So due to it being my thanksgiving break and me wanting to be lazy during it I wrote all chapters over the break today and am uploading them except for Saturday because as I've said no uploads that day due to religious reasons easily uploads will resume Monday
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It was currently early afternoon, Thursday, as Hiruko woke up, his head pounding and his hand aching.
'Fuck.' Hiruko thought. Glancing at his hand wrapped in bandages, a noticeable bump showed under the bandages.
Hiruko glared at the terrarium where a sleeping Hakuja lay.
'Tsk, stupid spider.' Hiruko thought as he sat up, getting ready to meet the team at training area nine.
Walking over to a plant Hiruko brought recently, he plucked a leaf and placed it on his head, thinking about his high-colored white coat and white pants that went with it.
Ever since getting the garb-garb fruit Hiruko barely bothered to wear actual clothes; to him it was so much easier to just use the fruit.
Then walking over to his bedside table, Hiruko grabbed a hair tie and tied his long white hair that went just beyond his shoulders in a ponytail.
Leaving his room, Hiruko began to walk down the hall to Tsunade's room and knocked three times.
"Wake up, Tsunade; we need to get to the training area." Hiruko said in an annoyed tone, Tsunade always took forever to wake up.
Hearing no response, Hiruko opened the door to Tsunade's room to see her lying down wrapped in green covers. Drool pouring down her mouth.
"Wake up." Hiruko reiterated, slightly more irritated.
"5 more minutes" Tsunade mumbled half asleep.
Sighing, Hiruko mumbled in return, "I don't have time for this." He said, slashing his hand as if it were a sword.
Black lightning crackled around it as a minor force extended outward, causing Tsunade to be thrown from her bed.
"Ouch." Tsunade, who fell hard to the ground, said,
"You couldn't have tried just waking me." She grumbled to Hiruko, who looked at her simply and said,
"I did. Now get ready, and let's go." He said, his eyes drifting to Tsunade's slug Oonsee.
Seeing his gaze, Tsunade got flustered immediately, trying to throw a punch at Hiruko's figure.
"Get out!" She said, aiming straight for Hiruko's face.
Hiruko, however uninterested, simply escaped via body flicker but not before saying
"I'll meet you at the door." He said, a small smirk on his face.
…
Tsunade, now ready, walked towards the door, passing by the lounging area where Mito sat.
"Goodbye, Grandma," Tsunade said enthusiastically.
"Bye, Mom," Hiruko said simply, but his previous uncomfortability was nowhere to be found.
Though this discomfort has been gone for about a week now, Mito still couldn't help but smile when she heard it.
'Now it's time to start on step two.' Mito said in her head happily.
Outside Mito wore a smile. "Bye, kids. Oh, and Hiruko, stop by my room when you come back.
Mito said, trying to sound normal, but Hiruko, picking up on Mito's weirdness, could only say "okay," though a bit hesitantly.
As both exited the door and continued to walk toward the training ground, Tsunade, who noticed Hiruko's bandaged hand, couldn't help but ask.
"What happened?" she asked, her eyes glancing at Hiruko's bandaged hand.
Hiruko, lifting his hand slightly, said, "Oh, this? Hakuja bit me."
Tsunade, hearing this, could only shake her head. "I told you that spider couldn't be normal if it came from Orochimaru."
At this Hiruko could only shrug.
Tsunade, seeing this, simply asked, "Want me to heal it?"
But Hiruko simply shook his head; something told him trying to heal it wouldn't be a good idea.
Tsunade, seeing his refusal, simply shrugged as the two shifted gears and began talking about what they hoped to learn today.
—
As both Hiruko and Tsunade arrived at Training Ground Nine, they were met with a completely fixed area devoid of any signs of their previous battle.
"Hey Hiruko, Tsunade," an energetic voice called out, taking their attention away from the fixed area. As they looked up, they were met by the figures of Hiruzen, Orochimaru, and a waving Jiraiya.
"See, because of you, we were the last to arrive." Hiruko couldn't help but comment.
"Oh shut up," Tsunade said in return.
