Emulation of Apathy
Chapter VI
"Early to Rise"
…
He was not sure what had roused him. There was no window through which sun could stream, and there were no chirping birds outside, or some alarm clock. The room was as dark and silent as when he had fallen asleep. In fact, it might even be darker, with the lack of the candle. Whatever the reason, Sasuke found himself awake surprisingly early, and lying in bed any longer would not do him any good, because he could not seem to fall asleep again. Therefore, he sat up and placed his feet against the cold stone floor.
The young Uchiha stumbled to a standing position and then walked across the room to pull his door open. After walking some distance down the passageway, his hand against the wall for support, he took a turn and opened the kitchen door. As he stepped inside, however, he was startled into a more alert mode when he found Kabuto standing directly in front of him.
"Gah!"
"Oh, good morning, Sasuke-kun," Kabuto smiled pleasantly, before tossing his napkin in the trashcan. Gesturing for the boy to take a sit, the older shinobi asked, "Did you sleep well?"
"Fine," Sasuke muttered dryly, walking past him and coming to a stop in front of the fridge.
"Good, I'm glad to hear it," the Genin nodded, retaking his seat at the table and then taking a long sip from his glass of milk. "We want you in prime health, after all. I hear your training is pretty rigorous, and if you're ill, we can't have you putting any strain on your body. As it is, your body…well…," he trailed off with the same, pleasant smile. "Let's just say it's important."
Sasuke offered the man no response, proceeding to simply pull the fridge door open and search its contents with his eyes. When he grabbed the carton of milk, however, he found that it was empty, and he turned back to face the older ninja with a scowl.
"Kabuto," he began slowly, "did you use the last of this?"
"Oh, I suppose I must have," Kabuto said with a slight laugh.
"You didn't think to save it for anyone else?" Sasuke pressed.
"Well, Orochimaru-sama doesn't really drink milk," the Genin explained matter-of-factly. "He prefers apple juice."
The Uchiha stared at him silently a moment, before drawling, "I wasn't referring to Orochimaru."
Kabuto tilted his head to one side, and then realization struck. "Oh, I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. Did you want some milk?"
"Obviously," Sasuke shot back. "Otherwise I wouldn't have brought it up!"
"Ah, I'll remember that in the future," Kabuto declared. "If that's the case, I suppose I'll have to stop drinking from the carton."
"You drank from the carton, and poured yourself that glass?!" Sasuke exclaimed.
"Well, yes," Kabuto said with an easy shrug of his shoulders. "It's what I always do. But I'll just drink it from the glass in the future."
Holding back the sigh, Sasuke muttered, "Fine. And, next time, when you use the last of it, don't put it back in the fridge. Throw it away, like a normal person."
"Of course, of course," Kabuto said through a laugh. "I must say, Sasuke-kun, you're always so cranky in the morning."
The boy crossed the room and tossed the empty carton in the trashcan, before walking to the stove and setting a kettle of water to boil. As he leaned against the counter and folded his arms in front of him, he muttered, "I'm not a morning person."
"Well, I can see that," the Genin remarked in amusement, taking another sip of his milk. "Oh! Would you like some of mine?" he offered, holding out the glass.
Sasuke glanced up at him with a disgusted look in place. "No. Absolutely not. You drank out of it."
"My, you're awfully picky," Kabuto tsked the boy. "Orochimaru-sama and I do that all the time—it's less wasteful that way, you know?"
"I'm sure," the Uchiha drawled with a slight shake of his head, pushing away from the counter and searching through the cabinet for that tea. However, when he came up empty, he turned around to award Kabuto a look of perplexity. "Are we out of jasmine?"
"Jasmine, what?" Kabuto asked.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the moron. "Tea. Jasmine tea."
"Oh," the man simply shrugged his shoulders. "Must be. I'm going to the store later today, so, if you want, you can just make a list."
A list, huh? That would work. He had quite a few things he would put on there. With a slight nod of his head, Sasuke asked, "Alright, where can I find a pencil and paper?"
"There should be some in the nightstand in your room—oh…wait, which room do you have?" Kabuto checked.
"Down those two halls, first door on the left," Sasuke drawled, wondering how, since Kabuto had been the one who assigned it to him, the man had managed to forget. "And I checked all the drawers, they're empty."
"Well…I suppose there aren't any in your room, then," the Genin nodded.
"Yeah, I know," Sasuke deadpanned. "That's what I just said."
"In which case," Kabuto continued, completely disregarding the boy's words, "there might be some on top of the fridge there."
"On top…of the fridge?" the young Uchiha asked slowly.
