Unmoving. Ariha stared at the vampire before her, where he crouched next to the rabbit, his body stilled to the point that she could have passed him, passing him off as a very life like statue. She couldn't help but stare, wishing she could be that still. Beside her, Caleb was the opposite of a statue, his body moving to avoid freezing. Ariha just snuggled deep into her coat and moved forward. In response, Karasu moved, rising to his feet to greet her. Ariha grinned when she saw him take note of Caleb who was shivering. Karasu matched the grin.

"Who's your new friend?" Ariha asked, gesturing to the rabbit.

Its red eyes stared at her, its little white chest rapidly moving. It sensed the wolf inside her most likely. All prey animals did. Karasu knelt, scooping it up.

"I have no idea. I was thinking dinner," he replied.

"Karasu!" Ariha chided.

The vampire grinned wickedly.

"So, what brings you to my woods?" he asked.

"I'm here to inform you of my trip to Konoha," Ariha replied matter of factly.

"Oh?"

One of his eyebrows rose is question. He was suspicion.

"Truth be told, I need a few notes," Ariha replied.

"Are you going with him?" Karasu asked, his glare finding Caleb.

The other man glared back but said nothing. Wise choice.

"No, thank God," Ariha said. "I can barely tolerate him now."

She remembered the look on his face as she ran past him out of the arena. She didn't think she'd ever forget that look or the hatred she had that he took so much joy in her pain. But Karasu didn't need to know all the details. He'd kill the Sound Four if he heard they'd ever laid a finger on her. His gaze was back on her, his stare weighing her down, it felt, with the intensity behind that gaze.

"What?" Ariha asked.

Karasu smirked.

"Nothing," he replied.

He turned away, lifting the rabbit skyward.

"Shall we go for a walk, Dinner?" he inquired of the poor creature.

Ariha shook her head, smiling as she turned back to Caleb.

"I suppose we'll be training inside today?" she guessed.

Caleb just glared, earning him a grin from Ariha.

The tray was out of place. Ariha noticed it, taking a break from her sub training with the Sound Four to chug the water left by Kabuto. She eyed the tray which held pain killers and water as well as a covered tray of food. Ariha could smell it. Reaching out, more on blind instinct than awareness, she caught Sakon's arm.

"Who's that for?" she asked.

Sakon tensed from such little contact, practically freezing in place. Ariha realized he did that a lot, especially in regard to her. When he'd come to, the night prior, he'd freaked out just by seeing her helping Kabuto tend to them. Meanwhile, Ukon seemed attracted, wanting any possible physical contact when he was free of his brother.

"That's Kimimaro's," Tayuya replied. "Kabuto probably didn't get around to delivering it."

"So I'll do it," Ariha decided.

She set down her glass of water, lifting the tray.

"Where's his room?"

Tayuya threw out some directions and Ariha was on her way.
"Think we should warn her?" Jirobo asked.

"Why bother?"

The pain was bad. His body ached and it only seemed to get worse. He was tighlty curled in a ball and couldn't seem to bring himself to uncurl. There was an echo of footsteps in the hall, too noisy to be Kabuto. In fact, it sounded as though whoever it was, was wearing heels. Rolling over, he urged his bones to move, one slender, white bone breaking through his skin as he laid in wait. The door creaked open and a shadow, a female one at that, stepped into the room, carrying a tray. Golden eyes glowed in the dark, searching for him. Kimimaro attacked with silence, slicing. He felt something beneath his bone tear but whoever he had attacked had just vanished, tray and all. Shocked, he looked around, until the room lit up with flames. Panic seized him until he realized they weren't burning the room but rather just chasing away shadows. The girl with the tray stood across from him, amused, despite the tear in her shirt's shoulder.

"I have been training for hours with the Sound Four and none of them have landed a hit like that," she praised.

Kimimaro said nothing, crumpling to the floor again, his pain no longer something he could ignore. Maybe in a fight but she was obviously no threat.

"Kimimaro?" she asked, rushing to his side.

