Chapter 28 - Into the Snake's Den
Naruto spiraled through the air, retaining momentum from being buffeted by Orochimaru's jutsu. The front of his jacket had small tears in it, like a mouse mistook it for a delectable block of cheese. He was grateful that the slicing wind hadn't made contact with his skin. There was no doubt in his mind that he would've died if it did.
He managed to right himself in time to slow his fall. There was no way to know where teleporting would land him, but ending up high above the treetops was the last thing he expected. More surprising still was the flood of pain that ripped through him from head to toe, like he was submerged in a vat of molten coal. Naruto seized in midair, fighting to recover from his straight drop toward the ground.
Shaking the agonizing sensation off just in time, he molded enough chakra for a few dozen clones. Naruto used them to soften his landing, sliding down the impromptu hill of bodies. He grit his teeth. The slope changed angles at random, thanks to so many of the clones popping out of existence as they were crushed by the ones above. He skated along, controlling his speed with chakra until he reached the forest floor. A rolling cloud of smoke from the dispersed clones rose into the night sky.
Naruto stopped to breathe a sigh of relief. His ankles were killing him after taking the brunt of the force from such a messy landing. Still, he reasoned that things could have gone much worse. Why he was hit by a searing wave of pain after teleporting, though, remained a mystery. Was it Orochimaru's doing? He was too shaken up to think it through right now. His arms and legs were still trembling long after the pain faded. He wasn't sure he could endure that if it happened again.
Near-death encounters aside, he was okay. In the end, he and Sasuke's gamble paid off. Good thing neither of them had picked up Granny Tsunade's unlucky streak. Wherever Sasuke was, Naruto hoped he was alright.
Brambles cracked under the weight of Sasuke's violent tumbles down a shallow embankment. He came to a stop face up in a body of water. The distant sound of a waterfall hissed in his ears. Chilling water seeped into his clothes and added weight to his backpack. Pain flooded Sasuke's system and forced his eyes shut. Through the fog of pain, he wondered whether he broke something on his way downhill or was dying because he teleported too late.
His pain dwindled after a time, allowing him to stand and get his bearings. The waterfall was a prominent landmark, but there was nothing else of note around. Blankets of moss flourished along trees and rocks. Deer lurked near the edge of the basin of water formed by the waterfall. Two narrow channels carried excess water downstream in different directions. Sasuke didn't see anything that made sense of the random flare of pain, leaving him on edge.
The Uchiha shook out his sodden hair and bent to retrieve his now-muddied bow. He spun to aim at the source of a sudden splash. A wild green frog a shade lighter than the grass hopped past without paying him any mind. He frowned, berating himself for his jumpiness. Its gurgling ribbits reminded Sasuke of Jiraiya's summoning animals.
No sooner had he thought this than a bird swooped down to grab the tiny creature with its sharp talons. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered whether this was an omen or coincidence. Sasuke raised his bow and bit his bottom lip, lining up a shot to strike the bird down. He changed his mind at the last second. The two creatures disappeared behind an eroding cliff shelf. Like it or not, he couldn't afford to waste ammo or give away his position in case Orochimaru, or other Genin competitors, were closeby. Sasuke swallowed a lump of guilt over the doomed frog and turned his attention back to finding Naruto.
The plan had been to throw caution to the wind and chance using the Flying Thunder God if escape became necessary. Given they were almost torn apart by a Wind Style technique unlike any he'd witnessed before, Sasuke didn't regret taking that risk. Yet this new predicament added another layer to their already compounded issues. Could he and Naruto find each other before Orochimaru tracked them down again? Sasuke had triggered a subtle Genjutsu before Orochimaru chased them down the first time. He thanked the heavens that it worked. Otherwise, how could he have delivered the plan to Naruto without him noticing?
Staring down the trail beaten into the forest by countless others before, Sasuke huffed: making it to the tower alone was easier said than done. Enemy teams and ferocious animals lined the way there. Never mind the sadistic snake man lurking in the grass.
Ah, well. No way around it.
Sasuke pulled up the straps on his bag and got moving, hoping to reach his destination by the scant moonlight. The trees thinned out the further he went, illuminating the area and allowing him to rely less on the Sharingan. He let himself breathe easier when the crest of a building taller than any tree in sight peeked through the clouds.
"The tower," he said with a shaky breath.
Along with the encroaching dark of night came a cold that settled in Sasuke's bones. Fits of shivering overtook him, but he didn't dare stop to start a campfire. Instead, he ripped a branch from a tree and fashioned it into a torch with Fire Style. Then he took off at as quick of a pace as he could without putting the torch out. His sole focus was to regroup at the tower. There, he hoped to find his brother and their friends unharmed and safe.
Please be okay, Naruto.
Dusk befell The Forest of Death. The sky became a cosmic mural of shadows interspersed with dazzling stars. Right at the heart of the sprawling biome teeming with Chunin hopefuls was a prominent tower. A crowd had formed at its entrance. Hinata, Kiba, Akamaru, Shino, and Sakura were all received at the door, arriving on piggyback atop a series of Naruto clones.
The unconscious comrades were ushered past two uniformed proctors with round, kind faces who logged their arrival times. A pair of stoic Anbu agents stood totem at either corner of the entryway while the medics on staff wheeled away one fallen Genin after another. When the last stretcher disappeared from the room, Naruto's clones descended upon the proctors like rabid reporters, all talking a mile a minute.
One of the Anbu approached and held up a hand to quell their shouting. "Only one of you, please."
After a moment of deliberation, a single clone stepped forward to speak for the group. "I'll go."
The man nodded. He stiffened, as if noticing something was amiss. "Before you start, where is the third member of your team?" he said with pointed curiosity. "I counted four others. Three of you are on Team 8, according to my dossier.
"I'll get to that in a sec. Just listen, Sir! It's urgent. An enemy infiltrated the exam grounds and went after us!"
The man's mask shifted in a way that suggested a heavy lift of his brows. Naruto didn't wait for a response. "Aren't you gonna do something?! Sasuke and the real me are still out in the forest fighting for our lives. We're being hunted!"
