Standard Disclaimer.
Chapter One
Karin paused next to a tree, eyeing the surrounding area carefully.
She sniffed the air. All she could smell was water.
Before her was a waterfall, a wide curtain of water pouring into a deep pool. It was enclosed by walls of vine-covered rock, with only this one small pathway to the water's edge.
She pushed her glasses up and peered around again, searching for signs of another's presence. She took a deep breath and centered herself to scan the area for chakra.
All good so far.
She left the shadow of the tree, making her way cautiously down to the water. She looked around again, still hesitant, before sinking down onto a rock, shrugging her pack off her shoulders and removing her boots. It felt so nice to finally get them off. It seemed like she'd been walking for ages. She flexed her toes as she rubbed her feet, soothing away the aches and pains.
A branch snapped.
Her head jerked up at the sound and she scanned the area again. Shit! She thought. What is he doing here? Still, if I'm quiet, maybe he won't notice.
After moving out of clear sight, she removed her shirt, rubbing her arms as the cold spray hit her. She tried not to pay attention to the scars that peppered her arms and torso. She removed the last of her clothes and carried them down to the water.
She checked the area one last time. He was still far away and hadn't noticed her yet. So she ventured slowly into the cool water.
She bit back a gasp as she lowered herself, feeling the cool wetness in her more intimate parts. Then she knelt in the shallows and began cleaning her clothes.
My clothes! Hmph, someone's worn charity donations! She thought with annoyance. If I had some money, I would have MY clothes.
It had been two weeks since she'd left that backwater village, fleeing from captivity and Sasuke's very presence. It had been a year before that when Sasuke had sacrificed her to attack Danzo. A tear ran down her cheek, dripping off her chin into the pool. Another attempted to follow but she brushed it away angrily.
Sasuke is not worth my tears.
He didn't care, not then, even after all the aid she'd given him, and not now, now that he was back in his village. Back under guard, incarcerated in the very same prison she'd been held in, it was true. But, he had returned to them.
Of his own free-will, he had returned to the Leaf.
And she had left.
Karin shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She even tried to smile.
I'm away now. They won't be looking for me. I'm not important. I'm free.
She took another deep breath and moved her clothes up onto the rocks to dry.
A cool breeze blew across the surface of the water and she was quick to return to its perceived warmth. One more scan and she removed her glasses, leaving them on the rocks next to her clothes, as she dived beneath the water.
It felt good to swim, stretching muscles and enjoying the weightlessness of the water. Her hair streamed out behind her as she swam forward. Running out of air, she pushed off the bed of the pool to the surface.
Treading water, she ran one hand through her hair, then sank beneath the surface, washing away the sweat and stain of travel.
She resurfaced hurriedly, feeling his presence closer than before. Damn, I must be really run down, she thought as she raced for the shore.
She barely had enough time for a shriek as something pulled her under the water.
She strained and struggled toward the surface, striking out wildly in an attempt to free herself. Her lungs were burning and the pressure in her chest was building, when she felt strong arms around her, buoying her up.
As she burst out of the water, coughing and gasping, her thoughts turned to the person holding her. Again she shrieked, struggling to free herself from the iron grip, temporarily unable to hear or understand the words being shouted at her.
"Karin! Relax! Calm down!"
"You bastard!" She screamed, only to find herself beneath the waves once more.
She was lifted out of the water again, this time with her arms restrained, brought forcefully back against a hard chest.
"Karin!"
"Let me go, Suigetsu!"
"Not until you calm down!"
She thrashed about wildly and he dipped her beneath the surface, holding her down. His face swam into view in front of her as he changed positions. She struggled harder, but he'd trapped her hands behind her back, hugging her to him.
"I know you really want to hit me right now." He smirked, although the mirth didn't reach his eyes. "Just let me talk to you."
They floated back to the surface. Once her head was above the water, she gulped in air and glared at him.
He laughed.
Adjusting his hold so that he had both her wrists in one hand, he brushed her hair away from her face.
"You look like a drowned rat."
"What do you want, arsehole?" She asked coldly.
