mission which meant that she became an expert in twenty-six different ways a person could be killed by sand. By the end of her stay in the Hidden Sand, she began to suspect that Orochimaru was conducting meetings with the Kazekage.
At first, she wondered what Orochimaru could possibly have to offer the leader of the Hidden Sand. Then she realized that if anyone was an expert on murderous human mutants, it was her master. Shinobi world politics was a dark place, indeed.
Her missions in the months that followed were similarly distasteful, involving spying, sabotage, and to her eternal shame and self-loathing, seduction. She was never forced to commit fully to her role as seductress, but she could still feel the filthy stares and far-too-presumptive touches that made her shudder in bed alone at night. But she learned to school her features and hide her anger, disgust, and sorrow in the presence of others.
On one of her missions, her return was delayed. It was the smallest of delays. Her haste forced her to kill the band of thieves that chose to disrupt her at the tail end of her journey back to Orochimaru's hideout instead of disabling them as she would have preferred. She didn't have time to regret it.
Her lungs burned as she sprinted toward the hideout.
Please make him wait.
With each step, she offered a prayer to any gods who might care to listen.
Please make him wait.
She burst through the door and stopped cold. Her blood felt like ice in her veins and her vision swam before her eyes as she began to hyperventilate.
"We had an agreement."
Tsubaki wasn't fazed by Orochimaru's callous smile, because she couldn't take her eyes off of her sister. Her sister, who fell to the ground screaming and convulsing as the snakes who had been holding her aloft released her. Two puncture wounds dotted her neck. Malignant black markings spread from the wounds.
"What have you done?!" Tsubaki screamed, regaining control of her limbs and rushing forward to her sister.
"I presume that question is rhetorical," Orochimaru said. "I don't make empty threats." He stood nearby, watching with a bored expression. Internally, he was furious, but it had nothing to do with Tsubaki, and everything to do with his pathetic old master and the sting of bitter failure. His attempt to recruit Tsunade had been interrupted by that nuisance, Jiraiya. As a result, his arms still hung useless at his sides. His only solace was knowing that he could finally set in motion his plans for the two remaining Uchiha brothers.
"Sayuri, I'm here. I've got you. I'm not going to let go. I'm right here." Tsubaki held her sister in her arms, stroking her hair and whispering empty reassurances until finally, Sayuri stopped struggling and fell into a deep slumber.
"Now that she's quiet," Orochimaru began, "I will brief you on your final mission. If you choose to accept, and if you complete the mission in its entirety, I will return your sister to you, free of the curse mark, and you will both be released from your service to me. You have a week to prepare. Kabuto has been instructed to provide you with relevant intel to review." He opened his mouth and gagged up a scroll, which he extended to her on his unnaturally long tongue.
Tsubaki accepted the scroll numbly.
"En Oyashiro is looking forward to paying you another visit. I hope you treat him well," he said before slithering away.
Tsubaki carried her sister to their room. After tucking her into bed, she opened the scroll. She spent the night re-reading the words on the page with eyes wide in disbelief and horror. The past three years suddenly made a sickening amount of sense.
Sayuri spent twelve hours unconscious, and Tsubaki found her eyes from being drawn repeatedly to the three black spirals on her neck. All the ideas and plans she had made for freeing her sister shattered to dust with this most recent development. As long as Sayuri bore this mark, Orochimaru would find her. The only way her sister might taste freedom required Tsubaki to sacrifice her own and commit to the impossible task outlined in the scroll.
When the young girl finally awoke, her whispered words broke Tsubaki's heart. "You said you'd love me no matter what. I think... I think I am a monster now. I don't want to hurt anyone, but I'm afraid. What if I can't control it?"
Tsubaki didn't have an answer to her sister's question, but she knew what the girl needed. She wrapped her in an embrace. "I still love you, and you will always be my precious little sister." After a quiet moment she added, "I am going on a mission. If I succeed, Orochimaru has promised to free you from the mark and let us both leave his service."
Sayuri's eyes darkened. "What will you have to do?" The girl had been forced to mature, and she quickly understood that their freedom would not come without a high cost.
"Nothing I haven't trained for. I will serve as a spy, and I will betray a wanted criminal. Then, I will return for you." She made it sound so simple.
Her little sister's troubled eyes spoke volumes. The girl wasn't fooled by the oversimplification. "I know it won't be easy. Just... stay strong. I believe in you."
"Thank you, Sayuri. Never forget how much your older sister loves you." For the first time Tsubaki found herself unable to completely hide the tears that threatened from her little sister.
Shortly after their exchange, Kabuto arrived and took Tsubaki away from her sister. "Say your goodbyes now. You won't have time to see each other again."
Rather than allow Kabuto to intrude on a private moment, Tsubaki simply gave her sister another hug, then squeezed her hand. Everything that needed to be said had already been said. Her preparation began.
In addition to reviewing dozens of scrolls with relevant information and maps, Orochimaru insisted that her mission preparation include starvation. By the end of the week, her chakra reserves were running near empty, and she had developed a dull headache that never left her alone. She suspected this was not strictly necessary for the mission, but the Sannin was clearly miserable, and he had no qualms about making everyone else miserable along with him.
