A/N: Chapter Two! Sorry for the wait, by the way. Also I hope you are not too disappointed. There is a fight/spar scene and I'm not very experienced with writing those. As always, thank you for reading and enjoy!
Myla~
TEN YEARS LATER (FOUR YEARS FROM PRESENT DAY) …
Drip…
Drip…
Drip…
The distant sound of water falling from the hard clay ceiling into a growing puddle echoed through the flame lit halls of an underground hideaway. Every five feet a torch of fire gave the damp place visibility for its occupants. The ground was lain with old brick and in some areas hardened clay. It was cool in the hideout, a good ten degrees or so colder than above ground. Rooms with solid metal doors lined the curving hallway, resembling that of a dungeon. Iron bars created a window in each door giving the small rooms a source of light from the dank hall. Inside one particular room, deep in the underground depths of the earth, was currently holding an occupant. The room was dark, only a lone candle sat on a large oak table that's light cast shadows that danced along the clay walls. A small twin sized bed sat in a corner against the cold wall, furthest away from the door. An oak wardrobe closet sat against the wall across from the bed and adjacent to the desk. Beside the closet sat a door and then a matching dresser beside the door. Behind the door lay a small bathroom with a freestanding bathtub, toilet, and sink. The whole room seemed cozy enough for one person. However, it was more like a prison cell for the individual the room was given to.
The candle's flame caught the movement of a large shadow that appeared against the wall near the small bed. A figure of a young teen moved from under the covers to a sitting position. Her amber hair had grown longer with each passing year and she had to continue cutting it so it didn't grow passed her hips. Her body was skinny but held some cushion around her middle, hips, and her chest. Her skin was a beautiful tanned caramel color. She was conscious about the stares she would receive from the other residents around the hideout whenever she would venture from her room. Her uniquely colored eyes held a little bit of shine as unshed tears collected in the corners. She drew in a shaky breath as she willed the nightmare she woke from away from her thoughts. Reaching a hand up to the right side of her neck, she gingerly rubbed her fingertips over the permanent tattoo like mark and winced slightly as a sharp pain moved up her neck and to her head. She vaguely remembers how she got it but other than that nothing. She can't seem to remember anything from the age of five and earlier. It was all too fuzzy.
Releasing a heavy sigh, the girl stood from the bed and walked to the second door leading to the small bathroom. She relieved herself before turning to the sink to wash her hands and brush her teeth. She tried to avoid looking into the mirror in front of her, keeping her eyes lowered as she brushed her long, wavy hair. The girl left the bathroom, shutting the door behind her, and opened the closet next to her. There wasn't much of a choice in clothing, so she picked out what she normally wore. It consisted of a tight fishnet like shirt and form fitting black pants that stop just below her knees. Her feet were left bare, not because she wasn't provided any footwear, but because she preferred her feet to remain as such. Two pairs of sandals and one pair of boots sat at the bottom of the closet unused as she closed the doors. A full length mirror was situated beside her nightstand and she turned to gaze at her reflection. She wasn't very tall, just reaching five feet. But she was told she still have a few more years of growth. Her body was filling out as well, slowly but surely. Her hair lay over her shoulders and down her back, its ends curling and created an angelic look about her. She refused to cut her bangs, preferring them to be long enough to cover her eyes. Her pink lips lifted in a small smile as she brushed her bangs in a way that they covered one eye. She didn't care which. Her eyes were too different to show both at once.
A knock startled her from her self-gazing. She turned around just in time to see a tall male figure stepping inside without waiting for an answer. He had white/gray hair that was pulled back in a low ponytail. He was a young man, in his early twenties she guessed, despite his hair color. He wore circular wire rimmed glasses and had a silver headband around his head which was slightly covered by his bangs. A symbol was engraved in the silver plate in the shape of a music note. He wore a white shirt underneath a sleeveless purple/gray jumpsuit-like attire with a high collar. A white sash wrapped around his middle along with black fingerless gloves on his hands. Blue sandals adorned his feet. He stopped just inside, closing the door behind him with a soft click.
"Good, you are awake and dressed. Lord Orochimaru does not like to be kept waiting," the man stated, his voice deep with an untrustworthy calm tone. He gave her a smile that someone would find friendly but the girl knew it was anything but.
"I know he doesn't, Kabuto," the girl said in a soft but confident voice. She knew this man didn't particularly care for her from what she has over heard in the past few years. "So, why don't you just escort me to where I am needed so our master doesn't wait any longer than necessary."
