"…You do know this is your absolute last chance?"
"…Hai…"
"And that if you fail here, there is a very small chance you will live?"
"…Hai…"
Kabuto sighed and continued brushing Orochimaru's hair back from his face. "Please don't fail."
Orochimaru shrugged innocently. "If I die, I die. If I can't live for something, I might as die for something."
Kabuto wordlessly picked up a rubber band and tied back Orochimaru's hair, letting a few shorter locks fall forward into his face. Orochimaru pushed them back behind his ears, trying to keep them away from his face, but Kabuto reached out and tugged them free again. "Orochimaru-sama," he finally said, "If you could take over Konoha forever by suiciding…would you?"
Now it was Orochimaru's turn to fall silent. "I suppose I could leave you in charge…but only if you were there, next to me, and only if I was killing someone important, like Tsunade."
Kabuto shrugged. "You would lave me in charge of things if you couldn't-?"
"Don't get any ideas!" Orochimaru snapped. "Things may be falling apart, but I have one last card to play! Don't you dare do anything-!"
Kabuto leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on Orochimaru's forehead. "Of course. Relax, I would never do anything, especially against your will."
"Hmph. And since when were you allowed to fool around with my hair?"
Kabuto smiled. "Cute."
"Hmph."
Orochimaru stood up, only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Within the second, he was spun around and slammed into the wall behind him. A hand seized both of his, bound him tightly, and blindfolded him. Cold metal was suddenly pressed to his neck, and it shook with uncertainty.
"What would you do if I told you I wanted to kill you?"
"…Ask you why…"
Kabuto sighed and released Orochimaru, letting him collapse to his knees. "I have no reason," he said quietly. "There is no reason. I just wanted to see you vulnerable one more time, before you became once more the insanely powerful sannin who would crush me to death if I even misstep once."
Kabuto's footsteps began moving away from him.
"Wait!"
Kabuto turned back to the restrained sannin. "What?"
"Get back here and cut me loose."
"You can get yourself untied."
"Kabutooooooo!"
"Don't whine."
With that, Kabuto closed the door, leaving Orochimaru on the floor. True,, Orochimaru could easily break his bonds, but it was unlike Kabuto to even try to bridle him to begin with. And then to threaten his life…Orochimaru twisted his wrists, snapping the ropes. He lifted the blindfold from his face, sighed, and began looking around for his armor."
He could punish that insolent little pup later.
For now, he needed to expend some extra energy.
And he may as well use it for a good purpose: finding out if Kabuto was…or not.
OOOOOOOOO
Misao felt the senbon sink her flesh, and the Leaf swirl branched from it. Tsunade pulled out the needle and handed Misao a carved mask.
"You've really earned this," she said softly, and Misao settled the mask over her features, completing her ANBU uniform.
"Thanks," she whispered. "And now…I think I hear an opportunity."
Tsunade smiled. "Yes, I was tipped off by a spy that Orochimaru is moving towards Konoha, and I suspect he'll be here soon. So, let's go kick some Sound ass!"
The Wolf watched as Misao became the Red Wolf; he himself was the White Wolf. Yes, having two wolves on the same squad would be interesting…
OOOOOOOOO
Yumiko surveyed her squad with approval. Orochimaru had trusted her with an elite squad of jounin, and all of them Yumiko knew, were excellent fighters.
Footsteps sounded, and Orochimaru himself paced towards Yumiko. "Are you ready to go?"
Yumiko nodded. "Yes, I think so. Orochimaru-sama, you're bleeding."
Orochimaru looked down. He had probably rubbed a sore on his wrist getting out of Kabuto's-
"No, your neck."
Orochimaru froze for a second, eyes wide. Then, slowly-very, very, slowly-he reached up and felt for the cut. He felt it immediately, oozing warm blood that soaked his fingers crimson red. Kabuto had…he was really…if it was even Kabuto-
"Orochimaru-sama?"
Orochimaru ignored Yumiko, instead using the blood on his hands to summon. A large purple snake appeared, hissing and spitting what Yumiko suspected was venom.
"Orochimaru, these better be for me," Manda growled. Orochimaru sighed.
"Oh, shut up, I'll reward you after you bring me Kabuto. Alive, do you understand?"
Manda hissed angrily, but slunk off, leaving Orochimaru alone in the room with Yumiko. Alone, because everyone else had passed out in fear.
"…Nice snake…"
"…Thanks…"
The two fell silent again just as Manda came crashing back, Kabuto held firmly in his tail. When he reached Orochimaru, Manda threw Kabuto down at Orochimaru's feet and simply glared.
"Go eat, Manda, your food is in Jiroubou's room."
"It better be," Manda muttered, and slithered off to eat. Orochimaru slowly walked towards Kabuto.
"What…were…you…thinking…?"
Kabuto looked up from the floor and scrambled to his knees. "Wh-What are you talking about…?"
Orochimaru slapped him soundly across the face, and Yumiko gasped at the resounding crack.
"Stop it!" she cried. "What did he ever do?"
Orochimaru seized Kabuto's hair and dragged him up, only to slam him into the wall and hold him by the neck.
"Leave him alone!" Yumiko shouted. "He hasn't done anything!"
"Oh really?" Orochimaru hissed. "Well, he can tell you himself what he did!"
"Let him go!" Yumiko repeated. "How could he have done anything? He was with me the whole time!"
Orochimaru snorted. "How could he have been with you if he was trying to slit my throat?!"
"He wasn't."
Itachi stood in the doorway. "I scared off an assassin in your room earlier posing as Kabuto, but I don't know how you missed the genjutsu…"
Orochimaru wordlessly dropped Kabuto and kicked him over to Yumiko.
"Move out."
"What?" Itachi cried. "Come on, this is going too far! I thought we were going to wait a little longer!"
"The kid's thirteen," Orochimaru said through gritted teeth. "Time's up."
"But we agreed when she was ten to wait until she was fifteen," Itachi countered. "Remember that?"
"Vividly," Orochimaru said dryly. "But Tsunade is going to be moving soon, and we have to beat her to the offensive otherwise we don't stand a chance."
Kabuto felt gentle arms encircle his shoulders, pulling him back into an armored chest. Kabuto accepted Yumiko's embrace, and Orochimaru stalked out. Itachi followed, looking dark and fairly annoyed.
Silence.
"Come on," Kabuto said quietly. "We'd better get going."
Yumiko nodded and slid Kabuto off her lap. "Yeah…" She stood up and put a hand down to Kabuto. Kabuto accepted her hand as well, and stood up with her help.
"You know I could have gotten up by myself?"
"Yeah, so?"
Kabuto smiled, and that was all the warning she got. Kabuto grabbed Yumiko's shoulders, and kissed her passionately. Yumiko was shocked at first; but then again, Kabuto was like that: fast, unpredictable, and drop dead gorgeous.
Once the initial shock was gone, Yumiko grew bold and shoved back against Kabuto's soft lips. He slightly opened his mouth, and Yumiko's tongue was soon invading his mouth. Yumiko began exploring the hot cavern that was Kabuto's mouth, and he began to kiss her back. Yumiko's tongue dipped and curved, mapping out every crevice and curve inside Kabuto's orifice.
Kabuto pulled back, gasping.
"That…was the best good-luck kiss of my life."
A/N: Sorry this was so short…well, at least it's not as bad as OkaK. That was short and crappy…