Orichimaru and Sakura - My Hollow Soul
written by smile-ookii
Ahh...I wrote these first three chapters in three days, and I feel like dancing! The story is really working out for me, and my fingers are just floating across my keyboard. Well, so far, Sakura and Orichimaru have met, and shared something that Orichimaru seems to be ashamed of: laughter. Naruto is revealed to have had a lover, a friend ninja named Kiho, whom he had to kill, for reasons that are yet known. Sasuke questions Sakura about her meeting, and she falls asleep thinking of Orichimaru's laughter. Finally, they have Orichimaru in their reach...
Chapter Three - Urayamashigaru ( Envious )
"I wonder...how he is..." Sakura had been up since the sun began its daily shine on her eyes, and all she could think of was Orichimaru's expression. Confusion...but what else? What was that other feeling... She sighed heavily, and slid on both her kutsu. The air in her room seemed thick, and she needed some fresh, clean air. The thought of doing what she usually did (hanging over a railing) never occured to her; deep inside, she wanted to see Orichimaru, to talk to him again. But what she wanted most...
She wanted to hear to hear his laughter.
Sakura reached the street, which was beginning to be busy despite the time of day. She began walking with the crowd, looking at everyone, searching, really. "Blonde...like an American woman," Sakura said softly, and laughed. She felt sad, then, and stopped abruptly, making the people behind her mutter and swerve to avoid her. "Sumimasen, sumimasen," she said, and as she was turning around to try a different direction, she saw it. A long lock of coarse, thick, blonde hair. The large group of men blocking the rest of him moved suddenly, and Sakura gasped at the familiar face.
He hadn't seen her yet, and walked on, his nose upturned like a nobleman's. His nose was long, and rather Greek, from the side, and his lips were thin, nearly as pale as his skin. His eyes tipped downwards, almost as though they were overfilled. Muscles in his sculpted cheeks twitched from time to time, and his long, tapered fingers laid still at his side. He moved as though he were both swaying and dancing; it was the most graceful walk Sakura had ever seen. His head turned towards her slowly, very much like the day they had met, and his hair fell into his eyes as he calmly watched her blunder about. She's...such a fool. Such a insane...aho. Didn't I tell her I would kill them all? And yet here she is, obviously looking for me. Orichimaru drifted over to Sakura, who had turned blood red from embarrassment.
"Uhm..hello," she squeaked. "I, uhm..noticed you there...sir...and you..uh, reminded me...of an, uhm...certain...yes." Sakura turned to walk away, but was gently pulled back. She landed with a soft plop! onto Orichimaru's chest, and nearly her entire body turned red as she felt his arms encircle her. They stood like that for what seemed like a thousand years, and Sakura grew so red that she began to fade into a light blue. "Orichi...maru...I think I'm ---" Sakura fainted, and Orichimaru laughed softly.
"Sakura...what is with you? Am I the honey, and you the bee?" He picked her up, and began his sway-and-dance again.
- - - -
"OH NO!" Sakura sat straight up, and bumped her head on the low ceiling. "Whaaat...?" She rubbed her bruised forehead, trying to recall where she was. Memories of yellow floated around like jigsaw pieces until they began to glue themselves together. "OH NO!" she yelled again, and stood up. Some of her angered blood rushed into her head, and she fell forward, groaning in pain. She fell into a soft, yellow cushion that smelled of flowers, and smiled sleepily as she was turned over. "Oooh...you smell like flowers, Orichimaru," she murmured, and fell asleep.
Orichimaru stared at the sleeping Sakura, bewildered. "I smell...of flowers?"
- - - -
When Sakura woke up again, she made sure not to raise straight up, in case she hit her head again. "It's alright, I moved you," a voice said into her back, and she jumped, twisting the covers around her as she twisted around.
"ORICHIMARU! WHY ARE WE IN A BED TOGETHER?!" He laughed, and hit her softly on the head with a small pillow. He looked at her for a moment, then brought his arms around her, spooning her.
"Well...you had hit your head in that room, so I moved you to my bed...it's much nicer, yes?" Sakura gasped as he surrounded her, but had to agree; the bed was like resting on silken feathers, and she didn't even want to move away.
"Mhm...yes, it is. But what are you doing to me?" She flipped her head back, staring into those intensely gold portals, and realized just how close they were. He just stared back, unblinking, unbreathing. Her eyes...are so green. A perfect match for my flowers, he thought, and averted his eyes.
