A/N: Okay, I know what you're all thinking. "What? Kabuto?" Yes, Kabuto. I was actually surprised myself.
One day, I was really bored, so I took a quiz to see which Naruto character I was most likely to fall in love with. Now, try as I may, the result would not change from Yakushi Kabuto. I was a little shocked (and ticked off) that of all people, that sadistic bastard ended up being my best match.
I was watching Shippuden the other day, and it was a few of the episodes with Kabuto in it. I got curious, remembering my quiz results. So I started thinking, "Is it even possible for a guy like that to fall in love?" Because, as you all know, Kabuto is shrouded in mystery and no one (in my opinion) would be able to get past that.
And something in my head clicked. Maybe, they don't need to get past that. (grins)
And with my epiphany of the week, I made a one-shot here about Kabuto and a random OC I created for this purpose. I don't think Michiru will ever show up again.
Happy reading!
/
He remembered the day he had first seen her. Orochimaru had just brought in some new test subjects for his experiments, and she had been one of them. Something unusual happened that day: he became very intrigued, very interested, and with good reason.
Why? This girl had volunteered. And he wanted to know why.
This had occurred years back during the time where Orochimaru was attempting to create aquatic-fighter ninja. Many humans were taken against their will, forced into a sick sort of servitude. But not this girl, she volunteered to be experimented on, and in a few years, the experiment was called a success.
The girl was a brunette, with hair that she always kept in a long braid, her bangs curving delicately around her face. Her eyes were an unusual gray color, but nonetheless nice to look at. Her skin was a cream color, which contrasted greatly with the dark clothing she usually wore, save for the beads she wore around her neck. The beads were strung around her neck loosely, and the beads were of various colors in no particular order. Someone once remarked that it looked as if someone had thrown multi-colored paint splatters all over her. She was much shorter than he was at the time, and would only grow a few more inches over the next few years. She didn't much care.
When need be, she could transform into her aquatic form, thanks to the experiments, resulting in the growth of her murky brown-green scales, fins, and gills.
He did not see her often, but when he did it was always to see something interesting.
The girl was an expert with water-type jutsu, having been born in Water Country, but also showed great skill when it came to chakra control. In fact, every time he had heard about her, it was a comment about her chakra control. If for nothing else, her chakra control caught his attention as well.
Akane Michiru was her name.
His curiosity was starting to get the better of him, after a time. He knew by now that she was a rare prodigy when it came to chakra control, and that this, no, she was an opportunity he could not miss.
And so, he decided to go to his superior.
"Orochimaru-sama." He announced his presence with a bow as he entered his master's room. He'd closed the heavy wooden door behind him, which creaked oddly as it moved and closed with a sharp thud.
"What is it, Kabuto-kun? Has one of the experiments taken an interesting turn?" Orochimaru replied from the shadows. What other reason could his subordinate have for coming to see him before their scheduled meetings? Kabuto simply shook his head, and opened his mouth to speak.
"No, so far the experiments have been going as planned." He smirked lightly, "I actually have a request, if it is not too much to ask, Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto adjusted his glasses so that the light reflecting off of them hid his violet eyes.
"Speak your mind, then." Orochimaru's calm tone indicated that he was in a good mood. All the better for me, Kabuto had thought.
The candles in the room flickered, the dim light casting shadows in the room. There was the slight sound of tapping as Kabuto took a few steps forward along the cold, stone-grey floor.
"I wish to have an apprentice," he stated quite clearly. Orochimaru thought for a moment, his eyes closed in deep thought.
"An apprentice? Of what sorts, may I ask, Kabuto-kun?" Orochimaru replied. It wasn't every day Kabuto asked for a thing like this. Why, he usually asked for bodies to pick apart and experiment on…
"To pass on my medical knowledge. I think it would be good if you had…Two of me, so to speak." Kabuto chose his words carefully, the light from the candles reflecting off his glasses still, making Orochimaru only slightly wary.
There was something about Kabuto that not even the great Snake Sannin could comprehend. That was one of the few things in this world that scared him more than he would ever admit.
"Very well. Do you have a particular ninja in mind?" Orochimaru questioned, not too worried about the request. Knowing Kabuto, the unfortunate apprentice would end up a guinea pig for one of his experiments, anyway.
Kabuto looked up and replied readily.
