Somewhere in the land of fire Shitsuya bit his thumb before weaving a few hand seals and placing his hand on the ground.
With a puff of smoke a small white dog wearing a leaf headband appeared.
The orange cat hissed at him and the dog growled back before sniffing around a few times and looking up at Shitsuya as his tail shook excitedly from one side to another.
"Shitsuya! I thought you died! This is great news I'll inform the village right away!" The dog spoke.
Shitsuya smiled an unsettling smile before speaking, "Good to see you again Paku, before that, could you get me that scroll I left with you?"
Paku nodded and disappeared with a puff of smoke, throwing around some thin ninja wire, Shitsuya wrapped the end of it around his gloved hand.
Paku appeared once more in the same spot with a puff of smoke and a large scroll in his mouth.
After Shitsuya grabbed it, Paku spoke, "Then I'll see you later."
Before Paku could leave Shitsuya pulled his hand back with force and the wires he set up tightened around Paku's neck suddenly after some resistance, his flesh separated and his head rolled off with a whimper.
The orange cat hissed at the head that rolled towards it before approaching it and rolling it back and forth with it's paws.
"Bad Kitty." Shitsuya spoke before taking the head and throwing it along with the rest of the body in a hole he made before covering it back up with a few handsigns.
"Sorry old friend, but I don't think you'll be seeing anyone anytime soon." Shitsuya said before leaving.
Somewhere in a forest deep in the land of fire, white smoke drifted upwards past the tree canopy.
Down below two pairs of eyes one human, the other feline watched as the rich juices dripped off the golden meat on the skewers and into the fire down below making a sizzling sound.
"That should be enough." Shitsuya spoke as he grabbed a meat skewer and threw it on the ground and orange cat immediately dove in as it bit into the tender meat.
Opening the scroll he took from Shikane's apartment all those years ago, Shitsuya looked at the two familiar names.
One name belonged to his old sensei Shikane, while the other belonged to an acquaintance of his, one of the legendary Sanin, Orochimaru.
Biting his thumb, Shitsuya wrote his name in blood on the scroll before weaving a few hand seals and smacking the ground.
With a buff of smoke, a black python, large by earth's standards but small by summoning animal standards appeared before Shitsuya.
Shitsuya grabbed a meat skewer and took a bite, sure enough the more powerful a creature the better and richer the taste.
The black python's serpentine tongue shook as it raised it's head and looked at Shitsuya.
The orange cat seeing the snake, jumped in surprise before hissing at the snake with it's fur spiked up.
The python's black obsidian eyes stared at the cat for a moment as it flicked it's forked tongue before looking back at Shitsuya.
A soft voice rang as it spoke without moving it's mouth, "Your scent is unfamiliar, are you a new contractor?"
"Yes, My name is Shitsuya, I'm looking forward to working with you." Shitsuya extended a business like greeting to the snake.
Grabbing a meat skewer, he extended it towards the black python.
"We were just having some food, would you care to join us?" Shitsuya extended an invitation.
Flicking it's forked tongue, the snake did not think for long before accepting.
"Normally I would refuse, but I've never had the opportunity of tasting such rich chakra before." The snake said before swallowing all the meat on the skewer with one gulp.
Grabbing another skewer Shitsuya offered it to the python who accepted without hesitation.
"Normally I prefer to human chakra while it's fresh but this meat is still very rich in spite of some time having passed," The python said after swallowing the second skewer.
"You have generously treated me to such a feast, if you require any aid in the future, don't hesitate to call me." The python added as Shitsuya handed it a third skewer.
"Now that you mention it, I do have something I would like to ask of you." Shitsuya casually said, reaching his main goal of signing a contract with the snakes.
"Please speak, I will do my best to clarify any of your queries." The python spoke after swallowing the third skewer.
"How can I reach Ryuchi cave?" Shitsuya asked.
"I see... If it is the white snake sage you seek than all you need to do is venture into the lands west of the fire nation, near the swamps. If Ryuchi cave is what you seek then you will be granted access, for those who do not yearn for it will never arrive to it." The python said before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
"It's that close?" Shitsuya muttered before biting into his skewer.
*****
In Konoha, Shitsuya watched from afar as Minato and Kushina stood before a grave.
They both grew a lot taller as signs of maturity appeared on their young faces. Considering what year it was they should both be 15 years old while he was now 16.
'9 years have passed since I left but it feels like it only happened yesterday.' Shitsuya reminisced as he watched them walk away.
Appearing Infront of the grave where they stood, Shitsuya stared at his grave.
It wasn't anything impressive, Just a stone slab with his name carved on it and a small flower pot with a single lotus in it.
'The lotus represents purity and enlightenment, growing in muddy water it remains unstained, representing the ability to rise above adversity and attain spiritual enlightenment.'
'What an unfitting and to leave for someone like me. Ever since I arrived in this world all I've done is fail time after time as I dove deeper and deeper into the filth.'
Looking to the side at the grave of his mother, Shitsuya thought, 'Now that is a most fitting flower.'