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Post by Orochimaru on Jul 20, 2007 15:35:41 GMT -5
That Kabuto.
Sometimes, he could really be unpredictable. And quite interesting, through that. But other times he exaggerated with that unconventional character until he bounced right back into the sphere of logical intuitions. Orochimaru only needed to figure out what he was least likely to do instead of most, and could still obtain an accurate guess.
A smirk plastered to his lips, the Sannin waited in the very entryway to his so-called lair, half-hidden in the shadows that always lurked in there. He figured his timing was just right and the two of them, Kabuto and the new girl, should be arriving any minute now, sliding open the secret door in the wall ahead of him, across a small portion of canyon.
This was still the ideal place to reside in, after all this time. It was almost impossible to locate unless you knew of its existence to begin with. On the other side, in the labyrinthine undergrounds of Otogakure, the panel that triggered the secret door, as well as the passage itself, would be impossible to detect, especially considering the dim character of the torchlight. As for a view from above... one would most likely only see an outlying ruined entrance to a cave-like complex that did not present any interest. Plus, it was hardly accessible terrain.
So, Orochimaru waited, his back pressed comfortably against the archway's cold stone pillar, right at the entrance. He was bare inches out of immediate sight, but Kabuto should be able to spot him by... say, when he had traveled half of the reduced distance between the secret door they'd be using and the entry that hosted him.
This was going to be an interesting three-way exchange of words, no doubt about it. Orochimaru was already thinking ahead.
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Post by Yakushi Kabuto on Jul 20, 2007 16:01:00 GMT -5
Carefully pressing a certain tile among the many on the wall, Kabuto made sure Tsukiko noticed exactly which one it was, as another, larger portion, slid silently away to let them pass. This corridor was always deserted and he didn't really need to make sure no one had seen, but he did it anyway.
Once had had cast glances in both directions, left and right, he gently ushered the girl through the entry.
"It is timed," he explained, as he came right behind her.
Indeed, soon afterwards, while they had barely begun to head towards another unlit and slightly less well-maintained opening, the wall slid shut again, covering the gap it had momentarily created for them to pass through. They didn't get to the half of their way, though, before he stopped, letting the tiniest start of surprise escape him.
"Orochimaru-sama," he said serviably, taking a small, classic shinobi bow in the direction of a shady corner they had been heading for.
Why was he waiting here? He obviously felt like toying around a little... That made Kabuto somewhat uncomfortable, but he was ready to comply, if that was what the Sannin wished him to do.
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Kane, Tsukiko
Genin
Mist Shinobi
Wow. I just relized I have been skating for the past like week. Lmao.
Posts: 200
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Post by Kane, Tsukiko on Jul 20, 2007 16:07:44 GMT -5
Tsukiko watched every move that her and Kabuto made, making sure she memorized it this time, just in case.
It took her a while to get used to the dim light that the place had. When Kabuto ushered her through the door, she was about to tell him she could have gone through on her own, but heard the explanation before she could say.
She stared a head at the figure, Orochimaru. Oh did she have a few questions for him, but she wouldn't ask them just yet. Just in case someone was watching, which she doubted. But it was always good to take pre-cations.
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Post by Orochimaru on Jul 21, 2007 15:19:04 GMT -5
Orochimaru stepped out of the shadows with carefully measured steps, stopping just out of the doorframe, some darkness still cast upon his back and shoulders from inside. His shoulder leant casually against the entrance's eroded stone, while he wore an expression to match this attitude.
He paid little heed to Kabuto, appearing as rather inconsiderate of his closest servant. What was old and well-known retained little of its interesting character, and though Kabuto was capable of bringing novelty, he wasn't doing as much now. Therefore, he was useless.
Tsukiko, however... she made his smirk linger yet. He saw the questions glimmer faintly in her eyes, and her restraint of not asking them there. And he would take pleasure in answering them, spiraling words into ambiguous phrases and letting her draw whichever she preferred of the many possible conclusions.
It was like, partly, this Orochimaru was another person than the one that had recruited her from Kirigakure. Being in his own home had given him the opportunity to be seen at the plenitude of his confidence and power. A mere lack of concealment was all. Here, he was in charge.
"Please... why don't the two of you come in?" he teased them both, in that low, calm voice he posessed.