A few of the early arrival teams trickled into the room, drawn downstairs by his loud proclamations. Bits of incomplete information filled the room in seconds. Gossip took the place by storm as panicked Genin whispered to each other.
"Did he just say hunted?!
"What's happened? Is The Leaf under attack?!"
"Should we just leave? If it's true, they're gonna call off the exam anyway."
"Isn't that The Fourth's kid? He's probably just makin' it up to get all the spotlight. Damn silver spooned…"
Naruto grimaced, face reddening as he debated confronting the naysayer. The second Anbu slid in front of him with such grace and speed that it took him a moment to process what just happened. She waited until he was ushered outside by her more stern male partner before stepping away to quiet the masses.
"Alright," the man said in a consoling tone once they were outside. "Forget them. It's just you and me now. What's going on?"
"Look, Mister, there's no time! Hurry and get my Dad. Tell him Oroch-"
All of the clones watching from the doorway went up in a cloud of smoke. The de facto leader was last to go, unable to get his whole message out, but having said enough for the masked person to get the gist.
The Anbu member grunted, fearing that something terrible happened to the real Naruto. If only he had more to go on when reporting this to The Fourth. Speaking of Minato, he'd likely be coming down hard on all who were posted here if his son was found injured, or worse. The agent bolted for a room upstairs outfitted with rows of wall-mounted comms systems. He snatched a corded microphone from the wall and flipped the on switch. One look at Naruto's face had made it clear to him that this wasn't a childish prank.
The audio channel crackled to life. "Come in, come in! I have an urgent message for Lord Hokage."
The viewing stations in the Chunin Exam Observatory were in disarray. All of the glowing crystal balls flickered in a futile effort to re-establish their malfunctioning connection. Frantic clusters of Chunin and Jonin ran this way and that. A few attempted to jumpstart the feed through mass infusions of chakra. The orbs had been offline for the better part of fifteen minutes now. The mask of unfazed professionalism the higher-ups defaulted to in a bid to appear in control was starting to slip.
In a less populated area of the room, Rasa watched events unfold from behind his cloth veil and Kazekage hat. Rather, Kabuto Yakushi did so through his eyes. The rising hysteria spreading across the masses played out even better than he'd hoped. The unforeseen emergency that pulled The Hokage away from his post couldn't have happened at a more opportune time. This mission was a breeze so far! The naive network of Sand Ninja informants were digging not only the graves of their Leaf counterparts, but of their very own village. All while giving Kabuto everything he needed to distract from Lord Orochimaru's true goal.
He ordered Yura to find Baki and fill in for him here, then left his post to 'handle other matters.' Like the clueless buffoon he was, the loyal Jonin nodded and did as instructed. 'Rasa' strode out of the room, stopping to offer a respectful nod to Genma, who was standing in for Hiruzen Sarutobi. The poor ninja was a victim of his own loyalty. He was far too overwhelmed by the panicked masses showering him with comments and questions to notice anything out of the ordinary. Kabuto wasn't complaining.
Anko Mitarashi winced at a sudden twinge of pain along her collarbone. The small prick elevated in intensity, causing her to press her fingers against the spot instinctively, as if this would somehow ease the discomfort. Her pain evolved into a deep sting that stabbed with the sharpness of a knifepoint. Between this irksome distraction and the noisy throngs of people vying for attention and answers, everything became too much for Anko. She couldn't think straight.
Holding the collar of her jacket over the source of the pain, the purple-haired woman rushed out of the room through a side door. She leaned against the wall and threw her head back, waiting for what was now a cluster of prickling sensations to subside. If she didn't know better, she'd suspect someone was poking her repeatedly with several white-hot kunai. When she could focus again, Anko wiped a layer of sweat from her brow. The curse mark on the back of her neck pulsed with foreign chakra. Through willpower, she forced it back to an inert state. If it was acting up like this again, that could only mean one thing.
Terror gripped Anko. She clutched at her neck and acknowledged that which she feared most. "He's back."
If the Observatory signal going out wasn't just a random occurrence, then for all she knew Orochimaru was already on the move. They needed boots on the ground to investigate.
A couple of fresh-faced Chunin transporting a cart full of supplies came to a screeching halt as she stomped into their path. Anko scrawled a message onto a notepad in her inside jacket pocket, ripped out the page and shoved it into one of the shinobi's palms.
"Ensure that this gets to The Intelligence Division."
A boy no older than 14 nodded at her, petrified in shock. She could tell at a glance that he'd never seen real battle or been told to do anything more complex than monitor messenger hawk deliveries.
His stilted response only irritated her further. "Go!"
She gave the boy a soft push. He stumbled in surprise and nearly dropped the note before scampering off with a strained, "Y-Yes, ma'am!"
Anko shook her head at his ineptitude. There were always a few lucky ones without much backbone in every generation who reached Chunin through sheer luck. This year, she and Ibiki volunteered to proctor their respective stages in hopes of raising the bar on the caliber of shinobi promoted from Genin. Speaking of Ibiki, of all times not to be at HQ so she could fill him in. As it stood, she had to rely on the manpower at hand to get her coded message to him.
A slender girl of taller build than the scrawny boy she'd been traveling with pushed the cart along the wall. She slipped past Anko with an awkward smile rather than drumming up the courage to request she move out of the middle of the hallway. Anko tended to spook people even without trying, so it was hard to blame the kid. Having done all she could here, the Special Jonin took off toward the nearest exit. Every second she wasted was one her former master would spend furthering his schemes.
Please let me make it in time!
Sasuke swatted bugs out of his face as he stepped over one of a multitude of hills between himself and The Tower. He blew more fire onto his torch to revive it to a powerful bloom. A subtle noise between the flame's crackles caught his attention. He hesitated for a moment before moving on. Apart from his ears' subtle twitch, he carried himself like nothing was wrong. Whoever this stranger was who'd been tailing him for the past few minutes seemed to be waiting for a key opportunity.
They sure picked the perfect time. He was getting very low on chakra and needed time to let it recharge. Also, it didn't help that his stomach chose to turn into the world's loudest musical instrument all of a sudden. Eating with a tracker on his tail was like asking to be ambushed, so he ignored the pangs of hunger and pressed on.
