Thanks to TheTidesAreGettingHigher for following this story.
Three figures flashed through the trees, jumping from branch to branch further and further into the forest. The figure at the back, wearing a mask, dark tinted glasses, a headband with a village symbol on it, and standard shinobi gear spoke up. "Kabuto, we're taking too long. Orochimaru said two hours after dusk and we are only halfway there. Maybe 3/4ths of the way." The figure lowered his voice to a low whisper, "I will not pay for your incompetence."
The one up front gave a low chuckle at his teammate's words. "Relax Yoroi, we are closer than you think." The figure up front, Kabuto, pushed his glasses up his nose, the light from the full moon glinting off of them. "Besides, I believe the information we are delivering will be enough to satisfy him even if we were to be late." The one known as Yoroi simply scoffed at the response and explanation given to him.
The third and final figure then spoke up. "You know he is not as understanding as you would like to believe Kabuto. You should remember what happens to those who do not do their job." Both Yoroi and the figure behind him began to move through the trees faster than before.
"Misumi is correct, Kabuto. He will not be so understanding if we are late and we cannot afford to end up like the others who have failed him."
Instead of replying to his teammates' words, Kabuto came to a sudden stop causing the other two to use their chakra to stick to the branch the landed on in order to avoid falling off.
"Dammit, Kabuto! Watch what -."
"Quiet." He then raised his hand to stop their intended protests. "Someone is out there."
"How many?"
"Seems to be about fifteen at the very least and twenty-five at the most." Kabuto commented.
"Just a simple group of bandits, maybe a few low-level missing-nin among them."
"It would appear so Misumi."
"Yoroi, Misumi, this needs to be quick. If we take too much time dealing with them then we really will be late."
Misumi cracked his knuckles before replying, "Yes, Kabuto, we know."
"Misumi, Kabuto, get to the ground. This will be over much quicker if we fight there."
"Fight, Yoroi? Why, you make it sound as if this group will actually be a challenge for us." Kabuto retorted.
Seeing no need to reply the other two jumped down to the ground quickly followed by Kabuto, standing with their backs to each other. About ten figures stepped out of the trees and ten more jumped down from the branches to join the rest of their group. The group formed a loose circle around the three shinobi pulling out various weapons from various weapon holsters and about half of the group had village headbands with scratches through them. The man that was closest to the three stepped forward a few feet and spoke up. "Give us anyting of value that you have and you can go without any harm."
Kabuto pushed his glasses back up his nose once more. "And what makes you think that we have anything of value? What would three simple genin on a simple mission have that is of value?" He gave a small smile to the group around them but the reflection of the light off his glasses hid the devious look in his eyes from view.
Another of the group decided to join in, "Bullshit. We've learned from experience that all levels of shinobi carry something that is of some value. We don't care what it is that you have, just hand it over and you can go with your lives intact."
"If you resist us, you'll lose your lives." a third person on the other side of the group interjected. "So I would suggest that you three comply immediately." A smirk found its way onto her face. "Or stand there and die."
Kabuto and his team simply stood there with smiles on there faces, two of them remained hidden. "So you still expect three genin to have something of value? You really must be morons. Yoroi, Misumi, you two know what to do." The three quickly pulled out a kunai from the holsters on their legs and held them in front of their chests.
"You three just signed your death certificates." Four members of the group darted forward at the leader's nod. Before they could take even five steps they were falling to the ground already dead. The whole group stood there as if frozen watching as their comrades fell. Staring at the now-lifeless bodies several members of the group took a few steps back in fear and self-preservation.
"How...how the hell?"
"We're done playing games." Kabuto said. "Either leave us and continue on your way or you will die here as they just did. Either way it is your choice." The members of the group who had begun to take slow steps back now turned and fled back into the forest.
"Meh." The apparent leader of the group. "Damn cowards. Should've known not to include non-shinobi in the group, can't even handle a small threat. I'll deal with them when this is finished." He looked at the three shinobi in the middle of the clearing they were in and smirked when he eyed the village headbands on the foreheads. "So, you three are Leaf shinobi, huh? Can't really say that i'm surprised, but don't think that just because you took down four of us that you can beat the rest of us as outnumbered as you are." The smirk on his face grew into a creepy grin. The only thing that it proves is that i underestimated you three and that won't happen again. The others were cowards and those four were clearly too weak." He stopped talking and quickly started to form a series of hand signs, the others quickly following behind him.
