Log; Complete

[oro-chama.livejournal.com]

When; September second, the evening.
Rating; G+ ish
Characters; Orochimaru oro_chama and Tayuya violentflutist
Summary; Orochimaru has a conversation with Tayuya about what is proper for a ninja to talk about in public.
Log;
Tayuya knew it was bad when Orochimaru asked for her. He never called her out like that unless she was in trouble. When he called her for missions it was different, he said things different. She was in trouble, and that was a very, very, bad thing. She rapped once, sharply, on the door to his rooms, quashing the instinctive fear in her throat. "Orochimaru-sama?"

“Come in.” Orochimaru called, recognizing the chakra signature outside of his door. Tayuya seemed to have lost her sense of caution since she had died, but he was going to put it right back into her. The fear of what a loose tongue could bring. He had only been in the city for a few hours when her carelessness had caused him trouble.

"Sir." She opened the door and closed it silently behind her, dropping into a crouch of a bow, her head lowered. She could feel his displeasure, emanating and coming towards her. She shouldn't have been surprised, considering that impulsive Greed had immediately started a fight with the man, over her, it seemed. What he was thinking she'd never know, but she'd pay for it now.

He waved a hand at her, a signal for her to stand. “Tell me about this Greed person, everything you know.” First thing first, the man was a homunculus, that much he had gathered from their bits and pieces of conversation. As such, the man had demonstrated very interesting powers. Regeneration, strength, armor.

She straightened smartly, shoulders back, spine straight. A spine, she was painfully aware, that had been broken before, and could be again, unless she played her cards perfectly. "Homunculus. Over 200 years of age. Able to regenerate wounds at will and create a shield around his body. He keeps a stone, a philosopher's stone, in an undisclosed location, because only if that is destroyed will he die. He is a construct, made by a human of powerful means in his world, and named and designed after the Sin, Greed."

Orochimaru had stood and walked a slow circle around Tayuya as she had been talking, examining her. She seemed no different from when she was alive, and he had no doubt she could still feel pain. “Tell me about this philosopher’s stone; what sort of powers does it yield?” He stopped standing before her, looking down at her, and aware that he would be uncomfortably close in her perspective.

She never looked him in the eye. Subordinates did not look him in the eyes unless expressly told to do so. She kept a level eye ahead, staring straight at the man's chest. "I am under the impression that he keeps it in a location other than heart or brain. Because of this stone he is unable to be affected by genjutsu and other jutsu that affect the mind. It is, as far as I know, destructible by only certain means."

“Is that all he told you?” His voice was low, but even. No inflections to give away any of his emotions. Even so, he had no doubt that she knew this conversation was about more than what powers her new friend wielded. Knowing one’s enemies was important, however, and the real reason he had called her here would have to wait just a little longer.

"It is all I know, Orochimaru-sama." She answered simply, directly, honestly. Lying to Orochimaru was not done. Not only would he easily see through it, but she would be punished. Tayuya looked out for number one. Punishment was not something she enjoyed, but it seemed imminent. It was that fear that kept her under Kimimaro, under Kabuto, but it was that fear and respect that kept her loyal to Orochimaru.

“I see. He told you all of this of his own free will?” Orochimaru questioned, tilting Tayuya’s head up with his fingertips to the underside of her chin, so he was looking into her eyes directly. He left his hand where it was.

Tayuya tried not to gulp, and failed, Orochimaru's golden eyes boring into her own. "He did, sir." She answered quickly, her skin growing cold and clammy from his touch, the fear she'd been squashing steadily rising up, bubbling underneath her nerves.

Orochimaru’s hand shifted from her chin to around her neck and he had Tayuya pinned against the wall in the blink of an eye. He leaned in close, lips brushing her ear. “And you thought this made it okay to tell him anything about things that happened in our world, that tied you to me?” His voice was a low hiss, snake like in the fact that it was dripping with venom.

She didn't have a chance to resist, even if she had the nerve to do so. Her muscles stiffened and her fingers scrambled against the wall behind her, her feet straining, on tiptoe, to keep her body up. Her windpipe widened and shut as she drew a breath in a heavy, ragged, gasp. "I didn't..." She drew another shudder of air. "... tell him all that." Her palms flattened against the wall. "He... assumed." Her eyes were wild, still meeting Orochimaru's, pupils dilating. "I only mentioned you as my master, and mentioned unhappiness under Kimimaro..." She felt a small spasm growing in the arch of her taught foot. "... and Kabuto. He..." She fought to keep herself under control. It seemed so long since she'd seen him like this. "... assumed to much..."

“You had no place to voice your unhappiness. You serve under them because I say so, whether you like it or not. I expect you to fix these assumptions of his immediately. From now on, anything you tell him regarding our world, anything will first be cleared by myself, Kabuto or Kimimaro.” He kept his eyes locked on hers, practically able to taste her fear. “Do. You. Understand.” Each word was said slowly, every syllable drawn out as to drive his point home.

Tayuya's palm slipped and she slid down into the grip, her windpipe tightening painfully. She opened her mouth to speak, but instead was forced to nod as she mouthed a 'yes' silently, her hand striving to find purchase again to support herself and ease the pain in her lungs. Being dead was a bit too much like being alive.

As quickly as that he released her, turning and walking a few steps away. He spoke without turning. “You are dismissed. And from now on, I expect better judgment from you. I did not keep you around because you were stupid.”

She dropped a few inches before her feet came under her, straightening, using the wall behind her to support her as she regained her breath, lungs greedily sucking in air. She listened to his words carefully, memorizing each one, glad to be out of the glare of those golden eyes. "Of course, sir." She headed for the door.