I blinked stupidly, my mind groggy as my extremely blurry gaze drifted around. I began to feel around for my glasses, only to find them on an end table that was on my left side. My brow furrowed since my end table was on my right side whenever I was in bed. I sat up, cringing as I did so. I slipped my glasses on with my left hand before blinking a few times.
The hospital room I was in had another person rooming with me.
I gave another slow blink before my eyes widened at the sight of Orochimaru, who was asleep with several bandages and a ventilator. I am exceptionally fucked.
The man remained peacefully oblivious as I began to have a panic attack.
Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck. I am not going to get out of this alive. I'm going to be seen as treasonous scum that tried assassinating a member of the Three Legendary Sages, loyal to Konoha and Konoha alone, at this point in time at least. I grabbed my head with my left hand before pausing. I looked over at my right arm and saw it in a cast, though I could feel no pain from it. I tried moving my arm, but ended up not being able to.
Orochimaru suddenly twitched, catching my attention. His eyelids fluttered open, though there was no clarity in them. He was clearly just as dazed as I was a few minutes ago.
"Fuck you, you snake bastard. This is all your fault," I hissed venomously.
Orochimaru slowly looked over at me before his eyes finally gained some level of clarity. He opened his mouth to say something, only to pause as he realized he was on a ventilator. His eyes moved from me to the machine and then back to me. Then, his beautiful snake-like eyes narrowed accusingly.
"I'm not apologizing," I said as I turned my head away, holding my nose up in the air.
The man took the ventilator out of his mouth and, subsequently, his throat. "You-" He immediately began coughing up blood. He gave a glare as he cleared his throat. He was going to retort, probably, but the door opened.
It was our worst fear… Tsunade.
With wide eyes, I decided that keeping my mouth shut would be the best idea.
"So…" The blonde put her hands on her hips, glaring at us fiercely.
"Hello, Tsunade," Orochimaru greeted with a smile like he wasn't being stared down by someone who could literally beat us to unconsciousness, heal us to consciousness, and then beat us to unconsciousness again just to prove a point.
Tsunade scowled. "What the hell were you thinking?! You know better than to take a ventilator out! I should-"
"Now, now. Let's keep things properly rated," Orochimaru said as he motioned to me.
Are you… suicidal? I thought as I looked at the man oddly.
"Speaking of you…" Tsunade turned her wrath toward me. "You stupid, ignorant, little brat."
I remained silent, knowing that I was, in fact, in the wrong.
"I cannot believe-"
There was a knock at the door, causing everyone to look toward said door.
"Who is it?" Tsunade snapped angrily as she stomped toward the door. She slammed it open, only to pause upon seeing the goddamn Hokage.
Ah, so this is where I'm declared a traitor and sentenced to death, I thought as I felt panic once again bubble to life inside of me. It was fun while it lasted… for half the time at least.
The Sarutobi entered and walked over to his snake-like student. "Orochimaru, how are you feeling?"
The black-haired man smiled. "I am doing well, Hiruzen-sensei."
The old man nodded. "That's good, that's good." He then pulled his pipe out, ignoring how Tsunade glared, and proceeded to hit his student 'round the head.
I nearly did a spit-take as I watched Orochimaru shrink down. This… is the Orochimaru that tried to kill his sensei?
"What were you thinking?!" The old man snapped angrily, his tone that of a merciless shinobi with years of experience. His face was hardened, and his eyes were narrowed to the point of glaring swords - not knives mind you - actual big swords like Kubikiribōchō.
I flinched away without even meaning to and shrunk down.
"I, er, wanted to see Tenrō's sharingan," Orochimaru answered, albeit hesitantly.
"He's six years old!" Hiruzen roared, "You pushed him to the point of breaking his arm and feet, something that took Tsunade a long time to heal, for something as petty as wanting to see his sharingan?!"
I gave a slow, reptilian blink before realizing what was happening. Now, I wasn't stupid, but I was born with morals that came from my old life. I opened my mouth and asked, "Shouldn't you be beating me?"
The adults all turned toward me, each of their faces questioning.
