A Day in the Life
(a brief interlude)
OoOoO
AN: This came out of nowhere. You'll understand why I needed to do this when you read the next chapter. Basically, the story needed some context that Sasuke cannot provide and this was the best way to do it. Chapter thirty-five is eighty percent done, though, and it'll be finished and back to our regular scheduling tomorrow or the day after.
Apologies for any inconvenience, and thanks for your patience.
I also have some trailers and ads in the form of two one shot fics. Oro's First Time is one of those A Day in the Life spin-offs and Rise is an AU modern OroSasu piece (it's sad and strange, but I'm perversely proud of it.)
Now on to the main showing...
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August 3rd
My name is Kaguya Kimimaro, and I think I am dying.
I was born in Mizugakure, the only son of the heir of a once noble clan and the whore who was sold to him in exchange for tarnished and fading prestige. They cared not for me, and for years I rotted in solitude until I was of age and was able to grasp the freedom I desperately craved with both hands.
I found a job, a home, a family of sorts, and for the first time I was content. For I was living my own life, something so alien it overwhelmed me initially. I did not know what to do. I knew not how to live. Then I met Kisame, Suigetsu, Mangetsu, Haku and Zabuza at Gato Shipping, and everything changed. They taught me how to live and I began to enjoy my newfound freedom.
Everything changed again when I met Orochimaru-sama. I love him more than my own life, and when he asked me to follow him, I did not hesitate. I would do anything for him…
I am sorry. I cannot write.
I am too weak...
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August 7th
I am still here.
I wonder at that.
I wonder a lot, you know. It was wondering that caused me to sever ties with Orochimaru-sama. I wondered about myself, the world, everything – and I wanted to see it all. Orochimaru-sama was not of the same mind, and we parted ways. I still wonder whether or not he truly wished to let me go. I still wonder whether it was wise for me to let go.
He was here not long ago, by my side, speaking to me. Telling me to get well. That I would get well if only I let myself. That he needed me.
I dearly wish that were true. All I want is to be needed by him.
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August 12th
I think I am dying. Everything hurts so much. When I open my eyes and look down, I can see clearly every rib and bone and every vein tracing its meandering path toward my still beating heart. There are needles sticking into my arms. They feed me drugs every four hours.
This is not life. This is not living.
I would rather die than live like this.
I want to die.
Please let me...
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August 14th
I saw him today. Uchiha Sasuke. The one who has stolen Orochimaru-sama's heart.
He walked in behind Orochimaru-sama, texting on his phone, a faint sneer playing around his mouth that seems ever a feature. I despise him. Uchiha Sasuke believes in his name, wears it as though it were a source of pride, as though all else will fall before it as feathers before a howling maelstrom. He is beautiful and arrogant, and Orochimaru-sama clearly indulges him.
The Uchiha does not deserve his love. He does not care for him as I do. He cannot, for no one comes close.
He could not even look me in the eye.
I hate him.
I cannot die without telling him this.
I cannot...
I must not.
----
August 15th
I am still alive.
Kabuto came to see me today. It is strange, and I have begun to wonder again. How is it that he has moved on and I have not? He loved Orochimaru-sama, as did I, yet his love has faded and mine burns ever brighter. I left. He remained.
Why is it I cannot move on?
Sometimes, I wish I could. It would hurt less.
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August 24th
The drugs are not working. I am not getting better.
I wept last night because I realised I would not be able to tell Uchiha Sasuke what I thought of him. Orochimaru-sama was there, but I could not speak. My body laboured under the cocktail of drugs administered to me. I could hear him, though. He asked me why I wept. I could not answer.
He told me that if I stayed my tears and invested all my will and energy into getting better, it would make him happy.
All I could manage was a smile.
I would do anything to make him happy.
----
September 18th
It has been difficult. So, so difficult. There were times I thought of nothing but darkness, of nothing but my desire for the beginning of a long surrender. But I have prevailed. I am no longer infectious. My tests have at last proved negative.
