Orochimaru glanced at Kabuto. "Okay…what?"
"We trade places. Sooner or later, he has to switch us out. And then you take his body."
Orochimaru shrugged. "But it will take a long time to formulate the switch…"
"So? Nothing a little chakra and maybe a jutsu can't help."
Orochimaru shrugged again. "I guess so…but what will you do?"
"I'll just…be you. But since I wasn't hurt to begin with, it'll be a lot easier. You can recover and I can heal myself when Sasuke isn't looking. It's a lot better, because once I've healed myself and you've recovered enough, we can move for Sasuke's body."
"Kabuto, what would I do without you?"
Kabuto smiled and placed a small kiss on Orochimaru's forehead. "I don't even know." He straightened and began gathering all the supplies he had pulled out. Suddenly, he froze, staring at Orochimaru.
"Just a plain Henge won't do," he said. "I'll have to grow my hair, dye it, and then use the Henge to camouflage my facial features…"
"I have pierced ears."
Kabuto glanced at Orochimaru, then touched his own ears and whimpered. "Oh, Hepatitis…"
Orochimaru sighed. "I just don't know…"
"Well, we can see that."
Kabuto glared. Sasuke stood in the doorway, looking morbid and dark. "I want him now."
"It hasn't even been an hour!" Kabuto cried. Sasuke shrugged.
"Too bad."
And the trembling resumed.
Kabuto dropped his supplies on the counter and took Orochimaru into his arms. The shaking was still horrible, but Orochimaru was a bit calmer. But not by much; Sasuke was still here, and the trauma had barely begun to wear off. Kabuto hadn't been able to comfort Orochimaru much, and he was still trembling. Sasuke reached forward and pulled Orochimaru from Kabuto, knowing full well Kabuto was going to object.
"I'll know when you switch, even with the physical changes."
Kabuto's eyes widened. "How much did you hear?"
Sasuke glared. "Enough. I'll be watching you closely. And he'll stay with me for the time being."
Sasuke swept out of Kabuto's apartment, dragging Orochimaru behind him.
OOOOOOOOO
Sasuke threw Orochimaru down on the floor in front of him, and then lifted his face with the tip of his foot.
"You're a piece of work."
Orochimaru sighed. He wasn't even sure what to say at this point, or if he should even say anything at all. Sasuke hadn't bound him yet, but Orochimaru was sure it was coming. Sasuke wasn't the kind of person to take that risk, and he was positive Kabuto wasn't going to be getting in here. He knew he was in his former throne room, and also that Sasuke had made a few…modifications, if you will, especially to the area around the throne. And he had probably put in a few extra chains, knowing Sasuke…Sasuke wasn't the type for blood; he was just in it for the bondage. Sasuke physically bound his slaves, and waited for them to break as he gave them order after order. Or he just demanded sex.
"Well, I have things to do. So…" Sasuke reached over to the side of the pedestal and picked up a short, thick chain. "I'm leaving you here. When I come back in fifteen minutes, just know that I expect you to do whatever I want. And if you don't…well, there's ways I can punish you for that. Many ways…"
Orochimaru swallowed hard. This got worse and worse every minute…
Sasuke wrapped the chain around his neck, and Orochimaru fought back a whimper as it was tightened across a bruise. He didn't succeed.
"There's a lot more where that came from if you don't cooperate," Sasuke hissed. "So behave!"
Orochimaru sat back on his heels, defeated. There was no way out-Sasuke had him-literally-chained to him, and now Orochimaru was losing his soul. Again…
"Orochimaru!!"
Orochimaru hit the ground again, blood pouring from his side. Tsunade called out to him again, but he could barely hear her from the fog of pain in his mind. Not that he cared-Tsunade was next to useless, anyway. What could she possibly do to help him?
"Orochimaru!"
Gentle hands were on his sides, carefully turning him so he wasn't lying directly on the injury. Green chakra began to glow-wait, Tsunade could heal?!
