SERPENT'S EYE
by: Riseha

Chapter 6
Growing Circle

x

"Here," I said quietly, offering the meat bun for Ranmaru to eat.

Ranmaru studied me curiously. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"My stomach can't take it," I replied, feeling my stomach clench at the mention of it. I'd only managed a few bites before I felt it crawling back up my throat. "I've never eaten something like that before."

Ranmaru blinked as he took a large bite of the bun. "Why not?"

"It's not healthy for me. I take drugs to maintain my health." Wow, did that sound ironic or not. I nearly smiled at myself.

Ranmaru accepted the explanation without another odd word. He was nearly finished when his ear twitched. I slanted him a questioning glance when he activated his kekkei genkai. Minutes later, he spoke, voice oddly timid: "Ano, Tai?"

"Yes?"

"Will you protect me?"

"Of course." My fingers twitched in preparation of a fight. Sure enough, the sounds of screaming reach my ears. I could sense an abundant amount of potent chakra closing on on us. "How many of them?"

"Only one. He's been killing all the villagers," Ranmaru answered, shrinking further into the shadow of the tree. I should've noticed it and get us out of here. This was my bad. The sky was churning, black clouds unfurling over our heads when the sun was previously glaring at us.

Inattentiveness was a bad habit of mine. I sighed softly, turning to face our adversary. Rain started falling, soaking through the silk of my leotard, when the shinobi finally came into sight, rounding a hut to reach us. I was surprised to see him crying.

I suppose this world was full of weirdos. It made me feel better; I wasn't alone in my oddity at all. I eyed his twin katana warily: they spasmed electricity once in awhile. "Hello," Ranmaru offered tentatively. "Do you want a meat bun?"

Before I could twist his ear like a napkin, the unknown shinobi closed the distance between us. "Don't bother trying anything funny. I will kill you," I warned, clutching the elbow of my other arm as I stepped aside. Ranmaru held out a bun.

"Did you kill them because they didn't give you anything to eat?" Ranmaru queried, sounding absolutely genuinely even though it was absolute bullshit in my ears.

"No," he said, "I wanted to kill them because ... well, I want to."

And we nodded like this was normal.

"What's your name?" I asked, eventually. I'd been staring at his face avidly for the past five minutes and I had came to the conclusion that he was ... familiar but pretty insignificant. I could remember the names of the main cast - mostly - but this guy's name blew past my mind. "I'm Tai. He's Ranmaru."

"Kurosuki Raiga. Former shinobi of the Mist." He eyed us curiously. His eyes were red and puffy from the tears but it was not really noticeable. We were all soaked through by the rainwater pelting onto our heads, shoulders, washing down our backs and fronts. "Are you two shinobi? Which village are you from? I didn't think this was a shinobi village," he added thoughtfully, finishing the bun he was holding, "I didn't see any shinobi."

"I'm not a shinobi but Tai is, right Tai?"

"Mm. It's a new village, established by my father but I left Otogakure." I glanced at Ranmaru. "You're finished, right? Let's go."

"Why did you leave?" wondered Raiga. There was an inflection in his voice that made me stay long enough to answer - the same lonely tune accompanying the twang of his words.

I looked into those dark eyes and my slitted eyes staring back at me.

"Because I was lonely."

I walked away, Ranmaru quickly following in my footsteps, and Raiga? Raiga stamped down on my shadow and refused to let it go.

"Our circle just grew," Ranmaru noted matter-of-factly.

"It's a triangle," Raiga pointed out flatly, gesturing to our formation. I walked ahead while the two lagged behind to talk.

"More space for people to stand in!" Ranmaru cheerfully told me.

I didn't look back. "It would seem so."

x

Raiga's inclusion into our team was mildly worrying. He'd admitted to being an ANBU in Kiri before he left, for the same reason I left my father: loneliness drove him away. He killed people because he had nothing else to do, because he knew of nothing but killing and killing.

I had to sleep with one eye open but so far, he hadn't tried to kill us in our sleep. My guard flexed, relaxing.

