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"I know you."
The first words out of Shizune's mouth nearly made Midorima jump.
He quickly touched his face, confirming the mask was still in place, and only then did he relax.
"You know me?" Midorima retorted.
"Itachi mentioned that there's a masked man traveling with Orochimaru—someone who doesn't seem to be his ally but still moves alongside him. That's you, isn't it?"
Midorima suddenly stepped closer, startling Shizune into a sharp gasp. "W-what are you doing?!"
"Showing you something." He turned his head, pulling down his collar to reveal the cursed seal. "I told that ninja the same thing—I've been marked with this."
Shizune stared at the intricate pattern of the "Cursed Mark," surprised.
She had never seen anything like it.
"So, I can't defy Orochimaru, even if I don't agree with his methods," Midorima said.
"These people…" Shizune glanced at the unconscious ninjas sprawled on the ground. They were all weak and frail, yet there wasn't a single visible wound on them.
"They were injected with something. I'm not a researcher, so I don't know what Orochimaru used," Midorima admitted.
Hearing this, Shizune immediately understood her situation—it was dire.
But who had captured her? Orochimaru himself?
"Is this place inside the village or outside?" she asked, though she didn't expect an answer.
The question was too sensitive.
"Inside."
Shizune blinked. "You're just… telling me that?"
She had been mentally preparing arguments to persuade him, yet he answered without hesitation.
Midorima shrugged. "It wasn't me who captured you, so why should I care? Besides, I'm a prisoner too. Just because I'm not locked in a cell doesn't mean I can leave this basement. Consider me under house arrest."
"You're… oddly accepting of this," Shizune said dryly.
"What else can I do?" Midorima countered. "Fight Orochimaru? He'd kill me without a second thought. My advice? Stop overthinking. The priority is staying alive and conserving your strength. Otherwise, you won't even have a chance to escape."
"Escape?" Shizune narrowed her eyes at him.
How could he casually bring up something so critical?
Was this a trap?
Suddenly, Shizune grew wary of Midorima.
First, he had warned Itachi. Then, he treated her injuries and revealed so many secrets. What was his angle?
Having traveled extensively with Tsunade, Shizune was skilled at reading people—whether evading debt collectors or negotiating with merchants.
But the man before her wore a mask, making his expressions impossible to decipher.
"You'd rather stay here and wait to die?" Midorima asked, incredulous.
Shizune shook her head.
"Then what's the holdup? Focus on recovering. That's all that matters right now."
Midorima could tell Shizune didn't trust him, but he didn't care.
Helping others was just a courtesy. He had no obligation to save her. The only reason he bothered building rapport was that Tsunade had a high chance of becoming Hokage in the future. If that happened, maintaining a connection might prove useful.
If not, well—that was just how things went.
After all, he wasn't the one who would kill Shizune.
Still, Midorima hadn't been entirely honest in their conversation.
He could leave the basement—just not the confines of Danzō's estate. And truthfully, he was busy.
The only reason he remained was to locate the Sharingan.
Unfortunately, Danzō had never brought it out.
With "Root" operatives lurking in the shadows, any suspicious movement was risky. All he could do was bide his time and plan his next move.
At first, Shizune assumed Midorima would pester her constantly. To her surprise, after their initial conversation, he barely spoke to her. Even when he was in the cell, he often just stared at the ceiling.
This annoyed her. What was so fascinating about the ceiling? Was it more interesting than her?
In the days that followed, Shizune became intimately acquainted with death.
Not because her life was in danger, but because Midorima treated the prison as a morgue. He would often line up two or three corpses before hauling them out together.
The stench of decay quickly saturated the dungeon. Given its airtight design, the foul odor lingered relentlessly. The idea of eating in such conditions was nauseating—she simply couldn't do it.
Even horror movies weren't this disgusting.
Aside from the corpses, another horrifying experience was Orochimaru biting her neck when she was at her weakest.
The excruciating pain had seared through her body, nearly rendering her unconscious.
Only then did she understand why the masked man was so compliant.
The boredom, the helplessness, the daily exposure to death—it all wore down Shizune's spirit.
She still didn't fully trust Midorima, but he was the only person she could talk to.
"You mentioned escaping. Do you have a plan?" she whispered one day, gripping the cell bars as Midorima lifted a corpse.
"You've misunderstood something," Midorima said, turning to face her. His eyes took in her exhausted state. "We're prisoners. Whether we escape or not doesn't depend on you or me—it depends on their actions. All we can do is stay ready."
Easier said than done.
Even in an ordinary prison, isolation and inactivity would drive anyone mad.
"I… I can't hold on much longer," Shizune rasped, her lips cracked from dehydration.
"Think of Lady Tsunade. Does that help?" Midorima countered.
At the mention of Tsunade, a flicker of light returned to Shizune's eyes.
"Do you really think I'll see her again?" she asked.
"Do you trust me?" Midorima shot back.
Shizune nodded vigorously.
"Then eat your damn food and get some rest."
"But the cursed seal—"
"Tsunade can handle it if you reach her," Midorima said quietly.
Finally, Shizune found the will to comply. Without another word, she returned to her spot and forced down the meal, enduring the putrid air.
Midorima carried the three corpses to the basement's upper level, but just as he was about to ascend, the door burst open. Orochimaru slipped inside like a shadow and blocked his path.
"Don't go up yet," Orochimaru hissed.
"Why not?"
"Konoha's forces are searching Danzō's estate," Orochimaru said grimly.
Midorima frowned. "Why Danzō? Do they suspect him?"
"No, it's a village-wide sweep. Speaking of which—the bodies. Did you dispose of them properly?"
Midorima nodded.
He had buried them far from the lab, outside the village. There should be no traces left.
Orochimaru's expression eased slightly. The Chunin Exams were approaching—his carefully laid plans were about to unfold. He couldn't afford any mistakes now.