"Right. One of the Rain team had covered eyes, we'll need to be on the lookout in case he's a sensor, but that sounds like a solid plan to start."

And then the signal to begin comes, and the gates open. Team Seven rush through, following Mariko's lead.

They've been traveling for a few hours. They had a run-in with one of their targets, though unfortunately not the one of the team with a scroll, and are now hunting the other two members of the Rain team.

Mariko notices something mid-jump. At the edge of her range, something large and tightly contained, approaching fast.

"Hey guys? I sense something hinky, there's someone coming our way fast - "

She can hear bells.

Just as she says that, a massive wall of wind slams into the team, sending them flying.

The bells ring louder.

Mariko goes flying further than the others - shit, they're separated, and that grass genin isn't hiding anymore... And those bells weren't for her, who's resonating they can't both be from Konoha, everyone's introduced for exactly this reason, shit enemy resonants are killed it better not be Rian or Sakura - 

But for now: there's a giant snake (a summon, she's pretty sure, and there's something she should be remembering about snake summons...) rearing in front of her.

She dodges the first strike, then flicks out her chakra chains, one sliding neatly into the snake's eye. It hisses and veers towards her, mouth open to bite.

And Rian's going to chew her out for this, but Mariko holds her ground, chains lashing straight out and into the roof of the snake's mouth, killing it. She has to fling herself to the side as it crashes where she was standing.

Rian manages to anchor herself and shelters behind a tree. She draws her chokuto and leans out when the wind ends, looking for her teammates.

The bell's tolling for her, but she's not going to run. She's not going to abandon her team, even if it means being killed as a potential traitor.

There's Sakura!

"Rian!" she calls out. "You're not hurt! - Can you hear the bells too - what's going on - "

"Wait! What's Sen's favorite attack?" (Sen being her most commonly summoned nin-cat.)

"Oh - fireballs." Sakura grimaces, remembering a few times she'd lost a spar to a cat.

She doesn't relax, but - 

"Good, we should try to find Mariko, though knowing her she'll find us. And... I hear the bells." She goes quiet for a moment, then: "I don't think it's a genjutsu. They're for me."

"What - " 

She knows very, very well what happens to shinobi who resonate with enemies.

She takes a deep breath, and - "I'm not going to kill you."

"Thanks, but... I don't know if I'll still be myself. If I'll still be safe for you."

"I don't care. You're my teammate."

Before Rian can respond, they're interrupted by the sound of slow clapping.

"Very, very touching," the newcomer says, emerging from the shadows of the trees. "Would that others had such devotion. Or not. Would be rather dangerous for the village, to lose a team when they lost one."

He's ditched his disguise, so he's not instantly recognizable, but the golden eyes stir something in Rian's memory. A picture from a book about the Second Shinobi War.

The bell tolls for him, too.

Rian freezes, an existential sort of horror creeping over her - then she immediately launches into an attack. She has no idea what happens if one half of a soulmate dies before the resonance completes, but.

It'll be better than betraying her friends.

"Ah-ah-ah," he taunts, casually flicking aside her attacks. "You're good, I'll give you that - it'll be interesting binding to you, Uchiha Rian."

He disengages and puts some distance between them. "But oh, where are my manners? You may call me... Orochimaru."

She knows that name.

"I don't care," she says, stubborn. "I'll be known as the snake-slayer then."

He just laughs, and - 

Rian activates her sharingan, hands already flashing through the handseals for the summoning technique -

Blood spraying from beside her, Sakura screaming, red sky and black clouds - 

Rian falls to her knees, gasping for breath, shaking. She takes a deep breath, nearly retches, glances over -

Sakura is frozen and shaking.

"Heh. You can no longer move. Now, you'll be coming with me - " And he idly throws a brace of kunai at Sakura, as if she's barely even worth the effort it'd take to kill her.

"Fuck you," Rian shouts, moving faster than she ever has to grab her teammate and drag her away. Her fear's already turned to anger, fueling an itching in her eyes. 

"Sakura, get up, you need to fight or run - I can hold him off - "

"What - what was that - " she stutters, but shakily follows Rian's directions - only to spot a snake slowly lowering itself beside them.

"Rian - watch out!"

Rian throws herself away from the snake and Sakura - it follows her, good - she finishes the summoning technique, pulling Sen through, only to have to dodge away from her cat. Sen adapts immediately, shooting a fireball at the snake, and while it's distracted Rian darts over and above it, sinking her sword into its eye, then dodging back as its skin cracks and splits.

(The bells are getting louder.)

Their opponent emerges. "Heh. You don't stink of fear like you should, little girl... Prey should try and run away, rather than futilely struggling to fight a predator. Though I think I like your spirit. You might just be worthy of being my other half." And he lunges up the tree, slithering around it like a snake -

Only to have to dodge as several chakra chains thunk into the bark, bringing him up short.

"Hey, snake freak! Leave my teammates alone!" Mariko shouts, giving Sen an opening to breathe a line of fire at their opponent - who simply weathers the attack with a smirk.

"Heh. You're all so determined, despite the inevitable looming above you. Still, I tired of this game. Perhaps you can tell your dear Konoha that its precious Uchiha did not go quietly."

He blurs, heading straight for Rian.

Who tries to fend him off - can't - and she's unconscious, without even a flash of pain.

She wakes bound rather thoroughly, feeling sluggish, like she's been drained of chakra - and she has, she suspects. She'd heard of chakra-draining seals, but to be the victim of one...

"Orochimaru!" she calls through a dry throat. "I know you're there!"

The bells are unbearably loud, harsh and dissonant. 

He walks around into her line of sight.

"Good to see you're still determined. I wonder what sort of person we'll become?"

"Konoha will kill you first!"

"Konoha hasn't managed to kill me in ten long years, child. I doubt they can now."

(Rian doubts that, she knows her sister, knows her sensei, but - )

(The bells are awfully loud.)

He sits down on a chair against the far wall, slouching. He looks nowhere near as imposing as he did in the forest.

"And now... We wait. Shouldn't be long at all."

It's long to Rian.

The bells increase until they deafen her, until all thoughts are lost. She's only vaguely aware of Orochimaru's piercing gaze, of his servants who bring them food and water. 

She's remembering. Recalling something else, something not her.

Eventually the bells die down, and she/he/they open their eyes.

Orochimaru (his/her/their past self? Their predecessor?) hadn't anticipated this, they recall as if through a fog.

Hadn't thought the Uchiha would be strong at all.

(They're not the same people anymore, they realize, and their hearts pick up before they simultaneously take a deep breath, barely centering themselves).

They blink, open their mouths, and the bodies move together. It strikes them both as eerie, but they can't stop, the same thoughts are occurring to them both at the same time. They take stock of their bodies, their eerily unchanged bodies, and both are clumsy at first, new perspectives and new mannerisms and memories telling them that their reach is too long/short, their eyes too far off/ close to the ground, their chakra and skin at once strange and familiar. The Orochimaru-body manages to untie the Rian-body, and the Rian-body stands and stretches, but that's about it as far as different actions go.

Eventually - 

"I'm Rian."

At the same time as their other body says "I'm Orochimaru."

That's a difference.

And they don't remember the impulse to name themselves after the other.

They're separate people, separate bodies.

Now they just need to learn to act like it.

The obvious way to differentiate themselves is to act the way they used to - the way their predecessors/ the previous inhabitants of their bodies did. 

(The now-named Rian hates this, hates existing, remembers being curious and confident about what would happen but also remembers the sheer terror of ceasing to be herself.)

But the old Rian would stop Orochimaru, and while the new Rian, and they think the new Orochimaru, doesn't want to destroy Konoha or kill their friends, it's - 

The obvious way to differentiate themselves is to act the way they used to.

They both scowl, though this body suspects for different reasons. 

"Tell our minions to call off the Invasion. They'll listen to you, you're in his body."

"And waste all this planning? You, too, remember what Konoha did to us."

They do. Fuck but they do, and someone should burn - names flit to the front of their mind - mostly Danzo, but Sarutobi-sensei was complicit in so much.

But - "You know it's not what we want. People will die - it's - death is wrong, no one should die ever. No one should have to be dead!"

(Not their predecessors, either, but it'll be easier to do something about their parents - both sets - and all the dead down the ages of history than that.)

(Some part of them notes that this is a truly fascinating blend of priorities.)

Deep breath. "I'm right. We're right. He - he wasn't, he was blinded by his past and his flawed vision of the future."

"...Danzo has to go."

"I won't argue that."

"I thought you said 'no one has to die'?"

"...When we get around to resurrecting the planet we'll stick him at the bottom of a very dark hole."

"Anyone who dies in the invasion can be brought back. It will make the easiest chance to strike at Danzo and Sarutobi-sensei."

The old Rian wouldn't have wanted Sarutobi-sensei dead, but - 

They remember the wars.

And his old teammates would be the logical ones to replace Sarutobi-sensei...

Deep breath. "The full invasion isn't needed. A surgical strike is better - you confront sensei, I corner Danzo."

(They take a mental stock of their reserves. Their yin chakra is much greater, their mental prowess added onto one another, but their yang chakra is unchanged. This will screw with their chakra control, but that should be trivially regained.)

"You'll just get your fool self killed."

"Not if I bring enough of the Edo Tensei with me - we need to alter that technique so it doesn't require a sacrifice."

They open their mouth, then close it and scowl. "That will take - months at least. We don't have that long, our window for the assassination closes soon. We'll use willing sacrifices only."

They consider that, then, reluctantly, "Kimimaro. He's devoted enough. And if we find another sacrifice..."

"You'll be able to have him accompanying you."

Some distant part of them whispers that they're nowhere near prepared enough, that several zombies won't be enough to carry a twelve-year-old through a fight with Danzo, no matter how many memories are crammed into their head.

But neither Rian nor Orochimaru could ever have been accused of being cautious.

They spend the next little while hashing out the specifics of their plans for Konoha - they'll spin it to their Suna 'allies' as cutting off the head of the beast, a less risky proposition than a full-on assault, but still guaranteed to weaken Konoha. They'll each have a sealing team with them, to keep the ANBU and jounin from interfering with either fight. Some of their genin will be sent to distract Team Seven - they're fairly confident Mariko will be able to sense them, and will try to interfere somehow, and they don't want their old team endangered overmuch.

Orochimaru will have the First and Second Hokage with them; Rian will take Kimimaro and the Fourth Kazekage. Hopefully, that will be enough.

Kimimaro volunteers rather easily to be a sacrifice, and they're able to find three more eager sacrifices in time. Harder is finding enough people skilled in sealing to block off Rian's fight with Danzo, but they manage - Orochimaru will be taking the less talented backup, Rian will have the Sound Four, since Rian's is the more vulnerable body. And the more critical one, they're the only one with the sharingan. 

A month after their resonance finished, the third round of the chunin exams is upon them, and their plans for the assassinations slide slowly into place.

Mariko had approached her, shortly into the third stage.

Emi knows about the invasion; she still has contacts here and there from her time in Root. She's not sure why the Third is letting the invasion go - perhaps he thinks Orochimaru having resonated will give him a chance to negotiate.

Emi is not one to talk.

Someone wearing her sister's body is in Konoha, heading for Root headquarters. That's all she needs to know. 

Rian, flanked by the Sound Four and the zombie-Kimimaro (they're waiting until they're closer to bring forth the Kazekage, since he's unlikely to cooperate), senses the attack barely in time, throwing herself out of the way and drawing her chokuto to block the knives driving for her back. 

It's their (the old Rian's?) sister.

They blink, and say, "Emi?"

Throwing the four of the others into a genjutsu is easy enough - one of the guards is a bit trickier - the second attempt takes.

The monster wearing her sister's face is not so easy.

"You don't get to call me by that name."

"I'm still Rian! -Ish! Mostly!" Duck, parry, dodge way out of the way, shit that fire's hot.

"Then why attack Konoha?"