"I mean…" I licked my lips nervously. "It's my fault this happened. I was the one that hurt Orochimaru and myself because I couldn't hold in my anger. I also damaged the apartment complex Orochimaru lives in and his neighbor's couch." I gulped down saliva before stating, no matter how hesitantly, "Therefore, I am a treasonous piece of scum and should be punished accordingly."
The Hokage was completely serious as he turned to face me. "Did you tell Orochimaru to stop antagonizing you?"
"I mean, yeah, but-"
"Did Orochimaru stop?" He pressed.
"No, but-"
"Did Orochimaru threaten someone important to you?" The Hokage questioned.
"But I-"
"Answer the question," Hiruzen demanded sternly.
"Yes," I mumbled.
"So how are you at fault?" The old man asked gently.
"I probably gave the man severe internal injuries!" I exclaimed as I threw my left arm in the air. "I should be held accountable, or-"
"Be quiet, Tenrō," Orochimaru demanded, causing me to look at him oddly. "I knew your breaking point, and I pushed you past it. You gave me several warnings, and I still kept pushing you. Furthermore, the most I did to defend myself was release a small bit of bloodlust."
"You directed your bloodlust at a child?!" Hiruzen yelled furiously.
The man obviously regretted his words, as was evident by how he cringed. "Perhaps…" His head was hit with the pipe again, causing me to flinch back a bit.
"How much bloodlust?" Tsunade inquired.
"Oh, a small dose," Orochimaru waved off.
"Wait, that was a small dose?" I asked in shock. "I thought my heart was going to explode!"
"Oh, after I got up, I used quite a bit of bloodlust, probably more than a normal jônin can use," Orochimaru waved off dismissively.
I blinked as I remembered how Sakura and Sasuke were practically shitting themselves at Orochimaru's bloodlust. "And I didn't start crying. Impressive."
The man nodded. "Very much so. I've seen grown men reduced to their hands and knees. You managed to not only stay standing, but also keep yourself from losing yourself."
"Before you two continue your conversation…" Hiruzen interrupted, glaring at Orochimaru. "Did I hear that you used a lethal amount of bloodlust against a child?"
Realizing he dun goofed, Orochimaru looked everywhere but his sensei's eyes. "I… may have been a bit… extreme."
"A bit?" Tsunade snorted in obvious amusement.
"Shut up," the sage hissed softly at the woman that was clearly not on his side.
"Orochimaru…" Hiruzen called out, causing the snake sage to begrudgingly look at his sensei. "What could possibly make you go to such lengths when dealing with a child?"
"I got a bit… excited when Tenrō displayed such power at his age," Orochimaru admitted in a soft grumble.
"Ah," Hiruzen said as if that made perfect sense. He then smacked Orochimaru hard enough to make me feel the pain. "If you ever do something that ridiculous again, I will be doing far worse to you."
Orochimaru quickly nodded despite the fact he definitely had secret, probably inhumane, labs all over Konoha.
Hiruzen then walked over to me, and I braced myself for a smack with the pipe. The man, instead of brutally massacring my head, simply sighed heavily. "Are you truly okay?"
"Besides the fact I can't feel my arm and feet, yeah," I said with a nod.
"You're on some strong stuff so you don't feel any pain," Tsunade explained as she also came over. "You absolutely wrecked your muscles and bones after your little stunt."
"I worked on tree-walking before, but I didn't think about what I would do to my arm and feet by using that much chakra at once," I admitted.
"In those situations, people tend not to think about the important things," Tsunade said.
"Are you calling me stupid?" I asked, insulted.
"If the shoe fits…" She shrugged, giving me all I needed to know.
"I may have low grades, I'm street smart!" I objected.
"If you were so stupid academically, how, exactly, can you tree walk?" Tsunade challenged.
"Okay, I'm a liar," I snapped, "I just hate my teacher, so I'm shooting low."
"Yes, but you're picking your grades up when the new principal comes, aren't you?" Orochimaru asked.
I scowled at him. "I already agreed, so stop bringing it up." I then looked at Hiruzen. "Can we pretend like I am stupid? Life if that much easier when people think I'm stupid."
