He was in the dark place again. But why? Hadn't he done what he was supposed to? "What do you want from me?" he screamed, "You've taken everything from me. What possible use could you have for me now?" His angry inquiries were greeted with silence. He tried to sit up but could easily see that the restraints were of excellent quality. Slamming his head back hard onto the examining table, the young man cursed. He had been here many times before and each time it was the same. Two meters to his right was a larger table whose top surface he had never seen. As usual, it was covered by test tubes, vials, and other instruments that were used to concoct the injections he received. Straight ahead were two computers with screens filled with data about his vitals and body chemistry.
The room was cold and uninviting, to say the least. But even more uninviting was the man that he heard enter the room through the door behind him. "Now, now, now," clucked his tormenter, "Why the ruckus? You certainly don't want to reveal our presence to the families of all the people you've killed, do you?" As he heard this last question, the young man saw his tormenter come into view. The sinister face he loathed wore its usual evil smirk.
"How dare you?" he growled, "You know perfectly well that those people would still be alive if you had kept up your end of the deal and cured me. And that's exactly what I'd tell them Orochimaru."
"Just because I haven't cured you yet doesn't mean I have no intention of doing so," Orochimaru replied, "Besides after this procedure, I'll have a full understanding of your illness. Then I'll be able to treat you and you can live a normal life." As he said this, the serpent-looking man adjusted the light above the examination table and began to place several scalpels on the table with all the vials and such. "Perhaps it would put your mind at ease," he said, "If I were to tell you what this procedure is designed to do." He paused for a moment. When he didn't hear any objections, he continued. "Up until now, our past procedures have aimed at knowing the causes, results, and sequence of body changes that result from your condition. This procedure is designed to measure the full extent of it. In other words, to find out the worst it could get without treatment."
Orochimaru walked back from the table and into the light. With his best attempt at sympathy, he added "Once I know this last piece of the puzzle, I'll be able to treat you Juugo. But, not before."
"That's a poor excuse for what you intend to do to him," declared a female voice from behind Juugo.
The next to speak up did so following a light clicking sound. "Karin," the man said, "I advise that you address Orochimaru-sama with more respect. Besides you know how awful things can get if you don't."
"Kabuto," Juugo thought. Orochimaru's lieutenant had a very distinct voice and the clicking sound must have been from him adjusting his glasses. He hated that sadistic bastard almost as much as Orochimaru. The two of them were always present when he was in the dark place. But why was Karin there? Why would either of them wish to have two of their prized experiments interact? The answer to that question was immediate.
"It's alright Kabuto," Orochimaru said as he moved toward them, "It is good that Karin wishes for Juugo to be taken care of. After all, she is going to help insure that the lad doesn't suffer during the procedure."
Juugo heard Kabuto snicker. "So that was it", he said to himself, "They are forcing Karin to take part in this experiment as a form of punishment."
When Karin's face came into view, he could tell that she took no pleasure in being there. As she gave him his injection, she didn't say a word. She didn't have to. She said it all in her eyes. "I'm sorry," they told him.
"I know," he whispered to her.
Karin stepped back into the darkness. Kabuto had taken a chair in front of one of the computers and was reading out changes in Juugo's condition. For the first few minutes, Juugo felt a bit sick to his stomach, but that was it. Suddenly, it started. The light in the room separated and small globes of light rushed by. He closed his eyes, but the lights were there as well. Swirling faster and faster, the lights forced Juugo to shutter. Images of murder, blood, and human suffering appeared in his mind's eye. These weren't merely memories. They each passed as thought they had just transpired.
"Curse Seal Level one reached," he heard Kabuto say. The images filled his head. He not longer felt corporeal. It was as though he was being forced to watch something that looked like him ravaging innocent people. "Stop," he heard himself scream, "Please…"
That was it; he could no longer put together a coherent thought. All he felt was emotion. Sensations became the words. Agony, fear, pleasure, he cycled through each without reason; without any outside influence. He was no longer human.
Karin gasped. Juugo's form was that of a cross between a gryphon and a dragon. "What had they done?" she wondered.
"Cursed Seal Level three reached," Kabuto announced with a smile, "You were right Orochimaru-sama. A third level of the cursed seal is within our grasp. With this, not even Akatsuki can stop us."