Karin was very tired, and very, very alone.
She had watched over the Southern Hideout for a year now, and had recently exhausted the reserve of books she had to read in her free time. As hard as it had been to run the prison at first, it was now a matter of course and she hardly had to think about it. She kept the prisoners apart, kept them fed, and kept them quiet and docile.
But now there were no books left to read, and once again, she was left with only her thoughts for company, and they were company of the worst kind. She constantly wondered how Sasuke was, if he was close to becoming Orochimaru’s “vessel” yet, if he would fight Orochimaru when the time came. And then she cursed the distance, and cursed her weakness. If she were there, there was nothing she could do anyway.
There was a knock at the warden’s door. Karin knew it could only be a visitor from one of Orochimaru’s other hideouts. Perhaps she could request some new books be sent. She got up from the stone alcove in which she had huddled and opened the thick wooden door.
It was a young, fair-skinned woman Karin had never seen before. She wore the uniform of an Otogakure shinobi and regarded Karin calmly with dark green eyes.
“Hello,” Karin said. “What news from Otogakure?”
The sun beat down from above as Natsuhi walked across the still water, pace slow and relaxed despite insistence that the mission be completed as quickly as possible. She had never visited the Southern hideout before, hearing only of its gruesome reputation as the holding ground for many of Orochimaru’s prisoners, an impenetrable fortress from which they had no hope of escape. She had been instructed to gather information on the progress of the captives from their jailer, Karin, and relay her findings to Orochimaru-sama himself. She could only hope that it would be good news, not that she was particularly prone to worrying about such things. No, she would cross that bridge when she came to it. Presently, she was more concerned with the uncertainty of the situation. She had no idea what this girl looked like, no means of identifying her. It would be unnervingly easy for her to to unknowingly be confronted with an imposter. She wasn’t easily fooled, but in this case there really was no way of telling.
Part of her wondered if the child would possess some strange physcial deformity as a result of Orochimaru’s experimentation, much like many of the prisoners themselves. If Orochimaru-sama were to leave someone so young in charge of the Southern hideout, this Karin must really be something. It would take limitless patience to be the sole guardian of such a gargantuan prison. Why, such an immense task would drive any normal person to madness, especially with Orochimaru-sama breathing down their neck. Then again, she supposed her knowledge of normality was somewhat lacking, considering the company she had been keeping as of late. In all of Otogakure, there was no one person would could really be considered ‘normal’ by the outside world, even by a shinobi’s standards. She laughed quietly to herself. There was something oddly beautiful about the sound. A sort of imperfect perfection. A deep, intriguing darkness fronted by only Orochimaru-sama himself. And though she was far from blind to his faults, the lifestyle provided to her while working under the Sannin was more than a little intoxicating.
She was snapped from her thoughts as she approached a large steel, door, far more spectacular than any other she had noticed while wandering through the numerous halls of the compound. This must be it. She hesitated for a moment before giving three harsh taps to the cold metal. The kunoichi supposed that she would just have to rely on gut instinct upon meeting whomever awaited her behind that grand door. She wasn’t quite sure what to expect. This encounter would be interesting at the very least.
Natsuhi nodded her head slightly in greeting as the young woman allowed her into the room, eyes scanning her slender form with a hint of suspicion. Karin was a strange looking girl, vibrant red hair styled in an odd mix of straight on one side, messy and unkempt on the other, wide-rimmed glasses framing her face. A smirk tugged at her lips as she spoke. “Well then, you must be Karin? Orochimaru-sama spoke so highly of you, though I must say…” She paused, a curious but not unfriendly look crossing her face. “You’re not quite what I expected.” Laughing softly to herself, she let out a gentle sigh. “Orochimaru-sama sent me to gather a status report on the condition of your prisoners. I trust you have the relevant information?”
Keeping a steady pace a few steps behind the man, Natsuhi followed him inside base without hesitation. The North base was quiet. Deserted, she imagined, much like the Southern. From what little she’d seen, most people would flee Orochimaru’s hideouts in terror if ever they were given the oppourtuintiy to leave. And yet here she was, having come all this way by her own free will. A wry smile crossed her lips. She supposed it was quite masochistic really, but she couldn’t bring herself to regret the decision. No, this was proving to be far too interesting for that.
The air was cool in these dark corridors, somewhat damp on her skin. The atmosphere had an oddly serene edge to it. It was a strange feeling, almost nostalgic, though she couldn’t place how. Natsuhi’s thoughts shifted to the more pressing matter of the man walking just a few steps ahead, almost certainly deciding her fate. Even in the silent hallway, it was obvious that the minds of the two shinobi were anything but. Kabuto was clever, he woulnd’t have allowed her to follow him so easily had he not had some sort of plan. Whatever that may be, the kunoichi was certain it wouldn’t be a pleasant experience.