If this mystery character turned out to have harmful intent, Sasuke vowed to deal with them right here. He refused to bring more trouble to his comrades' doorstep. Mind made up, he leaned on the survival skills imparted to him by Minato, Kushina, and Itachi to think up a game plan. Depending on Naruto or some random Jonin showing up just in time wasn't going to save his life. Taking decisive action might.
A heavy breeze rolled in, snuffing out his source of light. Now he had nothing but the stars and passing fireflies to see by, which was at least somewhat mitigated by The Sharingan. Sasuke drew his bow and rooted both feet to the ground with chakra in the lowest valley he could find. Improvising on the plan he and Naruto were originally going to try at the spring, he fired arrows at the ground in a circular pattern. Their stems stood upright, creating a perimeter. He kept his head on a swivel to ensure no one snuck up on him.
The powerful winds died down to a soft whistle. Sasuke crouched to loop a wire around one of the buried arrows. He repeated the process until the entire circumference was connected by an unbroken chain of wire.
His pursuer left no further sign of their presence, but he didn't doubt someone was still out there. Perhaps hiding in the tall grass or behind a large rock? No natural gust of wind would have blown so strongly with no buildup, after all. He comforted himself with the assertion that if the person could see him, there was no world in which he wouldn't be able to see them too. The Uchiha Clan's special eyes were difficult to deceive.
Tying the last of the metallic wire off around one of his fingers, Sasuke sat cross-legged on a piece of the destroyed tarp from earlier. He'd kept some of it on hand just in case it would serve some use later. Keeping from getting mud and bugs all over his legs qualified. Ignoring the soft squish as his weight flattened the blades of grass beneath him, Sasuke slowed his breathing and focused. He envisioned Inoichi Yamanaka sitting across from him during one of their therapy sessions.
In, hold, then out. In, hold, then out.
Modulating his breathing brought eventual clarity. While all of the answers didn't come in a snap, it helped him filter out excess stimuli. His perception narrowed until all that mattered was the wire. Sasuke channeled chakra through it and waited. Seconds turned to minutes until it became impossible to tell how long he'd sat there.
Somewhere nearby, a bush rustled. Sasuke snapped to attention. Whether it was Orochimaru or some stealthy Genin coming for him, they were going to have a fight on their hands.
A small white snake meandered over to the wire perimeter. When its tongue licked at the invisible barrier, the resulting chakra disturbance made Sasuke's finger tingle. A spark of energy lit the snake aflame. It slithered away, its smoldering body writhing until it was reduced to a smoking corpse. Sasuke smirked and stood up.
"It's pointless to keep hiding, you know," he shouted into the night air. "I know you're following me."
"And why wouldn't you?" came the eerie, silky smooth voice that could belong to none other than Orochimaru. "A true gem among the Uchiha Clan."
Sasuke flinched, despite knowing in his gut that he wasn't mistaken. In truth, he'd expected the weirdo to keep up pretenses for a while longer.
Orochimaru emerged from the shadows with a pinched brow and weary frown. He stepped over the body of the melted snake without so much as a glance downward, stopping in front of the charged perimeter. His former guile and venomous aura was replaced by a softer emotion now. Was he…worried?
"I hoped to catch you unawares when you stopped to rest," he explained, "but I should've known The Leaf's last Uchiha wouldn't be tricked so easily."
Sasuke decided to poke the bear. "Why bother waiting until my guard's down?" He unlooped the wire tether from his finger as he spoke. "You're supposed to be a Legendary Sannin, right?"
Orochimaru's face twisted into an even tighter grimace. "It's not ideal, but I'm on a bit of a tight schedule, and you and that Uzumaki runt have proven too slippery. If not for my secret countermeasure, I may not have found you again so soon."
A gasp left Sasuke's lips before he could stop himself. The spasm of pain that almost made him pass out before was this freak's fault? Everything made sense now.
"Aah," Ororchimaru said, chin tilted upward. "Just as I suspected. It did affect you."
Damn, the boy thought. He wanted me to give that away! But wait, why didn't he know for sure?
Giving a soft titter, Orochimaru flipped aside a handful of his long black hair and whispered to himself. "I'll have it perfected in time for that, after all." He weaved hand signs at a staggering speed. "Now, let us see if you truly are special, Sasuke Uchiha!"
Three snakes with girths the size of a tree's trunk popped into view around Sasuke's lightning perimeter. They seemed to materialize from the ground around him like magic, unaccompanied by the smoke that was typical of summons. This Orochimaru guy was like an Aburame, except instead of bugs, he produced endless amounts of these vile creatures. The snakes twisted around the barrier in sync with one another, obscuring Sasuke's view of Orochimaru. All he saw now were scaly walls of flesh covered in a viscous fluid.
The barrier grew systematically smaller until all three snakes' bodies caught fire. Their collective incineration overcame the energy output of the lightning-infused wire, shorting it out. All of the linked arrow shafts turned to ash.
A ring of blackened grass was now all that stood between Sasuke and Orochimaru. Seeing that his plan was out of the question, he backed away in abject horror. The rogue ninja smiled from ear to ear, drawing closer as he made another hand sign. He blinked and, when he opened his eyes again, the boy was gone. Orochimaru grunted, checking his surroundings in confusion.
Sasuke reached for a kunai from his weapon pack, eyes shining a bloody crimson. Orochimaru stood in front of him with his back turned. He was stiff as stone, eyes wide open in a vacant stare. Unbeknownst to him, he'd been caught in a Genjutsu Sasuke prepped from behind the lightning barrier. Its activation was so instantaneous that he was still in the middle of using whatever technique he signed at the moment of his capture.
"I'm ending this," Sasuke declared.
There was no time to get into a philosophical debate with himself over committing murder. The alternative was dying at the hands of this madman. He walled off his emotions, putting his all into a swift slash across the back of Orochimaru's pale neck.
The neck extended to an impossible length, ejecting a wad of something a split second before Sasuke severed it from Orochimaru's shoulders. The exhausted Genin dropped to the ground and caught his breath. Miraculous as it was, he had survived the unthinkable.
A few feet away, the surviving bundle of wet flesh unfurled to reveal an unharmed version of the man he thought he just killed. Sasuke had almost no time to put together what happened before the new Orochimaru was on him again. Like before, his neck stretched and closed the distance between them, this time to greater effect. The man's face morphed into something that could only be described as inhuman.
