Snake House

It was eleven in the morning and his newly designated guardian had yet to arrive, which gave him some time to think for himself.

And if there was one thing both Midoriya Izuku and Orochimaru had in common, it was their habit of thinking about things in too much detail, jutsus and quirks alike.

Like the thing he just discovered a little while ago, right after Endeavor left.

The snakes in his body fed on his energy stores, much like the Aburame and their kikaichu.

It didn't matter much now, since his snakes were much too small to have considerable impact on his energy stores, but in the future, when they're much bigger, it would surely become problematic.

Inwardly, he wondered if they'd ever grow to be the size Manda used to boast.

He ignored the pang of nostalgia upon remembering the arrogant snake.

In order to combat the energy drain that will surely come in the future, he'd need three things: Larger amounts of food intake, energy drinks, and longer sleep schedule.

On another note, since his body was gradually turning more snake-like than he was as Orochimaru, considering that he has a forked tongue in this body that wasn't present in his past life, will he be subjected to hibernation during the colder months without the aid of chakra to keep him perpetually warm?

Now, that was a dilemma.

He'd have to save that question for later.

For now, he'd first have to keep stock on the most obvious part of his quirk; the snakes.

At this moment, of the honestly uncountable eggs that blanketed the ground of the Ryuuchi Cave copy, roughly 150 have successfully hatched. But, those were just ordinary snakes which will never grow to be the size of his former summons.

Though, he noted the presence of larger eggs at the deepest cavern of the cave which, most likely, will hatch into the summons he was expecting.

Unfortunately, due to being confined to the hospital until now, he never got a chance to study them fully aside from the cursory glance he gave them when he first Reverse Summoned himself.

When he gets settled in a more private location, he'd make sure that checking those eggs were amongst the first thing he does.

After all, in a world where chakra is inaccessible, the snakes were his only guarantee to safety.

Knock knock.

And, it seems, his designated guardian has just arrived.

...

Roughly half an hour later, he found himself discharged from the hospital with his new guardian, Akaguro Chizome, who made it clear that he was by no means, a willing guardian, and that he shouldn't expect to receive above the minimum requirements.

Which was fine to him, since he wouldn't really know what to do if someone were to actually treat him like a real child when he had 70 years of memories belonging to an S-Rank Shinobi.

"So, kid, got anything you want?" Chizome asked idly, hands awkwardly stuffed in his pocket, making it obvious that he had no idea what to do in this situation. And, to be fair, no one would really know what to do when suddenly being told that they were to take care of a child out of nowhere. "Since I'm getting government support for taking care of you, I might as well get you one thing you want."

The boy tilted his head slightly, the only thing he wanted at this moment was to quickly confirm how his own abilities fared against the quirks of this world. "No, I don't think there's anything I desire at this moment."

"Nothing? Food? Clothes? Changing your name? Or even getting a tattoo?" Chizome listed on, not noticing the sudden interested gleam in his new ward's eyes upon mentioning the third option. "This is your only chance in getting whatever you want."

Anything he wanted, huh?

Midoriya Izuku and Orochimaru. Both names were his, but neither of them felt right.

"Actually-" The boy smiled slightly. "A change of name is welcomed."

Considering that the identity of Midoriya Izuku no longer feels like it belongs to him. He needed a new start.

And a new start begins with a new name.

Fortunately, there was already a good name picked out for him, one which he recalled his mother speaking of how it could've been the name he was given had Izuku not been chosen instead.

"Mikumo." The boy whispered. "I would like to be called Mikumo."

And that was that. With a faint sound of agreement to his decision, Chizome trudged towards the nearest fast food restaurant where they ate a simple lunch of burgers and fries.

So far, as an inexperienced guardian, Akaguro Chizome was passable.

...

Chizome's apartment was... fine.

He can't really complain, having experienced living for prolonged periods of time in caves and underground bases. In comparison to than, a messy, two bedroom, one bathroom, one kitchen and living room, was already sufficient.

