Ch.29

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the Gushikan family and a select few are mine.

Chapter 29- Orochimaru

A brief silence filled the air as the four of us stood still in a standoff. Despite Naruto's presence, there was no sense of an upper hand.

My eyes criss crossed back and forth over the situation and only one thing seemed clear. We are fucked.

'Please tell me what to do.' I pleaded with my Conscience, but she sighed before answering.

'I've been planning this situation for years and it never ends well. We can't kill him. He is simply too strong. Even Anko won't be able to kill him. We can't hide either. He has eyes and ears everywhere. So for now, just try to keep yourself alive. Naruto and Sasuke will survive no matter what.'

I swallowed the lump in my throat. If conscience doesn't know what to do then, I'm lost.

"OH and I'm sorry, but I forgot the password!" Naruto yelled from his spot, the grin never leaving his cheeks.

I clenched my fists and forced a laugh, "No biggie, I'd know you anywhere."

Sasuke finally unfroze and began to yell at the top of his lungs, "Get out of here Naruto! She's on a whole other level! You too Takara! We should separate and get out of here!"

Before I could reply, the rubber mask Orochimaru was still using, started to speak. "So Naruto, you escaped my friend, and you did it quite brilliantly."

Seconds pass of silence again as everyone begins to analyze the situation more thoroughly. I reach back and draw Balance out of its sheath, drawing everyone's attention. I hold it in front of me, not taking my eyes from Orochimaru.

The fact I had drawn my sword seemed to alarm Naruto, causing him to speak out.

"Hey, I don't know who you are, snake lady but you better get out of here before I turn you into a pair of boots! I don't like the fact you were bullying my friends!" He seemed to mean every word.

Another tense moment happens before Sasuke yells at me. "Takara just give her the scroll!" He's obviously frantic.

I reach into my pouch and pull out a kunai to hold in my left hand and my katana in my right. "I don't think you get it, Sasuke. He's not here for the scroll. Now, why don't you move off the same branch as him and come to me." I commanded.

Naruto scowled and started to open his mouth but I quickly cut him off. "Don't worry Naruto. That is indeed Sasuke. He's just scared." A look of shock passes over my teammates faces.

Orochimaru's body finally pulls together, and he stands upon the branch. "Ever the clever one. It's almost as if you can read their minds."

I refuse to dignify that with a response. Especially since I know this won't work well. It's not like I'm actually intimidating Orochimaru. Holding my weapons like this is more for my teammates.

"Sasuke, move!" I command one last time.

He finally complies and jumps to stand next to me. He is still visually shaken.

"Relax your shoulders and take a breath. I'm going to try to protect you as long as I stand." I said calmly, keeping my eyes trained on the ever-smiling Orochimaru.

I can hear Sasuke take a breath behind me, and I feel my own shoulders tighten. Like I absorbed his troubles.

For a second I regret the fact I had my weapons in my hands before I cleared my throat.

"Naruto! Sasuke! You need to run and hide. I will stall the 'Snake Lady.'"

Instant protest from them both.

"We aren't going to win this battle. Even with combined efforts. So run and hide while I stall. I have the best chance of getting out of this alive. After all…" I turn and look at them both.

"You guys still haven't managed to beat me yet at sparring."

I look back to the incredibly amused bad guy who was chuckling quietly.

"Now go. I'll be fine. As always."

I didn't hear either of them move but before I could yell again...

"That's a load of bullshit. I've beat you in the past." Sasuke says.

"Ya! And you get hurt more than the two of us combined!" Naruto yells from atop his tree.

I sigh. "I didn't want to have to do this… but…" I spin around to be face to face with Sasuke and kick him in the stomach, launching him off the branch and plummeting him to the ground. I then look at Naruto and say, "You better go check that he survives."

With a face of pure shock, Naruto jumps down after Sasuke, leaving me with Orochimaru.

