The Link: Snake and Fox: Attentions and Distractions

 

The Link

Chapter IV: Attentions and Distractions

 

Shikamaru snorted with laughter as he reread what was supposed to be Narutos letter to Sasuke. The ponytail-sporting Jounin cackled some more and had had to cover his mouth with his left hand.

 

Dearest friend Sasuke,

 

Sorry if I had not been able to write to you guys, but I am all right. I am undergoing a special training right now, and it had been on short notice,s why I never had the chance to inform you. But rest assured I am okay. I will probably be back in Konoha with you guys, ready to jam, by April or May next year.

 

Love lots,

Naruto

 

Honestly. Shikamaru choked out in between gasps of hilarity. Do they honestly think were so dense so as not to see through this obviously pathetic piece of copying? I will probably be back in Konoha with you guys, ready to jam, since when did Naruto learn how to jam? Does he even know the word exists?

 

Sasuke was frowning and did not look happy. I know Narutos here in Konoha somewhere. Theyre hiding him from us. And if you ask me, my guts tell me our friends never been in a special training whatsoever.

 

He might have been sent on an A-class mission. Shikamaru said thoughtfully. But that cant be, nobody sends Shinobi on an A-class mission all alone. That would be the peak of madness. Mayhap I think our foxy little friend caused a lot of mess.

 

Sasuke shook his head. Not mess. Hed still be able to see us even if hes on a penance I know Naruto well. This has got to be a mission. But who else were sent with him? To what aim was this mission thought up for?

 

Maybe he eloped with someone. Chouji piped up through a mouthful of potato chips.

 

Shikamaru and Sasuke looked at him in perfect unison. Sasukes eyes were so big they could have popped out of his head while Shikamaru was laughing heartily as he clutched his belly.

 

Chouji, you big idiot, what made you say that? Shikamaru chortled. Naruto, elope? Well, I pity the blind girl who went with him then! Naruto doesnt even know how to court properly! What a weird thing to say! then his face returned to its normal serious expression. He ran a hand through his brow. Tch, so troublesome.

 

Sasuke blinked. Did Kiba and Neji return already?

 

Chouji nodded, his double chins wobbling. Well, I met Kiba on the way here he said he had to go back and inform his mother first that hes back. Hell be with us shortly, I expect. As for Neji... the fat Jounin shrugged. Hinata is getting worried. She confronted me last night and told me that we should find Neji shes having trouble inventing all sorts of lies for excuses. Sooner or later the whole Hyuuga clan would be searching for him. I wonder what happened to him, though. He isnt the type of ninja who has a poor sense of direction...

 

Hes right. Sasuke nodded. Im getting anxious with all of this. We need some help on the search stupid Tsunade, assigning me a bunch of losers to teach...I could have found Naruto by now and dragged him back here by his collar if you ask me.

 

Shikamaru turned to Sasuke. Losers?

 

The Uchiha only rolled his eyes. Dont ask. Suffice it to say that itd be a miracle if they even make it to the Chuunin exams.

 

Shikamaru only grinned. He was just about to speak when Hatake Kakashi rounded the corner and was walking straight toward them. Sasuke coughed and shoved his hands into his pockets and averted his gaze. Chouji busied himself with his chips, leaving Shikamaru to confront the older Jounin.

 

Yo, Kakashi.

 

Kakashi stopped and blinked, as if only realizing they were standing in his way. He tilted his head in a peculiar manner and looked at them all beadily, especially Sasuke. The Uchiha frowned back.

 

Funny. Kakashi commented. Where are Naruto, Kiba and Neji?

 

Sasuke coughed once more and walked some distance away. Shikamaru peered up at Kakashi. Something was fishy here. Kiba is back in their house, doing some chores. Neji, on the other hand, is with Hinata. We dont know where Naruto is; shouldnt you be the one telling us of his whereabouts?

 

Kakashi paused and blinked. You dont know where Naruto is?

 

Are you deaf? Sasuke snapped. Shikamaru shot him a warning glare.

 

Kakashi straightened up and fixed them all with a sharp gaze before walking on, hands in his pockets. He vanished as he went into the next street. Shikamaru started scratching his chin.

 

Hatake Kakashi certainly is funny today. He said. First he gives us a letter supposedly written by Naruto, and now he asks us where that fox is.

 

Sasuke wordlessly followed Kakashi, but when he rounded the same street, the Jounin was nowhere to be seen. He knew that sharp glare. How could he forget? The man who had recently talked to them was not Hatake Kakashi.

 

Naruto, you great bumbling idiot, what mess have you created now? Sasuke whispered to himself.

 

 

 

Tsunade was getting frustrated. And it was not good news if she reached the end of her patience because she tended to destroy tables and walls. She bit the other end of her pen really hard before scratching out the note she had just written on a Chakra chart.

