Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. It seems pretty pointless to say it though.
I have a bad habit of opening the document with whatever chapter I am on, then browsing on the internet or other things, never really working on the chapter. Then, when I need to be away from the computer, I am consumed by thoughts of what I could wright and story ideas, wanting to get back to my laptop so I can enact these ideas! But once I DO get back, I am once again browsing the internet.
Onwards with the chapter!
Sasuke had lugged the unconscious body of the escaped experiment until it was about two thirds of the distance away from the clearing where the beastlike Naruto resided.
When he had decided that he was a safe distance away from the clearing, he gave a smaller shock to the unconscious experiment, to make sure that it was definitely knocked out. He then proceeded by himself back to the hideout.
Orochimaru and his pet assistant were waiting for him near the entrance.
"Well?" Kabuto asked.
Sasuke stared impassively at him as a response.
"You DID recapture the experiment, yes?" Kabuto asked in a haughty tone.
Sasuke inwardly rolled his eyes. He grunted, then focused on Orochimaru, answering, "I left it in the forest. It is impossible to miss."
Orochimaru did not seem to be surprised by Sasuke's reply, but Kabuto was. The pony-tailed assistant said indignantly, "You, you mean to tell us that you did not bring it BACK?"
Sasuke sent him a glare and answered coldly, "I was sent to track the experiment's location. Not to retrieve it like some dog like you are all too willing to be."
Kabuto seemed shocked by Sasuke's gall and looked at Orochimaru as if he expected his master to defend his honor.
Orochimaru, however, ignored Kabuto beside him and commanded, "Show me the way."
Kabuto silently spluttered at how he was ignored, causing Sasuke to inwardly smirk at the other's seething expression.
Outwardly, though, Sasuke stared at Orochimaru, silently asking why he had to go back out with the other two and not just send some cronies to do the dirty work like usual?
Answering the unspoken question, Orochimaru said, "I must see the condition the experiment is in, and whether or not it needs to be disposed of."
Sasuke could see the logic; if the test subject was able to break out even after being subdued all night, then it must have potential. But if it was a fluke, and only escaped by chance, then it was nothing more than a nuisance.
The Uchiha then turned around and began retracing his steps. Behind him, he could hear Orochimaru ordering Kabuto to fetch some guards to do the dirty work of either bringing the experiment back to base or burying the body.
It made Sasuke smirk internally when he pictured how pissed Kabuto must have been to take these orders. Especially since Sasuke would be getting alone time with Orochimaru. The very thought repulsed Sasuke since he was sure that when Orochimaru was not thinking up more experimentation ideas, he was imagining himself taking over Sasuke's body and using the Sharingan, but he knew that Kabuto hated the thought more, so Sasuke allowed it without comment. The Uchiha suspected that Kabuto believed that he was actively attempting to turn Orochimaru against the assistant every chance he could, so every time the two were alone without Kabuto's supervision, Sasuke was trying to become the new number two.
The very idea of that made Sasuke want to inwardly smirk at the inanity.
He led Orochimaru out of the hideout, appreciative of the silence that fell between them; he never enjoyed speaking with the snake.
For a brief moment, Sasuke considered taking a roundabout route to where he had left the experiment. He did not want to take any chance of Orochimaru discovering Naruto's clearing by the waterfall. But then he quickly squashed that idea.
If he took a roundabout route, then Orochimaru might get suspicious. The only feasible excuse Sasuke would be able to think of was that that route was the way the experiment had taken.
But that would not hold up because Sasuke would not have the patience to not take the shortest past, and Orochimaru knew that.
He should not have worried, though. Sasuke had made sure to drop the experiment off far away from the clearing, and had taken extra measures to make the pathway to Naruto obscure. Orochimaru would require the Sharingan that he so desired to know that someone had ventured further into the woods from where the test subject's unconscious body lay.
Inwardly nodding to himself, Sasuke continued forwards. There was nothing to worry about.
He led Orochimaru to the unconscious experiment, and stood back while the other walked up to inspect the body.
