Naruto :: Humility Training :: G :: no pairings
Title: Humility Training
Fandom: Naruto
Pairings: None
Rating: G
Genre: General
Word count: 573
Spoilers: For the end of the time skip.
Summary: Sasuke is a rare breed, but nothing Orochimaru can't attempt to tame.
"What am I after?"
Orochimaru didn't respond immediately, but instead let Sasuke's stiff question hang in the humid night air for several moments. He was getting better at speaking when he ought, but the impatience in his voice could stand to be addressed. Once sure that Sasuke was good and agitated, Orochimaru answered, "There's a particular scroll I'm interested in. It contains details on the head family's ninjutsu, so it will naturally be the most guarded item in the daimyo's manor." His narrow eyes left the dark village below them and settled on Sasuke's profile. "Find it." When Sasuke began to move without waiting for dismissal, Orochimaru added in the lightest of hisses, "Whatever the circumstances, I expect to have that scroll in my hand when you come back. Don't disappoint me, Sasuke-kun." He had no doubt that Sasuke would succeed, of course, but that annoyed shift in the boy's posture was worth throwing out groundless skepticism.
In seconds, Sasuke made his way down the steep cliff face on which they stood, his swift silhouette soon lost in the shadows of trees before the village gate. Arms crossed, Orochimaru slid back beneath the forest's cover as he watched and waited, a smirk playing along the line of his mouth.
Minutes passed, nearly eight, before he spotted Sasuke returning. Habitually, Orochimaru scanned him as soon as he arrived - there wasn't the slightest sign of wear or fatigue to be seen, even after scaling the cliff twice as he had and the battle that Orochimaru had chaperoned barely half an hour before. Truly admirable, that body of his.
Without a word Sasuke withdrew a scroll from his pocket and tossed it at Orochimaru, who caught and examined it briefly. "Excellent." His smirk growing, he tossed it back. "Carry it." Sasuke paused as a hint of irritation darkened his expression, but then it was gone and he grudgingly obeyed, and then moved to head back the way they'd come through the forest.
Orochimaru was behind him in an instant, catching Sasuke's left shoulder in a solid grip that immediately brought him to a stop. Beneath his fingers, tension shot through Sasuke's body like lightning in either offense at the contact or surprise at the discomfort that hit him when that touch came a little too close to his cursed seal. Taking a step back that granted him his bearings, he shot a dangerous look upward with eyes that flared a vigorous red, but Orochimaru ignored him and only wrested the scroll from his hand, glanced at it again, and tossed it in front of them. Several yards away, the cylinder suddenly exploded in the air, blasting the trunk of the nearest tree in half and toppling it with a crash.
"That could have been nasty, ne?" Orochimaru mused. "They must have planted a decoy..." His voice sounded only vaguely thoughtful; he didn't try to hide his foresight. "Although-" Here he smiled wryly down at Sasuke. "I'm disappointed. I was certain you'd sniff out such a trap." Silent, Sasuke shrugged him off roughly and put some distance between them. "Still, you can make amends." Orochimaru looked back down towards the town, now dotted with lights. "Take care of whoever comes after you," he ordered lightly, moving past and disregarding the glare he received in response. "I still expect to have that scroll when you return."
He met Sasuke's eyes briefly in a glance. "I'll be waiting."
Fandom: Naruto
Pairings: None
Rating: G
Genre: General
Word count: 573
Spoilers: For the end of the time skip.
Summary: Sasuke is a rare breed, but nothing Orochimaru can't attempt to tame.
"What am I after?"
Orochimaru didn't respond immediately, but instead let Sasuke's stiff question hang in the humid night air for several moments. He was getting better at speaking when he ought, but the impatience in his voice could stand to be addressed. Once sure that Sasuke was good and agitated, Orochimaru answered, "There's a particular scroll I'm interested in. It contains details on the head family's ninjutsu, so it will naturally be the most guarded item in the daimyo's manor." His narrow eyes left the dark village below them and settled on Sasuke's profile. "Find it." When Sasuke began to move without waiting for dismissal, Orochimaru added in the lightest of hisses, "Whatever the circumstances, I expect to have that scroll in my hand when you come back. Don't disappoint me, Sasuke-kun." He had no doubt that Sasuke would succeed, of course, but that annoyed shift in the boy's posture was worth throwing out groundless skepticism.
In seconds, Sasuke made his way down the steep cliff face on which they stood, his swift silhouette soon lost in the shadows of trees before the village gate. Arms crossed, Orochimaru slid back beneath the forest's cover as he watched and waited, a smirk playing along the line of his mouth.
Minutes passed, nearly eight, before he spotted Sasuke returning. Habitually, Orochimaru scanned him as soon as he arrived - there wasn't the slightest sign of wear or fatigue to be seen, even after scaling the cliff twice as he had and the battle that Orochimaru had chaperoned barely half an hour before. Truly admirable, that body of his.
Without a word Sasuke withdrew a scroll from his pocket and tossed it at Orochimaru, who caught and examined it briefly. "Excellent." His smirk growing, he tossed it back. "Carry it." Sasuke paused as a hint of irritation darkened his expression, but then it was gone and he grudgingly obeyed, and then moved to head back the way they'd come through the forest.
Orochimaru was behind him in an instant, catching Sasuke's left shoulder in a solid grip that immediately brought him to a stop. Beneath his fingers, tension shot through Sasuke's body like lightning in either offense at the contact or surprise at the discomfort that hit him when that touch came a little too close to his cursed seal. Taking a step back that granted him his bearings, he shot a dangerous look upward with eyes that flared a vigorous red, but Orochimaru ignored him and only wrested the scroll from his hand, glanced at it again, and tossed it in front of them. Several yards away, the cylinder suddenly exploded in the air, blasting the trunk of the nearest tree in half and toppling it with a crash.
"That could have been nasty, ne?" Orochimaru mused. "They must have planted a decoy..." His voice sounded only vaguely thoughtful; he didn't try to hide his foresight. "Although-" Here he smiled wryly down at Sasuke. "I'm disappointed. I was certain you'd sniff out such a trap." Silent, Sasuke shrugged him off roughly and put some distance between them. "Still, you can make amends." Orochimaru looked back down towards the town, now dotted with lights. "Take care of whoever comes after you," he ordered lightly, moving past and disregarding the glare he received in response. "I still expect to have that scroll when you return."
He met Sasuke's eyes briefly in a glance. "I'll be waiting."