Nyctophobia Chapter 6, a naruto fanfic

Wake up
When will things be good enough for you
To see all that we can be
I'm sick of playin' games
And actin' like we never care
That we're never there

We pay attention for only seconds

Orochimaru stood in front of his bathroom mirror, brushing his mirror. The morning was the worst time of the day, he decided. He had slept in Kabuto's room, with hundreds of guards around him and the Sound Four holding a barrier. He had heard commotion outside in the middle of the night, but later learned that it was Tayuya and Jiroubou, fighting. Again. The sannin had broken the two up, sent them to neutral corners, and then threatened them with individual punishments before they settled down to pout for the rest of the night. They all took turns sleeping; every so often, a new member of the Sounds would be woken up to stand guard. The entire process was exhausting to both Orochimaru and his ninja; particularly Kabuto. The genin was up half the night, using checking on him as an excuse. But Orochimaru knew the real reason: Kabuto was worried. And Orochimaru could hardly take the stress, himself: he had finally fallen asleep at midnight, and slept fitfully until the morning. And now, Kabuto had insisted upon making coffee for himself and whoever else wanted/needed it, and sent Orochimaru off to clean himself up for the day. Orochimaru was just finishing up his hair; he had already brushed his teeth and gotten dressed.

But what was he going to do about the dark circles under his eyes…?

Look at you
Look at me
There's never any us
Can't you see all we can become
We can shine like the sun
If we believe that
two stars are brighter than one
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon... Look at you
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon... Look at me

A knock on the door interrupted Orochimaru's thoughts, and he let out a sigh of frustration. They couldn't keep this up. This was never going to get any better, was it? "What?" he called, sounding tired and spent. Already! It was barely daybreak…

"It's Kenshin," the person answered. "Almost done?"

Orochimaru set down the comb he was using on his hair, sighing with the sheer stress of living. At this point, it took so much to simply get through the day. "Yeah," Orochimaru finally answered. "Why? Do you need something?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do," Kenshin answered. "I need your ass out here. We have a solution to your problem: we're switching bases. And if he still finds you, we go with our original plan. I wasn't sure if he knows where any of our other bases are, and that's why I didn't suggest it earlier. But Kabuto says that last time he met with Sasori, the piece o' shit had no clue we had more than one base. So let's go! Take a waffle to go!"

Orochimaru groaned. Now, of all times! But he put away his hairbrush, opening the door and giving Kenshin a glare before walking past him with a sniff of arrogance. The old man smiled, and then left without another word.

Orochimaru walked into the kitchen, almost right into Kabuto's arms.

Listen the way we feel is not just
About you or me
It's the harmony
Just give in
Cuz together we'll be brighter than just any star
A work of art

Both men flushed and side-stepped around each other, Orochimaru going deeper into the kitchen, and Kabuto stepping out of it. He walked up to Kenshin, breaking into a jog for a moment to catch up to the old man. A hand on his shoulder stopped Kenshin from going much farther, and Kabuto stepped in front of Kenshin to speak with him. Orochimaru heard them whispering, but couldn't catch the content of their conversation. He knew it was about him; why else would they bother lowering their voices? Orochimaru poured himself a mug full of coffee, grabbed a bagel from the bread box in the corner of the counter, and sat down with both. He took several bites of the bagel, and then seemed to decide otherwise. His tongue snapped out, wrapped around the entire bagel, and pulled it down his throat, swallowing it whole. Orochimaru then began calmly drinking his coffee, as if nothing unusual had happened. Neither Kabuto nor Kenshin had noticed; Orochimaru didn't care to draw attention to the fact that what he had just done would hardly qualify as "eating breakfast" in any sane person's mind.

We'll make the sky bright
We'll light it, you and I

Kabuto and Kenshin were through exchanging words, it seemed: Kenshin nodded, said, "Okay," and walked away. Orochimaru caught the door opening and closing; Kabuto turned to him and walked back into the kitchen. "Everything's already been set up at the other base; we don't even have to take anything with us. When you're ready, we'll leave."

