Caranril: At this point, my storyline has diverged from Kishimoto-sama's. It was a good run, but now I can do whatever because the whole basis for this part of the story contradicts the latest chappie releases by Shounen Jump. So, saiyonara canon, hellooooo fantastical!

Legolas: Shouldn't you be studying...slacker?

Caranril: Ah, yes. About that. For some reason I had this incredible inspiration to write during finals, so I'm totally surprised that I managed to crank this out. I promise I'll write til my fingers fall off during Spring break. I'm gonna be working most of the time anyway. Fanfiction is a great escape from reality, ne?

Legolas: A hearty thanks to Meira Evenstar.

Caranril: I absolutely hate getting attached to fics where the author/ess doesn't update religiously, so can you believe how much I'm disliking myself right now?

Legolas: And everyone thinks Jiraiya's pervy? Orochimaru's the gay pedophile...

Caranril: Yeeeeeaaaahhhh. Oh oh! Um, this dream sequence is disturbing. Yes very disturbing. As well as the one afterward. If you don't like rape, don't read. If you can't stand shouta-con, which is sex with minors, don't read. WARNING. Yeah. I haven't had any problems yet, but there's always the idiot who happens upon something and, despite the warnings, reads the icky selection anyway.

disCLAIMER: While I do not own Naruto nor any affiliated subjects therein, Kishimoto-sama does and therefore he owns my soul.

Chapter 4: Homecoming

Searing pain flooded his body, limbs twitching through the restraints. Subject number 9 would die, just like those before him, only at this point the technique was nearly perfect. To find a tenth subject was a problem in itself. The latest sect battle had utterly destroyed all his resources. It would take some time to rebuild his labs, but with Kage Bunshins working round the clock, the recovery would be much quicker than initially expected.

A horrendous scream ripped through the sealed jaw of Subject 9. His eyes had rolled back into his head and vomit seeped out his nose. Just a little longer...

"Father?" came a horrified voice. "Father what are you doing?"

The voice sent shivers down his spine. That eery child's voice, plus the fact that he'd discovered his latest experiment, bothered him very much. He turned slowly to face his son, pale yellow eyes staring up innocently.

"Why are you hurting that man?" The five year old was terrified, yet curious. "Is he dead?"

Fuck! He turned to the subject, realizing that when his son had broken his concentration on the technique, the man had finally been allowed to die. Failure number nine. Hot blood shot through his veins, and he whipped about and backhanded the pale child. The frail cheekbone cracked and the head smashed to the ground. Even still, he did not scream. Such a strange child. He could be set on fire and wouldn't...

Yes. That was it. The man grinned. Subject number 10 was right under his nose. He'd have to adjust for the size of the child's body, but the boy would withstand the new technique so much better than those commoners he'd been using. That would be his mother's blood...

He grabbed the thin arm a little too roughly and cracked the bone with his large hand. Even still, not a sound. Strange child. Freak. Blood poured out of the side of his head yet, yet those reptile-like yellow eyes stared back, clear and full of hatred.

"Hate me all you want, you bastard, because there's nothing you can." With one hand still gripping the broken arm, he loosed the restraints on the dead Subject 9 and shoved the body off the table. The subject had expelled bodily fluids all over the table, but he didn't bother cleaning it off. Let the fucker writhe in the other subject's shit.

He found the child's lack of resistance annoying. He let himself be man-handled into a situation that would probably end his life. Children were so ignorant. But as he turned his back to prepare a new sheet for notes, he missed seeing the lifted head and subsequent look of rage.

All was ready. He turned back to the child, sneering at his pitiful state. The white nightshirt had already soaked up the piss and vomit, the long black hair clinging to an already sweaty face. He formed the seals, and released the technique. He hadn't even bothered to seal the boy's jaw shut. It would be interesting if he could get a scream out of the little fucker. The cracked bone in his arm split as he shook violently against the restraints. The mouth didn't even open once. As the white-haired man stared at the heaving child, a blush rose to his cheeks. Then the blood ran the other direction, pooling at his groin and awaking those long-dormant feelings. For some reason, torturing this child was incredibly hot, even if the child was his own. Without losing focus on the technique, he unzipped his pants and encouraged the arousal. Oh kami! He'd never felt this heated in his life, even with a woman. He stroked himself harder. Don't. Lose. Control. A small gasp of pain escaped the boy's lips, followed by an appreciative groan from his own lips. Fuck.