Walking over, Hiruko was met with Orochimaru's intense gaze; following his line of sight, Hiruko noticed he was eyeing his injury.
Immediately a force poured out of Orochimaru; the others, not yet accustomed to such forces, barely noticed it, only feeling a slight chill.
But Hiruzen, a war veteran, knew what this was.
'Bloodlust from a child this young?' Hiruzen thought bloodlust was usually something you'll only see from someone that's killed a lot, enough to the point where their aura carries the feeling of a wild beast ready to rip you to shreds, but Orochimaru, a civilian who has never stepped foot in battle, has an aura akin to it just because he saw Hiruko have an injury.
Hiruko, on the other hand, who had Observation Haki, could feel the change in Orochimaru.
'Is he angry because the spider he gifted me did this?' Hiruko pondered; he could feel the anger pouring off Orochimaru and the wanting to end whoever did it.
But he simply chalked it up to him feeling guilty.
Walking over to Orochimaru Hiruko simply put a hand on Orochimaru's shoulder.
"Relax, Orochimaru, I'm fine." He simply said with a small smile,
'Who knew this snake had a conscience?' He couldn't help but think, however, despite his remark, Hiruko was happy someone outside his new family felt anger on his behalf.
Orochimaru, on the other hand, after being touched by Hiruko, immediately had his bloodlust disappear into nothing, with a light blush on his face.
Hiruzen watching this couldn't help but think
'This is going to be a pain. Ugh, I need a smoke.' He couldn't help but think what would happen if Hiruko got more than just a minor injury.
Though that bloodlust wasn't strong due to it being fueled by anger at the aura that comes with taking life. Hiruzen could still feel if not for Hiruko, Orochimaru would've gone mad looking for who caused it.
Jiraiya and Tsunade, on the other hand, just stood there confused.
Hiruzen, sighing, began to speak. "Okay, today we'll be practicing jutsu except for Jiraiya, who needs to improve his chakra control." Hiruzen said as nicely as he could, not wanting Jiraiya to get discouraged, but the boy's chakra control was good but nowhere near the other three.
However, Jiraiya, hearing this, clenched his fist with determination, looking Hiruzen in the eyes, a smile on his face.
Hiruzen, seeing this, simply smiled and continued.
"I'll make two clones; one will lead Jiraiya, and the other you three. But before we start, do you three know your chakra natures?" Hiruzen asked.
Tsunade, speaking up first, replied, "Yes, Sensei, my natures are water and earth." Tsunade said pridefully she was pretty sure she was the only one with two affinities.
'So she has conflicting affinities too, huh? Maybe I was overthinking it.' Hiruko couldn't help but think. Though even though he didn't want to admit it, deep inside him he felt like he wasn't, plus the odds of Tsunade inheriting them were high.
Orochimaru, speaking up next, said simply in his hoarse voice, "My nature affinity is earth.
'Makes sense; even in the series he was persistent.' Hiruko thought before listing his affinities.
"Fire and water," Hiruko said simply.
Hearing this, Tsunade couldn't help but pout and shout crazily in her mind, 'Oh, come on, I lost in a fight to someone with dual nature affinities.'
Hiruzen, on the other hand, was not too surprised Hiruko had two affinities; it lined up with his abilities.
"Tsunade I know you're striving to be a medic, but learning a couple jutsu couldn't hurt, but this goes for Hiruko too; it would be better if you guys picked one affinity to focus on."
Just as he finished his statement, Hiruko and Tsunade both quickly blurted out,
"Earth"
"Water"
Tsunade picked earth due to the power she saw her uncle emulate with it, and even though she'd probably never achieve his Kekkei Genkai wood release, she could at least practice one of the natures it was made with.
And Hiruko chose water because it was, well, easy.
Hiruzen, not putting much thought into each child's pick, simply made 4 shadow clones and left them with one child each and simple instructions to have each child pick three jutsu it sees fit for each child that are preferably D-rank to start them off and allow them to choose one to practice for now before he headed off toward the Hokage tower.