I Promised Myself

I Promised Myself Part 2

Chapter 2:

The three have no idea how long they were running, but at some point, Tamotsu announces in human form, "We're stopping here."

"D-Did we l-lost them?" Mika asked, panting, turning into human form.

"Massster didn't even follow ussss," Satoru notices, panting while looking back.

"He's not our master anymore!" Tamotsu growls at his friend. "A true master never treats their slaves like how we were treated."

"I know that!" the snake-like boy hisses in pure anger.

While the two boys were bickering back and forth, Mika notices something in a distance. "U-Umm, g-guys," she shyly calls out, gaining their attention. "L-Look," the wolf points with her paw.

They all look to see a village in a distance. A village filled with humans is nearby.

"I-Is th-that the H-Hidden Sound village?" the wolf girl asked.

"No, it's not," the panther boy answers. "We went west so we should be close to the Country of Lightning or the Hidden Village of Cloud."

"But the Sssssound isss far from the Cloud village," Sataru pointed out.

"We must have run so far that we didn't realize it until now. Come on, let's go. Everyone knows what to do?" the leader asked the small team who nodded in agreement.

They must hide their true identities from all humans at all costs, especially when there could be humans like Orochimaru.

Just when the gates of the Cloud village came into view, Mika was getting nervous. "A-Are you sure th-this is a-a good idea?" she asked, pulling Satoru's arm.

He didn't answer at first, but answered with, "Anywhere is better than being under Orochimaru's control."

"Orochimaru's control, eh?" a cackle catches their attention.

An elderly man appears near them while smoking from a long pipe.

"Who are you?!" Tamotsu growls as he and Satoru are ready for an attack.

"Just one of the few people outside of the Leaf and Sound villages who knows of Orochimaru," he answers with a smile, taking the pipe out of his mouth. "I am assuming you three escaped his lair," he smiles at the travelers.

"How do you know?" Satoru hisses.

"Orochimaru has everyone that he controls, mainly in his hidden lair."

Satoru, Tamotsu, and Mika aren't sure to trust this stranger since he knows a lot about their former master.

"Are you three hungry?" the mysterious man asked.

They were starving. No food or even water has been given to them since last night at Orochimaru's hideout. Their stomachs tell him.

A chuckle appears from the yukata-wearing gentleman. "I have plenty of food and water over at my farm. You can follow me if you choose to do so," he says, walking away still smoking from the pipe.

The newly made friends look at each other, silently asking each other what to do.

Tamotsu then looks forward at where the man's walking. He straightens his posture and begins walking forward.

Mika watches, surprised to see the leader make a decision. She begins walking forward as well.

Satoru didn't follow at first. He scowls while looking away with his eyes closed. But then the words that left his mouth came back to him. "Anywhere is better than Orochimaru's control." It's true. Orochimaru didn't like his experiments at all. He just wanted the pleasure of creating something that had never been done before.

Satoru turns his head back towards his friends following the mysterious man. A sigh escapes his lips and trails behind.