Naruto: I Became Orochimaru's Apprentice-Chapter 39: Street Sweeper

Teriyaki sat in a dimly lit room, a small space provided to him by the village's administration. His mind drifted as he stared out the window, watching the life of the Hidden Leaf Village unfold. People were laughing, talking, and going about their business. Children chased each other through the streets, while the occasional shinobi sped by on their way to their next mission. It felt surreal to him. His once vibrant life, filled with high-risk missions and endless excitement, was now reduced to nothing more than a quiet, isolated existence.

The door to the room creaked open, and a shinobi he didn't recognize stepped inside.

"You're awake," the shinobi said, his voice clipped. "As you know we've decided to let you stay in the village for now for operation Fishbait. You're not here to cause trouble, but we need you to earn our trust before you're allowed to do anything more... important. We assessed your strength in the chuunin exam and you could eventually become a useful Shinobi for the village."

Teriyaki nodded, his stomach churning slightly. He had been expecting this. After all, he was a stranger to the village—someone with a questionable past. The Konoha shinobi weren't going to just trust him because he said he was sorry or because he wanted to change. He had to prove himself, and he knew that wouldn't be easy.

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The shinobi continued, his tone softer but still firm. "For now, you'll be doing basic tasks. Nothing exciting. You'll start by sweeping the streets, clearing the trash, and keeping the village looking clean. Do it right, and we'll consider giving you more responsibilities. Fail to follow the rules, and we'll show you the door."

Teriyaki blinked, surprised by the simplicity of it. Sweeping the streets. It was nothing like the missions he had once been part of. No danger, no excitement—just a broom and the endless task of making sure the streets were spotless. It felt humiliating in a way, but he held his tongue. He had no choice. If he wanted to stay, he had to prove himself.

"Understood," he replied, swallowing the bitterness that threatened to rise in his throat. "I'll do what's asked of me."

The shinobi gave a brief nod before turning to leave. "Good. Get started then. I'll check in later."

As the sun began to climb higher in the sky, Teriyaki found himself outside, broom in hand, standing at the edge of one of Konoha's bustling streets. He swept aimlessly at the fallen leaves, trying to ignore the occasional curious glance from the villagers as they passed by. The task was as mundane as it sounded, and every sweep of the broom felt like a small slap to his pride.

He wasn't meant for this. His skills as a shinobi—his experience in missions, his ability to fight—felt like distant memories now. Instead of running into battle, he was sweeping up discarded papers, dirt, and food wrappers. But he had to swallow his frustration. He couldn't afford to mess up this chance.

"From Earth to Orochimaru's Lair to this..." He muttered, he felt himself slowly becoming an NPC.

He paused for a moment, wiping the sweat from his forehead. That was when he saw a familiar figure walking down the street, chatting lightly with another shinobi. Kakashi Hatake. The famous Copy Ninja. A wave of nostalgia hit Teriyaki, remembering when he had once looked up to the man, admired his skill and strength in the fake world of Naruto through the pages of manga.

Kakashi's eyes flickered to Teriyaki for a split second, and their gazes met. Teriyaki expected him to walk past, but Kakashi gave a small, almost imperceptible wave.

"Working hard, huh?" Kakashi said, his voice monotone. He didn't seem phased by Teriyaki's current predicament.

Teriyaki stiffened, a little caught off guard by the simple gesture. "Yeah, something like that..." he muttered, then cleared his throat. "Just... doing my part. I totally would hate to do something more useful."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully, his one visible eye crinkling in amusement. "Good to see you're sticking with it. Sometimes it's the small things that matter the most. You're still young, only 12, there's so much more you can do with your life." And then, just as quickly as he had appeared, he walked off, leaving Teriyaki standing there, a little more humbled than before.

The rest of the day dragged on in the same fashion. He swept, collected trash, and observed the people around him. Every so often, he'd see another familiar face—Naruto Uzumaki jogged past with a bright, cheerful smile, his energy as infectious as always. The Hokage's son didn't seem to notice Teriyaki at first, too busy with whatever mission he had been given. But when their eyes met, Naruto stopped and waved.

"Hey, Teriyaki! How's it going?" he called out, always quick to greet anyone with a smile. "What's the job today?"

Teriyaki was slightly taken aback by Naruto's friendly greeting. He had seen Naruto grow from a troublesome kid to the hero of the village, and now here he was, casually chatting with someone like him, someone who felt like a failure. "Oh, you know... just cleaning up. Sweeping the streets."

Naruto grinned even wider. "Hey, everyone's gotta start somewhere!" he said, giving Teriyaki an enthusiastic thumbs-up before running off again, full of purpose. "I'm going to become the hokage!" 

Teriyaki couldn't help but cry a little, though there was a lingering feeling of embarrassment in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't sure if Naruto was just trying to be encouraging or if he genuinely thought sweeping streets was a noble thing to do, but the comment had a way of softening the sting of his current position.

He went back to his sweeping, the sound of the broom scraping against the ground punctuating his thoughts. How had his life come to this?

It wasn't long before the friednly figure of Teuchi, the ramen shop owner, appeared down the street, walking slowly as he adjusted the weight of his ramen cart. The man's cheerful demeanor contrasted with Teriyaki's quiet frustration. When Teuchi saw Teriyaki, he grinned, waving a hand in greeting.

"Hey, Teriyaki!" Teuchi called out as he approached, the pleasant smell of ramen wafting through the air. "You're looking a little down, huh?"

"If one more person patronizes me..." Teriyaki swore out.

Teriyaki sighed, glancing at the broom in his hands. "Yeah, just... cleaning the streets. Not exactly what I expected to be doing."

Teuchi chuckled and patted Teriyaki's shoulder gently. "Ah, don't worry. It's all part of life, my friend. But you know, if you're feeling down, you're welcome to swing by the shop for a bowl of ramen anytime. A hot bowl always lifts the spirits."

Teriyaki smiled slightly, appreciating the offer, but his thoughts drifted back to the task at hand. "Thanks, Teuchi... I might take you up on that."

As the day wore on, Teriyaki continued his work, occasionally seeing familiar faces pass by. There was something oddly grounding about it—the routine, the simplicity. Even if it wasn't the grand life of a shinobi he had envisioned, it was a life. And maybe, just maybe, it was the one he needed to rebuild his trust and find a new sense of purpose.

That evening, when the sun finally dipped below the horizon, Teriyaki was exhausted. His broom had become an extension of his hand, and the streets of Konoha sparkled from his efforts. But there was a strange peace in knowing that, for now, his path was about proving his worth in small, quiet ways.

"Just a couple more days or weeks... Then they should let me become an official Shinobi. If only I wasn't spawned in Orochimaru's Lair...