Disclaimer: Ownership? Bah! I'm going to end up a bum in the streets of Downtown LA collecting cigarette butts before I own anything of worth.

To Guest-Reviewer Tina: that is what the poll is about. Romance, to have it or not. So go vote on the poll!

Warning: Delusions, impossible situations, and Orochimaru.

Searching For Freedom

Chapter 9: Surpassing Life's Hits

"Well, love is insanity. The ancient Greeks knew that. It is the taking over of a rational and lucid mind by delusion and self-destruction. You lose yourself, you have no power over yourself, you can't even think straight." ~Marilyn French

"It was my delusion and naivety that brought me here." ~Lady Gaga

"To enter by reason means to realize the essence through instruction and to believe that all living things share the same true nature, which isn't apparent because it's shrouded by sensation and delusion." ~Bodhidharma

We didn't even notice until one day I realized that I was so thirsty. I had just finally managed to make my pebble float an inch in the air and was about to yell at Juugo my accomplishment but instead of that it came out as a hoarse hacking cough.

"Zenshi?"

" 'M fine Ju-" my voice came out as a croak and I coughed once again however, when my hand came off my mouth I felt a sticky substance on it. My stomach twisted in itself and when I managed to taste it the coppery taste of my own blood filled my mouth. Then my stomach did twist in pain as I realized I was hungry too.

"Zenshi!" Juugo was by my side as I fell to my knees and I felt so dizzy I thought I saw lights dancing in front of me. They looked so pretty, the lights, with reds and greens and a bit of yellow. All we had been able to see in this damn hole was nothing but the black of the dark and on occasion the blue of our chakra that we dared not waste. Each day that passed it got harder and harder to draw on my chakra. Juugo drew more and more of the nature chakra but that always brought out Yami who wanted to fight me and when I did it usually ended with me in a crater and Yami laughing maniacally above me.

"Zenshi please answer me tell me what's wrong! Please!" I hadn't noticed Juugo was freaking out over me until he started shaking me.

This only made me dizzier, my stomach twisted in it-self more. I felt like throwing up. I would have too, if you know, I had actually eaten something since I got in this damn cave. Instead only the bitter taste of bile made its way into my mouth as I gagged and attempted to empty a stomach that didn't have anything in it.

"Is ok 'm ok," I finally managed to get out. Thankfully Juugo had stopped shaking me when I leaned over his side and gagged.

"You're not ok! It's because of no food and water right? I know it is I've been getting hungrier and hungrier but I can pull through it and ignore the thirst but that's because of the nature chakra. You don't have that Zenshi you're burning up!"

I was? Huh I felt really cold not hot.

"No hot 'm cold, very cold Juju. Hold me? Please?"

"Y-you don't have to ask Zen-Zen." He pulled me into a tight hug and walked us toward our favorite spot in this cave, we had managed to turn that spot soft by turning the stone into soft dust and it slumped naturally. He curled around me and I let loose a shiver as the cold seemed to seep even deeper into me.

"I make rock float." I managed to croak out between parched lips and clattering teeth.

"Really? That's great! Tell me more." His voice was a bit choked but I didn't smell any tears from him. Then again we did stink a lot. I missed showers and water.

"I finally get chakra to get on stone. It was hard," cough, " but I thin' I got it now. Stone stubborn! I like that I think I can make more rock fly!"

"Hey maybe you'll be ale to get the stones here to move, send us all the way to the top and to the forest. We'll burst out of the ground like flowers in the spring. Be reborn again."

"Hmm I like that Juju you good poet."

"Not as good as you. You're poems and songs are amazing."

" 'M not so good Juju. Jus' old songs I 'member from the old women."

"Which old women?"

"You 'member when we would travel from place to place?"

"Yeah?"

"Old ladies used to sing when we pass by. Also, old ladies who gave us food sing. Nice, they sing to me when they hold me. I remember."

"Your memory continues to amaze me."

"Ah Juju not so good to remember so much. I also forget sometime. I forget a lot too."

"Oh? Like what?"

"I forgetting past life, it so hazy now. That good, it's replaced by memory of you. I also forget thing that Orochimaru did to me, stupid experiments. I remember what I like, like songs and words."

