Blinded by Fear

Orochimaru Returns

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"When the blonde girl... Ino... tried to use her mind transfer techniques to get intel, I blocked her out with my sharingan," Sakaria sighed, her head beginning to ache as she remembered all of the details to her capture. "But, I honestly didn't put up too much of a fight." Sasuke stared at her, confused until she admitted, "At first, I hoped the leaf would execute me if they captured me... that way I could be with Itachi in the afterlife... but, after a little while, I guess I tried to make life in the village as normal as I could. I knew the love Itachi had for Konaha and I wanted to try to continue his legacy in secret... But, then Suigetsu and Jugo showed up, and I didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to see you again. It seemed like a better idea than just wilting away in some place I didn't fit in."

Sasuke wrapped his sister in his arms once more, coming to terms with the things she had to do in order to survive and all the people she had befriended in her past, but not having the heart to tell her he had killed her blond companion. He couldn't help but think how different their lives had been, but he was so glad that, even after everything, they had ended up together again.

Meanwhile, in the background, Suigetsu stood with his arms crossed tensely over his chest as things came together in his head. He thought back to the night he had spent with Sakaria and how experienced she had seemed when she was put on her knees in front of him. That's why... He thought, a fire burning in his stomach. Although there was no way he could have done anything for her back then considering he didn't even know her, and nothing he could do about it now that it had happened so long ago, Suigetsu felt a growing need to protect Sakaria.

Once she was released from Sasuke's hold, Sakaria looked around her brother to Suigetsu and noticed him grimacing while deep in thought. Before she could question him on this, Sasuke snapped her back to reality with mention of Orochimaru's name.

"What do you mean? Why the hell would you even consider bringing him back?" Sakaria asked, startled.

"There are still things I can't do on my own," Sasuke reminded, ignoring Suigetsu's manic cries of protest.

After Sasuke argued with him briefly, he went back to ignoring the mist ninja while Suigetsu ranted on. In an attempt to gain some leverage, Suigetsu looked to Sakaria's shoulder and pointed at the curse mark scarred into her skin as Sasuke looked back to the two. "Look, nobody wants to see Orochimaru ever again. Hasn't he caused us all enough trouble!?"

"Shut up, Suigetsu!" Sasuke barked, going back to the collapsed proctor ninja in front of him that he recognized to be Anko. "Please, just go dig out a piece of Kobuto's flesh and bring it to me." The Uchiha man sighed at Suigetsu who opened one eye to fain listening. Suddenly, the white haired man's expression fell flat.

"Huh?" He approached him slightly, annoyed that he would start ordering him around again, "You don't listen to me, but for some reason you expect me to listen to you?"

Sakaria turned back to Kobuto who looked a lot like a gargoyle in his current state and shivered. "And it's not like you're asking him for a lock of hair. You want us to carve something out of this guy and just hand it to you?"

Suigetsu looked back at Sakaria, almost agreeing. Being ninja, it wasn't like they were never exposed to blood or inflicting wounds, but something did seem off about carving something out of someone while they were completely unaware. In that moment, Jugo, who had been his usual stoic nature until now, interrupted, "Fine, I'll do it." He started to approach Kobuto as Suigetsu sighed and held his head.

"So that's how it's gonna be, huh?" He looked up at his partner, "Are you really sure about all this, Jugo? You want Orochimaru to return?"

"I don't mind. Sasuke's will is Kimmimaro's will...I will abide by it." The other three watched as Jugo's hand shifted into an all too familiar demonic looking state and dug into Kobuto's chest, pulling a chunk of flesh from it and molding it into a round mass. After he took the mass to Anko's body and morphed the two together, Sasuke, Jugo, and Sakaria watched intently, unsure what to expect as Suigetsu hid behind Kobuto's statuesque body.

When Orochimaru slithered back to life, Sakaria looked to Sasuke as Orochimaru hissed out in an evil, humming tone, "Aww, look at this. The little Uchiha found her big brother after all... It's too bad. You would have been the easiest one to take had Itachi not sealed that mark on your arm and kept you hidden from me for so long. You know, these curse marks... They're like pieces of my own consciousness but, somehow, your eldest brother managed to keep me from connecting to yours, Sakaria." Sakaria shifted uneasily, holding the black pattern on her arm.

"Then you know about the war..?" Suigetsu managed to mutter, still shielding himself behind Kobuto but intent on changing the subject away from Sakaria.

"Yes, of course... and I just have one thing to tell you about that, Suigetsu." The snake sanin said, looking into his former captive's direction and striking fear into him, "And that is, I have no interest in this war at all... I mean, it is someone else's war. The only thing I'm interested now," he turned to Sasuke, leering at him, "Is your body... Yes that's right, my dear Sasuke... Then again, it's not as if I currently have the strength to steal it from you." Sasuke stared at him solemnly, unfazed by his lackadaisical threats and held the scroll Suigetsu had brought to him out.