Chapter 40
Chapter 40
“And then Sasuke set Gato on fire?” Hiruzen had known since receiving word from Sakura’s summons that this iteration of Team 7’s first mission was going to be a cluster fuck. He hadn’t known exactly how bad it was going to be though. It was fortunate that Bear had thought ahead and prepped just in case. ANBU teams were already moving towards Nami no Kuni to bring the nation under the control of Hi no Kuni now that the bridge was finished.
“Yup, along with a large section of bridge. It is lucky that Sakura-chan got better in time to seal the flames away.” Kakashi said cheerfully, eye arcing into a crescent. Hiruzen had forced this team upon him so it was only fair the old man suffered for it. Kakashi didn’t want the responsibilities of genin and without Sakura filling in the role of sensei, he knew Naruto and Sasuke would be left thoroughly to their own devices.
“Anything else I should know?” Hiruzen asked, looking over Team 7 and seeing the exhausted relief on all of their faces. Sakura had nearly died, which would have been a blow to the village. She was worth more then the Uchiha and his cursed bloodline but Hiruzen could not vocalize that. The clan council would never agree with him, even if the elder council understood. “Very well, dismissed.”
“Senpai, would you like to get lunch with me?” Sakura asked as the quartet left the Hokage’s office. Kakashi hadn’t said a word about her sharingan, though he had definitely seen it. Even if he hadn’t processed it at the time, his left eye would ensure the memories were burnt clear as day into his brain. He knew her secret and they needed to settle that before it festered.
“Alright, lead the way kouhai.” Kakashi answered calmly and the two flickered away before either Naruto or Sasuke could get a word in. The blond raised an eyebrow at where the two jounin had been then turned to Sasuke.
“So, want to spend some time with your favorite genin?” Naruto grinned as Sasuke let out an exaggerated sigh, rolling their eyes dramatically.
“Sure and maybe we could go talk to that bartender? I just, I want to figure this out.” Sasuke explained and Naruto nodded sympathetically. The blond didn’t understand, couldn’t really but it was obvious Sasuke was uncomfortable with how things were and if Naruto could help, he would.
“Keep up teme, wouldn’t want you getting mistaken for one of the geisha.” Naruto teased as he took off, racing across the rooftops. Sasuke let out a huff of annoyance, scowling briefly before catching up with their blond friend.
***
Kakashi watched his kouhai as she ordered curry for the both of them then carried it back to the Senju compound. The warding seals buzzed against his skin as he past through them, a reminder he was only a guest and the accumulated chakra was just waiting to crash down on him. The rosette dropped down from the rooves to the streets and quickly entered the heir’s home, leading him to a large dining room that smelled like the members of the old Team 7 as well as both Sasuke and Naruto.
“I bring the boys over often, usually after training and we meet here for breakfast. Sasuke lives here, obviously and I’d like to convince Naruto to move in now that he’s a genin. Hiruzen banned me from making the offer because of clan politics.” Sakura explained as she set the food down and quickly unpacked it. Fragrant steam hit the air, the pungent smell of spices and slow cooked lamb instantly making Kakashi’s mouth water. He rarely indulged in food, Root had beaten most interests out of him but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t enjoy a good meal if it was offered.
“So,” Kakashi said after eating a few bites of food. Sakura never bothered to try and see under his mask, likely a bit more focused on getting to the topic at hand. “You’ve got the sharingan.”
“They’re natural and yes I do.” Sakura replied calmly and then met Kakashi’s eyes. The green bled away into bright crimson, her irises both glowing and reflective like metal foil, with three onyx tomoe spinning lazily in each eye. The sharingan were distinctive, beautiful and terrifying at the same time. They were lethal weapons and yet held all the allure of the rarest gemstones.
“There aren’t any pink haired Uchiha,” Kakashi pointed out and Sakura gave him a wry smile. She shifted nervously, glancing around and clearly weighing her options. She must have awoken her eyes years ago for them to be fully developed and he wondered if it was the trauma of the massacre that had done it or if they’d formed before then. The girl was a child soldier after all, more used to conflict then peace.
