AN: Lol, hey ya'll. ;D Sorry it took so long to update! Nothing much to say, 'cept that me and my old friend, SasukeUchihasGuardian, finally spoke once more after SUCH a long break. Haha, you probably know her. I like to think of her as famous. *cha chang* Lol, jk. Anyways, I am updating this chapter in dedication of her, and her awesome hot-sauce-sasuke stories. 8D

Lol, I don't own Naruto.

Now, onwards.. To victory. :) Oh, and this chapter is going to be on Sasuke only, no Naruto parts. Lawl, sorry. He'll be in the next chapter. x)

Chapter Four

The days passed by like wind to Sasuke, and soon those days turned into weeks. It was strange to live in a room without light from outside, strange to live without knowing the time of day, strange to live here at all. He found that here he seemed to daydream the most. His mind could wander aimlessly for hours on end in the silence of his room, which didn't always bring good things. It allowed his mind to drag things up that he had buried purposefully, such as his clan's massacre, Itachi, and his old team. A specifically loud blond was the most common in his nightmares. They usually started fine, with him walking along side him pleasantly. Nothing strange. They would reach a waterfall, where things would start to go downhill. Naruto would turn, blood pouring forth from his eyes, nose, and mouth. Sasuke would stop, staring in horror as the boy died before him. It was a horrible scene, and he usually ended up vomiting after experiencing it. Sasuke also found that Orochimaru would sometimes watch him as he slept. Numerous times had he awoken to see the snake sitting beside his bed, a small, smug smile crossing his features as the boy flinched away from him. The simple thought of waking to the sannin even kept him up sometimes. He couldn't place his finger on it, but something about the snake made his blood run cold.

"Bastard snake..." He murmured to himself as he walked towards his bathroom and stared into his mirror. Scars adorned his body, marring his skin. Dried blood was splattered across his face, and he lifted his hand to begin scratching at it. A shower wouldn't hurt, he supposed. Stepping into the tub, the boy flipped the hot water on and stood silently under the spray. It relaxed him, the heat. After spending all day with his twisted sensei he needed something to calm his jumping nerves. He opened his eyes as a knock sounded on his door. Strange. After eating dinner he never saw Orochimaru or Kabuto until the next morning, when the cycle would start all over again. He decided to ignore it. If it was important, they'd just walk in. Sasuke's privacy had never been respected anyways. As he thought, the door opened. Footsteps made their way towards the bathroom, making Sasuke pause a moment.

"Sasuke, get out of the shower. Orochimaru-sama has to speak with you." The Uchiha heard Kabuto's voice. He growled and slammed his fist into the wall.

"Tell Orochimaru he can wait a few minutes." He hissed in return. Kabuto laughed and exited his room. Sasuke flinched as he realized what he had just said, quickly washing himself off and hurrying out of the shower. He dried himself off halfway, slipped his uniform on, and left his room. Orochimaru was going to kill him if Kabuto sent his message. The child looked down the dark hallway, dreading his future. Those worries faded into a new thought. He had no idea how to navigate through these corridors, even after spending a handful of months here. Sasuke took a breath and tried remembering the way to his sensei's room. He turned and started down the hallway, praying to make it in time, or make it at all. Only once had he been allowed to see Orochimaru's domain. It had been fairly bright, with scrolls and books neatly arranged on almost every wall. A strange sight to see, he had thought to himself.

A few minutes passed, coupled with a few turns, until he appeared at the long, narrow tunnel. This was it. His mind had not failed him this time. He took in a sigh of relief and took a few quick strides towards the doors at the end. They were old looking, and the knobs squeeked horribly. Sasuke presumed that maybe they were like that on purpose. No one could possibly sneak in here without the sannin knowing. He grabbed hold of it, turned it, and opened the door. He peered inside, feeling his teacher's familiar, dark chakra. He took in a breath, then exhaled silently and stepped inside. To Sasuke's suprise, the room was empty. His black orbs roamed over the empty space before him. Nothing. The place seemed to have been abandoned many years ago. This perplexed him, since he had just seen this room for the first time no more than two weeks ago, and Orochimaru had definitely been waiting inside. The Uchiha's sharingans turned on and also scanned the room. Still not a sign of life. Maybe, his memory had confused him? No. The hallway outside was a dead giveaway. Snake and torches had lined the walls all the up to the old door. This either was the snake's room, or Kabuto's. Sasuke shuddered. If this was the medic's room, then Kabuto had no doubt already informed his teacher of what he had said. The boy cursed under his breath and dropped his head. Any moment now he'd feel those cold hands around his neck, cutting off his air supply and making his knees tremble.

But nothing came. Cold hands did not wrap around his throat. He still breathed easily, and his knees stayed still. Had Kabuto not told him? No, Kabuto would do something like that. He was, after all, the snake's damn lap dog. The boy's eyes narrowed. A trap, perhaps. Then why hadn't it sprung? Questions formed one after the other and distracted him from the cold pressence closing in behind him. Sasuke suddenly shivered unconsciously, then froze in place.

