Part 7 – Crush
We were outside. By now it was the third week that I'd been there and the air was just a little more brisk than before, but it was just crisp enough to be tolerable. The Rice Country, from what I had heard, was miserable as Grass Country during the hot summers. All hearsay, but I'm willing to bet it was the truth. Nonetheless, we idled about the very edge of the base. I was reclined in one branch and Kabuto was on a branch just higher than me in the largest tree overlooking the border.
"So hypothetically speaking, if I were to kick you out of this tree what would you do?" He asked me with a snort.
"Curse your name, hope you die, and pray I don't break my leg?"
"Aw, that's the wrong answer..."
"Was I supposed to say: 'hope you die, plot my revenge and break my leg so I can get your ass stomped by Orochimaru?'"
"Yes."
"It was my second guess." I huffed. I stretched my legs straight and looked up at him. "So seriously, I know nothing about you."
"You want me to tell you stuff about me?" He looked down at me as if I had grown a second head.
"What's so wrong about that? Hey, don't get the mistaken idea that I care. I'm just bored." I backlashed with a quick excuse.
"Fine, how about this, you ask me a question and I'll ask you a question. And you have to answer or I can refuse to answer."
I thought about it and deducted that there was nothing I had to hide from him, "Fine. I'll go with that. But I get to start."
"Be my guest."
I racked my brain for a good starting question. No point in getting to complex questions early in the game. After all, I wanted to see how far I could go before he would flatly refuse to answer a question. "How old were you when you first met Orochimaru?"
"Hmmm…I think I was nine or eight. Hard to recall, but I was young. How about you, how old were you when your brother turned into a lunatic?"
"About that same age I suppose, perhaps a little younger." I looked down. Even thinking of Itachi gave me a sick feeling in my stomach. "How old are you?"
"Me? You don't know how old I am? That's amusing. I'm five."
"Seriously, you jackass!"
"I am being serious! I was born on a leap year. Actually I'm almost six. But In real years I'm a little more than twenty-two. Give or take. I don't really know."
"Twenty-two? You're almost as old as Kakashi!"
"Kakashi and I used to be friends."
"Nuh uh!"
"Yes, but I failed the genin exam and he went on to be the ultra ninja. I became a different person when my adopted father died and he gave up on me." He shrugged. "It happens."
I watched him from below for a moment. I knew what it felt like for someone to give up on you. My father did that many times when I couldn't measure up to my brother. "Kakashi didn't' know you were a spy, or a jounin did he?"
"Oh absolutely not. He's bright, but I'm the actor and I do it better than he ever did or will. Isn't it my turn to ask a question?" He smirked, pressing the nose of his glasses to his face.
"Ah, fine."
"When did you stop hating Naruto-kun?"
"Stop hating him? That's tough one… I think it was gradual. Though he still pisses me off to no end. I don't' hate him. I don't hate anyone actually. I save that emotion all for Itachi."
"Then what do you feel for me?"
"Are you hitting on me?!"
He erupted into laughter, "Oh heavens no, Sasuke. I'm twice your age! It wasn't that sort of question!"
"Well if you have to know, I think of you as a likeable pest. You drive me crazy, but yet, I find myself spending more time with you than anyone else."
"Brilliant people flock together."
"That's arrogant and flattering at the same time." I snorted, "So is there a question you won't answer?"
"Cutting to the chase, neh?"
"Thought I might as well." I yawned, watching the sunlight grow dimmer in the sky. "You don't really hold back much, do you?"
"Not unless I need to."
"Okay, have you ever had a crush on someone?"
"A 'crush'? What are we twelve year olds now? …Oh wait…you are!" He chuckled and only chuckled harder at the glare I sent him. "But, if I have to answer…" He trailed, dropping back on the branch and hanging upside down by use of Chakra. "Naturally, yes, I have."
"Oh? Who?"
"I'm not telling you that."
"Ha! So there is something you won't answer!"
"Damn right I won't. Last thing I need is you having blackmail material on me. Orochimaru-sama would never let me live it down if you some how found out and told him!"
"Oh come on…It can't be so bad that Orochimaru would tease you."
"If I tell you…you tell no one."
"You have my word. Ninja honor. Brother's bond!"
He eyed me suspiciously, "You hate your real brother with a passion."
"Okay, pseudo-brother bond!"
He sighed and leaned close to my left ear and whispered a few words to me. My eyes widened and I lost my balance and fell those twenty feet to the ground. "Holy shit!" I gasped. "I cannot believe that!"
"You know what! To hell with you! Last secret I ever tell you!" He called and even from the ground I could see his face changing colors.
"What if I told you mine?" I offered and he perked to attention.
"I'm listening…"
To be continued…