Annie: Hiya, heres the next chapter, not much I can say about it. Please review though.

Chapter two

Members of the family

Kabuto walked into the living room and set the trembling balls of wet fluff down on the floor next to the blazing fire. Now he could get a good look at them. He sat down next to the mother and stroked her muddied fur, feeling her bones underneath the fur. She purred with delight, enjoying her new surroundings.

"Poor thing," he sighed as he stared at her, pity flickering in his eyes as he examined her tiny body, noticing the many cuts and scratches scraping across her fur. Her ears were nothing but shreds and her fur looked infested with fleas and mange. However, once looked past that, she really was a pretty cat and through her ugly exterior, he could see that she was beautiful.

Her kittens shared her inner beauty, curling up into balls as they let the warm intensity of the fire flow over them, relief flooding through their bodies as they purred. Kabuto smiled slightly, happy that they were content with this place. He wasn't thinking about anything but them right now. He knew Orochimaru hated cats and he new that if he found them it would surely be their deaths, but something about this little skinny creatures, wouldn't let him through him out. He didn't care what Orochimaru said or thought, these things needed help and right now, it looked like he was the best one to offer it.

"Kabuto, what cha got there?" the familiar voice of Kin hit his ears, making him swirl around, hiding the mother cat in his arms and glaring up at the sound nin with angry eyes.

"Oh kittens?" Kin raised an eyebrow, her eyes falling to the two purring things lying next to the fire. Kabuto smiled and nodded. The black haired girl plopped down next to him, noticing the trembling cat in his arms and feeling as though she was about to laugh.

"Since when do you take care of cats?' she said in a humorous tone but Kabuto only glared at her and turned his attention back to the mother cat.

"I found them on the doorstep," he said quietly as he began stroking her fur again," look at them, they look terrible." He said earnestly, putting the purring cat back on the wooden floor and standing up.

"I'm gonna go get some towels and dry them off, can you watch them for a few minutes?" Instead of waiting for an answer, he just left knowing that she didn't really have a choice. Kin scoffed as Kabuto left, tired of the way he always bossed her around, but as she looked back over at the kittens and their mother, she forgot about her dislike for Kabuto. They looked so weak and tired that she felt sorry for them. Taking pity on the trembling creatures, Kin took the two kittens in her arms and set them down in her lap, stroking their cold fur softly and smiling slightly. They were so fragile and small, like fine china under her fingers and yet through the mud and soaked fur, they felt warm and peaceful, sending a calming feeling flowing over her as she continued to massage the kittens with her small fingers.

"I wonder what Orochimaru would do if he found you here," Kin sighed to the purring fluff balls as she stared into the burning embers dancing around the fireplace. Everyone knew of Orochimaru's hate of cats, small or large, the creature just seemed to bother him and she could only imagine how mad he would be when he found out there were two kittens and a mother cat sleeping next to his fire.

Still it was hard to believe that anyone would try to harm something so adorable and tranquil, then again, Orochimaru wasn't exactly your average person.

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Kabuto walked quickly down the dark halls, searching out the correct door that would lead him to his room. He sighed with relief as he opened the door, hearing it click behind him as he entered his cold room. He felt very on edge keeping those animals here and even as he told himself to calm down, he could see his hands shaking in front of him as he went into his bathroom and grabbed a few towels to dry the cats off with. Then he quickly exited his room and headed back down the empty halls. He felt like everything and everyone was watching him, as if he was committing a terrible crime and everyone knew what would become of him but himself. Shaking his head to rid himself of his foolish thoughts, he continued his hasty walk down the corridors.

Staring up at the ceiling, he let his thoughts wander, which, in this instance, was very foolish saying he forgot where he was going and didn't realize what had happened until he felt something slam against his head and he fell to the ground.

"Wha?" Kabuto rubbed his head as he hit the ground, groaning as a sharp pain sprung through him. He glared up at the person who had run into him, meeting the angry eyes of Dosu.

"Watch where you're going!" Dosu growled as he also rubbed his sore head. Kabuto sighed as he picked himself up and turned to leave again. Dosu eyed him suspiciously as he pushed his way past him.

"What are the towels for?" He asked, noticing the two white towels Kabuto held in his arms.

"If you want to know you'll have to come with me." Kabuto snickered as he walked down the dark hallways. Dosu shook his head and watched him leave.

"Loser." He scoffed, but somehow he was eaten up with curiosity and began to anxiously follow Kabuto as he walked back to where the kittens had been left with Kin.