Beware the terrible transitions this chapter.

The next morning, I gathered the courage to talk to Papa.

Well, I would have to be careful. If I told him I wanted to leave, he might take measures to keep me locked up here. No, I had to keep what little freedom I had (which, in hindsight, really wasn't much. I had never realised it, but I was trapped down here.)

Still, I could do other things.

"If you're going to take my body, don't you want me to be strong?" I asked, trailing Papa as he picked up the tray from the cafeteria and went to sit on one of the benches.

The cafeteria was rowdy as usual. This hideout was reserved for scientists and just enough ninja to keep the place well-defended. I was an oddity, being the only child here that was neither scientist nor ninja. It was one of my father's smaller hideouts that he kept separate from the four Otogakure bases that housed mostly ninja.

No, this base was where the experiments happened. And now that I knew the genre of experiments my father partook in, I expected that the Oto bases only mixed with this one if Papa was experimenting on his people, maybe modifying them to be stronger.

I swallowed. How had I missed it all this time?

I'd asked about his village before, and he'd told me that the Oto bases were where his forces were trained, and they functioned just like any village with civilians and all. He even had the beginnings of a proper, aboveground village in Grass, which was where the ninja academy was situated.

I climbed onto the seat opposite my father. I was very conscious now that I had never relied on anyone except Papa, and thus I had no one to turn to. No friends. No one to help me out of here, especially since everyone was loyal to Papa.

Or… were they?

But that was a question for another time.

"Of course I would," Papa smiled as he placed the plate and utensils he had picked up for me in front of me. I could never reach the trays or see the food, so he always did it for me.

I stared down at the okonomiyaki (my favourite) and picked up my chopsticks.

"Then you should train me."

I heard a polite cough behind me and turned my head to see Kabuto. He placed his food on the table and sat beside me, smiling.

"Good morning Orochimaru-sama, Chimon-kun."

If my Papa was a murderer, did that mean that Kabuto was in on everything? That he was not the kind man I had always thought him to be?

Papa inclined his head, taking a bite of his eggs and toast.

"So I happened to overhear you wanting to train, Chimon-kun. Why the haste?"

I frowned, trying hard not to narrow my eyes.

While I now had to suspect that everyone associated with my father was a villain of some kind and tread lightly, had anything actually changed?

No, all that had happened was that I was seeing. Seeing things as they really were. And since my father had not made a big deal about telling people, it meant that simply because he knew that I knew, he was not going to act on it. So neither would anyone else.

I was safe. I had that to cling to, at least.

"Papa is going to take my body," I said bluntly, watching his reaction.

Nothing. Well, nothing except for him sending Papa a strange look, which caused Papa to smirk and tilt his head.

There was a conversation in that glance, I just didn't know what.

Still, I filed the reaction away.

"I see…" Kabuto smiled serenely. "Well, that's… something. How exactly did you come across this information?"

I lowered my gaze back to my food. Should I reveal that Isas and I had gone creeping around? Not even Papa knew what had spurred me on to open the door, the things I had seen.

But what did it matter, really? I knew now, Papa knew I knew now, though he only knew I had read what he had done. Not seen it.

"I like reading books," I mumbled, barely decipherable above the hum of chatter in the cafeteria.

"Books?" Uncle Kabuto asked, looking comically confused.

If I revealed that I had been sneaking around, would I get locked up? I bit my lip.

Well, it was an experiment. If Papa did decide to lock me up, I would know that I really didn't know him at all.

I nodded miserably.

"I like books," I repeated. "And in the stories, the hero is out adventuring and discovering things and… and I wanted to do that too. So I went into one of those restricted doors."

Papa paused with a forkful of toast halfway to his mouth, his eyes narrowing. He was surprised.

Kabuto's smile remained fixed, his expression betraying nothing but polite curiosity.

"Ah. And what did you see?"

The scene came back to my mind. I had been avoiding, had been deliberately shying away from it, but…

I clutched my stomach, suddenly feeling a wave of nausea wash over me. I felt tears come unbidden, and I lowered my head so they couldn't see my face.

"E-evil th-th-things," I shuddered, failing to resist the sobs that broke forth. All I could think about were those men, hanging from the walls, and those wailing prisoners…

Isas, currently wrapped around my ankle, tightened comfortingly. Or maybe he was just reliving the moment, too.

"Ah," Kabuto repeated, and his eyes flicked to something behind me. And before I could protest I was lifted up and Papa took my seat, settling me in his lap. He held me and gently rocked while I tried to regain control of myself.

