[OPEN] The Strange Man's Arrival

[soveryhelpful]

Within hours of finding himself in this new location, he'd removed his Sound forehead protector and buried it in a copse of trees beyond a rice paddy. It was clear that there were no shinobi here, and he had no desire to stand out. What was the saying about the post that sticks up...? If captured, he would need to be able to morph his allegiances to suit, not be branded prematurely by a piece of metal. Purposefully, he'd masked his Chakra and made to blend in, smiling and earning himself the trust of a simple herbsman within the village itself. To even the most trained eye, the young man with the prematurely-grey hair had made himself a home in this so-called Michi no Sato.

Yakushi Kabuto had no home, only cover stories.

Whether this was a test of Orochimaru-sama's or a genjutsu prison devised by any one of their many enemies, Kabuto would survive, would thrive, and would eventually escape to rejoin his master. Any lingering doubts that he might eventually be happy here on his own were quickly squashed. Independence was not an option.

Within a few days, other shinobi began to arrive, some more obviously than others. Through it all, the young man only smiled, collected herbs, mashed poultices, and took careful, careful notes.

The bustle of the Frost Festival provided the perfect opportunity to personally gather more information. The shifting timelines and alternate personalities he'd observed would only be to his benefit here.

Comments

[smallstepstopower]

He had been working on Itachi's medicine straight through the start of the festival, and he was sure that he'd need to track him down soon to bring him in to test it. He was fairly certain it would work, but there was always that trial and error phase of any kind of poison or medicine.

Still, that could wait until morning, and for now he settled into the comfort of drifting through the festival, wrapped in white and purple as he picked up a few things that caught his eye.

[soveryhelpful]

That face was unmistakable. Kabuto lets his own gaze travel over it and continue on as he scanned the crowd, strangely reluctant to make his attention obvious as he continued to smile and chat with one of his so-called master's frequent customers. A few moments pass before he politely excuses himself and retreats into the security of a stall selling scarves, watching the other's progress in a mirror to make sure he wouldn't lose him.

There wasn't a doubt; that was Orochimaru-sama. That he looked younger was hardly something to faze the young medic. After all, he had aided him in the Reincarnation Jutsu himself, though... this didn't feel like it. A long moment as he contemplates life without his master, then closes his eyes, adjusts his glasses, and joins the flow of the crowd, moving with it until he's just behind his true master's right shoulder.

"Orochimaru-sama."

[smallstepstopower]

The way his name was said made him pause more than the fact he was clearly being addressed, and he canted his head to the side without turning his head to look. "I do believe that is the first time since arriving I've not felt the urge to rattle off my age and a list of disclaimers on being greeted for the first time."

[soveryhelpful]

Kabuto pauses himself, watching the other carefully through his glasses though he doesn't outwardly change his expression. "What do you mean by that, Orochimaru-sama?"

[smallstepstopower]

"You have to be the first person I've spoken to who either wasn't desperate or aggressive." He tilted his head back and looked over his shoulder. "I fear I have not met you yet however as I'm only twenty six."

[soveryhelpful]

"Ah," is all he offers noncommittally, head only falling back the slightest bit as his mind whirls at the possibilities. If Orochimaru didn't know who he was, how could he use that to his advantage? "Regardless of your current age," he says carefully, "I'm certain by now you must be aware that you have many enemies."

[smallstepstopower]

"Well, I would, but my age is to my advantage. After all," he spread his hands to either side before pivoting in place to face him, "I've yet to do anything -wrong-."

He tilted his head to the side. "It's quite useful. Though, I must say I'm very disappointed with my future self as he's convinced everyone he's a kidnapper. Tell me it's not truly the case?"

[soveryhelpful]

He only blinks and inclines his head in a noncommittal agreement without removing his eyes from the other's face. It wasn't often the spy found himself at such a disadvantage information-wise, and he still hadn't found his metaphorical feet, as it were.

"A kidnapper?" he repeats as if amused, bringing a hand to his face to adjust his glasses as he watches the other. "I take it you've been speaking with Naruto-kun."

[smallstepstopower]

"My housemate, actually." A smirk flit over his face. "He's incredibly amusing. Though, if he doesn't stay out of my lab space in the future I'm going to be much less forgiving."

He hummed and stepped in, holding eye contact with the other male even as he took in the details of how he held himself and such. "I do think I would love to have your name."