I turn back to the villain and see him laughing. While he laughs, I stab both of my weapons into the wood, turn on Akumugan, and start to do hand signs.

As Orochimaru stops laughing and looks back at me, the jutsu is done.

"Earth Release: Mud Spit!"

A heavy stream of mud rockets out of my mouth and catches Orochimaru off guard. The ill tasting mud only knicks the man and throws him slightly off balance.

As the mud begins to slow I pick up my Kunai and throw it in with the last of the mud, increasing the pressure behind it. To my absolute amazement, it hit his shoulder.

Not wasting any time I wipe my face on my forearm and pick my katana back up before pouncing toward my enemy.

My katana slices through his entire body, like it was nothing. Because it was nothing. Because it was a substitution.

I turn on the balls of my feet looking for the real Orochimaru before coming face to face with a snake. A giant snake that Orochimaru was riding on again.

"You've got guts; I can give you that, but you won't have much more in a minute."

The snake lunges at me and I brace myself, katana extended. At the last second, I take large steps backward and use what little chakra I have left to cling to the underside of the branch.

The snake slides over the top, splintering wood with its gaping mouth, shaking the branch. I remain on it and try to plan my escape.

'The snake is fast but it's bulky. If I weave through smaller branches maybe, I can ensnare it.'

I sensed motion behind me and I turned to see the snake had finally managed to turn around and it was reaching for me under the branch I was clinging to.

With a moment of hesitation, I release my cling to the branch and fall out of the path of the serpent. I twist my body in the air, so I'm right side up again, and as I fall past another branch I slide my hand on it and cling to it with Chakra. It was a heavy jerk on my shoulder stopping suddenly like that but I ignored the pain as I scampered up the branch to a standing position. My eyes gloss over the forest looking for the snake and Orochimaru again when I have a horrible thought.

'Was Orochimaru still on that snake when it attacked me? Or was it alone?'

I didn't need to deliberate much longer, the snake curled around the branch I was on and surprised me. The sneaky snake was quiet when it wanted to be.

Katana drawn, I sliced downward, creating a clear bloody line on the tip of the creature's mouth. It reared back, and with a hissing noise fell, disappearing from my sight.

Yup Orochimaru was not riding it anymore.

'He must have gone after the guys.' Panic and adrenaline started to pump through my veins as I jumped off the branch and made my way to the ground floor.

Thankfully Sasuke's mangled and crushed form wasn't at the bottom from where I kicked him off but the grass was torn up and there were splatters of blood dotting some tree trunks.

I don't waste any time calling out for my comrades but I get no response.

Judging from the torn grass and blood I run in what I feel like is the direction they escaped. I track them for only a few minutes before I hear the crackling of branches at my side. I turn instantly ready for a fight, Balance drawn.

I'm almost shocked when it really is Orochimaru standing there. Smile splitting his face, blood splattered on him.

I feel my shoulders drop slightly at his appearance but I take a step forward, surprising even me.

"If you killed them… If you hurt them… I'm going to kill you." I practically stuttered. My hands shook with anger and another emotion I couldn't put my finger on.

He chuckled and crossed his arms. "Why fight me when you could save them? They are not dead yet."

We silently stood to examine each other for a few more moments before he spoke again.

"I've always wanted to cut open a Gushiken, to figure out how you work. There is just something interesting about all of you. But, unfortunately, you need to keep Sasuke alive. You better go to him and the other one."

I didn't break eye contact as I slowly shuffled around him, never lowering my blade until we had swapped positions. Then I turned and ran into the forest searching for my comrades.

I found Naruto first.

He had completely collapsed and was not waking up from a mere shake. But his pulse is strong and so is his breathing.

After a moment of contemplation, I take off all of my training weights. I then grab both of his arms and manage to slide him onto my back, piggyback style.

I may be shorter than him but he weighs nothing to me.

With that, I begin to walk further down looking for Sasuke. It also didn't take long.

