III.

Kimimaru had always wondered how he survived that day. He had felt himself die. He had known he was dead. And then he found himself in a school for training medical nin, learning things he had thought he'd never need. Three years was a short time for someone training to be a doctor to become certified and registered, but Kimimaru had always been a fast learner. It had been something Orochimaru had prided him on. And now he was trying to figure out how Sasuke had figured out he was a medical ninja without him telling the darker boy. Sasuke was an enigma, a puzzle that Kimimaru just couldn't figure out.

Sasuke led him into the cave they had chosen as a hideout, and Kimimaru could sense Orochimaru deep in the cave, the chakra muted. Sasuke pushed Kimimaru toward that direction and vanished, leaving Kimimaru to make the decision himself. The bone manipulator stepped down the darkened tunnels, following his sensei's chakra signature. He stopped before the stone door, and raised his fist to knock. There was no answer, so he knocked again. And again.

There was nothing but silence for a few minutes, the pale one left to wonder if he had even been heard, if the elder creature even wanted to answer, any number of ifs and possibilities to make his head spin. Again he stepped forward, hand raised to knock, only to have the door pulled away, something very solid crashing into his stomach and sending him off his feet, into the wall opposite the door. The choked gasp of breath wasn't enough to carry the following cry, the sound strangled as sharp teeth sank - angrily - into his throat.

The teeth were gone a second later, the elder Sannin stepping back, golden eyes fixed on the bone manipulator at his feet, staring.

Seconds passed, and the sheer intensity held the pair of them there, the snake-like orbs slowly widening, further and further.

There was movement then, the elder creature raising his hand, pointing furiously at the open door he himself had just come through.

"In. Get in. Now."

Kimimaru didn't argue, his own eyes just as wide as he skirted around the elder, darting into the dark room and spinning when he heard the door slam behind him, leaving the bone manipulator alone in the dark.

Orochimaru was livid.

Victim number one. Uchiha Sasuke. Forcefully pulled from the task of cleaning his weapons and pushed to a wall, the glare cementing him there if the hand at his collar was not enough.

"Start explaining. Now."

Sasuke watched him with that unflinching emotionless mask he wore constantly, quite aware that the elder Sannin could kill him just by twitching his hand.

"I don't trust Kabuto." Sasuke whispered finally. He canted his head toward the hall Orochimaru had come from, watching the golden eyes slide in that direction and then back again. "I found Kimimaru with a jutsu of mine. I wondered why Kabuto would come forward now, three years after the fact, with proof of Kimimaru's death. And why Kabuto of all people, would be able to find a dead body in order to steal bones and skin."

Sasuke tilted his head, showing the own mark on his shoulder. "How Kabuto could get that sister mark to mine? Did it ever occur to you, that no matter how loyal he is, Kabuto would never pass up a chance to get rid of Kimimaru or me. He's more than loyal to you, Sensei. He's in love with you."

Orochimaru's grip slackened, and Sasuke squirmed out of that hold, vanishing into the darkness, words echoing in the elder's ears.

"Besides, you of all people should know pigskin from human skin."

Orochimaru stepped back, watching the shadows, knowing the Uchiha boy was still nearby. The fury was gone, rather, it was no longer aimed at the boy, the serpentine orbs narrowing at the shadows.

"Is that so," the sentence was breathed out in a low hiss, the elder turning away to seek out his second victim, with all intents of making him scream.

Certainly not in the good way, either. No, that was Kimimaru's privilege for later. Right now he wanted Kabuto gone, and in pain.

The order of those two being subject to discussion.

Orochimaru followed Sasuke's movements toward his stalagmite chair, knowing the young shinobi would stay in the darkness he favoured so much lately. Orochimaru slid into that throne, crossing his legs at the knee and steepling his fingers before his lips, which were pressed in a thin line. Sasuke was somewhere behind him, and Orochimaru could feel his student's chakra ebbing and flowing with anticipation. Kabuto was drawing ever closer, without ever knowing of his fate. Orochimaru liked that sense of irony.

"Do nothing, Sasuke."

"Hai, Sensei."

Orochimaru watched the silver-haired youth waltz into the chamber, that irritating smile plastered on his face. He didn't know Kimimaru was safely tucked away in the back of the cave, hidden from prying eyes. He didn't know that Orochimaru knew of his treachery. Orochimaru cared for no one who betrayed him. Had he ever trusted Kabuto? No. He had begun to, but then he had begun to trust Sasuke, and Sasuke had returned Kimimaru, the person he trusted most, to him. Orochimaru let a smile grow behind his fingers.

"Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto began, bowing before the ex-Sannin, looking up at the darker male.

Suspect anything yet, Kabuto-kun? Orochimaru wondered, rising from the throne, making a gesture behind his back to the Uchiha boy, to still him. He wanted this moment for himself, but there was no reason his apprentice couldn't watch.

"Kabuto, tell me. How hard was it for you to find that particular skin and those bones?"

Kabuto blinked. "Several days, Orochimaru-sama. I had to dig through much sand."

"How much sand?"

Kabuto blinked, confused. "I don't know. Ten feet, maybe more."

Orochimaru settled his weight back on one leg and put his hands on his hips. It wasn't a threatening gesture, but Kabuto seemed to take it as a threat anyway, the silver haired youth tensing. Sasuke moved, but Orochimaru waved him back.

"Ten feet?" Came the sibilant hiss. "Maybe more...? You're not sure, are you, Kabuto?"

Orochimaru lashed out before the boy could run, pale fingers wrapping around the boy's neck, choking off just enough air to make the boy want to fight for survival but not give up on living. Kabuto grabbed that thin wrist, tugging on it as if to free that iron grip from his throat. Orochimaru was firm, bruising that expanse of flesh, digging nails into his throat to warn him.

"Ten feet. Three years on the run and now you decide to go and find evidence of Kimimaru's death? Tell me Kabuto, how stupid do you think I am...?"

Orochimaru didn't give Kabuto a chance to answer, throwing the boy across the room, toward the exit, stalking after him like a hunting feline, golden eyes glowing bright in the darkness. His foot caught the boy in the ribs, sending him further across the room, closer to the exit, stalking after his prey again.

"Three years. Have you noticed, Kabuto-kun, that this place is miles away from that forest? How long would it take a nin to get from here to there? With us on the run like we are, days of back-tracking, I would assume."

"Orochimaru-sama...! I would never...!"

"Ah, but you did." Orochimaru grabbed the boy by his hair, hauling him to his feet, nails digging into flesh when he grabbed thin shoulders, drawing blood. "You did. What else would you do, Kabuto?"

Orochimaru threw Kabuto out of the cave, and the boy sailed into a tree, hitting the trunk with a bone-breaking thud. He crumpled to the ground, coughing up blood. Orochimaru moved over to the boy, following him when he struggled to his feet, chasing him through the forest. But Kabuto had never been hunted before, not by Orochimaru. Not by someone who'd been hunted most of his adult life.

"Run, little Kabuto," Orochimaru sung out in a haunting croon. "You forget, I have friends here."

He lashed out to his left, just above shoulder level, Kusunagi burying her blade into the boy's shoulder, wrenching it from the socket when the former Sannin removed his blade. Kabuto wasn't given a chance to scream as Orochimaru whipped around, slamming the hilt into the boy's jaw, snapping it. He wasn't finished, far from it in fact. Orochimaru was just getting started. And when he was finished, only he knew. Kabuto felt his arm snap at the elbow as Orochimaru lifted him by his radius, the elder's fingers penetrating skin to wrap around the bone, and this time he screamed. Orochimaru was delighted. He twisted that forearm until the palm of the silver-haired youth's hand could touch flat against his shoulder, and kicked him in the ribs with enough force to break already cracked ribs. Again Orochimaru kicked his former subordinate, rather amused at the game of push, swing, push again. It was a pattern that never seemed to get old.

But the former Sannin soon grew bored with his little game, and tossed Kabuto down, moving over to crouch beside him, examining his nails as he hung over the horribly wounded body.

"I won't kill you. That would be too easy. But you won't be able to move your arm if you don't get it set right away. Oh yes. And so you don't forget," Orochimaru whispered into Kabuto's ear as he moved to make gouges in his cheeks with his nails. He said nothing as he left the boy lying bleeding on the side of the road. He just took the Oto headband the boy wore and threw it somewhere ahead of him with more strength than he possessed, cutting ties with the lying little bastard. If Kabuto died, Orochimaru would feel no remorse. Neither would Sasuke, who waited for him at the mouth of the cave, and who followed him inside, obediently setting about to pack up what belongings they had in preparation to move.

Orochimaru let himself into his room and stared at Kimimaru for the longest while, the medical ninja watching him back, head canting in regard.

"Pack your things. We're going on a little trip."