Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Consuming Darkness ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: eclectic_souls 
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.01.2007 | Updated On: 01.01.2007 | Pages: 2 | Words: 5.7K | Visits: 192 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.01.2007 | Updated On: 01.01.2007 | Pages: 2 | Words: 5.7K | Visits: 192 | Status: Work In Progress
~*~ Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. However, I do thank Kishimoto Masashi for creating all of these lovely angsty characters. As Nee-chan knows, angsty boys make me smile. ^_^
A/N: I blame Nee-chan for the following chaos. All complaints will be sent to her. I am not responsible for the loss of life and limbs that may happen afterward.
~*~
The two shinobi were traveling as fast as they possibly could. They darted through tree branches, over bird's nests, and under startled squirrels. Their movements were silent and had the grace that only someone used to battle and secrecy could attain. They zigged and they zagged, never following any straight path. Sometimes, they doubled back and traveled the same direction, but on a different path. Other times, they changed direction entirely, ran that way for a few miles, then continued in the original direction. Their way of traveling was erratic, but if one had enough time to study their movements, they would be able to tell they were slowly, but surely, heading toward Otogakure.
That is, if one knew where Otogakure was. The small village hidden in sound was never in one place for very long. Orochimaru made sure to change the location every few weeks or so. They would move. He would rest. Then, they would move again. Of course, if anyone dared tell the snake master he needed rest they would probably find themselves trying to pull their guts back into their stomach before all of the words had even left their mouth. Kabuto was the slight exception. The medi-nin once from Konoha could get away with a lot of things. Mostly because he was the only one skilled enough to quickly patch the snake master up. Orochimaru tolerated him for that reason, and for the simple fact that the medi-nin amused him to no end. Yes, Orochimaru could be amused, even if his forms of amusement were more than slightly morbid and bloody.
One of the shinobi stumbled slightly, barely catching himself before he plummeted to the ground. He stopped and leaned against a tree, panting. An okami ANBU mask hid his expression from view. Now that he had stopped, it was easy to see the myriad of bandages covering his body. The white pieces of cloth covered his arms, his legs, his neck, and if the rest of his skin wasn't hidden by white clothing more of the bandages would be revealed. The visible bandages and select few pieces of his outfit were stained red with the blood of reopened wounds. He held a fingerless glove covered hand over his side, wincing slightly as it made contact. He slowly slid to the ground, leaning against the trunk of the tree for support, as his companion doubled back for him.
This shinobi, kunoichi really, had a neko ANBU mask hiding her facial features. Her attire was identical to that of her traveling companion's in every regard, except that it was black instead of white. A body suit that hugged every curve tightly to the body was covered by standard ANBU gear. Loose, but not too loose, clothing and various pouches and hidden kunai were on her person. Strapped to her back were two katana, their sheaths making a large 'X' on her back. She knelt down and reached out to touch her companion, but he slapped her hand away.
"I'm fine," he bit out through clenched teeth and ragged breaths. "Orochimaru-sama.....Orochimaru-sama will be angry if we........if we are late," he said between pants. He shakily got to his feet, let out a cry of pain, and immediately collapsed again.
The kunoichi caught him and shook her head. Ignoring her companion's protests, she situated him over her back and started off again. The two were a great contrast, especially when so close to one another. As they sped off at an even greater speed than before toward Otogakure, the kunoichi seemed to blend into the shadows, while her companion somehow disappeared in the faint light of the forest.
~*~
Orochimaru-sama was in a strangely exquisite mood.
He smiled as the symphony of screams reached his ears. He chuckled to himself and even started bobbing his head to the imagined rhythm. It seemed he was in a good mood. He waved his arms like a conductor would, managing his lovely orchestra quite nicely. He was even humming along to whatever tune it was his ears were hearing. He let out another chuckle and his feet moved, almost of their own accord. He ended up twirling about the room, arms waving to and fro as he conducted. He was even lightly humming along, chuckling even more as he moved. yes, Orochimaru was in a very good mood.
Fortunately for the snake master's medi-nin, Kabuto had enough knowledge of his master to never walk in unannounced. However, it was important to deliver certain information to his master. His master had specifically told him to inform him if certain things happened. One of those things had happened. However, he also knew that Orochimaru was more likely to shoot the messenger than the idiot who needed the message sent. Hm, how to solve this dilemma?
Unfortunately for the weak underling that happened to be passing by, Kabuto had figured out how to solve his dilemma. "Matte," he called out, holding a hand out, indicating said minion should stop. Kabuto would have smirked as the idiot listened, but he had better control than that. He put an arm around the young man's shoulders, spouting off some nonsense about gaining power and being in Orochimaru-sama's favor. With a trustworthy, congratulatory smile and an arm motion followed by a few words of encouragement, he soon had the man nearly skipping into Orochimaru's lair.
There was a loud hissing, the sound of kunai and shuriken hitting a wall, a terrible scream, then...silence. Kabuto smirked and rapped on the door. When in doubt, sacrifice the minions.
Orochimaru let loose a flare of chakra, the shinobi's way of granting permission to enter. Kabuto did so, bowing deeply as the door closed behind him. "Orochimaru-sama," he greeted, staying in place until the sannin stood in front of him.
"Kabuto-kun," Orochimaru replied, a smirk on his face as he looked down at his subordinate. Kabuto normally didn't stay in the bow for so long. He wasn't that respectful. Something must be wrong. "Tell me, what is your reason for being here?" he asked. The screams echoing from down the hall slowly died off until there was only the odd silence between master and servant.
"Akatsuki-san," Kabuto started, but paused when he heard Orochimaru chuckle. He didn't move. If he were lucky, Orochimaru wouldn't kill him. If he wasn't, then he wouldn't even have time to react before his guts were splayed out on the floor. When the sannin made no other noises, Kabuto risked a glance upward.
Orochimaru sat in a makeshift throne. He was settled in what appeared to be a boneless heap, arms splayed over the arms and legs crossed. He smirked at Kabuto and made a hand motion for him to stand. The medi-nin did so. He said nothing, however, until Orochimaru's smirk turned into a frown.
"It appears that they have found out about both your acquiring of Sasuke-san and the twins," Kabuto went on. "They are headed this way, though, they are several days out. Also, Kira-san and Kishi-san have returned from their mission. Kira awaits your permission for a debriefing. Kishi is in the infirmary. I did a temporary patching up before I came to tell you, Orochimaru-sama." At this, he bowed again. "I apologize for my late arrival to tell you all of this, but you did instruct me to make sure the nin did not die until you spoke with them."
Orochimaru was silent for a moment. He placed a hand on his chin, thinking for a moment. Finally, he let out a chuckle. "Send Kira-chan to me, Kabuto. As soon as she is able. Check her over first. I do not want her dying while we have our little....discussion." He waved a hand in the air dismissively. Kabuto bowed once more and left the room. It took all of his will power to show his back to the, still chuckling, snake lord.