"Sakura, how old are you now?" Sakura blinked, surprised a little.
"17, last time I checked. And you, Orichimaru..?" He grinned, and white, vampric-like teeth gleamed in his smile.
"Too old for anyone to want. Go back to sleep, you feel so...tense. So tired." She looked away from him, and nodded.
"I am. Tense because I'm here with the enemy, and I don't think of you like that, here. And tired, because finding you took a long, long time. I still want to know...how old you are," she said, then relaxed into the curve of his body. Orichimaru waited until he was sure she was asleep, then brought his lips to her ears.
"The truth is, Sakura...I don't know. I want you to give me an age, any age. Just so I can know myself once again..." He glanced at her one more time, then placed his head in the hollow of her neck, soundly asleep.
- - - -
Sasuke stared after Sakura, watching as she collasped onto the young man who was laughing at her. Yellow kimono...red sash...that's impossible, he thought. The hair is all wrong...if it weren't for that, we'd be on him quicker than Kakashi-sensei is on the new Paradise Love novels. Sasuke shook his head, and turned away as the man picked her up.
"She sure got over me...quick."
- - - -
"So you don't know your age?"
"No."
"And you want me to just...name one, and you'll go by it?"
"Yes."
"But why? And why me?"
"Well, I'd like to have an answer when people ask me, and I'd rather have you do it, Sakura."
"We-e-e-ll...give me a while, okay?" As Orichimaru nodded, Sakura began to circle him, poking him here and prodding him there. After they had woken up, Orichimaru had asked Sakura (almost bashfully, she thought) to give him an age, and she had been a bit confused. But now, looking at his body, she understood why he couldn't tell his age. There was just..nothing. No old man's knees, but no baby-soft skin. No youthful expression, but not one of old age, either. The only thing she could see were small crow's feet that wrinkled his eyes, but they were faint, and near impossible to see unless you were as close...as she was.
"As I am..." she said aloud, and Orichimaru looked down, confused.
"What?"
"Nothing. Uhm, okay. You can't be in your 30s, because your body is too young. But you can't be around my age, either, because you have little crow's feet near your eyes. So, I'm going to have to estimate your age around...26!"
"26...why, that'd make me only nine years older than you! So I'm not too old..."
"And does that make you happy? Not to be so much more older than me, I mean."
Orichimaru looked over Sakura's head, then down at her, blonde bangs neatly coordinating with gold eyes. "Yes...it makes me very happy. But when do you and your squadmates come for me?" Sakura's body jolted, and her eyes soared up to his. She's frightened..for me, or for them? Orichimaru gripped Sakura's shoulders, and for the first time since their morning together, his eyes grew cold. "Listen to me. When you see me...you must act as though this is the second time in five years that you have seen me. Do not let your body, or your eyes, betray you. Do not let your speech be affected by my presence. I...am going to be Orichimaru, and I'm going to try to kill you, Sakura." Her eyes grew wide, but she didn't try to break his hold. "I...if there is a way for you to be weak without showing it, I will take advantage, and take you as a...a hostage. I want you...to be with me, Sakura!"
Orichimaru shoved Sakura to his chest, and held her tightly. She tore at his back, as though she were physically being pulled away from him. "Orichimaru! Oh, why can't we escape...now..." He felt warm tears on his open chest, and bent over, rubbing his lips on her strawberry hair.
"I want them to think you're a hostage. That way...you can't be blamed." He pulled Sakura away from him, and it seemed to her that it physically hurt him to do so...almost as though he had to strain to keep his arms from buckling back around her. He began to aibu her wet cheeks, then silently began to lick them away. "It seems...I have a deep aichaku for you, Sakura. So...I will take you with me, wherever I go. Now you must leave...and be ready for when we meet again."
As Orichimaru hugged Sakura one last time, his face was troubled. I'm a bit...envious of you, Sakura. You get to start a new adventure, with me. But I've been on the same game for so long now...
Yes. I'm quite envious.
- - - - - - -
kutsu - shoe
sumimasen - I'm sorry
aho - fool
sensei - teacher. you probably know that, but there are still some who don't...
Paradise Love - I'm thinking that's the name of the books Kakashi is fond of.
aibu - caress
aichaku - affection, attachment
This was a rather long chapter for me,