"You didn't mention that before, little one. I forbade you from entering, and now you know why." he murmured, but he didn't sound angry.

I clutched at the shirt he was wearing- plain, long sleeved black shirt that he wore under his black Oto standard vest, but the vest was absent. I pressed my face into his chest, my tears drenching his shirt, but I refused to apologise for going against him.

He was a villain now.

"But if that was what you saw, it doesn't explain how you came to know about Orochimaru-sama's body transfer jutsu," Kabuto added lightly.

"He took a little visit into my private room while we were… otherwise occupied," he stated, running his hands through my hair soothingly.

Kabuto raised a brow.

"He passed the warding genjutsu?"

"And found out how to unlock the trapdoor."

Kabuto was now looking at me in a new light, but I was too busy wiping my tears on Papa's shirt to notice.

"And why don't you show Kabuto that little flame you made, hm?" Papa asked, giving me a little bounce on his knee.

The flame? Why did that matter?

My eyes narrowed.

"Is it weird?" I asked, hoping the anxiety wasn't too prevalent in my voice.

"Not at all," Papa cooed. "It's quite special, in fact."

I frowned but turned to Kabuto and raised my finger between us.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on converting my chakra, then coating my finger with normal chakra. Then, in a burst, I released the chakra steadily from my finger, creating a small flickering flame.

Kabuto's eyes widened.

"Where did you learn that, Chimon-kun?" he asked, and I let the flame die.

"Nowhere," I glaring petulantly, pressing back against Papa.

"Won't you talk me through how you did it, ne?" Papa pressed, and I blinked. Why were they making such a big deal? Papa could raze mountains and bring back the dead; there was no way he didn't know how to make a stupid little flame.

"Why?" I demanded. "You're making fun of me, aren't you?" I glared at the both, my lips pulling back suspiciously.

"Not at all. Humour me."

"Ok but… if I tell you, you have to train me," I stated primly, leaving no room for negotiation.

He laughed. "I think that can be arranged. Now go on."

I licked my lips, but finally I spoke.

"Well, if I get my normal chakra, and create a barrier on my fingertip…" I raised my finger and did just that, though the chakra wasn't visible. "And then I push some of my fire chakra out of my fingertip…"

The flame burst to life again.

"No hand seals. Incredible," Kabuto murmured.

I tilted my head at him in confusion. Really, hand seals made no sense. I don't know why people use them, my theory is that chakra doesn't require seals at all. After all, it seems unlikely that someone in history was randomly doing weird things with their fingers and shouted out a random sentence ending with 'something no jutsu!' and voila the first jutsu occurred.

It even cut out all people who couldn't speak Japanese. I knew from some of the older novels I read that there were languages beyond Japanese that had once existed, or perhaps still did exist.

In fact, some masters of certain jutsu can use jutsu without hand seals, and without calling out the name of the jutsu. That just proves they aren't required to create jutsu. In fact, I'd go so far as to assume that the creation of hand seal sequences for certain jutsu limits the uses of chakra. After all, if everyone believes there's only one way that chakra can be turned into jutsu…

I'd read a few novels by now, and I'd noticed that some of the really old ones referred to 'chakra' as 'magic'. And in those novels, oftentimes 'magic' didn't require the mage, magician or wizard to shout words and form weird hand positions to make things happen, although sometimes other mediums like wands were used.

Perhaps it was a state of mind that was required to form magic; something to focus on and believe could be used to make magic, whether it actually was required or not. And magic did not become a jutsu; magic was magic, whether it turned into water magic or fire magic.

Of course, all the novels presented 'magic' differently, but there had to be some logic behind it. Chakra only recently-

"Chimon-kun?"

I blinked at the hand waving in my face, my gaze automatically refocussing on Kabuto.

"Uncle?" I responded lightly, smiling slightly.

"Your father just asked you a question," he said, smile twitching. I giggled at the expression.

I blinked and tilted my head up to regard Papa. He smiled down at me.

"I asked how you would feel about having a little brother."

My mind seemed to stutter and fail. I gaped up at him.

Brother? I'd read about people with siblings before, characters in novels that had supportive siblings that were always really nice and there for them all the time. It always sounded awesome, but I thought it was a distant dream! A myth even!

"A brother? Like a real person?" I asked, excitement coating my voice. I all but vibrated on Papa's knee. "Can he be really nice and like reading books too? Ooh, will he play the flute with me? Where-"

"I take that as a yes," Papa chuckled. "But it won't be immediately. Perhaps in the next year or two."

My face dropped. I'd be seven in two years.