I went right for Wave Country to check on its situation. I knew it was a huge turning point for Team 7 and the only place I could observe changes made by the canon characters. I knew I was a few years older than Sasuke - and since I was already fourteen, I expected him to be about eleven or twelve.

For the record, I was wandering around aimlessly with no goal in mind. I didn't even know why I went to Wave other than to ... see it for myself.

I stamped down my surprise when I came to see an impoverished, hunger-stricken country. The streets were littered by ragged-clothed citizens and I could see their veined skin barely clinging to their bones.

"This place is ..." Ranmaru trailed off, seeing a child his age staggering by, probably starving to death. I felt a tad ungrateful for complaining about the pills I'd eaten all these years - I'd managed to function properly and I never starved, never. I just had to swallow down blandness. And even after I hunted in the forest for meat, I'd choked it out again when my stomach failed to adapt as quickly as I wish it would. "What happened to it?" asked my young prison- I mean, companion.

"A bad man took over this place," I explained, approaching the nearest stall and staring. A couple of rotten fruits. My stomach clenched in firm disapproval: you can't make me eat that, my stomach told me petulantly.

Raiga, too used to poverty and starvation in his village, didn't seem bothered. He reached for one, eyeing it, his fingernails cutting tiny crescents in the side of the rotten fruit.

"Are you buying?" the old woman's voice was thin and papery - did she have not even enough clean water to drink? Her eyes glimmered with ill hope. She eyed my clothing and lithe body - it was quite obvious that while I was underweight, I'd never been hungered to that point.

"Mm. No." Her shoulders drooped. "Do you know where Gato is?" She flinched at the mention of that name, trembling with fear. I arched an unimpressed brow: there was no need to fear that pathetic man. "I'm looking for him ... to discuss business. Point me the way."

She eyed me warily - clearly, in her eyes, no one associated with Gato was good. "Its the stronghold at the northeast of our village."

"Thank you," Ranmaru said for me when I just walked off. The woman didn't dare stop Raiga from eating her apple without paying, eyeing us resentfully as we left. I narrowed my eyes briefly at her and she quickly turned away. I glanced down to make sure Ranmaru hadn't collapsed form exertion. He trotted to keep up though I could tell it was taking his every effort to just walk. "What are you going to do about him?"

"I thought you can read emotions."

"Yes, but they don't tell me about your next move. Right now, all I feel is deceptive calmness - and some excitement. You've been at peace for awhile." Ranmaru sounded happy for me.

"I'm going to kill him though I would like to know who his vice-president is ... I have to keep the company running. I just want his money."

Ranmaru eyed me, then he nodded. "I'll help you all the way."

I did not give a response to that earnest statement.

x

I approve of the vice president as the new CEO - Futaki Yuu. He was pretty quick to get down on his knees and swear eternal loyalty once I named my conditions - which was to be the leader in the shadows and I could monopolize the money however I wished - and he could handle the company and get a large sum of cash.

I contemplated how to kill Gato after slaughtering all his thugs that got in my way - come to think of it, that might be why Yuu was groveling and screaming 'Please don't kill me!'s. Eventually, I decided to send Ranmaru and Raiga - and a few hired workers that had surrendered peacefully - to call for a meeting in the middle of the village: a public execution would occur and if said villager did not attend, they would have their heads on the slab of rock next. I was just exaggerating. But Raiga might want to use them as stress-relief. Raiga had been having a field day with Gato's hired workers.

I tied Gato up, allowing his screams of fear to be heard as I dragged him to the middle of the village.

I'd gathered quite a crowd. There was a mix reaction of horror, elation and disbelief.

"Quiet," I told Gato, kicking his ribs hard enough to utterly break it. He howled before falling silent, whimpering. My eyes scanned the crowd to make sure I had their attention. "This man that terrorized you? Well, he's just stepped down. Let me make one thing clear." My voice was soft but it sliced through the crowd effortlessly. I relished it. "I'm the leader of this land - what I say goes - anyone who opposes me will end the same way he did."

"Please!" Gato screamed. "I'll pay whoever that - "

"Raiga."

