If I did own Naruto – he and Sasuke would be my best friends. I don't own Hikari Aino either.

Constructive criticism is warmly welcomed and appreciated. (^_~)

TOUCH AND GO

"Nearly all men can stand adversity,
but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."
~ Abraham Lincoln

~NARUTO P.O.V~

"Hikari's sure taking a long time to come back from the toilet…" I heard Sakura muttering with this suspicious tone in her voice. I shrugged - I didn't really see what was so weird about wanting to take a piss. But then again Sakura was usually really paranoid, and for some reason it was usually centred around Hikari.

"It's not a big deal, Sakura-chan." I said, my eyes were still glued to Shino and his opponent, some tool who was also from the Sound Village called Zaku who was bragging and generally trying to piss off Shino.

"You won't last five minutes…" Zaku sneered.

Shino just stood there…doing nothing. Not even a twitch. I shuddered, there was something extremely creepy about Shino, I just couldn't put my finger on what it was and I really didn't want to find out.

Maybe it was the bugs…?

"I warn you. If you participate in this match, you won't fight ever again." Shino said in his low, droning baritone voice.

Zaku raised an eyebrow, and I grinned believing Shino's words despite the fact that everything about him freaked me out. He apparently freaked Sakura out too, because she was staring down at him like he really was a gross bug.

"BEGIN!" shouted the bored looking ref and immediately everyone glued their eyes on the fight…that was over within two minutes and with Zaku of all people as the winner.

The entire arena was silent (except for the Sound Village who cheered wildly for their sadistic peer), nobody was expecting the fight to be over THAT quickly.

"Oh! Shino-san!" Hinata whimpered from behind me, and I felt sick particularly in the way Shino had been beaten down by that bastard Zaku.

It was violent and cruel, and Zaku looked like he had enjoyed every moment of Shino's pain. I glanced around to see what the reactions the others had; Sakura and Ino looked horrified and had gone pale, Kiba looked outraged and was trying to console Hinata who looked upset and was shaking hard when she had seen her teammate get the beating of his life, Chouji had stopped and was staring at the scene wide-eyed with a large chip halfway towards his mouth.

I would've laughed at his expression if it wasn't for the fact that this entire situation was incredibly serious. Shikamaru looked the same as he always did, except that his eyes had gotten sharper and he was sitting ramrod straight.

"Troublesome." he muttered. Ino nodded her head slowly.

"Yeah, when you're right, you're right." she agreed as we watched Shino's unconscious body getting heaved onto a stretcher and quickly carted out to the Hospital by a couple of medic nins.

"C'mon." said Kiba as he tugged Hinata out of her seat and disappeared into the shocked crowd to go find Shino. I saw Kurenai-sensei following them, concern on her grave looking face. It was then that I realised that throughout the entire match, Hikari hadn't come back and Kakashi-sensei and that bastard had completely disappeared.

Where the heck were they anyway?

~HIKARI P.O.V~

Sasuke screamed and I sprinted faster, following the sound of his agonised wails. I came to a disused room where I found Kakashi-sensei hovering over a hunched over Sasuke who was clutching his shoulder in what looked like tremendous pain. He looked up and glared at Kakashi who appeared to shrug it off.

"The strength of the seal I just placed on you will last depending on your own will, Sasuke." Kakashi explained as he and Sasuke wiped the sweat from their brows. Suddenly, a low chuckle stopped everyone in their tracks turning towards where the laughter had come from.

"Oh please, do go on..." I saw Kakashi frown and tried to herd a still weakened Sasuke behind him for protection. I shrank back into my hiding place and tried to be less conspicuous. There were more throaty chuckles, this time were laced with amusement.

"I find this information extremely fascinating." I watched as Sasuke discreetly reached for his kunai so he could defend himself - he looked slightly resentful that Kakashi had tried to herd him out of sight for protection.

"Who are you, show yourself!" our masked sensei tightened the grip he had on a kunai he had pulled from out of nowhere, still trying to protect Sasuke.

"Certainly."

But the man didn't immediately follow Kakashi's request. The very air surrounding Kakashi seemed to lower to arctic temperatures as both teacher and student stared down the stranger whom had yet to reveal himself. There were more chuckling that sounded like 'kukuku' which made all of us feel extremely vulnerable.

"I won't say it again. Show yourself!"

Kakashi's voice held no hint of sarcastic humour nor any of his usual bored drawl. It was scary, I had never heard him sound like that before. His voice was firm, serious and held an air of authority - a voice worthy of having been a highly skilled, professional and military ANBU captain.