Teeth sharper than a rabid wolf's jutted from a stark white face dotted with pupiless eyes. Sasuke was running on fumes of chakra at this point. Unable to resist, he cried out as Orochimaru's canines bit into his neck and pierced beneath the skin. Something entered his body while the man bit down, escalating the pain he felt from sharp stabs to an all-consuming torrent of pain. He fell to his knees in agony as Orochimaru pulled away.
Trying to see through the thick film of flaring pain was pointless. All Sasuke saw when he forced his eyes open was an incoherent watery mess of greens, browns, and blacks. He clutched at the wound. An even stronger jolt erupted from his neck. He managed to focus his vision just long enough to recognize Orochimaru's pale human face smiling down at him. Then Sasuke's consciousness receded into a pool of black.
The air smelled of cleaning solution and the dying breaths of infirm people whose bodies were little more than husks abraded by time. Yamato walked stiffly through the halls in search of the room where he would find Lord Jiraiya. A couple of paces behind him, The Third Hokage strode along with the back of his white cloak flowing behind him. His mere presence made Yamato self-conscious; the slightest mishap could come across as offensive or disrespectful to The Leaf's former leader. Telling himself to be realistic and stop making up problems before they happened didn't squash the anxiety one bit.
Yamato and Hiruzen turned a corner and spotted two individuals, a man and woman, at the opposite end of the hall. They were posted in front of a closed door. He recognized the woman with shoulder length dark hair as Lady Tsunade's aide. Next to her was the tall, golden-blond savior of The Leaf himself. Thankful to have found Minato without issue, Yamato hastened in their direction.
The Fourth's typical air of calm confidence was gone. In its place was a sense of dread. Minato's eyes lacked their signature openness and light, his cheeks were sunken, and his skin looked sallow and sweaty. He would have been difficult to tell apart from this place's many bedridden patients if not for his white Hokage cloak hemmed by dancing red flames. Yamato stopped in front of Shizune and Minato, stepping aside to make room for Hiruzen. Giving him a soft nod of appreciation, the elder glided past with quiet and deliberate strides.
The Third Hokage stood across from his successor and studied him. Minato kept his head dipped to avoid eye contact. When Hiruzen's calloused and spotted hand laid itself upon his shoulder, something seemed to loosen within him. The Yellow Flash sighed heavily and slumped forward, as if he had expelled all of his bottled up emotion along with whatever energy he had left.
"I came as soon as I heard the news," Hiruzen explained. He gave Minato a sympathetic frown before looking to Shizune. "How is he?"
"It's not looking great," she said, eyebrows knitting in worry. "The burns and scrapes were no trouble for Lady Tsunade, but there's an unknown poison at work in Lord Jiraiya's body. It's bonded to a metallic substance in his bloodstream in a way that's too complex even for me to help. She's locked herself in the lab to study it and only comes out to check on him."
"I see. Shizune, how much…" The widower worked himself up to finish stating the harsh truth no one wanted to face. "How much time does Tsunade have?"
The dark-haired aide trembled. "A few hours. Four tops. So much damage had already been done by the time he arrived here." Her eyes filled with tears and she buried her face in her palm. "I'm sorry, sir."
"Don't apologize," Hiruzen said, managing a smile for her sake. In his peripheral vision, he saw Minato tightening his fists. "If nothing else, you have been the one keeping him stable in Tsunade's absence. We should be thanking you."
"That's the same thing I said," Minato agreed, nodding encouragingly at Shizune. "Come with me, Lord Third. I assume you want to see him?"
"Of course." Hiruzen gave Shizune a short bow and followed Minato into the hospital room.
"I'll give you a few minutes while I do my rounds," she said.
The door clicked shut behind the two Hokage. Shizune spun back to face Yamato, wiping a strand of hair out of her face. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I don't usually lose my composure over my patients' prognoses."
He held up his hands. "No, no, it's alright. I only came to show Lord Third where he was being treated."
Shizune gulped and nodded. "It's just that I haven't seen Lady Tsunade like this in a long time. Not since…"
"Since?" Yamato cocked his head to one side.
"I forgot you don't know. My uncle Dan died in the Second Shinobi World War. He and Lady Tsunade were a couple. She never stopped blaming herself for failing to save him."
"Wait. Dan as in Dan Kato?"
She nodded solemnly, head bowed.
"I've heard of him, but I never realized he was your-" He paused. "I didn't mean to reopen old wounds."
Shizune shook her head in implied forgiveness. Nonetheless, seeing how the dark cloud of sadness she bore weighed on her after discussing Dan's passing left Yamato feeling responsible. A strange snorting sound drew his gaze downward, where a small pig adorned with a pearl necklace squeezed between his feet to nuzzle Shizune's leg.
"Tonton, that's rude!" Shizune smiled apologetically and lifted the spirited pink creature into her arms. "She's reminding me to look in on the other patients. Will you be fine here until I get back?"
"Actually, I'm going to report back to Anbu headquarters now. My mission to notify both Kage is complete."
"Oh. Then I guess we're going the same way. My next patient's at the other end of this hall." She nodded the way he'd come with Hiruzen.
Shrugging, Yamato took a casual stroll alongside Shizune. She walked with purpose in her eyes, but slowly enough to keep pace with him. Her earlier anxieties all but vanished. He knew that look well, and had seen it on the faces of countless shinobi. It was the look of someone on a mission. Compartmentalizing stressors at times like these was almost second nature to a medic of her caliber.
A light seemed to switch on behind Shizune's eyes. "I need to ask you something. Excuse the invasive question, but it's something you're uniquely suited to answer."
His heartbeat quickened, but he kept a blank expression. "What do you mean?"
"I'm treating someone who was in training for Root. I thought with your background, you might be able to help, 'Tenzo.'" Their gazes met for an uncomfortable three seconds. He cut right to the chase.
"How did you know?"
"Wild guess." Shizune's attempt at lightening the mood fell flat. Her delicate lips pulled into a subtle frown. "Okay. The truth is, Lady Tsunade and I were given two lists of ex-Anbu Root operatives a few years back. One was for those in critical need of medical attention, and the other was for low-to-no-risk survivors. Your name was on the second list. Rather, both of your names."
