One month later
.,.,.,.,.
"You have to be gentle." The nurse instructed as she led Orochimaru into the hallway where the patient he wanted to see was being kept. "She tires very easily and too much excitement will startle her."
Orochimaru looked over her shoulder into the tiny window the girl was in. She was sitting on her bed, wearing a large, gray housecoat over her hospital outfit, and playing a quiet game of solitaire.
"Poor dear," the nurse sighed. "She's such a cheerful creature, but she's been completely silent since the night she walked into this place."
He smirked. The girl still had that look of fear and insecurity on her face, not to mention that nice looking body to match it.
The nurse unlocked the door. "Not too long now, I'll be down the hall when you're through."
"Thank you ma'am." Orochimaru waited until she was out of sight before entering the room.
The girl looked up, a little startled because no one except men in white coats and nurses had ever entered her room.
"Hello." Orochimaru greeted gently.
The girl edged up to the headboard, her hand searching for the call button. There was something so familiar about that voice, but she didn't know what.
"Relax," Orochimaru cooed. "I'm not here to harm you." He grabbed a chair from behind the door and unfolded it at the foot at the bed.
The girl watched very breath he took, holding herself tightly while her thumb was poised over the call button.
Orochimaru laughed softly. "You're a careful little thing aren't you?"
She remained passive.
He sighed, finding her silent treatment unimpressive. He saw the cards she left on the rumpled covers and gathered them, smiling when he saw her flinch from reaching out to her.
"You know why you're here don't you?" he asked as the flipped and mixed the cards up.
The girl's eyes went sad. Everything the girl remembered was mixed up and twisted into a black haze, but she knew that she was going to be alone for a very long time.
He flashed a card up to her, the Queen of Hearts.
The girl noticed that the Queen's eyes were very similar to those of the strange man's; eyes that were so evil that they left a scar in her brain that she couldn't touch.
He hid it and began talking again as he shifted the cards around. "You're here because someone did something very wrong and left you to clean up the mess, am I right?"
The girl glared at him. She leaned forward and opened her mouth only to have a hoarse sound come from it.
"Oh, so the little mouse is trying to squeak is she?" Orochimaru mocked, holding out another card for her. It was the 5 diamonds, and Orochimaru put it back since it wasn't what he was looking for.
"Sh…shu…" the poor girl was straining herself to tell him something.
Orochimaru was greatly interested and watched her flushed face while his hands involuntarily fiddled with the cards.
"Shu…Shut…u-up…shut…up…" she was stronger now, her expression dark and angry. "Shut…up! Shut up!"
He smirked and stood, immediately shutting the girl up again. He grabbed her wrist before she could reach for the call button again, earning a nice, horrified squeal from her.
Her other hand clawed at his arm but he grabbed that one too, pulling her up slightly.
"Shut up, eh? Do you know that the silent ones are the most deadly? They grow up to be all kinds of things…like the murderer that slaughtered your parents."
"Shut up!" The girl husked, shaking her head and trying desperately to get away from him.
He pushed her against the head board and waited until she was too worn out to fight him. She slumped again him and he released her, allowing her dazed eyes to stay on him as she fell back into the bed.
He smirked down at her and reached behind him and got the deck of cards he had left on the chair while he was dealing with her.
"You know little girl," he hummed, looking for a particular card. "You could be just like him if you gave yourself the chance. You could avenge the blood of your fallen parents and brothers, wouldn't you like that?"
She stared at him, now in awe and in terror of the words he would say next.
He sat down beside her and ran a hand through her bangs before slipping a card into her hands.
"I can help you become that, because I know how people like that man think. I can help you take out the man who took your family away from you." He stood and stretched. "You think about it."
She covered her ears and looked down at the Queen's eyes, the eyes that held so much darkness yet so much hope.
Orochimaru put the chair back and opened the door for his departure. "It was nice meeting you…" he looked back at her, still unaware of her name. "Well, goodbye."
An hour passed and the nurse who had showed Orochimaru to the girls room came back to give her medicine.
She unlocked the door and entered the lit room with a smile. "Okay little lady, it's time for…" she gasped and dropped the cup of pills before running out of the room.
The bed was empty, said for the deck of cards that was missing its queen.
