Chapter 2: Kunoichi Seduction Arts.

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A month later, it was a rainy late-December afternoon. As she returned home, Amaya was soaked. When she had finished yanking off her sodden clothes, having decided to have a nice long soak in the tub, she noticed Kabuto sitting on the bed. In her head, she groaned. Why did he have to be there? "Aren't there any other henchmen available? Isn't it Sasuke-chan's turn? I still have bruises from the last time you were here, Kabuto." Kabuto smiled slightly, seeing the now fading greenish patches on her arms and stomach.

It had been two weeks since Kabuto's last 'visit,' and she still had trouble falling asleep because of it. His medical jutsu was terrifying. In spite of all of her prowess in taijutsu, she had been unable to best him, simply because his medical jutsu surpassed hers by such a huge margin. Now, he was back again. She wasn't sure if she could take that kind of pain just now…

Rising from the bed, he walked to where she stood, in the door of the bath. "I'm here on my own behalf." It took everything she had not to have her jaw drop to the floor.

"What do you mean, Kabuto?"

He looked down at her, a strange light in his eyes. "I always want the things I can't have…" He started leaning toward her. Ah, this is a little too much.

"What are you doing?" In her panic, Amaya couldn't think of a single move she could use, under the circumstances. The apartment was rather small, so most of her taijutsu was out of the question. He also had his medical jutsus that he could use, and all of them were better than the ones she knew. He did not answer. He just kept getting closer, and his hands were reaching for her…

Unable to think, she did the only thing she could do. Sidestepping him, she backed into the bathroom. He followed, and Amaya held a hand up in protest. He kept coming toward her. It had been panic that drove her into that small space, and she knew that none of her techniques would work in there. His hands were cold. They moved over her back, and pulled her to him. Blinking as his lips met hers, she wondered why it was that she could not move.

Finally, she pushed him away. "That's enough of that." He was startled. She did not want to provoke him, so she quickly added, "I'm still cold from being in the rain. Let me soak in the tub for a while." His face returned to its normal inscrutable expression. Instead of leaving the room, he settled himself onto the small bench next to the tub. She slipped into a bathrobe. It was at least warmer, and better than having Kabuto leer at her. The water turned on, she put some medicinal salts into the bath, and sat on the edge of the tub.

Kabuto sat with his eyes closed. He was an odd one. Naruto had explained about him, but there was a lot that not even he knew, and Kabuto had apparently trusted him to some degree. There was no way that she was going to antagonize him. Orochimaru was cold and calculating, but there were times when Kabuto could just explode, and that could be rather messy. The bruises she had were proof of that, and that had been when he was working in an official capacity.

She turned the water off, and took off the robe. After tossing it onto Kabuto, she stepped into the tub. The water truly felt wonderful. Kabuto pulled the robe off of his head where it had landed. "Won't Orochimaru be angry with you for coming here like this?" Amaya asked, settling into the water.

"Probably. But…"

"I thought I wasn't anything special?"

"Orochimaru was teasing me. I thought it best to cut it out. Actually, I find you almost unbearably attractive." Blatant honesty. Not what I expected out of you, Kabuto. Was he being totally honest? It didn't matter. He was breaking his privilege as Orochimaru's right hand man, and he would pay for it later.

"Do you not care if he punishes you?"

"Not at the moment."

"Those are dangerous words." She was just trying not to be aggressive, but it seemed only to be egging him on.

"How is it dangerous?"

Well, she thought, if it looks like I'm playing up to him, I guess I'll just have to play up to him. "Because," She said while leaning out of the tub toward him, "I would break you in half, little man." Amaya's tone was more than a little suggestive. His eyebrows shot up, and he blushed. When she smiled, it was genuine. Of all the talents a female shinobi had, this was one of the most important. It was also one of the things she had enjoyed most about being a shinobi. The intelligence gathering missions usually involved some kind of disguise work, deception, and often seduction. When it came to seduction arts, Hori Amaya was considered one of the best. Laughing inwardly, she wondered briefly if Kabuto had that on his little card.

"Would you really?" His tone was sarcastic. His buttons were being pushed quite nicely. Just a little more…

"Yes, really." She could see that his breathing had quickened, and her smile widened.

He slid off of the bench and knelt at the side of the tub. Amaya reached up and took off his glasses. Kabuto reached for them, and she put them behind her back, then dropped them into the water. Leaning closer to him, she said, "Oops." He reached for them again, and she took hold of his shirt with both hands, and pulled him into the tub. His back against the wall, and feet dangling over the edge of the tub, he was now in water up to his waist. Holding up his glasses for him, she shook the water off of them and put them back on his face. He seemed stunned.