As the man jacked off to the torture of the boy, Kaori felt intensely sick. The man's grunts faded and the world swirled with colour and rocked violently. She squeezed her eyes clothes and fell back as a pang surged through her chest.

Oh kami-sama, if only the world would stop rocking! She became slightly aware that her left arm was numb. Fearful that she had become that man's latest test subject, her eyes flew open and stared at the black mass resting on her arm. Damn, her vision was so blurry. Someone should turn up the lights. She tried moving her arm, hoping to goodness that it was still there. The black mass lifted and her hand tingled as the blood flow resumed. A pale hand grasped her own.

"Akumako! You're awake!"

Ah. Shit. The world tilted again and this time Kaori lost control of her stomach. She was slightly aware of someone rolling her to the side while she vomited all over a bed, and faintly familiar voices called out to her as she passed out.

"You'd make a beautiful girl, Chi-chan," he panted in time with his thrusts. The sickly-pale ass pinked as he gripped tighter. "Ah, and you're as tight as one too."

The boy didn't even bother to brace himself against the hips ramming against his backside. He'd become accustomed to these sexual assaults and participated in the manner of a rag doll. He had come to associate the word "family" with pain and suffering. His mother had beat him, because he looked too much like his father. His father raped him, because he looked so much like his mother. The nightmares never ended, but then again he couldn't even recall when they began. When the man blasted his cum into the boy's ass, he'd grab a bottle of sake and crash for hours. And every time he slept the boy planned his vengeance. And it would be a very sweet vengeance indeed.

Kaori sat up with a gasp. Her head reeled for a two moments, then everything settled. Damn dreams. Damn memories. Holy shit. Those were someone's memories. She thought hard, wondering who she could have possibly come in contact with that had experienced such horrors as a child...

"Well, well, here I was, tryin to figure out if'n I should take 'vantage of them leavin me alone to watch over you, but choo woke anyway."

Without even looking, Kaori knew exactly who that annoyingly familiar voice belonged to.

"Why the hell are you here, Saru?"

"I live here, Kaizoku."

Kaori slowly turned her head at the nickname. Besides the familiarity, seeing the pervy old man seated next to the bed confirmed that the rocking she felt was due to the fact she was on a boat. And not just any boat. The Inazuma.

"Where..."

"Oh, they's all on deck cleanin up after the raid."

"Ah, cleaning up after the EH?!"

"S'right. Only time's ever been raid on 'Zuma is when you and someone you care bout is on board, right?"

"What the fuck do you know?" Kaori grumbled.

"S'general knowledge," Saru shrugged. "Specially what with Hitanichi's death and all..."

In a movement quicker than he could have predicted, Kaori had leaned over the bed and snatched the dirty collar of his tunic.

"Don't tell me it's been so long that your rum-soaked brain doesn't remember what I told you about saying his name..."

"Naw, naw." Saru waved his hands apologetically. Then he paused and tilted his head as he gazed down the v of the tunic she wore. Kaori raised her fist and was about to deck him when the hatch door opened and sandals thudded down the stairs. Kaori and Saru stared at the deckhand, who in return gaped at the situation.

"Kaizoku's awake, Senchou!" he called through the hatch. There was a bustle of noise and bodies before a voice suddenly grew loud as it leapt down the stairs.

"Kaaaooooooori-chan!" Naruto took a running leap and glomped her on the bed. The air left Kaori's lungs in a whoosh as his hug decompressed them. "We were so worried about you!"

As Kaori managed to catch her breath, her eyes met Sasuke's, who stood at the bottom of the stairs and stared at her with a stony expression. A sudden throb in her heart reminded her of what had happened and why she was recovering in a bed. Images assaulted her memory as she recalled everything. Everything from the smell of the soap to the sting of the knife. She cried out as the burning metal sensation seemed to impale her again.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto called desperately, sitting back as Kaori doubled over and clutched her chest.

