Sunshine Applications (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sunshineapps) wrote2015-02-03 11:44 pm
sunshineapps) wrote2015-02-03 11:44 pm
Entry tags:
Yakushi Kabuto
Name: Yakushi Kabuto
Canon: Naruto
Character Journal:sound_council
Gender: Male
Age: 22
Birthday: February 29th
Village Affiliation: Otogakure
Rank:
Jounin, Specialty Healing
Canon History: Canon Kabuto
Canon Abilities/Powers:
Kabuto has a strong affinity for medical jutsu. His ability to self-heal is immediately below that of Tsunade (and eventually Sakura), with no Hundred seal but the ability to mimic the healing through precise chakra control and knowledge of the human body. His prefered weapons are chakra scalpels, but he shows aptitude at using most of the normal ninja weapons, shuriken, knives, etc. His main talents are in information gathering, intelligence work, and healing, leaving his fighting prowess is at the level of a Jounin.
Appearance:
Height: 5'9"
Kabuto is tall but not overly imposing, tending to lean muscle rather than bulk. He has shoulder length grey hair he usually keeps tied in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His 'uniform' is a dark purple outfit, with loose capri pants, a sash, and a white t-shirt under a wide-necked overshirt.
His most obvious feature is the large round glasses he wears, a relic of his time at the Konoha orphanage. They have a tendency to get shattered during fights, and so he's rather adept at fighting without them, however he requires them to see in the distance.
Personality:
Kabuto is a quiet young man with a highly driven nature. He is immensely loyal to those who recognize his skills, and has a bad habit of depending on others to define his identity. Over the years he has gotten more stable, but deaths of mentors and friends still affect him strongly, and he goes out of his way to prevent such deaths, even if that means putting himself at risk.
Generally, Kabuto maintains a calm exterior, even in times of great personal turmoil. He has a wry sense of humor and a tendency to self-deprecate. He undervalues his own skills and his response to attacks against his weak sense of self are generally further self-deprecation with a twist of sarcasm - 'if I'm so terrible, won't it be pathetic if you lose to me?' kind of thing.
He's a bit of an idealist, but not in terms of belief in humanity; rather he believes strongly in the power of science and research and has a tendency to view governments and bureaucracy as serving their own interests rather than the people who depend on them.
This habit, however, does not manifest in his interactions with outsiders. If he does not view someone as an immediate threat, he treats them with vague politeness and genuine helpfulness, waiting to see how much they have already judged him before acting appropriately. If they already view him with disdain, then the sarcasm comes out as a kind of defense, but if people have no clue who he is Kabuto can be immensely kind and helpful. He's the sort that will heal first and ask questions later, even with supposed enemies. And when those enemies declare him insane or a monster, he acts as if the insults don't hurt, while privately believing that they must be right.
He distrusts most ninja in positions of power, but is quick to help any who have been hurt just doing their job.
He is thoughtful and organized, falling back on structures and patterns when he is stressed or distracted. But he comes alive in the the lab, where that intense focus and drive lead him to learn new skills quickly and the lack of self-worth pushes him to experiment on himself just as much as others in search of greater understanding of chakra and bloodline talents. This makes him a good foil for Orochimaru, as Kabuto cares too little about himself and Orochimaru cares only for himself. Kabuto sometimes struggles to act as the moral center for his master: it is all too easy for him to be swept up in Orochimaru's enthusiasm. But when he draws the line, he sticks to it, even if he generally manipulates Orochimaru and others into his point of view, rather than having an outright confrontation.
