"Blah": Talking
'Blah': Demon speaking/Inner Sakura
'Blah': Naruto's thoughts/other people's thoughts
'Blah': Harry talking to Naruto
Hello and welcome back! We got another new chapter for you guys and we're getting Tsunade in this one! With a little twist *wink, wink* I'll let you guys get to it on your own.
It's not very long and it really doesn't have a lot of stuff differing from the manga going on, but I had to leave you guys with something after such a long time.
But I also wanted to take the time to talk about what's been going on, like a journal, seeing as I have been incredibly inactive with my dA account. Sorry about that.
Anyway, over the holiday I saw The Force Awakens, and, if you noticed my inclusion of Rey's Theme and The Scavenger in the previous chapter by the legendary John Williams, then you got a pretty good idea about how much I loved the movie ^^
I will be honest, after I realized how much the prequels sucked (despite watching them as a kid and being my first ever exposure to Star Wars) I pretty much lost any and all interest in the franchise. I still loved the original trilogy, but I hardly watched it over the past couple of years. I pretty much lost my enthusiasm and stuck to watching anime, Doctor Who, sticking with Harry Potter and Marvel Studios. When I heard Disney bought the rights to Star Wars from George Lucas, I hardly cared. When I heard they were going ahead and making a seventh episode to the franchise, I honestly rolled my eyes at the whole thing. I had no faith that the movie was ever going to be good… and boy, have I never been so happy to be proven wrong XD The trailers that came out after they wrapped filming were phenomenally good. Seeing Han Solo and Chewie back in the Falcon and saying, "We're home" officially caught my interest. I still had low expectations, due to my experience with The Last Airbender in 2010, so I was not only surprised with The Force Awakens but it thoroughly entertained me throughout the entire viewing experience. Hell, it actually rekindled my love for Star Wars! It truly captured what made the original trilogy so good; the religious/mythological ideas of the Force and the Jedi, the practical effects, the brutal and emotionally-fueled lightsaber battle XD Oh my god, that duel felt so much more real than any fight in the prequels!
So, in short, I'm a Star Wars fan again, and proud of it!
But don't expect me to start writing any Star Wars fanfiction anytime soon. I really don't feel like I'm truly up to it, especially after being so detached from the series for so many years.
Azeroth44 might pop up later at the end, but let's cut to the chase and get to this chapter already! I hope you guys enjoy!
Reviews are welcome and wanted!
Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto
Harry Potter is property of JK Rowling
Chapter 14: Tsunade and Shizune
Once the storm was over, the rivers and lakes were frozen over, and the fields and mountains that stretched for miles and miles were piled with snow. The New Year had started and the towns and cities that were caught in the storm were now practically buried. But the townsfolk and children playing outside these hamlets, riding sleds down the hills that formed over their homes, didn't seem distressed in the slightest. In the town where Naruto and Jiraiya rode out the storm, it seemed the same as all the other settlements of which the storm hit. The citizens outside were dressed warmly, throwing snowballs, and building snowmen out in the streets. Others took up shovels and tried to clear the roads, digging clear paths in snow for themselves as well as their neighbors to get around town.
{{The Ice Planet Hoth by John Williams}}
Everyone seemed to be in high spirits. But two lone figures were seen leaving town, leaving a trail of their footsteps in the snow as they left civilization behind and entered the wilderness.
The white-haired man and his student hiked through the woods. The roads to their destination were blocked with over fifteen feet of snow, but the trees in the woods were dense and the snow didn't pile up nearly as high. They were able to hike the distance without sinking as much as they would have on the buried roads. They even got the chance to appreciate the almost magical look the winter brought out in the trees. The short blonde one was especially captivated as he raised his head and gazed upon the crystalline, ice-coated vines and capped pine trees.
The tall, white-haired man chuckled at the blonde rookie before he lightly nudged him, "C'mon, now! We still have a ways to go yet, kiddo."