So, she knew his name? He grabbed the water and the medicine from the tray, swallowing them both. Perhaps they would have worked, had they been delivered on time but Kabuto must have forgotten. Kimimaro's pain was tenfold compared to what it usually was when he took his meds. But surely the would take the edge off enough that he could tolerate it.

Caleb was sick and Lord Orochimaru's pain had gotten worse. It was a busy day indeed. Kabuto hurried down the hall, headed for Kimimaro's room. He'd watched the time tick by, aware that he'd forgotten to deliver the medicine on time. Kimimaro was probably mad with pain. Turning the corner, Kabuto became aware that Kimimaro's door was wide open, the faint glow of light reaching into the hall. He hurried forward, glancing into the room. Ariha was there, that was his first surprise. His second was by the sight of Kimimaro, cradled in her arms, asleep, looking somewhat at peace. Sensing Kabuto's presence, Ariha turned a bit, careful not to jostle Kimimaro, placing a finger to her lips. Kabuto nodded and she turned away. As silent as possible, Kabuto crept in, kneeling beside her.

"Is he dead?"

That was the only explanation for the peacefulness on Kimimaro's face.

"Nope," Ariha replied softly.

True. Up close, Kabuto could see the rise and fall of Kimimaro's chest but for the life of him, he couldn't understand why the boy's face was so peaceful. Even with painkillers, Kimimaro still felt the smallest inkling of pain. That he was so relaxed made no sense.

"How did you-" Kabuto began.

Ariha just smirked.

"That," she said, clearly gearing up to tease him. "Is my little secret."

Days passed, the levels of anxiety rising amongst the Sound Four. Ariha watched them each as they tried to act like their mission would be a cake walk. They were nervous. She found it amusing actually and wondered if she had any tells that were as obvious as theirs. She was against the whole idea but even when she'd been in Konoha, Tsunade had kept her restricted to the village. The last mission Ariha had had almost cost her her friends. She shivered at that recollection, remembering the boredom she felt for two days as she waited for her body to heal. Maru had sped up the process but not fast enough. Not with the amount of damage that she'd left the battle with. Even with basic healing, she'd gotten a concussion, seven broken ribs, both arms had serious fractures, a broken jaw and a very lovely broken arm. Most of the damage had been taken care of to the best of the recon team's abilities and they'd stabilized her enough to return her to the village. Maru had done the rest. After that, her mother had pretty much read Tsunade her rights and all but beheaded her there and then. Ariha had stopped her but she hadn't been on a mission since. So she was a little excited. The plan was for her to go ahead, to make sure that the way would be cleared for the team and then she'd flank them. Ariha would be leaving two days ahead, which meant she'd be alone, a fact she was just fine with. She liked being alone. Plus, teaming up with the Sound Four felt too much like cheating on her old team. Still, that last mission, she had complained that it was a D-class mission that had quickly turned into an S-class one. And she still had nightmares on occasion. Would the same be true? Would she do something unspeakable if it meant succeeding for her father? Ariha stood, stretching as she untangled herself from the bed. Probably. After all, she'd killed for her mother plenty of times and had suffered through the ritual to obtain the title of general. What were a few more deaths? To her, they were weights added to an already long list of regrets. Watching the life drain from their eyes as she watched their souls either light up and ascend or blacken and descend killed her. Maru, meanwhile, had no problem. With that thought, the wolf stirred, her eyes holding a cruel curiosity.

"I taste awaited death," the wolf intoned.

"We're going to kill people," Ariha replied.

Maru chuckled deep within her.

"I cannot believe I ever regretted having a host," she said.

It was her version of a compliment. The very thing Ariha could do without.

