"Hey, Shizune!"
Tsunade's attendant started at Jiraiya's sudden words, uttered with perhaps the strongest voice the master ninja had been able to muster all morning. "Yes?
"You're going to tell me what you guys talked about with Orochimaru, now."
Naruto's eyes widened, and the much younger ninja turned to glance at Shizune. "Orochimaru?!"
After a long moment, Shizune lowered her head. "I wanted to believe in Tsunade-sama, so I couldn't say it before now..." Her hands went to her gut, feeling the bruises her mentor had left behind. "But..." She rose suddenly. "We're short on time. Please follow me. I will explain while we move."
Jiraiya nodded. "Okay."
"I'll go too!" The other two ninja ignored Naruto's interjection.
Not far away, Tsunade stood, near a broken wall. A wall she had broken herself only a short few days ago. She didn't bother to look up or turn around as she heard the footsteps approaching behind her. There was only one man they could belong to.
The footsteps stopped. "Your answer?" came the all-too-familiar voice.
"What?!" Naruto exclaimed as the three ninja moved rapidly through the trees to the site of the meeting. "Of course she's going to answer 'no!'"
Jiraiya just grimaced. "This may seriously be bad," he thought. "She still thinks of those two every day." His grimace deepened. "I may really have to kill Tsunade, depending on the situation." Even in his own mind, he didn't dare to utter the thought of how unlikely that was with Tsunade's drug still coursing through his veins.
Tsunade raised her gaze, but did not turn to face Orochimaru. "I will cure your arms, she said slowly, "but don't lay a finger on the village."
Orochimaru chuckled softly, the laugh of someone who had anticipated such a request. "Very well," he said without hesitating, and Tsunade knew just how little chance there was that he would keep this promise.
But for those two... a chance to see them again... even in this situation, the thought brought a slight smile to Tsunade's lips, one that quickly vanished. What would they think of her, when they found out what she had done to bring them back? She could feel tears forming in her eyes as she finally turned and looked at Orochimaru.
The wind howled, and the female Sanin despaired to see the smirk on Orochimaru's face. He knew. Hew knew what pain he was putting her through, and he enjoyed it. "Now..." he said.
Tsunade forced calmness onto her face, and the two began to walk towards each other, slowly to avoid the other seeing a threat where there was none.
Shizune turned to look at Jiraiya, her well-trained ninja skills sufficient to keep her pace through the forest unslowed. "Once his arms are cured, he plans to renew his attack on Leaf."
"We need to stop him now, or things may take a turn for the worst," Jiraiya answered.
Naruto growled as he thought of the man who had killed the Hokage returning to attack the village again. "Bastard..."
The Sound ninja, Kabuto, finally arrived at the meeting spot. He knew that the three would be following him, but he also knew that they could not arrive in time. From his vantage point on a nearby rooftop, he could see the two Sanin reach each other.
"I have you," he remembered his master saying. "I have no need to worry."
Orochimaru would be disappointed in him. He had been sent to kill Tsunade's companion, but had not even attempted the assassination. He had not expected Jiraiya to be there. It had to be the first time all three Sanin had been in the same area in years.
He had also been more than surprised to see Naruto. Why was he traveling with the third Sanin? Why were either of them here? Hunting Orochimaru? Or... Tsunade?
But why... why Naruto? He remembered the boy from before his master had attacked the village, but he had not seemed the sort to be of much use on either mission, save as a source of comic relief.
Below, Orochimaru slowly raised his twitching hands, and Tsunade's matched his, a glowing globe of chakra forming between them. Almost in disbelief, Orochimaru forced his arms forward to touch it. When he did, the healing would begin. And after that... his vengeance.
Mere moments before his fingertips would have penetrated the surface of the ball, the two Sanin started and leaped away from each other. Kabuto's dagger embedded itself in the ground between where the two of them had been standing. both Sanin gazed up at the young Sound ninja, Orochimaru in puzzlement and Tsunade in rage.
Kabuto backflipped along the long rooftop before leaping down to stand a dozen paces behind Orochimaru.
"What is the meaning of this?" Orochimaru asked without turning. "You've betrayed me at the very last moment... Kabuto!"
Kabuto smirked, though he knew his... now former master could not see. "You told me once that I could not kill you. I wonder if that is still true." Orochimaru did not respond. Kabuto reached up, untying the Sound forehead protector from around his head. He tossed it up lightly, testing its weight. "I believe this is yours," he said, and in one smooth motion he hurled the protector at the male Sanin.
Orochimaru laughed, half-turning and stepping back to allow the protector to fly by him harmlessly. Tsunade easily snagged it out of the air as it reached her. Orochimaru looked at the other Sanin carefully for a few moments, before gesturing weakly with his useless arms. "I'm afraid I will have to leave him to you... Tsunade-hime."
Tsunade clenched her fist. "Yes." She opened her hand, allowing the crumpled piece of metal that had been Kabuto's forehead protector to fall. The former Sound ninja grimaced at the reminder of how strong she was. This would be... difficult.
Before the forehead protector had hit the ground, Tsunade was upon him.
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(Posted Fri, 15 Oct 2004 06:55)
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