Show me the way

XIX: Unfair advantages

Shizuka smirked. If it hadn't been for everything he already knew, they might have been in trouble, but it was easy like this. Yukashi Kabuto. The man that misled them during the Chunin exam. The right-hand man to Orochimaru. Shizuka remembered the moment they met again after the Chunin exams, while fetching Tsunade. His imperfect Rasengan had done damage, enough so for most mortals, but the tricks Orochimaru pulled were also available to Kabuto to some degree. Combined with his medical knowledge Kabuto had overcome that blow.

But now he lay dead at Shizuka's feet, torn asunder on the inside by a fully developed Rasengan, which Shizuka had expanded when his hand was inside Kabuto's chest cavity. Kabuto had still moved after that, choking on his own blood and heaving for air with lungs that no longer functioned, so Shizuka had crushed Kabuto's skull underneath his foot as he looked Kabuto in the eyes with nothing more than stone cold contempt. Shizuka did not flinch over the crunch that filled the room or the matter that was once Kabuto splattering everywhere. He only regretted the residue it left on his pants.

Shizuka wasn't leaving Kabuto's body. As long as there was a single cell left alive, Shizuka saw it as a threat. Neither Kabuto nor Orochimaru should be at the point in their ventures for immortality where they could regenerate to that extreme, but Shizuka wouldn't risk it. He sealed the body in a specially designed seal for remains. The glow filled the room and when it subsided, the only reminder of Kabuto left were the stains on the floor and his pants.

Kakashi had been silent, watching in awe at the sheer ferocity the seemingly uninteresting youth drew from Shizuka. It was clear to Kakashi there had been history, but it confused him Kabuto hadn't reacted in a similar manner as Shizuka did to him. At least a fearful reaction was expected if he had known Shizuka and had to face him, yet Kabuto had been cocky until the very end.

Another thing was the Justu that Shizuka had used. It was his Sensei's, Namizake Minato. How had Shizuka learned a Jutsu that was considered a village secret? At the very least Kakashi knew that Shizuka and Minato had never met. Minato would have never taught that Jutsu to someone who wasn't at least a very close friend, and Kakashi would have known Shizuka if he had that level of a relationship with his Sensei. Not to mention Shizuka had clearly said he didn't know Kushina personally, just that she was family in some way, and there was no way an Uzumaki could know Minato and not know Kushina. Yet Shizuka used it so easily that it implied rigorous practice for a long time, and years of using it on a regular basis. It didn't make sense.

They didn't have time to dwell on it right now. Kabuto had been a decoy while Orochimaru fled the nest. Shizuka wasn't too worried. He had been Snake hunting before and knew the most likely place Orochimaru would slither to. But before they left, Kakashi and Shizuka destroyed everything and anything in the underground lab. For a moment, Kakashi hesitated when they found experiments of Orochimaru, but Shizuka cut them down in the same ruthlessness as he had done Kabuto.

After a moment's hesitation, Kakashi joined the fray, and the lab was gone in moments. He trusted Shizuka in his judgement, and so, even if Kakashi didn't know the full detail, he still followed Shizuka in what needed to be done. Questions would have to wait for their return to Konoha.

Shizuka led the way as the landscape changed from forest to grassy fields. With certain steps and little effort he followed the invisible trail left by Orochimaru. As they moved, Shizuka focussed on the nature around them, sensing any and all disturbances that told him he was headed in the right direction.

They landed in front of the mouth of a cave. Why Orochimaru always chose underground lairs was beyond Shizuka. The stagnant air and perpetual chill of the underground was unsettling. By now he had collected enough Nature energy to show the physical changes for Sennin mode. Kakashi eyed him suspiciously, so Shizuka smirked at him, shrugging his shoulders. Kakashi rolled his eyes, accepting he wasn't getting an explanation now.

A few gestures from Shizuka ushered them inside. The long corridors of repeating doors were a maze and Shizuka hadn't been to this location. He knew about it, it had been one of their targets in the search for Sasuke, but they had encountered Sasuke in a different location before they got to this one. There was one general thing he remembered about all the hideouts and that was that the descending route usually led to the core of it, where the lab and the important quarters were. And where Orochimaru probably was right now.

At the end of a hallway, they found a double door. For a moment they listened at the door for any noises, but were met by an eerie silence. The whole base had been silent, but that didn't say much. It wasn't planned for Orochimaru to be here right now, so it would make sense the base was abandoned save for some prisoners and experiments.

There was a shift behind the door, something moving along the floor, pulling both their attention. With a few quick signs, Kakashi told Shizuka to stay as he himself went in first, hidden in shadows. Shizuka nodded, knowing he wouldn't have the patience to lurk in the shadows once he sighted his target.

He was impatient waiting for Kakashi as well, and instead of standing still Shizuka scoured the rooms close by from any living inhabitants. There were only a few and he didn't kill indiscriminately. It was fairly clear which rooms contained prisoners yet to be experimented on and which willing subjects and, just like with Kabuto, Shizuka held no mercy for the willing.

Kakashi found him fairly easy and watched as Shizuka cleaned his Katana of blood on the crumpled heap at his feet. Shizuka grinned at Kakashi, sending a shiver down Kakashi's spine and leaving Kakashi wondering about the kind of past Shizuka had that made him able to smile like that so shortly after killing. It was going to be an interesting conversation when they got home, for as far as Shizuka would be willing to answer. "Orochimaru is in the laboratory at the back of the room. He seems to be alone. Are you ready?"

Shizuka gritted his teeth and nodded. Despite the turnaround Orochimaru had shown in the war, Naruto had never truly accepted the change. There was still greed behind it and although Orochimaru had helped, the reasons behind it were equal to the reasons with which Orochimaru sought immortality. Selfish and only because he gained something from it. Shizuka still felt Orochimaru should not be left alive for all the things the man had done in the past, and would do in the future.

Kakashi and Shizuka appeared in the laboratory to see Orochimaru scramble to get something done. Several empty syringes were on a table, clearly just used. He had another syringe in his hand, hovering over the inside of his elbow where several other needle marks were visible. Shizuka cocked his head, studying the green liquid in the needle. It seemed to glow in the darkness on the underground.

Orochimaru froze at the sight of them. "How did you find me? Where is Kabuto?" He hissed out. Neither Kakashi nor Shizuka answered, but stared down at Orochimaru with deathly glares. This fight was going to be tough. Shizuka could probably hold himself against Orochimaru for a long time, but Orochimaru was still on of the Sanin.

Kakashi readied a Kunai, standing at attention. Shizuka unsheathed his Katana, twirling it and taking his stand with a silent growl.

"Not very social, are you? No matter. Kabuto has served his purpose. You are too late." Orochimaru said, pressing the needle into his arm and pressing down on the plunger. With a flick of his wrist, Kakashi threw his Kunai and shattered the glass container of the syringe before it was half empty. As the liquid hit the table and the floor, it evaporated and left nothing but black, corroded stains and a pungent odour.

Orochimaru snarled at Kakashi and disregarded the broken syringe. It only threw Orochimaru off for a second before he recovered. He might not have finished his set, but that did not mean the previous shots had no effect. With the last shot he would have perfected his regeneration, but this would do for now. The concoctions were whirling in his veins and settling deep in his cells, creating powers he always dreamed of. The two Konoha Shinobi would be excellent test subjects for his new powers.

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