“There was one, Uchiha Sakura though history would remember her as Byakko.” Sakura’s words rang in Kakashi’s ears. He was old enough to have heard the legends, though only through rumors spoken after dark, whispered out of fear that lingered even to this day. The woman wasn’t in any history books, she vanished just before Konohagakure was founded and she was Madara’s second. A name better left in the past as far as Tobirama and Hiruzen were concerned and even Minato didn’t have an interest in restoring some obscure Uchiha to the history curriculum.
“You’re…” Kakashi suddenly found himself unable to breath. There was only one possible person the Byakko could have slept with, one man whose heir she would contemplate bearing. Kakashi’s eyes tracked to Sakura’s pink hair, which he knew tended to spike up if she didn’t brush it regularly. Even now, it was forming distinctive quills, though none were sticking up yet since she’d brushed her hair on the road. “Oh.”
“Yes, oh.” Sakura replied curtly and then flashed Kakashi a razor sharp grin. Suddenly far too many things seemed to fit. Madara had famously summoned the kyuubi, the nine tailed fox during his confrontation with the Shodaime while the Byakko had earned her very name from her white tiger summons. Sakura had both contracts and the sharingan, which really was the nail in the coffin. “Obviously you can’t tell anyone. Imagine what Hiruzen or Danzo would do if they knew.”
“Maa, Sakura-chan I don’t know what you’re talking about. Danzo-sama is never anything but reasonable.” Kakashi drawled, though he had no intention of breaking her faith. She’d be pulled into Root or quietly killed without ceremony. He didn’t want that for her, she was the only person on Team 7 he could tolerate and even then it was difficult to stand beside her when she wasn’t wearing a mask, when she wasn’t Tora. “So the scythe?”
“The Byakko’s, armor as well. My summons give them to me when I’m strong enough to make use of them.” Sakura wasn’t even lying there, even if it was horribly twisting the truth. Presentation was important after all and she had managed to be utterly truthful yet entirely misleading. She watched Kakashi process her words, looking over her scythe then eyeing her breastplate.
“I’m kind of surprised nobody’s noticed yet.” Kakashi said finally and Sakura cocked an eyebrow at him. Kakashi met her gaze with a lazy look and then returned his attention to the food slowly cooling in front of them. It wasn’t every day you learned your kouhai was descended from the most feared woman of the warring clans period and the devil himself.
“People see what they want.” Sakura replied with a shrug, letting Inner feast on the bitterness that suddenly burned within her. Rage, brief but strong spiked through her chakra and Sakura forced her body to remain relaxed despite her sudden agitation. “I did not have an easy childhood and the only reason I wasn’t killed in the massacre was because I wasn’t an Uchiha.”
Kakashi didn’t say a word as he looked at her. The two locked eyes, neither daring to break the silence and the implication there. Itachi hadn’t snapped, he’d eliminated every single pure-blood Uchiha in Konoha except Sasuke. That was no random break or madman seeking to test himself. Sakura was stronger then many of those killed, yet he had spared her. Kakashi knew there had been tension, knew that Danzo had been seeking to resolve the Uchiha question but never knew for certain that it had been ordered.
“Let me clean up the plates.” Sakura said, breaking the silence and quietly gathering up the empty takeout containers. “Would you like to train together sometime? It’s been a few years since…” Sakura trailed off as she shrugged and left to throw out the trash. When she returned, Kakashi was gone though a note was left on the table, a simple time and date for them to meet up.
“He’s a coward.” Izumi’s voice startled Sakura and she whipped around to face the older kunoichi. Izumi had aged well, growing into a beautiful young woman though her chakra was far older then her years. She was dressed in typical ANBU armor, her fox mask hung at her hip. “A good man but still.”
