Bound to You (Naruto)

Chapter Twenty Eight

He reached out and caught her by the wrist. "I bet you'd make a nice sacrifice to Jashin."

Tsuki looked beyond him and saw Orochimaru struggling to stay on his feet. He'd been pierced through the chest by what looked almost like thick grey tendrils that resembled strands of hair or thread they were stemming from the other Akatsuki member.

"Hidan, we're supposed to bring the girl back alive." The other man sighed sounding increasingly annoyed by his partner.

Tsuki ignored them, her gaze glued to Orochimaru as blood spewed from his lips. Something within her snapped as she saw him slip to his knees. A dark rage unlike any she'd ever felt before gripped her heart. Her pale eyes began to glow a vibrant blood red as she drew her gaze away from Orochimaru and turned her eyes to Hidan.

"Huh?" He looked taken aback by her glowing eyes.

"Die." Tsuki breathed softly as she turned her wrist in his hand and clasped his arm with her hand. It was a technique she'd read about in Orochimaru's research on her clan it was called Vampiric Touch. As she gripped Hidan's arm his chakra and life force began to drain.

"What the-?!" Hidan seemed surprised by the sudden weakness and lethargy that had overcome him as the seemingly frail and weak girl gripped his arm in an ironclad grasp and drained him. "Kakuzu." Hidan gasped not understanding what was happening to him.

Thick grey tendrils, the same that had pierced Orochimaru, flew toward the pale girl. She reached up with her free hand without taking her eyes off her prey and caught a handful of them, coiling them around her arm. They began to wither and blacken in her grasp as she used her vampiric touch on the tendrils that had tried to lash out at her.

"Die." Tsuki trembled with rage as she sapped chakra, strength and life from them both. Though according to Orochimaru's notes they both should have been dead by now, there was something strange about these two men. Her vampiric touch wasn't killing them just draining them both until they were weak.

"We're retreating." Kakuzu hissed angrily and managed to break away his thick grey tendrils before snatching his weakened partner. They disappeared in the night.

Tsuki sprinted to Orochimaru's side as he was about to fall face first to the earth. She wrapped her arms around him offering him strength and support. Feeling him begin to slip away she hurriedly pressed her lips to his willing the chakra and lifeforce she'd just stolen into him through her kiss.

Orochimaru tightened his hold on the girl and lost himself in her intoxicating kiss drowning in the power she imbued in her kiss. His strength returned and he tried to deepen the kiss only to draw back in surprise as he felt Tsuki's small fists beating against his chest. He looked down at her curiously. His heart stuttered in his chest as he saw tears clinging to her pale cheeks as she punched him in the chest. She wasn't hitting him hard enough to cause any pain but she'd still never acted this way before and it concerned him.

"Tsuki?" His calm voice shook her.

She glared up at him with tear filled eyes, "don't send me away!"

Orochimaru stared down at her in awe, she'd never been angry with him before. "It was for your protection." He frowned.

"I don't care!" Tsuki cried and smacked him again as more tears trickled down her pale cheeks, "I'd rather die than know you're facing something dangerous all by yourself."

"Alright. Calm down." Orochimaru sighed as he wrapped the distraught girl in his arms and held her close, cradling her against him in an attempt to calm her down.

Tsuki cried silently against him, clinging tightly to the front of his clothes as if she were afraid, he'd suddenly disappear. He'd have found such an unsightly display a show of weakness if it were anyone but her. Rather than get annoyed as he would if it had been anyone else, he felt remorse for having put her in such a state of despair.

"Enough." His voice was gentle as he wiped away her tears not wanting to see her upset anymore, "the sun will be up soon, we need to get going."

Tsuki composed herself and nodded her understanding. Her heart skipped a beat as he took her hand in his and they made their way back safely to the cave they'd been hiding in. Orochimaru looked down at Tsuki in concern as he watched her try to fight back a yawn, she'd exhausted herself with her Clan's Ability, restoring him and from her crying. Tonight, confirmed his suspicions, the Akatsuki were targeting her, though it had seemed like Hidan and Kakuzu had stumbled upon them by mistake as they were on their way elsewhere and just tried to take advantage of the opportunity. He was sure they'd report their findings but knew they wouldn't be returning anytime soon.

More would come after her. Orochimaru squeezed her hand subconsciously as he resolved himself. No one would ever take her away from him. He couldn't send her away again, he didn't want to see her upset anymore. As much as he didn't want to admit it, it may be safest for him to form some kind of alliance with the Leaf Shinobi, to keep her safe. Perhaps it was time for a chat with his old friends again. He grimaced at the thought, they couldn't be trusted, not with her. At the very least it was time to find a new hideout.