"Akane Michiru, the one with excellent chakra control. She seems to be promising," Kabuto replied knowingly, showing that he had given this great thought. He was not one to share his medical secrets so easily, but in the end, allowed himself to make the decision. Of course, it may have all been a ruse, but that is a question best left unanswered. At least, when dealing with Yakushi Kabuto.
"Do as you wish with her," Orochimaru said to Kabuto. He did seem to have a good point, since having two skilled medical ninja would be very helpful. Although, it made him wonder, why would Kabuto ever feel the need to produce another medic? Before he could change his mind, the medic before him shifted.
"Thank you, Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto bowed and left the room, to go find his new subordinate.
/
It had not taken long to find her. She was walking in the halls of the base, headed to an unknown destination. He trotted up to her, called her name, and addressed her in a normal speaking tone.
"Akane Michiru," he called. She turned around obediently, and gazed at the man before her.
"Yakushi-sama. Am I needed?" she asked, her voice betraying no emotion, yet she was smiling lightly and politely at him, showing no opposition. Those silver eyes of hers held an odd glint he wished to decode, another puzzle he just itched to solve.
"Actually, I have a bit of a new position for you," he replied, returning the small smile. Of course, he had to be very stealthy about his investigations. Tilting her head to the side, Michiru waited for him to continue.
"You are to be my new apprentice, as of now. Are you ready for some training?" Kabuto asked. He did not give Michiru much of a chance to think it over, and she was quite aware of this. Michiru's eyes glazed over for a mere moment, but then returned to looking at him with interest.
"Ready when you are," she said simply in reply. She knew it was an inescapable order in disguise, and it was best to simply obey.
For now.
"Well then, you are now to call me Kabuto-sensei, alright?" he said, turning around. He could sense that she nodded. "Come with me," he said politely, as he once again decided to play the part of the friendly comrade.
And so, the training began.
/
"Impressive. Mastering the second level in only about three days," Kabuto commented. Michiru dusted off her hands, finished with her work. The small bird, once lying immobile on the table before them, flew out the open window, its wings newly healed and ready to spread once more.
"Thank you," she said absently, not really seeming to have any trouble.
Meanwhile, Kabuto was just as curious as ever. He had only spent about a week training her, but even as short as an amount of time as that was, he had expected to learn more about her than he had. He knew she had defected from the Mist. He knew her name. He knew her strengths. But that was not much more than he had started with in the first place.
"How did you ever get such accurate chakra control?" he asked innocently, his dark eyes gazing at her, a small, barely noticeable quirk on the right side of his lips. Why, it almost looked as if he was suppressing laughter of some sort, but that was near impossible. This is Yakushi Kabuto, after all.
Michiru simply looked out the window in response, watching the little sparrow fly further and further away with each passing second.
"Same as you, I suppose," she finally answered. Kabuto mentally grimaced, irritated that she had once again evaded one of his questions. The only thing that kept him trying was the fact that she seemed to be just as curious about him, as he was about her. She simply hid her curiosity very well, almost as well as he did. Soon enough, she might crack.
At least, if he didn't crack first.
But Kabuto has an odd pride to him, and besides, his calculations left no doubt that he would win this battle.
It was a very complex game of hide-and-seek for the two. But in this case, there were two hiders and no seekers.
Outside, the wind blew, making the leaves rustle. The sky was beginning to darken, promising a storm in the near future.
Kabuto adjusted his glasses once more, and left without a word.
/
Michiru was slightly nervous. Now under Kabuto's supervision, it would be necessary for her to travel with him wherever he went. That meant she would have to travel with Uchiha Sasuke and Orochimaru. She did not much care for the young missing-nin from the Leaf, but Orochimaru was her biggest hindrance.
But she refused to show fear, as her mask of apathy was her key to survival. It was every ninja's key to survival in this organization known as Sound.
"Michiru-san," She turned at the call of her name to see her sensei standing at her door. "Are you ready? It's time to leave," Kabuto continued. A gentle, small smile was aimed her way. Meaningless, of course, but Michiru nodded all the same, and took a small pack, placing it over her shoulders. She followed him out of the room.
"Training on the way, sensei?" she asked softly. Kabuto simply chuckled.
"Depends on Orochimaru-sama's will," he replied, pleased with Michiru's slight glance of nervousness. His manipulative tendencies had wanted to see that little spark of emotion from her, if only for a second. (Or at least, that was what he blamed it on.)
