Lobo: I do not own Kabuto, Kimimaro, Tayuya, Ukon or the reall Orochimaru. I do, actually own the Orochimaru Imposter and Illun.
--
Kabuto was the first to notice it.
Orochimaru was not acting himself. And Kabuto wasn't the only one to notice. Illun and the two of the five Sound Ninja's that had been on the Sasuke Abduction Mission that the strange girl had revived, Tayuya and Ukon, had also noticed. The four 'friends' had often spoke in isolated places about the subject.
"He never reacts to his name when you call for him…" Kabuto mused quietly. Tayuya nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. And Orochimaru-sama normally is staring at something we can't see. I bet those little shits did something to him." She snarled lowly, glancing around in an almost nervous manner.
"Not just that…" Ukon piped up softly, "But is it just me, or is one of his eyes always closed?" The other three nodded.
Illun sat silent for a moment, staring at the ground from her perch on the headboard of the bed they all sat on. Thoughts came flooding into her mind. How long had he been acting like this? A few seconds later she spoke, her voice now calm and barely above a whisper instead of the sharp, loud voice she had used when she arrived. "He's softer. Doesn't speak much, right Kabuto-kun?" The silver haired Kabuto nodded.
All four froze as the sound of soft footsteps moved to the door. A gentle rap upon the wooden door sent Illun tumbling onto the bed and scrambling into a standing position, ready to vanish upon a whim. Kabuto stood up from the bed and moved to the door.
"Who's there?" He questioned lowly. There was a long, heavy silence before the door slowly creaked open and the white silver haired Kimimaro poked his head in. Illun immediately relaxed and leaned lightly against the headboard.
"Yo, Kimimaro-kun. Why are you here?" Her forest green eyes narrowed somewhat before he slipped in and leaned heavily against the closed door.
"That," He growled lowly, "Is not Orochimaru-sama." His eyes turned to Kabuto. "And you think we had something to do with that, Kabuto-sensei?" The dark silver haired medic-nin pushed his round glasses up the bridge of his nose with his index finger and frowned.
"I did. But now I'm having second thoughts."
Illun scowled some and her eyes slipped shut, thoughts diving to the day Kabuto practically broke down her door in the middle of a resurrection. Damn. She had lost Sakon because of that careless mistake on his part.
--
The door slammed open sharply in the other room. Illun started, sending one of her scalpels a bit too deeply into the side of a dead body lying on a table in front of her, barely recognizable as Ukon. The girl winced and she tore around as Kimimaro's voice.
"Kabuto-sensei, I advise you to await Illun-sama's entrance…No! Don't go in- Stop! I'm not responsible for what happens to you in there…!" The door to her workroom was practically bulled down by an enraged Kabuto, and Illun was on her feet in an instant, covering Ukon's naked body with a black sheet. Sharp hands sent the wheeled table into the back wall and the girl leapt back.
"Tayuya!" The red haired girl shot out from a side room and stood in front of Illun, flute to her lips and fingers posed readily. Kimimaro came up from behind Kabuto, grappling him from behind in attempt to keep him still. "Gomen, Illun-sama! I tried to stop him…" Illun snarled and gently pushed Tayuya to the side so she could pass.
"Kimimaro-kun, back up. Tayuya-san, stay back. Neither of you are healed fully. I won't want you getting killed again before I've gotten a chance to see if my technique works." Illun folded her arms over her chest. "Now, how may I help you, Kabuto?"
Now, had Kabuto not been as enraged as he was, he would have questioned on how Tayuya was living. And also why a dead body was laying naked under a black satin sheet. But he was pissed, and it was directed at the younger girl. "Illun! What have you done with Orochimaru-sama?" He spat violently. A grin curled her face suddenly before melting.
"What about Orochimaru? I've been here with my mates, not with him." She said lowly, motioning for Kabuto to lower his voice. "What makes you think I've touched him?"
"He isn't ACTING like Orochimaru, Illun! And you're the only person I know who could do something to Orochimaru-sama like that!" Illun looked insulted at the comment.
"Like I would do anything to him!" She hissed angrily. Her forest green eyes glanced back to the black satin sheet and she frowned, thinking. "Kimimaro, Tayuya, please escort Mr. Kabuto out of my house. I have work to do." A wave of her hands sent Tayuya and Kimimaro into a 'calm' rampage as they solidly drug him from the house and dumped him in the front.
They walked back inside with time to see Kabuto storm off awkwardly and then turn to see Illun getting back to work on their partner. A scowl was still across her face. Kimimaro blinked and looked away before moving back to his post. Tayuya quirked a brow and was about to leave when a snarl ripped from Illun's throat. "Dammit! I'll kill that shit bag!" And that freaked her out a bit. She lingered a moment longer before sliding from the room.
It was never wise to linger around a cussing Illun.
--
Oh well. The past is the past and will only come in handy when there is a key to unlock in its folds. "But now you know we are just as clueless as you are." She snorted a bit testily. Kimimaro sighed and folded into a sitting position against the door, and Illun promptly popped up next to him and curled up against his side. "So…what do we plan on doing?" She questioned.
"Find Orochimaru-sama and break the imposter." Was the unanimous reply.