"I see. How brave, Kabuto-san!" I couldn't help but gush out of pure admiration. To think, he was able to resist the mind controls of someone like Sasori of the Akatsuki, without him even knowing! It was clear to me that his loyalty to Orochimaru was unflinching, but he would never mention a reason. But! For three or four years, he'd been falsely posing as one of Sasori's spies, while keeping his conscious mind.
"It's not bravery Nanami-chan, its merely having the sustainable will to overcome your enemies. Remember that, because as long as you have the stronger will, anything is possible." He chuckles, his glasses glinting in the sunlight as he readjusts their spot on the bridge of his nose.
"Hai!" I nod in agreement, but I secretly can't help but think that Kabuto probably had a stronger mind than anyone else I knew.
"Now we'll move on to some of the Akatsuki members that you especially ought to be wary of. These are the long distance fighters, and if you're going to travel with Orochimaru-sama and I any more, we'll need to train you in ways to resist, or at least trick them well enough to avoid capture. Your knowledge is very important, and Orochimaru-sama does consider you quite important for the future."
"O-okay." I bob my head, somewhat in awe of the situation. Since I had expressed an interest in learning some fundamental combat skills Kabuto had taken it upon himself to educate me in some of the opponents that presented the largest danger to me.
"Deidara, originally of the rock village, uses explosives made of a unique chakra infused clay. He usually animates them, so don't expect them to move around like normal bombs. The best technique for dealing with Deidara, for you at least, would be to get into close quarters. It would be nearly impossible to outrun him, but if you manage to steal his clay bags you ought to be okay. It's really his only weapon."
I'd even been equipped with a small belt, to hold my scalpels, needles, syringes, and other medical things that double as weapons.
"Hidan and Kakuzu shouldn't be trouble. Just run away, and be careful not to get cut."
The Akatsuki are apparently the terrorist organization that Orochimaru used to be a part of, but Kabuto wouldn't answer my questions on why he left, or what they're "terrorizing."
"What happens if I get cut?" I ask, wondering about the lack of information provided. Just running away isn't much of an avoidance tactic.
"You die. There's really not much of a way around it. Just keep your distance; they're mainly a close quarters team."
"Ah." So much for explanations, but if all I could do was not die, then I'd do my best.
"Itachi Uchiha. Mainly a genjutsu us-"
"UCHIHA?" I burst out, immediately clapping my hands over my mouth for the embarrassment of it all.
Kabuto smirked, as if he'd been expecting my wide-eyed reaction. "Yes. As I'm sure you've just realized, Itachi Uchiha is the older brother of Sasuke-kun. He is also possibly the most dangerous member of the organization, excepting the leader."
Oh! Well then, that meant that Sasuke probably wasn't the psycho killer, but was seeking revenge on his mass murderer older brother who had joined a dangerous terrorist organization. Somehow, it made much more sense. As much as Sasuke's eyes and aura put me off a bit, there was something very strangely quiet and gentle to him. I'd seen him training with Orochimaru, and none of the hordes of men he fought against ever ended up dead, just injured or unconscious.
Kabuto said that was the way "Leaf ninja" tended to do things. I can't help but wonder though, if ninja from Konoha are all that more merciful than the ninja from other countries.
"Now, as I was saying. He's mainly a genjutsu user, so we'll be training heavily on genjutsu resistance. Also, in some cases it may be pertinent to just close your eyes, as he can cast genjutsu without even moving. He does have a number of dangerous ninjutsu, but he tends to avoid their use, because they deteriorate the Sharingan in his eyes, and take up a massive amount of chakra. Again, the best tactic would be to run away, though I highly doubt that someone of his caliber would be charged with you."
I pout. I know that I'm not exactly any great shinobi yet, but I don't want to be someone unworthy of even attacking.
"Ah, Kisame Hoshigake. An interesting character to say the least. He's from the mist village, and resembles a shark-man."
My ears perk up. Shark man? In what sense? In the sense that I've been called a shark, or some other way?
Kabuto laughs again, and holds out his small "bingo book" for me to take a look at his picture. The man in the small picture has blue skin, gills, and sharpened teeth. I wonder if that's his natural physical state, or whether he came to be that way through experiments along the same line of the ones my father did, and some of the experiments Orochimaru and Kabuto still conduct. If so, he is clearly a much more successful subject.
"He's a close quarters guy for the most part too. Watch out for the sword, it drains chakra by coming within close quarters. He also uses a lot of ninjutsu, he's got massive amounts of chakra so that's not an issue for him. Your best tactic is to run away if possible, or to get the sword out of his hand somehow, or if battle is impossible to avoid, use genjutsu. He's partnered with Itachi though, so you probably won't ever see him."