"Wow," Yamato said as he combed a hand through his matted brown hair. "You actually remember something so insignificant from that long ago?"
She winked. "Yup. Mind's like a steel trap. You don't get to be the assistant to a Legendary Sannin for nothing!"
He nodded, still surprised, but impressed by her memory.
"Anyway," she said, "I wanted to ask you if you might know about his affliction."
"Affliction?"
Shizune let Tonton adjust to a more comfortable position and sighed. "His name is Shin." Seeing that the name didn't ring any bells, she elaborated. "Danzo left before finishing his training. He has a fatal disease that Lady Tsunade and I have been working to cure, but what's even more tragic is he and his little brother's living situation."
A pang of sympathy gripped Yamato's heart.
She stopped and slid to one side of the hallway to avoid blocking a passing nurse. They were transporting a patient on a stretcher hooked to a rolling IV. Yamato hugged the wall beside Shizune, trying to ignore the stench of sickly patients that seemed practically infused into the walls. It reminded him of that dark time when his own life hung in the balance.
Giving the fellow medic a nod, Shizune proceeded onward. Yamato matched her stride.
"We're close," she snapped out, as if to convince herself. "To a cure, I mean."
"G-Good," he said, unsure what to add.
"Lady Tsunade's got some theories on an enzyme therapy that could cure him, but if we knew even the slightest bit more about what he has, it would drastically improve the odds."
"You said he was Root in training, right? So I wouldn't have known him. The new recruits were mostly kept in a separate wing from us."
"Oh. Wishful thinking, I guess." She stopped walking and hung her head. Tonton oinked in a soft, compassionate tone.
"Hey," Yamato whispered, "don't make that face. You'll figure it out. I'm sure you can. Same with Lord Jiraiya. You seem pretty smart."
"If only that counted for anything," she dragged, eyeing a folder sleeve against the wall by one of the patient rooms. It held a file that, even from afar, Yamato could clearly read the label on.
"Shin," he said aloud. "That's your patient?"
"Yup. I hate this—getting his hopes up when it might not work out. Even if it does, his brother's even younger than he is. I can't see them living on their own. At this rate, I may need to get in touch with the Yakushi Orphanage."
Yamato hummed, thinking over the sobering news. "I understand. Hey. Would you mind if I, maybe…met him?"
She shot him a look of intrigue.
"Just to say hi and connect," the ex-Root agent followed up with a nervous laugh. "Maybe seeing someone who 'gets it' will be good for him, you know? I sure needed that at his age." Unknown to Shizune, his thoughts drifted to a certain silver-haired prodigy.
Shizune considered the offer for a moment. Setting Tonton down to appease her restless whimpering, the medical ninja stood back up and smiled. "Okay. Let me just pop in and make sure he's feeling well enough."
"Of course." Yamato pressed his back to the wall and settled into a meditative state, attempting to leave as little a mark as possible until Shizune returned.
This 'Shin' boy was not only from Root, but had a debilitating illness? Yamato knew Danzo was sick, but this was a new low. Had he known the kid was at death's door and still forced him to train? What would be the point if the kid died without getting the chance to apply the lessons in actual missions? Maybe Danzo planned to position Shin as a kamikaze soldier.
No. Even he couldn't be that heartless. Could he?
A queasy feeling landed in the pit of Yamato's stomach. Shizune stuck her head outside the door and called him over before he could think on it any further. He put on a kind smile and strode into the room behind her.
Shin was sitting up in an adjustable bed with his head turned. He was staring out of the window at a tree branch that looked far too fragile to support any weight. The branch bounced as a small bluebird alighted at its edge. Against Yamato's expectation, it withstood the force of the landing and leveled out. The bird held something small and bright orange in its beak. On closer inspection, it appeared to have claimed a littered morsel of food for itself. Shin seemed in silent awe of the creature, because he scarcely noticed when a third person entered his room.
"Found yourself a friend?" Shizune said with a cheerful smile, stepping closer to the bed.
"He's back again," Shin whispered. There was a wistful air to his voice.
"Hm? Who's back?"
He turned to look at Shizune, his facial expression open and warm despite drooping eyes. "That bird comes here every night around this time."
"Well, hope you've got room for one more visitor," she said. "This here's the man I told you about."
"Hello," Yamato said with a gentle nod. "Nice to meet you. I'm Yamato." He opened his mouth and stuck his tongue out for Shin to see. The flicker of recognition in his eyes said more than words could.
"You're…?" Shin pushed off of the bed to extend his neck, as if getting closer would somehow change what he saw. He turned to Shizune with a distrusting frown. "You said he was from Root."
"I am. Well, I was." Yamato pulled out his mask and held it up for Shin to see. "Now I'm just an Anbu shinobi."
The boy shook his head. "How? I thought the mark was permanent."
"So did I."
Shizune saw that she could add nothing to this conversation and excused herself to allow them time to get acquainted.
"How about this?" Yamato proposed. "You promise to be a good patient for Ms. Shizune for me, and I'll tell you all about it."
Shin beamed, nodding with excitement. "Okay! Thank you, Sir."
Yamato tensed at the word. Sir? He and this teenage boy weren't all that far apart in age. Maybe five, six years? So using a term of deference toward him that would normally be reserved for those more senior felt odd, to say the least. "You don't have to…look, just call me Yamato."
The boy nodded. His attention was snatched away again as the tip of the bird's perch snapped and it was forced to fly away. Shin stared at the remainder of the tree branch with a forlorn expression. The branch morphed and regrew into a sturdier version of itself right before his eyes, getting a surprised gasp out of him. He whirled back toward his visitor, whose hands were clasped together while molding chakra.
"Did you do that?" Shin said.
"I did. I can use a rare type of ninjutsu called Wood Style, thanks to possessing the genes of The First Hokage. Now there's a safer place for our little bird fellow to rest."
Shin smiled, eyes sparkling in awe. "Thanks, Mr. Yamato."
Resisting the urge to correct him, Yamato nodded. Though still a tad formal, he supposed this name change was better than nothing. They'd work their way up to getting on a first name basis.