His eyes narrowed slightly. Then he sighed, "Prickly as usual."
He turned and drew her toward the shore. "I've been looking for you, you know."
"Why?"
He snorted, derisively, "Because I wanted to find you, obviously."
He released one of her hands as they reached the shallows, still remaining partially dissolved in the water. She moved away, as far as was possible with his grip on her other arm.
"What do you want?"
He smirked at her, that infernal tooth peaking out. "Oh please, don't try to preserve your dignity!"
She glared at him, daring him to look below her chin. He stared back evenly and she looked away.
There was something in his eyes that she couldn't define, and as he let her go, she couldn't meet his gaze anymore. Instead she turned away; staring at her knees as she drew them to her chest.
"What happened, Karin?"
She sniffed.
"You were so strong. Always in control."
She laughed bitterly.
"You're broken."
He sounded so sad when he said that, like he was somehow disappointed with her. Her gaze flicked up to meet his. And something snapped.
"Why do you care?" She stood up, towering over what little of him was visible and solid above the water, "What right have you, to judge me? So what if I am broken? So what if everything has come undone? Why does it matter to you? Did you track me down just so you could gloat?"
He stared up at her in silence as she stood there, anger burning throughout her body. Then a strange look crossed his face and he rose up out of the water.
"I was looking for you," He stated, drawing closer even as she backed away. "Because you're my team mate."
"You and I were never team mates!" She spat, still stepping backwards as he continued toward her.
He cornered her against a large rock, staring her down.
"That was a long time ago." She said quietly, unable to look at him anymore. "Too many things have happened since then."
"It doesn't change anything."
"Like hell, it doesn't."
She broke away from him only to find herself wrenched back. He forced her to sit down on a low rock. He stood over her for a moment before crouching in front of her, his hands balancing him as they rested on the rock on either side of her legs.
"Karin, what happened?"
"You weren't there? Didn't you see?" She whispered. One hand rose to her chest involuntarily, but she stopped it before making the contact. It didn't matter; his eyes had already focused on it.
That thin, silvery line.
The scar from Sasuke's blade.
He snorted, "What did you do? Throw yourself at him again?"
His gaze darted up to her face and his mirth vanished.
She was biting her lip, tears building in her eyes, as she relived that moment. Staring up at his cold, unfeeling face as his blade came down toward her.
"Nothing but a burden."
She jerked back to reality at the feather-soft touch of cold fingers running along her scar. The tears spilt down her cheeks as she surged upwards, one hand coming down to strike his head.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!"
His face dissolved and reformed within seconds, but she was already running.
"Karin! Come back!"
He leaped after her as she raced over the rocks towards her pack. Catching hold of her arm; he pulled them both to the ground. She cried out as she hit the rocks; with his weight pressing down on her, she was being forced onto an unforgiving surface. Pushing up, she rolled them over, falling off the edge of the small cliff and into the water.
As soon as they made contact, Suigetsu was fluid again, wrapping himself around her as he reformed. She was shrieking for air, as the grazes and cuts on various parts of her body shot pain straight through her.
"Karin!"
Her shrieks were slowly becoming wails as turbulent emotions mixed with physical pain and panic at being confined. The pain and the coolness of the water were deadening her attempts to free herself. He was filled with despair and anger at seeing her like this, any hope at being able to talk to her was slipping away.
In one last attempt to bring her back to herself, he positioned his head and bit down.
New, white hot pain shot through her body and she went rigid, as he sank his teeth into one of the bite marks on her shoulder. She grit her teeth, narrowing her eyes to a glare; one she was unable to focus.
"Let go." She growled.
He pulled away so he could see her face, his grip loosening on her. She raised one arm and whacked him over the head before swimming away to the shore.
But they were in his element and he quickly re-captured her.
Finding herself in his rough embrace once again, she snarled, "Don't touch them!"
With a smirk, he sank his teeth into another one, satisfied to hear her scream of outrage. She thrashed her way out of his arms by kicking him through the chest.
"I'll touch every single one of them, if it gets you to listen." He grinned, coming up behind her and grabbing her arms. Then he latched on to one on her back, causing another scream.
