Chapter Text
Hound is in the middle of an ANBU mission when things, predictably, go to shit. It's almost expected. On paper, the mission looked to be easy. Missions that look easy on paper always end up going to shit somehow, it's like a silent law of the universe. All his team had to do was travel unnoticed to a little town called Kamakura and extract an intelligence agent infiltrated in one of Orochimaru’s labs who believed his cover had been compromised. Simple enough and not less important for it. Or at least easy enough as long as their intelligence is still correct and Orochimaru is nowhere near the premises. The only hurdle of the mission is supposed to be that they have to manage it without making themselves known.
Easy but delicate.
The difficulty resides in that Kamakura is right next to the border of Hidden-Stone Village and as such, heavily monitored by that village. Hidden Villages, as a rule, are paranoid. Border patrols are taken seriously even during peacetime. Even if this particular peacetime has been stretching far longer than the previous ones, it's not due to the new leadership being especially shy about conflict. This peacetime exists because none of the Villages can afford a war just yet, however, the longer peacetime lasts, the more prepared the Villages are. And everybody is uncomfortably aware of that. As such, waiting for their agent to make contact had been stressful enough.
Which is why, once the agent had met them on the extraction point without, Hound had breathed a sigh of relief. The mission was not done just yet and he knew better than to relax but leaving immediately would mean the chances of discovery would lessen significantly. There are no good trees around them but those hard to find outside of Fire Country and these ones serve their purpose well enough. Nobody hides better amongst the trees than Konoha’s ANBU. They’re all silent, their breaths not even ruffling the leaves that hide them.
So far, so good.
Of course, that is when things start going south. When Hound lets himself be seen and signals for the agent to follow, eager to lead his team back to Konoha since things going to hell closer to their borders would be better for them, he’s stopped by the agent’s rushed words, murmured lowly but still pressing, insistent. “Orochimaru has DNA samples of Konoha’s blood limits. He has been creating clones.”
Which is both surprising and not. He left in a rush, there is no way, absolutely no way that he managed to somehow preserve many of them before making his escape. Meaning that he likely took samples of the clans he is most interested in: the Uchiha, the Hyugga, maybe even the Aburame. Of course, Hound and his team know of Orochimaru’s obsession with understanding all shinobi techniques. His obsession can and has translated into understanding blood limits as well. That Orochimaru has been experimenting with clan children is the whole reason why he got kicked out of the village. As cruel as it sounds to say, civilians as a rule have little sway in a militaristic state.
And so, that he has those DNA samples? Worrying but expected. The man had had little warning but at least enough of it to know he was discovered, he must have packed everything and anything he wanted to take with him that he deems essential. Amongst the black ops there’s also the silent understanding that Orochimaru had to have had inside help. There’s no way he could guide experiments that are so well documented and funnel as much resources as he did on his own. What is to say that whoever helped isn’t still backing him? But clones? That is new. And extremely dangerous.
Still, though Hound knows he should be thinking more along those lines, about precious resources stolen, about their own advantages possibly being turned against them in the battlefield, and yet all he seems to be able to think about is Kinoe, wide-eyed and tiny as he begged him to cooperate because the kid didn’t want him dead even if the mission would have been easier to handle that way. A shred of kindness shown had been so strange and so precious that the kid couldn’t manage to follow through his orders even after brutal conditioning.
Hound remembers the labs, the tiny bodies of dead children cut open in metal tables. ”Any survivors?”
If there are none, his team can and should get back to Konoha and report this to the Hokage. The best option would be to blow up the entire lab and hope that Orochimaru has no more samples to work with. A vain hope, of course. Yet, the fact remains that they’re too close to Stone to manage that sort of operation with the resources they have now and an explosion so close to the borders that can in any way shape or form be connected to Konoha might just spark another war, depleted resources or not.
But he doubts that even an inexperienced agent was sent to infiltrate Orochimaru and an experienced agent would never delay an extraction if not necessary and Hound already dreads whatever comes out of the agent’s lips. If there are survivors, the easiest, safest option would be to ensure that there are no more and be done with it, eliminate the bodies, so as to ensure Orochimaru doesn’t get the material to further his experiments. Hound already knows that’s not the decision he’s about to make.
”A girl,” the agent informs them, brown eyes almost hesitantly tracing over all of them. It almost makes Hound twitch with the urge to hurry him up. But the man continues before he can. “Of Hatake and Senju blood. She’s not a clone, more like… Uhm… Artificial offspring.”
Artificial offspring? What is that supposed to mean? Hound has so many questions, and yet now is not the time to ask them. He’ll have his answers, in the future. Right now all he has to do is get himself under control and handle the situation. One step at a time. And still… Hound’s ears feel like they’re ringing, for a moment he simply stops breathing. There’s panic expertly hidden behind an ANBU Captain’s expressionless facade. It’s not the time for it, it really isn’t and he’s trained well enough that this is no excuse. So he forces himself to take a deep breath and then exhale slowly.