After several hours in their hike, the two of them emerged from the woods and entered a vast field of snow. As the two of them traveled across the field, the two shinobi found the snow was a little less tacked on than it was on the roads. It was still deep but manageable as the two of them headed towards the direction of Tanzaku Town. Jiraiya was in the lead at first, up until Naruto ran out ahead of him. The Sannin, now dressed in a winter cloak, boots, and a new scarf wrapped over the lower half of his face, laughed as he watched his student run ahead. He had given Naruto a brand new set of clothes, including a new winter cloak of his own. The blonde rookie also wore new boots, trousers, shirts, and a new coat he wore underneath his cloak that made him blend in well with a crowd. If it weren't for his energy and enthusiasm, no one would have suspected he was a shinobi.
Naruto stretched out his arms and made his cloak float out with the cool wind. The cold didn't seem to bother him while he wore his new and comfortable threads, aside from his uncovered face; his cheeks were a lot rosier in the cold.
Seeing his student in such high spirits brought a smile on the Sannin's face as he lowered his scarf to speak, "So! You like the new cloak, Naruto?!"
"I love it," the rookie breathed as he raised his arms and raised the hem of his new cloak, before he muttered under his breath, "But you should see my other one…"
Jiraiya walked passed him while he asked, "What was that?"
"Nothing," the blonde rookie answered quickly before he caught up to his teacher, "So is Tanzaku far from here?"
The Sannin replied with a big smile, "Not too far. We should be there in about an hour or less if we run. But I have an idea to pass the time."
Jiraiya fished inside his cloak and into his tunic while Naruto paid close attention. He could tell it was time to continue his training when he saw the Sannin pull out a deflated balloon. With a quick huff and a tight knot, he tossed the balloon to his student and the kid caught it in a flash. It seemed to be a normal balloon, both he and Harry observed, but then both wizards looked up at the Sannin for instruction.
"The first stage was about rotation and the second was about power," he pulled out another balloon and said after a quick inflation, "And now this is the third stage!"
The Sannin showed him the balloon in his hand, to which both Naruto and Harry stared at with confusion. The older wizard caught on to what was happening, but Naruto's senses with chakra were not as acute as his sense of self-preservation. But because he had been working on exercises with these balloons and chakra manipulation, he caught on soon enough.
"Is something going on inside the balloon?" he asked.
The Sannin beamed, "You hit the nail right on the head! Let me show you what's really going on with my left hand!"
Naruto blinked and gapped when he saw the air pick out around Jiraiya's left palm. Then he watched as his chakra manifested in the form of a miniature cyclone in his hand. Jiraiya looked like he was a powerful wizard himself as he held the ball of chakra and its natural blue hue illuminated his face. His smirk was made all the more evident when his chakra shined brighter, the sphere of power almost the same size as a softball. The blonde-haired rookie looked back at the balloon in his master's right hand and broke a sweat. He realized the Sannin had so much control over his chakra that he didn't cause the balloon to break or even move. And yet, he could tell by the orb in his left hand that there was a lot more speed and power at work than when he demonstrated before.
"In the third stage, you put everything you've learned so far with full force and then… contain it," the teacher instructed in clear directions, "To make a long story short, you basically have to maximize your chakra's rotation and power. You then form an additional layer on the inside of the balloon. And then visualize compressing the chakra within to contain it within that additional layer."
Naruto summed up in his own words, "So all I have to do is keep up the same rotations I did in the second stage, but focus on not breaking the balloon?"
"That's about it," the Sannin smiled as the two of them continued to walk.
The blonde rookie then asked, "Care for another demo?"
"Hmph," the Sannin grunted in a friendlier manner as he felt like the kid was expecting him to demonstrate again, "Well then, watch closely: Up until the second stage, this is what you can do."
Jiraiya approached one of the numerous large boulders sticking out of the field for about a mile. The one the Sannin stood closest to was towered over a hundred feet and he thrust his right hand into the solid structure.
"HAH," he shouted as the balloon almost evaporated out of existence and a distinct swirl pattern became embedded in the surface of the rock.
Naruto blinked and took a step back when he felt the shockwave of chakra echo in his chest.
"Whoa," he breathed.
But Jiraiya wasn't done, "Now if you master the third stage," and the blue orb in his left hand struck the solid wall of rock and left Naruto awe-stricken and shaking a little. There was a bright flash and the rock within a small radius of the orb in Jiraiya's palm was obliterated. It was like a solid chunk of the rock was cut clean out, about the same size and exact shape as a beach ball. Harry was equally amazed but couldn't help but fear what this technique would look like when used on an enemy shinobi. But he also imagined the destructive capacities that were possible as soon as Naruto got this final stage down.
