Death was a common occurrence.
The sight of rotting corpses with steam emanating from scorched skin and pooling blood no longer turned heads. Instead, it was instinct to move forward and mind your own business; especially in the rural outskirts of the lands that had been decimated by the Departure five years ago. Any human and any village that lingered within a twenty metre radius between the coasts and the ocean ceased to exist. Whilst the tsunamis and earthquakes were enough to flatten the Earth, it was the aftermath that remained the biggest challenge.
Humans would do anything to survive. That notion soon engraved itself into the minds of those who continued to live even after the Departure had taken everything away from them. One could even argue that society had become even more advanced and developed than it ever was before, Sasuke believed otherwise. However, he was never one to ruminate over the 'what if's', not when he spent the past couple of years trapped in his own mind and seeing things he'd never seen before.
The Aftermath, as it was called, referred to the shift in priorities as well as morality. Not many were capable of rebuilding themselves, but those who managed to climb their way back up from rock bottom developed a common belief that the world would no longer be able to heal and move on when the war had hardly begun. The Departure was a one-sided onslaught. Some even viewed it as divine retribution— where a higher power refuted what became of humanity in the form of a series of punishments, cults emerging as a result. Sasuke never dared to indulge in the semantics— in fact, he couldn't find it in himself to care about what the future could mean for the rest of the world. All his agendas remain contingent, while his goal had not once wavered.
Those who weren't able to rebuild themselves, gave into the chaos the new world demanded. He had seen it himself, people travelling in hoards, leaving mayhem and bedlam in their stead, numbers soon dwindling as they turn their backs on each other and lose themselves to the destruction they'd ensued.
Destruction. Sasuke scoffed at the word. The world had seen destruction, but they'd never felt it. They'd never felt its power course through their veins, a fast-flowing and never-ending river with a source so infinite its boundary surpassed the very laws of this universe. One that he now wielded, but struggled to control.
Oldpass was a merchant village known for its hotbed of piracy situated near the Hanguri gulf, Orochimaru had sent him along with a team (who'd proven to be much more of a hindrance) in order to retrieve an ancient artefact. It'd been stolen from a pilgrimage site that had existed a millennia ago, its ruins now buried beneath the sand as the result of time's gradual dissolution and the aftermath of the First Shinobi World War. This wasn't the first time Orochimaru had made him an errand boy nor was it the first time he felt a surmountable rage that urged him to burn the bastard into rotten flesh either.
"You'll thank me for this later, Sasuke." Orochimaru had assured him with the same despicable smirk on his face that had always got on his nerves. "This mission is essential to you."
Thank him? He gritted his teeth, he was unable to differentiate between his anger and the heat pulsating onto his skin. The Sand Lands required of him to don a loose, brown poncho, a scabbard unlike his usual blades and a black cloth headband— although the outfit ensured obscurity, it made him equally as uncomfortable.
"You know..." Suigetsu began, his hands resting behind his head as he leisurely strolled through the bustling streets. "Considering I turn into a literal blob of water, it makes me wonder why Orochimaru sent me to a place where I can essentially evaporate. I mean- it has never happened to me before, but hey? Anything's possible these days."
Sasuke ignored him, he'd learnt to tune out of Suigetsu's ceaseless rambling, restraining his urge to kill him was a work in progress.
Their path treaded through the current of the crowds, torrents of people pouring in and out- although it was expected of merchant villages to always be busy especially during peak sales, there was an additional feeling, one that boiled blood and heightened emotions. It made personalities more volatile and violent, in every twist and turn, laid an unconscious body and aggressive exchanges.
"Giving me the silent treatment again?" He groaned childishly. "It's annoying when you do that, it puts me on edge, you tend to do crazy shit—"
Something barged into shoulder. Sasuke maintained his stance as the person who barrelled into him stumbled a couple of steps back, a whiff of alcohol suddenly lingering in the air. The man was like any other lurking in the street, with harsh lines, scruff and a disheveled appearance.
"Watch where you're going, you fucker!" The man growled in a vicious tone, almost like a rabid dog eager to fight. Sasuke held his stare contemplatively, his eyes flickered for a brief second. "Why you staring at me like that, boy? I'll show you something to stare at—"
He lifted his fist, ready to pummel it forth, only that the man was unable to pull his fist back as he paused midair. His eyebrows scrunched as though in pain, the veins on his wrist pulsated and darkened visibly, and his body writhed with struggle.
"W-What are—" He let out a pained grunt, tears escaping his eyes.
Sasuke merely lifted a thin brow and tilted his head, watching as a sickening crack resonated in the air and the man's hand shrivelled up like a raisin; raw, bloodied and his bones protruding and every angle.
