This is fic in progress starting from the time when Kabuto first met and began his training as the servant of Orochimaru. And, for those who don't recognize the characters, they are from the series: Naruto.
A Serpent in Eden
Entry 1: The Meeting
Kabuto sighed softly as he locked the door to his home, slipping the keys into his pocket and then leaping up across several rooftops until he could reach one of the electrical lines that ran throughout the city and started to walk along it. The sound of the villagers just beginning to wake echoed in his ears and he sighed softly.
"I should pay my father a visit.. I'd rather not though. At least not until I finish the current medical book I borrowed, then I can get another next time I have to see him." the silvery haired teenager mumbled as he walked. His gait was steady as he walked along the high tension lines, his black eyes unfocused as he lost himself to the depths of his thought.
"I left right after I graduated, made them promise I could be alone once I got through the academy. They still hassle me all the time though even though I've got my own apartment and I'm managing fine as a Genin. Why can't father just leave me to my medical studies and nin-training alone, there are things more important than socialization after all." Kabuto thought to himself and closed his eyes, allowing his sense of balance and perception of distance based on sound to keep him walking even with his eyes closed. He had walked this path at least a thousand times now, making his way out of the village via the network of wires so that he could go off to his own private training area. He opened his eyes once more as he hopped over a telephone pole and walked the wire that crossed over the village's walls out across the forests beyond, beginning to run now that he was away from the village.
Far away from the walls of the village he finally leapt down from the wire, finding himself in a small meadow clearing among the forest. A place he'd decided to be his own for training and meditation when he'd found it several years beforehand. Yawning and stretching slightly he started to pace the clearing, nearing one of the treelines he paused and listened intently. A hissing sound pervaded the air and he lowered his eyes to his feet where he stood almost upon a viper that was coiled, ready to strike at his legs.
"A snake?" he murmured, watching the snake watch him angrily as he stood perfectly still. Smiling slightly, with speed that was faster than the snake could strike he leaned down and picked it up just behind it's head to keep it from biting him and then held it up at eye level, cradling it's cold body in his free hand.
"You should not be here, if you come closer to Konoha the villagers will kill you because they fear you. You need to go the other way." Kabuto spoke to the snake thoughtfully, his fingers stroking along its scales. The snake gave an impertinent hiss and tried to writhe impatiently out of his grip, it's lidless eyes staring at him.
"Biting me would do you no good either, your venom can't damage someone like me. Now, I'm going to put you down and you need to go." Kabuto continued to speak and then leaned down, placing the snake several feet from where he stood, facing it away from Konoha and then leaping back as he let it go. From a distance he watched the snake begin to slither away with a satisfied smile upon his lips.
"And you have no fear of that snake, even though you are also one of the citizens of Konoha?" a voice echoed from the opposite treeline and Kabuto whirled on his heel, immediately drawing a kunai and taking up a defensive stance as his eyes scanned the trees until they rested on the figure of a seated male resting on one of the large branches.
"Who are you!?" Kabuto demanded, examining the seated male intently. The body of the male was lithe and tapered, his skin pale as marble, but the teenage ninja felt a faint chill run down his spine as he met the serpentine eyes that stared out of the face framed with raven hair.
"No one you need fear any more than that snake.. You didn't answer my question, Yakushi Kabuto." the black haired male answered calmly, smiling at Kabuto who continued to watch him warily.
"I wouldn't underestimate you just because you say that.. As for your question I do not fear that snake, I'm not like the rest of them. Why do you want to know? Was that snake yours or something? You didn't answer my question either, now... And how do you know my name?" Kabuto answered, holding his ground as he conversed with the stranger.
"You're even smarter than you look too... You fascinate me. I was simply curious, though that snake is not one of mine. You I remeber from when they brought you in.. Your father never told you how he ended up adopting you did he? My name is Orochimaru... I have more questions. How are you different than those of Konoha, what makes the difference between you and them and why you would not kill that snake?" the raven haired one asked, still smiling. Kabuto blinked at the further questioning, easing his stance a slight bit and letting his hands rest at his sides.
"Because, they are blind. They see only a ferocious monster that exists only to kill. I, on the other hand, see a beautiful creature. A snake is a representation of everything I believe in. As a medic, the idea of immortality is one that while out of the grasp of all medics is the one true ideal. A snake sheds it's skin and lives on, that act itself is a metaphor for immortality making snakes wonderful and idealistic creatures. Also snakes are perfectly born, ready at birth to live in the world around them rather than being born helplessly like humans are. That is why I would never fear a snake." Kabuto said at length, as though he'd thought over the subject many times in the past, and then added, "How did my father adopt me? Are you saying you know?" Orochimaru's eyes widened slightly and a delighted laugh escaped his lips as he stared at the teenager, a look of excitement creeping into his features.
"I do know, but lets not discuss that yet. Ahh... You have the same dream as me then, you see the world through the same kind of eyes. You see beyond reality past the facade of danger down to the true perfection in that lifeform. What do you live for, what is your personal dream for your future as a ninja?" Orochimaru asked, his fingers gripping the limb beneath him intently.
