Under the pale glow of the moon, a pair of eerie, serpent-like eyes emerged from the darkness. Orochimaru stepped forward, his face unreadable, his emotions buried beneath a cold, calculated exterior.
Setsu was surrounded by several Sound Village shinobi, her breathing ragged as she realized there was nowhere left to run.
Orochimaru's voice slithered through the air like a whispering blade.
"Setsu Uzumaki, I saved you. And yet, you betray me. Why?"
Without hesitation, Setsu straightened her back and responded, her voice unwavering.
"Because you were going to kill me. It's as simple as that."
If she was going to die anyway, she saw no point in sugarcoating her words. There was no need to beg for mercy. If this was the end, she would face it with defiance.
Orochimaru let out a low chuckle.
"It was merely an experiment," he said, amusement dancing in his tone.
"But I have seen what happens to your so-called experiments!" Setsu shot back, her voice rising with anger. "They're not even human anymore!"
She had witnessed what became of those subjected to Orochimaru's cruel tests—disfigured creatures, stripped of their humanity.
Orochimaru tilted his head slightly, almost as if he pitied her for being so naïve.
"You place too much value on appearance," he mused, shaking his head.
But Setsu didn't care for his philosophical musings. She knew the truth—she would rather die than become one of his twisted creations.
Orochimaru let out a sigh and turned to his subordinates.
"Take her back to the lab."
At his command, the Sound ninjas stepped forward.
However, before they could move, a calm voice echoed from above.
"Hey!"
The voice was lighthearted, almost casual, but it brought everything to a halt.
"Orochimaru, could you do me a favor and not harm her?"
"She's my friend."
The moment the words were spoken, the Sound ninjas froze. Their heads snapped upward, searching for the source.
A figure stood in the air, bathed in moonlight.
Naruto.
Dressed in his pajamas, his hands tucked in his pockets, he looked down at Orochimaru with unreadable eyes. He wasn't radiating bloodlust, but his very presence made the air thick with pressure.
The Sound ninjas, unaware of who they were dealing with, scoffed.
"Who the hell do you think you are, talking to Lord Orochimaru like that?!"
"Yeah, come down here so I can bash your skull in, brat!"
They sneered, confident that Orochimaru could deal with any pest that dared interfere.
But Orochimaru himself remained silent, his face twitching slightly as he suppressed his unease.
Then, in a hushed voice, he uttered a name.
"Uzumaki… Naruto."
A name that had shaken the Akatsuki.
A name that had left a trail of defeated enemies, including Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki.
A name that made even Orochimaru hesitate.
The tension in the air thickened.
The Sound ninjas were still grinning—unaware of the monster standing before them. But Orochimaru, with all his knowledge, knew better.
He had seen the reports.
Naruto had fought and won against four members of the Akatsuki—an organization even Orochimaru had once feared.
Among those defeated was Uchiha Itachi, a shinobi Orochimaru himself had failed to defeat in the past.
And Itachi wasn't even the strongest Naruto had faced.
In truth, Orochimaru should have expected this. After all, he was the one who had enhanced Itachi's body, making him even more formidable. If Naruto had still bested him, then…
Orochimaru closed his eyes briefly. There was no point in fighting now.
With a forced chuckle, he turned to his men.
"Stand down," he ordered.
"But, Lord Orochimaru—!" one of the shinobi protested.
"We can't afford to provoke him. Not yet."
His voice was smooth but firm.
Without another word, Orochimaru turned and disappeared into the night, his subordinates following suit.
And just like that, the battlefield fell silent.
Setsu collapsed to the ground, her limbs trembling from exhaustion.
She had pushed herself too far, running for miles, desperately clinging to the hope of escape.
And now, for the first time in years…
She was safe.
Before she could fall unconscious, a pair of strong arms caught her.
Naruto.
She blinked up at him as he lifted her effortlessly, carrying her back toward the hotel.
The last thing she saw before drifting into sleep was his calm, unwavering face.
The Next Morning
The soft chirping of birds filtered through the open window.
Sunlight streamed into the room, warming Setsu's skin.
Slowly, her eyes fluttered open.
The ceiling above her was unfamiliar.
For a moment, panic shot through her chest.
But then she heard it.
The muffled sounds of a bustling street. The voices of merchants calling out their wares.
Peace.
She was free.
Sitting up, she touched her forehead, letting the reality of her situation sink in.
"I made it..."
But before she could relish the feeling, her nerves spiked again.
Where was Naruto?
Using the special sensory abilities of the Uzumaki clan, she expanded her chakra perception.
He was close. Just in the next room.
Relief washed over her.
Without wasting another second, she washed up and headed straight to him.
Naruto's Room
The moment she pushed open the door, she saw him.
Naruto was sitting cross-legged at a low table, one hand holding a pink-wrapped book, the other idly picking at his breakfast.
He looked up at her, raising an eyebrow.
"You're awake," he said casually. "I got you some breakfast. Eat up."
Setsu hesitated.
She wasn't used to this.
To kindness.
To feeling safe.
Something inside her chest tightened, and before she knew it, she was moving forward, sitting across from him.
Naruto, on the other hand, smoothly closed the book and tucked it away.
It was one of Jiraiya's works—not the kind of book he wanted to be caught reading in front of a girl.
They ate in silence.
For the first time in years, Setsu felt... calm.
Safe.
After finishing their meal, Naruto finally spoke.
"Setsu, have you awakened any of the Uzumaki clan's secret techniques?"
She blinked at him, caught off guard by the sudden question.
She hadn't expected him to ask about that.
Still, she answered truthfully.
"Yeah… I can sense chakra over long distances. It's called Kagura's Mind Eye."
Naruto nodded thoughtfully.
Setsu took a deep breath and met his gaze.
"Naruto, let me stay with you," she said earnestly. "I can help. I can replenish your chakra, be your scout, and—"
She hesitated, then blushed.
"I-I can cook, do laundry… and if you don't mind, I can also… w-warm…"
Her voice trailed off, face turning red.
She wanted to prove her worth to him. To have a reason to stay.
But Naruto's next words sent a jolt through her.
"I want to learn that technique," he said simply.
Setsu's heart sank.
So that was it.
Naruto had saved her… because he wanted to learn her clan's secret techniques.
Her fingers curled into fists beneath the table.
Of course.
But even so, even though it hurt…
She would still do as he asked.
"...Alright," she whispered. "But if you haven't awakened it naturally, it'll be difficult to learn."
She forced a smile, hiding the sting of disappointment in her heart.
Because no matter what—
As long as she could stay by his side…
That was enough.
To Be Continued…
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