[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 ran his fingers over Itachi's hair with a fond little smile. "No, I want to see how well he sleeps. I can't check that if he's knocked unconscious."

[itachi_san]

Itachi groaned. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could feel Orochimaru petting him. But he couldn't muster anything more than a half-lidded glare.

Sleep or not, he wasn't going anywhere for a while.

[soveryhelpful]

Again, his eyes follow the other's movements, but he ignores them in favor of the papers on the table. "As you wish, Orochimaru-sama." He doesn't bother to advise the other to be careful; even with the other's famed doujutsu, there was no way he would be able to entrap both Orochimaru-sama and himself in it, not with the state he was in now.

[smallstepstopower]

"Shhh, sleep Itachi-kun." It was an amused croon in reaction to the glare and he righted himself. "I would give you a blanket, but the ones we have are mostly unfit for someone with your... issues."

He padded over to looked at Kabuto, setting down a couple blank sheets. "Feel free to put down any added notes from what you see of mine."

[itachi_san]

Itachi managed a little sleep, thanks to Kabuto. But it didn't last very long.

A couple of hours later he woke to a pool of bloody vomit on a sweat-drenched couch, sharp pain and gut-wrenching nausea that made him curl into a rigid ball.

[soveryhelpful]

Well, that was rather irritating. Couldn't the fool have vomited onto the floor, or some other easy-to-clean surface? Kabuto still isn't alarmed by the other's reaction; he merely finishes the page he's reading and underlines something to reference later. "A proper lab table and restraints," he says, more to himself than the other, standing up and moving in to examine him without touching him or leaning down. "What seems to be the problem, Uchiha-san?"

[smallstepstopower]

Orochimaru looked over from where he was fiddling with a tincture, and he blinked slowly. "...Well, that takes care of the indecision over the couch."

[itachi_san]

Itachi was really beginning to hate Kabuto - his tone, his mannerisms, everything he already knew about him from before they'd arrived in this village.

The answer to his question was more than obvious. And for the record, it burned just as bad on the way back up too.

[soveryhelpful]

Kabuto just sighs and moves back to the table to retrieve a pair of examination gloves, snapping them on and taking Uchiha by the chin so he wouldn't breathe in his own vomit and drown himself. "Carefully now, Uchiha-san. No one wants you to die in such an ignoble manner as this, do they?" Again, he focuses his Chakra, moving it lower to ease the muscle tension in his abdomen. "Orochimaru-sama, have you finished the mixture intended to relieve the strain on his body from your earlier treatment?"

[smallstepstopower]

He gave a small affirmative hum. "After the way he reacted I started on it immediately."

He peered at the mess a moment, then sighed, moving to collect the vial in question and adding a drop of something else to it, swirling it as it changed color before approaching and offering it to Kabuto, clearly intending to get no closer to the mess.

[itachi_san]

Falling face down on the couch was probably one of the better things he'd done that night... not resisting Kabuto, even when he desperately wanted to, was probably another.

He coughed, still gagging as he spit a mouthful of bile over Kabuto's hand.

[soveryhelpful]

Kabuto just wipes his dirty hand on the already-soiled couch and takes the mixture with his other hand to set it on the floor for the moment. Tightening his grip on the other's chin, he uses his other hand on his shoulder to turn him to sit upright and rest him back against the couch. "Hold still."

With that, he merely takes the vial and uses his hand to force the other's mouth open, giving him a moment to clear any further vomit before tilting his mouth back to force it down.

[smallstepstopower]

At that moment Kabuto had Orochimaru's complete captivated interest. Yes, running into this man at the festival had been one of the best things he'd done since arriving here.

[itachi_san]

Having medicine forced down your throat, especially when groggy with fever and nausea, was like drowning. Given that Itachi was quite familiar with the feeling of fluid in his lungs, he knew what drowning felt like.

It was no surprise that he choked on it.

[soveryhelpful]

Annoying. Kabuto tsks again and drops the empty vial, clapping his hand over the other's mouth and holding his nose so he couldn't breathe. His free hand he clapped over his throat, temporarily disabling his bronchial tubes. The desperate motions of the other's own throat should force him to swallow properly, and his earlier treatment of his abdomen should prevent further vomit for now.

[smallstepstopower]

Yes, it was decided. He was keeping Kabuto. Definitely keeping him, and he started soft happy humming as he turned to head back to the work station he'd been at before Itachi had woken. "Towels are just in the hall, usable ones on the middle shelf. The rest would just give him a coughing fit."

[itachi_san]

Yes, it forced him to swallow. But keeping him from breathing to do it?

Itachi's eyes shot open, his entire body awake with panic. His mangekyo activated on instinct alone as he struggled. His lungs felt like they were burning. Burning. Fire. Yes, fire. Black. Amaterasu. Anything... anything to get Kabuto off of him!

[soveryhelpful]

Sensing the buildup of Chakra, Kabuto could only react as quickly as possible, almost instinctively. Uchiha Itachi used eye techniques. He couldn't afford to have himself ensnared or killed by one, though he's certain Orochimaru-sama would be fine. Quick as thought, the hand on Itachi's throat shoots straight up, the back of his wrist impacting hard against his chin to direct his vision straight upward. The movement of his hands restores the other's ability to breathe, but that was hardly important. "Amaterasu!"

[smallstepstopower]

Orochimaru's attention jerked back up before he cursed, staring at the fire on the ceiling for a beat before hurrying to gather a collection of samples, as well as a sealing scroll which got all the notes he'd compiled since arriving shoved quickly into it. "I have no idea how hard that is to put out, but I have the sense a water technique wouldn't be sufficient...?"

[itachi_san]

Itachi barely comprehended he even unleashed a jutsu. He felt his head slam back, and then the hand that was holding him up was gone. He fell against the soiled couch, burying his face in his hands. Blood was streaming from his eye.

It was only then, when the sharp pain shot through his head, that he realized what just happened.

"Amaterasu... nothing... puts... it out..."

[soveryhelpful]

"Precisely." Another sound of annoyance, and he leaves Itachi be for now, moving back to gather the papers he'd made notes of and stuff them into his kunai pouch before taking the other by the shoulder to lead him out. "Orochimaru-sama, if you would be so kind as to create an earth barrier to stop it before it destroys the entire village."

[smallstepstopower]

"Of course." He retreated from the building before flying through seals and bringing up the requested wall.

"...And now I'll have to apologize to Naruto for nearly setting him on fire earlier. How annoying."

[itachi_san]

Itachi barely stumbled out under his own power, collapsing in a heap the moment Kabuto let go.

"Sorry..."

[soveryhelpful]

"You nearly set Naruto-kun on fire?" It's an interested observation, not one of concern, as he lets Itachi slump to the ground. "Fortunately, most people are at the festival, so gawkers can be easily avoided if we leave now. Do you have a secondary location?"

[smallstepstopower]

"Not yet." He sighed, clearly irked. "I tend to like to get one outfitted before making another."

He looked to Itachi, shaking his head before he looked to Kabuto. "And yes, Naruto burned some things of mine earlier today and I was rather... annoyed with him."