Chapter 23: First Experience 

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A few weeks passed since the trio had gotten their separate advice from Orochimaru. 

Akio trained as usual until he got a request from Orochimaru to meet him. This was the first time he had summoned them since that time. He was a busy man after all. 

Over this time, he had ingrained all the books Orochimaru gave him in his head using his cheat. He had roughly revised some information but that was going to take time. 

Akio wanted to take his time and learn all of it due to how helpful it will be in the future. 

That is why he will soon pass Orochimaru's test with flying colours, before moving on to learn the mystical palm technique. 

The more his knowledge of the medical line is adept; the more it will benefit him in its use. 

Now, he had arrived with his teammates next to him, directly in front of Orochimaru. 

"Today will be a preparation for something. There's not a lot of time before we need to head to war. This is to steel your resolve and be ready," he explained seriously. 

After he said this statement, Tsume and Arise had furrowed brows whilst Akio's eyes gleamed with expectancy. He immediately knew what this was. 

Orochimaru merely said this and asked them to follow him, to which they did. They followed him until they reached a building… it felt quite… gloomy. 

Two shinobi were sternly standing in front, although not wearing shinobi flak jackets. Rather, fully black clothing — like they were Anbu. 

When the four reached the door, the guards nodded at Orochimaru and glanced at the students behind, before opening the door. 

As soon as the door opened, a stench rushed into his nose. It smelt of a rotten odour and some kind of detergent. 

Although, not only his nose picked up something but his ears did too. The sounds of chains rattled and the helpless screaming of prisoners echoed. This whole place sent a shiver down each of their spines. 

All of them walked down the dark corridor until they reached a few cells. 

Some of them had an arm missing… others had an eye or leg missing too. These details were hidden by anyone. But there was one thing that stood out… their eyes.

They all had the same look. Dull with an empty gaze, looking at them felt as though they had nothing. Their eyes looked at you like you weren't human but an object of some sort. 

Contrary to the trio's fearful demeanour, Orochimaru just looked apathetic to all of this and carried on walking.

"S-sensei, what are we doing here?" Tsume asked, trembling from the gazeless eyes looking at her. 

"We're here to strengthen your resolve, dear Tsume," Orochimaru said. 

"But ho-"

Just as she was about to speak again, Orochimaru interrupted, "You'll see. Don't be impatient, child. We're finally here now." 

 

They now stood in front of three people tied up, beaten and bruised. Their eyes had lost the previous lister from before, not daring to look up. 

It seemed as though their hair hadn't been cut in days, dropping to the floor and covering a portion of their face. Akio looked at this with a bit of disgust — even covering his nose from the stench this man brought off. 

"Now, each one of you has a task. Kill one of them. Get used to the feeling. I order you as your Sensei," Orochimaru emotionlessly said. 

"W-what," Arise stuttered. 

Tsume and he looked incredulously at his order… kill… something they had never done. This was their first time. 

"Did you hear me stutter, child? I said,'' he paused, pulling out a kunai. "Use this and swipe it across their neck." 

Arise gulped heavily whilst Akio sighed, glancing at his sensei's apathy. This thought went by for a minute before Akio stepped forward; his eyes gleaming with determination. 

"Oh?" Orochimaru was amusingly humming. "You haven't disappointed me. Now here." He handed over the kunai which Akio impulsively grabbed. His movements are quick. 

His heartbeat quickened as he walked forward. He felt the amused gaze of Orochimaru and his teammates staring intently. But he kept walking forward, inhaling deeply and trying to shake off the nerves. 

However, this just got worse, feeling a sort of tunnel vision. He knew that he was about to kill a person and felt like he was walking into something — he just couldn't explain it. 

'I have to kill him,' he inwardly chanted. 'To survive, I have to be ready to kill…'

If he couldn't do this, then what had he done all this for? 

All these hours of painstaking effort, shedding blood and tears every day since he came here… what was it for? 

His goals…

This mere prisoner wouldn't stop his way nor shake his resolve… actually it strengthened it. 

Akio's eyes flashed through the phases before a deep inhale came and his hands clutched the kunai. In a swift motion, he swiped it across the man's neck, initiating a gurgling reflex. 

He instinctively leaned back, seeing the blood squirting out of a pocket hole in his neck. Slight wheezing came straight after, sounding like a pig snorting. The prisoner's body was now limp, laying flat on the floor — Akio felt a bit dazed. 

Like what he had just done was a dream… it didn't… feel real to him. 

He looked down at his blood-covered hands, then back at Orochimaru who stood right in front of him, glancing at his state. 

"You should go home immediately," Orochimaru stated. "You're in a bit of shock. It'll wear over." 

Akio's eyes looked like they were in a world of their own, as he just nodded robotically. The pair behind him felt a burden — it was their turn next. 

Before heading home, Akio headed toward the bathroom first to clean his hands. The smell of blood was now a lot stronger like it was coming from his own body… he felt disgusted; he wanted to cleanse himself… he hated this feeling. 

He stared back at himself in the mirror — no — taking a long hard stare and thought… thought about how he would do this countless times in the future. So much so that it would be part of his daily routine. 

This was necessary… for everything.