En Oyashiro visited to clarify his expectations for her services to him, and she reluctantly acknowledged her understanding. She also met several of his underlings to whom she would be expected to send regular reports.
Although she hated En and his cronies, as she stood in Orochimaru's chamber alone with the source of all her torment, she reflected that En was almost likeable in comparison. "Your mission will begin shortly. There remains one final step for your preparation," Orochimaru hissed. The inability to use his arms was irksome beyond belief. He was determined to avoid another failure, and he sought to reinforce his expectations. "You understand the consequences if you fail?"
Tsubaki understood more clearly than she had understood anything in her life. If she failed, her sister's life was forfeit. In a sense, she had already failed by allowing herself to reach this point and engaging in repeated negotiations with a terrorist, but she couldn't change the past. Her only remaining option short of giving up was to continue forward on the crumbling path she had chosen.
"I understand," she said.
"Good." As a general rule, if Orochimaru said something was good, it most definitely was not. Faster than her eyes could process, Tsubaki's hands were bound above her head and she was strung up against the brick wall in chains. "Sasuke-kun. It is time for your next lesson."
A small boy with dark hair and darker eyes emerged from the shadows. His skin was pale, which made the dark pattern in his neck stand out. The same mark her sister bore. He looked to be about her sister's age, as well.
"What is this?" the boy asked.
"Sasuke-kun, at the same time you lack restraint, in some matters you are too soft-hearted. I have prepared a test for you," Orochimaru's smile was vile to behold. "Administer a thorough beating to this prisoner, but do not kill her. She has displeased me."
Tsubaki caught the look of distaste that registered on Sasuke's face before it was replaced by a look of boredom. "I have no interest in a defenseless opponent," he said. "I only want to fight those who will make me stronger so I can face my brother."
"Ah, but Sasuke-kun, there are many forms of strength. You came to me seeking the power you lacked. I will give it to you, but you must follow my instructions." Orochimaru was taking pleasure in the exchange, and his tone was almost gloating.
She could no longer hide the disgust she felt toward both individuals before her. "You came here willingly? Can't you see how twisted and evil he is? Don't pretend you're any better than him. If anything, you're even worse because you have every reason to know better." Her words dripped with condemnation as images of her sister's tormented face flashed through her mind.
At her outburst, Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Don't pretend you understand anything about me," he replied evenly.
She had fought with everything in her to avoid this fate for her sister, and now she had to endure the presence of someone who had chosen such an end of his own free will. She wished he would just get over himself and follow his orders so she could get him out of her sight. Orochimaru would have his way sooner or later. "If only you were willing to go as far for love as you are for your hatred."
She felt the air leave her lungs as the fist in her stomach registered. She hadn't even seen him move. He was so pathetically easy to manipulate that she almost felt a twinge of pity for him. Only almost though, because while his life hadn't been easy, his choices remained his own.
"It is because I loved them that I have this hatred. He took everything away from me," Sasuke snarled.
It was just as she had concluded many years ago: the ninja world left too many orphans. The broken boy in front of her who imagined he was the only one to know pain was just one of hundreds, even thousands.
"You're trying to fill that emptiness the wrong way. It will only lead to your destruction." Tsubaki didn't realize how close her words came to those of the boy's former sensei, but she noticed him stiffen. She barely had time to brace for the blows that followed.
Someone really needed to get this kid an extra-strength punching bag. If she was conscious when this was all over, which she highly doubted, she would offer the suggestion to Orochimaru.
His control was laughable, especially to a medic-nin of her caliber. It was only when she looked up at a pause in his blows to see his Sharingan activated that she realized she had laughed aloud.
Sasuke was furious. He hadn't even wanted to hurt the woman in front of him, but she somehow had the nerve to disregard her position and insult him. Her laughter confirmed that she wasn't taking him seriously. If he couldn't convince a chained prisoner that he was serious, how would he stand before his brother?
Almost without a thought, he leapt backward and released two kunai. Neither was directed at a vital area. Her cry of pain as the blades cut through the muscle of her right thigh and the bone of her left hip triggered at once a feeling of satisfaction and faint disgust. Was he as horrible as she claimed? Did he really care? He hardened his heart and made his decision. No. He didn't care.
"Foolish. Uchiha," Tsubaki chided him between carefully measured breaths.
In a moment his hands were around her throat, and her head slammed back into the wall behind her. The last words she heard before the darkness swallowed her were, "No. You are foolish. I am not weak."
She didn't have a chance to see the way Orochimaru watched his pupil with glittering eyes before saying, "Well done, Sasuke-kun."
Author's Note:
The TLDR version of the past two chapters is as follows: Tsubaki trained under Kabuto and Orochimaru and it sucked every bit as much as you would expect it to.
Also, I hate writing fight scenes as much as Tsubaki hates fighting, so if you're looking for expertly written action-packed fun, I'll probably disappoint you.
I actually like Sasuke's character, and my portrayal of him here was not an attempt to bash him. I wanted to give a glimpse of the type of training that I imagine could have shaped him into the cold, unfeeling person his friends met when they finally tracked him down.
Until next time.