Disclaimer: I dun’ be ownin’ them there bad guys.

Guilty Pleasure

Kabuto doesn't knock upon the door before entering the room. He's not here in the capacity of underling, he tells himself; but as a highly skilled doctor. For once, perhaps, he can be seen as someone vaguely resembling an equal.

"Orochimaru-sama: how are you feeling?"

Orochimaru looks at Kabuto. Without saying a word he can make the young medic feel stupid and insignificant. If it wasn't for the certain level of self-confidence that Kabuto has, he might find such a look hurtful. Unfortunately for Kabuto, he has suffered much worse.

"I feel appalling. But I think that that may be because my arms are rotting."

Kabuto frowns at Orochimaru and sits on the side of the bed, next to his Master. He delicately examines Orochimaru's arms, letting out a small 'tut' every time he discovers a heavily-bloodied piece of the bandages.

Orochimaru keeps a watchful eye on Kabuto, as if ready to scold him at the first sign of a mistake.

"They need changing," announces Kabuto finally, standing up to find bandages in the nearby cupboard.

"They always do," Orochimaru complains, with a mixture of anger, exasperation and dolour.

Kabuto smiles at his Master – a smile begging him to accept his Fate whilst the situation cannot currently change: until they enlist the help of Tsunade, this is the way things will stay, as regrettable as that is.

Kabuto returns to his seat on the bed. He diligently begins to unwrap the bandages, noticing the winces that Orochimaru tries to stifle. "I'm sorry," Kabuto says, just in case Orochimaru feels the need to blame him: he often does. This time, Kabuto's lucky: Orochimaru acts as if he hadn't even heard Kabuto.

Discarding the old bandages, Kabuto wraps the new ones around Orochimaru's arm, starting from the top. The skin is cracking, peeling and bleeding; it barely even resembles skin at all. What's worse, there's nothing Kabuto can do about it. His knowledge of medicine is astounding, but it's still not enough.

He doesn't know which is more distressing: seeing Orochimaru in pain or his own feeling of worthlessness at not being able to help him. Kabuto tries his best, but it's not good enough.

Then again, he's currently a lot more able than Orochimaru is.

He finishes bandaging Orochimaru's arm and neither of them says a word. Kabuto leans over Orochimaru to reach his other arm, brushing his Master's hair out of the way.

Orochimaru looks at Kabuto's back as he works, wanting to be able to run his fingers through that ponytail again. As Kabuto straightens up after finishing applying the bandages, Orochimaru catches him with a kiss, which Kabuto only too happily returns.

By the time Orochimaru's lips are on Kabuto's neck, however, Kabuto has changed his mind.

"We shouldn't," states Kabuto firmly, pulling back. "You're in no fit state to."

Orochimaru smiles. "Are you saying 'no' to me, Kabuto?"

"As your doctor, I have to." Kabuto picks up the old bandages and throws them into the bin on his way to the door.

"And you kiss me as my doctor as well, do you?"

"I kiss you as someone who's currently caring for you," replies Kabuto, his hand on the handle of the door.

He's never been able to say 'no' to Orochimaru before: it's not that he's not able to (that freewill of his makes things interesting, after all); he just feels duty-bound to agree.

Luckily, Kabuto enjoys his duty very much; but the chance to be in charge... This shift of power in his relationship with Orochimaru is a new experience for Kabuto and it's the most intoxicating feeling he's ever had.

"I'll come back later: get some rest," he tells Orochimaru before leaving the room and is delighted that he can't give his Master the privilege of having a choice.

For once, Orochimaru will have to do as he's told – and it's Kabuto giving the orders.