Disclaimers apply.
-------------
Tunk, tunk, tunk, tunk.
The empty, rhythmic sound of the ball hitting the ground was soothing to him. He was alone in the courtyard of his family's home, playing by himself.
A while ago he had been playing out in the street with a neighbor kid, but he'd fallen, scraped his knee and started crying. Well, not really crying so much as... well, anyway, big kids don't cry. And he most certainly was not.
But the neighbor kid had stupidly THOUGHT he was crying and promptly made fun of him for being a baby which only made him 'not cry' more. He'd run inside, leaving the other kid behind, regrettably also leaving his favorite ninja doll which was by now, as good as gone.
Tunk, tunk, tunk, tunk.
He caught the ball and held onto it, pressing against the tough, textured rubber with his fingertips. His grip tightened and he threw it as hard as he could against the trunk of a cherry tree. It bounced off and rebounded into a bundle of bamboo leaning against the porch. The bamboo toppled over and knocked into a watering can which in turn fell over and spilled the water onto an anthole, washing away the entrance.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
He walked across the gravel path and picked up the ball. He looked from it to the tree and then the bamboo, watering can, and anthole in turn.
Six-year old Orochimaru smiled and moved to set everything back up.
-----------
I almost had him playing with dominoes… Maybe I should do another one.
