The Inferior of an Inferior
Chapter: 1
A Little Sympathy
Ok this is the third story I will be adding. I won't be uploading any more stories until I finish the three I am now working on. I love Kabuto and had to write a story about him. This is just some random idea I had one night. I'm not too sure how this one will unfold; I'll just come up with it as I go I guess. I hope it is good.
>>Disclaimer: EmptyCocaColaCan does not own Naruto.
It was late at night. A storm swirling, churning the air above Orochimaru's lair causing loud cracks of thunder to echo through the long, stone, cold halls. Lightning flashed on and off, lighting up the sky, then darkening it again. One could see nothing through the pouring rain. To Yakushi Kabuto, the thickness of the rain that shrouded the underground home of his master, excluded him and whoever else who happened to be in the lair from the rest of the world. Every home in Otogakure was shut up tight, every entity inhabiting this country was hid away from the heavy downpour. The drops of water were falling so hard and so fast, that it stung the skin if one was hit. It is only logical...it has been very humid here lately. the silver haired medic thought to himself sleepily. It was true, the moisture in the air had been so heavy that it felt like one was actually carrying the air on their bodies. Kabuto had had a bad encounter with the humid air, he had only went outside for a moment to get a breath of fresh air, only to be choked to the point of suffocation. He had ran swifly back into Orochimaru's compound.
Luckily, that world was trapped outside the safety of the snake lord's stone burrow. Kabuto, was content and aggravated at the same time. The medic was happy that he had a place to stay and be safe and dry from the heavy rains that happen frequently in this country; however, he was aggravated at the fact that the sound of the rain beating a rythm on the ground above him was slowly putting him to sleep, when he still had much that needed to be done before he could turn in for the night. He was sitting at his desk, his eyes pouring over a paper that had many numbers and letters scribbled on it with almost illegible writing. The chicken-scratch on the paper was Kabuto's own handwriting. The pen was only guided by a very groggy medic nin and the dim light of a candle that sat next to him. All of Kabuto's possessions cast eerie shadows on the stone walls around him. The shadows seemed to dance with the small light of the half melted candle. The paper that Kabuto had been viewing was like an inventory paper that the medic used to keep track of all his bandages and other medical supplies.
Kabuto has had to keep up with the amount of supplies in his storage quite often now. Ever since Orochimaru had gotten into the fight with the late Hokage of the Leaf Village, leaving his arms completely lifeless, burning with pain, and bleeding uncontrollably, the silver haired boy had to make sure every day how long that he could continue on wrapping his master's arms without running out of his medicines. Pain relievers, salves, and bandages were just some of the few things needed for the care of the snake. Whenever the blood from Orochimaru's arms would seep through the bandages in the middle of the night, Kabuto would find himself, half dressed, washing bed sheets and changing bandages while the snake lord slept in Kabuto's bed. Then the next morning Kabuto would have to clean his own sheets. The medic ninja shook his head at the thought of how much he sacrifices for his master.
As soon as Kabuto was finished with his last equation his head fell to the wooden desk, too tired to keep his eyes open. A lot of thoughts were still floating through his head, but there was one in mind that seemed to be screaming out for his attention. Ever since that Uchiha kid had arrived and fell into training under Orochimaru, Kabuto had started to feel a little neglected and second best. He had done everything within his power to please his snakey master, but, no matter what, he couldn't shake the feeling that he just wasn't needed. Of course Orochimaru-sama needs me. I would like to see Sasuke-kun answer to Orochimaru's every whim like I do. On top of that, he would have to tend to Orochimaru's nearly decayed arms. When the realization ran through his head, Kabuto smirked. The silver haired ninja was an expert in the medical feild; there was one way he beat that Uchiha brat for his master's appreciation. All Orochimaru wants from that kid is his eyes anyway...it would be a simple surgery. But if he wants to do it the hard way, that is his loss. Guess he doesn't trust me.. a devious look swept across Kabuto's tired face.
It wasn't long until footsteps were heard echoing down the halls. The sound was growing in frequency the closer it got to Kabuto's door. Why in the world someone would need the medic's assistance this late was beyond Kabuto's comprehension at the time. His head slowly rose as the hinges of his wooden door creaked, signaling that someone was entreing his room. There was a red dot on the medic's forehead where it had made contact with his desk. It would soon fade, right now, Kabuto's concern was for the man who just stepped into his room. The man brought with him the cold of the outside world. No one had knocked before entering so it could only be one person: the snake lord himself, Orochimaru. Everyone else who lived here had learned to knock before disturbing Kabuto when he was shut away in his room, one way or another, they had learned, even if it involved some bloodshed. Kabuto demanded his privacy.