Once the door was shut, Orochimaru stood and walked over to the shadows in the corner of the room. He reached down and calmly pulled the bleeding body of the shinobi who had interrupted him earlier. The man groaned and looked up at his master with slitted eyes. He tried to say something, but instead started coughing. Orochimaru stepped back as small droplets of blood fell on the floor. He clucked his tongue disapprovingly and fixed the man with an amused stare.
"Hm, I suppose you will do. I have been meaning to try this new jutsu," he told him in a voice a mother might use to soothe her child. It sounded morbid coming from the sannin, and the killing intent that filled the room as he said this made the genin at his feet tremble. "Scream for me," Orochimaru whispered, a smirk playing on his lips.
Kabuto shuddered and leaned against the door of the room he had just left. It appeared that today was going to be one of those days. Normally, he didn't fear his lord, but there were some days.... He shook his head and started walking down the hall, wincing as screams erupted from behind the closed door. They started out rather dignified, as screams went, but quickly turned into shrill sobs. The pitch of the voice emitting them went higher and high until it blended into choked, painful sounds coming from a raw, scratched throat.
Yes, it appeared that Orochimaru-sama was indeed in a good mood.
~*~
The ANBU okami mask lay on a table beside the only occupied bed in the dimly lit infirmary. Actually, it was the only bed in the infirmary, but the injured ANBU and his partner really didn't care at the moment. The kunoichi still had her ANBU mask on and was fussing over the pale haired man perching on the edge of the bed. She attempted to get him cleaned up as she tried to convince him to lay down, making noises akin to the sympathetic murmers medi-nin make when healing children.
The shinobi being fussed over was anything but pleased. "Cut it out," he complained, trying to swat her hands away. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to match her speed and she easily evaded his movements. He let out a sigh and reached up to run a hand through his shoulder length hair. His eyes were a pure white shade. The only reason one could tell iris from pupil was that the pupil was a slightly darker silver shade. The only reason his irises could be seen was because the rest of his eyes were slightly bloodshot. He had a little trouble focusing on objects in the flickering candlelight, but he chalked that up to blood loss and fatigue. Running for days with wounds only slightly patched up and no rest could do that to a person.
The masked kunoichi said nothing. Instead, she grabbed a bowl of water and a rag. Her pale eyed companion didn't even bother protesting as she started, of all things, cleaning his face.
Quiet laughter was heard from the doorway as Kabuto walked in. He pushed his glasses up his nose and stared at the scene before him for a moment before lightly touching the neko ANBU's shoulder.
"Enough, Kira," he said in a surprisingly soft voice. "I'll deal with him. You sit." He pointed to a chair on the other side of the bed. He watched the reluctant shinobi move toward the chair, then focused on his patient.
"Kishi-kun, how many times do I have to tell you?" He said in a disapproving tone as he started removing bandages so he could properly heal the cuts beneath them. "Don't-" he started, but was interrupted by a voice chorusing his own.
"Use yourself as a human sacrificial distraction while your sister rips people's hearts out their backs. I know, I know," the okami ANBU, Kishi, sighed.He grinned a few moments later. "But, hey, it was worth it. Look at Kira, all safe and sound in all of her bloody glory."
Kira let out a snort of wry laughter behind her mask before she removed it. Her eyes were covered by a piece of cloth. The Sound village mark was sewn into the black fabric with white thread. She tossed her mask onto the bed and reached behind her head to untie the cloth, but then paused. "Kabuto-kun," she murmured. Her voice sounded like what Orochimaru might sound like if he were a girl.
Kabuto shuddered at that thought. That was not an image he needed right now. Orochimaru was bad enough now. Just imagine what he would be like when he was on his period. The medi-nin shuddered again and took a step away from Kishi. He stared at him for a moment, then shifted his gaze to the kunoichi. "What?"
"You did not forget to turn the lights down?"
Kabuto shook his head. "Iie, no, I placed candles around the room. You may remove your blindfold," he told her. He gave Kishi one last check over, then moved around the bed to see if the other ANBU had any wounds that needed patching.
Kira removed the cloth from around her eyes and tossed it onto the bed. Without a word, she stood up and did a small twirl. "No wounds," she said. "You see?" She plopped back down in the chair and placed her feet on the bed. "Kishi-kun needs you, Kabuto-kun. You will heal him. Now." The demanding tone reminded the healer of Orochimaru and he frowned.
"Hai, hai, Kishi will be healed, but not right now. Orochimaru-sama wishes to see you. Since you are obviously well, you will go to him now," Kabuto told her. The polite and somewhat friendly tone he had been using was suddenly gone. He stared at her for a moment, then moved past her to rummage through one of his cabinets. He heard the kunoichi let out a 'keh', grab her mask, and head for the door.
Kishi started laughing as the door opened, then shut again. "Ah, Kabuto-kun, you're so amusing sometimes," he said, though the healer had no clue what he was talking about. The shinobi winced slightly as he turned around to look at the healer. "Try the one on the top right, that blue bottle there," he said. "You usually use that for cuts and scrapes. It works well."
Kabuto smiled wryly and shook his head. He grabbed the indicated bottle and shut the cabinet doors. As he made his way back to the bed, he commented, "You do realize that if you can tell me what to use for your wounds, you are perfectly capable of fixing them yourself." He smirked as the injured man grimaced.
"Mah, mah, but it hurts to move, Kabuto-samaaaaa," Kishi complained in a childish tone. "Besides, Kira-chan won't be very happy with you if you neglect to patch me up. You wouldn't want to upset Kira-chan, now would you, Kabuto-sama?" He blinked 'innocent', puppy dog eyes at the healer.
Kabuto chuckled and shook his head. "Hai, hai, I'll heal you," he sighed. "You must be ready for your next mission, anyway. Orochimaru-sama is in a good mood today. I would hate to either ruin it or do something foolish. Like amuse him."
Kishi managed to turn an even paler shade. "A good mood? Orochimaru-sama? He has been more cheerful ever since he gained that new body." The man shook his head and carefully turned around so the medi-nin could take care of the wounds on his back. "I have never heard Otogakure let loose so many symphonies before, not even when Manda-sama needed sacrifices."
He trailed off and turned his head slightly to stare at the closed door. "Kira-chan had better be careful...................." There was a long silence, then, "Mah. Snakes should never laugh."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A soft rap on the door announced the kunoichi's presence. Orochimaru didn't even bother to turn around. He stared down at the lifeless body before him and frowned. The foolish genin hadn't even lasted long enough for the sannin to gain any enjoyment out of his torture. It was pitiful. It was pathetic. It was disgusting, and, worst of all, it was very, very rude. All of his time spent on training these fools, hand picking them from the broken clans of Rice Country, and this was what he got. One very dead, very foolish genin who hadn't even had the strength of mind to last a full minute under the genjutsu Orochimaru had performed.
