A few days had passed since I'd informed Aoi about Orochimaru and his threat on the porch, and she had spread the information around town. The news spread like wildfire, as was usual in little towns like Wave, and whenever I would sit on the porch many looks were sent my way from the passing townspeople, ranging from speculative to thankful, dismissive, and a myriad of others.
Yeah. The villagers didn't really know what to do about my information, well, besides Aoi.
The healer had told me that she had sent Kaiza out to Konoha, and he was to inform them about Orochimaru.
After hearing her reasoning, I agreed that the possibility they would be interested was valid, very valid, and only hoped they would arrive faster than Orochimaru.
If he even came, that is.
But only time would tell and there was no use worrying, so I didn't. Instead, I had spent time getting back into shape. Though staying in Wave for longer than necessary left a sour taste in my mouth, it'd be stupid to run out into the world that was so dangerous at anything less than full strength. I was weak enough as is.
But Wave...wasn't really my problem anymore… If trouble came, I would go.
I'd done my part. The town and Gato had taken everything from me, and I'd be damned if it took my life too.
The soreness in my body had dissipated pretty fast, after the first couple days I'd been in Aoi's house.
Once I was fresh and feeling decent again. Well, decent enough to walk, I got some training in the forest. At first, the walk there and back was enough of a workout for me, but it didn't take long to gain some semblance of conditioning.
By the third day of trekking to the forest, I felt good enough to do some pushups, situps, treewalking, and various other exercises. Becoming Mr. Fundamentals was going to be difficult, but I was still only 7 years old.
I had plenty of time to iron out the kinks, and one such kink had been ironed out.
The problem of my hand, and what I was going to do about it. Fixing it would be so simple it almost made me cry.
Puppetry.
The chakra blob I'd been using on various objects to gain control gave me the idea, actually. The shapeless chakra wasn't improved by a large margin, whatsoever, but progress was being made. Slowly but surely, the imperfections around the object would become easier to control.
Once I got the big blob of chakra down to a science, I'd split it into two blobs, and then three, until I had five blobs; subsequently, I'd start to refine them into actual chakra strings. The refinements would be done one by one as well, much like the steps to gain control of the blobs.
Not being able to use jutsu would be a death sentence, so I needed to figure out the specifics in the next couple years.
That was in the future, though, and this was now.
I'd train until I had the resources to figure it out. Constructing the puppet hand with no background knowledge would be difficult, and I wasn't arrogant enough to think that I was smart enough to figure it out on my own.
Especially with no materials, nor a workshop.
But nevertheless, I was on the trek back from the forest to Aoi's shop.
It was time to pack up and leave, today was the day.
The forest of trees stretched to the sky, reaching up towards their progenitor: the sun, who gives all life nutrients. It was a warm day, but a jacket was still needed to shave the bite of the wind, else I'd probably shiver.
Aoi would miss me, and probably not want me to leave, but I was standing firm today.
I could walk, and I would leave.
The barren stretch of field I'd lost the brothers on that stood between the town and the forest seemed like miles, but only took a little while to cross. It was honestly crazy to think the Demon Brothers were dead, due to this field and the fog, and if they'd caught me I'd be in their place.
Dead.
I honestly had no idea what my next move was going to be, or what'd I do, but going back home was definitely on the list of my priorities. I'd say goodbye to the old place, and then set it alight.
Burn my regrets until everything was ash and embers.
For now, I was just ready to get packed and leave. The last thing I wanted to do was be here when Orochimaru made it to town.
The houses made of old wood stood strong on the outskirts, and I made my way towards the alleys I'd gotten so accustomed to taking to and from the forest. It was a routine easily fallen into, and the back routes allowed me to hide from the more exuberant of my well-wishers.
Most of the people avoided me like I did them, either from distrust, guilt… I don't know what specifically.
Kids, though, and a smeckling of adults treated me as a hero.
It doesn't need to be defined how much I despised such a title, especially when applied to myself, but it should be known that I hated being called such a thing.
Quite a bit.
Like… A lot…
Nevertheless, the back routes helped dodge most. The crowdless alleys led the way towards Aoi's back door, and I opened it without knocking and walked to the main room. She was sitting at the wooden table with a cup of tea in hand and the kettle on the table, looking out the window at the afternoon sun.