"Stop it! NOW!"
"No." He smirked, moving to another one on her arm.
This time, Karin bit her lip to stop her screams, the rage building up inside her.
"Suigetsu?" She grit out.
He released her arm, making a questioning noise even as he tightened his hold on her.
And she slammed her head backwards, crashing through him as he dissolved from the force of the hit. She ended up beneath the water and he reformed above her, preventing her escape to the surface.
"Well, that wasn't very nice." He smirked, looking down at her through the water. She glared up at him, even as her breath began to run out.
Suddenly he was underneath her, buoying her up once again.
"I just want to talk to you. Is it really that difficult to accept?"
She thrashed about, still in his arms as he carried her through the water back to the shallows.
"Let me go, you prick!"
He stood, rising up out of the water before dropping her back down. Karin glared up at him, finally realizing how much he'd grown. He bent down, coming face to face with her and she drew back slightly.
"Where are you going to go?" He asked tersely, his patience wearing thin.
"I'm going home!" She shouted back at him.
"You don't have a home!" He yelled back.
"Then I'll make one!"
"Or you could accept that I'm offering one!"
She stopped, completely stunned, staring up at him, "What?"
Suigetsu melted back into the water, drifting, back at her level.
"They let me go home, Karin." He said softly. "Back to Mist. I'm not an outcast or failed science experiment." He paused momentarily, "I went home."
Tears welled up again and Karin blinked them away. He looked sideways at her and she swallowed, closing her mouth for the first time since his original statement.
"I want you to…"
"To what? Go back with you and keep your house? Be a little servant for you? 'Master Suigetsu'." She bit it out, almost choking on the bitterness inside her. "No thank you!"
"No! I want you on my team!"
She gasped as he turned away, his cheeks already flaming red.
"I want you on my team." He repeated quietly.
"Why?"
His eyes darted to hers at the soft question.
"Why would you want that?"
He shrugged, attempting to be nonchalant. "I want your skills."
She stared at him in disbelief and shock. He stared back, unsure what she was thinking.
"I mean it, Karin. You have to come back with me."
Her eyes narrowed, "I have to? I don't have to do anything!"
He groaned, "Why do you have to make everything so bloody difficult?"
"If I am, it's because you're stupid!" She snapped back, "You and I never worked well together back then. What makes you think that will change now?"
"Sasuke's gone." Suigetsu said, swimming closer to her as her eyes narrowed. "You won't be fawning over him, so I won't have to ridicule you for being an obsessed fan girl."
He smirked at the outrage he could feel growing in her.
"Juugo's gone, so we don't have to worry about his mental instability."
She grimaced as he swam closer.
"It'll just be you and me, two adults; two mature, cooperating adults…"
His words trailed off because her eyes had gone glassy and she'd raised a hand to his mouth.
"Shhh, someone's coming."
He glanced over his shoulder, but his head snapped back around when she stiffened.
"Oh, fuck."
"What is it?"
Karin dashed from the water and hurriedly began packing her belongings. Suigetsu stood up and glanced around.
"Who is it?"
Karin didn't answer until he stalked over to her and spun her around.
"It's just some people. I thought I'd lost them." She turned back to her gear, rapidly dressing in her wet clothes, while he stood there; a smirk spreading across his face.
"Karin?"
"WHAT?" She stopped packing to glance over at him.
Then she stepped back and fell over at the look of maniacal glee on his face.
"Will they be missed?"
A matching grin appeared on her face.
"No, I don't think they will."
"Shall we deal with them?" He asked, brandishing his sword that had suddenly appeared in his hand.
Her lip curled in distaste at the sight of the blade, but she couldn't deny the excitement building within her.
"Oh, very well. You may take care of this problem."
"You're kidding." Suigetsu laughed harshly. He leaned down, one arm snaking around her waist and holding her up as he loomed over her body. "We will take care of this problem."
Her cheeks flamed as he moved closer, his mouth zeroing in on his target.
"OW! You fucking bastard!" She screamed as he bit down on her left ear lobe then dropped her on her backside. "That fucking hurt!"
