Escape
Chapter III: Escape
Time feels distorted in the dimly lit room and his sense of reality is warped by the unfamiliar surroundings. Unaware of how long he has been held captive by this peculiar group, he has no way of knowing how his teammates are faring. His mind, once sharp and focused on the mission, now swirls with uncertainty. Was it days? Weeks? He can’t tell anymore. The only thing that remains clear is the constant ache of worry for his team. Did they escape? Are they searching for him? Or were they captured, too? Worse, were they dead?
He has tried everything including rattling the door, testing the limits of his restraints, looking for weaknesses in the security—but nothing, he simply could not leave this room.
His thoughts are interrupted by the distant sound of footsteps echoing down the corridor outside. The rhythmic thud of boots against the floor seems deliberate, as though they know he’s listening, waiting for him to respond, or perhaps to break. He inhales deeply, steeling himself. He won’t give them the satisfaction of seeing him broken. Not yet.
“Awake already? Good. If you behave well then, I will let you leave the room but if you try something funny again then you’ll have to face Karin’s wrath. Understood?” Grinning in manic manner, Suigetsu spoke at last upon his arrival. He has been tasked by Kabuto to make sure that Orochimaru will not try to leave one of their many hideouts wherein they are currently hiding especially in his current state of mind.
“Don’t squish my cheeks.” Although rebellious, Orochimaru nodded albeit belatedly.
“Look who is not in the mood again. Jugo is just outside so if you have any funny business then you might want to reconsider it now. Karin will be here in a couple of minutes with your food. I bet that you are hungry. You gave Kabuto a fright when you tried to leave us the other day. Hehehe you should have seen his expression by the time we realized that you escaped.” Goodness, if Suigetsu did not know that this is their master whom he speaks to then he might have thought that this brat and that monster were of the same person.
“...” Despite his vague memory of the day he tried to escape this rat hole, he was able to remember the names and faces of the individuals that Suigetsu mentioned. After all, they tend to visit him in this room every now and then. Kabuto was the most disturbing of them all. The man seemed way too obsessed of Orochimaru and he always check on him every now and then. Karin on the other hand was his favorite out of them all. Suigestu was annoying and he reminds him of Jiraiya, both are idiots. The brute-looking Jugo was quiet, and he barely speaks to him, but the snake summoner knew he is not to be trifle with.
“Hey, cheer up! We meant no harm. I mean who in their right mind will try to harm you even with your current state—” Suigetsu roughly pats the child’s head. If someone will tell him that Orochimaru could be this adorable, he will never believe them at all. Well, it looks like their master was indeed an adorable little boy before all the nasty things he had done as an adult.
“Are you trying to piss off—” Karin narrowed her eyes towards her partner in suspicious manner. Kabuto will definitely have their heads the next time little Orochimaru escapes them.
“He doesn’t need to do anything to annoy me. He’s already doing a great job at it without doing anything.” Orochimaru stares at Karin, bright serpentine eyes met Karin’s blood-red colored eyes.
“That’s rude and as far as I—” Suigestu was unable to finish his word because Karin was already punching the leaving daylight out of him. Her monstrous strength and short temper only secured her status as an Uzumaki.
It only took a whole 30 seconds before Jugo enters the room to drag away the unconscious Suigetsu. Sometimes, Orochimaru wondered if the buff man purposely let Karin beat the living hell out of the white-haired teen.
“I am sorry about him. Anyway, you’ll have to eat first. Kabuto will be here by afternoon to check on you. Be a good boy. Perhaps, we’ll bring you more treats and books if you could behave.” Karin soft spot for Orochimaru has stared on the day the Snake Sannin saved her from doom. Although everyone knows what kind of sociopathic psycho their master could be even in normal days, the Uzumaki survivor did not fault him for anything. Even if Suigetsu will not admit it to them, she knows for sure that every single individual working for Orochimaru adored him in their own little twisted way. After all, he has no responsibility to save them and even more to give them a home, but he still gave them a roof above their heads and protected them from enemies even though he would send them in dangerous mission which has no guarantee of returning alive. Not that any of them would like to return to Orochimaru after they failed him. Death would be better than to see the disappointment on the Snake Sannin’s serpentine eyes. To them, he was like a father even if the said man was a sadistic bastard.
“Karin” Orochimaru called out the nth time. At first, he ignored her sudden silence and he procceed to eat the meal that she brought for him. However, worry etched on his face when the woman remains way too quiet for his liking.
“What’s wrong?” She blinked a couple of times when she realized that Orochimaru has been calling out for her. Unlike his smooth almost hypnotic voice as an adult to the point that it reminds Karin of a snake which exudes a sense of danger and unholy curiosity, like the hiss of a serpent waiting for the right moment to strike. On the other hand, little Orochimaru’s voice is really nice to the ears it is between the borderline of quiet and sweet. Perhaps Jugo was right that something might have happened that turned their master from a quiet little boy to a sadistic monster.
“You stopped talking and I am finished my food. I want a book, a new one. I am done reading the others.” He eyed the pile of books on top of the table. Orochimaru is well-read and tends to finish reading a lot of books in one day which is why Karin, and the rest will always give him something new to read whenever they could. If not, they’ll provide him scrolls full of interesting journals about new techniques. It won’t be long before he can perfect one of the jutsus from the scroll. Soon, he’ll be able to leave this place and find his friends.