The ex-Swordsmen of the Mist turned. The left half of Kiba was raised and he brought it down. I blinked forward, ignoring the severed head - this was not what I had in mind. Hanging was less brutal. I heard stifled gaps and screams.

I had a private lesson with Father once - even though I had decapitated a corpse, it felt no different. Gato was already a corpse. "You," I pointed to a random villager, "clean this mess up. As for the rest of you ... " I paused. Ranmaru glanced up at me.

What was there to do anyway?

This village had been prosperous once. But it would take a very long time and I didn't want to waste time on a village I didn't care about. Honestly, I just wanted the money - well, whichever world you were in, as long as you had money, you would survive. I didn't think things through.

"... I want every builder you have available."

x

How often do you see your worst nightmare beheaded before your eyes and suddenly, you were saved?

Once in a lifetime if you were lucky, Tazuna thought, pinching his arm as he and his fellow carpenters assembled before the girl. She was a pale, pretty thing - she reminded Tazuna of a porcelain doll right down to that expressionless face. Her blue eyes were murky in their sunless land, her black hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She was dressed in an odd, one-piece, body-hugging clothing - purple and pink didn't seem to be her scheme though.

Giichi shuffled closer to Tazuna. He understood; they were at least thrice her senior and she could have them killed as easily as she did Gato, luckily, that huge bodyguard of hers wasn't present; everyone present was uneasy in her presence.

"I want you to build me a cottage."

Tazuna, who had been bracing himself for the death penalty, blinked, discombobulated. "Er ... eh?" His confusion was echoed by others.

Her eyelid twitched. "How hard is that to understand? I need a place to live."

Tazuna was suddenly glad she couldn't read his mind. Did this girl come from a whorehouse? Or a tree? It was highly likely she was a ninja and that meant all of them ganging up on her - and the thought made him ill and shameful - wouldn't work, especially since if she had singlehandedly slaughtered Gato's army and the man himself. Or maybe that huge dude had been the one to do the deed. Either way, there was no beating her.

"O-Oh," Giichi finally managed, looking wholly relieved. "W-What sort of house do you want?"

"I want a two-storey building, two rooms on top. You can design it however you wish. How quickly can you finish it?"

"A few months if we put our backs to it?" Tazuna mumbled uncertainly.

"Then get to it - this instant. If I find a loose brick, you're all dead."

Tazuna believed every word she said - he saw the potential to kill coiled tightly in her. A man as powerful as that dual-wielding swordsman would not simply obey a weak girl. She clearly wasn't wealthy and her pretty face would hardly get her anywhere when it came to commanding strong men: this girl herself was most likely deadlier, Tazuna wasn't stupid enough to not assume that. All of the carpenters - a good two dozen and half - nodded rapidly to show that they understood.

"Uh, wait!" Tazuna, the gutsiest of the carpenters, yelled when the girl made to leave, along with her child companion. She paused, glancing back briefly. "What's your name?"

Her eyelid twitched again - as if she was annoyed. Tazuna was pushing his luck, it seemed. The girl left without another word, grabbing the boy and disappearing in a whirlwind of leaves.

"Creepy kid, not my type, but still impressive," Tazuna muttered. "Let's get to work, boys!"

If they did it quickly, maybe - just maybe - that would put her in a good enough mood to negotiate. Their country could do with a powerful - if somewhat young, how old was she anyway? She looked thirteen - protector. Maybe they could even be a Hidden Village.

Humming cheerfully under his breath in hope of a new, bright future, Tazuna got straight to work.

x

Over three months of non-stop, bone-breaking work later, Tazuna's hopes had passed on into memory, its remains cremated and blown to the winds. The Onihime - Demon Princess as everyone in Wave called her now, for the lack of a name to be given - had no interest in moving Gato Company HQ away or try to improve their living conditions.

Still, the villagers were starving. Clearly Onihime was no better than Gato, she monopolized their country and she didn't even stay there. What sort of bad karma was this? One tyrant after another?