Michiru, after all, knew that the great Snake Sannin was labeled just that for a reason. She knew he was more powerful than her, and more powerful than she could ever hope to be. She knew one slip-up could kill her, but she refused to let that happen. She had her owns goals, her own path to follow and to complete before she could die happy.
"Nervous, are we?' Kabuto said to Michiru, who was now walking beside him. Michiru simply gave him a tiny, sheepish smile. Insignificant, of course.
"Perhaps." Kabuto normally would've been slightly agitated by her lack of straight-forwardness, another dodge from a close call. But this time, the expression on her face let him into her mind, for a brief moment. Maybe he was making progress. Maybe not.
He had his own agenda planned out as well. In fact, the reason he was so curious about the kunoichi standing beside him was because she seemed to have her own secrets. Then again, who doesn't have secrets, what shinobi didn't have something about their lives that they never wanted to let see the light of day?
"I will protect you, as your sensei," Kabuto said to her, smiling lightly. She returned the smile. For the first time anywhere since joining Orochimaru's forces, she felt safe, if only slightly.
"Thank you," she said, her smile growing slightly wider. Some irrational part of her brain began to process his statement as veritable. The rational part told her to dismiss it as another one of his shady lies, but… Hope is a strange thing, especially since it tried to convince her that he wouldn't kill her if necessary.
As they walked in continued silence, Kabuto felt that soon, he may be able to find out her plans. Maybe, just maybe, they shared the same goals.
/
A year quickly passed, wearing them both down.
Although, not physically.
/
The two stood back to back, their chakra scalpels activated. They split, and hidden amongst the trees, charged towards their opponents.
Trees fell with loud crashes as the enemies clashed. The ground was split open, the boulders split in two. The wind became dangerously strong, burning all their skins. The moon shone dimly over the forest, only trickles of the silver beams penetrating through the forest's thick canopy.
Bodies fell, one by one, as the two medic-nin ravaged the enemy squad mercilessly. Many were bleeding from various gashes on their persons, while others seemed to have dropped dead with no apparent wounds.
The fools were trying to recover their precious scroll, but neither of them planned on letting that happen anytime soon.
Michiru smirked fatally as more came at her. She was proud that she had mastered her sensei's technique, which may have been her first mistake. Jumping and swiping at the group, she glanced over to see how her sensei was faring. As expected, he wasn't even breaking a sweat. The sudden sound of explosions tore her attention back to her immediate surroundings, and she saw just in time how the three ninja had disappeared into clouds of smoke.
Her eyes widened. Shadow clones! So, if these had been clones, where were the originals?
Meanwhile, Kabuto had just finished off the last of his adversaries. He took a quick look around to make sure, a smirk turning the corners of his lips upwards in a satisfied matter when he found them all dead. His eyes widened as he heard a feminine scream suddenly pierce through the air.
"Michiru…" he said softly to himself as he darted towards the source of the sound.
Michiru had just been struck by the three real ninja from three different sides. They had pinned her well, right in between each of their kunai. One in the stomach, on in the back, and one in her side, the three kunai had stabbed her, letting the warm crimson fluid flow down her body as she shrieked in pain. With a quick burst of strength fueled by adrenaline, she forced away the three ninjas, killing one in the process as she sliced right through his heart.
Their blood spattered over the already tainted battlefield.
Glaring at the two ninja who had tricked her so easily, she tried to charge and take another one down. She gave a gasp of pain as she collapsed down to her knees, more blood seeping out of her wounds. She felt someone grab hold of her hair ('When had it come loose?' she thought hazily.) and put a kunai to her throat.
"Well, you put up a good fight, but you let your guard down. Too bad, so sad," The man sneered, obviously taking his time. Perhaps that was his first mistake. Michiru struggled, but only succeeded in making more blood flow from her wounds, and soon went limp as the blood loss began to take its toll on her. The other man seemed to have let his guard down as well, smirking at the unconscious girl. That mistake ended up taking his life as a blur swiftly moved past him, slicing right through his throat. The man fell to the mossy forest floor with a loud thud, the red liquid staining the green of the ground.
The man restraining Michiru looked up in shock at his fallen comrade.
