Hey everyone. Hate to be a pain, but please review! Right! Kabuto lets disclaim!
Kabuto: Sorry, TheContheDistace-san, but I'm rather busy. Maybe Kimimaru can do it.
Me: But he's kind of dead. Nah, nah… how about Shino? Yeah!
Shino: You forgot about me in your last story.
Me: Err, did I? Heh, sorry! But can you disclaim anyway?
Shino: TheContheDistance doesn't own Naruto. … She forgot about me in the last one. I am unimportant.
Palms forehead: Jeez, such a complainer.
When Emiko had first been captured they wanted her to coincide with Sound shinobi garb. They had presented her with a beige tunic. The same white ying-yang sign was emblazoned on the back. Emiko point blank refused to wear it, and surprisingly enough Kabuto didn't force the issue, although he mentioned that the uniform was specific to elite Sound Shinobi. Instead he told her that her clothes were too small for her and she would have to wear Otogakure clothing even if she didn't want to.
Guards accompanied them to the women's clothing room, which initiated her first escape attempt. She didn't know that Kabuto had told the guards to stay back and let the real Sound shinobi handle it. One of the ninja had created a sound wave that knocked her out. She hadn't gotten very far.
After probation ended and Emiko was moved into her current room, Kabuto brought her to the closet of women's clothing again. She kept her mesh shirt, but took a dark navy v-neck shirt to cover her over-exposed chest. Emiko was irritated to find that the only clothing to substitute her outgrown pants were tiny black shorts that the prison guards wore. The shorts barely covered their butts. A white skirt with a purple trim was the only alternative. The skirt was thin and feminine; nevertheless it was much better than the shorts. At least she would be able to move in them.
"Orochimaru."
"As disrespectful as always, Emiko-kun."
A gigantic stone snake statue was curled in the front of the hall. It had empty sockets for eyes. The flickering candlelight was surprisingly bright. Even so, the way the Otokage stood, the shadows made his features (already appearing like a mere imitation of a human face) haggard and pasty. He stood in front of the statue's mouth, its eyes watching, waiting.
How intimidating. Emiko narrowed her eyes at the figure in front of her. She never did like snakes.
"What do you want, Orochimaru?"
"I think it's time that we discuss your residence here. You don't have to be a prisoner any longer. I will give you freedom in exchange for your cooperation."
"'Freedom' is a bit of an overstatement, isn't it?" she retorted. Kabuto cast her a condescending glance. She just didn't understand. She could have liberty to explore the lair (granted she would be under heavy surveillance) if she agreed. The supervision was as much for preventing her escape as it was for her safety. Sound Nin didn't care for restraining their impulses for their fellow comrades. They ignored special status, even if who-ever-it-was was Orochimaru's pet.
"You're being awfully ungrateful for a captive," the medic snapped.
"Tch." Emiko adjusted her gloves airily.
"Now, now, Emiko-kun.... Did you notice something, Kabuto? Emiko-kun looks quite a lot like little Anko with her hair like that."
"Now that you mention it, she does look a lot like Anko-san."
Emiko froze. How do they know her?
"You didn't know, Emiko-kun? Anko-san was Orochimaru-sama's student," he refrained from mentioning that she was his first student. Spitefulness was not a desired trait.
"No… I did not."
A cluster of thoughts entered her mind. Emiko's head swam. Was Anko working for Orochimaru all along? Did she sell her out to them? Was that why they captured her? In that case Anko was betraying Konoha. Emiko scowled, and Konoha had betrayed her.
"Emiko-kun, you should try to listen to what Orochimaru-sama is offering. He is being especially generous to you. He probably knows you better than you know yourself," Kabuto muttered. She turned to give him an insolent look, "Is that so?"
"Can you elaborate on that?" she continued, now glaring at the Sanin. The thin smirk on his face widened complacently.
"When the time is right, Emiko-kun…"
Truthfully the one thing holding her retort back was her fear. She wasn't going to pretend that she felt only rosy feelings for the Otokage, but she wouldn't be able to get away with her impertinence forever. Orochimaru was hard to deal with as it was.
Emiko froze when he spoke again, though he wasn't addressing her.
"Have you recovered enough to train, Sasuke-kun? I'm afraid those Kumogakure shinobi were a bit hard on you."
He stood half hidden in the shadows, only the outline of his body visible. Even so, there was a conscious aura of anger and power acknowledging his presence. The air tensed with heavy silence. The red glow of Sharingan peeked out as he lifted his head to face them. His eyes slid over to the Otokage, narrowing ever so slightly as they passed the kunoichi and medic.
"Training begins now, Orochimaru."
Kabuto clucked his tongue distastefully, "You know better than to disrespect Orochimaru-sama, Sasuke-kun."
He received a particularly nasty glare from the black-haired teenager. His forced smile faded into a scowl as he remembered why he disliked the genius so much. Kabuto shook his head, managing to pull together another smirk. It won't be long before Orochimaru-sama switches into Sasuke-kuns body. I can wait…
Emiko grimaced. Her day had taken a swift plunge for the worse now that he showed up. No, she didn't hate him; she just tried to avoid him at all costs. All her attempts to evade him didn't work as successfully as she hoped. Today would be a prime example.
"Don't be so hasty, Sasuke-kun. Your body needs to fully recuperate."
"Your body is still weak from that mission, Sasuke-kun," Kabuto put in.
She wondered if it was just her imagination causing the tomoe of his Sharingan to spin. Emiko tensed and her hands grew numb. What irrational fear…
The carefully controlledanger was beginning to leak from his body in palpable waves. Kabuto shifted his weight on his feet uneasily, another temper tantrum... this was going to be bad.
If Orochimaru had noticed the sudden shift in atmosphere he didn't show it. The simpering expression never once faltered on his synthetic face. He did, however, change his mind about training. The two of them quickly left, leaving Kabuto and his charge behind.
"Keep up."
She picked up her pace sullenly, following the grey-haired medic through a maze of rooms. He seemed to know everything he needed to do without a list, and did so diligently. His pace was quick and business-like. He abruptly turned without warning.
Through the long hallway, a left, another left, down the passageway to the first door on the right. They entered through the metal door, padlocked and heavy.
It was a large room, rows of large water tanks lined across the floor. Each of the containers were as tall as Kabuto but nearly two times as wide. But the tanks were empty, only water filled the huge glass jars. Kabuto was walked up to them, caring a triumphant smirk. Emiko deemed him insane as he began to mutter to the glass. He looked thoroughly pleased when he finished each of his one-sided conversations.
Emiko grew bored with the medic's quiet taunts to the water tanks and thought about her predicament. They hadn't bound her with chakra rope, there were no guards patrolling close behind. It was just the pain in the ass, also known as Kabuto, supervising her. In fact Emiko was supposed to help Kabuto with his chores. Had she really gotten so predictable? Well, she could prove them wrong. She could try to escape again. Try... But that would be pointless! The same thing would happen like the attempt before, and the attempt before that. Every single time she was hit with that strange attack it felt like someone blasted her ear open and shook her brain until she couldn't think, much less stand upright. Then she would collapse into a pile of her own vomit. Yuck.
So she was predictable. But she wouldn't bow her head down and submit to anything she was supposed to do! I refuse! She thought irritably, I will not be a compliant servant to that bastard... Kami, how did I get in this shit?! Emiko scowled at the medic's back. He turned around and told her that glaring at him really didn't do any good and she better learn some respect.
"-Now let's go. We have more errands to do," Kabuto had already started toward the door.