"What is happening to me?"
She does not miss those malicious yellow eyes, or the wicked grin he gives when there is a hint of impending doom.
"My, my Rin, who exactly have you been hanging out with?" Orochimaru sneers.
Those iniquitous eyes peer suspiciously from another one of his countless disposable bodies, and damn does it make her sick.
Rin traces the foreign black-grey intermittent lines that have interconnected with the ambiguous patterns of her palms. It has returned ever so sporadically and refuses to dissipate until she utilises her chakra on them.
Then, her body caves against an undeviating sensation of electrification.
"What do you mean?" she asks wearily.
He stares with suspicion, as if he is figuring out what she has been up to all this time.
"It looks like you had a little reunion, somehow, somewhere along the way," he answers indifferently.
Rin does not respond. The low cackle that resonates in this dreary dungeon settles somewhere deep within her stomach. It is a revolting feeling of unease.
"Any chance that you've seen anything odd? Dreamt of anything?" Orochimaru continues.
"Y-Yes. The clearer the dreams, the worse I feel," she utters wildly.
For a fleeting moment, her master is surprised.
"Tell me, when did these dreams start?"
"Only months after allying with them," she recalls quietly.
His eyes narrow inquisitively, as if he is formulating an appropriate explanation to her dire situation.
"Your memories are returning," he states simply.
She stares in perplexity and passive consternation.
"Is that the reason why I'm weakening?"
He lets out a low menacing cackle.
"You were always the more intelligent follower. But it is a shame, your situation that is."
"A shame?" She whispers wildly, "I will continue to weaken the more I recall won't I? And then…"
She trails off in trepidation, perhaps frightened by her very own speculation.
But the look he gives is the all knowing.
No...not like this...
"Why? How can it be? You never told me of the consequences!" she cries desperately.
"My dear Rin! I told you I can give you your memories back, but instead you retrieved it on your own. In essence, I have no part to play in the consequences."
"So if you gave me my memories back, there won't be any consequences?"
"That's how I intended it to be," he answers vaguely.
"Can I not change that anymore? Am I too late?" she falters weakly.
He does not answer, but she knows, judging from the indifferent look, those expressionless yellow eyes and the dreary sinister silence between them, she knows.
"No..."
The deep inhalation subdues the resentment of her harrowing situation.
If only she had more time.
"Perhaps I may be able to offer you some more time," Orochimaru says.
The sinister edge to his tone conveys malignancy.
"Life is a precious commodity is it not?" He continues.
She does not know. Life's importance has left her in a flurry of spiteful emotions. She could never return to these dungeons, not after what the world has given her.
But the element of want is strong and she is selfish enough to give thought to such tendencies.
Her silence gives the answer Orochimaru needs, because she hears the sudden hissing, and feels the smooth sensation of tough skin across her body. At first, she thought it was internalised, but when she averts to the ground, there is a long white snake curling itself around her in a mesmerising trance.
"I've given you some strength back, although it is only temporary. I can see through your wishes, Rin, so the decision should have been easy to make," he says.
Instantly, the indispose feeling dissipates and the electrified sensation subsides.
But something does not sit well with her. She does not trust Orochimaru with this precious gift without consequences.
And it is at that exact moment, she hears a weakened neigh. The sound is so disheartening, the painful sensation sears at her bones.
Immediately tuned to the familiar sound, she sees the white stallion. The agony and desolation is so incredibly deep, the distressing emotion courses through in a spur of violent tremors.
"No…"
Several strides and she covers the distance between them.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" She shouts angrily.
"I gave you more time. More time means sacrifices, I do hope you realise that, did you not, Rin?" Orochimaru replies, "It had its uses but you do realise this horse is no ordinary horse? It is a symbol of life. But at what cost? A sacrifice."
"You sacrificed a life to give me just a bit more time? Do you honestly think that is a worthwhile trade?" She says shakily.
"I would think you would thank me for giving you that much more time, but instead I get this," he says incredulously.
He pauses, as if the anger is skimming the very surface of his vacant emotions. But when he speaks again, it is calm and infuriatingly composed.
"Well now, anger solves nothing. Besides you were one of my most intelligent followers and you have done your deed quite well. I'd sacrifice this specie any day, even if it would prolong my life just a bit more. Immortality cannot be reached without sacrifices."
She does not speak, so the silence sits for several moments before she processes his comments.
"I've done my deed well? I have stopped sending you intel for awhile now," she whispers coldly.
Her voice is unusually calm but with a barely contained hint of hysteria.
"It really is a loss on my end to lose such intelligence. I do hope the two Akatsuki members you were with succumbs to it soon," he says evasively.
When Rin looks startled, he widens his eyes in unalloyed bemusement.
"But I'm always the most intelligent after all, particularly when my top medical follower does not realise I have implanted a virus into her to weaken the enemy."
This time, Rin turns to face him fully. She is finding it incredibly difficult to fathom his level of sadism.
"You implanted a virus into me?"
"Naturally. Undetectable and does not affect you as I have programmed it that way. But I made sure it would slowly release itself to the two Akatsuki members you have been allying. Judging from your level of chakra, the virus has done its deed. It is no longer in you."
"How the hell would you even know that it got to them and not anyone else?"
"I don't, but I am sure it has. One is because I trust you to complete the mission and two, the virus reacts to those who remain in prolonged proximity to you. One virus each. Removing the Akatsuki has been my goal after all I'm sure you would know. This should speed up the process."
Rin is speechless. The immorality of this situation is too much for her weakened mind to assimilate.
"A biological weapon. You don't understand how wrong that could go, could you?".
Her voice quivers in exasperation.
"Rin, have a bit of faith," he says.
"You are disgusting!"
At that moment, the stallion turns and disappears in the opposite direction.
When Rin glances at it, she sees a brief glint in its eye, as if she too should follow suit.
x
"Orochimaru, is it wise to let her go like that?" the young man asks.
Orochimaru sneers.
"She's beyond saving now. Her memories will eventually return and she'll just crumble away," he answers offhandedly.
"I don't understand. Were you really able to return her memories without having her die as a consequence?"
"No, so getting her memories back on her own works in my favour. I won't have to deal with her later on. Plus, it seems as if she teamed up with the wrong Akatsuki pair."
"Wrong pair?"
"Seems like someone she knew in the past is a member of Akatsuki. What are the chances? Who knew emotions can evoke such strong feelings, to the point where her repressed memories unravel."
"Are you saying she's involved emotionally with someone?"
Orochimaru shrugs insouciantly.
"I don't care what she does but either way, even if she's not emotionally involved, by being in close proximity for prolonged periods to whoever it may be, her mind will subconsciously react. More importantly, only someone who was very close to her in the past can cause this reaction. However, seeing that she's only been allying for a few months and that her memories are returning so quickly, I'm guessing she must be quite involved with this person. I wonder who that might be?"
The young man is momentarily silent.
"Does that also mean the closer she is with this person or the more she closely associates, the faster her memories will return?"
"Yes, that is another way to put it."
"Will her memories continue to return if she cuts contact with whoever it is that she is associating with?" the young man asks interestedly.
"Yes. Once the repressing jutsu is triggered by an emotional association or prolonged proximity, it will continue unravelling until her memories fully returns. It's just the close emotional association that accelerates it."
"How long do you think she has?"
His master laughs.
"I'd be surprised if she can last a week."
"So you're going to let her go?"
"She's no use to me now."
"But-"
"Kabuto, shouldn't you be checking in on Sasuke?"