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Entry tags:	fic, incomplete, naruto, sasuke

[GRAVEYARD] Restitution - Naruto - Sasuke
I was going through my writing folder (which, incidentally, is called "crappola" on my D: drive) and I found this fic that I'm never going to get around to writing. I hate it when you start projects and never finish them, and I hate the fact that I had this one semi-planned and thought-out. I was even going to tackle multi-pov, something I hadn't done in my other long fics, and this one was going to be about twenty chapters.

Ah, how young and hopeful I was back then!

Anyway, for what it's worth, I might as well post it up here. No Sakura to speak of - this was written around chapter 290 or something, so we hadn't met Sasuke again - and just my interpretation of how things could have gone down. Let me know what you think in regards to it all, I may yet keep it around as a oneshot of sorts. In particular, it could use an ending.

Title: Restitution
Series: Naruto
Pairing: Well, none at this point. Sasuke, Kabuto and Orochimaru make appearances.
Words: 4117 words.
Rating/warnings: Hmm, maybe M or R for violence.



"Sasuke-kun?"

He ignored the voice and kept his eyes closed. There was nothing for the two of them to talk about. He had cast aside his village and travelled all the way to Otou under the assumption that he would be taught by Orochimaru, that he would be compensated for his sacrifice in the form of power. It had been a week, so far, and still there had been nothing of the sort. He had seen the Sannin only briefly before being shown to his cell and since then his only contact had been with Kabuto, Orochimaru's underling.

Surely he deserved more than a mere minion. Surely. This treatment was almost insulting and had he known it would result in this apparent indifference, he would have certainly looked into other avenues of power. It would be most unfortunate if this turned out to be merely a waste of time.

"Sasuke-kun?"

A jingling of keys and then a screech of metal, as the cell door slid ponderously into the side of the wall. For whatever reason, his quarters were in the dungeons, and while the darkness didn't bother him, the smell certainly did.

That, and the sobbing.

"I know you're awake, Sasuke-kun. Your breathing is slightly faster than that of a sleeping person and there is tension in your right shoulder that indicates you can hear my voice. Let's drop the games, shall we? The time for deception on either side has well and truly passed."

He opened his eyes. No point in pretending if he wasn't fooling anyone. He'd have to keep Kabuto's keen senses in mind. "What are you doing here?"

He added a slight inflection to the 'you', and a tilt of contempt to the entire sentence, assuming that someone as familiar with subtlety as Kabuto was would pick up easily on both.

The man paused. "I am bringing you some dinner," he replied after a moment, making it perfectly clear he had heard the other question but chosen to ignore it. "You won't be able to grow strong without eating, right, Sasuke-kun?"

He rose, blurring into a standing position opposite Kabuto, who showed no reaction to the movement. "I won't be able to grow strong without training," he said in low tones, feeling his sight sharpen and intensify as the crimson of the Sharingan bled into his eyes. He kept his stance loose but was ready to explode into action at the slightest movement on Kabuto's part. He'd had enough of this. They were wasting time. Every day he didn't improve himself, every day that kept him weak like this was another day added to Itachi's already too-long life.

Kabuto raised a careful hand, the other still spread flat under the tray of food. "Now, now, Sasuke-kun. No need to be hasty about this. You knew when you joined us that Orochimaru-sama was a very busy man. He has his goals as you have yours, and it's only coincidence that they overlap in this small way. Be patient, Sasuke-kun. Good things come to those who wait."

He said the last with a trace of bitterness, but Sasuke ignored it and didn't relax, continuing to regard the man with scarlet-whorled eyes. "I feel," he said dangerously, "that I have been remarkably patient. Especially in light of the hospitality I've been shown." He indicated the small holding cell, with its two walls of steel bars and remaining walls of rock, along with the small, hard stretcher and the pot in one corner.

Kabuto followed his motion and gave a small smile, crossing slowly to the bed and placing the tray upon it, fiddling with the dishes before continuing to speak. "Ah, yes. It is most unfortunate, Sasuke-kun, that you came to us in the middle of renovations to the mansion house. Rest assured that a chamber is being prepared for you and that you will be transferred there as soon as it is ready."