"It sounds impossible, but I believe in my dream... My dream for a future is to become a great ninja who knows many techniques. I dream that I know everything there is about medicine and can discover the secret to immortality, no matter the cost or sacrifices. And I want someone to protect with my life, someone I can serve and care for. After all, a medical ninja cannot do anything without someone to tend to. To a stranger like you though I am sure this all sounds like nothing more than the ramblings of a foolish Genin child, so I won't continue to take up your time." Kabuto answered, watching Orochimaru impatiently as if expecting the other man to leave now. Rather than moving though, Orochimaru continued to stare at him with his burning golden eyes.
"Kid.. If I said I could make your dream come true. I could give you all of that.. That I could give you power. Would you want it?" Orochimaru's voice trailed off to a hissing whisper as he spoke quietly.
"If you said you could, I would declare you a lying mad man. However were it actually true I would accept without a second thought." Kabuto answered and slipped his kunai away, obviously deciding from the man's statements that the stranger was a lunatic. Orochimaru smirked and leapt down from the tree landing smoothly and then, faster that Kabuto's eyes could follow, he moved behind the teenage Genin and wrapped his tongue about the boy's throat crushingly while grasping his wrists in one hand. At the sudden movement Kabuto's eyes widened and he stiffened, gasping for breath and shivering at the feel of the slick tongue around his neck like a wet noose.
"Wh-what the hell.. Let me go.." he whispered, dark eyes rolling as he struggled to get out of the hold Orochimaru had on him. With his free hand Orochimaru reached for Kabuto's kunai holster and drew one out, placing the point of the knife against the inside of Kabuto's right arm.
"You said you are a medical ninja.. So you know what will happen if I slice cleanly through the artery here. Lets see just how good of a medic you are." Orochimaru purred and then slashed quickly with the kunai, severing muscle and artery. Kabuto gave a muffled scream and felt the blood running hotly down his arm, struggling more frantically to get out of the other ninja's grip. Laughing softly, Orochimaru realeased him and watched as Kabuto collapsed to the ground, grasping his arm.
"What the hell are you playing at? A flesh wound like this.. Could never kill me..." Kabuto panted and then held up his arm as he smirked, the wound beginning to seal itself up until there wasn't even a scar and the bleeding had stopped, without using a single hand seal or technique.
"What did you just do? Was that a medical jutsu?" Orochimaru hissed and knelt beside Kabuto who glared at the raven haired man a bit fearfully.
"I can use my chakra to activate my cells and regenerate my body... I have since I was little.. What of it?" Kabuto growled, rubbing at his now healed arm.
"Chakra to activate your cells...? Oh you fascinate me even more.. By now after that attack you should have a little inclination of my power. Of course that was just playing with you, at this age you're nothing more than prey to one of the legendary Sannin like me. You have potential though, great potential. I have been trying to unravel the secret of immortality though, and if you would like to become my follower then I could teach you and train you personally. If you work hard one day you might be my right hand man, and if you grew strong enough you too might be able to taste the sweet nectar of immortality... And you could protect and serve me, as your master.." Orochimaru whispered, leaning face to face with Kabuto who's dark eyes widened at the words and he parted his lips in shock.
"S-sannin? No wonder... But you would take me as your follower, and train me?" Kabuto's voice softened as he considered the possibilities of the offer, knowing that this man seemed dangerous yet as he said, any sacrifice was worth the secret of immortality.
"Yes... You would be the closest to me if you tried really hard.." Orochimaru leaned forward more until his icy lips brushed Kabuto's ear as he spoke, causing the teenager to shiver. Kabuto swallowed hard, caught in indecision for a moment before he resolved his thoughts and replied.
"I will accept your most generous offer... Orochimaru-sama. I will be most loyal to you than any other would be, and my life is yours." Kabuto pledged.
"A wise choice, since if you didn't accept I would've had to kill you and cut up your beautiful body to find out just how you regenerate like you do. But since you so willingly comply I won't have to murder you. You must tell no one about me ever. You will be continuing to stay in Konoha as a Genin unless I say otherwise and when you come here you will train with me. I will make you strong... I want to give you a gift of even greater strength but when I do you won't be able to return to Konoha until you recover from the side effects.. So make plans to depart Konoha for a while and meet me here again once you've done so. Then I will give you the gift." Orochimaru purred and got to his feet, turning to walk away from Kabuto.
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama.. Ah! You didn't tell me about how you know how my father adopted me. Please tell me!" Kabuto replied and pulled himself to his own feet a little unsteadily. Orochimaru paused as he walked away and smirked, glancing over his shoulder.
"As you know the legendary Sannin originated in Konoha, and so I was around when they brought you in. You were the only survivor from the battle at Kikyo pass.. But not a survivor from Konoha, you were a child of the enemy ninja. When Konoha scouts surveyed the battlefield they found you and took you back with them, but they never told you. Of course, that was because the ninja who fought in that battle, likely murdered your real parents and because they feared in doing so that if you knew your wrath might be taken out on them one day." Orochimaru answered, his eyes lidding halfway but never completely closing. Kabuto nodded faintly and murmured a thank you for the information but said nothing else, allowing the words to completely sink in.
"I will see you next time you return.. Kabuto." Orochimaru whispered and then disappeared from sight without a trace. Wordlessly Kabuto leapt up through the trees until he could get back onto the power line, and then began walking back toward Konoha thoughtfully.