The sun was high in the sky as the three travelers made their way through the forest while steadily walking to Orochimaru's hidden base. Tayuya insisted that they move faster but Kuroshi steadily insisted they don't since Kamui doesn't like to run...an excuse that infuriated Tayuya enough that she threatened to leave them behind on several occasions but never did.

Possibly three hours went by as they traveled before they had their main break before completing their trek to the base. They stopped and Kuroshi set up a small camp as he often did even if they were going to be there for only a few minutes, he liked to set up a "home like" atmosphere so he and Kamui would feel more at ease in their travels.

Kuroshi was overjoyed that Tayuya remained with them on the travels and didn't try and run away as she so often warned, this happiness though would bring him pain as he made his first big mistake while talking to her...

"Tayuya-chan," he shouted while standing behind her after setting up camp, "Everything is set up, feel free to take it easy and rest!" He finished with a smile after he completed his sentence in record time.

"What the fuck did you just call me, you useless shit?!" as she raised her voice she spun around and punched Kuroshi dead on in the throat with enough force to make him cough out blood a moment after impact.

Kuroshi staggered back with his left hand gripping his throat and his right desperately trying to grab something to hold him up before he tripped over a tree branch and fell to the ground with blunt force. Tayuya standing over him with her fist gripped hard together and her eyes centered on him with killer intent.

"Nobody, and I mean nobody, has any right to call me that, you fucking bastard!!!"

Kamui watched the whole thing keeping his face concealed under his hood, so it was unknown if he found amusement or discontentment at what had just happened. He simply turned around in his hunched posture and continued replacing old water with new water slowly and carefully.

While lying on the ground Kuroshi raised his legs so that they over lapped his head before he dismounted the ground with a front flip, he showed no signs of injury nor anger at being violently attacked with his guard down. He simply put on a nervous smile while closing his eyes and putting his right hand behind his head to scratch it removing dirt and grass.

"Why can't I call you Tayuya-chan?" he retorted as if the attack had never occurred, "But, if you don't want me too I won't, I had no intention of offending you," he finally concluded; this time he spoke his sentence at slower pace, revealing a sense of matureness in his voice, as well as sincerity.

Tayuya was shocked at the rate he recovered, she knew she hit him directly before he had a chance to raise his guard. She had never seen such fast recovery from any other ninja before save for Orochimaru when he fought off weaker opponents.

"D-don't call me that again, y-you have no place in saying that to me... you stupid dumbass," her voice trailed off midway in her sentence; she was both enraged and confused for no one had ever called her "Tayuya-chan," in her entire life, besides Sakon, who after saying it had his arm broken by her. She despised being called that because to her no one had the right to refer to her as someone they knew and are close too since she herself is close to no one.

"I will remember that, I am going to rest a bit, please wake me up before we move out Kamui..." Trying to forget the whole situation Kuroshi quickly lay down on the cool ground and began to rest and quickly drifted into sleep. Kamui sat in front of him and crossed his legs much to the distress of his coat and meditated silently.

Tayuya who felt as if she had offended them, she grew more angry and made the attempt of drinking mostly all their water so that they would have to go out later and get some more. In between guzzles she began to wonder what awaited her when she got there to Orochimaru's side, would he kill her if the mission was a failure... would he kill her if it succeeded... she began to wonder with dread, for all she knew she was walking to her death... again. After a few moments of quiet contemplation she turned her attention to Kuroshi who was curled up in the fetal position on the ground and shook like a helpless child, she couldn't help but stare at how helpless he looked yet she didn't resent this display in fact she even envied his ability to rest with his defenses down like that as if he hadn't a care in the world.

Meanwhile at Orochimaru's hidden base, Orochimaru and Kabuto conversed in the snake master's room, deep underground, which few of his ninja ever saw. "Orochimaru-sama, how are you feeling after your transfer?" Kabuto asked sensing Orochimaru was most unpleased with having to transfer his soul to anyone other than Sasuke who was still yet to arrive, him or his elite sound ninja's.

"What do you think, Kabuto?!" the snake master hissed in rage, "No one has returned yet; I do not have Sasuke-kun's body and I no longer feel the seal marks of my elites. I am surrounded by incompetent fool's left and right; my arms alone were more capable then any of these fodder!" Orochimaru bated his right arm into a nearby lamp utterly destroying it beyond repair.

