Snakes are Venomous, Flowers are Poisonous

Chapter 9: Messages

 As soon as Orochimaru had returned to the Orochi compound, several summons had been sent out to travel across the Five Nations. The first to reach their destination was Akane, who found herself slithering into a cave opening after the sun had just set. A small fire guided her towards three shinobi who were talking quietly as they ate a sparse meal. They were about a week's travel from Konaha, but for a summons, it was barely any effort to locate someone they needed to deliver a message to.

"Oh, Akane-chan, what are you doing here?" A gentle voice called out to the snake, who excitedly climbed up the extend arm offered to her. Konan giggled as Akane's scales brushed against her and indirectly tickled her. The snake's bright red scales shone beautifully in the fire as she loosely circled Konan's neck to perch on her shoulders.

"Master has a message for the three snakelets."

"We're hardly kids anymore," Yahiko snorted.

"A parent will always see their young as hatchlings," Akane insisted, while Yahiko rolled his eyes but smiled, nonetheless. The three had a rough time coming to terms with Orochimaru becoming their legal guardians, but after a month or so of living in the Orochi compound, they discovered that it was perfect for them.

Anko might have attached herself to Konan's hip, and Kushina was constantly coming over or dragging Nagato and Yahiko out of the compound, but it was Orochimaru's gentleness that won them over. The first time they had met, he was simply their new sensei's teammate who wanted to kill them. But now, he was the one who made sure they had enough to eat, were safe, met all their needs, and was the one to stay up and hold them when nightmares of the war resurfaced.

Now, they wouldn't hesitate to do anything the man had asked of them, even if Yahiko constantly brought their first meeting up in jest.

"What is the message, Akane-chan?" Nagato's voice was soft and hard to hear over the crackling of the flames, but his teammates-part-siblings never had any issues.

"Master has taken on a new apprentice."

"Oh shit!" Yahiko yelped.

"Who is it?" Konan asked.

"Her name is Haruno Sakura."

"Haruno? That's not a shinobi name." Yahiko pointed out.

"I do not know much more than her name and that Yua has taken quite the shine to her." Akane spoke simply. "Master wishes you to come home as soon as you can to welcome her properly."

"A new little sister," Nagato smiled brightly. "Anko is going to have a lot of fun, isn't she?"

"That means we should hurry this up," Konan chuckled. "Just to make sure we can keep her out of Anko's hands."

"Tell Oro-ba-chan that we'll be home by the end of the week," Yahiko nodded determinately. "We wouldn't want to be late to meet our little sister."

"Master will be overjoyed to have all his hatchlings back in the nest."

After sharing the three's dinner, Akane continued north towards the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass. Her next recipient was staying in a small village close to the border, which allowed it to house many weary travelers. At the village's bathhouse, Akane slithered close to the warm pools of water before spotting him.

Jiraiya was sitting strategically close to the wooden fence that was separating the two sides of the bathhouse, and looking through a small hole in said fence. Hissing, Akane slid into the water and dove deep until she spotted her target. If a snake could smile, she would be beaming in pride at the loud, ear-splitting scream of pain that came from the Toad Sage.