Team 7 couldn't believe that worked. Of course he had let them do it, and they would need another five minutes to run to the tower. But they had bought themselves sometime. Naruko speaks to her teammates. "Next time he appears I want you two to continue to the tower without me."
"No, we're not leaving you Naru-chan."
"Hina-chan, I'm not asking you to abandon me, I'm asking you to go get help and ensure I can use my kekkei genkai to its fullest." She had been practicing draining everything in a radius around her, but she couldn't do it with her teammates there. It would most likely kill them if she did. "Not only that but there are good odds he's after one of us, and if you leave me behind and he's after either of you, then I can catch up the fastest."
"Then you should be the one to go to the tower, you can get there far faster than either of us." Naruko with Sage Mode active could far outpace either of them and could make it much faster.
"I don't think we should split up, we're at our strongest when we work together." Sasuke had to admit, if he had said that several months ago he would have received looks like he grew a second head.
"You're right Sasuke, I shouldn't have brought it up. But if I think I need to use this technique you two better get the hell away." They nod at that, they would be willing to flee if only not to inhibit the Jutsu, but that would only be temporary. "Do you think we should find another team from Konoha for help?"
"Most other genin wouldn't be able to match us, let alone a Sannin. Not to mention there's only one team we could trust to help us." Team Gai wouldn't work because Neji hates them. Likewise Team 8 wouldn't work because no one on that team likes them (well Sakura likes Sasuke but that's it) and Kabuto was not to be trusted. That only left Team 10 and they wouldn't be much help against a Sannin.
"Hinata's right, we can't drag any of the other genin into this. They might not work against us, but they could hurt us just by being too weak." The foreign teams were out of the question, so they were all alone. The team was only two minutes away from the tower at this point when Hinata spotted Orochimaru once more. He had his coils active so he had definitely disabled their seal. Still they were closer to the tower now, so perhaps the proctors would notice.
"Naru-chan do you think you can use the Juubi's chakra? It would be enough to alert people of the problem." Of course the whole village would feel it, and things would get worse for her girlfriend again, but they would at least be alive.
"I don't know, I've never called it at will before. And putting you in danger is not something I'm willing to do to activate it." The other two nod, if she had to see Hinata get hurt by the Sannin then the white eyed girl would likely die.
"Can you ask Kaguya?"
"It would likely take too long, it takes me longer than entering Sage Mode to meet with her, and that's assuming she's in control."
"What do you mean?"
"I've realized that depending on the proportions of her chakra she's sometimes the Juubi and other times herself. If she's not in control then she can't help me." And that's assuming she wants to help. The woman was a mystery. She said she wants her dead yet the white haired woman also goes out of her way to be nice to her and help her when she's struggling.
"So unless you're desperate to save Hinata this won't work then?" Naruko nods, and the other two sigh. Sage Mode was still great, but the power of the Juubi could crush all underfoot. They didn't have any more time to discuss as Orochimaru caught up to them. He was laughing again and they couldn't help but shutter. It was just so creepy.
"That was an excellent use of Fuinjutsu, I'm almost disappointed I haven't gotten to see the Uzumaki use it." Of course the main reason Naruko hasn't used any Fuinjutsu is because Jiraiya chose to focus on teaching her how to counter curse seals since he wants her to remove Anko's seal. He knows what it does thanks to her but he still can't figure out the specifics like she can, so teaching her how to do basic counter seals would go a long way in her coming up with the solution.
"Sorry to disappoint, but I was dead last for a reason." Who knows maybe leaking that will make him underestimate her. Not likely given he's seen what she can do, but maybe there's a chance.
"Oh I'm quite aware of Mizuki's sabotage." The man had been one of his spies, of course he knew he was trying to stop the Kushina look alike from graduating. A pointless task, all that would have done is allow the Akatsuki to have her easier. He watches in amusement as the redhead clicks her teeth in annoyance.
"How long have you been spying on her?" Hinata was not amused. This was the second S-rank nin who seemed to be spying on her girlfriend and she was not happy to hear it.