Kabuto pressed his glasses up against his face to reposition them as he sighed at his master's rage and anger, as he did so a knocking nervously sounding was heard on the door, Orochimaru could tell he wasn't going to be pleased with whatever news was going to be. "What is it?!" he shouted in a fit of rage,

"Orochimaru-sama, I have news of the Sound Four... They have all been defeated in battle..."

There was a pause in the room for a moment as Orochimaru processed this in his mind. "So... They failed me?!! " The snake master smashed his head through the wooden door scaring the messenger senseless while readying to kill him with his tongue.

"W-we found most of their bodies my lord... and have confirmation from our insiders that that they were killed in battle; howev- ughh!" Orochimaru cut him short as he stabbed the messenger through his throat with his sword Kusanagi then continued to sever it right off in a gruesome fashion.

"Was that really necessary lord Orochimaru?" Kabuto commented, slightly irritated with how often people have to die around him when there just doing their job.

"Their all useless in the end Kabuto, even my elite have failed and are all dead... I have lost Sasuke-kun and for the time being... I'm stuck in this second rate body!!!" he continued to hiss and roar with all his might.

As he did another sound ninja turned the hall to see the gruesome scene, he held in his hands a written report to hand to the poor ninja who lie dead before him. "W-we f-found Sasuke-sama, Orochimaru-sama!!!" his voice broke as he lay against the wall having just pissed himself in fright and fear for his life.

"What?!" the snake Sannin screamed with surprise and masked joy. Kabuto's glasses flared white as he looked at the events.

"Orochimaru-sama, he is at the entrance of this compound as we speak." The sound ninja quickly handed the report to Kabuto as Orochimaru rushed up the base to claim his prize.

"Hmmm... so we retrieved the bodies of Jirōbō and Kidomaru after they were killed, while Suna or Konoha now possess the bodies of Sakon and Ukon after he was killed... Hmmm, Tayuya is listed missing?" Kabuto read over the report with interest making sure to relay it to Orochimaru once he is able too. "Why is Tayuya reported missing?" Kabuto questioned intently.

"We have confirmed that she fought against Konoha ninja's and that she was defeated and labeled by them as dead but we were unable to locate her body at the scene of the battle, our trackers were unable to track her... It is possible perhaps that they retrieved or disposed of her body after the fight and our intelligence haven't discovered that yet."

"Very well, you are dismissed..." Kabuto paused, "Oh, and do make sure to have someone take care of this mess, it had better not still be here when Orochimaru return's.

Kabuto grinned to him as he slapped the report three time's against the wall as he walked by the sound ninja as he made his way to greet their new guest.

The sound ninja hastily dragged the body and head out of the hallway and placed it in another room desperately trying to clean up as much as possible before Orochimaru returned and would kill him as well.

At the entrance of the main door's to Orochimaru underground base stood Sasuke Uchiha who was battered, with a broken left arm, from his fight, with his former best friend, Naruto, who he was just able to suppress by reaching level two of his curse seal. He waited for Orochimaru to arrive so he stood there and huffed off the effects of his fight, when Orochimaru's ghost like figure made its appearance as he walked up the stairs with a devilish grin along his pale face.

"I knew you would make it here Sasuke Uchiha, you are very special after all," the snake Sannin hissed with confidence and joy.

Sasuke looked Orochimaru over, displeased to see he wasn't at his best, "Hn," was all Sasuke bothered to retort to his new sensei.

"Come my dear Sasuke-kun; I have much to teach you!" Sasuke then followed him into their base only to be soon followed by Kabuto still gripping tightly onto the report he didn't see any time soon of telling lord Orochimaru about.

Meanwhile Kuroshi awoken to find a large portion of their provisions had been eaten and drank, also that Tayuya was busy kicking a tree continuously trying to be in the best of shape when she confronts Orochimaru, she figured if the worst came to pass she wanted to at least get a few hit's in.

"You know you would probably be paralyzed if you had survived Tayuya-ch... changing you to be unable to perform kicks," Kuroshi said nervously catching himself before calling her Tayuya-chan again. Right now he was just trying to make conversation...any conversation he could despite the fact he again rushed this sentence with incredible speed.