The sunlight framed her black hair, causing it to glow like the barren earth during an eclipse. Her eyes betrayed the smile she was wearing, for bags underneath matched the color of her hair. Even still, her laugh lines shone through brightly when she caught my eye and gestured for me to sit with a wave.
I didn't start a conversation, but I did walk in her direction. An errant cup on the table was grabbed and filled with the delicious concoction, and I sat down to enjoy my last cup with Aoi.
The mood was serious, and the tension in the air was so thick it could almost be seen. I think Aoi knew what I was going to say, more or less.
"I'm heading out today, Aoi. I'm strong enough to move, so I think it's time for me to find my own path. There's a lot of memories that I want to move past, and staying here where most of the bad memories come from just isn't something I can do." I explained.
Aoi and I had connected, in a weird sort of way. She was like the mix of a cool drunk uncle but a mom at the same time. An interesting dynamic that I hadn't seen in a person before her. She deserved the truth before I left, and it wasn't a huge struggle to tell her, either.
I'd never see her again after tonight. In a way, it was the perfect situation for me to get some stuff on my chest.
I was at least self-aware with my faults. Well, most of them at least.
An interesting mix of needing validation to move on, and not voicing the problems which needed validated. Validated might not be the most correct word, on second thought. Needing an ear to speak too, would be a better comparison. Exact wordage aside, I felt as if I could rant to her.
"I understand that. If I wasn't so entrenched in this town and the people, I'd have left right away after Gato's death. I see my husband on the street corners, and I see my son when the kids in town are playing games. This town reminds me of them, and I love and hate it for the same reason. But I'll always love it more than I don't."
"I don't understand how those memories don't destroy you. I get that there's good in every bad memory, and loving and having lost are better than not loving at all. But when it comes down to it, when someone dies, they're dead and gone, and when it's my fault… Moving on is more difficult. It's like I hate myself for not saving them even though I know that every single person surviving would be impossible." I said bitterly. "I just don't know how to feel when the only people I didn't save are the ones who I'd swore would never die."
Aoi's eyes glistened with understanding. "...A sentiment many people in the town share. You must remember, you went through a lot of horrible things, but Gato was a terrible person. Mothers and Fathers lost their children, and vice versa." Aoi sent gently, "Even now, sleep can run from me when I'm riddled with thoughts of what I could have done to stop my husband, or to stop my child from joining the resistance. Knowing that they died on a path they chose, and that they died for something they believed in makes me proud of them. Especially now that they're gone."
Aoi took a sip of tea with one hand and with the other she waved to show she wasn't finished with her tirade.
"The world won't stop for you during times of hardship. You must use other's memories, their lessons...and their love to keep yourself moving so you don't get left behind on a broken road that only leads to regret and waste. I know my husband and my son, even with how much they liked to tease me for my faults, wouldn't want me to cry and die now that I can finally taste free air without worries of death and destruction looming over my shoulder."
"Death and destruction always looms over one shoulder."
Aoi laughed at that quip, her eyes shining with mirth. The darkness beneath them was driven away, if but for a moment. "Never has there been a truer statement. Even still, brightness shines through. Just look at the conversation we're sharing."
"Like I said, I know light exists, and so does good… But the darkness that comes seems to drown out all light… I don't know. I guess I'm just more cynical than you."
"Certainly could be. It sounds to me that you know the light is there, and the darkness is there too, but you just can't accept it." Aoi said, a knowing smile tugging at her lips.
"If you're right, I won't see the truth of the matter for a while. Lessons like these are ones best imparted through experience. If I were to blame anything, it'd be that. For all the good that the world supposedly has, I guess I've just seen too little of it. The little I've seen has been tainted, too. Nothing more, nothing less."
"If that's what you need to think, I understand."
"Way to make what I believe sound like a load of shit."
It was a testament to how our relationship had grown that instead of a hard slap across the face I only got a light tap on the hand.
"If that's what it sounded like, I'm sorry. I believe you need to hear the truth, and I think I'm seeing things a little more clearly than you are."
"Could be." I admitted, "By the age of 7 murdering 150 men and women, along with a few children, all in the name of Gato or because of Gato… My father dying due to my incompetence, and my friend sacrificing himself…"
I took a deep breath and a swig of tea to try and center my thoughts. Old wounds still bore fresh scars.