"I've known about her since the moment Kushina found out she was pregnant." He had still been in the village at the time. He had to admit, he had been happy to find that out. He was so fond of the couple. It was a shame the Sandaime decided to cut his losses and reveal Orochimaru's experiments to Minato. Of course the old bastard only did so because he wanted a spy outside the village, he failed to think about how betraying the snake would make him turn on the village for real. Ah well it was for the best, he had been able to experiment in earnest because of it. It was just unfortunate to not be able to be there for Minato and Kushina.
"So then you knew my parents?"
"Oh yes, I was quite close with both of them. Hell Minato might have named me your Godfather had Sarutobi-sensei not banished me." That was news to all three of the genin. Did Naruko seriously have a connection with all of the Sannin?
"Naruko, your family gets crazier and crazier."
"Are you really one to talk, Sasuke?"
"Low blow."
"Enough, you two, in case you've forgotten an S-rank missing nin is still standing in front of us."
The two blush and turn back to Orochimaru. "Oops, sorry Hina-chan." Orochimaru couldn't help but laugh, he liked these kids.
"You know, I like you three."
"Gross." He couldn't help but smile as they all responded at once.
"I think you all deserve a gift." His head rushes forward. They were more than a little disgusted as they saw his neck elongating. He was going straight for Sasuke but Naruko was having none of it. In one of the rare cases of her using her hands in combat she smacks the side of his head with her open palm. The smack does little to deter him but the sudden draining of his chakra does. This was fast! If he didn't have the reserves he did he would be feeling it pretty intensely. He is forced to back off. The girl had leached quite a bit of chakra from him.
"I don't know what he was trying to do but I'm not going to let him sink his fangs into you." Sasuke nods in appreciation. The redhead had just saved him from something horrible. He didn't know what it was but that was something foul.
"He had been gathering chakra into his fangs, it was the same as the seal on Anko."
"So he was going to place that curse seal on me?"
"From his words I think he planned on placing it on all of us." The message was clear. They all had to stay the hell away from his teeth. Not that they wanted to get a close up of them anyways.
"Where the fuck are the proctors?" Anko was there when they mentioned Orochimaru's chakra. Surely she of all people would be on the lookout for him.
"They're on the way. I can sense Anko approaching with Anbu. They're ten minutes away at their current pace." Sasuke groans. That was likely too long. They wouldn't last that long against Orochimaru. The rest of their conversation was cut short as the Sannin rushed forward once more. He had grown tired of playing around and simply wanted to mark them now. They had conveniently told him that he had ten minutes to do so and then leave. Of course they didn't realize that. He would have to target Naruko, her eyes will be superior, but first he'll have to see if he can't force the other two away. Plus even if he doesn't get the redhead he doesn't mind giving her his gift.
He went straight for the Hyuuga this time and lashed out at her right side. She's forced to turn and block it but the power behind the strike is enough to send her flying backwards. She may be capable with only one hand, but her right side will always be a weakness. Maybe he can fix that one day, surely he can attach a new hand once he sways the team to his side. He's still not sure why they're intent on staying in Konoha. His spies had made it clear that the two girls had no interest in the village. Maybe if he killed off the Hyuuga they would leave.
No, that won't work. He still has valuable experiments hidden in the clan. One that could even end up accomplishing one of his many goals. He's forced to block a kick as an angry redhead comes flying at him. He couldn't help but smile. The girl looked just like her father when she was angry. She may have had her mothers face, but her rage was clearly Minato's. It was much colder and much subtler but he could see it. He wondered if she realized just how similar she and her father looked. Well she'll find out one day. He suddenly found himself bound to a tree. The Genjutsu gets broken almost instantly but in that time he finds another searing fireball headed straight for him. He found the redhead holding him in place and he couldn't help but smile. This would have worked on any chunin and likely most tokubetsu jonin, but he was an S-rank nin for a reason. He easily breaks her grip and flings her into the fireball. Naruko didn't have time to react and use her kekkei genkai before the flames engulfed her.