The agent is not aware of any of this, of the sudden stillness of the team, because ANBU identities might be supposedly hidden but it’s something of an open secret just who Hound is, still the agent continues his explanation. “She’s being moved tonight to another base. Orochimaru wants her trained.”
Of course. That’s just perfect. It forces Hound into a corner. There’s no time to wait for back-up and there’s no guarantee that Konoha will be able to find her again. But they can’t afford to leave the child behind. As far as Hound is concerned, she’s of Konoha and Konoha doesn’t leave her people behind. And… dammit, she’s one of his and Kakashi has lost enough people already. He won’t lose another without a fight.
He can’t afford to think about the specifics, not at the moment.
Further, Orochimaru must want to train her for a reason. His team is relatively rested, they’ve found no opposition. But a confrontation with Konoha’s ANBU near the border of Stone is dangerous and can be viewed as an act of war. A hit-&-run is the best plan. Ambush the enemy, take the girl and dash back to Konoha going all the way around instead of directly. They might be noticed but at best they can be accused, nothing more. Not if they don’t allow themselves to be captured or killed. And they won’t.
“Do you know the route?” As captain makes sure that his voice is cold and composed, it will not do for his team and this agent to notice the nervous energy brimming under his skin.
The agent nods sharply in answer.
Hound gestures for the man to guide them, it is always better to know the terrain before they confront the enemy. It will also mean more time to prepare the ambush. As it stands, they need all the advantages they can get. This just transformed from easy but delicate to complicated and just as delicate.
The ambush is going far too smoothly, suspiciously smoothly. Hound doesn't trust it, can't afford to trust it. He’s waiting for the other shoe to drop even as he takes the opening to charge for the box/cage where the informant has told them the girl is kept. He doesn’t even try to open it. There is no time and no advantage to that. It could be easier to carry but there's no guarantee that Hound will be able to open it fast enough for it not to be a problem. Using shadow clones to carry the thing will be costly, but also necessary if they wish for the plan to go on correctly. Hound makes sure that the box is as secure as it’s going to get and only then, he throws the smoke bombs both at his feet and around him.
He’s moving even before the bombs touch the ground, sure in the knowledge that he smoke bombs will both signal to the rest of his team that he has what they came for and that they will cover their retreat. It’s not enough. Which is not exactly welcome but it's also almost relaxing in how expected it is. They are followed all the way to Grass before they manage to lose their tail and by the time they do, Hound keeps them going anyway. Long enough to be absolutely sure that there's no way some particularly persistent pursuer catches their trail again and catches up with them.
Hound has his team camp near the ruins of Kannabi bridge. He needs his team better rested in case of ambush, it's better if they're far too cautious and nothing happens than relaxing before shit inevitably hits the fan. They’ve been moving non-stop for days, he needs his team rested enough that it won't slow them down, especially with extra cargo. The box is still locked and the captain is almost scared of what they will find once they manage to open it. A kid in a cage, it seems like far too much wariness. Then again, and this thought gives Hound pause, Orochimaru doesn't seem to be the kind that'll stop an experiment just due to logistics.
Thinking about this isn't helping. Being so near the ruins of Kannabi Bridge is not helping his mental state any, either. Hound can feel his skin break out in hives. He’s half expecting rocks to start falling down, or ambushes by Mist’s ANBU. By the nervous energy he can feel from his team, they feel the same. Either that or they had picked up on his restlessness. Both are possible. Neither are ideal. Nobody likes a jumpy ANBU, an entire team makes it even more dangerous.
The Land of Grass is made mostly of rivers and fields of grass so hiding a camp is made particularly difficult without spending chakra on an illusion. As a rule, Hound likes his team saving up their chakra as much as possible. Better to have it and not use it than use it and then not have enough when necessary. When they're about to give up and accept the need for illusion, they’re lucky enough to find a cave big enough for all of them, even if it’s a little cramped. Hound is not happy about the cave aspect but they can’t afford to waste the chakra and it's serviceable enough to make do. Hunting is out of the question, they were being followed and although Hound is sure that they lost their pursuers, he will not risk it. The entire team plus one sit around the small fire they have started on the very back of the cave, eating ration bars when there’s a clicking noise from the box.
It catches them by surprise. The entire team is ready for an attack in the blink of an eye but there’s nothing more, no sound, no movement, nothing. The captain notices that one set of the various chains of seals surrounding the cage have gone dark. He steps forward, gesturing for his team to stay back. Hound is prepared for anything from a perfectly healthy small child to a far too small lifeless body. Given his discovery before Orochimaru went rogue, officially, he’s one of the few who already has those nightmares. There’s little need to traumatize the rest of his teammates when Hound can fend for himself.
Takeko knows that something is not quite right. She just doesn’t know what it might be, she can't stop her curiosity. She would really like to know and yet, there’s a resigned sort of nothingness in her chest; ever since she’s been here, and she's been here for as long as she can remember, nothing happens to her. She hopes for something, anyway. Maybe, for once, she'll have a story to tell Kurama and not the other way around. The click of the door tells her it’s no longer locked but she knows better than to come anywhere near it. She ignores the seals buzzing around her and concentrates on her clothes. They’re not new but playing with the hem of her shirt gives her something to do. There’s warmth coming from her seal and she smiles, feeling a little better.
