"What are you working on?"
Mitsuki looked over Orochimaru's shoulders and stared down at the book on the desk infront of them.
"I'm studying." "Studying? What's that?" Orochimaru glanced up at Mitsuki, then down at their book.
"Studying is devoting your time and attention to acquiring knowledge on a specific subject."
"Ohhh..."
Mitsuki nodded once he understood, then hurried to the bookshelf and pulled out a random book. He sat down across from Orochimaru and opened to the first page with the eager desire to study. He eyed the kanji on the page while struggling to understand it. Mitsuki let out an excited gasp when he saw the sign for "Snake" written on the paper. He recognized it from Orochimaru's bedroom, and happily kicked his feet up and down.
"Snake! This says 'Snake!"
"You're sharp. Where did you learn that so quickly?"
"From your room. You have a big sign above your bed that says "Snake".
Orochimaru chuckled and closed their book.
"Mitsuki, do you wish to learn how to read?"
"Well...yes. Actually, I'd love to. I'd love to learn anything you offer to teach me. You're a genius, you practically know everything."
"Well, I don't know about that. There are plenty of things in the world that I have yet to learn."
"Really?"
Mitsuki hopped off his chair and to Orochimaru's side as they searched for a different book.
"But you're so smart."
Orochimaru pushed the book back in the right place and slid up the spine of a thin book, pulling it out of the shelf with one finger.
"That may be true, however the world is full of astonishment. There will always be something to discover."
Mitsuki thought for a moment, then grabbed onto Orochimaru's right arm.
"Hey, can you teach me?"
"Teach you what?"
"Anything."
Orochimaru snickered.
"Very well, then. I'll teach you anything you want to know."
The clouds ominously huddled together, their dark curves mocking the landscape, with a crack they burst open and the rain, slow at first, plummeted to the dry ground. The downpour increased as time went on, soaking the ground and turning dirt to mud. The roaring thunder blocked out the sound of light footsteps, making their way through the forest. A man clad in a black cloak with a hood covering his face stepped lightly past the trees with a sword in his right hand. He stopped before Orochimaru's hideout and clutched his sword. Yamato, who was standing guard of the hideout, braced himself of the suspicious man before him.
"Who are you and what business do you have here?"
The man remained silent. He lifted his sword and pointed the blade to Yamato. This triggered Yamato, and caused him to push his hands together to form a jutsu sign.
"You won't get past me!"
Sudden walls of wood burst out of the ground and raced towards the man.
"We'll see about that.." Hissed the man that smirked at his opponent who he saw as "weak". Yamato gasped to see the man right beside him.
"H-He dodged my attack!? How?"
He clenched his jaw in pain once the man forced his blade into Yamato's stomach. The man twisted the blade, leading Yamato to scream and fall to his knees. He yanked his blade out of Yamato's stomach, wiped the blood off with a cloth and entered the hideout...disappearing into the darkness.