Chapter 17: Drought
Whoever said that friends can be trusted is a very, very naive one. As one may say, just like Grumpy Cat; Friendships are overrated. Jiraiya or should we say, the Old Hermit knew it the hard way. The painful way. The way where people don't usually look back anymore. Such is what happened to Orochimaru and Jiraiya's friendship.
Once they were the best of friends. They even considered themselves to be brothers. Family. Yes, that was what they were before. Now marred by the albaster skin that Orochimaru has, his yellow eyes no longer see Jiraiya as someone akin to him. No longer does he see the person in front of him as his brother but an enemy. A mortal enemy he would need to dispose off soon if not later. A person he so despises he would go to such lengths to break the man. He will go to such extents that he will include numerous innocent lives.
To him those lives were necessary in order for him to achieve the justice he wants. Justice that was so easy to bend to his will since now, he has a lot of money and power. That even behind bars he won't be stopped. Cannot be stopped. The only way he will be silent is when he is dead. That is, if they will be able to kill him. Not with all the possible implications. Putting him in prison just made things more easier if not more convinient.
From here he would be able to monitor happenings without the slightest doubt that it would be accomplished lest he orders their 'accidents' to happen within the day they failed. Of course he was lenient in some case but most of the time he is very unmerciful. Creative with the ways they would die. He can end their pathetic existence with a mere phone call. Some of semployees made a joke about him saying he was "The Ringer".
Shortly after that, the joke became a deadly death wish as anyone who would casually utter those two words would simply 'vanish' within an hour with no explanation other than 'Being transferred to another department'. That being said everyone else that was still alive during those 'witch hunt' days were but traumatized with the mere sound of a phone ring.
Orochimaru smiled as he recounted the himself as the infamous backstage murderer and mad scientist whose goal was to eradicate human beings of their weakness. 'Of course the imbeciles cannot see that and would rather be experimental rats for my glory'. It's only a matter of time till his lawyers make do with the judge's decision. Not even the jury can keep him from achieving his rightful place as mankind's 'God'.
And soon all of this will be shown to the world. For all to see and envy, for all to admire and desire. The pieces are all coming together, with Kabuto keeping tabs on Naruto. Orochimaru is pretty sure that the few days left behind these walls will be just a blink of an eye. He will endure.
"Yes...", the words came out like a vengeful hiss that will soon bite if not strangle his every adversary.
Flashes of Jiraiya's smile came to his mind's eye.
Gripping the steel bars in front of him, he swore, "Even...him...". The words came with little difficulty, since he can still remember that faithful day Jiraiya turned his back on him. The day he was forever severed from someone he considered brother. Family.
Orochimaru pulled out his phone from his pocket and dialed a familiar number. One of the many few he uses when he wants the job to be done. Done in the most grotesque yet artful manner.
The call was answered on it's first ring. "Nagato, I have a job for you,", walking towards his newly set up computer. He booted it up and waited for Nagato to confirm. The boy is always slow in responding, probably because that part of the brain was damaged due to the brainwashing they did in their haydays.
"Yes...Master?", the voice responded in a rather raspy tone. Parched of life and devoid of emotions.
"Wonderful, you remember your Sensei Jiraiya. Correct?", Orochimaru teased the poor boy. Knowing full well that even if he does remember by some miracle he can never defy the orders given to him. No matter how much he wants to, it is simply, impossible.
The computer flashed several programs and Orochimaru opened one that was named 'C1JS', which was short for 'Camera 1 Jiraiya Surveilance'. Immediately the feed was shown as Jiraiya was talking to some locals, unbeknownst to him that he is being watched right now. His every move, monitored, noted, and analyzed like a rat inside the laboratory.
"Yes...Master...I...do...", tears began to fall from his eyes, but his face remained impassive. His voice, monotone. At the back of his mind, Nagato remembers the days spent with his Sensei. The day he was kidnapped, until now no one has found him. Presumed dead, he watched as his Sensei wept for him at an empty burial ground for weeks. Different times, different seasons. Until he came no more. The last video feed he saw was when a certain blonde boy was standing beside his Sensei, paying respects to an empty burial lot did Nagato finally snapped and lost his will to live.
"Perrrrfect!, this will be the oportune time for you two to reunite don't you think?" Orochimaru's inhuman canine incisors flashed briefly before being swallowed by a delicate crimson tongue. He admits that this is such a base emotion he is feeling but just this once, he welcomes it. He revels in the thought that the two would meet under such horrifying predicament.
If Nagato, in so much as defies him his life will end along with the last of his friend, Konan. A woman who grew up with him and Yahiko. He cannot bear to see them break Konan as they did to him and Yahiko. That happening would result to him loosing what little soul he has left. This pathetic life he is living now is all for the vain hope that he would see Konan once more before he takes his own life. A hope that will be extinguished that moment he denies his Master's desires.
"Yes...Master...", dry raspy voice came out from his throat. Nagato is helpless. No matter how much he wants to defy, it is a futile effort.
"Subarashi~!,", Orochimaru cackled and now has dialed another number on his other phone, this one, didn't need telling what to do. All he need was a confirmation on the other line so as to set up the perfect stage for Jiraiya's untimely, 'accident'.
"Understood", the voice confirmed. After that, the line went dead and was static. Another burn phone perhaps. The number never changes though, 'How do they even manage that?' Orochimaru thought.
