[29] Back to the Snake - Naruto: The Last Kaguya (Kimimaro fic)

Neji's demeanor, hardened by his years in the ANBU, faltered for a brief moment. He looked at Shikamaru, then at Shino. He could not afford to lose the life of his friends.

If he refused Kimimaro's demands, Shikamaru and Shino would likely lose their lives, and he would still be forced into a fight... one where Kimimaro might take the medicine anyway. But if he complied, he only lost the medicinal dose, preventing unnecessary bloodshed among his team. Either way, Kimimaro was defecting; there was no changing that outcome today.

"Fine," Neji said, his voice dropping into a stern tone. "I will give it to you. But unhand Shikamaru first."

Kimimaro simply gave an unbothered smile, refusing to move the bone blade an inch from Shikamaru's throat.

Reaching into his pouch, Neji pulled out the specific scroll containing Tsunade's medical dose... the exact object Kimimaro had been eyeing the entire time. Neji stepped forward slowly and handed the scroll over. Kimimaro unrolled it with his free hand, and unsealed to check the contents.

"Good," Kimimaro murmured with satisfaction.

He lowered the bone blade, stepping back from Shikamaru. He looked at Neji, his expression softening back into the familiar face of a partner. "That's the trouble with smart people, they always think purely in logic. Anyways, it worked out well for me."

"Neji... give my regards to Rock Lee and Guy-sensei," Kimimaro said with a genuine smile on his lips. "And goodbye. I truly had a good time being your ANBU partner."

Before anyone could move Kimimaro flickered away, disappearing seamlessly into the dense forest, leaving Team Kimimaro standing in the silence of the woods. He never had any intention of hurting either Shikamaru or shino, even if Neji didn't give the scroll but he luck worked out for him.

The gentle dawn was just beginning to bleed across the horizon when Kimimaro pulled a small syringe from his pouch as he injected his daily dose, feeling the cool liquid steady the slow pain inside his marrow. He pocketed the empty vial and set his pace toward the Land of Sound, heading straight for the Lord Orochimaru's main stronghold.

He didn't know any status of what was happening in Otogakure as reaching out to any spies in Konoha would have immediately raised red flags, and with Neji having kept a relentless eye on him back in the village, making unauthorized contact had been absolutely impossible.

Navigating through the familiar streets of Otogakure. He moved through the abandoned corridors of the hideout like glaze until he finally stepped into the grand chamber of Orochimaru's primary residence.

"What a pleasant surprise," Orochimaru's raspy, silk-smooth voice came from the shadows. He sat casually atop his high-backed throne, his pale yellow eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Look at you, Kimimaro. It seems your time in Konoha served you well... your complexion looks vibrant."

Kimimaro knelt, bowing his head in familiar reverence, though his voice remained carefully leveled. "Thank you, Lord Orochimaru. I struck a bargain with Lady Tsunade to guarantee you would be left unbothered, agreeing to serve as an elite ANBU operative for Konoha for three years." He deliberately ensured his voice held a quiet respect when speaking of Tsunade's name; if there was anyone in the world who had earned Lord Orochimaru's genuine gratitude, it was Tsunade.

Orochimaru chuckled. "I see. Well, I am certainly pleased to see you alive, though you're returning a bit ahead of your schedule, aren't you?"

"I am at your disposal, my Lord," Kimimaro replied as urgency creeping into his tone. "I was forced to prematurely sever my ties with Konoha after a sudden encounter with Kakuzu and Konan of the Akatsuki on my last assignment. One thing led to other and Jiraiya joined our unit, and together we managed to capture Kakuzu... and extracted critical intelligence regarding Akatsuki's immediate moves."

Orochimaru leaned forward, his serpent-like features emerging fully into the dim light of the room. "Is that so? Tell me, what could possibly be urgent enough to make you abandon your post and hurry back to my side?"

Kimimaro's eyes narrowed into sharp slits. "Deidara and Sasori are currently hunting you down for betraying the Akatsuki. They intend to kill you, and according to our intel, they will be arriving here within a day or two."

"Hmm... that could prove somewhat inconvenient given my current physical state," Orochimaru mused, casually resting his chin on his palm. Yet, there was no trace of fear in his expression. "Still, with you back at my side, I hardly think I have much to worry about."

Kimimaro looked up, his gaze sweeping over his master's visage. As he took in the unfamiliar features... this host body looked nothing like the Sasuke Uchiha.

"Lord Orochimaru..." Kimimaro's voice dropped to guilt-ridden whisper. "Why are you not in Sasuke's body? Did the ritual fail two years ago?" With the implicit self-blame; he still carried the deep scar of his failure to stop Naruto from delaying the delivery of the vessel.