The echo of the name still vibrated in his ears.
A raspy voice, muffled by the metallic resonance of the underground tunnels.
"You. Get up."
The young man opened his eyes, his heart still racing. The light was dim, filtered through torches and metal tubes that seemed to breathe with a pulse of their own. The air smelled of iron and dampness, the sound of dripping water mingling with a deep, almost constant hum, as if the very earth were vibrating.
Before him stood a figure.
A boy with half his face covered by bandages and an auditory device on his left arm. His gaze was cold, but held a curious mix of judgment and disinterest.
Dosu Kinuta.
Seeing him there, so real, so palpable, sent a jolt through his stomach.
He knew who he was. He knew how he would end. And yet, he couldn't tear his eyes away from that living reality before him.
"What are you doing lying there?" Dosu grunted, crossing his arms. "Lord Orochimaru does not tolerate delays."
Arata blinked, trying to order the thoughts tumbling through his mind. The echo of his death, the fire, the world he had left behind… it all felt like a shattered dream he now had to accept as truth.
He rose slowly, clumsily. His legs trembled.
"Orochimaru…?" he repeated, barely a whisper.
Dosu clicked his tongue.
"Tch. Still half-asleep? Kabuto said you were stable. I suppose the experiment left you dazed."
"Experiment…?"
"It doesn't matter." Dosu's tone hardened. "If you can walk, follow me. The others will explain the rest."
Arata followed him in silence. The tunnel was narrow, illuminated by torches embedded in the walls. With every step, the echo of their footsteps multiplied, creating the illusion that they were being watched.
As they advanced, a cascade of thoughts assaulted him with every breath.
I'm here. In the Sound. In the body of a ninja. This can't be a dream.
He could feel the chakra inside him, flowing weakly, a warm current that responded to his breathing. It was real. Not a fantasy, not a dying mind's wish-fulfillment.
The tunnel opened into a wider chamber, where several figures in grey robes were gathered around a table.
Among them, Arata instantly recognized the face of Kabuto Yakushi, still young, with round glasses and a measured smile.
Dosu gave a slight bow.
"Subject 07-E is awake."
Kabuto observed him with that inhuman calm that seemed to dissect with a glance.
"Excellent. Lord Orochimaru will be pleased. The boy awoke sooner than expected." He adjusted his glasses, his gaze direct. "How do you feel, Arata?"
The name resonated in his mind like a hollow bell.
Arata… that's me now.
"Confused," he replied in a low voice.
"That is normal. Your body was stabilized only three days ago. The experimental seal responded well. Orochimaru-sama is considering assigning you to Dosu's team for the upcoming exams in Konoha."
Arata's heart stopped for an instant.
Konoha.
The Chunin Exams.
The moment everything begins to collapse.
"To Konoha?" he repeated, trying to sound surprised, not terrified.
Kabuto nodded with his eternal, benign smile.
"Lord Orochimaru wishes to observe how his specimens react under real stress. And you… have potential." His glasses glinted with a cold light. "Perhaps more than we initially believed."
Arata did not respond. He knew too much. He knew what it meant to be 'promising' to Orochimaru: to become an experiment, a vessel, or a sacrifice.
Kabuto gave Dosu a final instruction and withdrew, his white coat sweeping behind him like a specter. Silence filled the chamber once more.
Dosu turned to him.
"Be ready. We leave at dawn. Orochimaru does not tolerate delays."
Without another word, he left him alone.
The silence weighed like lead.
Arata leaned against the cold tunnel wall, trying to process the vertigo consuming him.
I'm going to Konoha… with Orochimaru. With the Sound. All of this… is really happening.
He brought a hand to his chest.
His heart beat strong.
He felt the chakra flow, an electric current coursing through his body like a contained river.
He closed his eyes. Took a deep breath.
He tried to mold it, just as he had seen so many times in the anime, channeling it toward the palm of his hand.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, a spark—faint, blueish—illuminated his fingers.
The current hit him with a brief, sharp burn.
The smell of ozone filled the air.
"Raiton…" he whispered, a mixture of awe and relief. "It's real…"
The chakra slowly dissipated, leaving a buzz in the air. His body trembled, but not from fear. It was pure exhilaration. The confirmation that his soul was anchored to this world.
He opened his eyes and looked at his hands.
The pale skin, the longer fingers, the recent scars on his forearm.
It was a young body, but not a weak one. He could feel the potential sleeping in his muscles, in his blood, in his chakra.
Arata Kurozawa.
A new name. A new body.
But the same heart, the same echo of the boy who died saving lives.
He lifted his gaze to the ceiling, where the shadows from the torches danced to the Sound's own breathing.
"If this is my new beginning…" he whispered, a faint violet glow crossing his vision, "...then I will make sure my echo is not lost in this noise."
The tunnel answered with a dull murmur, as if the earth itself were listening.
And for the first time since his rebirth, Arata Kurozawa smiled.