Chapter 16: Elusive Kunoichi

Kabuki walked through the halls of Orochimaru's base. "So empty…" She sighed sadly. "Mommy…it's been three days. When will Uncle Orochimaru let me see her? I want to apologize to her and daddy and I wanna go home." She looked at her keychain. "Fenrir, what should we do?" She sighed and continued walking. "I haven't seen Kabuto sempai in a while. Where is everyone?" She walked by a metal door.

"Lord Orochimaru…"

She suddenly stopped. "Huh? Uncle Orochimaru is in here?" She opened the door a little and peeked inside. "Uncle Orochimaru? Who's that guy he's talking to?"

"Yoroi, what is it?" Orochimaru asked.

"What are we going to do with Mitsuki and the others?" Yoroi asked.

"We'll kill them, of course."

Kabuki gasped, but covered her mouth. They're going to kill my mommy and daddy and Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura! They can't! They wouldn't! Orochimaru said that…he was a good guy…

"And what about Kabuto? He seems a little…tense these days," Yoroi added. "I mean, he did go to Konohagakure without your permission Lord Orochimaru."

"Yes…Kabuto, I don't know about him anymore. He's been acting differently lately," Orochimaru mused.

"I think it would be best if he doesn't find out that Mitsuki is here.

"I know. We've kept it a secret for three days. I don't think he'll find out."

"One more question Lord Orochimaru…"

"What?"

"…About the girl, what do you plan to do with her?"

He smirked. "Why, I'll give her my power, of course."

"What!"

"She has true potential. I can feel the power within her. I shall give her my power, then make her mine. Should anything happen to Kabuto, then she will take his place."

What! No, I have to kill that girl. Kabuto's place is mine! "But…Yes sir."

"Oh, and one more thing…good job bringing Kabuki here, Yoroi."

Kabuki shivered. What have I done! They were right! I have to get out of here and save the others! She turned and ran. Orochimaru he…lied to me…That's it! Tonight, I'm outta here!

XXXX

"Lord Orochimaru, what's wrong?" Kabuto asked.

Yoroi looked over at Kabuto. "You're late…"

Misumi gave Kabuto a curious look. "Kabuto, what's with you? You've been acting-"

"Stop it, that's enough," Yuri said. She looked at Kabuto and smiled. "Forget about them, okay?" He nodded.

"Ahem," Orochimaru said. "Finished yet?"

"Sorry, Lord Orochimaru."

"Look, we have a big problem. Kabuki is missing," Orochimaru said.

"What! How'd a little girl like her get away!"

"I don't know, but fan out a find her now!" Orochimaru ordered.

"Yes sir!"

Kabuto left the room and headed down the hall. "Now where did she-"

"H-Hey, Kabuto!" Yuri ran up beside him.

"Yuri?"

"Um, Kabuto, how 'bout we search for the brat together?" She blushed.

"Brat? Don't…Don't call her that. She's not a brat."

"Kabuto?"

"Thanks for the offer Yuri, but I'd rather look for her on my own."

Dammit Kabuto! She rolled her eyes. "Fine, do whatever you want!" She ran off in the other direction.

He looked at her. "What was that all about?" He shrugged and kept walking.

----

"Alright, where would he keep my mommy?" Kabuki asked herself. "Ugh, this is getting me nowhere!"

"Misumi, go down that hall, I'll go this way."

"Okay Yoroi!"

She gasped. "He's coming this way! I gotta hide!" She climbed up on some crates, then removed the ventilation covering above her. She climbed inside and put the cover back. "I guess I'll be going this way then." She continued in the ventilation. "I better ask Fenrir to sniff out mommy's scent. Fenrir, come out!" Her keychain blew up in a smoke cloud and Fenrir popped out. "Fenrir, can you get mommy's scent?"

"I could try…" Fenrir replied.

"Here, use this." She pulled out a bracelet. "Mommy said that this used to be hers, but I never wore it."

"Okay, this should work." He sniffed the bracelet. "…Hmm…" He sniffed down the four ventilation passages. "…That way." He pointed down the one to the left of them.

"Really? Okay, thanks Fenrir!" He turned back into a keychain and she headed down the corridor.

----

Kabuto scratched his head. "What a crafty girl. I can't find her anywhere…" He looked around the room he was in. "Nope." He left and went into another room. "I wonder why she's doing this. I thought Orochimaru tricked her into trusting him…" He shook his head. "Those memories…of that day…" Mitsuki… He sat down in a chair. "…What does Orochimaru want with this girl? What is he planning?" He sighed and closed his eyes. "Mitsuki, where are you?'

