Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Poisoned Rationality ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

3rd, 2008]

Chapter 2:




“Is it lethal?” I asked, head spinning and belly roiling.

“If you receive a big enough dose, then yes. It will kill you in two days. The symptoms do not arrive until the second day, but by then it will be too late.” Sasuke-teme stated matter-of-factly.

Nodding I asked, “Did I have a lethal dose?” I held my breath and waited for his answer. When I looked up at him, he smirked.

“Of course. Anything less and you would not have tasted the poison.”

I could feel my stomach rebelling and I started to gag. Forcing down the bile in my throat, I tried to avoid the indignity of vomiting in front of Sasuke.

He looked at me with expressionless eyes. “I warned you the training would be dangerous. But I would hardly give you a poison your body (and here he did a once-over on my body) had to fight while malnourished. There is an antidote.” He picked up a small vial containing a cloudy white liquid.

I sighed in relief, looking at Sasuke’s stoic face expectantly. I realized he hadn’t offered the antidote to me.

“In answer to the question you did not ask but should have, this--” he raised the small vial and shook it slightly, “--is how we keep Orochimaru’s food taster from escaping.”

I gasped, trying to take in the seriousness of the situation I was in.

“Kisa, you confessed. We would be fools to let you serve Orochimaru-sama without some insurance. Your word means little to me.”

His words stung a bit, but I tried to keep that emotion in check.

“Though this place is heavily guarded and Orochimaru is more than capable of protecting himself against attacks- we use Butterfly’s Dust for other forms of retaliation.” He shifted more files on his and returned his attention to their words.

I watched his eyes move from right to left as the wind picked up again, blowing his dark locks gently.
Without looking at me, he said, “You need a daily dose of this to stay alive. The antidote keeps the poison from killing you. As long as you show up each morning in my office, I will give you the antidote. Miss one morning and you will be dead the next. Commit a crime or an act of treason, and you will be sent back to the dungeons.” He regarded me with his onyx orbs. “And I will allow the poison to take you. When the symptoms do come, you will suffer from severe stomach cramps and uncontrollable vomiting.”

A knock on the door sounded, and I turned to see a young man with short hair and razor sharp teeth enter. He gave a mock of a bow saying a quiet “Sasuke-kun.”

I turned back to the indicated man who gave a dismissive nod my way, before returning to his scrolls. I looked back at the man who flicked his head in a gesture for me to follow. I hesitantly rose and took a few steps toward him. I glanced back at Sasuke, who was reading and writing notes on a blank parchment, clearly ignoring me. I did not want to leave him; not after all my years of searching for his still familiar face. At the sound of a cleared throat, I finally turned and followed the man down the candle-lit hallways.

“A man of few words, ne?” he smiled a somewhat welcoming smile at me.

I nodded but remembered the long sentences the Uchiha was forced to utter for my sake, and smiled.

“I’m Suigetsu, by the way.”

It took me a while to answer. My mind was, of course, centered on Sasuke-teme.

“Kisa,” I said distractedly.

After a while, which consisted of many turns and hallways, we stopped in a large, low-ceiling room. I looked out at the obvious shower stalls and large heated pool of water in the center. I looked at the man next to me.

“You stink.” With that, he left me by myself going to kami knows where.

The idea of bathing the filth off of me gave me a burst of energy. I made my way over to the showers, well, more like limped my way over. I practically fell onto the stool, pulling the privacy curtain closed. The area was empty but I felt exposed and paranoid. Peeling my shredded clothes off, I inspected my body. It appeared just as foreign as when I first transformed. Bruises, rashes, and other minor irritations covered my body, as well as the layers upon layers of dirt, sweat, and blood. I felt ten years older. I was certain my movements mirrored that of an 80 year old man,…or woman. My hair was matted and itchy, with bits of straw and other things I did not want to think about, clinging to their dry, dirty strands.

I pulled a rope to release the water from a wooden duct and gasped aloud at the wonderfully warm water cascading on my still shivering form. I sat there for a while lost in thought; lost in the calming sensation of the water hitting my body. I even opened my mouth to wash it free of the many months of slop I was forced to consume to stay alive. Sighing, I obediently began to wash my hair. When I switched to cleaning my body, the soap burned on all my open cuts. I didn’t mind though, because I would be clean soon. After scrubbing twice, I stopped to inspect my body once again. Bruises and sores littered my body. My hair and nails were long. I closed the duct and sat down. I reluctantly allowed my eyes to pass over my female assets, but stopped. Now was not a time to cry for I could already feel the prickly sensation at the back of my eyes. I felt so out of place. To finally wash my body to resemble something human and not recognize what is uncovered…it was depressing.

