As I promised, I got this chapter up as soon as possible. Hopefully the wait wasn't too painful! As usual, I want to thank all of you for reading and for reviewing. Now, without further ado, on with the chapter!

(PS - it appears that just about every scene change I've written has been altered by so that it is not marked by three asterisks, as I originally intended. Sorry for any confusion with abrupt changes as a result. I've gone through and marked every scene change with "xxxxx," so that should clarify things. Sorry again.)

40. Sail on, Silverboy

It took Orochimaru some time to process what had happened. At some point during his argument with Tayuya, Kidomaru had drifted into the wrong lane. When he finally set his eyes back on the road, he found them hurtling headlong into a semi truck. That much O knew for a fact. When Kidomaru turned to the left in a panic, however, the rest became a blur. There were sparks. There was flying glass. There was the blare of a horn and the cries of skidding tires. There were chunks of ravaged metal and splattered blood.

And there was pain.

That was all O could think of as he tried to move. He wasn't sure where the van was – all he knew was that he had to escape. Even in his daze, he could smell the noxious fumes leaking into the van. Fire seemed imminent.

The seatbelt. First the seatbelt…

Orochimaru had to consciously order his body to move, almost as if he were teaching it how to function all over again. Slowly, he reached his hand down to the buckle and pressed the button. He then awkwardly forced it from his shoulder with one arm, the other laying uselessly at his side.

Damn… did I break it in the fall?

It was only then that it struck the snake-man – what about the others? Were they okay? A quick glance ahead told him that this was not the case. Kidomaru lay limp against the deployed airbag, while Tayuya was sticking halfway through the windshield, never being a fan of seatbelts herself. Only Kabuto seemed to have gotten out of the ordeal in one piece. Though he looked as if he had hit his head, judging from his cracked glasses, Kabuto was at least conscious. Bloody, battered, and bruised, but conscious.

That only left Sasuke. Turning to his left, O was at once relieved and panicked. Sasuke was there – that was a plus. Somewhere in the crash, however, his head had bashed against the now-shattered window. He was breathing, albeit slowly, but he had a significant amount of blood running down the side of his head. It did not take a doctor to tell he was unconscious, and in a perilous condition.

"Kabuto… can you stand?" O asked, turning his attention back to his right-hand man.

The silver-haired man nodded as he adjusted his damaged lenses. "I think so. You?"

"I'll be fine, but I can't move my right arm. Can you help me with Sasuke? We have to get him out of here."

"What about Kidomaru and Tayuya," Kabuto asked, indicating the duo in the front seats.

"Kabuto… it's too late for them…"

The truth hurt. Kabuto bit his lip, but rose from his seat regardless. It was only as he watched his friend rise that Orochimaru realized that the van had landed on its side – he was lying against Sasuke, and Kabuto was standing on the side of the van. Orochimaru gagged – his head was still spinning, and the disorientation was nauseating. He was just glad he hadn't eaten breakfast.

"Here, O. You need to stand – I'll help you out through the back." Kabuto said, indicating the rear door.

Orochimaru shook his head. "No – we have to help Sasuke first. He's unconscious. I can at least move on my own."

"At least let me help you to your feet, then. We can carry Sasuke out together," Kabuto insisted, extending his hand to the snake-man.

"Fine," O concluded, grasping his bandmate's hand.

With a grunt, Kabuto pulled O upright, so that they were both standing beside Sasuke's head. Nodding at each other, they bent down and scooped Sasuke up, each supporting a side of the teen over their shoulders. Slowly and steadily, they made their way around the back seat and pushed open the rear hatch. Carefully they stepped out of the vehicle and walked a short distance away through the muddy grass, where they set the teen down under a tree, out of the rain.

"I'm going back for Tayuya and Kidomaru," Kabuto said as he stumbled back towards the van. "Check Sasuke for any wounds. We need to treat him as best as we can."

Orochimaru murmured his agreement before crouching down to the Uchiha's side. A quick search told him that Sasuke had gotten off easy. Aside from the gash running a bit above his left ear, the teen seemed to be in good shape. A few bruises, a few other cuts, but nothing particularly serious. That gash was a cause for concern, however, and O knew it.

Maybe we can get help…

Shielding his eyes from the rain, O scanned the area in an attempt to pinpoint their location. Up above he could see the highway, along with the enormous chunks of dirt the van had churned up as it tumbled along the steep hill. The semi truck they'd hit was nowhere to be found.

Fucking cowards… leaving the scene of an accident like that. Bastard…

O sighed – there was no way he and Sasuke could get up that hill, either. All those tax dollars, and they couldn't even bother to put a guardrail on along a road this dangerous. It was enough to make him sick.