This was not something that she particularly wanted to do, but the situation called for it. "Orochimaru will be very angry with you, Kabuto. Are you sure you can handle it?" He nodded. "Ok, but don't say I didn't warn you." She then turned him so that his entire body was in the tub. Falling onto him and laughing, the former Cloud shinobi wondered what Orochimaru would do to him. It won't be anything he doesn't deserve, I'm sure.

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On New Year's day, Orochimaru himself showed up just after midnight. She had stayed home and watched television, and was just going to bed when he made himself known. "Don't you people ever knock?" She asked when she turned on the light in the bedroom to see him sitting in the corner chair again. He was dressed in a green kimono with leaves woven into the fabric. Ironic.

"I'm sorry, Amaya-san. I came to ask you two questions."

"Hurry and ask. I'm sleepy."

"Will you come with me?"

"You know I won't."

"Did you sleep with Kabuto?"

So he had found out…this could prove to be troublesome. "If I did?"

"Then I would have a third question: why?" His eyes had narrowed to very snake-like slits. He was in a dangerous mood.

"Do you want the truth?"

"Always."

"I did sleep with him, but it was in self-defense. If I had not, he would have used his medical jutsus on me again, and I still had bruises from the time before, when he came on your behalf." Amaya sat down on the bed, looking over at the snake-Sannin. "Please don't tell Kabuto. I would feel terrible if he found out it was only my self-preservation instinct. He had such fun…" Ah, yes. Pour salt into the wound. Orochimaru stood suddenly and took the few steps over to the bed. He raised his hand to strike her, but she caught it and stood, her eyes blazing dark fire at him.

Anger flared, nearly blotting out her vision. "I am nowhere near as powerful as you, and I know not even half the jutsus that you do, but I will not allow myself to be struck like a child. Do you understand me?" She released his hand, and moved to the chest of drawers to get her pajamas. He got in the way. His venomous mood persisted.

"Amaya-san, even if I have to tie you up, you will come with me eventually."

"What do you want me for?"

"For you." His voice had softened, and there was an odd look on his face. She blinked. What does that mean? "Your techniques are not that interesting, but you have a force of will and a reputation that I could not resist. I had Kabuto watch you, and research you. Then I watched you myself. For three weeks, I did nothing that did not involve you. And it seems that you even bested Sasuke, though he would not say how. Neither of you had a scratch on you, so I'm assuming you used genjutsu. Also, you're more powerful than Kabuto, yet you didn't use your true powers on him. Why?"

"You do tend to ramble, don't you?" He didn't seem like he was going to give up the subject. "I'm not going to tell you about Sasuke. That's between him and me. With Kabuto, the matter is rather simple. I don't think you realize how unstable he really is. With the right kind of provocation, he'll explode. In other words, he's not psychotic, but he has that potential. I just didn't want to bring it out."

He seemed genuinely relieved that she wasn't in love with Kabuto. Jealousy is a terrible thing… "Did you punish him?"

"Yes, I did. But it did no good." He looked her in the eye. "He smiled the entire time. I don't think he felt anything at all." His hand touched her cheek again, the with same warmth as before. "What did you do to my Kabuto?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Actually, I would."

"Not in a million years. I'd sooner sleep with Jiraya-sama."

"That really hurts, Amaya-san. Jiraya? I see you like them big and stupid?" He was playing with her, and she knew it, but she was playing with him, as well. He leaned closer to her. His eyes grew large, and they began to pull her in. Fighting those eyes was very difficult, but it seemed to be a type of genjutsu, though she didn't need to actually release it. It was more a battle of wills. Orochimaru's will is very strong. Before she could be completely free from his eyes, he kissed her.

It was a strange feeling. To try to compare it to anyone else, even Kabuto, would not be fair or accurate. In that moment, his eyes closed, and Amaya finally saw that in spite of all his powers, jutsus, and everything, he was only a man. Men could be manipulated. She had proved that very well with both of his underlings, but he would be a prickly pear to pick. After a moment, however, she decided on a strategy.

She pushed away from him, a look of consternation coming over her face. He seemed surprised. "O-Orochimaru…I…can't."

"Why?"

"I just can't." Turning from him, her voice began to quaver. "Can you please leave? Please?" She lay down in the bed, facing the wall. Orochimaru's weight settled next to her. His presence was overwhelming, almost oppressive. "Please…" she felt his hands, moving, moving, and finally coming to rest, with his arms wrapped around her. Is he still playing with me? What is he doing?

