Enough is Enough S. Lazic
Enough is Enough
~ A Naruto Original Character Fanfiction ~
Yoshiko groaned as annoyance overturned her body's need for sleep. For the fourth night in a row, she was awoken to the enraged and torturous screams of her father. His voice was like a dull and rusty knife digging and etching across her skin with each bellow of suffering that raced through the underground facility. How many more nights was this going to last? Ever since Orochimaru came back from his failed assault on the Leaf Village, he was riddled and tormented by whatever jutsu had been inflicted upon his arms. She remembered that when he returned how Suzume, her elder sister, tossed threats at the dead soul of the Third Hokage for what he did to her beloved father before she broke into tears upon her father's pain and suffering.
Yoshiko had not shed a tear or showed any concern for Orochimaru's wellbeing. The loss of his arms was what he deserved for going after the Leaf, her home village and the village she would always be loyal to, to obliterate every inch of life. When Orochimaru and his Sound Shinobi, who had survived, returned, she had rolled her eyes then stepped back to watch the drama play out.
Two weeks had passed, and she was still living in the hell created by her father's drama. She avoided the man and her sister as much as possible, for her father's rage was not to be crossed. In fact, her father had killed nine of his Shinobi who were foolish enough to try and comfort him, offer their condolences on his loss, or try to give him their pointless, blind, and loyal support. After the ninth man had been slaughtered most decided that what was best for their lives was to stay far away Orochimaru. Only Kimimaro, Kabuto, and her sister were brave enough to approach him.
Secretly, Yoshiko was glad that her father was humiliated, beaten, and his arms sealed. Maybe that would take him down a notch and let some air out of his proverbial ego that he was the master of the world and lord of the universe.
She was enjoying his suffering. For the first few weeks after his return, she had stood outside his room with a sly – sweet grin upon her lips while she listened to the battle of words passed between her father, Suzume, and Kabuto as to his treatment that Kabuto was overseeing. It was amazing how Orochimaru could keep himself under control and not kill either one of them when the two began to argue.
Day after day, Yoshiko sat and listened to Suzume preach about her on how Yoshiko was not supportive of their father or how she should show more concern for him. Yoshiko scoffed and replied with a mixture of disassociated phrases. Her complete lack of care only threw her sister into a rage. Suzume often turned her anger on her sister, swearing and cursing to guilt Yoshiko into acting, but her little sister ignored her. Suzume often resorted to a tantrum, stomping away while barking to Kimimaro to deal with Yoshiko. That's how their battles often ended, with Suzume's voice fizzling out in a banshee like scream of frustration down one hallway or another, Yoshiko rolling her eyes, and Kimimaro glaring at Yoshiko from his ever-watchful position.
But this? This was now becoming irritating.
Her father was supposed to be a high-level S-class criminal, leader of the Village Hidden in the Sound, and one of the three Legendary Sannin, not some pitiful man who would not stop vocalizing his suffering. Geez, it was only his arms that were basically rotting away with every nerve screaming in agony as the sealing jutsu ripped him apart from the inside out. What was the problem?
Oh, right.
Orochimaru was a neurotic drama king and neurotic, labeled by his youngest child as having Histrionic Personality Disorder. Basically? He was the disturbed version of a drama queen who would create some type of dramatic event just so he could keep reliving his past trauma for some psychological reward. The man's reward was the never-ending coddling provided by Suzume, who treated him like the selfish and spoiled adult child whom he was
Yoshiko winced, hands coming to cover her ears as another high pitched, soul ripping cry of torture erupted through the stone hallways of the underground compound. Groaning, she pulled her pillows over her head, hoping that the fluffy goodness would keep her father's screams away. It didn't do any good, and in a moment the pillows went flying across the room to thump against a wall.
"That's it!" she screamed as she tore away her blanket and rose from her bed. "I can't stand it anymore!"
Without a care that she was dressed in a pair of pajama shorts and a tank-top, she stormed out of her room.
Kimimaro's eyes drew open from his thin sleep when he heard an all too familiar door slam shut. The young man groaned as he rose from his bed. He muttered under a tight yawn, "She's at it again."
Blankets moved as his body slipped from the warmth of the bed to grab his bed-robe. With a fallen grimace, he shuffled from his room to follow the Princess, Orochimaru's most stubborn daughter.
"Don't just stand there, Kabuto, do something!" Suzume howled to her father's personal physician and deadly medical Shinobi.
Kabuto didn't move, didn't even flinch, as he watched the tears streaming down Princess Suzume's beautiful features. Even he felt the tug upon his heart from her desperate pleas.