"Success!" Kabuto called out weakly as he reemerged from the van, carrying Tayuya and Kidomaru's limp bodies on his arms. After limping forward, he set them down beside Sasuke and sighed.

"What do we do now?" O asked, staring up at the road in despair. There's no way we can get up that."

"There's bound to be a way up a little bit down the road. I'll head down that way and find help while you stay here with Sasuke."

"Right," Orochimaru said with a bob of his head. He glanced down at his former bandmates mournfully. "You went to med school for a few years, right? Can you tell… if there's a chance left for them, that is?"

Kabuto shook his head. "I checked their pulses in the car. It looked like they died instantly. Even though we managed to avoid a head-on collision with that semi, we probably bounced five or six times on the way down before being stopped by that tree there. We're lucky any of us are still alive, to be honest."

O cursed under his breath. "I see. I'll stay here with Sasuke, then. That rest stop wasn't too far back – hopefully you can find some help there."

Giving the snake-man a final nod, Kabuto started off into the woods, leaving Orochimaru alone with the unconscious teen and his deceased bandmates. It was only after examining Sasuke's gash once more that a thought occurred to O – he didn't know the first thing about treating wounds like these. He had to try to stop the bleeding, that much he knew, but without any bandages he was practically useless.

Well, first things first – I have to get him out of this storm. The cold can't be doing him any good.

Orochimaru surveyed the area carefully. He didn't want to wander too far from the van, in case Kabuto came back with help. He wanted to stay near Kidomaru and Tayuya as well – it wouldn't be right to just abandon them so easily. Fortunately, O spied a cave not too far away, near a taller cliff in the foothills.

"Sorry, Sasuke – looks like I'm going to have to drag you a bit further," Orochimaru said with a weak chuckle as he struggled to lift Sasuke off the ground. "If only my other arm was working…"

The pain was almost intolerable as O essentially pulled the teen onto his back. He began to realize that perhaps he was not in as good a condition as he'd initially thought. With every step, Orochimaru felt a wave of agony ripple through his body. Either he had seriously bruised his calf, or he'd somehow broken his leg in the fall. Then there was his side, which had felt numb at first, but was now stinging with increasing intensity.

Just a little bit further… then I can focus on treating our wounds…

By the time O arrived at the cave, which had only been thirty or forty yards away, he was practically blinded by the pain. His breath came in short, sharp gasps, and he was beginning to shiver – possibly from the cold and damp, but he feared it might be for some other reason. He was growing dizzy. It became such a problem that, once inside the cave, Orochimaru nearly dropped Sasuke as he collapsed onto his knees, before finally setting the teen down.

"Okay, Sasuke… let's see what we have here…" Orochimaru said, lifting Sasuke's shirt up over his head. "Sorry about this, but I need to be sure you're safe everywhere else."

The wet shirt didn't come easily, but eventually O managed to peel it off and lay it on a nearby rock. A cursory glance told the man that Sasuke at least didn't have any deep wounds. There were some cuts that were bleeding slightly, but nothing serious. Some bruises could be seen, too – with one nasty one by a rib – but, again, it didn't appear to be life threatening. At the very worst it was a fracture. O sighed in relief.

"Well, you check out on the upper half. Now…" O continued, reaching down to undo Sasuke's pants. "Again, it's for your own good."

After fumbling briefly, O managed to slip off Sasuke's pants one leg at a time and add them to the rock. Starting down at the legs, the snake-man continued his search upward, checking for any other cuts, bruises, or possible breaks. Fortunately, there was only one thing that seemed out of place, and it wasn't a wound. It was the bright orange boxerbriefs.

O chuckled. "So… a little souvenir of Naruto, eh? You probably didn't even mean to grab these. Not consciously, at least. I think you knew what you were doing, though – it hurt to distance yourself from him, so you brought along something to remind you of him. Something intimate."

Sasuke had a bit of wet hair stuck to his face. Orochimaru flicked it away with a smile. "That's love, Sasuke."

After brushing Sasuke's hair aside, O examined his hand to find it had been stained with blood. He was seized with momentary panic. "That's right – your head!"

Glancing over at Sasuke's shirt, O snatched it up and proceeded to tear a strip from the hem of the clothing. Once he was satisfied with the length, he crawled over to Sasuke's side and cradled the teen's head in his lap. There, he proceeded to tie the strip of cloth around the Uchiha's head like a makeshift bandage.

"Sorry to ruin your shirt. You'll thank me later."