Sasuke would not admit it, but he unconsciously held his breath. He had just realized that he did not check the body over for anything to indicate its fight with Naruto.
There was nothing he could do about it now. Maybe he could get lucky and Orochimaru would assume that it had gotten its wounds from its attempted escape last night, or its successful escape earlier in the day.
Orochimaru was silent, giving nothing away.
Sasuke heard rustling behind him, and the speedy footsteps that could only belong to a ninja. He did not bother to turn around; he knew who it would be.
"Lord Orochimaru!" said Kabuto, slightly out of breath. He must have rushed in an attempt to make sure that Sasuke would not speak ill about him.
Orochimaru did not respond.
Kabuto looked over at Sasuke with a glare; one that Sasuke did not reciprocate. He knew that it bothered Kabuto more when he did not react to anything he did.
The assistant looked like he was going to speak again, when Orochimaru spoke.
"Tell me, Sasuke, was it like this when you found him?" he asked.
"Like what?" Kabuto asked, even though he was not the one addressed. He walked forwards to join Orochimaru in inspecting the body.
While the assistant circled the body, Orochimaru paid him no mind and turned around to face Sasuke. "Was it so badly wounded when you found him?" he clarified the earlier question.
Sasuke kept eye contact and answered, "Yes. I did need to use necessary force to subdue it, though," he added, in case it would explain any questionable wounds Naruto had inflicted.
"I see," Orochimaru replied, somewhat cryptically.
He then turned around again to face the body as Kabuto made his observations.
"Hmmm, it is unconscious but alive," said Kabuto, circling the body, "there are many wounds on the body, both old and new. It should be safe to say that the old wounds are from when it tried to escape, but it is hard to place where the new wounds came from."
He continued circling the body until he was next to Orochimaru once again. He then pointed to some scratch marks by the experiment's neck. "For instance," he persisted to say, "these could have been from some of the other test subjects in their second stage of the curse seal, or from something else."
He had sent Sasuke a glare as he said the last point, as if he was trying to insinuate that Sasuke had inflicted the lacerations. Though why he would, other than spite, was beyond Sasuke. Anyone with functioning eyes and knowledge of how to use common sense would know that Sasuke would not be able to inflict such small and deep gashes; such things seemed to be lost on Kabuto, though.
Sasuke met his gaze, but otherwise did not react. The simple act seemed to infuriate Kabuto, causing him to turn back around, seething, and for Sasuke to inwardly to himself.
"But these," said Kabuto, pointing to some part of the test subject's body, "I cannot identify."
Orochimaru did not seem to have an answer either.
Sasuke shifted a little behind them, so that he could see what Kabuto was pointing at. With a jolt, he realized that they were indicating the burn marks left by Naruto's demonic chakra.
Then Orochimaru spoke, "Tell the guards to bring this to the lab. I will need to inspect these wounds further."
Kabuto looked overjoyed at the command, and hurried to fulfill it. Orochimaru nodded, then walked back to the base.
Sasuke followed, hoping that they would find some different reason for the burn marks so that Naruto would be safe…
Wild Beast
Sasuke was waiting for Kabuto to announce that it was dinner time. He was going to make it a point to join them for the evening meal.
He was not allowed inside the lab, or if he was, he had never thought to take advantage of it before. Sasuke had made it clear what he thought of the abominations that the test subjects had become, at he had no interest in learning the process.
He did, however, wanted to know what Orochimaru and Kabuto had made out of the burn marks from the chakra. Sasuke was not an expert on burn marks on skin, even though his clan was known for their mastery of flames; his area of knowledge mostly lay with inanimate objects and being able to tell how they were burned and when.
Skin was different, and the source was different as well. Sasuke had little to no idea as to if the Kyuubi's chakra left distinct burn marks, or something that could be passed off as regular burn marks. He was also not sure if the fact that the experiment had been in its second curse seal stage mode would make any difference.
If he was asked about it at dinner, maybe Sasuke could say that he needed to use fire jutsus against the test subject. He hoped it would be enough to fool them.