Soon after finishing his explanation of how the past and current Hokage worked together to have reformed Root agents' curse marks on their tongues removed, the door handle rattled. Yamato turned to see Shizune stepping into the room. She waved and announced, "Alright, I'm back! Shin, how are you and Yamato getting along?"
Shin raised his hands in celebration. "He's so cool! Did you know he can use Wood Style?"
The two adults shared an awkward glance.
"Yes, I'd heard of it," she said while still staring at him, "but I've never seen it in person."
"Ooh! Please, Mr. Yamato? Show her, show her." Shin coughed and winced in pain, but retained his bright demeanor despite the strain it undoubtedly put on him.
"If you insist," Yamato said, puffing up his chest for the dramatics. "Prepare to be amazed!"
Shin pinged with excitement while Shizune and a restless Tonton waited by the door.
Yamato conjured a flowerpot no bigger than his palm with Wood Style. He added a seed to the pot, followed by using Earth Style to fill it with dirt. Then he set the pot down on Shin's bedside dresser. Yamato made a hand sign and, in under ten seconds, grew the seed into a sapling and, at last, into a miniature tree.
"Make sure you care for it and water it once a day," he said before making his way back to the door.
Shin was speechless. Shizune clapped and cheered, glad to see him looking more full of life, if only for a while. "Yay! Shin, don't you have something you want to say to Mr. Yamato?"
"Thank you," Shin breathed, allowing himself to lay back and show his exhaustion at last.
Shizune led Yamato out of the room after he exchanged a polite goodbye with Shin. "We're gonna get going now. Rest up and I'll be back later to clear you for discharge." They were halfway past the threshold of the entrance when a second, younger looking boy with pale skin appeared walking alongside a hospital staff member.
The nurse guided the boy by the hand as they approached, smiling at Shizune and nodding to acknowledge Yamato. "Ah, Miss Shizune. Perfect timing. We're all done with lunch! Looks like we aren't your brother's only visitors, Sai."
Sai scrutinized Yamato with the large, unblinking saucers that were his eyes. A single look made it clear that he possessed an intuition and intellect beyond his years. Even so, nothing could have prepared Yamato for the soft spoken boy's bombshell of a question.
"Are you here to take Shin away?"
He had no idea how to respond to such depressing words. How to look at the pale faced, anxious little boy and keep from feeling destroyed by the pain he saw there. Thankfully, Shizune jumped in before his silence became too noticeable.
"No, not at all, Sai," she chimed in with an upbeat tone. "Yamato here was just giving your brother a gift. We all hope he'll get well soon. Isn't that right?" She winked and he nodded, offering her a grateful half-smile.
"Of course," Yamato said. "Nice to meet you, Sai." He noticed a book tucked under the boy's free arm. "What do you have there?" He pointed. Sai clenched, as if worried he would take the book from him.
"This is my sketchbook," he said in a small voice. "I'm making Big Brother a special drawing so he'll get better. No one's allowed to see 'till I finish."
"Ah, I see." Yamato looked back at Shin, who was partially visible from beyond the doorway. "You're a good brother. Take care of him for me so he can be big and strong again, okay?"
Sai's cold demeanor finally cracked and he adopted the hint of a smile. "Mhm!"
"Anyway," Shizune said to the nurse, "Thanks Mitsuba. Could you stay with him while I go check on Lord Jiraiya?"
"Sure can," said the woman Yamato now knew as Mitsuba. She took Sai into the room and sat him down, producing a picture book from her purse to deflect attention away from Shin's lethargic state.
Yamato gave Shizune a two-fingered salute, wished her luck, and departed for the front entrance. His chance meeting with the brothers introduced a bright spot of innocence into his life that he hadn't realized he needed. Seeing the radiance of their youthful spirits on full display reminded him why he swore to do all he could to stop Danzo and Orochimaru, and to help those whose lives they'd ruined. If for nothing other than the reassurance that no more kids would end up test subjects like him, Yamato was determined to steer youths like Shin, Sai, Fu, and Torune away from the dark paths they'd been forced onto. Maybe it was too late for him, but he had to believe there was at least a sliver of hope for the others. He'd brave whatever challenges necessary to keep that hope alive.
The hospital door swung shut behind Yamato. He quietly weaved between a sprinkling of chatty villagers. Judging by the looks of things, a few nosy onlookers from earlier this evening remained. He clicked his tongue in disapproval.
Have they no tact?
The answer to that question was evident, and yet it still made his blood boil. They were shamelessly waiting on the tiniest scrap of gossip to devour regarding Lord Jiraiya. His condition, and the information relayed by his summoning toad, had been more than enough to stoke the fires of panic into a frenzy. Putting those deadly flames out would require a cool head and smart political moves all the way from the top of the command chain. Yamato hoped Minato and Hiruzen would have it in them to rise to this challenge.
His foot smushed against something wet and dark. Yamato frowned down at the mangled body of a black beetle. This brought to mind Torune and his brother Shino—a grim, but perhaps necessary reminder of the promise he made to himself. Full of conviction, the loyal Anbu member straightened his posture and marched for Hokage Tower.
"Ow!"
Kurenai Yuuhi pulled the strip of gauze she held snug, then tore off the end and patted the loose fabric down. Her student breathed a sigh of mixed distress and relief. Hinata's bold lavender eyes looked up at her with gratitude before darting sideways.
"Thank you, K-Kurenai-sensei," she muttered, studying her bandaged wrist. "Sorry for crying out."
Kurenai smiled and stepped back. "Not at all. It's true that I was a little rough. I didn't want to make it too loose and have your wrapping unravel before the salve took effect."
Hiinata nodded and said in a hushed tone, "It's alright. Have you…have you heard anything about Naruto's whereabouts?"
"Nothing concrete yet," Kurenai said. She sighed and looked around the room. Kiba was being seen by a medic while Shino stood antisocially in a corner. "It's only a matter of time. You three should just focus on getting your strength back. Judging by reports, a few other Jonin will be along in no time to look into this."
"Are you leaving, too, Kurenai-sensei?" Shino said, surprising everyone by speaking up.