He is kind when he can be, happiest while in the laboratories in the Sound, and slowly figuring out who he is and what he truly values.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Strengths:
- average physical prowess for a Jounin
- excellent at healing
- tendency to go out of his way to avoid unnecessary deaths wherever possible
- competent in general ninja skills
- calm under pressure
- helpful
- kind (when he is not forced to act otherwise)
- way smarter than he gives himself credit for
- strongly driven to contribute to the world, whether through healing, research, or building a village
Weaknesses
- poor long-distance eyesight
- willingness to use dirty tricks to win a fight, especially against opponents he thinks are more skilled than he
- low self-esteem
- tenuous grasp on self-identity
- difficulty communicating his concerns (he's far more likely to manipulate someone into his point of view, rather than outright stating it)
- self-deprecating humor
- tendency to follow orders even if he doesn't agree with them
- tendency to latch onto anyone who notices him, even when those people don't have his self-interest in mind.
- obsesses over small details
Sunshine Abilities/Powers:
Kabuto's abilities are basically the same as they are in canon. He is a healer, first and foremost, and will used his knowledge both to heal and hurt, depending on the situation. He has a good grasp of basic ninjutsu, at the level of a jounin, and plenty of in-field experience from over his years working with Nono. But he does go out of his way to refrain from killing, if just because it would be a terrible waste of parts. Even then, he is far more likely to attempt to manipulate his way out of a situation than engage in direct combat.
Having traveled so much, he has a good feel for the politics, basic intel, and structure of most of the ninja villages and broader countries. He also has minor contacts throughout the world, mostly people who owe him favors for healing. In general, he doesn't know specific village secrets, but he can usually guess when something large will happen, based upon readily available information such as ninja sightings and trade convoys.
Looking to the future, Kabuto has expressed an interest in tackling the "sage" problem and that of resurrection. Of course, the sanitized Sound has far fewer disposable bodies to experiment on, but it is possible that they will eventually develop Impure World Resurrection. Similarly, and far more likely, he and Orochimaru will work together to develop someone with Sage training to compete with the Jinchuuriki the other villages possess. Kabuto is completely willing to experiment on himself to succeed at this, but that depends upon both finding the appropriate bloodline talents to utilize and having enough time free from his diplomatic work to spend on research...and on Orochimaru not vetoing outright any experiments that could put Kabuto's life or sanity in danger. (can't lose his protege, after all)
Sunshine History:
Kabuto was one of the last orphans of the third shinobi war, found on a battle-field having lost his memories at the age of around eight. He was quickly adopted by the Konoha Orphanage and immediately attached himself to Nono, a former intelligence officer of ROOT and a healer.
Though quiet, Kabuto was a remarkably perceptive child, and when Nono was brought back in to assist with the disbanding of ROOT he recognized the toll it was taking on his mentor and offered to help. While originally hesitant to train one of the orphans in the world she had tried so hard to protect them from, she eventually relented when Kabuto proved that he was able to keep up with her, hold cover, and act as her backup. When a well-timed tantrum prevented her temporary cover from being blown, she finally relented and allowed Kabuto to tag along as she traveled throughout the ninja world, extracting spies, disposing of dangerous informants, and in general cleaning up the last hints of ROOT scattered around the world.
The pair of them - two healers, the perfect image of mother and child - were able to succeed at gaining entrance to some of the best defended cities and countries, precisely because they appeared so harmless. And whether or not the administration approved of the use of a child-spy, his results were undeniable, and the specter of ROOT was slowly erased from the world.
After each mission, Nono and Kabuto would return back to Konoha, to debrief, spend time at the orphanage, and for Kabuto to attend the academy, something both Nono and their handlers insisted on. Frankly, Kabuto found the academy work boring, having already learned much of the more practical jutsus while on the road and with his expertise in chakra control necessary for healing helping him to master new justus quickly. He had little in common with the other students, partially because he had seen a much broader swath of the world, but also because his skills were the opposite of 'flashy' - he could hardly explain how being beneath notice was something he had worked for a year perfecting, or how he knew the exact moment to start crying to get the most sympathy. And healing and chakra control could never unlock the same blood-line talents that earned so much envy from the rest of the students and praise from the teachers. Plus, there were no other healers class and no one who had any interest in the wider philosophy of the ninja world or the underpinnings of the chakra system.