Kabuto lost his smile and proceeded to give her a dark eyed glare. Obviously he didn't like being ordered around by a fourteen-year-old girl. No matter how powerful she supposedly was, she still needed to learn her place. Quicker than she had anticipated, the taller male was behind her with one of her arms pinned behind her back in a painful way. A cold, sharp kunai knife pressed against her exposed throat as his breath tickled the back of her neck and right ear. She held her breath as she gripped the arm that held the deadly weapon to her neck, her pulse racing just under the sharp edge. Kabuto held a devilish smirk on his lips as he took in the scent of her hair, a sweet mixture of rain that she seemed to always carry on her and the cherry blossom extract from her shampoo. The girl in his arms took in an unsettling breath as her eyes closed tightly.
"Don't worry. I won't hurt you. Not now. Lord Orochimaru needs you alive and well for his plans," he whispered, his voice and breath sending shivers down the girl's spine and goosebumps forming on her exposed skin. Suddenly, the sharp blade disappeared and was replaced by Kabuto's cold finger tips. She bit her lower lip, hard, to stop herself from making any sounds. "What kind of power do you possess that has the master obsessed?" She could almost feel his lips against her skin as he spoke and his fingers slowly began to move lower down her neck.
The teen pulled away, the man letting go without resistance. She looked at him with wide eyes as her hand held her neck where he had touched her. She hated when he touched her. He was the only experienced medic in the hideout and every six months she had to see him for a type of physical. She felt disgusting after every session with this man. He seemed to take his time as his hands roamed over her body. She knew he was a type of doctor so she didn't pay much attention, until she started reaching puberty. He touched her in places that she thought was inappropriate for him to touch but he always came back saying it was part of the physical. She's thought about telling her master about it but knew he would wave his hand at the thought. So she just continued to endure. But more often than not, incidents like this one have been occurring.
Kabuto continued to smirk at her as his eyes roamed. She turned her body away and started out the door of her room, knowing the man would follow. She already knew where she was supposed to go. The destination never changed. Her feet were quiet as she padded down the long corridor, the clicking of Kabuto's sandals just behind her. It wasn't long until she met a pair of large doors at the end of the long hallway. The metal of the door was woven with depictions of snakes twisting around each other. The handles were snake heads; their jaws open wide with their fangs extended. The girl raised her hand to open one of the doors with she heard Kabuto click his tongue at her.
"Tsk. Opening the door without making your presence known. You know Lord Orochimaru doesn't like such rudeness." When the girl turned her head to give the man a look, he snarled at her quietly, "Knock first, you little brat!"
The girl flinched just slightly at the harshness of his voice before facing the door once more. She hesitated at first, giving a quiet tap to the door. Then when no answer came, she knocked a couple more times a little harder than the first. From inside, she heard a faint 'enter' before pushing the door ajar. She walked in as she took in the large room. It was like a throne room with numerous pillars lining up towards a throne like chair. Sitting in the chair was a pale man with long black hair. He had bandages wrapped around his arms and hands, his robes draped over him loosely. The door she walked through was situated off to the side of the room where whoever entered through there would be facing the side of the chair and its occupant. The girl slowly made her way towards the man in the chair, but as she drew near she could sense another presence there with them. Her eyes shifted slightly and she saw a figure standing a few yards away from the throne.
The male in the chair glanced out of the corner of his eyes and grinned, "Ah, there you are my dear. We have been waiting very patiently for you." His voice made its way to the approaching girl and seemed to slither around her body like a serpent. She visibly shivered as she stopped just short of the chair. "Kyra," he hissed her name, "come closer."
Kyra bit her lip as she slowly stepped closer until she was right beside the man. She could tell that he was not looking like himself from how his eyes seemed to have sunken into his eye sockets. He looks sick… she thought as her eyes shifted once more to the figure that was observing them from his place in the middle of the room. "Lord Orochimaru… I apologize for keeping you waiting," she said in soft voice as her eyes darted to Kabuto who had made himself comfortable beside their master.
"It's quite alright my child. We haven't been waiting that long," he assured her with a grin that she didn't trust. Orochimaru fixed his eyes back at the lone figure in front of him. Kyra did the same now that the attention was no longer on her. She took in his appearance and was shocked to see that it was another teen like herself. He has to be my age, she thought. The young male had unruly raven black hair and pale white skin. He wore a black shirt with white shorts. Black sandals that looked similar to Kabuto's held his feet. She noticed a backpack strapped to his back. Another thing she noticed was his eyes, they were closed. He opened them, to her amazement, and she was shocked to see what they held. His eyes were red with three black tomoes surrounding the pupil. Kyra tilted her head as she watched him.
