Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Summary: This story takes place in an Alternate Universe where the Kyuubi never attacked Konoha, Yondaime is Hokage, and the Uchiha Massacre left no left survivors. Haruno Sakura, the adopted daughter of Sound leader, Orochimaru, is sent into Konoha as a spy and assassin to retrieve the last Sharigan at any cost. Kakashi/Sakura.
Halo's Passage
Prologue
By: Wicked Innuendo
He hit me and it felt like a kiss, he hit me but it didn't hurt me. He hit me and it felt like a kiss, and I knew he loved me. Because if he didn't care for me, I could've never made him mad.
-Carol King
Close handed, his pale fist lashed out and struck her across her cheekbone. She didn't block the attack, nor did she dodge him. Unflinchingly, she welcomed his violent touch. She staggered backwards, stumbling over her sandaled feet, though never falling, even as the black stars danced in her vision and the air felt heavier to breath, she fought her body's want to fall into an unconscious heap on the damp earth, she forced herself to stand her ground.
That was going to leave a bruise; she could already feel the tender flesh around her pale green eye swelling shut. But it didn't matter, she loved him.
"The jutsu requires precise chakra control, Sakura." He spoke in smoothly, enunciating each syllable in an androgynous lilt, uncaring of the pain he brought to the younger woman. "I expect the jutsu to be perfected by morning."
"Yes, Otousama, I won't fail you again." She bowed; long pastel tresses curtaining around her bruised face.
Orochimaru left the Sound Nin training grounds, leaving his adopted daughter to master the complicated ninjutsu alone.
Kabuto watched and waited from his perch in the shadows of the trees for Orochimaru-sama to leave. He never let her out of his sight during their rough training sessions. Orochimaru was hard on Sakura, more than he was on Kabuto, leaving the beautiful kunoichi bloody and broken by the end of their training. His methods did work, the adopted daughter was second only to Kabuto, and the gap in their skill was rapidly closing.
He leapt from the tree, making his way towards the younger Nin. She watched him carefully, knowing exactly what he was coming to do.
Every skinned knee, paper cut, sunburn, he would come running, her personal medic. Didn't he know how much she hated his healing touch? Didn't he care? Every break, every scar, every imperfection marring her body, she owned them with pride no matter how she earned them.
Kabuto brought a healing hand to her cheek. Sakura flinched away from his touch and took a step back. She could see herself scoff at him from the reflection of his wire rimmed glasses. "Leave it."
He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. He knew this song and dance, memorized the lyrics and steps a long time ago.
"It's fractured, your eye's severely contused," he shook his head. That last blow had delivered a world of damage. It burst the blood vessels circling the green iris; leaving sclera more crimson than white.
"Don't." She pushed his hand away, glaring at him through her good eye.
"Damn it Sakura! This type of injury can hold back your work. He wants me to supervise your health. His orders, Otousama's, spoken by him!" Kabuto yelled, voice laden with frustration.
"Fine." Orochimaru Otousama's word was law and her world revolved around her adoptive father. She crossed her arms over her chest. Blood dripped from her split lip onto her dingy white tank top. She didn't realize she had a second injury. Sakura wiped the back of her hand over it, wiping the blood onto her navy cargo pants.
"Why are you so reluctant to let me heal this?" Kabuto gestured to her swollen face as he drew chakra to his fingertips.
"If I wanted healed, I'd take care of it myself. I'm just as capable as you." She snapped. He was wasting her time. She had a jutsu to perfect.
"Three more centimeters to the right and you could've easily gone blind. Why don't you dodge, counter, something! Why are you like this?"
"It was just a love tap."
He sighed, shaking his head side to side and healed her in silence. His chakra caressed her injuries; knitting bone, mending flesh.
Kabuto Yakushi was the premier Medical Nin in all of Sound, his skill paralleling that of even Konoha's legendary Medic Nin, Tsunade. Learning healing jutsus came easy to him, but so did most things in the way of the Nin; he was a gifted in that manner and used his talents for the benefit of the Sound.
"It didn't hurt," she began softly, her voice rose with conviction as she continued. "Otousama, he loves me, you know. That's why he teaches me, that's why he helps me to better myself. He hit me, because he loves me. If he didn't care for me, I could've never made him mad."
Her eyes sparkled with undeserving adoration for the man she called father. Kabuto understood the symbiotic nature of his relationship with Orochimaru, she didn't. Maybe she didn't want to. Maybe she didn't know any better.
"Neechan..Sakura," Kabuto sighed again. "I don't hit you."