Categories > Anime/Manga > Naruto > Deal With the Devil

(Prelude) Broken Bones

by des_butterfly 0 reviews

[Kabuto/Sasuke] 'In Sound, reality is what you are powerful enough to get, and what prices you're willing to pay for it.'

Category: Naruto - Rating: R - Genres: Angst, Drama - Characters: Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Other - Warnings: [!!!] [R] [V] [X] [Y] - Published: 2006-09-26 - Updated: 2006-09-27 - 555 words

1Ambiance
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Sasuke doesn't like the way Kabuto looks at him.

Actually, Sasuke isn't too fond of anyone in Sound at the moment, including Orochimaru (he refuses to call him Orochimaru-/sama/), which is fine. Liking people complicates things, and Sasuke came to Sound to make things uncomplicated for the first time in his life.

But Kabuto looks at him. Like he's considering something. Like he's figured Sasuke out and only needs an opening to slide through his defenses.

"You miss them, don't you," Kabuto says as he sets Sasuke's broken arm and starts to mend the bone.

"Miss who?" Sasuke asks, gritting his teeth at the hot sear of another's chakra infiltrating his skin. Kabuto holds him still at the wrist, lightly, as if he knows Sasuke won't pull away.

"Naruto-kun and Sakura-san, of course," Kabuto continues. "And perhaps Kakashi-san as well."

Sasuke's eyes narrow dangerously. No one speaks those names in Sound. No one dares to. That the medic-nin can roll them from his tongue so casually seems almost a desecration.

"Why should I miss them?" Sasuke replies, hoping the coldness in his voice will give Kabuto the hint that this is a topic better left alone.

Kabuto smiles irritatingly and lets go of Sasuke's wrist in order to press against the boy's ribs, feeling for cracks and breakage. Orochimaru's lessons are informative, but painful. Sometimes Sasuke wonders if the sannin forgets that not everyone is living in borrowed bodies.

"No reason," the man says, cheerfully sliding a cold hand up Sasuke's chest inside the loose robe he has taken to wearing. Sasuke hisses and stiffens his shoulders. "But I do find myself curious..."

Sasuke frowns. Why can't the medic just do his job and be done with it? Why does he have to be so annoying and speak and look at Sasuke like that?

"Curious about what?" he snarls.

A finger glides down to circle Sasuke's navel and he pulls back abruptly, activating the sharingan. Kabuto doesn't appear to be threatened though. He smiles and cocks his head to the side.

"Who you miss the most."

With a growl, Sasuke twines a fist into the neck of Kabuto's shirt and forces him back a few steps. Kabuto's hands drop from Sasuke's chest, to his relief, and Sasuke gives the other man an abrupt shake. Kabuto's head snaps back and forth at the violence of the movement, but his smile doesn't waver.

"This conversation is over," Sasuke whispers, furiously.

Slowly, Kabuto reaches out a hand to gently cup Sasuke's chin, stroking fingers across the jawline.

"I haven't healed these bruises yet, Sasuke-kun," he says, his voice soft and deferential and all kinds of fake which make Sasuke want to scream in frustration.

"Leave them," Sasuke mutters, pushing Kabuto back until the other man collides painfully with the metal gurney behind him. Kabuto doesn't break eye contact, and Sasuke finds that he has to look away first.

He leaves Kabuto slumped against the gurney, still smiling that knowing smile, wiping Sasuke's blood off of his fingers with the same scrap of cloth he uses to clean his glasses. As he moves out into the hallway, Sasuke resolves not to come to the medic-nin for healing anymore, no matter how discomforting it is to set your own broken bones.

Anything not to see that damned smile again.

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Fin.
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