"If you insist." the silky voice dripped with cheek as the owner stepped forward and out of the shadows revealing deathly pale skin, a white tunic with black pants and a thick purple rope belt tied around a lanky waist, waist length greasy black hair, a cruel smirk and sinister golden eyes glittering wickedly in the afternoon sunlight; Orochimaru.

"You're not welcome here, traitor." stated Kakashi his eye flashing in anger.

Orochimaru's smirk widened.

"I shall leave as soon as I've retrieved what I came for." he oozed looking particularly at Sasuke who cringed unpleasantly about being scrutinised.

Suddenly he lurched forward clutching at his curse mark and yelled loudly, raising his head to glare heatedly at his tormentor. Orochimaru grinned showing all of his yellowing teeth.

"You're delusional if you think I'm going anywhere with the likes of you." Sasuke gasped breathing heavily because of the pain. Orochimaru arched an eyebrow, before adopting an innocent expression on his face.

"You're not the only person I currently covert, Sasuke-kun." Sasuke frowned in genuine confusion.

I frowned. What's he talking about?

Then without warning Orochimaru's creepy golden eyes swivelled 'round and focused on mine. I felt the blood freeze in my veins. It was as though he knew I had been there all along.

Shit!

I immediately turned to run, to make myself scarce and to find back up but thudded into something cold and hard. I bounced off and landed hard on my ass.

"Ugh!" Something moved within my eyesight and I glanced up slowly to find myself staring into the gleeful face of Orochimaru.

"Why hello, Hikari-chan."

I tried to grab for one of my kunai, but he was too fast for me and seized my wrist in a restraining hold. Panicking, I screamed to alert Kakashi and Sasuke to my presence but something clamped itself over my mouth and muffled the screams as I bucked, kicked and twisted to free myself. Unfortunately, Orochimaru was stronger than I was and managed to pin my arms to my sides and picked me up roughly, dragging me into the room.

It turned out that Orochimaru had summoned one of his clones and sent it after me as he hadn't budged from his place. My muffled protests only seemed to make his malicious smirk broaden and the horrified expressions I saw on both Sasuke and Kakashi's faces didn't help either.

"Bring her to me." Orochimaru ordered his clone who nodded and obediently moved and handed me over before dissipating. Orochimaru turned me around so that I was facing my frantic teacher and panicked best friend.

"Have a look at what I just found…" Orochimaru 'stirred the pot'.

Kicking at his shins apparently wasn't working in my favour so Sasuke hurled a kunai at the Snake Sannin - aiming for him to loosen his hold on my arms long enough so I could wriggle free, but he merely raised a hand and snatched the kunai from midair with quick reflexes.

"Tsk, tsk, Sasuke-kun. Where are your manners?" Orochimaru scolded him mockingly, tutting with his tongue.

"Let her go!" Sasuke demanded pure fury in his eyes.

Orochimaru pretended to think about it for a moment before shaking his head.

"No, I think not." he replied then produced a small sharp silver dagger out of nowhere and brandished it at my throat the moment Sasuke prepared to charge at him to free me. He only stopped advancing the moment the dagger appeared and when Kakashi reacted to restrain Sasuke.

It was clear that both of them were extremely concerned about my safety.

"Ah ah ah. One more step and her blood will flow from her lovely neck." Orochimaru warned that creepy malicious smirk still on his face and he trailed a slender cold clammy finger down my cheek.

I could smell his foul breath on my face and I fought the urge to hurl. I didn't dare swallow and I could feel the adrenaline pumping. All I could do was partially kick myself for being so nosy and getting myself into this situation and felt guilty when I saw the scared and concerned expressions I could now see on both Sasuke and Kakashi's faces.

"What do you want, Orochimaru?" Kakashi asked calmly and stiffened when Orochimaru pressed the blade slightly into my throat and breaking skin. I whimpered a little when I felt the slight sting of the sharpened metal brake the delicate skin of my throat.

A tiny bead of ruby coloured blood bled from the little nick and dripped down my throat.

"Sasuke of course. He is just too tempting to pass over." Orochimaru responded like it was obvious, not taking his eyes off Sasuke and licked his lips like he was something he was about to devour.

Sasuke shuddered in revulsion.

"What do you want from me?" he demanded trying and failing not to forcibly shrug off Kakashi's restraining hand from his shoulder. Orochimaru chuckled again.

"I think the more appropriate question should be 'what can I do for you?'" Sasuke raised an eyebrow, looking confused and suspicious. Orochimaru grinned triumphantly.

"I can provide for you with the power you seek to take your revenge on your brother, Sasuke-kun."