"Sing Zenshi, sing a song for me."

"Mmm ok Juju."

I recalled an old song some women had been singing when they were collecting vegetables. It had a repetitive tune but it seemed to make the place glow. One of them would sing then the other respond in the same tune but different words. I think they used it to tell where each other were so I went with that one. My cracking voice and shivering did not help but I managed to sing the song. I wanted to sleep so I did, the song getting fainter and fainter as I started to drift off.

I fell asleep my dreams were filled with memories of my past life. Of a different me who was about 5'7" had short choppy black hair and brown eyes. A full-grown woman who went to college, was sarcastic as if it was an actual religion, and made few friends because of it. She was so lonely and had tried to kill herself once but her sister found her before she could and slapped some awareness in her. Her sister, her best friend, and stories, so many wonderful stories drove off her loneliness. She read so many in her life it was hard to keep track but among her favorites were those of a dark-haired boy with a scar on his head, a man in a big blue box, another of a man with a machine for a heart, a woman with fire in her heart who could not die because of her parentage, and that of a blonde haired boy who would never give up.

The stories made her strong made her strong where she was weak, so it went to say that if she could give her life for her sister she would. She was very stupid. She was not a hero, never would be, instead of getting help or calling attention to what was happening she went after the her killers and tried to take back what was lost when she could have just cut across to the other street and stop the car from taking off. She was stupid, she wasn't a hero. I wasn't a hero. What made me one now?

I looked up in my dream and then reached out to Juugo, Kimimaro, and the dumb blonde-haired boy I still hadn't met in this life. I couldn't save them, I wasn't the hero in this story. I never was. I was nothing but an intruder.

Clenching my fist as I turned away from them and somehow was now at a lake. I looked into its reflection only for nothing to appear. I wasn't real, I had no reflection because I was nobody in this world. I reached out to the water only for it to fade beneath me and I was falling through darkness. This time when I looked up I was at strange place, there where so many weird rectangular squares that glowed an iridescent blue all over the place. This- this was familiar… but how?

Taking a step forward I looked down and saw the building was also reflective but I still did not appear in it… except for a splotch of red. Why is red showing on this. I got on my knees and leaned in close, the red is now bigger and when I tilt my head it tilted too. Huh what's it?

"What are you doing here little girl?"

I snapped my head up and squinted to see a very tall man with a scarred face and very pretty black hair across on another building where there had been no one before. His head was tilted to the side as well and he was looking at me funnily. I stared back trying to see him better but he was too far off.

"I can see you," I blurted out and then rolled my eyes at my stupid response. Of course I can see him there…was… light. "Why is there light here? Who are you?"

"I believe I should be asking you that question or at least the last one. Who are you?"

"Uh-uh I was here first so you answer first."

In a flash he was gone but I jumped in surprise when he suddenly appeared in front of me.

"This is my domain little girl, no one is able to get here unless I bring them. So who are you?"

My heart was hammering in my chest so fast if it lept out my mouth and ran away I wouldn't have been surprised. Now that he was closer I realized the scarred part of his skin was paler than the rest and he smelled of old firewood, apple vinegar, and burnt sugar. He was wearing a long black coat and one eye was red with three black spots on it while the other was a very pretty black a shade lighter than the nothingness of a dark cave.

"Well are you going to answer or am I going to have to force it out of you?"

"I- I am Zenshi and you smell nice."

A quick look of surprise flashed across his face and for a moment a small smile appeared that turned his face so awfully handsome I think I may have blushed, but it was gone and he was frowning again. Aw man, I liked his smile!

"Ok then Zenshi what are you doing here? I was quite sure no one could be here unless they either had my eye or I brought them. So that begs the question; how did you get here?"

"O-oh uh I no know." A brief look of amusement crossed his face as well as curiosity. Oh no, he's cute.

"How old are you Zenshi?"

"Uhhh when Juju found me I guess I was three."

"Three years old?"

"No, no, three months."

"And you remember that?"

"A little, it go away but we together for a while until mean people find us and take us away. They took us to a' even meaner man." I wondered if I should tell him Orochimaru's name but this was in my own head right?