He found himself longing for the times spent on missions, even as Nono tried to push him to interact with his cohort and forget about their other work. Traveling the world was fun, meeting new people and helping them escape was fascinating, and learning about new jutsus was quickly becoming a passion. When Nono finally put her foot down and stopped him from going on the increasingly dangerous missions, he threw himself into research, trying to support her through knowledge of the ninja world, desperate to help and terrified of losing the one thing that tied him to the village. This only further alienated him from his classmates, and he found himself more and more frustrated with the whole system.
Then Nono died. It wasn't even on a mission: it was in Konoha, after doing a debriefing that she had promised him was the last in a long time.
One moment she was alive, finishing her paperwork, and the next she was gone, of an apparent heart attack.
In the haze of grief that followed, Kabuto found out one thing - Nono's death couldn't have been an accident. She had been taken out, just like all those spies and traitors that he'd seen over the years and helped Nono to deal with. And it made a brutal kind of sense: she was the last one. The last disposable spy of ROOT.
And she had tried to protect him from it all, gotten him out of the system before they could've seen him as a threat...and left him to the world they had helped build. Her will urged him, and all the other children at the Orphanage, to live their lives fully, to pursue their dreams, and to find their place. He could finally graduate the academy, find a career as a ninja, or join a hospital and work as a medic. A perfect, easy life in which the memories of the dark time before could be completely forgotten.
Instead, he suffered a mental breakdown. He found that there was nothing that remained tying him to the Leaf: while he had gone with Nono partially to save the Orphanage and show that the orphans could contribute to Konoha, he hadn't made any strong bonds with the other orphans. Same for the Leaf - perhaps some of his teachers would remember him if he disappeared, but would they really care? The administration seemed to have forgotten about him, and if they ever remembered, it would likely mean that he'd be next on the hit list: with no strong ties and no one to complain if he went missing, it would probably be easier to kill him than to risk him ever revealing what he knew.
Without Nono - who was he? If no one needed him, if no one wanted him...what was his purpose?
And, because Kabuto has a tendency to make very poor decisions when feeling lost, he simply left. Being in Konoha hurt too much, and he wasn't needed. In hindsight it was a stupid decision, but he was 13 years old, had lost the woman he considered a mother, and was thoroughly disenfranchised by the system he had helped support.
He was lucky: Konoha really didn't notice when he left, if anything assuming he was dead. If anyone remembered him from the missions he and Nono had performed, they considered him too unimportant to worry about.
He left the Leaf and traveled the world, visiting many of the places he and Nono had infiltrated, seeing how they had changed over the years, just as the Leaf had. Just as before, being a healer opened many doors for the young man, but he never found a place he wanted to settle at.
Six months after leaving the Leaf, he ran across Orochimaru. Of course the Senin had never heard of him, but Kabuto recognized the man immediately, despite the low-profile the Sannin was keeping. He knew the rumors about why the man had left. And after talking with him for a few hours, all the information Kabuto had been hearing from the Country of the Rice Patties clicked and he bluntly asked Orochimaru if he was starting a new village. At that point he had been traveling for half a year and felt no closer to finding a home or identity, and was half expecting Orochimaru to kill him on the spot.
Instead, the Sannin immediately recognized Kabuto's two-fold talent and brought him in on the spot, offering him everything he'd ever wanted. A chance to create a new village, one which wouldn't have all the problems of the old. One which was based on research and took in starving kids, just like his orphanage had. And one in which all of Kabuto's skills could be used, one where he would be given free reign over his own experiments and not have to pretend he was something lesser just because it made it easier to fit in.
Over the next eight years Kabuto devoted himself completely to the Sound, acting as Orochimaru's right-hand man, lead medic, and moral center. Unlike in canon, Kabuto had a stronger sense of self, even after Nono's loss, and enough of a conscience to resist some of Orochimaru's most extreme experiments. (If he wasn't willing to do it to himself, then he wasn't willing to do it to another. That rule is the biggest source of strife between the two leaders.) Add that to a healthy dose of practicality and Orochimaru's charisma, and Kabuto had experiments volunteering for the knife, coming to the Sound in search of power or food or a place to call home, just as he had.
