Incurable
Chapter 3

Kabuto sighed to himself flipping through a stack of paperwork. By stack that meant 3 pages. It was times like this he wished he would stop doing such anal things like staying a week and a half ahead of schedule on his work. It was times like this he wished he had work to take his mind off of his bad mood.

He sighed heavily pushing through the heavy door to the medical lab where Kimimaro lay.

"Same as always" Kimimaro sighed. Despite appearing like something out of some kind of Sci-fi film from all of the IV's and tubes running in and out of the pale man he still had a slight laugh in his voice.

"Sorry to hear it" Kimimaro and Kabuto had for a long time been friends since long before Kimi's prolonged stay in the medical lab began. Their routine had virtually became mechanical so they could answer each other before any questions were asked.

"You're not though kabuto…"

Despite his foul mood kabuto smiled slightly turning towards Kimi. He had figured that once the man had spent so much time incapacitated it had left Kimimaro with somewhat of a psychic quality, as he always seemed to know everything going on before anyone else in the village including Orochimaru many a time.

"Angry at Sasuke?"

Kabuto glanced over his shoulder giving a small obviously sarcastic huff of a laugh before turning back to the wall of computers. He sighed breaking the moment or so of silence left between the two of them "angry isnt really the word im looking for"

"Jealous then, because he chose Sasuke's body over yours. You were always so strange like that. Who else would so willingly offer themselves as a vessel to a man who so obviously only sees you as a tool"

Kabuto still somehow held a weak smile. It was true. As it had crossed his minds many a time before despite his life binding loyalty to Orochimaru he knew full well he was seen as no more then a piece in Orochimaru's sick game of chess. Granted he knew full well he was more to Orochimaru then a mere pawn and would be used more wisely then many of the others but he still was an expendable piece should it come between his or orochimarus life. Kimimaro how ever was no different. Blindly loyal by his own choice. Willing to make the ultimate sacrifice and give his body to Orochimaru. He was one of the few that Orochimaru had actually informed of his plan to use him and he willing agreed.

"Well isnt that the pot calling the Kettle black?" his voice more of a gentle laugh trying to break the tension more then the seriousness he used when talking to anyone other then Kimi.

"I offered myself because that was my reason. That was my point for being here. That is…before I grew ill. Now my point in life is to find reason for existence. Your point is around Orochimaru-sama…not to be Orochimaru-sama himself"

There was a dead silence for the next hour or so between the two of them. Only broken by an occasional cough and Kabuto's typing at the keyboard. Neither faced the other but Kimimaro didn't need to see his face to know that Kabuto was still upset over Sasuke. All suspicions confirmed when Kabuto let out a long drag sigh continuing the conversation as if there had been no pause.

"Kimi…don't take this the wrong way but I…I wish he would of chosen you. I mean….Im glad your still you but-"

He was interrupted when Orochimaru came slamming through the door eyes flashing. The sannin only got this look in one instance. When he was thoroughly pissed off. "WHAT Did I Just Witness Out There Kabuto!?" he thundered glaring death at the medic.

"Orochimaru-Sama!" he replied urgently. The same urgentness he used when it was direly important to convince Orochimaru otherwise of what he thought was right. "I must protest against you equaling him to YOU. I understand his importance to your success but hes mealy a-"

"And I must protest against YOU disobeying me!" he hissed in a blood lusting tone, Kimimaro's presence went completely neglected as the two stared each other down.

"He must learn respect hes just a worthless little brat!"

The Otokage's face tinted red from anger as he swiftly raised a hand cracking the back of it sharply across Kabuto's face.

The whole world around Kabuto seemed to freeze. He'd never been struck by Orochimaru before. Yelled and threatened yes but actual physical abuse from his master was something foreign to him. Not that he was ignorant to pain. Far from that. Some how though getting back handed across the face by his master hurt more then any stab or battle wound he had ever received.

By the time the young medic came back to his conscious mind he was tumbling limply across the floor only coming to a painful stop when he slammed into a cold stone wall.

"I agree, Kabuto Yakushi…that Someone does indeed need to re-learn what the meaning of 'respect' and 'loyalty' is"

Kabuto gave no response beyond sitting up and staring weakly at the ground, mouth partly agape. He was too lost in his own world to even really hear his master's words. It still hadn't fully registered in his mind what had happened.

"And one thing it is not…is ignoring your master when hes talking to you" Orochimaru hissed not a fleck of forgiveness in his voice.

When even after the warning he still didn't answer Orochimaru only grew even more enraged, grabbing Kabuto's ponytail lifting him up by it causing him to yelp out in pain.

"Kabuto, I never before have had to, nor have had the desire to punish you before. I would very much like to keep it that way. The question that remains now is that….do you want to keep it that way?"

Between trying to snap fully back into the real world, his gasping and whimpering from the stinging pain of not only being suspended by the hair on the tender area of the back of his neck but also (and even more so) the thought of Orochimaru lashing out at him he some how managed to choke out an answer. "n-no" he whimpered as he tried to force back tears.

"O-Orchi-himaru-sama! I-I-Forgive Me! I wa-asnt myself!" he pleaded as Orochimarus long slender fingers began to tangle into his hair that felt like it would begin to start tearing out of the back of his head any moment now.

The sannin at first didn't seem to believe the teary-eyed medic's plea for forgiveness. His only response was raising a brow as a tear ran down Kabutos face. He swiped a finger down the young boy's face wiping away the tear before roughly dropping him to the cold floor.

"Not yourself you say?" Orochimaru questioned suspiciously. "Is that also your explanation to why you have been so foul towards Sasuke?"

"…..Hai Orochimaru-sama" he replied blankly, eyes back on the floor. "My bad blood began to boil"

'Bad Blood' was what he would always say when referring to the ugly side of him that would show itself when under pressure. Both Orochimaru and himself accepted it as a side effect from being Sasori's puppet. Even released from his Jutsu it could be assumed that at least part of tat still lay dormant inside of him.

"Bad blood hn?" he questioned sighing exasperated and exhaustedly. A tone that clearly stated that he was going to go with the medic's story even if it was just because he was in no mood to argue at the moment.

Orochimaru rubbed his eyes shaking his head then sighed again "Very well. I'll forgive you this time Kabuto. This time"

Even after the Otokage had left the room and Kimimaro came hurrying to his side Kabuto did nothing more but sit on the floor shivering. The pain in the back of his head suddenly coming on. His biggest concern on his mind though was trying to figure out what it was that was more disturbing to him. Being lashed at….or being lashed at by Orochimaru.