"Yes," Kabuto smiled up at him. "We decided to keep them there after Orochimaru-sama compiled a grocery list for me. He was out of artichokes, you see, and he needed them for an experiment. We've kept the paper up there ever since. For convenience's sake, you know?"
Convenience. Right. It seemed a pretty stupid place to keep writing utensils. No matter, he would make a list after breakfast and give it to Kabuto. Hopefully, the man did not actually forget to take the list with him to the store. He would not put it past the idiot.
Sasuke let his dark eyes inspect the kitchen, in search of something appropriate for breakfast that looked edible. Before he managed to find anything, however, the kettle whistled, and he took it off the burning. Looking through the cabinet, he sifted through the different teas, and found a spiced one that he liked. It would have to do. He filled the teapot, and, as he turned around again, he stumbled back in a start, and the kettle flew from his hands, hot water splattering on the floor.
Orochimaru, who had been standing directly behind him, released a high-pitched scream, and Kabuto rushed from his seat at the table to his master's side. The Sannin fell down in a pitiful heap, clutching his foot, which had been splashed by the boiling water, and he cried out in pain. A bit of a dramatized pain, at that. Surely, it was not that painful.
"Orochimaru-sama, are you alright?" Kabuto asked, sincere concern dripping from his voice, and the Snake Master only shook his head vigorously in response. "Come with me," the Genin urged, rubbing Orochimaru's back in a soothing manner, and then he helped the older man to his feet. "Come, sit at the table."
Orochimaru did as his assistant instructed, falling to the seat at the head of the table as he released an obviously melodramatic sigh.
"I'll make your breakfast," Kabuto assured him. "Do you want your eggs fried or scrambled?"
The Sannin took a minute to compose himself, before looking up at the Genin through watery eyes and a smile. "Dear Kabuto, you know I like them scrambled."
"Of course, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto nodded, and he then turned around and set a chastising look on Sasuke. "You really need to be more careful."
The Uchiha shook his head at this, exclaiming, "I've told him to stop sneaking up behind me like that!"
"Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru chuckled, which made Sasuke wonder if the whole fit had been an act, some way to gain attention, and he rolled his eyes at this thought. "I've told you that you have no reason to be afraid. None of us here are going to do you any harm."
Kabuto smiled at this and leaned over to whisper something in Orochimaru's ear, which both men laughed at.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes into a glare and demanded, "What?"
"Nothing, Sasuke-kun," the Genin straightened himself and then crossed the kitchen to grab a frying pain from a lower cabinet. As he grabbed the proper ingredients and started the burner, his eyes lowered to the water on the floor, and he noted, "Someone really should clean that up."
"Sasuke-kun, would you like to clean up the mess?" Orochimaru asked with a grin.
"Hn," Sasuke grunted. "No. Why don't you?"
"Tsk tsk tsk," the Sannin shook his head at him. "I am clearly injured."
"Right, because a tiny splash of hot water is going to inhibit you from standing for the rest of the morning," Sasuke drawled sarcastically. "Why don't you get Kabuto to do it?"
"Sasuke-kun, you are the one who spilt the water," Orochimaru pointed out matter-of-factly.
"Yes, but that wouldn't have happened if you hadn't snuck up behind me," the Uchiha countered.
"I already told you," Orochimaru chuckled. "There is nothing to be afraid of."
"Being afraid and being creeped out aren't the same thing," Sasuke said simply. "I'm not cleaning that up." Crossing his arms in front of him, he again suggested, "You do it."
Orochimaru remained silent a moment, before turning his pleasant smile on the man preparing his eggs. "Kabuto, clean up that mess."
"Ah," Kabuto set the spatula down on the counter. "Of course, Orochimaru-sama." The Genin grabbed a kitchen towel and quickly wiped up the water, before setting the towel back where it had been.
"What are you doing?" Sasuke furrowed his brow.
As he picked up the spatula, Kabuto answered pleasantly, "Making eggs. Why? Do you want some?"
"No," Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I meant, why are you putting that dirty towel back on the counter? Shouldn't it…go in the laundry?"
"An excellent suggestion, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru nodded in agreement. "Kabuto, I daresay he's proving to be a fine addition to our party."
"He certainly is, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto glanced over at the Sannin with his pleasant smile. "I had my doubts at first."
"Kabuto," Orochimaru tsked him. "Always assuming the worst. That's why I can always count on you, to think of every possible scenario."
Kabuto looked quite pleased with himself, and he took the kitchen towel in his hands and exited the room altogether. Sasuke furrowed is brow, wondering if the man really was that absent-minded, that he could so easily forget his present task merely with the development of some new train of conversation.
No matter. The young Uchiha shook his head and finally spotted something that would work for breakfast. He grabbed the bread, took two slices, and set them in the toaster. He then leaned against the counter and crossed his arms in front of him once more.