He sighed as he pushed his glasses up his nose, "I'm sorry, Princess, but there is nothing more I can do but try to ease his pain.""
"That's not good enough!" she snapped back, pressing a damp towel against his burning forehead in hopes to alleviate some of the raging fever that had suddenly taken his body. "I'm no fool. You can create something for his pain. Do it! That's an order!"
"I already have, and he is already taking the medication." Kabuto shook his head, his voice softening as he told her – "There is nothing more I can do that will ease his pain. What you see is what my medicines couldn't ease. All we can do is make him comfortable until the fever leaves him, but even then, he will only find true relief when his takes a new body."
Suzume frowned, looking back to her father. A wave of deep-seated worry raced through her amber orbs as she saw Orochimaru's face twist in writhing agony, his body tightening as a spasm of pain tore through his being. More tears tumbled from her eyes and more whimpers fell from her lips as she dabbed the cloth to his sweating skin.
"It's alright, father. I'm here," she whispered softly.
"How long must he suffer life this?" She asked, leaning forward as she pressed a tender kiss to his damp brow. It seemed the moment her lips touched his skin, her father's quaking calmed.
"The fever should break soon," answered Kabuto as he watched the odd scene play out before him. "Lord Orochimaru is strong to handle the fever. However, it is the jutsu I am more worried about. The torture he must be feeling from that alone is unimaginable."
"Don't…speak as if I'm already dead," Orochimaru hissed through clenched teeth, his reptilian yellow-orange eyes drawing open only to squint past the pounding within his brain.
Suzume smiled lovingly. "No one is saying you are on your death bed, father."
Orochimaru's sleek muscles twitched beneath his grayish-white skin as drops of water fell upon his features. His slit eyes shifted to look up to his daughter's face. "What's this?" he asked in a trembling, jaw clenching voice. "Tears, my dear? Why do you cry?"
With a delicate chuckle, she brushed away her tears. "I hate to see you in so much pain, father."
Orochimaru had some energy left to chuckle, the sound coming out as frightening and un-natural. "There is no…need to worry, Suzume…" he bit out as more tears dripped against his face.
Kabuto felt his stomach twist. This, what he was watching, just wasn't right. Orochimaru and his eldest child speaking as if their unique relationship was as loving as any other father - daughter relationship could be, yet there was a twisted side to it that would make any sane and logical person question their bond. Kabuto saw no signs of incest between father and daughter, yet he questioned sometimes if the signs of their shared affection didn't fall on the boarder at times.
Did Orochimaru love his daughters? Probably, but not to the true definition of love. His daughters were born from his genetic gift to Lady Saeko's body. In Orochimaru's mind, Suzume and Yoshiko were all he had left of the woman he considered to be his property, the mother of his offspring, his lover – his everything. The way Suzume stroked her father's hair while speaking of love seemed out of place and unhealthy, but Kabuto had no authority to question the truth behind their relationship.
"Of course, there is, father," Suzume was heard whispering softly as she gazed lovingly down to his pain-stricken features. "Seeing you in so much pain rips apart my heart."
Kabuto's entire body tensed as his keen eyes caught the movement of her hand, reaching down to settle over one of his master's wrapped hands. The move put him on edge. With the immense level of pain within Orochimaru's body, there was no guarantee that the Sannin would not strike out at any who caused him more pain. His master was already violent in nature and one touch, one caress of air could send him into a frenzy, killing any without a thought. But Orochimaru wouldn't harm his flesh and blood.
Would he?
"Princess Suzume, please don't…" he began to say, but the deadly look from Orochimaru silenced his warning.
"Kabuto,' Orochimaru chided in a voice that was more of a painful purr than anything, 'you don't think I would harm my own child when she is simply trying to offer her father comfort, do you?"
Kabuto winced as he locked his dark eyes to Suzume. The two of them stared at each other. "Forgive me, my Lord. I simply did not want her touch to bring you discomfort."
Orochimaru chuckled past the pain. "You forget that Suzume was created from my seed. Her touch does nothing but ease my pain."
Kabuto lips thinned when a low growl slid from his throat.
Suzume smirked.
Looking back to her father, Suzume smiled lovingly with her fingers stroking over his long, damp black hair, brushing locks from his sickly pale face. He looked so ill - his cheeks sunken from lack of food, the fever straining his flesh, and the fact that he was suffering from brutal exhaustion and physical suffering from his battle with the Third Hokage.
"You've suffered so much, father," she said adoringly. Her eyes took on a look of heavenly adoration as she stroked his thin features. Frowning, she leaned her down until she had a cheek nestled to his black hair. "I feel so useless because I can't take away your pain. I would give you my own body if it would help ease your suffering."