“Senpai has had a difficult life.” Sakura replied, not refuting Izumi’s words. She could feel the fear that wafted off of him whenever he interacted with his team. He wasn’t just ignoring them, he was outright terrified of his genin. He wouldn’t even teach them if she wasn’t around to occasionally force him into it. Even then, most of the time she ended up acting as the jounin sensei, teaching Naruto and Sasuke everything they’d need to know to become well balanced shinobi.
“He shouldn’t be a jounin sensei. Naori or I would have been a better choice.” But we are Uchiha went unsaid but not unheard. “You would have been a better choice.” Izumi added, her tone nothing but honest and Sakura gave her older sister a grateful nod. “You alright?”
“The mission was hard, it got promoted to A rank. My heart stopped for a bit.” Sakura admitted and Izumi was next to her in a flash. Warm arms filled with cool wintry chakra so much like Haku’s wrapped around her and Sakura melted into Izumi’s hug.
“We captured a Yuki, he’s in T&I for holding.” Sakura whispered, the desire to meet with the descendant of Uzushio and a survivor of Mizu’s ongoing genocide fighting a losing battle against her exhaustion.
“You can see him tomorrow, for now rest. You’re still growing after all.” Izumi’s words were the final straw and Sakura wobbled on her feet, nearly falling over only to be scooped up by two strong yet gentle arms. Soft footsteps, intentionally audible, were a steady rhythm as Izumi carried her through the house. The march was interrupted by the distant sliding of a paper door as Sakura’s eyes closed and she fell into a deep sleep.
***
The Akasen was just off the main street of Konohagakure. The roads were always crowded and even the rooftops were fairly busy during all hours of the day. Shinobi lived short, brutal lives and the brothels and pleasure dens provided a secure reprieve from the horrors they constantly faced. The smell of beer, perfume, sake and bar food filled the air creating a chaotic mishmash of sensations, jasmine and charcoal smoke blending freely under the afternoon sun.
“Over this way.” Naruto said as he dropped down from the rooftops into an alley. “When I was little and couldn’t cook a lot of the girls here would take turns feeding me. The manager was one of my neighbors and she sort of liked me, though she didn’t want me wandering where customers could see.” Naruto’s expression was fond despite the tragedy hidden underneath his cheerful tone. His childhood was so utterly dominated by casual cruelty that Sasuke was amazed he could even smile.
“Naruto-kun, long time no see.” A feminine yet deep voice drew both genin’s attention to a woman leaning against one of the alley’s walls. A cigarette slowly burned between her fingers and amber eyes peered at the two genin curiously. “And you’ve brought a friend, a date perhaps?” A teasing smile split the woman’s lips and Sasuke was just able to note the expertly applied makeup softening her features from something masculine into something decidedly more neutral.
“Not a date, this is my teammate Sasuke. I told him er, well actually that’s what we talked about ‘ttebayo. Sasuke isn’t sure and figured, well, maybe you two could talk?” Naruto offered and the woman’s eyes filled with understanding. She quickly put her cigarette out, crushing the glowing tip into the brick wall behind her, ashes raining onto the dirty asphalt at her feet.
“I’d be more then happy to talk but we should go inside,” the woman paused and shifted her attention fully to Sasuke. “I’m Setsuna by the way, now come on let’s get you two comfortable.” Setsuna lead the way and soon enough Sasuke and Naruto were settled into a private booth in the back of a large bar. The place wasn’t quite a brothel, instead it was more of a host club, where men and women could hire company of either gender though sex was off the menu. Sasuke glanced over at Setsuna nervously as the woman slid in across from them, gracefully setting down a pair of virgin cocktails for them to drink as she leaned forward and propped her chin up on her hands, her elbows resting on the table and an eyebrow arched in silent question.
“I just, I don’t know where to begin.” Sasuke breathed out, suddenly feeling exhausted. How could he, or perhaps she, Ever hope to explain what it felt like. “I feel wrong,” Sasuke began and then grit his, or was it her, teeth. “I like makeup and the clothes Sakura is always wearing, though maybe not the bright pink and white.”
