Was I discovered?
Kakuzu dissmissed the thought. That shouldn't be the case. He paid close attention to any sign that may indicate someone getting close, however, there was no such thing. It seemed he wasn't reason for the disturbance.
While exploring the hideout, so far, he hadn't come across anything valuable either. Most of the rooms were empty or disorganized.
All he found were few notebooks describing rather gruesome experiments. Mostly failures. And some of them were full of complaints about lack of materials. More specifically, human test subjects.
• • •
In a certain laboratory, an old man was standing in front of the work table. Both his face and hands were heavily wrinkled. His disheveled wavy hair was fully white. He sported a long beard and stood at average height.
If you paid close attention, you would notice a rather ugly expression on the man's face. The scientist's hands were clenched into fists and his eyes were narrowed in frustration.
The experiment that the man – Hiroshi Kurogawa had spent countless years working on had once again resulted in another disappointment. He, In order to develop a certain serum, had poured all of his resources, time and energy into it's creation. And yet, he couldn't understand cause of his failure.
Hiroshi glanced around the lab, taking in the chaotic mess that surrounded him. On the table were test tubes, beakers, flasks, mortals and various other items. The shelves were filled with mysterious minerals and herbs, while the floor was littered with discarded notes and scribbled calculations.
"God dammit, why isn't this working?" He yelled to no one in particular. "I've tried everything! Countless methods and formula that should work perfectly in theory, I checked calculations God knows how many times already, and yet… yet in the end it's all pointless!"
Frankly, Hiroshi had reached a plateau.
Even with all the effort he put into the project, he hadn't made any noticeable progress for years.
Time, for current Hiroshi, was most precious resource he had. As his aged mind only kept deteriorating even further, if he didn't achieve success now, he would have less and less chance to do so in the future.
As he was in deep thought, suddenly, the door was busted open, followed with a loud crash.
Startled, mad scientist spun around to see the intruder who dared to interrupt him, only to be met with a sharp blow to the side of his head. Pain exploded through Hiroshi's head and his vision blurred as he stumbled backwards. Black threads encased the body of the scientist, rendering him completely immobile. He could not break free from the grasp, no matter how hard he struggled to.
What?! How did someone get in? What are those damn guards doing?!
Hiroshi gazed up at the figure standing before him, his eyes narrowing as he tried to discern the intruder's identity.
"… While I do welcome you busting into my humble abode." Hiroshi said, although, his voice was laced with a frustration. "Would you delight me with telling me who the hell you are?"
"It's a pleasure meeting you as well, Doctor… Hiroshi, right?"
Kakuzu looked at scientist who matched the description he was given and grinned wickedly. Hiroshi, on the other hand, nervously gulped at mention of his name.
Why was he targeted? He didn't even done anything significant yet.
While in the laboratory's basement lay disfigured bodies of several men, facing repercussions for this wasn't something that crossed the mad scientist's mind. Usually, before authorities took action, it was already too late to track him down, as he would already have relocated to another hideout, continuing his research without disturbance.
"Yes, you would be right." Hiroshi glared at the man. But he kept his temper in check. "Now, why would someone specifically be looking for me?"
"You're being too humble doctor. Also, I believe you possess information that I'm interested in."
Hiroshi stared at the man as he studied his appearance. He must've been quite strong to come this far unscathed. As the way the security was designed to rotate, he would come across at least one of the teams guarding the place. But not only was there no alarm raised, man in question didn't even seem to be least injured by the encounter.
Strength of the invader aside, did this mean he was searching for information about Orochimaru? Hiroshi couldn't find reason as to why else shinobi of this caliber would be doing here.
In the end Hiroshi sighed. No matter what, fact remained unchanged that he was in a pretty tight spot.
"Well go ahead... I'm all ears. Who are you looking for, lad?"
"Kabuto Yakushi, Orochimaru's right hand man."
"Kabuto eh...? Why would you be looking for that boy?"
"That doesn't concern you, old man. Just answer give me an answer."
"Haah... No respect for the elderly, huh… It's not like I even know much." Hiroshi sighed in resignation as he answered. "He seemed to be searching for something eagerly in the land of fire, but what, I'm not sure of."
Kakuzu knew that much, but that wouldn't be of any help to him. He couldn't go and track down Kabuto down while searching throughout the Land of Fire. He needed more dependable information.
"Let's approach this differently then, what do you know about Orochimaru's other hideouts?"
"Well, isn't that an interesting question lad, and something I'm more knowledgeable of. Sure, I happened know of some of them... But more importantly, why would I tell you any of it when you don't plan on letting me go after this" Hiroshiro glanced at threads holding him in place. As if to complain about unfair situation.
