Chapter 1

Sasuke's POV

"Kabuto?" I just noticed him. I stepped over the scum, then walked past the gray haired medic.

"Which…which one are you?"

I glanced at him over my shoulder. Smirking, I said, "Which do you think?" then with my sharrigan, I showed him the ritual as Orochimaru tried to take over my body, and the failure he suffered.

When I was done, Kabuto whispered horsy, "Orochimau-sama…is dead. No…No it's more…"

"I absorbed him. That's all."

I turned and walked away, going towards the area I knew my first recruit would be.

"I knew you'd show up. I take it, then, you've killed Orochimaru." A voice in the tank spoke.

"Yeah…Here, let's get you out." I struck the glass with my sword then sheathed it. The water poured out, then began to form into a man.

"I'm free…at last…My regards, Sasuke."

"Suigetsu…you are my first. Come with me."

"I'm the first? Who else?"

"Two more. I'm taking Jugo of the northern hideout and Karin of the southern…"

"You serious?"

"Why?"

"Well…I'm not particularly fond of them. I just don't think we'd get along is all. Heh…" His body was whole.

"You don't need to be friends. Just cooperate."

"Of course. After all, you did save me. If that what you want, I've no objections." He stood and he was bare. "Still Sasuke, I can't believe you'd go for them."

"Just shut up and get dressed. We're going." I was annoyed. Too much time has already gone.

"Haha, oh dear, the way you talk…" he muttered, showing his jagged teeth, rubbing the back of his head. He moved behind me, holding his hand like a gun and pointing it to my head. "First, let's clarify our relationship…shall we?" I just watched him out of the corner of my eye.

"You may have defeated Orochimaru, but that alone doesn't make you leader. We were all aiming for it. Sooner or later, someone was bound to kill him.

"You were his favorite. He let you stay by his side while the rest of us slept in cages. You had all the advantage you needed."

"Your point is?"

"Look at us two. I have the advantage." I waited for him to make his point.

Finally he moved his arm up. "Forget it. Just testing. That was a pretty bad spot I put you in, and you didn't even blink. So it wasn't luck, that's reassuring.

"I've heard how strong you are. It was your platoon, wasn't it, that took down my predecessor Momochi Zabuza?"

Again, I waited for him to make his point.

"Sure, I'll come with you. But before we fetch the others…there's a place I want to swing by."

I nodded once, then walked towards the exit. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a shadow in one of the tanks.

I barely made out the line of a face, bobbing in the water. Air bubbles escaped from what I believed was the mouth.

When a strand of light hair passed by the glass, I struck the glass, and as the water fell, so did a body.

It was a girl.