Chapter 18: Inevitably
"Son of a…"
Running I barely dodged a large snake as it shot past me. Quickly recovering I tried to get off a fire jutsu but had to stop as another snake shot out of the ground binding by legs. With a swift motion I sliced through the snake who turned into a bunch of smaller snakes.
"Run all you want, hatchling it changes nothing."
Snake are assholes
Turns out Orochimaru had better things to do so some of his summons were in charge of my training. Which was just a bunch of snakes toying with me. I had already been bitten quite a few time each time I was injected with poison.
Staying on my feet was difficult but I really didn't want to give them the satisfaction of winning so I pushed myself. Thankfully my body seems to be just as stubborn as the boundless energy was already flowing through me.
Readying my tanto I surged chakra threw my system as I shot forward trying to cut off one of my tormentor's head. My blade cut through his flesh with ease but once again it was just an illusion.
"Genjutsu," I didn't understand how they kept me in a Genjutsu. No matter how many times I try to dispel the Genjutsu it never works.
More snakes began to appear from the foliage around me. I couldn't tell which ones were real so I had to treat all of them as if they were real.
"Hehe I'm impressed with your fortified Hatchling, most couldn't handle as much poison as you have in your system,"
"...this is nothing, bring it on," lowering myself closer to the ground, I gripped my tanto with one hand. Reaching behind myself I grabbed a kunai with my free hand.
Can snakes smile? Well if they can he just smiled.
What was most concerning was my chakra sense was worthless in this fight. They were everywhere and I couldn't tell which ones were real and which ones were illusions.
Slashing threw every snake that charged me. I had to jump away as there were simply too many. A snake shot out of a tree near me. Swinging my tanto, the snake's jaw clamped down on the blade.
Well I found a real one.
I was forced to let go of my sword as more snakes were closing in.
Pulling out another kunai to replace my tanto I cut through the snakes I couldn't dodge.
At first I was hesitant to kill the snakes but it quickly became clear that the snakes who were in charge didn't care if I manage to kill some of the snakes. If anything they encourage it saying if a hatchling could kill them they didn't deserve to live.
A purple snake slither towards me. I readied myself to fight the large snake but it stopped opening its jaw as purple mist spewed out. Backing away, more snakes surround me, each of them spewing out more poison mist.
I needed to escape before I was surrounded by the mist. Running towards my rapidly shirking escape point I was stopped by the snake who took my tanto. Seems the mist had no effect on him.
Isn't that just lovely
All around me the mist surrounded me. With no escape no longer an option I pulled out some bandage making a makeshift mask.
My body felt like it was on fire with a mixture of fatigue and poison making movement difficult.
The snake with my tanto approach.
"Mind giving that back?"
In response he swallowed my sword.
"Seriously?"
Readying my kunai, I made the first move. The snake dodge my every strike contorting its body to avoid my kunai before retaliating with perfect precision. Each strike bypassed all my attempts at defense.
With the winner of the dual obvious more snakes closed in binding my limbs. I couldn't move, my body refused to move.
The purple mist was dispersed with a gust of wind as the snakes who were in charge approached.
"I see why Orochimaru has taken interest in you," one of them spoke.
One of the other snakes who I couldn't land a hit on emerged from the ground. They opened their jaw as a vile emerged.
"No, don't give him the Antidote." Said the largest one.
"If he dies Orochimaru will have our heads." Said the purple one.
I really need to ask their names.
"This one's special he'll survive."
The snakes brought me back to Orochimaru's lab, leaving me on a bed. The snake who swallowed my sword threw up on me leaving my sword on my chest.
I hate snakes.
…
When I woke up I was in a different room. I was on the operating table covered in bandages. Seems my injuries were taken care of but I could still feel the poison in my system.
Looking around Orochimaru was operating on a body on one of the other tables.
"Sozo nice see you awake how was your training,"
"I had a lovely time Sensei," I said, hopping off the table.
"I've seen you use medical jutsu before, how come you didn't use it on me?"
"I thought about it but your body seems to manage on its own just fine," Orochimaru said.
Well that's something.
"I'm hungry," I said, pulling on my cloak over myself.
"Same time tomorrow?" I asked, grabbing my things and wiping my sword off with a cloth.
"No you have tomorrow to yourself, I have other matters to attend to."
"Ok," Leaving the lab I didn't have a shirt on but my cloak worked as a substitute.
I didn't feel like cooking so I looked around for a place to eat.
