A Hellbound Soul

Chapter Two
Reunions and Assignments

Disclaimer: Naruto or related characters are not mine.
Authors Note: Sorry for the dely on this chapter. I was trying to figure out whether I wanted this to be in Sasukes POV or not. And how exactly I was going to DO it.
Here is what I have decided on.
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The rain poured down in buckets into the city streets. Completely drenched the beaten Sasuke who lay motionless where he had been tossed in a heap on the ground. He let out a soft groan, rolling over onto his back, only to chock on the rain as it fell into his open mouth. Sasuke coughed weakly and rolled over, blood and rain slid down his face in small rivers as he finally regained conciousness.

He looked around blurrily, all he could see was the rain, and the constant noise of it as it hit all the various surfaces about him. His top hat had been lost in the fight, completely ruined. And his nice pinstripe suit would surely be ruined from all the rain. As it was, it was so heavy it kept his weak body pinned to the ground. He cursed himself for wearing so many layers of clothing.

"Sasuke?" A soft and oddly familiar voice reached his ears. The raven haired boy twitched and looked up blearily to see who called him. He was greeted by two bright, concerned eyes of a girl he had not seen in over a year. It was Sakura. She had a newspaper resting on her head to keep it dry and had obviously just gotten back from the salon judging by the perfect, freshly cut angles of her shoulder length hair.

Sasuke groaned and dropped his head to the ground, no longer feeling any will to hold it up any longer. "Long time," he croaked, somewhat indignitly.

"My God... What happened to you?" She asked, the rain was starting to slow down, and she could finally see how rough Sasuke really was.

"Long story," Sasuke answered. He seemed unwilling to speak to much, it hurt. He wondered if he had any broken ribs or the like. Sasuke looked up from her crouched down position over Sasuke. Obviously looking for help, but the streets were empty. Sasuke watched her feet as she rose off her hunches.

"Naruto! Naruto's coming! He must have noticed it was raining and come to get me... Hold on Sasuke kun... Naruto will help," Sasuke said as she began to hop up and down, waving Naruto over like one might wave down a plane. She was flailing the news paper about and had succeeded in getting completely soaked, even after her efforts to stay dry.

Sasuke lifted his head reluctantly to look up at the car that had pulled up on the curve. He was greeted by a blonde haired teenager of his own age peering out the window with a concerned look in his eyes, but a smirk on his lips. "Hey, Sasuke!" He sounded enthusiastic, but he could see the injuries. His eyes gave him away. Naruto and Sasuke had always had a running bet that Naruto would be the first one to be found beaten to a pulp on the side walk one day. Sasuke had just lost that bet. Naruto was torn between amusement and worry for his friend.

"Shut up, Naruto!" Sasuke snapped, he groaned immediatly afterwards, his ribs throbbed painfully. The raven haired Uchiha sunk back to the ground in pain.

"Stop it you two! Can't you even get along for just one second!? Naruto, help me get him into the car. We're taking him home. He needs help," Sakura scolded them both in patronizing tones. It was still raining, but at least it was not so bad.

"But! Sakura chan! He's gonna get my car all wet!" Naruto whimpered as he watched for a moment, Sakura began helping Sasuke up. Who was little help to her as he seemed to be in to much pain to care to move. Sakura grunted under his weight and gave Naruto a glare that could kill. Seemed not to much had changed between the two since Sasuke had last seen them.

Naruto slipped out of the car immediatly following the 'glare-of-doom' and helped Sasuke into the back seat. Sakura helped sit him up and buckle him in before crawling into the front seat with Naruto, who was complaing loudly about getting his seats all soaking wet. Sasuke was not paying attention. He simpley slumped against the window, eyes half closed as Naruto began the drive to his and Sakura's apartment.

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Orochimaru lounged back in a black leather couch, all the lighting about him was dim. A huge python was curled about him, and several smaller breeds of snakes littered the floor or clung to his ankles and wrists like jewelery. His glowing yellow eyes had settled on Kabuto when he had entered the room. Kabuto was trying to shuffle quietly past Orochimaru without being noticed. His head was down and he wore no glasses.

"Kabuto?" It was unusual that Kabuto did not give Orochimaru a jump greeting from the shadows. And even more unusual to be able to so easily find him when he did not want to be found. A frown creased the snake mans face.

"Yes, Orochimaru sama?" Kabuto asked, his voice reluctant as he shuffled into the shadows, out of Orochimaru's sight.

