The Prince and the Serpent

Trust

"I am sorry, my child." Orochimaru apologized to his favorite. Mitsuki was trailing slightly behind as Orochimaru swept through the earthen corridors, "After King Naruto's announcement, I had assumed that Prince Boruto had come to ask for your hand. I wish I had known you were coming under much more dire circumstances." He looked back at his son whose eyes were fixed on the floor ahead of them, staring at nothing. His face was set like stone but his forehead was dotted with tiny beads of sweat. He slowed down slightly, allowing Mitsuki to catch up. He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder but Mitsuki refused to meet his eyes.

"Father, tell me. Can Boruto be saved?" He asked in a quiet, desperate voice.

"We have no choice. We musst save him." Orochimaru answered. "Every cursse, without exception, has a counter. It is urgent that we find and preform it quickly. It would not do for you to have found your Ssun only to lose him again so quickly." It was fortunate that he did know of Jigen and he was familiar with his curses. That would make his research much easier to complete. They continued on together in urgent silence until they reached his personal library.

Orochimaru had always been fond of this room. It was heavy with the scent of decaying parchment and memories. The library was an massive room that was even larger than the throne room. Row after row of floor-to-ceiling wooden shelves sagged with the weight of thousands of leather-bound tomes. Most of them were not books but his own journals, containing eons of history and personal memories. He knew most of them by heart but a wise man once said, "the faintest ink is better than the best memory".

He proceeded to the oldest bookcase and started scanning the ancient texts written in his own hand. Mitsuki watched his every move, his every mannerism the outward appearance of patience but his eyes sparkled with anxiety in the torchlight. Orochimaru's fingers lovingly caressed the aged leather spines until he found the ones he was looking for.

"Do you remember something that will help Boruto?" Mitsuki asked as he freed the books from their resting places.

"I believe I do. I came here to confirm ssome detailss." He took the precious works into his arms and glided to a well worn chair where he often sat to read. Mitsuki followed, ignored the other chairs and seated himself at his father's feet to wait. Orochimaru read for what felt like hours, searching through hundreds of years of memories. Mitsuki waited, appearing calm and detached as always but his father knew better. He knew that just under the calm facade, Mitsuki was impatient. It was obvious his anxiety for Boruto was tearing him apart inside and it was all he could do to wait patiently for his father's solution.

Despite the circumstances, Orochimaru congratulated himself. He had seen enough to conclude that his efforts to secure a Sun for Mitsuki had been successful. The boy had even managed to obtain Prince Boruto just as he had hoped and the choice had even been his own. Mitsuki had even gone so far as to fall completely in love with his new Sun. His heart overflowed with pride for his son and he couldn't help but smile down at him.

"Father? Have you found the way to save Boruto?" Mitsuki asked, unable to contain his impatience any longer. Orochimaru blinked, coming back from his fatherly pride to the task at hand. Unfortunately, he had not found it yet. He had found a description of the true nature of the curse and a vague idea on how to counter it but he was still searching for the exact counter curse and the elements that were required. Mitsuki's agitation increased as he waited for an answer.

"Almosst, my child." He pacified. Mitsuki nodded and went back to waiting in silence. Orochimaru was now moved with pity for his youngest. He had only just found his Sun and now he was facing the possibility of being plunged back into cold darkness. He couldn't let that happen. They had come to far. Losing Boruto would cause irreparable damage to everything he had worked for and could even mean losing his favorite son. Mitsuki was strong on the outside but he was still so young and his mind and heart were fragile. Orochimaru feared losing Boruto would prove too much. He wouldn't allow that to happen.