Taking a seat my body felt sluggish as a result of the after effects of my body overclocking itself and the poison still in my system sure wasn't helping.
I ate in silence thinking about what to do with the rest of my day. As much as I wanted to do something else I really should just do some studying. I was provided with numerous books on the human body as part of my training for medical jutsu.
When I returned to the village I had tried going to my apartment only to find I had been evicted. As a Genin the village no longer covered my living expenses. Returning to the Hatake residence Sakumo was home.
We had a brief conversation. Sakumo asked if I had seen Kakashi recently. Shaking my head, Sakumo let out a sigh before returning to his room. That night I ate dinner with Sakumo. Even under these circumstances it was nice to have dinner with him again
I had hoped Kakashi's relationship with his father would have improved but it seems the two haven't spoken.
I wonder how Kakashi is doing.
…
Guy wasn't a bad student by any means but I certainly didn't expect him to graduate in a year. I wasn't too thrilled with the idea of Guy participating in the war in any shape or form. If I had it my way he would still be in the Academy for another three years.
Still I congratulated him.
Guy was pretty insistent with sparing with me. His passion hadn't decreased in the slightest if anything he was even more hyperactive.
Sparing was fun. Being able to fight and not worrying that one mistake will mean the end was something I missed. This time around I didn't underestimate Guy so I wasn't caught off guard. Guy's Taijutsu had become ferocious. I was only winning because of my superior speed. Taijutsu is a skill I really should work on more. I won't always have a blade to work with.
Guy's kicks were monstrous. I went to block one and the weight behind it nearly ended the fight right there. But I was able to shift out of the way in time.
"What the hell was that?"
Smiling Guy lifted his leg warmers revealing a set of weights on each leg.
This guy.
Putting his legs warmers back in place we continued to spar.
…
It wasn't until the moon was out that I finally began the trip back to the Hatake household.
Once I got within a certain radius of the house I felt Kakashi's chakra.
"Hey," I said, coming to a stop.
"Haven't seen you in a few months, how have you been?"
Kakashi was staring at my headband before looking at the various bandages covering my arms.
"What happened?" He spoke.
"Oh these I was bitten by a snake… quite a few times," I said.
"A snake?"
"My Sensei is Orochimaru the snake sannin."
Kakashi didn't respond.
"So what brings you back… you know other than this is your home. Oh and where have you been?"
After the incident with Sakumo Kakashi was barely ever until one day he stopped coming home at all. Kakashi was considered an adult and had a paying job so I wasn't too worried about him. I figured he just got an apartment somewhere in the village.
"I came back to talk to my father." Kakashi said quietly.
"Is he here?" He asked.
"I can only sense Sakumo when he lets me so I don't know but I did speak to him a few days ago," I said.
"I see."
We stood in silence for a moment before I spoke up.
"Do you want me to go somewhere else tonight so you can speak to Sakumo privately?"
"No… you can stay."
I smiled at his response.
"It's nice to see you Kakashi."
I stood behind Kakashi waiting for him to open the door. He probably would have been out here all night if I wasn't here.
Kakashi finally reached for the door, sliding it open. With the door open Kakashi suddenly tensed up.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"I smell blood," Kakashi responded.
The two of us quickly entered the house, weapons drawn. I followed Kakashi to Sakumos room.
We threw open Sakumo room tanto's ready.
Inside was Sakumo on the floor, blood already pooling underneath him.
He was dead.
Kakashi froze, dropping his sword.
I momentarily froze as well before Immediately covering Kakashi's eyes with my hand and guiding him out of the room. Kakashi didn't resist as I sat him down in the living room area.
"Stay here i'll be right back," I didn't want to leave Kakashi alone but I was the only one of us able to report what happened.
Rushing through the village I immediately went to the Uchiha police. After informing them of what happened I was right back with Kakashi as Shinobi began to show up at the house.
Kakashi was silent, he didn't cry or react in any vocal way, he was just silent.
I was at a loss what to do so I just laid Kakashi down with his head on my lap.
He didn't resist.
Sakumo was dead.
The man responsible for the best parts of my life was dead.
With him I wouldn't have Kakashi.
I never would have had the means to practice Fuinjutsu.
The man pretty much adopted me. We slept in the same room for God sake.
And now he's dead.
I didn't notice but I did begin to silently cry. It was this that finally snapped Kakashi out of his catatonic state as he looked up at me.
We stared at each other.
Nothing needed to be said.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone