I had a dream at dusk.
In the dream, beneath the glow of the setting sun, two figures stood close together: a boy and a younger child. The older boy was teaching the little one how to form Hand Seals, guiding his hands with his own.
The boy was gentle, demonstrating each hand sign and patiently adjusting the child's fingers, as though he were handling a family member. A heartfelt smile warmed his face.
The child in his arms was just as earnest. He seemed to idolize the boy, his eyes full of admiration. Every so often, he would open his little hands and loudly say something, making the boy laugh.
As the sun sank in the west, its warm golden light fell over them both. It was so beautiful, it seemed like a dream.
From the way they acted, they looked like brothers.
I watched happily in the dream, as if I were watching a movie, without the slightest embarrassment.
But soon, the dream changed.
In the blink of an eye, the sun had nearly reached the horizon, and the child in the boy's arms had gone still.
I looked closely. His eyes were closed, and he was sleeping peacefully, as though he had died.
My heart clenched.
As the sun sank lower, the child's figure slowly turned transparent. The boy held him tighter and tighter, but could no longer touch anything solid.
At last, the child vanished completely.
In the final light of dusk, I saw the boy slowly get to his feet. He turned and walked toward the setting sun, his steps dazed and unsteady.
"Hey, wait!" I panicked and tried to go after him, only to find I couldn't control my body anymore.
I looked down and saw my own body turning into a shadow, growing more and more transparent until it disappeared.
I looked up in alarm and watched the boy walk away without once looking back.
His figure grew more distant, smaller, and darker.
His long shadow stretched behind him, making him look even lonelier.
At last, he disappeared into the darkness.
I felt something warm trickle from the corner of my eye. Then white light seeped into the black space. The dream came apart, ripped to shreds, and finally sank into ancient memories.
The moment my consciousness returned, I woke up.
I snapped my eyes open and immediately reached for my sword. Then I rolled off the bed and searched for a safe corner in the darkness. I didn't calm down until I was pressed against the cold wall and couldn't hear a sound. My back was soaked with sweat again.
I was still alive?
I carefully felt my body and limbs. They were all still there, just wrapped in white bandages. That reassured me a little. But when I moved even slightly, pain coursed through my entire body. I was utterly exhausted and sore all over.
"Bastard..." I gritted my teeth, cold sweat covering my head as my body trembled. Fear had left me shivering.
My memories still stopped at the words, "You can only die here," and... the sword thrust toward my chest.
After that, I remembered nothing.
I clutched my chest, eyes red and head splitting with pain, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember what happened next.
I only remembered that he hadn't held back at all.
I could feel Orochimaru's killing intent. I had no doubt that, in that moment, he had truly wanted to kill me!
"Sensei... really wanted to kill me? Why?" I held my head, my eyes burning and my heart twisting with pain far worse than the headache.
Why? Wasn't I his student?
My vision blurred. Then I suddenly remembered that in the original story, Mitaraishi Anko had been his student too.
And Anko had also been branded with the Cursed Seal, one that gave her only a slim chance of survival!
I shivered and tried to wipe away my tears, but they wouldn't stop.
"But... but if he really wanted to kill me, then why am I still alive?"
The situation was too complicated for me to think straight.
I curled up in the corner and shut my eyes. I thought of the blood-red dusk before I passed out, Orochimaru's murderous gaze, the endless pain, and the blade coming straight for my heart. Fear gripped me.
This was the man from the original story who experimented on living people, the man who had murdered his own teacher without a shred of mercy, the man who had destroyed his own village, Konoha, the man who disregarded all ethics and cared only about eternal life—
What wouldn't he do?
He might not have defected yet, but Orochimaru was still Orochimaru. His cold-blooded and wicked nature would never change!
He was far too dangerous!
Who knew if he'd spared my life because he had something even more horrifying planned?
I wiped my tears, clutched my wounded shoulder, picked up Murasame, and stood!
Whatever happened, I couldn't stay here any longer!
I had to get out first!
In the faint light, I slowly made out my surroundings. The place was dark and gloomy, covered in dust. Glass vessels, jars, and bottles filled the room, along with all kinds of medical equipment.