I finally retrieved a towel and a comb. Wrapping the stiff material around my body, I began to brush my hair. My snarled hair resisted the comb, breaking a few of its teeth. By this time, I was irritated. My left eyebrow twitched in annoyance and I ground my teeth to keep from cursing at the inanimate object, or my hair. I retrieved another comb and started at the bottom of the tangled strands, working my way up in sections. Fifteen minutes later, after pulling clumps of knotted hair out, I arranged my hair in a simple braid. Hey, I got a lot of practice helping Iruka-sensei out with the young academy students.

Clean and feeling pounds lighter, I sank into the hot water of the large centered pool. I closed my eyes and sighed in contentment as my stiff aching muscles loosened a bit. I allowed my mind to be clear of any and all thoughts as I sat there for a while.

“They say falling asleep in a bath is dangerous-- you know, with drowning and all,” called Suigetsu, startling me out of my light doze. “This is for you. Get dressed.”

I reluctantly emerged from the blissful waters and dried myself. I did not feel the need to cover my body as Suigetsu watched unashamed. I pulled on the simple undergarments and my new uniform. It consisted of simple form-fitting black pants and a black sleeveless top with a white, long-sleeved tunic that reached just under my ass, with a v-neck opening in the front that reached the black satin belt wrapping my thin waist.

I finally looked up at Suigetsu, letting him know I was ready. He handed me a pair of black sandals that fit perfectly, oddly enough. I tossed my towel in the laundry bin and accepted the two changes of clothes that he brought for me. We proceeded out the door with me trailing behind, down hallways and up a few flights of stairs to a large door. I suspected he went the long way and even backtracked, just to confuse me. Unlocking the door and opening it wide, he allowed me to enter first. It was a large room with two desks and more shelves of books and scrolls.

“The door to the left, leads to Sasuke-kun’s sleeping quarters while the door to the right leads to your own.” We entered my tiny new room. “You also have a separate half-bathroom. I left some food for you in your room but I am going to have to lock you in,” he stated.

I turned to look at him noticing the keys in his hand. Nodding once, I walked further into my room inspecting the sparse simple furniture. I ignored the ominous clicking sound of my door locking. The sound somehow driving the point home that I was still a prisoner, still not free.

I sighed as I looked at the small stiff-looking bed. There was a single nightstand next to it with an unlit candle for a light source. On the right stood a small dresser with four drawers. The door to the toilet was on this side as well. On the left was a small table that doubled as a desk. A tray of food and water was waiting for me as promised. My mouth watered at the sight. I sat down looking at the bowl of soup which still had some steam rising from it. There was a bowl of rice and a cup of water as well. I sniffed at the food closing my eyes to relish the smell. “Mmm.” I could hardly suppress my anxious groan nor the rumble from my stomach. I picked up the bowl of rice and dumped its contents carefully into the large bowl of soup, not willing to spill any of it. Picking up the spoon, I smushed the rice, making sure it soaked the broth, before scooping a small amount and taking a bite. It was okay, not Ichiraku ramen, but okay; and 100x better than the shit they fed us in the dungeons. I took my time with the food. Strange for me, I know. I guess I wanted to savor the moment. Its not like I’m in a hurry. The warm broth flooded my mouth rolling along my tongue. I allowed my taste buds to savor the simple flavor of the vegetable broth as if in apology for allowing the shit that passed for food to coat it.

After finishing my meal I decided to go to sleep. I was tired again. I was always tired, though my daily exertions of late were practically in the negative.

I pulled the thin covers down and climbed in. I lay on my side allowing my body to adjust to the position and relax. I was right. The bed was hard, but loads better than the dirty straw-covered floor in the dungeons.

Kyuubi has been strangely silent throughout my ordeal. I guess he realized that I wasn’t going to leave. Eighteen years together, he should have known how stubborn I could be.