This evening, I managed to eat something without feeling sick. I told Orochimaru-sama when he came to visit. He smiled and took my hand.
I think I will try for the same again tomorrow night.
----
October 3rd
Against all hope and expectation… I feel well. This has been the case for the past three days and Kabuto says it is a good sign.
I have been sitting up in bed when people come to visit, which is more often now that the ward nurses have pronounced me fit enough to handle them. Kisame came to see me last night and brought Deidara with him. I have missed Kisame and his razor sharp wit terribly, and I have been reminded about how much I do like Deidara.
Deidara was telling me all about his art and his and Sasori's success after winning a prestigious, international prize. It sounds fascinating. His enthusiasm is infectious, and I found myself suddenly wishing to draw. Deidara promised to bring me paper and some pencils tomorrow.
I am looking forward to it. I feel inspired.
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October 5th
Deidara brought me the paper last night, along with a set of pencils and inks. Already I have filled three pages with various imaginings. I sketched Saturn Devouring His Children from memory. I sketched the old male nurse who brings my food on a trolley. Then I drew a clock melting over his face. It was not long before he grew tentacles and feelers and great jagged mandibles and was human no more.
I drew Orochimaru-sama's eyes. I filled a page with them. Ever since I met him I have admired his eyes. They captivated me, and I have been kept under their spell.
They are like the sun.
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October 21st
Orochimaru-sama found my sketch book. He also found my drawings of his eyes. Laughing, he said they were a great likeness and he praised my skill. Of course they were a great likeness. How could I forget them? The memory of them haunts my dreams.
He offered to sit for me while I sketched, and I accepted. How could I pass on such an opportunity?
It thought it would be fun. Alas, I was wrong. It was heart-breaking, tracing the features I knew so well but had no hope of ever knowing again. I smiled through it, though, for I knew that it was what he would have wanted. When I had finished, I showed him the fruits of my labour. He was well pleased with my work and asked if he could keep it. Gladly I gave it to him.
I would give him anything…
----
November 30th
I draw. Orochimaru-sama sits. We chat about matters great and small. He stays longer and longer each time and I do not protest.
It has become something of a regular occurrence, and it gives me hope.
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December 15th
Kisame came to see me again, and this time he brought along Suigetsu. I cannot tell you how much I have missed him. He is brash, unthinking, unfeeling, rude and uncouth, but I like him despite. We have been close as brothers ever since we met, and I cannot find it in me to fault him.
Grinning all over his face, he brought me a Christmas present and said I could open it right then and there because he knew how bored I had been. It was a black Nintendo DS with eight games. There was a big card too, signed from everyone at work. Karin, Juugo, Amachi, Gen'yumaru, Kabuto, Tayuya, Sakon and Ukon, Jirobou, Kidomaru – everyone. Even Uchiha Sasuke had signed it, though I suppose more out of a sense of propriety than any real concern for my welfare. Orochimaru-sama, too, had put his name to paper.
It made me terribly happy for some reason, and I thanked Suigetsu profusely. He said to think nothing of it, and apologised for shouting at me down the phone when he found out his test results all those months ago. I said I never blamed him for it.
I'm happy now. It was so good to see him again.
----
December 18th
Suigetsu visited me again, bearing the most wonderful news. I do not think he realised what he told me was so wonderful, but, truly, I could have wept at his feet. Jiraiya's pretty, young girlfriend Kiku has applied for maternity leave from her position as Orochimaru-sama's PA. This means that there will shortly be a vacancy – a vacancy which I intend to fill.
I must get that job.
I must, I must, I must...
----
December 24th
Orochimaru-sama came to see me tonight. I was not expecting it, being so close to Christmas, so it was a very welcome surprise.
Since I was not expecting visitors (although I had taken many phone calls), I was away from my room, wandering around the ward as I have been permitted to do as of late, sitting in a plastic chair near a window, playing the DS Suigetsu brought me. So absorbed in the game was I, I did not notice Orochimaru-sama approach me. When he tapped me on the shoulder, I started and almost dropped the thing on the floor.