His heaving, panting, and obviously, pained body lay curled on the ground. Without dropping Naruto I shake Sasuke and call his name but to no avail.

I let out a loud sigh.

"I cannot believe we are alive." I muttered quietly.

I straighten my back and glance around for shelter but there is nothing.

With a strained breath, I set Naruto down gently and got to work.

They were both sporting fevers which caused me great worry so I took my canteen and dribbled a small amount of water into Sasuke's mouth first activating his swallowing reflex. I knew It would be harder to make him take an anti-poison pill without consciously taking it so I put the pill in a baggy and then crushed it with a rock. It took much longer than I would've wanted. Especially with us being in the open but in my opinion, they both need the possible antidote much sooner than shelter. I just wish I knew what that snake did to them.

I emptied the baggy into Sasuke's mouth and followed it with enough water to make him swallow instantly. I turned to Naruto to do the same but Conscience stopped me.

'That won't help him.'

I decided not to argue with her and just started with the next part of my stupid plan.

How to move them.

I stood up and stretched briefly before nodding to myself, very confident.

With a deep breath, I squatted down and wrapped one arm around each of them and with as much pure strength and desire as I could muster I held them close to my body and started to drag their dead weight.

I'm very strong. The hundreds of pounds of weight I have tied to me on the reg shows that. But this is an inconvenient way to keep them safe so I need shelter, and soon.

I tried to get far away from the spot we had been attacked when I found a large tree with its roots exposed. On closer inspection, there seemed to be a larger hollow cavity under the tree so I drug myself and friends into the dark but spacious room.

I went as far back as possible before dropping my friends a little harder than I meant to. What can I say? I'm a bit tired after that traumatizing experience.

After checking my friends are still alive I get to work.

I carefully plant bombs at the entrance of the cavity and cover them with leaves.

I wish I could do more but at the moment I need to fix myself. I quickly eat a few chakra supplements… probably too many. I then eat a protein bar and sit facing the entrance. I desperately need to both sleep and to watch for intruders. If only I could do Naruto shadow clone jutsu.

With tense shoulders, I slice up strips of the skirt part of my skort leaving me with short shorts. I then dampen the strips with water and leave them on the foreheads of my feverish friends.

Pulling out my limited bandages, I wrap the few scrapes on my teammates and finally sit back against the cool trunk.

'I'm-I'm so tired.' I thought numbly to myself. My chakra is finally restored from my pills but the physical exhaustion from carrying those two and being tense for so long… I'm tired.

The night passed without issue and I managed to stay away the entire time. As the sun broke, I started to feel it.

Eyes.

I stayed silent and watched the entrance. I'm being watched.

'Who is it?' I ask Conscience, and to my shock, I get a reply.

'The one sound team. They will attack you. Fight to kill'

I felt sick. I've killed before but not kids like me.

After a moment's passing, I watched a squirrel come into the clearing and begin to run towards the cavity. With almost no effort I activated my Akumagen and the squirrel turned around in a chirping hurry.

'Huh, I didn't know it would work on animals.' I thought dully as I stood up heavily.

My body ached, and I felt hungry and frustrated. So fucking frustrated.

I stepped over the lining of bombs and stood in front of the entrance staring straight at the bushes.

"I will kill you if you attack me." I warn, venom in every word.

Confidently the three sound ninjas stepped from the bushes.

"I don't think you understand girl. We need to kill Sasuke." Said the leader.

I could see his smirk under his mask. He thinks they'll win.

I can't let them, whether I kill them or not.

Authors Note:

Well, it's been awhile and this chapter's super short! Sorry guys, college has just been kicking my ass but I think it's like that for most, unfortunately.

Thanks for all the support!

Comments are loved but not required!

Thank you and have a nice day!

~ToL

P.s

I started a side series that's all about Takara, her family, and friends. Take a gander if you so please.

It's called Sweet Nightmares.

First chapter's all about Takara's parents.

Thank you!