"Why not now?" I demanded mulishly. "That's way too long to wait! I'll be so old by then!"

"Is that so?" my Papa mused. "That makes me feel so very old. How old is Kabuto, Chimon-kun?"

Well, in books I'd read about people living up to 80 and sometimes even older, but they were always the old and wise ones. Elders, they were often called. Anyone over 60 normally was, in fact. And the main characters in the books I read are normally never older than 16, so sixteen seems like a reasonable age for a normal person. Plus, Papa may be the villain, but villains tend to match the age of the average protagonist.

I squinted up at Papa, then at Kabuto.

Kabuto, on the other hand, was an advisor to my father. And advisors tended to be intelligent and wise. And wise usually meant old. And he did have grey hair. And glasses, like a typical intelligent, old person with failing eyesight.

I pointed at Kabuto.

"Well uncle Kabuto is probably eighty or so," I decided, with a nod to myself. Kabuto looked stunned, his jaw dropping open, but I was already turning my attention to Papa.

"And for myself?" Papa asked, his lips turning up at the corners.

"And you're probably sixteen," I added, reaching up to pat his cheek. "It's ok to be old."

And I could feel Papa's body begin to tremor, and he seemed to be struggling to fight off a grin as he clutched me against him, shuddering.

But then he was laughing, and Kabuto was smirking as I was squashed with the way Papa was leaning over in a fit.

"What?" I wheezed testily, trying to wriggle out of his crushing grip.

"Kabuto is nineteen," Papa told me once he managed to contain himself, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. Now it was my turn to gape, staring at Kabuto with new eyes.

"No way!" I breathed. "You're young enough to be a main character!"

"And your father is fifty," Uncle told me primly.

I gasped and turned.

"No way! But that makes you an old person!"

How could this be possible? I felt scandalised.

Papa laughed at the horrified look I was shooting him.

"Does that make you my Grandpa?" I wondered, dizzy at the revelation. Maybe I had to revise my rigid categories, because my father couldn't be a villain and an old man. Could he?

"So cute," Papa purred, nuzzling my hair. "No, I am still your father. Now, why don't you go and grab some juice, hm?"

And he lifted me from his lap and set me on my feet. I couldn't help but stare at him in horrified awe, as if searching for a trace of deception. My father was fifty. Actually, if I pondered it a bit more, it might make sense. He is really smart, after all, and young people normally aren't meant to be super knowledgeable. And haven't made lots of big scientific and chakra related discoveries, and haven't created entire villages from the ground up. And normally don't have their own personal libraries.

He nudged me away after a moment in which I just stared at him in a daze, and finally I snapped out of it and turned, mumbling to myself as I wandered away.

After all, rationally, the main characters in fantasy novels never have kids, do they? That's a thing for older people.

Still perplexed, I walked over to the drinks tray and picked up an orange juice.

I turned back to return to the table, but then remembered my manners and picked up a tea for Papa. He liked plain black tea. Or herbal, but there was no selection of herbal teas, so I settled for black and returned to the table.

That day I began researching. If I wanted to escape this place one day, I needed to get stronger. And smarter. Reading tended to make people smarter, right?

Hence I ended up in the public library. The library took up almost a quarter of the entire hideout, with massive towering bookcases filling up most of the space. Because of how large it was, it was difficult to run into anyone in the same section as you.

"Look at this," I said, turning a page of the large, tomb-like book. "Did you know infiltration specialists hundreds of years ago relied much more heavily on physically changing appearances than using henges? Because people had really small chakra reserves back then and couldn't hold it for long enough to be reliable."

"Vey interesting," Isas drawled from my collar in a way that told me it was not at all as he stated.

I sighed, shut the book and slid it back into place.

I couldn't exactly reach any of the books on the higher shelves, even using the makeshift ladders provided. How did other people reach them? Surely I wasn't the only one.

In fact, there were alcoves high up the walls with their own bookcases in them, and there was no ladder to access those. It must mean they are for ninja only.

But I was determined to see what was in them. I knew the theory behind wall-walking, but I had never attempted it before.

Walking over to the wall beneath one of the alcoves, I closed my eyes and focussed on the thrum of chakra beneath my skin.

Channelling it to my feet, I put my foot on the wall. I took a breath and pushed off-

Only for the wall to explode outwards. With a yelp, I jumped back.

Was that supposed to happen?

I stared at my foot in wonder. I hadn't even released any chakra, but simply bringing it to the forefront of my skin and concentrating it in one place caused so much destructive power. What if I used that on a person? Would they explode like-

"Young man! What was that explosion? Why is there a hole in the wall?"