Look at you
Look at me
There's never any us
Can't you see all we can become

We can shine like the sun
If we believe that
two stars are brighter than one
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon... Look at you
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon... Look at me

Orochimaru exhaled slowly through his nostrils, setting his mug of coffee down on the table. He began turning it back and forth absently between his hands, staring fixatedly on the swirling coffee inside. Kabuto knew, though, what was going through Orochimaru's mind: terrible fear, unbelievable worry, and unbridled nerves. Kabuto sighed, standing up, and began moving around the kitchen to hide his own nervous behavior. When Kabuto was nervous, he had a tendency to try to hide it, however possible. But, there really wasn't much Kabuto could do. He had wiped down the counter, cleaned out the sink, and emptied the dishwasher, and then washed his hands. Finally, the genin sat back down-after killing only fifteen minutes. Orochimaru was still sitting at the table, nervously fiddling with his coffee. He had hardly taken another sip since Kabuto left him.

Is it too much ask
That you put us first
Oh
I feel like we're last in our universe
And that's not where we ought to be

"Are you okay?"

Orochimaru gave Kabuto's question an ambiguous shrug. The gesture made him look lost, alone, and confused. It made Kabuto want to just take him in his arms, to hold him, and comfort him, and tell him that everything was going to be okay…but Kabuto knew that he couldn't do that. Orochimaru would probably kill him. But…there was one thing he could do.

Kabuto leaned forward…and kissed Orochimaru.

Look at you
Look at me
There's never any us
Can't you see all we can become
We can shine like the sun
If we believe that
two stars are brighter than one

This time, Orochimaru wasn't even surprised by Kabuto's motions. Kabuto had done it so slowly, and Orochimaru had seen it coming. He'd been kissed before, and by Kabuto, no less! The silver-haired teen slowly put his hand around the back of Orochimaru's neck, and the two slowly turned to face each other. Orochimaru leaned forward, as well, and his eyes slowly fluttered closed by the time his lips met Kabuto's. The kiss was electrifying. Warmth flooded Orochimaru's body at the contact, and he felt like he had suddenly come alive. Kabuto seemed to sense it, too: he leaned into the kiss, pulling Orochimaru across the gap between them and into his lap. Orochimaru settled easily sideways across Kabuto's thighs, leaning into the kiss and wrapping one arm around Kabuto's shoulders. He couldn't even think about what the consequences for his actions would be: he just wanted to be near Kabuto, touching him, kissing him, feeling his red-hot, liquefying touch…

Kabuto kissed Orochimaru even deeper, pushing his tongue past his master's slack lips and into his mouth. Orochimaru's mouth was hot, and tasted sweet, not like the cold, frigid taste Kabuto had imagined. Orochimaru's personality was so cold, and he was half snake…a cold-blooded reptile. Why shouldn't his mouth taste like frozen snow, or darkest shadow? But no…no, he was hot as lava, and sweet as sin. Kabuto now breathed in that sin, running one hand down Orochimaru's side, over slight curves and smooth hips. Orochimaru stiffened, but relaxed again at Kabuto's touch. He knew Kabuto…he trusted him.

C'mon, c'mon, c'mon... Look at you
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon... Look at me

Dare he say it…? He loved him.

OOOOOOOOOOO

"Aw…they're so cute together."

"I have twenty bucks that we are going to get so brutally murdered later…"

"I have twenty-five bucks that says that neither of them have any idea we're here."