As they finished the series of hand signs they quickly activated the jutsu at the same time. "Earth style! Rock Prison Jutsu!" Four triangle shaped slabs of rock shot out of the ground at an angle until they met and melded together forming an inescapable pyramid around the three. The shinobi flew through another set of hand signs and activated another jutsu. "Earth style! Crushing Rock Jutsu!" The four sides of the pyramid started shrinking in on each other.
Satisfied that the three shinobi inside the pyramid were dead, the rogue shinobi turned around and began to walk away. The sound of crumbling rock stopped them in their tracks and slowly they turned around to see what was going on. The shinobi that they thought were dead stood among the remains of the jutsu used to try and trap them.
Yoroi disappeared and suddenly reappeared next to one of the rogue shinobi and started placing his hands on several of them in quick succession, draining there chakra while Misumi was restraining and taking down his opponents just as quickly. Kabuto had worked quickly through three shinobi and was now facing the leader although he as toying with him by allowing him to think that he held the upper hand. Yoroi, growing bored with his teammate's playing around threw a kunai straight at the both of them. They both paused in their fight to look at Yoroi and Misumi. "Quit screwing around Kabuto and finish it or I will. You know how he is if someone is late so get it over with."
Kabuto, appearing to ignore his teammate, continued to toy with his opponent for a few seconds before he used his kunai to slit the other shinobi's throat. "All right, lets go. We've wasted enough time." The three took off in the direction they had originally been headed, quickly jumping up into the trees moving from branch to branch at a faster pace than before. They soon reached another, smaller clearing and leaped to the middle of it and then stood there waiting.
"See Yoroi, I told you we would be fine." Kabuto said as he once again pushed his glasses up his nose, light glinting from them again. Just as Yoroi opened his mouth to retort, a figure partially stepped through the trees though was still halfway in the shadows. All that could be seen was the straight black hair, pale white skin, and snake-like eyes surrounded with purple.
With a voice that had a creepy edge to it and yet was disturbingly smooth, the figure spoke. "Here you three are. And to think I was worried that you wouldn't arrive on time."
The three shinobi in the middle of the clearing stood straight upon hearing the figure talk. "Of course we would arrive on time. We've never been late and we never will be." said Kabuto.
"Yes, how silly of me to even think so. But enough of that, tell me has my darling test subject made an appearance yet or is she still in hiding?"
Kabuto pushed his glasses up his nose before speaking, "The test subject that escaped made another appearance a week ago outside the gates of Konoha. She was taken to the hospital for treatment of several injuries and recovered remarkably quickly. Though when they discovered her link to the rogue Zabuza and to you as well she was immediately moved to the holding cells in the Anbu interrogation unit. She was scheduled to go through intense interrogation several times over the next week when we got this information. Though now she only has a day or two left of interrogation left depending on who is overseeing the interrogation. If she is cleared she will be forced to go to the academy for the last few days and be put onto a team with three other genin. Though there are sure to be special circumstances dealing with her rank, i'm sure we were unable to get information on this as a very select few know of what they will be." They stood there waiting for the figure to speak.
"Excellent. This should prove to be useful later on, very useful. Very well, we will leave her alone for the time being and seek her out another time. Lets hope that she does indeed make it through their interrogations. You three may go now, but I would like you to keep an occasional eye on her while she is in the village and only when she is in the village. Understood?" The figure looked at the three in the eyes.
"Yes, Orochimaru." Then they all leaped back into the trees and headed back to Konoha to keep up appearances and to keep a vague watch over a certain girl.
Before Orochimaru left the clearing he looked up at the sky and whispered, "I shall see you soon enough Ankoku, my dear daughter. You cannot hide from me forever." And with that he turned and left the clearing.
If anyone has any suggestions for the torture/questioning Ankoku will go through or any other thoughts on this chapter please leave a review. How many suggestions i get will determine the amount of them i use and credit will be given to the owner of the ideas. The second chapter can't be posted until i have ideas for how her questioning will go. Reviews are always welcomed, just no flames please.