"Pretty gnarly, huh?!" Jiraiya smirked once more and continued, "If you can keep this force in your palm it will stay together. The rotations will speed up, the power will compress, and it will ultimately become that much more destructive!"
Naruto blinked, nodded at his teacher, and smiled a bit more as he took hold of the balloon in his hands. He took his time to concentrate, like he learned to do with the second stage and then he moved. His hand moved fast on the balloon before he held back and tried his best to hold the balloon and his chakra in place. He could feel that same force he unleashed before bubbling beneath the surface as the balloon's surface ebbed and fluctuated with his chakra. But his efforts were all for naught as exploded seconds after he slammed his palm down on the balloon.
"ARGH!" he gasped.
Naruto was able to hold better ground than he did before. But the force of his own chakra still pushed his back against the wall of rock a little more than a foot behind him.
Jiraiya frowned and shook his head, "No, no holding back! You have to contain the power while rotating at full force! Otherwise, it'll never work!"
Naruto rubbed where his back hit the wall before he looked down at his hands and became daunted by the level of difficulty that was laid out ahead of him.
"This worked out so much easier in my head," he admitted.
He sought aid from his older brother and asked, 'How the hell am I going to get this, Nii-san? I don't have that kind of control over my chakra.'
'Jiraiya did mention this was a difficult jutsu,' he reminded, 'All we can do now is keep at it and we can work our way from there. With the Patronus out of the way, I can help you out with this more in the mindscape.'
'But this new stage is so much harder than the other two combined,' the blonde wizard thought.
Jiraiya studied the look on his student's face as it reminded him of the man that invented the jutsu in the first place.
"Like I said before," he smiled, "It's an A-Ranked ninjutsu… It was never going to be a walk in park to master."
Naruto looked back up at his teacher and nodded. Jiraiya grinned a little more and tossed him another balloon.
"You've gotten this far," he shrugged and assured him with confidence, "You'll get it down, I have no doubt about it!"
The confidence boost was much appreciated as Naruto felt the slight tightness in his chest fueled from his doubt loosened. The blonde-haired teen was able to smile more as the Sannin raised his hand and beckoned him to follow.
"Let's get a move on then," he commanded as if he were a naval officer, "We can't guarantee Tsunade will still be in Tanzaku once we get there. You can practice while we walk."
Naruto shook his head, shifted his beaded rucksack (careful not to make enough noise for Jiraiya to hear the footlocker shifting) and followed his mentor across the immense field.
The town of Tanzaku was, in all fairness, a lively and widely celebrated establishment. It has and still attracts many touring adults across the Land of Fire and a fair few other countries as well, primarily due to its gambling opportunities and attractive women. But at the center of the town, overlooking the entire quarter was an extravagant castle. It was a popular tourist attraction and made Tanzaku stand out among the immense forests, mountains and fields that surrounded it.
Jiraiya and Naruto were not too far from the town but at the center of town, close to the walls of the castle itself, there were two women and a small pig, dressed in a pearl collar and a dark red winter-themed jacket for the weather. The woman with black hair was fair-skinned, slender, and had eyes the same color as her straight, shoulder-length hair. Her hair naturally framed her face and covered her ears, providing some protection from the cold as she warmed up in her white-trimmed, bluish-black kimono. She felt the need to tighten the white obi closing her gown and secure her kimono over the warm protection she wore underneath. She walked close beside a blonde woman with brown, almost amber-colored eyes. She was absolutely beautiful, undoubtedly stunning with her shoulder-length blonde hair tied in two loose ponytails. Though, curiously, there seemed to be a violet diamond mark located at the direct center of her forehead. But no one would probably notice the mark as she was gloriously blessed with an outstanding feminine figure. She was voluptuous but oddly athletic at the same time, as she seemed a little bit heavier than her dark-haired companion. The blonde woman wore a dark green winter coat with the kanji for "gamble" written on the back, inside a red circle. Beneath her coat, she seemed to wear a grey kimono-style blouse of sorts and dark winter trousers. The dark-haired woman beside her handed her over a scarf that matched the color of her haori. But she did wear it to cover the exposed region of his upper chest and neck, as she probably should have, given the climate. Instead, she wore it over her slender neck and left her chest stand out. She walked onwards in her black leather, high-heeled boots without a care in the world, much to the distress of her companion.