It could use a good cleaning though, with the random blades and scattered trinkets lying haphazardly around.

Just how did child services approve of this? It doesn't really scream child-friendly no matter how you look.

The room he was given was visibly untouched, with only the newly bought drawers, futon, bed covers and pillows to indicate that this was, in fact, a bedroom, and not an unused storage room.

It was clean, at least. Much cleaner than the living room.

And while Detective Tsukauchi did say that Akaguro Chizome was financially capable of taking him in, it was probably on the barely passable line, considering his new guardian's only paying job was a kendo instructor in a local dojo.

They probably didn't pay much.

It also didn't help that, judging from the boxes of takeout in the trash bin, and the desolate state of the kitchen, the man probably didn't cook at all and simply ordered food on delivery.

Another thing he'd have to change if he wanted to somewhat ease the financial situation.

With a quiet sigh, he placed his bags of belongings against the wall, deciding to sort out his things first before anything else.

He didn't bring many things with him, just a few sets of clothes, things needed for hygiene, and anything that seemed too expensive to leave behind. Like his mother's secretly stashed jewelries, and his father's medals for some kind of Robotics competition. At one point, he was even tempted to take his mother's prized pair of red bottoms before regretfully deciding against it.

And for some reason, Chizome took one look at Midoriya Izuku's bedroom and decided that all the All Might merch needed to be taken as well.

Since he liked them so much, Mikumo offered them all to Chizome as thanks for taking him in, and since then, his guardian's attitude towards him noticeably eased.

He was an All Might fan.

Mikumo himself had a good impression of All Might, the Midoriya Izuku part of him infecting him with his admiration towards the Symbol of Peace, but, Orochimaru's indifference balanced him out, so he wasn't as avid a fan as Izuku was.

So, while he would praise the good things All Might's existence brings to society, he wouldn't go out of his way to line up amongst dozens of people just to get an autograph, or spend thousands of yen to buy limited edition merchandise.

But, atleast, those merchandise now served a good purpose, having helped him garner his new guardian's goodwill.

His very awkward goodwill.

The corner of Mikumo's lips twitched in amusement upon remembering what happened after they left the former Midoriya household.

Chizome had told him to stay put in front of the train station while he ran off somewhere. Minutes later, he returned with an ice popsicle which he shoved wordlessly into Mikumo's hands.

Definitely awkward, but he was nice.

After neatly folding his few clothes and arranging them in his plastic drawers, he stretched his back and glanced at the wall clock to check the time.

4:22 PM.

There's still plenty of time left before dinner, so Chizome probably wouldn't come to look for him until then, giving him enough time to go to Ryuuchi Cave and come back.

Golden eyes stared at the clock thoughtfully.

Might as well.

And, with just one thought, he disappeared from his room, leaving only silence behind him.

...

Damp rocks, cool and humid air, accompanied by the chilling sound of scales slithering in a place unseen.

Ryuuchi Cave, where the snakes reside.

In the original Ryuuchi Cave, the White Snake Sage oversaw uncountable subjects while Manda, governed over them as the one most powerful.

But, here, a mere copy of the Ryuuchi Cave, neither the White Snake Sage nor the previous subjects existed, and Manda had long since passed.

Instead, what greeted Mikumo, were clutch upon clutch of snake eggs, littering the cavern floors, and the place where he landed upon his reverse summoning, was the White Snake Sage's throne.

Here, in this copy, he was the White Snake Sage. And his subjects were just beginning to hatch.

Curiously, he laboriously carried the largest egg of them all, caressing the surprisingly hard shell with his fingers as he sat upon the too-large throne.

This must be the future leader of the snakes. The egg was twice the size of an ostrich egg. Like a dinosaur egg even.

Sandaime Manda.

For he couldn't deny the obvious connection he could feel between him and the egg.

Longing for the partner which accompanied him during his younger years, into two Shinobi wars in his past life, to accompany him again in this new world.

But, he knew that was wishful thinking.

