The Third Hatake: A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 17: The Smell of Snakes

"What's wrong?" Haku asked as Naruto's face twisted, sensing something to the right of the group. 

"Is it a team?" Sasuke asked, a kunai in hand. 

"Your father would be disappointed, Sasuke," Naruto muttered, getting a shock filled look from Sasuke. "You can't feel their chakras yet?" Sasuke visibly frowned. 

"Not necessarily. Itachi-nii hasn't taught me that yet." Naruto felt the urge to roll his eyes, but held it back as he rushed forward, sword in hand, disappearing into the bushes. Suddenly, Naruto was flung back, hitting a tree hard, causing a few leaves to fall down. 

"Ku ku ku," The Kusa Ninja laughed as she took a step out the bushes, a smirk plastered on her features. "I didn't think I'd be that easy to detect, Naruto-kun, though, you surpassed my expectations." Naruto stood back up, a bored look in his eye as lightning surrounded his blade. 

"Orochimaru of the Sannin, what a surprise. To think that you have to test your skills to Genin is quite the surprise in my opinion." The female body scowled before it shifted, revealing a tall man with silky black hair that went down his back, in a light green tunic with a purple rope tied around his waist, his eyes green with black slits in the middle. 

"You're only partly correct. I want to test YOUR abilities before I make my investment." Haku threw a couple ice needles at him, but he easily dodged them before disappearing in a flash and kicking Haku in the stomach, sending her flying. 

"A Yuki? I thought you were all extinct. This is an interesting find, but I'm not interested in you." Sasuke made a few hand seals and blew a fireball, only for Orochimaru to walk through the fire as if it didn't hurt him at all. 

"To think that the genius of the Uchiha Clan would try to kill me, a Sannin, with a mere fireball, I'm quite disappointed, Sasuke." Sasuke looked at him with a look filled with fear and surprise, but was immediately knocked out by the Sannin with a quick blow to the head. 

"Now, it's just you an me, Naruto-kun." Orochimaru said as he licked his lips as he watched Naruto intently. "Why didn't you move to save your teammates?" 

"Because I don't care for them, the only one that is mildly useful is Sasuke, and that's because he is of blood, the girl means nothing to me." Orochimaru laughed. 

"Such harsh words, and to think that you saved this girl from those ninja from Kiri." If Naruto threw his head up, laughing. Haku looked up, her head dizzy and she saw Naruto laughing. 

"Saved her? You think I saved her? No, I'm using her of course. She's bringing her bloodline to Konoha, nothing more. Ha, she even thinks we have a connection. Once she produces a male heir," Naruto grinned, revealing his sharp canine teeth. "I don't care if she dies, shit, I might even kill her myself." Haku took a sudden breath, gasping as she watched the boy talk in such a way. 

Was it true? The Naruto she knew would never say that, but then again, was this the Naruto she knew? Or maybe she never knew Naruto at all? Perhaps he Naruto she knew was a fake. The next sentence confirmed it. 

"That trick, that act, it was all so she could trust me, she was so desperate for something to cling onto after he pathetic master died, only a few sweet words did the trick." Naruto began laughing. "So don't tell me about harsh, Oro-chi-ma-ru." The Hatake disappeared in a streak of grey before engaging the Sannin in a one-sided taijutsu match, with the Sannin only dodging with a smirk on his lips. 

"For someone of your lineage," Orochimaru began as he easily grabbed onto Naruto's arm, twisting it to the side til the grey haired boy stopped moving. "I'm quite disappointed." He twisted Naruto's arm one last time until a snap was heard.