"Orochimaru-sama?" Sasuke and I ask at the same time in shock. "Are you... losing?"
We've never seen him being manhandled like this. He's supposed to be untouchable.
"You're both still here? Oh good your arm is back." Orochimaru says as he straightens up and dusts himself off. He's acting way to too casual and relaxed for someone who just came through a freaking tree. "I hate to admit it, but I may have overestimated myself. This group is exceedingly well coordinated. If I just had access to my ninjutsu this farce would have ended long ago. An Edo Tensi here, a forbidden jutsu there, and maybe even a snake or twenty. Look here they come."
Five shadows leap into the clearing. It's Tsunade, Kakashi, Gai, Kurenai and Asuma. They all look ragged and worn, but each of them looks leagues better than Orochimaru. It's obvious that he's been losing.
We're all arranged in an equilateral triangle. Orochimaru is all alone, the Konoha group are staring him down and Sasuke, Keji and I are standing with the rest of the defeated gennin at our feet.
The field is strangely quiet for how many people are gathered here. Orochimaru is waiting patiently for something to happen, he's idly smirking at the last arrivals. Finally, someone from Konoha tears their eyes away from the biggest threat here and spares us a glance.
"GET AWAY FROM MY GENNIN!" Kurenai shouts and springs into action. She's lunging at Sasuke and me and she's pissed off. There's nothing that can stop her from reaching us, not even Orochimaru because the second he move then everyone else will too. "I'LL KILL YOU BOTH – Sasuke?"
She halts all momentum halfway towards us, and everyone else freezes. Some are frozen in shock, others in gleefully sinister thoughts, while a select few are thinking 'oh shit.' It's Kakashi, Tsunade and me who are thinking that last one.
"Sasuke?" Asuma says in confusion and his eyes dart to the newly named gennin. "It is you! What are you doing here? Holy shit I cut your arm off."
"HOW YOUTHFUL!" Gai roars and slams a fist into his chest in a manly fashion while grinning wildly. "Sasuke knew that his fellow Konoha shinobi were in danger and he came to help out!"
"Yeah, that's not it at all." I sassily remark to Gai. How the hell did he draw that conclusion?
"Alvarcus?" Kakashi says with both eyes wide. He has his Sharingan activated, no doubt pulling out all the stops to combat Orochimaru. "Is that you?"
"Aw shit." I say as I smack my forehead. "I'm not changing my voice right now am I? Guess this mask is useless then. Keji why don't you go back? Things are about to get... interesting."
"No." Keji stands protectively over Sasuke and I, using his own body to shield us from who he thinks are our enemies. "I will not turn tail and run while my Summoner stands valiantly against his foes!"
"And I will not put my summon's lives in danger! Go back, I'm sorry Keji but now you'll just be in the way."
Keji turns to face me and stares into my covered eyes for a moment. "Fine. I shall honor your request. Not because I want to but because I can tell you want to protect me. I will trust your judgment."
"Thanks." I say to Keji before he vanishes into a cloud of smoke.
I remove my mask and pin it to my belt to the satisfying sounds of sharp intakes of breath. I still managed to surprise a few people after all.
"You mean all this time you were right there? Right in front of me?" Kakashi shakily says. His shoulders start to shake, his whole demeanor shrinks on himself. He looks like he's defeated. Say what you will about him, but he's a damn good actor. "Do you have any idea how I felt when you both left? Just – I can't – why did – what did I do wrong?!"
"Yeah, no." I rudely refuse to answer while I cross my arms. I can't believe I'm stuck in this situation. I don't think this can get any more fucked up. "That is not going to happen now or ever."
What am I supposed to do? It's clear that Orochimaru is losing and badly at that. He looks like he's been through hell while the Konoha group is barely bleeding. They've kept him on the ropes for this, they're winning.
No doubt Tsunade is the biggest threat, not only is she also a Sannin but she knows Orochimaru. They know each others style and can use that to predict what the other will do to a certain extent.
Then there's Gai who can probably rival Orochimaru in taijutsu and would just draw his nunchaku to combat the Kusanagi Sword.
Kakashi is no slouch either. He probably was supporting with his huge ninjutsu library from mid range, constantly herding Orochimaru around the battlefield to keep the terrain to Konoha's advantage.
Asuma was probably doing the same but with kunai to capitalize on his wind nature. I'm sure he also peppered in some fire jutsu as well to shake things up and keep Orochimaru guessing.