"Who?"

It didn't matter anyway.

"He Orochimaru and he say I was half a year or maybe one before he lock me up for long time. When he done with me he took me back to Juju and he say three years go whoosh!"

I made my hands fly out to emphasize how the years went by fast, I may have been old in my head but I had always talked with my hands and I was a kid so I was going to use all the sounds and gestures I wanted. This seemed to entertain him because he finally sat down cross-legged and paid avid attention to me, which only got me more excited to tell him more.

"What else did the mean man say or do?"

"Hmm well to take me back to Juju I had to become his ninja! So I said yes but I not going to be his ninja, I my own!"

"Like a nuke-nin then?"

"What a ninken?"

"A nuke-nin, and it's a ninja who leaves the place that they say they were 'from' and decide to make their own path in life."

"Yeah me going to become nuke-nin but only when I strong enough to break free with my Juju and maybe Kimi-kun if he want to!"

"Tell me more."

"Well I then begin to train with Juju and Kimi-kun because Juju sometime go crazy because he has too much chakra! Kimi-kun was very mean but I like him, he just in pain and no realize it."

"Do you love Kimi-kun and he doesn't love you in return?" His voice hitched a little but it was a funny question. I giggled and shook my head no.

"No silly man! I do love Kimi-kun but like I love Juju, they my aniki though Kimi-kun no know yet. He will when he get back from whatever Orochimaru do to him. He will be strong but with me and Juju he will be stronger than Orochimaru would ever be."

"What makes you say that?"

"You only truly strong when you have something to protect. No strength comes from anger or hate that will last, that strength false and will fail you in the end."

"But wouldn't you say that having something to protect makes you weak, gives you a vulnerability?"

"Silly man, you no hear me! I love Juju and I grow strong to protect him and he no weakness to me, he my strength and he is strong. I believe in him to get strong so though he may be my 'weakness' he also my hidden jutsu, my support for when other see weakness. I grow strong so he can also have hidden jutsu and I not be his weakness."

"What if someone stronger comes and takes him away? What then? Would you be weak?"

"Not gonna happen."

"Why not?"

"I have faith in us. When he falls so do I and that not gonna happen. I believe in him and we will get through this together. We even greater if Kimi-kun joins us."

"You are very optimistic Zenshi-chan. Tell me more."

"Well after Kimi-kun almost kill me," I saw him stiffen at that bit and I waved my arms around to get his attention. "He no does it though! I still don' know why but he stop at last second. He strong I helped him train for long time, I don't know how long but long, so I avoid most his attacks."

"Then what happened?"

"Well I pass out then I wake up in room with Juju. We locked there for a while since Orochimaru mad at us and he takes Kimi-kun with him. Kimi-kun say we his partners though!"

"So you will be in a team with him?"

"Uhuh!"

"Ok what then."

"Well then me and Juju learn to read and write on our own! Kimi-kun had given us scrolls and we learn from them as well as I learn how to wall and body walk. We learn lots but no jutsu, lots of taijutsu though that Juju and me practice 'til we get real good. We have own style now. Then I teach Juju how to go in his mind, make him find peace inside him. He did but not before he went crazy again and almost kills me. Had to go to healers but I freak out because I thought I was back in lab and they gone lock me up and experiment on me again. So I kill them."

"You killed people?" His tone is amused and I frowned at him before sighing.

"Yes. They were going to experiment on me though! I know, they always do and I no let them I kill them first. Some girl later says they were chūnin but I no know what that mean." That was a lie I know what a chūnin is I just don't really know their skill level that marks them as chūnin.

"How many were they?"

"Five."

"Ahhh, go on."

"Well after wake up kids outside see what I did and one say a year pass I was locked in my room with Juju. I ask them to take me back to Juju who was in cave. I go in cave and lock door to stop other from getting in. We there now and we still train. I think they forgot us but we were ok until I got sick, I think stasis-seal on it failing. I was getting very thirsty and hungry and so was Juju but we had train a lot while in cave. He can cut rocks and use a wind jutsu and I can finally make pebble float!"

"Wait, so you're saying you are in the cave at this very moment because you fell asleep sick, correct?"

