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For What Must Be Done

Chapter 1: Black Holes and Revelations
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The stone floor was as cold to her bare knees and feet as the unexpected request had been to her stomach.

"A... a... baby?" she repeated as much as inquired, the word seeming completely alien to the red haired girl speaking it, a thousand emotions betraying her face.

Desperate brown eyes scanned the other two residents of the ornate bedroom. Her beloved master, Orochimaru-sama, sitting on the edge of the bed next to her knelled figure upon the floor. His face was of an uncanny sort of pale and he smelled of death. To see the one she would give the world for in such a condition... it alone was too much. And now his sudden request. A hand went to weakly brush her shoulder in as much of a comforting gesture as he could muster, and his smile betrayed not a single ounce of the pain she knew the simple movement had caused him.

The last Kaguya and topic of the hour, Kimimaro, a marble white statue of a boy in his own right, but in contrast looking much healthier than he had in the past several months sat cross-legged at his master's feet, one of the few times at the same level and demeanor as her. A good, loyal pet. And showing no signs of shame in it. Such strength and honor and grace radiating in what many would consider a very demeaning posture. But in his mind she knew... how could he feel demeaned sitting humbly at the feet of God?

Three sets of eyes. Brown eyes nothing but worried and confused and desperate and appalled. Black eyes, full of love and gratitude and infinite patience. Green eyes- unreadable as they usually were and showing no signs of anything except understanding, but definitely not showing anything resembling happiness either.

"The Uchiha boy... I have found my new container. And this means that my dear child" his eyes turned to the boy at his feet, a truthful stare. And green eyes looked back at him. "will no longer have to give his life to keep this miserable old parasite alive..."

Even in their moment of surprise, both were ready to object to such a statement coming from the only thing they knew of to be truly perfect in their lives, but neither got the chance to interrupt.

"With newfound health and a replacement to his fate... he can better serve me, this world, this country, by correcting what the Mist had tried to do before. Continue the lineage of such a beautiful bloodline. And you Tayuya..." She couldn't bring herself to look at him for the first time in... perhaps ever. "This request is hardest on you, I know. And for that I am truly sorry. But I can't think of a stronger, younger, smarter, more beautiful woman capable of taking on this task than yourself. I know that whatever children you bear... they will be the healthiest and the strongest. And they will carry no lingering traces of the illness that befell Kimimaro."

A light heat came to her face. Such kind words, despite what many would think, were not uncommon coming from her lord. He took great efforts to make every one of them feel special. Even if... some were apparently moreso than the others.

Looking at Kimimaro, she couldn't stand him. She knew he likewise shared the same sentiment for her, but he simply sat there fully accepting all of this. Perfect, even in his loyalty and dedication. Unwavering, and she KNEW she should likewise have the same level of dedication to the one who had given them a life. But here she was, kneeled and hesitant. He spoke well of her... but she was NOT like Kimimaro. Even in what should be such a simple request, she held reservation.

Her silence said everything and the smallest of frowns appeared on the lips of the elder man. Kimimaro gave a bow, and rose to excuse himself. To the untrained eye, he seemed unbothered. To the snake sage and the small redhead... his simply leaving without an honored word to his master was far more than enough to show his displeasure with what was being requested of him. Orochimaru-sama's eyes trailed after the boy as he left, gently closing the door behind him. He didn't look back at her.

"... But you're still young, Tayuya. Both of you are. You don't have to rush this. Take your time. My reason for requesting this now is so you wouldn't have to be surprised by it with sudden urgency later. I just... hope you can understand my decision."

xXxXxXx

The large doors to Orochimaru's bed chamber closed with a hollow thud into the hallway.

The two figures graced the dimly lit hallway, having taken a few steps and then stopped. Stopped, much to Tayuya's surprise... and dread. Kimimaro had yet to even spare her a glance, but stood there as if that alone was enough to acknowledge one as undeserving as her. The request replayed in her head like a looping record, and she could only look at the taller boy's back in utter disgust. This is not what she wanted in giving her life and servitude to Orochimaru-sama. This is NOT what she had imagined she would become just months after barely surviving the task of getting her Lord's next replacement body for him. Reduced to nothing more than a callgirl. A surrogate mother at the very best.

And why now? Why would he request such a thing now? It's not like there wasn't... time. Time to find someone stronger, more suitable. Someone better than her to handle such an important request. And she hated being in a situation where she was forced to think this way. She always wanted to be tough, strong and confident in front of everyone. Kimimaro was the one who's mere presense alone was enough to remind her that she was none of these things. Where his sparring matches against her and the rest of the Sound Five combined was nothing more than a test to see if he could beat them "faster" than he did last week. It was just... perfection. His prowess, his beauty, his intellect, his demeanor, and even his noblest of strides... it was his perfection that made her realize her every little weakness. It's why she hated him. And even more now because of this request. One as perfect as Kimimaro... why wasn't Lord Orochimaru picking a woman equally perfect to have his children?