It was cramped and sealed off, like some kind of laboratory, which made me even more wary.
Without a doubt, this was the sort of place Orochimaru liked!
I searched around and finally found an iron bar. Then I felt my way toward the only iron door, intending to pry it open. To my surprise, it swung open with the slightest push!
I carefully stepped out, only to find an even darker corridor beyond. It stretched on without end, and oil lamps set into the walls gave the place an even more sinister air.
"What kind of place is this?"
I was puzzled, but judging from the layout, this seemed to be an off-limits section beneath Military Headquarters. The twisting passages and dim, murky lighting seemed designed to hide something, making my skin crawl.
I hesitated only a moment before heading into the darkness. I moved quickly, almost at a run. The corridor was so quiet that the only sound was the patter of my footsteps, which made my skin prickle.
But soon I realized the place was a maze of intersecting corridors, as complex as a nest! It felt as if I were going around in circles, and I couldn't even tell which way I'd come from!
Damn it, there really was no way out!
I grew more and more anxious. My heart pounded, but I didn't dare stop. Every tiny sound or movement made me tense up.
I had no idea how long I'd been walking when I was completely exhausted, cold sweat beading on my forehead.
My body still hadn't recovered at all.
With no other choice, I found a secluded corner to rest. I sat down against the wall, and the moment my back touched it, I heard a click behind me. A bad feeling flashed through my mind. Sure enough, the entire wall suddenly rotated with a rumble, sweeping me into the space beyond!
Damn it, a trap!
I tumbled around in the darkness, so battered that I couldn't even cry out. After a long while, I shakily got to my feet and carefully felt around.
"Hm?"
In the darkness, I slowly realized this was a hidden passage, pitch-black and seemingly leading to a lower level.
"This really is like a snake's lair..." I muttered. My ears twitched as I suddenly heard a faint sound.
From deep within the passage came a series of noises, like waves lapping against a shore. It was strange.
The wall behind me wouldn't budge, so I swallowed nervously. After hesitating, I gripped Murasame tightly and started down the passage, step by step.
The farther I went, the more uneasy I felt. I moved slowly and cautiously until I reached the end.
There was a heavy iron door, cold and rough to the touch.
The steady sound of water came from behind it. I held my breath and carefully pushed the door open a crack, peering inside. Only after confirming no one was there and nothing seemed dangerous did I slowly enter.
The moment I stepped into the room, I saw a huge pool! Blue ripples cast shimmering patterns across the walls.
"Is this... a reservoir?" I was astonished.
There was such a vast space underground!
I hurried over and leaned against the edge of the platform, reaching out. The moment my fingers touched the water, I sucked in a sharp breath.
"Brr... it's freezing..."
I scooped up a little water and examined it closely. It had a faint blue tint, as clear and bright as a jewel. A single stroke of my hand sent beautiful ripples spreading across the surface.
I was staring at it when I suddenly heard a splash.
I looked up and saw someone rising from the water at the far end of the pool.
First, a head of long, jet-black hair slowly emerged, so dark it seemed to absorb the light. It clung to the person like a shadow. Then came thin shoulders and a back, inch by inch emerging from the water.
The person's skin was terribly pale. As they climbed out, I saw bruises and wounds covering their body, some of them fresh and raw, with blood and flesh exposed.
Good grief, what was going on?!
I was too startled to retreat or approach, so I held my breath and crouched down, not daring to make a sound.
The person didn't seem to notice me. Bracing a wrist against the pool's edge, they continued to pull themself up. Clear water streamed from their body, and for a moment, rippling reflections danced all over the room.
This... this person...
The more I looked, the stranger it seemed. Their waist had come into view, frighteningly thin, and appeared to be covered in purple-red marks. They looked like rope burns.
Rope burns?
I bent closer to get a better look, then suddenly realized that watching someone bathe was pretty rude! I hesitated and lowered my head, only to think, what the hell am I worrying about manners for at a time like this?!
As the two little people in my head argued with each other, I suddenly heard something heavy hit the ground.