Sasuke turned to watch him, staring at the man's back without bothering to hide his contempt. "I was not expecting such treatment."

"Oh?" Kabuto's movements slowed and he straightened, an amused look on his mask-like face. "Is that so? What, pray tell, were you anticipating, Sasuke-kun? A palace of your very own? Servants to command? We're a small operation, I'm sorry to say. I'd advise you to forget any delusions of grandeur you might have nurtured because this," he gestured around the small room, "is your reality, now. If you want power you'll have to work for it. You need to make sacrifice upon sacrifice for this power you seek. If these arrangements aren't to your satisfaction, then perhaps you take your goal too lightly. Perhaps, Sasuke-kun, you just don't want it enough."

You don't have enough hate...

"That's it!" Sasuke hissed and rushed at Kabuto, spinning around behind the other man in order to catch him off guard. First, he'd knock his legs out from beneath him and then punch him up into the air, there was just enough room for a Rengan, just -

And then his hand connected with nothing as Kabuto's body disappeared, relocating behind him with unexpected speed. The Sound nin had moved so fast the Sharingan hadn't had time to predict his movement, and Sasuke grunted his annoyance before bringing a hand to his lips. He gave himself a moment to gather the chakra in his chest and pushed his head back, ready to raze the room.

"Katon -" was as far as he got before a cool hand slapped his arm down and he found Kabuto's face suddenly very close to his own. "I wouldn't do that, if I were you," the man said, a pleasant smile crinkling his eyes. "The room is rock and will not burn, and I'll be certain not to replace anything you damage in your righteous fury, food inclusive. Orochimaru-sama won't be back for a few days, at least...how are you with fasting, Sasuke-kun?"

He swallowed the chakra and repressed a wince as it burned his stomach, the pain only secondary to what Kabuto seemed to be implying. "You wouldn't dare," he rasped, eyes narrowed.

Kabuto shrugged and released him, Sasuke fighting the urge to wipe the touch from his flesh. "Never underestimate your enemies, Sasuke-kun. And I would have thought you'd learned at the chuunin exams to never underestimate your allies, either. You know nothing about me but I know everything about you; therefore you are at the disadvantage in every way. Don't forget this."

He stepped away from the stretcher bed and moved across the room, slipping outside and shutting the door. He didn't speak again until after the key had turned in the lock, and when his voice floated through the darkness it held a hint of a smile. "As I was saying, Sasuke-kun, you need to eat, to keep your strength up. I recommend the omarice. It's served with tomatoes." He gave a low chuckle and Sasuke felt his presence move down the corridor, eventually disappearing from his senses as he crossed out of of range.

He dispelled the Sharingan and sat stiffly on the edge of the bed, turning to look at the food with barely-leashed fury. Would Kabuto do it? Would he go that far? Orochimaru had promised him sanctuary, had sworn to keep him safe for the next few years, had given Sasuke his word that he would provide him with the power necessary to defeat Itachi. He'd promised.

And the word of a traitor is worth how much? a snide voice asked him from the back of his mind. Do you actually believe him, or do you just want to believe? came another voice, softer and sadder than the first. He squashed both ruthlessly. They had no place here. They sounded like...no. He shouldn't try and remember. He couldn't.

He promised, he thought, fists clenching. Kabuto could think and say what he liked, but he couldn't go against Orochimaru's orders. He had an agenda, that much was obvious, and Sasuke neither knew nor cared what exactly it involved. Despite his skills, Kabuto could teach him nothing. Orochimaru was the one he had come for, and he'd just have to wait a little longer to be taught. A few days, Kabuto had said. Sasuke had already waited years for his vengeance. A few more days was nothing to him.

He reached for the plate of omarice and spooned some into his mouth, chewing without tasting and swallowing without thought. He picked up a slice of tomato and ate it with his hands, licking a trail of juice from one finger before taking up the spoon again. He would do anything to become stronger. Whatever it took, whatever he had to give up.