His lip curled up in a sneer and he prodded the body with a foot, as if the action would somehow make the corpse more amusing. The purposeful creaking of the door as it opened reminded him that he had other matters to attend to. Still......He prodded the body once more and let out a sound of disgust.
"Who trained this pathetic hunk of flesh?" he asked the woman behind him. He turned to face her, eyes narrowing when he saw she was only standing a foot away from him. Such insolence. He really needed to make his rounds through the village again. Maybe a bit of training would make these fools more reliable.
Kira peered around the sannin, lifting her mask a bit so she could see the body better. Her eyes scanned over the bits of recognizable flesh. "Keh," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. She stood up straight and fixed her mask back to its original position before clasping her hands behind her back. "Taro-san trained him," she answered, then shrugged again. "You killed him already for incompetence. Before Kishi and I left."
Orochimaru turned to give one last disgusted look at the genin's body, then stalked back to his throne-like chair. He sat down and situated himself into his usual boneless position. "You have information for me," he stated. "Report."
Kira bowed, keeping her hands behind her back. "Kishi-kun and I met some resistance from the Hakuro clan in Grass Country. I regret to inform you that they decided not to join Otogakure, and instead made an attempt to send Kishi-kun and I back to you in pieces." She paused and tilted her head to one side, as if thinking about something. "I also regret to inform you that there will be no more shinobi born of that clan at any point in the future. You were right, they were quite competent, but they thought too much like the shinobi of Konohagakure, and Kishi-kun and I are not as great at the art of persuasion as you are."
Through all of this, Orochimaru had sat quite still. When Kira fell into silence again, he stood and walked toward her. He looked neither threatening nor very welcoming. His expression was caught somewhere between that, which left a twisted, morbid smirk on his face. He stopped a few feet before her, then studied her with cold eyes.
The kunoichi wisely stood completely still, barely breathing. She stood at attention like any good soldier would do. The sannin had been oddly calm ever since he gained a new body, according to Kabuto. Though, the medi-nin had said that it might have been because Sasuke had arrived. Still, Kira wasn't about to press her luck. A wrong move or word could harm those she wanted kept safe. It was better to keep the snake master happy.
"Kira-chan," Orochimaru said with a chuckle. "You didn't have to go through all that trouble." He clicked his tongue in a disapproving manner and shook his head. "After all, I merely told you to retrieve them. You have failed me, Kira-chan."
Kira stilled to the point of not even breathing. "Demo.....Orochimaru-dono--"
The sannin's eyes flashed his arm moved in a blur to connect with the face of the kunoichi before him. Her mask clattered to the floor and her head snapped to one side form the force of the backhand. A lesser shinobi's neck would have broken, but Kira stood completely still. She did not move her head back to its original position until she first ran her tongue along her teeth to assess the damage left behind by the blow. She turned her head to the other side and spat out the bit of blood that had collected in her mouth, then turned emotionless eyes back to Orochimaru.
"You dare assume that you are my equal?" the sannin hissed, eyes narrowing. He trembled visibly from anger. 'It would not do to kill one's minions until after they had gotten every bit of useful information out of them,' he reminded himself Rather, that pesky voice in his head reminded him. The only problem with his immortality jutsu was that sometimes it took a bit of time for the mind to dissipate from his senses. There were constant reminders and memories of the last inhabitant's past. The body itself had a bit of trouble erasing its past habits.
For the past week Orochimaru had gotten this strange, sick urge to dance. Dance of all things. The snake sannin did not dance. Hell no. That bastard, Jiraiya might dance, but Orochimaru, the greatest of the sannin, did not dance. No, he mocked the pain of his underlings by a show of easy, slow movements and masculine, masculine damn it, laughter. The fact that the voice of the past owner of this body was now only a mere whisper pleased the sannin greatly. Though, the fool did sometimes spout off useful things. Like now, for instance.
"We would dare to call you our equal because it would mean you are one step closer to perfection, hebi-sama," Kira replied with a giggle. Her voice held a slight echo that even the sannin barely heard. Orochimaru nearly growled, but stopped himself. The bitch dared mock him. He would have been impressed had he not been so insulted and pissed off. Still, her impudence was useful, and despite the kunoichi's idiocy she was quite useful. Besides....
"Ah, closer to perfection you say?" Orochimaru asked. The anger that had been threatening to consume him earlier now seemed to disappear completely. "I had no idea you could be so brazen, Kira-chan." He chuckled and held his hands behind his back as he walked around her in a slow circle. He continued speaking and circling her, but the kunoichi found her mind wandering to thoughts of her brother.
~*~
"See? There, good as new," Kishi announced. He held out his arms and twirled in place. His arms dropped to his sides once he faced Kabuto again. "Can I go now?" he asked, hopping from one foot to the other with impatience. He looked like a small child trying to convince their mother they were well enough to go play ball with the other children.
Kabuto suppressed a smirk. "Kishi-kun, you shouldn't rely too much on your healing abilities. Even I rest a bit to make sure I do not harm anyth-"
"Yeah, yeah, we all know of your godlike healing power, Kabuto-kun, but I want to go see Sasuke-san. We left before he got here, and I've never seen an Uchiha before. Can I please go now?" the impatient shinobi interrupted. He gave Kabuto a pitiful, puppy eyed look. Not that it would work on the medi-nin. He already knew that. It was more habit than anything else.
Kabuto shook his head. "Hai, hai, be careful. Orochimaru-sama has instructed that no one is to disturb the Uchiha. To disobey those orders-"
But once again, the medi-nin was interrupted by Kishi's exclamation of, "Then I shall go ask for permission! Orochimaru-sama surely will allow me to see him...."
The overeager Kishi rambled on a bit, but Kabuto had stopped paying attention. He narrowed his eyes a bit at the actions of the shinobi. He'd just healed him, and here he was jumping around as if he were a young genin. He reached up to push his glasses further up his nose, then shook his head. If the shinobi wanted to risk more injuries, then who was he to stop him?
Finally, the shinobi's excited ranting proved to be too much for the med-nin. "Kishi!" he snapped, pausing to take a deep, calming breath. It wouldn't do to get too angry and waste all of the time he spent healing the bloody okami ANBU.
Kishi paused. He looked rather odd since he was in the middle of a twisting dance move. The result caused one foot and one arm to be in the air, hsi body half twisted around, and he was balancing precariously on his toes. "Hai?" he asked Kabuto in a singsong tone. "Daijoubu ka?"
