An auburn squirmed fitfully against the chains wrapped around his wrists, the tender flesh starting to tear with the continuation of his twisting and tugging. He chewed his lip, ran his tongue over the set of snake-bite piercings below his lip, trying to do anything to make his focus harder. He was losing blood. Things were getting fuzzy. And if probably didn't help that he was laying face down in the dirt, where bacteria could get to his open wounds.

"Squirming isn't going to work, old friend," a sinister voice chuckled.

Pein allowed himself to go limp as a wave of exhaustion nearly drowned him. "Why are you doing this, Orochimaru?" he panted. So far, the man had drugged him, chained him, and torn out every chakra receiver from his neck down. Pein could barely move.

"You'll see," the snake charmer said calmly. He was standing a few feet away, leaned regally against a wall. "You just need to lose a little more blood."

Pein's vision was beginning to grow gray and cloudy at the edges as he lost more and more blood. He couldn't feel his legs, and he was losing the feeling in his arms. His eyelids felt as if they weighed a hundred pounds, and he let them fall. It felt good to close his eyes; maybe he could go to sleep and feel even better.

There was a hard smack to the back of his head, forcing him to open his eyes. The chains around his wrists were viciously grabbed, and Pein was forced to struggle to his feet. "It's time," Orochimaru hissed. He took hold of Pein's throat, and Pein couldn't help but slump into his hand.

"Pathetic," the snake charmer growled. He gestured to the shadows, and Kabuto stepped from them, holding a bowl that held all of Pein's removed chakra receivers. The young man reflexively pushed his glasses further up on his nose and came forth.

Pein groaned when he held on of the black sticks up. "They have to go in certain spots," he nearly whispered. Talking made his throat throb against Orochimaru's hand, and he broke into a fit of coughing. Orochimaru lifted a brow and changed his hold, grabbing the back of Pein's hair.

"I know where they all go," Kabuto said bitterly. He grabbed Pein's numb arm and pushed the stick into place. The auburn hissed when the receiver burned him; they had been soaked in rubbing alcohol. The next few minutes were filled with Pein's groaning.

After Kabuto pushed the last stick into place, he took the bowl and vanished, leaving Orochimaru and Pein alone. The snake charmer brought their faces far too close. "Have fun," he hissed.

He kissed Pein. The auburn grunted with shock, trying to pull away, weakly pushing on Orochimaru's chest. Orochimaru only brought him closer, worming his long tongue beyond Pein's lips and sliding his hand down Pein's bloodied body, groping at his ass. Pein jerked head to the side and broke their connection.

It was like a cue for the snake charmer. He took Pein by the throat, just under his jaw, and hurled him across the dark room. Pein closed his eyes and waited for the impact of a dirt wall to further wound him, but it never came. Instead, he opened his eyes to see that he was still airborne. He was outside, three stories high, and hurtling towards a brick building.

For a crushing moment, he wondered if he would miss the open window. But he tumbled inside, dropping onto a soft carpeted floor. This wasn't his floor. This wasn't his home. Hell, this wasn't his village! This was an apartment, with too many things that Pein didn't understand.

This was Orochimaru's fault. He must have taken him to another world.

Slowly pulling himself to his feet, Pein limped to the bathroom and looked into the mirror. Even though he had switched worlds, his body was still smeared with blood. Painfully and carefully, he removed his clothes and filled the bathtub. A shower wasn't on his mind; the streams of water would burn the cuts on his body. He lowered himself into the tub of hot water, allowing himself to cry out when it burned his wounds. Tears blurred his vision and rolled down his cheeks.

What had he done to him? Pein had never felt agony like this. He wasn't supposed to. But here he was, weeping over a mere burning sensation. He bit his lip, forcing himself to stop and clear his vision. He just needed to get cleaned up and get out. He probably shouldn't even be here. He was positive he wouldn't be welcomed to stay here without paying, or even asking for a room. For all he knew, this place could be someone else's home.

One all of the blood on Pein's body was rubbed away, he drained the tub and redressed. It was then that he realized he had lost his headband. He rubbed his forehead, brushing back his auburn hair. He felt exposed without it.

Taking off his solid shirt and leaving on his fishnet one, Pein tore a strip from it and tied it around his head. That felt better. He would have to get some money and go shopping later, but this would do for today. He had to repeat that a few times as he stuffed the shirt into his pocket.

Quietly, Pein left the apartment and escaped the building. He had to figure out where he was, quickly. He glanced in every direction, mapping out everything in his head. If he ended up being trapped here for a long period of time, he would need to know where he was.

He felt his heart sink at that thought. He didn't want to be here. And he had yet to learn why Orochimaru wanted him here so badly. To get Pein out of the picture, he was willing to bet.

Hardly realizing it, Pein stopped in his tracks and stood in the middle of the sidewalk. He felt too exposed, even with the headband substitute on. He had to find a bazaar of some sort. Maybe he could find some free service, or pick up some money. He looked behind him and could only see houses. To his right, he could only see houses. To the left, the building he had just come from.

It seemed forward was his only option.