"It would be dangerous for you if people learned just how rapidly you could improve in times of peace," the Hokage mused.
I almost snorted at his assessment of ‘peace’.
I mean, there was a constant amount of small conflicts between everyone that never stopped after the Second Shinobi World War. The Third Shinobi World War was undoubtedly right around the corner, and that means peace was a very stupid term to use.
I kept my amusement to myself and instead nodded. "Yeah. Wouldn't want Danzō to initiate me into Root at age six, after all. I'd be a horrible Root member." I snickered at how I would undoubtedly follow zero orders and get myself killed as a result.
Instead of finding my joke funny, Hiruzen darkened as he looked down at me. "How do you know about Root? That organization is top-secret as of now."
"Oh, shit. It is?" I asked in surprise, "Tenko didn't make it sound like it."
"Tenko knows about Root?" Orochimaru asked in surprise.
"I told you she likes doing the deed with political people. A Root member just so happens to be one of her regulars," I explained to the snake sannin, shrugging at the end.
"Aren't most Root members children?" Tsunade asked in horror.
I gave a very slow blink. "Most being the key word there. Tenko, thank the gods, has no interest in people below twenty."
Tsunade looked relieved beyond words at that.
I then looked up at Hiruzen, who still looked grave. "Is something else concerning you?"
"How many people has Tenko told about Root?" Hiruzen demanded to know.
I shrugged lazily. "I have no idea. I overheard it by accident, but I know for certain she told the Uchiha clan head's brother, trying to win him back. He was totally dismissive of her, so he probably thought she was just trying to win him back…" I hummed as I rubbed my chin. "I don't think there was anyone else, but I don't keep track of her movements that much."
He nodded, though it looked like he was sighing on the inside. "Have you told anyone else about Root?"
"And get myself targeted by Danzō? Fuck no!" I denied, earning a surprised look from Hiruzen from my language.
"PG my ass," Tsunade said as she looked at Orochimaru accusingly, her hands on her hips.
"Tenrō, you're really making me look like the bad guy here," Orochimaru chastised.
"I mean, you kind of are," I pointed out, "Had you not been such an asshole, you and I wouldn't be in this situation."
Orochimaru pursed his lips at me, as if calling him out displeased him. "You're paying me back for trashing my apartment."
"With what money?" I retorted, "I'm not even a genin yet, you imbecile."
"Congratulations, you know how to use big words," Orochimaru mocked.
"Okay, you absolute whore for Sakumo-"
"Stop saying that I love my friend," Orochimaru hissed at me.
"You're getting defensive~," I cooed.
"So?" The snake sage demanded to know.
I wiggled my eyebrows as I said, "You looove hi-"
Orochimaru, who had absolutely no chill, picked up his entire ventilator system and threw it at me.
I yelped as I threw myself over the side of the bed, only to land on my cast. I poked my head up, laughing at Orochimaru while pointing my non-broken appendage at him.
Tsunade immediately stomped over to the Micheal Jackson-looking bitch and slapped him across the face.
Orochimaru flew out of the bed and hit the wall, leaving a very visible imprint in the wall.
Fear filled me as she turned toward me.
"Get back… in the bed… before I kill you…" Tsunade demanded through grit teeth.
I stood on my knees before trying to crawl in the bed. I couldn't, not with my fucking casts being to bulky to lift properly. "I… uh… I need help."
Tsunade gave an aggravated sigh before nevertheless coming over to help me. She picked me up as if I weighed nothing before setting me down in my bed carefully. She then tucked me in, clicking her tongue as she looked at the ventilator that was now ruined. "Orochimaru, you're paying for that."
The snake sannin gave me a fierce glare, promising that he wasn't done with me.
I gave a sadistic smile, motioning for him to come at me.
The Hokage sighed deeply. "Boys, can you at least pretend to behave while you're here?"
"I can do that," I said with a nod.
"With him, it'll be impossible," Orochimaru grumbled. Upon seeing the Hokage's pipe move toward him, he quickly blurted out, "I mean, yes, Hiruzen-sensei!"