"Okay - I know this looks bad - will you stop - for five seconds - no then - Danzo's evil! - So's Sarutobi-sensei! We're not attacking everyone! Just the people who deserve it!"

"'Deserve it'?" She cuts off her attack, regarding her Rian.

"Danzo has a secret force, Root, he needs to be stopped, and - they don't tell us half of the shit Sarutobi-sensei pulled in the Second and Third Wars. He allowed Orochimaru's experiments as long as they were on enemies!"

"...You certainly sound like Rian."

"It's - I'm not fully her anymore. But I'm not Orochimaru, either. Orochimaru - he thought he'd come out on top. I guess he didn't count on her being so stubborn."

Quiet, then: "You would be. Strong enough." 

Sigh. "Well, come on then, let's get going."

"...What?"

"Danzo helped arrange for the Uchiha Massacre to happen. On one hand, I didn't give a shit. On the other hand, I don't give a shit. Let's kill him."

And she drops the genjutsu on her sister's guards.

?!

(They direct the Sound Four and Kimimaro to stand down. Then they follow their sister, only a bit confused.)

"...I'm not very surprised. At all. He... Still had dealings with Orochimaru, and managed to get a lot of sharingan eyes from somewhere. I figured he just looted their corpses. His bandaged arm is infused with the sharingan eyes, and is infused with the First's cells. He might have other aces up his sleeves, too."

"Then I'll pull out my aces."

"Yours?"

"I'd rather not specify, on the off-chance I need to kill the two of you later. You understand."

That makes sense in a very Emi sort of way.

They update Orochimaru over their connection - a useful thing they'd discovered; they haven't really figured out thoughts yet, but they can share memories fairly easily - and start reformulating their plans to include Emi. Her abilities aren't well known - she hasn't taken many missions outside of ANBU lately, and apparently doesn't use her full abilities even on those missions. Still, she's very evidently one of the most powerful pieces on this board, so.

Emi leads the way towards Danzo, easily dropping his guards, each with a mere glance and then a flash of her knife. She just shrugs when Rian scowls at her over the killing. Not her problem if Rian decided to keep her scrupples. She hears an explosion in the distance at one point; must be Orochimaru's half of whatever their plan is.

She ignores it.

Finally they close on Danzo, and Emi watches Rian casually signal four of her guards to fan out. 

"Danzo," she says, simply, watching the old man with sharingan eyes.

"So you've both become traitors, then." He stands, and reaches to undo the clasps holding the bandages in place on his arm.

Emi doesn't give him the opening - that arm can be on fire now, thank-you-very much.

He's only mostly able to dodge her Amaterasu.

That is certainly a new ability.

Rian takes advantage of Danzo being on fire to press their own attack, dancing around Emi's flames and Kimimaro's bone projectiles. They do some damage, but not as much as they'd like, and Danzo is, eventually, able to get the bandages off his arm, revealing stolen eyes embedded in whorls in the woody surface.

They'd already known about the arm, but seeing it as Rian is different. They are so leaving him down the deepest, darkest hole in existence. They will, in fact, invent a new level of deep, dark hole to leave him down.

"I couldn't have asked for more," Danzo says once he manages to get some distance. "Now I can add all four of your sharingan to my collection."

"I think that arm belongs to me," Rian responds. "I made it, after all." Sort of. Ish.

Danzo darts towards her, almost as fast as her sharingan can perceive - 

And is caught by an enormous dark blue, gently flaming hand. 

"I would suggest not attacking my sister," Emi says, before squeezing. She can't hold the Susanoo for long, but she likely doesn't need to. 

Her attack's rapid enough that Danzo doesn't get out any words, and his body collapses in her projection's fist.

She almost dismisses it, then whirls and blocks a kunai that had been driving for her back - from Danzo.

"So," she says, almost calmly, "You have the Izanagi." She throws aside his next blow, lets Susanoo fade, swiftly counts the visible sharingan, presses her own attack - "Rian, watch out, he can negate damage, even death, at least ten times - as many as he has sharingan."

"Got it."

She and Kimimaro manage to score the next kill, Danzo sandwiched between them.

Then - 

Emi can almost feel it, strange thoughts creeping over hers. It's an oddly familiar sensation...

Shisui, she remembers. Shisui's Kotoamatsukami, his ultimate genjutsu that Emi had once goaded him into using, so she'd know what it felt like - 

That bastard has Shisui's eye.

Fuck, but she's probably going to go blind from this - 

Amaterasu, Susanoo to protect herself, darkened to block out Danzo's line-of-sight - another Amaterasu, based on where she loosely senses him to be - she needs to move faster, kill him before he can subvert her -

Rian, luckily, picks up on their sister's desperation. 

They summon the Kazekage during the lull. Controlling him's difficult, he absolutely loathes them, but they'd practiced with his abilities, and they're able to score another kill with the Kazekage's body, then Rian realizes they can almost feel where Danzo's about to appear - 

Their sword slides through him mere seconds after he rematerializes.

He's died six times.

Danzo launches into a flurry of attacks, retreats long enough to summon - the baku starts sucking in wind, Emi can feel it snatching at the edges of her chakra - 

It can have a fireball down its snout, and Danzo can have a Susanoo-knife through his chest.

And that makes seven.

Danzo gets close enough to Rian to be a threat - they substitute with a Rian-shaped mass of snakes, who release poison gas into the air upon being cut. It's enough to slow Danzo down, and the Kazekage scores the eighth kill with a burst of golden sand.

Emi stumbles, grabs her head - almost blindly lashes out, feels her projection's sword connect with something, and no one scolds her so was probably Danzo. 

She - why is she fighting Danzo - wasn't she loyal to him?

(Fuck. She summons her crows, and among them is Yumi, the crow she implanted Shisui's eye into - she has to work fast, but protect Rian isn't that hard a command to program into the eye. Yumi is instructed to wait for the barrier to go down, then trigger the genjutsu on her. Hopefully Kotoamatsukami will be able to undo itself.)

"He's - altering my mind - " she gasps out, then falls to her knees. She will not kill her sister, she won't - 

(She sure fucking hopes Rian has been holding back against Danzo).

They had been, somewhat - their chakra control's still shaky, so they'd been heavily favoring their sword and speed, rather than relying on ninjutsu.

That's about to change.

They throw themselves into one corner of the enclosure - Emi's Susanoo's still up, hopefully that's enough -

The Great Fire Annihilation, the most powerful fire technique Orochimaru knew, blasts from their mouth after a single handseal. Danzo turns to ash - ten - reforms - eleven - and they have to drop the technique, gasping. Emi's Susanoo is hunkered down, attacking no one yet.

Rian falls to their knees. Sixty-one seconds, they think, almost hysterically. Orochimaru had never managed to hold the fire that long. An eternity, in a shinobi battle. They're light-headed, low on chakra and air alike.

The Kazekage finishes off Danzo, and he doesn't reform. 

Emi screams and attacks Rian - a wave of bone appears before her - she blasts Kimimaro, turning him to ash, but he's already reforming, and the Kazekage's golden sand slams against her shield -

Sixty seconds - they survive. Mostly. With only some injuries.

The last second ticks by, and Danzo remains dead. 

"Drop the barrier!" they yell at the Four. Maybe they can retreat, maybe the other guards will be enough to turn the tide against their sister -

Yumi swerves in front of her, forcing eye contact -

And she collapses. She only barely notices her sister calling off her attackers as her thoughts pile onto one another, screaming in her head. 

She can't conceive of how she could both kill and protect Rian.

She -

'Fuck. This. Shit.'

Deep breath. She wonders if Rian felt at all like this, while she was resonating, contradictory thoughts crowding each other out.

Warily: "Are you going to keep attacking?"

She shakes her head. "No. I don't think so. I planted a trigger to undo it after he died, but... It's mostly worked."

"Good enough for me." 

And they dismiss the Kazekage, then gesture to their guards to follow. "C'mon, let's get back to the hideout. We'll be able to recover there." Grimace. "And I need healing."

"...You might have to carry me."

Now that the battle adrenaline is fading, she's noticing exactly how low her chakra is. And she can mostly see through her sharingan, but without it the world's a blur of light and dark.

"I think I overdid it."

They're pretty close to needing to be carried, themselves.

They're damn lucky Emi found them, that would've been a bear of a fight without her help. Even if she did spend a minute trying to kill Rian afterwards.

They instruct Kimimaro to carry Emi if needed, then summon Chihiro, a truly tiny calico cat and, fortunately, a sensor. They'd almost never summoned her as old Rian, what with Mariko on their team, but Chihiro's been updated on the situation with Rian's resonance, and has accepted the new person as her summoner.

Chihiro carefully leads them around the patrols towards the woods outside Konoha.

Where Orochimaru and their guards - much reduced, only two are left - meet them. Orochimaru's arms hang uselessly before them.

Neither body needs to ask the other what happened; each other's memories slot neatly into place.

Orochimaru nods at Emi, then leads the way back to the hideout in a grouchy silence.

Their Sand 'allies' figure out fairly quickly what happened with the Kazekage. They cut those ties, relocate to a new hideout just to be on the safe side, start modifying Rian to be tougher, harder to kill, and train like mad. Rian's still themselves (and in a way that's a relief; in another way it's incredibly frustrating), still not a good reader, still a slow learner - but they have the sharingan, and they can bounce memories of studying over to Orochimaru, who can then bounce back their understanding of the material. 

Then one day -

"Sir! There's a disturbance at the border!" a guard reports, coming into Rian's study. They're the more easily interruptible of the two - apparently 'gets off track when disturbed' is also hard-wired to the body - so Rian's become the default body to interact with the Sound forces, especially since they lack Orochimaru's history.

"Any details?" they ask, standing.

"Not many. Might be Konoha."

They nod, summon Chihiro, and head for the border.

When they're close, the cat chirps, and says, "It's our team. Mariko, Sakura, and Sesshi."

Rian stops and blinks, then scowls. "I'm not going back..." they mutter to themselves, then shake their head. "Come on, let's see what they want."

Mariko's in the lead when they come into sight. The team stops when Rian appears before them, and Mariko shouts out, "Rian! I've been looking for you!"

Sigh. "What do you want, Mariko?"

"Come back to Konoha with us."

"I can't. In case you missed us killing the Hokage and one of Konoha's elders." Not to mention many of Danzo's Root, and a few of the regular ANBU when Orochimaru was retreating.

"It's not widely known that you were involved at all, Rian. You're still assumed to be a prisoner."

They shake their head. "I'm not. And - I'm doing good here. We're releasing those prisoners we can, trying to rehabilitate the ones we can't." Getting some of them (like Juugo) to not accompany Rian near-constantly had been an argument and a half. Which they still haven't entirely won, they're well aware Karin, a sensor, is keeping an 'eye' on them along with a backup team.

"Sounds like you came out on top," Sakura says, voice quiet. "It's - if you did, why?"

"Danzo needed to die. It's - he ran a secret part of the ANBU. Root. They completed black ops missions without authorization from the Hokage. He brainwashed children to be his operatives. They ran... Horrible missions. Orochimaru was part of it; Emi says she was, too, for a while. Danzo was behind - so much suffering, and he wasn't going to stop. And Sarutobi-sensei allowed it for the longest time, and ordered... Horrible things. Permitted Orochimaru's experiments until he turned on Konoha shinobi, even when they were on children. He needed to go, too. It clears the way for a new Hokage; we figured one of our - Orochimaru's - old teammates would be the first candidates. They're both honorable."

Sesshi breathes out, almost a sigh. "That... Sounds like your logic. What're you planning, now?"

They shrug. "We'd like to be allies with Konoha, eventually, or at least not active enemies, though we understand with the invasion that may take a while. For plans - we're rebuilding Sound to be actually a good place to live. Then... We don't want this spread around, but we're continuing on immortality. But this time for everyone, ever - we think we can get working resurrection eventually."

