Shizune sighed as her sensei sat in front of the Pachinko machine and entered some chips in the slot. Here she was, spending the last of her money at the slot machine room instead of focusing on how she was going to pay her debtors back. Despite of her obvious disapproval for her shishō's gambling habits, she couldn't help but hold Ton-Ton close to her in anticipation as she watched as the reels continued to spin.
"Seven, seven, seven...." Shizune chanted anxiously.
She continued to chant until the numbers stopped. Tsunade gasped in surprise as she looked at the screen disbelieving. She blinked for a moment while Shizune cheered behind her.
"Here it comes!" she said excitedly as money fell from the coin dispenser box.
"Congratulations to the customer!" the speaker began to boom. "Fever has started on machine number 44. Now, please keep on getting it out like a flood!"
"Lady Tsunade, a rare thing does happen once in a while." Shizune said with an eye smile.
Tsunade just continued to stare at the screen. "A 3-7 for me?" she said to no one in particular.
The Sannin then narrowed her eyes. "Hm." she said as she collected her money before trying again.
Try after try, Tsunade kept winning. After a while, her winnings began to stack and the next thing she knew, she had six bins stacked full of silver currency. People began to crowd around her machine, watching in slight awe at the amount of wins the woman was receiving on the machine. And Shizune was just as giddy as ever.
"Oh wow, lady." someone commented.
"Yeah, what a great work." another said. "Wish I could be favored by good fortune too."
"Oh, here it comes again!"
"Here it comes again!"
"Wow she's on a roll!"
"Lady Luck must be kind to her."
"Yay....it's 'fever' again!"
The audience continued to comment and mutter to each other. Their words fell on deaf ears as Tsunade continued to stare at the machine as it continued to cough up money. 'A person like me pulls a big hit like this.....it's illogical.' she thought with a furrowed burrow. 'I have a bad premonition....' She continued to play the slot machine until she eventually grew tired of playing.
After pocketing the shitload of money she won, she went to the next gambling game - the Pinball machine. The same thing happened there, much to Shizune's pleasure. By the time she was finished with her gambling for the afternoon, she had over 10,000 ryo and 350,000 yen. She didn't say a word after she left the Poker Hall and headed toward the entrance of the gambling plaza. Yesterday, she hadn't won a single thing there. And now, all of a sudden she's a Lucky Jack. Red flags were going up in her head and her mind buzzed with warning. Something was about to happen and she wasn't sure if she was up for it. She needed to leave. For her, winning was a bad omen.
"Wait for me, Lady Tsunade!" Shizune called out as she struggled a little to carry the bag in her hand.
"What's the matter?" she asked as she caught up with her. "Your winning this much is like a miracle, but you don't look pleased at all."
Tsunade halted her footsteps at this question. She glanced back at Shizune who was looking at her with confusion.
"This city." Tsunade finally spoke.
"Huh?" Shizune said even more confused.
"I get bad premonition." she said, looking at Shizune directly in the eye. "We're going to hurry up and leave."
"Eh, but this is a tourist resort..." Shizune said. "We should take our time and go see the famous castle and all."
Tsunade groaned before turning to walk again. "Then we're going to hurry up and see it so we can leave." she said. "The longer we stay in place, the stronger the feeling of something bad is going to happen vexes me."
"B-But....Lady Tsunade!" Shizune called out as she ran to catch up with her master.
Tsunade ignored what her apprentice was say as she made her way toward the stairwell. Once they were down the stairs and further into the city, they headed straight for the castle at Tsunade's insistence. It took them a good 20 minutes due to the distance between the gambling site and Tanzaku Castle. Tsunade mumbled under her breath as they finally arrived at the attraction. She should have just camp yesterday when her assistant asked rather than today. Then she would have been able to leave already.
"Wow!" Shizune said in awe as they walked through the courts of the castle. "Tanzaku Castle sure does have a commanding presence!"
"It's worth being designated as the cultural heritage." she said wondrously as she placed a hand above her head to block the sun from her view.
"Don't dally..." Tsunade said before she began walking. "We're going to hurry up and leave this town."
"Lady Tsunade...." Shizune said as she ran after her to catch up. "Please look more carefully. It costs nothing to view."
Tsunade eventually came to a halt, stopping between a set of walls within the outer courts of the castle. Shizune stopped as well, wondering why her master had stopped so abruptly. Tsunade narrowed her eyes as she snapped her head in a certain direction. She sensed someone she hasn't seen in a very long time.
"Lady Tsunade?" Shizune said cautiously as she saw her master tense.
