Orochimaru's POV
I trained alone after the argument, trying to get rid of my anger. I doubted that anyone would be able to find me. I didn't really want to blow someone's head off. Well, Matsuko might be able to find me but, for some reason, I didn't mind the thought of her finding me. She was the only one that had defended me during the argument and I wasn't sure how to take that. It wasn't that I wasn't grateful to the girl. I just didn't know if I deserved to be protected.
I sat down and took a deep breath, finally allowing myself to sort out my thoughts. I hadn't realized just how important being in Konoha had become to me until people started to throw around the threat of banishment. I wanted to stay and have a place to call home. I wanted to prove to everyone that I was someone who could be trusted. I wanted to prove that I wanted to make up for what I have done in the past. I might not be able to but I was going to try.
That brought me to my next thoughts. I felt a tremendous guilt for what I had done in the past. I had taken such pleasure in those terrible experiments and now I knew they were very, very wrong. I had tried to shove those memories away so hard that I had managed many of them, though I was unable to get rid of the knowledge. I felt much younger than I was for that and for the guilt that I hadn't felt since I was a child. Sometimes, though, memories would come back to haunt me in my dreams and I would wake up sweating and heaving, emptying my stomach many times over.
I covered my face with one arm. What was worse was I didn't want to get close to anyone. I was afraid they would hate me, mock me, abandon me, or try to kill me. I pushed people for more than that reason, though. I was afraid on rubbing off on innocents like Matsuko. I didn't want her to see what I had done. I didn't want to see hate or hurt in those dark green eyes.
And yet, I couldn't help but try to get close to her, to draw her in because she drew me. Her smile, her laugh, that cheerful laughter, the way she talked about her sister, the fact that her favorite color was purple, all of it drew me in and I didn't want to resist. I wanted someone who would know about me and love me all the same. Someone who wasn't from a different world or Itachi. Someone I could be with.
Kuro suddenly strode into view and I could hear someone coming behind him. They were light on their feet and seemed to know their way. Matsuko stepped out from behind a tree with a shy smile.
"Hi, Oro," she said to me and I truly wished my name really was Oro. I loved how she said the name. "I....Ummm Kuro and I decided to come looking for you. I wanted to make sure you were okay after what happened earlier."
I smiled at her, trying to show her that she was very welcome. "Please, sit down. I'm really.....glad that you came to find me."
Matsuko nodded and sat down. I licked suddenly dry lips. I wondered if I should tell this girl my secrets now. I knew it would be better if she heard it from me. I decided against it, though. I wanted her to see me as I have changed to be and know me for that rather than the stories of Orochimaru.
"You know," Matsuko said quietly, "I did some research on Orochimaru. I'm glad you managed to get out of there in time. Not many survive."
I winced and she fell silent.
"I've always wanted to come to Konoha," Matsuko said suddenly and I looked at her, glad she wasn't pursuing the Orochimaru comment. "The last time I was here was when I was about four years old."
"How come?" I asked, confused. The Uchiha murders hadn't been that far back and her clan left because of them.
"My clan had some enemies. Powerful ones," Matsuko sighed. "We had too much power. Our....ability made us dangerous."
I could tell Matsuko was considering telling me something but decided against it. I wasn't mad about it, though. I had just the same a few moments ago.
"We were forced to leave. They kicked out the strongest family first. My mom is one of the ost powerful females in the clan so we were practically kicked out first. I basically grew up on that mountain. It wasn't terrible but I always wondered what it would be like to go to school with people I wasn't related to. Plus, it's pretty awkward dating a cousin, no matter how distantly related you are. That's actually the reason my family was so excited to get back to the village. We need the next generation of Miyukis to get started and--"
Almost as if Matsuko just realized what she had just said, she stopped speaking, a deep blush coloring her face.
I was almost dismayed to feel my own cheeks heating up. I was just glad Matsuko wasn't looking at me. That would just make it worse.
"Anyway, the Uchiha incident was the time that the last of the clan was shoved out of the village," Matsuko said.
I looked at Kuro as I said, "I bet that was hard. Especially deciding to come back to the village."
Matsuko nodded. I glanced at the girl. She was nice with a quiet inner self. She was also beautiful. My heart thumped painfully. I had never felt these things before. What was it supposed to mean?
"I'm going back to the clearing. We have to keep training," Matsuko declared, standing up.
"I'll come with you!" I was surprised to hear myself say that.
Matsuko smiled and I followed the girl through the woods. We reached the village so we could travel through to the clearing and I could see the village through her eyes. It was a marvel at every turn with people she didn't know and things she didn't understand. Sometimes, it felt like she was only barely containing herself.