With the revelation of the Sound two years ago, Kabuto also has been working to establish the village outside their home country. He uses the knowledge he picked up while traveling with Nono, in addition to his memories of village politics, and old contacts who owe him favors for healing, to slowly expand the Sound's influence while not inciting the ire of the more powerful nations.
He still has his own experiments, and he splits his time evenly between the daily running of the sound and his own research. He's immensely loyal to Orochimaru, though hesitant to show it to the man, knowing how Orochimaru takes advantage of others. But he has enough sense of self-worth to argue with his boss, and holds his own even when Orochimaru terrifies him.
Being an integral part of the Sound has done much to heal Kabuto's low self-esteem. Even if it's just a lie or manipulation, Orochimaru's praise and recognition have given Kabuto a sense of identity, and the Sound is physical proof of that. Even if Orochimaru dies, no one can take that fact away. The Sound exits, and its as much Kabuto's creation as Orochimaru's.
As Kabuto has aged, his hero-worship of Orochimaru has aged as well, growing to a well-founded respect. He would give his life for Orochimaru, but not unquestioningly, and not because he cannot imagine living without the man. It would be for the Sound, the home he made for himself.
Prose sample:
Kabuto groaned and sat up, having once again fallen asleep at his temporary desk in the biggest port town of the Rice Country. The day's coded messages were humming quietly in his scroll, surely missives from Orochimaru and the Sound requesting changes to the tentative agreement he'd been working on for the last week. The rest were probably updates to the various earlier projects the Sound had active around their country, or messages he had from his contacts around the world.
From the grumbling crackle of the scroll, indicating it was almost full, Kabuto had a good three hours of work ahead of him before the day could even start.
He groggily wiped his face and glanced at the clock. Six in the morning. So he'd had...four hours of sleep? More than usual, at least. The Princess and the other Oto-nins were probably still asleep, but one of the downsides of working as the glorified secretary of the group (hiding one of the most powerful men in the Sound in plain sight) was that he had to do all the work associated with the job.
He spared a moment longing for home - where something other than paperwork awaited. That experiment he'd set up (studying the effects of natural vs. chakra decay) should be about finished. But of course information on that would never be sent across official channels, and it wasn't as if he'd have time to analyze the data anyway.
Five more days he told himself. Five more days, and then he'd be back home, with his own office and his experiments and his favorite type of tea.
A knock came on the door and a secretary from the Governor's office peaked in. She smiled shyly at him and passed over the newest additions to the treaty from the Rice side. No rested for the wicked indeed.
Missive Sample:
[Like all his personal missives, Kabuto has written this one in code, across the lines of a musical staff, looking for all the world like a page of very poorly written sheet music. Of course, anyone with the key back in the Oto or a good eye for tonal codes would have no trouble reading it, but its the point of the thing. If people went around sending regular messages no one would be able to tell what was important, would they? Anyways, if he truly wanted to hide information, he would use a much more elaborate scheme.]
"Orochimaru-sama,
I will be returning shortly, taking a detour through the Rain to touch base with some old friends. Expect me in around two weeks.
I think you will be pleased with the new trade agreements we've arranged. While they have not promised us an exclusive contract, the village leader has agreed to take on one of our Genin Medical teams at their clinic in exchange or the rights to any medical waste and unclaimed remains. Several other tradesmen approached me with interest in the more...regular activities of a hidden village. I believe our team will not want for work, and should be able to provide a stable and safe posting for academy students to get some hands-on experience. The area is safe with little competition, and no other villages seemed particularly opposed to our expansion, as far as I could tell. Of course we will need to be careful, but I believe the village only interests us and those who live in it.
How are things back at the Sound? Is there anything you would like me to pick up on my way back? That tea Ashiko likes? New herbs for Ivy? Any medicines we're running low on?