Kakashi's eye widened and Sasuke froze at the mention of his older brother.

"How do you know about that?" he demanded.

"There's nothing about you that I don't already know about." came the cryptic reply. "All you need to know is that I can help you achieve that goal."

Sasuke went quiet and started to contemplate that 'tempting' offer. It was like Adam being tempted by the Snake to eat the Forbidden Fruit in the 'Garden of Eden'. My eyes widened fearfully.

"Don't listen to him, Sasuke! He's trying to set you up!" I warned him, snapping Sasuke out of his thoughts as his eyes zeroed in on me. Orochimaru snarled angrily and tightened his grip on my arms painful causing me to cry out in pain.

"Shut up, you stupid girl!" he growled and narrowly dodged a second kunai that was hurled in his direction.

It just barely nicked his cheek and a small bead of blood leaked out of the wound. He jerked his head back to glare at the culprit but merely saw a furious Sasuke glaring at him territorially with his arm stretched out, indicating that it had been he that had hurled the kunai. Kakashi appeared to have pretended to have been too slow to stop Sasuke from reacting. It looked like he was tempted to do the same thing.

Smirking, Orochimaru's snake-like tongue darted out and started lapping up his own blood. Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke and I pulled revolted faces.

"I will never come to you, Orochimaru." Sasuke declared, but I noticed a hint of undecided emotions reflected in his eyes.

"Not unless I'm desperate."

Orochimaru must have noticed that he was undecided too before he simply shrugged and let me go without warning. Sasuke darted forward and caught me before I hit the ground and hastily dragged me away from the triumphant looking rogue ninja.

"Hn. It's your choice, Sasuke-kun." He backed up towards the door.

"Be seeing you, Sasuke-kun… and Hikari-chan," He leered at me and I stared back at him defiantly.

"Don't think I haven't finished with you just yet." he said before dissolving into thin air just as a bunch of ANBU ninja appeared led by a small brown pug dog with a Leaf Ninja hitai-ate wrapped around its small forehead.

I felt my heart sinking as I remembered the interested expression appearing on Sasuke's face for a split second.

~SASUKE P.O.V~

I turned towards Hikari who was looking worried about something.

All I was concerned about was the fact that she was relatively safe for now. But something about what Orochimaru said about the both of us on separate occasions bothered me, and the fact that that bastard had threatened Hikari's life to get to me, control me against my will and tempt me to come over to his side made me see red.

Something warm and soft gently touched my cheek. I looked over and saw Hikari looking at me with concern in her beautiful brown eyes.

"Sasuke, are you alright? I heard you screaming before Orochimaru caught me."

Immediately I wrapped her up tightly in my arms and held her close. It was clear that if those ANBU hadn't arrived when they did, Orochimaru probably would've kidnapped Hikari or killed her to prove a point.

"So you forgive me then?" I heard her whisper hopefully in my ear.

I almost laughed as I had forgotten why I was so annoyed with her in the first place the moment Orochimaru produced that dagger to her throat. I smiled before placing a kiss on her temple and lent down to whisper in her ear.

"I was never angry in the first place. I was just hurt that you couldn't talk to me about your problem." I admitted.

Hikari giggled. I loved that sound.

"Who knew Sasuke Uchiha had a gentle side?" she teased me. I scowled at her words and pulled away slightly to glare at her.

"I've always had it. I just choose not to show it in public." I pulled her back into my arms and felt her wrap hers around my neck, pressing me closer. I felt my stomach flipping over pleasantly.

"You tell anyone about what's happening right now and I'll deny it." I promised her and she giggled again and kissed my cheek.

"Maa maa. Sasuke-kun, Hikari-chan - this is truly a touching moment you're sharing." Kakashi teased and I resisted the urge to hurl a kunai at his hidden face, and judging by the way Hikari tensed up, it appeared she was thinking along the same lines as I was.

"Hn."

She's definitely got spunk… I thought with amusement before stepping away from her and shoving my hands into the pockets of my white shorts. Kakashi whipped out his book and buried his nose in it.

"We better head back - see how the matches are going. It might even be your turn soon Hikari-chan." Kakashi said. Hikari groaned.

"I just hope I'm not paired up with that obnoxious creep who looks like a dog hybrid." Both Kakashi and I raised an eyebrow.

"For some reason he's got some sort of urge to put me in my place." she added sighing. I frowned slightly, also wondering what that punk's problem with her was as well before grabbing her hand. Hikari glanced up in surprise then smiled.

"Don't worry, you'll kick his ass." I reassured her and the three of us left the room to return to the matches. I refused to let go of her hand the entire time.