I smiled. This girl was so kind and helped me see the good in others. Maybe, she could see the good in me and help me see it too.
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When we reached the clearing, we found Itachi and Araya there. Things were very awkward to say the least.none of us wanted to talk to the others and we weren't sure if we could apologize for the things that had been said.
"I was thinking," Itachi said, sounding very unsure of himself. "We could work by ourselves so we can see how we can all fit together." He was hunched a little as if he thought he shouldn't be talking.
I relaxed. We all did. It was a good idea to not have to work together yet. We began to fight and show off. As I watched, I realized every single one of us were hiding some powers to protect our secrets. Even the girls were hiding things.
Beside that, though, I was impressed with the girls. They worked together for a moment and it was quite impressive what they could do. Matsuko would call out in strange ways and Araya seemed to be able to tell where the next attack was coming from with those noises. I could tell from her hesitation that she wasn't entirely trusting her sister after that fight.
Itachi was still impressive even without his sharingan. I felt small and weak compared to the others, especially without those powers I had gathered through dark means. They had been stripped from me when I was brought back to life.
I was thinking about how worthless I was to the group as we seperated. Kuro looked up at me and gave me a look that said I was important.
"As if," I scoffed. "No one would even notice if I left."
They would. Kuro flicked his tail. Don't think that you are not important. You just need to find more of your power inside of you rather than looking for other sources as you did in the past.
I thought about this but was distracted when I heard Matsuko. "Oro! Wait up!"
I turned to see the woman and gave her a smile. She made me feel wanted when I needed it.
"Hi, Matsuko," I said as the woman stopped in front of me, blue hair fluttering a little. "What's up?"
"I just wanted to walk with you," Matsuko replied with a shrug and faint smile.
I offered my arm with a comic manner.
"Let's walk, then," I said, smiling at the girl, who giggled.
We walked together into the village, seeing the people and laughing at the antics of a passing Naruto.
"So," Matsuko said, curiosity shining in those deep green eyes. "I've noticed that Itachi always seems so sore. Why is that? You're not beating him up every night, are you?"
I smiled at the teasing and said, "Well, we were rescued by the adventurers actually." That made Matsuko gasp as I continued, saying, "Team Desu, that's what they call themselves, found Itachi half dead and they managed to bring him back. They said it wasn't his time yet. The process of bringing a dead person back is apparently hard on the body and he's constantly sore."
"Does that mean you were dead once, as well?" Matsuko asked, fascinated.
I nodded. I was surprised at how observant this girl. I shouldn't have, though, she being a sensory nin and everything. I guess I wasn't yet used to the thought someone other than Team Desu or Itachi would care enough to notice.
"Woah," she said. She seemed to be taken completely by what she had just learned. I took that chance to study her face and the curves of her eyes and nose and....her mouth.
We walked into the village and I glimpsed Araya looking over some swords. She seemed like she was in heaven.
Kuro leapt from the ground and landed on my shoulder in an insane jump. For some reason, none of the strange things this cat did could surprise me.
"Kuro," Matsuko said looking at the cat. "What are we doing wrong? With the team, I mean."
Kuro's eyes twinkled as if he were smiling. There are too many secrets. Once revealed, they will no longer hold you back.
Matsuko nodded as if she had already suspected that. Did she suspect my secret? She was a sensory nin so I wouldn't put it past her.
"We have to reveal soon," Matsuko said with a firm nod. She seemed to be mostly talking to herself. "As soon as possible, before someone gets hurt."
I closed my eyes. She was right. I glanced over at her. I had to tell soon before she began to put things together. She was too smart to hide this from her for long. Plus, the sooner I told her the easier it will be to convince her I was Oro and not Orochimaru.
"Tomorrow," I said, making Matsuko look up in surprise. "We should do it tomorrow."
Matsuko smiled at me. "I can't wait," she said. She wanted to know about me as badly as I wanted to get to know her.
"You'd better hold me accountable, though," I admitted as we stopped at Ichiraku's for some ramen. "This snake might try to slide right out of this promise."
"I'll hold you to it, then," Matsuko said solemnly. "Because I'm going to tell my secret tomorrow as well."
Thoughts from Kuro: I'm glad Snake and Blue-girl have come around. Maybe they will be able to survive after all.
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Bakka Werewolf: Don't steal my back pack! Who do you think you are?
Demon-Child: America
Flight: Frantically laughing her head off.
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~Hey! Wow! Matsuko and Oro seem to be getting along! That argument was fierce but maybe they can get past that. Plus, secret revealing coming soon! What might we learn from these children? How are they going to react. Man, I hate cliffhangers.
Comment lots!
~Flight