Akatsuki
No matter how many times it happens, Orochimaru is always excited whenever life finds new ways to surprise him.
He looks into the endless pools of the Rinnegan, and smiles placidly at this young man who calls himself Pain. This hopeless fool claiming to be a god, but who is still practically a child.
This boy who Orochimaru recognizes as one of Jiraiya’s adopted brats.
(How interesting things have gotten all of a sudden.)
“So, should I assume Hanzo met his untimely end by your hand?”
(He asks, even though he already knows the answer.)
Those strange eyes narrow.
“That’s right.”
(He answers, although he knows Orochimaru already knows.)
Orochimaru claps his hands together.
“Congratulations on accomplishing what I and my old friends couldn’t. That’s quite the feat- I'm sure Jiraiya would be proud.”
The man who isn’t really a man yet frowns.
“I suppose I should say the same for you sneaking into my village unnoticed.”
(He sounds so annoyed it’s almost comical.)
“So it’s yours now?”
(Again, he asks though he already knows.)
“That’s right.”
(-And again, he answers though he doesn't have to.)
For a few moments, the endless downpour of rain is the only thing that breaks the silence.
“...Well,” the one calling himself Pain finally says, “Why are you here?”
“I was chasing rumors,” Orochimaru answers. “And it seems like I’ve got my answer; if you’d like, I can be on my merry way, and you’ll never see me again. I can assure you I’ll never tell a soul what I’ve seen here.”
He turns like he’s going to leave, but a pretty young woman suddenly materializes from a million sheets of paper, wearing an uncannily blank expression.
“What makes you think I’d just let you walk away?” Pain asks, his voice dark. “You’re a friend of Konoha. Of Jiraiya. What does your word mean to me?”
A thrill runs through Orochimaru’s blood. The young woman looks toward her companion. It’s a nervous glance- though what she’s afraid of is anyone’s guess.
“Ah, so you think me untrustworthy? I wouldn’t worry your pretty heads about it- I don’t belong to Konoha anymore. And dear Jiraiya and I aren’t exactly on speaking terms anymore.”
He can practically feel the young man’s glare burning the back of his head.
“You’re the one who wanted to kill us, back then. Why shouldn’t I kill you here and return that favor?”
Orochimaru has to laugh.
“Oh dear. I’d forgotten about that.”
(He hadn’t- not really. Who could really have forgotten the sad, emaciated little children who they had bumped into so long ago? Those hopeless, haunted eyes had floated through his dreams for months afterward.)
The girl is still deathly silent, and still as a statue. He hears the boy take a step toward him.
“Answer me.”
His voice is so cold it sends a shiver up Orochimaru’s spine. It’s a demand so insistent he feels compelled to answer.
“I suppose there isn’t a good reason,” he replies, still calm on the surface (though his heart is racing). “Although, I think I could be more useful to you alive.”
The girl’s orange eyes widen the smallest fraction; Orochimaru turns around to find a similar look of surprise on Pain’s.
“I’d also heard rumors that you’re looking to add people to your organization. I have no village or alliances of my own. I’ve got piles of secrets I’d be more than happy to lend to your little group- what do you think?”
Pain scowls, obviously distrusting. He glances at his companion, and have some sort of wordless conversation with their eyes.
(They must be lovers, Orochimaru muses to himself. The way they can communicate without speaking is one of those things that only lovers truly share.)
“...Fine, then,” Pain answers, after some time has passed. “From today on, you’ll be one of the Akatsuki. But-”
Again, his voice turns to ice.
“-Try anything, and I will end you.”
It’s not a threat. It’s a promise- Orochimaru decides it best to test that promise.
“Fair enough,” he chuckles.
A look that’s probably annoyance crosses the young man’s face. He jerks his head in a gesture for Orochimaru to follow, which he obeys, the young woman with sky-colored hair following close behind.
When he looks up at the endless rain, it almost seems like the sky itself is crying.
“Sasori, he’ll be your partner from now on.”
From the hunched-up form of a rather ugly puppet, a young man looking no older than fifteen emerges. Strange eyes somewhere between brown and gray look Orochimaru up and down, pretty face perfectly blank.
“Fine,” he says, after a moment, and Pain takes that as his cue to leave; now, Orochimaru and Sasori are alone in the huge dim, dreary expanse of Akatsuki’s headquarters.
Sasori starts walking around him in slow, deliberate circles, cocking his head from one side to another like a little bird. Absentmindedly, he starts to fiddle with a lock of messy auburn hair.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, too.” Orochimaru’s voice drips sarcasm; Sasori doesn't acknowledge that he’s spoken.
He finally raises those oddly colored eyes to meet Orochimaru’s gold.
“I suppose you’d be more useful as a partner than a puppet,” he muses, pulling a frown and scratching his chin. “But if you can’t keep up with me, I won’t hesitate to gut you.”
“Thanks for the warning,” Orochimaru replies, unafraid of this strange boy with the strange eyes.
His lack of fear doesn't sit well with Sasori- the boy scowls at him, resting his hands on his hips and narrowing his eyes.
“I should warn you that I’m not a very patient person, so I’d be careful if I were in your position. It's not a good idea to try me.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Orochimaru thinks, rather amusedly, how funny it is that he should have his life threatened twice in less than an hour. Usually he gets at least a day between death threats.
(He supposes it can’t really be helped.)
Sasori’s gaze is still fixated on him, examining him like he were some museum artifact. He reaches to touch his hair, seemingly drawn to it like a magpie drawn to something shiny. Orochimaru reflexively swats his hand away like he were a child reaching for the stove.
“You’re about a hundred years too young to be touching me so casually,” he warns.