"Aha!" Orochimaru suddenly exclaimed, and Sasuke glanced back over at him in surprise. Presently, the Sannin was jumping to his feet and staring intently at the refrigerator door, and, at this realization, Sasuke took a careful step to the side to distance himself from the fridge.
However, nothing happened, and, when Kabuto returned to the kitchen, Orochimaru retook his seat with a pleased grin.
"Oh, Orochimaru-sama, I think your eggs are done," Kabuto announced, and he quickly slid the partially blackened eggs onto a plate. Glancing over at Sasuke with a smile, the Genin asked, "Are you sure you don't want any eggs, Sasuke-kun? It's no trouble."
"I don't like eggs," Sasuke stated dryly.
Kabuto blinked twice, his expression one of shock, and he then probed, "Are you serious?"
"Yes," Sasuke deadpanned. "They're disgusting."
"Tsk," Kabuto shook his head as he handed the plate to Orochimaru. "It's very sad that you think that. Well…I suppose I could make something else for you. What do you like?"
Just as the man was asking, however, the bread in the toaster popped up, and Sasuke glanced over it blankly. "I already made toast."
"Well….that's not much of breakfast," the Genin remarked, as he pushed his glasses up the brim of his nose. "I'm going to make pancakes for myself. Do you want some?"
"No," Sasuke replied.
"Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto then glanced over at the Snake Master, "would you like some pancakes?"
"Of course, Kabuto," Orochimaru grinned, a bite of eggs halfway in his mouth. "You always do make the best breakfasts."
After a time, the three found themselves sitting at the small kitchen table together. Kabuto was happily sipping at his milk as he drenched his pancakes in syrup, and Orochimaru had busied himself with using his long tongue to lick up the apple juice from his glass. Sasuke sat across from the Sannin, his spiced tea steaming in the mug beside his plate, as he buttered his toast.
"Are you absolutely sure you don't want any pancakes, Sasuke-kun?" Kabuto asked.
"They're excellent," Orochimaru pointed out, which, as usual, was directed as a compliment to Kabuto.
"I don't like sweets," Sasuke informed them in a dry tone.
"Don't like sweets?" Kabuto asked, his eyes suddenly widening. "Well, goodness. You don't like sweets, you don't like eggs…that eliminates almost everything you could eat for breakfast. You can't have pancakes, waffles, French toast, eggs served in anyway-"
"Boiled eggs," Orochimaru began listing them off, "scrambled eggs, fried eggs, omelets."
"Precisely," the Genin nodded his head, before glancing back at Sasuke. "Do you like oranges?"
"Not really," Sasuke replied.
"Bananas?"
"No."
"Peaches, then? Pears?"
"No."
"Plums?"
"No."
"What's your opinion on cranberries?"
"They're too sweet."
"Blueberries?"
"No."
"Strawberries?"
Before Sasuke could answer, Orochimaru chimed in, "Blackberries? Raspberries?"
"No," Sasuke rolled his eyes.
"Apples?" Kabuto asked.
Sasuke paused at this, before offering a slight shrug of his shoulders. "I don't hate them."
Orochimaru leaned over to tell Kabuto in a hushed voice, "Apples, Kabuto."
"I'll make a note of that," the Genin smiled, obviously pleased with himself for arriving at this conclusion. As he focused his eyes back on the young Uchiha, he mused, "You really are hard to shop for. What child doesn't like sweets?"
"Dear Kabuto, Sasuke-kun is not a child anymore. He is a teenager. However, it will certainly make it difficult when his birthday comes around," Orochimaru remarked. At this, however, he, too, focused his yellow snake eyes on Sasuke. "When is your birthday, Sasuke-kun?"
Why the hell did they want to know his birthday? And what did it matter if he liked sweets or not?
"July 23rd," Sasuke answered dryly, keeping his blank expression and not bothering to voice his questions.
Kabuto pulled a scroll and a pen from his side pouch and immediately made a note of this. "Since you don't like sweets, I assume you don't like cake?"
"No, I hate cake," Sasuke told him.
Even as he said this, a particular memory surfaced to the front of his mind…
…
"Yay!" a child's voice rang out suddenly. "Nii-san, we get to celebrate our birthdays together this year!"
His mother smiled, patting her youngest son on the head. "That's right," she told him. "Since yours and Itachi's birthdays are so close, your father thought it would be a good idea."
"When are we going to celebrate it?" Sasuke asked eagerly.
"Probably sometime in June," Mikoto replied.
"Did you hear that, Nii-san?!" Sasuke glanced up at his older brother with a grin. "Yours won't even need to be late, and mine will be early!"
