Sound
A month had passed since Orochimaru had decided to move yet again to a new retreat. These middle of the night excursions were often sudden and secretive. Kabuto supposed he should be used to them, but he was a man who liked order and every upheaval always unsettled him. He would have to attune himself again to the new surroundings, just as he had the others. It was a process that caused him a lot of sleepless nights. Laying awake, listening to the foreign noises, he would try to convince himself that, soon enough, they would seem familiar to him and he could finally let his guard down again. The island was much different than the cave they had been dwelling in for nearly a year, which had been different from the underground tunnels the time previous to that.
The crash of waves upon the shore. The scuttle of hermit crabs across the rocks. The cry of night birds searching for prey. The sea was a whirl of motion.
The trees groaning against the strong winds. The gentle slither of snakes across leaves. The scurry of mice fleeing from the predators.
He lay there memorizing this new melody.
The rustle of cloth. Soft footsteps approaching from behind. A voice caressing his name as hands caressed his body.
"Kabuto, what are you doing awake?"
"I can't sleep, Lord Orochimaru."
"It always takes you forever to adjust to new places. Come back to bed."
The steady, strong pounding of two hearts drowns out all other sound. The familiar beat puts Kabuto at ease. It is the one constant rhythm that reminds him that this is where he belongs.
