Naruto: I Became Orochimaru's Apprentice-Chapter 56: Let Us Back In?

The next morning Teriyaki looked around the lair in confusion.

"I haven't been in here for a while. A year was it?"

He found Onigiri, his pet snake who he often used to study with.

"I guess you haven't been eaten yet." They played around, as she coiled around his body he realized how much he had grown.

"This body is no longer a kid anymore."

As he was playing with Onigiri, someone walked in.

Not Orochimaru.

Not Kabuto.

But Sasuke. Orochimaru's newest apprentice.

Sasuke Uchiha.

It had been some time since they last crossed paths—since that night in Ryuichi's cave, where Teriyaki had watched as Sasuke and Orochimaru visited, as if to mock him.

Sasuke stood against the far wall of the room, his eyes on Teriyaki, his dark hair falling over his face, hiding the sharpness of his gaze.

Teriyaki assumed Orochimaru had been treating Sasuke like a prince, ensuring he lived up to his potential.

The last time they spoke, Sasuke's eyes were full of concern and confusion, but now, they seemed colder—darker, as if a piece of him had been hollowed out and replaced with something more dangerous.

The curse mark on Sasuke's neck was real, Sasuke often poked it with his fingers.

Teriyaki approached slowly, the sound of his footsteps the only noise in the room. There was no need to rush. Sasuke didn't turn to face him immediately, but Teriyaki didn't mind. Does he even remember me? 

Finally, Sasuke's voice broke the stillness, low and measured. "You're here."

Teriyaki stood across from him, strangely, unsure what to do.

"Of course... A long time has passed since we last met."

Sasuke's head tilted slightly, his profile sharp and angular in the dim light. He didn't look at Teriyaki yet, but his words were laced with an edge. "I didn't expect to see you here. After what happened in Ryuichi's cave..."

Teriyaki's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. "Did you think I would die there? I did too almost, but I survived. And that's all that matters."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed just slightly, but the shift in his expression was subtle, like a shadow passing across his face. "You always seem to have a way of letting things go," he said, his tone colder than before. "I'm surprised you don't hold a grudge against Orochimaru. You look so different now, it's like he killed the old you.

Teriyaki's eyes darkened, though his voice remained calm. "Grudges only weigh you down. And if I try to do anything against him it'll be my corpse that bloodies the ground."

Sasuke's eyes lifted and met Teriyaki's. Despite the chill that now surrounded him, there was still a faint hint of the old Sasuke in his gaze—the fire that refused to die out, even if it was buried beneath layers of cold detachment.

"Well, we're both here for our own reasons. Don't cross my path too much. I don't want to be constantly reminded of the village." Sasuke then left, leaving Onigiri and Teriyaki to hang out a little more.

One week had passed since then. Orochimaru had spent the entire week walking back and forth, considering how events had lined up.

"That's it Teriyaki. We're going to re-enter the Akatsuki. It's too valuable to have eyes in that organisation to not use this chance. Surely they will forgive our little mishap."

Our little mishap? 

Teriyaki coughed, unsure if Orochimaru was getting a little too delusional.

The vast, dimly lit chamber of the Akatsuki hideout felt colder than usual as Orochimaru and Teriyaki entered. The towering figures of the Akatsuki members were gathered in their usual positions, their eyes flicking to the newcomers with cautious curiosity. Orochimaru, who had been absent for years, now stood before them, his presence commanding as always—but this time, something was different.

The tension was thick, palpable. There was a lingering sense of distrust hanging in the air, especially after Orochimaru's attempt on Itachi's life. That betrayal still burned in the minds of many.

Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki, stood at the center of the room, his expression unreadable behind his mask. He spoke first, his voice calm but carrying an edge of authority. "Orochimaru," he said, eyes narrowing. "You show your face here again after your attempt to kill Itachi? You think we would forgive you so easily?"

Deidara cackled. "I think he wants to get blown up. He wants to become a piece of art."

"Why is my Samehada hungry?" Kisame caressed it softly.

Nobody seemed to enjoy Orochimaru's presence or voice, other than himself.

Orochimaru's lips curled into a sly smile, his golden eyes glinting with practiced confidence. "Ah, but it was a misunderstanding, Pain," he purred. "An accident. You know how things get when passion clouds the mind, don't you? It was never meant to be taken as a betrayal. It was merely a test to see if the Akatsuki stood up to their name. And Itachi definately does."

The room was silent for a moment as the other Akatsuki members processed his words. The tension grew heavier with every passing second.