"And knowing you, you want to hurry and get this over with, don't you?" she bit out angrily so as to spare her own pride.

And as she should have expected... he didn't even condone her an immediate retort. As if he even had to think about it, as if she were a bother to him now. Being forced onto HIM as much as she felt he was forced onto HER.

"Well... spit it out. What do you want me to do? I'm on YOUR clock now, it would seem..."

Oddly, his foot began tapping in contemplation as if actually considering something and her small hand went up to grasp at the top of her shirt, eyes suddenly finding interest in the cold stone floor beneath her toes.

"I... look... I didn't mean that I want t-" But she was interrupted by his sudden and uncharacteristic sigh. Kimimaro didn't sigh. Sighing meant uncertainity and stress and conflict. And Kimimaro was far too perfect for these things. His eyes were cold, glancing at her over his shoulder.

"I have no rush or desire for you. Go back to your room."

...

And that struck EVERY nerve in her all at once. How do you feel relieved, insulted, pleased, hurt, grateful, and rejected all at the same time? She wasn't sure how, but Tayuya was. She bit back her first immediate response, because one does not throw a barrage of insults and swears at Kaguya Kimimaro and walk away with all of their bones unbroken. But even a tough-talking foul-mouth like Tayuya had her integrity as a girl. And to hear that a guy has NO desire for her? Yeah.

"You bastard... what do you mean by that?" No answer only served to prod further anger. Not even deserving an answer, she hated that about him too. Someone that silent could never be thinking anything good about anyone. "Fine. I get it. I'm NOT strong or powerful, or smart or beautiful or any of those things that you're undoubtedly looking for. Fine." Did such a barrage and admission make sense? Neither did ANY of this. And perhaps for that alone she could excuse her surfacing frustrations and insecurities. "And I'm no happier about this than you a-"

Kimimaro turned to speak. And whenever Kimimaro wants to speak, you shut up and you listen. It doesn't matter if you're a strong-willed ginger or not.

His stare bore cold, but just one phrase to say everything. "Did I say any of that?"

The question would have taken her back if not for the fact that nothing would be able to surprise her at the moment. Her face pulled into a slight snarl and she 'tch'ed into the air, his general direction. "When have you ever said anything, Kimimaro? Just because you haven't sa-"

"Did I ever say any of that about you?"

"... It's obvious! Just from the way you tr-"

"I've never had to repeat myself a third time, Tayuya. I don't intend to start now." ... And when you've known someone as long as she'd known Kimimaro... you know how to tell annoyed frustration even through manners and a lack of emotion.

"No..." she sniffed and looked down the hall at a randomly passing... nothing. "You've never said those things."

"Then who are you to assume you know what I think about ANY of this?" She would have said something immediately if that wasn't honest... confusion she was catching the slightest of hints of from the last of the Kaguya. "There's much I don't say. Doesn't mean I don't think it." And... maybe that was the first thing he had ever, even hesitantly, volunteered about his inner world since they were young kids.

And maybe in that moment, there was some sort of revelation. In all of his perfection that she hated him so much for... he was just as powerless about major decisions as she was. SHE was being forced on him as much as HE was being forced on her.

Now he was walking off toward his room and she felt herself sigh. As far as he was concerned, he had won their little argument. As far as she was concerned, they hadn't even started it. Yet she could only watch his retreating figure, tall and prideful in his stride even in the face of something he couldn't control. He was right... he didn't talk much. She didn't talk much about herself to anyone at least. And he was right. Keeping quiet outside didn't mean that he was quiet inside. And there was even a hint to something that may have pained him even more.

He stopped calmly in his tracks and glanced at the nearby wall, his hand going to a small trickle of water running down the stone wall and inspecting its source... noting the small leak in their underground home that he would likely be seeing to tomorrow. Despite all of the surprise and let down tonight... he would still be a Sound Ninja tomorrow, dutifully maintaining and protecting his home.

She watched him tiptoe to better look at a crack in the ceiling, as if this was what now held his most interest. He brought his hand up to his mouth, giving up a couple of small coughs that he had failed to entirely suppress. Kimimaro coming down with a cold... that was almost an entirely alien concept. Kimimaro, after all, was perfection. Perfection doesn't catch the common cold. ... It could have been the remnants of the illness that nearly killed him before. And she shuttered for some reason, remembering back to her very few visits to him in the infirmary.