Hadn't Suigetsu's biography said that he was from the mist village? They both had pointy teeth, and had something very watery about them. I reminded myself to ask Suigetsu about Kisame the next time I saw him, even though Kabuto, Orochimaru, Sasuke and I weren't even at that base at the moment. We'd gone on another expedition, doing who knows what. I rarely get political information from Kabuto, just what's necessary to know for my future of servitude under Orochimaru.
"Oh, by the way Nanami-chan, here you are. Orochimaru-sama specifically asked me to give this to you."
Some glittering flew through the air, and I scrambled to catch it. I only just barely managed to grab the end of it, swinging my arms a little to keep from falling on my face. I brought it up, gazing down in astonishment. It was a Sound Village forehead protector, complete with a long blue ribbon and a metal plate emblazoned with a single sound note. If Orochimaru had specifically be asked that I be given this, that must mean that he saw me as an official ninja.
It felt nice to know that they intended to keep me for good.
"Uwaaaaa!" I cheer, taking a few skipping steps to hug my mentor. "Thank you Kabuto-san! Thank you!"
He pats my back awkwardly for a few moments before I skipped away, immediately tying my new treasure around my neck.
"Eh? We're going to the Land of the Sea?" I asked, a little dumbfounded by the news.
"Yes, it appears that Orochimaru-sama would like to check in on Amachi's work. There are some reports that the Fire Nation has been commissioned to investigate news of a sea monster attacking the village, and we'd like to have a word before anything happens." Kabuto explained, shrugging his backpack on as my peculiar traveling group of four prepared to set out.
I always felt out of place with the three of them: Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Sasuke.
"Right now?" I continued, fingering my new hitai-ate as the band started to walk.
"Yes, right now." Kabuto answered with a chuckle, drawing an amused look from Orochimaru's unnerving eyes. I always felt like Orochimaru could see straight through me, like he knew everything about me, things that I might not even know.
"The sea monster is probably just Isaribi, and she's really not all that interesting."
Orochimaru smirked lightly, addressing me. "Oh, Nanami-chan, are you familiar with this . . . Isaribi?"
I hesitated for a split second, before gulping and answering. "Yes, she's one of the experiments from the lab. She's been there a really long time. I suppose she's one of the more successful mutants, but her transformation is un-extraordinary to say the least."
"Tell me." Came the slithering command, making me shiver.
"Well, she was a girl about my age stolen from the islands. She's developed gills better than most of the others, as well as scales and some fins when exposed to sea water. However, although her form may not be entirely human while in the water, she does not grow exceptionally in size or ability." I replied, trying to recall that rectangle tank she used to be stored in now. Father's lab facility seems to rudimentary, almost rustic in comparison with Orochimaru's. I wonder whether Father has made any real advancements in his research without me . . .
"Or so it was when you left, about two years ago, right?"
"Yes sir."
"Well I suspect Amachi-kun must have something else up his sleeve from your descriptions. I doubt this single girl could be causing all that fuss."
It's very strange to hear Orochimaru refer to my father as a kun. I know that Orochimaru is much older than he appears, due to his strange system of changing bodies, but my Father is aged far past the age where that address is considered acceptable. But it seems that Orochimaru addresses everyone as a child . . . its oddly discomforting. In fact, Orochimaru does not look like himself on this particular trip. To be sure, the eyes are the same, but his new body hasn't taken on his full, original appearance yet.
"By the way, is he the one you mentioned earlier?" My father, Amachi, turned his eyes onto Sasuke's figure standing right behind Orochimaru's chair.
"Yes. He's Itachi Uchiha's little brother."
"I see."
"Yes, and he is my . . ."
But Sasuke interrupted both of them. I wondered why Father hadnt said anything to me yet, it appeared as if he hadn't even noticed my presence, loitering in Kabuto's shadow.
"Unnecessary things like that, DON'T TALK ABOUT THEM."
I could see Father's heated glare, but he bowed his head in servitude. Strange to think that I might be of a greater importance, a higher status than he was. Orochimaru just laughed, he always seemed to think that Sasuke's rude behavior and arrogant mannerisms were amusing.
"Ah yes Amachi. I've brought you a visitor too." Orochimaru hissed, turning his head a fraction in my direction. I took the obvious cue, taking a few steps forward.
"Nanami?" He sounded incredulous. "What are you doing here?"
Orochimaru answered for me. "She's really quite the intelligent little creature. You raised her well; she's become something like Kabuto's protg."
He gasped, throwing his head down at the minor praise. As he did so, it suddenly occurred to me that he looked very much like a worm. Whatever respect I had once had for him had vanished, to see him pitifully scraping the ground like that. I realized that I'd long since stopped thinking of this place as "home."
