So... I've managed to find a vet that will let me do observation hours. I go on Tuesdays. It's interesting. I wish there were reptiles, but alas. Also, I'm going to meet with someone this week so I can volunteer at this reptile shelter? (not sure exactly what it is, honestly) so that's going to be awesome! And I have an interview for a job! I hope I can get it. I mean it will suck ass because I hate computer based shit, but $15/hr I'll take that shit :D. Especially since I owe Canada and the US like $1,000,000,000,000,000,000+ just to breathe.

So to the more interesting things. Things are finally picking up for me in these rewrites! Yay! :). I've managed to rewrite the second part of chappie eighteen (because I took a part out and replaced it with another) and I manage to rewrite chappie nineteen and I'm hoping twenty will be written today or tomorrow. Chapters twenty to twenty-four are being completely rewritten. Chapters Twenty-four & Twenty-five are still around (for now lol) and chapters twenty-six-twenty-eight are being redone as well. So that's where we are with these chappies right now.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. This is just for fun, no profit will be made from this (and I don't want to either). This is purely for my and the entertainment of Naruto fans.

Dedication: To my beautiful, amazing, intelligent, girlfriend Phillipa (Shadow Spirit Dragon-wolf) for being there for me through not only my writing (both fanfiction and my original story) but real life in general. You have been my inspiration and my support through everything.

Warnings: Violence, explicit sexual conduct (no rape!) homosexual relationship, relationship with a large age gap, struggles with belonging, self-hatred, obsession, self-harm, self-experimentation, human experimentation, mental disorders, a dark view of the "afterlife", (bonding of) pain and isolation, self-worthlessness, and male pregnancy.

Pairings: OroNaru, cannon pairings (except, obviously, NaruHina).

Summary: Sometimes, the deepest scars are the ones no one can see, but in a world moving into the light even the oldest inner wounds can be seen

Enjoy! :)

Chapter Fourteen: Verged

Naruto

I watch as Oreo opens the jar of… what was it again? Cupric chloride? Into the container. He uses a small fire-style jutsu in the container. We both watch as the fire slowly turns blue.

"Wow! That's really cool!"

"Different colours of fire produce different heat."

"Really? What's the hottest?"

"White."

"I've never seen white fire before."

"It's rare, but I'd stay away from it if I were you."

"Right," I smile.

We watch the fire a bit longer before Oreo puts it out with a small water-style jutsu. He stands up, washing the container out, returns, and proceeds to the next metal.

I watch in fascination as he continues to repeat the process. Each metal giving off a different colour. Each giving off their own beauty. I watch Oreo stare at the last flame: yellow. The flames reflect back in his eyes. They're almost the same colour. Both so beautiful.

Wait. What?

I shake my head.

"That was a really cool experiment," I say, taking off my gloves and googles and handing them to Oreo. He puts out the flame and puts his things away.

"Experiments are fun. I have learned a lot from them."

Yet, why does it have to be people, Oreo? It's the one thing that keeps my guard up with you. And yet, I want so much for you to be happy.

"Seems like it."

"Are you alright?"

"It's just…" I pause. I don't want to start another argument, but… I close my eyes, sighing. "Spending time with you has been amazing, but…"

Oreo smiles weakly. "It's okay, Naruto. You don't have to say it. I understand."

Do you? Do you truly understand? I don't think you do. I look around the room. He enjoys this so much. Being in here. He'll spend hours, sometimes days in here. I've found him collapsed on the floor or half collapsed at one of this many tables in here far too many times.

"I think you should cut back on your experiments."

Oreo blinks. "What?"

"I know I can't stop you, but I think you're in this room too much."

"And that's a problem?"

"It is when you don't come out of here for days."

"I'm doing something important."

"I understand that, but you still should come out of here more."

"So what are you proposing?"

"Well, when it's breakfast, lunch, and dinner time, you need to come out and eat. You shouldn't be in there past midnight either. Oh, and we'll need some time for training and just talking as well."

"He's going to be upset."

"Your snake? He's going to have to get over it. You're not some machine that can run off determination."

"You certainly do."

I blush a bit. "Well, I'm different. Besides, you've been teaching me the importance of resting and relaxing my body, so I think you should take your own advice."

"I don't have time. I need to-"

"No, Orochimaru," I say, taking his hand. It's so cold.

He looks down at our hands then up into my eyes.

I squeeze his hand. "You're not alone anymore."

"Not… alone?" he whispers.

"I'm here for you. I promise I won't abandon you. You're my friend, and I never abandon a friend."

He nods slowly. I can't imagine how many emotions are running through him. He needs to have someone close to him, yet the fear of losing that person. He's lost so much already, but he has to accept it. He has to move on. (Yet, I know how hard that is especially not having anyone to help).

