Hey all! WhipQueen here with my first fanfic ever! I've had plenty of fanfic ideas, but have never decided to put my pen to paper until now. This fic draws inspiration from Outcasts by Nightshadow Dweller, which was the first fanfic I really enjoyed. There may be some similarities, but the stories are pretty different. Feel free to offer some good criticism since this is the first story I am publishing. Hope you guys enjoy it! Also sorry for the format, this was posted using mobile.
Footsteps clacked against the dimly lit stone hallway. Sasuke sat on his bed sharpening the kunai blade he held in hand. As the steps grew near his bedroom door he stopped sharpening the blade. He twirled the blade in his hand, watching as the candlelight reflected off it. He tossed it in the air and caught it in his hand a few times, testing its weight. Then the bedroom door opened. Sasuke caught the blade in his hand and immediately launched it at the man standing in his doorway. Of course, the man caught the blade with ease, without so much as flinching. Sasuke clicked his teeth with slight irritation and the man chuckled.
"Sasuke..." the man called out to Sasuke in a mocking tone. "You'll never be able to kill me like that. You have to put at least a little effort in." Sasuke shot him a death glare, but the man ignored him. "What do you want, Kabuto?" Sasuke asked after a moment of silence. Kabuto pushed his glasses a little further up the bridge of his nose and held up a manila-colored folder. He then stepped into the room and placed the folder on the small desk in the corner.
"Lord Orochimaru has a new mission for you. It seems this one will take quite a while for you to complete..." Kabuto paused for a moment before speaking again. "Try to enjoy the fresh air while you can." He said, giving him a fake smile. Sasuke clenched his fists and glared daggers at the ground as Kabuto walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.
In less than a second, Sasuke was up, slamming his foot angrily against the door. Sasuke hated Kabuto. He lived to irritate Sasuke, knowing full well that if he actually put any effort into trying to kill him or Orochimaru he'd be forced into submission by his damned curse mark. Sasuke reached up and gripped his left shoulder tightly. This cursed mark was the only thing keeping him imprisoned here.
On the day Sasuke was captured, Orochimaru made clear that he was selected because of his Uchiha blood. Something that had once given him so much pride had turned into the very cause of his pain and suffering. Orochimaru captured him and forced Sasuke to do his bidding. He trained night and day for years before he was finally sent out on missions, though, he always had to come back. These missions were essentially Sasuke's only chance of getting outside despite how short the opportunities could be, but Sasuke appreciated them nonetheless.
Sasuke let out a long sigh, giving himself several minutes to calm down before he walked up to his desk. He flipped open the folder and and saw only two items inside: a letter written by Orochimaru and a small black notebook. Sasuke picked up the letter and read it:
Your mission is to collect the people contained in the bingo book provided. You are not to kill any of the targets. Capture them alive and bring them to me using any means necessary.
Sasuke was quite curious about the details of this mission. Typically, Orochimaru would simply have him assassinate any people who might possibly interfere with his work. He was never once asked to bring someone in. That was usually Kabuto's job. Something about it didn't sit well with Sasuke. Given his own situation, Sasuke wasn't really comfortable with the idea of putting someone else into Orochimaru's clutches. Sasuke gripped his shoulder again. But... he didn't really have a choice on the matter. If he denied the mission, Orochimaru would likely put him through days of suffering or possibly even kill him. Sasuke sighed and held the letter over the candle, letting the fire consume it until it was ash.
Sasuke picked up the bingo book and shoved it into his pocket. He stepped out of his bedroom, locked the door behind him, and walked through the maze of hallways towards the exit. In the hallway near the exit was a large supply room where Sasuke could stock up for missions. He grabbed a black cloak, a katana, and a weapons holster, filling it with several tools and weapons. He also grabbed several vials of tranquilizer, but before he slipped them into his bag he stood there for a moment staring at the vials. He questioned if he could really bring himself to deliver these people to Orochimaru. Though, before he could reach an answer, a snake-like voice began to speak.
"Sasuke." The person in question, Orochimaru, stood at the door. Sasuke glanced at him sideways. "What do you want?" He asked, slipping the vials into the pack. Orochimaru entered the supply room and walked around to the opposite side of the table Sasuke was currently gathering his things at. "Nothing. I'm just here to issue a warning is all." He explained calmly. "Some of the targets in that bingo book could likely give you some trouble. Typically, I would assign this mission to Kabuto, but I've sent him on another mission with the sound four. If any of the targets give you any trouble, feel free to take them to one of my other compounds and contact me. I'll pick them up myself." Orochimaru explained with a tinge of darkness in his voice. Sasuke strapped the holster to his leg, strapped his katana to his back, and tied his cloak around his neck. "I'll be fine." He replied curtly before turning his back to him and leaving the room.
Sasuke didn't like the way Orochimaru was acting. Orochimaru always has some plan in the works, but Orochimaru was smart enough to never divulge too many details to him. It frustrated him. There was almost no opportunity to make an escape, but this time was different. This mission could likely give Sasuke quite a bit of time to come up with a plan to take down Orochimaru. That was the only way to rid himself of the cursed mark once and for all.
Once Sasuke reached the exit of the compound, he headed straight into the surrounding forest and got as far away as he could before he even considered opening his bingo book.