"Lady Tsunade," she nagged with an air of stress and exasperation in her voice, "You really shouldn't be so exposed; it's freezing out here!"
Tsunade turned to her companion and replied with a little grin and winked, "I think I can handle it, Shizune."
Shizune sighed and let her companion do as she pleased while the plump little pig following them oinked. The curvaceous blonde woman sounded older than she appeared to be; there was a sort of weight to it, a loose, authoritative tone that suggested she was like a mother or maybe an aunt to Shizune. Though the respect she showed seemed to suggest a relationship more akin to a student and teacher.
Tsunade seemed confident as she listened to the steady clicks of her shoes, but soon her smile fell and looked over her shoulder. She noticed the skies were particularly grey now and couldn't help but feel paranoid. Shizune noticed her companion's mild distress and inquired.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
The Sannin frowned and answered, "It's something about this town. Let's hurry up and get out of here."
"What?!" her assistant blurted out in surprise, "But Tanzaku Quarters is a tourist attraction! I wanted to at least see the castle…"
Tsunade did not look back at her assistant as she continued to walk but replied, "I've got a bad feeling about this… But let's get it over with then."
Shizune was delighted and the pig squealed as it hopped alongside her.
Shizune was breathless as she studied the massive structure of the castle. It wasn't quite the same size as the one in Konoha, but it was wonder to look at. Tsunade couldn't care less and continued to appear disinterested, as she continued to keep a lookout between watching the fog of her breath blow in the wind. Shizune, on the other hand, couldn't be more excited and wished she had a camera with her.
"Wow! Tanzaku Castle," she breathed, "It looks incredible from down here! It's no wonder it's so famous!"
"Calm down, Shizune," the blonde woman insisted, "Let's get out of this town."
Shizune countered, "But what's the hurry?! Don't you want to see more of the sights?"
Tsunade was on the move and started to walk in the opposite direction. Shizune followed with the little pig and tried to dissuade her master. But then, as the two of them began to walk, the earth shook with a violent shake and the castle of Tanzaku exploded with a sonic boom. The castle shattered and collapsed into a pile of broken glass, broken wooden beam, expensive china, broad wire, and solid stone. The two women was surprised but even more so when out of the dust rose the head of a massive snake. Tsunade's gaze went sour while Shizune appeared more frightened and stiff as the two of them observed two figures riding upon the crown of the beast.
Shizune started, "That's…"
"Orochimaru!" the blonde Sannin finished as she recognized unmistakable black hair and chalk-white skin
From atop the crown of the massive serpent, Orochimaru smiled wickedly as he eyed the blonde woman far beneath him and his loyal assistant. The young man with grey hair and glasses smiled as well, pushing his lenses up closer to his face.
"At last," the dark-haired menace breathed as his smirk stretch hard across his near-bloodless face, "I have found the enchantress!"
The citizens and tourists of Tanzaku that happened to be in the area were shaken from the unexpected earthquake and frightened, running for their lives from the serpentine beast that leveled the entire castle. As soon as the dust settled and the civilians fled, the beast lowered its head down to the inner wall. Soon after, Tsunade and Shizune stood across from Orochimaru and his best lieutenant, fellow traitor Kabuto Yakushi, face-to-face.
The two men were dressed in winter attire of their own. Kabuto sported an outfit almost the exact same as the one he wore during the Chunin Exams. But he wore a more winter-themed version of his old outfit with extensive sleeves. He also sported a new headband, a blue one with the mark of Otogakure etched on the metal forehead protector. It came to show that he had severed all ties from his former home and embraced his new master to the fullest extent. His scar, first seen at the arena of the Chunin Exams, had faded. But there was still some damaged tissue remaining, resembling subtle scales across his face. Standing beside Kabuto, his master Orochimaru wore a more decorated, elegant outfit than his assistant. The pale Sannin wore dark trousers with wine-colored robes and a loose florescent Japanese nobleman vest with two white snakes elegantly etched on the back.