"I guess the point I'm trying to drive home is that I've done a lot of things. Seen darkness. Embodied it. I just hate that the world allows such darkness to exist. It's a travesty. Lives are lived normally until someone with power and ambition decides to shit upon the nature of man."
Aoi raised her eyebrows at my proclamation and took a sip of tea. "You've certainly thought deeply about this."
A snort met her statement. "Those types of thoughts aren't ones you can pick and choose to have."
"You're just a little smart ass aren't you!"
"Guilty as charged. You're quite the hypocrite too. I don't know quite what to think yet. On one hand, you're a nice kind lady. On the other hand, you are a psycho who enjoys hurting kids... "
"That is so not true." Aoi vehemently protested, "When I was first taking care of you, I didn't realize how mature you were. It's like you're a teen stuck in a kid's body."
"Not far off."
Aoi continued blissfully unaware, "I was treating you like I would a normal kid your age. If they started cussing that's all we would hear for the next three weeks, especially because it's something that's not supposed to be said."
"So you hurt me because you thought I was a normal child…" I muttered, "Aoi… You're really not helping your case here."
Aoi did not seem to care one bit, and I can't say I was too surprised.
"Take it how you want to take it Kazuki. Sometimes kids like carrots, and they sure don't like the stick. Don't mean both aren't necessary."
"And you start with the stick."
Aoi rolled her eyes and sipped her tea. "Yes. I don't see the problem."
"I can see I'm speaking to a brick wall, so I'll tell you what I originally came for. I'm leaving tonight." I said firmly.
My foot was put down.
Aoi leaned back and crossed her arms. She pursed her lips and the mirth that had been aflame in her eyes dimmed to embers.
"I've been expecting this for a while now. Now that I know all your reasons, I can't do much more than wish you luck, offer you supplies, and keep a door always open if you come back around this area." Aoi's gentle voice declared without malice.
"I appreciate that Aoi. More than words can convey."
"Of course, dear. You weren't at the house long, but I still consider you family."
I didn't really know how to respond, so I said nothing at all.
The conversation ceased much like the sun in the sky; our relationship slowly fading, dimmed from acquaintances to strangers.
To leave before the sun was completely down and the docks were closed, I had to pack and leave with haste, so that's what I did.
Before long I was standing outside the front door overlooking the town square with a big leather bag strapped to my back, filled with an assortment of items which Aoi graciously gifted. Last but not least, a bag of ryo was dropped into my palms, and closed with Aoi's own two hands before I could refuse.
Not that I would, anyways. If I didn't I'd be a broke boy stuck on the island.
I stood awkwardly for a moment, waiting to see if Aoi had any parting words from the doorway.
She didn't say anything and I left without looking back.
The streets seemed to stretch for miles ahead, and before long the square stretched for what seemed like miles behind me. Caught between the demons of my past and their claws still clutched, I made my way to the docks and a dingy boat that would fit a family of four at most. Beside the boat on the docks was an older man, tying his boat to the strong wooden beams planted deep on the ocean floor.
All other boats moored were without captains, the setting sun the most likely cause.
I approached the captain of the rickety boat, "Hello. How much for a ride?"
He looked me over once, his eyes flitting from my shoes to the top of my head.
"You the boy who killed Gato?"
"...Yes."
"You don't have to worry about payment, but the boat won't hit water until morning. Now that all of us have some time to spend with our families, nobody wants to do overnight work. As you can see." The man gestured to the docks and the boats devoid of captains.
"There isn't any way? I'll pay if you can do it tonight."
The man grimaced, "I would love to, but you have to understand where I'm coming from. Just wait until morning, ok?"
"If you won't be swayed…"
"I won't."
"Pity. Tomorrow at sunrise?"
"That should work, young man."
I turned and left without another word, feeling slightly insulted. It was irritating. The reason you can eat with your family at all is because I killed Gato and you can't give me a boat ride?
Feeling embarrassed about the quick return, I made my way back to Aoi's. All tinges of light had edged behind the horizon, only leaving a light orange glow at the edge of the world, the sun taking its final glance at the surface for the day.
I took the roundabout way to the house, loafing through the alleys. Among one of the meaningless back streets, I sat down.
The moon rose and the temperature dropped. Cold air chilled my lips, and the dirt beneath me was frigid and hard.
I found myself wondering where the warmth of the world had gone. Was it so easily lost?