There's a moment of stunned silence, then - "That's the most stupidly you plan ever - where are you even going to put everyone, you'll run out of planet sooner or later - how're you going to handle people wanting to kill each other - "

"We'll figure it out! That's really a technicality."

Mariko makes a strangled, frustrated noise. A very familiar one, she seemed to make it a lot around old Rian.

"And Orochimaru's going along with this?"

They shake their head. "You're - thinking of it wrong. We're the same person now, basically. There's been some differentiation, but not much. We both agree on this course."

Sesshi nods slowly. "...You're not willingly coming back to Konoha, under any circumstances, are you."

"No."

Slow nod. "So be it. I... Won't force you. Team? We're leaving."

"What? But - she needs to come back - "

"Sensei!" is all Sakura says.

"No. We can't afford a full-on war with Sound right now, and Mariko, you know she has backup. I don't want to risk this team against her guards, let alone Emi. Now, come. On." And she turns her back. 

Silence, then: "Yes, sensei," from both girls.

Mariko glances behind her as she leaves, but says nothing else.

Rian watches them go in silence, then returns to the base. 

This base has been compromised. They're not sure if they should bother moving again, though - arguably that would just compromise further bases, if Konoha keeps sending out Mariko. They'll have to talk it out with Orochimaru.

Emi intercepts them first.

"Rian. I heard that Konoha sent someone after you?"

"Yeah. My old team. I'm not sure they were even here officially? But they tried to talk me into returning. Left peacefully when I refused; Karin's keeping watch in case they try to return."

"Do we need to switch bases again."

Rian hesitates for a bit. "Probably not called for, I suspect Mariko will be able to track me no matter where I am in the Land of Fire, and possibly outside of that, especially as she gets better. But I'll talk it over with Orochimaru."

"Your call."

Rian nods, and decides to change the subject. "How've you been holding up?"

"Well enough. A few idiots decided to challenge me, I showed them their place. Otherwise people have been fairly deferential. Apparently I have a reputation."

They sigh. Fear is one way to keep people from challenging you, it's just not their preferred way. Tends to breed too many revolutionaries, humans aren't good at knowing their place. The old Orochimaru had mostly relied on it out of a disinclination to spend too much time actually ruling; Rian had hoped they'd be able to delegate more to their sister. Shinobi culture is probably against that, though, the idea of correctness equaling strength is too ingrained.

"Once you get settled in, we'd hoped to start directing people with minor concerns towards you. How well do you think you could handle that?"

"I'd prefer being in charge of military things, if I was in charge of anything. I have more experience with that, and I don't particularly relish the idea of babying random people through their problems. For now I'll go where you put me, though."

"Military works - we don't actually have a jounin commander type, the old Orochimaru thought it'd be too much of a risk - I can handle all the non-military concerns. I'll start easing you into the role tomorrow, then - introduce you to everyone and all. I can give you a copy of current records tonight, though."

"Sounds good to me." There's an awkward pause, then: "So, how're you doing? With - all this." She herself isn't sure if she mean 'the resonance' or 'suddenly leading basically a hidden village' or what.

Shrug. "Well enough. I'm still sorting out who I am, independent of the old Orochimaru and Rian, and the current Orochimaru. For leading, Orochimaru's memories help a lot, everyone treating me as a less-volatile extension of him helps a lot, and having more free time than Orochimaru helps a ton, we're mostly having me handle the public-facing portions, Orochimaru handle the other parts. Though it's taking a bit to reconfigure the experiments to be less... Horribly unethical. I'd think the old Orochimaru was afraid of morality or something, if I didn't have his memories." He was more just too lazy to bother inventing any of several totally possible things, like vat-grown organs. Although they're still stumped on how they'll do experiments involving chakra, which usually requires a full network and an active mind. They're currently hoping they have enough data to a) revolutionize computers, and b) run simulations on said revolutionized computers, to at least make human trials less ethically fraught.

Emi observes them silently for a bit while they get lost in thought, then says, "You really are different."

"Huh? How so?"

"The space between your ears seems less empty of late."

"Hey!"

"Kidding... You're still an idiot."

"You're not funny."

"I'm hilarious."

"Just keep telling yourself that."

"Oh, don't worry, I'm very good at self-aggrandizing."

"You mean being impossible?" they mutter.

Wait... "Aren't I technically older than you now?"

"Nope."

"I have sixty-two years' worth of memories! I am so older than you!"

"Once a squirt, always a squirt."

"Why did I even bring you along?"

"My witty and charming company. And also because you're a reckless idiot who would've died without me, can't forget that."

"I. Am so glad Orochimaru didn't have any siblings. So, so glad."

"Aw, that would've been fun, getting to team up with another big sibling. We could've swapped embarrassing baby stories. You were a cute kid. A bit drooly, though."

"Annnd I'm done with this conversation. Bye."

"You still need to get me those documents!" she calls out after her sister's rapidly retreating back.

Rian doesn't respond out loud, but they do note to themselves that they'll need to swing by Emi's quarters at some point. Hopefully to be accomplished with less teasing.

Meanwhile, in Konoha, three twelve-year-olds - a significant portion of what's left of Root - are trying to figure out where to go next. 

"I haven't been able to contact any of the ranking operatives," she says to her companions. "And the ANBU were swarming over the base, so I couldn't even identify who died."

Uchiha Emi's betrayal had caught almost all of them off guard; sure she'd supposedly left Root and even ANBU for the normal ranks, but she'd been one of them, once. Not one of Danzo's most loyal, not like the three here, but she'd been there.

Tetsuma, the codename that Danzo's only successful Hashirama-clone has started using, shifts nervously. "Have you heard anything about the new Hokage? Or who we're supposed to report to?"

"Not really. Jiraiya-sama refused the position, and then disappeared. There's no good candidates left in Konoha, with the Uchiha defected and Danzo-sama dead. We could report to the ANBU head? Or the jounin-commander, Shikaku-sama is handling the military aspects in the Hokage's absence."

"Danzo-sama ordered us not to talk to the ANBU or jounin commanders," Sai says softly. "We're only supposed to report to the Hokage in an emergency."

"The seals are gone. Danzo-sama is dead. All previous restrictions are invalid."

"I don't know. If one of the higher ranked operatives returns... We could get in trouble."

"They're going to go to ground. And we're already in trouble. We're vulnerable right now, to strikes from Orochimaru or the Uchiha, to anyone with a grudge. We need to sort this out."

"There might not be anything to do, other than wait," Sai points out, voice devoid of inflection. "They have to appoint a Hokage eventually."

"If the new Hokage's weak, though..."

"Then we'll hold on until a strong one surfaces. One of us, if we have to."

The other two nod.

Elsewhere in Konoha, in a little tea shop, two men in black cloaks discuss the changes in the village.

"You still familiar with the place?" one, with blue skin and sharp teeth, asks. "It must have changed some since your day."

"Not so much. Konoha has always been soft," the other replies. Most of his face is obscured by a cloth mask, that only reveals his left eye and a few scars twisting around it. "I doubt there's anyone left alive here who will recognize me, though." He shrugs and finishes his tea. "Come, Kisame, we have business to attend to."

His companion smiles and stands. "As you say, Tobi."

Her nin-dog Chamaru whines under his breath shortly thereafter.

She tilts her head towards him, listens, and fights the urge to curse.

She's run into the Seven Swordsmen before.

She is not prepared to confront Kisame.

But with the other unoccupied jounin...

"Chamaru, fetch Gai, Asuma, and Kurenai. We'll try to head them off," she says quietly. "We don't want to provoke them into an unnecessary fight, but we need to know what they're doing here."

Unfortunately -

While Chamaru's able to find Gai, who brings along Akimichi Chouza, he's unable to find Asuma or Kurenai.

Which would probably be related to how Sesshi finds them, fighting two S-ranked shinobi on their own like complete idiots. 

Gai darts in between Asuma and Kisame, while Sesshi intervenes between the unknown and Kurenai. 

Chamaru tries to latch on - goes through the unknown - that's not an illusion, though, he's physically there, Sesshi has to parry a rapid strike from him, that would've caught her by surprise if not for her spars with Emi.

Well. He's physically there when he attacks. 

Sesshi runs through possibilities in her mind - rapid and seamless body flicker is a major possibility, as is some kind of space-time ninjutsu - and engages again, leaving herself open for a moment - 

The strange ninja takes the bait - she tries to parry - it goes through, Chamaru's attack on him does as well - and her enemy's knife practically materializes in her lung, angled to scrape against her spine. She gasps, stabs at her enemy before he can retreat, catching only his sleeve and a thin line of blood.

He stops, regards her for a moment, head titled, then says, "Kisame, stop playing around. What we're looking for isn't here; we're leaving."

He throws another knife at her, which she's only mostly able to dodge - she can't breathe, this sucks - and disappears, reappearing next to Kisame, then twisting out of sight.

"Sesshi!" Kurenai calls out, coming over to her. "We need to get you to the hospital, Asuma too - "

"Wait," Asuma says. "Gai - from the way they were talking I think either Jiraiya-sama or Mariko is their target, you're the fastest -"

"Right!" Gai responds. He doesn't even sound out of breath. Rather than wasting time shouting like he normally does, he disappears in a blast of wind.

Sesshi's lungs choose that moment to give out on her, and she sinks into merciful unconsciousness.

They're in pain. They're in a fuckton of pain, and they've already threatened to kill Kabuto for being annoying - they probably won't, they're not the old Orochimaru anymore, but fuck is it tempting. 

They've been pursuing options. Sending feelers after Tsunade, trying to see if they can just grow new arms from stem cells (and they're cursing themselves for not properly pursuing this avenue of research earlier), and seeking out volunteers, or at least someone who'll trade for possession of their body, on the off chance they have to move bodies early. The pain from their arms is disrupting research, and they find themselves increasingly offloading tasks onto their undamaged half. 

Kabuto approaches them one morning. 

"Orochimaru-sama," he says, voice smooth and sweet. The old Rian hadn't liked him one bit; the old Orochimaru hadn't trusted him. The new Orochimaru's patience is running short. Kabuto seems to pick up on this, and continues with: "We've received news on Akatsuki's movements. They've sent feelers towards Konoha, possibly a team."

Akatsuki could be after Gaara, who was in the village until only recently, according to Orochimaru's spies. Most likely? They're after Mariko.

Orochimaru never liked the organization, and they find that dislike rapidly spiking. They update Rian on the situation and curse their damaged arms; Orochimaru at full power would be able to go toe-to-toe with nearly anyone Akatsuki would actually field - for now they'll have to hope Rian plus a strike team is enough, and speed up their timeline on fixing their damned arms.

Akatsuki is not so much as touching their teammate. Orochimaru's old scorn is well primed to turn to outright hatred. (Rian realizes they didn't know about Mariko's status as the host of the Nine Tailed Demon Fox before this; they also realize they don't particularly care). 

They grab their sister, the still zombified Kimimaro, and Karin - who will be staying well away from the fight. They can't afford to risk the Sound Four on this, as much as they'd like to; those four are extremely unlikely to be a match for even one elite Akatsuki member anyways, even working together.

Akatsuki's elite never travel in more than pairs; their more ordinary spies and operatives work in a variety of configurations. If they're actually going after Mariko, rather than just scouting, this is likely to be an elite pair. Orochimaru doesn't know of any other Konoha shinobi in the ranks, so they're flying blind in terms of who they'll run into.

They close rapidly on Mariko's location - she's like a beacon to Karin, especially now that the other sensor's gotten a look at her chakra - in a town close to Konoha.

Karin reports that two large chakra signatures are nearby Mariko's position. Rian orders the group to slow down and fan out - as much as they'd like to rush in, they need intelligence. Rian will go alone to meet Mariko, while their sister and Karin keep watch, and Kimimaro tries to draw the Akatsuki out of the town.

