Chapter 5
Two dark figures appeared within the city limits, very close to the house were Zaku now lived. Both wore cloaks and had their faces hidden. They flitted through the darkness, unseen to the keenest eyes, and arrived outside Zaku's open bedroom window.
"Remember Kabuto, I want you to offer first. If he refuses again I will handle it," Orochimaru hissed quietly, sweat beading his pale face.
"Yes Master. Then we will cure your arms." Kabuto crawled through the open window.
Orochimaru's arms had been ruined by the old man's jutsu mere days ago and his only hope was to seek out Tsunade, his old teammate, so she could heal them. They knew where she was and could have been there already, but Orochimaru had insisted on remaining to recruit this one boy. It wasn't Kabuto's place to question his master.
He ghosted to the bed and loomed over the sleeping boy. Zaku's face was relaxed and a bandaged hand was thrown across the blanket lazily. Smiling, Kabuto pulled out a kunai and pressed it against the boy's throat.
o.O.o
He woke instantly as cold steel touched his throat. Tired eyes snapped open and fixed on the shadowy figure hovering over him.
"Shh," the figure whispered. "If you make a sound I'll hurt you."
Zaku was silent and still.
"Good. Here's how this is going to work. I will give you the terms and you will agree or disagree. Agree and we'll be on our merry way. Disagree and you'll meet my master." The kunai pressed closer and the figure laughed mockingly. "You're so weak, boy. Do you like being weak? Do you like being forced to rely on people who work in a ramen shop? No one could. I'm offering for you to come with me and my master to the Village Hidden in the Sound. We can make you strong. We can give you power. Isn't that what you want?"
No, Zaku didn't want power. He didn't want anger and hate.
"You're useless without your fingers, but my master has special operations that can make you strong without relying on hand signals. You can be strong. Will you come?" The kunai retreated a bit to allow Zaku to nod.
He shook his head.
The figure grabbed his shirt and hoisted him from bed, dragging him to the window with the kunai pressed against his back. He was shoved bodily from the window and landed uncomfortably, fresh pain flaring from his hand. Looking up, he saw a familiar face and paled.
It was the creepy stranger. Six years on and Zaku had never forgotten his face or his offer. Now he wanted to forget everything.
The stranger sneered. "I am Lord Orochimaru and from this day forth I am your master."
"You're not my master," Zaku rasped hotly, the prickling sensation back at his throat.
"I saw something in your eyes boy," the snake-nin whispered. "I saw the lust for power. I am offering this to you."
Zaku lifted his head to stare at Orochimaru defiantly. He had cut off his own fingers and he was not bowing to some creep! "I don't want power. I wanted warm food and a roof over my head and I have that now. Not everyone wants what you have to offer."
Orochimaru laughed softly. "Have it your way, boy." He waved his hand and the kunai pressed closer to his throat. Zaku narrowed his eyes, sudden anger surprising him. His hand moved like lightning to grab the kunai and, without thinking, plunged it into his side. The shadowy figures stared in shock.
"I will never join you," he growled. "I never wanted power and I never will." He lay on his stomach, wincing as the kunai dug deeper. The two figures turned to go.
"I'm disappointed in you, boy. You could have been my weapon. I could have given you powers beyond your wildest dreams. Now you will die."
"Tell that to someone who cares."
Chuckling, Orochimaru and his friend disappeared without another word. Zaku lay there for a minute to make sure they were gone before holding the kunai to his side and crawling back through his open window. That was the last time he slept with it open. Once inside he stood shakily and limped to Ayame's room, holding the kunai tightly as his torso throbbed with the pain.
"Ayame," he hissed into the darkness. "Wake up!"
She was awake immediately. "What's the problem?" She lit a candle and brought it over to Zaku, gasping at the blood dripping from his body. "I'll take you to the hospital." Ayame pulled a coat over her nightgown and slung Zaku's arm over her shoulders, proceeding to take him outside and lug him all the way to the hospital.
o.O.o
Zaku was propped up on his hospital bed tiredly; his injured torso bandaged and well on the way to healing. His bandages on his right hand had finally been removed, revealing two swollen stumps where his fingers used to be. It would take a lot of time to get used to it. Sometimes he could swear that his fingers were still there.
Yawning, he watched a kid his age sit in the hospital yard, talking with a pink-haired girl. There was nothing left to do but people-watch. Boredom had taken its toll and Zaku wasn't ready to leave the hospital yet. He wished he could. He wanted to go back to the ramen shop and talk to the people who'd shown nothing but kindness to him.
The nurse entered the room with a single tulip in a vase. "This is from your friends," she said warmly. "They want to come but the shop is really busy because the workers are tired and are ordering their food instead of going home."
"I'd expect them too." He accepted the flower and set it beside his bed. "When can I leave?"
"You should stay another week. You lost a lot of blood."
He sighed and smiled. "Thank you anyway."
Nodding, she left and he returned to staring out the window, reflecting on his choice. He'd refused to be seduced by power because he didn't need it. Vengeance was overrated and it, along with power, had destroyed his parents and thrown him on the street. He didn't want to end up like them. He wanted friendship and warmth and he had that now. Ayame and Teuchi were his friends and he'd sacrificed pieces of himself to keep them safe. In turn they'd opened their home to him – a homeless teenager with nothing to call his own. They'd cared for him and all his loyalty was entirely aimed at them. They had saved him from his poverty and given him a chance, despite his rocky history with thieving and Orochimaru.
He'd told them about his past with Orochimaru, about how the snake-nin had tried to recruit Zaku into his army years ago. He'd told them about Orochimaru's surprise visit and attempted abduction. To his surprise, they hadn't rejected him. They declared that they would protect Zaku from the likes of Orochimaru. They accepted him.
Happiness filled him as he stared into the bright day. Today the sun's rays signified hope for the future: hope that he would find peace. All he'd ever wanted was food and a roof and he had that. Now he would do his best to repay the favour.
He wasn't homeless and unwanted anymore. He wasn't Zaku the urchin. He was Zaku Abumi of Kohona.
He was the one who refused.
o.O.o
Owari