"What was the point? I know how this story ends, and it's in happiness. What's my purpose here? To ruin the perfect story and destroy more lives?"
"You look like crap Kazuki. You alright?" A chipper voice rang out, vicious thoughts put on hold.
"Huh?"
Hina stood in the alley, hands on her hips and a big frown on her face.
"Your eyes look red, like you've been crying. You're all alone in an alley at night when it's freezing. You look like death … Don't 'Huh' me." Hina mocked lightly, her forehead creased.
"I probably look like crap. You're right. Heh." A chuckle left my lips so bitter even I could hear it. "Those same questions could get thrown back at you, you know." I pointed out.
Even with the tough visage Hina was putting on, it was true. While my eyes looked red from crying, or whatever… The orange haired girl had deep bags underneath hers, the color of night.
She looked like she hadn't been getting much sleep.
"I have perfectly good reasons for being out here!" Hina denied.
"Heh. I wasn't even asking about the reason you were out here, but now that you've mentioned it I'd love to know." The olive branch was extended. "Probably isn't the safest time to be out and about. Especially with the possibility of Orochimaru coming." I added on as more of an afterthought than anything.
"I can take care of myself, you know." Hina accused, her eyes twitching.
"Not with this one, Hina. If he decides to kill the town, we'll all be helpless. Bodies in a pile, or chained up and wishing you were dead." I said grimly.
"Yes, I know, I heard… But you said there was a possibility he wasn't going to come, and that's the outcome I'm hoping for! You need to have some more faith too. It goes a long way. It's what allowed us to make it this far."
"Are you serious?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Hina challenged.
She did indeed look serious. Her face set firm, and her mouth drawn in a line. Even her posture was dead-set; her feet in line with her shoulders and fists clenched tightly.
"I see. I guess I don't understand where faith comes in. I really haven't seen it. Everything that we have now is due to sacrifice, and everything we've lost is due to incompetence and failure."
"Of course you'd say that." Hina said softly, moving beside me and plopping down onto the cold ground.
Goosebumps had risen on my arms from the cold, and my breath had turned visible.
"Is this turnaround in temperature normal?"
"No. It's very unusual, actually. Sometimes the sea brings in storms and cold weather." Hina answered.
"Weird. I know nothing about oceans." I admitted.
"And you've been on an island for over a year. You are unbelievable. Hopeless." Hina teased, a smirk on her face.
"Yeah yeah. Did you want to talk about something specific? It's getting pretty cold…"
"Be more considerate about a lady's feelings! Boys aren't supposed to pry into a girl's thoughts. So heartless… And you're the one who changed the subject." Hina grumbled.
"I could honestly care less about stuff like that." I answered honestly, but only towards the first few accusations. I conveniently didn't answer the point she'd made about dodging topics.
"No fun." Hina pouted.
"So why'd you come out here?"
"I don't really know the answer to that. After Shigoto… It's just been hard."
"...Yeah… I know what you mean." I answered honestly.
"I keep seeing his body on the cross. Leaking blood with a smile. The damned id… idiot looked happy to die and leave everything behind." Hina said softly, her voice quivering "Leave me behind." She added on.
"You're talking like you were intimate with Shigoto." I pointed out.
The girl blushed. "Don't say it like that! But… yes. Though you didn't realize, I liked Shigoto, and Shigoto liked me."
"How did I miss that?" I murmured in disbelief, my lone palm on my face in line with hard cheekbones.
"It's not so hard to believe. You try to cover all of your bases, but when you think something is impossible you don't even bother to look for it."
"And what bases did I not cover?" I questioned, not necessarily refuting the statement.
"We didn't talk in person, besides once, but we wrote each other letters. It was romantic, and Shigoto is surprisingly open on paper."
"I didn't even know Shigoto could read or write." I deadpanned.
"You didn't know! Oh my... I should be angry at you for knowing so little about your friend."
"More things were on my mind than finding out my friend's favorite color, Hina. I'm sure you got all the juicy details though."
"Yeah." She smiled wistfully, "Yeah I did."
"That was supposed to make you embarrassed."
"Oh was it? You'll have to try harder than that."
I hummed in response and turned my head to the sky, taking note of the pale moon nearly a fourth of the way through its orbit. "What did you mean when you said I had little faith?"
