Chapter 7: Down The Rabbit's Hole
The building was in bad shape. This much you can tell from the peeling fetid-smelling paint on the walls. Few windows were still intact as others stood bare and broken. Overall its small wonder if the building would collapse in a year or two.
Such were the thoughts of an Old Hermit dressed in his traditional journeying Yukata. Behind him was a large tube containing all his travel equipment and an assortment of papers containing the sequel of his Icha-Icha Make-out Episode. A few pictures can also be seen. Some were of a yellow haired man with his velvet-red haired wife. They looked so happy and peaceful looking down at their first born. Other pictures were of a yellow haired boy just barely old to walk by himself. One was a picture of the Old Hermit, the yellow haired father with his wife and a woman whose bossoms were so gifted you'd think they were fake. They were so happy and peaceful. Content to say the least. The last picture was the of a thin and very pale man. His hair looked greasy black and the eyes didn't add any consolation of the ensemble being any less scary. In fact it all complimented well in conveying a sense of dread. Terror. Fear.
The Old Hermit thought hard as to what went wrong. They too were very happy back then. It all changed when he married Tsunade. Orochimaru Reiku, a man of renowned for science and medical breakthroughs suddenly became brooding. Selfishly genius. He felt evil. The time they parted ways, Orochimaru was very solemn and formal. His skin didn't have the sickly pale complexion it had now nor did his eyes looked what they are now. At the very least, he looked every one bit human.
Now that same man is working towards the oblivion of that image. Evolution as he had put when he was put to court.
"Humankind have always been weak, a few virus and bacteria and your going to get sick. Some have it worse but with my serum, everyone can be truly unique. Everyone will be stronger, they shall be - beautiful", Orochimaru relaying his side in front of a presiding Judge.
Needless to say he went to prison.
But the question is, for how long? Putting him in custody and eventually, behind bars took a lot of evidence and painstaking 100% jury voting for guilty. Even then it took long enough before the Judge relented in sentencing them to prison.
"And now, one of the freaks is out and about.", The Old Hermit mumbled to himself as he trudge towards the building. Its walls and doors full of graffiti and trash lay about almost everywhere.
Clearly some people lived here for a while. He was afraid that he might encounter people inside but thankfully the place was sealed off to civilians a few years ago upon receiving complaints of shady people living inside the building.
It was a good thing that Orochimaru's research building was not destroyed due to his higher officials' countering his decision in demolishing it. He might be lucky to check if there has been recent activity here since the release of Kabuto Yakushi. If there was one flaw in every criminals minds that is to automatically check if their previous hideout were still serviceable. There was not much to start since the other labs that they have tracked down were demolished though he cannot vouch that every single one is out of commission he knows that there are some still out there waiting to be unraveled. Each one housing its very own horror.
As he entered the building he cant help but notice the old pathways they took to save Naruto from Orochimaru before it was too late. But it was already too late since the serum he knew very well was administered to the child. Luckilly though it bonded with Naruto's body "perfectly" as if the serum was made for him. There was very little to none existent down effects. Aside from having amplified strength, disease immunity as well as increased cell regeneration, Naruto is just like any other boy.
The Old Hermit went down the hidden trapdoor beside the stairs. This one leads to the main lab that is beneath the ground. The ingenuity of architecture is designed to suppress the screams and other nuances such as network detection and satellite imagery. Even though it was secure it also posed a few setbacks such as space and ventilation. The air was fresh due to exhaust fans located just outside the building, if people knew what they were for it will be easy to track down the other labs, unfortunately even so Orochimaru always evades them just as he will be caught. With the evidences being wiped out and all test subjects moved a day ahead.
He trudged down the familiar hallway that led to triple enforced glass rooms which prevented test subjects from breaking out. Walking forward he noticed one room that had a huge crack on its windows. He chuckled as he remembered they would've been crushed meats if it weren't for the glass. A test subject named Juugo, tried to break through the glass upon seeing them. Later they discovered that the virus although perfect in bonding left a flaw that further developed Juugo's bipolarity hence having the infamous rampages. Currently he is being treated and had more control over his rampages. The triggers though were mildly confusing such as seeing long haired males or snakes. Other than that Jiraiya assumed it was a systematic form of torture.
He turned on a corner and met the same door that changed his grandson's future. A future that was full of pain, loneliness and fear. He turned the knob and was met by a pungent musk air. Everything was the same as they left years ago. Dust gathered on medical tools and showed no signs of it being disturbed. He went to the adjacent room that contained the supposed serums used for the enhancement of human abilities.
The Old Hermit surveyed the room, everything was the same as well. Numerous vials were crushed and spilled to prevent future research. Even the cultured bacteria that is used to actually combat known viruses is not spared. Everything inside the room was destroyed. As he was turning to leave the room and check out the other research rooms in the building, he can help but notice that on a shelf there was a vial holder standing. The dust was clearly smudged on this one and that it holds a single tag.
Upon reading it he knew that Kabuto had been here indeed. Not only that, somehow the serum survived despite the years of it being left out in the open with nothing to preserve it. He might be jumping into conclusions but he can never be sure enough unless he sees it for himself.
If he just looked up he would've seen the glimmer of spectacles in the darkness of the air-vent. By then he would have saved his precious grandson the pain he was about to receive in the near future.
The shimmering spectacles followed the Old Hermit as he walked out of the room. Completely oblivious of his presence. Smiling to himself he checked the vial that he took moments before the Old Hermit arrived.
The label reflected on his glasses.
It read : "Project Jinchuuriki - Demon Fox", final mutation serum
The Old Hermit walked out of the building feeling dismayed as he saw no other clues to what the missing vial was for and what those words meant. He instead marked the map that this place was checked and would put a sentry in the future in case Kabuto returned. If only he turned back and looked further he might have encountered Kabuto busy collecting necessary tools for the experiment to progress. By then he would've heard the maniacal laughter Kabuto let out.
He would've prevented another tragedy from being realized. And as if fate was mourning that day, the rain went down darkly. Booming of distant thunders herald the coming of death. And some passerby's swore to themselves they've heard laughter inside the abandoned building.
A laughter that chilled them to the bone. Cold and biting than the icy torture of the rain falling from the heavens.
A/N: I'm sorry i know i left this hanging for quite a while. lost my records on it so i had to start from scratch continuing it then my interest flew out of the window. now im just making excuses haha
but rest assured this fic is alive again i cannot promise a regular update BUT it will be every now and then so... there :) welcome back