"Come along to your room, Kimimaro-kun," he said, his eyes sparkling in that mysterious way that would compel me to follow him to the ends of the earth if he asked it of me. "I have something for you."
Wrapping an arm around my shoulders, he escorted me back to my room. Sitting down, he reached for something he had left hidden behind the chair that sat next to my bed. It was a gift and a card. I asked if I could open it, and he nodded, indulging my eager excitement.
The gift was a koto, the end pieces cut specially to fit, the bridge of ivory and the body of paulownia wood, scorched to bring out the grain. It was beautiful. I said so and Orochimaru-sama smiled. He then reached into the folds of his kimono and presented me with silk strings for my koto.
He said, "For you, Kimimaro-kun. I know you will use them well."
I did not know what to say. Silk strings are only for the best of players, for the classical pieces, and my illness had no doubt robbed me of the best part of my ability. Orochimaru-sama evidently noticed the fear in my eyes, for he reached out and cupped my cheek in his hand, making me blush.
"I know you will use them well," he repeated, with a touch more conviction. "You play wonderfully. Your hesitancy, however charming, is misplaced."
"I have not played in so long, Orochimaru-sama," I replied, an anxious note creeping into my voice. "I- I have only just recovered from my sickness and—"
"Then use them when you are ready," he said, surprising me by leaning forward and kissing me lightly on the forehead. It was a chaste kiss, but it made my heart soar.
He also told me that night that the doctors considered me well enough to merit discharge, and that I would most likely be released from my confinement within the week. My happiness overcame me then, and I wept. Briefly, I felt Orochimaru-sama's hand stroke my hair, and I knew then that I had hope – real hope. My moment had come. I asked Orochimaru-sama about Kiku and whether he had made any plans to replace her. He said he had not, and I begged him to choose me. He hesitated a moment before smiling and saying he would most definitely find me a place, if not as Kiku's replacement, which led me to believe he was figuring the opinion of Uchiha Sasuke in his calculations.
It matters not, though. For all the Uchiha may dangle himself in front of Orochimaru-sama like a carrot and manipulate him with his thoughtless beauty, he forgets that Orochimaru-sama possesses his own mind, and will do by it whether or not he gains the approval of the Uchiha brat. I know he has already made his decision.
I will be back at Otogakure Enterprises by the new year. I am certain of it. And the Uchiha had better be careful, for he forgets that I, too, am beautiful and that I know how to use it to my advantage. I am nothing, though, if not patient. I shall bide my time and play a subtle game, and I have no doubt that, in time, I shall claim my prize. Ahh… I cannot wait to see the fear in the Uchiha's eyes when he realises he has met his match – and he will realise it, for he is clever, if nothing else. By the time he does realise, however, it will be far too late…
Merry Christmas, Uchiha Sasuke. Enjoy it, for it will be your last with Orochimaru-sama.