"In a few minutes. But right now, my mission's to receive you three, congratulate you on passing phase two, and explain what comes next."
"And what does come next?" Kiba said, looking over his shoulder. Akamaru barked a message and he turned back to listen. "Akamaru says whoever attacked us is way too strong to worry about the exam right now."
"I agree," Shino said. "Especially if the rumor about Naruto's warning is true."
Kurenai tapped a finger against her hip. "I hate to say this, but I think you're right. I'll give you a quick rundown and then go help scout the area."
When the time came to leave, Hinata gasped and tugged at Kurenai's arm. The woman's stark crimson eyes gleamed with intrigue. "Wait, Kurenai-sensei!"
"What is it, Hinata?"
"Please don't go. If this Orochimaru is really out there, you might…"
The room fell silent. Kurenai patted Hinata on the head and turned to leave. "I'll be alright. I don't plan to engage unless it's strictly necessary. We're still awaiting Lord Fourth's orders."
This seemed to pacify the young girl. She withdrew, hugging her arms close to herself in a feeble protective gesture. Team 8's sensei strode away with graceful confidence. Her stunning beauty seemed at odds with the life of a shinobi. She appeared more suited for that of a model or lead actress. Anything other than a profession so fraught with danger. Hinata couldn't help but notice this as Kurenai took her leave. The Hyuuga heiress's thoughts returned to the person who risked it all to help them make it here in the first place.
Naruto, and Sasuke, you too…please come back safe.
Shino stood obscured by shade in the corner of a room within The Tower. His insects were taking the time to rest and multiply while not in enemy territory. He found the darkness calming, unlike his teammates. Kiba openly called it 'weird' of him to leave the lights off in his part of the room, while Hinata was more polite and kept her opinions to herself. Her fake smile revealed that she found it strange too, though.
Ah, well. His solitude did not bother him in the slightest. He was never alone, in a sense. Ever since the parasitic insects integrated into his body and he learned to work with them like a team several hundred members strong, Shino never again felt isolated. Not in the traditional sense, anyway.
Before signing him up to attend The Leaf Academy, his father Shibi made a point of explaining that their clan's propensity for bonding with insects might turn off those who didn't understand or found bugs repulsive on principle. Yet he pointed out that it was still possible to make true friends who would accept him, beetles and all. Shibi himself had done it, after all. No matter their differences, Shino had to admit he, Kiba, Akamaru, and Hinata worked well enough together. They were even becoming friends, he thought. Social situations weren't easy for him to decode, so that was just a guess. Regardless, there were far worse teams he could have ended up on at the end of the day.
The idea of making friends he could feel close to still struck him as a tad abstract. What exactly was a friend? Did the bond feel the same as what he'd had with Torune? With father? Or was it something different altogether?
Torune had given himself up and joined the Anbu so that Shino wouldn't have to, and so that he could go on to make friends and live a full life. But he still wasn't certain if he was living in a way that made Torune's sacrifice worth the price. Maybe Yamato was wrong and it should have been him instead. Shino laid against the wall reflecting on his brother's defection with Danzo. No matter how he turned it over in his head, that decision didn't make any sense. Everything indicated his choice was a reluctant one when he joined Root. So why, when presented with the perfect opportunity, didn't he jump at it and come home to Shino and Shibi?
The only answer that added up to Shino was that Torune thought staying would help protect him further in some way. How, exactly, was anyone's guess. That didn't matter. All he knew was that he wanted his brother back. This was his burden, wasn't it? Why did Yamato insist otherwise? Guilt and doubt dropped on him like a sack full of bricks. His insects chittered as their chakra fluctuated, snapping Shino out of his self deprecation. He needed to keep his chakra flow stable at all times to function as a viable host. His body wasn't just his own; if he allowed himself to falter, they would suffer along with him.
"Shino?" Hinata's voice whispered, reaching him through his fog of rumination.
He turned to regard her with an impassive expression. "Yes, Hinata? What is it?"
"Are you alright?"
Impossible. Had she really read him that easily? The Byakugan really was a force to be reckoned with, after all. Somehow Hinata could tell he was feeling disturbed despite him going out of his way to keep a lid on his emotions. Was she that much of a prodigy?
"I…why do you ask?" he said, sounding as sterile and unbothered as possible.
"Your coat sleeve's ripped." She craned to inspect the offending patch of fabric. "I wanted to make sure there aren't any senbon left behind from our fight with Shigure's team."
"Oh, no. It's alright. I guess you missed it when you sewed it up," Shino said, lifting his arm with mild curiosity. "My insects would have noticed if I had untreated wounds."
"Well, that's a relief," she said, setting aside a small jar of ointment she brought with her. "I-If you'd like, I could, well, get my sewing kit out again."
"It's a small tear, so no need," Shino declined, holding up a hand. He paused and thought it over before saying in as kind a tone as he could drum up, "and thank you, Hinata."
She paused, taken aback by the compliment, before offering him a shy nod. Hinata skittered back to her side of the room, as much a bundle of nerves as ever. If Kiba was Shino's opposite, then she was his inverse. Maybe that's why they all got along from day one. Amused by this chance dynamic, Shino wondered if Torune would have liked these two or not. He was warming up to them, but still didn't know if this was what friendship should feel like.
Kurenai-sensei's absence left a palpable discomfort among all three Genin. Shino watched as Hinata sat alone, head buried between her knees. If he had to guess, she was silently biting her nails to the quick over Naruto not returning yet. Meanwhile, Kiba fed Akamaru treats with a hollow stare. His arm moved but he didn't blink once, like there was no one behind the wheel of his brain. Like it or not, danger that The Hokage didn't account for had made it to their doorstep. What was going on out there? Was the village going to mobilize?
Excited chatter spilled into the room from outside. Panic had spread in no time, and everyone was standing by to hear orders from above. A couple of Anbu tried to shout down the waves of rumors and overreactions with canned assurances that went nowhere. Shino sent a few of his insects off to collect intel he could parse through. Kiba acted predictably and rushed to join the hubbub outside after ensuring Akamaru was comfortable on a pilfered sofa cushion. The door clicked closed behind him. Hinata, however, stayed put. Odds were she was more afraid of bad news than no news. Whether Team 8 had the proper mindset or not, Shino opted to gather information for them ahead of time. This was the most he could offer as a teammate and potential friend.
