Author's Note: This drabble takes place in an A/U setting where none of the Sound Five died retrieving Sasuke, because it's a lot more interesting to imagine what went on during the two and half year time jump if the Uchiha had more people then Kabuto and Orochimaru to interact with.
The scene was an interesting one to watch. Kimimaro was almost a head taller then Sasuke, but less sturdy, and either way the Uchiha managed to give the impression of being of equal height to the older boy. The Kaguya prodigy's eyes were colder, but the Sharingan burned. Either way, they almost seemed to cancel each other out whenever there was an encounter between Orochimaru's former container and his current one. This was often. To say the least, Kimimaro and Sasuke didn't like each other, basically because of the same issue they happened to be on opposite sides on. Kimimaro thought Sasuke was disrespectful. Sasuke thought Kimimaro was a gullible suck up. The argument got tired after about a day, but it was always entertaining to see what new insults the two could come up with, since they had been specifically forbidden to fight. Considering the parties involved, a sparring match could all too easily turn into an 'accident.'
According to the laws of probability, Sasuke, being Orochimaru's favorite, should have had more ammo to back up his arguments, but he all too often lost his temper and stormed off before Kimimaro even became slightly agitated. The twins had a running bet going between themselves. With it being Sasuke twenty-seven, Kimimaro forty by the end of the first month, Ukon had victoriously taken his younger brother's 'secret' stash of peanut butter cups with glee.
Watching Sakon stare gloomily at the floor as Ukon devoured the last of the treasure trove, Kidoumaru couldn't help but sigh over his cards. "You know, I think our gambling would be a lot more exciting if we actually had money."
Tayuya snorted and picked up three cards from the deck. "Seeing as we don't get paid, that kind of makes it difficult. I'll see your Twinkie and raise you a fun-sized Snickers bar."
"Geez, our poker games even sound lame. . ."
A sudden explosion made everyone wince as Jiroubou's chocolate soufflé toppled over where it cooled on the counter, but all the large shinobi did was sigh and go back to his book. His food was ruined far too often by his teammates for it to bother him for long. Tayuya, on the other hand, had no ability to accept anything gracefully. It showed.
"What the fuck are those two doing now?"
Kidoumaru shrugged. "Orochimaru-sama let Sasuke in on his 'secret' cupboard of exotic coffees. Kimimaro didn't. . . react well."
"Don't do that quotations thing with your fingers. It's fucking annoying and everyone knows nothing's really secret around here. And who gives a shit about coffee anyway? I didn't think the brat even drank the stuff."
"Well, he does now."
Licking his fingers clean of the last of the chocolate, Ukon gave his teammates a smirk. "You guys have got to admit, Sasuke may be an annoying little dwarf-"
Sakon finally glanced up from the floor to stare at his brother. "Ukon, he's half an inch taller then us. He's grown since he got here."
"Emotional, mental dwarf. Whatever. As I was saying, annoying little dwarf, but he certainly pisses off Kimimaro. That alone makes him worth keeping around."
Tayuya snorted. "Like we could get rid of him if we wanted to."
Kidoumaru tossed his cards into the center, revealing a straight with a grin before tossing his winnings in a pile to the side. "I like him."
Another explosion shook the room. One of the windows cracked.
"If you like the brat so much, you can foot the repair bills, you freak."
"We don't get paid, remember?"
"Just. . . shut up."
They started up another card game, this time with the twins participating. Jiroubou didn't shift from his position on the couch. The room was a mess, but they were Sound-nins. Wholesale destruction wasn't anything new.