"Shitosu! Hey!" he called, knowing it was in vain. He warily looked around, and after weighing his options, he threw the girl to the ground, knowing full well she was incapable of moving her in condition. She'd die anyway. He turned to flee, and ran, heading to escape. He was going to be the last one alive.
Not.
He stopped dead in his tracks as he met the cold, angered eyes of Yakushi Kabuto. He knew from the instant he met those eyes that he was going to die.
And a very painful death it was.
/
"Michiru. Michiru. Wake up," Kabuto commanded, sensing that his subordinate was starting to come to. The fluttering of her eyelids was the first sign, and that meant he could check for a concussion.
He had spent quite a few hours healing her wounds, but not all could be healed at once. He had bandaged her up, knowing it would suffice for the time being.
The girl slowly, painfully arose, until she realized that Kabuto was supporting her. Her vision slightly blurred from the blood loss, she tried to look at him. She felt a hand move over her eyes, and saw a familiar green glow. The light having faded away, she could now see clearly, and looking around, found that the two were still in the forest. The darkness seemed eerily quiet, not a sound to be heard, seeing as the wildlife had been scared away by the commotion of battle, and had refused to return.
"Michiru-chan. Can you hear me?" Kabuto had taken care to heal any wounds he saw, but his eyes wandered over her twice more before he felt satisfied. Michiru then looked up into the dark eyes, slightly surprised at hearing the new honorific added to her name.
Was that….concern in his eyes? The expression was clearly written all over his face, but it was quickly wiped off when Kabuto realized she had noticed.
Michiru nodded her head slowly, deciding to ignore his strange behavior. A shuddering breath from her was all that Kabuto needed in order to know that she needed rest. Kabuto carefully picked up his student, and took her over to an unstained tree, which he set her against so she could rest. She winced in pain, her still-tender and partially wounded back coming into contact with the hard bark of the giant oak. The silver-haired man quietly took her into his arms, preventing her back from touching anything else that may be painful.
He'd done it before he even realized it.
"Kabuto-kun…" Michiru managed to whisper softly before letting her exhaustion get the best of her, and she fell asleep on his shoulder. Her gray eyes disappeared behind her eyelids, and her breathing slowed. It was too bad that she didn't get to see Kabuto's reaction: a fleeting smirk.
The clouds overhead shrouded the moon, preventing any of its kind beams from gracing the land. The dark only served to soothe Kabuto.
He sat there for a while, quietly and thoughtfully gazing at her sleeping form, and pondered over the past year. He did not bother to touch his glasses, which had slid down his nose slightly during battle.
He had learned a few more things about her. But they were the small things, things that didn't satisfy his curiosity.
She liked oranges, her favorite color was green, and she liked rabbits. She couldn't quite resist sweets, and was always looking for new knowledge. She was a bit of a proud girl, and refused to acknowledge defeat, simply saying it was a "voluntary lapse in her train of thought" that caused the failure. It has always made him laugh.
The one thing that stuck out the most was her ability to smile and be friendly at all times, even if it was fake half the time. Of course, he had seen her cold side, having seen her kill in almost cruel and even ironic or sadistic ways.
After all, a student learns from the teacher.
But these were dangerous things to notice, and he wondered if maybe he had made an error in his calculations, in his plans somewhere along the way.
Although, it was a nice change, he admitted, having someone friendly around to converse with. Since she was his student, they did have to spend a lot of time together, and it would be for the better if they got along.
But he still knew nothing about her- her origin, her goals and motives, the point or purpose of her existence. Nothing.
But with the small things he learned, he noticed that bit by bit, he was slowly attaching to her, and she to him. Those dangerous little things had thrown a wrench into all his carefully thought-out plans.
He decided not to let curiosity turn into something more. Only problems could arise from it.
An owl finally decided it was safe to hoot its calls, and the sounds of the night returned.
Kabuto looked up at the night sky, watching the stars twinkle, as if to taunt him.
"Orochimaru-sama is expecting us back to base tomorrow. He will not be pleased," Kabuto said, a frown evident on his face. It was his vain attempt to distract himself.
The clouds moved away from the dull gray face of the moon, and it light lit the ground below it. Its light also reflected off the medical ninja's glasses.
/
Michiru woke with a start, her eyes darting around the room, paranoid and wary. She felt the bandages wrapped around her midsection, and she found herself in her bed, in her temporary room. After all, they'd have to change bases every week while following Orochimaru. An inconvenience, but necessary.