I hope to see you soon. It will be good to be home.
- Kabuto"
Canon: Naruto
Character Journal:
sound_councilGender: Male
Age: 22
Birthday: February 29th
Village Affiliation: Otogakure
Rank:
Jounin, Specialty Healing
Canon History: Canon Kabuto
Canon Abilities/Powers:
Kabuto has a strong affinity for medical jutsu. His ability to self-heal is immediately below that of Tsunade (and eventually Sakura), with no Hundred seal but the ability to mimic the healing through precise chakra control and knowledge of the human body. His prefered weapons are chakra scalpels, but he shows aptitude at using most of the normal ninja weapons, shuriken, knives, etc. His main talents are in information gathering, intelligence work, and healing, leaving his fighting prowess is at the level of a Jounin.
Appearance:
Height: 5'9"
Kabuto is tall but not overly imposing, tending to lean muscle rather than bulk. He has shoulder length grey hair he usually keeps tied in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His 'uniform' is a dark purple outfit, with loose capri pants, a sash, and a white t-shirt under a wide-necked overshirt.
His most obvious feature is the large round glasses he wears, a relic of his time at the Konoha orphanage. They have a tendency to get shattered during fights, and so he's rather adept at fighting without them, however he requires them to see in the distance.
Personality:
Kabuto is a quiet young man with a highly driven nature. He is immensely loyal to those who recognize his skills, and has a bad habit of depending on others to define his identity. Over the years he has gotten more stable, but deaths of mentors and friends still affect him strongly, and he goes out of his way to prevent such deaths, even if that means putting himself at risk.
Generally, Kabuto maintains a calm exterior, even in times of great personal turmoil. He has a wry sense of humor and a tendency to self-deprecate. He undervalues his own skills and his response to attacks against his weak sense of self are generally further self-deprecation with a twist of sarcasm - 'if I'm so terrible, won't it be pathetic if you lose to me?' kind of thing.
He's a bit of an idealist, but not in terms of belief in humanity; rather he believes strongly in the power of science and research and has a tendency to view governments and bureaucracy as serving their own interests rather than the people who depend on them.
This habit, however, does not manifest in his interactions with outsiders. If he does not view someone as an immediate threat, he treats them with vague politeness and genuine helpfulness, waiting to see how much they have already judged him before acting appropriately. If they already view him with disdain, then the sarcasm comes out as a kind of defense, but if people have no clue who he is Kabuto can be immensely kind and helpful. He's the sort that will heal first and ask questions later, even with supposed enemies. And when those enemies declare him insane or a monster, he acts as if the insults don't hurt, while privately believing that they must be right.
He distrusts most ninja in positions of power, but is quick to help any who have been hurt just doing their job.
He is thoughtful and organized, falling back on structures and patterns when he is stressed or distracted. But he comes alive in the the lab, where that intense focus and drive lead him to learn new skills quickly and the lack of self-worth pushes him to experiment on himself just as much as others in search of greater understanding of chakra and bloodline talents. This makes him a good foil for Orochimaru, as Kabuto cares too little about himself and Orochimaru cares only for himself. Kabuto sometimes struggles to act as the moral center for his master: it is all too easy for him to be swept up in Orochimaru's enthusiasm. But when he draws the line, he sticks to it, even if he generally manipulates Orochimaru and others into his point of view, rather than having an outright confrontation.
He is kind when he can be, happiest while in the laboratories in the Sound, and slowly figuring out who he is and what he truly values.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Strengths:
- average physical prowess for a Jounin
- excellent at healing
- tendency to go out of his way to avoid unnecessary deaths wherever possible
- competent in general ninja skills
- calm under pressure
- helpful
- kind (when he is not forced to act otherwise)
- way smarter than he gives himself credit for
- strongly driven to contribute to the world, whether through healing, research, or building a village
Weaknesses
- poor long-distance eyesight
- willingness to use dirty tricks to win a fight, especially against opponents he thinks are more skilled than he
- low self-esteem
- tenuous grasp on self-identity
- difficulty communicating his concerns (he's far more likely to manipulate someone into his point of view, rather than outright stating it)
- self-deprecating humor
- tendency to follow orders even if he doesn't agree with them
- tendency to latch onto anyone who notices him, even when those people don't have his self-interest in mind.
