one_long_mission | Up on the cliffside

"Sakura-chaaaaaaaaan!" Where the hell was he!?

Naruto had woken up face-to-the-ground in surroundings that he didn't recognize as Konoha. Or Suna. Or any other place he might have visited. This was weird. Where were everyone!?

He ran across stone plains, dodging cliffs and edges by the inches and barely stayed alive. He was about to shout out for Sakura again when he noticed someone standing near the cliff. And it he looked very familiar.

"YOU!!!" he pointed accusing finger at the other man.

He blinked, staring at the boy for a perplexed moment as he took in his appearance. He visibly hesitated, trying to figure out who this was. Not Nawaki, not Jiraiya's brat. "...Me."

"YES YOU!"

Although... there was something off with this whole picture. He slowed down, tilting head to the side. "I know why Tsunade-baachan uses 'get-younger' jutsu, but I don't know what are you trying to pull off, Orochimaru."

He stared at him even harder at that, lips twitching with the sudden need to laugh in his face. "...get younger jutsu? Tsunade?"

The very idea was hilarious, especially after all the trouble the woman went to to look -older-.

He scrunched his nose at him, now flailing his hands around:"Don't play innocent, dattebayo! You know what I'm talking about!"

Even younger, Orochimaru still looked creepy. And Naruto had his guard up even if he acted carelessly at the moment.

"Ah, not even slightly. You sound like you've never met the woman honestly." His amusement was more than clear now, and he loosely crossed his arms, shaking his head. "She spent too long whining about being a 'late bloomer' to ever try to go back to looking -younger-."

He blinked? Huuuuh!? "You must be missing some snake in your head, dattebayo, because there is NO chance that I don't know my Hokage!" Seriously, what the hell was Orochimaru talking about? Even HE knew that Tsunade-baachan became Hokage.

He stared at him -hard- then, wondering what he could possibly be drugged with. "And why would my sensei give up the Hokage title to -her- of all people? I am a far better option, though we all know -that- likely wouldn't happen for a few years yet."

Sensei? Orochimaru's sensei? Third Hokage?... what? "Oi, I know I am little slow at getting things, but even I know that Thrid Hokage died. I personally went to find Tsunade-baachan with Ero-sennin," he glared, hands clenching into fists. Although... this Orochimaru doesn't really look like one that invaded Konoha back then. He looks more... child-like.

He stared at him for a very long even moment. "I'm guessing that Ero-sennin is Jiraiya." He had already been informed about the entire oddity of his view on Tsunade so...

Taking a few quick steps forward, he leaned down and peered into his face from well within arm's reach. "Who -are- you?"

"Yes, that's him," he nodded pensively. What's with him anyway? Everyone and their grandma knew how he called Jiraya.

He blinked, mouth hanging open in disbelief:"What do you mean WHO I AM!? You know me very well you SNAKE! You took Sasuke away!" It was if the question triggered his memories and he made a swing at Orochimaru.

He dodged back immediately, evading the attack. "I took... sensei's father away? That makes absolutely no sense at all. And you look like Tsunade's little brother but you're obviously -not-."

Eh? Ehhhh? "What the hell are you talking about? I am not talking about anyone father! Sasuke doesn't have kids yet!" More flailing. "And I am not Tsunade-baachan's little brother! My name is Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo!" How can this person not remember him?

"That's the only Sasuke I know of, who, I might add, was dead last I checked." Well, at least he seemed to have halted the attack. "And yes, I'm fully aware you're not Nawaki. That was the -point-."

Still, his nose wrinkled up, just a little. "You're -blond-. I didn't know Uzumakis -came- in blond." Still, once the moment of incredulity passed, he looked more interested, gaze flitting to his hitai-ate. "Naruto huh? But you're not wearing a whirlpool hitai-ate..."

"Sasuke is not dead!" He crossed his arms stubbornly. He should beat the crap out of this Orochimaru and be on his merry way. But the 'Uzumaki' comment got his attention.

"What do you mean 'Uzumakis came in blond'? I was always blond and always Uzumaki, dattebayo." He poked his hitai-ate with thumb:"And I always wore Konoha leaf symbol." Wait a second..."...why would I wear whirlpool hitai-ate? I'm not born in Whirpool country, and if I remember well from Ero-sennin's preaching, Whirpool country is gone..."

He nodded slowly, coming to some conclusions. "Yes it is. The country was destroyed toward the beginning of the current war." He looked, if anything, -more- interested.

"You call Tsunade granny, you're blond and Uzumaki with a Konoha Hitai-ate... Are you Tsunade's grandchild? Grandnephew? How far are you from me in the future? I'm currently twenty six, though your hostility worries me. Do we not get along?"

He sputtered:"Grandchild!? I would know something like that if I was! I call her baa-chan because she's old, nothing else! I am fourth Hokage's son and my mother is Uzumaki Kushina if you are so eager to know, dattebayo."

He gritted his teeth again:"No, we don't get along, dattebayo. Not. At. All." He is trying not to let his temper get better of him.

He frowned immediately as he looked at him. "Wait, the Kushina that follows Jiraya's prize brat around like a rabid puppy?"

He gave a long pause, eyes widening. "Why did -Minato- get made hokage?! I've been working for that for years!"

He threatened him with clenched fist:"Watch whom you call brat, snake! That's my father and fourth Hokage you are talking about, 'tebbayo! Show some respect!"

He crossed his arms, huffing:"Probably because you decided to be selfish ass and threaten lives of lots of people, that's why." He shuddered mentally at the thought of Orochimaru being the Hokage.

"He is a brat! The little bastard salted my dessert last time I ate with my team in the village!" Orochimaru threw up his hands. "And I wouldn't do anything that ran counter to Konoha's needs. I'd never hear the end of it if I did."

He shook his head sharply. "Clearly the brat must have done something to impress sensei, though I can't imagine what."

He blinked and then burst into laughing fit. Oh dear, what would he give to see his dad doing pranks on Orochimaru. "Well, pff, I can freely say that you deserved it." Yep. He's not sorry saying that at all.

But his laughing soon stopped as they returned to Orochimaru's intentions, so to say. "Oh you did counter. You endangered many lives, even lives of your own students." He decided to finally say it. "It is you that killed Third Hokage."

He stared at him for a moment, then shook his head. "If I did, then I suspect it's only because he let me. Sensei always did know more jutsu than he was willing to part with, so I doubt I could defeat him any other way."

He hitched a shoulder up in a shrug. "So far as the rest... I've never had any students to endanger. I'm not like Jiraiya who picks up every stray orphan that catches his eye."

This guy... is annoying. "Let you? I really doubt he let you kill him. There was no chance he would die just because you wanted to kill him. You attacked Konoha! Everyone in it!" He's really losing it.

Stray orph- that's it. Naruto's temper couldn't handle that jab, and he made another, more precise and faster swing at him. He will knock him out cold and throw off the cliff!

Or Orochimaru would dive for the ground and Naruto could go stumbling for the cliff himself. He had zero desire to see how hard the boy could hit, after all. It was far too early int he morning for that.

"Well, I can't think of any other way. As for the other... I attacked Konoha? -Really-? It makes me wonder how they managed to make me -leave- in the first place then!"

He didn't go off the cliff. Even if he did, if he went into sage mode he wouldn't even get a scratch.

He's just going to continue to glare at the other. "You went rogue. Ero-sennin went after you but you wouldn't return and you attacked Konoha. You don't give a damn about Konoha! And you took my best friend away with you!"

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject