𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐤𝐢 | ɴᴀʀᴜᴛᴏ ꨄ︎ ꜱʜɪᴘᴘᴜᴅᴇɴ

New Edition

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Blood tatters the walls and dark flooring. The smell of iron reaching my senses, and the wails of pained agony.

The room stretches out for almost a mile. It's one of the many training areas for Sound-nin aspiring to become more useful for Orochimaru in exchange for power. I don't get it.

Perhaps I should be grateful that I have all this power stored inside of me already. I won't ever use my second level curse, never. Not unless I was dying before he is.

With raw strategy alone, I handle myself. I adapt. Orochimaru finally knows this, that's why he never reprimands my actions or behaviour anymore.

The random Sound-male taps roughly on the ground, signalling his defeat. I look at his state compared to mine. Even with his mediocre cursed power, he could only land a few cuts here and there on me.

What's so useful about these shinobi? It's almost like Orochimaru's obsessed with collecting every ability he can get his hands on.

"I'll definitely kill you next time..." The ninja wobbles out of the room, coughing up blood on his way.

I don't bother to spare him any further look since I'd rather not memorise the faces of Orochimaru's victims.

The door slams shut, and I'm left in the wide room. Over my shoulder, I glance at the defeated bodies of over dozens of Sound-nin on the ground. Craters of damage surround them from floor to ceiling.

I went overboard. I guess it had to do with coming to my senses again. There's a lot to process of my past self just idling away in this hell.

But I could not ignore their remarks. Could not ignore the sheer fact that everyone under Orochimaru's wing despises me. This takes me back to the academy.

I haven't felt this isolated in so long.

No matter. I shake my head and attention away from the mess. I must keep to Sasuke's blind spot while I'm here. My purpose of being here was to guarantee his safety. And Orochimaru's death. Killing Kabuto would only just be a reward.

Anyways, it's working, at least since Sasuke consists on joining every mission I get tasked for. Unfortunately, that's the only time I can be around him. I cannot protect Sasuke from his whims, I painfully note.

He may have tried to sever ties with me, but his emotional connection is still there. That alone was enough for the whole idea of him killing me to pretty much disappear from thin air. But I'm not stupid. I know why someone like him would hold onto me.

He's doing all he can to gain power. Power to him isn't just internally, either. He's playing me for a pawn in his little revenge. 

What else could I do but do the same back?

I can see it as I look into the blackness of a specific wall. As I am pulled into a rough memory.

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I'm blasted back, thrown mercilessly into the wall of the very same room. At my side in seconds is a younger Sasuke.

It was almost two years ago, and we were freshly groomed by Orochimaru. I was in the beginning stages of my level two curse, and having Sasuke throw me around like I was a rag doll was not helping my drugged-up recovery.