Otogakure

[X]

The cell door opened with the grinding squeal of rusted metal against stone and Orochimaru stepped inside. "Come with me, Himroko," he said.

A ragged man looked up but did not move from where he sat against the back wall of the only room he'd seen in the past two years.

"Why should I?" he muttered, his voice rough with disuse.

"I've found a use for you. I'm going to give you a chance at power."

Orochimaru waited but Himroko did not come to him.

"I don't trust you. Use someone else."

The unsettling smile on Orochimaru's face did not falter. He strode forward and grabbed Himroko, dragging him to his feet and forcing him to the door. "I'm not giving you a choice," he said lightly.

Himroko did not resist as Orochimaru guided him into one of his labs. Kabuto was waiting there with an array of instruments and syringes lined up on trays. With a careless shove, Orochimaru pushed Himroko further into the room and closed the door.

Himroko looked around warily. There was an examination table in the middle of the room with straps attached to the edges. He inched away from it, keeping a careful eye on Kabuto, but he was entirely unprepared for the searing pain that suddenly shot through his neck. He didn't even have time to discern its source before the fangs pulled free from his flesh.

A ragged gasp tore from Himroko's throat as he dropped to his knees. Orochimaru grabbed him and dragged him onto the examination table where Kabuto strapped him down. The pain of the budding curse seal on Himroko's neck brought on convulsions and Kabuto tightened the straps before busying himself with the syringes.

Orochimaru selected a long-bladed scalpel and stepped up to the table. Himroko, still just barely aware enough to realize his situation, cried out weakly as Orochimaru brought the cold metal up near his neck. He tried to hold himself still as the blade lowered, but a moment later there came the sound of tearing cloth. Orochimaru sliced a slit in Himroko's shirt and tore it open, pushing the scraps back to bare his chest. Another convulsion caused Himroko's body to writhe and strain against his bonds but Orochimaru held him down. "Kabuto," he said sharply.

Kabuto selected a syringe and injected the contents into Himroko's arm. His movements quieted quickly but his eyes remained wide with terror, darting back and forth between Kabuto and Orochimaru.

"And it won't affect the study?" Orochimaru asked.

"No. I only paralyzed his limbs. You should still be able to gather accurate data."

"Good." Orochimaru brought the blade down on Himroko again and dug it into his chest. Himroko screamed as Orochimaru systematically opened his chest and gradually exposed his heart.

"Keep him alive as long as possible without interfering," Orochimaru ordered over Himroko's strained cries and whimpers. "And let me know if anything unexpected goes wrong."

Kabuto picked up another needle and injected a second drug into Himroko's arm. Keeping him alive without obstructing the study would require constant monitoring and quick action, as well as a knack for knowing what Orochimaru was still working on and what could be healed.

They worked quietly, the only sound in the room coming from Himroko. Kabuto kept a careful eye on his delicate condition, but he was not too focused to miss when Orochimaru stopped his analysis to clutch the edge of the examination table, his eyes unfocused for just a few moments.

"Lord Orochimaru?" Kabuto said, immediately switching his attention over to him.

"Pay attention to your assignment," Orochimaru snapped. He returned to his work and Kabuto began tending to Himroko again, but he did not let it go.

"Lord Orochimaru, have you gotten any rest lately?" Orochimaru ignored him so he continued. "These experiments, your research, developing and learning new jutsu, training Sasuke, and now working with that scope as well – it's too much. You're not taking care of yourself."

"I'm fine, Kabuto."

"You need to be more careful. The vessel for your last transfer was not ideal. You need to–"

"Why do you think I am putting so much effort into examining the effects of the curse seal? With more information I might be able to reduce the fatality rate of my choice vessels." Orochimaru stepped away from the table and began carefully cleaning the blood from his hands.

"Salvage him if you can," he told Kabuto, and he left the lab. Without really thinking about it, he went to his room and found himself standing outside the door. He stalled there a moment and considered resting, but kept walking instead.

[X]

After a few hours of wasted effort, Himroko's heart gave one last pathetic shudder and stopped. Kabuto sighed and pushed the tray of syringes away. It very briefly crossed his mind to let Orochimaru know that Himroko had died, but he decided against it.

He's overworking himself. As long as I am thorough, it shouldn't matter if I do the autopsy myself.

He picked up the scalpel Orochimaru had used and sliced deep into Himroko's partially healed chest. Once the body was opened completely, he began removing organs one at a time and inspecting them carefully, taking notes on irregularities in the tissues.

He was just about to remove the heart when he was struck with the feeling of someone watching him. He spun around toward the door but saw nothing out of place. Cautiously, he stepped out into the hallway and looked around, but still it seemed that no one was there.