'This chill....' she thought as she turned to look at the castle. She just stared at the castle until she heard an explosion. Brown dust and smoke came from the main castle before he came crumbling down. Shizune gasped as she heard another explosion. Tsunade didn't say a word as she continued to stare at the now destroyed building. When the smoke began to die down, she was met with the sight of a giant brown snake. Her eyes narrowed at the two people that were standing on top of the summon.
"T-That's...." Shizune trailed off as her eyes landed on a man she hadn't seen in nearly 20 years.
"Orochimaru." Tsunade said as she took a defensive stance.
On his snake, Orochimaru chuckled as he looked down at his old teammate. His dark, long hair blew in the wind and he wore a dark blue kimono with a purple sleeveless haori. Beside him, was his assistant, Kabuto. Said chunin adjusted his glasses as he looked down at his fellow medic nin. His round glass gleamed in the sun and he no longer wore a Konoha hitai-ate. Instead, his metal plate had the symbol of a music note, the symbol for the Village Hidden in the Sound.
"I found you." Orochimaru said as his slitted gold eyes landed on Tsunade's honey brown.
"What do you want, Orochimaru?" she asked sternly.
"Kukuku, is that anyway to greet your old teammate, Tsunade?" he said as the snake began to move.
It stretched it's body toward one of the lower walls, destroying the rest of the castle. Kabuto and Orochimaru got off the snakes head and leapt the rest of the way until they landed in front of Tsunade and her student. The summon disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving a destroyed castle in its wake. Tsunade pursed her lips as her former teammate stood in front of her. For him to come to her of all people, something serious must have happen to seek her out.
No one said anything as the two stared at each other. Shizune glanced at her master before setting her sights on the men in front of her. Although she was quite young when she left the village, she was old enough to know that Orochimaru was dangerous man. He had always been rather twisted and made those around him uneasy. She couldn't say she knew the silver-haired man all that well. From the looks of it, he was possibly Orochimaru's apprentice or something. She tensed even more as she steeled herself beside Tsunade. All she had to do give a signal and she would be right there to assist.
"Long time no see....Orochimaru." Tsunade said casually although her stance said otherwise.
"Hm, I believe I like that greeting better." Orochimaru commented. "I'd looked for you everywhere."
"What do you want from me after all these years?" Tsunade asked, cutting to the chase. "Surely, you aren't thinking of talking about the old days....?"
Orochimaru gave a humorless smirk. "Actually, I need to ask you for a little favor...."
Tsunade's eyebrows furrowed as her eyes stayed trained on the Snake. 'His heartbeat is fast....' she commented to herself. 'From that complexion, he must have a high fever. He must have been fatigued for quite some time. And that arm....' she pulled out of her thoughts when he spoke again.
"Lady Tsunade." Kabuto addressed. "You must have understood by now."
"Go to someone else. I don't treat anyone any more." Tsunade half-lied.
"That won't do..." Kabuto replied. "You must know how serious this wound is. No one can treat this wound. Except for one of the Legendary Sannin who won her fame as a medical specialist, Princess Tsunade. You."
Silence over took the group at end of Kabuto's speech. They were locked in another stare-down, each party paying close attention to the other.
"That arm...." Tsunade finally spoke. "it's not an ordinary wound."
Orochimaru lightly winced at this. Tsunade glanced at the arm that was wrapped up in bandages. Based off how skinny it look, it looked malnourished. However, could barely move them. She lightly frowned at the shrunken arm. She eventually deduced it was a burn however it was different. She slightly wondered what it looked like under the bandages. If it did that much damage, whatever it was had to have burned to muscle and tissue to reach the bone. And even then, the bone was probably damaged as well.
"What have you done?" Tsunade asked.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "Well, it just happened...." he said, trying to hid his bitterness. "when I tried to kill the Third Hokage."
Tsunade's eyes widened in surprise while Shizune practically gaped. 'He really tried to kill Lord Third?!' Shizune thought. Tsunade clenched her teeth at this.
"Seeing your unsuccess, I take it that sensei did this to you?" she said tersely.
Orochimaru growled. "No." he spat. "It was that man. He got in my way."
"I can't believe you would go that far." Tsunade said.
Orochimaru scoffed. "Humph. Don't look so scary." he said. "Anything that has a form will one day decay. The same goes for humans. Sensei had reached that moment of decadence, although now it's probably delayed." he replied bitterly.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes at him. To see how far the man she once called a teammate had fallen. It was disgusting.
"You must already know that too." Orochimaru continued his point. "For you have let two of your most beloved ones die."
Those words stung Tsunade and she looked away from a moment. When she turned back toward, he only smiled at her. He could see the anger and rage swelling inside her but he could also see her guilty and sadness. No matter how much she tried to hide it behind her piercing gaze. Deadly silence over took the group once more. Kabuto stared at the woman who looked she wanted to kill her master and break down and cry at the same time. He furrowed his eyebrows at his master's words.