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Here endeth the brief interlude. :)
So, there are a few people I'd like to thank for reviews on the previous chapter. I wasn't sure whether to put them on here or on the next chapter, since I'm so close to posting the next one, but I'll go for it. Gotta let you guys know I appreciate you taking the time out to write reviews. :)
NayanRoo (Man, you sound pretty stressed. I hope you're holding up okay with all the mid-term angst. What you're doing is pretty difficult, but you'll kick its ass in the end. And you'll kick it hard. Oh yes. I'm actually pretty indifferent when it comes to shipping Naruto. I can go any of the usual ways: Sakura, Hinata, Sasuke, Kakashi, Iruka. If it's well-written and you convince me, then I'll go for it. The only one I don't like so much is Naruto/Jiraiya. Maybe it's because I think Naruto sees Jiraiya as a father figure (or at least a pervy uncle) and there's that family connection that makes it slightly wrong for me. Ah, I dunno... Thanks for the review for Rise, though. I kind of liked that one, so it's cool to see that some other people do too. :) )
Nozomi-sama (Hmm... I'm wondering whether you're still feeling so sorry for Kimimaro after this little non-chapter interlude thingy. XD See, I'm kind of glad you felt like that after 33 though, because the thing I love most in fic is shades of grey. Even though Kimi is the main rival for Oro's affections and is out to steal Oro from Sasuke, he is really a confused and fragile human being with genuine feelings for old Oro. Not to mention he was really, terribly ill. I mean, that's got to be worth a bit of sympathy, isn't it? XD)
NaruGuru (Ahhh... your Ginny comparison is pretty accurate, actually. It's not right on the money, but almost. Damn, this is one of those times I really want to tell people what's going to happen, but I can't! Roar. I suppose I'll just need to hurry up and post thirty-five, since there's a smidgen of development along those lines. Also, I am glad you felt sorry for Kimimaro. As I was saying to Nozomi-sama up above, I love to let people see the different sides of the characters. Kimi is being a sneaky bastard, but he is also really hurting and he had a horrible childhood. And with this one, I've really upped the Kimi factor, so we'll see how it goes...)
YoungSasuke (Glad you liked it! The conga line was another one of those true festival stories, although the breaking into the arena part didn't happen to me or anyone I know. It was one of those ones that hit the newspapers. A seperate conga line incident that got a bit out of hand. XD)
Luna-Lunak (Oh dear, was my lack of direction that obvious? XD You're very perceptive. I fear your insight, lol. No, you're right. I wasn't searching for a way to continue so much, for I knew exactly where the story was supposed to be going, I just got a little side-tracked when I stuck in the road trip. In hindsight, I really could have done without it. It was one of those things I mentioned way back in chapter one that I thought would be fun but it turned out to be a bit of a nightmare, lol. I'm glad you liked it, though. And there will be more romance coming fairly soon. Much, much more. Though between which characters, I will leave you to guess. ;) )
Cyaniona (Yay! Another new reviewer! Don't worry about not having reviewed til now. I'm just happy you took the time to do it at all. Very nice of you. :) Festivals can be pretty mad... they can also be pretty wet and miserable, so... yeah, I think I portrayed both sides of the coin on that one. XD As for Kimimaro, well... you can see from this weird, little interlude type chapter that he has a game plan. He's going to go for it. Whether he succeeds, I can't say, because I'll spoil the story, lol. It's going to be a bumpy ride from here on in, though. Thanks again for the review!)
Bri (God, I totally know how you feel with the portaloo thing. Ugh. They're not called 'shit coffins' for nothing. Lol, I also agree with you about Neji. He does need lighten up a touch. Maybe that's a reflection of his manga/anime portrayal, because he's a bit uptight there too. Drunk fishing, I must say, is pure comedy gold. You've got to do it if you ever end up at a festival. It's worth the expensiveness of glow sticks. As for Kimi... well... you got one half of your wish. He's not dead, but he's going to be around for a bit longer. You all know how much I love torturing Sasuke. ;) )
Violet (Lol, yes, apologies for the long ass amount of time between updates last time round. I totally wasn't dead! I was merely... thinking about where to go next. Yes, that's it. Glad you liked it. More funniness in the next chapter, which shouldn't be long at all in coming.)
Chromde (Yeah, it was pretty intense. I didn't like it much when I first posted it, actually. I might have tried to do too much in it (this is always a problem when they hop over to Konoha or get involved with the Konoha lot.) Ahh well. There's always the next chapter. I'm glad you liked Oro and Kabuto's nerdy math conversation. That was one of the parts I did like about thirty-three. I should have posted some links to the bands I name-checked in the festival chapter, but hey you can find them on myspace or Last FM or something. The Tiger Lillies are a bit weird, but then so are a lot of the bands I like. I have an Oro-style, terrifyingly eclectic taste. :P)
Beqs (That's awesome that you can speak Irish. It's cool too that you have to learn it at school. Means that Irish won't die out as a language (because there's nothing sadder than hearing about a language dying with its last speakers). I'm from Scotland, but we're not near as proactive about preserving our variety of Gaelic. It would've been cool to learn a bit. Glad you liked the chapter, and hope the weird interlude thing didn't put you off. Back to normal next time!)