Rian summons Chihiro, the sensor nin-cat, to take with them, as an early warning system against the Akatsuki. They slow down even farther when they come in sight of the hotel Mariko's in, so as not to draw attention.

Mariko noticed her. Mariko noticed her, and Emi, and the strange sensor, and the fourth member, while they were a good bit out.

She's also noticed the hostile chakra signatures closing on her location. She might be hot-headed, but she's not stupid. 

She moves to the roof of the hotel, so she'll be able to use the open location to her advantage and maybe retreat.

"Rian!" she calls, when her old teammate gets close enough.

"Mariko," they say quietly, jumping up to the roof. They glance over at Chihiro, and say, "Find Jiraiya. Insist he comes with you; let him know about the Akatsuki if you need to."

"The Akatsuki? Are those who I'm sensing? I'm picking up three powerful chakra signatures, coming quickly this way. They'll be here in, oh, two minutes, at current speed."

Three? Shit, that must mean Kisame, with Samehada as the third signature, and Orochimaru didn't have any information on his current partner. 

"We need to go, then."

"I'm not leaving with you."

"You - " Deep breath. Mariko is stubborn. There'll be no talking her into accepting protective custody within the next... Oh, minute. "Then we'll hold them off until Jiraiya comes." They signal to Emi to approach. "Come on, let's at least get outside the town limits, to avoid collateral damage."

Mariko nods. "I'll lead the way."

Emi intercepts them as they approach the town's edge. They're paying slightly less attention to stealth, now, but still trying to avoid drawing overmuch attention. (Mariko claims this is also nearer Jiraiya).

The Akatsuki catch up, soon enough. Emi tenses when she sees them. "So," she says to the strange shinobi, "You're part of the Akatsuki? I wouldn't have taken you for a team player."

Kisame tilts his head. "You know each other? I would've thought she was after your time."

"He returned, briefly." Then, to Rian and Mariko, "The scarred one is dangerous; I'll handle him. He aided in the Massacre, and claimed to be Madara. I doubt it, though he's definitely an Uchiha."

"Uchiha Madara? Really, Tobi?" Kisame asks.

"I'll explain later," Tobi responds tersely, then vanishes. Emi flows out of the path of his blow, catching his arm in the moment he's materialized.

That leaves Kisame to them and Mariko. Rian draws Kusanagi, yells at Mariko, "Keep at a distance from them!" and opens their assault with a quick smokescreen.

They'd been a natural with a sword as the old Rian; now they have Orochimaru's decades of experience, even if that hadn't been as a kenjutsu specialist. Rian twists away from Kisame's blow with Samehada, well aware of its dangerous nature, and slashes lightly at Kisame.

Kisame's better than them, but they only need to delay until Kimimaro catches back up and Jiraiya gets off his ass.

Emi's trading blows rapidly with Tobi, holding off on the Mangekyou for now - a provision he isn't making.

She's not trying to kill him right now, though, not with someone to guard and the awareness that she'll need to continue at top form for a while yet.

Mariko's hardly making it easy to grab her, either. She might just be a genin, but she's a genin who can do differential equations in her head, armed with chakra chains and she-honestly-lost-count-how-many explosive tags.

The area around them is about to have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

It doesn't put a big dent in Kisame, but it does distract him enough for Rian's ridiculously sharp sword - edge clearly enhanced by wind chakra - to cut a thin slice into her opponent.

It also conveniently serves as a beacon, because Jiraiya finally starts approaching, and after a few seconds something slimy starts forming around the two groups of fighters, and an overgrown toad appears between Rian and Kisame, blocking Samehada.

Mariko doesn't spare Jiraiya a glance, too busy taking the opening to harass Kisame with her explosive chakra chains (she hasn't actually figured out how to hold that equation in her head, yet, but wrapping the links in explosive tags is close enough).

"There's no use in running... You're already inside my stomach," Jiraiya announces... Then promptly starts to brag. Mariko fortunately has enough mental attention to spare to roll her eyes.

And of course that's when Emi's opponent flickers over to Kisame, grabs his shoulder, and twists out of sight.

"They teleported. Really far," Mariko announces. "Like, I can't sense them anymore."

"That level of space-time ninjutsu... And so fast..." Jiraiya mutters.

"That stranger was a rogue Uchiha. I believe the space-time technique was one of the powers of his eyes; they're more advanced than is normal."

"You knew about him?" Jiraiya rebukes her.

She shrugs. "Yes, since the Massacre. I told Danzo about him, I don't know or care if the information got past that. He claimed to be Madara when he met me, which, unless he's been body-jumping, is false. His build's entirely wrong, and the sharingan's most advanced stage only provides so many abilities - the space-time manipulation wasn't one of Madara's, and would be one too many. I don't know all his abilities, though, just that he's able to move between substantial and insubstantial."

"And for someone like that to be part of Akatsuki..." He glances over to Rian, gaze sharp. "Not that I don't appreciate the heads up, but excuse me if I question your motives."

"Call it sentiment; I'm enough of Rian to not want my old team hurt."

Jiraiya goes to respond, but there's a flash of green, and Gai lands in the middle of the group.

"You're late to the party," Jiraiya says. "The Akatsuki already left."

"Those two came from Konoha's direction, too; did something happen?"

"Yosh! There was a battle; your sensei was injured, but will surely make a full recovery! Her flames of youth shine brightly!"

"Are you sure she'll be okay?" Mariko demands, echoing what Rian wanted to say.

Gai nods. "Her injuries aren't unaddressable." He then glances at Rian and Emi, a clear question in his eyes.

Jiraiya turns, too. "So, what is Orochimaru planning this time."

So either Mariko and the others didn't pass on Rian's words earlier, or Jiraiya didn't believe them. "For this encounter, foiling the Akatsuki. In the medium term, we would like peace."

"Sure have a hell of a way of showing that."

Rian scowls, and bites down their next comment, which was promising to be something childish.

"Given the Akatsuki's patterns," they continue, ignoring Jiraiya, "They're unlikely to try again soon. You need to pay better attention, though, Mariko almost got snatched."

"Oh? And what makes you the expert?"

"Common sense, which you apparently don't have since you replaced your brains with toads!" Not the most coherent thing to ever come out of their mouth, but eh.

"Look, as fascinating as this argument is," Mariko says, over Jiraiya making a strangled sound, "And I can't believe I'm the one saying this, but we're not here to fight each other. So let's get going."

"We won't stop you. We were here to stop the Akatsuki, nothing more."

Jiraiya huffs. "Fine. I'll let you go, this time. Wouldn't want a fight so close to my student." He turns to Gai. "Thanks for coming, but if you could return to Konoha and let them know everything's peachy, that'd be great."

Gai grins and gives a thumbs up. "Yosh! I will make it back to Konoha in record time!"

Before he can continue, Jiraiya interrupts with, "Good," and waves him off. Gai nods solemnly to Emi, then takes off back towards Konoha.

"Well... Good luck with not dying," Rian says into the ensuing awkward silence, then gestures to their team to head out.

"Good luck with... Not being an amoral asshole," Mariko returns, then goes to drag Jiraiya back to their hotel.

Rian, when they get back, has to deal with running Sound instead of screaming into their pillow like they want.

Sometimes they really miss being just Rian.

They're reminded of how frustrating their other half can be a few days later, when one of the med-nin approaches them, half in a panic. Rian listens to the explanation, face blank, and promises themselves to give the man a raise for putting up with Orochimaru. 

Which is now their job apparently, since Kabuto's busy with the experiments.

They enter Orochimaru's dimmed room, carrying the medicine - mostly a painkiller, partially an antibiotic, since Orochimaru's dead arms are already showing signs of infection apparently. "I heard you were terrorizing the medics," they say, quietly.

"I don't need that damned useless medicine," the other grouches. His expression is mostly hidden in the gloom.

"It'll help with the pain. And the infection; you don't want sepsis on top of everything else, do you?"

"That medic should count himself lucky I didn't kill him... Instead he goes whining to you..."

Apparently Orochimaru's ignoring them.

"You should've told me it was getting this bad, Orochimaru," they scold lightly. "I'd thought you were helping with the experiments, not sulking."

They reach for something to throw at Rian, but they seem to have run out of convenient projectiles.

"I am not sulking."

"And I'm the long-lost descendant of the Emperor," they respond. "Kabuto's found a lead on Tsunade, by the way. Not too far a journey from here. If you're in too much pain to travel, I can try to bring her here."

"No. I'm fine."

"If you want to come, take your damned meds then, we don't need you keeling over from a blood infection halfway there!"

"I don't need to take orders from you."

"Right now, I'm you less irrational from pain. Take your meds, you'll feel less like a grouchy blight on the planet. Or I'm leaving you here; I don't need to tell you where Tsunade is, you know."

Orochimaru scowls, but they finally acquiesce. Slowly and grouchily, though.

(Rian has had it up to here with Orochimaru, and yes they're well aware they're essentially frustrated at themselves. But they'll take what they can get.)

Orochimaru does, in fact, feel better after taking the medicine. They're never going to admit to this, but they feel better. And slightly embarrassed now at how they'd been acting.

Jiraiya, meanwhile, has been attempting to teach Mariko a technique that she's pretty sure she'll never use, not being a close-ranged fighter, rather than seals like she wants him to teach her. Does she look like the sort of person who cares that a technique was developed by the Fourth? She likes the Second better, and she makes sure to tell Jiraiya this. Loudly.

"If you're going to teach me a signature technique, why not the Hiraishin? That's proper sealing there - " she starts.

"Eh, well, there's the Second's notes... But we never really had the Fourth's improvements... And even the people he taught it to aren't very good at it, they only know the basics," Jiraiya responds.

"Then give me the Second's notes! How hard can improving it be, it's just math."

(Some would say she shouldn't have opened her big mouth, what with it turning out to be in fact much harder than she'd thought, but, hey, it got Jiraiya to give her the notes, so. And 'harder than she thought' still isn't that hard, math is math no matter how many extra variables you add. Seriously did the Second have a thing for overcomplicating his techniques, she's starting to suspect something like that. She's not going to finish this in a month. She might not finish it in a year, even. She doesn't particularly care, it's fascinating, and when she wants faster results she can work on her Adamantine Chains, which she so far can only attack or weakly defend with, not seal.)

It's been an entire month since they lost the use of their arms, and Orochimaru's been in a steadily increasing amount of pain (when not heavily medicated, and the medication makes them nauseous and just differently miserable). Rian's been able to step up, Kabuto's finally there to work for them full time, but it's still not enough.

Tanzaku-gai. Tsunade's last known location. They doubt she'll have moved on before they get there; the town's a popular tourist destination, flush with bars and gambling dens. Exactly her type of place.

They consider making a grand entrance. Perhaps dramatically blowing something up. They're in a mood, right now, and surely a bit of mayhem will make them feel better. People might get hurt or even killed, though, and they're so very much not in the mood to make future work for themselves.

Orochimaru takes Kabuto with them, and Chihiro for good measure (being able to track Tsunade can't hurt, and the sensor nin-cat's more biddable, has a longer history with them, and is easier to hide than Karin). They wait on the street outside the gambling den Chihiro thinks Tsunade's in, Orochimaru leaning casually against a wall (and trying not to collapse. Why are they so dizzy, it's just a bit of necrotic tissue...).

Tsunade does emerge soon enough, a wary look on her face, apprentice and pet pig in tow.

She stops when she sees her ex-teammate, crossing her arms and looking over him. "It's been a very long time... Orochimaru."

He looks sick. Feverish, fatigued, arrhythmia, tachycardia, dyspnea, faint signs of pain around his eyes... High probability of an infection, possibly even sepsis. 

"What do you want from me? I'm guessing you're not here to talk about the old days."

"I wouldn't mind, in fact. I've recently found myself with... A new appreciation for my old memories. But as for the reason I sought you out... I have a small favor to ask of you."

"Find someone else," she says, raising a hand. "I've resigned from medical treatment."

