The Sound of Dreams

A/N: Here we are again! I am posting a note at the bottom that will explain a few of what have been called "my conspiracy theories." Enjoy and thanks for reading/reviewing!! I get a real kick out of reading what you guys have posted!

Chapter 6


Kabuto adjusted his glasses on his nose as he continued to examine the clipboard in front of him. Orochimaru sat bare-chested up on an examination table, body schooled to stillness as he patiently waited. Sasuke leaned against the stone wall nearby with an expression of bored indifference.

They had made good time to one of their smaller bases in some no-name country northeast of Fire Country. While there was a decent sized gambling town nearby, the hideout contained only the barest essentials. It was a good information post that could house twenty people and had its own underground training area. Anything bigger would attract unnecessary attention. Orochimaru preferred to do his more morally questionable research and experimentation further away from public scrutiny.

Sasuke stared at the familiar whiskered face, trying to keep his own schooled to show no emotion. It was just one more example why he should have severed the bond when he had had the chance. If Itachi thought he had lacked hate before, the emotion he currently felt towards his sensei was making up for it. He fought his emotions, knowing that they were serving him no purpose at the moment. They were too hot, too new, caused his guts to churn in a way that brought acid up into his throat. He would find a way to avenge his friend. He would find a way to kill the snake for taking away the one good thing in his life. For taking away the one constant that he had always, but never admitted to counting on. Something that would be left after he had killed his brother that would make life worth continuing. The snake would die for this. It was time to put it away for now though, to let it fester and grow, to let it make him stronger. He still needed the power the snake could give him.

"Well the potential is there, but the growth has been retarded," Kabuto finally announced.

"Tch, look who we are talking about," Sasuke sneered.

The other two ignored his comment.

"Why?" Orochimaru asked.

"Borderline malnutrition, borderline starvation and sluggish chakra flow." Kabuto looked up at the raised blonde eyebrow and elaborated. "His eating habits have apparently been atrocious. He has low levels of every major vitamin and mineral. I hate to see what his diet was like."

"Ramen," Sasuke said succinctly. The two glanced his way. "That was pretty much his diet. Along with the occasional glass of spoiled milk."

Kabuto shook his head in professional disapproval. "He has a very high metabolism, he burns calories very fast. It seems as if the seal draws energy from his body to help maintain the prison. He should be eating about half again to twice as much as a normal shinobi."

"That's why I have been having constant hunger pangs," the Sannin said thoughtfully. "I thought this body was just used to eating too much. I have been eating a few food pills each day to get by."

"Well, that needs to stop today. He builds up muscle fast due to his training, but his body has been eating itself off and on for quite awhile. Hence the borderline starvation. The last reason why his development has been slowed is because of his chakra channels. In layman's terms, his arteries are clogged much like an older person's gets when they eat the wrong kinds of foods. Only in this case, it is the wrong kinds of chakra." Kabuto set the clipboard down and looked over at his master.

"Having two different chakra's constantly switch back and forth isn't good for you. As you know the channels wrap around all the major organs. The Kyuubi chakra leaves a residue, making the body's own move a bit more sluggishly. This has also inhibited his growth." Kabuto shook his head again disparagingly. "I can't believe that they didn't spot this in Konoha."

"He raised himself. No one would have known to look or given a damn." Sasuke didn't know why he felt a need to defend his friend (ex-friend), but he was the only one allowed to insult him. These two knew nothing about him.

Orochimaru blinked a look at Sasuke then turned his attention back to Kabuto. "So what do you recommend? I want this body in perfect working order."

"I can stimulate the growth glands to produce more hormones than they currently are. The rest will be up to you. Balanced diet with five meals a day to start with until his weight and muscle mass are where they should be. Then we can cut back to three good-sized meals a day. And training. Lots of exercise and training."

"And the chakra issue?"

"Well you can approach it one of two ways. Meditation to clear up the channels, which you will need to do anyway to keep them clean, but it will take a while. Or..."

"Or?" Orochimaru asked with a touch of impatience.

"Or the equivalent of a chakra colonic. A purging," Kabuto said with a straight face.

Sasuke didn't bother to swallow the snort at that bit of news. Leave it to Naruto to have chakra constipation. Again, he was ignored.

"And how to you propose I... purge?" He said the word a little distastefully.

"Well, no demonic chakra use unless you have to until the channels are cleaned out. In the meantime, jutsus with high chakra requirements as much as you can before exhausting yourself. And of course, I will help as much as I can with my medical jutsus."

"Is this going to interfere with my training?" Sasuke demanded to know. He knew he sounded selfish, but it wouldn't be the first time the snake abandoned one project to pursue another. It made him furious to think he had been relegated to the status of a "project" for the Sannin, that his goals were no longer a priority to anyone but himself. But he had the trump card yet. He knew that Orochimaru really wanted the Sharingan above all else. The snake wouldn't totally abandon him and he would use that to his advantage.

