Hatake✔️

14

Orochimaru is not always a violent man.

Like now.

We are sitting at the bottom of a waterfall.

I'm straining to maintain focus on the water.

He is behind me talking into my ear.

"You need to be able to control this. They are expecting you to be sloppy." He says.

"Prove. Them. Wrong." He says.

I drop my hands.

"I can't." I say defeated.

"You can!" He says.

He steps in front of me and holds his palms out.

I mimic him.

He creates a small ball of mud.

I try. The water is erratic and won't stay still.

He washes his hands in the water then places them underneath my own.

"Focus Akari." He says softly.

The water pools in my palms then freezes into tiny shards.

I groan in pain as they poke into my hand.

"Let go of it." He tells me.

I drop it and it melts in the water.

I follow Orochimaru to the grass and he grabs something from his bag.

Some weird green paste.

He spreads it into my wounds.

Every time he puts more on he looks at my face in pity.

He then starts wrapping them in small white bandages.

"Why'd you do that?" I ask.

"I'm not cruel to everyone. I was once rather kind to my fellow shinobi." He says.

"Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade. Right?" I ask.

"I asked Kabuto about it." I add.

He smiles.
"Yes there was a time that I cared for them.
Much like how you care for Kakashi Hatake." He says finishing up the wrappings.

I blink at him.

"Kabuto didn't tell me. I could just tell that's were you ran off to that one time." He says.

He lets go of my hands.

I drop to my knees.

"Does it worry you? Does it bother you that much?" He says looking down at me.

"I have no reason to harm him." He says crossing his arms.

All of the blood falls from my face.

He knew the whole time.

"Akari, listen to me. Get up." Orochimaru says.

I blink and stand up.

I walk back into the water.

"Akari!" He calls out following me.

"I—" I say my lip trembling.

"Akari there are people who you will do anything to save. Until you can't save them. Until they're dead! Akari you have to let go... you can never save them all." He says. His face serious.

I shake my head.

"Everything will change when they die. That person for you. People don't get it until it happens to themselves. And even then don't expect the pain." He says.

"They will try and trick you." He says grabbing my face. Squeezing my chin so hard it makes my cheeks hurt.

"They will be crueler than ever. You need to... you need my help." He says letting go.

He pulls a kunai out.

"Wait!?" I say.

He swings it at me cutting my arm.

I have no weapon.

He does it again this time harder.

"React to attack. Find the next move." He says to me.

I block again. There's searing pain in my elbow.

"Hurt me back!" He yells.

I dodge this time.

"You insult me by not attacking back." He says.

I feel his anger.

This time I try and kick him.

He catches my leg and trips me.

"Boring. Actually try Akari!" He says.

I feel water flowing down my arm— no up.

The water circles around my hand in a small spiral.

I try to focus chakra in it before I get hit again.

This time I hit him.

I scream not out of pain but of fear of what I just did.

"Lord Orochimaru!" I say.

He places a hand on his side, blood seeping out through his fingers.

He groans.

I rush to his bag and look inside.

I grab a cloth and press it onto his side.

"I think that's training for today." He says with a smile.

"I'm so sorry! I-I didn't-"

"I wanted you to find it. Looks like you did... now can you get Kabuto dear?" He says.

"Yes." I say and sprint back to Kabuto.

"Kabuto! Kabuto!" I yell trying to find him.

He finds me and looks down at my clothes. They have blood all over them.

"It's Orochimaru. It was an accident." I say grabbing his arm.

He runs past me once we get back to him.

"My lord!" Kabuto says to Orochimaru.

"Stitch this up would you?" He asks.

I watch as Kabuto works. He sends me glares as he does so.