Chapter 27: Hello There
Kabuto, Mitsuki, Kabuki, and Kakashi hide nearby Orochimaru's base. Kabuto looked over at it, then turned to his companions. "I'm going in alone."
"What?" Mitsuki asked.
"No, you can't!" Kabuki cried. "We have to stick together!" Fenrir nudged his master. "Oops, sorry…" She covered her mouth.
Kabuto patted her head. "I'll be fine. Besides, I have to speak with Orochimaru." He got up and headed for the entrance.
"Kabuto, wait." Mitsuki ran after him. "Kabuto…"
"…He shouldn't have done that…"
She looked down. "They'll think you're a traitor…"
"It doesn't matter." He started walking again.
"…Ka…Kabuto!"
"Hmm?" He turned back to her.
"I…um…" She sighed. "Be careful." He nodded.
Kakashi walked over her. "We have our own problems to worry about right now. We need to formulate a plan."
She nodded. "Right."
While the two adults talked, Kabuki sighed. "We don't we just bust in there? Mommy and Daddy are strong, I'm sure we can take out anyone in our way."
"But master," Fenrir began, "YOU'RE the one who's hurt, remember? Orochimaru put that curse mark on you!"
"I know Fenrir…" She clenched her hands into fists. "But I can still fight!" She started to walk away.
He barked. "What're you doing!"
"Quiet Fenrir! I don't want Mommy to catch me!"
"But-"
"I'm…" She sniffed. "I'm only a liability right now. A burden. I have to help out any way I can. I can't let this curse mark get to me! Now let's go!" Fenrir hesitantly followed her.
"…Okay then…" Mitsuki said.
"Let's get going," Kakashi whispered. They turned around and their jaws dropped. "Wh-Where's Kabuki?"
Mitsuki's heart began to beat faster. "We have to find her Kakashi sensei!" She looked around, feeling all flustered. "KABUKI?"
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Kabuki looked around hesitantly. "S-So where should I go?"
Fenrir whined. "You were the one who wanted to go wander off!"
She looked down at him. "Don't make me make you go into your key chain form." She looked up. "Okay…Oh!" She pulled out a cloth from her pouch. "I remember that the last person to use this cloth was Naruto." Her face became serious. "He just had to wipe his sweat on it. And it wasn't even his!" She held it in front of her wolf. "Smell this so we can find Naruto."
He barked. "Gross! I'm not going to do that!"
"Wolf! What did I say?"
He let out a low growl. "Fine, fine…" He smelled it and cringed "Take it away!" He turned his nose away and sniffed the air. "…This way…" They wandered down the empty hall.
"I wonder where all the people are…" She stopped. "I don't like this…" There was a small hatch on the floor. "Let's go through here." She pull on it. "Agh! It won't open!" She took a step back. "Okay, transfer the chakra to y hands…" She inhaled deeply, then exhaled. "Here goes!" She pulled on it and the top popped open. "Alright! Let's go!
Kabuki and Fenrir dove into the small underground chamber. "Hmm…this way…" They traveled through the dank hall and came to another hatch.
"I'm not sure if we should go through here…but we don't have a choice." She pushed it open and crawled up. "Hup!" She jumped into a fighting stance and examined the area. "Huh? No one's here…?"
Fenrir sniffed in different directions. "Wh-Where…! Kabuki, I lost the sent!"
"What! But that's not possible!"
"Something is interfering with the scent trail. Something strong and unpleasant."
She leaned against the wall. "Darn." He wall suddenly shook, "E-Eh!" The wall spun around. "Yipe!'
"Kabuki!"
Kabuki shut her eyes when the wall stopped moving. This is bad. This is REEEEAL bad…
"Oh my!"
She opened her eyes. "Huh?" It was a woman with short black hair.
"You're…that girl…"
"Wh-Who are you!" Kabuki demanded.
"Me?" She smirked. "My name is Yuri."
"Yuri…?"
"You're the little girl that Orochimaru is looking for frantically. He was really worried about you when you disappeared…"
She pressed herself against the wall. "N…No…"
"Don't be scared." Yuri held out her hand. "Here, let me take you to him."
"NO!" She bolted past the woman and didn't stop. "I-I've been caught! She works for Orochimaru!" She turned a corner. "I'm not that stupid to fall for a lie like that…" She closed her eyes. "I made that mistake before…but not again…." She opened the door at the end of the hall and ran in. "I think I'll be safe here."
"Really?"
Her eyes shot open. "N-No…"
A man with a cloth covering his face smiled. "Hello there…"