Tazuna wanted to riot - rally everyone and protest. At the rate they were going, they were bound to starve to death anyway. Three weeks of whispering and note-passing and planning - all dashed when the witnessed her power again.

Two weeks prior, two more shinobi had entered their village and had received their hospitality - in hopes those two could help. Sadly, Momochi Zabuza was all 'no money, no talk' and he even ganged up with Onihime.

Tazuna had heard of Tenzen Daikoku before; he'd brought an army to destroy Zabuza who was receiving Onihime's full hospitality - no idea why when they barely saw Onihime get involved in anything - and those four had sent him packing.

Tazuna did not expect to see Tenzen after Onihime had dragged him off to her cottage for a one-sided negotiation.

She'd slugged the crime boss' name through mud - and with it, the courage the citizens of the Land of Waves had managed to dredge up.

Tazuna had to do something. For now, however, it was best to get out of the way while Onihime's bodyguard and Momochi tried to kill one another in a dispute - something about traitors and group of seven swords, who knows what's up with those funky shinobi?

x

Freedom had never tasted so wonderful. I spared my father only the occasional thought, wondering if he cared enough to send a search party. Regardless, I was having the time of my life. I could kill whoever and whenever I wanted - or in my case, when I didn't want to.

I was financially secure though inactivity made me dull and restless.

Ranmaru also wanted to see the world anyway. Since we traveled so frequently to far and wide, I thought the idea of a cottage was redundant and wondered briefly why I even had it built. Anyway, living in one place was a no go. I was technically a missing-nin - if my dad had sent search parties - I was screwed.

Actually, I was screwed. My freedom didn't last long - just four months.

I stared, face faltering in shock when I saw the man sitting in my living room. It was pretty impossible to forget the man who sired you and donated 50% of his DNA to you.

"Tai, who's he?" Ranmaru asked nervously. I nudged him out of the door. "Huh?"

"Go, for a minute - and tell Raiga to stop arguing with Zabuza before he destroys my house. My father and I need to have a little chat." I prided myself for not letting my voice tremble.

Ranmaru cast me a nervous look before departing.

x

When he realized his daughter was not coming back for whatever reasons, Orochimaru did not react like a typical father: no worry surfaced, just mild curiosity. He'd been wondering how long it would take her to snap. He knew she disliked killing, he knew she felt neglected, he knew and yet - he did nothing.

Orochimaru was not made to be a father. He'd never given much thought for children of his own. Guren, Kimimaro, Jugo and all those children that grew up devotedly loyal to him ... they were easy to mold, easy for him to pull their strings and he spared no second thoughts for them.

But Taipan ... the girl he'd given a name and life and personality to ... he never attached strings to her. He trained her, taught her everything she would need to survive in this world and come up on top, and watched. He gave her missions, he strengthened her, he laid out the stepping stones, and observed.

Their interaction was short but Orochimaru had sensed no animosity - just a gap between them, silent and full of empty slots that should be filled. Neither of them reached out - Taipan because she didn't know how, Orochimaru because he wanted to see something happen.

His daughter had no initiative, no will, no ambition despite her power. She did not crave immortality. Her eyes grew emptier with every mission.

When Taipan upped and leaved - without a word - Orochimaru felt ... something akin to relief.

She wasn't a burden. Orochimaru had grown used to her and spending time together he supposed ... when he wasn't learning new jutsu or waiting for a new scroll his incompetent subordinates were supposed to pass up yesterday, Taipan was there to interact, to fill his time with.

Orochimaru did not plan for Taipan to exist. He had no future mapped out for her. Taipan had every right to get what she wanted - whatever it was.

Orochimaru only asked one thing of Taipan: backbone.

Taipan obviously despised her occupation as a ninja and yet ... not a complain, not a word against ... how could she let someone - even her father - push her around like that? She made a puppet of herself and Taipan was the only one Orochimaru did not want to turn into a puppet.

It wasn't love.

"Taipan," Orochimaru drawled, voice sickeningly sweet as he studied his daughter - still the same poker-face, same style of dress, still beautifully broken. "How have you been?"

