Chapter 28

Chapter 28

"I have to make a bet with a sucker." Orochitama stated, squaring her shoulders before leaving the room with purpose.

Kabuto watched her go and then, after a few minutes, let out a shaky sigh or relief. That interaction had been terrifying, but also informative. It confirmed that the profile he had been building was correct. Orochitama had been avoiding some actions due to a subconscious desire to avoid emotionally complex situations.

Assuming that said vulnerability was not just displayed for his benefit. Throwing out false flags about personal weaknesses was a good practice for ninja. He suspected that wasn't the case here, though of course he would. He thought of it, so he was naturally predisposed to believe it. A simple instinct that he had observed Orochitama take good advantage of over the last several months.

Kabuto shook his head to clear it and walked to meet with one person in the world he felt he could...mostly trust. His gaze glanced over the brightly colored walls and the motivational words hung from frames.

It was amazing how much things could change in a short time.

"Kabuto-kun." Nono called out as he approached. Her body posture screaming hesitance while her face whispered of hope. Hope that looked contradictory in the black eyes of an Edo Tensei summon. It seemed she was as torn on his existence as he was on hers even still. "You're late. Work keep you up?" She asked probingly.

Was she gathering information or just checking on him? Both? Either way, Orochitama's return wouldn't be hidden.

"Yes, Orochitama-sama returned and Kimimaro had some health complications." Kabuto answered easily before hesitantly walking to sit down on the bench across from the hall from her. Nono looked at him in consideration before sitting down next to him, though kept her hands apart and visible to him.

That was kind of her, even if it was training number thirty-seven subsection alpha used to get close to wary ninjas.

"Oh? Is everything okay? You seem out of sorts today. Plus you are already supposed to have left, right?" She asked.

"Yes." Kabuto stated before pausing in consideration. "I- I did what you had suggested."

"Oh." Nono stated faintly before looking up and down the halls in slight fear before focusing on him again. "Are you okay? How did she take it?"

"She-" Kabuto hesitated, collecting this thoughts. That was nice to be able to do. To have natural pauses in conversation and not pre-planned ones to have the most emotional impact. He took a breath to appreciate that for a moment. "She stated I was correct and that she is changing her plans to hunt down Tsunade now, so that she can help Kimimaro's worsening condition."

"She just admitted it as a weakness?" Nono asked. "That easily?"

"Yes." Kabuto stated. "She just confirmed it and stated she changed plans based on it."

Nono's brows furrowed. "So we were wrong. She wouldn't admit to it so easily if it were true."

"I'm not so certain that's true." He adjusted the glasses on his face in consideration.

"Oh?"

"I have not felt Orochitama use killing intent once since her-" What was it she always said? Ah. Right. "Not since her soul search. But me confronting her with her weaknesses, in a public space, she almost attacked me. I could feel her intent to kill and it was every bit as potent as it ever has been. She almost killed me for what I did."

Nono's face pinched and Kabuto was sure she would have turned pale if she had the blood flow that would make her capable of that.

"Are you safe? Is she going to just wait to do something in private?"

"I don't think so." Kabuto stated and all the tiny details of the last few months made him come to a conclusion that a part of him didn't think was possible. Not for the kind of person that did the kinds of things the Snake Sannin had done. The kind of things he had done. "I think she's ashamed of her past actions. I think she's taking actions not just from some plan or manipulation. I think I need to entertain the idea that she's making decisions based on morality, not on pragmatism."

"Morality? A change of heart? From the person that induced chakra poisoning in fifty orphans to see if it was possible for toddlers to survive it with no treatment?" Nono scoffed. "This is probably a play to try and manipulate people. Make them think she's going soft."

"There are more efficient ways to do that." Kabuto stated and shook his head. "And she's been actively going out of her way to make people think all these actions were out of pragmatism. Every time someone has brought up a question of why she always brings out a litany of self-serving reasons it was done."

The hallway grew silent.

"But-" Nono's voice started, sounding flabbergasted. "But why? Why try to hide it?"