I turned around to see that one of the librarians behind me, panting slightly. Oh no, it was Ai! She was the meanest, sternest librarian of them all, with a long, hawklike nose, sharp features and equally sharp red glasses.

I giggled sheepishly.

"No idea!" I squeaked, smiling as innocently as I could manage. "I just came over to investigate too, haha!"

Then I made a quick escape to the other side, Ai-san screeching something after my retreating form. Despite the incident, I stayed to do my research and sat down on one of the plush couch chairs provided. Settling in, I began to read.

My senses came back to me momentarily, just enough to ensure I wasn't in danger. I was being lifted from the highly uncomfortable position I'd been, having fallen asleep on a chair in the library still sitting up, my head almost using my own shoulder as a pillow.

My head was lain on a much more comfortable shoulder and rested against a warm body.

"Whasgoinon?" I slurred, attempting to fend off the encroaching darkness.

"You are going to bed," came the disapproving response. "Beds are for sleeping, not chairs."

"'m readin' book," I mumbled, attempting to rouse myself only to find my head pressed firmly back into Papa's shoulder.

"The book will still be here tomorrow."

I muttered something incoherent and pressed my face into a warm, soft neck before promptly drifting back into the haze of unawareness.

I needed to get training as soon as possible so I could reach the alcoves.

"You said you would train me," I accused. "I don't want to go to the academy!"

Papa was currently looking through a microscope lens at something too small for normal eyes to see. He had his lab coat on, with Kabuto leaning on the table and writing dictating whatever he was saying.

"Don't you want to meet others your age? And Kabuto, put down that the chakra is causing the nuclear membrane to become unstable."

"No," I told him petulantly, hopping onto a stool beside him. "I don't care about meeting other people. I just want to know how to fight."

"The chakra is causing the DNA to split due to the hydrogen bonds breaking down," Papa murmured, twisting the barrel of the microscope. "Child, I will train you. But I am also busy, and while I am unavailable the academy will provide a suitable substitute. I will not waste my time teaching you basics."

I scowled and looked away.

"No," I declared. "I'm not going."

That would mean moving.

I waited in petulant silence as Papa ignored me, murmuring a few things to Kabuto before leaning back from his microscope.

Finally he turned his attention to me, his eyes appraising.

"You will go," he informed me, tone firm. Then he stood up and began collecting papers scattered beside him. Kabuto had turned to studying a diagram he had sketched out.

"Why?" I demanded, feeling a rush of anger. "I don't want to go!"

"Because, my dear, you need to be properly socialised. And you will not get that while you mope about around here."

"Hey! I don't need to be socialised like a pet. And I don't mope! Plus, I have Isas, he's my friend!" I yelled the last part, outraged. Papa was being unfair!

Papa closed his eyes for a moment as if to keep himself in check, before slowly reopening them.

"Isas is a snakelet, and you are a child," Papa told me firmly, as if that was somehow a valid argument. My face flushed; how dare he use that as an excuse? Even if he's a snake, Isas is still a friend! Plus, I'm five! Five is old enough to know what I'm doing. I do not need the label of child; it was an insult!

I told Papa as much, but in response he walked past me swiftly, clearly ignoring me and heading for the archives to file his findings.

I ground my teeth, my eyes burning with frustration. I really didn't want to go to the academy. That would limit my freedom!

I followed on his heels, Kabuto following a moment later.

"You can't make me go," I decided.

Papa stopped and I was close enough behind him that I didn't stop in time, and I bounced off his left leg, thankfully righting myself before I fell. Kabuto stopped as well, but he, as usual, was doing a great job of blending into the background for our argument.

Nerves made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end as Papa turned his head enough to regard me, looking down at me from the corner of his eye with a blank expression.

"I can and I will," he said coolly. "You will attend the academy."

I glared and gathered myself, standing up as straight as I could manage.

"No!"

And within a split second, he was suddenly lifting me by the back of my neck. I squeaked and flailed, attempting to reach behind me and claw at his wrist.

"Let me go! Let me go!" I cried, feeling my courage drain away. Sometimes it was easy to forget that my papa is an evil villain. My vision blurred as the tears began to run.

I could feel Isas cringing under my shirt. He never approved of me back-talking Papa.

I was lifted to eye level, thrashing.

He was looking at me with such coldness.

"I am your parent. You will do as I say."

My breath hitched. His eyes… they were so scary. So, so scary.

I fell still, my hands dropping to my sides, hanging limply in his grip on some kind of primal instinct that screamed predator.