A final look was cast to them, behind him, as he was turning and setting the example himself. The corridor was even less lit than those they had used to get there, and the air inside was chilly and had the vaguest scent of various substances. It was homely to him.
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Kane, Tsukiko
Genin
Mist Shinobi
Wow. I just relized I have been skating for the past like week. Lmao.
Posts: 200
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Post by Kane, Tsukiko on Jul 21, 2007 18:31:44 GMT -5
Tsukiko looked back at Kabuto quickly, before following Orochimaru. The coldness of the place was something she liked, as everywhere else was always hot to her.
As they walked she place her cold hand on the cool stone, dragging it along. She stared at her hand, which was very pale compared to the wall, but not to Orochimaru. She turned her attention back to his back. She watched his movement for a while, before looking over her shoulder at Kabuto. She almost felt as if she was sandwiched between them.
She brought her hand back, making a small ice ball in her hand. Tossing it between her hands, before tossing it up in the air. It would keep her entertained for a while. She started to pull the ice into shapes. Making it look like a kunai, then a hand. Random things that her mind could make up.
Eventually, she crushed it between her fingers before asking," Remind me where we are going." Her voice still and strong, how it always sounded when she talked to a stranger. Even though these two weren't.
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Post by Yakushi Kabuto on Jul 22, 2007 14:43:14 GMT -5
And behind the both of them, he came, staying in his place, as always. Still, Kabuto couldn't help but not like his current position. It was never nice to be neglected in the favor of more recent entertainments, when he had been there for so long, always ready to take orders. But... this was Orochimaru-sama, always distracted by the smallest intrigue. Eventually, he always kept Kabuto around closest to himself.
All he needed was some use, or some purpose. Agreed, it wasn't enjoyable when that turned into 'wait until I have time for you', but he could bear it for a while. He always did. Old things were, admittedly, not as fun as new ones, but they were more stable and comfortable to be around. Orochimaru adored playing new games, but he always came back to appreciate the old ones.
Patience. Just wait, that was all.
"Orochimaru-sama is taking you to your room," he replied as amiably as always, willing to give himself some use if none was offered from others.
It was ironic to think of it, really. Though he was presently being ignored, he was still the only one allowed to intervene at will, without fear of repercussions finding him urgently. Of course, that was mostly because he always knew what to say. He was not deluding himself that his worth and value could ever rival that Uchiha Sasuke's in Orochimaru's eyes.
In a way, he was glad he didn't, that he wasn't intended to become a vessel. In other ways, such as when it bugged him that Orochimaru-sama actually seemed to measure his words with the black-haired boy, Kabuto was... envious, maybe. He should take care not to establish the same report with Tsukiko so soon. It was a tiring thing to feel.
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Post by Orochimaru on Jul 22, 2007 16:19:54 GMT -5
Orochimaru tasted the tension he felt behind him, savoured it with an insatiable desire for it to grow. But it didn't. That Kabuto was usually good with self-control, and it seemed Tsukiko had a limit she was not going to cross just yet, as well. He felt impatience build up in his stomach and ascend gradually into his chest, increasing the flow of blood, speeding through the body. The excitement of an incoming game.
Hmm. They might actually end up working well together.
That thought was both intriguing and a little amusing. Most of the Sound nins competed for his direct attention and it would be truly a novelty to see any two of them actually cooperate out of their own free will, instead of seeking ways to backstab each other. In here, the established reports were usually based on vital interests,such as not incurring the Sannin's wrath or benefitting from each other.
These two were interesting. At least for now. Until he would find something else. Of course, that would not steal away their intriguing attributes, it would merely stir his interest in another direction for a while.
"I'm sorry we don't have much luxury around here..." he half-joked, half-taunted, chuckling quietly.
He turned a corner, with the other two in tow, and a corridor with many identical doors on both sides was revealed to their view. This particular one was actually lit with basement-type lanterns, most of them a bit rusty around the edges, from water that had dripped along on occasion. They hung from the walls, like gloomy watchers without mouths to tell about all they had seen.
Because truly, there had been some horrific scenes, and some enticing ones alike, taking place around here...
As he paced the old floor without hesitation, Orochimaru's newly donned robe swished against the tiles, causing light rustles to emerge. Somehow, those sounds fit in with the atmosphere. This was his place to command and dominate, no doubt about it.