Shocked at those word's she tried to imagine her life as a worthless paralyzed ninja under Orochimaru, "Heheh... he would kill me right of the damn bat if I was that useless to him..." she thought to herself before even considering the fact Kuroshi was watching her. "So you think I owe you's something for saving me huh?!" Kuroshi remained silent, it's obvious to him that Tayuya did owe both him and his brother, but he didn't really want anything but her friendship, but that appeared to be in serious question, as she was far to hostile to let that happen. "Well, what the fuck do you's fucking want, huh?!" she screamed snapping Kuroshi out of thought.

"I am happy... that you're simply alive you can say... second chances are rare in this world, so I am just happy we were able to give you that chance Tayuya" his voice riddled with emotional pain as he slowly spoke, which Tayuya could clearly tell that he knew what it felt like to suffer, but she decided she didn't care and wasn't going to continue the topic. To her right now, she figured she would have been better off left dead.

"So," Tayuya said changing the subject, "What the hell's with you and your freaking attitude changes?! I'm sick and tired of you contently going back and forth from being a loud annoying shithead to a loving caring shithead!!!"

Without a moment's notice, Kuroshi responded darkly in a voice that made even Tayuya frightened, "It's because I'm nothing."

"N-nothing?" she said feeling there was something about the way he said it that felt completely uncomfortable.

"Yes, I am nothing; so I can be anything people require of me... for Kamui I entertain him, make him laugh regardless of the expense to me... that is my life nothing more."

Tayuya remained quiet, in a way she knew what the grey haired ninja meant but there was another meaning behind his dark word' she couldn't understand. But this she felt was enough for her to take in.

"Let's move our asses to Orochimaru's base before he decides to chop off all our head's when we finally do get there," Tayuya said with a weak voice, deeply considering that to actually be a high possibility. She paused considering then said, "You don't need to follow me into the base okay shithead, just continue on and forget about me got it?"

"You expect death, don't you?" A chill ran down her spine at his words. "Don't try to lie Tayuya, I can see it written on your face; you don't have to go back if you don't want to," he finally finished waiting for a barrage of curse words and threats.

Putting her anger and rage aside the young woman finally responded, "Follow me beyond the front gates if you want, shithead, if you really care so fucking much then don't let them kill me... I would love to see that you fucking grey headed... cotton ball looking son of a bitch!" she said barely stringing her insults together.

"That's what I intended all along; if they try I will kill them," his voice, posture, and mannerisms were completely different now; she now notice when Kamui wasn't around he became a completely different person to her, from the confidence in his word's she could tell he at least believed he could meet his claim.

"Let's just go loser... where'd coat boy go anyways, I haven't seen or heard from his lame ass all day?" she wasn't in the mood for her usual insults so she maintained asking fairly normal questions.

Kuroshi pondered for a moment, then finally said in the voice he uses when he is around Kamui "Oh, he must be taking a bath somewhere!" nodding to himself, while beaming the redhead a smile.

"I'm surprised he baths; every time he's close, he smells like fucking dirt and shit..." Tayuya really did resent the smell he had whenever he was around, but it was somehow familiar to her, a smell she had smelt before yet couldn't place in her mind.

"There's a reason for that, however you would really prefer not to know," Kuroshi's voice returned to the slow pace that he used when he and Tayuya were alone.

A little surprised and offended that she an elite ninja would be scared of a child's hygiene problem. "Test me dipshit; I'm not some weak freighted girl who freaks out why someone smells bad!!!"

"You've seen how pale he is correct?" Kuroshi responded coldly before continuing "He is smeared with the ashes and graveyard soil of our mother and clan..." he finished by walking away in the direction Tayuya had pointed out when they first reached the area, and pointed that that was the way they'd continue, he didn't even bother to look at Tayuya's horrified face as she acknowledged his words.

"He is wearing fucking dead people... what the fuck are these freaking guys?!" Her eyes were still wide with all sorts of thoughts running through her head, one being, "Would that freak have worn me?!!!!"

"That's sick!" she finally said unsure of how loud her voice just was.

"It wasn't his idea," he retorted back continuing his pace.

With that a noise came from the bushes that put Tayuya on alert mode, as she turned around raising both her fist in the air, only to see that familiar dark brown coat and hood. Even after realizing it was Kamui she kept her guard up slightly as he walked but in his usual hunched style letting his arms swing limp in front of him swaying with each passing movement.