Twisted cries of incoherent agony echoed into the night sky. The grassy meadow between the untamed forest and The Tower swayed in the wake of a gentle breeze. Contrary to this chilling sight, Orochimaru stood with a proud smirk. He looked down his nose at the boy whose veins bulged with merciless waves of pain. More than their usual callous glee, his eyes held a spark of expectance. He was left little time to enjoy the moment, however; a bright light arced from the sky like a hurtling comet. Naruto came into view, his face red with unbridled fury as he shouted and thrust a Rasengan toward the ground.
The valley cratered on impact. Orochimaru slid to a stop a few feet away from Sasuke and looked up with a dark grin. "I swear, this boy…"
Clones spilled out of the hole in the field like a swarm of ants. The full force of Naruto's rage was unleashed onto Orochimaru. A tidal wave of clones rolled across the hills like a battalion several hundred strong. Rather than flinch or show concern, he smirked. The clones spread like locusts and enveloped him. He released a stream of snakes from beneath his sleeves, scattering them to disrupt the flow of clones. This did little more than slow Naruto's assault; before long, the snakes were caught and stabbed with kunai.
Orochimaru used this distraction to his advantage. His trusty sword materialized like lightning. He set to work carving through wave after wave of the mob of Narutos. The Sannin spun in a mad dance that looked random to the untrained eye, but sliced through large numbers of the clones with pinpoint accuracy. A couple dozen of them had managed to evade contact with his blade by a hair. The survivors used this rare opening to close in and grab onto Orochimaru from all sides. Their additional weight limited his range of motion. He cursed as his sword was wrenched from his grasp and thrown far away, leaving no easy means of destroying the pesky clones.
Capitalizing on this one-in-a-lifetime chance, Naruto's last clone rushed in, a Rasengan rapidly stabilizing in its hand. Orochimaru's eyes widened in shock for a fraction of a second before he extended two fingers, curling them in a beckoning motion. The attacking clone was pierced through the back by a chakra-imbued weapon. Floating up from its place on the grass, Orochimaru's sword returned to his hand.
The element of surprise was no longer Naruto's. In fact, this conniving traitor had totally reversed a losing situation to create one that worked in his favor. Incredible. Was this the true power of a Sannin?
Retracting his sword, the pale man smirked in Sasuke's direction. His eyes twinkled with dark ambition. All of a sudden, something else stole his attention. He turned around in surprise.
Naruto emerged from the smoldering crater he'd made earlier with his Uzumaki Clan Mask donned. Like a vengeful spirit seeking its prey, he marched through the dense smoke cloud left behind by his clones with his head on a swivel. The pure rage radiating off of him synchronized with the Konran Mask's innate properties and emitted a dense wave of energy. The snake enthusiast was buffeted backward across the field. He raised his arms to shield his eyes, looking on in wonder.
"Amazing! To think you could control that relic."
Rather than reply, Naruto let off a deep, resonant growl. The ground around him eroded away, sending dust clouds into the air. Orochimaru clicked his tongue in irritation and retreated, his legs morphing into the tail of a snake. He slithered away, narrowly avoiding having his chakra network scrambled by the mask. He burrowed into the ground and popped back out much further away.
"Where do you think you're going?!" Naruto shouted. The mask distorted his voice, giving it an inhuman quality. "We aren't through here."
"If I were you," Orochimaru called back, "I would worry more about your beloved Godfather than spending time chasing after me!"
Well, that sure threw Naruto for a loop. He lost concentration and the mask's energy field rippled in response. What was this boneless weirdo talking about? Did something happen to Pervy Sage?
"Looks like this is where we part, for now," Orochimaru shouted before slithering into the shadows. "You seem to have almost as much potential as my Sasuke, Naruto Uzumaki."
My Sasuke?
Overtaken by primal fury, Naruto lashed out at the air with a hand. The mask's forcefield took the shape of a claw and traveled in a straight line, cleaving the air in two before dissipating just as fast. He couldn't tell whether the attack landed or only wasted more of his chakra. Orochimaru had taken refuge inside a blanket of shade offered by the tall trees.
Naruto grunted and fell to one knee. He removed the mask, gasping as his siphoned chakra reserves returned to him. Mom was right after all. This thing was more of a threat than he first realized.
Returning to more important matters, he knelt by an unconscious Sasuke and rested the latter's head in his lap. A quick pulse check confirmed his brother was still alive. Warm to the touch, but alive. All the breath in Naruto left him as he held Sasuke close with a grateful smile. He resisted the urge to break down and cry.
Minato's clone opened his eyes at the realization that another presence was approaching, blinking in the tall figure and messy silver hair of his student. Kakashi knelt in a show of respect. Legs still crossed meditation style, Minato gestured for him to speak.
"Kakashi? What are you doing all the way out here?"
"Sensei, you have to let down the space-time barrier! Quickly."
"Why? What is it?"
"The other Jonin and I need to do a sweep of the area, and I can't teleport properly with the barrier up. Word's been received that Naruto claims Orochimaru infiltrated the forest."
"What?" The Yellow Flash stood up to full height, straightening his dirt-speckled cloak with a flourish. "Where's the real me at a time like this?"
His masked former student looked away. Minato hardened his expression and tone.
"Where, Kakashi?"
"It's-" Kakashi sucked in a breath. "Lord Jiraiya's been injured. You're with him in critical care."
"Injured?" Clone Minato hesitated to continue. His brows knitted together. "By Orochimaru?"
"No, by the Akatsuki. Please hurry! Lower the barrier and bring the news about Orochimaru back to your original."
No matter how much Minato wanted to protest, he knew Kakashi wouldn't be so adamant if things weren't dire. He pulled back a sleeve and walked up to the barrier, blitzing through hand signs before placing both palms on the ground. The dense coagulation of Nature Energy and regular chakra swelled and exploded into translucent pieces like a balloon popping in slow motion. Turning to Kakashi and nodding, Minato dispelled his physical form with a burst of smoke. His student took off into the forest while fragments of the barrier scattered and dissolved to nothing.