"Are you going to be discharged from the hospital tomorrow?" Hyuga Ritsu asked Okamoto Dousuke.
"Well, my wounds have basically healed. If it weren't for Teacher Tsunade stopping me from using the Mystical Palm Technique, I would have healed them completely a long time ago," Okamoto Dousuke explained, looking at Hyuga Ritsu.
"Oh, then I won't have to get up early every day to prepare lunch for you anymore." As she said this, the cheerful tapping sound of her wooden sandals softened.
"Sister Ritsu, if it's not too much trouble, you could come to my house and cook for me," Okamoto Dousuke said, sensing her slightly downcast mood.
"This... this isn't really proper! Won't people misunderstand?" When Hyuga Ritsu heard his suggestion, her large, innocent eyes widened with a hopeful gleam.
"No, don't worry about that, Sister Ritsu. I live alone, so no one will misunderstand. Only if you don't mind the inconvenience, of course."
"Well, that's a deal then! I'll come to your house whenever I have time and help you prepare lunch." Her voice was bright again, and the clattering of her sandals became louder as she walked with a spring in her step.
They chatted and laughed all the way, soon arriving at the Hyuga clan's compound.
Okamoto Dousuke watched Hyuga Ritsu walk in, clutching her prize from their outing. From his perspective, he could only see her two small, white feet stepping on the wooden clogs. The oversized teddy bear, nearly as tall as she was, pressed against her petite frame, completely obscuring her figure as she walked towards her home with a slight wobble and obvious effort.
Okamoto Dousuke smiled at her retreating back before turning around to leave himself.
"Hey, where do you think you're going, commoner boy? Do you actually believe you stand a chance with a girl from the Hyuga clan?" A member of the Hyuga clan, wearing a Chunin vest, abruptly blocked Okamoto Dousuke's path.
"Let me tell you something, the children of the Hyuga clan, even those from the branch family, will never marry a vagrant like you," another Hyuga clan ninja sneered mockingly at Okamoto Dousuke.
"Kid, don't ever show your face within the boundaries of the Hyuga clan again. Do you hear me?" the first ninja warned, his tone laced with threat.
Okamoto Dousuke looked at the two ninjas who had blocked his way, a surge of anger welling up within him.
Just moments ago, Okamoto Dousuke had politely seen Hyuga Ritsu to her gate, only to be barred from entering by these very guards, simply because he wasn't a member of the Hyuga clan.
Clenching his fists tightly, Okamoto Dousuke fought hard to suppress the burning resentment in his heart. He chose to ignore the two men, turning his back on them and walking away.
"Hey, you're just going to leave? You must be a delusional Genin if you think you could ever take a Hyuga for yourself," one of them called after him.
Okamoto Dousuke kept repeating to himself to remain patient, to not give them the satisfaction of a reaction. He continued to ignore their taunts, quickening his pace as he left the Hyuga compound behind.
After going back home.
Click!
Okamoto Dousuke flipped the light switch in his small apartment, and a dim glow instantly illuminated the familiar space.
Though the house was modest in size, it had everything he needed.
A thin layer of dust had settled on the table and windowsill during his few days in the hospital.
He headed to the bathroom, grabbing a rag and filling a basin with water. He then began to clean his small home, wiping away the dust and grime.
After tidying up, he surveyed his newly cleaned apartment.
"Now this is peace," Okamoto Dousuke muttered to himself as he sat down on his bed, closing his eyes to focus on refining his chakra.
After a short while, Okamoto Dousuke stood up from the bed again, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips.
"I can't seem to concentrate on my chakra training. My thoughts keep drifting to Sister Ritsu, and then those two arrogant ninjas from the Hyuga family keep popping into my head."
After packing a change of clothes, Okamoto Dousuke locked his door and initiated the Water Flash Body Technique.
Swish, swish, swish.
Okamoto Dousuke leaped across the rooftops of the village with practiced ease, quickly arriving at the training grounds in the depths of the Forest of Death.
To his surprise, Okamoto Dousuke didn't see Might Guy at their usual training spot. He must still be away on a mission.
Ever since they had all graduated from the Ninja Academy, their opportunities to train together had become fewer and farther between.
As Okamoto Dousuke pondered this, his hand became enveloped in a thin film of water, and he delivered a powerful punch to the wooden training stake before him.
