A Former Acquaintance

"Of all the people…Ow! What the he…"

Kisame started cutting her out of the boundings with a scalpel, cutting her in the process .
"Sorry girlie, I'm not use to using something this…tiny." He said studying the tool.

Itachi appeared beside him and ask her, "Can you walk?"

Anko began standing, "Just why exactly are you he-" she dropped to the ground 'Oww…'

"I'll take that as a no, Kisame." Suddenly Anko was scooped up in the shark shinobis arms. He bounced her up and down slightly, "Snake man must not feed you, your too light."

Anko punched him in the chest, "PUT ME DOWN AND ANWSER MY QUEST-" Itachi slapped a hand over her mouth "Be quiet or Orochimaru will know we're here." He hissed

"Wha bar who ere?''

"I'm sorry could you repeat that?" he removed his hand from her mouth

"I said WHY ARE YOU HERE?"

The two Akatsuki members grimace as their ears began ringing. "Itachi, she's a little loud, can't we leave her here, say Orochimaru had already killed her?"

Anko flinched in his arms at the thought of dying by his hands. She was NOT afraid to die but Orochimaru and death were not a good mixture for her.

"Tempting as it is," Itachi's voice brought her out of her trance of panic "We have our orders, might as well complete them since were here. Let's get going."

They made there way down the hallway; Kisame still holding Anko, Itachi in front as a lookout.

"You still didn't answer my question, why are you helping me?" 'I'm so tired..'

Kisame's chuckle was a soft rumble that helped lullaby Anko to sleep.

"Should it matter, were offering you salvation."

'Red…so much red…'

Kabuto watched everything around him be engulfed in red blood.

He was that ten year old boy again, a shy under Sasori's mind control.

It seemed so real, the thick warmness of the liquor of life, the smell, the taste…

And out of nowhere a hand landed on his shoulder. Kabuto didn't turn around, he didn't DARE to.

Orochimaru leaned down a licked the blood off Kabuto's ear. "Don't be afraid child,"

'Red…so much red… so much red…'

"I'll clean the blood off your hands…"

"KABUTO WAKE UP!"

A sharp kick to the side caused Kabuto to jerk. Cole black eyes met golden ones. he gave himself a second to left the dizziness settle down.

"Orochimaru-sama, I think there's-"

"An intruder, I know. I'll handle him, I need you to take care of Karin and Sasuke, there both gravely injured."

Kabuto struggled to get on his feet; Orochimaru's constant yelling wasn't helping at all. He managed to stand, back slumped, with the help of the desk next to him.

"Maybe it's just a prisoner, they can get loose.''

"I don't think so, this doesn't look like the work of a guinea pig." he stated with a bit of his own humor "Still, if someone's trying to make a quick escape, there will be grave consequences." he began walking away when "Should I check an Anko?" Orochimaru stopped

'Oh shit I've just caused her death.'

"That won't be necessary, she's fine."

"But what if-"

"I said she's fine, just cater to Sasuke and Karin."

He stared at him 'He's up to something.'

"Alright then, I'll be going now. Sasuke and Karin are in lab 8." He left 'Where is he going?'

"Yeah sure." Kabuto murmured. Still suspicious and unfocused, he waited a second before limping down the hallway to…

'Wait, where are they?'

'There's something…'

"Kisame, you and Anko go on a head."

Kisame looked up from Anko's sleeping form. "Why, somethin' coming?"

"Yeah, and he's not going to let us get far."

Kisame chuckled, "Okay, see ya." He teleported away.

As soon as he could no longer sense them, he turned and waited for the upcoming battle.

'Closer. Closer. THERE!' Orochimaru stopped dead center in the hallway. A figure, possibly a few inches shorter than him, stood in the shadows. The chakra was vaguely familiar, and yet was locked in a distant memory of his.

Gingerly, the Snake Sannin advance forward, each step being him closer to the hazy being.

Less than five feet away, the appearance of the figure was clearer. Orochimaru's eyes widened and after the disbelief stage passed, an acknowledgeable smirk crossed upon his lips.

"Hello Itachi."

Erythryphobia is the fear of the color red. Surprisingly, 60% of the Erythryphobic's in the world work in the medical fields; 10% are psychiatric murderers, and the other 30% are 'normal' people.

Hemophobia is the fear of blood. About 40% of Hemophobic's work in the Medical fields, the other 60% are 'normal' people that are psychologically scared from a past experience involving the liquor of life.

But then again, no one is truly normal.

-RK