Chapter 35 Dunno What To Name It

Mount Myōboku, around an hour later.

Jiraiya pulled Riku to a side and looked down at him with a scrutinising gaze, "Well? I think you owe me an explanation."

Riku shifted but returned Jiraiya's gaze, "I'm not sure what you're talking about." Riku tilted his head, but his expression remained.

Jiraiya scoffed, "First of all, those eyes. Second of all, how you transformed into that monster. Third of all, how you knew of Mount Myōboku. Fourth of all, your name. Go on and tell me your life story while you're at it, I have all day." Jiraiya said, it sounded like a joke but his expression was as serious as ever.

Riku rolled his eyes, "If I'm going to just give you all of my information then you should at least give me something in return, and also… Give me the benefit of the doubt and don't kill me on the spot if you notice anything off."

Hearing this, Jiraiya's gaze sharpened. "Oh yeah? Sure…" Jiraiya was skeptical, but he reluctantly nodded.

Riku sighed in relief, "I'd like you to teach me how to get out of a genjutsu." Riku asked with a smile.

Jiraiya's face contorted, "Seriously? You don't know how to do something so easy?" Jiraiya had to try his best not to laugh.

Riku didn't respond, instead he began his 'story'.

"Well, my name is Ruki Shirokuro and I'm from a dead clan of swordsmen, my eyes have been like this since I was born and they aren't anything special, they just light me on fire and that's it. As for the creature, it was an ancient technique from my clan that transformed me into a Dragon for 5 minutes with the cost of 10% of my lifespan. And for Mount Myōboku? I didn't have a clue and that was the first time I'd heard of it." Riku concluded with a deep breath.

Complete bullshit, nothing he had just said was true other than being from a dead clan of swordsmen.

Funnily enough, Jiraiya couldn't even tell that Riku was lying.

However, "Surely there's something more to those eyes of yours. And what's with the writing on your face?" Jiraiya, now with a calmer expression spoke.

"Hmm I've never tried anything with them so I wouldn't know, but I'm pretty sure I was also born with this writing on my face, so I'm not sure what to tell you." Riku shrugged it off, and then after about an hour of talking, he tried to walk away.

Jiraiya watched Riku leave, but finally spoke, "Meet me here tomorrow at sunrise, I'll teach you how to disrupt your chakra and I could even help you discover more about those eyes." Jiraiya held his forehead in his palm, he couldn't believe this kid could've asked him for ANYTHING, and he asked for this?

…

When Riku was a while away, he suddenly felt something hit him in the chest.

Riku looked down and saw one pale lavender eye staring back up at him.

"Oww… sorry, I wasn't lookin- Kitty!? You're awake?" Chiyo's eye suddenly widened and a huge smile grew on her face.

"Haha… Yeah, I'm awake." Riku replied somewhat awkwardly, he felt strange being called kitty all the time.

After a while, Riku was just standing there awkwardly as Chiyo rambled on about how cool this place was, when suddenly…

"You know," Chiyo said, breaking the silence, "if you keep standing like that, people might think you're a statue. Maybe I should put a little toad on your shoulder, give you some character."

Riku shifted uncomfortably, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. "I'm… just thinking," he muttered.

Chiyo rolled onto her stomach, propping her chin in her hands. "Thinking? Whoa, stop the presses! What's on your mind, oh great brooding warrior?"

"It's nothing," Riku said, a little too quickly, his gaze flickering back to the ground.

Chiyo got up to her knees, lighting up the space between them with a bright smile. "Riiight. 'Nothing' always means 'something,' you know. And if it is something, you should spill it! C'mon, what's bothering you?"

"It's not important," Riku insisted, rubbing the back of his neck, his weight shuffling uncomfortably from foot to foot.

Chiyo tilted her head, studying him like he was some kind of rare, elusive creature. Then she hopped to her feet, dusting off her hands. "Not important? Okay, fine, not important. But we're here, in the middle of Mount Myōboku! This place is amazing. Don't tell me you're not feeling the magic. The vibes! The frog energy!"