"Sasuke-kun? What would you possibly need from my room?" The voice was laced with anger, along with almost flauntingly obvious amusement. Sasuke slowly turned his head, red eyes fading to ebony. The man's golden ones shot daggers at him and made his body stiffen. The man chuckled deep in his throat and reached out to turn the boy around. He braced himself, prepared for almost anything. Anything except the man gently caressing his face. Sasuke flinched away from the soft touch, surprised and fearful. Orochimaru laughed once again.

"How could I punish a child's curiousity, Sasuke-kun." It was not a question. A statement, in fact, one that made Sasuke's insides burn. A child? The boy's eyes grew narrow, and he smacked the hand off and away from his cheek.

"I am not a child, nor am I curious about you." He spat. Orochimaru's smile did not leave. In fact, it grew wider. He laughed once more.

"Such a childish," he put emphasis on that word, which made Sasuke almost livid, "thing to say, my boy. You hardly reach my neck." The Uchiha flushed a tad, seeing that this statement was quite true. His height had become a nuisance for the male. He wasn't even tall enough to reach Kabuto's shoulders. Sasuke turned his gaze downwards, hiding his embarrassment. Something else the sannin could taunt him about. The snake noticed he had won, and licked his lips.

"And if you are not curious, then why are you overlooking my room with such interest?" He continued. Oh, he was not going to let this go. He presumed the boy had gone searching for Kabuto, but, for the sake of the boy's punishment, he would say otherwise.

"Seeking out your teacher this late at night. Were you, perhaps, seeking something?" Sasuke shot a glare at the man, blushing a bit deeper.

"No." He replied furiously and fisted his hands. This was certianly not going as planned, and Orochimaru was making sure of that. The man snickered at his quick and embarrassed answer, but decided to go further. He complimented the boy's tinted face and slammed his hand onto the doorframe, as if blocking any exit. Sasuke took a step back from his sensei, shaking. What was he planning to do? The sannin shoved the boy into the middle of the room and followed, slamming the door behind him. His face became serious. He was through playing.

"If you took the time to come to my room, then I'll happily show it to you." He snarled and grabbed the boy by the hair, dragging him over the the book shelf and slamming his face against the wall. Sasuke's eyes were wide, sweat dripping down his face. He could hardly make out what his teacher was doing, which made the hits even more painful. Suddenly, the blows stopped. The Uchiha panted, wiping some blood from his busted, upper lip.

"As you might have noticed, Sasuke-kun," a book slammed against his throat, "I like to collect books." The pressure became unbearable, and a small, strangled gasp past through his bloody lips. The second it came, it was gone. Sasuke took in a lungful of air, but choked as the book was replaced with a kunai. A specifically sharp kunai.

"I also like weapons. The sharper, the better." The sannin hissed in his student's ear, prodding the boy's skin with the object. He recieved a small squeek from the Uchiha, making his lips twitch into a small, pleased grin. He finally dragged the kunai over the boy's chest, drawing a heavy grunt from Sasuke. The younger male hunched and grasped his wound, falling to his knees. The man dropped the weapon onto his nightstand and turned back to the whimpering child. He walked back over and grabbed the back of his shirt, dragging him out of his room and throwing him into the hallway.

"If I ever catch you in my room again, I will kill you." The door slammed shut and Sasuke let out a scared whine. Blood was dripping to the stone floor, smeering as he brought himself to his feet. The gash was an inch or two deep, and it stung like hell. He began to hastily walk away from the snake's domain, stumbling a few times over his own feet. Once the boy turned the corner he leaned against the wall and steadied himself. That had been simply terrifying. He never wanted to see Orochimaru that angry ever again. The blood lust he radiated had simply stopped his reflexes. The man was obviously a master at what he did. The boy was still shaking, he noticed. Sasuke pushed away from the wall and headed back to his room, where he knew he had some bandages. He really didn't feel like asking Kabuto to heal him at the moment. That bastard was the one who had most likely caused his teacher's rage. The Uchiha fumbled to open his door, and, once inside, dropped to his knees in front of the bedside table. He opened the middle drawer and pulled out the bandages. Sasuke wrapped them around his chest tightly, placing a hand over his wound for a moment and wincing. It was beginning to sting even more so than before. The boy also noticed his vision was blurring. He raised his hands in front of his face and stared hard at them. They were fuzzy, but he could see that they were quivering. Before he could ask himself why, he fell unconscious.

Cold. It was cold, his mind registered. The child tried moving his body into a more comfortable position, but he found he could not. Panic crossed his features and he opened his eyes weakly. Murky shadows hovered above him, and he fought against whatever was holding his arms in place. Tossing and turning madly, he let out a small noise as he felt himself falling. With a thump, his back hit the hard floor of his room. Sasuke coughed as the air was forcefully knocked out of him, and he struggled himself free of his blanket. Apparantly, he had gotten tangled up in it as he slept. He blinked as he heard a soft snicker, rising to his feet and swaying. The child fell back down onto his rear, one hand lifting to rub his forehead. Kabuto finished chuckling at the boy and leaned back in his chair. The Uchiha opened his left eye slowly.