Tayuya, Jiroubou, Sakon and Ukon, and Kidomaru were all in Orochimaru's bedroom, watching their master and his apprentice as they kissed. They were supposed to be getting a scroll for Kenshin: they had gotten…well, sidetracked, to put it delicately. Tayuya had noticed when Kabuto first kissed Orochimaru: she was walking past the open door, and caught the two as they leaned in. Sakon and Ukon had noticed Tayuya motionless in the doorway, and joined her there, closing the door slightly. Then Kidomaru had come over, and the door closed almost all the way. And then Jiroubou came over, looking to be included for once, and the door was now almost completely closed. No one could help themselves, it seemed. Tayuya was practically squealing with glee: Orochimaru ad Kabuto were so perfect for each other! Things weren't made worse by the fact that they were both adorable, and that they looked so sexy kissing each other like there was no tomorrow…Sakon and Ukon rolled their eyes muttered a bit, but other than that, seemed enthralled by the display. Jiroubou looked ready to hurl, but too enraptured to look away. And Kidomaru…well, the best way to describe his otherwise-unreadable look was to say "interested." Either way, everyone was praying they didn't get caught. No one wanted to die because Orochimaru flipped out on them. But it was so worth it for the gossip…! Tayuya had a feeling she would be very popular for a few weeks.

Jiroubou sneezed.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Orochimaru and Kabuto suddenly broke their kiss at the sound of a sneeze. Orochimaru felt a flush rush to his face at the position he had wound up in: almost completely tangled in Kabuto, sitting on the genin's lap. Kabuto gently helped Orochimaru stand up, then rose himself. He glanced towards Orochimaru's room, the direction from which the noise had come. "Alright, Jiroubou," he sighed, stepping up next to Orochimaru. The sannin was touched and slightly embarrassed that one of Kabuto's hands slid into his own, and he felt himself blushing again. He looked away, hoping no one would notice. Fat chance, but it was worth a shot. "Come out," Kabuto continued. The door slowly opened, and Jiroubou slunk out, looking ashamed. Kabuto placed his other hand on his hip, glaring at Jiroubou. "Sakon? Ukon, you too. Out here, now." The pair of Sound ninja slowly emerged from behind the door, looking slightly chagrined and slightly smug. One of Kabuto's eyebrows rose, and he called out, "Kidomaru?" There was a rough swear, but the spider-ninja came out to stand next to his fellow ninja. Muttering was heard from behind the door:

"Don't say Tayuya, don't say Tayuya, don't say Tayuya…"

Kabuto smirked, and said it anyway: "Tayuya?"

Horrible swearing was heard from behind the door, and Tayuya came out, looking morbidly furious. She stomped over to her teammates, a dark thundercloud looming over her head. Kabuto glanced at them, then at Orochimaru. "You taking this, or am I?" he asked softly, leaning closer to Orochimaru. The snake shook his head.

"I'll take it," he replied, just as softly. Kabuto placed a soft, sweet kiss on Orochimaru's lips, forbidden to touch, but his to claim. He nodded and walked away, excusing himself to his lab. Orochimaru sighed, crossed his arms, and walked over to the Sound Four.

"Look," he said slowly, voice low and threatening. "You can't tell anyone what you just saw. If it gets around the complex, it'll get outside the complex, and then, it'll spread across the villages. And if Itachi gets wind of it, I am so frickin' dead it's not even funny. Do you have any idea what that insane lunatic would do to me if he thought I was cheating on him?"

Tayuya glanced at Sakon and Ukon; Jiroubou and Kidomaru exchanged concerned glances. "Can we still guess even though we already know?"

Orochimaru dealt Sakon, the speaker, a vicious backhand. "Worse!" he exclaimed, "so don't make it worse! This little event is to stay in this room, and never leave it under any circumstances. Am I clear?!"

Three frightened nods ensued, and one croak of affirmation from the floor. Orochimaru nodded once, and added, "I'll tell Kenshin when I'm ready to. So don't go and tell him!"

"Tell me what?"

Kenshin stood in the doorway, almost filling the frame with his bulky figure. He walked over to Orochimaru, looking intently at the sannin. "This isn't about your little romance issue, is it?" the old man grunted, setting his hands on his hips. "Orochimaru, just leave Itachi to us. Go get laid."

Orochimaru felt his face flush to an almost normal tone. "Why you-you-you disgusting old man! What-what gives you the right to…to say something like that?! You have no right to-"

Kenshin waved a hand at Orochimaru. "Get a grip," he advised dryly. "And then see what Kabuto's doing tonight."

