Author's Note: This is the next story from a series of short stories following the original idea for the story back when it was going to be a one shot: what happens on any given day at any of Orochimaru's Lairs?
I would also like to point out that there is absolutely no real timeline of events for this story. Each chapter will jump around in terms of when it happened.

Chapter Summary: This chapter is mainly Kabuto centric but Orochimaru appears at the end. Kabuto's in charge of running the Sound Village Orientation for a group of idiots.

Special Thanks to ilvecoffee-n-narutoYOUTH for being the Beta for this Chapter and to everyone else who helped me or gave their opinion/approval before posting.

Time check: This story happened prior to when Sasuke joined, sometime during the early years of the Sound Village. This means no Sasuke this time. Sorry Sasuke fans but he will return by the next chapter.

Chapter 2: Sound Village Orientation

One day at the headquarters of the Village Hidden in the Sound, Kabuto had been left in charge of the orientation meeting for the new recruits. "Hello and Welcome fellow shinobi. As of this day, you will swear allegiance to Lord Orochimaru and begin your training as members of the Village Hidden in the Sound." Kabuto then paused in his greeting while he waited for the applause and cheers of the new recruits to die down. "Now than, before you all take your oaths, does anyone have any questions?"

Kabuto didn't actually want to answer any questions, but since it was required standard procedure he didn't have much of a choice. 'Rules are rules, even pointless ones,' he thought bitterly. Just as he was preparing to say "moving on", and begin the oath, a very large and rather tall shinobi with dark hair near the back of the room raised his hand. "Yes, in the back."

In a gravelly voice the man spoke up. "What kind of Sound are we hidden in exactly?"

Kabuto was completely thrown off. "HUH?"

"Well", the man continued, "this is named the Village Hidden in the Sound, so I wanted to know what sound we were hidden in. You know … like what the Village was named after."

Kabuto tried his best to control his reflex to hit his head with his hand. "What kind of question is that? Does it really matter what sound?"

"I guess not" the big man replied weakly.

"Hey! Shouldn't we know what our new Village is named after?" the first man's friend, a short bald man asked defiantly. Kabuto had to admit he had a point there and he better give them some kind of answer, in order to get away from this topic. "It wasn't named after any sound in particular that I am aware of. Satisfied?" The shorter man just stared at Kabuto clearly not satisfied with the answer.

Another man, this time in the front of the room, picked up where the others left off. "What sounds are mainly heard in this area? It must have been one of those right?"

'Why won't they just drop it,' Kabuto cursed silently in his head. It was getting harder for him to control himself, so he started yelling. "Look, there are a lot of sounds in this area. I don't memorize them. Just go outside, listen, pick any one, pick your favorite, whatever, and that's it. You all don't even have to pick the same one. I don't care if it's the sound of a flushing toilet at this point! It doesn't matter, as long as you stop talking about it!"

At that moment a bunch of people in the crowd started to get up and leave. "Hey where do you all think you're going? We are NOT done here!" Kabuto shouted.

"You said to go listen for sounds outside" a young kunoichi who had remained seated offered in explanation.

"I didn't mean right now you idiots! Get back in here! There will be plenty of time for that later - when we are finished." By now, Kabuto wasn't sure how much more of this stupidity he could take. "Now that you're all back, are there any more questions?" Kabuto let out while fearing the answer was yes.

Another kunoichi, this one older than the first, with long red hair spoke up."At the risk of potentially sounding stupid…." She hesitated before continuing, "Just how exactly does one hide something in a sound?" Before Kabuto could answer just about every shinobi in the crowded room started discussing ways to hide something in a sound, and what that even means.

Kabuto was near his breaking point. He picked up his clipboard, turned his back to the collective group of idiots, and repeatedly hit his head with the aforementioned clipboard. When he was finished, about 10 minutes later, Kabuto turned around and drew in a deep breath. "Alright that's enough! Turn around, face me, and SHUT UP!" Kabuto screamed in frustration. Quickly everyone assembled did just that.

"Now, so we can finally be done with this ….. Does anyone else have any questions?" After quickly scanning the crowd he added, "Not about the name of the Village." All but one hand went down. "Good. This will be the last question then. Go ahead." 'This better not be a stupid question,' he mentally hoped.

"This Village uses a music note for its symbol right?" the young male asked cautiously.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"You're headband has a different symbol" the boy said while pointing in the direction of Kabuto's head. It never occurred to Kabuto that he had forgotten to switch his forehead protector before leaving for the meeting.

"Oh, this?" Kabuto asked while motioning toward the symbol. "That's the Leaf Village symbol. I just got back from a mission. I guess I forgot to mention I'm a spy." As soon as Kabuto finished his explanation the whole room tensed. Before he could blink, Kabuto found himself dodging a volley of kunai (in a rather comical way I might add). "For the Sound Village! I'm a spy for the Sound Village. Will you idiots stop that and let me explain." Although those in the back of the room couldn't hear Kabuto's shouts (or get a decent shot at him), they took their cues from those who could and soon Kabuto no longer had to fear for his life. For the moment anyway.

"How could you all be so stupid? I'm pretending to be a Leaf shinobi so I can report on the village to Lord Orochimaru. Do I look like some kind of idiot that would blatantly tell the enemy I'm spying on them? You know what, don't answer that. It was a rhetorical question." Kabuto sighed as another person raised their hand. "Now What?" Kabuto screamed since he was completely pissed off and on the verge of killing the lot of them personally.

"What's a rhetorical question?"

"A question nobody is meant to answer," Kabuto responded through gritted teeth.

"Why ask a question if nobody can answer it?" someone shouted from somewhere in the room. Kabuto grew very quiet and glared at the crowd in front of him. He silently walked over to the nearest already initiated Sound ninja and handed over the clipboard.

"Here" he said angrily while thrusting the clipboard at said ninja. "You're in charge of this meeting now. Have them repeat the oath after you and then march them down to the Pit" Kabuto ordered before storming out.

He went right to the area where Orochimaru was currently finishing one of his latest experiments. "How did the meeting go?" Orochimaru questioned without looking up from his work.

"I have never seen a larger group of total idiots packed into one room in all my life. They must be the most incompetent assemblage of new recruits we have ever brought here. EVER." Kabuto placed extra emphasis on the second ever. "If they are that useless just kill them and stop complaining" Orochimaru half suggested, half commanded.

"Can some of them be used for test subjects?" Kabuto queried.

"Did some of them anger you enough to earn such an honor?" Kabuto looked right at his lord and former Leaf Sannin as he asked the question.

"You have No idea." He started to leave his lord alone to finish his work, but then Kabuto turned around. "Orochimaru-sama, how do you hide something in a sound?"

Without really listening to the question Orochimaru answered with "Skillfully".

"Huh?" Kabuto blurted out confusedly.

"What?" the Sanin said back.

"Never mind" Kabuto whispered.

"Good. And don't come back unless you plan on telling me dinner's ready."

Author's Note: As always please review and let me know if you have any suggestions for future chapters.