Pretty Dead Things

A/N: Yes, I’m still writing this, and no, I’m not dead. So here’s where things get interesting. You thought this was PWP? Ha ha ha ha. You’re funny. Anyway, this is probably the second-to-last chapter, maybe third-to-last. It’s getting close to the end, guys. Thanks very much to those of you that have read, even if you find it disturbing. ^__^

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Chapter 5: Preparations

Sasuke glared hatefully at Orochimaru. “You want me to what?”

One long finger reached out, gliding down the open front of his shirt, across his skin. Sasuke shivered. He never had liked it when this man touched him. It felt like snakes slithering over his skin. “But Sasuke-kun…the lords need entertainment…and I can think of nothing more entertaining than you.” That long, wet tongue unfurled from the older man’s mouth, caressing the tendons of Sasuke’s neck. “Besides, it isn’t anything you haven’t already done, is it?”

Dark eyes widened as a deathly pale hand gripped his chin. What was the man insinuating? Ah. He thought that he had already…what an idiot. Sasuke batted his hand away. “Pervert.” He turned away, meaning to stalk out of the room, but he felt the Sannin’s iron grip on his wrist, and was soon yanked back. Orochimaru held him against his chest, that stiff purple rope digging into his back, and ran one finger over the black seal at his neck.

“Come, now, Sasuke-kun…why not? I know how good it feels. How it feels to be inside him. To taste his skin, and feel him trembling. Why not show them?” Sasuke shuddered at the feeling of chakra coursing through him from the seal. His vision began to blur from the amount of intoxicating desire running rampant through his body. “Sasuke-kun…you will not be the only entertainment. I have chosen several of your former…brethren to perform, as well.”

Through the haze in his mind, Sasuke realized that this could possibly be the perfect opportunity to take out Orochimaru while at the same time getting the hell out of here and taking Naruto with him. The others could take care of themselves once they were out. A small smile pulled at his mouth, and it looked not a little sadistic. Sasuke could be an excellent actor when he wanted to be, and this day was no exception. He leaned his head back, partially giving in to the fog that was settling onto his mind. The better to get in character. His voice came out as a purr. “Oooorochimaru…”

The older man’s pasty hand snaked around his body, entering his shirtfront, cold fingers caressing his skin. “What is it, Sasuke-kun?”

Sasuke reached back, running one hand down the Sannin’s side. “I’ll do it…” his nipple was squeezed sharply, “…ahhh…but let me talk to Naruto. He thinks I love him. We might not even need chains…” Orochimaru chuckled as he yanked back the neckline of Sasuke’s shirt, latching his mouth onto the curse seal to suck. “Agh! O-Oro—“

The sucking stopped, and Orochimaru growled against his neck, “Shut up, Sasuke-kun.”

The boy pressed back, his desire only half-feigned now, in spite of his revulsion. “But…shouldn’t I be…” The sucking resumed, and he lost track of what he was saying for a moment, “…oh, gods that’s good…shouldn’t I be saving my energy for Naruto?”

Orochimaru released him, and Sasuke panted at the sensations that were still coursing through him. He said, “If you didn’t have a point, boy, I would say you were hazarding my displeasure. But since you have agreed to my terms, I’ll let you be. For now.” Sasuke adjusted his shirt, and left the room. He smirked lightly. Now out of the snake man’s presence, the lust he’d felt vanished. It was merely chakra manipulation, and he didn’t need to worry that it would turn into anything more.

--

Neji sat on the edge of the cot. Hinata was in the middle of the floor, meditating. He thought that she looked as she always did. Somehow, while he had not been looking, Hinata had become the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. How had he not seen the changes in her? She had been so awkward, so shy and unassuming, and now she possessed poise and grace, and a beauty that must be the envy of many. Perhaps he had been too caught up in training. Or he might simply have been blind. Either of these possibilities was likely.

A key rattled in the door, and after a moment, the iron partition swung inward. Standing in the doorway was a woman, accompanied by one of the guards. “Stand up, both of you,” the guard grumped, “and remove your clothes.” He watched as Hinata stood gracefully, her eyes far away when she let her yukata fall way from her shoulders. The woman with the guard began scribbling in a small spiral-bound notebook, and then looked over at Neji expectantly.

Doing as was expected of him, he removed his yukata. More notes were written in the little book, and the woman began nodding excitedly. “Yes, yes. They will look lovely…” Obviously preoccupied, she turned and exited the room, the guard following and shutting the door. Neji wondered momentarily what all that was about.

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The morning was cold and clear when dark eyes opened, seeing sky instead of stone overhead. Sitting up quickly, the small woman looked around. She was in a clearing in a forest. Confusion settled over her for an instant as she looked down at herself. No, it had not been a dream. She still wore the yukata from Orochimaru’s prison. So Ana was dead, really dead…she herself had been violated many times. And she had been forced to like it. The thought made her shudder, a cold feeling forming suddenly in her stomach.

