Naruto : Venom

Sasuke and Alvarcus’s Hotel

”Sasuke.” I say the moment the door shuts behind us both. We’re here to unload some of our weapons. There’s no need to carry around a small armory now.

”Yes?” He carefully asks. He’s sensing my sudden hostility and is wondering what could possibly have gotten me this mad.

I’m glaring at the hammocks. ”Remind me to tear those down before we leave.”

”Why?” He softly asks me.

”They remind me of Tayuya.” I’m still conflicted about her. All of her actions, every moment we shared together from her dumping water on me to stealing my innate warmth, were they all lies? Did she fake everything just because Orochimaru ordered it? Or was there actually something there?

The worst part is I’ll never know. She’s dead, gone forever.

Why is it that everyone I care about dies? My parents, my sibling, Sakura, Gina, and now Tayuya?

No, that’s not quite true. Kakashi is still around, all of my friends in Konoha are too. Then there’s Tsunade, and Shizune, and the rest of the jonin I know. Not to mention Sasuke.

”Of course. We’ll do it tomorrow morning before we go to the field. That way we know it’s done in case we have to leave unexpectedly.”

”Thanks.” I mutter as a start pulling out my various weapons. I’m only taking a pair of kunai with me. ”I’m going to go out for a bit, maybe get some food and read Orochimaru’s journal. Want to come?”

”Nah.” Sasuke waves me off. ”I’m going to take it easy. This is the last night in a long time that I’ll be able to lounge around.”

”Pfft! Where was that attitude when we first came here?”

”Yes, well I was expecting to face off against Gaara eventually not some worthless kunoichi. So forgive me if I wanted to prepare as much as possible.”

”Whatever. I’ll be back in a few hours, don’t stay up for me.”

...

Around Twenty Minutes Later

”Oh hello again!” A bubbly waitress says once she comes over to my table. I’m back at the restaurant that Sasuke and I nearly had a brawl in. ”Glad to see you’re back. What can I get you?”

”Do you serve steak? I haven’t really had a chance to look at the menu yet.” I may have been just a tiny bit distracted by Orochimaru’s journal.

”Of course!”

”I’ll take that then. With a water please.”

”I’ll bring it by once it’s ready.” She assures me.

”Thank you.”

I turn back to the worn yellow journal. I haven’t even opened it yet, I’ve just been looking at it.

What would drive Orochimaru to give me something obviously special to him? This journal is beyond well used, it’s obviously been through a lot and has been opened and closed countless times. There’s creases and bends, there’s ink blotches and drink stains and that’s just on the outside.

I carefully crack the journal open.

”Wow. Never thought that Orochimaru would have such precise handwriting. This looks like it was typed!” I quietly mutter to myself. ”Well, no time like the present.” I begin reading the first page.

”Your steak is here.” The waitress is back with my meal.

”Thank you.”

I’ll get to it in a moment.

”Uh... sir?” The waitress asks me. ”Would you like me to warm that up for you?”

”I’m sorry?” I finally pull myself from the journal.

”It’s just... you’ve let it sit for a hour and a half.” She points to my still untouched steak. ”It’s cold now.”

”Oh. I’m sorry, there’s no need. I don’t mind cold meat. I got distracted.” I close the journal and give it a pat.

”Must be one hell of a book.” The waitress says as she walks over to other customers.

”Yes, yes it is.” Orochimaru is a genius. There is no denying that. The first two dozen or so pages are him analyzing and deconstructing a basic storage seal, he broke down what each part means and why it’s there. Then he goes on to explain how all the parts link together, and on the last page in the part about storage seals he made a step by step instruction list for future reference.

Hell I could probably make a seal right now! Except my calligraphy is abysmal. I’ve only seen one person with worse penmanship than me, and that’s Kakashi. I have no idea how people read his mission reports or letters, it’s a miracle I can and I was his student!

”No wonder Orochimaru thought I could steal -er uh seal! I meant seal!- that couch. This makes it too easy. Although,” I eye my recently bought beginner’s seal kit, ”I probably shouldn’t try it here.”