She blinked her mother's azure blue eyes. "Um. Oh. I've been ... fine."

"Happier?"

"Free," she corrected softly, still by the door, probably ready to bolt.

"Relax." Orochimaru motioned for her to sit on the sofa she'd furnished herself. She, hesitantly, did, eyeing him curiously. "I'm not angry if you're wondering. I was simply ... concerned about your well-being. After all, this is the first time you've been alone in an unfamiliar environment, is it not?" Though she had done very well as the Demon Princess.

Fourteen and his girl was the ruler of an island - oh how quickly children grew up. Orochimaru smirked, amused.

"I'm doing well on my own," she assured him, looking anxious to kick him out.

"Who is that boy? And this Raiga man?"

"Ranmaru," she replied in clipped tones - she did not wish to discuss it. "Can we get straight to the point?" Softer, she asked, "Are you going to bring me back?" Apprehension flickered across her face before disappearing - as if Taipan had quite forgotten how to hold on long to an expression. More likely, she hadn't been taught how to.

"Of course, I'm not here to drag you back kicking and screaming. Contrary to popular belief, I am not an overprotective father. Your are a ninja and as such, an adult capable of making her own decision." Taipan blinked in mild disbelief as she looked him up and down, as if to check his authenticity. "I am merely concerned of your capability to survive."

Taipan blinked again - offense taken to heart, he supposed. "I am perfectly capable of handling myself!" she protested, suddenly a child with that one sentence.

Orochimaru's lips stretched into a smile. "Daughter, even though we no longer live under the same roof, I was hoping we could still ... of course, maintain cordial family relations."

"You want a favor?" Taipan cottoned on immediately. Orochimaru could sense the relief - perhaps she was expecting something much worse like the Talk or he wanted to betroth her to someone. But if he did, it would be Kimimaro due to the kekkei genkai that boy had, and come to think of it, that was not a terrible idea. It wasn't like Kimimaro and Taipan hated one another. Furthermore, Taipan and Kimimaro were undoubtedly attractive in comparison to their respective genders.

"Yes."

"What is it?" she inquired.

"If you can prove yourself by succeeding this ... task, you'll be emancipated - I will see you as a legal adult. Which means," he droned, "I cannot order you back home and you can remain here and do whatever you wish. It would be preferable that we remain in contact, sweetheart - surely, you do not despise me?" Orochimaru studied her.

Taipan pursed her lips. "Of course not," she said, "I'm merely ... it's nothing. What do I have to do?"

"I'm planning on invading Konoha, as you would have known had you remained in Oto." Orochimaru paused to let that sink in. "I plan on allying myself with the Kazekage - however, he is troublesome to me with his own way of dealing things." Orochimaru tsked in distaste, crossing his legs out of annoyance. "I decided to masquerade as him - he will meet you, in a week. You will be going under the pretense of ambassador. I have an old friend who can guide you there."

Taipan wrinkled her brows instead of displaying outward surprise. "... And if I don't succeed?"

Orochimaru smiled cryptically. "One last lesson, Taipan - and if you still fail to kill him - well, at least I will be leaving with the peace of mind that you'd finally stood up to your father."

It wasn't love.

And he gave her the Sword of Kusanagi and stood back.

x

Killing the Kazekage, Rasa, would be tough enough without having to bother with idiotic villagers that hired Konoha-nins to protect the village builder. Connect the Land of Waves to the mainland so that my company would lose its influence? Fat chance.

I'd been informed that Kabuto would be the one luring the Kazekage and his advisers out and he would, of course, provide support when I was in a cinch. I was hoping I could do it without his help - I wanted to prove myself. I still thought the deal was too good to be true but I was willing to chance it - maybe Orochimaru didn't think I could kill Rasa, but I'd try.

Naturally, Ranmaru would be going with me.

I'd experimented with his eyes - that had no name - that he'd inherited from his mother. It seemed to be a combo of Sharingan and Byakugan; it could also intercept other bloodlines for a brief moment and cast powerful genjutsu and transfer Ranmaru's lifespan to someone else.