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Kane, Tsukiko
Genin
Mist Shinobi
Wow. I just relized I have been skating for the past like week. Lmao.
Posts: 200
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Post by Kane, Tsukiko on Jul 22, 2007 17:12:02 GMT -5
Tsukiko simply nodded her head, stating that she understood. The walk in silence was somewhat strange, and the water dripping made her wonder 'What would happen if I filled this place up with water?' It was a simply answer to the question, but it made her laugh.
She was growing slightly impatient. She always had a short fuse, and short patience, ever since Seiko's first outburst. She bit her tongue to keep back from making some sarcastic comments about random things, and to keep her questions from flying out.
She got an idea, which she found amusing, but the others might not. She slowly began to freeze the floor, turning it into a sheet of ice, watching it freeze the whole hall. She slammed a wall up in front of Orochimaru, then one behind Kabuto.
"I want answers." She stated.
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Post by Yakushi Kabuto on Jul 22, 2007 17:32:58 GMT -5
Kabuto's glasses reflected the dim light in a quick flash when he sprang into a battle-ready position. Not in time to avoid being caught between the two ice walls, though, so he remained within the new enclosure, content to withdraw to a simple corner and watch what was going on, unless Orochimaru-sama would have different indications for him.
He didn't look distressed. It was true he had been surprised, but these things often happened, even to the most experienced shinobi.
Holding three kunais between one hand's various fingers, and keeping the other arm ready for close-range combat, he remained in an expectant stasis. His muscles were only slightly tense, and his reflexes ready to activate on impulse and save him from a quick encounter of any sort.
He was aware of every single fiber from his body.
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Post by Orochimaru on Jul 22, 2007 17:47:03 GMT -5
Good reaction, Kabuto.
Of course, Orochimaru had not expected any less from the intelligent white-haired boy. As his eyes caught that image quickly, the last expression on his face was a satisfied smirk, before the features contorted and began to lose shape, along with the rest of his body.
A mere replacement.
During the next split second, what was, at least theoretically, the real Orochimaru, calm and possessed by the same smirk as the replication had been, melted back into the ice-delimited space, through one of the corridor's walls, which Tsukiko had not had a reason to cover with ice.
His move brought him exactly to the girl's side, and only the slightest few inches behind her, enough for his next exhaled breath to stir the air right above her head. He leaned slowly forward, thus reducing his height, until his chin nearly touched her shoulder and his lips were close enough to her hear. His own hands were calmly folded behind him, in a jest of deliberate negligence that showed he didn't have the slightest trace of fear.
"In order to receive answers..." he said, sounding detached and nonchalant, "...one must first ask questions. Don't you agree?"
He lingered around her, for one more prolonged moment, waiting for the words to sink in while the proximity of their physical forms was still in place. The prospect of danger was all the more thrilling.
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Kane, Tsukiko
Genin
Mist Shinobi
Wow. I just relized I have been skating for the past like week. Lmao.
Posts: 200
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Post by Kane, Tsukiko on Jul 22, 2007 17:58:18 GMT -5
Tsukiko's growl filled the small area she had enclosed as he talked. She didn't like how close he was, no one every dared to come as close as he. Which put her on an edge.
She didn't move a muscle, she wasn't going to give into him. She wouldn't be broke that easily, her pride wouldn't let her. Tsukiko's lips formed a straight line as she stared at the wall of ice ahead of her. Her breathing was heavier and more noticeable then normal.
"Well, first off, back away from me or I will make you." She hissed out.
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Post by Orochimaru on Jul 22, 2007 18:21:09 GMT -5
Orochimaru didn't move. He had no reason or intent to do as he was told, in his own village and in his own carefully organized hideout. And especially not at the whim of a girl he had just brought in, Jinchuuriki or not.
He could feel her strain and her extreme caution, her anger at him and her current aversion. They almost had a distinct scent to one such as him, who sought them actively and desired the exhilaration that being in unpredictable situations offered. Except this was not as unpredictable as one might have thought, given that they were on his territory, and she should be aware of it as well.
She was wary of him, or even more: defiant. Except... he truly meant her no harm. At least not right then. He would, if his hand was forced, but his preference was that she should emerge from this unscathed. From there to even beginning to give her the impression that she could ever control him, however, was a long way.