Natsuhi was snapped from her thoughts as Kabuto stopped dead in front of her, turning to face her with simmering golden eyes. Her own eyes narrowed, a flicker of contempt crossing her face as the man spoke in such a condescending tone. She had expected no less, but something about the look on his face irked her to no end. Her natural response to his question would have been a simple “Two’s company”, spoken with a casual shrug, but such a delicate situation required more tact. She was silent for a moment, sifting through the different possibilities in her head. Perhaps she could… No. She couldn’t afford to act so casually at this early stage in the game, not if she wanted to live. And she had no intention of dying just yet.
The young woman took a step towards him, keeping her eyes fixed keenly on his. “You seem to doubt my abilities. I suppose that comes as no surprise considering our current situation.” A soft chuckle fell from her lips. When all else fails, avoid the question. “That depends. Perhaps the only true way to know is to find out first hand?” She could sense the intent behind his question. She knew what was coming. No matter how carefully Natsuhi chose her words now, this man was going to test her. Of course, she wasn’t surprised. There was a strange tension in the air as she took yet another step forward, tilting her head to one side as curious eyes watched the medic for any sign of movement.
A little noise of amusement spilled from his lips, and it was almost sort of a distorted half-cackle, devoid of emotion, but striking as it echoed off the dark walls around them. Let’s have a little fun. I’ll get to see your abilities, you can see your new master at work. His gaze never broke with hers, and when it finally did, it was because the smirk pulling at his lips widening into a chilling expression. Eyes darkening as he glances over at her, the dark light reflected his features sharply enough to create an eerie contrast across his pale skin.
“Let’s try a little something, shall we?,” he breathed out in sort of a hiss, tone dangerously low, his expression beyond sadistic and dark.
And he didn’t give her a moment to react. Before Kabuto even turned, a kunai was firmly in his hand and then, with a simple flick of his wrist, his movement only a quick blur, the sharp dagger went slicing through the air with a hiss, aim pinpoint at her heart. He took this second to vanish, without smoke or illusion, into thin air, only moments later slinking into the darkness at the end of one large hallway, form barely visible as he moved backwards, crazed golden gaze on her. She has no choice but to follow, she cannot hold the defensive for long in such an enclosed space. I have the advantage here.
“Come here, Natsuhi,” he called out with a sickeningly dark tone to his voice, a barrage of kunai suddenly shooting from his hands surrounded in darkness, all aimed for the still form of the young woman. He wouldn’t kill her at all, no. It was far too early for that. … And it was more of a sadistic mind game than anything else. Too much confidence could cost you your life in this situation. Conversely, too little will do the same once you falter. It’s just a test, Natsuhi. Just a little game, hm? And you might even win with your life. I merely want to see how much you can endure before you break.
A knowing smirk tugged at her lips as she watched Kabuto’s face distort into such a bone-chilling grin. She felt no fear as she stared at the man’s malevolent expression. It was almost too much, too dark, too exaggerated to be taken seriously, though perhaps that was a dangerous misjudgement on her part. Natsuhi shifted on her feet, entire body tensing as she prepared for the imminent assault. Her voice left her in a soft sigh, nodding slightly at the man’s comment. “Alright then”. She calmy side stepped the first weapon, though the sheer speed and force with which it was thrown did warrant some surprise. Kunais, eh? She’d expected something a little more subtle, some form of medical ninjutsu perhaps. The kunoichi’s smirk widened, he really was just toying with her. Still, she couldnt help but feel a little unnerved. It was dark and the narrow corridors allowed no margin for error.
Narrowly dodging the barrage of kunai’s, she winced as one of the sharp blades sliced though her shoulder, blood spreading slowly down her arm. Kabuto’s taunting voice broke the silence once more, and she felt an odd sense of longing as the man called her name through the darkness. Perhaps she wanted this more than she’d realised. Instantly disgusted with herself, she quickly dismissed the sensation. If he thought that a few knives would scare her, he was sadly mistaken. After all, close range combat was her specialty. The kunoichi vanished, reappearing again mere inches behind Kabuto. She made no move to attack him, standing completely still, her voice oddly calm. “Yes?”
Keeping her head lowered, the kunoichi waited in silence for some indication as to what Kabuto was thinking. A careless move now would do her no good, and she already counted herself lucky that things had run relatively smoothly thus far. Though it went against her better judgement, she began to feel increasingly impatient, bow becoming more and more tense. She hated that the man had complete control over this situation, but couldn’t deny finding a certain pleasure in the adrenaline rush. She heard the soft click as he presumably nudged his unusually round glasses up his nose, shifting slightly on her feet at the soft sigh that followed.