"I'm not exactly spoiled for choice. You're the only one even theoretically able to heal this wound."

"That arm of yours... It's no ordinary wound, is it? What did that?" Likely some kind of jutsu, but she isn't aware of any with that sort of effect...

They're quiet for a moment, mulling over what they should say. A lie would benefit them the most, but they find themselves disliking falsehoods far more than they did as the old Orochimaru, and even he was often blunt to a fault.

"I was careless in killing the Third."

Sheer rage washes over her.

"You would really - " she starts, then has to stop, her anger and frustration choking her.

"Hmph. You still cared for him, even after everything he did... Death comes to all things, I would think you especially would know that... But soon all that will be washed away... Consider it more temporarily removing a piece from the board, than a killing."

There's something different about him...

"So now you've started raving, in addition to your usual madness."

They can't help it; they chuckle. "Mad? No. Merely... Ambitious. I have found myself desiring to spread the fruits of my labor, of late."

"I never knew you to be altruistic."

"Ha, no, that Orochimaru never was. But you see, I recently found myself in an interesting situation... I resonated. Turned over a new leaf, so to speak. Found myself an entirely new person."

She's more aware than most that resonance isn't merely two people finding compatibility, but more a merger. She's seen enough of the aftereffects.

"And yet you still manage to be yourself."

"Rather a talent I have. But we're not here to chit-chat, rather to negotiate..."

"You should have led with that. I'm not interested in the slightest; go away."

"Tsunade-sama... Only you can heal Orochimaru-sama's arms," Kabuto interrupts. "Just hear us out, our offer's not that bad..."

"I'll count to five... If you're still in front of me when I finish, I'll remove you myself."

Orochimaru considers what to say as she counts down, then: "I can return them to life. Your brother and the man you loved." When she freezes, they continue with, "Don't you want to see them again, Tsunade?"

"...And what will you do, if I heal your arms?"

They mull this over (they're not entirely sure yet on the details themselves). "You know I dislike lies, so I'll be entirely honest with you... I intend to end death. My research on immortality is close to a solution, and while my method of resurrection is imperfect, it only requires a few more breakthroughs to work as a solution for everyone, ever. In the short term, my resonant and I are improving the quality of life in Sound, the village I founded, and working to oppose the goals of an organization known as Akatsuki."

"That sounds entirely unlike you."

"Heh. The old Orochimaru never would have done such things, would he? My resonant was... A very strong person, though. Stubborn. And oddly moral, especially for a shinobi. Well, what of my offer? You don't have to decide now, I'm willing to give you time to think it over, but I would like at least an indication..."

(She finds the idea that Orochimaru would ever resonate with anyone moral less believable than that it would change him so much, but...)

"Tsunade-sama! You can't possibly be considering - " her apprentice Shizune starts. "Don't listen to these liars! They're a threat to the Leaf; would Uncle and your brother really want you to do this? Have you forgotten your dreams and wishes - their dreams and wishes? Yet - "

"Shut up, Shizune!" Tsunade yells, trying to tamp down on her emotions. "Orochimaru... I don't have an answer for you now... Especially since you've brought no proof of your good intentions."

"You may visit Sound if you wish, to see the progress I've made since resonating... I wouldn't try to hold you there. But I suspect even that you wouldn't count as proof; you may simply have to take me for my word. Have you ever known me as a liar? I may have been secretive for a time, but did I ever directly speak falsely to you?"

She can't recall a single incident; that doesn't make it true, and he's certainly deceived her in the past.

"Hmph. Shizune, let's get going. I'm tired of listening to this crap."

"I'll eagerly await your answer, then. Let's say... One week? And if you need to go somewhere else to think, don't worry, I'll be able to find you." A week will be excruciatingly long, but they sense that pushing her will not end well for them.

She gestures to Shizune, turns, and walks away.

Towards the nearest bar, of course. She recently won big; no point in spending it on anything other than alcohol.

She's rapidly approaching 'drunk off her ass' by nightfall, when she spots yet another familiar face entering through the door.

Just her luck; what is with today and her past catching up to her?

"Jiraiya..." she mutters, at the same time he shouts her name. He's clearly a bit surprised; at least this meeting wasn't as thoroughly planned as Orochimaru's approach.

"What the fuck are you doing in a place like this?" she asks, curling her fingers around her glass.

"Looking for you," he responds, heading for her table. She finally notices the redheaded girl he has in tow; short little thing, hadn't been visible over the booth.

She takes another long sip, then sets down her glass and makes no motion to either stop or encourage him and his tag-along as they make themselves comfortable across from her and Shizune.

Tsunade sighs, leaning forwards and clasping her hands. "Today I met someone who brings back bad memories... And now you."

"Orochimaru? Did anything happen?" Jiraiya asks, serious for once.

"Nothing much..." she responds, sending a quick quelling glare at Shizune. "He's resonated, did you know?"

"I'd heard..." Jiraiya starts.

"He did," the girl interrupts. "I was there when the resonation started... With my teammate, Rian. I've met her since, and I can feel Orochimaru in this town... Their chakra signatures are now basically the same, the only thing different is in the amount of yang chakra each has... Even their emotions feel similar, now."

And Orochimaru likely knows she and Jiraiya are here; she can feel Chihiro, too, for all that she only actually met the cat once.

"You can feel him? Why didn't you warn me, brat - "

"You didn't ask." And she doesn't particularly want Jiraiya starting a fight with kinda-sorta-Rian.

"Hm... And what was your teammate like?" Tsunade asks, overriding Jiraiya's spluttering.

"Rian was... Very moral. Disliked fighting, hated killing, unless she thought her target was evil. Even when she loathed her target, she was never cruel... She always tried to deescalate any fights our team got into. She's not particularly smart, she's more physically focused than mentally, but she's - good at figuring out techniques if you show them to her. She likes people, and hearing their stories, and learning about history. She can give me a run for my money on stubbornness."

"Doesn't sound much like Orochimaru at all. Usually resonants are at least somewhat similar."

Shrug. "It's so rare, there isn't much to say what needs to be similar. She's definitely different than she used to be, though I haven't talked to her enough to put my finger on exactly how."

She leans back, crossing her arms. That sounds a lot like her own experience with this new Orochimaru, too.

"So why were you looking for me? I'm disliking this latest trend."

"Truthfully? The Leaf Village has issued a request for you to become the Fifth Hokage." He notes everyone's clear surprise, then solemnly continues with, "The Third is..."

"Dead. Orochimaru's work. He told me. He's still bluntly honest, whatever he's become. The thing I don't know... Was that before or after he resonated?"

"After. By a good month," Mariko responds before Jiraiya can. "Rian was involved, too; she took on one of the elders, Danzo, while Orochimaru took on the Third. They - had the Sand as allies, but they didn't attack more than that. For an invasion... Barely anyone died. Just some of Danzo's pet sycophants, and a few ANBU. Apparently Danzo was running unauthorized black ops missions, brainwashing children, everything the Leaf supposedly stands against, and apparently the Third was allowing it. Their justification - sounded like a very Rian sort of thing to think, but it could've been influenced by Orochimaru." Team Seven had agreed not to tell anyone about Rian's additional reasoning, that the Third dying would clear the way for either Jiraiya or Tsunade. Those two would be the best candidates, anyways, no need to drop them out of paranoia. Mariko's still not sharing; she's not sure how the two loyal Sannin would react.

...Okay, yeah, she finds that believable. That it'd happen, not so much that Orochimaru would care, but who knows with resonants.

"Who is this girl, anyways, Jiraiya?" she asks.

"Uzumaki Mariko. My newest student," he says, smiling slightly.

'The Nine Tails girl, then...' she thinks.

"It doesn't matter," she responds after a few moments, thinking also of Orochimaru's words. "...I decline the village's offer."

"What? Why - there's no one else, I suspect Jiraiya's already refused, Konoha needs you!"

"Heh... She's not so bad as your previous apprentice... Worse in terms of temper, that last kid you had was properly polite, but... Even the Fourth died quickly." Everyone at the table goes quiet and serious, and she continues, losing herself in thought. "Life isn't like money, you can't just gamble it so easily. Whoever tries is a fool. Even my grandfather and the Second focused too much on bringing peace to the village, more than anything else... But as a result they just died in the middle of their dreams, like losers."

Jiraiya frowns. "You've changed a lot, Tsunade. I don't know what you've been thinking all this time, but if it's anything like that..."

"Well, I'm already in my fifties, and age changes people..." She smirks; she'd never say this if she wasn't drunk, but, eh, might as well. "It was the same for Sarutobi-sensei. It's no wonder he died; he was too old to live those dreams of peace." She lets the smirk slide off her face. "Being Hokage is a shit job. No one but a fool would do it."

(Rian had mused about being Hokage, about changing things for the better - )

(Sarutobi may not have been a good person. The First, Second, and Fourth may not even have been good people. But Rian's dreams - )

Mariko surges out of her seat, teeth clenched. "I won't forgive you for that. I don't care if you're old, I'm going to kick your ass!" She's been trying to be less confrontational lately, but Tsunade's face is asking to be rearranged, so.

Tsunade stands, too, leaning over into Mariko's space. "You've got some nerve saying that to me, girl. Let's take this outside."

She ignores Shizune's protests, and heads to the street outside the bar.

"As one of the Legendary Sannin," she says once she's across from Mariko. "I don't even need to be serious, to fight such a little girl... One finger should be enough."

Mariko scowls. "Don't underestimate me so easily..."

She's well aware she can't win this fight, no matter how drunk Tsunade is right now. But all she needs to do is make her point...

Solid chains burst from her back and the ground behind Tsunade, lashing for the woman, who deflects each with a single finger, as easily as if she was entirely sober.

Well, she doesn't deflect them far enough. 

Several of the chains explode -

And Tsunade comes darting out of the smoke to flick Mariko on the forehead.

She goes flying back, pain flaring, and slams into the ground, rolling a few feet before she manages to stop herself. 

"Hey, kid, before you pass out, I have one thing to ask you... Why do you get so excited from hearing the word 'Hokage'?"

She climbs unsteadily to her feet. "I don't have much of a personal connection, true... But to lead Konoha forwards into a world of peace was Rian's dream. She's moved on to different things, but I remember the person she was - and I won't let you sully her memory. Even now, having resonated with an enemy and left... She'd make a better Hokage than an old hag like you, who can't even dream of a better world. I'm going to continue her dream of old, and make it mine... It is my intention to become Hokage!"

Tsunade goes quiet, looking down.

She's vulnerable, now.

Mariko had placed a homing seal half out of habit when she attacked with her chains...

She vanishes in a flash, appearing next to Tsunade - too far, she's off kilter - she lashes out with her chains anyways, but Tsunade's barely able to dodge, striking at the ground with her single finger, opening a chasm beneath Mariko's feet. She doesn't quite fall, but she trips, and has to throw herself back from the woman.

"The Hiraishin... Jiraiya, was it you who taught her such a technique?"

He nods. "I'm currently her teacher, in principle."

She scowls. "Teaching her a technique like that, that she can't even do, and calling yourself her teacher... It's better if she doesn't think that way, so silly kids won't joke about foolish dreams like 'becoming Hokage.'"

"It's not a joke! Just you wait! Three days, and I'll have that technique mastered - "

"Hah! Some words, from a brat. You should never make a promise you can't keep."

"I'm Uzumaki Mariko... I don't lie, and I don't take back my words!"

"Well, alright then... I'll give you a week. If you have that technique mastered in that time, I'll acknowledge your dream... And I'll even give you my necklace here. But if you lose, and can't master the Hiraishin in a single week... Then all your money will belong to me, and I'll know that Konoha only produces weaklings."

Mariko scowls, but nods.

"What are you doing?" Shizune asks. "That necklace is..."

"Hmph... It's not like she can do it anyways, this is a done deal. Let's go, Shizune."