"Are you that foolish, then?" he asked, his tone soft and still unconcerned.
In a way, she was like another Sasuke. That boy never treated him like a master, but more an equal of sorts. He found room to complain and to question him from time to time, and he always did what he wanted to do. Orochimaru closed an eye on that, but Sasuke was well aware of who was truly stronger.
While at full strength, the Sannin was out of any of these two's league. Common sense should note that to both.
However... that didn't mean Sasuke wasn't waiting for Orochimaru to be weakened, in order to betray him and seize power for himself. The Sannin was well aware of that, and he took all precautions that it shouldn't happen. He would offer none such opportunity. Not to him, and not to Tsukiko.
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Kane, Tsukiko
Genin
Mist Shinobi
Wow. I just relized I have been skating for the past like week. Lmao.
Posts: 200
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Post by Kane, Tsukiko on Jul 22, 2007 18:35:39 GMT -5
Tsukiko knew not to push it, but that didn't mean she wouldn't try. She turned to face Orochimaru, her eyes were once again white. She stared at him for a while, silence surrounding them.
A growl formed at the back of her throat, but swallowed to keep it down. She smashed the walls containing them, making them fall like broken glass. She wasn't sure if she was frustrated with herself for trying, or at him for not listening.
She crossed her arms over her chest, which was rising and falling quickly. Her eyes were now staring a whole in the wall beside them. She pressed her back agaisnt the opposite wall, moving out of the way so Orochimaru could continue walking, if he wanted.
"Why did you send someone to spy on me? How much trouble did you think I would get in? I am not a child, you know." She let a long breath out, never moving her eyes from that spot on the wall. "And Seiko is pretty mad at you too." She whispered this part.
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Post by Orochimaru on Jul 25, 2007 13:17:58 GMT -5
As Orochimaru had imagined, Tsukiko had quite the wrong idea of why he had sent Kabuto to observe and meet her. For a few moments, as he straightened his back once more and continued to relax with his hands behind him, he toyed with the thought of fueling that supposition, for mere amusement. But then again, it could only turn out to be a waste of time.
"Trouble?" he asked, fixing his eyes on her, the greatest part of his amusement and enjoyment of the situation shown in the golden irises instead of the rest of his face.
Cornered prey. It was the most dangerous kind of thing to be hunting for... because it had nothing to lose and nowhere to run. It had one option left: charge forth, and at least give itself some chance of an escape, however small. And desperation gave one strengths they would not otherwise possess.
"I didn't think you'd get into trouble," he continued slyly. "But, you see... Kabuto, here..." He stopped, to look at the white-haired young man, always ready and still on his guard. Then he continued. "He is my right hand... what kind of leader would I be if I did not ask him to have an opinion?"
Orochimaru struggled to contain the smirk that would give in his intentions before their time, but he enjoyed every single moment of this. He would put these two face to face... and see what they did... what their report was going to be like. Such things were good when established from the start.
"So, tell us, Kabuto... what do you think?" he asked, his voice charged with subterfuge beyond normal perception. "After all, we have no secrets here..."
A quieted chuckle accompanied the last remark, and then he was silent, his eyes now fixed on Kabuto.
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Post by Yakushi Kabuto on Aug 5, 2007 1:38:02 GMT -5
Slowly, as the conflict disengaged, Kabuto rotated the kunai he had prepared, bringing them together with a metallic click and pointing the tips downwards. He inserted all three of them back into his kunai pouch at the same time, with practiced ease, his eyes already paying them no heed anymore. He was looking at Orochimaru, and, from the side, at Tsukiko.
What Kabuto wanted least was to make an enemy here. He was not afraid of having one, no. He just wasn't the out-in-the-open kind of guy. He preferred to be everyone's friend, until it served his purpose to act otherwise.
Take Kimimaro for an example. Kabuto had taken good care of him, done every possible bit of research on his disease and a potential cure for it. Then, when Orochimaru had deemed him no longer useful, Kabuto had been pleased to manipulate the guy.
That was why he had to be cautious here, as well. Like always, he would stoically bear through the whims of the man that had his complete loyalty.
"I think..." he finally spoke, keeping his head bowed a little low in docile obedience. "That you have already made up your mind, Orochimaru-sama."
That. That was the good answer. It was both prudent and true.
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