 

Stupid...stupid, thing! she cursed. Blasted piece of a failed technique! AGGHH!

 

She reached for a tattered notebook that lay atop thick books about Chakra control. She flipped open the yellow pages carefully and pored over the neat handwriting on them. It was the same notebook Naruto read the Chakra Link technique from. Yondaime Hokages notebook.

 

I have recently discovered a technique involving a surprisingly low amount of Chakra. It works in a most peculiar way, I suppose, because it enables me to link with an other ninja. I find it will be most useful in missions that involve tag-teams. However, this technique has some peculiar side-effects. If I trip and smash my face on a rock (heaven forbid!), the same thing happens to the ninja I am linked with three times in magnitude. What may be tolerable pain for me might not be so tolerable for him. I have also found out that I cannot move too far from the one I am linked with, because the link somehow contracts and pulls us together. Suffice it to say that this is a nice way to get concussions. No, no, I am babbling. A Hokage shouldnt be babbling. Now, the link is done...

 

Tsunades eyes flashed as she slammed the notebook shut. She had read through all five pages of the note for the nth time, but still she could not find out any solution whatsoever. Yondaime Hokage took his liberty to discuss the funny and psychotic effects of this linking; conveniently forgetting to write down how he dissolved it. Tsunade surmised that Yondaime Hokage had linked with someone before. Drat, if only she could find out who the person is! And then, shed have to worry if the person was alive still, or was already six feet under the ground (heaven forbid, indeed!). If it were so, she could always follow Jiraiya and the others in Kikuyu and ask Orochimaru to revive the person so they could ask questions...but no, the damn snake would just refuse point-blank. Orochimaru had never been the helpful type, and he did love it when she was annoyed.

 

The Godaime huffed and re-opened the notebook. She flipped over to the third page, where Yondaime had been engrossed into discussing the wilder effects of his linking technique.

 

I do not know if I can call this link pleasant or troublesome. It is pleasant because it deepens certain bonds of friendship between you and the one you are linked with it does develop the tendency to protect each other from whatever harm. However, if you are linked with the opposite sex (I am glad I did not do so), things start to get very frustrating. The baths, for one example. But even then, something scares me. While whatever happens to me reflects back into the ninja I had linked with, the link in time opened for me a window to the others thoughts and emotions. I get annoyed when he gets annoyed. Sometimes I just laugh even though there is nothing funny in front of me. I believe this induces psychosis...I must sever the link soon...

 

Tsunade felt a chill down her spine. I believe this induces psychosis. Heaven and hell both forbid, the link induces madness? She stood up and started pacing her study, biting her enameled nails while seemingly unaware of doing it. The longer the link remained, the scarier the effects, that much she knows now. Opens a window to the others thoughts and emotions. Naruto, knowing what goes on in Orochimarus foul mind? That could be useful, but still!

 

There was a knock, and Tsunade was roused out of her thoughts, much to her annoyance. Who is it?! she shouted. Didnt I tell you nobody should bother me this morning?!

 

Hokage-sama... said a timid voice that Tsunade immediately recognized. Its me...Sakura...

 

The blonde woman shut her eyes in annoyance before sweeping all her charts and notes back into her drawer with one move of her hand. All right, enter! The door creaked open and Sakura went inside. Tsunade took a moment to examine her student now of Chuunin rank, of course.

 

What do you want now? Tsunade snapped. She did not want to vent out her spleen on anybody, but it was Sakuras fault she decided to butt in now. Make it quick!

 

Sasuke-kun...wants to... Sakura began lamely.

 

Tell him no! Tsunade snarled. She pointed to the door. And get out of this room or I will make you! OUT! Sakura looked close to tears but left anyway. Tsunade sat back down and pulled out her charts and notebooks. I cant resume your lessons until I solve this problem I have right now, Sakura-chan, I hope you understand that. The Fifth opened the notebook again and pored over the last page of Yondaimes notes about the Chakra Link.

 

The link has been enjoyable and troublesome in equal measure. However I do not want the ninja who reads this now to try it merely because he finds himself curious or have been made wanting to experience the same things I have noted here. Let me warn you that IT IS NOT EASY. It is dangerous, potentially lethal, even. Do not be misguided by my rants and brawls, no matter how exciting I made it sound. It certainly is not so. But even then, if somebody does dare to repeat this stupidity after me, read and understand my words well, whoever you are.

 

THE LINK CAN BE SEVERED IN THE MOST OBVIOUS WAY.

 

...that was it, honestly. In the next pages Yondaime had been ranting of his problems about Konoha and some other techniques not worth mentioning. Tsunade growled in frustration as she read and reread the last sentence to herself. The link can be severed in the most obvious way. What obvious way was it? Of course Orochimaru had tried everything possible he was not stupid but then, why were he and Naruto still linked?! Tsunade thought that the Fourth was wise and possibly the greatest ninja Konoha ever produced, but all of that changed now. Now she thought the Fourth was a stupid, shambling idiot who liked to leave riddles even after his death.

