Naruto is (c) Masashi Kishimoto
This fic is (c) me, starrynightz.
R, R, & R. (read, relax, & review) Have fun! On to the fic...
The One I Love
Kabuto rested a hand on his face, his index finger rubbing his temple. He sighed and leaned back on his bed. It had been a strenuous day for said ninja. There had been several assassination attempts against his master, Lord Orochimaru, and he and the sound four had been able to stop them. All except for one stray kunai or two had grazed their beloved's arm. It wasn't a serious injury, but it still made Kabuto wince at the sign of it. He had worshiped Orochimaru-sama ever since he'd been saved from the Kikyo Pass incident some years ago. He was a loyal servant and had pledged his mind, body and soul to his master.
Seeing him injured made him feel as if he hadn't been able to live up to his expectations. Once again he sighed and pulled his hair out of its constraintants so it fell gracefully over his slender shoulders. He slid his glasses off and lay them on the nightstand beside his bed. Their hideout had been very well hidden, but some of the Konoha ninja were close on their trail, so they would have to abandon the place that Kabuto had always called home.
His head snapped to attention when he heard his door creak open obnoxiously. It was dark and the only indication that it was who he thought it was, was the long black hair that was flowing around a cream colored robe. "Orochimaru-sama, what is it you want? You never pay me any visits this late.." His eyes wandered over to a small digital clock in a forlorn part of his room, the red numbers blaring 11:48 pm. Kabuto blinked, rubbed his eyes and sat up, only to be met with a pair of glass-like yellow snake eyes. They looked almost fake, like finely polished marbles set in his face, giving him the grace of a porcelien doll. A very disturbed doll, though, with a twisted grin and a laugh that chilled the blood and made you freeze in your tracks, just so you wouldn't die from the cold, unforgiving stare that matched his laugh.
Kabuto sat with his legs crossed and removed his white sash around his waist and the black vest leaving only a white shirt and black pants. He looked somewhat like a monkey, his legs crossed, toes wiggling about, a curious grin on his face.
Orochimaru chuckled and Kabuto cocked his head to the side. "What is it, Lord Orochimaru..?" Kabuto asked, almost child-like. "You.." Orochimaru started. "You're almost too innocent to talk to. You seem to make me feel old..the way you act as if you know nothing.."
Kabuto grinned.
"Yes, I know. It makes you sick doesn't it..The way I know so much, yet I carry on as if I know nothing of the sort. That's what makes a great spy. You find out the information, and make off with it, like you don't know a thing. Why do you think I'm your right hand man? Medical jutsus, and great keen eye for spying, and keeping my mouth shut when it suits me.."
Orochimaru chuckled again and Kabuto had the gaul to interrupt his merriment, "You didn't come here to discuss my expertees, did you Orochimaru-sama." Orochimaru's laugh was abruptly stopped, and he looked over to the younger of the two. "You never give praise willingly unless you get something in return for it. What is it you're aiming at. We both need to be rested..for.." Kabuto paused and looked at a small chart on the wall.
It seemed childish, made in purple, and blue and orange crayon. A chart of height, starting at such a small place, a small child's height. Kabuto's height when he was 6.
"..for when we move away from this place to avoid being seen." Orochimaru sauntered over to the younger man and brushed his spider-like fingers against the pale flesh. "I know you don't want to leave this place. It's more than just a hideout for you. It's..your home."
Kabuto nodded. "But..we cannot endanger the mission." Orochimaru's smile softened when he saw tears glazing over his apprentice's eyes. Orochimaru shifted on the small single sized bed and put a hand on Kabuto's shoulder. "I know we can't endanger the mission..but..Kabuto.." Kabuto looked over to his leader and showed no emotion. He was hiding the fact that he was nearly in tears, but Orochimaru had raised the boy and knew what was going on in his inner workings. He'd taught the boy how to hide emotion when on a mission.
"You don't need to hide your feelings for this place. This is where you grew up, Kabuto." Kabuto felt hot new tears sting the backs of his eyes and he looked out the window at the moon and stars. "What is it you want, Lord Orochimaru.." Kabuto was trying to divert the conversation to something else, in other words, still trying not to show his emotion towards the place he'd grown up and called home. Orochimaru sighed.
"This isn't a mission, Kabuto. You don't need to be constantly hiding your feelings. It may hurt you later on, you know." Kabuto glanced over to his master, admiring how the moonlight shown off his paper white face, how his golden eyes glistened playfully like the stars in the night sky. He sighed. "Yes..but..I aim to be like you one day, Lord Orochimaru, and showing my emotions just let other people know what's going on in my mind. And to be a great leader I can't let that happen."
Orochimaru wrapped his arms around his apprentice's waist and rested his head on Kabuto's shoulder. Kabuto was taken aback, and pulled away slightly. "O-Orochimaru-sama..what are you-"
Orochimaru pulled him down onto the bed, feeling the younger man tense up. "It's okay, Kabuto. I'm not going to hurt you. I know how you feel about this place..That is why we won't leave tomorrow.." Kabuto gasped and looked down at his master, for the first time in his life, and began to stutter.
"B-but...we...we have t-to le-leave or else t-th-they'll find us and..and.." Orochimaru put a finger up to Kabuto's lips to shush him. "Yes..it might endanger the mission..but I won't leave a place that you're attached to, Kabuto-san. I just can't do that to someone I care for.." Kabuto felt the skin on his face begin to get hot. "You..you mean you-"
Orochimaru nodded. "You may just be another subordinate to me..but you're one of the only ones I care for. Not only my right hand man..but someone I trust..hold close-" he emphasized this by pulling him closer, "-and care for very much." Kabuto felt tears pull at the edges of his eyes but didn't stop them as he closed his eyes, and let them flow freely down his face.
He pulled closer to Orochimaru and smiled, holding him a tight embrace. Orochimaru smiled, closing his eyes.
Kabuto snuggled up to him as a small child would. It reminded Orochimaru of when he was a toddler and it pulled at his heartstrings. There was only one person who would ever be able to do such a thing, and he was now in Orochimaru's arms. He stroked the back of his head, playing with his hair, running his fingers through it.
Just before Kabuto dozed off, Orochimaru mumbled something to him lovingly in his ear.
"I hope you're reading to fight tomorrow..to keep you where your home is..right here...with me."
So? How was it? Good, I hope. Review please:)