"...heheh... do not fear... only me... only" he had a tint of sadness in his voice now, "me..." He continued walking past her and against her will she quickly took in a breath through her nose, trying to confirm the smell to herself, but was unable too. Feeling depressed, angered, and understandably freaked out, she muttered, "This has got to be the worst week of my fucking life!!!" Then she followed them with a hastened pace, remembering that she, was suppose to be leading the way.

Less than half an hour later, they stood at the gates of a small mini fortress surrounded by trees, in the middle of the forest.

"Who goes there?!" a sound ninja shouted as they approached the gate's.

Angered that he didn't recognize her, Tayuya decided to unleash all her pent up rage on the poor soul. "What are you fucking blind?! I'm Tayuya, of the Sound Four, you fucking moron; one of Orochimaru-sama's elite ninja, unlike your pathetic, sorry ass who's left watching a fucking gate all day, and can't even confirm one of your own comrades when you fucking see them!!! Now, open this fucking gate before I cut your balls off and choke you with them, shithead!!!"

"Heheheh... brother, I am glad we came with her... heeheh, even if this... is the extent..." He looked up at the guard who was now scared so shitless, because he made a horrid mistake to not identify one of Orochimaru-sama's most valued ninja. Kuroshi gave a chuckle as well before also beaming a glare at the scared guard.

"M-my apologies, Tayuya-sama i-it's j-just we heard you we-were d-dead, along with the rest of your squad."

Tayuya froze when she heard that, she understood that she was beaten barely, but that the rest of them had been completely wiped out as well... It was too much for her to bare or believe; she may not have particularly cared for any of them, but the fact that the entire (She reluctantly counted herself) Sound Four had been decimated on one mission, really hit her.

"I will open the gates immediately so you may report directly to Orochimaru-sama about your mission's success!"

"Success... so Sasuke-sama made it to Orochimaru... then why is everyone fucking dead?! There's no more Sound Four... What the fuck is going on here?! Those weak Leaf fuckers will pay!!!"

The gates opened snapping her out of her thoughts. "Come come Tayuya, this Orochimaru should be glad your mission was a success; I'm sure he misses your beaming red eyes," Kuroshi rushed through in his normal Kamui voice, as Tayuya now referred to it mentally.

"My eyes are brown you fucking moron...are you as blind as this fucking guard here?" her voice was cold and low in tone.

"Figures... I'm color blind to brown... I only see red whenever I look at brown..."

"You really are fucked up more than I thought... your life must suck seeing red all the time... oh and my hair is red in case you think it's fucking brown," she finally added as she marched into the base expecting a fight.

Kamui walked closely besides Kuroshi he looked down at the ground. "Why'd you lie brother? Or have I failed... in you design?"

"No reason really, but I really did think they were red... My eye sight must be failing me in my old age hahah!" he laughed off Kamui's concern before following Tayuya into the base. Kamui paused then slowly followed behind. The guard was worried that two unknown people were present with her but he dare not make another statement to her for fear of his life, he simply nodded them in and returned to his post.

As they descended into the underground tunnel after passing many surprised guards and ninja, Tayuya finally made it to the corridor Orochimaru made his nest in, but paused when they heard a man's voice arguing down the hallway, out of the broken door Orochimaru resided behind.

"There's no point to that now Kabuto, Sasuke Uchiha is mine now; their mission succeeded regardless of the loss of their lives. While it is mournful indeed to lose five of our best, Sasuke-kun more than makes up for it don't you agree?"

"Y-yes Orochimaru-sama, but we still haven't confirmed Tayuya's death; she may be still alive," Kabuto replied, trying to at least get his master to see his point, and that he should at least act like they mattered to him.

"Kabuto... don't argue with me; their mission was a success and their deaths are an acceptable loss since they succeeded; right now I should be preparing Sasuke-kun with all that I know in preparation of him becoming my new body! "

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama," he bowed before walking away under the debris of the shattered door and entered the hall, to see the sight of Tayuya beside herself, after hearing her master's conversation with Kabuto, as well as seeing the two strange figures standing on each side her. He stared at Tayuya in the center, then the tall grey spiky haired one to the right of her, and finally at the hunched, seemingly lifeless, short one to the left of her, before looking back at Tayuya and readjusting his glasses with his index finger.

"Orochimaru-sama..." Kabuto called over without taking his eyes off the three of them.

"What is it Kabuto; you already have my answer?!!!" he hissed back gathering all the scrolls and jutsu notes he could.

"It's Tayuya of the Sound Four and two unknown men standing in the hall."