"Uhuh!"

He reached a hand out to touch my shoulder but I wasn't surprised when his hand went past me. He however actually jumped up in surprise and had a kunai out.

"Silly man I transparent. No hurt me anyway, this a dream."

"I guess you're right, for yourself. Anyways so you don't know how long you where training with Kimi-kun or how long you have been in the cave. You just know that sometime has passed.

"Yup!"

"So you are either five an a half or seven years old?"

"I think, who cares."

"You're very small for a child in either of those ages."

"Meany!" This time his laugh was loud and mirthful. It was wonderful and I soon joined him with my own giggles as well. It had been so long since I laughed and it was refreshing.

"So tell me Zenshi-chan… would you like to join me?"

"In what?"

"Oh just a project I'm working on, I am Tobi by the way but since you have seen my true face you can call me Obito."

Holy fuck.

Oh my god no, nope. This was not happening to me, this was not happening to me. Wake up wake the hell up! I think he noticed my reaction because his smile turned into a slight frown.

"Zenshi?"

"I think I waking up."

"How do you know?"

I think I was though because the world was shaking and breaking in my vision but he was calm as can be and didn't move.

"I feel it. Bye-bye Obito!"

I waved at him with false cheer and he waved back, a small grin on his face that broke my heart because for a brief moment I saw the boy Obito had been.

"Goodbye Zenshi, you have the most beautiful red hair. If you ever have a response, just look for the Red Dawn!"

My eyes snapped open and I was gasping in deep breaths as I tried to hold on to the already fading memory of my dream. What the hell was that! That- that wasn't possible! How the hell had I ended up as a ghost or whatever in Obito's portal place! Hell no! This was just… not possible. How!?

"Zenshi!" I tried to respond but no sound came out and I was too tired to even respond. A twist in my gut had me whimpering instead and when a cool hand pressed against my forehead I sighed.

"Shhhh Zen-Zen you're ok. You're fever just broke thank god."

"Juju," I managed to finally croak out, my throat hurt but it wasn't parched anymore, which was weird. "What go on?"

"You had a fever. I don't know how long we've been in here but I think the seal or whatever that was keeping us steady is failing. I managed to get us water though."

"How?" I coughed a bit and then felt Juugo reach around and then there was water in my mouth and I drank greedily.

"I helped. Yeah he did, he managed to get the canon to shoot out water instead of chakra. We only managed to do that after the third day you were sleeping though."

"How long I sleep?"

"You've been in a fever for the last 8 days and in a fever for 7 of those days. Can you stand?"

"Yeah, I- no no I can't."

Juugo helped me sit up but every little movement I made sent my stomach wrenching in pain and I had to bite back cries of pain. Added to that my limbs felt like limp noodles and my chakra had not been getting replenished throughout this whole time.

"I tried to break down the walls but they must be chakra reinforced and have either Kimimaro's bones of something else that is just as hard. I don't think we'll ever be able to get out." The fear in his voice had me sitting up straighter. He mustn't worry about me!

"We get out when Kimimaro comes back."

"What if he doesn't come back? He tried to kill you! Why do you insist on him to be with us!" I was so shocked by his yelling that I didn't respond for a while until I was finally able to close my mouth. "Well?"

"Oh Juju-nii you no see? Kimimaro like you."

"No he's not!"

"Ah Juju-nii you both very lonely people. You got me though and I want to be there for Kimi-kun like I am there for you. He fears being alone and having no purpose, did you not fear that too?"

"I… it's different."

I giggled and patted his face in the dark before tugging him to sit by me, I'm tired. When he did settle next to me I noticed something though, Juugo had been at a higher temperature since he became one with Yami, he was unnaturally cold right now.

"Juju why you so cold?"

"I'm not cold, I actually feel kind of hot, it's very stuffy in here." Oh crap, now he was getting sick too!

"Juju why you no sleep I take care of us and we sleep off what we have until we better. Where water?"

"That sounds like a good idea. The water is in some small pools I made. Just behind out rocks."

"Ah ok good, good. Need rest come on, go to sleep."

"Ok g'night Zenshi."