Riku frowned. "It feels more like… slimy rocks and weird smells."

Chiyo gasped, putting her hand on her heart as if in horror. "Kitty! You can't just insult the toads' sacred ground of courtesy like that. What if they heard you?"

His eyes widened slightly and he glanced around, tensing up. "Wait, what? They're actually listening, aren't they?", Riku did this sarcastically, he didn't actually care all that much if they were listening.

Chiyo doubled over, bursting into laughter and holding her sides. "Oh my gosh, you're too easy! No, they're not listening. But your face-" She wiped an imaginary tear from her eye. "-priceless."

Riku scowled, pushing this fake personality further. "Why do you always mess with me like this?

"Because you're fun," Chiyo said, her voice light, teasing as she spun around in a slow circle, her arms outstretched. She grinned but softened considerably as her gaze settled onto him. "You are like this little puzzle that I am just trying to figure out-all serious and grumpy on the surface, but inside, deep inside, there is definitely a soft and squishy Kitty inside there."

"I'm not… squishy," Riku muttered, crossing his arms tighter, as if to shield himself from her words.

Chiyo squinted at him, tapping her chin as if deep in thought. "Hmm. Nope. Definitely squishy. Like a marshmallow. Or maybe one of those mochi balls, you know? With the ice cream inside? All tough and cool on the outside, but when you bite into it…" She clapped her hands together for dramatic effect.

"Chiyo," Riku groaned, running a hand through his hair.

"What?" she said innocently, rocking back and forth on her heels. "I'm just saying. It's a compliment!"

Riku let out a long sigh, shaking his head. "You're impossible."

"And you're lucky to have me," Chiyo shot back, her grin widening.

Riku didn't respond, but thanks to Kokuenryū, the faintest hint of a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth as he turned away once more, distant mountains calling his gaze once again. Chiyo didn't let it slip her notice-then again, she wouldn't. Ever.

"See?" she said so softly, shifting to someplace warmer in her voice, something that sounded really sincere. "You really don't need to be brooding every single day. It's fine to be. happy here, just that.

In a stroke of silence, the space that dwelled between them relaxed into ease, almost comfort. The gentle breeze rustled the treetops once more; Chiyo plopped into the grass, as if nothing had happened. Her humming resumed.

Still tense, Riku made no move to sit himself, but his gaze came up, following the honey-colored light filtering through the trees.

Perhaps Chiyo was right.

*See, She's always right.* Kokuenryū started laughing and Riku snapped out of his daze.

'Oh shut up…' Riku's face flushed red, but Kokuenryū kept laughing uncontrollably.

"Oh well, this guy wanted to see you." Riku's flushed face returned to normal and he summoned a clone, the clone was laughing uncontrollably but suddenly became serious.

"*You…*" Kokuenryū, now as a clone of Riku looked at Riku with scorn as he slowly shrank and slowly grew black and white fur.

"*MEOW MEOW MEOW!! MEOW!! MRRROWWW!!!*" Kokuenryū shot many curses and profanities at Riku, but all that came out were furious meows.

Chiyo heard these noises and looked up at the small cat clawing and biting at Riku's leg as he laughed uncontrollably.

"Kitty! You're back?" Chiyo got up and rushed over to the small feline Kokuenryū.

Kokuenryū, as if a switch had been flipped, suddenly leaped off Riku and ran over to Chiyo.

Riku stopped laughing and looked over dumbfoundedly, 'How the hell could that thing have possibly killed me in my last life…'

Riku rolled his eyes and walked away, he finally had some time to train by himself.

…

…

The cave was dark, its jagged walls slick with moisture and marked by strange symbols. On the stone, twisted shapes of darkness twisted and capered, given life by the faint, flickering light of torches pounded into the rock face. The air was damp with the acrid smell of smoke and something metallic, like blood. Karyū sat against the far wall, his arms resting on his bent knees. His crimson Ketsuryūgan eyes shone faintly, catching the flicker of the torchlight.