Caleb had a better understanding now. Not of what Ariha's power was but how to awaken it. He admitted to himself that he had feared her going into battle against the Sound Four. They were Orochimaru's elite. They were ruthless and heartless and Ariha was not. Or so he'd thought. She had earned the grudging respect of the Sound Four and Sakon feared her. Ukon, meanwhile, was intrigued. As was Caleb so he did not blame the man. But she was his first. He just needed to get that vampire out of the way. Perhaps Ariha knew. He knew it would not be wise to simply attack the male, since he was obviously the stronger of the two. But there had to be some weakness. His eyes widened as a thought occurred to him and he grinned at his own genius before another sneeze racked his entire body. Damn this cold! He thought his body would have chased it away by now. That did not seem to be the case.

The cold was getting to him. His body found the temperature a reason to tense up, to enter a hibernative state almost. He couldn't remain here. Not with no other vampiric presence in the area. And he knew for certain his throne subjects would not take kindly to their king rolling over and playing guard dog for the daughter of Satan. It had taken so long to drag his family's name out from under the thumb of Hell. He'd promised his subjects they'd never be beneath it so long as he ruled. Which meant, he had to go. He had to show them he was there for them. Which meant leaving Ariha behind. But could he do it? Didn't matter. He had to. And right on cue, Ariha appeared, shivering despite the heavy coat. He could smell the blood bag through the plastic but also the scent of her sweat, hurriedly wiped away. With great reluctance, Karasu stood, hearing his joints creak, like he was a machine. Ariha stopped a few feet from him, eyes widening in surprise before she hurried to him. Karasu took her weight with great reluctance, staying upright as he wrapped his arms around her, accepting her heat. He couldn't feel cold but his body knew and reacted to it, even when he was unaware. Ariha's finger traced his lip.

"You're lips are blue," she whispered.

Her tone was intimate, welcoming him to his harmless flirting. He didn't want to flirt though. He had her in his grip. It would be so easy to drag her back to her mother, warn her of Ariha's suicide promise and then return to his throne, his species' relationship with Hell's forces that much better.

"I have to leave," he whispered.

Her body was against his, his own leeching her warmth. Not just the warmth from her jacket but her inner warmth. Soon she'd be freezing.

"No," Ariha groaned.

Definitely a change of tune from before.

"Please, don't go. You're my only link to my life before."

Karasu held her out at arm's length, lowering his head a bit to meet her eyes.

"Then go back."

Those eyes flashed to him, not gold but red.

"I think we both know I can't do that."

Karasu's lips curled back, revealing his fangs. But his body was too cold, too slow and he was overtaken, kicked to the ground and pinned down, the Ariha imposter's knee secure in his grip as they uncapped a hidden syringe. Slowly, the disguise faded, revealing Caleb, his sharingan in full display.

"Perhaps, if there is a next time, you'll stay out of my way."

Karasu cried out in rage and anguish as that needle pierced his skin. How could he have been so stupid?

"Do you have everything?"

Ariha paused, almost outside, turning, face to face with Orochimaru. Grimly, she nodded.

"Don't be glum," he commanded gently. "Sasuke is not my child. I only want his body."
"Never say that again, dad," she joked, halfheartedly.

She turned to go again, her hand on the knob when he spoke again.
"This is not what you wanted, is it?"

Once more, Ariha turned back to him.

"From me," he clarified.

Ariha thought for a moment.

"For awhile, when you vanished and Misha, Karin and I were disbanded, Mother tried to push me in with Hell's debutantes. She even adopted a son to prevent me from ever having to fight to be her general or her successor. Those debutantes, all of them had both parents. They were always having father/daughter dances or mother/daughter teas. Neither of which I could attend. And then, one of them got married and she danced with her father at her wedding and it was wonderful."

She let herself be taken back to that time, remembering herself sitting at the edge of the dance floor, watching Nelrana dance with her father, smiling and looking beautiful despite her pea green skin or her horns.

"I dreamed about my own wedding," Ariha confided, stopping herself from telling him that her 'groom' had always been Karasu.

Best leave her former vampire crush for another time.

"And I wanted nothing more than to dance with you."

She smiled at Orochimaru, who seemed surprised.

"Just promise that we'll make time for a dance," she requested. "And I'll have everything I want from you."