'It's always dark here Juju and never good,' I thought but I chirped back a goodnight.

He fell asleep and immediately began shiver. Ah man I didn't know what else to do besides lie down with him and try to get some warmth between us. It was all I could do besides give him water. I fell asleep next to him and tried to remember what it was I had been dreaming before I woke up, it had been important but Juugo took precedence. Obito, something about Obito… yeah I had seen him! But how!

My dreams tried to answer that question but with each answer it gave made it more ludicrous and less likely. The only one I did like somewhat is that maybe we met because both of us had died and been in that in-between world for the living and the dead then came back. I in my new baby form and him in his old form with Madara. It was still very ludicrous and more of a guess but it was the only explanation I liked, the rest were plain stupid or really really creepy.

When I next woke up it was to find myself even more tired than before but Juugo was no longer shaking in his sleep. Unable to get up I crawled to the pools of water, which was really cool by the way, and cupped some water in my hands and drank. My stomach gratefully accepted it and was soothed for a bit but I knew it wasn't going to be for long. Cupping some more water I managed to get to Juugo and open his mouth and drip water slowly into his mouth. He was now burning with fever too. Great. I had nothing to cool him down except, well except my already dirt and filthy dress.

It would have to do.

Grabbing a tattered end I ripped it into long strips until the dumb dress was now to my thighs. Not wanting to get the water dirty I cupped the water in my hands and splashed them onto the rags until they were wet enough. I wringed them until they were ok and then crawled back to Juugo and placed a rag on his forehead and set the rest aside. It was time I take care of him now.

As I watched over him and fed him water and changed the rag I practiced what I could of my own stupid elemental chakra. My chakra was low but I could still use it, plus the added challenge of knowing my limit only added to my learning. You can use chakra even if you're close to dying; it only makes it harder not impossible.

After about the sixth time I woke up and did my process on Juugo I was fiddling with my chakra and trying to make it latch onto the stone underneath me. I had gotten close the other time when I managed to make my chakra push against the stone hard enough I made it form a lump in the stone. Now instead of pushing, I was pulling at the Earth but it was harder because I had to get a grasp in it first.

I sniffed and tried to change my chakra to how the stone's latent chakra smelled like and with a snap like that of a thin plastic finally breaking under a weight, I managed to get a hold on the Earth. Excited, I pulled at the stone, my hands digging into it like mud, with all my strength and suddenly a huge spike formed in front of me that had me yelping in surprise as it continued to grow and consume my chakra. Now that I had established the connection it was hard to cut off my chakra from it since the stone was greedily eating mine as if it were alive. Scrambling away from it I tugged at my own chakra and tried to pull it free from the stone.

I managed to snap it free and sighed when the spike of earth stopped growing, oh man any longer and I could have died!

"Zenshi?" I whipped around at the sound of my name from a hoarse voice.

"Juugo! You awake! Guess what I made spike of rock grow!"

"Oh that's- that's good. How long have I been asleep?"

"Oh hm I don't know but this sixth time I wake up and you just woke up."

"Oh ok. I got sick too huh?"

"Yup, want water, I get it to you."

"No that's fine I'll get it on my own."

I heard him get up but not stand, he must still be too weak to do so. He hadn't eaten either and he needed food more than me. We needed out of here fast, before we died of starvation, dehydration was no longer an issue. Don't, I repeat don't, ask me how we used the restroom. I'm just glad I can now move the Earth around. As it stood we needed to get good in Earth so we could move the entire cave and get out. Since we were using stone it was harder to move and took more chakra but we were already low in our reserves and they wouldn't be getting any better any time soon.

"We need get strong Juugo to get out of here."

"I know Zenshi, I know and we will. I'm better now, I think and you said you can make a spike of earth maybe that's all we'll need. Air and Earth."

A plan was already forming in my head and I shouted in joy as a crude but effective plan made its way into my head.

"I know! I make spire and you cut it then I make spike float and send it to wall door and you use you new jutsu to make it go faster, harder. Break down wall even if inch by inch."

"That great Zenshi! Zenshi!"

I had fallen from my earlier action of making the spire that was a good ten feet high and as wide as I was tall. Yeah I needed to recuperate.

