(A/N: alright. This one was lotsa fun cuz I got to be creative…. And there's more to come. I liked typing about the sound village… I really don't think they're as evil as Naruto makes them out to be. So I had to make 'em happy and care free and stuff. Don't worry, I'll make it seem more normal in the next few chapters. And, congrats, Sasuke fans…. I really do have Sasuke here! -happy music- ya…. I'm one, too O.o)
Orochimaru's body rose from the ground slowly once again. Once the jutsu was complete, he eyed Neji, then turned to see Kabuto standing nervously behind him. Kabuto fell to the ground on one knee, but Orochimaru turned away before Kabuto could say anything. He looked at Yukie, who held his eyes strongly in hers. Kabuto had infuriated her and she was in no mood to play Orochimaru's pet.
He saw this, and addressed her as an equal, "What is it, Yukie?" he asked.
"Did you order Kabuto to attack Neji and seek me out, Orochimaru?" she returned, using his name forcefully.
Orochimaru shook his head, "The last orders I gave were for you to help when Kabuto began to leave," he turned to face the kneeling Kabuto, "Which should not have happened for some time."
Yukie's gaze also shifted to Kabuto, "As I thought."
"Rise," Orochimaru ordered Kabuto, "We will address this… misunderstanding later." He turned back to Yukie with a grim face, "Yukie, how much does he know?"
He was referring to Neji, and, pleased with Orochimaru's response to Kabuto, Yukie replied with renewed respect, "He knows of the plan and my alliances, Orochi-Kun."
"What do you recommend?"
"We should bring him back to our village. It could prove to our advantage."
Orochimaru nodded, "Very well, My Pet, you will bring him to the village immediately." The plan formed smoothly in Orochimaru's mind as he gave the orders, "Kabuto, report to Tsunade that you heard a shot while passing through and tried to come to his aid. A masked man performed a forbidden jutsu and killed one of you guards; the other," he nodded to the living man lying helplessly on the ground, "was greatly injured. Before you could take further action, he used another forbidden jutsu, you were blinded, and he took Yukie and the boy. Understand?"
He nodded and Orochimaru continued, "Yukie perform the masking jutsu now and leave with the boy. Kabuto, leave and report the crime to Tsunade right away." Both nodded and Yukie and Orochimaru moved in unison, releasing the Shadow Summon jutsu. Orochimaru vanished.
Yukie turned to Kabuto, "Don't screw up again, idiot."
"Or course not," he said in a sly voice, "I wouldn't want to disappoint Orochimaru-Sama's pet."
"Get out, Kabuto!" Yukie commanded, "You've been warned, now do as you're told!" With that, she performed a masking-shadow jutsu and darkness took over. With Yukie's bloodline jutsu still active, she could see Neji's body and knelt next to him. "I'm sorry for this," she whispered in his ear, "you weren't supposed to get sucked into this… You were supposed to be safe. Now, hold onto me so you don't get left to Kabuto." She pulled his arm around her and performed another jutsu; Shadow Leap.
Neji felt a pulling sensation and his insides did a flip as he felt his body jolt into new surroundings. Light blinded him as they settled into their destination. He saw they were on the skirts of a small village with a few scattered trees around them and a forest a few feet off. Yukie looked at the village, letting it all sink in. This was her home; her village. The sign of the sound was painted on the outer gate. Once Yukie laid eyes on it, she felt happy and whole for the first time in a long time.
On the outer wall stood a guard. He saw Yukie supporting Neji and leaned forward to get a better look. His rough features softened and his scowl became a grin once he recognized Yukie. "Yukie-Sama!" he called down, waving.
Yukie looked up and smiled, "Letto!" ahe called back, "It's nice to see you!"
"I never expected you to return so soon," Letto said happily as the gate was slowly raised.
"Well, here I am!" she called happily. She knew behind the wall stood the village's seven strongest men, putting all of their strength into raising the gate.
"I'll send a messenger to inform Sasuke-Sensei of your arrival," ge said as Yukie slowly walked through the gate while supporting Neji's weight.
"Thank you," she returned. When she saw the seven men holding the gate up, she nodded thanks, and they grinned back.
Neji watched all this happen and was surprised to see how happy the feared evil Hidden Sound Village was. Although they eyed Neji warily, some with malice even, they all regarded Yukie with joy; some actually calling her the gem of the village. And, although Neji had known about Sasuke's betrayal, and had really been a member to the retrieval team for him, he was shocked to hear Sasuke spoken of. He was even more shocked to see Sasuke in person.
He approached Yukie like they were old friends. The first thing he noticed was Neji; his arm still draped over Yukie. But he disregarded Neji, giving him neither a scowl nor a warm welcome. But Neji hadn't expected much; Sasuke was a traitor. But aside from Sasuke's non-existent reaction to Neji, he didn't seem to have changed much. His outfit greatly resembled the one he wore in Konoha, only with a little more style of Otoga. He, of course, no longer wore the Leaf head protector, but the Sound head protector. He actually seemed more relaxed and happy now; though Neji didn't know if that was because of Yukie's presence or not.
The two stood in the street, chatting like old friends, hardly noticing the fatally injured Neji hanging onto Yukie for support.
Finally, Sasuke turned to Neji and asked Yukie, "What's with the extra weight?" Neji wasn't surprised to notice that, even when the conversation switched to him, he was still being disregarded by Sasuke.
"Orochi-Kun told me to bring him; he knows about the plan," Yukie replied in the same nonchalant tone she had been speaking to Sasuke in all day.
"We'd better get him to a healer," Sasuke said with a sigh, "He's bleeding all over the street." Neji found he was almost mad when he noticed Sasuke sounded more concerned about the street than Neji's health.
"Yeah," Yukie replied with a hint of concern for Neji, "I thought it would have stopped by now."
"If it was Kabuto's kunai that hit him, he won't stop bleeding for a while," Sasuke said conversationally as he took Neji from Yukie and supported him, "Kabuto puts a special jutsu on all his weapons. He'll keep bleeding either until he has no blood left, or until the counter-jutsu's performed."
"Do the healers know the counter jutsu?" Yukie asked in a worried voice as they walked down the street.
Sasuke shrugged, with some difficulty, and replied with a chuckle, "'Guess we'll find out, won't we?"
Yukie nodded, looking at Neji, eyes filled with worry.
