Hey everybody! :]]
Well, I decided to skip a large portion of the story and head right into the juicy part – mainly because I know it would take FOREVER to get the inspiration to write all of that.
So I summed it up.
I hope you guys like the next step in Sasuke's journey, everyone.
From My Cold Dead Hands
Battle Nine – Task
"It's been over half a year, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto breathed quietly as he monitored the systems next to Sasuke – it was time for his routine maintenance check, and the humanoid was unconscious, his systems running through themselves in search for any anomalies and assisting with cleaning up his files, wiping away the metaphorical dust that had gathered along the creases of his processing units. Monitors kept watch of both his human and nonhuman attributes to make sure nothing went wrong during the clean-up. "With his performance so far, when do you plan on assigning him his task?"
"I was wondering when you'd ask that, Kabuto," the snake stated simply, smirking a little with pride as he leaned against a near wall and merely gazed at the unconscious creature on the table. "When he wakes up, I suppose. How long with that be?"
"Another few hours," Kabuto replied after a quick glance at the master computer. "There's a lot of stuff to process and check up on."
He felt a twinge of jealousy. He, who had been with Orochimaru for nearly the entirety of his life, got a crappy super-computer that took up nearly an entire wall of a room, while a boy Orochimaru had been obsessing with for merely a few years gets the billion-dollar modulator implanted inside his very body that almost a hundred people had sacrificed themselves for to steal.
That system – when Sasuke learned to completely use it – could hack into Air Force One in under a minute.
It would take at least three floors of the same super computer Kabuto had to wield the same result.
SO not fucking fair…
"So do you think he's ready, Kabuto?" His master's question brought him out of his thoughts, and the medic hastily checked the screens again to make sure nothing had malfunctioned during his momentary daydream. "After all, for the task I have in mind for him, it usually takes ordinary humans sixteen to seventeen years to prepare themselves for – and even then they're rarely ready."
Kabuto – seeing nothing wrong with the machinery – cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses.
"Well, your prestige has made him no ordinary human, my lord," he replied, swallowing. "I hope I'm not assuming too much when I say he is capable of learning, and he will carry out your wishes dutifully and perfectly."
He has so far, at least.
Over the last six months, Orochimaru had requested everything of Sasuke that he could think of – murder, robbery, impersonation – even whoring the boy out to some rich underground slave trader for the sake of gaining information that ultimately resulted in the man's assassination. Orochimaru had spared no expense for Sasuke, testing every single aspect of the boy to check his limits, check to see how truly human Sasuke still was.
The teen seemed to possess no limit – nothing was too degrading, too inhuman, too painful, too challenging for him. He was the perfect play-toy – Orochimaru loved to test Sasuke, to see how much he could take before he finally showed a response, a reaction.
How much pressure could he withstand? How much pain could he take? How much could Orochimaru ask of him before the burden became too much-?
So far he had yet to be disappointed. Sasuke performance was unparalleled to any of his pure-human employees, and he wished there were enough billion-dollar computers in the world to steal and enough people to steal them so he could make an entire army of Sasuke's capabilities.
If he was capable of doing that, the world would be ripe for the taking.
Ah, but of course, the machine was the only one of its kind in the world. There were others still being completed, but the one now wired to Sasuke's core nervous-system was the very first one to be finished.
And right after it had been, Orochimaru had stolen it.
Back then, he hadn't even had Sasuke in his grasp. The boy wasn't ready – he had still been a tiny little child. So Orochimaru took those years he had to get to know the machine, to find all the bugs in it and fix them – he wanted no anomalies to destroy the machine from the inside and thus crush his entire plan.
He smiled as he thought about the rest of the story – oh, it was such a lovely tale.
The snake knew he would never forget the utter terror on Sasuke's face when the boy was told about what would be done to him – what Orochimaru wanted him for.
And how that look of terror changed to one of indescribable agony when he was torn open, rode, ripped open so that the snake could see the pulsing fury of the child's heart – fucked and killed all at the same time.