I snickered at his reaction, only to look away innocently as Orochimaru scowled at me. I then glanced out of the window and nearly cringed at the night sky. "How long have I been unconscious for, by the way?"
"One day," Tsunade answered.
"I need to send a note to Obito. He'll think I was kidnapped or something equally as stupid." I gave a sigh at how Obito would be tearing the village apart in his attempt to find me if I didn't send a note within the next few hours.
"The ramen boy, right?" Orochimaru asked.
"Don't - don't call my friend that," I said as I thought of Naruto and his ungodly obsession over ramen. "It's like calling Kushina 'Ramen Girl'. It's just not right."
"Kushina does love her ramen," Tsunade said, "But this brat has a point."
"Then what should I call him?" Orochimaru asked with a roll of his eyes.
I thought about it for a long moment before eventually shrugging. "I have no nicknames that would apply for now."
"What do you mean by that?" The pale sannin inquired.
"Well, he hasn't unlocked his sharingan, so he can't be known as Obito of the Sharingan. He hasn't done anything outstanding either in his life, so I can't nickname him there. He doesn't have any cool weapons, so I can't give him a moniker relating to that…" I gave a sigh as I held my left cheek with my left hand. "Obtio is just going to have to stick with the nickname Pupil 1 for now."
"Pupil?" Hiruzen repeated questioningly.
"Yes, Obito is my pupil. I train him five times a week, giving him Mondays and Fridays off," I explained to the old man. "I'm currently working on his reflex times, making him faster and such when something is coming toward his vitals."
"Shouldn't the academy be sufficient when working on that stuff, especially at your age?" Tsunade asked with a raised brow.
I looked over at her, completely and utterly unamused. "The academy? Really? After a pervert and a pedophile, you think we're learning anything productive?"
The Hokage cringed a bit as he lowered his hat over his eyes.
Tsunade snapped her head around to look at the Hokage with narrowed eyes before looking back down at me. "A pedophile? Has the victim, or victims, been assessed?"
"I don't know, to be honest. I was simply tasked with getting rid of him in a way that wouldn't put her under suspicion. Unfortunately, that meant no murder." I gave a sigh as if not happy about that turn of events.
"What's their name?" Tsunade demanded to know.
I looked at the Hokage. "Well, it's technically an ANBU case as of now even though it should have been handed over to the Konoha Military Police Force."
Orochimaru gave the tiniest nod of approval, his eyes boring into his teacher.
"Due to the… delicate nature of the case, it was decided that it would be taken care of in such a manner-"
"That man should be slandered!" I objected as I threw my free arm into the air. "The fuck didn't care who he was dragging through the mud during his high as a greater person than fucking academy students! Why should we care for his feelings?!"
Hiruzen was completely calm as he said, "You have to think about how his victims feel in this scenario-"
"Bull and shit," I snapped, causing the old man to look at me in shock, "What you need to do is think about how the victims will feel if that fat fuck gets banished, only to do it to some other poor child in a different village. Konoha isn't the only village in the Land of Fire, after all."
"The brat has a point," Tsunade agreed, albeit hesitantly, "Those people are always repeat offenders. They know how to play the system, as was proven in this case."
Orochimaru nodded in approval. "This matter really should be handed over to the Uchihas."
Hiruzen brought his pipe up to his lips, only to pause upon realizing it wasn't lit. He gave a sigh as he lowered his pipe, looking old and withered in that moment. He opened his mouth to reply, only to pause as a particular knock came from the door. The man became serious for a split-second before dismissing himself with a happy smile. He left the room, nodding to someone hidden away beyond the door.
"What a sly bastard," I commented, "Using his ANBU to get away from uncomfortable situations…"
"You really are a genius, Tenrō," Orochimaru praised, causing me to cringe.
"Don't call me that. Child prodigies get nothing but trouble," I said sharply.
"Fair enough," Orochimaru said with a nod of approval.
Tsunade gave a deep sigh before straightening up. "In any case, you'll both be here for another few days. Try not to kill each other."
"Yes, ma'am," I agreed, causing Tsunade to give a kid of approval.
She then narrowed her eyes at Orochimaru threateningly.