His only answer was a wet laugh as he disappeared beneath the water's surface.
"She's over here." Yelled a voice, and Karin turned to find two men standing at the edge of the clearing. They were quickly joined by four more, then all six made way for a seventh. The last man was tall and well-built, an arrogant sneer twisting his hard face.
"So, we've caught you, wench. I'm going to make you pay for what you did."
Karin flipped her hair and cocked one hip, "Are you sure you really want that? I mean, seriously…"
The man laughed gutturally, "Oh, I'm going to enjoy it immensely."
His subordinates laughed with him, moving toward her in unison. She stepped back; the unstable rocks under her feet making her appear nervous. She bit her lip as they came closer.
She looked around in panic when her right foot hit the water.
Anytime now, Suigetsu. Anytime…
She scowled when she felt a finger draw a distinct line along the bottom of her foot. At that moment, while she was distracted, the men grabbed her arms and dragged her forward. They forced her to her knees, ripping her clothes off. She winced at the sounds of cloth tearing; it left her with only one set of clothes.
"Kinky bitch, she must like it rough." One man said and Karin grit her teeth as hands ran over her back, touching each and every scar.
Their leader jerked her chin up to face him, "Rough it is then."
She spat in his face and he slapped her hard, before stepping around behind her and dragging her head back by her hair.
"Scream for me." He rasped in her ear.
She took a deep breath, readying herself for her attack and inwardly cursing Suigetsu for abandoning her, when his voice sounded across the roar of the waterfall.
"Now, now, is that any way to treat another man's bitch?"
The bandits looked up and around, searching for the source of that snide voice.
"Suigetsu." Karin growled in annoyance. Her hand tingled as she focused her chakra.
A small gust swept passed and two men fell, screaming, to the ground, blood pumping out of gashes across their backs.
She bit back a shriek when the bandit leader yanked her upright, his hand still in her hair.
"If she's yours, why don't you take her?" He pulled out a knife and held it to her throat. "If you can."
Another gust and two more men lay on the ground, bleeding out.
"Trust me, I will," Was the smug reply.
"If you think I'll let you touch me, arsehole…" Karin yelled.
She was cut off when the bandit leader tightened his hold as another man dropped in two pieces. The last man ran away screaming.
"Karin, save the dirty talk for later."
She crossed her arms defiantly and the leader stared at her in amazement, the blade in his hand falling from his slack grip.
"What are you?"
"I'm a pissed kunoichi, you ape!" She spun round as he released her, stepping back in fast-growing fear. She raised her hand, tingling with the chakra she'd gathered and rammed it into his head. The bandit stood there swaying as she turned back to yell at her not-so-helpful partner.
"Suigetsu, if you fling that pathetic excuse for a knife past me one more time…"
The bandit leader went flying back into the tree as Suigetsu rammed into him, coming to a stop in front of Karin.
"You'll what?" He asked, leering at her. She blushed, again, at his proximity. "You're ready and waiting."
She followed his eyes downwards, before shrieking and slapping him across the face.
"It's cold, you pervert!" She yelled, covering herself and turning away.
She jumped when he slapped her backside.
"Just keep telling yourself that." He grinned. She shot him a sour look over her shoulder. He stepped back and surveyed her, still smirking.
"Geez Karin, you're covered in blood!"
"That's your fault! You always were messy." She huffed, turning her nose in the air.
"Well, then. I guess I should clean you up." He murmured, his voice right by her ear sending thrills up her spine.
"Trust you to be turned on by violence." She pushed him backwards as she turned back to face him. "You missed one."
He laughed, "Always leave one alive, Karin. It spreads the fear."
She eyed him skeptically, "I can see why you would be an asset to a hidden village."
His smirk was replaced by a scowl. "Fine. Clean yourself up while I deal with him. Then we are leaving."
She watched him leave, before racing over to the water's edge and dashing the blood off. Then she grabbed her pack and her boots, shoved her glasses on and ran across the water. She followed the water downstream, crossing to the opposite side and raced through the trees.