"Hello Suigetsu!" I chimed, finally returning to the main base that housed the places I had come to be most familiar with over the 2 years of my residence. I'd been sent back before the rest of the group, because the base couldn't really spare the lack of medical nin, or someone to keep track of the experimentations.
"Hey Nami-chan." Came the lazy reply.
I continued my approach, readying questions about Kisame Hoshigake and the "Swordsmen of the Mist" that I'd also learned about recently. However, before I could even get started, the interrogation was turned on me.
"Eh? What the hell is that thing around your neck?"
I patted my neck, unsure of to what he was referring. Finally, it dawned on me that although I'd gotten used to the hitai-ate, it had been several weeks since I'd been back, and it was the first time He'd seen me with it on.
"It's a forehead protector. I'm sure you're familiar with them, you're file did say you were from the Hidden Mist Village. And speaking of that-"
"-I know what it is. I want to know why the hell you're wearing it. Don't tell me you've actually decided to be Orochimaru's retarded little pawn, like your precious Kabuto-teme."
I blushed, in embarrassment and anger. "First, DON'T CALL HIM THAT. And second, NO, I'm not Orochimaru's 'little pawn.' He specifically requested that I wear one, and it doesn't hurt anything to know that I'm considered valuable."
I snapped, almost ready to storm out of the basement like I usually did when Suigetsu started bad mouthing Kabuto. But instead, I decided that I'd just change the subject before Suigetsu could start lecturing me again.
"BUT . . . that's not the reason I came down here. I wanted to ask you about your home village."
I could hear the growl in his voice, unhappy about being cut off. "Yeah, what about it?"
I pursed my lips, feeling the annoyance building. "I wanted to ask you about the seven swordsmen, specifically Kisame Hoshigake."
But as soon as the words left my mouth, it seemed that his upset demeanor vanished.
"Oh yeah? I knew Kisame a little, he was a pretty famous one, he got kicked out of the country for trying to overthrow the government. His sword is really something too, I'd like to get my hands on it someday. But hey, have you ever heard of my senior, Momochi Zabuza?"
I bit my lip. His senior? That meant that Suigetsu had probably been training under them, which branded him as a sword wielding sadist. Not that I hadn't suspected the sadist part . . .
"Er, Zabuza, did you say? Actually, he's dead. Small world, Sasuke Uchiha was in the team that defeated him."
"Dead?" A moment of silence passed before he started laughing. "That bastard, I'd always meant to kill him myself and take his sword."
I frowned in confusion. "You wanted to kill your senior?"
"Haha, is that a surprise to you? Worried that you might get the urge to cut off a few of Kabuto's limbs?"
I felt scandalized, even though I knew it was just a little joke. Kill Kabuto? I couldn't imagine the thought crossing my mind naturally.
"Hey, speaking of that sword, what happened to it?"
I looked down onto my clipboard which had the Kirigakure symbol emblazoned on the top. This was the clipboard that held the summaries of the files of ninja hailing from that particular village, whether they be dead or alive.
I scanned the sheet belonging to Zabuza, noting that there were very few details surrounding his death besides the names of the team that Sasuke had once belonged too, and a note about Zabuza's affiliate, someone named Haku.
"Ah, it doesn't say. It just says that he was buried with this Haku person."
"Fuck. I bet those snotty little Leaf ninja took it." He seemed to be thinking for a few moments. "Hey! Ask that Uchiha kid what the hell happened to it."
I snorted. "Right, because I'm sure that wouldn't sound suspicious, weird, OR stupid. He probably doesn't even know, who keeps track of the enemy's junk once they've died, unless they stole something?"
"Just do it." He ordered, rather over confidently for someone living inside a tube.
I crossed my arms firmly, refusing to give in. "No. It doesn't even matter, what good would it do you?"
"I want it." He replied just as firmly.
"You live in a tube." I kindly reminded him.
"Fuck off, it's not like I want to."
"Ah, I don't want to deal with this." I muttered, rolling my eyes. Let Suigetsu rant about stupid sword he couldn't use to himself, because I didn't want to hear it.
"You're probably that ugly sharky man's daughter!" He called at my retreating back, cementing the desire that I hadn't come down into the basement this time.
Oh... are there results over there? Why yes, I do believe there are. As well as a neat little ninja card set I stumbled upon and customized for lovely Nanami.
I couldn't resist. I thought it was cool, so I may throw together other ones for future characters. I WOULD do it for Kagami over in the Shikamaru story, but that would totally give away like 60% of the plot line. The templates, which come in versions for all the villages, can be found here: http://goddessryoko.deviantart.com/
Thank you for reading. I really really really love all of you, because you're all so very good about rating, messaging, and even picking. It's crazy, and you're all awesome to the MAX.
