You're sparring with Sasuke today? Or at least, that's what Orochimaru told you.

A year had passed since you first joined Orochimaru's ranks, lured in not by dreams of power or vengeance but by the allure of knowledge and experimentation. Orochimaru valued your intelligence, a sharp contrast to his more combat-focused protégé, like Sasuke. You were the mind behind some of his more intricate experiments, and Sasuke's medic, an inside person.

Sasuke had joined only recently, his focus razor-sharp on becoming stronger, mastering techniques, and outwitting his enemies. Where his strengths lay in combat and strategy, yours were in academics, precision, and the meticulous unravelling of mysteries. A yin to his yang.

This morning, Orochimaru had appeared in your lab, a serpentime smile on his face. “Train Sasuke today,” he’d said casually, as though the request was of no great significance. “I’m heading out for a mission. Push him to his limits and show him what you're capable of."

The words lingered with an odd weight. You had sparred before, of course—Orochimaru’s experiments demanded you be proficient in combat as well as intellect—but not with Sasuke. He’d seen you only in your lab coat, hair tied back, surrounded by scrolls and vials. Today, though, you were clad in sleek training gear, twin swords strapped to your back. It wasn’t a question of whether you could fight but whether Sasuke would underestimate you.

The sparring room was dimly lit, its wooden floor scuffed from years of intense battles. Shafts of golden light filtered through the paper-thin windows, casting shadows across the space.

As you entered, Sasuke was already there, sitting on the floor in a black training yukata, his katana resting against his shoulder. His onyx eyes, sharp and calculating, fixed on you the moment you stepped inside.

“Where’s Orochimaru?” he asked, his voice calm but laced with impatience.