The weather was not befitting for those shinobi and one animal gathered in the ruins of the castle. Faces were blushed and the cool wind was biting their ears. But none of them seemed to care much, given the situation. Tsunade and Shizune were tense and rigid, ready to run or fight at a moment's notice. But Orochimaru and Kabuto seemed a lot more relaxed, setting aside how the former of the two of them occasionally shifted with unease.
Tsunade stared down at her former comrade. She didn't feel particularly delighted to see Orochimaru, and the young man accompanying him made her think of a rat or weasel with glasses.
She decided to break the silence first, "Long time no see, Orochimaru."
"I've come a long way to find you, my dear old friend," he breathed back.
"What do you want with me?" she asked immediately and warned, "And don't try to tell me you just want to catch up on old times."
Orochimaru seemed to delight in her cold, calculated suspicion, "I have a small favor to ask of you."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes and studied Orochimaru from head to toe; despite his brief cockiness, he seemed somewhat nervous and his fingers twitched every now and again. He didn't seem badly injured or even exhausted, so he probably didn't need her for medical reasons. But Tsunade wasn't going to bet on it.
"Lady Tsunade," Kabuto interjected, "You probably don't know but Orochimaru-sama would prefer to keep his condition a secret."
"Whatever it is, go ask someone else," the blonde woman waved off without a care in the world, "I quit medicine a long time ago."
Kabuto made a small step forward, to which Shizune made a similar move closer to protect Tsunade. The man with glasses didn't make another move forward and Shizune relaxed a bit, but did not move back or did she take her eyes off the younger man.
"But we can't," he said with some insistence in his tone, "Besides, this isn't exactly a medical condition we need help with," Orochimaru frowned at his assistant and Tsunade blinked when he said, "And we know, for a fact, that there's no one else we could possibly turn to for help."
Tsunade didn't move and did her best to maintain her cold exterior when she asked, "What makes you think I'm so qualified?"
"We know your secret," the bespectacled young man smiled as the light reflected off his glasses.
The blonde woman couldn't help but flinch for a second before the fingers of his right hand curled into a fist. Shizune blinked as well but looked more hardened and defensive than ever.
"Orochimaru-sama didn't call you an enchantress for nothing," Kabuto smirked, "Sarutobi helped you figure out how to channel your unique gift into enhancing your medical ninjutsu. We know it has unique properties that no other kunoichi nor experienced medical-nin has ever been able to accomplish. So there's a chance you could reverse the damage that's been done to him."
Tsunade scowled at Kabuto in silence before she turned to her old teammate, "What happened to you, Orochimaru?"
"Just a strange little incident when I tried to kill the Sandaime," he confessed without shame or pride.
This caused Shizune and Tsunade to both widen their eyes for a brief moment. The two of them soon settled down and continue to scowl at Orochimaru and his assistant.
"You tried to what?" she questioned.
"Don't give me that, old friend," the older of the two men smiled, "He had it coming."
Tsunade then looked down at her old friend once she had assessed his failure, "But you weren't successful?"
"There was an incident beforehand," the pale-skinned man frowned with mild disgust, "I would have succeeded in killing the old bastard, but something… rather unexpected happened in the early stages of my initial plan… I'd prefer not to share the exact details, but ever since that incident I haven't been the same."
Shizune looked between the two men, still frowning, but noticed Kabuto and Orochimaru seemed annoyed or embarrassed when the latter mentioned the unexpected occurrence that cost him his success in murdering the Sandaime.
"You tried to murder our teacher?" questioned Tsunade, "And then you've come and find me to help you do it all over again?"
"All things must come to an end, as do people," Orochimaru smirked before he rubbed salt into some very old wounds, "You should know, after all, you let the two people you loved and held most dear die."
Tsunade's face snapped in an instant. Her calculated expression quickly turned into an angry, vengeful look on her face as a vein visibly pulsed across her forehead. Shizune shook as her hands quickly balled up into fists as the air filled with killing intent.
"Oh yes," Orochimaru cackled in his throat as he taunted, "Such a shame both of them met such violent ends, before their time."
