Green eyes glittered dangerously as Orochimaru tittered at the door. Hands smoothed away the flyaway hairs and her head tilted towards her master.
Those golden eyes, the ones so many were enchanted with, gleamed with well-concealed mirth. A gaping mouth widened and a snake summon slipped in, curling at the base of his throat. After a moment, he walked forward, coming to rest a centimeter away from the chair Sakura sat on.
"Your little friends are looking for you again, Sakura-chan." Another chuckle broke the stillness of the room and Sakura narrowed her eyes, "They are surprisingly persistent."
She nodded, letting the waist-length locks slip over her shoulder and spring back into its usual mass of pink curls. A cold hand came down on her shoulder and she repressed the urge to gut her master. Her fingers twitched anyways and Orochimaru chuckled into her ear, the air brushing against her exposed neck.
"Well? No reaction? So different from that passionate girl I met in the Forest of Death…" Cool fingers brushed over her neck and Sakura sat very still, staring at the stones in front of her, not breathing. "It's almost…disappointing."
"That girl died." Sakura said almost quickly but she catches herself in time to monotone her voice. She must not show weakness—if Orochimaru hated anything more than impoliteness, it was weakness—her death would be quick if she let it show.
"Yes she did." Nails dragged over her neck and Sakura shivered. It did not go unnoticed and if anything, the pressure of the nails against her skin strengthened.
Sakura stared harder at the stones in front of her and her face became blank, ears tilted to listen.
One brick, two brick, three brick…
"Well, my sweet, do you want to say hello?" Orochimaru offered and Sakura tensed against the onslaught of memories.
The brush of Sasuke's kunai-roughened hands and that sad smile.
Naruto's blonde hair and bright eyes.
Kakashi's crinkled dark eye and fierce demeanor.
Four brick, five brick, six brick…
But she knew this was a trick. Her master never offered anything except if it benefitted him and Sakura knew this. Green eyes swung back to golden ones and narrowed imperceptibly. An already tightened mouth pursed further.
"…What do you want Orochimaru?" She asked, measured, and controlled— nothing alluding to the panic surfacing in her breast.
Orochimaru cooed and ran a cold hand over her curls. Fingers brushed wayward frizz from her eyes and Sakura continued staring at the bricks. They were smoothed over with sand, she knew, so that the experiments would not get any ideas and drag them out to escape.
"My sweet child, why would you ever think that? Everything I have ever done is for you…" His voice trailed off and Sakura knew the implications of his words.
Everything I have ever done is for you to submit to me.
Kakashi's harsh yet strangely sweet scolding.
Sasuke yelling at the sky.
Naruto smiling up at her from a bowl of ramen.
One brick, two brick, three brick…
"What do you say, my lovely?" Orochimaru ran his fingers through her curls again and this time Sakura leaned into him.
Four brick, five brick, six brick…
His fingers stopped for a millisecond and then a pleased sound erupted from his throat. Black hair slid onto her shoulders and Sakura waited for his tongue to wash over her curse mark. His tongue was warm and wet and reminded Sakura of dead things. The curse mark lit up once again and Sakura groaned with the force of the pain slithering into her body.
One brick, two brick, three brick…
"Good girl, good girl." Orochimaru tittered into her ear. Another pat to the head and Sakura knew that she had passed her test.
"If you want me to see them, I will." She stood up, eyes finally falling away from the dusty-bricks of her wall to face the golden orbs she so despised. "If not, then I will not."
Sakura got down on her knees, lowering her head so her neck was bared. "I am yours."
Another cackle came out of her master's mouth and Sakura wanted so badly to plunge her fist straight into his gut and reach up, up, up to his heart.
"Let them see who—what you have become."
His steps drifted towards the door and Sakura refused to get up, her pink curls shading her vision.
"Let them see and let them despair."