He'd given up so much already that there was little left to give.

~

Later, when cramps racked his body and sweat poured down his face, he added another name to his shortlist of hatred. Sasuke was patient. One day, Kabuto would pay. Poison - however weak - was such a petty way of attacking.

More food came every day.

He didn't eat again until Orochimaru came back.

----

"Are you ready?"

A loaded question, open to interpretation. What exactly did Orochimaru mean? Was he asking if he was ready for the imminent testing? Was he seeing if he was prepared for the transference that was soon to occur? So many depths and levels in those three innocent words.

Only one answer.

"Yes."

Orochimaru smiled at him, thin lips curling up into a serpantine leer. "I am proud of you, Sasuke-kun. My apprentice, my salvation; you have worked hard these last three years, and after this last examination of sorts, you will be ready to fulfill both our dreams."

"I don't care," he replied. "I am yours as promised, as soon as that person is dead."

Orochimaru's eyes slid to the left, before his smile deepened, twisted. "Of course. Itachi-san. He will find you markedly improved, I am sure. Kabuto!" The Sannin blurred from sight and reappeared in the control room, his deputy visible at the panel beside him.

"It begins."

For the moment, Sasuke was alone in the arena, the gritty dirt smooth beneath his sandals, the dark shadows empty in these last few seconds of peace. And then the silence was shattered by the creaking of gears, and one after another the doors around the fighting ground rose up into the rock face, countless tunnels appearing and opening out onto the space in which Sasuke stood.

He waited.

First, came the shuffling, the sound of bare feet against soil as they came closer to the arena. Next, he heard the whispers, the murmurs of confusion and interest, the sense of tempered fear. Lastly, came the breathing, the sharp intake of air as they moved from the narrow tunnels and out into the relative freedom of the fighting ground.

There were always so many of them. Orochimaru had never told him where he sourced them from, and Sasuke had never asked. It had always been irrelevent. They existed only to test him.

He didn't move but counted the chakra signatures, numbered the presence and press of bodies as they continued to spill out from every door. Ten, twenty, thirty...he paused as a set of conjoined twins came out to his right. One, or two? Two, he decided, erring on the side of caution. Who knew what they were capable of. More came and still more, until it felt like he was hemmed in at all sides, trapped in a cage of hunger, fear, and unwashed bodies.

"Only a hundred?" he called up lazily, not bothering to look at the control room. "I'm insulted."

"Do your best, Sasuke-kun." Kabuto's voice, tinny over the loudspeaker. "It goes without saying that I'll be rooting for you."

"My children," Orochimaru said, husky tone unadulterated by technology. "The rules are simple. There are none. This is a battle for supremacy and the last man standing wins. The prize should be obvious. The winner gets to live."

He fell silent, and the arena hummed with nervous chatter. Most of those gathered here had had no idea of what to expect, and a tournament of elimination had apparently not occurred to them. Sasuke had anticipated it, of course. This had been coming for years. He cracked his knuckles and settled into a crouch, closing his eyes. He relaxed his breathing. He would have to be ready.

"Begin."

His eyes snapped open and the scarlet shone in the darkness, a deadly light of warning for the blood about to be spilled.

----

Kabuto watched the fight unfold from his high perspective in the control room. Sasuke was a black-edged blur in the dim confines of the arena, and Orochimaru's hands tightened on the panel in front of them as indication of his pleasure at the Uchiha's progress. Much had changed in nearly three years, and the least of that had been the boy's skills.

Once, Kabuto could beat him without raising a sweat. Now he was hard pressed to lose gracefully. Maybe it was true. Maybe the boy was a genius, after all. He had the temperament and the ego - he might as well have the abilities to go with them.

The loud crunch of bone snapping drew him from his thoughts and he glanced around the arena. "Who was that?" he asked, finding Sasuke in a corner, grappling with five burly nin sourced from the Earth country.

