"That won't do. Uchiha Sasuke is mine."
Zaraki Kita showed a puzzled expression. Orochimaru shrugged.
"He has the Sharingan, and I want the Sharingan too."
Zaraki Kita smiled faintly. She took a few small sips of the liquid before finally responding.
All right. I won't touch him, then. Thank you for the information about the Sharingan.
"Just a thank you as payment?"
Then what do you want?
"Your blood."
What for?
"Research. Do I really need to explain that?"
Fine.
This was probably why Orochimaru did not dislike her. Zaraki Kita was a non-human, but in many ways, she was a rather agreeable one. Drawing blood required little effort on Orochimaru's part, and midway through the process, he suddenly felt like indulging in a bit of gossip.
"I honestly don't understand how you and Konan ended up together. From my perspective, it's a very strange pairing."
A human and a non-human?
"That's only part of it. With your personality, you don't seem like someone who would agree so easily. After all, even Kakuzu treats you differently."
Since when did Kakuzu become a measuring standard?
"In some sense, he serves that role. I'm genuinely curious about you."
You don't like seeing a non-human become a fairly powerful shinobi?
"As long as you enter the world of shinobi, identity and bloodline don't matter much. This is a world where the strong reign supreme."
Then I suppose I should thank you for acknowledging me.
"I'm not like the others. I've seen true power."
Am I one of them?
"For now, yes."
Zaraki Kita smiled as she watched the bright red liquid flowing through the transparent tube. That was her blood.
Konan is a very persistent person.
"Aren't you the same?"
I'm a very persistent non-human.
Orochimaru felt a trace of pity. Not much, just a trace. That was why he asked a question that did not quite suit his identity.
"Are you happy?"
That made Zaraki Kita's smile brighten noticeably, her eyes even narrowing slightly.
I have never been happier than I am now.
"But you still seem afraid."
Zaraki Kita nodded.
Never having something, and having it only to lose it later, are not the same.
"Like walking on thin ice?"
Zaraki Kita nodded again, this time making Orochimaru laugh.
"Just enjoy it. Why think so much?"
Zaraki Kita shook her head.
I'm not a child. I know my own limits.
Orochimaru stopped smiling, because he could not bring himself to continue. The blood bag hung half-full, more than enough for experimental material. After removing the needle, Orochimaru showed a rare hint of conscience and pressed an alcohol-soaked cotton swab to the puncture site.
Her arm, which should have been pale and smooth, was covered in burns. They were not horrifying enough to frighten someone like Orochimaru, but they were repulsive all the same.
Then the sleeve of her yukata was lowered, concealing those ugly scars. Once again, Zaraki Kita looked just as she had when Uchiha Itachi first saw her, gentle and beautiful, like a fragile woman.
"Actually, you could consider getting a tattoo. It's an art form. I'm quite skilled, and I'd do it for free," Orochimaru said with unusual benevolence. Zaraki Kita waved her hand and shook her head.
I'd rather just change bodies.
Orochimaru fell silent, finding her words surprisingly reasonable.
With no real leads gained and half a bag of her blood lost, Zaraki Kita felt that coming to see Orochimaru had been a mistake. It seemed she would still need to make a trip to Konoha after all.
━━━━ ❖ ━━━
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