Hidden In the Stars

Signum's sword blurred through the air, and it wasn't long before it found its target, cleaving through flesh with the same ease it cut through the air. However, the flesh she'd sliced into soon ceased to exist, becoming mud that quickly lost cohesion and stopped holding the form of a humanoid snake.

"Oh ho, that was quite a surprising speed. Your hair, and the sword you wield… yes, you must be Signum, one of the Jinchuuriki's guardians."

Her feet exploded into a flurry of motion, and Signum sliced the tree that the voice had come from in half with a quick slash. "I've been informed about yourself, as well. Orochimaru of the Sannin. A despicable monster."

"Yes, well," the voice said, as a very pale body emerged from the tree stump quick as lightning, though Signum was more focused on the sword that the body had vomited, which she blocked by batting it away with Laevateinn's sheath, "many believe what they don't understand to be evil."

"Indeed," Signum replied, evenly, leaping back when he grabbed the sword from his tongue and slashed at her. "Laevateinn!" Signum called.

"Ja!" her trusty weapon replied.

Several small red cylinders began to be ejected from the weapon at a quick pace, totalling three. "I cannot dawdle or take you on with anything but the utmost seriousness."

"I'm honored," Orochimaru said, grinning and standing in a ready position. "I admit, your weapon is something that intrigues me," he said, launching forward.

"As it should," Signum replied, waiting until the moment he was too committed to the slash to dodge and only then countering with her own, though he contorted around it in a way that would make a snake blush in inadequacy. He was quite slippery, and he quickly regained his footing.

Signum frowned when she noticed he was within her guard, and as such, had a free shot at her. Fortunately, swinging his sword would've taken too long to capitalize on it, so instead he punched her midriff, sending her back long enough for him to try to stab her with the tip of his blade.

However, Signum had been expecting that, and Laevateinn was quite a bit longer than the snake man's weapon, which allowed her to slice his hand off as he led with it. The sword bounced harmlessly against her breastplate as it had lost most of the momentum powering it from the force of Signum's own attack.

"Oh ho, truly incredible. To not only cut, but also burn through… yes, this is truly a magnificent sword," Orochimaru said. "However, I cannot allow you to slay me here. I have much to do still," he explained, moving back to avoid her follow up and putting in quite a bit of distance even as Signum chased him.

Signum's eyes narrowed. Snakes against snakes, then. "Schlangenform!" she called, and Laevateinn echoed her.

"Hm!?" Orochimaru seemed too shocked for a witty comeback as Signum swung her sword, which separated into several segments and extended. Another red cylinder was ejected from the sword, and the long chain of bladed links was suddenly lit on fire. Orochimaru didn't have much time to react before it sliced him in half, as it'd, defying the laws of physics, swung even faster without any seeming external force. The snake man gasped in pain and looked on as the sword retracted.

"Langschwert form," Signum commanded, and her blade obeyed, once more returning to its natural form, that of a rather oversized longsword.

"Heh. I am impressed," Orochimaru said. "Konoha doesn't usually utilize its talent this well," he said. "However, I am afraid I can't stay here to play with you any longer. I must be on my way."

"How do you still live? I literally cut you in half," Signum said, shocked and disturbed at this man's resilience.

Orochimaru laughed for a moment, before his body began to grotesquely bulge up, as something like an egg made its way from the base of his torso to his throat. Soon enough, much to Signum's disgust, he vomited a shape far too large to have emerged from his body. It was himself, totally unharmed. "This technique renders me effectively immortal, as I can just shed my old body," he explained.

"I felt the drop in your energy level," Signum said, simply. "You cannot do that several times in a row," she said.

"True," Orochimaru admitted. "But I don't need to. See, every part of my body is under my control at any given time, even if it'd been severed before."

Signum's eyes widened, and she turned around just in time to see his legs leaping at her to kick her face. She sliced at them but… they faded into nothing.

"Genjutsu," she growled, turning around only to find the blood covered torso once more. "He escaped. What tenacious vermin," she said. She clenched her left fist. "The humans of this world… how terrifying they can be," she muttered to herself, before she leaped high into the air. She had to inform the Hokage, and receive her payment. Providing security in the forest… Tch, she should be with Naruko right now.