Orochimaru entered the chamber in silence, his feet silent against the wet stone. The air seemed to shift with his movement, an unnerving aura of menace clinging to him. His pale face came out of the shadows, a slight smile curling his lips.

"Karyū," Orochimaru said in a low, snake-like whisper, "I was starting to think that you must have run away. That often happens to the weak when they fail.

Karyū's eyes narrowed, the molten rage inside him barely constrained. "I didn't run. I don't Run." Low, gritted, his voice was-though an edge of frustration seemed to seep through. "If anyone is to blame for the failure, it is you. Your 'plan' was half-baked at best."

Orochimaru chuckled, the sound dry and humorless. He took a step closer, his golden, slit-pupil eyes locking onto Karyū's. "Is that so? I seem to recall that it was You who faced Riku Kuroshiro and came back empty-handed. Perhaps your skills aren't quite as impressive as you led me to believe."

Karyū stood abruptly, his fists clenched at his sides. The temperature in the cave seemed to rise with his flared anger; the faint smell of sulfur curled through the air. "Don't test me, Orochimaru. I held up my end of the deal, I'm still here. It's not my fault that Riku—" He paused, gritting his teeth. "—was more resilient than anticipated."

"Excuses," Orochimaru drawled, tilting his head. "How very… disappointing. I trusted that the unique Ketsuryūgan would give you an edge, but it seems even those eyes are wasted on you."

Karyū's lip curled, his hands twitching and his transplanted arm began glowing with orange veins as if ready to summon the molten chakra of his Lava Release. "Don't act like this wasn't your loss too."

"Ah, but there's a difference," Orochimaru said smoothly, stepping closer. "I deal in experiments, in trials and errors. A setback is merely part of the process. You, on the other hand…" His voice dropped, mocking. "…you're a man of vengeance, are you not? How does it feel knowing you couldn't claim it?"

Karyū's jaw tightened. "Don't act like you understand my goals."

"Oh, but I do," Orochimaru said, his smile widening. "Vengeance is such a deliciously simple motivation. It burns hot, but it's… fleeting. And if you let it consume you, it leaves nothing but ash." He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Tell me, Karyū. Are you burning out?"

Karyū's chakra flared in response, and the cave walls groaned under the sudden heat. The torches sputtered, their flames shrinking in the oppressive heat radiating from him. "You're playing a dangerous game, Orochimaru," he growled. "I don't care who you are. Mock me again, and I'll—"

"You'll what?" Orochimaru interjected, his voice light, almost amused. He leaned back, undeterred by the heat, his smirk unchanging. "Kill me? My, what a predictable little outburst. You might want to rethink that, Karyū. After all, I'm the only reason you even have those eyes, they would've been completely useless if I didn't help you properly transplant them. Do you think they'll serve you well if I decide to rip them back out?"

The threat hung in the air like poison. Karyū didn't move, though his muscles coiled tight to strike at any moment. He hated how calm Orochimaru was, how effortlessly he twisted every conversation into a display of power.

After a long, strained silence, Karyū finally forced himself to back down, though the fire in his eyes didn't dim. "What now?" he asked bitterly. "The kid survived. Our deal failed. So what's your next brilliant plan?

Orochimaru chuckled again, his gaze drifting toward the dark tunnel behind him. "Ah, Karyū, you're so quick to give up. He may have survived, but he's not invincible. Everyone has a weakness, even him. All we need is time… and perhaps a different approach."

Karyū crossed his arms, still seething but curious despite himself. "What kind of approach?"

Orochimaru turned back to him now, his eyes glinting with a dangerous light. "Let's just say… it involves a bit of misdirection. You'll see soon enough." He started to walk away, his voice echoing in the chamber as he disappeared into the shadows. "For now, focus on controlling your temper. You'll need it if you want to succeed next time.

Karyū stayed behind, glaring at the empty space where Orochimaru had stood. The heat around him slowly dissipated, leaving the cave cold and quiet once more. His fists remained clenched as he stared into the darkness, the words "next time" ringing in his ears.