Naruto: I Became Orochimaru's Apprentice-Chapter 1: Is This Real?

The last thing Teriyaki remembered was dozing off on a stack of old Naruto mangas after binging half the Chunin Exams arc for the second time. He'd meant to study for finals — truly — but somehow "one more Chapter" turned into three volumes, and next thing he knew, his forehead was glued to a panel of Orochimaru licking his lips.

He'd tried to stop himself, but his body collapsed from exhaustion and the last thing he saw was the flick of Orochimaru's tongue.

That was, apparently, how his life ended. Because when Teriyaki opened his eyes, he wasn't in his messy bedroom anymore.

No, he was lying flat on his back, staring at a damp stone ceiling, while the air smelled suspiciously like chemicals and wet snakes.

A soft, slithering voice broke the silence."Oh, good. You're awake."

Teriyaki shot upright so fast his neck popped, heart hammering like a drum. Sitting gracefully across the room — draped in that iconic pale robe, golden eyes gleaming like a pair of hungry cat headlights — was Orochimaru.

Terror locked his throat. No. No, no, no.This couldn't be real.

He stammered out: "I'm dead. I died. Why are you here? I'm in a lab? Is this hell?"

His voice sounded wrong. Higher. Smaller. His hands — tiny. His arms — skin and bones. He wasn't seventeen anymore. He must've been seven. A child. This body was humiliatingly small.

The fear only doubled.

"I'm not in hell... Am I?" Teriyaki whispered, voice trembling.

Orochimaru tilted his head like a snake inspecting prey. "Hell? No, no." His smile curled unnaturally wide. "If anything, you've been given an extraordinary opportunity."

Teriyaki wanted to puke. He could feel something slick under his back—the slab he was on was damp, but not from water. His throat closed. Every instinct screamed run, but his legs felt paralyzed.

"You look so young," Orochimaru purred. "And your cells—so different. Curious. They behave as if they haven't yet chosen what they want to become. Such flexibility. Such potential. I've never seen such cells, you're look a whole new type of human."

He was licking his lips again. Teriyaki's stomach turned over."My snakes will have to remain hungry tonight," Orochimaru whispered, almost regretful.

"Where—where did you find me?" Teriyaki croaked, trying to control his breathing. His fingers dug into the slab, searching for something—anything—to anchor him.

"Ah, yes," Orochimaru said, voice light, but his gaze pinning Teriyaki down like a bug. "I found you in the woods near one of my retired laboratories. I was going to feed you to the snakes, of course."

Teriyaki's whole body tensed. "Feed me to the—?!"

"But then," Orochimaru's voice dipped lower, "I examined your cells. They're like nothing I've ever seen. Human, but also... unwritten. As if you were still waiting for something—or someone—to program you."

Teriyaki had no idea what that meant, but the way Orochimaru was staring at him, like a scientist who'd accidentally invented a whole new species—his mouth went dry.

"So," Orochimaru gestured lazily around the room, "I decided to keep you. As a subject. A toy. A future investment. And now... you are mine."

Teriyaki's breath came short and fast. His chest hurt. This was not some funny isekai power fantasy. This was a horror movie."What's your name?" Orochimaru asked, leaning forward.

"T-Teriyaki," he squeaked.

"Ah. Like the food." Orochimaru's tongue flicked out again, wet and serpentine. "How delightful." His fingers drummed along the table's edge, nails slightly too long. "Do you have parents? A clan?"

Teriyaki shook his head furiously, not trusting his voice."No one will come looking for you," Orochimaru said softly, and Teriyaki could feel the finality in those words. His chest clenched. "There's nothing you shouldn't be telling me."

"Am I still... your snake's dinner?" Teriyaki forced out, desperate to lighten the mood—he looked at the ground and sighed.

"Don't be dramatic," Orochimaru purred. "I have far better uses for you." His smile stretched skin-thin. "This lair will not be where you die, Teriyaki. It is where you will become a tool of mine, an interesting one at least."

Teriyaki's throat clicked dryly.A hissing noise filled the silence — from somewhere behind him.

The first few days were a living nightmare. The lair was a maze of dim tunnels, rooms half-filled with discarded corpses and half-melted experiments twitching in jars. His bed was a stone slab with a moldy blanket. The food was worse.

One night, Teriyaki asked, "What's in this stew?"

Orochimaru simply pointed to a framed photo — cracked glass, covered in dust — showing him with two smiling children.

"That's what happens to students who disappoint me," Orochimaru said. "Now eat up. You have experiments tomorrow."

Teriyaki choked on the next spoonful. Something hard crunched between his teeth.

An eyeball floated to the surface.

He dropped the plate, hands shaking violently. The smash rang out through the lair. Teriyaki's blood turned to ice, waiting for punishment — but Orochimaru was already gone.

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Every time Orochimaru summoned him, it was either to:

Take samples or inject him with something that burned in his veins for hours.Explain forbidden jutsu so horrifying they made Teriyaki physically nauseous.Or simply to watch him, eyes gleaming, saying nothing — except for the occasional lip-lick.

Whenever Teriyaki fumbled a technique, Orochimaru would mention his cells again."Your body fights change like it doesn't belong here," he said once, tracing a scalpel along Teriyaki's arm without cutting. "Like a transplant. Or a mutation that hasn't found its purpose."

It was the only time Orochimaru looked genuinely fascinated. It was worse than anger.

Teriyaki's First Jutsu Attempt

When Teriyaki finally tried a jutsu, Orochimaru's disappointment hit like a slap."Pathetic," Orochimaru hissed. "Are you defective?"

Teriyaki's mouth moved before his brain caught up. "Maybe your teaching sucks."

The room went deathly silent.

A snake coiled around Teriyaki's neck from the shadows, squeezing just enough to cut off a breath. Orochimaru stepped close — too close — his face unreadable.

"You should fear me more, child," Orochimaru whispered. "I have so many ways to teach fear that it's surprising you dare to talk back."

The snake tightened. Teriyaki's vision darkened at the edges."Understood," Teriyaki rasped. "Master."

The Plan

That night, Orochimaru gave him a vision for the future."I will mold you into something glorious," he said, tracing Teriyaki's scalp like one might a prized doll. "Your cells — I'll unlock their secrets. And when you grow older, I'll perfect you."

Orochimaru threw a snake at Teriyaki, causing him to jump out of his seat.

"Hah. Such a child."

Teriyaki stared at the ceiling that night, too afraid to sleep.He could still feel snake scales in his hair.

"Step one," he whispered to himself in the dark, heart pounding. "Don't die and kill that bastard."