Suddenly, for some absurd reason, Lee looks skyward. Then Alvarcus explodes out of the crater and it's his turn to launch Lee into the air, performing a technique that's eerily similar to the one he was just subjected to.
...
"Look at his brilliance!" Orochimaru brags to the other Kages. "He has only seen that move once, yet he's already mimicking it, and dare I say it, improve it! This way he himself doesn't have to hit the ground too!"
"Yeah well he still has to come back down." Tsunade dully replies. "What kind of an idiot does that?"
"Gate of Healing: Release!" Lee flies out of his crater and stands beneath the rapidly approaching Alvarcus.
"See, the technique might have been more effective in one sense, but how he has to deal with an awaiting opponent with no way to dodge." Tsunade points out. "How irresponsible."
'He has a way to dodge, he even has a way to control his descent to an extent. His chakra strings, he can use them to maneuver himself while in the air. Except not here, not now. This should be interesting!' Orochimaru thinks to himself.
Lee's legs coil and he jumps straight up into the air.
"That's going to hurt." Tsunade dully says as the two gennin slam together, launching Alvarcus ridiculously high into the sky. He's much higher than before. "Can he live through that fall?"
CRASH
"He'll be fine." Orochimaru waves off Tsunade's concern.
"You sure?" Tsunade looks at the grinning Orochimaru. "I could take a look at him if you want. Make sure he's fine."
"Green-san?" Lee pokes his head over the lip of the crater. "Are you alright?"
"No I'm not bloody alright!" Alvarcus rages at the imbecile who thought launching him high in the sky is a good idea.
"See, I told you he'd be fine." Orochimaru dismisses Tsuande's suggestion.
"Doesn't sound fine." The Kusakage interjects. He's feeling a little left out of the conversation, but these are two Sannin. It's something he will just have to allow.
Soon enough, the gennin are back at it. Then they stop for a moment and have a quick discussion about something. Lee's eyes go wide as Alvarcus flies through hand seals at an astonishing rate.
"Earth Release: Ten Thousand Fists!" Alvarcus roars as the earth itself attacks.
"You mean he's not a taijutsu type?" Tsunade says in disbelief. Well, forced disbelief. She knows what he's truly capable of. Or she did, back before he left.
"No. No he is not." Orochimaru is grinning like a lunatic, or in this case himself. "He loves his ninjutsu. I'm surprised it took him this long to use it."
"Gate of Life: Release! Gate of Pain: Release! Gate of Limit: Release!" A green glow shines brightly around Lee, his skin has turned to a deep red and his eyes have lost all their color, they're completely white.
"And that's all the Gates open." Tsunade notes. "You know, you could order your gennin to surrender. It would save him a lot of pain. Maybe even his life. Lee doesn't know his own strength when he opens this many Gates, he doesn't get to practice using them often. Or at all really, it's the Gates."
"I believe in my gennin." Orochimaru watches with unsurpassed joy as Lee soundly turns Alvarcus into his personal punching bag. "He knows his limits."
Two sharp cracks echo throughout the air. There's gasps from the audience and the proctor is instantly next to the two fighting gennin.
"Alright, that does it!" Tsunade whirls on Orochimaru. "Your gennin is done."
"Be patient. He's not finished yet."
"The match is over." Eito turns to the crowd. "Green can no longer contin-"
"Like hell!" Alvarcus roars. "They're just broken arms. Give me a moment."
Two gut-wrenchingly loud snaps cut through all other noise as his arms seemingly straighten themselves out.
"Holy shit." Whispers from the crowd start up as Alvarcus experimentally moves around his 'healed' arms.
"People can do that?"
"I've never seen a medical technique work so quickly, and to do it to ones self is even more difficult."
"What the hell is Otogakure teaching their gennin? Talk about impressive! If you ignore how gross that was."
Orochimaru brims with pride. Even the civilians are recognizing his child's talent!
"You sure you're good to continue?" Eito hesitantly asks. "Because you just had both arms broken. You could surren-"
"Proctor, my gennin know their limits. He has not reached his yet, continue the fight." Orochimaru calls out. He will not be deprived of this chance! Of this show! He must see his child do more! It's magnificent!
Alvarcus turns to Orochimaru and gives him a deep, sweeping bow. "Thank you for your confidence in me, Orochimaru-sama. I will not let you down."
Pride and joy surge to new levels in Orochimaru. Never before has he ever felt this elated about anything! His child wants to make him proud!
"You sure that's a good idea?" Tsunade asks. "Even if his arms are healed they'll be weaker than normal and prone to breaking again."