"Exactly what it sounded like. You have such little faith in yourself that you can't take Shigoto's sacrifice for what it is…"
"You're wrong. I've made up my mind about what I'm going to do with my life. I will falter, and have second thoughts, but I won't stop. I'll kill if I have to, and die if I have to. I refuse to be powerless anymore. I refuse to allow someone like Shigoto to die again. Not when there can be peace instead."
The words sounded harsh even to my ears, but she needed to know I'd thought long and hard about the sacrifice Shigoto made.
I could feel Hina's eyes on my head, trying to peer into my soul. I guess she was satisfied with what she saw because she huffed and smiled widely when I turned to her. The snarky retort I'd been building to add on dissipated.
"What?"
"Nothing… Nothing…"
"Whatever. I'm going back to Aoi's house for the night, I suggest you go back to where you came from as well."
"Yes yes, I'll be on my way. It was good to talk to you Kazuki, see you soon?"
"...Most likely not. I'm heading to the mainland tomorrow."
"Oh. Wave too small for you?"
"Something like that. You're not leaving? I remember you saying something about running away the first chance you got."
"I just wanted to run away from Gato, more than anything. The environment in general. Now that I'm living with some of the older maids and I can see how polite and kind everyone is, the town isn't so bad."
"I see."
I did understand, but that just wouldn't work for me.
"All I see is the bad things."
"Such a pessimist." Nina accused me with a smile.
"Call me what you will."
I pushed myself off the ground and held a hand out to Hina, which she glared at before getting up herself.
"Well, I'd say see you later, but this is more of a goodbye." I said dryly.
"Yeah. I'm glad we got to talk one last time."
I nodded and left.
When not taking the roundabout way that specifically avoided Aoi's place, it took no more than a couple minutes to traverse the alleys and arrive at the back door. A loud knock later, and the door was opened.
Aoi was in her nightwear, looking like she was preparing to sleep.
"Kazuki!? What are you doing here?!" Aoi gushed, putting her hand on my shoulder.
"The docks were closed. Sorry about coming back like this."
"I did say I would keep my door always open, didn't I?"
"Yeah, you did." I agreed.
"Come on in then. It's cold."
I was pulled in firmly and took note of the whistling sound of a kettle on fire. Aoi noticed my eyes lingering on the hallway and smirked before grabbing me a cup and moving to the workshop to fill it up, leaving it on the table.
"Thanks." I dryly stated while moving towards the worn seat where my butt would relax.
"You're welcome brat."
The difficult conversation I'd been expecting for whatever reason had shown faulty judgement, as Aoi only seemed happy at the chance to spend more time with me.
"Were the docks closed?" Aoi questioned.
"Yeah. How'd you know?"
"I thought of the possibility after you'd left, but when you weren't back right away I assumed that you'd made it to the mainland." Aoi admitted.
"Understandable."
"Kazuki. What will you do when you go to the mainland? I know that you won't stay here, and you won't be moved from that line of thought. I'm only interested." Aoi clarified.
"Yeah. My mind won't be changed on that one." I agreed. "I'm not sure on the specifics yet but I'm going to get strong and stomp anyone like Gato into the ground where they belong."
Aoi's eyebrows rose at my determination, or declaration. "So you plan to get strong enough to kill others?"
"I wouldn't say it exactly like that, but generally yeah. I plan to be strong enough to kill."
"A worthy path. I only urge you to make sure you're strong enough to not die before attempting to kill others. Those who seek justice prematurely die, most often."
The differences in culture still took me by surprise occasionally, and this was one of those times.
In my old world, declaring my intent to kill genuinely bad people would still be met with resistance.
Here, bad people dying meant more good people living. Even more so when someone as vile as Gato was involved. The instances were much more drastic, at least from what I'd seen firsthand.
Aoi being a closet sadist probably had some impact as well.
The moon was halfway through its orbit now and if I wanted to get up at sunrise it was time to hit the hay. I stood up, my body echoing my thoughts, and moved to head to the backroom. Before I could make it down the hallway, there was a knock on the door.
I glanced at Aoi and she looked confused.
"I'll get it."
The front door was moved to and opened. Standing outside was a black haired man, whose locks fell down to his mid back. A black cloak with red clouds was draped across his body like a curtain. Pale skin contrasted the black cloak, like he'd never seen sunlight, and his yellow eyes had slits and appeared venomous. Thin lips attached to his face as no more than a string.