- obsesses over small details
Sunshine Abilities/Powers:
Kabuto's abilities are basically the same as they are in canon. He is a healer, first and foremost, and will used his knowledge both to heal and hurt, depending on the situation. He has a good grasp of basic ninjutsu, at the level of a jounin, and plenty of in-field experience from over his years working with Nono. But he does go out of his way to refrain from killing, if just because it would be a terrible waste of parts. Even then, he is far more likely to attempt to manipulate his way out of a situation than engage in direct combat.
Having traveled so much, he has a good feel for the politics, basic intel, and structure of most of the ninja villages and broader countries. He also has minor contacts throughout the world, mostly people who owe him favors for healing. In general, he doesn't know specific village secrets, but he can usually guess when something large will happen, based upon readily available information such as ninja sightings and trade convoys.
Looking to the future, Kabuto has expressed an interest in tackling the "sage" problem and that of resurrection. Of course, the sanitized Sound has far fewer disposable bodies to experiment on, but it is possible that they will eventually develop Impure World Resurrection. Similarly, and far more likely, he and Orochimaru will work together to develop someone with Sage training to compete with the Jinchuuriki the other villages possess. Kabuto is completely willing to experiment on himself to succeed at this, but that depends upon both finding the appropriate bloodline talents to utilize and having enough time free from his diplomatic work to spend on research...and on Orochimaru not vetoing outright any experiments that could put Kabuto's life or sanity in danger. (can't lose his protege, after all)
Sunshine History:
Kabuto was one of the last orphans of the third shinobi war, found on a battle-field having lost his memories at the age of around eight. He was quickly adopted by the Konoha Orphanage and immediately attached himself to Nono, a former intelligence officer of ROOT and a healer.
Though quiet, Kabuto was a remarkably perceptive child, and when Nono was brought back in to assist with the disbanding of ROOT he recognized the toll it was taking on his mentor and offered to help. While originally hesitant to train one of the orphans in the world she had tried so hard to protect them from, she eventually relented when Kabuto proved that he was able to keep up with her, hold cover, and act as her backup. When a well-timed tantrum prevented her temporary cover from being blown, she finally relented and allowed Kabuto to tag along as she traveled throughout the ninja world, extracting spies, disposing of dangerous informants, and in general cleaning up the last hints of ROOT scattered around the world.
The pair of them - two healers, the perfect image of mother and child - were able to succeed at gaining entrance to some of the best defended cities and countries, precisely because they appeared so harmless. And whether or not the administration approved of the use of a child-spy, his results were undeniable, and the specter of ROOT was slowly erased from the world.
After each mission, Nono and Kabuto would return back to Konoha, to debrief, spend time at the orphanage, and for Kabuto to attend the academy, something both Nono and their handlers insisted on. Frankly, Kabuto found the academy work boring, having already learned much of the more practical jutsus while on the road and with his expertise in chakra control necessary for healing helping him to master new justus quickly. He had little in common with the other students, partially because he had seen a much broader swath of the world, but also because his skills were the opposite of 'flashy' - he could hardly explain how being beneath notice was something he had worked for a year perfecting, or how he knew the exact moment to start crying to get the most sympathy. And healing and chakra control could never unlock the same blood-line talents that earned so much envy from the rest of the students and praise from the teachers. Plus, there were no other healers class and no one who had any interest in the wider philosophy of the ninja world or the underpinnings of the chakra system.