Nono said it, but they both knew why. He had read her mission reports from her time in Root. They both had taken advantage of the reason many times. It was one of the easiest things a shinobi worth their salt could use. It was obvious, but he felt the need to voice it, when for so long he never had been allowed to.

"Because having a heart is a terrible weakness."

"It is, but it also can bring strength." Nono stated firmly. For the first time in their conversation, her eyes had steel and she spoke with the confidence reserved only for children, the drunk, and the foolish. "I was stronger after finding my heart than I ever was in Root."

Kabuto closed his eyes and resisted the urge to lean against her. He wanted to, but if he did it it would serve to make him uncomfortable. This hadn't been something he'd factored for. He'd never had the opportunity to operate under someone with a moral compass and the power to be able to actually enforce it.

"The question, Kabuto-kun," Came Nono's voice, "Is if you find the strength this would bring her worth the weakness it would show." The woman then lowered her voice to give a barely perceptible "If it's actually true."

"Yes." It surprised him that he got his answer instantly. "I would rather die helping someone who values me than live serving someone while being disposable."

"If that is what's happening here." Nono reminded.

"Yes. If that's what's happening." Kabuto confirmed. He had to keep in mind that he could be wrong. Pride does ninja in as often as a heart does after all. "However I think Orochitama-sama's maybe is far more attractive than Danzo's certainty."

A laugh of the gallows came from Nono and a smile split her face like man committing seppuku split his belly.

"Of that, Kabuto-kun, we can both agree."

xxxxx

I could hear screams and it made my stomach roll. Cries of pain. People begging for the mercy of death. I could feel my mind note the behavior clinically before allowing myself to enjoy the entertainment, despite another part of me wanting to shiver with revulsion. This was for science this time, not recreational. Though as many of the subjects lost all sense as they succumbed to the intense pain during the third hour of the procedure I could feel a devil's smile cross my face and laughter bubble forth.

Then I woke up. Orochimaru's training stopping me from immediately sitting up in bed or letting out a shudder. I forced myself to do it anyways a second later, as I did with all of those dreams.

I closed my eyes and wiped a hand down my face. I hated Orochimaru's fucking memories. The war. The killing. The fighting. That was bad, but I could deal with it. It was the stuff off the battlefield that liked to creep into my dreams. That liked to ruin my mood when things got quiet.

"Orochitama-sama?" Came Sakon's voice from the other side of the thin hotel door. "Tsunade-sama is awake and on the move."

Already? That was unusual.

I had tracked the Senju down the previous day, but when I had arrived the buxom blond had been beyond drunk and was firmly in the realm of shitfaced. Experience from both lives told me approaching her then was not a good idea. So instead I rented a room and decided to sleep for the night.

"We have a winner. Woo." The man at the stall stated drolly before grabbing a small stuffed cat from the display before casually tossing it to Sasuke. His broody student stared at the toy with offense, as if he hadn't just paid five-hundred ryo for the opportunity to win it.

"Sasuke-kun, if you don't want it, I could take it?" Sakura replied lightly. Far too lightly.

Sasuke glanced at the toy, trying to see the trap, but came up short to what it could be. So he just shrugged and threw it to her.

"Sure. Whatever." It wasn't as if it meant much to the Uchiha.

Sakura, meanwhile, looked as if Uzume herself descended from heaven and personally handed her her greatest desire. To Sakura, this was now a date and she had proof. He won her a prize after all.

"Well this is a dumb game anyways." Naruto whined, as he turned his head to not look at the stuffed animal nor Sasuke. "We should go get some food! I heard that they had some great stuff!"

Kakashi sighed and followed after as they descended into bickering. Usually he found the infighting of his team amusing. Endearing at some points. However, he could only stifle a sigh of frustration. Still, he'd had worse assignments and completed them in worse states. And he couldn't very well let his cute little gennin get offed just because they weren't patient enough to get the all clear for visiting the obvious trap outside the village.

Though, he did have to admit, seeing Naruto completely miss every single reverse pickpocket so far and actually complain about not getting one yet was worth a chuckle.