 

Tsunade returned to her Chakra points chart and scrawled furiously on it. Naruto would have tried to sever the link too; his skull might be dense most of the time, but then, he was quick to rectify his mistakes if he realized them. But then, the fact remained that the link was still intact. What on earth could ever sever it? Before Jiraiya led Naruto and Orochimaru into hiding, she had interviewed the blonde Jounin. Naruto did say he could no longer see the linking. If he could no longer see it, how could he sever it? Orochimaru refused to speak, though Tsunade felt he did try doing something about it. She flipped back some pages on the Fourths notebook.

 

More importantly, the link, once it is in place, can only be seen by people who have the Byakugan.

 

Tsunade thought very hard. Byakugan...she might ask for help from Neji or Hinata on this. She sighed and returned to her chart, scrawling notes and ideas, and then scratching them out anyway. If ever she did break the link, Naruto was far from having a good time afterward.

 

 

Kabuto found everything peculiar. He expected that by now, Konoha would have put up Orochimarus face in a poster and plastered it on anything that stood still long enough. Konoha would have loved to gloat on such a major victory. He was even surprised that the people seemed to know nothing about the capture of the Sounds master. Everything made it look that Orochimaru was still alive, if not kept in prison. That alone was enough to ease Kabutos thoughts and breathing. He would never have forgiven himself if hed arrived and saw his masters head on a pike.

 

He sat down on a bench, now sporting the appearance of a boy he had come across earlier. It was too dangerous masquerading around as Hatake Kakashi; Sasuke very nearly caught him back there. But that helped Kabuto, even for a bit. Kakashi obviously knew something about why greater Konoha was still unaware of their historys capture. Tsunade was up to something. Or else she wouldnt have kept her victory quiet. Did it by chance go messy? He was not even sure if Naruto was here! He had expected that by bumping into Sasuke and the others he would know where Naruto was, but he was disappointed in that department. Even the idiots friends knew nothing. Hell, they did not even appear to know that Naruto had been sent on an A-class mission all alone!

 

If I solve this mystery, I will find Orochimaru-sama. Kabuto said to himself. I must get to work quickly.

 

He stood up and went to the nearest ramen house he could find. Thinking was all very well, but he needed food.

 

 

 

Orochimaru thought he had already poked his head into every nook and cranny of what was supposed to be a house. He found no sign of food, not even a moldy crumb of bread. Somewhere Jiraiya had managed to unearth several futons, pillows and blankets. Naruto had been overjoyed to find a TV, but then kicked it anyway because it turned out to be broken. He himself had checked the toilet of course, it was wide and clean albeit dusty, and he was extremely relieved to find the heating system still worked. But apart from that...the brat was right. He could not live on a decent toilet alone.

 

Anything there? said Narutos voice.

 

Orochimaru drew away from the empty cupboard he had opened and shook his head. There is nothing here. We can hope to buy some food down in the village, if you like.

 

Naruto pouted some more and folded his hands across his chest. His eyes were presently narrowed into annoyed slits. I knew that old crone had nothing here! It was stupid of me to expect anything else, really.

 

Orochimaru blinked slowly and touched his belly. It was churning like mad. Youre hungry.

 

Damn right I am! Naruto replied angrily. We really should buy something. He turned on his heels and cupped his hands around his mouth. Oy, perverted hermit! We need money now! Cough up! and then he returned to Orochimaru. You cough up too. I only have a few bills here. And he started searching his pockets.

 

While Orochimaru tried to see if he had anything with him, Jiraiya joined them, frowning. He gave three coins to Naruto.

 

Dont be a stingy bastard! Naruto complained. I know you have more than this!

 

That is all I have with me, dont complain. Jiraiya replied easily.

 

Orochimaru paused. I...I havent any money, Naruto.

 

WHAT?! Naruto burst out. Youre one of the legendary Sannin and the leader of the Sound, and you have no money?!

 

The snake felt a vein throb on his forehead. Its not my fault if I forgot my purse when you captured me, stupid idiot! And being a Sannin does not necessarily mean youre rich!

 

Naruto puffed out his cheeks angrily and glared at him and Jiraiya. People here are so useless! that was all and he stomped out of the house.

 

Orochimaru felt the familiar pain blossom in his chest, and he had no choice but to follow Naruto outside. He could not believe that he was here, stuck in a stupid house with stupid Naruto and stupid Jiraiya and he could not do anything about it.

 

He laughed hysterically. Now he must be going mad. Not a happy thought at all.

 

Please review! Thanks!