"Xue Ge, you came earlier than I expected." Orochimaru chuckled as he set down the test tube in his hand. He took off his gloves and walked to the door, then removed his lab coat and hung it on the door.
"Come with me." With that, he headed toward his office.
Xue Ge glanced into the laboratory. It was pitch-black inside, and he had no idea how Orochimaru could see anything.
He seemed to have... seen something shaped like a person.
Don't think too hard about it.
Orochimaru sat down in an old but still sturdy wooden chair and pointed to the seat opposite him, motioning for Xue Ge to sit.
"Do you prefer tea or coffee?" Orochimaru gently lifted the teacup on his desk and took a small sip.
"Tea." Xue Ge sat opposite Orochimaru and looked at him.
Orochimaru unhurriedly poured Xue Ge a cup of tea. They each took a small sip without speaking.
Only after a long while did Orochimaru grin and say, "You really are better company, Xue Ge. Danzo and you are nothing alike."
"Danzo's people are following me," Xue Ge reminded him expressionlessly.
Orochimaru waved a hand. "Don't worry. They wouldn't dare approach my laboratory without permission. Otherwise, heh..."
Orochimaru's meaning was obvious. Xue Ge shook his head without speaking. Danzo hadn't specifically told him to avoid visiting Orochimaru, but it seemed their relationship wasn't as close as he had imagined.
"So, have you made your decision, Xue Ge?" Orochimaru rested his arms on the desk and clasped his hands, fixing his gaze on Xue Ge.
Both his gaze and his bearing were uncannily like those of a venomous snake.
But to Xue Ge, at least this wasn't a venomous snake whose bite would kill him immediately.
"I'll cooperate with your research." Xue Ge set down his teacup and tapped the desk with his fingers. "But I have conditions to add."
"Please, go ahead." Orochimaru showed no surprise.
"Help me develop ninjutsu and guide my training," Xue Ge said succinctly.
"I already promised to help you develop ninjutsu, Xue Ge." Orochimaru opened one hand. "But guiding your training... that would be a long-term commitment."
"Name your terms." Xue Ge leaned back against his chair.
"Very simple... I'd like to establish a means of keeping in touch with you, Xue Ge." As Orochimaru finished speaking, a white snake slid out of his sleeve and crawled across the desk onto Xue Ge's wrist.
"Don't be nervous. This little one is well behaved," Orochimaru explained. "Whenever I need your help with my research, I'll contact you directly through this white snake. If you promise to respond whenever I call, then I agree."
"Of course, if you need anything, you can have this little one tell me as well."
"What about missions?" Xue Ge asked.
Barring any surprises, he would officially graduate from the Ninja Academy next year. After that, missions would inevitably take him out of the village.
"If you're not in the village, naturally, I won't trouble you. Just leave this little one here when that happens." Orochimaru was accommodating.
"..." Xue Ge fell silent for a moment. "Let me think."
"Of course. Take your time." Having emptied the teapot, Orochimaru clapped his hands.
Not long afterward, Xue Ge saw a little girl around his age walk somewhat unsteadily to the desk, carrying a pot of hot water and some tea leaves. She set them down, then quietly left.
"That was..."
"Just one of Danzo's pointless little games. Nothing of value." Orochimaru told Xue Ge not to mind her. "Let's continue our conversation. Once this fresh pot of tea is brewed, we'll still have a long night ahead."
Orochimaru's scrutinizing gaze made Xue Ge uncomfortable. He stood up and headed toward the door. "I'm going out for a walk."
"Please do. Just don't enter my laboratory. It's still rather dangerous for you in there, Xue Ge." Orochimaru waved a hand indifferently.
It wasn't that Xue Ge couldn't accept Orochimaru's terms. He figured he would come looking for Orochimaru far more often than Orochimaru would seek him out. Still, Orochimaru's look of certain victory grated on him a little, so he decided to leave him waiting for a while.
The house was fairly large; even the corridor alone was long. Its pitch-black darkness was simply hard to get used to. Xue Ge guessed Orochimaru must have some special ability to orient himself. Otherwise, conducting experiments in an environment like this without causing an accident would practically defy common sense.
After walking down the corridor for a while, Xue Ge spotted the little girl who had brought the tea and water earlier, dozing against the wall.
Xue Ge paused, then realized it was perfectly normal for a child her age to be asleep at this hour.
Come to think of it, how long has it been since I had a proper night's sleep?
While Xue Ge stood beside the little girl, lost in thought, she stirred awake and stared at him blankly for a moment.
"My name is Xue Ge," he offered.
"Lin... Lin... Lin Yi..." The little girl seemed terribly shy around strangers. She inched into the corner, her voice barely audible.
"When were you brought here?" Xue Ge casually sat down beside the wall and propped his crutch against it.
"A few days ago, I think..." "And before that?" "Grandpa took me..."
"And before that?" "..."
Seeing Lin Yi's bewildered gaze, Xue Ge knew he wouldn't learn anything by asking further. It seemed the little girl had been with Danzo for quite some time. She was probably another war orphan.
At that thought, Xue Ge cast Lin Yi a sympathetic look. In a way, they were fellow sufferers.
And each had their own troubles. Although Xue Ge could ensure his life was safe for now, his training usually made him wish he were dead. Lin Yi seemed to have an easier time than he did, but that also meant she wasn't particularly valued.
Being unimportant here at Orochimaru's place essentially meant she could be sacrificed at any moment. The little girl simply didn't know it.
Thoughts crowded his mind. After a long while, Xue Ge looked at Lin Yi, only to find that she had fallen asleep again at some point.
He reached out and patted Lin Yi's forehead. "If anything happens, you can come to me."
With that, without waiting to see whether Lin Yi had heard him, he braced himself on his crutch, turned, and left.
When he returned to Orochimaru's office, Orochimaru was studying an experimental report. Seeing Xue Ge return, he set aside his work and asked, "Have you decided, Xue Ge?"
"One additional, minor condition." Rather than returning to his seat, Xue Ge walked around the desk to Orochimaru's side. "Take better care of the girl outside."
"..." Orochimaru looked surprised. "Xue Ge... why this sudden, pointless concern?"
"So it's just an additional condi-
tion." Xue Ge couldn't be bothered to explain himself to Orochimaru. "Do you agree?"
With that, he held out his left hand to Orochimaru.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes with a smile and clasped Xue Ge's cold Prosthetic Limbs.
"Of course. We have a deal."