He found himself longing for the times spent on missions, even as Nono tried to push him to interact with his cohort and forget about their other work. Traveling the world was fun, meeting new people and helping them escape was fascinating, and learning about new jutsus was quickly becoming a passion. When Nono finally put her foot down and stopped him from going on the increasingly dangerous missions, he threw himself into research, trying to support her through knowledge of the ninja world, desperate to help and terrified of losing the one thing that tied him to the village. This only further alienated him from his classmates, and he found himself more and more frustrated with the whole system.
Then Nono died. It wasn't even on a mission: it was in Konoha, after doing a debriefing that she had promised him was the last in a long time.
One moment she was alive, finishing her paperwork, and the next she was gone, of an apparent heart attack.
In the haze of grief that followed, Kabuto found out one thing - Nono's death couldn't have been an accident. She had been taken out, just like all those spies and traitors that he'd seen over the years and helped Nono to deal with. And it made a brutal kind of sense: she was the last one. The last disposable spy of ROOT.
And she had tried to protect him from it all, gotten him out of the system before they could've seen him as a threat...and left him to the world they had helped build. Her will urged him, and all the other children at the Orphanage, to live their lives fully, to pursue their dreams, and to find their place. He could finally graduate the academy, find a career as a ninja, or join a hospital and work as a medic. A perfect, easy life in which the memories of the dark time before could be completely forgotten.
Instead, he suffered a mental breakdown. He found that there was nothing that remained tying him to the Leaf: while he had gone with Nono partially to save the Orphanage and show that the orphans could contribute to Konoha, he hadn't made any strong bonds with the other orphans. Same for the Leaf - perhaps some of his teachers would remember him if he disappeared, but would they really care? The administration seemed to have forgotten about him, and if they ever remembered, it would likely mean that he'd be next on the hit list: with no strong ties and no one to complain if he went missing, it would probably be easier to kill him than to risk him ever revealing what he knew.
Without Nono - who was he? If no one needed him, if no one wanted him...what was his purpose?
And, because Kabuto has a tendency to make very poor decisions when feeling lost, he simply left. Being in Konoha hurt too much, and he wasn't needed. In hindsight it was a stupid decision, but he was 13 years old, had lost the woman he considered a mother, and was thoroughly disenfranchised by the system he had helped support.
He was lucky: Konoha really didn't notice when he left, if anything assuming he was dead. If anyone remembered him from the missions he and Nono had performed, they considered him too unimportant to worry about.
He left the Leaf and traveled the world, visiting many of the places he and Nono had infiltrated, seeing how they had changed over the years, just as the Leaf had. Just as before, being a healer opened many doors for the young man, but he never found a place he wanted to settle at.
Six months after leaving the Leaf, he ran across Orochimaru. Of course the Senin had never heard of him, but Kabuto recognized the man immediately, despite the low-profile the Sannin was keeping. He knew the rumors about why the man had left. And after talking with him for a few hours, all the information Kabuto had been hearing from the Country of the Rice Patties clicked and he bluntly asked Orochimaru if he was starting a new village. At that point he had been traveling for half a year and felt no closer to finding a home or identity, and was half expecting Orochimaru to kill him on the spot.
Instead, the Sannin immediately recognized Kabuto's two-fold talent and brought him in on the spot, offering him everything he'd ever wanted. A chance to create a new village, one which wouldn't have all the problems of the old. One which was based on research and took in starving kids, just like his orphanage had. And one in which all of Kabuto's skills could be used, one where he would be given free reign over his own experiments and not have to pretend he was something lesser just because it made it easier to fit in.
Over the next eight years Kabuto devoted himself completely to the Sound, acting as Orochimaru's right-hand man, lead medic, and moral center. Unlike in canon, Kabuto had a stronger sense of self, even after Nono's loss, and enough of a conscience to resist some of Orochimaru's most extreme experiments. (If he wasn't willing to do it to himself, then he wasn't willing to do it to another. That rule is the biggest source of strife between the two leaders.) Add that to a healthy dose of practicality and Orochimaru's charisma, and Kabuto had experiments volunteering for the knife, coming to the Sound in search of power or food or a place to call home, just as he had.