"Two of the tribe nins from the Rice country." Orochimaru dismissed them and leaned forward, his eyes trained only on Sasuke's blurred form. He licked his lips and Kabuto looked away, unwilling to jolt his master's thoughts.

"Shall we expect the process to take place in a month or so?" he asked casually, pretending to focus on a slender youth from the Mist village.

Orochimaru smirked as Sasuke sent a hunchbacked nin flying into the wall, chunks of rubble exploding out from impact and knocking down a few others in the process. "I don't see the need to wait, Kabuto. I have a good feeling about tonight, don't you?"

Kabuto blanched and fought to hide it. "Tonight, Orochimaru-sama? You don't think that's too...hasty? Sasuke-kun will be exhausted, no doubt, and that's only if he triumphs here. You've never made him fight a hundred nin before."

"He is to be my new vessel, Kabuto. A hundred nin should be nothing to him. After all, I trained him myself."

More stone crumbled as Sasuke used a tricky rock jutsu that melted the ground and then reformed it, trapping the legs of unsuspecting victims up to their knees. Orochimaru's face was a study in satsifaction and he still didn't look away from the fight below. . "Are you perhaps doubting me, Kabuto?"

There was no inflection in his voice but from years of service Kabuot could tell he was in a potentially dangerous situation. "I was merely surprised, Orochimaru-sama," he replied carefully, thoughts backpedalling wildly. "I had calculated the time of transferrence exactly and did not anticipate your eagerness. I'm sorry to have questioned you."

"That's quite all right, Kabuto." Orochimaru paused as Sasuke knocked the heads of two nin together and then swung them around, using their unconscious forms to knock out other nins nearby. "I had given no indication of my haste and did not expect you to have considered it. Regardless, we will be performing the jutsu this evening."

The fighting men had dwindled to a mere handful and Sasuke stood alone again, unmarked and barely winded, waiting for them to come to him. Kabuto watched as the remaining group formed a sort of agreement and dove the boy as one, only to be blasted out in all direction by a forceful spinning kick. A final challenger ran at him with a roar but the boy blurred behind him and picked him up bodily, spinning around twice to gather momentum before throwing him up into the air like a discus. Kabuto barely had time to throw himself aside as the man crashed through the glass panel of the control room, flying across to the back wall and crashing there with a wet sort of thud.

He watched the man slide to the ground and turned back to the arena, pushing his glasses up with a trembling hand.

"Is he dead?" Orochimaru asked, not having even flinched as the man burst through beside him. A piece of glass had glanced off his cheek and Kabuto found himself transfixed at the sight of blood moving sluggishly down his skin.

For all his power, he was still vulnerable.

"Ah, no," he said after a moment, shaking himself and returning his gaze to the arena. "There looks to be a few casualties down below but as far as I can tell, Sasuke-kun has just knocked them out." Why? Why had he not killed them all?

Orochimaru betrayed no sign of what he was thinking and leaned forward, watching as Sasuke moved into the centre of the arena. "Finished already, Sasuke-kun?" he asked, dry voice bounding off the walls. "I had hoped to provide you with more of a challenge."

"You succeeded only in boring me," replied Sasuke disinterestedly, brushing off his tunic with one hand. "I hope that that was not a final testing, by any means."

Kabuto hissed, having never really accustoming himself to the boy's obnoxious persona. Orochimaru was unconcerned, however, and even laughed softly before speaking again.

"Not quite, Sasuke-kun. Meet us in the laboratory at midnight. That is when we can start calling things 'final'."

He turned and moved to exit the room.

"Wait, Orochimaru-sama!" Kabuto spoke without thinking and swallowed hard as the Sannin stopped.

"Yes?" he asked, tilting his head around.

"I thought you promised Sasuke-kun that you would allow him to face Itachi-san before attempting the transfer."

Orochimaru's head swivelled nearly entirely around and he regarded him silently for a moment. "What an excellent memory you have, Kabuto. That is correct, I did say that."