"What?!" Orochimaru shouted before slithering his way into the hallway hastily half expecting Leaf ninja to be among her escort.

"Orochimaru-sama, it's me, Tayuya of the Sound Four," was the only sentence she could possibly muster out, since she already knew he didn't care that she and her team had been wiped out, so long as Sasuke returned on his own accord. Now, more than ever, she wished those two shitheads left her dead under a pile of timber then have to be here for this!

Meanwhile, the entire time, Kuroshi and Kamui have been communicating back and forth with each other about Tayuya's current state and what to do if Orochimaru remembers Kamui. Kuroshi was happy though, that moments ago he handed Tayuya her fixed flute while they were on the staircase coming down; that way, if worst came to worst, she would have a fighting chance of her own, although he knew not of what possible abilities she would have with it.

"Ah, welcome back Tayuya; I feared we had lost you," Orochimaru said cheerfully.

"Liar?!!!!" she screamed in her head

"Regrettably, the rest of your team was not so fortunate."

"Fuck you, you pale hissing bitch!!!!!" her thoughts continued storming.

"But you should be glad that your mission was not a failure, for we received Sasuke Uchiha because of your team's undying loyalty," the snake master continued.

"Fuck that suicide mission, you pedo-fag!!!!!" she roared once more in her head.

"And who might these two gentlemen be with you?" he asked not yet lowering his guard.

"T-they are two vagabonds who aided me after my battle with one of the Leaf's retrieval teams," she was about to add they saved her life, but felt that would be a further disgrace to her.

"Which country do you serve?" the snake Sannin hissed, not satisfied enough with her answer.

Tayuya began to sweat since she herself did not know the answer; she hadn't even realized Orochimaru hadn't even directed it towards her.

Kuroshi broke the plastered smile he now wore and responded very hastily, as was his fashion, "We are simple nomad ninja, loyal to no country or village, but I am truly humbled to be in the presence of such an honored ninja of your reputation," he finished by bowing on one knee as he often did with Kamui before commenting how Tayuya was such a strong ninja. "My my my... he is truly a frightening one; even after all this time he never changed hmm."

The snake Sannin then looked at the hunched figure who only nodded, that further raised a little suspicion but decided it wasn't worth pursuing. "Well, I am pleased to have you in my presence again Tayuya, as well as you two vagabond ninja, but there is pressing issues I must attend too; I have left Sasuke-kun waiting for far too long. Kabuto, please tend to our guests' needs and see that Tayuya is properly informed of everything while I am away, will you?" he then made his way past the three ninja only to catch a slight familiar scent in the air and also not noticing Tayuya's balled fist she forced herself from unleashing.

"Tayuya, esteemed travelers, please follow me; I will debrief you on our current status as well as tend to any needs you require for your stay," Kabuto said this indifferently to each of them, which might as well have meant he was including Tayuya as one who was going to be having a short stay as well.

"Smug fucking four eyed freak!!! How dare you lug me in with them so commonly, I bet he has you lick his balls on command!!!" Her mental curses didn't let up for a great deal of time.

Kuroshi and Kamui simply nodded and followed the condescending individual; relieved that Orochimaru hadn't remembered the small boy he enjoyed to torment while his village remained among the living.

"Oh, Tayuya, we have much to discuss privately," he said still holding on to the report regarding the deaths of her teammates.

"I understand..." she replied with a strained softness. "I hope the sun burns holes through your fucking eyes one day, you fucking ass kissing bitch!" her endless cursing continuing. She then followed Kabuto into a nearby room, while Kuroshi and Kamui waited impatiently in the hall.

"I wonder what happens next, eh, Kamui?" Kuroshi said while elbowing Kamui lightly in the shoulder.

"Eheheheh... I cannot wait... brother..."

Strath here again, The third chapter is finaly up, and well i decided to cut the story into two brances much like the Naruto series it self. Chapters 1-6 will be pre time skip and 7+ will be after. I decided to keep all pairings and the lime/lemon scenes that follow untill after the characters have grown up alittle all though you can see afew pairings begin to form in chapters 5 and 6, im actualy the sedistic type who wont have them listed untill they begin to manifest in the story. I would like to let those who care enough to see how the story unfolds that i intend to finish it. Thank you to those who continue to read it and i am open to idea's and suggestions. Also i would like to thank Frace for whom with out his time and proof reading and editing this story would not be what it is today.