"Why, of course, Tsunade. I wouldn't dare to defy your orders," Orochimaru said with the utmost sarcasm.
"That's probably as good as you'll get out of the man," I said, causing Tsunade to sigh.
"I miss the serious Orochimaru. He was always easy to look after…" The blonde then glared at me as if it was my fault the man was so sarcastic now.
"Honest mistake," I admitted with a shrug.
Amber eyes rolled toward the ceiling before Tsunade took her leave. "I have more patients to see, so keep yourselves under control." She took her leave from the room, shutting the door firmly behind her.
"Bet you're going to try to escape before the few days are up," I said as I looked at the man with the utmost amusement.
"I'm not you, Tenrō," Orochimaru retorted with a look out of the corners of his eyes.
"On the bright side, she didn't put the ventilator back in," I offered.
"Because it was broken," the thirty-year-old deflected.
"By you," I pointed out as I settled back down, grinning to myself.
The man opened his mouth to retort, realized the futility of doing so, and sighed deeply. He laid back down, staring up at the ceiling.
"By the way, what did you mean when you said you'd love training me?" I asked curiously.
The man gave a sadistic grin that reminded me that he was, in fact, a child-murderer in another lifetime, which, quite possibly, mirrored the one I was in now. "Now, that would be telling."
I narrowed my eyes before saying, "If I'm initiated into Root, I am going by the name Axolotl. I shall accept no other pathetic mortal name."
"That wasn't what I was referring to, but acceptable nonetheless," Orochimaru stated.
Ah, so this is what regret feels like. How could I have possibly forgotten you? I thought as I began to drown in self-pity.
"Hiruzen wants me to take on a team of genin soon…" Orochimaru looked over at me with the utmost glee.
I blinked slowly. "But… But I don't wanna be on your team. You'll probably sick your snake summonings on me every other day."
"Only if you deserve it," Orochimaru combated.
I gave him an unamused look. "When wouldn't I deserve it?"
Orochimaru's lips twitched as something flashed through his eyes. His expression quickly smoothed out before I could tell what that emotion was. "With you, I may have to summon my snakes every day." He gave a sigh as if displeased by the future situation.
"Are you going to do that stupid bell test?" I asked with pursed lips.
"No, as it is stupid," Orochimaru replied honestly, a scoff clear in his tone. "Pitting children against each other like that only works when they can put aside their differences for the good of the team. Only one out of every ten teams can do that. They either have to be manipulated by their teammate or kindhearted, in which case, they'd be slaughtered on their first mission."
"You can't spell slaughter without laughter." I snickered as I watched the man's lips quirked up.
Yellow eyes met mine, and the sannin said, "You will be the worst motivational speaker in your generation."
"Maybe, but if I find enough people just as fucked up as me, I could probably pull off a speech well." I gave a small shrug.
"Probably," the man agreed, "After all, you managed to twist two children into being your pupils."
"Yep," I agreed as I laid back and closed my eyes. "Only time will tell if my teachings are impactful, though."
Orochimaru remained silent for a long moment before asking, "Why are you training those two?"
I hummed softly before picking my words carefully. "Well, they're like me, in a way. Being seen as a deadlast, only to beat the odds is very motivational. Gai will definitely be a taijutsu master one day, and Obito will be one of the best frontliners around."
"What's the other reason?" Orochimaru inquired.
"Toughening them up for the upcoming war," I admitted with a one-shoulder shrug. "It'll benefit Konoha in the long run."
Orochimaru silently accepted that as the truth, which it was, but not the entirety of it all.
I gave a small sigh as I sank into my pillows, ready to relax and worry about nothing at all. Hey, what if someone breaks into your house and finds your Sacking Sarutobi scroll? My eyes opened, and I internally cursed my brain for giving me something to worry about.
"Say, Tenrō," Orochimaru said, causing me to give him a single glance. "If you had to choose a summoning-"
"Bear," I answered right away. "Bears are cool-"
"One that actually exists," Orochimaru said with a roll of his eyes.
"Salamander," I replied, "I could kill someone in their sleep with a poison that no one else knows how to make, and it would be awesome."