Kabuto swallowed again, trying to dislodge the lump in his throat. "Then...you don't plan on doing so?"

The corners of Orochimaru's mouth rose. "Even as he is, Sasuke-kun is no match for Uchiha Itachi. He will not have anywhere near enough power until I reside in his body. Together we will defeat Itachi-san, one day. But for the moment, he is more use to me alive."

"Does he know?" Kabuto couldn't help it. Perhaps it was in the nature of a medic-nin, this needing to know.

"No doubt he suspects. But that is also why this will take place tonight. He can entertain no thoughts of getting away."

Kabuto laughed, a trifle weakly. "I'm sure he would not think of that, my lord."

The Sannin's mouth thinned. "You are skilled in deception, Kabuto. Do not take it lightly in someone else. Sasuke-kun would not hesitate in leaving were he certain I was not holding up my end of our 'bargain'. It is for that reason that I have taken preventative measures."

He extended a hand and Kabuto looked down to see his palm was glowing with a sickly yellow chakra.

"Give me your hand, Kabuto," Orochimaru ordered, and with a sense of unease, he obliged.

A tingle passed through his fingers and then the light disappeared. He looked suspiciously at his hand.

"Do not fear, Kabuto," Orochimaru said, sounding amused. "The jutsu will not affect you in the slightest. Take Sasuke-kun back to his room and press your palm against his curse seal. The rest will take care of itself."

Kabuto looked up, his suspicions changing to a grudging respect. "What an excellent idea, my lord."

"I appreciate your honesty, Kabuto." Orochimaru's head returned to its rightful position and he paused before leaving. "I leave it to you to clean up after Sasuke-kun. There's no need to keep this many mouths to feed."

"But my lord," Kabuto replied, "we rarely feed them anyway."

Orochimaru's low chuckle carried around the doorway even as he left.

Kabuto checked his kunai pouch for numbers before transferring down to the arena. "Let me return you to your room, Sasuke-kun," he said pleasantly, kicking aside some moaning figures.

"I can find it myself," Sasuke said imperiously, walking past him.

"Of course you can." Kabuto kept his voice mild and followed the boy without complaint. "But sometimes it's hard to know who to trust around here, isn't it?"

Sasuke didn't reply and they made the rest of the journey in silence.

----

Sasuke led the way back to his room, thoughts whirling madly around his mind. What had just happened? Why had he acted like that? Was that a modicum of pity he'd felt for those weak, half-starved prisoners?

Why was he still weak, even after all this time?

He clenched an aching fist. It would have been so much easier to just get a high position and Katon Gyoukakyu no Jutsu them all into ashes. Why hadn't he done so? What was this lingering sense of honour, this bitter taste of moralily? They had no place here. He thought he'd stamped those feelings out years ago.

Apparently, he had not.

This was ridiculous. He should have just killed them. That was their purpose. That was why they'd been there. They lived, like so many others, only to test him. People had no purpose apart from that. Just like his purpose for living, the sole reason he drew breath, was to kill Itachi. To avenge his family, his clan and his lost innocence. Itachi had taken Sasuke's life, and it was up to him to return the favour.

He reached his room and let himself in, suppressing the irritation he felt as Kabuto followed him in. The moment they were both inside the other man brought his hands together in a strange seal and a white shield crackled into place around them, stretching to fill the entire room. Sasuke watched it spread into the cornices before looking at Kabuto and raising an eyebrow.

"We don't have much time," the Sound nin said quickly, pulling his hands apart but keeping the jutsu activated. "I just wanted to warn you."

"Warn me?" Sasuke scoffed. "About what?"

Kabuto gave a small smile. "About Orochimaru-sama. He plans on using the transference jutsu tonight. That's what he meant by a 'final' meeting."

Sasuke paled, feeling the blood drain from his face. The room tilted dangerously and he fought the urge to reel backwards. That bastard. That snake bastard! How could he do such a thing? He'd promised.