“You like darker colors.” Naruto pointed out and Sasuke glanced at the blond, surprised Naruto had noticed. “Dark red, blues, purples, blacks. You look good in them ‘ttebayo.” Naruto’s words had Sasuke blinking rapidly, unaware the boy had even been paying attention. “What?”
“Nothing, you’re right though and I just, my voice is starting to deepen and I’m growing hair and I hate it. It feels wrong and I just, I’m always uncomfortable.” Sasuke didn’t know how else to vocalize it. It was constant, unending discomfort. “I just, I feel like I’m suffocating constantly.”
“Well, why not try living as a girl for a bit? You could write it off as infiltration training to anyone you don’t want to share the truth with. If it turns out to be more comfortable, then just slip into the role full time. You’re a shinobi so maybe you could even find a medic who could help you with your body. Unfortunately as a civilian that kind of care isn’t available for me.” Setsuna explained, her words making it all go from terrifying and unknowable to almost simple. It was an obvious, easy way to test things out, to just lie and say it was infiltration training. “You’ll need a name.”
“I’ll think of one.” The last loyal full blooded Uchiha replied, a relieved smile on their lips. “And thank you, for your time.” Setsuna waved them off, an embarrassed grin tugging at her lips.
“You’re plenty welcome. Honestly I wish someone explained it to me when I was your age. Now go on, do whatever it is you crazy shinobi do for fun, that’s child appropriate.” Setsuna replied, earning another grin from the two genin before they left, eager to put their heads together and think up a name.
***
Sakura’s mind was racing with thoughts and plans as she stepped onto Training Ground Three. As usual, Sasuke was early and already doing stretches. Sakura knew something was up with her adoptive sibling but wasn’t exactly sure what.
‘Talk with her.’ Inner whispered, causing Sakura to pause briefly. She knew exactly who Inner meant, but she’d used a pronoun Sakura didn’t usually associate with Sasuke. Still, Sakura wasn’t going to make a big deal of it or put Sasuke on the spot because Inner was being a typical kitsune about things.
“Sasuke,” Sakura called out as she walked over the clearing and arrived next to the young Uchiha. Sasuke looked up, somewhat visibly nervous and Sakura tilted her head in silent question. “You feel different today, did something happen?”
“Yeah, I think so.” Sasuke’s chakra bristled with nerves and Sakura frowned, internally debating whether or not to pull her troublesome sibling into a hug or not. She could always take a gamble and voice Inner’s suspicion, but she didn’t want to pressure Sasuke into anything either. “Um, can I ask a question?”
“Of course,” Sakura answered and sat down, patting the ground for Sasuke to do the same. The Uchiha hesitate before giving a small nod and then taking a seat.
“Why did you and Naori buy makeup and kunoichi’s clothes for me?” Sasuke asked, glancing nervously at Sakura before looking away. Sakura’s lips pursed as she considered the question, wondering if there was a trick or something she wasn’t seeing.
“Because you like them?” Sakura asked and Sasuke blinked before letting out a disbelieving snort. The Uchiha was clearly jittery and Sakura did not want to add to those nerves. Burning love was already flowing through her network and the urge to hold Sasuke tight and promise she would love them no matter what was almost all consuming.
“Yes but, kami why is this so difficult?” Sasuke ran a hand through her hair and grit her teeth. She hadn’t struggled to tell Naruto, it had kind of just happened but facing Sakura was terrifying. Taking a breath and bolstering her courage, Sasuke faced Sakura and forced the truth out. “I’m a girl!”
“Oh, well I love you either way. I’m happy you’ve told me this. Did you pick a new name yet?” Sakura asked, wondering what to call her little sister. She watched as the younger Uchiha frowned and shook her head.