"Take everyone with you Nagato," Orochimaru watched on his computer's screen as Jiraiya took a swig of the local's liquor. Pretending to be overwhelmed but in truth it was just an act. He had seen Jiraiya took long swigs of Sarutobi's hidden sake stash and did not flinch. Now that is quite a memory.
"Spare no resource, use whatever tools you can. And this time, you are in command of them," Orochimaru rubbed his two hands together at the prospect that that abomination of machine Kabuto built will now be put to use. He knew the risks. He is ready to go all out since his trump card is but dead.
'Yes, Konan died a long time ago, give or take 5 to 8 years ago.' Orochimaru, remembers the day that Nagato refused to kill someone, so he took Yahiko and broke the boy in front of Nagato. Yahiko is in the same shoes as Nagato is now. Both are being held hostage by their own love of Konan, whom they thought is still alive. In truth, the videos shown to them are that of an imposter, someone who looked exactly like Konan in one angle. That's why they only show the boys one side so as not to break their fealty to Orochimaru. Konan did not live through the ordeal of brainwashing. A portion of her brain responsible for bodily function literally liquefied which rendered her in a deep unwakeable coma.
Knowing it would cost him more, Orochimaru settled for having her organs harvested and used for Kabuto's experiments. Furthering his understanding of the human body.
But harvesting for Kabuto did not meant for it to be taken away from the host's body. Instead it was laid bare and exposed in a controlled environment where the body is still alive but he may do whatever he wants to the individual organs. Much like how a doctor would do in an autopsy, but with it's patient still alive.
Konan's life persisted numbly for a few months close to a year before it detiriorated due to multiple organ failures. And that's saying because despite Kabuto's demented way of treating his 'patients' he miraculously kept them alive through the whole process with no consequences whatsoever.
"Yes...Master...", Nagato responded but the line was already dead. Much like his soul, save a small portion of it still attached on the woman he is watching in front of his computer screen. "Konan," another tear rolled from his deadpanned eyes. "Sensei...", he stood and walked normally towards the door of his room.
Turning off the lights, he went out and proceeded to dial a number on the phone outside his room. The call was answered on it's second ring.
"Are you ready?", the voice queried him.
"Yes...", this meant that he will no longer see Konan's face nor will she ever recognize him but his hopes are not to be drowned. No matter how deep this blood bath will be.
"Proceed to the basement then, take the elevator and go to B5", the room where all will end and his demise begin.
Walking in the hallways, his steps echoed. Remembering each assassination he carried out, the deaths of many innocent men, women, children, elder. No one was spared of his master's wrath. No one is safe.
Entering the elevator, he pressed B5 and waited out his ride to eternal damnation.
The numbers flew from his eyes, and with little regret he tried to remember how it is to smile. He closed his eyes and imagined his face smiling. He pictured the days he spent with his friends and Sensei.
But all he can see was blurs of humanoid impressions. He had forgotten how they all looked like, even himself, save for Konan. Who he can possibly paint with how vivid he remembers her face.
The hair and perfume she wore. Her kind and gentle laughter.
He hears distant screams.
Her soft hands holding a paper crane.
The screams seem to be getting closer.
Those lively eyes of hers. Yes, he can live with this memory. He is content.
The elevator announced his arrival and opened it's maws to regurgitate him into oblivion.
The screams are louder now. He can taste blood in the air. The fear each scream radiated was so palpable he held his breath with every intake.
Lined up in three's, inside glass walled rooms, he can see people being operated on. Each one was being prodded and poked by metallic things. He momentarily watched them as it slowly impaled their naked bodies. The rods ranged from different sizes. Some small, some are thick, some are long and thin. With each and every rod placed he can hear the squelching of flesh and dying voice of the person.
Blood was spurting everywhere, the doctors didn't seem to care though. Their white linens, stained with red. The faces showed no signs of disgust nor compassion.
Near at the end of the room Yahiko was being impaled as well, but no scream can be heared from his throat. Those were already dried up like a well years ago. If he did feel pain, the ocassional flinching and convulsing is a good sign. Other than that, even tears were non-existent from his souless eyes.
His operation table is different from the rest. Sure there are black rods to be impaled in him but with greater length and number. And to top it off, they would be needing to 'cut off' his lower part of the body, rendering him unable to move on his own. He would be needing the assistance of this hulking octopus legged machinery. These will now serve as his legs and means of controlling the men and Yahiko.
He took of his clothes and stood stark naked in front of the doctors. The head doctor, Kabuto, beckoned for him on the operating table. He was then injected with a drug to lower his blood pressure close to death but never enough to kill him.
The last thing he heared before falling into hell was "Pain". Indeed, this is pain, trully, painful.
Kabuto injected the drug into Nagato, preparing the body for intensive mutilation. With scalpel in one hand and a pen in the other he is going to begin one of his greatest creations yet.
"Operation: Pain, commencing"
A/N:
It's been a long while [it's been years lol]
to be honest I became busy, life happened, then my imagination flew across the pacific ocean. [writer's block]
[also i forgot my damn email, almost gave up and just dumping the whole thing since it's been so long, luckily i remembered my email and made a note LOL]
Forgive me if somehow the characters change [a bit] from here on out. I try my best to remember how they worked out.
Leave a message perhaps? :)