Interlude (AU): The Other Member of the Three

​ It was another ordinary day at Research Facility 13. Unnatural screams echoed in the distance, the pipes overhead hissed and bubbled as hazardous substances sped down them to parts preferably unknown, and Hazō sat at a table sipping herbal tea as he idly debated philosophy with his family.​

“On the contrary,” Keiko said, “I think it is clear that when the Mizukage refers to ‘a life lived with honour’, he is referring to adherence to a rigid code of loyalty, incorporating both submission to authority and the avoidance of all forms of betrayal. You will note the reference to punishment, which implies the requirement of meeting defined external expectations.”

Hazō shook his head as he put down his cup. “You’re only saying that because the same chapter talks about traitors as being the most dishonourable members of any human society. But in context, honour has a broader meaning. It’s about how you should conduct your life as a person, both towards other people and in terms of your own thoughts and feelings. Punishment in this case is inherent to the nature of the crime—living dishonourably just has predictable negative effects.”

“That’s a definition so broad as to be useless. My Vision was intended to be a guide to the specifics of life as a citizen in the Mizukage’s Mist, not a vague meditation on ethics.”

“You can’t be serious,” Hazō objected. “Don’t you remember what he says in the third section of Chapter 2, in the discussion of proper treatment of one’s fellow man? There’s a universalisable moral imperative here, not just a narrowly-defined ideology.”

“Children,” Orochimaru chuckled drily, “what have I told you about taking ethics too seriously? If you want to understand the Mizukage’s thinking, you have to take a pragmatic perspective. What is his end goal, and in what ways does he wish to transform his readers in order to achieve it?”

Hazō reached for his teacup again, and found it empty. Orochimaru’s unique herbal tea, ideal for relaxing the body and stimulating the mind, was a favourite of everyone on Team Singularity, and Orochimaru was always lamenting how quickly they went through his supplies. The outcast genius lamented a lot of things, few of them seriously. Back when they first joined him after fleeing the Swamp of Death, he’d seen them as little more than walking Bloodline Limits for research, but he’d soon warmed to the idea of assistants who not only shared his fascination with unlimited advancement of the human species but brought plenty of new ideas to the table, to say nothing of Mari-sensei’s diplomatic capabilities (social skills not being Orochimaru’s strongest point).

As for Hazō, he loved having a mentor who accepted the most extreme and dangerous research proposals for review without flinching, and those augmentations they’d all received over the years weren’t half bad either. Meanwhile, Keiko delighted in the constant intellectual stimulation Orochimaru’s work provided, and who’d have thought that Noburi would discover such a gift for medical experimentation within himself?

“Bitey,” Hazō beckoned their servant of the day, “pour me more tea.”

Orochimaru gave a disapproving hiss. “I told you, Hazō, never name your future dissection subjects. It is awkward for all concerned.”

“That was Noburi,” Hazō said. “He says it’s easier to tell them apart that way than if you use a series of numbers. Besides, Bitey doesn’t need dissecting. You said the seventh generation—“

But the chakra deathclaw’s appendage shook a little as it lifted the teapot, sending tea all over the tablecloth.

“Never mind.”

“My bad,” Noburi called out, rising up the laboratory stairs. “I really thought we’d got the Iron Nerve properly integrated this time. Keiko gave the schematics the OK and everything.”

“Noburi,” Orochimaru said sharply, “what have I told you about leaving the labs without complete disinfection? Do you want to end up like my previous assistant?”

“Sorry, Stepfather,” Noburi muttered as he retreated. “Save me some tea.”

Orochimaru sighed. “That boy has survived longer than any other human ever to enter my workspace, but sometimes I fear it is through luck more than good judgement. Thank you for cleaning the table, Keiko.”

“Not at all. It does seem I am partly to blame for the seventh generation’s incompleteness. With the Chūnin Exams so close, we cannot afford another disaster like the fifth.”

Hazō shuddered as he recalled the last hours of Research Facility 4.

“I just hope it’s worth it,” he said.

“It will be,” Orochimaru said. “Once we brand all of the world’s top genin with the self-replicating cursed seal you helped me design, all we will have to do is sit back and wait.”

He looked at the chakra deathclaw. “Bitey,” he said with distaste, “report to Dissection Subject Storage.

“Now, while we wait for Noburi, perhaps one of you could analyse the Mizukage’s assertions on honour from a more goal-oriented perspective? I think it will offer you valuable insight on the subtleties of mental conditioning… which I imagine will come in useful very soon.”

-o-

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Apologies for delay and lack of canon update. The torch will have to be passed to @eaglejarl this week.