He stretched, basking in the sunlight he hadn't felt in far too long.
After three days locked in a dark room, he was finally out.
Next...
It was time to collect his pay.
The reward for a B-rank mission was a decent sum.
Humming a little tune, Uchiha Makoto headed toward the mission hall.
He was in an exceptionally good mood.
On the third day after the mission ended, Orochimaru summoned Uchiha Makoto to the Training Ground.
The Training Ground was deserted. There were just the two of them.
"Cheng." Orochimaru looked the same as ever, with his pale, long hair and golden, slit-pupiled eyes. His voice rasped like a snake flicking its tongue. "There won't be any new missions for a while. You and Kakashi can get some proper rest."
Uchiha Makoto nodded. "Yes, Teacher."
He was actually quite pleased.
No missions meant time to train.
Time to train meant he could get stronger.
And besides...
"Kazuya is dead, so the squad is one member short," Orochimaru continued. "We need a replacement, but no one has been chosen yet. Just wait for now."
Oh, Uchiha Makoto thought.
Kazuya was dead. Officially, he had died on the mission.
"One more thing." Orochimaru looked at him. "I'll be staying in the village for the time being. If you have any questions about ninjutsu, you can come to me whenever you like."
Uchiha Makoto's eyes lit up.
Here it was!
One-on-one tutoring from a master! Now that was VIP treatment!
"Thank you, Teacher!" he hurriedly said.
Orochimaru waved a hand without speaking.
But Uchiha Makoto could sense something else lurking in Orochimaru's snakelike eyes.
Curiosity? Scrutiny? Or... some scheme?
Whatever.
Orochimaru hadn't reached his "Sharingan obsession" phase yet, anyway.
*Itachi hadn't even become a spy for anyone in the Akatsuki yet. Orochimaru's