Setting Sasuke back down on the ground, Orochimaru felt the sharp pain in his side again. This time he actually cried out briefly before biting his lip. "What the hell is that, anyway?"

Lifting his own shirt, O stared down at his front in bewilderment. The source of his pain became immediately apparent. There, just to the side of his belly button, was a shard of glass imbedded in his gut. It was bleeding profusely.

"Now… how did that get there?" O asked, his face growing even paler than usual. "Must've landed on it sometime during the crash… eh, Sasuke?"

Tentatively, Orochimaru reached for the bit of glass and attempted to yank it out. Though the pain was excruciating, O managed to pull it forth, though not before drawing blood from his lip. Once the glass was out, Orochimaru breathed heavily in satisfaction, staring at the chunk in a mix of horror and relief.

It was a long piece. It didn't take a doctor to see that wasn't good. Before he could think negatively, though, O shook his head.

No! I have to think about Sasuke. He's my responsibility – focus on him right now.

Glancing at the Uchiha, O finally realized that something else was wrong with the teen. His skin was particularly pale and, more tellingly, he was shivering. O shivered as well. "I'll tell you what, Sasuke – let's huddle together for warmth. It's the only way, I think…"

With that, O lay down beside Sasuke, wrapping his good arm around the teen. He pulled him close, taking deep breaths as he tried to conserve what little heat was left. Outside the cave, the storm raged on.

xxxxxxx

Kakashi had been having a hell of a morning. It started off great, with him and Iruka sharing an intimate moment back at his apartment. Then Sasuke had arrived, which had only made him worry. Now, after having learned from Naruto all about sex and Itachi, his worry had been upgraded to full-fledged anxiety. And to top it all off, now Kakashi knew where the Uchiha actually was – well, at least who he was with.

Why the hell would he run off with Orochimaru like that? I've warned him before that the guy isn't trustworthy. Orochimaru's probably planning to get him drunk and then…

Kakashi shook his head. There was no way he was going to let that happen. He didn't say a word as he drove along in his little red car, with Iruka riding shotgun, and Naruto sitting quietly in the back. They all understood the seriousness of the situation. Even though neither Naruto nor Iruka had ever met Orochimaru, they could sense Kakashi's unease.

I just don't understand what he sees in that man. The guy's a loser – he dropped out of high school to start his band, and they haven't had a gig in years. He's a bum! Yet, here he is running off with the guy…

Kakashi gripped the steering wheel tightly, turning his knuckles white.

And as if that weren't enough, Orochimaru's easily the creepiest man I've ever met. Sitting down in the park day after day, preying on confused teens like Sasuke…

Of course, Kakashi had never seen Orochimaru talk to any teens besides Sasuke. He'd heard the rumors, though. He'd heard of former members of Sound Village – young ones around Sasuke's age – who suddenly abandoned the band without a word. It was common knowledge that they'd left to get away from the predatory bandleader. Either that, or they were tired of not having any gigs.

They had left the apartment immediately after Sakura's phone call. Suna was only a few hours away – they could be there by the evening if they hurried. Thus, around one o'clock they started down the road, and soon they were cruising down the expressway. By three o'clock they passed a rest stop, where they spotted a semi truck whose front was slightly crushed.

"I feel bad for whoever was on the receiving end of that," Iruka commented in an attempt to break the extended silence.

"Chances aren't too good if you hit one of those head on, that's for sure," Kakashi replied half-heartedly.

A few minutes after passing the rest stop, it began to rain. As much as he hated to do so, Kakashi decided to slow down. It was better for them to get to actually get to Suna alive than to drive too quickly, after all. Only a few minutes later, his windshield wipers flying in an attempt to keep up with the deluge, Kakashi could just make out a form walking towards him in the rain. He was suddenly glad that he'd eased up on the gas, for he could just identify the man even in the storm.

"Kabuto," he muttered, his eyes narrowing.

"Who?" Naruto asked, poking his head between the front seats. "Someone you know?"

"He's one of Orochimaru's bandmates," Kakashi explained as he stepped on the brakes. "And it looks like he's hurt."

Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay…

Pulling over to the side of the road, Kakashi honked the horn. In the rearview mirror, he could just see Kabuto turning towards the car in surprise. Within a short period of time, Kabuto had limped up to the side of the car, where Kakashi rolled down the window, eyeing the spectacled man with contempt.

"Where is he?"

Kabuto was taken aback. "Who?"

"Don't play dumb with me! Sasuke! Where the hell's Sasuke?" Kakashi snapped, a clap of thunder accentuating his demand.

Kabuto looked as if he was about to cry. "A few miles down the road – maybe five or ten, I'm not sure – we had an accident. Semi truck came out of nowhere."