I looked up. The person had collapsed onto the floor, hunched over and covering their mouth and nose as they coughed repeatedly. They looked incredibly weak and couldn't get up for a long time.
My heart pounded as I watched. I took a deep breath, gripped Murasame tightly, and struggled with myself for a long while before finally steeling my resolve and silently saying—
Sorry, brother!
The next moment, I rushed forward!
"Don't move!"
I held Murasame's blade against their neck and lowered my voice, trying to make it sound deeper.
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you. But you have to tell me where I am and how to get out!"
I raised Murasame a little and sharpened my tone. "Speak!"
But my threat seemed to go unheard. The person continued to gasp weakly for a long time, as if they couldn't feel the blade at their throat. I was almost losing my patience when they finally seemed to realize I was there and slowly turned toward me.
As they turned, Murasame nearly grazed their neck, leaving a thin line of blood. I jumped in fright.
"Hey, don't move around!"
I hurriedly pulled back my sword, only to meet their gaze.
In an instant, I froze.
—What... a beautiful person.
In the dim room, reflections from the water flickered across their face. I was completely captivated.
I didn't know how to describe their face. It was... like a beautiful ink painting.
Their features seemed a little indistinct at first, with a feminine softness to their contours that gave them a strikingly unusual quality. Their face was gentle, yet carried a sharp chill. Just one glance made my heart race.
"Wait, you..."
I sensed something familiar and leaned closer. In a brief flicker of light, I saw their eyes.
Their irises were not an ordinary color, but a deep, bluish green, as if veiled by mountain mist, with a profound chill beneath it.
As the light flickered, their eyes grew even more translucent. I saw their irises contract and tighten with each shift of light, their fine lashes distinct, beautiful beyond anything in this world—
And cold in a way no ordinary person could be.
The room was dim, but their gaze was razor-sharp. It was like this pool of water: touch it even a little, and the cold seeped through you.
"You, you're—"
I stared at them, certain I'd seen those eyes somewhere before, but unable to remember where.
When the boy saw me, his expression changed ever so slightly.
Maybe I imagined it, but though he still looked at me indifferently, the icy current in his gaze had faded for a moment.
If he'd been a glacier just now, he was a little ice cube now.
"..."
No, why was I even dwelling on that???
Whoever he was, it didn't change the fact that I needed to get out of here!
"Hey, you!"
In the dark room, I was just about to speak when my eyes happened to pass over his upper body. At close range, I saw the countless wounds, peeled open like fish scales. The sight sent a shudder through me!
It was practically as if he'd been sliced a thousand times!
"You, you... how could you..." I stammered in shock. Seeing how pale his face had become, and how even his lips had lost their color, I couldn't help feeling some pity. I kept my sword in one hand, took out some medicine with the other, and carefully offered it to him. "Why don't you... why don't you take some of this and rest for a while? We can talk after."
As soon as I finished speaking, his expression changed drastically. His whole body began to tremble. Covering his mouth and nose, he coughed violently, his voice hoarse with pain!
I was startled. I thought I saw blood seeping through the gaps between his fingers and running down his arm. It came in spurts, nearly turning from coughing up blood into vomiting it. His body kept sliding downward, nearly striking the blade several times!
"Hey, are you okay?"
I was terrified, and both guilty and anxious!
Good heavens, I hadn't even touched you! You can't blame me for this!!
Panicking, I reached out to support him. The moment I touched his skin, it felt like I'd touched ice. Cold seeped from my fingertips straight into my heart.
And right then, I sensed danger.
It was a bone-chilling feeling, as if the whole atmosphere had suddenly changed. A violent storm came crashing down!
Sure enough, the moment the blade left his neck, the boy's gaze changed abruptly. The sickly look vanished. His left hand clamped around my shoulder while his right hand raised two fingers. Chakra flashed at his fingertips as he struck several points on my abdomen in rapid succession! I didn't even have time to react!
Pressure points?!
My pupils contracted. I tried to fight back, but my whole body was numb. I couldn't move at all or even cry out. My vision went black, and I fell over.
Damn it!