"I thought Uchihas didn't use poisons," Orochimaru said as he glanced over at me oddly.
I scoffed. "Since when do I follow the trend?"
He made a face that read 'fair-enough.'
"Besides, Konoha needs another poison expert," I said, "Tsunade deals too much with remedies and not enough with watching someone rapidly decay while still alive." I then paused before going, "Acidic poison… I wonder if that's a thing…"
"Did anyone ever tell you just how twisted you are?" Orochimaru asked.
"I have been told by multiple people, yes," I confirmed.
"Just making sure," Orochimaru said as he got comfortable in his bed.
I remained silent before looking over at him with a wide smile. "Hey." I wiggled my eyebrows before asking, "What would happen if you found me sleeping in your bed?"
"I would kill you," Orochimaru answered without batting an eyelash.
"I'm still an academy student," I objected.
"You're a perverted old man in the body of a child," Orochimaru combated.
"Psh, teenage girls are much scarier," I waved off nonchalantly.
The sannin thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Yes, that is true." He then looked over at me warily, "You aren't secretly a girl, are you?"
I snorted. "I'm honestly glad I'm not a girl. This place is still sexist, after all."
Orochimaru's brow furrowed. "What do you mean by that?"
I looked at him with little amusement. "Dude, Tsunade was the first kunoichi that actually made the history books of Konoha, and now she is seen as the staple of medic shinobi. She is what kunoichi are pushed to aspire in, not poisons or taijutsu… It's totally sexist…"
"I never noticed that," Orochimaru admitted.
"You can't just mold different genders into becoming what you want. Everyone is different, and everyone will learn what they wish to at their own pace." I gave a deep sigh as I sat back. "But no one will listen to me, as I am but a child."
"I listen to you." The man then added under his breath, "Though sometimes I think it would be better to ignore you…"
I ignored that last part and perked up. "Heeey-"
"No," Orochimaru denied immediately, causing me to pout.
"You didn't-"
"I don't care. I know that tone of voice all too well. Jiraiya uses it before getting royally whipped by Tsunade," the snake sage stated.
I thought about my idea, how it would likely see me back to the hospital, and then cringed about how Tsunade would whip me as well. "You know what? You're right. Konoha doesn't need another training ground like the Forest of Death."
Orochimaru looked at me from the corners of his eyes like he was trying to determine whether or not I was clinically insane.
I wasn't, of course, but that didn't mean I had to act like I was perfectly sane.
"Get that idea out of your head. I want no part of it," Orochimaru said as he narrowed his eyes at me.
I sighed heavily as I laid down. "You're no fun…"
"I've already been put in the hospital because of you. I'm not going to be roped into another fiasco," Orochimaru stated, causing me to look at him with betrayal.
Before I could open my mouth, I decided that the silent treatment was better. I huffed through my nose before turning my head away, looking out of the window that was on my side of the room. I stared out at the peaceful village, with all of its happy citizens and shinobi. I relaxed, knowing I was safe for the time being.
Then, a face appeared at the window, causing me to jump in surprise.
"Jesus fuck!" I screeched in surprise.
The face that was smushed against the window brightened up considerably before the glass barrier protecting me opened. Obito tumbled inside of the room, Gai not so gracefully following him.
"Why aren't you in bed? I know you didn't get over your sickness in one day," I hissed at Gai, who gave a sheepish smile.
"I snuck out," the green-clad boy said as if it weren't obvious.
I then looked at Obito with narrowed eyes. "You should be sleeping for taijutsu practice at the academy tomorrow."
The Uchiha gave a shrug. "I decided that one all-nighter wouldn't be so bad. You do it all the time, after all."
"Yes, but I can beat your ass black and blue with one hand. Don't test me, boy," I retorted, causing Obito to look away while sweating profusely. I then calmed myself down and asked, "How did you even know where to find me?"
"Everyone's talking about how Orochimaru almost beat you to death for flirting with him!" Obito gave Orochimaru a nasty glare, and the sannin merely smirked.
I was going to explain how shit really went down, but figured that it would be safer for me if I just went with the lie. I shrugged before going, "One must always be in pursuit of knowledge."
