Note: Please read the Disclaimer and Note on my profile page before reading… Enjoy!
I decided to revise the chapter… I didn't like how it turned out at first ^^' sorry…
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Broken
. . . . . . . . . .
The night sky shrouded the landscape, the peal sphere above acting as the only light source in the area. Hearing the owls and crickets making their usual sound allowed me to have yet another sleepless night. Simple illuminations in the neighboring hallway acted as some kind of childish night-light… The darkness surrounding the simple room seemed to make this night pass ever so slowly… This was normal, in a way.
Though, the area around my unconscious figure was different, along with the village. The domain I was in was rather small… a large window was near the end of the room; the lingering stench of disinfectant was bothering me, along with the constant beeping from the machine by the bed I was placed in. The village was the one I betrayed… several years ago. Now, they came to help me in my time of distress… which was rather odd… Since they despised me for everything I have done to them over the years… But now assisting me after my village and hideouts turned to ruins by Rain Village shinobi… What was happening to me?
Sharp pain raced through my limp corpse, causing me to yell silently in the unlit shadows of the room. At that moment, I felt something over my mouth… I struggled to move my hand up to my face. Once that was achieved, I found a mask over my mouth… sending fumes into my lungs, allowing my breathing to return to normal. I moved my hand, placing it over the sheet lying over my body.
Beginning to feel this odd sense of slithering around my stomach, my tired eyes shot open. Gazing dully at the illusion of Manda coiling around me and resting his head on my shoulder, his bright emerald orbs taunting my own sunless golden ones.
He hissed, allowing his tongue to move across the scars on my cheek, causing a shiver to travel down my spine.
Look at yourself, how pathetic! Weak, traumatized… succumbing to the loss of your village and the wounds you have acquired… Now in the arms of the enemy, what has become of you…? Orochimaru!
The words he said brought the memories of my ruined village back into my head… My body tensed up as he tightened around me, impatiently waiting for me to answer… but, I did not respond to his degrading words… I only sighed, and closed my eyes.
You have lost all reason to end this village, yet... This reveals how weak you truly are. Do you not understand? This has turned into a downfall for you… and a lucky stroke for Konohagakure!
I shifted my position… I hated to admit it, but Manda was right! This whole event was sending me deeper into a pit of despair and agony. Causing the pain to spark up even more! I continued to ignore Manda; by the time I fell asleep… he was already gone.
. . . .
The warm sunlight penetrating through the window caused me to stir in my slumber, my one arm draped over my stomach… while the other stayed under the sheet by my side. Feeling a hand on my forehead, I tried to sit up… the light push the person gave me forced me to stay down. The mask over my mouth was soon removed right after, my breathing must have returned to normal.
Three different chakras lingered in the room I was in, one that was nearby… another was several feet away, while the final one was by the window… their eyes on my motionless body. My eyes began to open and settled on the ceiling, before falling onto the people in the room.
Tsunade was the one near me, her illuminating hands over my chest. Jiraiya was the one several feet away, leaning his back against the snowy wall behind him… The one near the window was someone I would have not expected. Anko Mitarashi!
Jiraiya gazed into my eyes for a while, before a smile formed on his face. "How are you feeling, Orochimaru?"
My unlit eye's widened. Jiraiya, concerned about my well-being? Since when does he even care about me?
I blinked, taking in a deep breath before replying. "S-Slightly better I guess… other than the pain rushing through my entire body."
Before Jiraiya could respond, Tsunade interfered with the conversation we held only for a few seconds, maybe even a few minutes. She lifted a glass off of the tray beside her and brought the rim of the glass to my lips, I complied with her silent order. I opened my mouth a bit, letting the liquid slide down my throat in the process. I did not care about what the medicine did, but it seemed to calm my senses, though the lingering after taste was troublesome… making a cough escape in the end.
. . . .
The former student I had that was by the window, finally turned her gaze to me… her eyes filled with relief, yet anger.
I sat up on the bed I was in, though Tsunade and Jiraiya were shocked by my action. Anko strolled over towards me and sat on the bed, right beside me. Our eyes watched each other for what seemed to be an eternity, and then Jiraiya intervened by rubbing my head and making my eyes wander to him in pure curiosity.
He smiled, before walking back over to the wall he was previously leaning against. Tsunade stared at him for a while, before lightly pushing me back into a laying position and placing a damp cloth on my forehead, subduing what appeared to be a slight fever.
Anko stood up, glancing down at me for a minute… before finally leaving the room. Leaving me with Jiraiya and Tsunade in the end, I sighed.
"Why are you helping?" I finally managed to force out.
Tsunade breathed. "When I discovered that the rumor about your village being destroyed was true, I sent Anko and Kakashi to your village to check the damage. They found your followers slain… Soon after entering your base, they located Kabuto and Sasuke in a sealed off room. Once entering the room, Anko saw you in a state that she wished to have never seen."
I stared up at the blonde Kunoichi. "What did she see?"
"This is what I saw," My eyes settled on the door, seeing Anko enter and reclaim her spot on the bed beside me. "I was discussing your condition with Kakashi, though."
"No matter, just please… tell me." A cough escaped me, causing me to wince in the end.
Anko breathed, "Like all ninjas, he was bound to fail soon. I never expected it to be like this, though. Practically drenched in his, own blood, several broken ribs and limbs, a broken wrist and both ankles fractured. Scars on his face… showing that the enemy truly wanted him to suffer for what he did. His body trembling in pure fear, honestly traumatized by this event… My once strong sensei… falling deeper into his own nightmare and dragging himself back to the path he left so many years ago…" Anko paused, her eyes descending to the tiled landscape below.
My gaze left her, falling onto the door that led in and out of this room. I sat up once again, being mindful of the cloth on my forehead. Tsunade exited the room, with Jiraiya following behind her… Tsunade made no eye contact as she left, but Jiraiya glanced back… silently telling me to relax and recover. With those two gone, that left only me and Anko.
"Orochimaru,"
My eyes fell back onto my student. "Yes?"
She scooted closer to me, snaking an arm around my bandaged up stomach, pulling me closer to lean against her. My head fell against her shoulder, while my hands stayed on my lap. She fixed her head in the crook of my neck, her chilled breath making me shiver.
"I'm glad you're alight," She whispered into my ear, while her free hand entangled into my hair.
I smiled, wondering why she was acting this way. Doesn't she want me dead? I decided to ignore that thought and allowed myself to obediently lean against her, which surprisingly quieted my thoughts and I sighed in pure relief.
"Don't leave," I whispered in reply, watching as her hand that once held my hair cupped my chin… pushing my head back so our eyes were beside each other.
"I won't, even if you wanted me to." She answered soothingly, as I felt myself drifting out of consciousness.
"… Anko,"
I felt something warm and soft brush against my scarred cheek, before retreating and lightly placing me back onto the bed on my back. She pulled the sheet up to be near my collar bone, as I finally fell into a much needed sleep… I felt her presence leave the room entirely.
Let me know of what you think of the revision to the chapter.
Leave reviews and let me know what you think or what should happen later on, ideas are welcome!
Several songs helped me push through with writing this: Sweet Blasphemy (Black Veil Brides) and Enemy Inside, Pt. 2 (Egypt Central) Thank you for reading and stay tuned for chapter 2 :)