"Kyra, meet Sasuke Uchiha. He will be staying with us for the time being," Orochimaru informed her. Willingly? She questioned in her mind. She definitely wasn't here by her choice. She just woke up one morning and here she was. But this Sasuke didn't seem like he was dragged here against his will. He wasn't trying to make an escape either. As if sensing her doubt, he spoke up. "I am here for only one purpose and that is to get stronger," he stated with an 'end of conversation' tone. His voice was deep and smooth but it held a coldness that it nearly sent chills down her back.
The man in the chair just held a smirk across his lips as he watched the exchange. He was very curious about how his two underlings will interact with each other. He also wanted to see how powerful his little flower has become in the last couple years. It was almost like pulling teeth just to get her to do anything when they first arrived to the hideout but eventually, with the little help of some memory suppressing, she started to cooperate. He trained her as much as he could before other matters needed to be taken care of; then Kabuto took over. Hopefully what they had taught her would bring her inner power up to the surface. He has only seen a little of the power a couple times, all those years ago when he took her and once during a training session he watched between her and Kabuto. Orochimaru decided that now would be the perfect opportunity to see how much she has progressed by initiating a spar between her and the Uchiha.
"Sasuke, how about we see how powerful you are now. Just to see how much more you need," the snake master inquired with a smile. The Uchiha just stood there for a while, not saying anything as he stared at the older man. He eventually closed his eyes and dropped his pack to the ground. He walked a few paces forward until he was only a few feet in front of the three individuals. "Fine. Let me fight you," he all but commanded.
Orochimaru only chuckled in a sickening way that Kyra nearly cringed. She looked at the teen as he stood before them. She then glanced over at the other men. Orochimaru finally spoke after a short moment, "I won't be able to fight you, dear Sasuke. It wouldn't be a fair fight."
"Then let me fight Kabuto," Sasuke interjected. He remembered the younger male from the chunin exams. He helped the Uchiha's team in the Forest of Death then suspiciously forfeited before the preliminaries began. He never did fully trust Kabuto when they were introduced. After what happened to the Third and where he was now, he knew why. He still didn't fully trust him or Orochimaru, but he was the only one who would help Sasuke gain more power to defeat his brother and get his revenge.
Kabuto just smiled and was about to step forward when he was stopped, "No." The young man looked to the side to glance at Orochimaru who had rejected the offer. Kabuto didn't understand, he was more than capable to fight against the Uchiha and win at that. Why on earth would he refuse to allow me to fight? Unless—Kabuto was pulled from his thoughts when a startled squeal came from the other side of Orochimaru. He watched in shock and anger as the girl he had been taking care of was pushed forward by a force he could not see.
Kyra gasped, making a startled sound as she was pushed forward from behind toward the awaiting teen in front of her. When she started walking on her own the force behind her ceased. She quickly stopped before she was feet from the Uchiha to turn back to the men behind her. "L-lord Orochimaru…" she began quietly, "Surely you can't mean— "
"What is the meaning of this?" The young girl was interrupted by the male teen in front of her. His question didn't seem to be answered as he waited, his red eyes staring her down. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze as she, too, was waiting for an explanation. "Well?" he asked with more force.
"Kyra would gladly take our place as your spar partner. Don't underestimate her though, Sasuke," Orochimaru finally said. Sasuke only narrowed his eyes before shutting them and released a sigh. "Fine," he reluctantly agreed as he opened his red eyes to stare at the girl in front of him once more.
Kyra couldn't believe that she was about to spar with someone other than Kabuto. She had begun to anticipate his moves with every training session and spar they did. But now, she is about to fight with a completely new opponent. Her heart began to race as the male teen continued to stare her down as he prepared himself. His red eyes were intimidating. She felt frozen where she stood. Before she could utter a word, the male seemed to disappear before her eyes. Next thing she knew, Kyra felt a kick to her side and flew several feet as she landed on her right side. Pain radiated up her left side, specifically the bottom of her rib cage. She winced as she slowly sat up from the ground, one eye tightly shut from the pain as she looked over to where she once stood. There, standing as if nothing happened, stood the Uchiha. He's really fast, she thought as she slowly and gingerly got to her feet.
Sasuke couldn't believe that he was fighting against such a weakling. One kick to the side and she already looks defeated. Has she ever sparred before? He couldn't help but wonder as he watched her closely. The girl has yet to make an offensive attack. Sasuke was giving her unnecessary time to make a move. With a frustrated snarl, he lunged forward again.