Waiting to be called for dinner was unnerving. He would normally spend his down time avoiding having to interact with anyone, but at the moment, Sasuke could not remember what he usually did in his chambers. There were old scrolls he would study, but he had gone through most of them already. He was too antsy to do much else other than pace.
He heard footsteps and he stopped pacing. Sasuke stood still, waiting for the person walking in the hallway to come to his chambers.
The footsteps walked right passed the doorway.
Sasuke exhaled haughtily. What was taking them so long?
Then he realized that it looked like he was simply waiting for Kabuto. That was what he was doing, but he did not want it to look like that. In his slightly paranoid state, he just knew that the assistant would find it suspicious of Sasuke to be waiting for an invitation to dinner that he usually refused.
So Sasuke grabbed a scroll—one he was pretty sure he had acquired recently in case Kabuto was looking at the details—and placed it on the plain desk that every room was equipped with. Sasuke also placed the chair out so that he could readily sit in it when he heard footsteps again; but at the moment, he was too antsy to sit.
He continued to pace. Each time he circled the room, he would debate with himself on whether or not he should allow himself to think about Naruto.
Sasuke tried to discipline himself against it, but the memory of Naruto poking his nose against Sasuke's palm kept creeping into his thoughts.
Then, he finally heard footsteps again.
Sasuke quickly—and quietly—sat in the chair. He then positioned himself to make it seem like he had been sitting for a while, making sure to make it seem as if his shoulders were getting stiff. His paranoid mind told him that every detail counted.
The footsteps were still approaching. Sasuke regulated his breathing. Why his heart decided to beat faster all of a sudden was beyond him.
The footsteps stopped in front of his door, and then they paused.
He supposed that the pause could be because the last few times Kabuto had entered his chambers, the man was either ignored or electrocuted. Under normal circumstances, the pause would have made Sasuke at least inwardly smirk. At the moment, though, the pause was downright infuriating.
Then there was a small knock on the door before it was opened up, making the knock purposeless, but that was beside the point.
"Dinner is ready," Kabuto announced, then paused before saying, "Lord Orochimaru has requested your presence." Kabuto had said the last part with clear disdain, as if it physically hurt him in some way to say it.
The man then left before Sasuke could react.
Good. That was good. Then the Uchiha could focus on how to act appropriately through his paranoia.
He waited exactly one minute and a half, as if he was taking the time to debate whether or not going to dinner was worth anything. That was what he would do had he not been making it a point to eat with Orochimaru and Kabuto.
Sasuke then walked the halls in a slow, measured pace. He would do that normally, and he made sure to walk extra slowly, since he knew that in a state such like his, his own movements would be rather rushed and agitated had he not taken measures to make them appear at a standard speed.
When he reached his destination, he treated everything like a habit of sorts; as if he had done this a million times and more. Sasuke went to retrieve his prepared meal, and sat at the furthest corner of the table from the other two.
"Sasuke," Orochimaru called out from his seat, "why don't you join us?" He gestured towards chairs closer to himself and Kabuto.
Sasuke sent a glare, and grunted his negative reply at the invitation.
Kabuto seemed more than happy with Sasuke's answer, and dove right into conversation with Orochimaru.
For the most part, the topics were benign. Sasuke was beginning to wonder why he had even bothered to come down.
Then, Kabuto himself brought up the topic of the experiment. He said, "I've checked the other experiments like you asked, and none would have been able to inflict those lacerations to the body, or the burn marks."
Orochimaru seemed interested. "Even when they had their seals activated?" he asked.
Kabuto shook his head, "The ones that could have failed to meet requirements either last night or this morning."
Sasuke inwardly scowled. Kabuto was simply saying that the best cover he had to protect Naruto, the other experiments that grew fangs or claws in their second seal stage, were killed either in the brawl or trying to escape.
Orochimaru took a moment to consider what he had been told, and Sasuke took the opportunity to eat some more. The stress of his paranoia had left him hungrier than usual—not that he would let anyone now—and he did not have to worry about stowing away any meat for Naruto, now that the latter, hopefully, trusted Sasuke enough to allow him to go hunting with the other.
"Sasuke," Orochimaru suddenly called out.