"Wait, Tsunade," Jiraiya calls out. "Can we have a drink together? It's been a while."

Tsunade hesitates, but nods, and Jiraiya turns to Shizune and Mariko. "Shizune, you and Mariko go find some hotel rooms to stay in for the night. Okay?"

Shizune nods, and the two Sannin walk off.

Rather than going with Shizune, Mariko stands and takes off into the night.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

She's a year at least out on mastering the Hiraishin - why'd she use it, let alone make that bet - she doesn't care about the money, but now there's no way Tsunade's returning, she heard the implication behind the bet loud and clear -

She's interrupted in her self recrimination by a very familiar chakra signature appearing in front of her.

"Mariko."

"Orochimaru. Or is it Rian nowadays? Orianchimaru?"

"Heh. You may as well call this body Orochimaru, that's the name appended to it..."

"Whatever your name is, what do you want this time?"

"A little cat told me about your bet with Tsunade. Reckless of you. But I have a proposition... You help me with improving a sealing technique, and I'll teach you something to help you win your bet."

"Depends on the technique."

"The one I want your help with is the Edo Tensei, a resurrection technique of the Second's. Currently it requires a sacrifice; that's undesirable for numerous reasons. The one I'm offering is the shadow clone - it divides your chakra among a certain number of physical, autonomous clones, who each have your personality. When one is destroyed, you regain its memories. They're not very useful for most, being chakra intensive, but for you..."

"I could have each clone working on a separate math problem. What're you going to use the technique for?"

"A first step towards true resurrection, to be implemented once I've cracked immortality. Only Rian and I will know your improvements; we'll memorize then destroy the notes, so you don't have to worry about it falling into the wrong hands."

She considers this, then: "Very well. I don't know how long it'll take me, though, and I'll be focusing on the Hiraishin first..."

"That's perfectly acceptable. Now, for the shadow clone, the secret to the technique is such..."

She listens attentively, practices with him until she has it mostly mastered, then heads off to work on the Hiraishin on her own.

(She's not giving her notes to him, even if he'd be able to help her. She's got some sense of caution left.)

It turns out she can maintain a thousand clones at once, if she's willing to run her chakra reserves down to the bare minimum required to function. She periodically dismisses and resummons the clones, eats more than she ever has before, and finds herself actually thankful for that damn fox, she'd never be able to do this without the reserves it supplies.

It still takes her the entire week of training over sixteen hours a day, getting the exact minimum amount of sleep and only 'resting' by switching what precisely she's focused on. She scrawls equations on napkins while eating, keeps a paper pad by her bed in case she dreams an answer (which she tends to, her mind's so focused on math right now). Her dreams take the form of fractals, numbers spiraling into the void.

One week (thirty eight years and a third worth of eight hour days, not counting breaks, nearly thirteen years worth of waking subjective time) later, she's streamlined the numbers and simplified the equations so they'll actually fit in her damn head, found and eliminated several inefficiencies (they clearly didn't have half the math theory they do now or even calculators back then; she is also so buying a nice one next chance she gets). 

She thinks she's mastered it. She's also been staring at it so long, it feels like it can never be truly mastered.

She collapses halfway back to the inn, and wakes up in the bed she'd rented what feels like so long ago, to see Shizune on the floor.

What happened?

'Tsunade went to meet with Orochimaru' is apparently what happened, knocking out Shizune when she tried to stop her.

Shizune rushes out of the room when Mariko wakes her up - and is brought short by Jiraiya calling to her. He's leaning heavily against one wall, chakra sluggish.

Shizune gets him resting against a railing, and asks what happened.

"Damn Tsunade..." Jiraiya grouches. "She put drugs in my sake... I can't mold chakra well, my whole body stings, I can't even hold chopsticks..." He goes serious, looking at Shizune. "You need to explain what Tsunade talked with that Orochimaru about. It's likely become a critical situation."

She bites her lip. "I didn't want to believe Tsunade-sama would do such a thing... We need to go, I'll explain on the way, but - I'm not sure where they'll be, Orochimaru said he'd find us, even if we moved towns."

Jiraiya turns to face Mariko. "Can you sense them, brat?"

"I have trouble with people who're expertly hiding their chakra signatures." Which is even true, and is what Tsunade's doing now - Orochimaru, however, isn't. And 'have trouble' doesn't mean 'can't.' "There's a chance they're that way, though, I think near a gambling den..." She points; it's believably where they might be, and just so happens to be vaguely perpendicular to the actual path they need to take. ('Opposite direction' would be too easy to figure out.)

"Let's go!" Jiraiya snaps, taking off, only slightly woozily.

Shizune follows, and starts explaining Orochimaru's promises, and the deal he offered.

"If Orochimaru's healed, he'll just attack Konoha again..." Jiriaya responds. "We can't let that happen." 'I might actually have to kill Tsunade, even...'

"You don't know that!" Mariko shouts. "Rian's in there, too!"

Jiraiya scowls. "I know you care about your teammate, but the sort of person who'd resonate with Orochimaru isn't someone you should hang your hopes on!"

Orochimaru hadn't acted like a violent megalomaniac when she met him, she wants to say but doesn't. Orochimaru hadn't acted entirely like Rian, but -

Their chakra's the same. And Mariko has faith in Rian, if in no one else.

Regardless of Jiraiya's determination, the street outside the gambling den is devoid of either of his past teammates.

"This's where he first approached us..." Shizune says uncertainly.

Jiraiya turns to scowl at his apparently wayward student.

She crosses her arms. "They must have moved, or I was mistaken; I did lose exact track of them for a while there. I don't know where they are, now." Which isn't that blatant a lie, she's trying hard not to pay any attention to her chakra-sense, but that's like shutting her ears.

From the look on Jiraiya's face, he doesn't believe her.

"Brat, this's serious business," Jiraiya says. "Not an opportunity for you to goof around. Now. Where are they?"

"And what're you planning on doing when you find them?" she asks sharply.

He goes quiet, then: "Stopping the deal. Even if it means killing them both."

She shakes her head. "I won't let you do that. You won't be able to do that, they're both just as strong as you, even when you're not drugged." Shizune's gone pale, but nods.

"It's not up to you. If Tsunade makes herself a traitor..."

"She won't! It's not! Orochimaru resonated, and with Rian! There's no one more - more stupidly moral!" Mariko fights the urge to stomp her foot. That would just make her look childish. The impulse probably shows in her expression and posture, though. "They're not a threat to Konoha, but killing half of Rian might change that!"

Jiraiya scowls. "Rian was a child. Resonants are similar to start with, and when there's such a large age gap, the adult personality is dominant. The weight of his memories is going to be greater than hers."

"You don't know that! You don't know Rian!" she shouts, tears of - rage, she was going to call this emotion rage - starting to leak from her eyes.

"I don't have time for this," he says, turning to go.

She takes a deep, gasping breath, then grabs his sleeve. "Wait..." she says, and continues when he turns back to her, "Just... Try not to jump to assumptions."

He shakes her off. "I know Orochimaru, kid. I'm not assuming anything." And he's gone.

It's alright, though.

She's already tagged him.

Jiraiya curses the delay, curses his own stupidity for trusting Tsunade not to drug him - and for trusting Mariko not to lie, for good measure.

He still can't believe Tsunade would have done such a thing - certainly that she could, she's probably one of the only ones out there able to create a tasteless, odorless, colorless drug able to fool a shinobi of his caliber - but he'd thought she was still fundamentally Tsunade. Sure, he'd thought she might take some convincing to return, but to actively betray Konoha -

And to side with Orochimaru of all people, Orochimaru who was never kind to her, who never was a true part of their team -

And now he's seeing their story play itself out in the younger generation with this new Team Seven. Rian as Orochimaru, and he bets that Sakura girl will turn out all too similar to Tsunade, with Mariko as his stupid, stupid younger self, too blinded by his affection for his teammate to just see -

He's going to be too late to stop the deal. He can just feel it.

Hopefully he won't be too late to save Konoha.

Chihiro's able to easily identify that Tsunade has left the town on her own, heading for an empty field past the outskirts, near where the cliffs rise.

Ideal if she's planning for a fight, or even if she simply doesn't want witnesses to disrupt them. Orochimaru knows her, knows her weaknesses and strengths, knows how desperately she must want to see her brother and lover again... But they've also become aware lately exactly how unpredictable life can be. They'll trust her word, for now.

Orochimaru approaches her alone, leaving Kabuto and Chihiro at the edge of the field to watch, on the off chance their old teammate has changed enough to betray them.

"So, Tsunade... Have you made your decision?"

She hasn't. Not really. She remembers - everything - all the time she spent with her loved ones, good and bad.

Their dreams and wishes.

Their inevitable, foolish deaths.

"I don't fully believe your new ambitions, Orochimaru... But I'll heal your arms. In exchange, you, your resonant, anyone associated with you... Will all leave your hands off Konoha."

(She still doesn't know if she intends to heal or kill him. She supposes she won't, until she actually goes to do it.)

"Easy enough, since that's already my plan... But as for our original deal, there is something you should know... The resurrection technique is currently incomplete. As it is, it requires a sacrifice for each person to be brought back. I have little trouble finding willing sacrifices, and will provide the needed bodies, or you could wait for me to improve it, until it can function without."

She twitches. "I don't find myself in the mood to wait any longer to see them..."

"Very well, then. Now, if you would..." And he approaches her, holding his useless arms out to be healed.

She gathers chakra to her hands, ready -

And it washes over his arms, clearing away and replacing the necrotic tissue, repairing the damage done outside of the dead zones, sweeping away the infection. There's a lot; he's clearly been harsh on his body. She notes how his heart-rate settles and his breath evens as she works.

Finally she drops her arms, letting the gathered chakra fade.

They turn their hands over, flex their fingers, and then smile ever so slightly.

"Thank you," they say, "For my part of the deal, I will need to set it up, since I didn't know which direction you would prefer beforehand." They take stock of themselves; Tsuande had healed far more than just their arms, and had included their failing body in her sweep. They suspect that the timer on their inhabitancy of this body's just been reset.

Chihiro comes running up, then. "Summoner!" she chirps. "That Jiraiya's approaching now. Mariko and the other girl aren't with him. He feels angry."

Orochimaru frowns. "We may have to cut this short..."

Tsunade frowns and crosses her arms - and Jiraiya arrives in a blast of smoke.

"You're too late," she says, sharply.

Jiraiya's expression is long and grim. "I can't let you betray Konoha like this. I'm sorry, but I can't let you leave. Either of you."

Tsunade's fingers curl at her side. "I healed him. He'll be leaving Konoha alone now, Jiraiya - I know when he's lying."

He starts to form handseals -

And will suddenly find himself several feet to the side, the ground sloped under him differently enough that he has to stop and catch his footing lest he fall.

Between one blink and the next, Mariko appears between the three, arm thrown out, Shizune clinging to her.

"Stop. Fighting. And fucking talk to one another like the mature adults I thought you were all supposed to be!"

Jiraiya valiantly resists the urge to stick his tongue out at her.

"This isn't any of your business! Get out of the way, kid!"

"It became my business when you threatened to kill my teammate's resonant!"

Which, to her, is effectively threatening to kill Rian - she perceives the world through her chakra-sense as much as through sight or sound, and to her senses Orochimaru and Rian might as well be the same person in two locations. Which she suspects is more true than official policy about resonants would let on, what with talk about one personality becoming 'dominant.'

Exasperated, "She's not your teammate anymore, Mariko!"

"And Orochimaru isn't your old teammate anymore, either! You - you don't get it, they're a different person entirely, their chakra's different, their emotions are different - "

"She is quite right - while I have his memories, I no more identify as the old Orochimaru than I do as the old Rian. I am also not here to pick a fight with anyone." And they're cursing their inability to plan around Jiraiya - they'd hoped Tsunade would become Hokage, but it's looking like their rush to get their damnable arms healed has scuttled that plan.