"See?!" Suigetsu lifted his hands in exasperation as he stared at the man who was now on his knees, screaming in pain. "Batshit, I say. At least you didn't kill him this time."
His body trembled as he frothed at the mouth, in the matter of seconds he stopped moving.
"Never mind."
Tavern. Green eyes. Crooked nose.
"Let's go." Sasuke said after a small pause, ignoring the onlookers and turning a sharp right. He didn't care to cover his tracks, not when the streets were already littered with bodies.
An abrupt inkling propelled him. Orochimaru had always sent him on wild goose chases in order to discipline his incessant desire for bloodshed. If he was given something else to focus on without losing his temper— his Tenebris would be easier to rein in, an empty and undisturbed mind guaranteed control.
But this time, Orochimaru was persistent, eager even, with eyes that glinted with underlying motive. Sasuke knew he'd be able to retrieve the answers in an instant, but decided to humour him for the time being.
"Can you at least tell me what-"
He entered the tavern, the bell chiming upon their entry, but the noise was drowned out by voices of collective laugher and words amalgamating.
In each and every corner, the seats were filled to the brink, with clusters of people crowding around tables, placing their bets and gambling all their money. The stench of alcohol, odour and drugs were pungent; he recognised the scent, a new drug that had recently been introduced on the market— Tranquil, just one dose was enough to induce powerful hallucinations and delusions. Post Departure, many people resorted to drugs as a coping mechanism, as an escape from reality.
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.
Sasuke stared at him with furrowed brows, or rather, the item he held in his hand that he was sure was the artefact— a pristine black dagger, its appearance glistening even in the dull, yellow light. It wasn't the dagger in itself that made his body tense, it was the feeling it accompanied emitting from the material, a feeling he'd felt one too many times but was never able to exactly pinpoint its origins. All he knew was that the dagger harboured some form of Tenebris, the unadulterated kind.
"Oh shit." Suigetsu rummaged through his pockets. "Did I give the wrong poison, because I don't think that's normal— oh damn, his bones are poking out."
"No." Sasuke watched the man, his interest piqued. "He's been cursed."
It wasn't an unusual occurrence to be cursed, especially after the Departure, but it wasn't necessarily something that happened on a day to day basis either. He suspected the object the man held in his hand was cursed as well— perhaps that was the reason why Orochimaru wished to acquire it, he had a strange obsession with ancient relics.
"It-" the man gasped out, clutching his throat. "It burns!"
He watched the man with indifference as his body squirmed and thrashed, blood trickling from his sockets, ears, and nose as he began to froth at the mouth. It reached to the point where his sclera had turned completely red and his skin a profound shade of purple, a black substance accentuating the veins all over his body.
"H-Help me- please!" The man screamed as one of his bones pierced the surface of his skin, somewhat resembling the sharp spikes of a cactus. All that was heard for the next couple of seconds was the sound of bones snapping. "It was- it was this damned—"
At last, his body slumped to the ground. A searing hole formed in the centre of his torso, the heat emitting steam into the atmosphere as his intestines and organs poured out, clustering onto the wooden floorboards.
"Ew." Suigetsu scrunched his nose in disgust, his eyes suddenly brightening as he moved to touch the dagger. "Ooh, it's a dagger—"
"Don't." Sasuke snapped at him, shoving him back. He then stepped over the body and placed a scroll on the floor.
"Oh, so you can touch the dagger but I can't?" He said in disbelief, his hands on his hips.
Sasuke paused, glancing between the dagger and the man before looking back at Suigetsu. "On another note, be my guest."
Suigetsu stared back at him sceptically, before a grin erupted on his face. "Don't mind if I do—" he lifted the dagger. The moment he did, he let out a yelp as he burnt his hand and immediately liquified it. "Son of a— you bitch, you knew it'd burn me!"
He shrugged in response and lifted the dagger, instead of it burning him, its energy lulled into a gentle calm- a drastic difference from its prior, sporadic outbursts. His eyes then glazed a lacquer white.
A hostel. Cloaked figure. Exchange.
Sasuke frowned, the man was coerced into purchasing the item from an unknown individual. A smart choice, clearly.
However, when he sealed the dagger into the scroll and tucked it away, he saw something that made him still, almost placing him in a trance if it weren't for the sudden emotions of intense anger, rage and something else that made him want to burn the inn to the ground— and perhaps, the entirety of Oldpass as well.
A flower. Not any kind of flower, but wisteria.