The Uchiha spared the other a glance to show that he was listening, but then returned his attention back to his food.
"You know the area rather well through your walks, yes?" Orochimaru asked.
"Hn," Sasuke grunted in response.
"Have you come across any animals that could have done this to the deceased experiment?" Orochimaru continued.
Sasuke took a moment to answer. He wanted to immediately reply in the negative, but something in his mind told him that answering too fast would raise suspicions.
"No," he answered after counting to five. "There is nothing close by that could cause the damage. The largest animals around here are the deer."
Orochimaru seemed to be considering what he said. But then something caught Sasuke's attention.
"Why did you say deceased?" he asked, "I left it unconscious, but alive."
"It needed to be taken care of," Kabuto answered, his glasses flashing as he did so.
Sasuke did not reply; he felt that there was no need.
Hopefully, by saying that there was nothing nearby, Orochimaru would write everything off as an unexplained and continue on with life. There would be no need or reason to suspect Naruto.
Kabuto then decided to ask, "If it was not the other experiments, or any of the surrounding animals, then what could have caused the injuries?"
Orochimaru was still thinking.
If the snake considered all the options, he might decide to go investigate. Sasuke would not risk that, so he said, "Maybe it was the guard who attacked the experiment as it escaped."
Both Orochimaru and Kabuto looked over at Sasuke, surprised that he had participated in the conversation.
He held their gaze, hoping that they would not ask questions and assume that he just wanted the discussion over with. So he continued to say, "They had been told to use any force necessary. It could be possible that the guard tried to use weaponry against the experiment, and some fire jutsus when that failed."
Kabuto seemed to be thinking about what Sasuke had suggested, and muttered, "That could be possible…"
"Then the matter is settled, right? I will not be bothered anymore?" Sasuke asked roughly, making it appear as if he had only participated to get himself out of future discussions about the experiment.
"No," Orochimaru answered.
Sasuke glared at the other, as if he was truly annoyed that they were still talking about the subject. In reality, though, he was trepid.
Orochimaru explained himself, "The lacerations were not from a weapon. That much is clear. And those burns did not originate from any flames, but rather from touching extreme heat, like welts."
Sasuke felt his pulse quicken, even though he did not allow it to show.
Kabuto was staring admirably at his master, nodding every so often. It was surprising that he was not licking the other's shoes at this point.
Orochimaru then declared, "Those wounds did not come from a human, nor did they come from one of my experiments. Something in the forest did this, and I intend to find out what."
He then turned to Sasuke, whose expression was disciplined to appear stoic and apathetic.
Orochimaru then ordered, "Tomorrow, you will lead some of the other experiments on an expedition into the forest for whatever did this. I want it caught, and I want it brought back here."
And that was the chapter.
I am an insomniac, and it is not a secret, though a somewhat forgettable trait, except for to other insomniacs. We kind of form some sort of union, or a club. At school, one of my friends and I would go on late night walks around campus, and greet our fellow night owls along the way; we have found that people are more polite at night. Us insomniacs would also either trade sleeping tactics, the effectiveness of various sleeping aids, or just keep each other company during long nights. The same could be said for at home, but with more reminders to attempt to sleep.
I have never kept my sleeping disorder a secret, and it is a sacred rule that NO ONE wakes me—or any insomniac in our union—up! Especially since I have been known to kick, scratch at, and even throw heavy objects at those who attempt to wake me up. But this one guy did not understand. I had agreed to hang out with him a while back, mostly to get him to stop bothering me about it, and he must have misunderstood and thought it meant that I was interested in him, so he started to send 'Good morning' texts like my ex-boyfriends and a select few other insomniacs would whom I have allowed. Needless to say, I was not amused. He sent one at 7:22 am, after a particularly rough night of going to bed after 5:30, so I was very much pissed and let him know exactly how I felt through various curses and profanity. When it became known by social media just what he had done, the general consensus was that he was begging for a death wish and he had been blacklisted by myself and other fellow insomniacs.
Anyway, thank you to those who favorited/alerted this story! And an extra special thanks to those who review! You make my day!