[beforethedarkness]

"So it's you again?" He frowned thoughtfully at the sight of the familiar nin, walking up towards him when he had identified who it was. He still didn't entirely trust him, no. But it was still good to see a familiar face who didn't see him as a traitor. Oh how little he knew.

[soveryhelpful]

Kabuto turns at the sight of the younger man. Only a beat passes before a smile crosses his face, looking so genuinely pleased that he might fool himself as a hand comes up to rub the back of his head. If the way Sasuke was acting meant anything, Naruto hadn't yet told him that he wasn't quite who they thought he was yet. "Sasuke-kun! What a relief!"

[beforethedarkness]

He wanted to shake his head at the reaction, but he resisted and instead just watched as Kabuto approached, "Why is it a relief?"

[soveryhelpful]

"Because I was all alone in this place!" It irked him, deep inside, to have to debase himself before this Uchiha Genin when he knew he was competent enough to take on the Legendary Tsunade in battle, but such was the life of a spy. "You don't think this is part of the Chuunin exams, do you? I haven't seen my team anywhere..."

[beforethedarkness]

"... There are plenty from Konoha here. And it isn't part of the exams," He shook his head, wanting to sigh at the teen in front of him. He refrained, however, and he looked over Kabuto from head to to before he started to explain, "It's called Michi no Sato. We have no idea where it is relative to Hi no Kuni, only that it's in a country called Jiten no Kuni."

He'd just... leave out the 'dead people magically being alive again' thing for the moment. Let Kabuto take in that information first. And it wasn't like Kabuto needed to know about his mom.

[soveryhelpful]

"I thought not. There's no proctors, and the whole point of the exams so far was to work as a team, right?" His frown is deep and heartfelt as he glances to Sasuke, the epitome of the slightly-pathetic Genin. "Michi no Sato... is it?"

A hand slips into his kunai pouch, pulling out the stack of orange-backed cards and giving them a careful glance. "I don't have anything on either of those countries. It must not be a shinobi nation." His smile returns to his face full-force as he slips the deck away again. "Ah, but now that I know you're here, I'm less alarmed!"

[beforethedarkness]

"... Mm. Whatever's going on around here, it doesn't seem like the locals are hostile at least. If anything, it seems this sort of thing has happened to them before."

[soveryhelpful]

"Really?" The frown his lips curve into is almost comical as he looks wide-eyed at the other. "That explains why everyone was so friendly! I thought maybe it was a genjutsu to make me lower my guard for the exam, but..."

He blinks. "You know a lot more about this place than I do, it looks like." As if. "Did you figure out somewhere to stay?"

[itachi_san]

A weary Itachi was walking through the festival grounds.

He turned a corner around a booth, and almost walked right into Orochimaru and... was that Kabuto as well?

[soveryhelpful]

Kabuto had sensed the other's approach, smoothing stepping around to make sure that whoever it was wouldn't get in Orochimaru-sama's way. A hand is dropped down to the pouch attached behind him, the one filled with herbs on the top, and weapons hidden underneath, just in case. Going utterly still as he sees the other's face, he forces a confident smirk to his face. "Speaking of your patients, Orochimaru-sama."

[smallstepstopower]

He blinked, then moved forward, clearly unconcerned. "Itachi-kun. You're looking a bit more stable than last time I saw you."

[itachi_san]

'A bit more stable' was a very relative term. Itachi had spent most of the day sleeping. It helped conserve his strength. But being out at the festival had taken much of it right back again.

"I did say... I could manage..." he answered with an uneasy breath.

[soveryhelpful]

"Uchiha-san." Kabuto pulls his fingers away from the pouch when Orochimaru-sama approaches, exhaling through his nose as he moves in, taking a step around to study the other more carefully. "If this is you at more stable, I would suggest further bedrest would be in your best interest."

[smallstepstopower]

"Yes, this is an improvement over two days ago. He's actually upright all by himself." He tisked softly. "I have my first trial for a possible fix ready, I was intending to hunt you down in the morning. However..."

[itachi_san]

"Time... is not a luxury I can afford right now..." Itachi finished the man's sentence. "Were you able to discern what was in Sasori's medicine?"

[soveryhelpful]

A desperate Uchiha Itachi, coming to Orochimaru-sama for assistance. The irony was beautiful, in a way... He merely morphs his face into something like concern as he glances to his master. "Perhaps it would be best to treat him as soon as possible, Orochimaru-sama?"