Naruto: World of Warcraft - chapter 54 (Patreon)

That man represented danger. I could feel it, his power, his attitude, everything about him shouted danger and I didn’t like it, not one bit, he made me feel weak, and I quite don’t remember when was the last time I felt like that. For now, I would remain quiet, and let him be. I don’t have much of a choice, if I speak he could kill everyone I love… so my only option is to be quiet until I have the power to stop that man, Isshiki.

Taking a deep breath, I shook my head and stepped out of the cave to see my students training, oblivious to what had just happened, and in part I envied them. Ignorance is quite a bliss sometimes. “Wrap it up, we are moving.”

My students looked at me, and nodded. In the meantime I wondered, why was I moving… the man clearly had the means to reach me without much problem, so moving was at best a minor delay for him, and in this war there weren't many people that could target me, or had the balls to, maybe I was moving to fool myself into a feeling of security once again, foolish that I was.

“We are done sensei,” Fugaku informed me, and I smiled, patting him on the head. Now that I think about it, Isshiki and Fugaku have similar chakras, as relatives would have, distant ones but still… relatives.

Blinking in shock, I looked at the Uchiha trying to understand the inexplicable connection, when suddenly Nawaki touched my back, and I felt something his chakra was also similar to that of Isshiki in a different way, how could this be… if that was remotely true, it would be the Uchiha and the Senju are related by some long lost relative.

“Are you okay sensei?” Duy asked, and I smiled, wondering what was going on. Was Isshiki where the Uchiha and the Senju clans started, was that man that old?

“I’m fine, just a lot in my head,” I reassured him, a lie to keep him out of the equation, in reality I had questions that needed answers and answers that needed explanation.

Duy smiled, “Then let’s go!” Ever so enthusiastic.

“Let’s,” I nodded, resolving to investigate the connection between Isshiki and my students after the war. I needed some answers.

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As the war continued, I kept on training, pushing my body to the limits, seeing that man had shown me, I had been nothing but a naive child playing pretend, a foolish idiot too content with the power that had been given to him naturally, a mistake I would not make again, to think I was happy being a Kage level shinobi, it infuriates me to know I could’ve died had that man decided to kill… and what infuriates me the most was… the fact he didn’t kill me was because I wasn’t worth killing to him.

So I trained and trained, pushing the boundaries of my body, breaking it over and over again, just to heal it with my power, my resolve clear, next time... I would be ready, and while it was true that training didn’t show as much improvement as leveling up, I would not stand by, I would exploit both areas… I would grind like a beast and train like one.

My training was harsh, and for anyone but me would result in death, as I had to heal myself constantly to avoid certain death as my body acclimated to the training. Day and night, I would train, as I didn’t need to sleep if I used some of my techniques to refill my tired body with energy.

“You are pushing yourself beyond the breaking point, what is going on?” Tsunade asked softly, hugging me from the back.

I couldn’t tell her, that man had been very clear, if I said anything my loved ones would disappear, I couldn’t allow that. “I just want to get stronger, don’t dwell on it.”

Tsunade sighed, “I know you feel you can’t tell me, and I will respect that…. But know that I am here for you…” at that she planted a kiss on my cheek, “We are married, and while we have yet to consummate said marriage… I’m your wife, so… try to trust in me.”

How I wished I could speak without fear of losing anyone, how I wish I could. But I was chained by the one thing most are chained, a higher power, so until the day I surpass that man, I will play my part and be quiet, until the day I can kill him. “One day, I will tell you all about it,” I smiled.

Tsunade smiled, “I will wait then,”

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[Orochimaru POV]

Raiden was scared, scared of something and that worried me, how can a man with his capabilities be scared, what can possibly scare him, this thought eluded me, and I didn’t like it, after all… if a monster like him is scared of the dark… What is hiding in the shadows? I needed to know, but asking him would prove to be a futile endeavor, he was a man that didn’t have many answers, and for the most part it was because he didn’t have them, so I would have to investigate this situation.

If there was a threat big enough to scare Konoha’s Ace, I wanted to know about it. I refused to die because of something as repugnant as ignorance, the lack of knowledge about a threat, no… if Raiden wanted to be quiet about it, fine. It made the hunt for this hidden knowledge all the more, enticing. “I will find the answers I seek.. kukuku, one way or another, Raiden,” a project worthy of my time, to find out what scares the abyss itself, how fascinating, how truly fascinating indeed.

“I don’t like that look…” Jiraiya muttered, as he entered my tent.

I looked at him and smiled, “Shouldn’t you be perving at some innocent women? It is on your schedule…” it was, on the schedule he had given us, every day at four PM he would sneak to the springs of Ame to see naked ladies.

“I… today was old people's day,” Jiraiya shuddered… so there was something that didn’t turn him on, my… what an interesting development.