Then someone bumped into his shoulder.

"Hey buddy, look where you're going and stop staring at brilliance." An angry voice demanded before a nondescript disappeared into the crowd.

Of course. Why not? Add that the pile too.

"Why don't you guys go get some food at that stand and I'll get us some of that pink puffy stuff we saw earlier." Kakashi stated.

"Okay, Kakashi-sensi."

"Fine."

"Sweet! Thanks!"

His students then began to ignore him. He took the opportunity to duck into a small gap between stalls. A small gap in the back wall of one of the stalls allowing him to still keep an eye on his students.

"You think coming here with them was a good idea?" Jiraiya asked. He was in the same henge he had been in when they bumped into each other earlier.

"Naruto was going to come here one way or the other. I had to show up because his godfather wasn't really around to do it for me." Kakashi shot back.

Jiraiya blinked, and whispered so low that Kakashi could barely hear it over the sounds of the crowd around them. "You okay kid?"

"I'm fine." Kakashi responded and once again glanced to make sure the kids were fine. He went to smell for anything suspicious, but it was almost impossible with all the people around and the smell of fried foods.

"Bullshit." Jiraiya stated simply. "You were snippy at the meeting earlier too. What's up?"

Now? He wanted to do this now?

"The middle of an enemy garrison is not the place for this conversation." Kakashi responded tersely.

Jiraiya regarded him for a moment. The mummer of the crowds and the whistles and bells of the carnival games filled the silence.

"Is this about what the snake said?" Jiraiya asked.

He wanted to snap back at Jiraiya just then. How could the man not know that finding out Obito was still alive was fucking him up inside? How he wondered if Obito had suffered all this time and he never knew? How he stayed awake at night wondering if he'd one day have to kill his friend because the boy that set his moral compass seemed to be palling around with the people that thought Orochimaru was good company.

No. With people that Orochimaru apparently thought was too extreme.

But he couldn't have that conversation. Not now. Not even taking into account they were surrounded by foreign shinobi! But he couldn't yell about any of that. He couldn't mention it.

"I'm fine." Kakashi said lightly, flipping a page in his book.

Jiraiya met his gaze for a few moments before nodding. "Alright, kid. Let me know when you're ready to talk."

Kakashi glanced to his students. They seemed to be fighting over some spiraled confection with a white drizzle over it.

"I'm going to be in the third row on the right during the show." Jiraiya stated. "I'll help keep an eye for trouble if you sit the kids in that area. Show starts in fifteen minutes. I'd make sure you have a good seat. And hey, maybe enjoy it. The show might not be awful."

Kakashi doubted that. He'd never been much of one for the theatre, but having Jiraiya close at hand during the show would be nice. He gave his nod of agreement, and the two men walked away in opposite directions. Kakashi to his kids. Jiraiya to hopeful grab a seat.

"Kakashi-sensei! You didn't get the puff candy!" Naruto yelled in form of greeting.

"Ah, sorry. They were out when I passed by, though the show is about to start, so I figured we should get our seats." Kakashi stated. His gennin agreed and it took little effort to get them where he wanted them. They took their seats and Kakashi's gaze slid over everyone in the crowd. The stiff backed posture of so many people showed that more than half the crowd were ninja. All the villages were curious about what was going on apparently.

In a low area in front of the stage, a collection of people began to file in and raise bizarre instruments to their lips. Large complex things made of brass with all manner of bends and buttons. He briefly raised his headband to make sure the things weren't some kind of ninja weapon.

Surprisingly, they weren't.

The lights grew dark and he could make out a massive scroll being wheeled onto the stage. A spot light centered on it. Nothing moved. This was it. This could be where the trap was sprung. Did the scroll have a seal? Would it explode and take them all out?

There was an inhale and then-

Music. Loud, bold, and invigorating music blasted out as the scroll opened.

"A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away." Kakashi muttered under his breath as the scroll unfurled, traveling up slowly, new words coming to be displayed and the music played. The score was- well he'd never heard anything like it.

Well maybe this could keep his attention. It was original, if nothing else.

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