My other half! Sasukex oc. [Slow updates] (under editing)

Crimson defiance🔵

The damp chill of the morning always seeped through the stone floor first, but the heavy, unyielding warmth of Sasuke's arm locked around Misaki's waist kept the cold at bay.

When Misaki's eyes fluttered open, the room was still cast in a dim, slate-gray twilight. Sasuke was already awake. He hadn't moved an inch, remaining perfectly still so as not to disturb her, but his dark eyes were fixed on the heavy wooden door of his quarters. The protective fire from the night before hadn't died out; it had simply settled into a low, smoldering ember.

As Misaki shifted, her fingers tightening slightly against his white shirt, Sasuke's gaze dropped to her. The harsh line of his jaw softened for a fraction of a second. He didn't speak—he didn't need to—but his grip tightened, a silent reassurance that the fortress they had built last night was still standing.

The peace lasted only until a sharp, distinct knock rattled the heavy door.

Misaki's body reacted before her mind could, her leg giving a sudden, violent twitch against the mattress. Sasuke's arm tightened like an iron band, anchoring her.

"Sasuke-kun," Kabuto's muffled voice drifted through the wood, entirely too cheerful for the hour. "Orochimaru-sama requests Misaki's presence in the lower laboratory. The next phase of her stabilization serum is prepared, and we need to map her chakra nervous system while it adapts."

Sasuke didn't answer immediately. He slowly sat up, bringing Misaki with him, keeping her pressed against his side. The vulnerability from the forest clearing was gone, replaced by the terrifyingly cold aura of an Uchiha avenger.

"Get up," Sasuke whispered to her, his voice low and smooth. "Stay behind me."

When Sasuke unbolted the door, Kabuto was standing there, a silver tray of surgical instruments and a glowing vial of violet fluid in his hands. Behind him, emerging from the damp shadows of the corridor like a specter, was Orochimaru. The Sannin's yellow, slitted eyes gleamed with a sickening, paternal fondness as they locked onto Misaki.

"Ah, my beautiful creation," Orochimaru hissed, his long tongue briefly catching the air. "Kabuto tells me you showed remarkable spatial displacement in the forest last night. Remarkable. But we must ensure the cellular walls aren't collapsing under the strain of such speed. Come, Misaki. Let us see what else your new body can endure."

Misaki stepped forward automatically, the years of conditioning overriding her own will, her hands instantly flying to her sleeves to twist the fabric.

But she didn't make it past Sasuke's shoulder.

Sasuke extended his arm, his hand catching her sternum and firmly, unyieldingly forcing her back behind him. He stepped squarely into the doorway, completely blocking Orochimaru's view of her.

"She isn't going anywhere," Sasuke said. His voice wasn't loud, but it possessed a jagged, lethal edge that made even Kabuto pause.

Orochimaru tilted his head, a mocking smile playing on his pale lips. "Sasuke-kun... do not let personal sentiment interfere with perfection. She is a tool I carved from the dirt for your benefit. To destroy Itachi, you need a weapon that does not break. This morning's tests are mandatory to ensure her obedience and stability."

"I said no," Sasuke repeated, his hand dropping slowly to the hilt of his Kusanagi sword. The leather creaked loudly in the silent corridor. "She is stable. Her speed is under control. I tested her myself."

"And her mind?" Kabuto interjected, adjusting his glasses. "She is experiencing massive cognitive disconnect, Sasuke-kun. If we do not probe the neural pathways today, she may become entirely catatonic. A useless asset."