"I'm here." She sat on the edge of the bed and placed her hand over Kaori's heart. Coolness dripped like a liquid from Sakura's fingers onto the angry red skin. As the red faded, the tattoo-like scar remained prominent. Orochimaru's brand.

"It's difficult to stop it from hurting," Sakura admitted, a slight sheen of sweat appearing on her brow. "I can temporarily ease the pain, but this is a very strong technique. Can you tell me about it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Can you tell me any of the seals he used, how he put the curse on you, any rituals?"

"Uh..." Kaori felt herself pale then blush. "I don't really remember..."

"Perhaps that is part of the technique. It would keep us from being able to counter-act the curse."

Kaori accidently met Sasuke's eyes. They glared "liar." Damn him. What did he know?

All thoughts flew from her mind as a rock-solid figure appeared behind the Uchiha. While his tanned body practically bulged with frightening muscles through his tunic, the man's face held a strong chin and twinkling blue eyes that could charm a child. His sun-bleached hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, and both ears boasted gold hoops. Kaori could only gape at the unchanged man striding towards her.

"Kaizoku! You have returned to us." He gestured a hand towards her with a big smile. Kaori reached for it, but it sprang at her like a snake and brought her into a choke-hold.

"You know how impossible it is to pick on someone when they're unconscious?" he roared, patting her head like she was a cat resting in his arms. A very indignant cat that struggled with all her might. Try as she may, she had never managed to escape his torture. But this time...He blinked as the woman disappeared and a stool took her place. She stood in the corner where the stool used to sit near the desk, panting heavily.

"That won't work anymore. Senchou." She struggled to stand straight but could barely see as she swooned from her effort. Her Chakra supply seemed to be severely depleted. Sakura helped her back to the bed, reprimanding the captain for treating her patient so viciously.

"Sakura." Kaori glanced at her captain, worried that the telling off would set him off. Instead, he gave her a polite grin and patter Saru on the shoulder.

"Let's go, mate. We'll have our reunion once Kaizoku is able to return to her duties." The captain escorted the protesting topman out of the hold. Kakashi took the chair Saru had been occupying.

"You forgot something earlier," he said nonchalantly, placing a hitai-ate and Gelel stone earring on Kaori's lap. She stared at them for a moment, trying to decide what to say.

"We're not gonna let you quit that easy, Kaori-chan," Naruto said seriously. "You can't tell me that all that work you put into this...learning to read and write, learning general techniques and creating your own, coming out of your shell, making us love you...it can't be that easy to throw it all away with one decision."

Kaori met Naruto's big blue eyes. "D-d...you really..." she couldn't finish her sentence. Whether or not Naruto had meant to use the "l" word, she couldn't bring herself to ask him if he meant it.

"Kaori-san, I must apologize." Sakura bowed deeply. "I was deceiving. I truly did want to be your friend, but then...I got jealous. A little crazy, I guess. Can you forgive the horrible things I said to you?"

Kaori patted Sakura's head. "Hey, we wouldn't be friends if we didn't fight sometimes, right?"

Sakura lifted her head and smiled. Kaori returned the earring to it's rightful place and stroke the metal on her scarf.

"But after what I did, do I really deserve to wear this again?"

"Oh c'mon. Your teammates are forgiving you. Ain't that enough?" a surly voice floated down the stairs. "Konoha, get your asses up here, there's still lots to do before we can get underway."

"Hai, hai, Kankurou-san," Kakashi replied. "Hope you're on your feet soon, Kaori-san."

Naruto gave Kaori's hair a hearty ruffle before bounding up the stairs after Kakashi.

"When can I help?" Kaori asked longingly. What she wouldn't give to climb the Inazuma's ratlin's again.

"You are well on your way to perfect health, but you still need at least one more day of rest. Senchou has offered his quarters until you are fully healed. Please take care of yourself." Sakura stood. "Now, I still have many to take care of who were hurt in the raid."

That word hit Kaori again: raid. How long had she been unconscious? Was that strange misfortune that Saru mentioned still affecting her? Why did the crew have to suffer because of her?

"Fucktard."