There was a time, before, when there was a world around her instead of always darkness. She doesn’t remember it, but Kurama does. He remembers it, even if he remembers better the time before they were Takeko and Kurama, back when he was only Kurama, all by himself. Sometimes he tells her stories about how it used to be, long before she was born. Kurama is very old and so, he has many, many stories to tell. Takeko looks up as someone comes inside her space. She’s not sure she likes that but she says nothing as the man makes his way inside. It's not a new experience but it's also not an every day one either. He’s nobody she knows. Not the old lady with her brisk tone and cold hands, nor the redheaded man with an easy smile who can be convinced to play with her, sometimes.
He’s a lot taller than she is, with his black pants and black shirt almost hidden underneath his grey vest. His hair is the same colour as hers which makes her smile but Kurama is growling as soon as he glimpses something on the man’s back. So she watches him warily and stands still. Kurama’s nervous and she doesn’t like it. Kurama is old and very smart, he knows many things that she doesn't. The man comes closer and Takeko scrambles back, unsure still. The man tilts his head at her but stops moving and after a while of looking at each other, Takeko decides she’s curious and he's boring. Boring, yes, but also the one new addition to her space and yet Kurama doesn’t want her anywhere near him so she ignores the urge to go poke at the new addition.
It’s hard, though. Still... She knows better now, she used to go poke at the new seals even after Kurama warned her. She doesn’t anymore. So Takeko tilts her head to the side, just like the man in front of her, and watches him. The man slowly lowers himself until he’s sitting on the floor but she still stays where she is, unless Kurama says it's fine, she's not approaching. The man's silver hair contrasts with the darkness all around them but unlike hers, his hair is spiky, it stands straight up in his head. It shines, reflecting the low light of the seals around them both. She wants to tug on it, see if it's as stiff as it looks. Movement distracts her from her thoughts, startling her just enough to make her take another step back.
He places the weird stick-like thing on his back next to him before pushing it out of reach. It seems to calm Kurama slightly so she takes a step towards him but Kurama growls at her again.
She pouts.
The man hesitates and then unclasps the little pouch from his leg and puts it next to the stick-thingy, she still doesn't move. Takeko doesn’t want Kurama to be angry at her and he will be if she doesn’t listen to him. The man in front of her takes his mask off and leaves it next to his other things. Takeko thinks about it, curiosity slowly getting to her. Her friend doesn’t want her close to the man but he has not said a thing about the man’s things! And Takeko is curious. It should be fine, as long as she keeps away from the man with the spiky hair. So she edges around him, stopping every once in a while to make sure he hasn’t moved and snatches the mask before running as fast as she can to her original spot. She peers at the man but he hasn’t moved. Good. He’s just watching her but Takeko ignores him, it doesn't matter, she has new things to explore now.
Takeko sits, sure that Kurama will tell her if the man does something she should be aware of and investigates her new mask. It’s too big for her head, she knows but she tries it on anyway. Putting it back on her lap, she touches the little ears. She likes them, she thinks. They’re cute and they remind her of Kurama when he’s excited or happy about something. She won’t tell her friend that, though, Takeko doesn’t think that he’ll like that. The design on the white surface of the mask would be prettier in lilac, she remembers pictures made in that colour back when Kurama was teaching her the colors’s names. Or maybe it should be orange, like Kurama.
Days when Kurama teaches her stuff are always nice, after the lessons Kurama usually tells her stories about the time when he and his siblings were young. He had shown her the field of flowers they had played in, he couldn’t remember the smell or the exact form of the flowers but he had spent a long time telling her the name of the colour of each one. Takeko likes those stories very much. He didn’t talk much about his siblings, no matter how much Takeko had asked but she knows at least enough to recognize them.
The man sighs and she looks back at him, hugging the mask to her chest because it’s hers now! Takeko had forgotten he was there but she won’t let him take her new mask away. Kurama sighs in the background but doesn’t say anything else so Takeko ignores that, concentrating on the newcomer instead. The man doesn’t try, though, he just drags one hand over his face with another sigh. Maybe he’s tired? Sometimes Takeko doesn’t go to sleep when Kurama tells her to and then she’s tired. Maybe the man did the same.
“I’m Hound,” he tells her.
And Takeko frowns at him because no, he’s not. She remembers Kurama telling her about hounds and other animals; and the man in front of her is the wrong shape to be one. Kurama laughs at her, amused and gruff but as patient as he always is with her. Kurama explains that the man is not saying that he is a hound but that he’s called Hound much like Takeko is a girl but is called Takeko. That makes more sense, even if it’s a weird name.
“I’m from Konoha. I’ll take you with me, you will be safe there,” the newcomer adds, when he realizes that Takeko isn’t going to answer him.