A little idea that ran through my mind for most of today. I'm probably not going to pursue this one myself simply because I want to actually finish something I started for once. However, it's free to a good owner. It's another Orochimaru idea, though slightly different from Practical Ninja (and what it would've been had I had the ability to continue it.)
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Orochimaru stood quietly across from Shizune and Tsunade, with Kabuto at his side. The dark-haired man's golden eyes swept over his old team-mate, musing to himself how years could go by and things could hardly change.
"What do you want?" Tsunade was as blunt as ever, returning his gaze while the Sage of Snakes hummed in response.
"The same thing as always, dear Tsunade," He paused, tilting his head even though the layer of sweat upon his forehead made the soft wind into a bone-chilling storm, "For things to change." Out of habit, he tried to raise his arms only to wince at the agony thundering through them.
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Many years ago, there was a boy named Orochimaru. Having suffered the loss of his parents, he found a mentor figure in the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, he dedicated his life to the study of All Things.
As life went on for this young man, he learned that the world was a cruel place. Man's life was short and easily snuffed like a candle in a wind storm; and so he dedicated his curious nature towards the goal of Immortality. It was a lofty goal, spoken ill of by people who thought themselves his betters despite the world being based around the trade of death and deceit.
So Orochimaru tempered his resolve with an appeal to the man who had become closest to a father, and was denied. Denied a more acceptable form of his desires, forced to hide away in secret despite the warnings of his friends.
Orochimaru felt betrayed. The goals he'd set out for so ambitiously were once taken to out of a simple desire to change the world, and make it a better place. Slowly, he became bitter.
No matter how he tried, how much he worked towards Good, others would taint what he had worked so hard for altruism with the ideals of greed.
So he became a monster, twisted by desire and morality itself. What he'd once done in hopes of one day saving the man he loved, he traded for killing that connection (and the man) he'd once fought so hard for.
When he'd reached out shyly to a friend, he'd traded for walking away from pleas to change his mind.
And now, where he'd once searched for a means to bring her loved ones back to her, he was going to manipulate a woman who'd once thought she loved him.
Because he, naively, still wanted the world to change. Still wanted to make a world where war and death weren't the norm. Where young children wouldn't lose their parents, wouldn't be denied what they desired because of the call for young willing killers.
Where monsters like he had grown to become didn't exist.
____________________________________________________________
Orochimaru stood quietly across from Shizune and Tsunade, with Kabuto at his side. The dark-haired man's golden eyes swept over his old team-mate, musing to himself how years could go by and things could hardly change.
"What do you want?" Tsunade was as blunt as ever, returning his gaze while the Sage of Snakes hummed in response.
"The same thing as always, dear Tsunade," He paused, tilting his head even though the layer of sweat upon his forehead made the soft wind into a bone-chilling storm, "For things to change." Out of habit, he tried to raise his arms only to wince at the agony thundering through them.
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Many years ago, there was a boy named Orochimaru. Having suffered the loss of his parents, he found a mentor figure in the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, he dedicated his life to the study of All Things.
As life went on for this young man, he learned that the world was a cruel place. Man's life was short and easily snuffed like a candle in a wind storm; and so he dedicated his curious nature towards the goal of Immortality. It was a lofty goal, spoken ill of by people who thought themselves his betters despite the world being based around the trade of death and deceit.
So Orochimaru tempered his resolve with an appeal to the man who had become closest to a father, and was denied. Denied a more acceptable form of his desires, forced to hide away in secret despite the warnings of his friends.
Orochimaru felt betrayed. The goals he'd set out for so ambitiously were once taken to out of a simple desire to change the world, and make it a better place. Slowly, he became bitter.
No matter how he tried, how much he worked towards Good, others would taint what he had worked so hard for altruism with the ideals of greed.
So he became a monster, twisted by desire and morality itself. What he'd once done in hopes of one day saving the man he loved, he traded for killing that connection (and the man) he'd once fought so hard for.
When he'd reached out shyly to a friend, he'd traded for walking away from pleas to change his mind.
And now, where he'd once searched for a means to bring her loved ones back to her, he was going to manipulate a woman who'd once thought she loved him.
Because he, naively, still wanted the world to change. Still wanted to make a world where war and death weren't the norm. Where young children wouldn't lose their parents, wouldn't be denied what they desired because of the call for young willing killers.
Where monsters like he had grown to become didn't exist.