Obito and Gai looked at me in confusion.
"Even if that knowledge leads to death and devastation, I will always pursue it," I said dramatically, staring into the distance intensely.
"I told you he got his head smacked," Obito muttered to Gai, who nodded as if he agreed.
"Bitch, I have ears!" I yelled angrily at the asshole of an Uchiha.
"Sorry, Master!" Obito exclaimed as he bowed. He then raised his head and gave a curious expression. "Say, I was wondering… Do you know about the new principal?"
"Yes," I agreed with a nod. "He's a 6 out of 10 in looks, but with attitude, he's a 8 out of ten. So, all in all, I would smash if he wasn't married."
Obito and Gai stared at me blankly as Orochimaru pinched the bridge of his nose to my left.
"Oh, you mean-" I cleared my throat before straightening up. "He's going to be stern, so we must pick up our grades and, unfortunately, attend classes more often. Despite his sternness, he's going to be a good principal with excellent morals. He won't get terminated any time soon."
Obito and Gai nodded before Gai released a sneeze.
I gave Gai a look. "And this is how people in hospitals die."
"I'm sorry, but I had to make sure your flames of youth weren't extinguished!" Gai exclaimed dramatically, a fire appearing in his eyes.
I gave a small sigh before smiling gently at the two. "Thank you for visiting me. It means a lot to me."
Gai and Obito exchanged a glance before grinning back at me with blindingly bright smiles. "Of course!"
"Now run before Tsunade comes back. She'll beat you within an inch of your life if she sees you," I advised.
Obito and Gai scrambled for the window and ended up getting stuck because their absolutely retarded asses tried getting out at the same time.
I sighed heavily at them before straightening up. "If you two get caught by Tsunade, I'll spar with you three days in a row-"
Obito and Gai began to wiggle through the window like their lives depended on it. They popped out of the window and began falling just as the door began to slide open.
Sakumo smiled as he entered, Kakashi trailing along with a dog on his head.
I immediately recognized Pakkun and gave a small whistle.
Pakkun straightened up, his ears perking up as he looked at me.
"You're a handsome boy," I complimented, knowing full-well the dog understood what I was saying. "I bet your paw pads are super soft."
"They are," Pakkun said in a voice that was less gruffer than his Naruto voice. "I'll let you squeeze them if you're a good kid."
"I will be," I assured the dog.
"You… You aren't surprised that Pakkun can talk?" Kakashi asked in shock.
I snorted. "He's a ninken, yeah? Even though it's not common knowledge, there are several ninken species that can speak."
"Your knowledge is impressive, kid," Pakkun praised, causing me to beam at the pug.
Sakumo ushered Kakashi, and subsequently Pakkun, into the room before shutting the door. He walked over to his friend and asked, "How are you feeling?"
"I'm doing well-"
Sakumo suddenly punched Orochimaru across the face with enough force to make Orochimaru spit up saliva.
Kakashi winced as Pakkun covered his eyes with his paws.
I, meanwhile, had to do a double-take.
Wrath was evident on Sakumo's face as he growled, "If you ever hospitalize a child again, I'll never forgive you."
Orochimaru looked apologetic, like sincerely fucking apologetic. He looked ready to get out of the bed and bow down to Sakumo. "Of course…" He muttered as he looked down at his hands with actual sorrow, as if the thought of never being forgiven by Sakumo was the worst possible punishment he could think of.
Sakumo gave a sigh through his nose before calming himself down. He gently took Orochimaru's chin in his right hand and turned Orochimaru's face toward him. His black eyes scanned the bruise before he let go, leaning away from the sannin. "I'm sorry for punching you, but the safety of children means a lot to me."
"I know," Orochimaru replied, "I deserved it…"
"No, I… I shouldn't have-"
Orochimaru gave a smile, one that reached his eyes and everything. "It's alright, really. I forgive you."
Sakumo relaxed slightly, giving the man a small smile as his eyes shined with fondness.