"Relax, you're going to hurt yourself." A stern but calm voice came from the door as her sensei walked in. Michiru's gaze softened and she gave that small, mysterious smile to him. Kabuto noticed her change in demeanor.
"Kabuto-kun, how long have I been out?" she asked. She waited for some reaction to her new title for him. He showed none.
However, that didn't mean that he didn't care.
"Only a day," He replied, ever so casually, walking over to her with a glass of water. He sat on the edge of her bed and handed the glass to her. Michiru took it, but only gazed into her reflection in the clear, cool liquid.
"I'm sorry," she said softly. Kabuto nodded, not bothering to address her apology.
"You need more training, then. Once you're back on your feet, we'll get started," he said to her in response, his calm gaze resting upon her. It was his way of scolding her.
Kabuto had ended up carrying her back to base. It has slowed him down only slightly, and he made it back on time. He had escaped from the attack unscathed, as one would expect of him, and with the scroll intact, as well.
Michiru was disappointed in herself. Her pride had almost gotten her killed, and she supposed that she did need more training. She needed to learn not to underestimate her opponents, or more importantly, know her own limits.
Draining the glass, she placed it on the desk beside her bed.
"He's not happy with me," Michiru said flatly. It was a statement, not a question.
"Not so much," Kabuto chuckled. "I straightened things out, though. We did get the scroll, in the end," he assured her.
Michiru learned that it was best to stay on the Snake Sannin's good side. The punishment could be severe if she didn't. Kabuto had saved her yet again from danger, and that was a punishment in itself because it made her feel like an idiot. After so long, she shouldn't still be making such stupid mistakes, or have someone watching over her all the time. She had to fend for herself.
Kabuto noticed how the girl's eyes narrowed for a half-second, Michiru glaring at her own clasped hands for a mere moment.
"I need to become strong enough to fend for myself," she said aloud, her fists clenching. Kabuto inwardly smirked. There it was, the first goal she had revealed to him. One question had been answered, and he finally felt as if he'd won a round of this strange version of hide-and-seek.
Michiru slowly raised her eyes to meet her sensei's. It was her way of asking of speaking silently, and this time, it said: Help me.
Kabuto's eyes widened in surprise. He had not expected that, nor did he even realize he understood her. His eyes glazed over, hiding his thoughts for a few brief moments.
He smiled gently, and it was his way of saying: Alright. Michiru simply gave him a smile, a tinge of sorrow hidden in its curve, although even Kabuto couldn't read that one.
/
Another month passed.
/
Michiru fought off the multiple enemies, her eyes darting from side to side, ears picking up every last sound. She had to stay alert. She couldn't let herself get tricked, it was what she had been training for! Her kunai began to clash with the other shinobi's weapons.
"Water Style: Tidal Wave!" she shouted, forming various handseals. When she smashed her palm against the ground, a puff of smoke burst into a torrent of water which flooded the grassy field. It swallowed up some shinobi who were unprepared, and they quickly drowned. Others had jumped and were now running on the water's surface, aiming to reach their target.
"Earth Style: Grand Roots Ascension!" a kunoichi clad in green called out from somewhere behind her. Michiru turned and jumped in time to avoid the tangle of titanic tree roots that burst out from her miniature ocean, forming a solid barrier between the water and herself.
She cursed. Her next move was going to have used that supply of water, and the roots were quickly soaking up the substance. She narrowly dodged a shower of kunai that rained down on her. Looking up, she found several grass ninja ready to pounce on her.
She brought out her chakra scalpel, which the enemies had not anticipated. Soon, their numbers had dwindled down to zero.
The water had disappeared, along with the tree roots formed by the grass kunoichi's technique.
Catching her breath, she walked over to the edge of the nearby river, which had now turned a blood red, shining evilly in the moonlight.
Kabuto walked over to her, clapping slowly.
"Very well, you did not make a mistake yet," Kabuto said, smiling. Michiru looked calm, although she still gave off that feeling of odd excitement found in battle. She began to heal some of her minor scratches and cuts.
Kabuto walked over to her held an outstretched hand to help heal a few of her minor wounds. Or so she thought. The next thing she knew, he had grabbed her and pulled her in, a kunai to her throat. Michiru's eyes widened.