'Let two of the most beloved ones die?' he thought before he stole a glance at his master. 'I see... He thinks of terrible things.' Shizune looked at Tsunade who seemed to be inwardly struggling with herself as she stared back at the man.
She turned to glare at the other Sannin. How dare he bring that up? What gave him the right speak on matters he knew nothing about? She struggled to reign in her anger, not wanting to provoke the other party. She was going have to allow Tsunade to handle this and stay by her to assist. She gave her worried glance. The man had just opened up a festering wound.
Orochimaru laughed deviously at the expression on her face. "That was a really terrible way to die." he mocked.
"You!" Shizune snapped as she lifted the arm of her kimono, revealing the senbon shooter hidden underneath.
Seeing her prepare to launch the possibly poisonous senbon, Kabuto was just as proactive and moved to protect his master. He blocked the projectiles with a kunai. When he looked at the one he had managed to catch in his hand, he saw pink liquid dripping off its point. His eyes traveled back to the woman as he saw her move again. He took a defensive stance as she ran toward him, moving at high speeds. He narrowed his eyes at this. 'She's fast!' he observed as she approached him.
"Get out of my way!" she growled as she took out another senbon.
"I won't let you!" he said as he prepared to parry and strike.
Just as she was about to manuever around him to get to Orochimaru, the voice of her sensei stopped her.
"Calm down, Shizune!" Tsunade said, causing her to halt.
Kabuto looked down and saw that the woman held her scalpel at his neck, threatening to slice through his jugular. He looked at the woman who was now panting, her dark eyes lit with anger. She eventually realized that his curved dagger was near her neck, prepared to behead her at any given moment. They were at a stalemate.
'This attendant....is an expert.' he realized as he looked down at the woman who was probably a few years older than him. They slowly removed their weapons from each other, watching each others every move as they stood down. Shizune quickly reappeared in front of her master with her scalpel prepared to sever. Tsunade couldn't help the light smile that donned her face as she watched her student. She closed her eyes and took a small breath before looking back at her former teammate.
"Orochimaru...." Tsunade spoke. "Your personality's been like this for as long as I can remember." she started.
She then eye smiled at him in a cheeky way. "And you know my personality very well. So stop fooling around with me." she said.
Her smile remained for a moment before it became a frown and she looked at her fellow Sannin with slitted eyes. Her fist connected with the wall behind her, destroying it completely. When she looked up at him again, he could see all the emotions that she was trying to hide. He inwardly smiled at this. She was right. He knew her very well.
"I'll kill you, bastard!" she yelled angrily.
Kabuto sweat-dropped at the display. 'She's powerful....' he said with squinted eyes as he looked at the woman that could probably kill him with one punch. 'And so scary.... she definitely must be single.' The clearing grew quiet at her strong declaration. Knowing he was going to have to diffuse this situation quickly before things got out of hand.
"We didn't come here to fight." Kabuto spoke up. "We just want to negotiate with you!"
"Negotiate?" Tsunade said with anger drowning her voice.
"Yes." Kabuto said.
"Don't make me laugh." Tsunade snapped as she tried to simmer down. "I've already told you once. Get out of my sight!"
"We can't do that." Kabuto replied.
"Get out of my sight." she said lowly.
"You are the only one who can treat Lord Orochimaru's arms." he persisted.
Tsunade clenched her fists. "Get out of my sight." she repeated. "I won't ask again."
"We're not asking you to do it for free. Let's make a deal!" he pushed desperately.
"I'll count to five." Tsunade said in a deadly tone. "Go away before I'm done. Or else, I'll make you disappear myself." she threatened with a look that could freeze hell.
Kabuto lightly sweat at this. "Please calm down. It won't be a bad deal for you..." he started.
"Five." she interrupted. "Four...."
Kabuto sighed as she ignored his pleas. He glanced over at his master who was looking at the woman with a furrowed brow. She continued to count down slowly. When she got to one she charged, with Kabuto quickly coming to defend.
"I'll resurrect the little brother and man, both of whom you loved....." Orochimaru said.
This made Shizune and Kabut come to halt. Even Tsunade paused at this claim.
"With a Forbidden Jutsu I've developed." he said finished.
A ghastly still settled upon them as his words lingered in the air. Tsunade had an unreadable expression on her face and her hands remained clenched. Orochimaru's eyes stayed trained on her as her mind processed what he had just said. The Snake allowed the silence dawdle before he spoke again, knowing he had her attention.