Shizune made her move but Kabuto dashed to his master's aide. The dark-haired woman dashed into front of her own master and pulled up her right sleeve, drawing back a thin wire. Once hidden from view a moment ago, she revealed five mechanical weapons strapped to her arm, each connected to the wire in her left hand. She drew the wire back in a flash and fired five miniscule needles, but four of them missed their intended target. Kabuto blocked them with a curved kunai and caught the fifth one in his hand. There he noticed the ends of her weapons were dripping with a dark liquid substance.
The bespectacled man muttered under his breath, "Poison needles!"
Shizune's foot hit the ground hard and she was about to zero in on Kabuto. The shinobi responded in kind; twirling the kunai in his hand, prepared to slash Shizune's throat with one clean stroke as soon as she was close enough. But the two combatants both ceased before either one of them had a chance to kill the other.
"Stand down, Shizune," commanded Tsunade before her assistant could continue, "Now!"
Shizune froze and did as she was told but she did not avert her gaze from Kabuto for one second. She was still furious, breathing hard and furiously with righteous anger as she glared at Kabuto and Orochimaru. She was so enraged by Orochimaru taunting her master; her breath hanging in the freezing air nearly clouded her view of the two shinobi across from her. The young man with glasses stared back at Shizune and took the stalemate as an opportunity to observe her carefully, almost as well as Tsunade did when she studied Orochimaru.
'Her companion… she's good,' he assessed.
Tsunade soon let out a sigh as her mouth formed a small, sweet smile and then she spoke with an unnaturally kind voice, that made Shizune shiver and break her attention from Kabuto, "You always were a bastard, Orochimaru… But you ought to know better than that… You mock me," the foul pale-skinned man still smirked with arrogance and cruelty, but that smirk quickly dissipated the instant Tsunade reached out and drove her fist into the solid stone wall behind her, obliterating it in a feat of tremendous superhuman strength, then she glared at her former comrade, ready to strike right then and there as she finished in a thunderous voice, "AND I KILL YOU! GOT IT?!"
Orochimaru couldn't help but feel a little bit nervous but not as much as Kabuto.
The traitorous medical-nin gulped down hard and thought, 'She's strong… and scary… it's no wonder she's single.'
As the last bits of stone, wood, metal pipes, and dust fell and settled behind the kunoichi, Orochimaru felt a few beads of sweat run down his face. His assistant understood how his master felt, as it seemed none of Tsunade's rumored superhuman strength seemed to have lost any of its potency. Even still, he tried his best to focus on their mission at hand and negotiate with the kunoichi.
"We didn't come here to start a fight," he said as he tried to sound as reasonable as he could, but the blonde-haired woman did not look interested, "We've come here to make a deal."
"Get lost," the blonde-haired Sannin hissed as she still looked ready to kill at any moment, "I am not interested in helping you."
Kabuto almost took one dangerous step forward while he insisted; "You are the best chance we have to reverse whatever it is that's happened to Orochimaru-sama. We're not asking you to do it for free. Won't you at least consider our offer?"
"I'm going to give you to the count of five," she threatened as she lowered her voice and her eyes narrowed down on the treacherous shinobi, "Get out of here before I finish or I'll waste you both in a heartbeat."
"Please calm down," the young man smiled more calmly and confidently as he tried his best to seem reasonable, even while sensing the disgust the two women felt for him with every word he uttered, "I really don't think you'll be disappointed with what we have to offer."
"You'll be the first to die," she chewed as she aimed her sights on Kabuto.
The former Konoha shinobi merely sighed tiredly, viewing Tsunade's response as childish.
Soon after that, the blonde-haired woman counted down, "Five, four, three, two-"
In the last few instances before Tsunade intended to strike, Shizune's hand itched closer to the next weapon concealed under her coat. Orochimaru's arrogant smirk faded as he sensed his former teammate's intention to kill him and his assistant without a second thought. He was as nervous as ever, but soon felt a small swell of confidence within him and his twisted smile crept back into his face. The blonde Sannin would have finished her countdown and crushed Kabuto in an instant but the next few words Orochimaru uttered were chosen well.
"Your precious little brother and your beloved boyfriend," Tsunade blinked and stopped her countdown as the faces of those two mentioned came to mind in an instant.
When Orochimaru mentioned them the second time, Tsunade remembered their faces when she last saw them alive and well. The thought of their faces was enough to hold her back as her face trembled with rage and sorrow. She would have snapped back to normal and commenced to pummel Orochimaru until he and his assistant until there weren't enough of them left to fill a teaspoon.