After a moment, nausea swept through her, and she released what little food was in her stomach. Tears leaked from her eyes, and her guts churned as relief began flooding through her body. Gone…she was finally gone from there. She would never have to feel those horrid, clammy hands on her skin, or that abnormally warm tongue sliding into her mouth.

What about the others? She thought with a sudden jolt, guilt racing through her. The ground felt as if it were dropping out from beneath her. She must do something to free them. “Kazekage-sama…” Yes, the Kazekage would know what to do. Pushing herself to her feet, she took to the treetops to get a better vantage point. Before she could get back home, she must know where she was.

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Umino Iruka sat in the corner of his cell. He would not break. No…he could not. Never. These were the things he kept telling himself, though he knew he was dangling over the edge, fingers slipping. It was unclear what would happen if he were to fall into the black abyss that waited below. Madness, certainly would be the end result. But what came before that was the most frightening thing of all. Iruka knew from all of the books he’d read that there were stages a person went through before they were completely insane.

But he could fight it off. He had to. For the sakes of all the other people here, he must not allow himself to go mad. Through the bars of his cell window, he had already seen three people he knew. It was impossible for him not to know that Naruto was only four doors down from his own cell. The boy’s screams and yells…he would know them anywhere. But he had not seen him. What he would give to be able to offer his young friend a bit of comfort! But to his horror, others of his students were here. Hyuuga Neji, as well as Nara Shikamaru, and he was certain he’d seen that shock of black hair he’d always associated with Anko.

Strange things had been happening. That woman earlier, the one with the notebook, had gotten so close to him that Iruka had shied away. She muttered something about the color of his eyes, and left. It was all quite confusing for him, really. Closing aching eyes, he tried to relax. The floor was cool against his calves. In the stillness, he began to breathe, slowly taking in the air and releasing it until he felt the familiar place into which he could escape.

Iruka floated in the blackness behind his eyelids, feeling his body fall away. For the first time in as many days as he’d been here, he felt peace. Because of this state, he nearly did not hear the soft rustling sound near the door. When his eyes opened in somewhat dazed curiosity over what the noise could have been, Iruka found himself staring at a six-foot-long black mamba. Both man and snake remained motionless for a long moment, until the snake began to move in a very strange way. Honestly, he had never seen or even heard of a snake being able to cough, but the deadly animal did exactly that. A strange yellow sphere fell from between its jaws, and the snake disappeared in a cloud of steam, much the way the Jounin population did when they felt the need to make themselves scarce.

Approximately the size of a smoke-bomb, the yellow sphere lay on the floor, and Iruka stared at it for a long moment before he reached out, plucking it up from the stone. The shiny yellow surface instantly began to dissolve into a fine powder, leaving a folded sheet of paper between his fingers.

Quickly palming the paper, Iruka moved to position himself beneath the stationary camera in his cell, sticking out his legs so that the thing could film his toes. It would not do to read whatever this message was, and be caught because they could not find him in the observation room.

Umino Iruka,

Efforts are currently under way to bring about the release of all prisoners. In two days, there will be a large gathering of dignitaries in the main hall. Nearly all of the prisoners have been chosen as “entertainment”, yourself included. Before then, it is planned that your chakra will be restored. However, it is imperative that you do not use it. Mask your chakra as best you can. Eat this paper, Iruka-sensei. It contains a concentrated antidote to the chakra-suppression drugs that are in the food they serve.

Uchiha Sasuke

For a long moment, Iruka blinked at the note. Could that boy have finally come to his senses? Was it a trick? He hoped that it was not. The small sheet of paper was quickly shoved into his mouth, and by the time the guard looked into the window two minutes later, he’d already swallowed it.

--

Orochimaru walked around the main dining hall. The room was large; forty meters wide, and twice as long, the high-ceilinged chamber echoed with his footfalls. The decorations had been laid out, tables decked in flowers and feathers, exotic plants in pots and a temporary pond being some of the basic fixtures of such a get-together. Dignitaries from various nations had begun arriving the evening before for tonight’s festivities. A smile grew over his pale features as he thought of the entertainment that the lords and ladies would have.

Of course, none of the top people could be present, due to sanctions placed on Otogakure’s territory, as well as open declarations of war by some. But there were only two countries that did not—and had not been expected to—answer his invitations. The representatives from the Fire and Wind countries were conspicuously absent from the guest quarters, and he supposed that little could be done about that. However, this little public relations event would do wonders to soothe the fears of the other nations, and perhaps bring them into underground alliances.

His golden eyes surveyed the small stages, draped in various colors of velvet and silk. One was gold, another green, while still others were red, blue, white, and then there were small pedestals where others would simply stand. Living sculptures, arranged to his exacting requirements, were just what was necessary to show his influence, and the performances he had planned would exhibit his power. The food and drink were a good indication of his generosity, and the fact that none of his visitors had been killed so far was a token of good will.

Having been intimately involved in planning the proceedings, Orochimaru knew precisely where each individual would be stationed for the evening, and what they would be doing. Yes, it would be perfect.

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