We rested and recuperated what we could and trained to cut deeper, make bigger, even with our pitifully small chakra reserves. Yami came out once and grumbled that he was tired and we needed to hurry our butts up. He warned he wouldn't be responsible for what happened when Juugo got lower chakra and he lost control of the natural chakra his body absorbed. I didn't ask: we were going to get the hell out.

"Ready?"

"Whenever you are."

"Go!"

I slammed my hands on the ground grunting in effort to make the damn spike as big and strong as possible from the door itself with as little of my pitiful chakra as possible. Juugo quickly followed up and took deep breaths as he sent a gale of wind at the spire protruding from the door and loud BANG was heard as the spire toppled off the doorway. We needed it to be from the door because the door was the strongest material. Why didn't we attack the sides instead you might ask. Well because attacking the side-walls would cause the damn place to come down on us before we could even make a dent in it.

I took another deep breath then exhaled and groaned as I used my chakra to make the spire float up, turn around to face the door, and get a distance away from the door. The sheer size of the thing was more than I expected but I could handle so far. My chakra was dwindling fast but we needed to get out or we'd die in here. I didn't want to die, not yet.

"Now!" I yelled and threw the spike. Juugo's hands were so fast they caused a breeze to pick up as he clapped them and shouted.

"Fūton: Reppūshō!"

The spire that I knew was already barreling to the door now picked up speed and crashed into the door sending rock, dust and a flood of light towards us.

I screamed as the light came in and so did Juugo. I clamped the palms of my hands on my eyes and crawled even further into the darkness of the cave because it hurt!

"Well that was unexpected."

I cringed as I heard the water smooth voice of the man I hated the most in my entire two lives. Maybe if I didn't open my eyes he would go away and I had just imagined him. Yeah, no.

"Juugo, Zenshi, what have you done?'

"Kimimaro-ku-AUGH!" When I heard Kimimaro's voice I had taken my hands away from my eyes but the damn light was still to bright so I clamped them back onto my eyes.

"Zenshi you need to take you hands away slowly and have your eyes closed first." I heard Juugo mumble.

"Never mind I wanna stay in cave, it no hurt my eyes."

"What are you two mumbling about and answer me."

I turned my head to Kimimaro, who was way to loud in this place, and slowly took my hands away. My eyes were clenched shut but I could sense the light against my eyes now and they slowly got accustomed to it and I stopped clenching them shut. They were still closed but I opened them slowly and as gently as I could. At first I saw nothing but blurriness and things more exaggerated than they should be. Blinking back the haze and weird double vision my eyes finally concentrated on the tall white blob that slowly turned into a familiar face with two red-dots on it.

"Kimimaro-kun!" I shouted and flinched at my own voice. Juugo whined at the loudness of it but I had already gotten up on shaky legs and stumbled over to him. Or tried to, about half way through the cave I fell onto my knees and started seizing up.

"Zenshi!" I heard someone call my name but couldn't stop seizing up, my breaths came in hitches and I swear I saw the stone above me form a crack in its wall. Then the never-ending darkness was everything.

Omake: Orochimaru

Orochimaru stared at the small red-headed girl in amusement. She was so very amusing and the attachment she has seemed to form with his Kimimaro-kun was very… interesting. He looked to his next vessel and saw the flash of worry on his face before he wiped it clean. So he did care for the girl, this could prove to be troubling to say the least. However it only added to the girl's mystery.

His only test subject to survive the chakra enhancement process but she never showed any results besides being awkward with her balance and rather poor chakra sensing skills. He had believed she would be a good tracker when she was first brought in but that proved less than fruitful. Or at least it seemed to.

Whenever he actively did look for the girl he could never find her, ever. That had proved to be a lesson in frustration very soon but it did add to her enigma. She was a horrid ninja from what he had seen yet she survived a deadly process, was never found when looked for, and could control one of the most volatile creatures he had ever seen. Not to mention she didn't even notice his killer intent when he directed it at her anymore. In the past she had but now she had grown- more or less- accustomed to it. She was adaptable and intelligent and this was proven by the fact that she had survived in a cave with a monster for an entire year in a cramped cave.