But then her former teammate said with more assurance and confidence in his tone, "I can bring them back."
The blonde kunoichi held her breath when Orochimaru said that. As soon she her mind took in what he offered, she started to calm down as her fists relaxed somewhat and she stared at Orochimaru. Her faithful assistant blinked in response to Orochimaru's words. She certainly didn't expect the Sannin to say what he said, but remained vigilant and suspicious as she eyed him down. Meanwhile, Kabuto's expression was unreadable (when the light reflected off his glasses) but his solemn frown was still visible when his master revealed one last detail.
"I've learned the forbidden ninjutsu," Orochimaru added as he smiled and observed the look on Tsunade's face.
The kunoichi blinked at that last detail. A familiar cold creped into her stomach and made her feel unsettled, but Orochimaru continued to smile. Tsunade remained silent and did not move an inch nor made a sound while she stood across from Orochimaru. She waited and tried to catch if what he said was a lie. But he did not falter, not even once.
Shizune looked about as unsettled as her master but also conflicted. One side of her wanted to believe it was all a lie to lure her mentor into a trap. She suspected Orochimaru had no intention to follow up on such a promise in exchange for Tsunade's assistance in whatever it was that plagued him. Especially after he revealed his attempted assassination of her former teacher and mentor. But another side of her suspected he was telling the truth and that he had discovered a forbidden ninjutsu that could resurrect the dead. But if it turned out to be the truth, Shizune was revolted. The little pink pig beside her snorted, seemingly confused by the whole situation.
Orochimaru broke the silence between them after a while and asked with a disgusting arrogance to his tone, "Can I consider this awkward silence as an acceptance of our offer?"
Tsunade didn't answer him back right away. Shizune took notice of this and seemed worried as she looked back at her master.
The tall and thin Sannin asked with an almost taunting gentleness in his tone, "Don't you wish to see them again?"
The blonde-haired woman would have kept glaring at her former comrade in arms, but then her livid expression softened and averted her gaze. Once more, the faces of the two people Orochimaru mentioned came to mind while she looked down at the ground. A moment later, Tsunade looked back up at Orochimaru and narrowed her eyes at him.
"Suppose I accept the deal, what are you going to do?" she asked.
"I promise I will bring them back," the pale, robed Sannin assured her, "These will not be imitations or puppets. It will be the real Nawaki and Dan."
"No, I mean, what are you going to do after I help?" she corrected and then she asked with suspicion, "What are you going to do as soon as I reserve whatever it is that's happened to you?"
Orochimaru frowned as his expression turned more solemn, serious, and dark.
"I hate lies," he claimed, "So I'll cut to the chase," he then stated with a dark tone in his cold voice, "I plan to annihilate Konoha, once and for all."
Shizune was right to be suspicious and continued to glare at Orochimaru with raw hatred, "Annihilate Konoha?!"
The kunoichi turned to her master and was surprised to see she looked torn. Shizune was distraught that her mentor would even consider after what Orochimaru said he would do. The Snake Sannin smiled at the conflict he and Shizune both sensed within Tsunade.
It was at this moment, Kabuto budded in with the intent to entice the Sannin with a dark tone in his voice when he asked, "Your answer?"
"SHUT UP," Shizune shrieked at Kabuto before she turned back to her mentor, "Lady Tsunade!"
But the blonde woman did not respond to her assistant. She channeled her out as her mind became filled with fond memories of her little brother, remembering his laughter and his enthusiasm. She also thought about her boyfriend and the tender moments they shared, holding each other and sharing their dreams for the future.
"Don't do it," her assistant shouted as she tried to reach out to her mentor, "You can't trust them! Your little brother and Uncle Dan wouldn't want this!"
Tsunade remained unmoved as she looked back down at the ground. Shizune thought if her mentor's immediate answer to Orochimaru's offer wasn't no, then she had reason to fear she might accept the deal.
Shizune felt devastated inside and said in a softer voice, "Don't… Haven't you forgotten their wishes? Their dreams? Your dream?" the dark-haired woman began to raise her voice again, speaking with more desperation and heartache as it sounded like she broke the silence on a delicate matter between the two kunoichi, "I know we never talk about it but I know! You still-"
"BE QUIET, SHIZUNE!" Tsunade shouted in command.