He was still too weak, Dousuke thought, even though he's Tsunade-sensei's disciple and holds a respected position at Konoha Hospital.
But for powerful ninja clans like the Hyuga and Uchiha, only by achieving the legendary status of the Sannin could one expect such influential families to make any concessions.
Okamoto Dousuke relentlessly channeled his frustration into the training stake, each punch a release of his pent-up anger.
It seems I need to improve my strength as quickly as possible. Having secretly resolved himself to this goal, Dousuke Okamoto continued his vigorous training.
An hour later, Okamoto Dousuke lay sprawled on the training ground, drenched in sweat and his lungs burning.
"Huh… huh… I feel… better. I'm not even afraid of death anymore, so what else is there to fear?"
"Dousuke-kun, are you venting your anger out here?" A voice, cold and unsettling, echoed through the trees.
Though this description might be slightly off, the moment Okamoto Dousuke heard it, a primal sense of danger washed over him, the feeling of being a helpless prey in the presence of a deadly predator.
Okamoto Dousuke remained motionless for a split second. Then, using his Water Teleportation, he swiftly escape from the ground to the top of a training stake, his eyes scanning the direction from which the voice had originated.
The speaker made no attempt to conceal their presence, standing openly in the shadows.
The instant his gaze fell upon the figure, Okamoto Dousuke's pupils constricted. "Lord Orochimaru… what are you doing here?"
"I was simply taking a leisurely stroll and happened to hear some rather energetic activity coming from the training grounds," Orochimaru replied, his voice a low, raspy whisper. "So, naturally, I came to investigate."
Watching as Orochimaru's unnaturally long tongue snaked out of his mouth, flickered in the dim light, and then swiftly retracted, Okamoto Dousuke couldn't help but inwardly scoff. You're a dignified Sannin! Taking a walk in this desolate training ground in the middle of the night? Who are you trying to fool?
"Dousuke-kun," Orochimaru continued, his piercing gaze unwavering, "what is this anger that churns within your heart?"
"It's nothing, Lord Orochimaru. This last mission merely made me acutely aware of my own shortcomings, and I'm simply pushing myself to improve," Okamoto Dousuke answered, trying to sound nonchalant.
"I hear that Dousuke-kun achieved a remarkable feat on his very first mission. I believe that many Chunin, and even some Jonin, would be hard-pressed to reach your level of accomplishment."
"And that chakra-blocking technique you discovered, Dousuke-kun, though its activation conditions are quite specific, it is truly a significant breakthrough. Dousuke-kun, I have always recognized your inherent genius," Orochimaru said, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling eagerness as he stared at Okamoto Dousuke.
"It's… not as exaggerated as you make it sound, Lord Orochimaru. I'm just an ordinary person who happened to get a little lucky," Okamoto Dousuke demurred, a prickle of unease running down his spine.
"No matter how abundant your luck may be, it will be squandered if you fail to recognize and harness its power. Dousuke-kun, remember this: the disparities between different classes are often insurmountable," Orochimaru stated, his words laced with a cryptic meaning.
"If you ever find yourself in need of assistance, you can always come to me. After all, your teacher Tsunade and I were once classmates," Orochimaru added in a low, insinuating tone.
Okamoto Dousuke remained silent, his gaze fixed on Orochimaru, whose lower half was shrouded in the dense shadows of the forest.
Within the darkness, the large knot tied around Orochimaru's waist billowed slightly in the night breeze, resembling a venomous snake patiently stalking its prey, poised to strike the moment its quarry lowered its guard.
Just then, a small girl, appearing to be around ten years old, skipped over from the side, her footsteps light on the forest floor.
"Master, Master! Look what I caught this time!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with childish excitement.
The young girl held out a plate towards Orochimaru, presenting her catch as if it were a precious treasure.
Okamoto Dousuke squinted, trying to get a better look. He saw a coiled black and white venomous snake. Its triangular head flicked out a sharp, forked tongue, and its fangs glinted menacingly in the moonlight, appearing and disappearing as it shifted.
"Master, doesn't it look beautiful? The black and white patterns are so clear! I want to make it my necklace!" she declared happily, then swiftly snatched the snake from Orochimaru and draped it around her neck, the venomous creature writhing against her skin.
This entire sequence of actions sent a shiver of revulsion down Okamoto Dousuke's spine.
So… cruel.