"Since we haven't disappeared yet..." he said before grinning. "I'm guessing that the deal is made?"
Tsunade didn't say anything for a moment before she finally looked down, her eyes full of pain and longing. She clenched fist and her body lightly trembled. Shizune looked at her sense with worry as Orochimaru's smile only seemed to widen.
"Don't you want to see those two....Tsunade?" he pushed.
Tsunade remained silent for a while, the faces of her deceased brother and lover plaguing her mind. When she finally looked up to look her former teammate in the eye, ache and guilt shown in them.
"If I treat your arms, what do you intend to do with them?" Tsunade asked seriously.
Seeing that he had her reeled in, Orochimaru answered her. "Well, I don't like to lie, so I will tell you the truth." he said, meeting her gaze.
"In addition to getting what I want...." he said with a pause. "This time, I will completely destroy the Leaf Village and Hiruzen with it."
"Destroy the Hidden Leaf?!" Shizune said.
Orochimaru only smirked. His eyes were trained on Tsunade. Tsunade looked down in deep thought. After a few moments of silence, Kabuto spoke.
"And your answer is?" he prodded.
Tsunade still didn't say anything. She closed her eyes. Memories of her time with Dan and Nawaki flashed through her mind. Her inner turmoil weighed on her like rocks as she struggled to come to a decision.
"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune called, catching her master's attention.
"No! You must not believe their sweet talk!" she said defiantly. "Your brother and my uncle wouldn't want any of that! Their wishes...moreover, your wishes.... and dreams. Did you forget them?!"
That sparked something inside Tsunade. She still hadn't given the Sannin her response and she was still conflicted by the situation. When Shizune saw a change in expression, she sighed in relief. She had thought that her master had given in.
"I knew it!" she said. "Even if you are like this now, you still...." she started before her expressions became depressed once more and she began to panic. "Open your eyes! Wake up, please!"
"Shut up, Shizune!" Tsunade snapped, silencing the woman.
"You don't have to answer right now." Kabuto said, catching the attnetion of both women. "However, I want it in a week. Also, two human sacrifices are needed for this Forbidden Jutsu, so do what you need to do to prepare them."
Shizune gritted her teeth, disgusted at what she was hearing. "Lady Tsunade, let's kill them right here! It's our chance!" she said as she dug in her kimono. "With you and me, now we can....!" she started by was silenced by the expression on Tsunade's face.
Tsunade still remained silent. It wasn't until Orochimaru bit his finger and allowed whatever blood was left to run onto the ground. Tsunade's knees buck and her pupils constricted in horror. Her body began to tremble and she clasped her hands together as if she were prayer with the green crystal pendant within them. Kabuto looked at his master questioningly while Orochimaru simply smiled a wicked smile.
"Sure, I am weak now. However...." he said with a chuckle. "I also know Tsunade's weakness."
"I see it's not cured yet. Your fear of blood that is." Orochimaru commented.
'Hemophobia?' Kabuto thought incredulously. What type of medic was afraid of blood? How was sehe able to continue practicing with such a condition. He pulled out of his thoughts at the sound of Orochimaru's voice.
"Shall we get going, Kabuto?" Orochimaru asked his assistant as he turned to walk away. He paused and turned to address Tsunade once more."
"Tsunade.... I'll be expecting a favorable answer from you." he said before disappearing.
Kabuto followed right behind him, leaving the two women in the clearing alone. Shizune turned to look at her trembling master. She empathized with her. Dan was a very important person in her life. When her father passed, he was always there to help watch her and take care of his sister, who was sick at the time. At the time of her uncle's passing, her mother had died not long after, leaving her alone. So, when Tsunade offered to take her with her, she took, seeing that she was her last connections to Dan.
Admittedly, she didn't know Nawaki very well. However, when she did seem him, he was always smiling and full of energy. Sometimes Dan would bring him by the house and the boy would give her piggy back rides. But other than that, she didn't recall or know much about him. She may have not known what it was like to lose a lover or brother, but she knew what it was like to lose something. She knew what it was like to feel alone.
Seeing that her sensei was close to breaking down, Shizune went to comfort her. She held her trembling body in her arms and began to walk her out of the castle grounds and back toward the city. She needed rest and get her mind off things. The trauma from losing Dan and Nawaki plus a spark in her hemophobia made her numb and vulnerable.
She sighed as they neared their hotel. She knew once her sensei snapped out of it, she would probably try to drink her problems away. She decided that when the time came, she would let her. Despite of her dislike of it, she didn't like seeing her sensei like that. She would feel much better when she acted like her regular self. Ton-Ton oinked at her, causing the woman to look down at her little pet pig.
"I know, Ton-Ton." she said sadly. "I know."