Reborn as Sakura and Hinata: Lost in the Wind

The Return of the Cursed Shit

I drew in a deep breath, all focus going into maintaining eye contact with the beautiful creature in front of me. I started the first note slowly and softly, not wanting to startle the creature. It moved ever so slightly, reacting to the sound in an almost cat-like manner. I began to move the notes up the scale, watching carefully as the small creature reacted subtly to the notes and slowly made its way towards me.

My heart soared as I continued the song, having to contain my excitement as the little beautiful green baby slid up onto my leg where I was sitting and then onto my arm. I gently stood up as I continued playing. Had I really just managed to tame a snake? Yes, yes I did.

The sound of a throat clearing drew my attention to my doorway, where Orochimaru once again stood in utter confusion.

"Might I ask what you call this activity?" his eyes narrowed as he studied the snake that was now at my shoulder.

"Snake charming?" I decided on. I mean, I technically wasn't wrong.

"Where did you find a snake such as that?" he walked into the room and stooped over to better examine the small smooth green snake that had stopped moving without the music.

"Out in the woods. I was kinda surprised." I answered, glancing down at my new companion, "I was practicing out there and he seemed to like it."

Orochimaru re-straightened, "Yes, that leads to my next question." he curiously eyed my oboe, "What on earth is that, and what on earth are you doing with it?"

"It's an oboe, a type of musical instrument." I answered carefully, "I was playing some melodies I know."

"Fascinating." he tilted his head to look at it from different angles, "It's like nothing I've ever heard before."

"It's a foreign instrument." I shrugged, causing Orochimaru to quirk an eyebrow.

"How would you know how to play a foreign instrument?" he hummed, eyes going back to analyzing the object in my hands.

"My clan likes to teach its higher members foreign or ancient topics." I lied, "Since we are such an old clan we have vast libraries of knowledge, much of which our own members don't know about." At least the second part wasn't a lie.

"What do you play with this?" he then glanced at the snake, "What does it like?"

"I can play a lot of different things, but I found out that this little guy actually likes jazz." I responded without really thinking.

Orochimaru blinked, "Jazz?"

"Oh, um, it's just a style of note construction." I nervously put the reed back into my mouth and played a jazz scale, noting how Orochimaru's eyes widened at the sound.

"What an odd... sound..." he mumbled, glancing back at the snake, which had perked up at the sound of the scale, "very interesting indeed... you are quite strange."

"Thank you." I responded uncertainly.

He gave a small laugh, "You know so many things that I feel you shouldn't." he commented, "You somehow know other languages and how to play some foreign instrument, and you seem to know more about science than you have any business knowing for a Konoha shinobi."

"I just read a lot, sir, and have a very good memory." I shrugged, hoping he wouldn't press it anymore.

He nodded, a thoughtful look on his face, before turning around to leave the room, "I need your assistance today." he smirked, "As much as I hate to interrupt you."

"Not a problem at all, sir." I began to take my instrument apart, "What will we be doing?"

"I have some projects going on in one of my laboratories that I'd like you to see, and maybe even test." he said with an air of mystery, probably attempting to intrigue me.