When I saw the face of the snake towering above me, I froze in terror.
"Orochimaru." I blurted out.
His string-like lips parted slightly to a smile, barely showing the tips of his teeth. "And you must be Kazuki. I've heard so much about you from the villagers around town. They were kind enough to impart some very important information, such as the fact that you killed Gato, and warned the town of my coming. Both things I'm very interested to hear more about."
The question was left open-ended, and I had no idea how to respond. Thankfully, Aoi cut in.
"Get out of this house! We don't need to hear a word that you say, so you better get on with it and leave before I get angry!" Aoi ordered.
"Aoi." I quickly voiced, trying to warn her to back off a little.
She glanced back at me and seemed to shrink under my fearful gaze. I had no doubt warnings of the man being invincible and strong enough to kill 100 sets of the Demon Brothers were running through her mind and battling fiercely with her will to protect.
"Yes. I was the one who killed Gato, and his 150 mercenaries. It was not through sheer strength, but tactics and subterfuge. My father was killed by the monster, so I killed him." I explained to Orochimaru. "Warning the villagers of you coming was one in the same, as Gato mentioned you to me, along with all of the sick things you would do to the slaves you bought. I'm sure he didn't consider that he could be slaughtered like a pig around a week later."
"All of the sick things I would do? Gato had me confused with many of my methods years ago. Now, while terrible in many ways, life is protected to the extreme."
"Oh?" While the silver-tongued snake seemed to be telling the truth, I knew it to be complete and utter bullshit. I didn't know the correct way to call his lie and had to tread carefully, so I held my tongue.
"It seems like you don't believe me… No matter. Let us sit." Orochimaru pushed past me and moved inside. "I'm curious to find out about the character of 'The Savior of Wave.' Orochimaru mocked.
"Why do you call me that?"
"A couple of reasons, which you no doubt already know. I talked to quite a few of the villagers of this little town, and once threatened it didn't take long to find the correct place of residence. They spoke glowingly of you, especially when they figured out the threat of Orochimaru was true." He said with a vicious smile.
"What did you do to them?"
"Nothing. You don't have to worry about me killing them. This trip was not for what you believed. I don't want to experiment on all of the children of this town. I want to recruit them. I'm building a village, and manpower is needed."
"You're making a village?"
"Oto."
"Yes. Now how did you kill Gato? Was it a kekkai genkai that finally awakened in a moment of rage?" Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with thinly veiled interest.
"I'm a sensor, and it was foggy. I killed the Demon Brothers in the fog, and all the mercenaries with poison. Gato's house got exploding tags." I explained shortly.
"Interesting. So you managed to free the town without any extreme powers to call upon."
"You could say that."
Orochimaru took this moment to look at his surroundings, his eyes roaming the room slowly. I had no doubt it was all for show and he'd taken note of anything of importance the moment he stepped in the house.
"Let us sit. I don't wish to stand for any longer during this conversation." Orochimaru ordered and sat at the worn table with only two seats without waiting for a response.
I sat in the other chair and Aoi stood petrified at the doorway. By her side, her trembling hands betrayed how scared she truly was. When Aoi finally spoke, her voice didn't waver but the terseness was evident in her tone. "You said the villagers told you he lived here. What did you do to them?"
"I told you once I did nothing, and I didn't lie. After all, it would make the following topics much more difficult."
"The following topics… What are you saying?" Aoi questioned, then shuddered.
"I shouldn't get too ahead of myself and go to the crux of the matter. First, I'd like Kazuki to tell me his process of dealing with Gato, as well as the reasons for deciding to kill the man."
"Why would a monster like you care about something like that?" Aoi spat, gaining some backbone. It was truly impressive for a civilian with no power to speak to Orochimaru, let alone disrespectfully. And this was twice. Twice.
Orochimaru's yellow eyes peered into her soul from the corner of his eyes, and Aoi shrunk back. "I advise you to think before you speak, Aoi. From the villagers, I know you've been informed on how dangerous I am, and the rumors were not false."
"I'll start with the reasons and then tell you how, as I feel that order is more important." I cut in, trying to draw the sannin's attention from the petrified Aoi back towards me. By the small smile that grew at the action, I wouldn't be surprised if Orochimaru knew that was the exact reason I spoke at that moment.
"Yes. Inform me of your escapades."