"Kab-buto.." He tried speaking, but his chest and throat felt painfully tight. The man watched him tauntingly, not offering to help him in any way.

"The knife Orochimaru-sama cut you with was poisoned. I advise you to take it easy. You can't train today, so don't even think of leaving this room unless it is to eat." The silver haired ninja ordered Sasuke, crossing his legs and sending another annoying smirk the boy's way. Sasuke gritted his teeth and struggled to stand once again. Of course, another dizzy spell came over him, and this time he fell onto his back. His hands crossed over his chest in a pained manner, face twisting. The older man simply looked elsewhere. He had told the boy what had happened. That was what Orochimaru-sama had asked of him to do. And to heal the bleading wound on Sasuke's chest, of course. Kabuto smiled inwardly and messed with his glasses. He had certainly healed the boy, just not completely. Sasuke let out an angry snort, forcing himself into a sitting position.

"I-If you're done talking.. then l-leave." He snarled at Kabuto, who shook his head.

"I am staying here to keep your fever down. Also, how do you expect to do anything in your condition?" The words hit Sasuke after a moment, and he glared tiredly. He opened his mouth to complain further, but a wave of nausea hit him and he vomited onto the floor. The Uchiha shook afterwards and panted. He didn't have much to throw up at the time, so it was more forceful then usual. He gagged again, coughing and only choking up some spit. Kabuto sighed in obvious annoyance.

"Now look at the mess you've made..." He groaned and stood from his perch. The man hauled the limp boy across the hallway into the next room, setting him quite roughly onto the bed. Sasuke fell onto his side, head hitting the pillow with a soft sigh. He blinked slowly, mind becoming a mess of confusion. He spotted Kabuto's outline and clawed the mattress. The man turned to him with an annoyed expression.

"W-Where?" The boy moaned out. His face was half hidden in the pillow.

"Stop talking. The poison is still in your blood stream." Kabuto snapped. He certianly did not want to spend the next few hours listening to the boy babble unintelligent nonsense. Sasuke shook his head quickly, squinting his eyes and gritting his teeth.

"No!" He cried out and kicked the air around him. His mind was too clouded to register his actions, and the medic knew it. He grabbed the boy's right ankle as a kick came dangerously close to his hip. He shoved it back with more strength then necessary, making the boy roll and hit the wall the bed was pushed up against. He turned and eyed the medic with lidded eyes. The next moment he turned onto his back and covered his eyes with his arms, beginning to nod off.

The day continued on with a dreadfully languid manner. Sasuke awoke many times, coughing up blood onto Kabuto, maybe slurring some sentences out, then passing out again. Kabuto finally sighed as night came. The effects surely had warn off now, since Sasuke had stayed asleep for an hour and a half. He rose from his seat and stalked out to report to Orochimaru concerning Sasuke's condition.

A few more days came and went. Sasuke sat at a long table, eating in silence with Kabuto and Orochimaru. Of course, the snake was not eating. The boy had actually never seen the man eat before, and wondered if he'd used some special jutsu to eliminate the feeling of hunger and the need for food. He eyed the man for one second and noticed his teacher was watching him. Glaring, more like it.

"Sasuke-kun," he started, making the Uchiha turn his head towards him, "I have gotten word of some disturbing news." This sentence got Sasuke's undevided attention. Maybe a ninja had been spotted and he would be the one to take them out? That had happened a month ago, and the experience had been quite amusing. Though, that was the only time he'd left the base since he had arrived eight months ago. Orochimaru noticed the boy's interest and licked his lips. The boy tensed at the sight.

"You remember young Naruto-kun, correct?" Sasuke looked down immediately, fork scraping his plate terribly. Kabuto winced at the noise and glared at the young boy. Orochimaru laughed under his breath, pleased at this reaction.

"I take your silence as a yes. I have heard that he has gathered a small team back in Konoha. They plan to come and get you. He wants you back very badly, Sasuke-kun..." The sannin trailed off, watching for a facial expression or body movement. Sasuke slammed his fist onto the table and growled. That idiot was still chasing him? Even after he had kicked his ass?

"Where did you hear that." The Uchiha snarled and raised his head to glare at Orochimaru. The snake shrugged and chuckled, but did not answer his question. The boy scooted back from the table and stomped off towards his room, anger boiling over.

'Dammit, Naruto.. Just let me go.'

AN: Awesommmee!~ 'Nother chapter up and done. Haha, as usual, tell me my spelling mistakes! D: It's so embarrassing to read over your fanfiction and see like, TWENTY errors. XD LOLOLOL. Anyways, reviews are loved and noticed!

Nat