My thoughts drifted to Sasuke. He looked healthy enough; taller and more mature…I guess. He seemed so at ease and comfortable here. Surely he doesn’t want to stay? I sighed. Again the same thoughts, the same questions. I drifted into a fitful sleep plagued by doubt and failure.


*************************


The next morning, Suigetsu was leading me down the maze of hallways again. My stomach growled in the morning silence causing him to laugh.

“Breakfast?” I asked hopefully.

“No. Sasuke-kun will feed you.”

The thought of breakfast laced with poison suppressed my appetite. My stomach twisted in remembrance of the teme’s Butterfly Dust.

By the time we reached his office, I had convinced myself that if I did not receive an antidote then and there, that I would surely die.

When we entered the room, Sasuke was in the process of arranging plates of steaming food, having cleared a section of his desk for me. He gestured to a chair; I sat, searching the table for a small vial of antidote.

“I trust your…,” Sasuke studied my face, looking at me for the first time since I entered. I stared back, trying not to flinch under his scrutiny. I think I stopped breathing, hoping he could not tell it was really me. “It’s amazing what a difference a bath and a clean uniform can make. Hn.” Placing two plates of egg, pork, and rice before me, he added, “Let’s begin.”

Unable to stop myself, I blurted out, “I’d rather start with the antidote…please.”

After a long pause in which I fidgeted in my seat, he spoke. “You should not be feeling any symptoms. They will not arrive until later this afternoon.” He shrugged and went to a cabinet, unlocking the door with a key that came from kami know where. Using a pipette, he extracted a small amount of the white liquid from a large bottle, and locked the bottle back inside. He must have seen my interest in the key because he moved too quick to see where he kept his key.

“Drink up, so we can begin,” he said.

I squeezed the liquid into my mouth, cringing at the bitter taste. “Ew, yuck!”

Sasuke smirked at the look of disgust on my face. He took the empty pipette from my hand and exchanged it with a blue jar.

“Take a sniff.”

The jar contained a white powder that resembled sugar but smelled like rosewood. Gesturing to the two plates cooling in front of me, he asked me to pick the one sprinkled with the poison. I hesitantly lowered my head and sniffed the food like a fox nosing for its prey. I laughed at the irony as well as the test. I could easily detect the faint odor of rosewood emanating from the left plate, thanks to the kitsune.

“Good. Should you pick up that aroma from any of Orochimaru-sama’s food, reject it. The poison is called Tigtus and a single grain of the powder will kill within the hour.” Sasuke removed the tainted food. “Eat.” He indicated the other plate. “You will need your strength.”

I spent the remainder of the morning smelling poisons until my head spun. I was getting so confused from the many names and aromas, that at one point, I asked the teme for a blank parchment and a pen. He paused, a look of surprise crossing his features briefly before it was hidden again behind his stoic mask. He handed me the requested items then summoned a snake to ask Suigetsu for some lunch.

We didn’t speak much, though the amount of words Sasuke was forced to expel still surprised me. It must have frustrated him though. He named the poisons and their symptoms with as few words as was allowable without hindering my lessons. He simply retrieved one poison and traded it with another as I answered correctly. I excelled at my lessons due to my heightened senses from the Kyuubi no Kitsune. My lessons were far from boring for my life depended on my absorption and understanding.

I wrote down the poisons and their symptoms that we already covered. I also described the texture, appearance, and smell in great detail because I was sure the teme would test me. A few times I had to ask Sasuke about certain poisons, smirking inside when he repeated what was already covered; some things I didn’t need help in remembering.

I also didn’t mind the teme as an instructor. His words didn’t escape me because it was his voice that I missed more than anything, much to my surprise. Funny, because he rarely used it except to insult me or criticize me. His low, deep voice was like velvet, husky at times, and cold and clear when he remembered himself. His expressions revealed nothing during our lessons. He did not expect anything nor did he encourage me.

Suigetsu entered with our food, smirking at me playfully before exiting once again. Sasuke noticed the exchange but said nothing. We ate in silence, almost reminiscent of our times together in Team 7, before resuming our lessons.

“That’s enough for today. Here’s a key to the room. Take your notes back to your room and study.”

I looked out the small, narrow window behind Sasuke, noting the orange shade to the sky. My jade colored eyes drifted towards Sasuke catching his cold stare. I smiled nervously and quickly gathered my items. I hesitated at the door, noticing for the first time the complex system of locks. I absently fingered them, lingering in the doorway until Sasuke asked, “Now what?”

