Chapter 24

Chapter 24

I checked the heart monitor again. The pulse was still steady and the rest of the readable vitals were the same as when I'd last checked them. Everything remained frustratingly the same.

That is to say, on a slow and steady decline.

"The last batch of tests has had no observable effect." Kabuto stated. I assume it was for Kimimaro's benefit since I was staring at the test results.

"I am unafraid." The bone user said as he looked at me with complete faith. Faith was the correct word too, because I was certain it wasn't a statement to show he knew I'd fix him. He was saying he didn't mind dying.

"But you will be very bored," I stated firmly, "because you have reached the point that you aren't to leave this bed. When you do your health drops notably and will make my work even harder."

Phrasing it as him making things more difficult for me had the desired effect. If it was just for his own health he'd walk around whenever he liked, but stating it made things harder for me would ensure he remained here for as long as I asked him to.

"Yes, Orochitama-sama." He stated stiffly.

I give a jerk of my head to Kabuto and the two of us exit the room. The door closes behind us and my shoulder droops and I run a hand down my face.

"Orochitama-sama." Kabuto spoke up, brows furrowed. "Why haven't you gone to retrieve Tsunade? We located her a week ago on the day you gave the speech. It's clear that this is important to you, why have you not gone to speak with her?"

I contemplated the loaded question for a moment.

"The primary one? I don't want her to link me to Sound yet and moving him to her will be an extensive process." I stated simply.

"I...see." The man said with hesitation.

He didn't believe me. At least not completely. While moving Kimimaro would be a small ordeal while making sure his condition didn't worsen, it was far from impossible. I just didn't really want to unpack all my emotional baggage at the moment.

Those demons were doing just fine in their sealed bottles at the moment.

"I have to go meet the leaders of Hidden Grass and Hidden Waterfall in disguise tomorrow anyways, and I need to go to Hidden Sand and meet the Kazekage before that."Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience

"Oh?" Kabuto asked, surprised. "I wasn't aware you'd scheduled an appointment with him."

"I haven't." I replied before turning towards the leader of the Drama department walking towards us. "Watanabe-kun! How goes preparations?"

"Things are going well!" The man responded with a wide grin on his chiseled features. In another world Watanabe would have done well as a movie star. He was classically handsome, tall, and had an astounding ability to mimic people's mannerisms and inflection. In this life he mostly used these attributes to get close to someone and kill them, though I was working on that. "I've been working with one of the scientists on these 'Stormtrooper' outfits. Amazing name for them by the way, very menacing."

"Oh I can't take the credit." I said with a wave of my hand, as I did for any compliment on 'my' writings. I didn't come up with them, but I badly wanted to bring some of my favorite bits of fiction to this world. The original Star Wars trilogy was something special and I wanted to bring it to life here.

"We managed to get make a lightsaber good enough for the purposes of a the play, though from what I've heard there are a bunch of Sound scientists trying to make one that's actually function." He followed up.

I gave a small laugh. Some things never change.

"Excellent. Do you think everyone will be ready in time for us to do an in house show the day before we leave?" I asked. I wanted everyone in Sound to be able to see the show before the wider world managed to.

"We might have a few slip ups but I think we can manage it in the month's time that we have." Watanabe stated with a nod. "Though my husband is going to be complaining about the longer hours to be ready in time."

"Your efforts are appreciated." I said. "And my appreciation takes the form of extra time off and more money."

"Oh, my second and third favorite form of appreciation." The man said with a smile. "I'll have it done in time."

With a word of farewell and a bow Watanabe left and I began to head towards my office, Kabuto following behind.

"So, Orochitama-sama, why the play?" Kabuto spoke up.

"Hm?"

"You are putting a lot of resources and effort into this drama and I was wondering what purpose it serves. A simple circus act would have served your efforts just as well, would it not?"

"A circus would wow them and distract them just as well, yes." I acknowledge as I think on how to phrase the next part. "However, a story sticks with a person. Years later people will struggle to remember more than an act or two of a circus show, but they will remember a good story for their entire lives. Stories are how the mind remembers."

"And what in the story do wish for them to remember, Orochitama-sama?" Kabuto asked.

I gave a small smirk as I opened the door to my office and walked in. Kabuto was very good at asking questions. Possibly too good, as some of my reasons were a bit too personal for me to feel comfortable sharing with the spy.

"People will remember the message of the story and it's themes, and it will attach those themes to Sound."

"And what themes are in the story that you are trying to communicate?"

I reached to my desk and pulled out the script for the play and handed it over to the Medic Ninja.

"Read it for yourself, then you tell me." I stated.

Kabuto glanced from the script to me a few times before grabbing it.