I tried to speak, but all that came out was a hiccup. I covered my face with my arms, curling into a ball in the air, as if to make myself smaller. I managed to restrain my sobs, but I couldn't stop the sniffles and hiccups that escaped.

And then he moved me to the side and I unfurled just in time to land on my feet when he dropped me.

And then he walked away without a word, Kabuto following silently. Only when he had turned a corner did I sprint back to my room, where I promptly cried my heart out.

"It's not fair," I moaned, punching the wooden training dummy. Deliberating cycling too much chakra into my hands, the surface of the wood exploded outwards on impact.

And a shard of it slammed into my face, causing me to stumble back with a yelp.

Seemed about right. I rubbed my cheek, glaring.

"You are so lame," Isas sneered, who was currently stalking a cockroach that was scuttling across the training room floor. I ignored him.

Well, at least I knew my new theory worked. Hopefully, once my chakra reserves increase, I'll be able to annihilate the dummy in one hit, rather than just having a few splinters come out at the point of impact. I should probably learn to properly control my chakra too though, so I can stick things to myself, and walk up walls like a real ninja.

This training room was dedicated to the few ninja at this base, though it was rarely used because most of the ninja here actually know how to get outside where they have more space to train properly. Which I still need to figure out, unless I can just use this new method to punch my way through the ceiling once I learn to properly wall-walk. Although then I might just end up bringing the roof down on my head, so it probably wouldn't be the best option.

I perked up as a thought occurred to me. Nearby, Isas suddenly lunged, but the cockroach noticed his approach at the last moment and suddenly fled in a burst of speed, disappearing beneath a crate of wooden practice weapons.

"At least I'll get to go outside," I murmured. "The Academy is aboveground in the Oto village. And there'll be way more chances at escape, especially if Papa isn't around so much."

"Maybe we just shouldn't leave," Isas grumbled. "I don't want to displease Orochimaru-sama and mother."

I bristled.

"Easy for you to say! You're not the one who's going to get possessed by your own parent!"

Isas huffed, flicking his tail dismissively.

"Then you can go. I think I shall stay behind lest mother kill me herself."

"You're a summons. Aren't you meant to be loyal?"

"Technically, Orochimaru-sama owns my contract. If anyone, he's the one I should be loyal to. But if I had my way, I'd have left you stupid humans already. The only reason I haven't is because mother signed me off to your father the moment I was born."

"Serves you right, for being so self-centred," I retorted with a sneer.

"Us snakes live to serve only ourselves! My mother abandoned me at birth, and if she didn't care so much for your stupid father's opinion, me and all my siblings would be free!" Isas hissed agitatedly. "The only reason I stick with you is because if I didn't, your father would sacrifice me first chance he gets in a fight, because the only snake he cares about is mother. And Manda-sama. The rest of us are just ammo for his jutsu. He's a true snake, but that doesn't mean I want to die for him."

I tore at my hair with frustration.

"As if you would be useful in a fight, you can't even catch a cockroach! And here I thought you were my friend!" I all but yelled. "Maybe I do need the academy after all!"

I stormed off, my already sour mood darkening. Despite what Isas said about wanting to stick close to me so he wouldn't be wasted on father's jutsu, he did the equivalent of storming off also, disappearing with a puff of smoke.

Thoroughly put out, I decided to spend my time picking locks instead; surely at some point I'd come across an exit?

The base was divided into three main sections excluding the library; Residential, commercial and scientific. Residential was, of course, rooms for the employees. Commercial was where people bought their food and living necessities, and also included some offices for non-science related work. Lastly, the scientific section; this was where all the science and documenting occurred. It was meant to be off-limits to me, but now that I knew what to expect there was no point avoiding it any longer.

I decided to start in the scientific section, mostly due to pettiness because I knew Papa wouldn't approve.

I made sure to knock on each door before entering, and if there was a response I would swiftly move on. Lots of doors simply led to more doorways, so I decided to avoid those for now.

After several various empty labs, I knocked on another unobtrusive door.

There was no response.

I picked the lock easily and pushed the door open.

I stared.

This… was not a lab room. Nor was it empty.

There was a kid, bent at the waist standing beside what was presumably his bed, in a deep bow.

"K-Kabuto-san, you're early today," the boy mumbled. He had chin-length pale green hair, and when he slowly came out of his bow his eyes were a vivid magenta.

He froze, his mouth gaping open slightly when he realised I wasn't Kabuto.

I was just as shocked. There weren't meant to be kids in this hideout! And this wasn't the residential section, why was there a room here?

"…who are you?" the boy asked.

Posted 07/10/19