Michiru looked up at him, and he was for once able to see the emotion in her eyes. She was scared, and the width of her eyes indicated confusion. She struggled to break free, but Kabuto was much stronger than her.
Kabuto looked down at her with a serious gaze. Ever so slightly, he saw her eyes narrow in the grief of betrayal. He felt guilty, if only slightly, at having deceived her into thinking he was going to kill her. But it was just a part of the test, after all, just more training she needed.
He let her go and stepped back, and Michiru whipped around and took a few hasty steps back, looking wary.
"I'm afraid that you still have a bit of work to do. I could have easily killed you, had I been an enemy in disguise. You must be more careful, seeing as you cannot trust anyone in this lifestyle, I'm afraid," he said, a wry smile on his face. Then, he chuckled, adjusting his glasses.
When he looked up, he saw that the silver-eyed girl was approaching him, getting closer. Kabuto was wondering what she was doing. Normally, she would have stood still for a few moments, thinking about how to improve.
He realized that he had learned her habits. In turn, she had learned his.
Michiru raised her eyes to Kabuto's once more, giving him a look that he just couldn't read. She was right in front of him, but he still couldn't read her! It just drove him insane, just as it had for such a long time. Kabuto was not one for raw emotion, and the sudden surge left him very hazy-minded and confused, unsure of how to deal with it. He proceeded to do the first thing that came to mind:
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.
/
Another year passed. The two were still mysteries to each other.
/
Michiru prepared some tea for her friend as she waited for him to return. He was going to arrive soon, as he was not one to be late.
She absent-mindedly ran her fingers over the necklace around her neck. A new bead had been added, silver. Kabuto had given it to her. He had somehow figured out what the necklace was for, but she had not given anyone a single clue about it. She was shocked when he offered her the bead, but she simply added the bead to her necklace with a smile, and without a word.
She watched the pendulum on the wall clock swing. Back and forth, back and forth, tick tock, tick tock.
The dawn's light began to gently stream in from the windows, bathing the room in an almost foggy gray glow. She heard the click of the doorknob turning, and moved to face the door. She stood up quickly as he entered, immediately worried.
"Kabuto, your stomach…" she murmured. Kabuto walked in, his hand over a large gash running horizontally over his stomach area. Showing no sign of pain whatsoever, he closed the door behind him and sat down, Michiru right beside him.
"I thought it would be good practice for you," Kabuto said simply as Michiru began to work on healing him. Kabuto observed, making sure that she was correctly applying chakra, and in the right places.
Two hours passed, the clock ticking the entire time. Kabuto's wound had successfully been treated.
"Very good," he said, running his hand along the area to make sure he was fully healed. "Not a single mistake."
"I'd hope I didn't make one," she said laughing briefly and softly. She went over to bring him some tea, which she returned with. Kabuto accepted the cup and quickly drank the warm liquid, feeling himself warm up from it. Kabuto smiled at his student, now his close friend. She had a very pretty laugh, but she almost never let it sound.
"Michiru," Kabuto said, getting the kunoichi's attention. "I have something to ask you." Michiru turned to him, eyes full of interest.
"I love you," he said as if it were nothing. "Do you know why?" he asked raising an eyebrow. Michiru was taken aback by the sudden question, a tinge of pink making its way into her cheeks. She simply continued to gaze at him, waiting for him to continue.
Kabuto smiled. She was such a mystery, and he would continue to try to solve it.
"There it is again," he said gently. He leaned forward and kissed the girl once more. They broke apart, Michiru lying in his arms. Kabuto looked at Michiru, and she returned the gaze.
"You ask no questions," Kabuto stated.
Michiru smiled.
"I need no answers."
/
A/N: Wow, I actually wrote a one-shot. Normally I write really long (and I mean REALLY long) stories with various plot twists and arcs, and I was able to write a one-shot. But now that I look back at it, I need some work. XD
Well, there it is, the corny, cheesy fluff that it is.
And yes, I made it so that you know absolutely nothing about Michiru. It's just a part of her character, mysterious.
Let me know what you think. Like I said, this was the result of one of my random epiphany moments, so I'm sorry if it's not very good.
Thanks for reading! Please review, since it's a one-shot, it only gets about ten minutes to get seen by other people, and I don't want zero reviews.
Pretty please? Review?