Orochimaru had almost gotten ahead of himself – but good thing he always worked well under pressure.
As he merely gazed at the boy – pale and lifeless-looking beneath the dull blue and white lights – he smiled a little.
Sasuke not only unique, but he was his. His and his alone.
And the boy had been told that from the beginning. He was reminded of it every time he called Orochimaru 'Master'.
Kabuto was used to Orochimaru not answering for the longest time randomly throughout a conversation, so – in waiting for Orochimaru to pause in his thoughts and address him – he busied himself with looking through Sasuke's memories, which were stored according to date and location.
Some he knew better than to look into – like the one labeled 'Bedroom', for instance, he didn't want to touch – but others were more interesting. Like the experiences beneath the 'Missions' folder – which in turn was divided into several different folders according to missions, all distinguished by codename – for example.
Watching the screen, Kabuto witnessed it as Sasuke did things no normal human could even come close to achieving, all from Sasuke's point of view.
"I'm glad you think that way, Kabuto."
Ah, Orochimaru was back in the present again. Kabuto paused in his watching and turned slightly to look at his lord.
"So it's settled then. We'll inform him of the task after he awakes."
----
A few hours later saw the maintenance check completing and Sasuke's systems going online again, and he opened his eyes as the color returned to his body.
"Good. You're awake."
He turned his head to see Kabuto. The medic was a well-known face to him now.
"Kabuto," he stated simply in reply, cocking his head slightly as he surveyed the other with eyes that seemed to take in images a bit more sharply than before he had fallen asleep.
Kabuto didn't blink.
"Lord Orochimaru's waiting for you in the meeting room."
Sasuke didn't say a word, merely slid off the table and went to the door.
But then he paused, turned his head a little.
"Thank you."
Then he vanished. Kabuto smirked a little.
----
"You asked for me, Master?"
The word was common to hear from the other's lips – no one was surprised now. Orochimaru smiled up at him as he entered.
"Very good Sasuke, very good," he replied as the boy sat down across the table from him. "Now, allow me to debrief you on your next mission."
He slid a manila folder to him.
"Your mission will be quite a lengthy one – the first stage will be gaining a foothold in this new territory, gaining the trust of those around you, adapting to a new environment – nothing you haven't done before." Orochimaru smirked a little as Sasuke leafed through the folder, immediately memorizing its contents with his potent photographic memory. "While you do this, you'll be looking for someone – the one in the single photograph."
Indeed – there was one photograph in the folder. Sasuke picked it up, gazed at it. Orochimaru searched for some recognition in those ashen orbs, but found none. After a moment of silence, Orochimaru continued.
"After you locate this person, you will move onto stage two." His eyes sharpened. "At this stage, you kill them. Stage three is, of course, clean up. This is your new task. Do you understand?"
Sasuke blinked, looked up at Orochimaru with blank eyes, and nodded.
"Yes, I understand, Master," he replied. Orochimaru nodded.
"Good, one thing though." He gazed at Sasuke as the other blinked. "When speaking of me, you will refer to me as your Guardian. You will not use my name under any circumstances, and if anyone asks you about any family, you will say you don't remember (which is the truth) understand?"
Sasuke nodded.
"Affirmative."
Orochimaru smiled in satisfaction.
"Good. You begin tomorrow." His eyes sharpened. "Do NOT fail me, slave."
----
Four days later found Sasuke being dropped off in front of a large building, many other people flocking to it.
As the unmarked car drove away, Sasuke turned his head to look to the large brick sign in front of the tall metal fence.
Welcome to Konoha High School.
End Battle Nine – Task
Well, that's that. What did you think? It's going to be awesome. :)
So, anyway, I am aware that in my long period of absence I lost a lot of readers. I understand that and I was prepared for that. So what I'm asking all of you guys is to spread the word again – tell your friends I'm amazing – and ask them to review.
"Get my fan club back up and running again" in the words of Kit-chan. Lol.
So yes? Please and thank you. That goes for all of my stories. :3
Review?
Much love!
DDB