“Sasuke isn’t right, but use it for now. I’ll answer to it, but I’m thinking of another name. I’ll tell you when I know.” Sasuke gave her sister an appreciative smile and quickly wiped a tear from her eye. It had been terrifying to open up, but now the sense of relief far outweighed the nerves that had preceded her confession. Shifting, Sasuke reached out her arms to Sakura who gently pulled her into a warm hug.
“I love you so much little sister.” Sakura whispered as her chakra wrapped around Sasuke protectively. The rosette was only older by a few months but her experience and emotional maturity meant that Sasuke always looked up to her and she always viewed Sasuke as younger, even if they were the same age. “So, do you want to get new clothes? Or um, paperwork? Or medical treatment? I could-”
“We cant talk about it at home. I’m still figuring all this out.” Sasuke’s heart soared as she looked into two swirling sharingan, the physical manifestation of Sakura’s love. Most knew them as the crimson eyes of misery but to the Uchiha the sharingan were the embodiment of their all consuming passion. They felt everything with an intensity so great their very chakra was ablaze.
Sakura’s refreshing minty chakra, that always felt of deep forest and cool damp earth was particularly intense today, the sensation of it covering Sasuke’s entire being as the rosette used ninshu to convey her emotions better then words ever could. Love buzzed through Sakura’s chakra network and flowed from her tenketsu, a warm, familial love that was utterly unconditional and supportive.
“I’m here, whatever you need. I’m here.” Sakura promised as she let go and reigned in her raging heart. Sasuke gave her a grateful nod as her sharingan receded and the familiar sensation of Naruto’s approaching chakra was the reminder they needed to gather themselves. “So, the chunin exams are coming up.”
“They are, do you think?” Sasuke trailed off, the question hanging in the air between them. Sasuke was ready for the promotion, but she was far too young for it. No child should be pressed into combat missions and chunin saw combat, usually at a rate of once every two months or so. They weren’t constantly being sent into danger like jounin or ANBU but it was the entry level rank for ANBU and the many darker paths that Konohagakure offered. On the other hand, even if Sakura wanted to coddle Sasuke, the world clearly wasn’t going to. Nami no Kuni was proof enough of that.
“I think that while no child should hold the rank of chunin, the world will not wait for any of us.” Sakura dusted herself off as she rose to her feet and offered Sasuke a hand. The other Uchiha accepted it gladly, her expression becoming thoughtful as she considered Sakura’s words. “That said, I will recommend you and find you a third teammate. You and Naruto both have what it takes to pass and I’m going to spend the next month polishing both of your skills and talents so you’re ready.”
“What’s going on?” Naruto asked, glancing between the two girls before realization dawned on him. He looked over at Sasuke who gave a slight nod, cheeks turning pink as she looked away. “I told you she’d be fine with it.”
“I know, but I was just nervous. She’s a medic, I was afraid…” Sasuke trailed off as Sakura gave her hand a supportive squeeze. The sensation of love and family filled the air as Sakura’s chakra wrapped around Sasuke, embracing her. “Well, I told her and she’s going to help with…things.”
“That’s great teme-chan!” Naruto cheered, earning a heat-less glare from the Uchiha. Naruto cackled happily before turning his stormy blue eyes onto Sakura who flashed her own mischievous grin.
“I’m glad you have so much energy today Naruto-kun.” Sakura chirped, her chakra suddenly becoming menacing as her grin became positively fox like. The color drained away from the two genins’ faces as she rocked back on her heels, swaying playfully as she showed off her razor sharp teeth, her emerald eyes sparkling with unholy glee. “Because you’re going to need it. You see I’ve decided to make you two chunin and you will be up to my standards by the end of the month and a month isn’t a lot of time, is it Sasuke-chan?”
Sasuke didn’t answer, instead she just swallowed nervously as Sakura suddenly shifted from evil smile to an innocent pout. In this moment, Sasuke knew exactly how Sakura had gotten a contract with the foxes and why they liked her so much.