The female teen watched as the male suddenly came towards her again. She made a quick decision and jumped out of the way. The pain in her side grew as she moved. She continued to dodge as best to her ability as Sasuke threw punches at her. Kyra knew eventually she would have to make a move. She couldn't keep avoiding his attacks for much longer. Especially with Orochimaru watching her every move. She let out a startled cry as her back slammed into one of the many pillars. She was panting and her eyes widened as the male teen made several hand signals. Before she could do anything, a large ball of fire came at her. It was too large to avoid. "No!" she cried as she was consumed in flames.
Orochimaru continued to watch the scene play out in front of him. He knew that this would be a challenge for the girl but he needed to know if she had grown in power at all. He had yet to see much progress, though she was stronger than when she was but a child. However, the past couple years, things have seemed to slow to a stop. He had a feeling—no, he knew Kabuto was making things too easy. He wasn't challenging Kyra. He wasn't making her stronger. The snake master could tell just from the way she wasn't putting up much of a fight back. She was just trying to avoid as many blows as she could. Sasuke wasn't even going that hard on her. He has yet to use any jutsus. Until now that is. Orochimaru watched as the young male cornered the girl against a pillar and created a fire ball. One of the Uchiha's signature moves. He then waited. He could sense Kabuto about to intervene until he halted him. "Wait Kabuto. Let's just see what happens."
"But, Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto began but stopped when he received a menacing glare from the elder male. He turned his head back to scene and was shocked at what he saw. The shock quickly fell away as he just starred at the pillar engulfed with fire. This happened when her and I sparred the one time I made the intention of killing her, Kabuto thought as he continued to watch.
Sasuke just snickered as the flames began to burn. He felt little remorse for ending the poor girl's life this fast but she was no opponent for him. He hasn't even broken a sweat. But his smirk slowly faded as a light began to envelope around the flames. He narrowed his eyes, his sharingan capturing the image in front of him. Within the blinding light stood the very girl he thought he killed. He didn't understand. Quickly, Sasuke made a series of hand signs and created yet another fire ball, bigger than the first. As it hit the light shielding the girl, it quickly dissipated. He growled in annoyance and again, made several hand signs and instead of a massive fire ball, he created multiple fire balls. All firing towards his young opponent. But as each one hit the light, they fizzled out. He eventually stopped, not wanting to waste anymore of his chakra on his fire jutsus. The male snarled, his hands clenched into tight fists as he starred at the ball of light. It wasn't clear but he could tell that the girl within was standing, most likely unharmed. He couldn't tell exactly what she was doing though. Before he knew it, a fist size sharp rock came flying out of the light. He moved out of the way in time to avoid getting a direct hit but it was able to slice across his right cheek. Sasuke began jumping about, avoiding the many various sized rocks being thrown at him. He couldn't seem to get the upper hand now that he couldn't see the girl clearly anymore.
Kyra's eyes followed the Uchiha as he continued to avoid her attacks. Her unique eyes glowed softly as she slowly stepped forward. The light around her moved with her, protecting her and leaving her lightly unseen. She never realized how much of an advantage this was for her. A smile slowly moved along her lips as she walked to the middle of the large room, just yards away from where Orochimaru and Kabuto were. Kyra continued to materialize rocks from the clay beneath her feet and used a force to throw them at the Uchiha. Her eyes caught the sight of dripping water coming from one of the pillars beside her and an idea formed in her head. Her left eye seemed to glow brighter as she forced the dripping water to flow with more force. Before she could fulfill her plan, the flow of the water began to dissipate just as quickly as she created it. That's when Kyra began to feel lightheaded. The light that was shielding her was slowly starting to disappear. Sasuke quickly took notice of this.
The young male stood, panting slightly as he began accessing the situation in front of him. The bubble of light was slowly fading in and out as if it was trying to stay alive. He also noticed that the barrage of rocks had ceased. Taking closer notice of the girl before him, she seemed to have run out of energy. Sasuke stood up straight, beads of sweat had built along his brow and slowly slid down his temples. He quickly made his way to the now struggling girl; his hand shot out and gripped the other teen's neck. The light vanished completely as soon as he did so and he heard the girl make a strangled sound.
Kyra felt herself getting weaker as she struggled to keep the protective light around her. She suddenly felt a hand grip around her slender neck, causing a strangled gasp to escape her lips. She could already feel the bruises forming just under the fingers of the Uchiha. Clenching her jaw, she desperately clung to the male's arm as he slowly lifted her inches off the ground. Her eyes closed tightly as she struggled to breath but she slowly opened her bright green eye, noticing something she didn't catch before. There on the teen's left side of his neck was a similar marking like hers. Only his was a full circle with three tomoes in the center. Before she could think any more about the marking, she was thrown roughly across the room. She landed on her back, sliding a few feet before stopping just in front of the two older men witnessing the fight. As Kyra landed, the wind was nearly knocked out of her. She had blood running down her chin from her mouth and she knew she was covered in bruises and internal injuries. She opened her eyes and both were visible to the Uchiha as he stood over the defeated girl. His eyes were slightly widened as he looked at her eyes, seeming to be mesmerized.
