Chapter Text
Black ink washed effortlessly over the crisp white sheet of paper. The lines were sharp yet distorted, detailed yet minimal. It was perfection in its simplicity. A black branch was all it took to mark the beginning. The starting point. The foundation to all of his plans.
Orochimaru pulled his hand with a brush up and observed the black branch he just finished painting. It was of course immaculate with just the right dash of whimsy. Sumi E painting was not something he practiced often, but it would have to do in these trying times when anything written down could be intercepted.
Meticulously he cleaned the brush of the black ink until the rag in his hand held no residue. Then he took a long glance at the paper before him. His thoughts have settled over the weeks. Finally, he could detail all the steppes needed to get his Sakura back.
The brush was dipped in pink colored ink. His main objective is to find Sakura. With that thought, Orochimaru’s delicate brush strokes painted on a sakura flower on the branch. And when I find her… I will bring her here… I will have her with me… we will be together… Three more flowers bloomed next to the first one.
That was the ultimate goal, yes, but there is much more to be done until then. Orochimaru's pale hand wielded the brush like a knife as he moved on to another branch. Spy network was a necessity. Not only to find Sakura but for general survival. Another sakura flower appeared on paper. For that, I will need to scout who is alive… I will need to recruit them… I will need to give information in exchange… Three more flowers representing the steps to reach the main goal were drawn.
Next on Orochimaru’s mental list was his reputation. When he finds Sakura, there must be a guarantee that he and only he will be sent after her. And that of course cannot come directly from the sannin. Oh no. Otherwise, people would start asking questions. Danzo would start asking questions.
A flower was drawn slowly, while the man contemplated the steps needed to achieve it. Placing an idea into sensei’s mind will be easy… Convincing others will be a bit more tricky… Most likely, Tsunade will be the best pawn to use here… And discretion, copious amounts of description while I feed the rumor mills to create a narrative… This time four more flowers joined the first one on the branch.
He took a breath and looked at the final spot he planned to mark. This time a predatory smirk tugged on the corner of his lips. Danzo… Maybe I cannot reveal your deeds… Maybe I cannot kill you… Maybe I cannot dispose of the seal at this moment… BUT! I can piss you off… He almost laughed with malice as he drew the last flower. Nothing was stopping Orochimaru to prevent Danzo from gaining things he would have won in the future. He wondered, what would the old sleazebag do if he could not get Uchiha's eyes; or harvest youth from the clans; or manipulate him into doing…
Somehow, Orochimaru did end up containing his excitement from the prying eyes watching him from a distance. He calmly pulled the brush away and cleaned it before taking a moment to observe the finished painting. It was a sakura tree branch with pink flowers. Simple. Elegant. Meticulous. Just like his plans.
“What issss it, Nawaki?” the sannin finally asked, not turning his eyes away from the canvas.
The young man yelped, probably in surprise at Orochimaru's voice disrupting the silence. Surely, he was aware that the man knew all along that young Senju was there watching him?
“Oh, sensei! Sorry, I didn’t want to disturb you! You looked so focused,” when Orochimaru did look at the boy, he was standing awkwardly on the edge of Orochimaru's garden, one hand brushing over his hair in a nervous tic. Sure, he was over twenty-five years old now, but from Orochimaru’s perspective, Senju was still young, even if by shinobi standards he could already retire. Thinking about it more, it is very likely that Nawaki will become the Hoage after the war ends… Was this the reason why Nawaki was disposed off the last time?...
The sannin arched one elegant eyebrow in question. Nawaki for some reason avoided eye contact. Instead, the young man decided to approach and look at the painting.
“I didn’t know you could draw so well, sensei. Not that you couldn’t! Or that you do anything poorly! Or that anything is wrong with art! I was just surprised is all… You usually don’t like wasting time on anything… not that drawing is a waste of time!”
Orochimaru was mildly amused by his disciple's rambling. He even encouraged it by quirking an eyebrow at the right moment. No matter how fun it was to tease Nawaki, Orochimaru finally decided to end his misery. He was kind after all.
“While I do appreciate your ssssupport I highly doubt that my hobbies are what brought you here today, Nawaki. Out with it.”
The boy sighed and sat down on the wooden porch. Eyes downcast. “Sensei… I know you probably always wanted… no, expected to be… but…”
“Today if you would, Nawaki. Orrrrr I might suspect you being brainwashed due to this uncharacteristic timidness you are exhibiting.”
“Hokage-sama has started talking with me about… successorship.”
Oh. Orochimaru was not even surprised, so he giggled. “That’s all? Well, it issss about time. You are not getting any younger,” he simply stated.
Nawaki quickly looked up with surprise in his eyes. “You’re… you’re not upset with me?”
“Hm? Why would I be?” snake tilted his head to the side letting the loose hair mirror his actions.
“I… I thought… that you always wanted to be the next Hokage,” the boy's voice was incredulous, like negating such a fact would break the space-time continuum. Little did the young Senju know that Orochimaru broke the laws of the universe quite often these days.
“Nawaki. I am a shinobi of Konoha. If the mantle of Hokage were handed to me, I would accept it with great honor and dedication. Yet. That doesssss not mean that it is my lifelong dream, unlike for some people I know,” he gave the boy a meaningful glance and observed Nawaki’s shoulders slump with relief. “Besides, who else would be better suited for the job, than my own student? Ssssurely, you don’t think that Jiraiya's pupil is more worthy?”
Suddenly Nawaki was all in his personal space giving Orochimaru… a hug? Well. Almost imperceptibly awkwardly, he raised one hand to reciprocate the gesture. This was a first. And that is saying a lot considering his now three (or even four?) lifespans.
“Sensei! Kami! I knew you would support me!” the boy practically sobbed.
“Really? Ssssso you were concerned for entirely different reasons then?” again, a knowing smirk returned to the sannin’s features when they pulled apart. The boy blushed profusely in response.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” he muttered looking away. Orochimaru could only cover his mouth and giggle again. Lovely. One more bother off his plate. Besides, an older Hokage, compared to Minato, might be far more interesting this time around. To hell with the original timeline of things!
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