Basically, I'd picked up a very useful tool.

My father had made himself at home in my cottage - something I wasn't exactly happy about - and Ranmaru was crept out. He took refuge in my room and it was an unspoken agreement that we shared the same room so Dad could sleep in his room. Raiga who had thus far, enjoyed Mother Nature's hospitality, wasn't really bothered. Raiga, while likable, could be quite dense: the creepiness my father wore like a shroud rolled off Raiga like water off a duck. I liked him so much more for that.

"Konoha-nin?" Father licked his lips at the thought. "Maybe we should pay them a visit ... "

I dimly recalled that it would be Uchiha Sasuke's Team. "Father, one of them is an Uchiha." I felt Father freezing, however subtly.

"If you'd excuse me, Taipan, I think we should postpone today's training ... " He was gone by the time I turned around to look at him. Kakashi would be having a major fight in his hands.

Ranmaru sidled up next to me, red eyes glowing as he squinted into the distance. "Your father is ... um ... "

"He's not evil," I offered mildly. "He's just hard to understand and ... odd, I suppose." He'd make an alien from Mars look normal, I added sardonically in my mind.

"You don't say," Ranmaru muttered. "You have the same lilac markings - I thought it was make-up; it isn't?" My hand subconsciously reached up to touch my eyes.

"I suppose not," I muttered. "I'm going to train. You should, too."

Ranmaru's training was extremely different from my own. It was his body that prevented him from becoming a truly lethal ninja, not his chakra. His legs would collapse after an hour of vigorous activity. His use laid in the ability of his eyes: to disable Rasa's Gold Sand, I would need Ranmaru.

The advantage I had was prior knowledge and preparation. I could roughly sketch out his abilities - basically, it worked the same way as Gaara's sand - and if I got everything down right ...

I picked the butterfly hairpin from the table and went back to my plan.

x

"Uwah!" Ranmaru reeled back from the window where he'd been gazing out. The Wave Country was pretty shitty, especially the village, but Ranmaru could still enjoy the sights. It was marginally better than the limited view he had from his hut. "He bit him!" Like a vampire, he silently added.

He saw the silver-haired ninja crouch beside his black-haired student as Orochimaru-sama - if Taipan respected him, he would too - disappeared from sight, probably Body Flickering to where Taipan was. Ranmaru scanned the area before dashing out to where Taipan trained.

"Tai!" he called.

"Quiet, boy," came Orochimaru's silky hissing instead of his protector's colorless voice - and it still amazed Ranmaru how different father and daughter acted. Ranmaru froze, mechanically rounding the tree to see the source of the voice.

Taipan was asleep - Ranmaru could detect that it was a natural state of unawareness at least - and she rested uncomfortably against the tree trunk. Orochimaru's chakra reserves were depleted of about twenty to thirty percent - the silver-haired ninja had put up a good fight. Ranmaru saw how Taipan's father didn't look as immaculately creepy as he usually did - and was his hair several inches shorter?

"Did she stay awake all night?" Orochimaru inquired, having been absent since last afternoon - a blissful absence, he seemed to be leering at Ranmaru a lot.

Ranmaru nodded. "Yeah, I saw." Taipan took the matter of her freedom - and by extension, the death of the Kazekage - very seriously. "She returned at dawn, I think." Ranmaru had to admire Taipan's dedication - her morals were as bent as a U but she had her priorities straight.

"Silly girl," Orochimaru chided even though his daughter was asleep - the dark smudge around her eyes caved in deep, blending with the purple markings she'd inherited from her father. Ranmaru tensed suspiciously when Orochimaru reached out for Taipan, slipping an arm behind her shoulders to support her and the other beneath her knees, carrying her pretty effectively.

Well, Taipan's waist was almost as small - or smaller - as Ranmaru's. She would be pretty light, he supposed. Ranmaru followed warily as the older male carried her back to the cottage.

To ensure her relative safety, Ranmaru followed.

x


To make up for the late update, here's an extra long chapter. If you have any theories or suggestions, feel free to speak up. I'm going to need the inspiration anyway.

R&R