With a deep sigh, he sat up from the throne and carried on doing what he initially came here to do; keep stock of the eggs, ensure their wellbeing, and track down how many hatched.

But, after scanning the area and estimating the overall number of eggs, he was sure-

"This is going to take a while."

Well, the sooner he begins, the sooner he can finish.

...

"Kid, what's this?" It was 5 AM, and Chizome had just gotten home from who knows where, wearing his strange outfit, and the first thing that greeted him upon coming home, was the scent of miso soup and steaming, freshly made food, waiting for him in the table, along with the clanging sounds of pots in the kitchen.

It's been roughly three days since Mikumo had officially moved in with Chizome, and, since then, they had an unspoken consensus of not asking about each other's nightly activities unless they themselves bring it up first.

But, Mikumo was smart enough to put two and two together, but he pretended not to know since blurting out his knowledge wouldn't do him any good.

"Ah, good morning, Chizome-san. But, for you, it's probably good night?" Mikumo peeked out from the kitchen, slightly scrunching his nose in distaste when he saw Chizome's state, dripping someone else's blood on the floor. He'd just cleaned that! "You must be hungry. Please, eat something first before going to sleep."

It was much too early for someone to be awake, let alone having finished cooking, and even adults find it hard to wake up at 7 AM, but, somehow, this 12 years old kid managed it.

And where did he even get the ingredients to make food? He clearly recalled having none in the kitchen.

Chizome stared in confusion from where he stood at the doorway, before decided that, nope, he was too tired for this.

The certain thing is, there was perfectly good food ready, and he was hungry.

"Right..." Chizome cleared his throat and dumped his swords on the floor, which Mikumo frowned at. Too tired to notice, Chizome went straight for the table, sat down, and took a pair of disposable wooden chopsticks. "Thanks."

Realizing that his guardian's abominable manners can't be fixed immediately, Mikumo pursed his lips and set his own food down on the table, joining him in a relatively silent meal. "Itadaikimasu."

There are many things to fix if he wants this home to work.

Maybe some idle conversation can bring them closer? Worth a try.

"I plan on going around the neighborhood today to familiarize myself with the surroundings, and perhaps, take a look at the school I will be transferring to while I'm at it." He said, taking a sip of his miso soup. Such little comforts like a hot meal before starting the day, truly are the best. "So, if you don't find when you wake up later, please do not worry."

"Got it." Chizome grunted in response, brain blank and just shoving food into his mouth on autopilot. The food was good though, atleast. He's just too tired to process anything right now.

"And, later today, around 3 in the afternoon-" Mikumo ate his food calmly. "My parents are scheduled to be cremated."

Dead parents in two lifetimes. He still has no idea what to feel about that.

"Huk-!" Chizome choked, red eyes wide as he nearly dropped his chopsticks in disbelief. Well, atleast, now, Mikumo was sure that his guardian had been listening. "That was today?!"

Why does he seem so shocked?

"Yes.?" Mikumo tilted his head in confusion. "Were you not aware?"

Chizome was quick to turn silent. He forgot.

...

Mikumo was a strange kid.

Though, for Akaguro Chizome, all kids were strange. Just that, Mikumo was his own brand of strange.

After all, the only explanation why he finds snakes everywhere in the apartment when he wakes up barely a day after he took the boy home was that, the kid was strange.

And, when confronted about why he did it, the only answer he got was-

"They wanted to help with cleaning." Mikumo said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

There were snakes under the bed, snakes in the toilet bowl, snakes wrapped around the hilt of his sword, and even Mikumo's view of relaxation was being buried under a pile of slithering snakes. He called it hissing massage.

While Chizome didn't have a phobia of snakes, the last one was a bit too much. Though, he could still accept it silently it that was all, but no.

It was progressively getting worse.

Everyday had a new addition. Like, catching the kid sitting on a giant purple egg, stating that he was trying to make it hatch, and just casually deconstructing the quirks of every hero he sees on TV in great detail like it was normal.

And right after he does those things, he goes and studies Chizome's reactions with those emotionless gold eyes, as if he were trying to gauge out if he did too much.