"You should feel honored that Orochimaru-sama is even training you," Kabuto growled. At the apathetic look he received in response, he continued flatly. "No. Training you will be beneficial to both of you."

"Let's begin," the blonde instructed with determination in his yellow eyes.

************************
Orochimaru stood, staring into the mirror. He hadn't moved for several minutes nor spoken. Kabuto glanced around the bedchambers, not wanting his master to see the amusement in his eyes.

As with most of the lairs built by the Sannin, this one was underground. The walls, floors and ceiling were all bare grey stone. A few rugs were scattered around to provide some warmth. The fireplace, currently unlit, was there to fight off the chill in the evenings and cooler months. The bed wasn't a lush, elaborate affair as one would think. Rather it was large enough for two and covered in a black cotton comforter and sheets. Wrought iron head and foot rails were beaten into snake-like shapes in amongst vines. A couple of lacquered armoires, a desk and chair, a few book shelves holding both books and scrolls and the floor length mirror in which Orochimaru currently stared completed the furnishings for the room.

A defeated sigh brought his attention back to the Sannin. His lips couldn't help but quirk slightly. His master had tried to get out of the obnoxious orange jogging pants and back into his more traditional attire. The long black sleeves of his undershirt hung down past his wrists to the middle of his fingers. His white sleeveless smock-like robe, which normally stopped mid-shin, currently dragged the ground by several centimeters. His light colored pants were bunched around his ankles and the purple obi was tied in a big floppy bow behind him. He looked utterly adorable and chibi-like, especially with that dismayed look in his large eyes. Kabuto restrained himself from grabbing the nearest camera.

Another sigh, deep and heartfelt, sounded before he started peeling the clothes off once more. His lip curled slightly at the green frog boxers with the words "Hip-hoppin'" stenciled across the ass. He grabbed the orange pants and jerked them back on with vicious tugs. He pulled the fishnet shirt on over his head and picked up the discarded clothes. He moved over and tossed them on the bed then grabbed the backpack that Kabuto had apparently found in the woods.

"I want you to have someone go to town first thing tomorrow and buy me some dark colored pants," he ordered.

"Of course, Orochimaru-sama."

Opening the backpack up, he started sorting through the contents. Medical kit, instant ramen pack, small pan apparently for heating water for said ramen pack, ration bar, ramen pack...

"I think it is ironic, don't you, Kabuto?" the Sannin asked casually as he examined the items. "Things have come a full circle in an odd way. I release the Kyuubi to attack Konoha, in essence using its powers for my own ends. Minato," he drawled the name out distastefully, "saves it by sealing the Kyuubi away in a baby boy. Then years later, I get the boy's body as a vessel, once again putting the Kyuubi's powers at my disposal. I couldn't have planned it better if I had tried."

"Pure providence," his subordinate allowed. "But there is still the Akatsuki..." he stopped at the sharp warning growl from the other man.

"We have been dealing with them for many years and we will continue to do so. Once I figure the key to accessing the demons powers, they will be an annoyance and little else." He pulled a few more items from the bag.

...traveling sewing kit, whetstone, ramen pack, water canteen, light blanket, ramen pack, an old copy of Icha Icha Paradise...

"Kabuto, could you grab a brush from the bathroom, please?" he asked suddenly.

"Of course, Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto slipped through a second doorway in the room and quickly came back with the requested grooming item. He spied a hint of an orange book cover from underneath the discarded clothes on the bed.

...a pouch that once opened revealed a few colored rocks and bird feathers, a busted open ramen pack, a green frog wallet filled with money...

Orochimaru frowned and looked at Kabuto in confusion. Kabuto shrugged in reply. "Get rid of it." A tanned hand waved vaguely at the rubbish. The Sannin carefully scooped his clothes up (the book was no longer visible) and carefully set them in an armoire. "I'll take care of those later," the Sannin said casually.

Kabuto bit his bottom lip, pushed his glasses more firmly on his nose and nodded seriously. "Of course, Orochimaru-sama."

"I think I am going to go torture... er train Sasuke-kun now."

"You'll need to eat soon," Kabuto reminded him.

A noise of acknowledgement was his only reply as his master left the room.

Kabuto couldn't help himself, he started chuckling in amusement.

************************
The next few months were a trial for Sasuke. It seemed whatever Kabuto had done to prod Naruto's ('Orochimaru's,' he reminded himself coldly) growth seemed to also cause an increase in testosterone in the blonde's body. Kabuto had explained that it was in essence almost doubling the hormones that were already occurring with puberty. Whatever the excuse the medic-nin came up with, it still cause a marked increase in aggression. An aggression that the Sannin seemed to take out exclusively on Sasuke during training sessions.