Kurenai was most likely placing genjutsu after genjutsu onto Orochimaru, I'm sure he's seen some very interesting things due to that.
There's no doubt in me that in one on one battles Orochimaru would defeat each person he's fighting, maybe even Tsunade too. He's that crafty, that resourceful, he's that good. But when he's taking them all on at once they're too much for him.
He could be defeated here. He could die here.
But will I let that happen? Will I let him be killed?
On one hand it would take care of a lot of my problems. He'd be gone, out of this world. Well that's assuming no one pulls him out of one of the Curse Seals of Heaven or Earth and I could just hunt down everyone who has one and either remove it or remove them. If he's dead then he'll never have the chance to take Sasuke's body so that would solve itself. Plus all of his experiments would stop, with him gone all of his future victims would never even be kidnapped let alone experimented on. Most importantly, I could go home. With him dead there's nothing keeping Sasuke and I away from Konoha. We could go back to our friends, to our home.
On the other hand I would lose out on the personal tutelage of a Sannin. Sure I could probably rope Tsunade or if I get very creative Jiraya into teaching me but Orochimaru is willing to make me his priority. He'll do everything he can to help me advance, to make me S-rank while I'd be a sidebar for the other two. Plus if Orochimaru dies here and now then Kabuto would be able to escape. I can't have that, Kabuto is going to die. Not only to prevent his actions in the Fourth Shinobi War but because it was him who killed Sakura and for that he's going to burn. While I'm in Otogakure I have more freedom than I would at Konoha. I can take actions as an Oto shinobi that would be barred from me as a Konoha shinobi. Namely Danzo. I can't do anything to him if I'm wearing a leaf, but if I'm wearing a music note I can gut that fucker. Also I wouldn't really be able to act if something with the Akatsuki came up either. I can always run out on Orochimaru if I have to but I won't run out on Konoha. Plus Orochimaru could very well encourage me to mess with that group, I know that they're on very bad terms.
So is it worth it? Do I let him die or do I save him?
"Alright everyone," I call out to get their attention, "here's what is going to happen next."
I can't believe I'm going to do this.
"Orochimaru, Sasuke and I are all going to walk away. And you all are going to stand there and let us."
There's one very important thing that will happen if I let Orochimaru die here: I don't get to kill him.
So I'll get him through this. I'll work my magic and make it happen. It'll make him trust me even more. It'll make it that much easier when I kill him myself. It will make it that much more sweet when I see the light leave his eyes.
"Ha!" Tsunade snorts at me. "Squirt I'll be the first one here to admit that you're talented, you're leagues better than others your age, but do you really think you and Sasuke fighting alongside Orochimaru will change anything? Hate to burst your bubble but two gennin aren't going to change anything."
"I agree, two gennin won't change anything. Sasuke and I will hardly make an impact on a battle of this scale right now and I really doubt everyone is willing to wait a few years for us to get to everyone else's level."
"Then help us." Tsunade urges as she extends a hand to me. "Help us kill Orochimaru and all of your transgressions will be forgiven. You'll have a full pardon, a clean slate. All you have to do is help me kill him. No, not even that. All you have to do is stay out of our way. Just let us do it, you won't have to lift a finger."
"I'll follow you." Sasuke says three words that I never expected to hear. He's leaving it up to me to decide where we go. Whether it's to Konoha or to Oto he's willing to follow me. Just how much does he trust me? To be willing to do something that drastic? If he trusts me this much then maybe I can start to talk to him about the truth behind Itachi.
Orochimaru turns to stare at me in fear. He's scared. His eyes are wide a frightful and they're pleading with me to deny Tsunade's generous offer. Before he was relaxed, battle ready but relaxed none the less. But now he's tense and rigid. He's terrified that I'll accept, and if I do then he loses me forever.
The thought that Tsunade would try to use me against him never crossed his mind until right now.
"Alvarcus-" Orochimaru starts to say but I don't let him finish.
"You said that two gennin won't make a difference." My words cut Tsunade deeply, and why wouldn't they? I myself told her that the next time we have a chance to kill Orochimaru she better help me do it. That chance is now. It's already clear that I'm not taking it.
"I did. And they won't. If you stand by him then all you will do is make us kill you here and now." Tsunade promises, and the scary thing is I can't tell if she's being serious or if she's putting on an act.
"So how much of a difference does eight gennin make?"
...
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