They're also running through options in case this does come to a fight - Manda has refused them, which leaves them with the less powerful snakes like Aoda or the cats.

Jiraiya attempts to move - Mariko just bops him back to the position she'd originally stuck him in.

Tsunade watches, torn between 'annoyed' and 'amused' as Jiraiya and his student argue. "...It appears I lost my bet..." she mutters. "And I'd thought I was on a roll."

Jiraiya, meanwhile, has gone red in the face, focused entirely on Mariko, who has her hands planted on her hips as she shouts at him - she's currently on how Rian rescued her from the Akatsuki, when Jiraiya was too busy getting drunk and chasing women to notice two S-ranked criminals who weren't even attempting to hide.

Orochimaru leans over to Tsunade. "Do you think they'd notice if we just slipped off?"

"...Probably not," she responds, side-eyeing him.

"There's still the matter of my side of the deal... And they seem to be repeating themselves already; knowing the both of them, they could be here a while."

She snorts. "Very well, then. Do you have a place in mind?"

They nod and lead the way, updating Rian so the other can prepare the sacrifices. (They've found that the easiest way to find willing sacrifices is to offer exorbitant sums of money and top priority for resurrection when they finally iron out all the bugs for those who wish to return to life; they've gotten an interesting mix of people volunteering as a result).

Once the sounds of Jiraiya and Mariko arguing fade - and Orochimaru notes that Shizune, Chihiro, and Kabuto have followed them - Orochimaru stops and beckons Kabuto over. "We'll need to summon the sacrifices from our base," they say to Tsunade, then move to put into place the summoning seal. Kabuto assists, both in the placement and in the summoning itself, and soon enough two people appear before them. One is entirely calm, shoulders slumped and eyes half-lidded, while the other is high-strung, fingers tapping along her thighs. (Rian's memories of them filter over; the first had decided to spend her new-found fortune on going out in style, having already had a terminal disease; the second on securing her family's finances. Preying on the desperate is probably not the most ethical of ways to go about this, but it beats the old Orochimaru's methods, and they'll be putting back most of the sacrifices anyways, so.)

"You two understand your role?" Orochimaru asks. Both women nod, and move as they direct. Orochimaru takes out the Edo Tensei scrolls, choosing to first bring back Tsunade's lover, Katou Dan.

Tsunade watches in silence as ashes and dust envelop the first woman, gradually replacing her with Dan.

The final layers cake on, color slowly returns - and Orochimaru mentally severs their nascent connection with the summons, releasing Dan entirely.

He freezes when the technique releases him. His eyes slide open slowly, and he looks around, then down at himself. Slowly: "I remember dying... Is this that forbidden technique of the Second's?"

Tsunade chooses that moment to move, slamming into him in a hug that would probably be extremely painful if he wasn't currently made of dirt. "Dan - " she gasps out, choking on her own emotions.

He returns the hug, then asks, "How long's it been? You - don't look the way you used to."

She half-laughs. "I'm an old woman now... It's been twenty-three years, Dan. There's - someone you should see, too." And she steps aside, gesturing behind her to her assistant.

It takes him a moment, but - "Shizune? You've grown!" he exclaims, then steps up to hug her. "How is it I'm back, though?"

"Orochimaru discovered and improved on the Second's technique..." Tsunade explains. "He found two volunteers, for you and Nawaki - " She whirls on Orochimaru. "Wait! Dan's sister, Komayumi! You can bring her back too, right?"

"I'll need some DNA, so it'll take me a bit, but yes."

Dan blinks. "You - can bring my sister back? ...Thank you." Shizune is wide-eyed, meanwhile, and doesn't seem to know what to say.

Tsunade immediately returns to hugging her old boyfriend.

"But - " Dan continues, "How did you get authorization for something like this? I would've thought even if the technique was allowed, someone else would be prioritized..."

"Heh. That's a long story, that I'll let Tsunade tell..."

She sends him a quick glare, then turns back to Dan. "It's... A lot's changed. I left Konoha after a while - I couldn't stand to be there, with everyone gone and the village changing. Sarutobi-sensei let me go. Orochimaru... Left too, later on. Less peacefully."

"You're a missing-nin?" Dan demands, stepping back.

Tsunade shakes her head "No - well, I wasn't, I might be now, it depends on how Jiraiya reports this to the village... I traded healing Orochimaru's arms for you and Nawaki, and now Komayumi, to be returned to life." She breathes out, heavily. "Konoha isn't what it used to be. Isn't what I thought it was. I - might have been able to change it, they offered me the position of Hokage, but - I'd rather have Nawaki back. Have you. My family... I doubt the offer's still valid, anyways."

Dan goes quiet. "What now, if we can't return to Konoha? That village... It was everything to me..."

Tsunade glances down. "I know. I'm sorry to have brought you back under unideal circumstances."

"You'll all be welcome in Sound, my current village, as guests if nothing else."

Tsunade nods. "We'll have to talk that out, I prefer being on the road, but Nawaki should have somewhere stable to grow up... And it'll be safer, if Konoha declares me a missing-nin."

"You might still be able to become Hokage, if Mariko is able to reason with Jiraiya... You'd be good at it."

"I'd be terrible at it. I'm selfish, a drunkard, temperamental, undiplomatic... But I realize that Konoha's currently low on options. All of the Fourth's students are dead, as are all of Jiraiya's except now Mariko."

"Konoha doesn't currently have a Hokage?" Dan asks.

Tsunade shakes her head. "There was a Fourth, but he died twelve years ago. Sarutobi-sensei stepped back up, but died himself about a month ago." She is not telling him about Orochimaru's part in that, she doesn't want him to think she's a monster. She's already self-recriminating enough.

"Jiraiya had also refused the position, last I heard. I doubt he's one to walk back on that... But Konoha has other options. Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Chouza, Maito Gai, at least one of the current Twelve Guardian Ninjas... None of them ideal, but Konoha hasn't had an ideal leader since the First."

"Konoha can solve its own problems," she says, crossing her arms. "Besides, in a few more years the current crop will be old enough... That Mariko seemed to have potential. At least determination. And I still owe her a forfeit."

They think on that, calling up Rian's memories of their year-mates. "There's some potential among the up and coming generation, yes... Though the thought of Mariko as Hokage is oddly chilling." She'd have to learn a lot about diplomacy, for one thing.

"Heh. She's got the right spirit, though."

Dan looks over at Tsunade, then. "I still can't wrap my head around you having left Konoha behind. But... I'll follow you, and try to make a difference for the better, wherever we end up."

She goes solemn. "Sound might be good, then, I haven't been making any difference at all since you... since you died, just accruing debt and making more work for myself healing my liver."

They nod. "There's still a lot of difference to be made in that village, too. Anyways... I suspect Jiraiya will be done arguing, soon. Do you want to go ahead and bring back Nawaki, or wait?"

"...Wait, likely. For all that I want to see him again now, I don't want to have to explain to him why we're fighting Jiraiya..."

"Okay - seriously, why would you fight Jiraiya - he likes you! He's your teammate!" Dan says.

Tsunade shifts. "I - Said that I healed Orochimaru's arms. And that he's a missing-nin. Jiraiya is rather firmly convinced he's going to destroy Konoha."

Dan goes pale and whirls to face Orochimaru.

They hold up their hands. "I won't. Admittedly, Jiraiya's paranoia has some basis - the old Orochimaru would have - but I resonated recently, with a Konoha shinobi. I find myself... Disliking the village less than I used to."

Dan makes a strangled sound. "It's - this is just - so much to take in - "

Tsunade nods and wraps an arm around him. "There's a lot more we haven't told you yet, either... We should get moving, though." She looks at Orochimaru - and at Kabuto and the other sacrifice, who is still standing there silently. "I'm assuming no one in Sound has the chakra needed to summon us?"

They shake their head. (Summoning shinobi or samurai is much, much harder than summoning civilians like the sacrifices, who barely have a chakra network to speak of).

"So we're leaving, then?"

She nods. "Lead the way... Dan, do you mind staying in Sound for now - "

He sighs. "No, not really, it's not like we have many better options at this point."

She squeezes him, then turns back to Orochimaru. "I don't think we'll stick around, but Sound's fine while we're all getting our feet back under us. Lead the way."

"Alright."

He gestures to Kabuto to carry the sacrifice (he should learn her name, but Rian already knows it, so), then they're off.

Chihiro, on the other hand, stays behind. The cat-summons tilts her head and twitches her whiskers, 'feeling' the location of Mariko and that Jiraiya - still where they were. She pads back in that general direction, not bothering to put on much speed, until she's in sight of the two. She hunkers down under some grass, hopefully so they won't see her, and settles in to wait.

Shortly after her summoner's group leaves her range, Mariko storms off, rather theatrically.

Jiraiya starts running in the direction Orochimaru had gone.

Once he's out of sight, Chihiro wriggles out of her hiding place and bounds off after Mariko.

Who hasn't gone far, just beyond the ridge, where she turned and sat to wait.

"Hey, cat," she says. "Sorry I don't have anything for you. How's Rian?"

"Summoner's doing well! Tall summoner was grouchy for a bit because their arms hurt, but small summoner gives me a lot of chicken in cream! Small summoner is working really hard, a lot of people are listening to them now. They like it, I think."

"That's good." Mariko smiles. "So, what brings you here over to my rock?"

"Right!" Chihiro chirps, then bites her paw and places it on the ground, channeling chakra into it. A massive, ornate scroll, with white ends and a dark blue middle, decorated with cats around the brim and an Uchiha fan over the flap, appears in a small cloud of smoke. "The cats of Odoriba Mountain would like to extend to you, Uzumaki Mariko, an invitation to sign our summoning scroll!"

Mariko blinks in shock, then: "That'll make messages with Rian easier..."

Chihiro nods. "Exactly! Summoner requested this, we talked it over, and decided we'd be willing to accept you as a summoner, too."

"I'll be honored," Mariko responds after a few moments. "So... What do I do? I still haven't signed that toad contract of Jiraiya's..."

Chihiro walks her through the process, then through practicing summon Sen, then she takes the summons scroll and dismisses herself as she feels Jiraiya returning.

Mariko talks briefly and stiltedly with Jiraiya - he's planning on letting Konoha know what happened, Tsunade will probably be declared a missing-nin, maybe Shizune too.

He doesn't really acknowledge her incredibly hard work in mastering the Hiraishin, so she withdraws from him, spending time either on her own working on the notes for the Edo Tensei, or taking walks, just not thinking.

Two days after the debacle with Tsunade, she feels the woman entering her range proper, where it's easier for her to tell apart unfamiliar signatures (her range for 'familiar' currently enables tracking them across the country; she's been almost painfully aware of her team). Mariko shifts her walk, taking off towards the woman's location, and landing in front of her.

Tsunade is alone, leaning against a tree.

"Hey, brat," she says.

"Tsunade. How've you been?" she asks, somewhat awkwardly.

"Well enough, we'll be bringing back my brother soon. I hope you didn't get in too much trouble with Jiraiya?"

She shakes her head. "He seems to have convinced himself I'm just misguided, not malicious..."

"That's good at least. As for why I'm here... I believe I owe you a forfeit. That was impressive, mastering both the shadow clone and the Hiraishin like you did."

She shrugs uncomfortably. "It's just math..." she mutters.

"You're better at it than most." And she solemnly removes her necklace, placing it around Mariko's neck. "Don't let that fire in you die out, and you'll make a good Hokage some day."

Mariko nods and smiles and definitely doesn't have to blink back tears. "I'll try my hardest, to continue those dreams... And someday there'll be peace. With Sound, and with everyone."

"It'll be a hard road ahead of you."

"I know. I'm ready," she says, then, when nothing else seems appropriate to say, "Good luck with your family, and your life!" Then turns to head back to the hotel she's staying in with Jiraiya.

"Good luck with your dreams," Tsunade says, and returns to Sound.

