Penny For Your Thoughts/Deep in Thought

(Kelly's P.O.V.)

You think going to war is hard? Try preparing for it. Not that we were doing much in the way of rallying the Sound, the Virgin was taking care of that for us. But still, Orochimaru, Tsunade and Jiraiya had been at it all day with trying to rally the other allies of the Leaf Village. Needless to say it was hell trying to convince the other Kages that not only could we be trusted, but the Akatsuki as well. The whole 'common-enemy' deal was turning out to be harder to pass off than it is in the movies. But I digress.

"And soon digest." Baldwin smirked.

Yes. I was currently carrying two Bento boxes through the streets of Konoha. I had finally convinced Orochimaru to get some much needed sleep, he had practically become an insomniac, tossing and turning at night. I blushed when I remembered how I had stripped him down to his boxers and how muscular and gorgeous he was. I remembered the nights when I would take the time to try and memorize every slope and plane of his physique. I took a deep breath and shook my head a little.

"I hope he's up to eating something." I thought to myself as I walked home.

I giggled a little bit when I remembered how I tease him about his appetite. He could go from eating like a bird to wolfing down thirds. I walked quietly into our room and walked over by the bed, as soon as I reached out to wake him he lunged at me, ready to choke me. I jumped back startled.

"Kelly, don't sneak up on me like that," he said coldly. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked at me wearily, "You know how jumpy I am."

"I'm sorry, I only wanted to wake you up for dinner." I said quietly.

He nodded and pulled me into his arms, nuzzling into my hair.

"I'm the one who should be sorry." He whispered against my ear.

I kissed him and ran my hand across his chest to calm his heartbeat. As I was doing so, I repeatedly ran my hand over the burn mark next to his heart.

"Where did you get this?" I asked softly, not wanting to push him to recall anything he didn't want to.

His hand came up to cover mine. He sighed.

"It was during the war. The Cloud were working with the Sand and we were surrounded…"

The rain was pouring, mixing with the blood in his hair to form pink pearls that kept getting in his eyes. He shook his head to clear them away as he twisted Kusenagi in the Cloud nin's chest, effectively ending his life.

"We're so screwed!" Jiraiya shouted, "We're drenched and the next Cloud nin that's on us is going to fry our brains!"

Orochimaru angrily wiped more of the rose colored water from his face and was about to reply when he felt something searing hot hit him in the chest with full force.

"What happened?" I asked, laying a kiss into the distorted tissue.

"We had been so preoccupied with the rain and the killing that we hadn't even noticed the Cloud nin hiding in the trees. He hit me in the chest with a lightning jutsu and stopped my heart. Tsunade managed to revive me; I had been clinically dead for almost two minutes." I felt him stiffen at the memory, "After that I dove into researching immortality. I couldn't bear the thought of dying, I had to find a way to stay alive. I became so paranoid I-"

I kissed him, smiling as I felt him calm down. His heart was racing but I knew that the nearer I went to the burn mark the more agitated he would get. Instead I settled for letting him kiss me back, and even let him give a few gentle love-bites. At last he settled back into the crook of my neck, breathing evenly and taking in my scent.

"I love you." He purred.

"And I you." I whispered into his hair.

Snuggle time!