Natsuhi kept her gaze focused on the dry ground beneath her feet, heartbeat quickening slightly as Kabuto crouched down before her. A shiver ran up her spine at the man’s cool touch, breath leaving her rather more rapidly than she intended. The initial shock faded to an almost electric excitement, eyes smouldering with determination as they locked with his. The young woman struggled to hide her fascination as she looked deep into those serpentine eyes, eyes set in a face to which they did not belong. Captivated, she made no attempt to provide an answer to his question, simply assuming it to be rhetorical. Natsuhi didn’t take her eyes off the man as he straightened up, a satisfied smirk tugging at her lips. Kabuto turned away, his white snake snapping dangerously close to her side. Perhaps she should have been afraid, but she felt only intrigued by the strange creature seemingly protruding from the man’s body. She got to her feet, lingering for a moment as she curiously watched Kabuto walk away. Smiling softly to herself, the young woman abruptly moved to follow him.
It is fascinating, really, those eyes, Kabuto thought to himself, not bothering to look back as the young woman followed him into the dull shadows of the base. Determination despite fear, a tinge of expectation, one could almost taste the tensity in the air. Yet she did not falter; this is perhaps the first step to becoming expendable for my work.
His footsteps echoed softly, and he knew well that within the familiar halls of this particular base, there would be no other sound. This was the Northern Hideout, the one base that shone brightly in comparison to the others; it was the largest of all the ones built by Orochimaru. It was well-equipped, pristine, and quite impressively protected, Kabuto had seen to that himself. This entire base was stark empty at the time of his death. The ninja that Orochimaru held in such high regard all faded and disappeared from this place at the mention of their master and the vile work of a damned Uchiha. ‘Tis a wonder he held any conviction for the lot of them. Only very few remain, on the lower levels… the few that now address me in his stead. Lost in his thoughts at the sound of the stone walls echoing back his presence, and a lighter pair of shuffling feet directly behind him, Kabuto continued to walk in silence for the longest while. Not a sound from his person, not an emotion, back shrouded in shadow from his cloak as he drifted almost like a specter through the darkness. Kabuto only shifted slightly, determined to already test this young lady and determine her capability. And perhaps, he’d let her live. While she recovered, he could acquire any information on file about this mysterious Natsuhi. But, quite suddenly, he turned back to face the female, pausing in his stride in the middle of the intersection of five hallways, all trailing off from light into darkness around him as a dark smirk played on his lips.
“Natsuhi,” he breathed out her name softly, expression barely visible with the dull lights lining the stone walls. Kabuto’s voice dropped even lower as he spoke again, lips barely moving as his smooth voice slipped from his throat in one question simple with few words, yet complex in thought: “How can you be of any use to me?” He wanted to hear her words now. What she could possibly offer him in this delicate time, and whether or not she possessed the mere intelligence to work alongside himself. Kabuto let his whispered words simmer down into a striking silence in the hall, patiently watching from beneath his hood, calmly awaiting a worthy response.
Keeping a steady pace a few steps behind the man, Natsuhi followed him inside base without hesitation. The North base was quiet. Deserted, she imagined, much like the Southern. From what little she’d seen, most people would flee Orochimaru’s hideouts in terror if ever they were given the oppourtuintiy to leave. And yet here she was, having come all this way by her own free will. A wry smile crossed her lips. She supposed it was quite masochistic really, but she couldn’t bring herself to regret the decision. No, this was proving to be far too interesting for that.
The air was cool in these dark corridors, somewhat damp on her skin. The atmosphere had an oddly serene edge to it. It was a strange feeling, almost nostalgic, though she couldn’t place how. Natsuhi’s thoughts shifted to the more pressing matter of the man walking just a few steps ahead, almost certainly deciding her fate. Even in the silent hallway, it was obvious that the minds of the two shinobi were anything but. Kabuto was clever, he woulnd’t have allowed her to follow him so easily had he not had some sort of plan. Whatever that may be, the kunoichi was certain it wouldn’t be a pleasant experience.
Natsuhi was snapped from her thoughts as Kabuto stopped dead in front of her, turning to face her with simmering golden eyes. Her own eyes narrowed, a flicker of contempt crossing her face as the man spoke in such a condescending tone. She had expected no less, but something about the look on his face irked her to no end. Her natural response to his question would have been a simple “Two’s company”, spoken with a casual shrug, but such a delicate situation required more tact. She was silent for a moment, sifting through the different possibilities in her head. Perhaps she could… No. She couldn’t afford to act so casually at this early stage in the game, not if she wanted to live. And she had no intention of dying just yet.