The next day, Orochimaru finishes preparations to bring Nawaki back. They think they'll be able to manually age the body, so that Nawaki isn't stuck permanently twelve, but they'll see.

Tsunade is more anxious now than she was for Dan's return. She's alone with Orochimaru and the sacrifice, having asked Dan and Shizune for some privacy.

She watches as Orochimaru finishes the technique, then as the sacrifice is slowly replaced with her brother. He stumbles when the technique releases him, blinking open his eyes, then cries out and flinches, landing on his back. "What - what happened," he stutters, looking at his flaking hands.

Tsunade rushes over to him, picking him up and enveloping him in a hug. He squeaks, but relaxes into the embrace. "You - you died," she chokes out, and she would've thought she'd be better prepared for this after Dan, but having him here again still feels surreal. "I - I couldn't - "

"Sister?" he asks uncertainly. "I died? It's - how long has it been, are you dead too?"

She shakes her head. "No, I'm not, Orochimaru figured out how to put you back... It's... It's been thirty-four years, Nawaki. Konoha... Konoha has changed a lot. I've changed a lot."

"...You don't look fifty-one," is all Nawaki says after a long pause.

She half laughs. "I'm using a technique..." she says.

(Orochimaru slips out, to let them have their reunion in peace).

She is not letting go of her brother anytime soon. Nope. Not even if he squirms.

Nawaki just hugs her for a bit, then: "Wait. Who's Hokage now?"

"...Konoha is currently between leaders; a Fifth hasn't been chosen. The Fourth died twelve years ago, he was one of Jiraiya's students, and the Third stepped back up. He died himself a month ago. I... was offered the position, and declined."

"What? Why!" her brother demands, stepping back. She reluctantly lets him go.

"I wasn't ready. I've changed so much, I'm not the sort of person who should be leading..." she admits. Maybe if Orochimaru had been more his old self, she would've refused his deal and sided with Konoha, but, well.

"What about your teammates? Jiraiya, Orochimaru-sensei..." he asks.

She shakes her head. "Jiraiya refused last I heard; he's busy with other tasks. Orochimaru and I... are also no longer directly associated with Konoha."

He blinks in shock. "You both retired? I guess you are kinda old now..."

Huff. "No, we didn't retire... Nawaki, there's a very good chance I'll be declared a missing-nin as soon as Jiraiya gets back to Konoha, I... Made a deal they didn't approve of, for your return. Nothing that would threaten the village, but..."

"What - how could you - sister, what happened?"

"You died, and I held on, I did, all through that damnable war, but it wouldn't stop, and Sarutobi-sensei - he wasn't the person I'd thought as a genin - and I met someone. I loved someone. And he died, too, just another casualty of that stupid war the Third started! Orochimaru promised an end to death; how could I not support that, as a medic?"

"How could you side against Konoha?" he demands, then when she doesn't respond backs up more, and turns to run blindly out.

She lets him go.

Orochimaru steps in. "Didn't go so well?" he asks, aiming for 'gentle' or perhaps 'understanding.'

She shakes her head, and fights the urge to start destroying the nearest structures. "Where's something I can punch?" she asks, voice hoarse.

"The training grounds are open, and if you want an opponent, an Edo Tensei like Kimimaro can be provided. For Nawaki... I can ask Rian to talk to him, they're physically his age. He might be more willing to talk to them."

"Give him a bit to cool off, first. Maybe a few hours. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a training ground to go destroy. I don't need an opponent." And she heads off.

Orochimaru watches her go, then returns to his experiments.

Rian approaches Nawaki a few hours later, knocking on the door to the room he's chosen for sulking in. (He's acting so young, were they ever this young? Orochimaru, who became a soldier at six, or Rian, who watched her world die at seven? And yes, they're well aware this body is only a few months older than his.)

"Hey," they say.

Nawaki half-turns, frowning. "Who're you?" he asks.

They lower their hand. "Uchiha Rian. I wanted to see if you needed anything?"

"Everything back the way it's supposed to be!" he responds, crossing his arms.

"Time-travel's not one of my abilities, unfortunately... Do you want to talk about it?"

He looks uncertain. "Maybe... Why're you here? Are you a missing-nin, too?"

They shrug. "Possibly. I was a loyal Konoha shinobi, wanted to be Hokage and change things even, but... I resonated with Orochimaru, during my chunin exams. He brought me here. Didn't give me much of a choice, and afterwards... Returning to Konoha didn't seem in the cards."

Nawaki goes quiet. "That's rough. Orochimaru-sensei can't have been an easy person to resonate with... I can't imagine being ripped away from Konoha like that, too."

Rian steps into the room, moving to sit by him. "I think you can. That's what happened really, isn't it? One day you're a Konoha shinobi like any other, the next you're here, and the world's gone topsy-turvy."

He nods. "Yeah..."

They talk, then, quietly, about their respective experiences of Konoha.

It's nice, in a way.

He returns to Konoha, his wayward student in tow, much more rapidly than he'd set out.

Telling the council about Tsunade's betrayal and his own failure to stop her is probably one of the toughest things he's ever done. She's quietly declared a missing-nin; Shizune isn't, yet, because of Jiraiya's testimony that she'd tried to stop her master, but her status and loyalty are marked as 'unknown.'

He doesn't tell them about Mariko's interference. She's an idiot and grieving and far too much like him, but she's not a traitor.

They repeat their offer for him to become Hokage. He turns them down; there's other candidates out there. Probably. Maybe.

He skips out on the meeting with the daimyo to nominate someone, instead focusing on his network of spies, hunting down any mention of Orochimaru or the Akatsuki.

The next day, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura travel to Kakyo, the capitol of the Land of Fire, along with Nara Shikaku and the ANBU Commander, Saiga Kakureki, and an honor guard consisting of several ANBU. They're able to get a meeting with the daimyo and his advisors fairly quickly, thanks to the ongoing state of emergency in Konoha.

Koharu summarizes the situation with Tsunade and Jiraiya for the daimyo, then settles into her chair. The space for Danzo is notably empty.

"That's a pity," the daimyo says. "I'd thought to choose Jiraiya... I like him. But if he's refusing..."

"There aren't many options now, with the Hokage's teaching lines all but ended. Jiraiya has recently taken a new pupil, but she's still much too young for the position..." Shikaku says.

"Hmm... Perhaps an option for when it comes time to discuss the Sixth, then," the daimyo says. "Are there truly no good options within Konoha?"

"Maito Gai is powerful and well respected," Homura says. "Sarutobi Asuma is also well-positioned, but not quite at Kage levels of power. Our own Nara Shikaku is also an option, but there's the same problem as with Asuma... Akimichi Chouza is another option, he rests at a middle ground between Gai's power and Shikaku's experience, and he was a student of one of the Third's clansmen."

The daimyo's advisors discuss this lowly among themselves for a while, going back and forth on each candidate, until the daimyo gestures for silence. "None of those are ideal... If I may put forth a candidate of my own, I would suggest Utatane Yasumi. As one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, she is both experienced and strong." Not to mention how she recently saved his life, and would likely be more loyal to the nation than many of the other proposed candidates, who are Konoha loyalists or who he knows little about.

That sets off a new round of discussion - she's young, but Minato was younger; she's not from a famous clan, but the Utatane are a solid clan as evidenced by Koharu; she's not at the caliber of most Kage, but there's nothing wrong with having a diplomat as a leader, and wouldn't that be better anyways than someone like Gai...

"It's decided, then!" the daimyo says, after letting the argument rage for a good thirty minutes. "Pending confirmation from the jounin, Utatane Yasumi will be the Fifth Hokage!"

Being the Hokage had. Not been her dream. Her dream had been to serve her country as long as she was able, then retire and settle down with a nice kunoichi and adopt some munchkins and a dog or two. Maybe become a jounin-sensei at some point, passing down her knowledge sounds appealing.

Not being nominated Hokage because apparently none of the Legendary Sannin give a shit about their country and everyone else is either horribly undiplomatic or unable to account for themselves in a fight or insufficiently loyal or dead, which tends to put a damper on leading.

But dreams are for children.

She's confirmed as Hokage mere days after being informed she's been nominated. The village must be anxious to have a leader after a month and a half headless, given that she hardly knows anyone and her reputation is at best as the longest-lasting Guardian, the only one still serving from when the current daimyo's father ruled, going from the youngest to the oldest Guardian in her time.

She packs her bags - she's hardly accumulated anything in the over two decades she's been stationed at the daimyo's side - and returns to the village of her birth.

This might not have been what she wanted.

But she'll be damned if she does anything other than her best.

Utatane Yasumi is not who they'd hoped for. They barely know anything about her; she's been quietly serving as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja for twice as long as any of them have been alive. Her record's unassuming, although the Twelve often don't report to Konoha at all. She is, most likely, a loyalist to the daimyo.

She isn't famous. She isn't strong.

But Satomi, Sai, and Tetsuma haven't found anyone else surviving from Root.

"I say we tell her," Satomi says, the day of Yasumi's confirmation. "Today, or tomorrow if not. Root is something she needs to know about sooner rather than later, especially given what Tetsuma found."

Sai doesn't have any arguments he hasn't brought up before, against the idea of telling any Hokage. But their failure to find living operatives over the last nearly two months doesn't speak well for their odds, and they'll have significant trouble going it alone.

He stays silent.

"I'd be inclined to agree at this point... Whether or not we tell her, it needs to be soon, she'll might hold it against us if we delay... And without any ranking operatives, the Hokage is the only one to report to."

"I'll be the one to tell her, I'm the least - alarming - of the three of us. You two should probably be ready to go to ground if something goes horribly wrong."

"We'll need to be close by, too, just in case she wants to see us right away."

"Yeah, that's a good point. So, tomorrow?"

The other two agree, and they disperse.

It's the first day of her new administration, and already someone's made a meeting with a set of codes she had to look up amidst her predecessor's notes. They're ANBU codes with no known uses.

She suspects she is about to inherit quite the headache.

The mystery person is noted down only as Ne-602, a designation Yasumi is entirely unfamiliar with.

She hates black-ops.

Satomi enters precisely on time, and kneels as she doors close behind her. "Hokage-sama," she says. "I am ANBU Root operative 602. I have... Information for you on certain activities of the late Danzo-sama, and some intelligence to pass on."

There should not be twelve-year-olds in ANBU. Not now, not since Uchiha Emi.

"Report," is all she says.

"Danzo-sama had his own branch of the ANBU, to run missions the Hokage could not be known to have accepted. I know of operations dating back to the Second War. The Hokage was not officially aware of the existence of ANBU Root, but tacitly permitted Danzo-sama's actions, until the date of the Uchiha Massacre. The Uchiha were spying on Konoha, planning a coup. Danzo-sama had Uchiha Emi as an informant, and acted unilaterally to remove the threat. Sarutobi-sama ordered the disbandment of Root afterwards; Danzo-sama reduced our activities, but continued the program in order to protect Konoha from exceptional threats."

"We have documents on almost all missions carried out, except those seen to personally by Danzo-sama. Danzo-sama also operated his own spy network, which reported solely to him. Not all of the information was passed on. I... Currently know only of myself and two other living Root operatives; Uchiha Emi and Uchiha Rian killed all other members present in Konoha when they defected. Presumably most of the spy network and external operatives remain in place, but we have been unable to contact them."

Black ops: remain a terrible idea. The fuck was her predecessor thinking?

(Also, she is sorely tempted to offer Uchiha Rian a fucking medal for killing Danzo. She won't, largely because the Uchiha is a missing-nin allied to Orochimaru, but also because it's partly the Uchiha's fault Yasumi's inherited this mess in the first place.)

"When were you recruited?" she asks.

"I no longer remember. I was raised as an operative, as were the other two I know of, operatives 607 and 611. Danzo-sama had some further recruits being trained, but I don't know their status - the facilities weren't within Konoha, and aren't responding to attempts at contact."