"I will…not use your body for any purpose," groaned Orochimaru yet another wave of pain bore down upon him. "I…gave Saeko my word…"
"Ssshhh," Suzume mewed as she let her fingers tenderly take his bandaged hand with her other arm slipping beneath his shoulders to draw his head against her. "Save your strength so you can rest tonight."
Orochimaru eased as he allowed his child to guide him against her. There was comfort within Suzume's embrace. The same comfort he always needed and enjoyed from his dear deceased Saeko.
"My dear,' he said in a voice that sounded sickly sweet, yet at the same time twisted in condescending tones, 'having you by my side is more than enough to give me what little comfort can be granted."
"Which is more than I can say for you, my dear Yoshiko…" he mumbled as his lips took the form of a wicked grin. His reptilian eyes turned to look toward the open door to his private chamber.
Suzume and Kabuto followed Orochimaru's gaze.
"Come to offer your father some kind words and comforting thoughts?" he asked of her.
Yoshiko shrugged her shoulders, stepping into the dim lit room. "More like put a pillow over your face so that I can't hear your screams anymore."
"Yoshiko!" Suzume yelped in complete shock.
"Princess!" Kabuto snapped from her side.
Kimimaro, who had followed at an unregistered distance, shook his head in silence.
Orochimaru chuckled a pained and tight chuckle but a chuckle none the less. "Ah, my sweet Yoshiko, it is always a pleasure to hear your threats on my suffering. What brings you to your father's bedside at this time of…" he paused as his body shook, his fingers curling in burning agony.
"Father!" Suzume yelped, her attention instantly turning back to Orochimaru as he pressed into her secure embrace.
He panted against her, trying to get his pain under control. After a moment, his body eased, and he took a deep breath of cool air. Once more he looked to his youngest child to see her standing at the foot of his bed with her arms crossed and empty eyes locked to him. Her face held a look of annoyance, flat and unreadable, the same face she wore when around him. Yoshiko despised him. He knew that and accepted that. How amusing that one daughter viewed him as her heaven while the other viewed him as her hell.
"What brings me here you ask?" Yoshiko asked.
Her bright sable eyes narrowed to the pathetic scene of Suzume cradling their defeated and broken father.
"I'll tell you what brings me here!" She pointed a finger to him as her arms uncrossed. "You! Your annoying screams and howls are keeping me up at night. For the last week, I haven't been able to sleep, and it's all because of your bitching and whining!"
She scoffed and rolled her eyes in a dramatic fashion. "You would think you were in pain..."
"Princess!" yelled Kabuto, his entire body going taut at the dangerous words she spoke.
"Yoshiko, don't say such things!" her sister shrieked.
Kimimaro closed his eyes as he took a deep, calming breath.
Orochimaru coughed past another disturbing chuckle. "You always have the sweetest things to say, my child."
He coughed once more as he forced his body to move from Suzume's grasp. He heard a whimper of protest come from her but paid no attention to her. "I'm sure you would love nothing more than for me to willingly curl up and die."
Tipping her head, long waves of ebony falling from her impassive features, Yoshiko replied flatly – "Would you father? I would greatly appreciate that, especially by tomorrow night." Then she smiled a sarcastic smile that seemed a perfect match to the smiles her father was so known to give.
Even though the other three gaped at her open and deliberate mockery of Orochimaru, he took her words as nothing more than the jibes of an angry and irrational teenager. At sixteen, Yoshiko was testing the boundaries of independence that came with defying her father and the position given to her upon her birth. Her threats, defiance, deviant behavior, and insubordination were just a mirror of the turmoil that raged within her. She was more like her mother than Suzume was. It was Saeko's internal fire, self-empowered passion, and proud defiance that drew Orochimaru to Saeko in the first place, and all those beautiful qualities had been passed to Yoshiko.
"You're more bark than bite, my dear Yoshiko." Orochimaru grinned as he moved to sit up, yet the move stopped as agony tore through him, causing a cry of burning pain to break from his lips.
Suzume cried out, tears pouring from her eyes, as she moved to cradle her father's spasming body. Kabuto took a step forward. Even Kimimaro's features turned from their own impassive expression to a look of mild concern. Yoshiko on the other hand narrowed her eyes in annoyance.
"Somebody give me a butter knife," she muttered under her voice.
"Your concern is heart…warming," Orochimaru breathed out past gasps and panting breaths. "But a kitchen utensil…will not kill me."
"What about a syringe full of air?" she asked with a wicked grin to her lips. "Right into a vein - instant heart attack and undetectable as a sign of patricide."
Kabuto growled.
Suzume gasped.