He stood up abruptly, breathing heavily as he stumbled back a few steps until his leg hit a table. Of course— of fucking course— Sasuke let out a strained chuckle as he placed his hands on his face, he could physically feel the walls of his mind tremble as if there was a sudden tremor and the feeling he'd always felt resurfaced, the same feeling he attempted to push away but to no avail, it always lingered— always fucking taunting him wherever he went and he couldn't stand it.
Suigetsu looked at him with concern and slight panic. "Hey, Sasuke—"
A frightened scream cut the tension like a sharp knife, Suigetsu looked at the doorway startled while Sasuke tore his hands from his face, burying his nails deep into the palm of his hands as he took deep breaths.
Without a word, he strode out of the room and down the corridor once again, only that the buzz of the alcohol he consumed was overridden by a new source of gratification— power.
Orochimaru said it was a possibility, but he'd never seen it in a long time, where the accumulation of cursed energy manifested itself into a corporeal form. When they reappeared at the front, the chairs and tables were toppled over and cleared to the side in one clean swipe, bodies were torn in half, limbs as well, blood stained the walls and the area was deserted except for the grotesque creature standing in the centre.
A chuckle escaped his mouth as his lips curled upwards and his eyes glinted with newfound purpose. Sasuke could remember it clearly, five years ago when the Leaf was attacked, these very creatures roamed the Fire Lands and wiped out dozens in an instant— such power enticed him.
"What the fuck is that?" Suigetsu gaped. "Can we leave?— Like, right now?"
"No."
"No?" His voice rose a pitch. "Why the fuck not?"
"Speak another word," Sasuke murmured in a low tone, "and I'll let it kill you."
Suigetsu paused, a sudden pressure weighing down on his stomach— he knew Sasuke wasn't bluffing, not when he was like this.
Unlike its previous victims, the creature ignored Suigetsu's presence and looked at Sasuke, as though it was analysing him curiously. The only probable answer he had deduced was because it recognised him to be one of his own, the Tenebris that enshrouded his being, his heart, mind and soul, turned him into a monster that other monsters could easily recognise. It was the instinctual feeling of realising that the reaper of death roamed the very Earth among its inhabitants and at any given moment, could take your soul away in an instant.
The creature crept towards him hesitantly, its talons and tails coated with a thick layer of blood and human flesh, while a low growl escaped its mouth with overhanging teeth that dripped with saliva. Sasuke reciprocated its movements and crept towards it, he stretched his hand out and placed it on its nape.
"Amazing..." He whispered, before a smirk broke out on his lips, "this power."
A shrill screech escaped its lips as Sasuke absorbed its energy, a low groan escaping his own mouth as the power coursed through his body, elevating his own. The creature didn't fight against his hold, gradually growing limp as its body fell to the ground and soon began to decay, leaving wisps of particles cascading in the air.
However, the growls and screams that echoed down the streets signified the presence of other creatures that manifested. The terror and fear that had ensued encased him like a cocoon, the dark energy that traversed the once bustling streets of Oldpass were now feeding grounds to starved beings who thrived on true destruction— much like him. And when he walked outside, it only confirmed his suspicion.
Shattered buildings, stalls overturned and grounds made into a graveyard of freshly mauled bodies. Many creatures, around a dozen, prowled the streets, some on the rooftops, others dispersing. He watched as one of them latched its teeth securely on the head of one of the merchants, tearing it clean off their body and crushing them in its jaws.
"I know you threatened to kill me— but we need to leave." Suigetsu placed his hands on his shoulders, shaking him. "This shit wasn't on our agenda, nor was absorbing the power of an ugly ass troll. You're supposed to control yourself— you know what's at stake if you don't." He warned him threateningly.
Sasuke broke out of his daze and gritted his teeth, shoving his hands off of him.
Quite frankly, he didn't give a shit about what happened to Oldpass or its people, he was more drawn to the power Tenebris had to offer, its ever-evolving potent attributes and the way it glided idly at his command. The ability to control something that could create such devastation only entranced him even more, but he knew that Orochimaru wouldn't give him what he wanted if he took more than what he bargained for.
"Fine." He said after a brief moment, Suigetsu looked unconvinced by nodded anyways.
The two navigated their way out of Oldpass, a village that had now descended into chaos— it would only be the matter of time before Shinobi from the alliance stormed the village and attempted to regain control, but Sasuke was determined to leave nothing behind.
As they reached the threshold, he paused, activating his Mangekyou Sharingan.
Suigetsu appeared startled. "What are you doing?"
"Erasing our tracks." Was the only answer he gave before the intricate spin-wheels in his eyes whirled around. "Amaterasu."