"My father, Hideki Todo," Orochimaru's eyes widened at the name, but he didn't comment, which I'm pretty sure was the only honest reaction from the man I'd seen all night. "was hired by Gato to build a house in Wave. Once finished, Gato amassed an army of mercenaries and cut off all means of communication. He killed my father, and then I waited until the moment was right. Gato telling me that he planned to sell all the slaves to a man who cut up children made me move forward with plans. Hemlock gathered from the forest was slipped in drinks once a party for the slaves was manufactured, and I killed the Demon Brothers by misdirection and luck."
"What was your reasoning for wanting to save the slaves?"
A valid point of interest, from his point of view. He was a master manipulator, and finding the driving force behind people's interests was quite important. Even more so if he couldn't inject himself into their life as the driving force.
"One of my friends was a slave. While saving everyone was nice, I was naive. I only wanted to save him, but disillusioned myself so I'd still be good." I admitted, more truthful in that moment than I'd ever had liked to admit.
Playing the idealism game with the man in front of me would only leave me dead.
"What happened to this friend?" Orochimaru probed gently. He seemed almost sympathetic.
"He was one of the few slaves I didn't save."
"Ah." Orochimaru leaned back and crossed his arms. "You were powerless, in the end."
"Yes." I admitted.
"How interesting. Yes. Before I offer my proposal, let me clear up some of the misaligned facts Gato uttered. I do not perform experiments on children. While I do love research and science, I only perform my experiments on foes who have met their end facing my own power. I do not pluck children from their homes."
"Bullshit."
"Oh?" I said. The snake's eyes jumped to my forehead, which was creased in disbelief.
"You don't believe me?"
"I do."
"Normally I wouldn't call you such a thing on our first meeting, but these circumstances are leaving me feeling generous. Why do you think I kidnap children. Be honest."
Well, because I've seen it…
Too bad I couldn't exactly say that, so I had to come up with the next best thing.
"Gato made it sound like all the slaves would be sold, and that it had been something he'd done before. If it had happened before, it could happen again…" I trailed off, hopefully not offending the near invincible man sitting casually across from me.
"This ties into my proposal. Earlier I mentioned a Hidden Village in the process of being built, and that is what the slaves were bought for. Though it's mostly shinobi who live in the village, some odd jobs do need to be filled. They are bought as a workforce, but get to live free and eat until they've been satisfied after hours."
"You bought them to help build the village and for infrastructure?"
"Exactly. This trip was not for that purpose, but to survey the slaves present to see if any were skilled in basic arts of ninjutsu, or held some inherent potential. A shinobi village needs more than simply infrastructure to survive. Infrastructure for Hidden Villages is based on missions, and I'm here to recruit."
Orochimaru's casual pose suddenly dropped and he leaned forward, both arms on the table.
"Would you like to become a shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Sound? I cannot promise you an easy life, nor would I want to. What I can promise is power, and camerdie with those who have been through the same hells you have. If you have talent as a sensor, I promise you we can improve that skill to the maximum. A replacement for your hand would be no problem either."
What other option did I really have? If I didn't accept, the villagers would probably die, and then my demise would follow. Not like accepting didn't have merits. I'd get stronger and be right in the mix for the Konoha invasion, with chances to bring Orochimaru down.
"I'll do so as long as you give me your word you won't harm any of the villagers. I believe you when you said you didn't buy children as test subjects, but I just want to make sure. The way of shinobi. I'm sure you understand."
Orochimaru rolled his eyes, "My word has been given. However, don't go speaking off on a topic you know nothing about. Once you have become a shinobi, then you are allowed to speak your own thoughts on the way of life for shinobi. I'm impressed however, you seem to be quite smart for such a young child."
"Thank you." I duly replied, a little shook up from the situation. Aoi remained silent by the door, a look of horror plastered to her face.
"I'm your leader now, Kazuki, so do your best to refer to me as such."
"Yes. Lord Orochimaru."
"Good. Then it is time for us to leave."
I closed my eyes and nodded. Into hell I rode on a white horse.
"At least Shigoto and I are even now."
Orocimaru leaned back once again, and his chakra flared slightly. It was menacing and powerful, but still hiding strength, like the first tremors of an earthquake. The chakra reached out to me and latched on, and darkness greeted me.
/~/
A/N: Kazuki is quite the hypocrite, isn't he?