Oddity by KKephemeral

Chapter 34 - People And Ambitions

A/N: I was quite glad with the amount of response I received for the last chapter. Before I move on, here are a few clarifications for the questions that came up.

1) Tsunade will not be paired with Hato (Nope, not doing that at all).

2) Orochimaru is still Orochimaru. His god-complex notwithstanding, he is one of the principal antagonists to the series, and making him turn good to pull off a swerve will hurt the story in the long run.

3) As for Orochimaru's defection, I didn't know the exact timeline. Hence, I put it here to get a payoff in the few upcoming chapters. And dare I say that I have a very good reason for putting it here. So, just hang in there.

4) Last but not least, Roku is just a confused kid who has lost the only thing she had dreamed of since her childhood recently. Obviously she is bitter and is lashing out in anger. That being said, we need to note that Tsuki actually treated her well apart from that one instance where he dashed off after Fujita. So, she doesn't necessarily view him as a bad person. Combined with the fact that Tsuki is a family friend, she obviously wishes to help him. But, it is obviously unfair to Hatorama and he is beginning to stand up for himself by refusing her outright. She will need to make some choices soon enough which will determine her future in Konoha. So, I am hoping that you folks be patient with Roku's development as she will become a recurring character.

That being said, let's move on. Hope you guys enjoy this one!

"They are lying," Anko hissed at me as I looked down on the cursed seal implemented on her neck. Several Anbu were surrounding us not giving any privacy. But, Anko didn't seem to care about them one bit.

Juinjutsu was an obscure branch of fuinjutsu that was never explored to its fullest potential. Very few understood the dynamics of the technique. A juinjutsu usually worked on the principles similar to seals on a jinchuriki. However, unlike jinchuriki seals which were solely aimed to contain the bijuu, juinjutsu seals were aimed to enhance the power and capabilities of the target.

However, the biggest drawback to these kinds of seals was that they affected the target's mind and body adversely. The more they used the power that is provided by the seal, the more they will come under the influence of the seal.

"Remarkable," I muttered causing people beside me to shift anxiously. "The seal is a form of curse. This could enhance a shinobi's chakra capability and other aspects. At least, that is what the concept behind this is."

"Then," Inoichi san asked hesitantly.

"But, how could such a thing be so easily done. The design is not complete. It is merely an experimental one. Tell me Anko, did he redo the seal after placing it?"

"No, shishou didn't alter it. He said he would alter it soon when I met with him last time," Anko mumbled softly.

"Good," I said letting out a relieved sigh, "if he had done that, you might not have survived the process."

"What?"

Everyone in the room was shocked.

"The seal had integrated into her chakra channels. If he isn't careful while tampering with it, it would have shred her chakra coils and made her an invalid," I said grimly.

"Then, she isn't involved in any experiments?" Inoichi asked the most pressing question.

"Oh no," I said shaking my head. "That's where you are wrong. She is indeed involved. Rather, I have to say that she is one of the victims of his experiments. Simply said, he has experimented upon her."

Grim silence took hold of the room as everyone shifted uneasily from my statement.

"The good news is that he hadn't tampered with her chakra coils more," I continued solemnly, "but the bad news is that he was close to creating an advanced version of the seal. In that case, he had already reached the next stage of his experiment."