Chronicles of a Self-Made Shinobi: Viper's Nest (chap.2)

Kumiko opened one of the doors when her watch hit 24 hours. She had walked for what seemed like miles and felt as though she was moving in wider and wider circles. Of course it was impossible to know for sure, but Kumiko guessed that the labyrinth was in the shape of a circle, and Kabuto had placed her in the center. And the only way out was to spiral around until one reached the outside edges.

She was reluctant to sleep because time was running short, but decided that it would be more dangerous to keep moving with a sleepy mind than to rest for a few hours. So she laid down upon the hard bed in the little room then woke at 18 hours and continued on quickly, anxious to escape this long and complicated nightmare.

………………………………………………………………………….

By 12 hours she had robotized. The motions were so familiar that Kumiko no longer had to think, and simply made the motions. At 8 hours she realized that that if something didn't happen soon she wasn't going to made it out, and just as this thought was flitting dangerously through her mind she stumbled into a large room. It was empty save for columns that lines its edges and a figure standing in the middle, gazing up at a carving on the ceiling. The figure turned to face her at the sound of her footsteps, and looked at her with no expression on his face at all. It was startling, how much he changed, but then again he hadn't changed at all.

"If you've come to bring me back you've just wasted your time,"

Uchiha Sasuke had never been a friend of Kumiko's. He was exactly the sort of person she wanted nothing to do with at all.

"Don't be egotistical," she replied. "I'm glad you left."

Kumiko believed Naruto and Sakura were better off without him. He who spoilt the air with malice and mal-content. But because of his abandonment they were now living a life of hopeless love and sullied friendship. If she could bring him back, though, she would, since the two were hopeless without him. But the thought didn't cross her mind here, because it was an impossible notion.

Sasuke grunted and turned back around, signaling that he wanted Kumiko to leave. She didn't, however, but she was running very short on time. After pocketing her pocketing her black-light Kumiko walked through the room towards the missing nin, her bare feet slapping on the floor and echoing off the walls.

"You want to know how I hurt my ankle?" she asked when he came up beside him.

Sasuke ignored her.

"I broke it when I landed a flying kick to Itachi's head."

Sasuke whirled around and grabbed onto her arm, bruising it with his clutching fingers. Kumiko ignored the pain and started to laugh.

"Not so fast, Sasuke-kun."

He growled at her and squeezed her arm tighter.

"If you help me than I'll help you. Let go, now."

Sasuke immediately released her and stared at her menacingly.

"You lead me out of here safely and I'll tell you when and where I saw your brother."

Sasuke's eye twitched slightly. "Tell me first, and then I'll lead you out," he replied.

Kumiko shook her head. "Not on your life. I know you Uchiha Sasuke, your promises are as empty as your brother's."

Sasuke took a step toward her. "I am nothing like my brother," he said warningly.

Kumiko stepped forward as well and poked him in the chest. "Cut the crap asshole. You've been following in his footsteps ever since you set your mind on revenge. Everything you've done you did for your own selfish desires. You've become a missing nin and hated traitor of Konoha.

You abandoned those who loved you as Itachi abandoned those who loved him, especially his little brother. I've seen both you and your brother's ugly red eyes up close and personal: there's no difference between them. You're completely and utterly the same, down to the very last cell."

Sasuke swung his hand out to slap her but Kumiko dodged and twisted his arm around his back.

"Even now, when I'm deep inside the bowels of your master's hidden lair, you underestimate me. I'm a well known shinobi now, you prick, treat me like one."

She let him go and they stared at one another. Normally her outburst would have driven Sasuke to attack her, but Kumiko was withholding valuable information. She noticed that some of what she said he had listened to, because he was watching her now more warily. The last time he saw her she wasn't even a ninja, just a girl who had a bad temper and played around with construction tools. but now, she had somehow gotten into Orochimaru's lair, and even claimed to have landed a kick to Itachi.

"Why are you here?" he asked coldly.

"Your stupid medical nin has something against me," she replied. "Now hurry up. My time is running short."

Sasuke hesitated for a few seconds, deciding if he would degrade himself to taking orders from this girl or not, but Itachi was trump (as Kumiko knew from the very beginning) and he swallowed his pride.

"This way."

……………………………………………………………..

Kumiko found that her method had been correct, about following the path with the more difficult traps. But as Sasuke led her further from the large room the traps became so cunning and skillfully hidden for a moment she thought they had completely disappeared. She was grateful that she had come upon Sasuke or it would have taken her more time than she had to make her way out.

She kept an eye on the former nin of Konoha's back, still not completely trusting him, and as they neared her goal Kumiko began to wonder if Kabuto would honor his side of the deal and really let her go. The traps were so ridiculously complicated that the only way through would be to already know where they were. Her fears of treachery were strengthened when they reached a dead end and Sasuke made a hand signal to open the door and lead her out into sunshine.

He turned to her as she squinted into the sun, the rays of which she had not seen for so long she almost forgot what it felt like. He waited, but she had other things on her mind. Kabuto had made it impossible to escape. The way out was shut to everyone other than Sasuke, his master, and himself. Sasuke made an impatient noise in the back of his throat. Kumiko quickly told him what he needed to know and he grunted, then disappeared in a cloud of smoke. When he was gone she uneasily began to cross the meadows which she had emerged upon, mind too flustered to congratulate herself on her escape.

Then, just as she expected, Kabuto appeared in front of her, eyes furrowed in rage.

...

eh hehe I didn't realize how creepy I made Kabuto in the pervious chapter until I read it over again. --