Kabuto was in his bed, well past his usual sleep time, but for some reason he was still awake starring at the ceiling.
His thoughts traveled back to that particular something in Sakura's eyes just a few hours before.
It wasn't the sparkle he grew fascinated with, it was something else.
Her thank you still rang in his ears, looking up at him, holding the blue shirt in the meantime.
Where exactly did he get that blue shirt anyway?
He just remembered having it around the time he became root, and then brought with himself on his first visit to Otogakure...but...he didn't remember Nono having it or buying it for him...heck, he was way to small then for that anyway...
Why is he thinking of this now?
He should be thinking about...oh yeah, Orochimaru's celebration, and how can he prepare her for that...
Fuck...
The next day Orochimaru announced the details of the celebration. It'll be in two days, everyone invited is expected to wear kimono, and some people are gonna dance as a form of entertainment. Kabuto almost thought that the pink haired girl will need to do something like that, but what Orochimaru said was much worse.
"Haruno-san will sit next to Sasuke-kun" said the long haired man with a cold smile, that made him feel a drop of sweat travel down on his back.
He pressed his lips together, stopping himself of asking about the his master's plans. He knew better
"Hai" said Kabuto a moment later
"You'll watch them and report of their behavior" his cold tone was shivering and Kabuto had to bow in order to hide his slight fear in his eyes
"Hai"
"Sakura" he called out for her after getting back to the lab.
"Yeah?" came out the girl from the room, wearing a purple crop top and grey long pants, holding another scroll in between her fingers.
"Sit down" he pointed at their study/dinning table, already dreading this conversation. She hopped down, looking at him expectantly, and he took a seat as well next to her.
"Orochimaru-sama wants you to come to the celebration" he begun "And he wants you to sit with Saskue" he said, looking into her eyes, searching for a reaction in them. A moment later came a squall, followed by excitement noises and eyes filled with hope.
"I can see Sasuke-kun! And even talk to him!" she jumped up from the chair, but Kabuto quickly got hold of her wrist, pulling her back down the chair with an annoyed grunt.
"Can you just fucking stop for a moment and THINK?!" he shouted at her, and she quitted down, starring at him with shock "Do you not get that this is not something good?! This is a test for you both! If you even do one move wrong, that's it! Do you think anyone will bring you back to Konoha?! Huh, quit dreaming! If you are not wanted here than you'll die!" he screamed into her face, feeling every bit of nerve leaving him into the thin air, watching how Sakura, while backing away, fell to the ground.
"If you want to pass this test, we'll need to come up with a plan." he said, his tone returning to a more calm territory.
Her eyes were wide with shock spilling out of them. Probably Orochimaru would've enjoyed the imminent fear in her, but it just made Kabuto sigh deeply.
"Let's pick up our kimonos now" he said wile standing up
It was only 11am, and most nins were out training so the chance for them to run into someone at the storage room was slim to non.
"In these are the smaller ones" he picked up the a box from one of the top shelves, putting it between her fingers, and went back to get his usual dark grey kimono.
The room was dark, having only one lightbulb, leaving the corners in the shadows.
When he came back, he saw Sakura, clutching a lilac material, and with fear, and maybe anger? was looking in the direction of the door.
"Sakura?"
Her emeralds shot to him for a split second before turning back.
He stepped next to her, to see what's going on...
On the door frame were two sound nins, who, now that he thought about it, were ordered to participate in the chunnin exams.
"Kin, Zaku"
"Yakushi" replied back to dark haired guy, wo had his hands bandaged still from his fight 4 months ago "I see you got a pet"
Kabuto saw the whitening on her knuckles in her hold of the kimono, and how her jaw clenched.
"I guess you met on the exam" he said nonchalantly, studying her face from his peripheral vision
"You can say that" replied back Kin with a grin, walking closer to her "Your hair used to look so nice, now it's just plain" she said, bringing up a hand towards her shortened locks.
Before Kabuto could interfere Sakura snapped the approaching hand away, with such ferocity that she was shaking and Kin's hand had a pink mark.
"You bitch!" shouted the dark haired girl, and fisted her other hand, but the grey haired teen stepped between them "Don't protect the slut!" whispered into his face, and he just became more annoyed
"Stop stirring up trouble" he hissed before grabbing Sakura's wrist and pulling her out of the small room
"After you finish fucking her, I want to play with her" said Kin to their backs with a chuckle and Zaku's laugh following
He was still holding her wrist when they were well away from them, but for some reason he didn't want to let her go.
They were having dinner at the table, and Sakura seemed more quite than usual.
Kabuto wanted to wait a while before bringing up the planning again but there was just so much time he could give her
"Sakura, related to tomorrow..." he begun, searching for her eyes to lift up to his, but when that didn't happen he just continued "You'll need to lay low, don't even glance in Sasuke's direction" he said and saw how the Uchiha's name was still having an effect, her body shaking just the slightest.
She finally locked her eyes with his, but in that he could only see stubbornness
"You'd like that, don't you?" she snapped
"What are you talking about?"
"Everyone..." she sighted while laying back "Everyone thinks you do things to me" she whispered the last parts
"I think you should know the best of what I do" he replied defensively
"What if you are just waiting?" she gazed back at him, small droplets of tears in the corners of her eyes
"Do I seem to you that I would rape?" he said in a low tone
That last word made Sakura gulp and look away, giving him all the answers she was too afraid to say out loud
He got really angry, so angry that he got up and went to his room, shutting it behind him
Just what the hell was her problem?!
If Kabuto wanted to do something he would've done it already, hell he had enough opportunities!
Just why was he doing this?
His anger evaporated and got replaced by something else
He stepped back to the lab, where she was still sitting, her back shown to him
Kabuto stepped without noise and leaned down to her earlobe, whispering, she noticed it a second too late
"If tomorrow you act by your own, than don't expect any sort of protection from me, you'll be on your own, and by best guesses, die a day later"