Tsuki lay curled in a ball atop Manda while hugging Yuki close. She could tell Orochimaru was having a hard time against whatever foe had shown up. Tears streamed down her pale cheeks. She felt so helpless here unable to do anything. Manda told her to stay here where it was safe for her. Somehow, she could sense what jutsu Orochimaru was going to use, he was gearing up for a summons. He wouldn't summon Manda expecting her to be with him.

Tsuki scanned the cavern full of snakes to try and figure out which snake would be summoned. She spotted one that looked to be a descendant of Manda as it started to glow. Tsuki released Yuki and bolted for the snake as it was being summoned.

"Tsuki!" Manda's roar of a voice was laced with concern as she dove for the snake being summoned. Her hand pressed against it's scaled body just as the summon took hold.

She let out a gasp as she was pulled back to the clearing she'd disappeared from along with the giant snake. The clearing had changed a bit as it now appeared to have been destroyed from the fight. Trees were downed and uprooted, the ground looked as if it had been torn and ripped apart by large scaled powerful attacks. Tsuki scrambled away from the giant snake and hurriedly searched for Orochimaru. He was locked in a fight with two men wearing the Akatsuki robes, solid black with white outlined red clouds.

One of the men was quite tall and had his face covered with a cloth mask leaving only his pupil less mint green eyes revealed. The other was about average height with slicked back grey hair and bright purple eyes wielding a strange scythe like weapon with red blades. Orochimaru while remaining calm and poised on the outside was struggling to fend them both off as he was preoccupied worrying about Tsuki. She could feel his inner worry and knew he was having trouble holding them both off.

The giant snake charged into the fray. Orochimaru's gaze flicked in Tsuki's direction as he sensed her pure presence. His eyes grew wide as he spotted her with tears rolling down her pale cheeks. There was a warning in his eyes commanding her to flee. Tsuki bit her lip and shook her head, she wouldn't abandon him. She darted forward. Shrieking gale force winds tore through the destroyed clearing abolishing everything in their path. One especially powerful gust wrapped around Orochimaru shielding him from his opponents. The Akatsuki turned to the newcomer but didn't have a moment to react as they were both sent hurtling in the raging screaming winds.

Tsuki ran to Orochimaru's side and threw her arms around him, "I'm sorry!" She cried as she hugged him tight.

Orochimaru caught the soft-hearted girl in his arms and held her tightly against him. He felt his chakra stores replenishing and his strength returning. The few wounds he'd managed to obtain in her absence began to mend. "Troublesome child." Orochimaru sighed as he pressed his lips to the top of her head a small smile dancing across his lips. "That was just what I needed, thank you Tsuki." He looked to the giant serpent that he'd summoned, "protect her with your life."

The serpent nodded. Tsuki tried to resist as Orochimaru released her from his hold and gently shoved her toward the giant serpent. Her heart pounded in her chest as the two men returned to the destroyed clearing. They both looked in her direction before the giant serpent coiled around her concealing her from view.

The fight began again, it sounded violent and she couldn't see anything that was happening. "No." Tsuki cried softly. She wasn't any help here. "Please let me out." She begged the giant serpent that had created a strange cocoon around her to keep her out of the fray.

Even with the boost in chakra, Orochimaru seemed to be struggling against his opponents because the serpent he'd summoned was now protecting the beautiful starlight maiden. Tsuki panicked as she felt a sharp pain in her chest, Orochimaru was injured. It was bad! The giant snake around her suddenly disappeared and she found herself face to face with the man with the bright purple eyes and slicked back grey hair.

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.