Kaori jumped, realizing that Sasuke had never left.

"Uchiha...you shouldn't be so sneaky. And why am I a fucktard?"

"Why the hell do you think?" He stalked towards her and slammed his hands onto the bed, leaning in dangerously close. "Idiot!" He yanked off his Jounin jacket and shirt. Kaori tried to protest the sudden nudity, but he showed her his bare shoulder. Besides two little fang-like scars, the shoulder was pale and smooth.

"It's gone." He stared at her through hardened eyes. "I don't know what you did, but's there's no way it was that simple. There's gotta be some trick to this. That seal means something. And because Orochimaru's a selfish bastard, he won't let you go. Fucktard."

"Well excuse me for caring about my friends," Kaori replied heatedly. "Orochimaru didn't believe me either, but I told him, I know what it's like now to be willing to die for someone. And that's true! But since you can't see that, go fuck yourself." Kaori yanked the covers over her head, one to hide the chill that was sweeping over her, and two to make Sasuke go away. Her chest wound throbbed as her heart sank. She hadn't expected the exchange to work, but since it had, Sasuke's reaction shocked her. They should have just left her there.

A thud made her peek from the covers. Sasuke's pale face had gone ashen and he was on his knees, his eyes no longer guarded but pained.

"I'm sorry." He buried his head in his hands. "I have no explanation. Orochimaru is a chapter in my life that I wish would end. But somehow he keeps destroying parts of me." In a frighteningly un-Uchiha manner, he lay his head on the bed and cowered before her. Besides making her heart skip several beats, his actions worried her. Had the disappearance of that seal made the last Uchiha a wuss? Even still...she reached out and touched the fang scars with two fingers. They were slight indents in his muscled flesh, former guardians of a weakness that gave him impossible strength. Could it be...Kaori realized something startling. All this time, he'd drawn strength from the seal, despite the fact that it also hurt him. And now his strength and weakness were gone, and Sasuke didn't know what to do with what was left. And for some reason Orochimaru's words haunted her: You love Sasuke-kun, don't you? She sat up.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you."

Sasuke looked up at her, expecting a stupid smirk to be on her face. Instead, there was no malice nor jest in her grey eyes, only honesty. What she could do to protect him was beyond all logical thought, but for some reason it comforted him. As her fingers graced the ugly scars on his neck, he felt a desperate desire to be held. Would she...? No. No, it was too much to ask. And if someone came down and saw him being babied...he'd never live it down. Instead, he took her hand and held it tightly.

"I'm holding you to that."

Then came the smirk. Stupid joker. He stood and made to leave. A pair of arms encircled his waist and dragged him to sit on the bed. She nuzzled his bare back, sending unwanted (though not unpleasant) shivers down his spine.

"Thanks Uchiha." Somehow, she knew that he had been the one to rescue her. No doubt he'd faced Orochimaru too. Despite what some people thought, Sasuke was a brave man.

"Idiot. I have work to do," he said gruffly, trying to cover the shakiness in his voice. He stood and replaced his clothing, leaving the hold without a backward glance. He'd been assaulted plenty of times by hugs and kisses from over-eager fans, endured verbal annoyances and squeals of glee, and thrown away a good many "anonymous" gifts. They all wanted to be the one who changed Sasuke's cold heart. But the only one who never tried yet gave him the effect was Kaori, and it confused the hell out of him. He hadn't stopped thinking about her since she'd disappeared from the camp, and even though she seemed to be okay, he still couldn't stop thinking about her. It was because the seal had some sort of secret that had yet to be discovered. Yes. That was it. He was worried about the seal. But that didn't explain the strange combination of loss and joy at the disappearance of his own cursed seal. And then there was the consequent panic. He'd taken watch over her just once to observe her with his Sharingan. He couldn't see details, but she writhed in a strange world of dream memories. After that, he had to stay away. The seal over her heart gave him the creeps.

As he helped Kakashi repair a hole in the hull, Sasuke committed himself to resolving his feelings. However it was that he felt about Kaori, he would figure it out and leave it at that. She annoyed the hell out of him, but the thought of life without her was unbearable. And that left him wondering when had he become such a wuss.