... More than any of them... Kimimaro was the one being kicked off his throne here. HE was the one at Orochimaru's left hand. HE was the one who was going to become Orochimaru-sama's new container. The one he had personally picked above all else... the most capable. She and the other Sound Five had never been an option and were jealous that the Uchiha Orochimaru-sama had learned about was yet someone else who was placed of higher importance. The biggest blow... it was to Kimimaro. Kimimaro was the old treasured toy that was pushed aside for the newer one. HE was supposed to be the one. And now, he had no other importance than passing on his bloodline, even after proving his strength and willpower to overcome that damned disease that nearly claimed his life... when no other foe could ever come close. ... He was even the one being charged with TAKING the Uchiha during the upcoming invasion of Konoha. Picking up his new replacement, as it were.

... ... ...

He looked at where he was standing and then to the corner of the hall, estimating the number of feet to the leak for reference tomorrow... if he didn't do something about it tonight. It made Tayuya think. For all of his perfection and "royal" air... he had never put himself above doing menial work and took it as being just as important as anything more "noble". Even now after all of this. And maybe for the first time... she realized that maybe it wasn't his "perfection" that had originally drawn Lord Orochimaru to him. Underneath that cold exterior, there was true character that not many had. She hated to see it... but nevertheless she could see it.

She was ready to curl up and never get back up after these last couple of setbacks. But not Kimimaro.

Kaguya Kimimaro, she noted. Alienation, imprisonment, brain washing, abandonment, destruction of his clan, betrayal of his home, the most painful bloodline limit in existence, grueling training, deathly illness, "betrayal" again, "dethronement", and now being told the most important thing he could do for the master he obviously loved just as much or more than the rest of them did... was to have a kid. And to throw salt in the wound, it was with someone not of his picking. She had been ready to give up after the last couple of things not going her way. ... Kaguya Kimimaro, one blow right after the other and he carries on to meet the next day, the next MOMENT even, as if nothing had happened. Nothing but minor inconvenience to him when taken in the face of what. must. be. done.

... ... ...

... The air was quiet and still out in the hallway during this late hour. Nothing but the quiet clicks of the boy pecking on the wall. He took notice of her just standing by and dumbly watching him, but seemed unbothered. The attitude seeming to be that if she was having some sort of problem with him... then that was simply her problem.

And in their common suffrage, she had found the slightest bit of... understanding, for her leader. Respect even. And under the finest of microscopes... maybe a small dash of admiration. How the scope of bravery to press the matter came out of any of that... she didn't know. And didn't even wonder until after it was too late.

"And why shouldn't I... we... come up with our own conclusions, if you never say anything. You're being forced to have a child. You have no say in the matter. And you're being replaced. Thrown away, discarded. I KNOW you have something to say about that. Why don't you?"

His look back said he was annoyed and she stopped walking forward... but with the annoyance was a... submission, almost. Or the closest thing to it anyone besides Orochimaru-sama could ever get from him. Like when someone has called you on something and there's really nothing to say in your defense.

"I say nothing because there's nothing to be said. Or should be said at least. Complaining changes nothing."

... why didn't she have it in her to be truly pissed at him for that? Like normal. Why couldn't things go back to being normal?

"Damn you, Kimimaro... I'm not complaining, expecting things to change." Aggressive biting words, but no more malice rather than habit in her words. And Kimimaro knew that too, going on unbothered. He knew when she was being insulting, and now wasn't the case. "I just want to know that MAYBE you hate this as much as I do."

"That is none of your business." There was a warning there, but she wasn't buying it. She thought she had the perfect retort... and had no way of knowing she would regret saying it.

"Why isn't it, you jackass? If I'm the one who's expected to f-"

"Because. Tayuya. We're not married yet."

...

Not. Married. Yet.

And there he went, walking off again. "Hey, wait!" This time she boldly reached out, taking ahold of his robe so as to stop him. He did so, surprisingly obedient and with no violent response. "What do you MEAN not married yet? I only have to stew your baby for a while. You sure as hell don't have to marry m-"

The only violent response was him fiercely tugging his sleeve away, and he kept walking. The brief look she caught on his face told her that he was in fact unhappy with this, and somehow it bothered him to talk about it anymore. At least tonight. Kimimaro is hard to predict from day to day. But he did in fact say more, surprising her yet again as he walked away.

"I will not have a child with anyone who isn't my wife. I refuse it." There was unexpected authority there. Laying down the law as unbending and inflexible. "And I'm under orders to have a child. With you. Thus you'll become my wife."

... And Tayuya could only stand there in shocked, unmoving silence. ... Who would have thought... Kimimaro with a strong set of morals.

And perhaps at any other time when that code of honor wasn't of such great inconvenience to her... such a revelation may have been quite refreshing.

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A/N: Hi everyone! This is my first Naruto fanfic, and I hope everyone likes it. I'm going to continue writing this one, and if enough people seem to like it well enough, I'll post it up as I get it written. Out of all the possible couplings in Naruto... I have no clue why, but I really like Kimimaro and Tayuya the best. Oh well. Read and review! Let me know if you like it. And I always welcome constructive criticism. Much love!