Sasuke's Pov.

I waited for a reaction on her part, should she not agree with my plan, but she laid quietly on the cold stone and looked at me expectantly. I tilted my head to one side and got a little closer to her. Before I bridged the last few inches, I saw that she closed her eyes and lifted her head slightly to meet me. I too closed my eyes before I enclosed her bottom lip with my own.

Like the first time, a fire was kindled inside me and an intoxicating feeling overcame me. She followed the rhythm I gave and moved her lips in sync with mine.

The next thing I felt was her hand in my hair. She gently led it to the back of my head and exerted a little pressure. I smiled when I understood what she wanted from and slowly probed her mouth with my tongue. A tingling sensation ran through my body as I touched hers. Reluctantly at first, then more confidently, she moved her tongue against mine until I got the feeling that they were going to merge. I placed my hand gently on her cheek and her grip on my hair tightened. The previously free hand rested now on my back and pressed me closer to her. Her dominant streak came out, which I admit I liked. The kiss became even more intense and demanding before we parted almost breathlessly.

I opened my eyes again and looked at her, still foggy from the intoxicating feeling. She dropped her head back with a sigh.

»Are you all right?« I asked after a brief silence.

She looked at me and seemed a little wistful. »Yes, but we should go back now.«

I nodded and stood up before offering my hand to help. She took this and let me pull her up.

We were silent on our way back. In the hideout, in which we now lived, everyone had their own room again, which was basically a shame.

»See you tomorrow, then,« she said when we got to her room glanced at me before turning her back on me.

I held her back, turned her back to me, and gave her another quick kiss before letting her go into her room.

I took the next door and lay down on the bed. My mind wandered to tomorrow. What did Shizuka have that Orochimaru was interested in? I disliked the idea that Kabuto will probably doctor on her tomorrow.

I lay awake a long time before fatigue overwhelmed me and I fell asleep.


Shizuka's Pov.

The following morning, the events of the previous night still haunted my mind. Even though several hours had passed, I was still a little overwhelmed by the feeling that this kiss had triggered inside me.

When I was through the procedure with Orochimaru, I should speak to Sasuke again. I really need to clarify what this is all about.

»Shizuka, you left Orochimaru waiting for an hour. Come out!« I heard Kabuto's voice in front of my door while he knocked not very gently on it.

I skillfully ignored him the last two times he came to get me this morning. Although Kabuto seemed really annoyed, he didn't dare to enter the room, instead waiting like a well-behaved dog in front of the door.

»I'm coming,« I returned amused.

As if sensing my amusement, his annoyed answer sounded from the other side of the door: »You've already said that the last two times.«

I opened the door and, to the annoyance of the medic, did not go towards the laboratory, but headed for the next room.

»And you will not enter this room either,« I said with a threatening smile and entered Sasuke's room. He leaned against the opposite wall and looked at me.

»Are you getting on his nerves again?« questioned Itachi's brother with a small smirk.

»If I don't, who will?« I replied with a shrug.

»Could you take care of Akito's training today? I don't know how long it will take,« I kept going.

He nodded.

»Well, then I'm going to the lion's den. Afterwards we have to talk.«

I left him standing with a questioning look on his face and went out of the room again.

»Are you done?« was the Yakushi's vexed question when I left the room.

I playfully thought about it. His expression darkened.

»Yeah, I am,« I finally answered and walked past him.

As always, I entered the laboratory without knocking. The Sannin sat at his desk, bent over some scrolls.

»So what do you need from me today?« I asked monotonously when he made no suggestion that he had noticed me.

He pointed to a lounger in the room and answered without looking up from his work: »Today Kabuto will make a skin biopsy with you. Also, I need a little bit of your cerebrospinal fluid

I sat down on the lounger and waited for Kabuto to gather all the stuff he needed.

»You could have done that before I came here. You had a full hour,« I grumbled at him.

»Sit across on the lounger,« he instructed me after giving me a scowl.

I did what he said and let one leg dangle down on either side of my seat.

»Curl up as much as you can and bare your back,« came his next command.

I pulled my top up a little and bent my upper body forward. I watched through my peripheral vision as he came up behind me with a small bowl and a syringe with a thin needle in his hands. The medic-nin first probed my lumbar vertebrae area before something wet wiped over the probed area.

»I suppose you don't want the anesthetic,« he muttered before I felt a sting.

»If you don't work more carefully, I'll stick something in your back and it won't be a needle,« I hissed.

A pressure spread in a small radius around the puncture site. It wasn't painful, but it was uncomfortable and itchy.

»You have to sit like this for a few minutes now,« said Kabuto and stood up.

It took half an eternity, or so it seemed to me, until he pulled out the syringe together with the thin needle. He had already taken the skin samples while I was waiting.

»You should lay here for an hour. You might experience dizziness, nausea and headaches,« he advised me.

»I'm not staying in the same room with you any longer than necessary,« I replied, sitting up straight again.

I stretched once, a small stinging sensation shooting through my spine. Without showing anything, I got up and left the lab. My way led me straight to the training room. Getting there was less smoothly as expected; the Yakushi hadn't lied about the side effects. When I arrived, I lowered myself to the wall and watched the two dark-haired shinobi train.


cerebrospinal fluid - a clear, colorless body fluid found in the brain and spinal cord

skin biopsy - a procedure, where a doctor cuts and removes a small sample of skin to test it