(A/N: mkay, so if ne of u notice, the relationship between Yukie and Orochimaru is a lot like the relationship between Haku and Zabuza -it's in the first season… first big fight… 'member them?-. but I got bored w/ copying the same ol' thing. So I changed it around a lil at the end. So here's the main turning point. From here on, I'll jump around even more and it'll get more confusing till the end yay almost there! Hope ya'll enjoy it and please RnR)

As Tsunade's summon rammed the snake head on, she felt the impact shake the ground. Tsunade took advantage of this moment to leap at Kabuto. He had lost his balance, and was knocked off the snake by Tsunade's blow. The two summons vanished and Tsunade pinned Kabuto to the wall.

"How dare you attack my village," Tsunade spat in a deadly, low voice, "You've attacked me twice now, but this time, you won't leave with your life. You fight for Orochimaru, thinking he actually cares about what happens to you. Let me tell you something: he doesn't. He doesn't care about anybody. He would betray and destroy everything in the world if it meant he would have power."

"If I help Orochimaru-Sama, he will help me," Kabuto replied, his voice barely a gasp because of Tsunade's iron grip on his neck, "I will continue to be useful to him and he will keep me with him."

"What happens when your usefulness has run out?" Tsunade asked, her eyes narrowing.

"I will kill him." Orochimaru replied. He stood at the place where the door once was. The rubble that surrounded him greatly resembled Tsunade's office. "That seems to be coming much sooner than I expected," he said, eyeing Kabuto, "I hoped you wouldn't have been defeated so soon. But I suppose, as long as I am here now, no harm's done."

Tsunade turned to Orochimaru. "How many people did you send into my village as spies?"

Orochimaru shrugged in reply, "Kabuto and his people."

"What about Yukie?" Tsunade demanded, "Is she yours, too?"

"Why, yes, she is," Orochimaru replied slyly.

"What if I had figured it out?" Tsunade asked, looking off into the distance.

Orochimaru shrugged again, "As long as she serves her purpose."

"So her death would mean nothing to you?"

"Whether she lived or died, she would still be a contribution to my goal," Orochimaru replied coolly, "The village loves her. They would only fight harder to avenge her death."

Tsunade focused her vision behind Orochimaru, "You heard that, Yukie? Orochimaru doesn't care if you die. He's just using you."

Yukie nodded solemnly, "I heard. My life isn't important to him." Orochimaru reached out a hand to Yukie and she came toward him. She stopped beside him and the hand he offered wrapped around her waist. It wasn't a show of affection, Tsunade realized with some disgust, it was a show of ownership. "I know his purpose for me. I owe Orochi-Kun my life. I will always do as he asks, because I am his pet. He owns me, just as I own Kotori. This is the nature of a ninja and the nature of the world. Everybody has a purpose. Everybody's purpose has to do with another person. I understand that." She was absent-mindedly petting Kotori, who now sat on her shoulder in her smaller form.

Orochimaru smiled wickedly, "Well said, My Pet, it is comforting to see you remember."

Tsunade's control escaped her as she saw what Orochimaru had done to Yukie. "You sick bastard. How can you do this to this child? She has been in my village for only a week and I could see her free spirit. How can you take a girl like her and make her into… this?" She gestured to the emotionless doll Yukie was.

"The child you knew never existed," Orochimaru replied angrily, "It was all an act, a fake. Yukie was never a child, she was never innocent, and she was always mine. I will always have a use for such a girl." Then Tsunade turned back to Yukie, who almost seemed proud of how Orochimaru talked about her. "Speaking of which, My Pet, would you be so kind as to dispose of Kabuto for me? He has become sickeningly pathetic."

Yukie left Orochimaru's side to stand before Kabuto. It was evident that she hated him, and would gladly kill him.

Tsunade was desperate; she may not like Kabuto, but she didn't want Yukie to kill him. She didn't know why, but it raised a red flag in her mind. "Do you do this to all of your partners?"

Yukie pulled a kunai from her side pouch as Orochimaru chuckled, "When a person becomes useless, there is no reason for them to remain. The only other course is death. For some, they are more useful in death than in life."

Yukie reached down and yanked Kabuto to his feet. Tsunade thought quickly and asked, "Is that what you did to the child who had the Phoenix Demon?" Yukie hesitated, attention suddenly on Orochimaru and his upcoming reply.

"Talah had many uses," he said, picking his phrasing carefully, "I didn't want her to die. But when the Akatsuki came, Sasuke was once again motivated to get his brother out of the way. Her death gave the village a blood lust that only your village could sate. The demon inside of her even went to attack Konoha." Yukie had turned to face Orochimaru when he added, "I must admit, she was much more useful in her death than in her life."

"Damnit, Orochimaru!" Yukie shouted, stalking toward him.

"Now, now," Orochimaru said calmly, "Don't forget Kabuto, My Pet. You can not possibly want him to live."

Without looking back at Kabuto, Yukie flung the kunai and hit him square in the chest. She continued forward until she was inches from Orochimaru. "It's because of you that Talah's dead!"

"I did nothing," Orochimaru replied, his voice rising, "Talah chose to kill herself. We rose to fight for her but she wouldn't allow it."

"Yeah, like I'll ever believe that," Yukie said angrily, "She would never have given herself so easily. You knew her death would provoke the village! You killed her!" Yukie shouted, her eyes turning black.

"Come to me, My Pet," Orochimaru said, holding out an arm for her, "You don't understand. Come to me."

"Now," Yukie said, taking a step backward, "I'm not yours; not anymore." The room was engulfed in shadow and Yukie vanished.

Once she and Kotori were gone, the shadows disappeared. Orochimaru stood, staring at the place Yukie stood only seconds before. But he covered his shock quickly and turned to Tsunade, eager to fight off his anger.