Parallel Lines | Naruto

?| The Lonely Means Of An End

Sasuke scoured through the crowd, his eyes locking onto his target. He leaned against one of the wooden pillars and glanced at Suigetsu.

Suigetsu pursed his lips and sighed deeply. "I fucking hate you."

His lips curled sardonically in response. "I don't care."

"Of course you don't." He grumbled under his breath. "You don't care about anything you heartless bastard." Was all he said as his body liquified and seeped through the gaps of the floorboards.

He noticed it the moment he walked in— a pothole, as it was namely called. This phenomena occurred when cursed energy was drawn towards an area where a nest of dark emotions and Chakra existed. As a result, humans were affected by it negatively, even if they didn't exactly understand what they were being affected by. Though, only he was able to sense it, indulge in it.

Sasuke sighed, manoeuvring his way through the crowd until he reached the bar, for a moment his throat ached, its dryness akin to sandpaper as he yearned to have a drink or ten— at least, enough to get him through the rest of the task, but Orochimaru was insistent that he wasn't intoxicated on this mission— another reason that enticed his curiosity. He wanted him to be level-headed and rational, but even he knew that that was too much to ask for when his patience was already running thin.

"Anythin' catchin' your eye, son?" The barkeep asked, his voice gruff yet hearty.

One can't hurt. He eventually decided, realising that he didn't give a fuck about what Orochimaru wanted. "A Sake."

He began pouring into a shot until Sasuke stopped him. "The whole bottle."

The man raised an eyebrow, but slid the bottle towards him and walked away. He took a swig, the familiar buzz in his throat electrifying his senses— stirring a sinister presence within.

An unsteady mind results in unsteady circumstances. Orochimaru had once warned him and like always, Sasuke was ready to ignore him. His Tenebris thrived on instability and he wasn't feeling particularly merciful at the moment.

His target suddenly staggered upwards after gulping down his drink, his face furrowed in discomfort as he disappeared around the corner towards the right. Sasuke took another sip and stood up, tailing him from behind. It took a while for him to get drunk, so his mind was steady enough to catch the cursed scent that latched onto him the moment he separated from the crowd. Upon his exit, the pothole stirred and exacerbated significantly— an unusual occurrence unless given an incentive.

"Hey, Sasuke." Suigetsu materialised besides him after poisoning the man's drink, this time with a newly equipped blade. "Something feels... strange. The kind that makes you want to shit your pants— are you drinking again?! C'mon! Orochimaru is gonna slaughter me."

"It's not Orochimaru you should worry about." Sasuke responded as they turned down to another corridor, making their way towards the only door at the end. He could hear shuffling and items cluttering to the ground along with a string of curses.

He sighed in annoyance and eyed the door warily. "I'm serious dickwad, you never listen—"

"I only listen when I hear anything worth listening to." Sasuke retorted before entering the room.

Just then, the man's body whirled around, his eyes bloodshot and wide, the veins on his face beating vehemently as though his vessels were on the verge of combusting.