Kimimaro lips curled into a snarl. He would only take her insults of his master to a certain point, and she was crossing a line.
Orochimaru, his body shaking, managed to smirk toward Yoshiko. "And you…think that you are nothing like me. Your words,' he groaned out as he sucked in a deep and painful breath, 'are more like mine every day."
"I could put anti-freeze in your tea. It's odorless and rather sweet tasting. You like cake. How about a slice of cake decorated with arsenic laced icing?" Yoshiko asked her father.
"Enough, Yoshiko." Suzume muttered, a hard and threatening glare being sent to her younger sister, "You've crossed the line…"
Orochimaru eyed his youngest child. "You…are cruel…"
Yoshiko's grin turned to an icy smile. "I learned my cruelty from you."
"That's enough…" Orochimaru chuckled sarcastically.
There were only so much of her teases he could take, and at this moment, his endurance for his daughter's mouth was wearing thin the longer he was dealing with the pain, especially thing night.
"I will not take too much more of your teases and mockery, Yoshiko. Return to your room and leave me to my suffering."
Her sable eyes narrowed dangerously but she did not budge.
When his daughter did not move, Orochimaru looked past her to the leader of the Sound Ninja Five, Kimimaro.
"Kimimaro,' he growled out past clenching jaws, 'escort my daughter to her room and make sure she does not leave for the remainder of the night."
Anger flared across Yoshiko's features. Silently, Kimimaro came up behind her and set a hand to her shoulder. Her head snapped to the side, and her eyes glared daggers to him – a silent threat for him to remove his touch. Immune to her anger, he did not remove his grip.
He said but one commanding word – "Princess."
Without a word to anyone, Yoshiko spun about in a flurry of black hair, slapped her guard's hand from her shoulder then stalked out into the hallways.
Kimimaro sighed inwardly then offered a bow to his master before following her.
"That girl needs to be taught some manners and some respect," Kabuto muttered.
"She is none of your concern, Kabuto," Orochimaru said as he willed his ailing body to ease.
"I will speak to her in the morning, father," Suzume's delicate and sweet voice spoke softly as she moved her arms once again about Orochimaru's shoulders. Feeling him relax, as much as he could considering his pain, offered her a bit of relief.
"That child will always…despise me," he groaned.
Suzume bent to kiss his forehead once again. "You have my love, father. Isn't that enough?"
Forcing his eyes to close, Orochimaru leaned into her embrace as his daughter's body moved to sit behind him to hold him. "Kabuto."
"Yes?"
"Leave us."
Deep within the pit of Kabuto's stomach, a growl rose into his throat. His eyes behind his glasses locked upon the wicked and threatening look he saw within Suzume's gaze. She was smirking to him, as if her father ordering him away was a sign of her importance to the Sannin over his own. He didn't trust her, for there was something behind her smile that prickled every sense of his being. Though he didn't quite agree with Yoshiko's open and spoken defiance to Orochimaru, he would prefer to have her around him than the elder daughter. At least the youngest child was predictable. The elder child had spent far too long in the world of the Shinobi and in the arms and beds of some of the most terrifying ninja out there.
Suzume could not be trusted.
In the end, he simple bowed. "Of course. If you need more sedatives, the pills are on the table. Remember,' he said lifted a hand to show two fingers, 'take only two and only if you really need it."
"Thank you, Kabuto."
Blood curdled at the sweet words that came from Suzume. With but a nod of his head, the medical ninja disappeared.
"Princess, you were ordered back to your room," Kimimaro's smooth voice spoke calm and quietly.
He should have known that she would defy Orochimaru's order and go the opposite direction of her room.
Yoshiko waved a hand back to him. She didn't reply, just kept walking up the winding walkway from the basement level toward the general direction of the upper levels of the underground compound. She was heading to the entry and to the forest outside. He knew where she was going - to her safe place - a place where she went whenever she needed to be alone.
Kimimaro was no fool. He knew Yoshiko's soul was too gentle for the desires of Orochimaru. She was not made to be dwelling in the dark and dank catacombs of her father's subterranean compound. Sighing, the Shinobi followed quietly after her. Watching her and guarding her was his duty after all.
Once outside, the cool night air greeted Yoshiko by a delicate kiss of a breeze. Through a parting in the tall and thick trees above her, she saw the clear night sky with stars glittering in a flickering blanket high above. Only at night did she feel safe within Otogakure's boundaries. Otogakura was not Konoha, but for now it was her home. And she hated that.
Behind her, she heard Kimimaro's footsteps stop upon the ground.
"You don't have to follow me. I want to be alone, so go away," Yoshiko muttered without looking back to the young man.
