"Eh?" asked Naruto.
"She's old, and I've heard her health isn't that good, but she's lived through three ninja wars," said Iruka. "I've heard about her. She was assigned missions in the last ninja war to take out A-Class opposing ninja, generals, rogue A-Class and S-Class ninja."
"So, she's pretty strong?" asked Naruto, beginning to get a little excited at the prospect.
"She can be pretty scary," admitted Iruka.
"Kind of a politic way of putting it," said a raspy old voice.
Orochimaru felt that in order to give a proper balance to his genius, he had to have the occasional hobby. Something to contrast his more typical activities with and to just occupy himself with while his mind percolated over various findings and results.
A knock on the door interrupted his latest pursuit.
"Oh bother," said Orochimaru, pausing in the feeding of his newest attempt to breed a Crawling Flytrap. Simple enough in concept, a flytrap plant that could periodically relocate itself in search of fresh prey. Not so simple in application unfortunately.
"Messenger bird from Konoha," said a voice from the other side of the door, feeding a tiny scroll into the slot in the door.
Orochimaru checked, found the seal untouched and indicating one of his Konoha spies, and raised an eyebrow. Wondering if he'd have to chastise one of his underlings for taking the chance of breaking cover to use a bird for something non-urgent, he bit his tongue, then used a finger to transfer a single drop of blood to the seal. It cracked, then opened.
The flower of deepest purple-black that we thought had bloomed its last has bloomed again. As soon as I learn where it will be displayed, I shall inform you so that we may view its beauty from an appropriate setting.
"Oh shit," said Orochimaru, before putting the reaction to the side. After all, he was now an S-Class missing-nin. He was now the most powerful of the Legendary Three from Konoha. He was most definitely NOT the genin who had mouthed off to an old woman, only to have her turn around and casually crush him. With a paper umbrella. He was certainly not the chunin who'd been so sure of his accomplishments that he'd sought her out and challenged her. And been beaten so soundly that JIRAIYA hadn't been able to come up with an appropriate comment. He was not even the experienced jonin who'd seen MANDA apologize and retreat simply from a frown and glittery glare.
"She's nothing by now, old and circling the drain," mused Orochimaru out loud. "She barely survived an encounter with Hanzo after all." A little whisper from the past-self that remembered those encounters reminded him that at the time she'd been covered in gore from something that had happened before she'd even confronted Hanzo.
The missing-nin went over the available facts. She had to be in her late seventies by now. Death Orchid, aka Black Death Orchid, also known as Ran Shinoka, sometimes called the Gardener. Whose job in two wars had been to take out enemy tacticians and leaders.
It was commonly believed that Bingo Books from back then had given her a "Flee On Sight" recommendation. Orochimaru knew this was incorrect as one didn't see Orchid coming.
Naruto didn't know much of anything about this old woman who'd suddenly appeared.
Old, really old. Withered and shrunken looking. Her skin had an almost transparent look, and she had wrinkles on her wrinkles. One eye was slightly larger than the other, or it was simply the way her face scrunched up.
She was also sitting with her legs folded up underneath her, a cup of tea or something in one hand and a small saucer in the other.
She sipped at the tea briefly, waiting for Iruka-sensei to stop twitching.
"This is my sensei?" asked Naruto. "She's so..."
Iruka had apparently recovered enough for him to launch himself over and cover Naruto's mouth.
"Oh, DO let him speak, child," said the old woman. "I think I should hear the rest of his sentence."
"-old?" asked Naruto as soon as his mouth wasn't covered.
"Does that mean you think I'm weak and can't beat a big strong ninja like you?" asked the old woman.
"Uhm, no. It means I'd be afraid I'd hurt you," said Naruto.
"Oh hell," said Iruka.
The old woman looked at Iruka. "I don't remember you, child. You should run along before you see something that traumatizes you for life."
"Yes'm," responded Iruka, shooting Naruto a pitying glance before leaving.
"Now, young Uzumaki," said the old woman. "Some jonin-sensei test for teamwork, but it's just you and I for now. Some jonin test for the ability to pierce through deception. Some jonin test for all around strength."
"Test?" asked Naruto. "Nobody mentioned a test."
"My test is more 'can you survive if I'm your sensei'," mused the old woman. "Oh, and by the way-"
KER-THWACK!
"-the test has already started," finished the old woman as Naruto flew into a wall from the impact she'd just dealt him.
"NOT FAIR!" yelled Naruto, as he got up from being bounced off a wall. "I wasn't ready."
WHACK! WHAP! WHAM!
The old woman sat down, picking up her teacup and saucer, and blowing on it.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" went Naruto as he came straight down and smashed into the dirt.
"Just saying," said the old woman. "You're not impressing me so far."
"Ugh," said Naruto as he slowly got back up.
"And this is a test about being a ninja," said the old woman as she set her cup and saucer to the side. "You think enemies will wait until you're ready? Will any ambushes give you notice ahead of time?"
"Uhm, no?" tried Naruto.
"Well, you can learn, we can give it a shot I suppose," said the old woman. "You can call me sensei, Orchid, or 'commander' - anything else and I up the pain level of the training session."
"Err," said a very unsure Naruto.
"Tomorrow's mission is milk delivery," said Orchid. "We start at 0400 hours here. You do NOT want to be late."
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(Posted Tue, 15 Jul 2014 17:05)
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