“So excited you can’t speak? That’s fine,” Sakura nodded to herself and raised her thumb to her mouth. “We’re going to start with running, you two need better stamina. Specifically the ability to keep using chakra without wasting a tone of it.” Sakura explained and then looked at Naruto. “You have absurd stamina, but you don’t have any ability to hide it. You waste it so freely you light up like a dying star for anyone with the ability to sense it.”
“And you just need more stamina.” Sakura informed Sasuke who had very good stamina after years of training with Anko and a few months learning under Sakura while Kakashi read porn nearby. If Sakura thought they needed to improve further, Sasuke wasn’t exactly sure how they would manage that. “Fortunately, I’m quite skilled with fuinjutsu so I’ll be making some training aids.” Sakura’s grin returned in force, her innocent facade melting away as both genin turned to flee. Before they could, a pair of tigers pounced on them, pinning them to the ground as Sakura pulled out a bottle of ink and a brush, a slow menacing laugh slipping through her lips.
***
“I can’t feel my feet ‘ttebayo.” Naruto groaned, half leaning on Sasuke as the two genin dragged themselves off the training ground and towards Konohagakure proper. The Uchiha wobbled briefly before righting herself, shooting Naruto a glare as the two tried to catch their breath. Sakura had brought ration bars and plenty of water so neither of her students had a chance to escape the training grounds.
“She’s worse then Anko-onee-san.” Sasuke groaned, tripping over air only for Naruto to catch her before she could hit the ground. The two reached the main road of Konohagakure after ten minutes of walking, intent on making their way to Ichiraku. Sasuke’s hakama were thoroughly trashed and her kimono top was undone, revealing the chain shirt she was wearing underneath while Naruto’s jacket had been tied around his waist and was absolutely coated with dried mud.
Ahead of them, the pair saw a duo with Sunagakure headbands walking down the street. An older teen, perhaps fourteen years old walked in front of a girl with four sandy blond pigtails. Both were surprisingly pale for shinobi of Sunagakure, though considering they matched the description of the current Kazekage’s children it made sense they’d have the luxury of shaded training areas.
“Wow, I knew Konoha was going soft but look at this.” The teen boy smirked as he made a show of looking over Naruto and Sasuke. The insult had both genin bristling angrily as they forced their aching bodies back upright and corrected their stances.
“State your reason for being in Konohagakure and show your passes.” Sasuke snapped, her patience already frayed from Sakura’s brutal training regime. They’d been drilling for nearly a month straight and Sakura hadn’t let up at all. Every time they made progress, she piled even more demands on top of them. Resistance seals, chakra restraint seals, seals that would shock them if they used too much chakra at any one time, she had turned training into an exercise in creatively torturing them and Sasuke couldn’t wait until she got her chunin vest and was finally free from it all.
“Why don’t you make us ojou-chan,” Kankuro taunted and Sasuke’s eyes narrowed furiously. Beside her, Naruto’s chakra spiked and the blond finally lost his cool.
“Oy, keep it up and I’ll kick your ass dattebayo.” Naruto promised and took a step forward, his chakra still suppressed like Sakura had been teaching them but his anger still quite obvious. The four shinobi eyed each other, the tension building between them as the Suna nin pulled a large bundle thoroughly wrapped in bandages off his back and slammed it down onto the dirt road.
“Kankuro, you’re disgracing our village.” A malevolent chakra abruptly washed over the street as a boy with dark red hair appeared between the two teams. His eyes were ringed with bruises and the whites of his eyes were inflamed, blood vessels swollen and red within them. He had the same dark green eyes of the other two Suna nin and Sasuke recognized him from the bingo book. Subaku no Gaara, a genin who had been sent on several B rank missions and Sunagakure’s only prodigy.
“I was just trying to have some fun Gaara,” Kankuro offered, though he was quickly silenced with a focused burst of killing intent. Gaara shifted his attention to the two Konoha nin, dismissing them before walking past his teammates. Kankuo shot an angry glare towards Naruto before following while the girl shrugged and fell in without another word.