And yet...his vision steadied and blurred back to normal - he hadn't even noticed the Sharingan activate - before he gave a cold smile. Why hadn't expected betrayal? He'd made a deal with a traitor, after all.

Speaking of traitors...

"Why are you telling me this?" He had every reason to be suspicous of Kabuto. Past dealings with the man indicated that this too could be a lie.

Kabuto smiled. "It should come as no surprise that I dislike you a great deal, Sasuke-kun."

He snorted.

"You stand in my way," the Sound nin continued. "Were you to successfully merge with Orochimaru-sama...my plans would be set back some, to say the least. I tell you this not for your benefit, but entirely for my own."

Sasuke processed this. He'd always known Kabuto had an agenda, but frankly, he hadn't cared. He'd been too caught up in his own plans to pay attention to anyone else.

Anyone who cared, a little voice piped up. He ignored it. He was good at that.

"You expect me to escape?" he asked coldly. The estate was riddled with tricks and traps to stop the unsuspecting from entering and the enlightened from getting out.

"I don't care what you do with the knowledge." Kabuto shrugged. "I just thought that you should know that things are not as you imagined them to be." He walked over and smirked down at him, dark eyes glittering with something Sasuke couldn't quite identify. "What you do is up to you now, Sasuke-kun."

He reached out and clapped a confidential arm around Sasuke's shoulder, leaning close. "Regardless, I'll leave your door unlocked tonight."

He dropped his arm and the skin where his hand had been seemed to tingle from his insidious touch. Sasuke schooled his features into an impassive mask and stepped back. "You seem to have a great deal of trust in me. What makes you so sure I won't tell Orochimaru of your plans?"

Kabuto smiled again, and this time his eyes were cold. "You won't, Sasuke-kun. I just know it."

He dropped the shield and the room shimmered, Sasuke blinking a few times to adjust to the change.

"Now remember," Kabuto said, his voice falsely jovial, "midnight in the laboratory. Don't be late." He turned and went to leave, stopping in the hallway before looking back in. "Good bye, Sasuke-kun," he said, meaningfully.

He shut the door. Sasuke waited for the familiar sound of the key being turned, but it never came, and after a moment he heard Kabuto's soft footsteps receding down the corridor. He stayed where he was, staring at the doorjamb, frozen in the middle of the room.

Once again, he had a choice to make.

Perhaps this time, he'd make the right one.

--------------------------------------

And what I have of chapter two:

Chapter two
Beginning of the end



Sasuke wasn't sure how long he stayed fixed in the middle of the room, weighing his options. Kabuto had managed to turn his world upside-down in the space of a few short minutes, and now all his plans were dashed and broken and he was right back where he'd started, a few years older and none the wiser at all.

He clenched his fists, bowing his head and ignoring the dark fall of hair that fell forward and brushed his face. He was such an idiot. Why had he allowed himself to get so...comfortable wasn't the right word...complacent, so secure in his expectations of Orochimaru and the agreement they had come to.

Never trust a traitor. One of the little voices - the obnoxious one - sounded smug as it dispensed that particular bit of wisdom. Gee, thanks, Sasuke thought sarcastically. Good for you, with hindsight and all. He ignored the fact he was basically talking to himself and scowled as the other one piped up thoughtfully. How do you know if you can trust Kabuto, either?

The long and short answers were both the same. There was no way of knowing if what Kabuto had told him was the truth. Despite that, the man's words continued to ring through Sasuke's skull, and thoughts he'd only entertained rarely since coming here began to surface once more.

Thoughts of escape.

In the beginning, the sacrifice and expectations had both been too great. He'd left behind everything – everyone - to come here, and the promise of power was a seductive drawcard. Orochimaru had shown them time and time again that he was someone to be respected for his vast knowledge of jutsu and ability to use them. Hell, the man could have been Hokage had he not been passed over for Yondaime, who only the talent to just up and die.

