Survival (A Naruto Fanfic) [Completed]

Part 41 ∞∞∞ The Truth

I looked at the entrance of the base and laughed at myself. I had never thought one day I would return here or come here willingly. Never thought indeed...

She looked at the entrance of the base and looked at me. My lips were upcurved in a smile, no, more like a smirk. She noticed but didn't seem to care much.

"Is this where you live? It's awfully shady." She commented and I smiled.

"It's my lab, you can say," I answered and she peered at me. A white-haired, glasses, boy walked out from the darkness to meet me.

"Orochimaru-sama." He said and bowed slightly, almost tripping on the stairs. He had just arrived and is still awkward with everything. But no matter, he'll develop into a good tool.

That darkness in his heart...

"Kabuto. This is our new friend. I think you can call her Yoru." I said to the boy and he nodded tensely and looked at her.

"Yoru... an uncommon name for a girl." He muttered and I smiled inwardly. He doesn't need to know about her background yet. But, maybe one day I'll tell him.

"Can we start straight away? The quickly it happens, the sooner the world will be purified..." She said quietly and I bowed my head slightly and lead her into the base.

I hesitated at the door for a moment before finally stepping down the stairs into the base. There was still no doors to the place. The entrance leads directly into the hallways. No one coming out to chop off my head by now means Orochimaru knows that I've come. But no doubt he's been waiting for this day for half a year... I thought and lifted my lips in a cold smile. That sickly old snake.

The dark corridors were lit by (still) only candles, which flickered as I continued down the path. Doors started to appear on both sides and I looked at those identical doors and spacing with a cold glare.

"Yoru, an uncommon name for a girl." Kabuto's voice echoed down the corridors and I paused mid-step, my foot hovering in the air uncertainly. If I turned back now, everything will be back to normal me. But... if I talk with that jerk... everything will be clear.

"Kabuto," I said to the darkness beyond my normal eyesight and a cold chuckle responded me. He was standing right there for sure. His footsteps echoed through the hallway as his face emerged into the light. He looked just like in that dream...

"I see you've grown taller," Kabuto said with a smirk and I stared at his glasses. They were covered with shadows, the two round pieces of glass reflecting the orange and red flickering candlelight.

"I see you've grown more like him." I retorted and stalked towards Kabuto. "Where is he?"

"How do you know he wants to meet you? Don't feel too superior. He's not interested in you anymore." Kabuto whispered in my ear as I walked past and I smiled.

"I don't need his interest. I need his knowledge." I said with the smile still plastered on my face and realized how much that sounded like...

"In that dream." Orochimaru's croaking voice said from behind me and I whirled around.

"Orochimaru-sama!" Kabuto called, slightly surprised, and I wondered if he came to greet me without consent. But never mind that... why does he know about that...

"I planted it into your head. I know you'd come to find me," He said and smirked, answering the question in my head. I widened my eyes in realization and clenched my fists. Can't believe I fell for a low-class trick like that... I cursed myself and grabbed the hilt of my sword.

"But, it's true," Orochimaru added and I paused again. His eyes were exceptionally truthful. It can all be an act... and I would be stupid enough to fall for it... and I would have no clue, no clue as to what really happened.

"Do you want to know? No... I can show it to you..." Orochimaru continued with a satisfied smile and Kabuto's eyes widened from behind me.

"What are you going to show me? Something you made up this past year to make me return to you like a lapdog? Something that'll make me return to what I was???" I asked in pure contempt and he chuckled again.

"No... I just want to show you the truth. But that truth... binds you with me." He said and I laughed out loud.

"Binds me with you? I would rather kill myself then have me "bind with you"." I said and Orochimaru gave me a mysterious smile. He turned around and walked back into the darkness. I activated my byakugans and traced his movement carefully. He was heading towards the locked lab. There's no mistake. I followed him after a while of thought and Kabuto walked behind me, eyeing me with interest and cold humour.

"What have you been doing with your life for the past three and a half years?" I asked but Kabuto showed no signs of answering.

"I never asked," I muttered and looked around the whole place again and noted Orochimaru already standing at the door of the locked lab. Somehow, I couldn't see through the walls of the room. Either Orochimaru did something to the room or my byakugans are too weak to see through into that room.

"Stop." Kabuto suddenly shouted and I halted looking around, my hand on the hilt of my sword and my eyes slightly burning.

"You have that reaction implanted into you. You can't change it, can you? You react to Orochimaru-sama's voice and mine. Our orders and burned into your mind. You'll always be attached to us someway or another." Kabuto said and walked past me. I stared at his back and clenched my teeth, preventing myself from bursting out something inappropriate. I had anticipated something like this would happen. I knew it would. Yet I came...

I looked down at the target under my feet and smiled coldly.

"Our targets are getting so weak," I said with a fake yawn and Kakuzu glared at me, his green and red eyes burning through my act.

"No. You're just fighting harder than before." He snapped, mostly to catch Hidan's attention, and I smiled again.

"Really? Cause I don't feel a change." I said indifferently while staring at him and he looked away.

"Ever since Orochimaru quit Akatsuki, you've been... different." White Zetsu noted as well and I looked at him, sighing.

"Even you?" I said, exasperated, and I could tell Hidan silently agreed as well.

"Also, you've been staring at the ring whenever you're alone." Black Zetsu added and I looked down at the ring hanging from my neck. The word "空" was carved onto the blue stone and the gem glittered as the sunlight hit it, a brilliant light blue and grey complexion.

"See?" White Zetsu said and I rolled my eyes.

"That's not the main issue right now, is it? Never knew criminals cared this much." I muttered and gave the target another final kick. The woman struggled a little more before finally laying still, hopeless and limp.

"If you really care that much about him, why don't you go visit him? Give him a little kick in the a** or something." Hidan muttered and I froze.

Visit... him?

"Here it is, Yoru. What you want to know." Orochimaru said with a smile as I stepped up to the locked door.

"Open the door."

I stared at the simple black, metal door and laughed inwardly and myself. All my past life... my memories, the answers, the truth, lay behind this door... yet all this time, I could've just pushed it open.

I reached to the door and the coldness of the metal door surprised me. I paused for a moment before pushing it open. A wave of white and cold mist flooded out of the room and washed over my face. I stared through the veil of white that filled the room at the huge container in the center of the room and saw my red eyes reflected on the glass.

Behind the glass, a pair of black eyes stared back at me.