Chapter 4 The Inner Self

Recap: "Kabuto, this is…" Orochimaru explained halfway when Kabuto suddenly interrupted, "Sticky icky glue?" "No, listen to what I have to say. This is magnetic." Orochimaru continued. "What??!" Kabuto shrieked.

"Remove all metallic items from your body." Orochimaru commanded Kabuto, "and get Kiki out of that barrier."

"Hai." Kabuto quickly took off his forehead protector, weapons and gloves.

"Don't forget your specs." Orochimaru reminded him.

"But I can't see a single thing without my glasses!" Kabuto admitted.

"I'll direct you." Orochimaru told him. Kabuto slowly removed his spectacles and reached out his hand to try and feel the barrier.

"Move more to the right and 3 steps ahead." Orochimaru instructed. Kabuto did as he was told. He touched the bouncy, cool surface of the barrier and tried to walk in. Two seconds later, he suddenly flew backwards and crashed into the wall.

"Aargh!!" yelped Kabuto. Orochimaru ignored Kabuto, wet his lips and mouthed the words, "Subarashi…" Kabuto finally got to his feet after several tries, "Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto recognized the expression. It sort of meant that Lord Orochimaru was much too happy over something that didn't belong to him and had plans to obtain it. Orochimaru looked down, his hair blocking his eyes, turned to look at Kabuto and said, "I'm definitely getting Kiki to join ussss..."

"Looks like you weren't able to enter the barrier even without any items made of metal... In fact, you were even pushed away..." Orochimaru paused, "And I can't use Kusanagi... I'll just have to activate the cursed seal and torture her then. It should make her lose control and remove the barrier like what happened to all of the Sound Four. Of course, we'll have to take the risks of her going wild and strengthening the barrier instead, or more." Orochimaru focused some of his chakra and formed the hand seals which activated it. The seal started spreading over Kiki as if it was eating her delicious flesh. She awoke and grasped her shoulder, gritting her teeth, trying to stop the saliva from pouring out. After much struggling, she dropped to the ground, her eyes turned translucent but the spreading of the cursed seal resided and returned to its original marking. All Orochimaru could manage were pants. He realized the activation had drained his chakra.

"Great. Just great! Even our Lord Orochimaru couldn't get her out! What can we possibly do now?!!" Kabuto was pessimistic.

"Keep quiet and let me think!" Orochimaru told Kabuto off. He had absolutely no idea what to do next. It was the first situation he was unable to find a solution. "God damn!" Orochimaru thought. He tried to think outside the box but there was no box to think outside of. There was only a barrier. Even Kiki had no idea a barrier was protecting her.

'Kiki, wake up!' Kiki's inner self, Crisis had awoken, 'KIKI!'

"What... Crisis? You again?" Kiki whispered softly in her heart.

'Kiki, listen to me! You've gotta hurry wake your physical body up! You've even drained all of Orochimaru's chakra.'

"Why do I care about him? I'll wake up, but I won't apologize to him no matter how hard you try. It isn't worth it."

'That's not what I'm trying to say. I'll definitely not ask you to do a dumb thing as that.'

"Then what?"

'You've gotta leave this place and return to Konoha.'

"You're crazy, Crisis! Yoru's back there and he'll kill me if I go back and say 'hi' to him!"

'Whatever. Just leave this place and go somewhere else safe!'

"But I like the darkness and coldness here..."

'Shuddup and go! After you leave, you can always go be a cave-woman.'

"I'm not a barbarian, asshole. And we'll see if I'll ever get outta this place."

...

Kiki's physical body fully awoke, subconsciously removed the barrier and turned to leave.

"Choto mate kudasai," Orochimaru stood up straight, "Where do you think you're going?"

"A cave." Kiki giggled.

"To?" Orochimaru questioned.

"Be a cave girl." Kiki started laughing so hard that she clutched her stomach and rolled around on the floor.

"She's very ticklish," Kabuto said, "Too cheerful to be a ninja at Otogakure. We are darkness and evil. With her..."

"It's always good to have a little change." muttered Orochimaru.

"So, where's the exit?" Kiki randomly cut in.

"Follow me." Orochimaru ordered.

"You mean you're gonna let her go?!!" Kabuto was shocked at Orochimaru's decision. Kiki followed the black haired man like a little girl following her parents around in a shopping mall.

"Here." Orochimaru unlocked a door and shoved her in.

"Thud." Kiki landed on the floor of a chamber, face flat. "OUCH."

"Stay in here and be good." Orochimaru said smiling and slammed the door shut.

'Oh,' thought Kabuto.

...

'Oh goody.' Crisis remarked.

"Yeah? It's dark and cold, perfect for hibernation." Kiki commented.

'Where exactly are you?' Crisis asked suspiciously.

"Where else but Otogakure! Aren't you happy we found a cave?"

'You are definitely outta your mind! Why did god have to pair us together?'

"Simply because you're me and I'm you. Dumb dummy who is dumb."

'Very tiny a vocabulary you have.' Crisis sighed.

'Right. What do I do now?' Kiki thought to herself.

"Kiki-chan? I've just brought lunch for you." Kabuto said as sweetly as he could.

'Kiki-chan?' Kiki thought, "Yuck! Don't be disgusting!"

Author's Notes: Sorry about the whole pile of conversations. I just wanted to introduce Crisis. R & R please!