All around him, kunai were flying and clashing. The battle was dying down, and he and his team were one of the few left fighting. Everyone else had either left or died.
"Sh, shsh…" Tsunade was trying to quiet him, but for some reason Orochimaru couldn't stop shaking. All he could focus on was the blood: the blood on his hands, the blood on his robes, the blood on Tsunade, the blood on the ground soaking into the earth-
Orochimaru screamed and passed out.
When he woke up again, he was in the hospital, Tsunade leaning over him. He vaguely picked out a few nurses and a doctor in the background, but everything else was foggy…
"Are you okay?" Tsunade cried when she saw he was awake. "You screamed and then you just lost consciousness…"
Orochimaru tried to sit up, but fell back, gasping with the pain in hi side. Tsunade pushed him down anyway, telling him not to move. Orochimaru glanced down at his robes: they had been torn open and now lay beside him, full of blood and crap and…
…Blood…
Orochimaru leaned forward and crept into Tsunade's lap, suddenly very, very afraid.
"I don't want to die," he whimpered, and Tsunade looked down, stunned.
"Orochimaru…"
"I don't know why," he said quietly, "But blood makes me feel like…like I am going to die…"
"But you're only afraid of your own blood," Tsunade mused. "Hemophobia as I've never seen it before…"
And for ten years to come, Orochimaru would spook at the sight of his own blood. Eventually he got over it, but in the process of extinguishing his fear, he also felt like he had extinguished a part of himself. Orochimaru would never be the same.
Orochimaru pulled his knees into his chest and pressed his face to them, feeling tears sting at the corners of his eyes. He would not cry. He never had, and never would. He wouldn't cry now, not now…
But as the first tear slid free, Orochimaru realized-
He was going to cry.
OOOOOOOOO
"Kabuto!"
Kabuto turned to obey yet another order from Sasuke, murderous thoughts of strangling the brat still running through his mind. How dare he?! Not to Orochimaru-sama-!
"Take these to my throne room," Sasuke said, tossing him a set of scrolls. Kabuto caught them, gave a curt nod, and went off to do as he was told. As he walked, he brooded.
There was no way he was letting the brat get away with this. As it was, Orochimaru-sama was already in for it. Kabuto knew what Sasuke did to his victims-Orochimaru had given him his fair share of "interrogations"-but they were so cruel you could hardly call them that, even by the most liberal use of the word. And Sasuke had always gotten what he wanted from the subject. He would probably play with Orochimaru's mind a bit, and then move in for the kill.
Orochimaru was sitting on the floor next to the throne, a thick chain wrapped around his neck.
Kabuto's blood boiled at the sight; but even more so when he saw the dried tear tracks on Orochimaru's cheeks. How dare he…?!
"Orochimaru-sama!"
Kabuto rushed over to him, dropping the scrolls to pull Orochimaru into his arms. Orochimaru was shaking again; bad memories? Maybe so, but even if it was not-Sasuke was the cause, and that little bitch was going to hear it from Kabuto-
"So…looks like you found each other again, huh?"
Kabuto looked up from Orochimaru's raven-colored hair, but never stopped stroking the ebony locks. He gave Sasuke his best death-glare that clearly said, Goddammit, I am going to fucking kill you, so back off, carrion!
Sasuke approached anyway.
Kabuto's lips lifted in a feral snarl. No way was he letting this punk keep Orochimaru for another second! No way in hell! This was getting out of hand, and Kabuto was stopping it!
"Thinking about challenging me?"
Kabuto turned back to Orochimaru and cradled him in his arms. Non-violent protest? Probably not, but then again it might send Sasuke a message…
"Get out."
The Sharingan sure gave a better death-glare than Kabuto…
"No."
"Get out."
"I won't leave him!"