"Why you little-!"

"Orochimaru-sama, he's old and senile! He's not worth it! He's not worth it!!"

Tayuya, Jiroubou, Sakon, Ukon, and Kidomaru each did their part to try to hold Orochimaru back. Tayuya grabbed his wrist; Jiroubou wrapped his arms around Orochimaru's shoulders; Sakon and Ukon used all four of their hands to hold Orochimaru's other wrist; Kidomaru began spitting up spider webs. And even then, it was hardly enough. Even so, Kenshin simply stood there, smirking, hands in his pockets. "Orochimaru, all the fun is in watching you fly off the handle," he offered, and then turned and simply walked away. The Sounds were doing their best to convince Orochimaru that murder wasn't the way to do it-this time, anyway. But the snake refused to listen, and continued to fight the Sounds holding him back. By the time Kenshin had shut the door behind himself, Orochimaru had almost entirely fought off his guards, who were now fulfilling the role of Kenshin's life-savers. Not that he would be grateful-but no one wanted to see the old man vanish so soon. Orochimaru seemed to grow a bit calmer after Kenshin had left, but he was still breathing murderous thoughts. Tayuya nodded to the others, and everyone slowly stepped away from Orochimaru, watching intently to see if he bolted for the door.

He walked into his room, slamming the door along the way.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Orochimaru cut through his bedroom to the bathroom attached to it, shutting and locking the door. He turned his back to the vanity against the wall, and then slid down it onto his haunches. He settled in a cross-legged position on the floor, head leaning back against the cabinets under the sink, eyes closed. Orochimaru had to search to find even the question he was asking himself: what the hell am I doing?

"Orochimaru-sama?"

The slightly-timid voice of one of Orochimaru's servants came through the door, accompanied by a gentle knock. Orochimaru sighed with annoyance, but answered: "What is it now?" he snapped, too tired to even think about being semi-respectful to anyone.

"Someone at the gate wants to see you."

"Who is it?" Orochimaru pressed. Unless it was someone very, very important, he wasn't going to greet anyone personally for a very long time.

"He refuses to say. But he's from Akatsuki-"

"Oh, my God, I can't deal with this right now."

The man outside the door seemed confused, but decided to try, anyway. "Should I tell him to wait?" the man inquired. Orochimaru exhaled slowly.

"Describe him," he said tiredly. He began rubbing his forehead, trying to put some pressure on his sinuses. He really needed an Aspirin…

"He has spiky orange hair," the man began hesitantly, "And his eyes are like gray rings. He has many piercings in his face, and he wears an Akatsuki cloak."
Orochimaru's heart stopped. "Pein," he whispered. His former boss-! From way back when, when he was in Akatsuki. "Fine, tell him I'll be there as soon as I can," Orochimaru said, fighting to a standing position. He filled a small cup with water, and then pulled open the mirror over the sink to reveal a medicine cabinet. Orochimaru found the bottle of painkiller, shook out two pills, and put the bottle back in the cabinet. He closed the mirror, and then dumped the pills down the back of his throat. Orochimaru gulped down the water, set the glass down next to the sink, and stepped out of the bathroom. The servant who had come to him had already left, and so Orochimaru walked further into his room, searching for the bag of incense he kept in his room. He found it on top of his dresser, and pulled out two sticks of incense. They were scented like rose-Pein's favorite scent. Orochimaru lit the sticks of incense with a snap of his fingers and a small fire jutsu, then set them in the shallow bowl just above his head. He then folded his hands, lowered his head, and offered up a silent prayer for God-whatever God was up there and cared about him. Orochimaru had never really been sure about religion-he considered himself an atheist. But now, he wasn't so sure. Just he himself, and him wasn't getting him far.

Orochimaru took a deep breath, finished up his prayer, and went outside to meet Pein.

A/N: Whoo. End. Review, or no next chapter!! Song is Two Stars by Meaghan Jette Martin.