"Is he okay? Why isn't he with you?"

"Kakashi, just let the man speak. He's clearly shaken," Iruka said in a futile attempt to calm his boyfriend.

"Would you be calm if it was Naruto missing?" Kakashi asked before turning his attention back to Kabuto. "So help me, if you did something to him, I'll make you wish that semi had killed you."

"He's alive," Kabuto said weakly, "but he's unconscious. I left him with O back at the crash site while I came to look for help."

"What about your other bandmates? Where are they?"

"Dead."

Kakashi's heart was pounding. Sasuke was unconscious – that was all he knew. If he was unconscious, that probably meant he hit his head at some point during the crash. Did he have a concussion? Or worse? What if he'd fractured his skull? He could be dying – there was no time to stand around threatening Kabuto.

"Get in the car," Kakashi ordered, unlocking the back door.

"Thank you, Kakashi…"

"Don't thank me – I'm not through with you yet. I just need you if I want to see Sasuke alive again."

With a gulp, Kabuto climbed into the back seat beside Naruto, his rain-soaked clothes dripping onto the interior. He buckled up and pointed forward. "Just follow this road for ten minutes or so – you'll know when we get there."

Nodding, Kakashi stepped on the gas and continued down the expressway, throwing caution to the wind. He didn't have the luxury to play things safe now – not when Sasuke's life was on the line.

If anything happens to him… anything… I'll kill that Orochimaru. I don't care what his excuse. I'll hill him with my bare hands.

It was only five minutes, in the end, before Kakashi arrived at the crash site. Kabuto had been right – he knew it was the place immediately upon seeing it. Glass, rubber, metal, and dirt were strewn across the highway, like an orgy of carnage. Again, he slammed on the brakes and pulled over to the side, unbuckling as they came to a halt.

"Iruka – drive into town and call for help. I doubt there's any reception out here, otherwise Kabuto would've tried calling first," Kakashi ordered as he stepped out of the car.

"Right. It's a deadzone," Kabuto confirmed from the back seat.

Deadzone… please don't let that be true…

"Okay. Should I bring Naruto with me?" Iruka asked as climbed out of his seat.

"I'm going with him," Naruto insisted, having already exited the vehicle. "He's my boyfriend."

For a moment, Iruka looked as if he was going to protest this decision, but finally relented with a smile. "Okay – just be careful."

"Thanks, Iruka," Kakashi said with a grateful nod as Kabuto joined him and Naruto outside the car. "Let's go, you two."

With that, Kakashi, Kabuto, and Naruto started across the street as Iruka took off in the car. Pausing at the top of the steep hill, Kabuto gazed down at the wreckage of the van and pointed. "Well, there it is. We'll have to go around to get down there, though."

"To hell with that!" Naruto exclaimed, charging past Kabuto with reckless abandon.

Kakashi watched with a bit of awe as the blond descended the steep hill, sliding down through the mud while avoiding rocks and trees, before finally rolling to a halt at the bottom. Finally, he shrugged and followed suit, albeit more slowly, keeping low so he wouldn't topple over. Kabuto, in his injured state, took even longer to descend, and Kakashi and Naruto were in no mood to wait up for him. While the spectacled man was only halfway down the hill, they proceeded to examine the scene, searching for their beloved Uchiha.

The scene was worse than Kakashi had imagined. Apparently the gas tank in the van had caught fire, as the bright Volkswagen had been charred black, with much of the surrounding brush likewise singed or burned. Not far away were the bodies of Kidomaru and Tayuya, their skin having taken on a bluish tint from exposure to the cold. More importantly, Sasuke and Orochimaru were nowhere to be seen.

"Where did they go?" the silver-haired man asked, his eyes darting around the area fretfully.

"O probably took Sasuke to find shelter," Kabuto explained as he stumbled down the rest of the hill. "It looked like there was a cave a short distance away. I'd check there."

Not needing to be told twice, Kakashi and Naruto took off, leaving a frustrated Kabuto in their wake. It took them only a minute or so to find the cave, which they entered at full speed. A short distance inside, however, they skidded to a halt.

There, lying in the back of the cave, were Orochimaru and Sasuke. Both were bloody, bruised, and sickly – but one thing stood out to Kakashi: Sasuke had been stripped to his underwear. And O was spooning with him. He clenched his fist.

"You bastard! Get your hands off him!"

Groaning, Orochimaru turned his head slightly and cracked an eye open. He made what appeared to be a combination of a cough and a chuckle. "Ah… Kakashi… what brings you here?"