He was distracted from his musing by said monster's roar and quickly sidestepped the creature and watched to see what it would do. When it noticed he dodged it went after Kimimaro who, because of his recovering state, was not able to avoid the hit to his chest. What happened next confused even Orochimaru; a part of the monster split from it the moment it hit Kimimaro at his exposed chest and the monster shrank.

Orochimaru watched with fascination as the monster then collapsed face first onto the ground and Kimimaro had the most expressive look of shock on his face. Then he shuddered as the piece of flesh melded into his own and his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he too collapsed atop of the monster.

"Well that was fascinating," he laughed a bit and then sent a pulse of chakra through the tunnel. Immediately four of his chūnin came and bowed deeply to him.

"What can we do for you Orochimaru-sama?" He nearly rolled his eyes at the inane question, nearly. Really, if they needed to ask then they needed to improve their skills.

"Take these three to my lab and draw blood samples from my dear Kimimaro and Juugo. Make sure they are well taken care of. Now would be good."

The four immediately grabbed the small children and they departed quickly. Turning to the destroyed doorway he studied it and frowned. Well this was interesting. The door was made of some of the strongest materials he specifically made to hold Juugo but it had come down. Just before they arrived he had felt a flux of chakra come from the room, he had not expected the destruction of his cage. Studying the rubble he frowned as he found a rather large stone with a pointed end. A spike, a rather large one, was formed, if he was correct and he always was, from the very doorway.

One of them had managed to manipulate Earth Chakra. Oh the mysteries did indeed keep growing, just how strong were these two? Could they be strong enough to beat Kimimaro? No, impossible… but they could incapacitate him. Hm maybe it would be better if he put them in a team together, that way we would have a loyal follower keeping track of them.

Those two, they were dangerous somehow, he knew it. The girl, it was the entire girl's doing he knew it was. However, he couldn't go digging into her brain unless it was in the literal sense and that would kill her. He would always curse the day his sensei had driven him out of Konoha before he could get his hands on any clan children!

Maybe if he called Danzo to borrow one of his- no they would withhold any information from him and if the girl was hiding anything they would either kill her or take her from him. He growled in frustration before pushing it away. The girl, she cared for Kimimaro to some degree, this- this could be useful yes. Kimimaro would never lie to him; he loved him too much to do that.

Yes this could work in his favor; he didn't need a Yamanaka to search the girl's thoughts and heart. He only needed to use her ridiculous emotions against her. It was almost hard to believe such a small frail creature was so utterly fascinating. She was so small and she hadn't grown at all since he was gone, indeed she seemed even frailer than before. But she was interesting and Orochimaru loved interesting things.

AN: God I love writing all this. No I do not know why I used the Lady Gaga quote. It just seemed to fit and really cool, as well as appropriate.

shirokuromokona :hugs and pats head while whispering 'beautiful~': yis I do like you very much for your personalty and long reviews :smooches: Now as to the fan book... well you may just have convinced me :wonk: in the future, in the future. I'm so glad you realized Juugo's change! It is in part to his combination with Yami that he's a little more... rougher I guess. You know I hadn't even realized i was writing Juugo lie that until you pointed it out. It just kind of... happened I guess. :waves fingers mysteriously: writing~!

Sorry to everyone for the feels attack, I did warn about the fluff didn't I? Didn't I!? Ehehehehe. Anyways on a random note, anyone going to go see Thor: The Dark World? Because I was spazzing out in the theater over the preview clip and hnnnnnnng. Tom Hiddleston, oh dear gods all that man has to do is smile and there goes my consciousness. I don't even know how they got Tom Hiddleston to play Loki because let me tell you~ in the comics Loki is the biggest douche-bag to ever douche-bag and psychotic in the worst possible way. It's like Hollywood looked at Loki in the comics and thought "he could use some sexiness" and BAM! Tom Hiddleston is cast. Sweet-Jesus the man is perfect... I'm sorry you're hearing me fangirl but yiiiis~ Tom Hiddleston :swoons:

Random Question because sleep deprivation and other reasons: What is your favorite book?

Update: 9/19