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Orochimaru would wonder if he was cursed, if he was even slightly susceptible to such nonsense, after his second partner died.
As it was, it was merely bad luck.
That's how life went sometimes.
People died.
Often.
He was simply luckier.
Or more resilient.
Orochimaru suspected the latter.
It never made the experience any easier or more palatable, though.
Here he was now, holding on to the door frame and silently cursing Hyuuga Hiashi.
For bringing him the news, for surviving, for basically everything wrong in Hizashi's life.
“Thank you for telling me,” Orochimaru bit out, through gritted teeth.
Hiashi didn't have to do this, after all.
That bit of politeness was the last concession Orochimaru ever would make to Hiashi, before never speaking to him again.
The man even had the gall to look pale and sick and grieving, of all things.
Orochimaru was ready to through courtesy to the wind and crash the door into his face, when Hiashi visibly straightened before speaking.
“He wanted you to, to have custody.”
It stopped Orochimaru in his tracks and successfully spared Hiashi a broken nose.
“What did you say?”
His chakra was building in pressure and abrasiveness in tandem with his escalating feelings, but Orochimaru didn't care.
If the Hyuuga clan thought they could get out of even the least bit of responsibility after Hizashi's death, Orochimaru would force them to recognise the wrongness of their misconceptions.
Hiashi seemed to get riled up himself, but outwardly only a frown marred his face.
In that moment, Orochimaru loathed him with every fibre of his being.
“His son. Hizashi named you guardian fir his son, Neji.”
Hiashi took half a step to the side, to reveal the little boy behind him.
Orochimaru stared at the boy, his anger slowly dampened by shock.
He had forgotten all about the boy or simply assumed the Hyuuga would take care of him.
Pitied the boy for half a thought.
He threw a sharp glance at Hiashi, who seemed stiff but unrelenting.
“I ask that you accept.” Hiashi's voice turned quiet, more subdued.
“It was my brother's last wish.”
And he bowed, at least low enough to show respect, which was more than most people got from a Hyuuga.
Hiashi remained there a second.
Long enough, that Orochimaru could have put a kunai through his neck, if he wanted to.
The glint in his eyes showed that Hiashi knew that, once he rise again.
A calculated move.
The boy stared, more openly than a lower caste member usual was allowed to.
He was still young and soft and not yet broken.
Orochimaru swallowed.
For a second, he entertained the thought of what would happen when he sent the boy away.
He closed his eyes.
Opened them again.
“Leave,” he told Hiashi, who only nodded and touched the boy's shoulder.
Once, gently.
“Stay, Neji. Orochimaru-san is now responsible for you.”
He turned without another word and walked away.
Hiashi could have used a shunshin.
It would have been quicker, the cut of separation sharper.
Maybe there was some sentimentality in him.
Or, Orochimaru thought, it was a subtle manipulation of the boy's good will towards the Hyuuga.
He huffed and turned to look at the bit more closely, but had to close his eyes.
The boy was clearly his father's son and would only grow into his features more and more each day.
Orochimaru sighed. “Come, for the first time, I will carry you, after today you will have to… I will teach you the traps and seals in place to keep intruders out.”
“I can look,” the boy said, voice small and hesitant.
With a bit of training, or even now, the boy's could show the traps, certainly.
Orochimaru hummed, “You could.” He tried to catch the boys eyes after gathering him up in his arms. “But you don't have to.”