Interlude 7: Namikaze(2)
Interlude 7: Namikaze(2)
"I know... although I didn't expect that reaction," Orochimaru nodded.
"Tell me... what do you want?" - Minato asked seriously. "What do you really want?
"First, I want you to support us in the invasion that we will carry out in a little more than a week," said Orochimaru as he raised one finger, then another. "Second, when you take control of Konoha after Hiruzen's death, you will become Oto's ally and give us some talented shinobi cadets to mold to our liking"
"Third, I want Sasuke Uchiha when this is all over" - continued the Sannin as he raised a third and fourth finger - "And finally... I want your son Menma..."
"No!" - exclaimed Midori angrily - "I won't let you touch my baby!"
"Hmm... if you don't fulfill all my requests, I don't see the point of our alliance" - said Orochimaru as he shook his head - "Now... how about keeping quiet while we talk?"
"Huh?" - Midori felt her body being trapped in a kind of barrier, which slowly began to tighten - "What did you do to me?!"
"What did you do to Midori?" - Minato asked as he saw how his wife could move her lips but not say a word.
"A little improvement I got by accident when I was investigating a barrier," said Orochimaru calmly. "It adjusts to the user and leaves him or her trapped, it also blocks out all kinds of sounds he or she can make... an interesting tool to be able to kidnap... don't you think?"
"Can she hear us?" - Minato asked but quickly shook his head - "It doesn't matter... I accept all your requests. When it is all over I will give you Sasuke Uchiha and my son, Menma Namikaze"
"NO!" - exclaimed Midori when she heard the blond man's words - "You can't do that!"
"I think I've got my answer..." - said Minato when he saw the woman's reaction.
"Same here" - smiled the Sannin as he made a small hand seal that blew up the prison door.
"What's going on?!" - exclaimed a jailer, only to be left static when he arrived on the scene.
"What did you do to that bastard?" - Minato asked as he left the cell - "Fuinjutsu or Genjutsu?"
"Genjutsu..." - Orochimaru answered as he shrugged his shoulders - "Now... I'm going to leave a little seal to create the illusion that you are still locked up"
"I have no problem with that," said Minato as he shrugged.
"By the way... what do I do with her?" - Orochimaru asked as he looked at the trapped Midori.
"You can do whatever you want with her," Minato replied with a scowl.
"Some very cruel words coming from you, Minato-kun" - said Orochimaru as he burst out laughing, then knocked the woman unconscious - "I accept your gift... I still need a sacrifice for my Edo Tensei"
"Come on..." - Minato nodded as he began to stretch his muscles a bit.
"By the way... do you feel nothing about making this decision?" - Orochimaru asked curiously as he took Midori and started walking towards the exit.
". . ." - Minato stopped his steps for a few seconds but quickly continued walking alongside the Sannin.
"That was a cold answer..." - he denied the Sannin.
"Why so many questions?" - said Minato with a scowl. He just wanted to get out of this place because it was driving him crazy.
"I just wanted to know how broken you were," Orochimaru answered calmly.
"I was locked up in this fucking place for 4 years without being able to contact anyone other than Midori or the fucking guards who just came to laugh in my face" - said Minato with hatred - "I still remember every single one of those bastards who came to see me like a fucking monkey in a circus..."
"How charming" - said Orochimaru with sarcasm.
"I don't care what you think... I just want to know one thing... What are we going to do in the meantime?" - asked the ex-Hokage as he looked at his ally.
"I would say that after I release your Tenketsu, use the remaining time to regain some of your power," Orochimaru said calmly.
"Try to keep yourself in good shape after being locked up with your powers sealed off," Minato snorted as he continued to move forward with his ally, unaware that anyone else was in the room.
". . ." - A deep silence fell over the place now that Orochimaru and Minato had disappeared.
"I knew it..." - said a slightly childish voice - "But I still didn't want to accept it... I was hoping that at least he would have the decency to think about it for a few minutes..."
"I told you... he never really wanted you" - said Orochimaru, or rather one of his clones, while looking at a blond boy who was accompanying him. He was similar to Minato, only much younger, about 12 years old - "To Minato-kun, you and your mother are just tools, and now that you've accomplished your goal, he'll throw you away like nothing else"
The boy could feel his anger building with every word of the Sannin. It was obvious that this had been planned by him but that did not change the fact that his father's actions had angered him.
"Now my proposal doesn't sound so bad... does it?" - smiled the Sannin as he felt the boy's emotions become erratic - "After all, you have nothing to lose, Menma-kun"
". . ." - the boy just gave the Sannin an annoying look but still nodded.
"Perfect..." - smiled Orochimaru as he looked at his new acquisition.
"I just hope you keep your end of the bargain," the boy muttered.
"I will..." - The Sannin of Snakes nodded - "I may be a traitor, a murderer, a mad scientist, but I always keep my bargains... you might say I'm the most honest traitor out there"
"My mother..." - said Menma coldly.
"Relax, she's just sleeping," said Orochimaru calmly. "After all, I couldn't kill the only thing you have left... could I?"
". . ." - The Namikaze heir was only silent when he heard those words.
He never had any friends in his childhood because the clan leaders looked upon him as a disgrace. The civilians tried to send their children but after hearing some rumors, they decided to keep a safe distance from the Namikaze heir. When he was old enough to begin his training, his father trained him as hard as possible, to the point that there were times when he could not move for days because of the pain.
Things could not have been worse for the boy, that because of the environment of his family and the constant insolation of children of his age, had caused him to develop a cold and monotonous personality, but to his misfortune things not only got worse, but everything became catastrophic.
When he was about to turn 8, the news came to him that the bastard who called himself his father had been relegated from his post as Hokage and sent to prison.
His mother was branded a prostitute and insulted in the worst possible ways by hundreds of villagers now that she did not have the protection of the Hokage.
He was now a victim of constant abuse by the other children and no one was doing anything to help him.
At first, he did not understand what was happening, but after some research, he understood what had happened. This made him feel a great hatred not only for the Uzumaki but more than anything else for his father, who was the biggest culprit in his situation.
He hated Kurama and Kushina Uzumaki for being the original family of Minato and making him do all those stupid actions that labeled him unfit for office.
He hated the Clans because they always looked down upon him with disdain and hatred even though he was not to blame for his birth.
He hated Hiruzen because he never tried to do anything for him despite that the old Sandaime always spoke of Konoha as family.
But most of all, he hated Minato because he never gave him the affection that should be given to a son. He hated Minato because he had never been there when everyone was talking badly about them. He hated him because he never thought about the consequences of his actions and now he and his mother had to pay the price.
"It is a pleasure to have you under my command, Menma-kun," Orochimaru smiled.
"I know... I just hope you do your part as we agreed... or I swear I'll kill you if it's the last thing I do" - said the boy as he looked coldly at his new teacher.
"I told you, I won't go back on my word," said Orochimaru as he placed his hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Ok..." - mumbled Menma as the two of them disappeared from the scene.