”Don’t you mean ’Orochimaru-sama?’ Better not let him hear you saying that.” A cheeky female voice says.

”I don’t know, perhaps he really doesn’t care that much about the Otokage.” A male voice chimes in. ”Oops? I meant she.”

”Hello Midori.” A second male voice says and all three of the newcomers sit down.

”Temari, Kankuro, Gaara.” I greet each of them and snap the journal shut before placing it on my lap. My threads pull it inside me out of the view of everyone else. ”Can I help you?”

”We thought you could use some company.” Temari says. ”You were sitting by yourself, you looked like you could use some friends.”

”Friends?” I hesitantly says.

”Of course.” Gaara says. ”That is what we are, friends. You helped save my family, as such I consider you a friend.”

”Well alright then.” I’m going to roll with this. It shouldn’t be weird to see all of us together, especially after the stunt I pulled. People will assume it’s the Sand Siblings thanking me. ”Just don’t go telling anyone about me, will you?”

”We won’t.” Kankuro promises.

”Your secret is safe with us.” Temari assures me.

That went better than expected. Way better. ”So, tell me about Suna. I’ve never been there before.”

”You’re not going to believe it, but it’s sandy!” Kankuro opens up conversation. For the rest of the night, the Sand Siblings tell me about their home. It’s nice to just chat with people, not wearing a metaphorical mask and to let down a little of my guard.

...

Omake: Three Hundred Rubber Ducks?

In front of Otogakure’s mission board, something strange is happening. No one is taking a mission, barely anyone is moving. Everyone is transfixed by one thing, one small bright yellow thing balancing on top of the mission board.

”Is that a rubber duck?”

...

Otogakure’s Accounting Office

”What do you mean all of our approve or deny stamps have been replaced with rubber ducks!?” The head accountant roars at his staff.

...

The Kitchens

”I am not amused.” The head chef states. ”We are here to cook, not to play around.”

In one of their sinks used to wash dishes is a floating rubber duck.

...

The Prison

”HAHAHA! That’s it! I’m finally insane! There’s a duck staring at me from outside my cell! AHAHAHA!”

...

”Why the fuck is there a duck in my shower? I haven’t had a rubber duck in years!” Tayuya says to herself.

...

”This... is concerning.” Kidomaru says as he’s staring into his closet. ”Who replaced all my clothes with ones with duck designs on them?” He grabs a shirt. ”Hold on, someone sowed rubber ducks onto my stuff? What the fuck! Who does that?”

...

Sakon is starring at one of his bookshelves. ”Ukon, wake up.”

”Hmm?” Ukon groggily says. ”Uh, bro? I never knew you had a duck fetish. That’s messed up, even for us.”

”So I am not hallucinating the three scantily clad anthropomorphic ducks arranged in what appears to be a threesome?”

...

”What the shit?” Jirobo says as he’s securing on his belt. ”Who swapped out my belt buckle for a duck themed one?”

Little did he know, there was also a rubber duck glued to the center of his three tufts of hair.

”Well, whatever. It doesn’t look that bad.”

...

”ACK!” Sasuke harshly coughs. ”Who the fuck put a rubber duck in the coffee mugs?!”

...

”I’m actually impressed.” Orochimaru is starring at his lab. Usually it’s bland and frightful, but now it’s just frightful. In fact some would wager it’s more terrifying than before. ”I never knew they made rubber ducks holding torture devices and medical tools.”

...

Poof!

”Hey Al- Oh!” Shirokumo cuts himself off. ”You put a rubber duck in my web?”

Kabuto casually makes his way back to his room after a long research session. He opens his door.

Then freezes.

He slams the door shut.

”One. Two. Three.” He counts in a failed attempt to calm himself.

He opens the door again, only to slam it shut once more.

”Kai!”

The door creaks open again.

”Quack?”

SLAM!

...

Five Hours Ago, at a Store

”I’m sorry? Could you repeat that?”

”I need two hundred ninety nine fake ducks and one real duck.”

”But... why?”

”Because it’ll be hilarious!”

...

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