"Where have you been? The others returned hours ago. I had something for you to do," Orochimaru hissed, the python wrapped about him looked lazily up at the platinum haired boy who was hardly visible in the shadows around him.

"I was in the hospital Orochimaru sama... And the eye glasses... " Kabuto replied to him reluctantly. A sneer curled the snake mans lips as Kabuto finally looked up. His face was bruised, the nose obviously had been broken and reset at the hospital and glass had been picked out of his face.

"How could you let that happen? I thought you were better then that, Kabuto kun."

Kabuto winced, tried to shuffle farther away but bumped into the wall. "I was not paying attention. Gomen nasai. It will not happen again," Kabuto assured Orochimaru. "And what of my task?"

"You expect me to give it to you know? In that condition you can't even wearyour glasses. You can't see a daned thing," Orochimaru sighed heavily. Looked like he was out of a lover for a little while. Kabuto looked aggitated, not with Orochimaru but with himself. How could he have been so careless?

"Fetch Itachi. He can do it instead," Orochimaru said decisively. Kabuto was still his number one minion. And probably the only one who listened to every word he said without general arguement. Though even Kabuto had turned his back on the snake man occasionally, or disobeyed orders where he deemed fit. It was to be expected in this world to which Orochimaru lived. No one could trust anyone.

"Yes, Orochimaru sama," Kabuto replied. He had been hoping to get to his room and hide for a little while at least. He was in no mood to display his broken face to the other members of Akatsuki. Especially because everyone knew where he had gone, everyone knew it was the younger Uchiha that had gotten him. Kabuto shuffled off down the halls. He held his glasses infront of his face so he could see, his nose to tender to wear them.

Kabuto mentally cursed Sasuke, and vowed that he would have his revenge on the Uchiha. If it had not been bad enough watching that gleam of desire in Orochimaru's eyes when he hung off of Sasuke. Now this broken face had given him the snake mans displeasure. Sasuke would surely pay.

"Itachi! Orochimaru sama wants you!" Kabuto called when he arrived in the sitting room. The base was comprised of an entire apartment building. Orochimaru had skillfully designed it to look completely normal. Guests even slept there on occasion, Orochimaru had skillfully decided to rent the place out; or at least those rooms not inhabited by his precious Akatsuki. Those who braved the dark windows and gothic design of the special building. Most knew it was an Akatsuki hide out. One of many. But no one seemed able to prove it, just as no one could prove any of the members were indeed members.

The main room off the doors was set up like a bar, always dimly lit and smelling so strongely of incense that it hurt the nose and lungs. Each of the members of Akatsuki had been assigned a working partner, and they shared an apartment with that person. It was all so perfectly designed. Most of the time, many of the members could be found sitting around the service counter or at the many tables.

Itachi was one of them. He made frequent visists down to the main room to make sure his reputation had not thinned. It was the only thing keeping all these people from stabbing him in the back and trying to gain his status in the gang. The crimson eyed Uchiha looked up from his table at Kabuto. He seemed to register the words a moment, making sure he heard right. He turned back to those he was sitting with an exhanged a few words before sauntering over to the impatient looking platinum haired favourite.

"A new assignment," Kabuto explained, then beckoned Itachi to follow him. Though Kabuto knew leading the man there was really pointless. Itachi knew the building like the back of his hand. Probably better actually. But he followed him wordlessly.

When they arrived, he announced Itachi and then promptly slunk off to his own quarters. Which were in a room just off Orochimaru's. They shared apartments, but Kabuto's room had been designed like it's own one man apartment. Complete with a bathroom, a tiny kitchen and a bed room. All the neccessities.

Orochimaru waited until Kabuto had disappeared from the room before turning to Itachi, who did not even ask what the assignement was. He simpley gave Orochimaru an aggitated look that stated he was not impressed with being inturrupted from whatever he had been doing. "Don't worry Itachi kun. This will be well worth your time," Orochimaru purred to the Uchiha.
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Yes, I deem it should end right HERE. Because though I KNOW what Orochimaru sama has in mind, you do not. So I shalt torment you with the many possibilities and leave it hanging. Happy guessing!
I liked this one slightly more then I did the first chapter. We are getting into some story and some rivalries now! Naruto and Sakura have entered the picture and I really hope I am getting Akatsuki across the way I wanted it. Please, reveiw and let me know what you think.