Son of the Great 3 (Yandere Various Naruto x Reincarnated Reader)

Chapter 14: Orochimaru is angry...

Next chapter is the great escape!

Did you theory of (Y/N) escaping changed?

_______________________________________________

Things had... changed since that day.

After Pain's visit, Orochimaru had moved them quickly to another one of his bases, though (Y/N) had not been awake during the journey. The Sannin had handed him a drink, and one glance at the other's unreadable expression was enough for the child to obey without question. His vision blurred almost immediately, and he drifted into a deep, heavy sleep. When he awoke, his head was spinning, his mouth dry as sand, and a dull nausea that twisted his stomach that lasted through the day.

At that moment, he was stuck in the new bedroom, which was way smaller than the previous one and darker, as the lights were only dim at best. Beside that, some horrible smells tormented him. It was a mixture of sweat and something metallic that constantly assaulted his senses.

It was incredibly overwhelming. Like those scents were embedding themselves into his skin and lungs.

Was it because he had gotten used to the previous base's ones that it had not been a problem back then?

Probably. To combat it, he kept a piece of cloth tied around his nose, hoping it would filter out some of the stench. But it was a temporary fix, and his stomach churned with every breath. He missed the crisp, medicinal scent of the previous base. If he had the supplies, he would scrub every inch of this place until the sharp tang was replaced with the comforting scent of disinfectants. The smells made it nearly impossible to focus on his books. Pages blurred before him as his mind kept drifting, imagining himself scrubbing the floors, walls, anything to make it feel less suffocating.

To make things worse, Orochimaru was more often than not away. If the boy was lucky, he could wake up in the middle of the night and feel the other's arm around him. It gave him some comfort, but it was fleeting since once morning came, the Sannin would always be gone. It was because of those constant absences that (Y/N) had finally realised that something was very wrong.

This was not right. This was not healthy. A normal person, let alone a child, should not sit around all day, stressing when someone would come. They would not bite their nails nonstop to the point where they would bleed. His entire life had become centered around him.

Like there was nothing that he could do alone.

He could not stay here.

He should not stay here.

Those same four brown walls were closing in on him. Each and every single day, the room seemed to get smaller and smaller. To the point where he felt trapped. His thoughts spiraled, the world outside fading further into an unreachable memory. He was a clipped bird trapped in a cage. Knowing that a beautiful world laid ahead, yet unable to reach it.

Sighing in frustration, (Y/N) tugged on his hair, the sharp pain offering a sliver of clarity. He let his gaze fall to the floor, his mind a blur of trapped thoughts and frantic ideas, when he heard a familiar sound.

It was the soft creak of the door handle turning!

He looked up, heartbeat quickening, as Orochimaru stepped in. Unable to contain himself, (Y/N) jumped up and ran to the Sannin, who did not flinch at the sudden impact. The taller one let out a contented, though weary, sigh, resting a hand on the boy's head.

He looked...disheveled.

The white-haired child noticed that his usually pristine appearance slightly frayed at the edges. For a moment, they stood there, silence filling the space between them. Then Orochimaru's gaze drifted around the room, taking in its tidiness.

A child alone... in a tidy room.

"Do you not like those new books I got you?" he asked, his tone casual but with a hint of underlying concern. (Y/N) hesitated, glancing away.

"I...can't read them," he explained, hesitation lacing his voice. A frown creased the Sannin's face.

"Can't?" (Y/N) took a breath, trying to find the words.

"The smell here is so strong. It's hard to think, to read. I feel sick." His voice was small, almost embarrassed, but Orochimaru merely hummed, fingers combing absently through (Y/N)'s white hair.

"I see. Would disinfecting the room solve the problem?" The black-haired one said thoughtfully. The boy nodded. He hesitated but then allowed himself to lean into the embrace, just for a second. When they parted, Orochimaru's eyes fell to his fingers, and he noticed the red stains on his nails. The Sannin's hand clamped around his wrist, firm and unyielding, and a shiver of fear slid down (Y/N)'s spine.

"What is this?" He seethed. His gaze was dark, his voice low and cold. The child froze, all the familiarity from moments ago replaced by the stark reminder of the man's true nature...

A murderer, someone whose very presence could fill a room with terror.

"I—I..." (Y/N) stammered, the words slipping from him in a rush. Orochimaru's grip tightened just enough to make the child flinch.

"I what?" (Y/N) swallowed hard, knowing he needed to answer.

"I'm sorry. You're...always gone these past weeks, and it makes me nervous. So, I...I might've bitten my nails a little too much." Yellow eyes flickered, and after a moment, he let go, sighing.

"You are to never do that again. Understand?" (Y/N) nodded hurriedly, relief flooding him as the Sannin released his hand.

"Stay here. I'll be right back," he ordered, his voice back to its usual composed tone. As the door clicked shut behind him, (Y/N) stared at it, his pulse still racing. Slowly, he sat back down, hugging his knees, his thoughts swirling with guilt and a bitter realization. Why had he clung to Orochimaru like that? Why had he felt so relieved when the other was close, so miserable in his absence?

He slapped himself lightly, a hollow laugh escaping his lips. This situation was dangerous. He needed to get out, away from this base, from the twisted dependency that was taking root inside him.

He needed to escape as soon as possible.