"We're here to bring back Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed, making a move forward. He was quickly stopped by Kakashi's firm hand, however, causing him to glance up at his teacher in confusion.

"You stay out of this. It's between me and O," Kakashi ordered, his eyes fixed on the snake-man.

"What? But he's my…"

"I know, but he's my son."

It felt weird, hearing those words. Clearly, Naruto found it odd himself, but he didn't argue. Approaching Orochimaru with increasing malice, Kakashi chanced a look at Sasuke. Kabuto had been right – he was clearly unconscious. At least, he prayed it was only that.

"What did you do to him?" Kakashi asked, closing his eyes in an attempt to contain his rage. His fist trembled.

O could only smile at Kakashi, his arm remaining fixed around the teen's shoulder. It was enough to push the teacher over the edge. With an almost primal roar, Kakashi seized Orochimaru's shirt and lifted him from the ground, pinning the serpentine man against the wall.

"Do play dumb with me! What the hell did you do to my son, dammit?"

O's smile only grew wider. "Nothing."

Kakashi cocked his fist. "Don't give me that bullshit!"

"Wait! Kakashi, don't hurt him!"

Glancing over his shoulder, Kakashi found Naruto bent over Sasuke, examining the raven-haired teen's wounds carefully. "What do you mean? You saw what he was doing to Sasuke…"

"No, really – look, Sasuke has a big gash on his head. Someone patched it up," Naruto said, indicating the bloody cloth wrapped around Sasuke's forehead. "There's no way Sasuke could've done that himself."

"Then why did they strip him? He clearly just wanted to use this opportunity to have his way with Sasuke… it's been his goal all along. Hasn't it?" Kakashi spat at the still smiling O.

"Nope."

"Kakashi… Sasuke's clothes are soaked. Maybe he was just trying to keep Sasuke warm," Naruto offered as Kakashi looked back and forth between him and Orochimaru.

"And that little embrace we walked in on? Are you trying to tell me there's some innocent explanation for that, too?"

"Body heat?" the blond suggested.

"Kakashi… what's more important? Beating me to a pulp… or saving your son's life?" O asked, still with his enigmatic smile.

"Wipe that damn smirk off your face!" Kakashi finally snapped, swinging his fist around in a mighty punch. To Naruto and O's surprise, however, it met only the wall of the cave just beside the snake-man's face. Kakashi released the man's shirt, causing him to collapse in a heap on the ground. "Now get out of here."

"I can't," O stated simply, leaning against the wall.

"And why the hell not? You're not through tormenting me yet?" Kakashi shouted, removing his bloody knuckles from the rock.

Struggling to find the strength, O managed to lift his shirt, revealing the deep hole in his side. "I'm dying, Kakashi."

Suddenly, everything sank in. It hit Kakashi like a slap in the face, knowing he had been threatening to kill the man who had saved his son's life. He now understood that smile – it was the peaceful smile of someone at death's door. The satisfied smile of one who knew he was about to pass from this world. Most importantly, it was the smile of someone who knew his last moments hadn't been in vain. He'd kept Sasuke alive – that was enough.

Kakashi didn't say a word, but only knelt down beside O and helped support the man's increasingly limp body. Naruto remained with Sasuke, though he couldn't help but stare at Orochimaru as well.

"So… you're Naruto?" O asked with a cough.

The blond appeared startled by the man's sudden question. "Oh, umm… yes, yes I am."

"I knew it… he's told me so much about you. I feel like I've known you for some time," O said, gazing over at Sasuke. "I'm just glad I got to meet you… just once…"

"Don't talk. Save your strength," Kakashi ordered as he held the weakening man. "You're going to be fine. Iruka's calling an ambulance as we speak."

"No… it's too late for me. I know that now," O continued before hacking into his hand, his entire body convulsing with every cough. "Thank you, Kakashi. Just promise… you'll take care of him."

Kakashi nodded. "I will."

"Goodbye… Sasuke…"

With that, O closed his eyes and breathed his last breath, the mysterious smile glued to his face. Outside, the heavens wept.

That was hard for me. O was one of those characters that really grew on me. He went from being a creepy guy in the park to being a creepy, but oddly wise and kind soul. I felt bad about letting him go like this... but it had to be.

So, questions - what about Sasuke? Now that he's been found, will he survive? Or will O's sacrifice be in vain? And what about Naruto? We haven't had his thoughts on the matter for some time - how is he reacting to this whole situation? And what about Kakashi? Now that he's mentally accepted Sasuke as his son, how will his life change? There's so many questions, and so little time to answer them all! Find out the answers to some of these questions next time, and until then, remember - review!