Orochimaru reached out, capturing her in a strong grip, one that felt very much like desperation, as if he was a drowning man and she was a life preserver. She melted into the hug, breathing in his scent, urging even Maru to memorize it. The wolf complied, all too willing to add another scent to her list. It was when Maru confirmed that she had it that Ariha knew it was time.

"I have to go now," she announced, reluctant.

Orochimaru did not argue, releasing Ariha but not before kissing her forehead.

"Go make me proud," he whispered.

Ariha grinned and then turned to go once more. This time, Orochimaru let her without a word, though he crossed his arms, fingers digging deeply into his flesh as he fought every fiber in his body so that he would not grab her and drag her back. Instead, he forced himself to watch her leave, praying and needing her to come back.

Chains rattled as he clicked them in place, the vampire watching him with those opaque eyes, unable to do much more. The vampire was no longer a problem. Caleb could not have been happier. He stepped back, grinning.

"I suppose my methods were slightly unfair," Caleb admitted.

Black eyes bored into him.

"You have my apologies," Caleb went on. "But every time I get a taste of Ariha's power, its not enough. I need more."

He trembled in excitement. This was a big step and he felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders. Now he let his whole body know they were close and it responded eagerly. Very eagerly. Those black eyes widened, in anger and horror and the vampire launched himself at Caleb, snarling, fighting his chains as his black hair lightened, becoming golden. Caleb was fascinated by the power that seeped from the vampire's very pores but it was small compared to Ariha's. Caleb knelt, just out of reach. He admired the ivory fangs, his grin growing.

"When I'm done with her, you can have her back. But not a second sooner."
Amongst all that rage, he could see a deeper emotion, one that he wanted to fuel. Kabuto probably wouldn't be checking in on him anytime soon. He had time. So he sat there, relaxed, describing to Ariha's vampire all the ways he intended to violate her.

Hell had different classifications for demons. Ariha was half demon, so most classified her as weak. With Maru to guide her, she'd grown strong, without having to rely on the demon inside, unlike the Jinchuuriki she was often grouped with. And unlike them, Maru couldn't be ripped out. In fact, if she wanted to, the demon could simply leave Ariha and Ariha would be fine. One acquired skill was her ability to reshape her features. It wasn't shape shifting. Shapeshifters tended to only be able to hold the acquired features for a certain period of time. Ariha, meanwhile, was able to keep the features she wanted. She'd changed her hair, from the brown she'd inherited from her maternal grandmother to the black that both her mother and father had. She'd had it for months now. She was going to have to get rid of it though, going into Konoha but the thought saddened her, temporarily. She reached back, raking her fingers through her ponytail. In a matter of seconds, the ponytail bled to blood red, her eyes snapping from gold to a pale blue. No, she needed to appear unremarkable. She urged her eyes to a darker, more human blue, reducing her breasts so that she was almost flat. Next was her height. On her own, she was about average height. Well, a little above average height. Channeling Misha, who was exactly average, Ariha "shrunk". By the time she approached Konoha's gates, she looked like just another civilian. She didn't recognize the jonin at the gates and they let her pass, unquestioned. Fools. They should have been especially wary of her. She shook that from her thoughts. Their lack of caution meant it was easier for her to scout. Guards were no heavier than usual. Ariha picked a direction and started wandering, her head down, trying to look casual. She was freezing though. To take her mind off the cold, she made a mental map. She didn't want to make it obvious that she was patrolling the perimeter. Instead, she'd take paths that gave her long glimpses of it. One of said paths would take her past the remains of her apartment. It was a sight she felt she needed to see. It was her destruction, the proof that she could be chaotic too. Proof that she was every bit the wolf and demon that Maru and her mother were. Maybe even better. To her surprise though, her apartment stood tall, every bit as solid as the day she'd moved in. She stopped, staring at it, her emotions a mix. She had loved the place and had blown it up with much remorse. But to look at what should have been destruction and see none? Her emotions finally settled into a seething rage. She glared at the in tact apartment and smelled blood, felt liquid slipping down her hands. Yep, she was bleeding. Easing up on herself and returning to her mission, she turned away from the wreckage. She had borders to check.