"He will be fine." Orochimaru assures her. "He's endured worse."
"My nindo? Never really thought about it before." Alvarcus lunges at Lee, intent on giving him a good punch of his own. Lee simply speeds his way out of Alvarcus's reach. "I guess it would be... to survive. My nindo is to survive."
'How accurate. Short, simple and very, very true. He is a survivor, I myself have put him through so much and he always comes out alive!' Orochimaru gleefully thinks to himself. 'I wonder what I should try next?'
"LEE NO! YOU"LL KILL HIM!" Gai's booming voice commands his gennin to stop, but it's too late.
CRUNCH
Thud
Orochimaru leaps to his feet. 'Alvarcus! No! Get up! Get up!'
Both him and Tsunade rush onto the field, both to make sure that Alvarcus is okay.
"Green-san?" Lee timidly asks as Eito stands behind him with a ballistically pissed off Gai right next to him.
"Does he need medical attention?" Tsunade asks in concern. "I offer my services."
"I... don't actually know." Orochimaru replies. 'I've never seen him break his neck before. He told me that he's been decapitated, surely this is less damaging than that? Then why isn't he getting up!'
"That fucking hurt!" Alvarcus shouts into the dirt. There's something different about his voice, it's a higher pitch and it's fairer. "Ow ow ow what the fuck man?"
"Green-san!" Lee exclaims in happiness. "You're okay!"
Alvarcus awkwardly pushes himself up. "No I'm not okay you asshole! Do you have any idea how weird it is to try and move like this?!" He turns his face the crowd.
Or is it her face now?
'As amusing as this is, I don't think I like the change. There's something special about a father and son bond, something unique.' Orochimaru contemplates. 'He doesn't even look remotely like me anymore.'
"YOU!" Alvarcus angrily points at Lee, or attempts to. "Damn it I can't even reprimand you right! Come here you jerk! I swear when I get my hands on you -" A horrendous amount of insults rolls right off his tongue.
"Ignore that. When she get's emotional her verbal filter disappears." Orochimaru says as he's checking over Alvarcus, making sure that he is truly alright. "I find it rather amusing to be honest."
"That can't be healthy. How is she even alive?" Tsunade quietly asks herself. Even she hasn't seen Alvarcus take this much damage, and well, it's really strange to see someone cursing up a storm with their head on backwards.
"Excellent question, and one you'll never know the answer too." Orochimaru calmly says. His child is fine, arguably a bit turned around, but still fine.
"- with a Kami damned rake!" Alvarcus's tirade of insults aimed at Lee peters out. Lee took all of it without flinching once, he just stared at Alvarcus with big wide eyes.
"That's not what you're supposed to use a rake for?" Lee shakily replies.
'Is he taken with the fair... hmm this female form should have it's own name. Perhaps... Midori?' Orochimaru thinks to himself. 'How amusing! If nothing else, this will be excellent blackmail material.'
"Oh why the fuck am I even bothering! Hold on." Alvarcus reaches up and grabs his head.
"Wait don't do that!" Tsunade calls out.
'He can't possibly be about to-'
CRUNCH
"Owowow! That really fucking hurts!" Alvarcus yells as he grasps his head again.
"What is wrong with you!" Tsunade reprimands me. "Here let me-"
CRUNCH
"FUCKING HELL!" Now he's on backwards again.
"Stop that! Let me help you!" Tsunade urges.
"She'll be fine. She's had worse." Orochimaru idly strolls back to the Kage gazebo. "I should know, I've done a fair number on her myself."
CRUNCH
"FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!" Alvarcus takes a few breaths to steady himself. "Okay. Okay. I'm back."
Orochimaru finally makes it back to the gazebo and elegantly sits back down in his chair. He's out of hearing range, but it looks like Alvarcus and Lee are arguing about something. Or rather Alvarcus is viciously shouting at the Leaf gennin.
Then Alvarcus throws his hands up in the air in accepted resignation and storms back over to Sasuke. He sits down in a huff.
"Are all of your gennin like that?" The Kusakage asks in shock.
"Oh heavens no!" Orochimaru exclaims. "She's one of a kind."
The Kusakage visibly relaxes, there is hope for his gennin to advance after all.
Then a very peculiar sound fills up the still strangely quiet air, the sound of hysterical laughter. Who ever is laughing right now will never laugh this heartily again.
Orochimaru's gaze turns onto the source of the ridiculously happy sound.
It is Sasuke who is laughing.
"Well that's unexpected."
...
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