The young woman took a step towards him, keeping her eyes fixed keenly on his. “You seem to doubt my abilities. I suppose that comes as no surprise considering our current situation.” A soft chuckle fell from her lips. When all else fails, avoid the question. “That depends. Perhaps the only true way to know is to find out first hand?” She could sense the intent behind his question. She knew what was coming. No matter how carefully Natsuhi chose her words now, this man was going to test her. Of course, she wasn’t surprised. There was a strange tension in the air as she took yet another step forward, tilting her head to one side as curious eyes watched the medic for any sign of movement.
She was slightly taken aback when she noticed the flash of rage cross Kabuto’s face. It was gone so quickly that she could almost have imagined it, but his presence had definitely grown darker and more menacing. Unexpected. Very unexpected. It had not been her intention to anger the man, but then she did have a tendency to push people a little too far. “I’m sorry.” She spoke quietly, any hint of a smile gone from her face. “I’m afraid I’m lacking in tact, nothing but trees and desert for a week can have that sort of effect. Forgive me, I meant no disrespect.” The young woman knelt at the ground before him, bowing her head to the point where any emotion was unreadable. “My allegiance lies with you now. I’m sure I can be of some use to you, whatever that may be.”
Immediately, Kabuto raised a brow, his own smirk widening as the woman’s smile faded. She had apologized immediately, no motion of defiance, and this, Kabuto knew, meant she would either be completely devout or secretly resentful. Both were particularly dangerous at this point, and Kabuto wasn’t entirely sure what to make of her attitude just yet. But he’d let it simmer for a while, perhaps watch her, see what she was capable of.
So she has been wandering about all this time, then? Not mourning the loss of her Kage; not yet, at least. But I can’t be so sure, she’s quite the interesting woman. A little less emotional, a tad more rigid. She can be of use to me yet.
Raising a hand to adjust the round spectacles resting calmly on the bridge of his nose, golden eyes slipped down to stare at her form as she knelt before him. Seemingly considering what to do next, Kabuto shifted on his feet. He had the power now, the authority. He could accept her, make use of her, or just as easily end her life without a second thought. But now he was thinking twice. Kabuto barely knew this young woman, and perhaps she knew more already than what she let on. it was definitely worth some investigating of his own.
After what could only be described as a bored sigh, Kabuto bent down before her as well, elbows resting on his bent knees, pale face mere inches from her bowed head. Silently, with one scaled finger, he tilted up her chin to meet her gaze, the small touch cold and clammy, his golden eyes even colder. His voice, however, was oddly calm and soft despite this.
“Natsuhi, was it?,” he nearly hissed out softly, eyes staring into her own. Watching her in silence for a long while, Kabuto said nothing more. He dropped his hand and straightened up without a single other word of acknowledgement. As he stepped around her still hunched form, a smirk was pulling at his lips again at an apparent joke funny to himself alone. As he passed her, the white snake at his hip slid right past her arm with a dangerous hiss, its split tongue darting out as it looked at the girl. Kabuto, however, just continued on walking towards the entrance of the base only a few yards away, his silence no doubt giving her the gratuitous free choice of whether to follow him or not.
Keeping her head lowered, the kunoichi waited in silence for some indication as to what Kabuto was thinking. A careless move now would do her no good, and she already counted herself lucky that things had run relatively smoothly thus far. Though it went against her better judgement, she began to feel increasingly impatient, bow becoming more and more tense. She hated that the man had complete control over this situation, but couldn’t deny finding a certain pleasure in the adrenaline rush. She heard the soft click as he presumably nudged his unusually round glasses up his nose, shifting slightly on her feet at the soft sigh that followed.
Natsuhi kept her gaze focused on the dry ground beneath her feet, heartbeat quickening slightly as Kabuto crouched down before her. A shiver ran up her spine at the man’s cool touch, breath leaving her rather more rapidly than she intended. The initial shock faded to an almost electric excitement, eyes smouldering with determination as they locked with his. The young woman struggled to hide her fascination as she looked deep into those serpentine eyes, eyes set in a face to which they did not belong. Captivated, she made no attempt to provide an answer to his question, simply assuming it to be rhetorical. Natsuhi didn’t take her eyes off the man as he straightened up, a satisfied smirk tugging at her lips. Kabuto turned away, his white snake snapping dangerously close to her side. Perhaps she should have been afraid, but she felt only intrigued by the strange creature seemingly protruding from the man’s body. She got to her feet, lingering for a moment as she curiously watched Kabuto walk away. Smiling softly to herself, the young woman abruptly moved to follow him.