Kabuto pushed his glasses up his nose again and sighed. "Hai, hai, I'm fine. Why don't you try to calm yourself down and go see Orochimaru-sama. He wished to speak to you as soon as you were able, and..." Kabuto trailde off, then sighed once more. The ANBU was already gone.
~*~
One Uchiha Sasuke cursed every possible thing he could think of. Itachi. His father. Orochimaru. Itachi. Snakes. The dark. Daylight. Kabuto. Itachi. The Sound nin. Rice Country. Naruto. The demon sealed inside Naruto. Kakashi. Itachi. That damn pevert, Jiraiya. Sakura. Ino. Shikamaru. The rest of the genin whose names he hadn't bothered to pull up from his memory banks. Itachi. Blood. Pain. Guilt. The sharingan. Chidori. All of the other moves that he was too lazy to name. Itachi. Chains. Ropes. Blindfolds. Orochimaru. Those damn annoying little tunes Kishi kept singing. Itachi. Whips. Kunai. Shuriken. Other random weaponry, including, but not limited to scalpels, leaves, and onigiri. Ramen. Itachi.....
Sasuke paused in his rant to himself. He momentarily had the idea that he'd been here too long if he could find that many things to hate. Then he felt the sting of the whip again. "One must learn to tolerate pain," Orochimaru had said. "Learn to ignore it; learn to embrace it. By doing so one can overcome his opponents. One can know their exact limits, and then, learn how to exceed them. They will last longer in battle. They will be far stronger than their opponents, whose instincts tell them to panic. One can-"
In the back of his mind, Sasuke realized that the whip had stopped. He opened his eyes. Of course, he still couldn't see anything because there were no lights in the room. 'Okay, strike that,' he thought when the lights about the room sprang to life. His eyes automatically closed. Despite this, he could tell the exact position of everyone in the room.
There was Sasuke himself, arms stretched above his head by chains. He could barely touch the ground to take the strain off of his wrists. Teki, who had been rather gleefully lashing the whip at Sasuke's back, was now curled up in a ball on the floor, clutching the area between his legs. Sasuke almost winced at that thought, but the random chuckles from the third person in the room stopped the motion. Chuckling was not good. Usually, the people that chuckled were also extreme sadists and could have been Orochimaru's children. Hell, for all Sasuke knew, they were. He tensed himself, preparing for more pain, but the gleeful voice of the shinobi behind him made him relax.
"Ooo, a whip! Fun! Let's see, bring your arm back, throw it forward and....um...flick your wrist?" the excited shinobi muttered. "Hm...I don't know. It looks dangerous. You shouldn't play with such toys, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke mentally groaned and sighed with relief at the same time. The situation wasn't as bad as the had first thought it was, but dealing with the shinobi behind him was just as bad as being mauled by a bloodthirsty sadist.
"Oi," Sasuke drawled. "Don't just stand there. Make yourself useful. Unchain me."
The shinobi peered around him to stare at his face. The sight of his ANBU mask made Sasuke mentally groan again. The okami mask that the man usually wore, had been replaced with a plain one. Well, it used to be plain and blank. Now, the white surface of the mask said, in bright pink letters, 'I am ANBU. Hear me roar and tremble before my might!'
"Kishi," Sasuke said slowly, eyes narrowing. "Has Orochimaru seen this?"
"Pfft, of course not. Who do you think I am? A fool does not a shinobi make," he answered in a sing-song tone. He let out a giggle. A giggle for hell's sake. Shinobi did not giggle. Obviously Kishi hadn't gotten the memo.
Sasuke let out a growl. "Hn," was all he said for a moment. Then he remembered he wanted to feel his wrists again. "Now," he added in a 'do it or die and you should know what I am talking about' tone
"Geeze, all right already. You sure are grumpy, Sasu-chan," Kishi mumbled as he reached up to undo the chains. However, he quickly jumped back as Sasuke reared up his legs and attempted to kick him in a very private area. He would have succeeded too, had he not been chained and a tad bit weak from blood loss and such.
"Haven't I told you to not, under any circumstances, ever call me that?" the Uchiha said in a surprisingly calm tone. His eyes, however, were far from calm. He really wished he had killed Naruto and gained the Mangekyo sharingan. He would use it to trap Kishi in a genjutsu so powerful that even Itachi would scream in terror. He would gut his brother and that fish he traveled with. No, not gut, but skin. Of course, he would have to skin him. Very, very slowly. With a spork. Yes, think happy thoughts Sasuke.
"Hai, hai," Kishi said, waving a hand dismissively. "Really, though. You're so grumpy. Why should I let a grumpypants go, hm?" he asked, waving a finger tauntingly. Unfortunately for the pissed off Uchiha he was too far away to maim, let alone kill. He needed a weapon of some sort. Hm.....
The hyper ANBU let out a yelp of surprise and ducked. He narrowly avoided a shoe that was thrown at his head. Unfortunately for him, Sasuke had launched another soon after and it hit Kishi's shoulder. "Ow! Bloody seven kami! What was that for?"
"Now," the irritated Uchiha said, well growled would be a more apt word.
"Only if you promise not to hit me again," Kishi said, crossing his arms. "You've run out of things to throw at me." He followed this statement with a juvenile 'na na na na na na' Sasuke only stared. He was good at staring. Really, he was almost as good as Orochimaru. Well, his evil glares needed work, but his 'I am too high and mighty to even make a deal with you lowly scum' expression was top notch.
Kishi let out a long sigh. "Okay, okay, already. I'll let you go. Just promise not to hit me until after I heal you, 'kay?"
Sasuke thought about this. "Hn," was the only response he deemed worthy of the question.
"Uh-uh, on your status as an Avenger or may Itachi eat your eyes." Kishi crossed his arms to express his sincerity about the vow.
A long, evaluating stare was all he got. Then, "Hn," followed by a 'I hate you, but I will agree to your terms. Just never mention this to anyone or I shall eat your liver' looks.
Kishi lifted his mask to grin at him, then lowered it again. He stepped forward, performed a few seals, and muttered something Sasuke didn't quite catch. Luckily, the ANBU knew what he was doing and was able to catch the smaller shinobi before he hit the ground, then carefully lay him there.
Sasuke sighed and closed his eyes. If there was one person to trust in this place, it was Kishi. Sure he was annoying...and loud...and extremely hyper...and for some reason had fun playing with the random weapons lying around...and he was flat out crazy, but he was trustworthy damn it. He would never admit it, and some part of him would always be wary of the strange ANBU. Still, he seemed to emit a peaceful aura. One that was hard to deny when he was so close. Sasuke found himself relaxing. He vaguely heard Kishi saying some quiet phrase, then, darkness.