Granted, it was true. Kakuzu had no plans for keeping the scientist alive from the start. His motive was rather simple – less people to worry about, less screwed would timeline be and more of the information would he be able to use.
"Truth be told, this is a rather simple proposition, Hiroshi. You hand over the intel, I'll send you off painlessly. There is no need for needless violence"
"Hold on, wait... Lad, you can't be serious. I may not have strength of the ninjutsu... but I possess knowledge most nations would pay high price for. Aren't you interested in that at all?"
He was intrigued but, Truthfully, Kakuzu didn't want to spend time in this place any longer. He would just take anything he would find here and that would be it.
"You aren't… haa, dammit. Anyway, who the hell are you?"
"You probably know of me. Well… have you ever heard of Akatsuki?"
"Heard of them? You bet I have lad. Some of our hideouts were destroyed by them... wait… no way… Now that I think about it, you do look like one of them!"
Kakuzu wasn't wearing his Akatsuki cloak, so it was understandable why Hiroshi wasn't able to recognize him.
Kakuzu walked over the table and took out the world map from his pouch, not wanting to drag this out much longer, then unfurled it on the table and put pen on top of it. "Let's get this over with, mark the ones you know, and tell me everything about them as well."
Let's get over with what? My life? I'm in not the one in hurry in any way here, lad
Hiroshi felt devastated about his circumstances. The research he spent his whole life working on, one he sacrificed countless hours, effort and lives to perfect it would just go all to waste? Just like that? Did it even matter how he would die at this point?
"How stubborn… Lad, you think pain's what I'm afraid of? Why would I agree with the proposition of yours?"
Kakuzu's eyebrow twitched. Old man was being unreasonable. Well, he was too, but… he didn't expect to find someone like this here.
"What do you want?
"All I'm saying is that if you grant me one last wish, I'll concede without trouble. How about it?"
Hiroshi locked eyes with Kakuzu, his expression conveying unwavering determination.
"Either you agree, or I'm taking everything to grave. You know I'm serious, don't you?"
Kakuzu didn't know what man was planning but he had no way out from the threads. Frankly, he was amused by scientist's reaction. He then noticed, although for the split second, the weird way Hiroshi moved his jaw. As if he was reaching out for something with the tongue.
"Hah… fine… So even an old man like you can make such face. Now I'm curious. What is it that you want?"
He let Hiroshi down but didn't fully release him. Threads would always be connected to the scientist's limbs, restricting him if necessary. He didn't try seizing scientist's jaw. He knew if pressed further, scientist would kill himself.
Hiroshi sighed in relief at that. Then, He walked over the table and looked at the capsules containing purple liquid. He stared at it for a while, collecting his thoughts.
"You want to know the reason, huh?"
As he spoke there was a deep melancholy filling the scientist's eyes.
"I dedicated all of my existence to create the ultimate cure, a potion that would give the weak hope... a potion that would grant talentless shinobi a chance... I swore my life that I would achieve this single goal at all cost, no matter what it took, to the point that I even abandoned my humanity."
He shook his head in disappointment and looked Kakuzu in the eye.
"An hour to wrap everything all up. That's all I ask for."
Kakuzu never expected to hear such backstory, or the scientist to be special in any way.
He expected to interrogate a random bad guy, get the information and go on his way. But now, this seemed to come across something interesting.
Hiroshi didn't succeed in the original timeline. That Kakuzu was sure of. This world didn't have any signs of being an alternate reality either. He deduced that much from the gained memories. So only possible conclusion for why Hiroshi wasn't mentioned was that he didn't hold enough importance in the grand theme of things, or he died before he achieved anything. Whatever the reason was, though, it didn't mater now. In the end, he decided to see what would Hiroshi do.
"How annoying… alright old man, I'll concede. As long as you don't try anything funny, you have an hour."
After hearing that, Hiroshi's eyes filled up with energy. It was worth to give it a try at least. He had an idea how he would go about this. As long as he could leave something behind, he would be content. Even if he wouldn't be there to see the effect of his creation would have on world.
So he begun. He would attempt one last time to create potion he sacrificed so much for. Hiroshi started brainstorming while coming up with the way he would go on making his final work. He started mixing the ingredients, pouring every bit of knowledge he had with the process. While he was writing everything down as he went on.