"Kabuto..." Orochimaru's voice slithered across the room and into the medic's ears, sending chills down his spine. It wasn't long until Kabuto noticed the reason for his master's late night visit. Blood was leaking through the wraps on his master's arms.
"Ahh, I didn't think you were going to the bathroom," Kabuto said jokingly standing and stretching his muscles.
Orochimaru's scowl soon turned to a large grin. He had always allowed Kabuto more leeway than any of his other subordinates, none of the other's had ever gotten away with joking with him like that. "Yes, well, as you can see, a trip to the bathroom wouldn't help me at the moment." Orochimaru chuckled back.
Kabuto grinned as he pulled his chair out from under his desk and placed it in the middle of his floor. Kabuto gestured to the old chair as he walked over to his cabinets to get out the supplies needed. As the snake lord made his way to the chair, more crimson liquid ran down his hand and dripped to the stone floors. Yet another mess Kabuto would have to clean. The medic pulled out some gauzes, a tube of salve, and fresh bandages for Orochimaru's arms. The snake lord watched Kabuto prepare for the medical treatment, amused at the way he just throws himself around his room. Kabuto was walking quite sluggishly, but that was due to lack of sleep. The snake's yellow eyes soon travled to all the papers laying about Kabuto's room.
Orochimaru, then gave the silver haired boy a thought, all the things that Kabuto has ever done for him, and all the things that Kabuto is doing for him. Although, the pale skinned man never showed any compassion towards any of his inferiors, Kabuto seemed to need help. Orochimaru would allow him some, not only for the fact that the Yakushi boy was his favorite amongst his minions, but the fact that the snake had watched the medic nin countless times collapsed from exhaustion, on his bed, or anyplace that Kabuto could find to lay down and fall asleep the instant his body made contact with something. Once Orochimaru had found Kabuto asleep in the cold halls of his stone lair, of course, Orochimaru had called in some of his random minions to take Kabuto to his room, he had shown him some concern. He needed Kabuto, although he'd never admitt it to the boy.
Kabuto strode over to his master, carrying his supplies and setting them down on his desk. The snake lord pulled his right arm out of his robe, with some help of his assistant, and slowly extended it outwards. Kabuto, being tired, had forgotten to put on gloves, and it wasn't long until the clean skin of the medics hands were stained with blood as he delicately unwrapped his master's arms. Orochiamru was surprised at how gentle Kabuto could be. He let the tattered bandages fall to the floor as he reach over for a couple of gauzes. The gauze would work nicely as a sponge to soak up all the excess blood on the burnt arms. As soon as all the blood was cleaned away, Kabuto applied the salve, in an even layer over the decaying flesh before wrapping up his master's arms in fresh bandages, careful not to cause him any pain. With a light touch Kabuto placed the snake lord's right arm back in his robe. Stepping to the side to repeat this process on his left arm, Kabuto quickly disposed of the old wraps on the floor. He did all his work swiftly and diligently by the light of his nearly dead candle on his desk.
Orochimaru watched Kabuto's face in interest as he worked on his left arm. The medic's eyes would droop and occasionally he'd shake his head to keep himself awake. We will have to get this boy some help...the snake thought, a thin smile forming on his lips. Kabuto finished quickly, wrapping the bandages perfectly, not too loose, not too tight. The Yakushi boy place Orochimaru's arm back in his robe before scurrying around his room and cleaning the mess. Kabuto left Orochimaru to go to his bathroom and wash up. The dark headed man stood from the wooden chair and made his way across the room to Kabuto's door, satisfied with the job done on his arms. He stood in the shadows by the medic's door, watching Kabuto with interest as he came out of the bathroom and blew out the candle on his desk.
Now the whole room was one big shadow except for Orochimaru's glowing yellow eyes. The slit in Orochimaru's eye widened, allowing for more passage of light, so the snake could see around the room easily. The sound of a creaking mattress could be heard as Orochimaru closed Kabuto's bedroom door, telling him that his servant had, yet again, collapsed on his bed, falling quickly into his world of dreams. Orochimaru smiled all the way back to his bedroom. There is no doubt about it, that boy needs some assistance...