A hand went up to her cheek. "When did he..?" she asked, tracing the nick and feeling the burn of the acidic poison.

***

While Signum was busy patrolling the forest of Death looking for a deadly traitor, Naruko, Vita and Shamal

"What do you mean I can't!?" Vita yelled, looking angrily at the stall owner.

"Well… you're a ninja ain'tcha? That'd be all sorts of cheating. You guys are trained for this stuff, and if I let you participate, you'd run me out of business ya?" the man replied.

It was a rather well known and popular game, which was mostly used by boyfriends trying to impress their girlfriends. It was near impossible to actually fit the rings in the holes one was supposed to fit them in, but that was part of the fun. It wasn't entirely rigged, as victory was a possibility, but it was still pretty damn hard. Appropriately, however, the prices offered for a successful run would be mighty impressive.

"I'm not," Naruko said, smiling brightly. "I don't have any training, can't even use my chakra," she said, quickly. "So can I try?"

"I dunno…" the stall owner said, frowning. "How can I trust ya?"

Then again, unlike Vita and Zafira, both of whom did in fact look the part of eccentric shinobi, Naruko was dressed in a plain orange yukata, so she did have the looks of a civilian. The fact that, unlike kunoichi, there were no visible scars anywhere in her body and there were no obvious muscles… "Puh-lease!" Naruko said, giving her best puppy dog eyes to the stall owner.

"Okay, fine, I'll believe ya," he said, eventually giving in and accepting their money. "But just three shots, okay? Get one, a small prize, two you get a medium and all three you get a free pick, easy, right?"

"Yup!" Naruko said, grinning widely. "Thanks, mister!" she added.

"Cute kid ya got there," the man said as he allowed Naruko to take up position, looking specifically at Zafira and Shamal, the latter of which had opted for a green yukata much in the same vein as Naruko's. Simplicity was elegant in and of itself, after all.

"I'll say," Shamal said. "She is our cute little mistress," she added, giggling a little.

"Mistress..? Oh, so the girl's a noble, and you're her retainer, then?" he asked.

"Something like that," Shamal agreed.

Then Naruko smiled. Sure, ninja techniques were forbidden. But who needs ninja techniques and training when you can just use telekinesis to cheat like crazy? With telekinesis, it was quite easy to make it so the rings always feel exactly where she wanted them, and soon, Naruko had won the big prizes, grinning widely. "This is easy!"she said, smiling like a loon. "Okay, that was nice… I want… that one!" she said, pointing at the plushie she wanted.

The man, shaking his head, went and fetched it. "You sure you ain't got ninja training little lady?" he asked as he handed Naruko her toy.

"Very sure! Odd condition with my chakra, can't use it at all, so can't be a ninja," Naruko said, shrugging.

"That's harsh," the man said. "Couldn't ever get past the first year. Too tough for me," the man admitted, "but the hand eye coordination's hella useful in this business, so can't say I regret doing that one year back in me homeland."

"Oh," Naruko seemed somewhat surprised. "Anyway, thanks for letting me play, Mister!" she said, grinning widely and turning around to face her companions. "Here, Vita-chan! I think this fits you quite well!"

Vita blinked as she was handed a stylized plush bunny. "Uhm… Naruko-chan…" she began, blushing, stammering as she tried to find an appropriate response.

"This is where you say thank you, Vita-chan," Shamal said, smiling.

"I am… confused. Is this not usually part of the act of courtship in this land?" Zafira asked, looking at the stall keeper.

"Usually," the man agreed.

"Anyway, let's move on! I want to try some more food around town!" Naruko said, grabbing Zafira's hand with one hand and Shamal's with the other, pulling them along. "Don't fall behind, Vita-chan, or you might get lost!"

Vita, who'd been left admiring her gift, quickly scrambled to follow.

"That girl's got the spoiled attitude of a noble brat alright," the stall keeper said, smiling to himself. "But there ain't no way she doesn't have at least a little training."

Still, there were other clients to serve.