Was that it? Was he trying to find his bottom line?

Well, whatever it was, he hoped it would end soon. He didn't know how much longer he could take this without his sanity snapping. Though, it wasn't like he had much of that anyways.

Chizome rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to chase away the exhaustion as he followed the cause of his most recent headaches into the crematorium.

Fortunately, the trip to the crematorium itself was quite silent. Hopefully, the actual cremating process would be the same.

"Would you like me to hold that for you?" A staff member asked the boy, arms outstretched towards the heavy looking object cradled in Mikumo's arms as Chizome filled out the forms.

"No. This is my emotional support egg." Mikumo smiled politely and walked off while the staff stiffened in confusion.

That was an egg?

Chizome sighed. Whatever. Atleast, he was getting government support for this.

...

Watching the fire consume the bodies of his parents was oddly relaxing, and at the same time, anxiety-inducing.

There was a sense of loss, and peace in watching flesh and bones gradually turn into ash.

And, finally, emptiness.

Gaining parents and losing parents. He'd done it twice over now, yet it still leaves him with a hollow ache in his chest.

What is the value of life? Is there any value at all?

Nearly a century of searching for an answer, yet, until now, he still wasn't completely sure.

Perhaps, someday, he'll find an answer that satisfies him. But, for now, he shall content himself with existing.

As the fires slowly extinguished, leaving only ashes to replace his parents' bodies, Mikumo took two urns and began scooping the ashes into them silently. Not speaking a single word until he finished.

And, just after he sealed each urn tightly, the door was cautiously pushed open.

"Midoriya-kun?" A forensic doctor called to him quietly, giving Chizome a hesitant glance before turning back to the boy. "May I speak with you for a moment?"

Mikumo looked towards the doctor and the envelope clutched in his hands, and immediately knew why he was being called. "Ah, Doctor Kobayasu. Let's talk outside?"

"Of course." The doctor smiled amiably, leading the boy to the door, body angled in a way that made it obvious to Chizome that he wasn't welcomed to partake in the conversation.

Chizome narrowed his eyes and frowned suspiciously.

With the door shut behind them, Chizome was left alone in the room, silently pondering what that was about. And, it wasn't like he could just impolitely force his way into listening in since he knew the kid valued his privacy very much, and he'd barely been his guardian for three days.

Fortunately, whatever they were talking about didn't take too long as, barely five minutes later, Mikumo returned with the addition of the folder, previously carried by the doctor, now carefully tucked in his arms.

"What was that about?" Chizome knew he shouldn't pry, but that doctor was acting too suspiciously for him to not get curious.

Mikumo raised his eyebrows, but otherwise showed no negative reaction towards his inquiry. "Monetary remuneration for healthy organs, and papers noting their legal source."

It took a few moments for Chizome to comprehend what was said, but, the moment he did, his face immediately contorted in incredulity. "You sold your parents' organs?!"

"Only those that were deemed healthy enough to pass regulations and weren't damaged when their bodies were crushed." Mikumo clarified as though that made a difference.

Chizome furrowed his brows, not really understanding the way the boy thought. Who could even do that to their parents? "Why?"

Mikumo tilted his head, not really comprehending why his guardian reacted like that. "The didn't leave a will, and while I was named the sole beneficiary of their bank accounts, the money in there will not be able to support me for long."

He can't just rely on Chizome to cover his every financial need just because he took him in. He's just making use of what was available to earn money. There's nothing wrong with that.

Chizome frowned but didn't comment otherwise. Instead, he just looked at Mikumo strangely, then quickly turned away, marching out of the crematorium without a word, his long black hair whipping like a flag behind him. Mikumo silently followed.

Looking at Chizome's long hair was making Mikumo miss his own long hair, but with his hair as curly as it is now, it might be more trouble than it's worth to let it grow long.

But, long hair really is more visually pleasing in battle.

"..."

Well, it's not like the world is going to run out of conditioners any time soon.