Sasuke gasps in horror as a horribly burned Naruko emerges from the fire. "Hinata where the fuck are you! I can't heal her like this." He could but they would both be helpless if he did. Naruko's breathing was labored. He couldn't wait, if he did she could die. He checked her pulse and it was fading. The burns were so bad. If she hadn't been in Sage Mode (or if the Juubi wasn't inside of her) she would have died. Her long and beautiful hair was in a charred ashy ruin now. It was maybe salvageable at the shoulder length but most of it couldn't be saved. He had to tacitly ignore her clothes that were burnt off and focus on the burned skin. He could tell the Juubi was working overtime but even that didn't seem to be enough. He looks up as a shadow approaches overhead and sees the Sannin standing over them. He extended his neck down toward the girl without a word.
Two things happen at once that no one had been expecting. The first was that Sasuke's eyes suddenly took on a change morphing into a shape like that of an atom. Black fire shot out of his eyes and forced the Snake Sannin to jump away. Or he would have had the second surprise not happened. His body was impaled on spikes of wood that shot from the ground, they carved a path from an enraged Hinata. He couldn't dodge as the fire consumed him. Hinata didn't have time to ponder how she did that because she had a wounded girlfriend to tend to. Sasuke was quick to start performing the Shōsen Jutsu (Mystical Palm Technique). At the same time Hinata started to apply some of the healing salves she had made. They wouldn't really cure the burns but it would make the process easier for Sasuke and would relieve some of Naruko's pain.
The girl was lucky she had the Juubi inside of her or else she would have died. Hinata noticed for the first time that Sasuke's eyes were bleeding and had changed. "Sasuke, I think you activated your Mangekyo." She could tell it was his Jutsu that did this, though it was likely an accident. His guilt had probably been what had activated the advanced doujutsu. He nods and cuts the chakra to his eyes, they are draining him fast. Then for the first time thinks about the wooden spikes impaling the still burning Sannin.
"And it looks like you have Mokuton." There was no skirting around the fact, she had used the legendary bloodline. But how? She was a Hyuuga not a Senju, so the bloodline shouldn't have been possible for her. They're interrupted by laughing from the Sannin who evidently hadn't died.
"Kukuku, my experiment couldn't have gone better. Implanting the Shodaime's DNA in the egg cells of a Hyuuga from the main branch." Hinata felt sick, this bastard did something to her mother? And potentially to her and her sister? "This was certainly my best attempt to recreate Mokuton yet." They couldn't do anything as once more he coughed out a perfectly healthy body. To their surprise the man flees. It was only as Naruko coughs herself awake a few minutes later that they find out why.
"I can still feel him, he's out of chakra." The other two nod, though both tell her to save her strength. That perfect healing technique had to cost him a huge amount of chakra, and he had used it twice. That along with Naruko draining him must have left him exhausted. "Sorry about my hair, Hina-chan." She couldn't continue as a fit of coughing erupts from her. Her lungs had been damaged by inhaling the fire as she was thrown through it.
"Naru-chan your hair is the last thing I care about right now." Her girlfriend was barely alive, she was thankful for just that much.
"You should really save your strength Naruko." He was exhausting his chakra just to heal her, but the results were showing as her skin slowly returned from a charred almost black color to a harsher red. He didn't have enough chakra to fully heal her. "Hinata we need to get her to the tower, I'm sure they have Medics there or can call one. I'm running out of chakra and she still has second degree burns." And he wasn't proficient enough yet to work on her damaged lungs. He was more sure than ever that Medical Jutsu was the right choice, his teammate would likely be dead right now otherwise.
"Can you make her well enough to move?" He nods and Hinata starts to stand guard, they couldn't afford for any other threat to arrive right now. Still there was something else she had to check. She pulls out the wooden heart Naruko gave her so long ago. It didn't look much like a heart anymore as branches had grown out of it wildly. If she had really been the one to use Mokuton then perhaps this could help her. She might have been the one causing the branches all along, so if it was reacting to her chakra then this would tell her. At least she thinks. She channels chakra into it and indeed multiple new branches sprout out of the heart. She couldn't help but wonder if Naruko had accidentally given her the key to unlocking the bloodline. She knew nature chakra was in it so maybe that had to do with it. And the genes that Orochimaru had a hand in giving her.