"Fine," Sasuke spat. "You can watch the show. And just for you, I'll make it even better." Kabuto heard the footsteps and tightened his grip on Orochimaru. Orochimaru huddled down closer to Kabuto's lap and further down into his chest. He wasn't in the mood to be raped…Sasuke leaned over Kabuto, managed to get a hold on Orochimaru, and pulled him out of Kabuto's arms with surprising ease, despite protests from both Kabuto and Orochimaru.
"Well, if you're both going to be asses, I'll treat you both like it." Sasuke picked up Orochimaru and dragged him over to the wall. Kabuto stayed relatively sill; if he was going to interfere, he wanted to know when. Sasuke pressed Orochimaru to the wall and took both of the slender wrists in his hands-
And broke them.
Orochimaru screamed in pain; Kabuto screamed in horror at the resounding cracks from Orochimaru's hands. He never thought he would be so afraid of breaking bones…but he was…
"Stop it!" he cried. "Stop!"
You took my heart!
Deceived me right from the start.
You showed me dreams-
I wish they'd turn into real.
You broke a promise and made me realize…
It was all just a lie!!
Sasuke pressed his hips into Orochimaru's, crushing the sannin into the wall and producing a pained yelp. Sasuke forced Orochimaru's head up and kissed him hard enough to bruise Orochimaru's pale white skin. Kabuto could tell Orochimaru was fighting, but his injuries weren't exactly giving him an advantage. Kabuto was afraid now; really afraid. And he was afraid that anything he did could hurt Orochimaru. All he could do for now was watch.
While Sasuke's mouth was occupied with Orochimaru's, his hands were roaming the sannin's half-naked body. Kabuto hadn't had a chance to get Orochimaru clothed again when Sasuke came in, and so Orochimaru was still vulnerable, even more so with the absence of the bandages. Kabuto flinched as he realized what pain Orochimaru must be in-this was not good…at all…
And as Sasuke stripped Orochimaru down to nothing, he found himself unable to watch. Kabuto looked away, feeling tears sliding down his cheeks. His sobs were equal to Orochimaru's as Sasuke turned him around and slammed into him dry, and Kabuto could swear he heard blood hitting the floor. Orochimaru's screams and sobs of pain were enough to make any heart wrench, and Kabuto's had been twisted, snapped, and had fallen to pieces. Sasuke seemed to be at ease-how many times had he done this? Thoughts drifted idly across Kabuto's mind, but he registered nothing at this point. He simply had no idea what was going on anymore, only that Orochimaru was in pain and he needed to do something. Blood was beginning to soak onto Sasuke's shirt-but from what? Only then did Kabuto see the kunai in Sasuke's hand, and he saw the slashes drawn across Orochimaru's back and down his sides. Shallow, but painful cuts raked the insides of Orochimaru's thighs, his sides, and back, and from Kabuto could tell a lot more of him.
Orochimaru was shaking; Kabuto could tell even from across the room. Finally, Sasuke's pace began to slow down…and Kabuto realized that he had been waiting in agony for fifteen minutes. He bolted forward, tore Sasuke away from Orochimaru, and caught the sannin as he fell. Blood soaked Kabuto's hands as he did so, and he felt Orochimaru shivering against his chest. He wouldn't let him go this time…not ever again…
"Orochimaru-sama," he whispered. There was nothing else to say. The sannin wasn't even crying at this point-just silent sobs and desperate breathes. Kabuto held him close, kissing his bruised face and doing his best to heal him with the shaky chakra control he had left.
Orochimaru knew that was it. He wasn't ever going to be more than a slave at this point, and there wasn't anything he or Kabuto could do about it. As it was, the blood loss was starting to affect him…
"No! Orochimaru-sama! God, Orochimaru-sama, must you always-?"
"Yes, now shut up."
"Don't just-"
"Don't care."
Orochimaru walked away, seemingly uncaring. Kabuto ran after him after a moment, concerned. "I'm worried about you, Orochimaru-sama," the young teen said slowly. "You always leave right after you eat, and no one can find you, sometimes for hours at a time. I'm worried."