I turned towards him, hand rubbing the back of my head nervously, “Umm, I-I’m not sure where my room is.”

Sasuke sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like ‘usuratonkachi’. He summoned a black snake and gave it orders to which the creature actually bowed in acceptance to. It slithered out the door, going left. I turned back to Sasuke who had returned his attention to some scroll. When he looked up at me, annoyance clearly on his face, I smiled and waved farewell.

“See ya tomorrow.” I laughed as he narrowed his eyes, and turned to follow the reptile. When I caught up to it, it seemed to glare at me disapprovingly.

“Er…I was just saying goodbye to your master.” I informed it. I wasn’t sure if it would understand me or even care, but Sasuke-teme talked to it. I talked to the Gama family all the time.

We passed by a few male shinobi who seemed to look me over with a strange look in their eyes. The few female shinobis we passed had another look entirely. When I turned around at the feel of their stares, I caught the almost murderous gleam in their eyes; killing intent strongly emanating from their forms. Did I mention that girls were strange.

About halfway through our trek, Suigetsu found us.

“’Sup, Kisa.” He smiled those pearly sharp fangs of his, reminiscent of a shark.

“Hey, Suigetsu.” I smiled at the familiar (not to mention friendly) face, dreading the alone time in my room I was faced with.

“How were your lessons?”

I smiled ruefully, “As you can see, I am still alive.” He laughed at me.

“You’re much cooler than the last food taster. He was old and bo-ring.”

I smiled. “Thanks.” After remembering the attention from the women I asked, “So what’s with the girls around here? They were practically shooting daggers at my back.”

“Huh? Oh, that.” He laughed some more. “Its probably because of that symbol on your back.”

“Huh? What symbol?” I asked twisting and turning, trying to scratch at the offensive thing. I hadn’t realized my uniform had any sort of design on them.

“The sign of the Uchiha clan,” he provided helpfully.

I looked back at him with shock clearly on my face, mouth open wide.

“Why am I wearing the bastard’s clothes?” Inside I thought of Sasuke cooties. Gross.

“Not his clothes, just the symbol, which is stitched to your uniform. It’s a sign as well as a warning that you belong to Sasuke-kun.” At my still confused look, he added, “So no one will try to harm you. You are under his protection.”

“Why would they do that?” I asked, though I was still shocked about wearing Sasuke’s family crest.

“Anything or nothing at all. It could be the mood they’re in, the rare color of your hair, or the fact that you are sleeping with Sasuke.”

“I’m not sleeping with him!!” I squawked indignantly, heat flooding my cheeks.

“Hahaha, I know that. It just sounds better to say it that way.”

“B-but I have my own room. I didn’t even see the teme last night.”

The ex-water nin shrugged. “The last taster stayed in a room in the servant’s wing. Maybe Sasuke-kun is horny.”

We finally reached the door to my new home, relieved from the uncomfortable turn in our conversation. I inserted the key to unlock it.

“I’ll come by later with dinner. See ya, blondie.”

“Yeah, yeah. Later.”

The black snake, who had quietly slithered in front of us the entire time, led me all the way to my room. I set my scroll and pen on the bed and sat down, thinking seriously. I ignored the popping sound of the snake’s departure, staring at the wall across from me. A couple of minutes passed before I impatiently removed my belt and lifted the white tunic off to see a confirmation to Suigetsu’s words. Sure enough, there was that damned symbol that seemed to label everything belonging to that damned Uchiha. I brushed my fingers along the patch, before tossing it somewhere behind me.

“I belong to no one!!” I shouted to no one. ‘Especially not to that teme!’

A feeling of determination coursed through my small form and I opened my scroll and spent the rest of the late afternoon studying. I even forced Suigetsu to test me when he returned with dinner.

And that’s how my day went, as well as the days that would follow for the next two weeks. It was practically routine. I woke up and showered in the morning, before having breakfast with Sasuke-teme. He was the same, socially-challenged and serious as hell. We did not develop the easy relationship that I had with the ex-water nin. My lessons ended when the sun would begin to set. Sometimes earlier if Sasuke wanted more time to train with Orochimaru. Apparently, that’s what he spends his evenings doing. Training. Although, Suigetsu informed me that Sasuke usually spends most of his time training and studying jutsus, but he had to make time for my lessons (which was why he was so irritable).