~*~
And there was my pitiful attempt at a first chapter. ^_^ I know the extent of my lameness. There is no need to point it out. If you do not like it, then do not read........unless this is like the other train wreck stories and you just can't stop. Trust me, I've been there. I'll forgive you if you forgive me. - eclectic_souls
A/N: I blame Nee-chan for the following chaos. All complaints will be sent to her. I am not responsible for the loss of life and limbs that may happen afterward.
~*~
The two shinobi were traveling as fast as they possibly could. They darted through tree branches, over bird's nests, and under startled squirrels. Their movements were silent and had the grace that only someone used to battle and secrecy could attain. They zigged and they zagged, never following any straight path. Sometimes, they doubled back and traveled the same direction, but on a different path. Other times, they changed direction entirely, ran that way for a few miles, then continued in the original direction. Their way of traveling was erratic, but if one had enough time to study their movements, they would be able to tell they were slowly, but surely, heading toward Otogakure.
That is, if one knew where Otogakure was. The small village hidden in sound was never in one place for very long. Orochimaru made sure to change the location every few weeks or so. They would move. He would rest. Then, they would move again. Of course, if anyone dared tell the snake master he needed rest they would probably find themselves trying to pull their guts back into their stomach before all of the words had even left their mouth. Kabuto was the slight exception. The medi-nin once from Konoha could get away with a lot of things. Mostly because he was the only one skilled enough to quickly patch the snake master up. Orochimaru tolerated him for that reason, and for the simple fact that the medi-nin amused him to no end. Yes, Orochimaru could be amused, even if his forms of amusement were more than slightly morbid and bloody.
One of the shinobi stumbled slightly, barely catching himself before he plummeted to the ground. He stopped and leaned against a tree, panting. An okami ANBU mask hid his expression from view. Now that he had stopped, it was easy to see the myriad of bandages covering his body. The white pieces of cloth covered his arms, his legs, his neck, and if the rest of his skin wasn't hidden by white clothing more of the bandages would be revealed. The visible bandages and select few pieces of his outfit were stained red with the blood of reopened wounds. He held a fingerless glove covered hand over his side, wincing slightly as it made contact. He slowly slid to the ground, leaning against the trunk of the tree for support, as his companion doubled back for him.
This shinobi, kunoichi really, had a neko ANBU mask hiding her facial features. Her attire was identical to that of her traveling companion's in every regard, except that it was black instead of white. A body suit that hugged every curve tightly to the body was covered by standard ANBU gear. Loose, but not too loose, clothing and various pouches and hidden kunai were on her person. Strapped to her back were two katana, their sheaths making a large 'X' on her back. She knelt down and reached out to touch her companion, but he slapped her hand away.
"I'm fine," he bit out through clenched teeth and ragged breaths. "Orochimaru-sama.....Orochimaru-sama will be angry if we........if we are late," he said between pants. He shakily got to his feet, let out a cry of pain, and immediately collapsed again.
The kunoichi caught him and shook her head. Ignoring her companion's protests, she situated him over her back and started off again. The two were a great contrast, especially when so close to one another. As they sped off at an even greater speed than before toward Otogakure, the kunoichi seemed to blend into the shadows, while her companion somehow disappeared in the faint light of the forest.
~*~
Orochimaru-sama was in a strangely exquisite mood.
He smiled as the symphony of screams reached his ears. He chuckled to himself and even started bobbing his head to the imagined rhythm. It seemed he was in a good mood. He waved his arms like a conductor would, managing his lovely orchestra quite nicely. He was even humming along to whatever tune it was his ears were hearing. He let out another chuckle and his feet moved, almost of their own accord. He ended up twirling about the room, arms waving to and fro as he conducted. He was even lightly humming along, chuckling even more as he moved. yes, Orochimaru was in a very good mood.
Fortunately for the snake master's medi-nin, Kabuto had enough knowledge of his master to never walk in unannounced. However, it was important to deliver certain information to his master. His master had specifically told him to inform him if certain things happened. One of those things had happened. However, he also knew that Orochimaru was more likely to shoot the messenger than the idiot who needed the message sent. Hm, how to solve this dilemma?
Unfortunately for the weak underling that happened to be passing by, Kabuto had figured out how to solve his dilemma. "Matte," he called out, holding a hand out, indicating said minion should stop. Kabuto would have smirked as the idiot listened, but he had better control than that. He put an arm around the young man's shoulders, spouting off some nonsense about gaining power and being in Orochimaru-sama's favor. With a trustworthy, congratulatory smile and an arm motion followed by a few words of encouragement, he soon had the man nearly skipping into Orochimaru's lair.
There was a loud hissing, the sound of kunai and shuriken hitting a wall, a terrible scream, then...silence. Kabuto smirked and rapped on the door. When in doubt, sacrifice the minions.
Orochimaru let loose a flare of chakra, the shinobi's way of granting permission to enter. Kabuto did so, bowing deeply as the door closed behind him. "Orochimaru-sama," he greeted, staying in place until the sannin stood in front of him.
"Kabuto-kun," Orochimaru replied, a smirk on his face as he looked down at his subordinate. Kabuto normally didn't stay in the bow for so long. He wasn't that respectful. Something must be wrong. "Tell me, what is your reason for being here?" he asked. The screams echoing from down the hall slowly died off until there was only the odd silence between master and servant.
"Akatsuki-san," Kabuto started, but paused when he heard Orochimaru chuckle. He didn't move. If he were lucky, Orochimaru wouldn't kill him. If he wasn't, then he wouldn't even have time to react before his guts were splayed out on the floor. When the sannin made no other noises, Kabuto risked a glance upward.
Orochimaru sat in a makeshift throne. He was settled in what appeared to be a boneless heap, arms splayed over the arms and legs crossed. He smirked at Kabuto and made a hand motion for him to stand. The medi-nin did so. He said nothing, however, until Orochimaru's smirk turned into a frown.
"It appears that they have found out about both your acquiring of Sasuke-san and the twins," Kabuto went on. "They are headed this way, though, they are several days out. Also, Kira-san and Kishi-san have returned from their mission. Kira awaits your permission for a debriefing. Kishi is in the infirmary. I did a temporary patching up before I came to tell you, Orochimaru-sama." At this, he bowed again. "I apologize for my late arrival to tell you all of this, but you did instruct me to make sure the nin did not die until you spoke with them."
Orochimaru was silent for a moment. He placed a hand on his chin, thinking for a moment. Finally, he let out a chuckle. "Send Kira-chan to me, Kabuto. As soon as she is able. Check her over first. I do not want her dying while we have our little....discussion." He waved a hand in the air dismissively. Kabuto bowed once more and left the room. It took all of his will power to show his back to the, still chuckling, snake lord.