Orochimaru's promise of knowledge and power, the means to defeating Itachi...it had been a very attractive lure. He'd shrugged aside all the ties but one that bound him to his old life and swore to start a new one, right here in Otou. And apart from that first unfortunate encounter with Kabuto, his new life hadn't been so bad. He was treated well, with the respect he felt he'd been denied for years, and Orochimaru had been generous with sharing techniques and working to train him into a great ninja. Under his tutelage, Sasuke grew stronger every day, inching, scratching, clawing his way closer to his ultimate goal and dream. Every day here had been a day closer to Itachi's death, and that knowledge drove him, fuelled him to continue until exhaustion and beyond. He'd thought things were progressing nicely, but obviously he'd been wrong.

Near-fatally wrong, if Kabuto had been telling the truth.

But even if he hadn't been, it had still served as a wake-up call of sorts. It was one thing to say that Orochimaru could have his body, but it was another thing entirely to contemplate the reality of the change. Would his consciousness fade? Would he become nothing more than a husk, a shell, housing the spirit of Orochimaru within? And if that was the case, what of the vestiges of his own soul?

Sasuke was in many ways a realist, and he knew the things he'd done, the crimes he'd committed were not going to be in his favour for whatever awaited him after death. It was potentially true for all shinobi since their line of work demanded things of them that ordinary citizens could do without. Ninja got to do the dirty work, the cleanup jobs, the disposal missions. They just couched it in friendly terms like that. The truth was hard to swallow as no one wanted to say that they murdered for a living. No one really wanted to do it, either, but if they didn't, then who would?

He'd yet to kill someone with his own hands, but there was no doubt he'd been indirectly responsible for the lives of many, many men. He had blood on his hands through inaction rather than deed, and it anything that made it worse. Orochimaru and most likely Kabuto had killed in his stead, and there was nothing honourable about standing idly while knowing full well that it happened. He'd stopped believing in honour years ago, on a dark night in an empty house, the blood of his parents creeping towards his feet. Scarlet eyes had shattered that precious illusion and stolen from him hope and love, as well.

That night had weakened him, but at the same time, it had made him strong. Strong enough to make this choice.

He took a deep and calming breath, then slowly unclenched his fists, ignoring the tingling that followed the movement. He'd had them balled tight for so long the blood hadn't been able to circulate well and he flexed his hands a couple of times, waiting for feeling to return to them. He let his eyes travel the room and fixed on the wall beside the bed, gaze narrowing in sudden thought.

Perhaps he'd anticipated this day, after all. There was no other reason to have kept them, surely. Certainly nothing as weak as sentiment.

When he was satisfied his hands were in proper working order, he crossed to the bed and grabbed it by the slats underneath, pulling it away from the wall. The iron screeched reluctantly across the floorboards and he stopped immediately, heart beating loud in his ears. Had they heard?

He waited, breathing shallowly for a couple of minutes, but when no footsteps came he allowed himself to relax and continued to inch the bed from the wall. When he'd moved it a good half-metre across, he slipped into the space between and knelt, fingers tracing over the outline of the floorboards until he found the one that didn't feel quite as smooth, the one with a tiny gap between it and the next. Then he carefully slid one fingernail into the groove and curled his hand over, trying to get enough purchase on the board to pull it up entirely. He had to be patient. From what he remembered it was a stubborn plank, but he perservered and after a moment he managed to lever it up, prying it out from the rest of the floor and revealing a small hole underneath.

He placed the board gently beside him and reached into the narrow gap, ignoring how his fingers shook as they withdrew the pieces of fabric from their hiding place. He dropped the clothes into his lap and stared at them for a moment, unable to stem the flow of memories that swamped him upon seeing them again.

"The Uchiha symbol is the fan that fans the flame of Konoha, keeping the hearts of its villagers burning bright."

"You may wear the clan sign proudly on your back now."

"As expected of my son."

He squeezed his eyes shut but the images played out anyway, relentless and unforgiving after being repressed for so long.

"Ehh?! I have to be on a team with him?"

The most important aspect of being a shinobi is teamwork."

"I love you, Sasuke-kun! I would do anything for you!"