----

Kabuki looked down the small space. "There's no way that I can fit in there by walking…I guess I have to crawl from here." She got down on her knees and squeezed through the space. "Ugh…umph…so small…" She forced her way through. "Orochimaru must already know that I'm missing. He must have all of his men coming after me." She sighed. "So he really was a bad person…Why didn't I listen? Why? Why! But…Kabuto sempai works for him…Does…Does that mean he's bad too?" She shook her head. "No, no, no, no! Why does this keep-" The tile beneath her gave way. "AAHH!"

----

"What's that noise?" Kabuto looked up, a tile from the ceiling hit him in the head, and someone fell in his lap. "AACK!" He shook off the shock from the hit and looked at the person on his lap. "Y-You? Ka-Ka-Kabuki?"

Kabuki nervously smiled. "Oh no, I'm in trouble now!" She jumped off and put up her guard. "Back off!"

"Alright, that's enough little missy! Just what do you think you're doing?"

"D…Don't question me!"

"Orochimaru is upset that you're wandering around like this. I am to escort you to your room."

"No! I'm getting' out of here! Just cuz I'm a kid doesn't make me stupid! I know what he's plotting!"

"Wh-What?"

"And I know about you too!"

He shook his head. "Okay, party's over. I'm takin' you back now!" He lunged at her.

"AAHH! No!" She jumped out of the way. "You're not gonna catch me!"

"Oh yes I will!" He got up from the floor and ran after her.

"WAAHHH!" She started running. "Leave me alone!"

"Quit running right now!"

"Nooooo!" She dove under a desk and stood up. She was safe so far due to a wall behind her and to her right and a bookshelf to her left. "Nyah, nyah! You can't get me!"

"Grr, I'm not gonna play these games, little girl!" Kabuto got down and reached under the desk.

"Little girl! How dare you!" Kabuki jumped up on the table, then jumped on Kabuto's back. "I am NOT a little girl, and don't you forget that!"

"AH! My back!"

"Later!" She ran for the door and dashed out.

"Come back here!"

Kabuki bolted down every hall she passed, choosing random paths. "Gotta get away!" She came to a set of spiraling stairs. "Where does this go?"

"G-Get b-back…Get back here!" came an exhausted shout.

"Eeek! He followed me?" She looked back at the stairs. "Well, there's no time for wondering where it leads!" She ran up the stairs.

Kabuto panted as he collapsed on the stairs. "Oh for the love of--Agh! Why are little kids so fast!" He stood up. "I'm a ninja for crying out loud!" A small piece of paper landed at his feet. "Huh?" He picked it up. "It says 'Look up'…what?" He looked up and a shower of papers balls hit him. "Ah, hey!" He picked one up and unfolded it. "What? 'Bye bye'…?" He looked down at the now burning paper balls. "Ah! Paper bombs!" He jumped out of the way and they exploded. "AGH! That girl!"

"Don't call me a little kid!" came a shout.

"I'll get her!" He ran up the twisting stairs. When he reached the top, he busted through the door. He was standing outside on top of the tower. "Alright, where are you!"

"Hee hee, right here." Kabuki was standing on the block railing, smiling.

"H-Hey, don't do anything drastic now…" He slowly approached her. "You shouldn't be up there, you'll hurt yourself! You could even fall! You do know that we're hundreds of feet above ground, right?"

She nodded. "Yep."

"Hundreds of hundreds of feet!"

She giggled again. "Bye Kabuto sempai…" She jumped backwards.

"AH! Kabuki?"

Kabuki slid down a rope of chakra, headed for the tower across from her. "Hee hee! This is so much fun!"

"Kabuki!"

She looked back at Kabuto who was sliding down after her. "H-Hey! Get your own rope of chakra!" She looked forward only to see that she was headed straight for a window close to the base of the tower. "Oh no! I didn't think my kunai knife landed right there!" She shut her eyes. "I'll just use my chakra to soften the impact!" She hit the window full on; glass flew everywhere. "HA!" She hit the floor of the new room. "Ow…"

"Alright, you're done. You're not running away anymore!" Kabuto hit the floor behind her and got up.

She spun around. "Stop following me! I have to rescue my mommy!"

He froze. "Wh…What did you just say?"

"I guess I'll have to fight you!" She pulled out a beautiful flute from her back pouch. "DoReMi No Jutsu!" She played a few notes on her flute. The notes took on tangible form as they blasted out of her flute and hit Kabuto. "Back off or else!" I am not afraid to fight! Not anymore! If I want to save my mommy, I can't run away anymore!

"AH!" Kabuto flew back from the hit. "Wh-What the hell! Fine, then so be it! I'll just have to use force to capture you!" He pulled out his kunai knife. I better not hurt her too bad…