Originally posted on aff 2006-08-07 - 2007-05-30
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. All characters (besides the Village Hidden in Silk and others to come in later chapters) belong to Kishimoto-sensei. This story is based off of theory, conjecture, conversation, LARPG's, and my and my beloved muse's brains. This is not to say this is what we think will happen. It is the first of (hopefully) a series of such stories. Some ideas will be outrageous, but it's a fanfiction. Keep an open mind, sit back, relax, and enjoy.
I.
Orochimaru was tired. He was tired of fighting, of hiding in caves out of necessity rather than preference, of losing battles he was sure he could win all because he was too afraid to kill a sixteen year old boy. He was tired of losing his pawns, and he was tired of searching for clues to the whereabouts of his precious person. He was growing tired of Kabuto; the boy was getting increasingly annoying with his schemes and smarter-than-thou attitude. He was growing tired of Sasuke, though he tolerated the boy much more than the silver-haired youth who was unfailingly loyal to him. Sasuke knew when to speak and when to keep silent. He knew when to announce his presence and appear as silently as a ghost. Hell, he knew when he was needed around his sensei or to vacate the premises.
Orochimaru sat heavily on the stone chair that curved out from a stalagmite, slouching, chin resting on his fist. Sasuke was sitting on the floor, his Kusunagi before him, his eyes closed as he seemed to take a nap. In fact, Orochimaru believed the boy was indeed sleeping, since the opportunity to sleep came to them in spurts and even then, rarely. Kabuto was somewhere, and Orochimaru couldn't bring himself to care. Speaking of caring, Orochimaru was starting to care more about Uchiha Sasuke as a person than as his next vessel. And time was running out for him to make the switch. Sasuke was becoming more useful as an ally than as a vessel, and with what he was developing on his own, and what Orochimaru was teaching the boy, Sasuke could very well become Orochimaru's successor. Orochimaru snorted quietly. Successor to what? A legacy of hiding in caves and being reduced to vagabonds with bounties on their heads, looking over their shoulders for hunter nin?
Sasuke gave a twitch and opened whirling Sharingan eyes, on his feet before Orochimaru registered the movement. Snake-like eyes followed the boy's movement, noting his retreat into the shadows, bloody red fading into black. Orochimaru had learned a while ago Sasuke loathed Kabuto, for reasons he had yet to discover. It was enough to drive Sasuke from the room when Kabuto even approached, but Orochimaru realized this time, Sasuke was directly behind him in the shadows. Orochimaru liked that kind of loyalty. Kabuto swept into the room a moment later, a solemn look on his face, and a piece of flesh in his hand. Orochimaru quirked an eyebrow, and watched his subordinate, looking as bored as possible. Kabuto dipped into a deep bow before his master, kneeling down and presenting the piece of skin.
Orochimaru refused to scream in denial.
He refused to get up and demand Kabuto to have definite proof.
Refused to show any emotion.
He reached out for the flesh, took the soft, smooth skin into his hands, running his fingers over the mark in the pale skin.
"Where did you get this, Kabuto-kun?"
"The new desert that appeared two and a half years ago. I'm afraid this is all I found of Kimimaru-kun, Orochimaru-sama."
Orochimaru saw red for a brief moment, before that feeling of tiredness fell on him. The idea of living forever no longer held its splendor for him, and taking over Sasuke's body no longer interested him. He slipped from the chair to his feet, and he swept from the audience chamber to the hall offshoot, into his room. He slammed the door behind him, and sat on the bed, fingers and eyes running over that pale flesh, and that beautiful mark that stained it.
Kimimaru was gone.
He had died fighting.
Fighting for Orochimaru.
For Orochimaru's dream.
Orochimaru grabbed up the pillow that kept his head from smacking stone while he slept and screamed into it.