Konan, ever cautious, spoke up. "You expect us to believe that? After everything you've done, and after you tried to kill one of our own? You think we'd just welcome you back as though nothing happened? Why should we not kill you right now?"

Orochimaru's smile faltered for only a brief moment, but his composure remained intact. "I have no interest in your petty squabbles, Konan," he said, his voice cold. "I'm here for something far more valuable."

Pain's eyes flicked to Teriyaki, who stood quietly at Orochimaru's side. The boy—once a mere tool for Orochimaru's plans—now carried with him a weight of importance that could not be ignored. Pain's gaze softened ever so slightly, as if calculating something in his mind.

"Teriyaki," Pain said, his voice firm. "He is under the Akatsuki's jurisdiction now. His allegiance is with us. Orochimaru, you can leave, but the boy stays. And if you disagree with my decision, you will die."

Orochimaru's expression tightened, but he quickly masked his frustration. He had known the Akatsuki would not accept his return easily, but he had hoped for more leeway. Still, he had no intention of leaving empty-handed.

A smirk spread across his face once more. "Ah, of course. Teriyaki stays." He turned toward the boy, his voice lowering into something more private, more conspiratorial. "I'll leave now." His pride hurting, he left awkwardly.

As much as I enjoy watching Orochimaru getting embarassed, isn't he just going to vent his frustrations out on me?

Teriyaki, still looking like a shadow of his former self, nodded ever so slightly.

Later, once the Akatsuki had accepted their terms and the meeting concluded, Teriyaki found himself alone in one of the darker corridors of the hideout, unsure of what was going to happen now.

Will he leave me alone for now? 

He had been given a new life in the Akatsuki, yes—but not for his own sake. No, he had been given to them as a tool. A pawn in a larger game, just as he had been with Orochimaru.

As he leaned against the stone wall, catching his breath, a soft voice broke the silence.

"Teriyaki."

It was Orochimaru. The Sanin appeared from the shadows, his presence as cold and calculating as ever. His golden eyes gleamed with dark amusement. The former events didn't seem to have fazed him. He seemed to have expected them.

"Do you understand your role here?" Orochimaru asked, his voice low but clear. "You are the Akatsuki's newest member, yes, but I have plans for you. Plans that extend far beyond what they think."

Teriyaki looked up at him, eyes heavy with exhaustion, but a weary understanding had settled in his gaze. He nodded, though the weight of what was being asked of him seemed almost too much to bear.

"You will be my spy, Teriyaki," Orochimaru continued, stepping closer. "I need you to learn everything you can about the Akatsuki. Their plans, their strategies, their weaknesses. You will be their trusted member, but secretly, you will feed me information. You will be my eyes and ears in the organization."

Teriyaki's heart sank. He had known it would come to this. He had no choice. His fate had always been in the hands of others, whether it was Orochimaru or the Akatsuki.

"What happens if I refuse?" Teriyaki asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "You know like, what if they realize the gig is up? Aren't we both doomed then?"

Orochimaru smiled coldly, the smile of a man who knew all too well how to break someone. "You don't refuse, Teriyaki. You never have a choice."

The curse mark flared briefly.

"I have tortured you enough for now, but don't remind me."

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"I'll be the spy, if that's all." Teriyaki muttered.

Orochimaru's smile widened, and for a moment, he looked almost pleased. "Good boy."

The sound of Teriyaki's boots echoed in the empty halls as he made his way to the room designated for Akatsuki members. His uniform awaited him, a symbol of the organization he now belonged to—whether he liked it or not.

Inside the small room, he stared at the dark robe laid out on the bed, the red clouds emblazoned on the fabric, marking him as part of the Akatsuki. It was a uniform worn by dangerous men and women, notorious across the lands. The mask of the organization's purpose seemed so simple, so defined—but Teriyaki knew better than anyone. This cloak, this symbol, was just another layer of control. Another set of chains.

He sighed as he slipped into the Akatsuki robes, the dark fabric swallowing him whole. As he stood before the mirror, he gazed at his reflection. The red clouds seemed to swirl around him, as if they were alive, threatening to consume him entirely. The man staring back at him was someone he barely recognized. He had been so many things—Orochimaru's puppet, the failed tool of Itachi's genjutsu, a broken boy—but now, he was part of something larger. A member of the Akatsuki, trapped in a world of power struggles and ambition.

For the first time in a long while, Teriyaki found himself wondering if there was any way out. But he knew deep down—there never had been.

The only question now was how long he could survive being the Akatsuki's spy, and how long it would take before he, too, became nothing more than another tool in someone else's game.