A worrying stillness hung over the training grounds as Arashi entered. The familiar pulse of chakra within him felt muted, a distant echo of its former power. He inhaled deeply, trying to dispel the growing unease in his chest.
'I'm here to train with Naruto and Sasuke. I'll beat them, no matter what,' he told himself, clenching his fists.
"Hey, Arashi!" Naruto's voice echoed across the field, a wave of exuberant energy following in its wake. "Ready to get your butt kicked?"
Arashi mustered a weak smile. "We'll see about that," he replied, hoping his voice didn't betray the trepidation gnawing at him.
'I'm not the only one who's been training. Naruto and Sasuke have been pushing themselves even harder than me, without any limitations. Since our last spar, they've grown so much stronger... Why am I not happy about that?' He couldn't shake the feeling of unease. 'Shouldn't I be excited?'
'Either way, I'll have to give this my all if I stand a chance.'
The trio took their positions, the air crackling with anticipation. Arashi's heart hammered in his chest.
Naruto was a blur, his movements lightning-fast as he darted in and out of range, testing Arashi's defenses with a flurry of punches and kicks. Sasuke, on the other hand, remained poised, a predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
"Ha!" Naruto's fist smashed through Arashi's block, narrowly missing a direct hit. Arashi stumbled backward, countering with a desperate kick.
His hands felt like they were on fire. He abandoned his defensive stance, attempting to counterattack, but his movements were sluggish, his reactions delayed. He knew he was making mistakes, but his body refused to obey his commands.
'What's happening to me?'
Naruto capitalized on the opening, his fist connecting with Arashi's side. Arashi stumbled backward, clutching his ribs in pain. Sasuke seized the moment of distraction, lunging forward with a well-aimed strike to Arashi's shoulder.
Arashi gritted his teeth, forcing himself back to his feet. He wouldn't let them defeat him so easily. He tried to regulate his breathing, to calm the storm raging within him, but his body refused to cooperate. His movements were clumsy and uncoordinated, a far cry from his usual precision.
'I'm losing... Why? Why am I so weak?'
With a surge of determination, he scrambled back to his feet, searching for an opportunity to counterattack.
But the relentless onslaught continued. After what felt like an eternity of dodging, weaving, and striking, Arashi found himself pinned to the ground, Naruto and Sasuke's limbs tangled with his own. He struggled to break free, but their combined strength was overwhelming.
"You lose, Arashi," Sasuke declared, a note of triumph in his voice.
Arashi closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. The sting of defeat was undeniable.
"Damn it!" Frustration bubbled over, and he slammed his fist into the ground. "I'm useless..." he muttered, his voice heavy with defeat.
Naruto's words, meant to comfort, only fueled Arashi's despair. "I've been practicing, and it's all useless! I'm useless! All this training is pointless..." His voice broke, tears threatening to spill. In a flash of desperation, he vanished, leaving Naruto and Sasuke stunned in his wake.
"Leave me alone!" His anguished cry echoed through the training grounds.
"Hey! Arashi, wait!" Naruto bolted after him, Sasuke hot on his heels.
They scoured the Uchiha compound, their search yielding nothing but mounting worry. The cliff where Itachi and Shisui trained was their next destination.
"Shisui! Have you seen Arashi?" Naruto's voice, usually brimming with cheer, now carried a note of panic.
"Arashi? No, wasn't he training with you?" Shisui responded, his brow furrowing in concern.
"He ran. He was too fast for us," Sasuke explained, his usual composure faltering.
"Ran?" Itachi and Shisui exchanged alarmed glances.
"He's alone and vulnerable. We need to find him," Shisui declared, his voice firm.
"Any idea where he might have gone?" Itachi inquired, his gaze sweeping the surrounding landscape.
"We checked the house, he's not there."
"This isn't good. We need to find him, fast," Shisui said, a sense of urgency gripping him.
"I think I know where he might be." With a flicker, Shisui vanished into the forest.
Deep within the woods, far beyond Konoha's walls, Arashi sat curled in a hidden alcove, a kunai gripped tightly in his trembling hand. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks.
"I hate them... I don't want them anymore. They've ruined my life! Why me?!"
He stared at the kunai, his vision blurring. Slowly, he raised it, the sharp point aimed at his own eyes.
"Why did you have to give me these eyes? I never wanted them!" He slammed his fist against the forest floor, his voice raw with pain.
"All I ever wanted was a normal life with my friends..." His words faded into a choked sob.
A chilling whisper broke the silence. "Hissss..."
A small white snake slithered across Arashi's arm, its scales gleaming in the dappled sunlight. Startled, Arashi lowered his hand, and the serpent coiled itself around his palm, its forked tongue flicking in and out. He brought it closer, mesmerized by its sinuous movements.
"They're truly amazing creatures, aren't they?" A soft, almost hypnotic voice inquired from behind him.
Arashi couldn't bring himself to turn around. "Who are you? And what do you want? Let me guess, you want my eyes."
A shiver ran down his spine, a palpable sense of malevolence radiating from the figure behind him. A pale hand reached out, and the snake uncoiled from Arashi's grasp, slithering onto the stranger's outstretched palm.
"I am Orochimaru."
Arashi's eyes widened in recognition. He remembered overhearing whispers about this man, a rogue ninja of immense power and sinister reputation.
"I see you've heard of me..." Orochimaru's voice was a silken caress, laced with a hint of amusement.
"Jiraiya-sensei has been looking for you," Arashi managed to say, his voice trembling slightly.
"Jiraiya... sensei? That fool has another student?" Orochimaru's tone was laced with disdain, yet a flicker of surprise crossed his features at Arashi's defiant response.
"Jiraiya-sensei isn't a fool!"
A chilling chuckle escaped Orochimaru's lips. "Hmph, how amusing..." He leaned closer, his serpentine eyes fixated on Arashi's Sharingan. "Such spirit... Such potential... wasted on a broken boy."
"Leave me alone," Arashi's voice was muffled, his head buried between his knees. "Take my eyes if you want. I don't care, I just want you to leave me alone."
Orochimaru's lips curled into a sinister smile. "An acquaintance has told me about your Rinnegan... An evolving Rinnegan, he said. I didn't believe it, and so... I came here to see it for myself."
Arashi's voice was bitter. "Obviously, they're unlike anything you've seen before. That's the reason people want my eyes so much."
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with fascination. "Hmph... I know someone who is just like you, with the same eyes."
Arashi's head snapped up. "The same eyes as I do?"
"He has the Rinnegan. The only difference between you two is..." Orochimaru's voice trailed off as he glanced into the distance, a subtle shift in his demeanor.
"I must go. Do me a favor. Don't tell anyone we met here..." His voice faded, leaving only a faint echo in the forest.
With a flicker, Shisui appeared, his eyes filled with concern. "I knew I would find you here."
Arashi looked up, his gaze meeting Shisui's. "Shisui, I'd like to go home now."
Shisui's eyes fell upon the kunai still clutched in Arashi's hand. 'Arashi... you tried it again, didn't you?' He sighed, a wave of sadness washing over him.
"Let's go for a walk." He extended his hand, and Arashi, after a moment's hesitation, took it. Together, they walked into the dappled sunlight, leaving the darkness of the forest behind.
(Edited on: 05/10/24)