Circumstances and adrenaline from it made his brain go on overdrive. But that wasn't enough to surpass his previous results. He reached for the drawer in his desk and took out the small container. He undid the seal put on it and took out the pills placed within. Within were placed drugs that he made as a side project. There were relatively new creations that he had used only few times so far. Those pills improved mind performance. But, at the same time, they came with a bothersome side effect.
Frankly, what he was about to do was suicidal. He took nine of those pills, and threw them in his mouth. Never had he took more than one at the time at once, and for a good reason as well. This amount was enough to be overdosing on them. It was something he would never to this in the ordinary circumstances, as it would worsen his already bad health condition. And now, it would soon fry his mind and kill him.
But it didn't matter now. As he would be dying anyway.
Moment the drugs took effect, the mad scientist's mind became clearer than it ever had been, making him reminisce of his younger days. No, it was far more than that. His current mind was enhanced several times than normal.
About an hour passed, and Hiroshi was looking at the blue golden concoction displayed on the table. It was his final work. Something that he literary poured his life into.
Hiroshi didn't know if it was success or not, and he didn't have anyone else to test it on. But he wasn't leaving this world without knowing the result. He could feel his mind was starting to gradually starting to fall apart. Only thing keeping him from passing out and turning into a vegetable was his will.
He was sure that the man wouldn't allow him to do that though. But either way, he didn't care. He would die anyway, no matter the result. It only mattered how.
He picked up the potion and pretended to closely inspect it.
And then, he quickly gulped it all down.
As he emptied the vial, he suddenly started laughing maniacally. It seems the pressure took more toll on him than he though. He was going mad. If he would be able to see the result of his work or not wasn't in his hand from now on. But the man wouldn't really have choice either, if he wanted to get the information, he wanted he had to keep him alive.
Kakuzu, on the other hand stared puzzled at Hiroshi for a while.What an interesting fucker. Honestly, what did he expect from a mad scientist. He shouldn't be having this reaction, but he was impressed what scientist just did. Testing incomplete potion on himself? No, what was he thinking, of course this would happen.
"Well lad, I can start writing down what you're interested in. After all, I don't know how much time I have left."
"Ugh, you got to be kidding me. what a headache… what if you drop dead midway old man?" Kakuzu said impatiently. "Just start writing already."
"Whatever you wish lad." Said Hiroshi enthusiastically, with a kind smile that was uncharacteristic for someone like him, and startled scribbling on the map "Let's see… I happen to know the location of the three hideouts."
Hiroshi circled on area in northern part of the Land of Fire.
"This one is used for cursed seal experimentation, full of subjects who will kill anyone on sight" He glanced at Kakuzu carefully. " ...not looking for this one, eh?"
"Useful, but you're correct. Not what I'm looking for."
He circled another hideout, located south, in the middle of the ocean, close to Land of Waves.
"This one is filled with prisoners to the brim. Obviously, for an experimentation."
Hiroshi sensed no reaction from Kakuzu and went to next hideout.
"This one..." He said as he struggled to put an exact location "It is one of the recent ones built and is carved into a small island. It's located approximately here…"
"Bingo. That's the one." Kakuzu said as he picked up marked map and storing it.
"By the way, do you know others who are in touch with Kabuto?"
"There definitely should be others but..." Hiroshi shook his head "Finding them would be rather troublesome." He took out pen and notebook. "I will write down of ones I know anyway."
"Here lad..." With solemnity in his voice, he spoke as he finished writing all he knew. "I guess I couldn't succeed after all...:
Reason for Hiroshi's reaction was something that he sensed inside his body. And from the looks of it, it wasn't what he hoped for. His life-force was being depleted, with no sign of any change.
Suddenly, Kakuzu noticed anomaly within the surroundings.
Intense chakra begun spreading in the room. The chakra fluctuations were rising and reaching higher levels with an every second. And the epicenter of it was somehow the scientist whose chakra volume few seconds ago was almost nonexistent, even lower than of genin. But now something was different. It rose up by level alarmingly fast, and was currently somewhat comparable of chunin's, and by looks of it, it had no intention of slowing down.
However, what happened next was even more unusual.
Hiroshi's chakra became visible as blue mist started to evaporate from his body. His skin started tearing up, revealing semi-transparent blue color inside.
By the looks of it, if this continued, Hiroshi would explode from the chakra overload.
{Chapter End}
Hey folks, how's it going?
I wanted to include crazy scientist type character in a story, so here we are. I hope he isn't too out of place.
I'll also further develop rules of the Earth Grudge Fear as story progresses, and also some other abilities as well, so if you're into that, look forward to it. Feel free to share your thoughts about story, I would apreciate any feedback.
Well, that's all. Till next time.