I had my escort for the maze of hallways. The black snake that Sasuke summons for me, who I named ‘Hebi-san’, still leads me to my room, although I learned of the shorter way after a few days. In my room, I would study until Suigetsu came with food and tested my absorbment of new information. Then, of course, I slept. I never met Sasuke in our living quarters. But knowing him, he probably practices/studies late into the night.

That is how my days went. My sense of smell had definitely heightened after two weeks. Then one day, Sasuke-teme announced that I was ready to begin tasting the poison. Oh joy, I thought sarcastically, my favorite part. Vomiting and diarrhea, here I come.

“I’ll start with the deadliest one,” he said. “If you survive, the other poisons would not kill you either. It would be troublesome after all my training, only to have you die in the end.”

“Wouldn’t want to inconvenience you.” I mumbled sarcastically.

I spied a smirk before he turned to retrieve a slender red bottle, placing it on the desk before me. “It’s nasty. Affects the body immediately.” His midnight eyes seemed to light up in admiration. “It’s called ‘Have a Drink, My Love’ or ‘My Love’ for short because this poison has a history of being used by disheartened wives and lovers.” With a pipette, he squeezed two drops into a steaming cup of tea. “A larger dose would definitely kill you. With a smaller dose, there is a chance you will survive, but you will become delusional, paranoid, and completely disoriented for the next few days.”

“Demo, Sasuke, why do I have to taste ‘My Love’ if the results are immediate? That’s in the job description: I taste Orochimaru-sama’s food. I keel over, dead.” I tried to pace around the room but only succeeded in knocking over a stack of books, attracting Sasuke’s infamous glare.

“Your job is much more complex,” he explained, running a hand through his midnight locks. “Identifying the poison could lead me to the poisoner.” He pushed the cup closer to me. “Even if you only have a split second to shout out ‘My Love’ before succumbing to its effects, it would narrow down the list of suspects. Certain assassins are partial to certain poisons. ‘My Love’ comes specifically from Snow Country. It is not easy to obtain and few could afford it.”

Sasuke-teme went over to the fallen books and started to restack them. His movement were still as graceful and precise as ever.

“Kisa, your job is important. An assassin could watch you for several days to discern a pattern.” He continued to lecture me from the floor. “For example, you may cut your meat on the left side or never stir your drink. Some poisons sink to the bottom of the cup. If you take a sip from the top…” he dropped off not needing to explain further, and stood up. “Once you drink ‘My Love’, Karin will help you to your room and watch over you.
I’ll give her your daily dose of Butterfly’s Dust antidote.”

I looked over at the seemingly harmless cup of steaming liquid. Not wanting to look like a total coward, I stepped closer and took hold of the warm cup in my sweaty hands. I faced Sasuke-teme, who was patiently waiting for me to continue, standing only a foot away from me.

“Who’s Karin?” I asked distractedly, trying to calm my breathing. At that moment, a woman with black, thick-framed glasses entered the office. She smiled respectfully at the teme, but glared at me and my eyes widened in recognition.

The jealous one from before, huh? I’m sure I will be well cared for. I glared back at her, lifting my chin slightly, before facing my ex-teammate. In a mock salute, I raised the cup and downed its contents quickly. “Hmmm, sour apples,” I answered.

Sasuke nodded, eyes expressionless as always. I placed my cup on the desk, but had little opportunity to do anything else. For at that moment, the poison took effect. Karin’s body seemed to undulate in the air. Her hair was like snakes eager to take a bite. The walls stretched and groaned, sprouting arms that reached for me. Unrecognizable spirits rose from the ground, circling me. I sensed movement and spied the medusa-like Karin coming closer, yellow eyes gleaming. I tried to fight the monster off but was suddenly restrained by two large creatures. I screamed and scratched the bastards as they took me away, pleading for Sasuke to help me.
My head was pounding and my ears were ringing but I still heard one last comment from Karin before I was shoved into darkness.


“She’ll die from the poison. If not, you can take her.”


***TBC***



Thank you all again for reading this and giving it a chance. Thanks for the reviews and continued support. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Ja…