With the revelation of the Sound two years ago, Kabuto also has been working to establish the village outside their home country. He uses the knowledge he picked up while traveling with Nono, in addition to his memories of village politics, and old contacts who owe him favors for healing, to slowly expand the Sound's influence while not inciting the ire of the more powerful nations.
He still has his own experiments, and he splits his time evenly between the daily running of the sound and his own research. He's immensely loyal to Orochimaru, though hesitant to show it to the man, knowing how Orochimaru takes advantage of others. But he has enough sense of self-worth to argue with his boss, and holds his own even when Orochimaru terrifies him.
Being an integral part of the Sound has done much to heal Kabuto's low self-esteem. Even if it's just a lie or manipulation, Orochimaru's praise and recognition have given Kabuto a sense of identity, and the Sound is physical proof of that. Even if Orochimaru dies, no one can take that fact away. The Sound exits, and its as much Kabuto's creation as Orochimaru's.
As Kabuto has aged, his hero-worship of Orochimaru has aged as well, growing to a well-founded respect. He would give his life for Orochimaru, but not unquestioningly, and not because he cannot imagine living without the man. It would be for the Sound, the home he made for himself.
Prose sample:
Kabuto groaned and sat up, having once again fallen asleep at his temporary desk in the biggest port town of the Rice Country. The day's coded messages were humming quietly in his scroll, surely missives from Orochimaru and the Sound requesting changes to the tentative agreement he'd been working on for the last week. The rest were probably updates to the various earlier projects the Sound had active around their country, or messages he had from his contacts around the world.
From the grumbling crackle of the scroll, indicating it was almost full, Kabuto had a good three hours of work ahead of him before the day could even start.
He groggily wiped his face and glanced at the clock. Six in the morning. So he'd had...four hours of sleep? More than usual, at least. The Princess and the other Oto-nins were probably still asleep, but one of the downsides of working as the glorified secretary of the group (hiding one of the most powerful men in the Sound in plain sight) was that he had to do all the work associated with the job.
He spared a moment longing for home - where something other than paperwork awaited. That experiment he'd set up (studying the effects of natural vs. chakra decay) should be about finished. But of course information on that would never be sent across official channels, and it wasn't as if he'd have time to analyze the data anyway.
Five more days he told himself. Five more days, and then he'd be back home, with his own office and his experiments and his favorite type of tea.
A knock came on the door and a secretary from the Governor's office peaked in. She smiled shyly at him and passed over the newest additions to the treaty from the Rice side. No rested for the wicked indeed.
Missive Sample:
[Like all his personal missives, Kabuto has written this one in code, across the lines of a musical staff, looking for all the world like a page of very poorly written sheet music. Of course, anyone with the key back in the Oto or a good eye for tonal codes would have no trouble reading it, but its the point of the thing. If people went around sending regular messages no one would be able to tell what was important, would they? Anyways, if he truly wanted to hide information, he would use a much more elaborate scheme.]
"Orochimaru-sama,
I will be returning shortly, taking a detour through the Rain to touch base with some old friends. Expect me in around two weeks.
I think you will be pleased with the new trade agreements we've arranged. While they have not promised us an exclusive contract, the village leader has agreed to take on one of our Genin Medical teams at their clinic in exchange or the rights to any medical waste and unclaimed remains. Several other tradesmen approached me with interest in the more...regular activities of a hidden village. I believe our team will not want for work, and should be able to provide a stable and safe posting for academy students to get some hands-on experience. The area is safe with little competition, and no other villages seemed particularly opposed to our expansion, as far as I could tell. Of course we will need to be careful, but I believe the village only interests us and those who live in it.
How are things back at the Sound? Is there anything you would like me to pick up on my way back? That tea Ashiko likes? New herbs for Ivy? Any medicines we're running low on?
I hope to see you soon. It will be good to be home.
- Kabuto"