Once the door was shut, Orochimaru stood and walked over to the shadows in the corner of the room. He reached down and calmly pulled the bleeding body of the shinobi who had interrupted him earlier. The man groaned and looked up at his master with slitted eyes. He tried to say something, but instead started coughing. Orochimaru stepped back as small droplets of blood fell on the floor. He clucked his tongue disapprovingly and fixed the man with an amused stare.
"Hm, I suppose you will do. I have been meaning to try this new jutsu," he told him in a voice a mother might use to soothe her child. It sounded morbid coming from the sannin, and the killing intent that filled the room as he said this made the genin at his feet tremble. "Scream for me," Orochimaru whispered, a smirk playing on his lips.
Kabuto shuddered and leaned against the door of the room he had just left. It appeared that today was going to be one of those days. Normally, he didn't fear his lord, but there were some days.... He shook his head and started walking down the hall, wincing as screams erupted from behind the closed door. They started out rather dignified, as screams went, but quickly turned into shrill sobs. The pitch of the voice emitting them went higher and high until it blended into choked, painful sounds coming from a raw, scratched throat.
Yes, it appeared that Orochimaru-sama was indeed in a good mood.
~*~
The ANBU okami mask lay on a table beside the only occupied bed in the dimly lit infirmary. Actually, it was the only bed in the infirmary, but the injured ANBU and his partner really didn't care at the moment. The kunoichi still had her ANBU mask on and was fussing over the pale haired man perching on the edge of the bed. She attempted to get him cleaned up as she tried to convince him to lay down, making noises akin to the sympathetic murmers medi-nin make when healing children.
The shinobi being fussed over was anything but pleased. "Cut it out," he complained, trying to swat her hands away. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to match her speed and she easily evaded his movements. He let out a sigh and reached up to run a hand through his shoulder length hair. His eyes were a pure white shade. The only reason one could tell iris from pupil was that the pupil was a slightly darker silver shade. The only reason his irises could be seen was because the rest of his eyes were slightly bloodshot. He had a little trouble focusing on objects in the flickering candlelight, but he chalked that up to blood loss and fatigue. Running for days with wounds only slightly patched up and no rest could do that to a person.
The masked kunoichi said nothing. Instead, she grabbed a bowl of water and a rag. Her pale eyed companion didn't even bother protesting as she started, of all things, cleaning his face.
Quiet laughter was heard from the doorway as Kabuto walked in. He pushed his glasses up his nose and stared at the scene before him for a moment before lightly touching the neko ANBU's shoulder.
"Enough, Kira," he said in a surprisingly soft voice. "I'll deal with him. You sit." He pointed to a chair on the other side of the bed. He watched the reluctant shinobi move toward the chair, then focused on his patient.
"Kishi-kun, how many times do I have to tell you?" He said in a disapproving tone as he started removing bandages so he could properly heal the cuts beneath them. "Don't-" he started, but was interrupted by a voice chorusing his own.
"Use yourself as a human sacrificial distraction while your sister rips people's hearts out their backs. I know, I know," the okami ANBU, Kishi, sighed.He grinned a few moments later. "But, hey, it was worth it. Look at Kira, all safe and sound in all of her bloody glory."
Kira let out a snort of wry laughter behind her mask before she removed it. Her eyes were covered by a piece of cloth. The Sound village mark was sewn into the black fabric with white thread. She tossed her mask onto the bed and reached behind her head to untie the cloth, but then paused. "Kabuto-kun," she murmured. Her voice sounded like what Orochimaru might sound like if he were a girl.
Kabuto shuddered at that thought. That was not an image he needed right now. Orochimaru was bad enough now. Just imagine what he would be like when he was on his period. The medi-nin shuddered again and took a step away from Kishi. He stared at him for a moment, then shifted his gaze to the kunoichi. "What?"
"You did not forget to turn the lights down?"
Kabuto shook his head. "Iie, no, I placed candles around the room. You may remove your blindfold," he told her. He gave Kishi one last check over, then moved around the bed to see if the other ANBU had any wounds that needed patching.
Kira removed the cloth from around her eyes and tossed it onto the bed. Without a word, she stood up and did a small twirl. "No wounds," she said. "You see?" She plopped back down in the chair and placed her feet on the bed. "Kishi-kun needs you, Kabuto-kun. You will heal him. Now." The demanding tone reminded the healer of Orochimaru and he frowned.
"Hai, hai, Kishi will be healed, but not right now. Orochimaru-sama wishes to see you. Since you are obviously well, you will go to him now," Kabuto told her. The polite and somewhat friendly tone he had been using was suddenly gone. He stared at her for a moment, then moved past her to rummage through one of his cabinets. He heard the kunoichi let out a 'keh', grab her mask, and head for the door.
Kishi started laughing as the door opened, then shut again. "Ah, Kabuto-kun, you're so amusing sometimes," he said, though the healer had no clue what he was talking about. The shinobi winced slightly as he turned around to look at the healer. "Try the one on the top right, that blue bottle there," he said. "You usually use that for cuts and scrapes. It works well."
Kabuto smiled wryly and shook his head. He grabbed the indicated bottle and shut the cabinet doors. As he made his way back to the bed, he commented, "You do realize that if you can tell me what to use for your wounds, you are perfectly capable of fixing them yourself." He smirked as the injured man grimaced.
"Mah, mah, but it hurts to move, Kabuto-samaaaaa," Kishi complained in a childish tone. "Besides, Kira-chan won't be very happy with you if you neglect to patch me up. You wouldn't want to upset Kira-chan, now would you, Kabuto-sama?" He blinked 'innocent', puppy dog eyes at the healer.
Kabuto chuckled and shook his head. "Hai, hai, I'll heal you," he sighed. "You must be ready for your next mission, anyway. Orochimaru-sama is in a good mood today. I would hate to either ruin it or do something foolish. Like amuse him."
Kishi managed to turn an even paler shade. "A good mood? Orochimaru-sama? He has been more cheerful ever since he gained that new body." The man shook his head and carefully turned around so the medi-nin could take care of the wounds on his back. "I have never heard Otogakure let loose so many symphonies before, not even when Manda-sama needed sacrifices."
He trailed off and turned his head slightly to stare at the closed door. "Kira-chan had better be careful...................." There was a long silence, then, "Mah. Snakes should never laugh."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A soft rap on the door announced the kunoichi's presence. Orochimaru didn't even bother to turn around. He stared down at the lifeless body before him and frowned. The foolish genin hadn't even lasted long enough for the sannin to gain any enjoyment out of his torture. It was pitiful. It was pathetic. It was disgusting, and, worst of all, it was very, very rude. All of his time spent on training these fools, hand picking them from the broken clans of Rice Country, and this was what he got. One very dead, very foolish genin who hadn't even had the strength of mind to last a full minute under the genjutsu Orochimaru had performed.