Orochimaru shrugged. "Well, Kabuto, I have things to do. I might be in the Library, I might be training, and I might just be sitting around while people throw themselves at me. It all depends on the mood I'm in. Use your knowledge of me, and find me."
It became a game of hide-and-seek for Kabuto. He would always attempt to find Orochimaru after dinner. And every day he came closer and closer, until finally it became Orochimaru changing locations and Kabuto following.
Finally, Kabuto caught up with Orochimaru.
He gave those ebony locks a playful tug, turned Orochimaru around, and kissed him. The sannin complied surprisingly willingly, and Kabuto pulled back, satisfied.
"What, was that my reward for finding you?"
Orochimaru smiled. "Well, what were you expecting?"
Kabuto smiled, and from that night on Orochimaru seemed to grow so much closer to Kabuto. He always talked to him now, and it sometimes seemed like they were together for days on end. And every day they grew closer, until finally Kabuto was nineteen and he and Orochimaru became lovers.
And then they were truly inseparable.
Now, Kabuto only cried into that black hair, gently stroking it to calm Orochimaru down and trying to calm him down. Sasuke reached over and cruelly yanked Orochimaru away from Kabuto again.
"If you want him back, you're going to have to wait," Sasuke said heartlessly. He wrapped the chain around Orochimaru's neck and tossed him back towards the throne. Orochimaru didn't move when he hit the cold stone floor; it hurt too much to even breath at that point. He probably had a few broken ribs…
"Come back in an hour," Sasuke instructed, "And then you can take him. But for…now, he's still mine."
Kabuto, knowing there was nothing further he could do, walked out of the room, broken and crushed.
OOOOOOOOO
Kabuto had no idea what to do in the hour Sasuke had given him. He had gathered medical supplies, checked and re-checked them for a half an hour, but now he had another half an hour to go and it wasn't going to be easy to pass it. Kabuto tried to read a book. He tried going over medical files and records. He tried organizing his notes. Nothing worked, and he still had ten minutes.
Finally, fed up, Kabuto decided to go get Orochimaru early. Maybe Sasuke would let him…
Kabuto fidgeted for another five minutes and figured he might as well try. Orochimaru was probably being beaten senseless as it was…maybe Sasuke would dismiss the extra…three minutes, by the time Kabuto got there…
Kabuto shoved open the huge, snake-handled double doors, afraid of what he might see, but determined to win back Orochimaru. Sasuke was sprawled over the throne, legs hanging over the side, arms over the other, one hand continuously stroking Orochimaru like he was a domestic pet. Orochimaru himself looked terrible-all of the bandages Kabuto had put on earlier had been ripped off. Blood dripped from everywhere on Orochimaru's body, and he seemed to be in agony just sitting at Sasuke's feet. His head was hanging, and his dark black hair was slick with blood and hanging over his golden eyes. His eyes...Orochimaru's beautiful eyes...now they only spoke of pain and sadness, a desperate lament and a cry for help...and it was being silenced. Cruelly silenced by the demands of one person...
"I thought you'd come a little early. But whatever."
Sasuke released the chain from Orochimaru's neck, but Kabuto noticed a piece of leather still around his neck. Sasuke didn't bother to remove it; he simply shoved Orochimaru at Kabuto, not caring if the sannin fell down the steps leading up to the throne platform or not. Kabuto caught him and immediately drew up enough healing chakra to ease the pain, if only a bit.
"Get him out of my sight. I'll come for him when I want him."
Kabuto exhaled as he carried Orochimaru away. This was a fine mess they were in now-and there was no way out.
"Leave the collar."
Kabuto froze at Sasuke's words, then sighed again and pushed the doors open, letting them slam behind him. Sasuke watched them go, bemused. When would Kabuto figure out that Orochimaru was his property, and his alone? He looked forward to finding out…
A/N: I really like where this is going…review, or no next chapter!!