That silenced her in a heartbeat as she stared at her mentor and shivered. Orochimaru and Kabuto remained silent and careful not to further tempt the kunoichi. The silence was broken when the bespectacled shinobi decided it was wise to offer more time, as he and his master probably planned earlier.
"You need not give us your answer at this very minute," he said so eloquently, "However, we would like a response in a week from now."
Shizune snapped her head back at Kabuto and glared at him.
Ignoring the hostile look from her, he added further details he failed to mention before, "Oh… and this forbidden ninjutsu requires two live sacrifices. So please have two people prepared on your end by next week."
"SHUT UP, YOU BASTARD," the dark-haired kunoichi shouted as she reached into her coat for a weapon, "WE SHOULD JUST KILL THEM RIGHT NOW! It's our best chance! We could take them on together! LADY TSUNADE, WE CAN DO THIS!"
But like before, Tsunade didn't respond to her assistant. She had the same look on her face as before, Shizune frowned, and lost her determination to fight. With the kunoichi distracted and Tsunade still conflicted over the offer, Orochimaru decided to do a little test as well as leave Shizune with a firm reminder if either kunoichi dared to attack him. The Sannin raised his hand to his face and bit deep into one of his long, pale fingers. Tsunade blinked, held her breath, and shivered in terror at the sight of a steady stream of blood dripping from Orochimaru's finger. Tsunade's hands clasped the gem of her necklace as she itched back towards the destructed wall behind her. She quivered like a small, frightened child while Orochimaru smirked in a victorious gesture, looking proud and confident.
Kabuto seemed intrigued while Shizune cursed under her breath.
"I'm weakened from this ailment, but I know Tsunade's weaknesses too," Orochimaru smiled as he watched the blonde kunoichi shake as the blood from his finger formed a small puddle, "Your fear of blood hasn't faded one bit, hasn't it?"
Kabuto narrowed his eyes in observation as he recognized that Tsunade, the world's most renowned practitioner of medical ninjutsu was hemophobic.
"How ironic," he commented.
Orochimaru decided now was the best time for them to leave before the destruction of Tanzaku Castle drew too much attention, "Shall we, Kabuto?"
The Sannin turned around and would have vanished in an instant, but took a moment to look back at the kunoichi.
He then said with a darker, more threatening tone, "I expect a favorable answer, Tsunade."
After that was said and done, Orochimaru and Kabuto vanished. But even after the two dreadful criminals and traitors were gone, Tsunade kept holding on to her necklace for dear life and she wouldn't stop shaking. Shizune would have moved in to comfort her mentor and ease her out of such a state, especially after seeing as much blood as she did. But after everything that happened and witnessing her idol's hesitation, she was a little more reluctant before she helped her retreat to the nearest saloon.
To Be Continued…
Yeah! And… that's all I got this time… Sorry, guys :P I know most of the events of this chapter are very similar to the manga but there are a few differences here that I do plan to make a bigger splash further down the road of this story that will be further explored in a few chapters from now. So don't worry ^^
Azeroth44: Hmmm… Not bad!
Kvsyaoran: Oh no! You're here!
AZ44: Yeah, so?
K: Nothing! I just… I don't know, I kinda expected stuff to start blowing up when you show up, that's all.
AZ44: You mean like this?
*Azeroth44 snaps his fingers and a loud explosion is heard*
K: Did you just blow up my yard?!
AZ44: Yup.
K: DUDE, I HAD MY LONGBOW OUT THERE!
AZ44: You left a longbow out in the middle of your yard?
K: Well… Kinda. I set up a few bullseye targets out there on the tree trunks… Well, I used to up until now!
AZ44: You're irresponsible, dude. *drinks soda*
K: SAYS THE JACKASS THAT JUST BLOW UP MY YARD!
AZ44: I missed you two, ass-face ^^
K: Well, this is going to take some getting used to again. But glad to have you back ^^
AZ44: Yup *smiles and gets up off the couch* So where are the buffalo pretzels at?!
And on that note, I'll keep on writing the new chapter and I very much look forward to reading your reviews, guys! Later!