He thrust the bundle away from him and looked back towards the bed, bringing a hand up to rub angrily at his face. Stupid, dusty old things. They'd gotten something into his eyes.

He leaned his hot forehead against the cool wall and tried to collect his thoughts, but again they would not be tamed. He'd unlocked more than just a floor panel and years of bottled memories were making a reappearance tonight.

"We go on for the people who care for us, Sasuke. They are what brings us together."

"Please stay! Or, if you can't stay, take me with you! I don't know what I could do to help you, but..."

"When I'm with Iruka-sensei, I wonder if that's what it's like having a father. And when I'm with you, I wonder if that's what it's like having a brother."

He rubbed more violently at his eyes. Stupid dust. He should have packed them in plastic, or something, but if he'd asked for some Kabuto probably would have gotten suspicious. He reached out and picked up the pieces of cloth again, ignoring once more his pale, shaking hands. He unfolded the first piece and held it up, staring almost sightlessly at a familiar blue shirt, eyes looking past an equally familiar symbol on the back.

---

"How is he?"

Orochimaru spoke as soon as Kabuto let himself into the room. He pushed up his glasses and made a face at the blood flecked over his hand, moving to the basin before replying.

"It's always hard to tell, with Sasuke-kun." Yes, diplomacy was the way to go here. It was possible he'd made a wrong move, telling him as much as he had, and yet it was one of those moments that had required all or nothing. The culmination of years of careful planning could be ruined, thwarted by Orochimaru's impatience and Sasuke's wilful ignorance.

There was much to be said on the subject of timing.

He coughed and continued. "I think he is chafing at perceived bonds, my lord. He very much wasts to get out there and track down Itachi-san."

Orochimaru sat back in the large chair Kabuto had always likened to a throne. He rested his chin on the palm of one hand and regarded Kabuto with slit-pupilled eyes. "He has no idea, of course, about the reason behind the change in schedule?"

Kabuto shook his head, keeping his face blank with practiced guile. "No that I could tell, my lord. I reminded him about the midnight appointment and I tweaked his seal just as you instructed."

Orochimaru nodded, looking off into the distance. "Am I rushing things, Kabuto?"

He frowned carefully. "You must work as you see fit to, Orochimaru-sama. If you are truly ready to go through with the transference, then there is no point in waiting, as you said." He brought one hand up across his chest and pressed it over his heart. "You know that I will support you in whatever endeavour you undertake."

Orochimaru looked at him and gave a small smile. "Of course I do, Kabuto. I trust you almost completely, which is more than I have ever trusted anyone in my entire life."

He bowed. "I am honoured, my lord."

"My trust in Sasuke-kun is less implicit, however. I am suddenly anxious that things will not go as planned this evening."

"What do you mean?" Kabuto swallowed, his mouth strangely dry. It would not do to have Orochimaru suspect anything yet. He'd need an hour's grace, perhaps even less. Just enough time for Sasuke to get away. It looked like he'd have to cause some kind of distraction and trust - he would have laughed at the irony had there been time - in the boy. He'd messed up along the way, taking Orochimaru's patience for granted. If things didn't turn out as expected, he'd only have himself to blame.

If he was still alive.

"My lord," he said, thinking quickly, "have you considered further Akatasukis agenda in claiming the jichuurunki? They were successful in claiming the one-tail, do you feel they they will strengthen their efforts towards Naruto-kun?"

Orochimaru's gaze slid past him and his serene features gained a contemplative tilt. "From what I remember, it was Itachi-san who was assigned the Kyuubi. If he has been thwarted thus far, he'll need to regroup and consider alternate methods of capture." He paused and directed his look back at Kabuto. "Do not concern yourself with them, Kabuto. We have no interest in the demon fox or its power, and until we do, Akatsuki will have no cause to challenge us."

"But surely," Kabuto countered, "it would be advantageous knowing where Itachi-san planned on going? That is, of course, if you intend to keep your word to Sasuke-kun."

-----------------------



Oh, Sasuke! You are so emo!