She shivered in disgust, how had no one known he had done so to her mother? Surely if her mother was missing for even a few days then people would notice. She was a member of the main branch for a reason! So did Hanabi-chan have it too? Or had she been the only one? Was this what he meant by his creation had done an excellent job. But that didn't sound like he was referring to her, so then what was he referring to? She's snapped out of her thoughts as Sasuke says, "She's ready, let's go." They didn't have time to waste. Naru-chan needed help and she needed it now.
They didn't get a chance to leave as the three genin from Oto arrived. The two curses, Naruko was still out of commission and Sasuke was mostly drained from healing her. They had only been given a small break after fighting the S-rank nin and now they have to deal with this shit. The Oto genin didn't even get a chance to say anything before Hinata rushed forward and knocked the one with the strange gauntlet unconscious with a kick to the head. Well he might have been dead, she hadn't held back with that kick and having chakra cut off from the brain tended to be fatal. The other two seemed unfazed as they rushed forward. "Lord Orochimaru ordered us to be rid of you."
Hinata had all she needed to not feel remorse for killing these fools. Naru-chan was still hurt and these genin served under the man who had done it. Well this is worth a shot. She tried to channel the Mokuton but nothing happened. Figures, she only managed with the heart because it was somehow linked to it, and when saving Naruko because she was desperate. She quickly activates a Kaiten to deflect the airwaves and senbon they threw at her. She quickly traps them both in a Genjutsu, though the girl breaks it quickly. She probably uses Genjutsu too. Still she was faster than the girl and managed to quickly execute the remaining boy. This time she was sure he died, as she had crushed his ribs, and landed a strike to his heart. She turns her attention to the girl, who had been about to throw senbon at her. The girl freezes up and then quickly snaps out of it. She ran without looking back. Hinata's eyes slide over to a nearby bush.
"Shikamaru, Choji, Ino. Are you three going to come out?" She had spotted them watching and waiting while she fought. Team 10 steps out of the bush cautiously. They had just witnessed Hinata kill two other genin in a span of a few seconds. "Don't worry, unless you plan on attacking you're not our enemy." She quickly fished out the Oto team's scroll and tossed it to the other team. "We don't need it."
Shikamaru nods his thanks, he was content to get the free pass and leave but Ino had to stir trouble. "What happened?"
"A missing nin sneaked in." Hinata saw no need to tell them it was Orochimaru or about the battle. She could still have to fight them in the exams after all. Ino didn't seem content with that but she didn't press the issue. The team looked like they had enough trouble as it was. They were still leaf nin, and she didn't want to cause trouble. Shikamaru would argue differently if she voiced that out loud.
"Will Naruko be alright?" Choji, ever the kind one, was concerned.
"She'll be fine when we get her to a more experienced medic, I've done what I can." Team 10 hadn't been there to see the worst of the burns before so they didn't know how bad they had really been. But the Juubi had stabilized her long enough for Sasuke to heal her.
Shikamaru took immediate note of the fact that Sasuke gave away the fact he knew Medical Jutsu, it was good info to have and take into consideration if he were to face him. "Well since you seem to have what you need then we'll be on our way." They had an exam to finish and he didn't want to get involved with this mess.
Ino was having none of that. "Shika! We're going to stay and help them!"
"Troublesome." He rolled his eyes. He wasn't going to push the issue. Naruko and Hinata were still his friends, and if the rest of his team wanted to help he wouldn't argue. He just thought it'd be too much of a pain.
"Choji help me carry Naruko, we have to be careful not to aggravate her wounds." Choji was the strongest among them and would be able to lend a hand when it came to carrying her, while Sasuke helping would mean he could check on her condition as they move. The plump boy nods and gently places his friend on his back. He had to hold back a gag as he smelled her burnt hair. It was a shame, he always thought her fiery red locks were gorgeous.