"So will you do that for me?"

"Yes."

I smile. "Thank you, Oreo. I think it will help you a lot. And if that snake starts being mean, just let me know. I'll shut him up."

"…okay."

I squeeze his hand again. It feels so nice to hold. He's so different than when we first met. It's not difficult to understand why Jiraiya cared so much. This man needs someone to love him. Someone to be there for him. Someone to care for him. Someone to listen to him. Someone to hold him.

The question is: who would want him like that?

I stare at our hands then look up at his beautiful face. "Thank you, Oreo."

He nods. "I suppose you're hungry?"

I shrug. "Not really."

"That's rather shocking. Is something on your mind?"

"I suppose a lot of stuff."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Well, I kinda feel bad for not telling my friends what I've been up to. I haven't talked to them in so long…"

Oreo pulls his hand away. "You don't have to stay here, Naruto," he says, standing up.

"You don't get it! I never said I wanted to leave!"

"You'll leave eventually. Everyone always does."

I feel a pain in my chest. "I don't want to leave you here alone," I whisper.

Oro shrugs, walking over to some cabinet and scanning the contents. "I'm used to it."

I walk over to where he is. "Yeah? So what? I'm used to people being asses to me, but I refused to accept it. You don't have to be alone, Oreo. It's why you're the way you are."

Oreo tenses, misery washing over his face. "And is that why you're here?"

"What?"

"You're trying to change me?"

"No, that's not it."

"Is there anything right about me?"

"Well, sure. I mean you're a genius, you're powerful." You're beautiful…

Oreo shrugs, grabbing a glass bottle of blue liquid and a syringe.

"What are you doing?"

"Setting up for an experiment for later."

I frown. "What type of experiment?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with, Kit."

My frown deepens. "Why must you do this?"

"Do what?"

"You know what I mean. Keeping secrets from me. I hate it!"

"Do you think I'm going to tell you every little thing I'm doing?"

"Well, no, but I just…"

"Just what?"

"Just be careful, okay?"

"I always am."

"Well, now what?"

Oreo shrugs. "I suppose we can relax for the evening. It's getting late."

"That sounds nice," I smile.

XXXX

Orochimaru

I sit in my favourite chair while Naruto sits on the couch. I can't believe I agreed to limit my experimentation time. What's happening to me? The answer should have been no! Oh well. No turning back now.

I never thought I'd enjoy this child's company. I shouldn't. He's loud, annoying, obnoxious. Yet, he's sweet, caring, kind… to me of all people. I still can't grasp the fact he believes we're friends. But, what do I think?

Do I see him as a friend as well?

I watch him throwing his money frog up in the air and catching it.

"Seems you don't have the desire to gamble like Tsunade."

Naruto turns his head to look at me. "Nah, not really. I'd rather save money."

"I rarely spend mine either."

"You never know when you'll need something. It's best to save it until you need it or really want something."

"Like ten bowls of ramen?" I smirk.

"Hey! You were supposed to treat me to those!" he pouts.

"Treat you?" I scoff. "I treat no one."

"But I did so well, and-"

"Just be grateful I praised you at all."

"You're a mean Oreo Snake!"

I laugh. "And you're a whiny kit."

Naruto pouts more.

I laugh.

He knows how to brighten up my day. I haven't smiled and laughed this much in… well, never…

"So how did you get your sword anyway?"

"Sarutobi-sensei."

"Really? How did he get it?"

"From my father."

Naruto frowns. "Why didn't your father just give it to you?"

"He died before he could."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

I shrug. "He'll return soon enough."

Naruto sits up. "What was your childhood like?"

"Something I wish I could forget."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

I shrug. "I don't know."

"Well, you know I'm here for you, right?"

I nod. Of course you are, Naruto. You're always here. I know you miss your friends, and yet, you'd rather be comforting me. I suppose, it couldn't hurt to tell him a bit…

"My parents were clan heads. We lived on the outskirts of the village, like the Uchiha did. We were responsible for creating poisons and the antidotes to those poisons. My mother had a large garden. When I was a child, I used to play in the garden, eating the poisonous plants and playing with the venomous animals."

"How could you eat poisonous plants and play with venomous animals? I mean, wouldn't that kill you?"

"Under normal conditions, yes."

He frowns. "I don't get it."

"It has to do with my clan."

"Oh? So your clan could eat poisonous plants and play with venomous animals."

"Indeed."
"So how can you? I don't get it."

I study him. Perhaps I need to explain a bit more. He won't understand it unless I do. "Have you ever wondered why I have a long tongue?"

"Well, yeah? I just thought it was some weird jutsu you did. What does that have to do with being able to eat poisonous plants and play with venomous animals?"