Satisfied for the moment and wanting to complete his work, Kabuto went back to the table and stared down at Himroko. His face was frozen – mouth still open from his dying moans, eyes fixed on the dark ceiling. Kabuto scoffed at the fleeting thought that those eyes were the ones he'd felt watching him. If the blank stares of the dead bothered him, he'd have gone mad long ago. He switched out his scalpel for a smaller one, carefully severed the heart, and pulled it out. Holding it up in one hand, he scrutinized the worn tissue and made a note that the valves almost seemed to fray after he had cut them. Then he took the muscle over to a clean table and began dissecting it.

Another two hours passed before he had finally finished everything. He tossed the top of Himroko's skull and a stray eyeball onto the pile of ravaged flesh and started to clean up.

It's late, he thought wearily as he finished. I should make sure Lord Orochimaru is resting.

Kabuto stepped into the hallway and was immediately forced against the wall, barely avoiding an attempted blow to his head. He didn't even have time to get a look at his attacker before she came at him again, her foot swinging around, about to collide with the side of his head.

Kabuto held his ground, flying through the signs for a chakra scalpel, and was about to catch her ankle, but she cut her attack short and darted away from him before he could get his hands on her.

This time, Kabuto was able to get a clear look at the woman. She wore no identifying symbols. He glanced over her long, dark hair, plain clothes, and sharp features but did not see anything that would tell him where she was from or why she was there.

"What are you doing here?" Kabuto demanded.

The only answer he received was another attack. The woman charged forward, striking at him again and again with taijutsu, but she was pulling back almost as often as she was following through, extremely wary of his chakra scalpel. Kabuto saw this and chose to take the offensive. He began anticipating when she would pull back and tried to force her to the wall, aiming for her neck, but the hallway was too open. He couldn't corner her and they continued to dodge around each other without either landing a hit. After several of these exchanges, Kabuto noticed another pattern to her movements. She was constantly trying to get behind him, and most frequently aiming for his head.

The more they fought, the more Kabuto was able to predict her moves, but he also became aware that something was off. She's… transformed? As they continued to fight, he felt more certain. This is a disguise. It might not even be a woman. They've only used taijutsu which could mean a distinctive fighting style they don't want me to see. And if they feel the need to hide their identity…

He faked a wide swipe that whisked past her ear, drawing her eyes away so he could knock her feet out from under her. She dropped, hit the ground, scrambled back up, and sprinted down the hallway away from Kabuto in one whirlwind flurry of motion. Kabuto ran after her, but as he passed another hallway, something slammed into his head. The force of the blow threw him back into the wall and he collapsed onto the floor. He was disoriented long enough for two people to pin him down and tie his hands behind his back, careful to arrange them back to back rather than palm to palm to eliminate any chance of him forming hand signs. When he had shaken off the blow, he realized that it was a shadow clone that had hit him, and that was now binding his ankles together while the woman continued to hold him down.

She must have prepared that clone before I even left the lab… he thought. She had me underestimating her the entire time. "Ugh, who… are y–?"

The woman slung another rope under Kabuto's chin and tightened it around his neck. He tried to struggle, but he could hardly move. She dismissed her clone, clearly not concerned by his weak efforts, and he thought he heard her laugh when he tried and failed to call out to Orochimaru. His vision gradually darkened to black.

The woman let the rope slacken and removed his headband, tearing off the metal plate to use the cloth as a gag before he could recover. Throwing him over her shoulder, she carried him back into the lab and, still bound, strapped him to the examination table where he had restrained Himroko earlier that day. With a smirk, she left the lab, closing the door behind her.

[X]

Orochimaru sighed and dropped the book he was holding onto the desk. After writing down his thoughts on what he'd observed with Himroko, he had started going through his records of all previous curse mark subjects, but after hours of this he had to acknowledge his exhaustion. He stood slowly and headed back to his room, leaving all of his books and notes spread over the table. He kept the bedroom dark, wearily changed his clothes, and got into bed.

It felt as though his head had barely touched the pillow when the door creaked open, waking him from the fragile, shallow sleep that had immediately stolen over him.

"Kabuto," Orochimaru hissed. "What have I told you about disturbing me?"

The door opened further. "Kabuto isn't around."

Orochimaru sat up. "…Tsunade. This is a surprise," he said.

Tsunade came into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. "A good surprise?" she asked.

He laughed quietly. "Of course, but what are you doing here?"

"Well, it's not fair that you come all that way to see me every time, so I came to you."

"Yes, but Tsunade, I won't be missed. I'm free to come and go as I please. Your absences arouse suspicion."

"Don't worry about it." Tsunade turned to him, sliding further onto the bed, and leaned in close. Orochimaru could feel her breath against his face and her hand was suddenly resting on his shoulder, holding him back against the pillows.

"Tsunade…" Orochimaru whispered.

"Shh."

Her other hand gently brushed his long hair back and she pressed her lips to his neck.

"Mm," Orochimaru closed his eyes. "What about Kabuto?" he asked. He felt her light laugh against his skin before she pulled back.

"I took care of it," she said.