I awkwardly looked at Kakashi, but he was acting like this shit happened often. I forced down the thoughts that would undoubtedly get my ass beat courtesy of Orochimaru. I mean, calling him out on the totally gay scene in front of me was positively suicidal. Therefore, I settled with looking at the window until my name was called.
Kakashi shuffled over to me, albeit looking very begrudging, and glared down at me. "What'd you say to him?"
I immediately huffed. "I did nothing wrong."
Kakashi gave a sarcastic hum, clearly not believing me. "You always start trouble."
"Orochimaru, did I start the fight last night?" I asked defiantly.
"Technically, you were the one to throw the first punch," Orochimaru replied with a smirk in his tone.
"You would throw punches, too, if I threatened to kill your best friend," I hissed venomously.
Sakumo narrowed his eyes at the snake sage. "You did what?"
Orochimaru gave me a deadly glare before facing his totally obvious crush. "He's making it sound worse than it was."
I gave a sarcastic hum, my one working hand on my hip. "Because Hokage-sama would hit you over the head with his pipe over a simple squabble."
Sakumo-sama narrowed his eyes at Orochimaru for a moment.
Said man was looking away from the silvernette while sweating profusely.
Serves you right, I thought before looking back at Kakashi. "Shouldn't you be in the academy."
"Tou-san couldn't sleep last night. I'm making sure he doesn't randomly crash," Kakashi explained.
I cooked as I reached out to pinch his cheek. "Who's a good little son? Yes, you are-"
The Hatake swatted my hand away with flushed cheeks. "Don't treat me like I'm some dog."
I snickered at his embarrassed expression. I was so going to find a way to sketch that out and sell it for good money.
Kakashi eyed me warily, but didn't say anything else on the matter. Instead, he shifted the conversation to one that suited him better. "How are you going to catch up on all of your schoolwork?"
"You're not going to tutor me?" I asked while holding my chest as if I were wounded.
The boy rolled his black eyes at me. "We're in two different classes."
"I know," I admitted, "But that doesn't mean you can't extend a helping hand out."
Kakashi gave me a look, one that had me grinning widely.
"You think you hate me, but you actually love me," I said, causing the boy to snort.
"As if," he sassed back. "The day I love you is the day I die."
I chuckled, knowing that he wouldn't ever love me. I was going to die before anyone grew to actually love me. I wouldn't even have the love of a parent before my death.
"Tenrō," Sakumo called out, causing me to look at him. He was giving me a slightly concerned expression. "Are you feeling tired at all?"
I hummed as I looked down at my body. "Not really. I know most medicine makes you drowsy, but I'm not really feeling it."
The way his lips drew into a tight smile obviously showed that he didn't receive the answer he desired.
Orochimaru motioned his friend over and whispered into his ear, all while his yellow eyes remained locked onto my figure.
"In any case," Sakumo said as he withdrew from Orochimaru, nodding once, "We should let you two get some more rest. We'll be back tomorrow, okay?"
I nodded once in approval.
Orochimaru did the same, though he added in, "You can stay longer next time. I'll make sure Tenrō doesn't bite."
I stuck my tongue out at the man who didn't even look back at me after insulting me.
Kakashi walked over to his father without giving me a goodbye.
"Bye, Pakkun," I said as I waved my left arm at the ninken.
"Heh, bye kid," Pakkun replied with a grin.
I gave an internal squeal as Sakumo and his family took their leave.
The door shut behind them, and bv they walked off down the hall.
I laid back down and allowed my happy facade to drop away.
Orochimaru shifted in his bed beside me. "You are tired, aren't you?"
"No, I'm not-"
"Mentally," the sannin clarified.
I sighed deeply as I kept my eyes closed. "I haven't been that angry in a while, and it took a toll on both my body and mind. I honestly expected to be kicked out of the village as a result of my anger, but that didn't happen. I built up all that anxiety, and now it has nowhere to go. It won't have anywhere to go until I can begin training again."
The man hummed softly before asking, "Have you ever tried to get a hobby that would bring you actual joy?"
I shrugged. "I'll find a hobby besides annoying people once you stop experimenting."
The man gave me a look, one that I refused to acknowledge.
I gave another small sigh before allowing my mind to drift off.