His lip curled up in a sneer and he prodded the body with a foot, as if the action would somehow make the corpse more amusing. The purposeful creaking of the door as it opened reminded him that he had other matters to attend to. Still......He prodded the body once more and let out a sound of disgust.
"Who trained this pathetic hunk of flesh?" he asked the woman behind him. He turned to face her, eyes narrowing when he saw she was only standing a foot away from him. Such insolence. He really needed to make his rounds through the village again. Maybe a bit of training would make these fools more reliable.
Kira peered around the sannin, lifting her mask a bit so she could see the body better. Her eyes scanned over the bits of recognizable flesh. "Keh," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. She stood up straight and fixed her mask back to its original position before clasping her hands behind her back. "Taro-san trained him," she answered, then shrugged again. "You killed him already for incompetence. Before Kishi and I left."
Orochimaru turned to give one last disgusted look at the genin's body, then stalked back to his throne-like chair. He sat down and situated himself into his usual boneless position. "You have information for me," he stated. "Report."
Kira bowed, keeping her hands behind her back. "Kishi-kun and I met some resistance from the Hakuro clan in Grass Country. I regret to inform you that they decided not to join Otogakure, and instead made an attempt to send Kishi-kun and I back to you in pieces." She paused and tilted her head to one side, as if thinking about something. "I also regret to inform you that there will be no more shinobi born of that clan at any point in the future. You were right, they were quite competent, but they thought too much like the shinobi of Konohagakure, and Kishi-kun and I are not as great at the art of persuasion as you are."
Through all of this, Orochimaru had sat quite still. When Kira fell into silence again, he stood and walked toward her. He looked neither threatening nor very welcoming. His expression was caught somewhere between that, which left a twisted, morbid smirk on his face. He stopped a few feet before her, then studied her with cold eyes.
The kunoichi wisely stood completely still, barely breathing. She stood at attention like any good soldier would do. The sannin had been oddly calm ever since he gained a new body, according to Kabuto. Though, the medi-nin had said that it might have been because Sasuke had arrived. Still, Kira wasn't about to press her luck. A wrong move or word could harm those she wanted kept safe. It was better to keep the snake master happy.
"Kira-chan," Orochimaru said with a chuckle. "You didn't have to go through all that trouble." He clicked his tongue in a disapproving manner and shook his head. "After all, I merely told you to retrieve them. You have failed me, Kira-chan."
Kira stilled to the point of not even breathing. "Demo.....Orochimaru-dono--"
The sannin's eyes flashed his arm moved in a blur to connect with the face of the kunoichi before him. Her mask clattered to the floor and her head snapped to one side form the force of the backhand. A lesser shinobi's neck would have broken, but Kira stood completely still. She did not move her head back to its original position until she first ran her tongue along her teeth to assess the damage left behind by the blow. She turned her head to the other side and spat out the bit of blood that had collected in her mouth, then turned emotionless eyes back to Orochimaru.
"You dare assume that you are my equal?" the sannin hissed, eyes narrowing. He trembled visibly from anger. 'It would not do to kill one's minions until after they had gotten every bit of useful information out of them,' he reminded himself Rather, that pesky voice in his head reminded him. The only problem with his immortality jutsu was that sometimes it took a bit of time for the mind to dissipate from his senses. There were constant reminders and memories of the last inhabitant's past. The body itself had a bit of trouble erasing its past habits.
For the past week Orochimaru had gotten this strange, sick urge to dance. Dance of all things. The snake sannin did not dance. Hell no. That bastard, Jiraiya might dance, but Orochimaru, the greatest of the sannin, did not dance. No, he mocked the pain of his underlings by a show of easy, slow movements and masculine, masculine damn it, laughter. The fact that the voice of the past owner of this body was now only a mere whisper pleased the sannin greatly. Though, the fool did sometimes spout off useful things. Like now, for instance.
"We would dare to call you our equal because it would mean you are one step closer to perfection, hebi-sama," Kira replied with a giggle. Her voice held a slight echo that even the sannin barely heard. Orochimaru nearly growled, but stopped himself. The bitch dared mock him. He would have been impressed had he not been so insulted and pissed off. Still, her impudence was useful, and despite the kunoichi's idiocy she was quite useful. Besides....
"Ah, closer to perfection you say?" Orochimaru asked. The anger that had been threatening to consume him earlier now seemed to disappear completely. "I had no idea you could be so brazen, Kira-chan." He chuckled and held his hands behind his back as he walked around her in a slow circle. He continued speaking and circling her, but the kunoichi found her mind wandering to thoughts of her brother.
~*~
"See? There, good as new," Kishi announced. He held out his arms and twirled in place. His arms dropped to his sides once he faced Kabuto again. "Can I go now?" he asked, hopping from one foot to the other with impatience. He looked like a small child trying to convince their mother they were well enough to go play ball with the other children.
Kabuto suppressed a smirk. "Kishi-kun, you shouldn't rely too much on your healing abilities. Even I rest a bit to make sure I do not harm anyth-"
"Yeah, yeah, we all know of your godlike healing power, Kabuto-kun, but I want to go see Sasuke-san. We left before he got here, and I've never seen an Uchiha before. Can I please go now?" the impatient shinobi interrupted. He gave Kabuto a pitiful, puppy eyed look. Not that it would work on the medi-nin. He already knew that. It was more habit than anything else.
Kabuto shook his head. "Hai, hai, be careful. Orochimaru-sama has instructed that no one is to disturb the Uchiha. To disobey those orders-"
But once again, the medi-nin was interrupted by Kishi's exclamation of, "Then I shall go ask for permission! Orochimaru-sama surely will allow me to see him...."
The overeager Kishi rambled on a bit, but Kabuto had stopped paying attention. He narrowed his eyes a bit at the actions of the shinobi. He'd just healed him, and here he was jumping around as if he were a young genin. He reached up to push his glasses further up his nose, then shook his head. If the shinobi wanted to risk more injuries, then who was he to stop him?
Finally, the shinobi's excited ranting proved to be too much for the med-nin. "Kishi!" he snapped, pausing to take a deep, calming breath. It wouldn't do to get too angry and waste all of the time he spent healing the bloody okami ANBU.
Kishi paused. He looked rather odd since he was in the middle of a twisting dance move. The result caused one foot and one arm to be in the air, hsi body half twisted around, and he was balancing precariously on his toes. "Hai?" he asked Kabuto in a singsong tone. "Daijoubu ka?"
Kabuto pushed his glasses up his nose again and sighed. "Hai, hai, I'm fine. Why don't you try to calm yourself down and go see Orochimaru-sama. He wished to speak to you as soon as you were able, and..." Kabuto trailde off, then sighed once more. The ANBU was already gone.