"In the meantime I'm going to go break into the Kazekage's office for an unplanned meeting." I said simply as I pulled out some lipstick and applied it as I gave my appearance a once over to make sure I was presentable.

"Wait, you're going to what?" Kabuto asked, gaze snapping to me.

"Toodles!" I replied before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

xxxxx

"Wonderful! So glad we could come to an agreement Rasa-san." She stated happily as she clapped her hands together.

Rasa felt he might have just made a deal with the devil, but the reward could not be denied. The power play was distasteful but held a message that she needed to be respected, which was played well enough that he was willing to give that respect, but he would make sure she didn't get too big of a head about it.

"What is your name?" He finally asked, never having received it before.

"Orochitama." The woman said, giving a wink. "Charmed."

"Orochitama, leave Sunagakure before I raise the alert and have the entire village hunt you down." He stated simply. Doing so wouldn't work, but it would be annoying for even someone of her stature.

"I'll get out of your hair then. Ta!" She stated before she disappeared, a glob of tequila falling to the chair as the clone turned to smoke. Rasa heaved a sigh and began to check for his guards when one burst into the room.

"Kazekage-sama! Are you alright!? Someone knocked-" The guard faltered and looked away.

"What is it? Speak." He ordered.

"You uh...you might want to check a mirror. If you need, um, private time with a woman in the future you can just ask without knocking us out."

What?

Rasa pulled a mirror out of his desk and looked at his image. He had three lip marks made of lipstick. One on his cheek, one on his forehead, and one on his neck.

A chill went down his spine.

He likely didn't have a choice but to follow this woman. She could have killed him three times over.

xxxxxx

Gaara looked so small. The manga had always chosen angles to make him look so imposing, but in person, as an adult, he looked so small and fragile and alone as he stared up at the moon on the roof top.

He also reeked of killing intent as well, but that was easy for me to ignore.

"Nice night, isn't it Gaara? Shukaku?" I asked.

A small tsunami of sand came in response.

The response was expected, but disappointing. The mud clone I'd sent was quickly crushed and the people of Sand hid away as they were certain the demon among them claimed someone else.

"Tsk tsk! Hagoromo would be disappointed in what you've done to this boy Shukaku." I said as I stepped around the corner. The sand around Gaara all vibrated as if electrocuted and Gaara clutched at his head.

"Mother." The boy gasped, "My mother demands to know where you heard that name." The boy said, almost confused.

"I read it in a book." I responded blithely before continuing. "There is a group looking to grab your tanuki and his eight siblings and combine them back into the Ten Tails once more. They already have the body from the moon."

Gaara's face grew even more pained and confused as he dropped to his knees.

I was throwing a lot of truth bombs at Skukaku here, but I needed Shukaku to speak about more than wanting blood to Gaara. This was the only thing I could imagine getting him to do that.

"I'm sorry Mother." The boy's small voice cracked. "I'll give you her blood. That will help you."

I rolled my eyes and casually used a wind ninjutsu to blow apart the sand coming towards me.

"Rude. Gaara, death is not always the answer and if you listen to your 'mother' you'll know they don't want me dead until after I answer questions."

"W-what?" Gaara asked as he again clutched his head and let out a growling sound of pain.

This wasn't going anywhere and it felt almost mean to have Gaara in pain while I make the point.

Thankfully, I came with a seal that would help with this and from everything I knew about how a jinchuriki is made I was reasonably sure I knew where his seal was. Plus the ninja of sound had recently made something that would disable him fairly easily.

Three kunai with seals landed in equilateral distance from Gaara. Then there was a dull vibrating sound that shook the house we stood on and the sand around Gaara vibrated apart. Gaara himself looked to be moments from passing out. I dashed in, lifted his shirt, and then placed the seal on top of his existing one.

The vibrations cut off and I gently lowered the redhead to the ground. That was a bit noisy and I'd have people coming to check out what just happened soon.

Best to make this quick.

"Shukaku. Be nicer. The reincarnation of Asura and Indra are to have their big fight soon and if the Tailed Beasts and humans can't learn to get along Kaguya is going to manage to come back, and no one wants that. You're ageless. Just put up with it for a few more decades and you'll move on to someone else where the fate of the planet isn't as on the line."

"You- huh?" Gaara asked, looking at me in confusion before slipping into unconsciousness.

I gently picked the boy up, wiping some flecks of sand off him, and then turned to go inside. In moments I had the boy placed in his own bed and tucked in. Then I left a purple lipstick mark on his forehead. Just to make sure my point was driven home.

I was going to apply this seal no matter what, though the conversation with him and Shukaku was not nearly as productive as I wanted it to be. Or at all.

I'd just have to come by some other time. Maybe when he had some sleep.

Or...

A smile tugged at my lips.

Maybe he'd like to see a play while traveling?