"Please, Orochimaru, I need you to leave."

"I'll leave if you tell me why."

She sat up, angry. "It's because I'm confused! Now get out!" She shouted at him, and he did not flinch, though he did look hurt. Or, he looked as hurt as Orochimaru can look.

"I'm sorry if I offended," He said, and left. She may have been mistaken, but she thought that there had been a small smile of triumph on his face. That was good. Let him think he was winning.

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The next week, she was in a bookstore, and turning a corner, was grabbed from behind. Amaya broke the grip of the assailant, and then whirled to see who it was. Her eyes narrowed. Kabuto stood there, a bandage on his left arm. Why was he there? In a public place like this, anyone could see him. Then she saw that his arm was not only bandaged, but bleeding. Why had he not taken care of it with his medical jutsu? "Kabuto…"

"Are you here on Orochimaru's orders?" he shook his head. "Are you ok?" He shook his head again. "Meet me in the women's restroom." Amaya walked off toward the rear of the store. After a few minutes, he arrived, and she took a look at his arm.

"Kabuto, is this part of Orochimaru's punishment?" He nodded. "Can you speak? Your silence is unnerving." With her limited knowledge of medical jutsu, she healed the wound as best she could. It would leave a scar, unlike when Kabuto did this sort of thing himself.

His voice was a raspy whisper. "I can, but I sound like a frog. When he returned from your apartment, Orochimaru-sama was in a rage. What happened?" She told him as much as she thought he should know, and he nodded. "He's frustrated, then. I can understand that." He moved his arm, and did not seem to be in as much pain as he had been.

"You couldn't use your medical jutsu? I thought you were nearly as good at it as Tsunade-sama."

"I am, but Orochimaru-sama punished me further by using a device that sucks out chakra. I couldn't have used that jutsu even if I had tried." He collapsed onto the floor. Amaya picked him up and slung him across her shoulders. She had decided to take him back to her apartment, since it would be rather unpleasant for him to be found in a ladies' restroom.

When they were in her apartment, she put him to bed, and started making a cold compress for his head. As soon as it was applied, he came to. "Don't move. You're staying here until you're better. I'm not a medical shinobi, but I think that I can do alright for helping you recover your chakra. You need food."

She went into the kitchen, and started to gather ingredients for a stew. When it was done, she brought a bowl to him. So that he could sit up without any problems, she sat behind him, and had him lean on her. When he was finished, he thanked her for the food. She put the bowl aside, and told him to sleep. Before she could get up, he grabbed her hand. "What is it?"

"Do you love Orochimaru?"

"How could I love him? I'm pretty sure he killed my parents."

"No, that wasn't him."

"Who was it, then?"

"It was me."

"Are you lying to me?" She asked, stunned. The idea that she had willingly slept with the man who murdered her parents was not a welcome thought.

"Why would I say that if it weren't true? It puts a damper on things, doesn't it?" His face was pale, and she thought dully that he might have a fever.

"No," she said with honesty that surprised even her, "You didn't know me when you killed them. Was it on Orochimaru's order?"

"Of course. I don't kill people for no reason." Kabuto's eyes were closed. He was drifting off to sleep. It would be so easy to kill him. He was weakened, and he couldn't use his jutsu. But then again, it would be very dishonorable to kill him when he was unconscious.

The next day, Kabuto was fully recovered. Amaya I opened her eyes, and Kabuto's face was very close to hers. "Good morning, sunshine." His voice was no longer the raspy froglike voice of the day before. This greeting was very sudden, and she started, and fell out of the bed. Groaning, she heard him laughing at her. His head poked out over the side of the bed. "Jumpy, aren't you?"

"That wasn't funny, Kabuto."

"But it was." He was smiling like a little boy. Orochimaru was hard to read most times, but sometimes Kabuto was impossible. He got out of the bed, and helped the annoyed young woman up. He certainly was feeling better. He wasn't pale, and there was no fever. On his arm, there was a scar, long and thin, about four inches above his wrist. Frowning, she traced the slightly raised strip of pinkish skin. He had that scar because of her. "Don't worry about it. It doesn't hurt."

"But Orochimaru did that to you because of me, Kabuto. It's my scar. I would take it if I could." Amaya realized as she said this that she actually meant it. She hated it when people suffered because of her, no matter who they were. Kabuto took her in his arms, and held her close. It was a comforting embrace. If he was capable of this kind of emotion, there might be hope for him yet. She smiled into his shoulder.