~*~
One Uchiha Sasuke cursed every possible thing he could think of. Itachi. His father. Orochimaru. Itachi. Snakes. The dark. Daylight. Kabuto. Itachi. The Sound nin. Rice Country. Naruto. The demon sealed inside Naruto. Kakashi. Itachi. That damn pevert, Jiraiya. Sakura. Ino. Shikamaru. The rest of the genin whose names he hadn't bothered to pull up from his memory banks. Itachi. Blood. Pain. Guilt. The sharingan. Chidori. All of the other moves that he was too lazy to name. Itachi. Chains. Ropes. Blindfolds. Orochimaru. Those damn annoying little tunes Kishi kept singing. Itachi. Whips. Kunai. Shuriken. Other random weaponry, including, but not limited to scalpels, leaves, and onigiri. Ramen. Itachi.....
Sasuke paused in his rant to himself. He momentarily had the idea that he'd been here too long if he could find that many things to hate. Then he felt the sting of the whip again. "One must learn to tolerate pain," Orochimaru had said. "Learn to ignore it; learn to embrace it. By doing so one can overcome his opponents. One can know their exact limits, and then, learn how to exceed them. They will last longer in battle. They will be far stronger than their opponents, whose instincts tell them to panic. One can-"
In the back of his mind, Sasuke realized that the whip had stopped. He opened his eyes. Of course, he still couldn't see anything because there were no lights in the room. 'Okay, strike that,' he thought when the lights about the room sprang to life. His eyes automatically closed. Despite this, he could tell the exact position of everyone in the room.
There was Sasuke himself, arms stretched above his head by chains. He could barely touch the ground to take the strain off of his wrists. Teki, who had been rather gleefully lashing the whip at Sasuke's back, was now curled up in a ball on the floor, clutching the area between his legs. Sasuke almost winced at that thought, but the random chuckles from the third person in the room stopped the motion. Chuckling was not good. Usually, the people that chuckled were also extreme sadists and could have been Orochimaru's children. Hell, for all Sasuke knew, they were. He tensed himself, preparing for more pain, but the gleeful voice of the shinobi behind him made him relax.
"Ooo, a whip! Fun! Let's see, bring your arm back, throw it forward and....um...flick your wrist?" the excited shinobi muttered. "Hm...I don't know. It looks dangerous. You shouldn't play with such toys, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke mentally groaned and sighed with relief at the same time. The situation wasn't as bad as the had first thought it was, but dealing with the shinobi behind him was just as bad as being mauled by a bloodthirsty sadist.
"Oi," Sasuke drawled. "Don't just stand there. Make yourself useful. Unchain me."
The shinobi peered around him to stare at his face. The sight of his ANBU mask made Sasuke mentally groan again. The okami mask that the man usually wore, had been replaced with a plain one. Well, it used to be plain and blank. Now, the white surface of the mask said, in bright pink letters, 'I am ANBU. Hear me roar and tremble before my might!'
"Kishi," Sasuke said slowly, eyes narrowing. "Has Orochimaru seen this?"
"Pfft, of course not. Who do you think I am? A fool does not a shinobi make," he answered in a sing-song tone. He let out a giggle. A giggle for hell's sake. Shinobi did not giggle. Obviously Kishi hadn't gotten the memo.
Sasuke let out a growl. "Hn," was all he said for a moment. Then he remembered he wanted to feel his wrists again. "Now," he added in a 'do it or die and you should know what I am talking about' tone
"Geeze, all right already. You sure are grumpy, Sasu-chan," Kishi mumbled as he reached up to undo the chains. However, he quickly jumped back as Sasuke reared up his legs and attempted to kick him in a very private area. He would have succeeded too, had he not been chained and a tad bit weak from blood loss and such.
"Haven't I told you to not, under any circumstances, ever call me that?" the Uchiha said in a surprisingly calm tone. His eyes, however, were far from calm. He really wished he had killed Naruto and gained the Mangekyo sharingan. He would use it to trap Kishi in a genjutsu so powerful that even Itachi would scream in terror. He would gut his brother and that fish he traveled with. No, not gut, but skin. Of course, he would have to skin him. Very, very slowly. With a spork. Yes, think happy thoughts Sasuke.
"Hai, hai," Kishi said, waving a hand dismissively. "Really, though. You're so grumpy. Why should I let a grumpypants go, hm?" he asked, waving a finger tauntingly. Unfortunately for the pissed off Uchiha he was too far away to maim, let alone kill. He needed a weapon of some sort. Hm.....
The hyper ANBU let out a yelp of surprise and ducked. He narrowly avoided a shoe that was thrown at his head. Unfortunately for him, Sasuke had launched another soon after and it hit Kishi's shoulder. "Ow! Bloody seven kami! What was that for?"
"Now," the irritated Uchiha said, well growled would be a more apt word.
"Only if you promise not to hit me again," Kishi said, crossing his arms. "You've run out of things to throw at me." He followed this statement with a juvenile 'na na na na na na' Sasuke only stared. He was good at staring. Really, he was almost as good as Orochimaru. Well, his evil glares needed work, but his 'I am too high and mighty to even make a deal with you lowly scum' expression was top notch.
Kishi let out a long sigh. "Okay, okay, already. I'll let you go. Just promise not to hit me until after I heal you, 'kay?"
Sasuke thought about this. "Hn," was the only response he deemed worthy of the question.
"Uh-uh, on your status as an Avenger or may Itachi eat your eyes." Kishi crossed his arms to express his sincerity about the vow.
A long, evaluating stare was all he got. Then, "Hn," followed by a 'I hate you, but I will agree to your terms. Just never mention this to anyone or I shall eat your liver' looks.
Kishi lifted his mask to grin at him, then lowered it again. He stepped forward, performed a few seals, and muttered something Sasuke didn't quite catch. Luckily, the ANBU knew what he was doing and was able to catch the smaller shinobi before he hit the ground, then carefully lay him there.
Sasuke sighed and closed his eyes. If there was one person to trust in this place, it was Kishi. Sure he was annoying...and loud...and extremely hyper...and for some reason had fun playing with the random weapons lying around...and he was flat out crazy, but he was trustworthy damn it. He would never admit it, and some part of him would always be wary of the strange ANBU. Still, he seemed to emit a peaceful aura. One that was hard to deny when he was so close. Sasuke found himself relaxing. He vaguely heard Kishi saying some quiet phrase, then, darkness.
~*~
And there was my pitiful attempt at a first chapter. ^_^ I know the extent of my lameness. There is no need to point it out. If you do not like it, then do not read........unless this is like the other train wreck stories and you just can't stop. Trust me, I've been there. I'll forgive you if you forgive me. - eclectic_souls