Chapter 23: Dual Purpose

It was during one of the now more frequent clan meetings that Itachi attended out of respect more than anything that Orochimaru made a surprise appearance. The room went silent and all attention focused on him upon his entry.

"I apologize for interrupting your little meeting, but I have some things to discuss, a proposal if you will. The Chunin Exams are coming up soon, and as a budding village, making an impressive showing at them would go a long ways to seeing my little experiment legitimized in the eyes of the major villages.

"I do not expect an answer immediately, though as the self named Kage of Sound, I will happily vouch for any teams who see fit to enter into the exams. My only request is that Itachi gets paired up with someone of my choosing. Worry not, as they are acquaintances and I wouldn't risk losing such an asset.

"However, I'd like to say that negotiations to make an appearance in a neutral environment will take considerable time, so the sooner you answer, the better the chance of the negotiations being successful. Thank you."

He left as he'd entered. Itachi sat in silence as he waited for the discussion to begin.

"This is perfect!" One younger member exclaimed. "We can show Konoha what exactly they've lost by shunning our clan."

"But Orochimaru is an international criminal," another interjected. He was the oldest member of the clan Itachi knew. "I doubt the 5 major villages will sit idly by as he sits within their grasp."

"That would violate the laws around the Chunin Exam. Anyone foolish enough to do it would be guilty just as he is," Kenkyo pointed out.

"Laws can be overlooked if the result is beneficial to enough people," the senior member said.

"It would send a poor message to minor villages," Kenkyo retorted. "How are they to trust the neutrality if the large villages can so easily break it."

"They would never be so petty," the senior member said. "You know as well as I do that villages like Konoha and Iwa don't care about all the minor villages. Breaking laws at their expense is absurd and you know it."

"But they don't," a fourth member said quietly. "But they do know that the big guys don't care, like you said. They essentially violated them for their own gain. What's to stop them from overstepping more laws for personal gain after this? Orochimaru is making a gambit."

"And so we're to put our trust in Orochimaru?" The eldest member asked.

"The way I see it," Kenkyo said, "we have more to gain than we have to lose in this scenario. Worst case scenario they try to attack us. Itachi fended them off before, and he's only gotten stronger since then. Add in Orochimaru helping and I'd say our odds are pretty good.

"Best case scenario: we can monitor Konoha's up and coming shinobi. We may have pretty good intel right now, but in a couple of years when we're ready to make our move, we'll have no clue. This precedent will set us up to attend future exams. Not to mention we get to rub it in Danzo and Hiruzen's face that we're alive and kicking."

As with everything else, when presented with a simple risk-benefit analysis, the Uchiha made a decision quickly. A vote was made almost unanimously for attending the Chunin Exams, and Itachi was chosen to send word to Orochimaru.

Quest Alert

Attend the Chunin Exams: Securing a Spot

The clan has decided they want to participate in the Chunin Exams. Orochimaru needs to be informed of this decision. All you can do is pass along the information and wait…

Completion Award: 300 XP

Completion Failure: Loss of Quest Opportunities

Decreased Reputation within the Uchiha and with Orochimaru

It was a trivial quest for Itachi. He left the building and was greeted by Orochimaru.

"I hope you accepted my offer, otherwise I will look rather foolish in the eyes of the major villages." Itachi wasn't sure if he was a genius or a madman when it came to people.

"We've decided that attending the exams would benefit us more than not even trying," he said.

"Excellent, then I shall get Sound a spot after a few more exchanges." He was smiling gleefully at the thought. It probably wasn't a normal reaction for someone who was essentially betting with several dozen lives and his own.

"I take that the "acquaintance" is Kimimaro?" Itachi asked.

"Yes. See, it's not enough for me to show up parading what amounts to an entire clan of missing nin. I'm submitting you as a two man cell, and I fully expect you to excel in the exams. The other Uchiha are impressive, yes, but you and Kimimaro are on an entirely different level."

"So you're using showing off your power with a two man team of extremely young shinobi, one of which is ill?" Itachi couldn't resist. He told himself it was in memory of Shisui.

"Exactly. That, and it'll humiliate Konoha. Now I have some business to attend to. I suggest working with Kimimaro to get a feel for each other's skills. Kabuto can always take you to him, all you have to is ask." Orochimaru said, and he was off, leaving just as he'd left the meeting.

Itachi wasn't too keen on going to Kimimaro, at least, not right now. He was cautious of him, both because of his strength and his illness. The brief encounter with him had given Itachi the impression that his illness affected his capabilities. Besides, he had some training he had to make up.

Evening fell, and Itachi's neighbor brought him some dinner. Although no one said it, everyone was a bit worried for Itachi. Every time he went out in public, he felt the looks cast his way. He was still suffering from his loss to them. In reality, Itachi only felt determined.

He still missed his parents and especially Sasuke, but there was nothing he could do. That's what he told himself every day. He couldn't be held up by their deaths. All he could do was honor them through his efforts. By getting revenge, he could put them at peace.

Sometimes he wanted everyone to treat him as Orochimaru had. Orochimaru saw him for what he was, not what had happened to him. To be a tool was not so bad. At the very least, it kept his thoughts occupied. It was another avoidance mechanism. On the other hand, he couldn't let his clan worry about him forever.

He took a break and ate the dinner that had been delivered. He shoved it into his inventory and used it, saving some time as well as avoiding eating it cold. He devoted the rest of his evening to meditating, keeping his mind clear.

Bedtime came and he got ready for bed. He chose to lie awake in his bed and plan out the next day before "sleeping." Kimimaro was a must. Today had just been indulgence in his training, really. Truth be told, he wanted to know Kimimaro a bit better. He liked to think the two of them were similar. That, and he was a bit curious as to his physical capabilities.

With nothing else jumping out at him, he navigated to the "sleep" menu. His finger hovered over the confirmation button. It would take but a second to press, yet something was bothering him. Something about tomorrow seemed important. Did it have something to do with Shisui?

His finger fell away from the button as he tried to remember. A deep shame welled up within him when he did remember. It was Sasuke's birthday. Or, it would've been. Maybe, if he had time after training with Kimimaro, he'd try to be a part of his clan. For Sasuke. The matter resolved, his finger hit the "sleep" button, and he was gone.