"It has everything to do with it."

"Huh?!"

"I naturally have a long tongue."

"So, let me get this straight: your tongue is naturally as long as from here to Suna?"

"No, not quite. I can make it longer with chakra manipulation, but it's much longer than yours."

"So… how long is it?" Naruto wonders.

I open my mouth, sticking out my tongue as far as it will go naturally. The tip of it just barely past my knee.

"Holy shit! That's a long ass tongue! How the hell do you keep that thing in your mouth?!"

I swallow my tongue. "The same way I can extend it. Chakra manipulation."

"That's sad you have to do that."

I shrug. "I'm used to it. My tongue has been very helpful to me."

"How so?"

"Well, when I didn't have use of my arms, I wasn't completely helpless for one thing."

"I suppose that makes sense. Still, how does it help you with being able to eat poisonous plants?"

"My tongue doesn't, but my mother's certainly did."

"How so?"

"You are aware that babies are born without immune systems, correct?"

"Umm… no?"

I sigh inwardly. I was reaching too far with that one. "Babies are born without immune systems. They get them from their mothers."

"And how do they do that?" he wonders.

"By drinking her milk. Breast milk has many special properties that babies need to grow and develop."

"Oh, so did you get your immunity to poisons and such by your mother's milk?"

"No."

"Then how did you?"

"She licked me."

"She… licked you?"

"Indeed. The saliva my clan had has the ability to create immunities to any type of poison or venom. I can be bitten by the deadliest snake or eat the deadliest fruit and never be harmed."

"Wow! That's pretty awesome! So have you ever licked anyone to give them an immunity?"

"No. It doesn't quite work that way. I can't just lick someone and give them an immunity. Immunity is given from mother to child. Although, I have infused my chakra into Sasuke and Anko so they could be resistant to most poisonous and venoms."

"Did you use to lick your subordinates? I mean I know you said you couldn't give an immunity, but…"

"No."

"Why not? It seems to be something you enjoy."

"It helps me to calm down."
"Well, if it helps then why not do it?"

"I suppose I was just too embarrassed about it. I didn't want them to think there was something wrong with me."

"People judge too quickly."

"It's changed, thanks to you."

"Yet, you're still miserable."

I shrug. "I've gotten better."

Naruto smiles. "I'm glad."

"My parents were very keen on me becoming the best. After all, I was next in line to lead the clan. Of course, the members didn't like this idea."

"Why not?"

"For several reasons, really. They feared my growth. I had already surpassed the majority of them, including my parents. I was able to summon Manda as a Genin when no one else in my clan could even attempt to summon him. Of course, he didn't like a "brat" had summoned him. And, the fact that my eyes "creeped them out" didn't help matters."

Naruto frowns. "Why would your eyes creep them out?"

"They said I was a demon."

"You're not a demon!"

"Yes, well, they certainly thought so."

"Well, they were idiots then! What did your parents say about this nonsense?"

"Naturally, they didn't like it; however, they didn't ignore the fact that there was something wrong with me."

"What do you mean?"

"The night before they had left on their last mission, Sarutobi-sensei had come by my house. I eavesdropped on their conversation."

"What did they say?"

"They talked about me getting help. Sensei believed that if he trained me personally then I would be more "normal". My parents agreed, so that's how I was put on his team."

"So your parents didn't think you were normal?"

"My parents were proud of my success, but didn't like how isolated and antisocial I was. My mother told Sensei that I was "too smart" and "overwhelmed everyone". She found me to be sweet, but believed I lacked boundaries and didn't know how to let go."

"I have to agree with her. I mean, you do seem to have boundary issues. You don't seem to know right from wrong either. You just do what you wanna do."

"I enjoy crossing and destroying boundaries. I don't like putting limits on myself or anyone else for that matter."

"Those things are good because if we didn't have rules, regulations, and boundaries then we could get hurt."

"I suppose."

"What did your father think of your issues?"

"He was disappointed that his only son had so many problems. He wondered if it was a good idea to let me be clan head. Mother and he would argue about it all the time."

"I'm sorry. That must have been really hard for you, huh?"

"It's my fault they argued so much."

"No, it's not, Oreo. You can't help how you are."

"Even so, I'm to blame for their deaths."

"How?"

"Because I'm the reason they're suffering."

"How? What happened to them, Oreo?"

So more headcanon coming into play here. Orochimaru's tongue has always fascinated me. So I thought why not share?

Starting next chapter, things are going to start changing. Or, well, it's the start of the change anyway. :)

Preview

Orochimaru

I flick my tongue. "I smell a rat."

"You will smell a lot of rats, but you will not eat them."

Next update date: August 12th

I hope y'all enjoyed! Until next time :).