Phases (Naruto AU)

Collsion

Kabuto was leaning against the counter on the far side of his laboratory, facing the stone staircase that led down into the basement. Even through the thick walls, he could hear the relentless howling of the wind – it was easy to tell that there was a blizzard raging outside.

Distantly, Kabuto observed that he had not been this deeply agitated in years. Despite his best efforts to control himself, his heart was beating faster than customary, and even though the Sound base was even more frigidly cold than usual, he could feel himself beginning to break out in a sweat. Behind his back, his fingers clutched one of the more vicious-looking surgical tools in a white-knuckled grip. It was a comfort thing, although it wasn't having much of an effect right now. He had to regain some semblance of normality, though, before—

He heard her coming before he saw her; Sakura always insisted on taking the stairs at an almost recklessly fast pace, and the thick heels of her knee-high boots echoed in the stale air. By the time Sakura finally reached the basement, she had to blink a few times in order to force her vision to adjust better. She didn't know why Kabuto-sensei always insisted on working in such poor lighting, and it was a secret fear of hers that if she continued doing so long enough, someday she would have to wear glasses as well. Not that she'd ever tell Karin that; the other girl would probably try and claw her eyes out while shrilly screaming that these weren't the Middle Ages and that glasses were totally fashionable...

It took a few moments for her eyes to become accustomed to the dim lighting in the basement. Only one of the two bulbs was on, and Sakura stared at the man who had been her teacher for the past four years inquisitively. She could sense nothing off with his chakra, but Kabuto looked somewhat paler than usual, and a bit...clammy. The light was glinting off his glasses so that she couldn't see the expression in his eyes, but as a whole, the entire thing was a little unnerving. Maybe he had found out about her sneaking out to the village earlier this morning and intended to chastise her, but something that trivial wouldn't justify the strangeness of his entire demeanor. Perhaps he was ill? Either way...

"Kabuto-sensei?" Sakura ventured uncertainly, taking a small step toward him. "Are you feeling all right?"

For a few moments, compounding her sense of something being slightly out of place, Kabuto stared at her as if he didn't know her. At last, he gave a long sigh, his eyes finally focusing on hers. "Sakura-chan," he began, sounding a little distracted. His hands were clasped behind his back, holding something she couldn't see. "What have I told you about stirring up trouble and interfering with affairs that are none of your business?"

Oh. So it was about the whole sneaking out thing.

Even though she didn't regret it in the least, Sakura bowed her head contritely. "I apologize, Kabuto-sensei," she murmured dutifully. "I should have asked your permission first, but I knew that you were busy with...Orochimaru-sama...and I did not want to disturb you. It was not a frivolous trip intended to defy you, but rather a valuable experience in which I was able to practically apply my skills as a medic-nin and test them in ways that I am not often given the opportunity to..." Yeah. You know, I could learn how to actually heal someone, like I've always wanted to, instead of being forced to memorize new and gruesome ways to kill them...

Kabuto's fingers clenched around the surgical tool. Kami. Lookat her, mumbling on obliviously, apologizing for something that really had no bearing on the larger scheme of things. Her long hair had come mostly free of the messy ponytail that usually constrained it, and it fell around her face. Despite the unnatural color – or perhaps because of it – it was beautiful; thick and shiny and so full of vitality that it was undoubtedly a perfect match for her. Sakura's cheeks were prettily flushed from the cold and the run downstairs, and he could see the blood pounding in the delicate arteries and veins of her slender neck.