She pressed herself against him and sobbed. "Why?"

Still feeling weak and stunned he held her and tried to comfort her. "I don't know. I don't know anything right now." At the moment he was feeling guilty. He had never liked Gorno, but the guy hadn't deserved what happened to him.

Rukia looked up at him. "She knew your name. How did she know that? Did you know her somehow?"

Noval shook his head. "No, I've never even met a Grass nin before. I have no idea who that was or why she did it." He shook his head again. "I still have our heaven scroll, she never even asked about it."

"Noval, what was she talking about a favor? What favor?"

"I don't know Rukia, I don't know anything."

She pressed herself against him again. Normally strong and sure of herself she seemed shattered at the moment. He felt the same but was hiding it better. "What do we do now?"

"We go straight to the Tower, the exam's over for us so let's get out of the danger zone."

She nodded and the two of them got moving.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Why?"

Kabuto smiled at him. "Do you mean why did I do it or why am I here now?"

"Yes."

Kabuto nodded. "Remember our hypothetical about deep cover agents? Well that's what I was. I was always a Sound deep cover agent. My lord had decided it was time for me to take some direct action and I was found out."

"No," Noval said coldly. "Why did you have Orochimaru kill Gorno?"

Kabuto gave him a surprised look. "Isn't that obvious? I did it as a favor to a friend. I knew you'd be happier and better off with a different teammate and I knew you would never do anything about it yourself. So being a friend I took care of the problem for you."

He stared at him. So it really was my fault? "I never said I wanted him dead." Not to you. He felt the guilt.

"No, you said you wanted him gone. So I took care of it for you."

Noval shook his head. "He was a jerk and I didn't like him but he didn't deserve to die!"

Now Kabuto frowned at him. "Oh grow up Noval, we all deserve to die." The two of them were silent for awhile as there didn't seem any way to answer that.

"I spent four months in an ANBU prison cell."

"I'm sorry about that."

"They thought I was part of a conspiracy because of you."

Kabuto nodded. "I am sorry you had to go through that. But I knew that since you didn't know anything about me they'd eventually let you go."

"You knew they were going to lock me up?"

"I knew it was likely." Noval immediately threw his senbons and charged in. Kabuto dodged and seemed to disappear. Almost instantly he felt a couple strikes to his back. His body beneath his neck went numb and he collapsed to the ground.

"You're angry, I don't blame you." Kabuto said conversationally. "But there was nothing I could do. I couldn't have asked you to come with me then. And even if I had you would have said no. If I'd actually told you something the ANBU would have been convinced you really were part of a conspiracy. I'm sorry you suffered because of me but there wasn't anything I could do about it."

He looked up at his former sempai completely helpless. "So now what? Are you going to kill me?"

"Don't be stupid!" For the first time the boy showed some real anger. "You are my only friend in this whole world! Why would I kill you?"

"What? I'm supposed to believe any of that was real? Why should I think our friendship was any more real than the rest of it?"

"Because I'm here now Noval. Because I went to my lord and begged a favor to try and help you. I didn't know at the time I was about to be found out. If I hadn't been you'd have gotten a new teammate and everything would have been just fine."

"At least until the attack."

Kabuto shrugged. "That was going to happen no matter what I did. Unlike my lord I never really believed the invasion would succeed. But it was my lord's will and you don't try and argue with Orochimaru-sama. I couldn't protect you during the invasion. I could only hope you and Rukia would survive." The older boy paused. "You can't know what it's like being a deep cover agent, especially as a child. You can't imagine what it's like growing up knowing that one day you will have to abandon everything you've known. I lived my life getting ready for that day. I didn't let anyone get close to me. No girlfriends and no serious ties. There was nothing in my life that I could not walk away from." He hesitated. "Well, except for two people. You and my dad. You are the only two people in Konoha who matter to me."

"Your dad killed himself." Kabuto was silent. "When he found out he committed seppuku."

Kabuto nodded. "I see." He said quietly. "I would have liked to have said good bye to him, but there was no time." Kabuto reached down and tapped two points in his back and he found he could move again. "My dad's gone but you're still here. I never planned on having a real friend. But you reminded me of what I might have been like if I didn't have my secret. As I got to know you I decided I would let myself have one friend. You are my one and only friend Noval. I have subordinates in Sound and my lord whom I serve and obey. But there is not a single person I can call friend."

Noval slowly came to his feet. He eyed Kabuto warily. He'd known all along he was no match for him. But he hadn't realized just how wide the gap in their skills really was. He'd thought Kabuto was mid Chunin level. He wasn't, he was high Jonin. "So what do you want? Why are you here?"

Kabuto smiled easily. "I'm here to redeem my promise to you. Right before I left the village I tracked you down and told you that I would have a place for you."

"I remember, it was an hour after that the ANBU arrested me."

Kabuto looked at him seriously. "That's why I'm here now talking to you. I'm here to fulfill my promise. I've spoken with Orochimaru-sama and he has given me permission to recruit you. Come with me and you'll have a high place within Sound."

"You want me to turn traitor?"

"Why not?" Kabuto answered reasonably. "Hasn't you village already betrayed you? I've been here for about a week doing some light scouting for my mission. I've heard all about you beating Neji and not getting promoted while he was. I've heard you haven't been allowed out of the village. They released you because they knew you were innocent but they still suspect you don't they? Your career as a shinobi is ruined in this village. They have all ready betrayed you, you owe them nothing."

He shook his head. "No, I can't leave."

"Is it because of Rukia?"

Noval was silent for a bit. "No, Rukia and I are over. She hates me and blames me for what happened to Gorno. She was arrested the same day I was. But fortunately they let her go. The last time we talked it was in an ANBU holding cell. She cursed me and told me she hated me and that she wished I would die." He paused and got a hold of himself. "She said that to me."

Kabuto waited a bit to let the words really sink in. "In that case what do you left here?" He put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Come with me and you can have a fresh start. You'll have respect and authority and there are girls there that will make you forget all about Rukia. What do you say?"

He looked at Kabuto and really thought about it. You must decide if your greatest loyalty is to your friend or to your village. He'd been thinking about leaving Konoha, it had been a temptation for awhile now. But could he actually do it? "Can I have some time to think about it?"

Kabuto shook his head. "I'm sorry but I was sent here on a mission. Recruiting you is an added bonus but I have to take care of my primary mission."

"What if I say no?"

Kabuto shrugged. "Then I knock you out and get going. I won't kill you if that's what you're wondering. But you should realize I killed your ANBU watcher. When they find you they will arrest you and they will imprison you again, maybe even in the exact same cell."

He shivered at the thought of going back into that cell for how many months or even years. "So those are my choices? I either turn traitor or get locked up?"

"Those are your choices. Since you have experience with the tender mercies of the ANBU I'm sure you realize that it won't matter if you're innocent or not."

He stared at him. "You did this on purpose."

"No, I don't want you to suffer because of me even if you do choose to stay. But there was no other way for me to approach you and make you this offer. Come on Noval; is it really that hard to decide?"

In the end there was one deciding factor. "I can't go back in a cell. Anything is better than that."

It wasn't the ringing endorsement Kabuto had hoped for but it was enough. "Good! You won't regret this I promise! You'll love the Sound village! Now come on, you have to put on the ANBU clothes. We have a mission to complete."

"What's the mission?"

XXXXXXXXXX

The boy was both surprised and annoyed to hear a knock on his door. Getting up from his dinner he went over to open the front door. There were two ANBU in their robes, one in a wolf mask and one in a ram's. "Yes? What do you want?"

The one in the wolf mask spoke. "Hello Sasuke."