Naruto : Venom

Later That Night

The sound of eating utensils echos throughout the room. When Orochimaru said that he wanted to talk over dinner, he wasn't kidding. Orochimaru, Sasuke and I are all sitting at a dinning table with steak and BBQ spread before us. It is exactly what I asked for.

It is almost a pleasant sight. You know if it wasn't Orochimaru, Sasuke and I being the ones eating. We make the strangest picture ever.

First there is Orochimaru, a pale snake like man who is constantly eyeing both Sasuke and me with unadulterated glee.

Second is Sasuke, a pretty boy with an attitude to match. He's eating like royalty would, with proper manners and elegance. He keeps sending me questioning glances, almost as if he thinks I'm angry at him.

Then there is me, the strange kid in sunglasses even though we are indoors. I'm openly staring at both of the others and hopefully not displaying any emotion on my face.

This is not how I expected my defection to go. Quaint home cooked meals with the leader of my new village is the last thing I would have possibly imagined. I expected fire and brimstone before this.

We eat in silence, no one wants to talk. Well, Sasuke and I don't want to talk. I am pretty sure Orochimaru is too happy to form words coherently.

Eventually Sasuke cracks, he asks me a question. "Alvarcus, I didn't... uh... hurt you earlier today did I?"

Ah, that would be why he is acting like I'm mad at him. "Not too badly. I've had worse."

"He speared your heart out with an A-rank assassination lightning jutsu and your reaction is 'I've had worse?' Oh you are just a treat!" Orochimaru chimes in and ruins my plan to hide that fact from Sasuke.

Sasuke's whole body tenses. "I really did do that then. I wasn't sure, it seems hazy. Like I was looking at everything through a think fog. Almost like it wasn't me, like I was an observer."

"Quit the pity party." I am stopping this right now. Sasuke will not be timid with me. He will not hold back on me. I won't allow it. "You played with a new power and it didn't end well. Happens to all of us. Hell, I nearly killed myself when I first made my kunai traps."

Orochimaru leans forward in anticipation. "Kunai traps? You have a skill that I haven't seen yet?"

"He uses his chakra strings to launch a kunai that is far away from him. It isn't that impressive." Sasuke blandly informs Orochimaru for me. "What I want to know is how you messed up and nearly killed yourself."

I wince. That wasn't my best moment. "Long story short, the first one I ever made went off when I didn't expect it to and kinda sorta... almost stabbed me in my head?"

Sasuke bursts out laughing. "Really? You of all people almost stabbed yourself in the head? Oh I would pay good money to see that!"

"Oh hush. Like you've never lit yourself on fire before!" I accuse Sasuke.

He haughtily raises his head at me. "I have never done such a thing!"

"Deny it all you want, I've watched it happen."

Sasuke pales dramatically. "But the only time I've done that was when I first started learning the Grand Fireball from my family." A moment of silence follows until Sasuke realizes what he just said. "NO! I mean... uh... crap. I lied?" He says weakly.

Orochimaru clears his throat, reminding us who we are sitting next to. "As amusing as this is, I want to know why you both came to me. What are your reasons?" He turns to Sasuke first and waits for his response.

"Power. Strength. You can make me good enough to kill Itachi, you can help me achieve my ambition. That is my only reason for coming. Konoha wouldn't train me as well as you will." Sasuke tells Orochimaru confidently. He knows that he is wanted here, that there is a spot for him. Orochimaru will not kick him out.

Orochimaru turns his piercing yellow eyes onto me. Man I wish I still had eyes that color, I would be so much more intimidating. That being said, pure black eyes made of threads is very intimidating in its own right.

"I've already told you my reasons for coming. We discussed it at the entrance before Sasuke emerged from his barrel." I skirt around his question.

Orochimaru grins. "Sasuke, you came for Sasuke. I want to know why you came for him. I already know it wasn't because you wanted to be trained by me, the Sound Four made that perfectly clear when I debriefed them."

This will be one of the stupidest things I've ever done. I'm going to be honest with Orochimaru.

"I came because Sasuke will need me. Let's get one thing straight right now. I'm loyal to Sasuke first, he is who I will pick over anyone and anything else. You come second, I'll do what I'm told as long as it won't harm Sasuke or me. Then I am loyal to Sound. If you can't live with that, kill me now."

Orochimaru doesn't react for a few second. Those seconds are terrifying. I have no idea how he will react to that, but I know I won't be able to lie to him. He'll know if I am trying to deceive him. I'm gambling with my life.

Orochimaru claps his hands together and has a large grin splitting his face. "Brilliant! I can see now why your team was never split. Either one of you will die for the other without hesitation. You would even tell me that I come second! I've killed many people for much less, but you two are just perfect as a team! Where one is weak, the other excels! I can't wait to see the results of my training."

"When do we start?" Sasuke eagerly asks the Snake Sannin. He's revving to go.

"Tomorrow." Orochimaru replies nonchalantly. "You'll get one last night of rest before you experience The Pit." Why do I feel like my doom is coming soon?

"The Pit?" I question. "Care to elaborate or are you just going to throw us in there? Not literally I hope."

"Kukukuku," Kami I hate that laugh, "The Pit is a process that all of my prospective elite shinobi must go through. It is a massive cave in the bottom of this base. It is where I toss all of my experiments when I am done with them.

Last time I counted there are around one to two hundred down there. Every day food for three quarters of the experiments is provided, they fight it out between themselves to see who eats. The strongest feast, the weak die off. It is a wonderful process."

Sasuke has a crazy gleam in his eyes. "And how long will we be down there?" Is he looking forward to this?

Orochimaru takes a bite of his steak. "A month or two." He goes back to eating like he didn't just tell us that we will be in hell for months, literally fighting for food.

"Well that sounds fun." I sarcastically retort. "I better have another piece of BBQ. It'll be a long time before I can have food this good again." I grab two, just to be safe.

...

The Next Morning, The Entrance to The Pit

"This is The Pit." Orochimaru gestures at the deep hole in the ground. "Only I know how to let people in or out, there is a barrier set up around the entrance to insure that the experiments stay put. Can't have them running around wild."

"Of course." I blandly reply. "This isn't a zoo."

"I'm glad you understand!" Did he not know I was kidding? "Now, once the barrier is down you need to jump in. The fall is only around twenty meters, you should survive. Don't try to leave before I come get you, the barrier will... deal with you."

Orochimaru flies through some hand signs too quickly for me to memorize. I glance at Sasuke, he shakes his head no. Damn, he missed them too. The barrier deactivates.

I calmly walk behind Sasuke. "Remember that one time when you pushed me into a stream?"

He whirls around. "Alvarcus don't you dare- YOU ASSHOLE I HATE YOU!" He yells back up at me as he falls down.

"Oh sweet revenge. I'll cherish this moment forever. Did you see the look on his- OI WHAT THE HELL!" I fall down into the pit after Sasuke.

"Kukukuku, I will cherish this moment forever."

...

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