Out of all her father's Shinobi, Kimimaro was the only one whom she could stomach and let within twenty feet of her. Even so, there were times that she wished he would just leave her be.
"I'm sorry Princess, but I cannot do that."
Damn him! And damn his smooth and calming voice that so easily slipped past her defenses to naturally calm her. Perhaps she should hate him, then she could put up a wall of defense against the attraction that had been building between the two. It would be easier than falling for the spell that was his intense and alluring aura.
"As a Sound Shinobi, you have to obey my orders, correct?" She snapped, keeping her gaze forward into the dark forest.
"That is correct," he replied smoothly.
"Then go away. That's an order."
"I cannot," Kimimaro said softly as he stepped forward until he was standing at her back. "Your father's orders will always be of a higher priority than yours…Yoshiko."
Her body stiffened when a caress of fingers brush along her cheek. He had reached about her shoulder to touch her - blatantly ignoring her father's orders – "If any dare touch Yoshiko, they shall suffer a death that only their most hellish nightmares can create". But it seemed that Kimimaro was willing to bypass his master's threat, that order to touch her.
Grasping her strength, Yoshiko muttered again - "Go away."
"My orders are to watch over you and to guard you when I am not needed by your father," replied Kimimaro. His voice dropped, and his breath gently spilled against the back of her neck, "I will not leave you alone."
Closing her eyes, Yoshiko turned about only to open her sable eyes to lock to his, the most beautiful aquamarine eyes she had ever seen. There was no expression of emotions upon his features, and is lips were pressed thin in an expression of his irritation with her. He did not blink, but he did touch her again. His skillful and deadly fingers brushing along her jaw then down her neck.
"Why not?" she asked with a slight tremble to her words. "Why can't you leave me to my peace?"
Lifting his other hand, Kimimaro cupped her face, tipping her head up as he leaned closer to her - so very close. "You know why, Princess," he whispered.
Her supple lips parted beneath the brushing of his thumbs over her lower lip, followed by a tiny gasp of anticipation. Yoshiko felt a shiver race her spine as he leaned closer to her, feeling his warm breath caress over her skin just before his mouth settled over hers. She moaned as his deadly gaze swept heat through her. Whatever rage and whatever hatred she had for him at that moment melted away.
This was why he would never leave her alone no matter how many threats she delivered to him or how far she tried to run from him. It wasn't due to her father's order. It was the fact that after a year of being back within her father's domain that she and Kimimaro had formed a strange and unique relationship. Their relationship was a different relationship than she had with Haku. Theirs was a relationship developing on budding physical attraction and innocent desire, not like the relationship of innocent love and comfort that she had with Haku. The feelings she embraced for Kimimaro were based upon recently discovered feelings, the feelings of growing need - a need that at sixteen was still confusing and a bit frightening. But the feelings were there within her, and they were growing.
Yoshiko's eyes softened when Kimimaro's mouth settled over hers in a soft, explorative kiss.
This kiss was not the same type of kiss that she had shared with Haku. Those little kisses had been innocent and childlike. These kisses were intense and no closer to being childlike than her father ever was. Something pulled at her whenever she felt him touch her or kiss her. In fact, often when they passed each other in the halls, she felt a brush of his fingertips in the form of a hidden acknowledgment of their connection.
There were times in the deepest parts of the compound where she would be alone in the halls then, suddenly, find herself pushed up against a wall with Kimimaro pressed against her and his lips dancing over hers. Those brief escapades left her senseless and breathless.
When his lips drew away, leaving her flushed, Yoshiko swallowed and whispered softly, "I don't want to go back in there, Kimi. Please don't take me back there."
Ever impassive, not even a smile or a softening of his eyes, the deadly and young Shinobi touched her lips with a fingertip, quieting her words and stilling her thoughts.
"I will not force you, but I will not leave you."
"I hate it here," he said quietly and with a growl to her voice as she leaned to fold her arms between their bodies. With a heavy sigh, he rested against him.
Kimimaro looked down to her, allowing her to rest against him. Slowly, he embraced her - the only show of comfort and support he could give her was the security of his arms since his voice would never form the tender and loving words she deserved to hear. Among the chattering voices of insects and the breeze rustling the leaves all about them, Kimimaro held Yoshiko, letting her lean to him and take in what strength he could offer her as his own body was eaten away by his taxing illness. He closed his eyes and tightened his hold about her as the thought of his impending death brought momentary regret.
Regret over what? He did not know.
Feeling Yoshiko's body tremble, feeling the warm drops of her tears dampen his shirt brought him to reply to her as he knew how. He tipped up her head and leaned to her, sealing the first echo of a sob in a tender kiss.
12