danni quinn (Lol, I am getting quite a few mentions of horrific camping stories here. I've never been 'proper' camping before. It's always been during festivals, when you're having fun and jumping about the campsite like a damn fool, so you don't notice the bad stuff so much (until you head to the portaloos). I'm not much of a shipper when it comes to Naruto. I can pair him with pretty much anyone (except Jiraiya - I will not go there for some reason). Anyway, you won't have long to wait for the next proper chapter because I'm almost finished it! Yay!")
Kutsushita-Socks (Yay! Hello there. First off, thanks so much for the review for Rise. It's been the first thing for ages I've written and properly liked, so... yeah... cheers for the review. It made me grin like a loon. :) Apologies for the graphic portaloo scene at the beginning of the last chapter. You know how Sasuke is. Such a drama queen. XD)
anotamous (Hee, thanks for the review. Ten was a fun chapter to write.)
fiore777 (Yay, indeed, for being back with the manga. I'm just pissed off that I'm just back and there's a week's break, lol. Oh well. It'll teach me some patience. As for episode 82 of Shippuuden, I did watch it. And you know what? I think I have found a new favourite episode - one to even rival 118 from way back when. It was like watching a movie. Like, even though it was pretty much filler, it was of astounding quality. There was *gasp* character development and proper subtle angst. It's definitely a benchmark, and it proves how good Naruto can be. Unfortuately, it means no excuses when they (will inevitably) turn out something under par. Glad you liked the chapter - and Jiraiya in a tiger print thong is definitely a nice mental image. XD)
Kokura(You know, I did wonder about the whole pretty-much-immediate juxtaposition of the good stuff/bad stuff during the festival chapter. I do think about these things at least a bit, lol, and it was one of my many worries about the last chapter. Glad to see it didn't jar too much. I guess I was just going for the whole 'see how quickly things go from bad to shit in under 60 seconds' sort of thing. Damn, though. That ice cream sounded awesome. Too bad I can't get any over here. I'll just have to go hunting for a suitable near alternative.)
hieilover135 (Lol, I knew you would ike the Lee part somehow. XD I know this chapter was probably pretty wide from the mark from what you were expecting, but I hope it was okay. Next chapter will be normal. Well, as normal as this fic can be. I was pretty much forced to get a proper opinion on TB, because I didn't want to get stuff totally wrong. My poor auntie Anne was phoned and quizzed on the treatment of chronic pulmonary TB and she very kindly answered all my questions, even the more retarded ones.)
chibibaka1 (Hello there! Cheers very much for the review on the last chapter. I know you're a bit busy with schoolwork and stuff, so it's much appreciated. :) Lol, I'm glad you found Jiraiya's 'Oh, but we all knew that' moment. Like Sasuke, I had to find it out the hard way (and I found out on my own - having no experienced, elder festival-goers around to enlighten me). Very perceptive and good call on the Oro and Kabuto math conversation. It was totally what I was going for, so major props for spotting it. I hope you liked the strange little interlude. It's a bit of a set up for later chapters. The next one's coming very soon, though.)
Sehpi (Ahh... you almost confused me for a moment there, but I cunningly clicked on your username and discovered that you were once PyralisAmbika. I'm kind of glad I convinced you to feel sorry for Sasuke. He is arrogant, snobbish, elitist and too clever by half sometimes, but he really does like Oro and he does care for his friends and Itachi. And he's been through a lot of shit in this story, so... XD I'm sure the next chapter will rid you of your sympathy, because there is much in the way of sustained Uchiha arrogance, lol.)
Thanks again, guys. Back to normal next chapter! :)