The snake at first had made sure that he didn't completely use up his chakra until the end of the day, so he had held back during training. However, once he found himself up until ungodly hours trying to deplete his seemingly endless chakra supply, he decided to use it with little reservation, especially during Sasuke's training. Sasuke was caught between using enough skills to keep himself alive and not using his more lethal attacks so as not to provoke his sensei. He had learned that last lesson real well when Orochimaru's unbalanced hormones made the bastard think that Sasuke was trying to kill him. While Orochimaru was completely healed the next day thanks to the Kyuubi, Sasuke had been laid up in Kabuto's medical clinic for almost a week.

It was during one of his many stays in the med lab that he learned an interesting bit of knowledge.

Orochimaru was setting up on a table, kicking his feet back and forth in impatience as Kabuto ran his glowing green chakra-laden hands over him. Kabuto's eyes glanced fleetingly at the sword strapped to the blonde's back and then over to the apparently sleeping Sasuke. Sasuke continued to play opossum, his eyes watching through mere slits.

"Still not able to store your sword properly?" he asked lightly. Everyone had learned to watch how they phrased things to the hormonal snake.

Orochimaru scowled darkly. "No," he growled. "None of the jutsus that I use to modify the body for my physical abilities seem to work. I can't swallow my sword, I don't have my tongue, I can't detach from the body in snake form with my head... I can't fucking do any of those things."

"I haven't found any medical reason why you shouldn't be able-"

"It's him," he hissed. "I can feel him prowling around in my mind!"

"Kyuubi?"

"No!" came the snapped reply. "The other one." He frowned slightly. "Sometimes I can almost hear him talking. Sometimes I can almost hear both of them talking."

At this point Sasuke would have normally drawn attention to the fact that hearing voices wasn't the sign of a sane mind, but he was already in a hospital bed. No reason to prolong his stay. Besides, analyzing what his sensei had just said made him realize that maybe, just maybe, the dobe wasn't totally gone. It also sounded like he was causing trouble as usual. Trying to keep his heart from beating right out of his chest, Sasuke suppressed his smirk and closed his eyes and eventually drifted into a peaceful sleep.

***********************
Sasuke's back was leaned comfortably against the trunk of the tree. The bark lightly scratched his back through his open white gi top. There was a soothing warm weight on his lap and he looked down, not surprised to see a blonde head of hair. He smiled a small smile and gently ran his fingers through that mop of silk as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do. Pink lips curled up into a smile and nose gently nuzzled the skin of his stomach.

They stayed like that for what seemed like a long time, neither talking, just enjoying the other's company. Sasuke finally worked up the courage to say quietly, "I've missed you."

"Hmmm, have you?" He could hear the trickle of a purr in the voice.

"Yes."

Cerulean eyes opened to look into his dark orbs earnestly. "But I've always been right here."

Sasuke blinked. "What do you mean?"

Naruto grinned at him and sat up. He placed a hand on the ground on the other side of Sasuke's hip so he could lean over the raven-haired young man. A warm tan hand was placed on a cool pale chest where his heart was beating. "Right here. You just had to look."

Sasuke watched as the other leaned closer, the sunlight making the blonde hair glow like spun gold. Warm lips pressed against his own softly. Those lips then proceeded to kiss and nibble almost playfully, drawing his own lips into another smile.

"If you ever want me, I'll be here," the slightly rough voice promised.

*************************
Sasuke couldn't help but remember the dream as he sparred against the same body. He knew it wasn't Naruto before him. He knew it was his sensei that he was fighting. But he also now knew that Naruto was in there somewhere.

The regimen that Kabuto had prescribed so many months ago seemed to be working. They were of the same height now and the tanned body had gained in muscle mass and strength. While Orochimaru wasn't a big taijutsu fighter, he utilized what the body already seemed to know. Moves that had been done so many times that they were internalized and executed without conscious thought. Sasuke had to admit that sometimes their sparring was eerily familiar.

His wandering mind caused him to misstep. The next thing he knew, they were both on the ground in a tangle of limbs with him on the bottom. A pair of vivid blue eyes was suddenly burning down at him.

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke froze, too stunned to react.

The blonde suddenly jumped up, closed his eyes and shook his head much like a dog shaking off water. When they opened again, they were their usual yellow, albeit very confused looking.

Sasuke forced himself to stand up as if nothing untoward had happened. He regained his stance and waited.

Orochimaru blinked at him a few times before pulling himself together. "I think we are done for today, Sasuke-kun."

"Che," Sasuke made the expected reply before walking off.

tbc...

AN: In the anime, right after the chuunin examins, Kabuto makes the statement about Orochimaru having killed three Kage's. It is obvious that he killed the Sandaime and killed the Kazekage but it never says who the third one was. I just assumed it was Yondaime since he had such a grudge against him for being made Hokage when Orochimaru had wanted the position. See you next chapter!


TBC