Her king was in trouble. Slowly, Mecredi's eyes opened and she sat up, throwing off her covers, vanilla wafting through the room. Rising, she hurried to the window, staring at the swirling white.

"Karasu," she breathed.

She knew, or at least had an inclining as to where he would be. Ariha was missing, had run away, though all the details were not revealed. No doubt, Karasu knew where she was. Hell, he was probably with her. He never could deny her. It was why she knew the vampires would never be free of Satan's power. Because someday, Ariha would be Satan and Karasu wouldn't hesitate to serve her. Mecredi stepped back a bit, smoothing a hand over her pale blonde hair. She was nervous, able to feel her king's distress. He needed help. Needed her. Her king he may very well have been but she still cursed him. He was a king now! He should have taken someone with him. Her door opened and she turned, greeting Nexus with a haunted expression. His face was grim.

"You feel it too?" he asked.

His blue eyes were shadowed by dark circles and his silver hair wasn't in its usual carefully gelled spikes.

"Karasu-" she began.

"Yes," Nexus said. "He needs us."

First rule. If something seems to easy, complications will arise very soon. Ariha kept her head down, didn't change her pace. She'd muddled around Konoha after sending the signal of all clear to the Sound Four, waiting for the shifts to change so she could leave Konoha under the watchful gaze of a new set of guards. It seemed her plans would have to wait. Ariha's eyes scanned ahead, looking for a place to duck into. No such luck. She could feel the presence of someone clearly following her and she swore mentally. No choice, it seemed, but to face them. She ducked into a dark alley, squeezing her way down, surprised that it was so narrow. When she emerged, she broke into a jog, her feet stirring up clouds of dust on the empty back street. That's when she stopped, palming a few shuriken, on the off chance that she was about to get jumped.

"Did you think you could get away so easily?"

The voice came from behind her. She turned. Shit, Hana. The one thing she hadn't counted on. Ariha said nothing as the Inuzuka woman drew closer.

"You may look different but your scent doesn't change," Hana informed her.

Ariha rested her hands on her hips, remaining silent. Hana shook her head.

"Do you think I don't know its you, Ariha?"

"I'm perfectly aware you know who I am," Ariha replied, blankly. "Frankly, I don't care."

"Go home, Ariha," Hana urged. "Your father is not a man to concern yourself with."

"I am capable of my own decisions," Ariha remarked.

"You're only 17! You're irrational and brash!" Hana argued.

"I'm also lethal," Ariha added.

Before Hana could open her mouth, she was attacked from behind, the shadow clone before her poofing away as the real Ariha pinned her to the ground.

"Next time, don't follow."

With that, Ariha vanished.

Kimimaro was not suppose to be up but he wanted to see her. The girl that looked so much like Lord Orochimaru. She'd been kind, eased his pain. It wasn't so bad now. But she was nowhere to be found and he was wandering aimlessly, following some inner tug. He was in the Underground, the place so condemed, Lord Orochimaru refused to use it. So why was he here? Kimimaro paused, looking up, eyes widening as a man with glowing red eyes approached him.

"Caleb," he said, recognizing him, though the last time he'd seen Caleb, the man had had longer hair and a somewhat overly cheery disposition.

Now Caleb looked grim and twisted.

"Kimimaro, what are you doing here?"

His voice was a growl of frustration.

"I was looking for that girl," he replied. "The one with golden eyes."
Caleb smiled, slow and menacing.

"No, no," he scolded gently. "She is mine."

His declaration was said with such surety that there was no room to argue. Caleb merely grabbed Kimimaro's upper arm, dragging the younger male with him.

"What's back there?" Kimimaro asked, referring to the only closed cell in the hall.

It's deadbolt was even in place.

"A little experiment of my own," Caleb replied, a satisfied smile in place.

That was all he said on the matter.