“For a minute there, I thought I’d have to intervene.” Sakura’s voice caught both Sasuke and Naruto off guard, both of their head snapping to the side where the girl was currently leaning against a wall, without her hitae-ate or any visible weapons.
Her chakra felt utterly civilian and mildly calm, perhaps a bit curious, but Sasuke could only barely feel it even from a few feet away. It was a show of just how powerful her chakra control was, she simply did not register on the senses, appearing for all intents and purposes as an untrained girl, which was only supported by her frilly and childish pink outfit and doll like appearance. Her height was the one thing that might catch attention, she was tall for a girl and still growing steadily as far as Sasuke could tell.
“Are they here for the exams?” Naruto asked, glancing towards where the suna nin had disappeared before returning his attention to Sakura. His expression was a mix between excited and annoyed, despite the exhaustion still clinging to his body.
“Yes, they’ve entered and you’ll be seeing them soon enough.” Sakura informed the two genin, giving them an easy smile as she walked past them then twirled around. A playful light shown in her eyes, no hints of sadism anywhere in sight. “Shall we go get Ichiraku Ramen? My treat.”
“Alright ramen!” Naruto cheered while Sasuke rolled her eyes and grinned despite herself. Ramen wasn’t her favorite food, not by a long shot but it was tasty and certainly satisfying after a long day of training.
***
Deep underneath Konohagakure, further even then the sprawling natural caves and bunker complexes of ANBU, Shimura Danzo sat in his office and gazed across his desk at his most prized asset. Metallic golden eyes looked back, vertical slit pupils widened slightly to adjust to the dim lightning and a sly smirk twisting deathly pale lips. Chakra hung thick in the air, causing even the thoroughly conditioned Root drones standing guard to sweat uncontrollably as the two titans of the shadows stared each other down.
“You are asking for quite a lot Shimura-sama, I will lose most of my forces just to fulfill your request.” Orochimaru tone was cordial, polite despite the sheer disrespect in his chakra. The two men were trying to assert dominance over the other, their wills clashing and grinding the wills of anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in their combined presence to dust. “You’re going to have to make it worth my while.”
“I can give you the pure-blood Uchiha.” Danzo’s words caused the tension between them to spike as Orochimaru crossed the distance between them. Pale palms pressed down into the stone desk and golden eyes glowed with baleful yellow light as Orochimaru leaned forward.
“Not good enough,” Orochimaru hissed, his smile dropping as he gave Danzo a flat look. “You know that, I could have any Uchiha I want. I have all of their DNA, do you think cloning them is beyond me?” Orochimaru asked and gave a cold, cruel laugh. “No, I want something worth it Shimura.”
“Name your price then.” Danzo didn’t back down or react to Orochimaru’s intrusion in his personal space. His one exposed eye watched the snake without even a hint of the tension that lined his muscles and flowed through his tightly controlled chakra. Already his stolen sharingan was spinning under its bandages, the parasitic eye feeding off the chakra provided by the hashirama cells that made up his right arm.
“I need a test subject with perfect chakra control. Preferably young as well, it will make adapting easier.” Orochimaru’s lips twisted into a smile and Danzo raised an eyebrow in question. “I will share the results of the experiment if they live. Wouldn’t want you stealing my ideas now would I?” Orochimaru’s grin oozed malevolence, his poisonous chakra filling the minds of those around him with the screams of his previous hosts, a cacophony of countless damned souls. “And the Uchiha, after all if you’re offering him you clearly don’t want him.”
“That can be arranged. I have an agent, partially conditioned but the subconscious commands should still be active.” Danzo opened one of his drawers and withdrew a folder. He placed it on his desk and watched as Orochimaru’s eyes lit up with glee. The snake’s lips split apart, revealing needle like fangs while golden eyes glittered dangerously. The name on the file was one both men recognized after all, a trophy they had been denied for far too long.
“I look forward to seeing how you’ve grown over the years, Haruno Sakura.” Orochimaru chuckled, smirking down at the picture of the twelve year old jounin.