Itachi managed a small smile, but there was a look of concern in his eyes. "Kaa-san, can't we celebrate it on Sasuke's birthday, instead?"
"Hmm," Mikoto titled her head to one side in thought. "Well, your father said it would be easier if we held the party in June."
Even as Itachi's smile faded, his younger brother run up to him and pulled him into a hug.
"Isn't this great, Nii-san?!" Sasuke exclaimed. The child's eyes widened in curiosity, however, and he asked, "If I'm having my birthday early, does that mean I'm going to be turning older faster than you are? Oh! Does that mean I'll be able to catch up to you?! Wouldn't it be great if we were turning the same age?!"
Mikoto laughed at this. "You would have to be twins for that to happen, Sasuke."
"Huh?" Sasuke glanced over at his mother. "How do we become twins?"
"You can't become twins," his mother informed him. "You have to be born that way. You were born younger than Itachi, though."
"Oh," the small boy dropped his gaze to the floor with a frown, but he was pulled out of it when his older brother returned the hug.
"Just because we're celebrating our birthday on the same day, it doesn't mean your birthday isn't still July 23rd," Itachi told him. "Your birthday is unique to you, just like mine is to me."
"Ohh," Sasuke nodded his head. His eyes widening, he asked, "Do I still get my special dinner?"
"Of course, Sasuke," Mikoto assured him, laughing again. "I know you don't like sweets." Lowering her voice to a whisper, she said, "We'll save all of those for your brother."
"Like the cake?" the boy asked with an excited smile.
"Definitely," Itachi agreed, winking at his little brother. "You know I like my cakes."
…
"No cake, then."
Sasuke was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of Kabuto's voice, and he glanced over to see the man scribbling something on the scroll.
"Well, that will be a depressing party," Kabuto tsked. "Orochimaru-sama, do you think we should make cake for the rest of us, and just give Sasuke-kun something else?"
"Oh, Kabuto," Orochimaru smiled. "You always do have the most astounding ideas. How you come up with them, I'll never know."
"Wait," Sasuke glanced between the two in confusion. "You want to celebrate my birthday?"
"Of course, Sasuke-kun," Kabuto waved his words away, as if it was a trifling matter. "We celebrate everyone's birthdays. Well…all the important people, anyway. Not the prisoners, or the experiments. But, all the jailers, and, of course, Orochimaru-sama and myself."
"You always do manage to throw the best parties, Kabuto," the Sannin noted.
"Well," Kabuto took the compliment with a conceited smirk as he fixed his glasses.
Sasuke shook his head at the idiots, proceeding to eat his toast and then sip slowly at his tea. He leaned back in his chair, in search of a more comfortable position, but he paused when he felt something brush against his foot underneath the table.
"Oh, sorry, Sasuke-kun," Kabuto glanced over at him with a pleasant smile.
"It's fine," Sasuke mumbled.
"Oh, I just remembered!" the Genin exclaimed, glancing between Orochimaru and Sasuke. "I believe we should change hideouts soon. You know, for safety reasons."
"Astute, as always, Kabuto," Orochimaru nodded in approval.
"And I was thinking we could head to the beach hideout," Kabuto stated. "It will be good for all of us to have a bit of fresh air. Especially you, Sasuke-kun. I believe a bit of sun will be good for you. What do you think, Orochimaru-sama?"
"An excellent plan," the Snake Sannin replied. "As always."
Turning to the boy with a smile, Kabuto asked, "Sasuke-kun?"
"Fine," Sasuke rolled his eyes. "More importantly, when can we start training today?"
"Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru chided him with a slight scoff. "We do not begin training until 8 o'clock."
"Well…what time is it?" Sasuke furrowed his brow.
"Oh, it's 6:30," Kabuto informed him pleasantly, before stabbing into his pancakes and taking a slow, satisfied bite. Focusing his eyes on Orochimaru, he said, "I just had a wonderful idea! What do you think of giving some of these pancakes to Juugo the next time we see him? It might help calm his nerves."
"Dear Kabuto," the man smiled at him fondly. "Is there no limit to your brilliance?"
Sasuke leaned back in his chair with a frown, letting the two older ninja converse whatever new topic they were on, his black eyes fixed on the tea in his mug. He watched the thin file of steam that flowed through the air just above the surface, and he lifted the cup to his mouth to blow softly on the hot liquid. The flow of steam was disrupted for a brief moment, but it soon fell back into place, back into its natural trail above the tea.
As the young Uchiha sat there, staring down at his beverage in silence, he could feel his concentration slowly slipping, and he knew it was because of the early hour. He really did hate mornings, and he could not help but wonder why in the hell he had woken up so early.
And he could not help but regret not sleeping in later.