𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐤𝐢 | ɴᴀʀᴜᴛᴏ ꨄ︎ ꜱʜɪᴘᴘᴜᴅᴇɴ

Ruins

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✧˖*°࿐

The wind is cooler from where I travelled. Grass is much duller, and the trees are ghastly and tall. Even the air is different, but it's a thinness I'm quite used to.

Outskirts of Otogakure. Home to Sound. I hate sound waves.

"That'sss the Fifth bunch of Sssound-nin's you've defeated on your journey here." Manda's slithering voice reaches my senses. "Usssing the weapon I gifted you, the ssshinsshuku sstaff."

On the ground laid defeated traitors. I didn't really bother to kill them this time. But alas, they all come swinging at me with one goal in mind; to be known as the one to beat me when they never could back in Orochimaru's stuffy duels.

I follow my gaze down the long staff in my grasp to the small snake. Manda's in a humorously small size to accommodate me. His equally small head is pointed at me, piercing green eyes observing my soul.

Years ago, when Orochimaru tossed me to prove myself worthy to the snake Lords, I didn't care about any of it at first. Originally, I truly hated everything about them. But after his death, I've opened my eyes to the many things that insane scientist knew.

The snakes are smart, cunning, and overwhelming. Three traits that could define me. The same traits were my sole reason for surviving those trials and reaping rewards. Rewards such as this weapon I've held onto for years now.

There's a reason I never told Sasuke where I got this weapon from. If he knew Manda was the summoning I associated with, I probably wouldn't of heard the end of his complaints.

"I almost forgot it had a name." I remarked, releasing my chakra. It has the blades disappear, and the shape sinks back into the small tube it once was. The name shinshuku was rather fitting since last I recall, it meant 'stretching'.

"For sssuch bloodthirsst inssside of you, you're taking leisssure time. It'ss calculated and controlled, I praissse you." Manda's little tongue quivered out before slithering his entire figure up my leg.

With a twitched brow, I watched him disappear into my robes sleeve until his presence has resided to my mind. A jutsu certain summoning's such as him could do.

It only meant his unnecessary comments now echo in my mind instead of out loud.

"How rude."