.,.,.,.,.
The girl released a small grunt as she landed on her feet from the drop of the third story window. The light dew soaked through her socks but she ran as fast as she could. Above her dark grey clouds were gathering to release their tears.
She may have been losing her mind, but she knew that she had to find that man, the man who could help her find the truth plus more.
She had to remember what happened that night, and why the person that strange man talked about left a fourteen year old girl to suffer.
She stopped on a curb and looked in various directions. She had absolutely no idea where she was, neither less where she was going.
Maybe if she had just stayed in the hospital he would have come back. But it was getting dark now and wouldn't be able to find that haven.
She stuffed her cold hands into her robe and felt for the Queen of Hearts. She stared at the beautiful queen ruefully. She couldn't give up yet, not when she was so close.
Suddenly an object on the card caught her eye. The spear the Queen was holding was pointing straight ahead, almost as if she was pointing in the direction she needed to go in.
The girl looked up and saw a dark haired figure exiting around a building corner.
"W-w-wa-wait!" she yelled after him, breaking off into a dash.
She ran into the streets, almost getting hit by a car or two before reaching the alley she could have sworn she saw the man from earlier run into.
"W-Wait!" She yelled out before falling face first into a muddy puddle. She laid there for a while, allowing the murky water to burn her nostrils and block out her ears.
It was pointless after all. She didn't even know if this guy was serious about helping her, let alone if that was really his true intention. He could have been some weirdo who knew about her history and wanted to kill or rape her.
She curled up in the puddle, allowing herself to become completely soaked. The rain was starting to fall now, just as hard and fast as the own tears in her eyes. She felt like dying, drowning in the water that was slowly building up around her. At least if she died like they did, she'd get to see them, and no one could take them away from her.
Itachi…
Sasuke…
Mother…
Dad…
Suddenly, the rain stopped pounding on her, sparing her from death. She opened her blurry eyes and saw a pair of boots in front of her. She flipped onto her back to see the owner of the boots and the umbrella that was blocking the rain.
"Hello again little girl." Orochimaru greeted with a chuckle. He was amazed at how easily she found him, but then again he didn't make too hard for her. He had waited for her, and made sure she followed him.
He extended a hand to assist her. If she took it, it would show that he had earned her trust and he could take that much from her and more.
She stared at him, the angel who wanted to fill the void in her heart. But there was something so evilly familiar about this angel.
"You might want to hurry unless you want to catch pneumonia."
She knew his voice, but not his face.
She took his hand; she knew his touch, but didn't know where from.
He hoisted her to her feet, picking her up in his arms while leading her to his car where he strapped her in the front seat.
They stared at each other as he started the vehicle. She was still very suspicious of him but she couldn't really care. If she lived by his hands, she'd end up dying. If he killed her right off, it wouldn't matter. Either way she'd get to see her parents and brothers again; she'd get exactly what she wanted. With her eyes still on him, she leaned against the door and went to sleep.
Orochimaru laid her down on the couch when they returned to his apartment
"She truly is a beautiful creature." Orochimaru thought as his eyes roamed over the young girl peacefully sleeping on her side. He ran his fingers through her silky, damp hair and then down her shoulder. His hand began to wonder elsewhere but he stopped himself. That's not the reason he went after her…well not entirely at least.
He wanted to see how the shooting had affected her, more importantly if she knew it was him who had been a part of it. In the meantime, he wanted to get to know the girl who was casting such a spell on him.
"Good night little one." Orochimaru whispered before pulling a light blanket over her.
"An-ko."
Orochimaru looked back. "What was that?"
The girl's small eyes opened. "An-ko. M-my name's Anko." She fell right back asleep after that.
Orochimaru smirked. "Anko, eh?" He pulled the blanket more securely over her shoulders. "Anko Uchiha? No, that name doesn't belong to you anymore. You are below the dead now, my dear. You are now Anko…" he gave her last name a thought. He couldn't give her his; she wouldn't never accept him as a father. He went to her features for some inspiration. Her purple hair…creamy skin…the dark brown orbs that hid behind her pupils…
"Mitarashi." He said finally. "Anko Mitarashi. Yes, that fits just nicely."