Sasuke couldn't look away from the beaten girl's eyes as he stood over her. He was going for a final blow when he suddenly stopped. He wasn't sure if it was her eyes that had paralyzed him temporarily or what. It's when he felt the sting of a sharp blade against his neck. He knew that he was physically stopped. His sharp eyes finally moved away from the girl and glanced to his right where Kabuto had situated himself.
"I do believe the match is done. We don't want you killing each other," he said, his voice taking a criticizing tone. "Lord Orochimaru has seen plenty and it seems that both of you need a lot of work in order to get to the level of strength you desire." Kabuto shifted his eyes towards the girl still laying on the ground; her chest heaving as she took in each breath.
Kyra's eyes shifted between both men until they landed on Kabuto. She internally shuddered as his eyes seemed to lower. She turned her head away, slowly struggling to get to her feet. As she straightened up on her feet, Kyra instantly felt dizzy as she staggered slightly. She could faintly hear Kabuto instruct the Uchiha where the living quarters were before feeling him take hold of her elbow just before she fell to the ground again. She felt so tired that she didn't even notice she had been lifted into Kabuto's arms like a new bride. Her limbs were limp as her head was cradled against his shoulder. "Lord Orochimaru," the male began. When he was given a look from the older man he continued, "I will take Kyra to the infirmary now to assess her injuries. She seems to have over done it with her protection jutsu."
The snake master gave his apprentice a short nod before standing and making his way towards the couple. "I believe I will accompany you. I need you to heal my arms some more anyway."
"Are they bothering you already?" Kabuto asked a little peeved for his lord to be coming too. He had just done a healing session on him not too long ago. That and he wouldn't be able to be alone with the unconscious girl. He mentally shook his head. He needed to stop thinking that way about the girl in his arms. He didn't even like her! She was getting too much attention from Orochimaru for his taste.
"Yes," the other male hissed. "They are starting to ache and I would appreciate it if you didn't question about my pain, Kabuto."
Kabuto gave an apologetic bow as all three of them made their way to the infirmary. It was deeper into the hideout than the living corridors. Through the twists and turns of the hallway the temperature continued to fall the lower they walked into the earth. The girl in Kabuto's arms shivered slightly as she unknowingly huddled closer to him for warmth. The male inwardly grinned and continued forward with Orochimaru a step behind him. They finally reached the infirmary after walking down a stairway.
Kabuto pushed open the door with his shoulder, allowing Orochimaru to enter first. After closing the door with his foot, he proceeded towards a hospital bed against the far side of the room. He gently laid Kyra down and covered her body with a thin white sheet before turning towards the other male. Orochimaru made himself comfortable in one of two chairs facing the closed door, his bandaged arms resting on the chair's arms. Kabuto walked around him towards a large table situated on the opposite wall of the bed, taking a few syringes and drawing up milliliters of a light green liquid in one. The other two he drew up the same milliliters of a purple liquid before setting all three down on a metal tray.
The young medic walked towards the bedridden girl, taking her left arm in his hand. He felt for a vein before plunging the needle into her arm. He felt her tense and heard a faint whimper come from her but other than that she remained still. Slowly his pushed the green fluid through the plunger and into her coursing blood stream. He then hooked up a bag of fluids to her through the same needle he taped to her arm. He wasn't sure how long she would be out this time around and he didn't want her to become dehydrated. Once he was finished preparing the girl for an estimated long stay in the infirmary, Kabuto turned to Orochimaru.
He first gently began to remove the bandages from the male's arms, revealing dark purple scarred skin. Like he did with Kyra, he took the other male's arm into his hand and searched for a vein. Once he found it, Kabuto pushed the needle through the thick skin. He heard Orochimaru groan slightly as he quickly pushed the purple liquid into his vein. The snake man clenched his jaw as pain slowly ripped up his left arm. Before he could get used to the pain, Kabuto did the same in the right arm with the other purple fluid filled syringe. Kabuto then strapped both of Orochimaru's arms to the chair to insure the medicine flows through without disruption. He then set to work using his healing jutsus to push the healing process along. His hands gave of a green glow as he pressed against one of the other male's arms. That's when the older male let out a pained scream that could be heard throughout the hideout. Kabuto cringed as Orochimaru continued to scream. The only thing he could think about was what the older man told him once before when he was healing the girl not too far away at an earlier time. 'You have to feel pain before you can ever begin to heal.'