Sasori makes an annoyed sound, looking miffed.
He mumbles something that sounds like “frigid” and stalks off; perhaps Orochimaru has wounded his pride. When the boy vanishes into the maze of corridors, Orochimaru takes in his bleak surroundings.
It’s funny, he thinks. Here he is, allying himself with Jiraiya’s pet orphans for- what reason, exactly?
A whim, probably. Or maybe it’s just spite.
Still, he can’t help but be curious as to where this quaint little organization is going to go. And what better way to study it than from inside it? And to be so close to someone with Rinnegan- he’d be a fool to pass that up.
So, he belongs to an organization once again. He can’t wait to see where it’ll go from here.
“Your clothes are different.”
Itachi’s little brow furrows while he takes in the heavy red and black cloak draped over Orochimaru’s shoulders.
“Well, I’ve made some new friends, Itachi-kun. I’ll be staying with them for awhile.”
“Oh!” Itachi grins at him. “I’m glad!”
He leans forward a bit, and a hint of excitement lights up his eyes.
“Orochimaru-sama, I’ve been meaning to tell you-”
Orochimaru tilts his head, an amused smile gracing his lips.
“-I’m gonna be graduating really soon!”
That smile turns into a look of surprise.
“Oh? After only a year?”
“Yeah! Mom and Dad signed the paperwork today- as long as I don’t get sick before then, I’m gonna graduate with the older kids at the end of the month!”
Orochimaru knows he should be happy, and that the boy is hoping for his praise. But it’s hard to swallow up the distaste welling up inside him, and the venomous words which dance on his tongue.
He can understand the boy’s parents giving their approval, wanting desperately for their sickly child to not appear weak in the eyes of the village. But the others-
-For one to graduate so young, they need approval of not only their parents and teachers, but from the Hokage as well. Hiruzen looked at this frail, soft-hearted little boy and said he was okay to be a Shinobi. That he’s okay to go out and fight and kill and maybe die for him.
(Orochimaru feels like breaking something.)
“Orochimaru-sama?”
Itachi’s smile has faded; he peers into the serpent’s eyes, at Orochimaru. Those worried dark eyes ask did I do something wrong?”
The man shakes his head.
“I’m very proud of you, Itachi-kun.”
The boy lights back up at his praise.
“-Just wait and watch me, Orochimaru-sama! I’m gonna be the best shinobi the clan’s ever seen! A-and I’ll-”
He turns pink in the cheeks, and hesitates out of embarrassment.
“...I-I’m gonna be Hokage!” he blurts out. “I’m gonna be the best Hokage the village has ever had!”
Orochimaru snorts in surprise, not expecting so bold a statement from one so small. It warms the heart he thought had gone forever cold, gives him a hope he thought he couldn’t have again.
“I’m sure you’ll be a great Hokage, Itachi-kun.”
“And when I’m Hokage, you can come back too, right?”
“Hm?”
“When things here are better, you can come back home, right? Maybe you can even bring your new friends, too!”
Itachi is so bright, so excited, that Orochimaru couldn’t bear to burst his bubble.
“I’ll look forward to it, Itachi-kun.”
“-Niisan!”
Itachi jumps about a foot in the air.
“Niisan! Niisan where go?”
There’s the tapping of a small hand on Itachi’s bedroom door.
“Niisan play!”
“It seems like your little brother is looking for you,” Orochimaru chortles.
Sasuke’s tone becomes ever more childish and petulant, his hand beating on the door more insistently.
“-Want Niisan! Want Niisan!”
Itachi sighs.
“I should probably pay him some attention,” he says, with a small smile. “See you soon?”
“Of course.”
Itachi sends the snake away with a quick hand sign, and at last opens his bedroom door.
“Niisan!” Sasuke squeals, clapping chubby hands and beaming his adorable gap-toothed smile. He reaches for his older brother, tugging impatiently on the leg of his pajama pants.
(He’d felt far too lazy to put on proper clothing just yet.)
“Niisan, want up!”
Itachi gives in to Sasuke’s demand; Sasuke giggles, patting his big brother’s cheeks with his tiny hands.
“Wanna play!”
“Alright, alright, Sasuke. What do you wanna do?”
“Wanna hide!”
Sasuke ducks behind his arms, then pops back out again, throwing his arms outward.
“Hide and seek! Wanna hide ‘n seek with Niisan!”
Itachi sets Sasuke down.
“Alright- who should hide first?”
“Sasuke hide! Niisan find!”
“Okay, then.”
Itachi covers his eyes and starts to count; he can hear Sasuke scampering off to find a hiding place.
“Ten! Alright, ready or not, here I come!”
Although Sasuke’s muffled giggling gives him away, Itachi pretends he can’t hear it. He deliberately wanders past Sasuke’s hiding spot under the kotatsu.
“Where could he have gone?” he muses aloud. “Oh dear, I don’t think I can find him.”
Sasuke’s giggling grows louder still.
“Oh no, he must be lost! What will I tell Mom and Dad?”
“Sasuke here!”
Sasuke leaps from his hiding place, beaming from ear to ear. He toddles over to Itachi on his chubby little legs.
“Oh there you are!” Itachi cries in mock relief. “I was worried for a minute!”
“Sasuke hide! Sasuke ninja! Like Niisan!” he declares.
“Yeah, just like Niisan.”
Itachi pats his little brother on the head.
“Alright, now it’s my turn to hide. Got it?”
“Yeah!”
Itachi heads off to find a place while Sasuke struggles to count.
He ducks behind the living room curtains and waits.
After a minute or two, Sasuke moves the curtain, and cries out in triumph.
“Found Niisan!”
“That’s right,” Itachi laughs. “You found me.”