He opened his eyes and glared at her in the dim light. "What does that mean?" She was taken aback at his disapproval and drew away from him slightly but he grabbed her wrist and jerked her back. "You've deceived me before. If I find you've killed my attendant–"

"I didn't," she snapped at him.

He watched her carefully and, after a moment, decided he was satisfied with her answer. "I still need him," he said anyway.

"Heh. Even… with me here?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes."

"Hmm." She leaned over him again and kissed his forehead then slowly brushed her lips against his. "You're taking away all my excuses," she whispered.

"One of these days you may just have to admit to the true reason you're here," he said slyly. He twisted a lock of her hair around his fingers and kissed her.

Tsunade's arms slipped around Orochimaru and her hands crept to his lower back. She grabbed the hem of his shirt and they parted for just a moment as she pulled it off and threw it on the floor. A second later Orochimaru was dragging her jacket back off of her shoulders and it dropped to the floor as well. She began slowly trailing kisses down his neck until her cheek pressed against his shoulder. He could feel the heat under her skin, but in the dark room could only imagine the soft blush coloring her face. She ran her hand down his chest lightly and noticed his breathing and heartbeat had quickened, but somewhat irregularly.

"Orochimaru… are you okay?" she whispered.

Orochimaru slid his hand under her chin, lifting her face to his, and kissed her again. She felt his smile against her lips.

"You worry too much," he said.

She laughed a little as his lips began to wander down her neck, his fingers creeping up to gently slide the sleeve of her shirt down off of her shoulder. He hesitated just above her collar bone and she heard him murmur, "Do you trust me, Tsunade?"

"Yes."

He smiled again and bit her, careful not to break the skin but with enough force to draw a moan from her lips.

"Ah, Orochimaru…"

Her fist closed, fingers tangled in his hair but she did not pull away. A moment later there was just the light touch of his tongue along her skin as he traced back up her neck. Then he was staring into her eyes. She brought her hand up to her shoulder, rubbing it lightly. He hadn't hurt her but…

"You just like to scare me, don't you," she said accusingly.

"Heh, were you scared? I thought you trusted me."

"Hm." She pushed his hair back from one side of his face and let her hand linger on his cheek as she continued to stare into his eyes. "Yeah, I do," she said, and smiling she amended, "But don't push it."

Orochimaru smirked. "If you say so, Hokage," he teased.

"Stop it," Tsunade laughed.

"Oh? You want me to stop?" he asked, pulling at her shirt again and sliding the sleeves down off of her shoulders. Tsunade felt her cheeks warming but she only drew closer to him.

"Never mind," she answered.

"Hmm, good."

Orochimaru removed the sash from around her waist and her shirt fell open and slipped down her arms. He dropped it over the side of the bed and laid his hands on her waist, enjoying the feel of her skin and every curve of her body as he slowly slid them up to her chest. Tsunade kissed him eagerly. Her hands wandered down to Orochimaru's hips and her fingers crept under the waist of his pants just briefly before he suddenly pushed her back on the bed, pinning her arms down and returning her kiss with such fervor she was left breathless when he finally pulled away.

"Orochimaru," she gasped. "Mm, now. I want you now." She tried to sit up, tried to reach for him again but he held her down and did not let her move. A little alarmed, she found his eyes in the dim light, trying to read his intentions. What she saw only deepened her unease. His expression was unreadable, but as he gazed down at her she could see in his eyes a calculating yet uncertain look that frightened her.

Tsunade laughed a little nervously. "Hey, Orochimaru, what's–"

"Tsunade," he interrupted. "Why are you here?"

Tsunade was taken aback. "What are you talking about?"

"We always meet each other but you always leave. I want to know, Tsunade. Why are you here?"

He released her and she sat up slowly but would no longer meet his eyes. Gently he turned her face back to his and forced her to look at him.

"I love you, Tsunade."

Tsunade's heart sped. He had never said it before. Neither had she.

Tsunade brought her hand up to cover his and held it against her cheek, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, Orochimaru could see tears gathering but she blinked them back.

"Orochimaru…" She smiled and met his eyes then said softly, "I love you."

Orochimaru pulled her close again and held her to him in silence, finally allowing himself to fully enjoy the feel of her arms around him. "Hm, about time we finally said it," he whispered into her hair.

"You're right," she sighed. She could not stop smiling and was beginning to feel foolish, but she didn't care. For that moment, all that mattered was there in her arms and she never wanted to let go.

[X]

Otogakure—Author's Note

This one shot, as you might have noticed, does not really progress the plot. It's just a fun little thing I did for a friend a long time ago and adapted to fit into the time line of this ongoing story. (Also, I obvious did not come up with a better title… expect this to be a trend lol)

The next installment will be another full length fic to be updated in chapters like More than Enemies was. It will be 27 chapters, so a bit longer but my chapters are notoriously sort anyway. The title will be "The Breaking Point." Just an advance warning, the first chapter is shameless fan fic hijinx, and the last chapter necessitates an M rating for the whole fic.

Thanks again to everybody reading!

~DS