Embarrassing moment in writing this? I actually had to say my ABC's seven times to get K=11. And what's even worse, I forgot half the letters, hence why it took me so long to finally make a breakthrough! So, the lesson in this, REMEMBER that H is after G! And K is before M (I kept going passed M. Sad right?)

Warnings: Language. More offensive to girls than to boys.

"I dare you to say that again, warned a girl in a dangerously low tone of voice.

Her instigator smirked, sending her face into a million shades of red. "I said he sucks, you worthless brat!" he responded.

Her fists tried to beat into him, but they only hit water. "You worthless punk! Sasuke is brilliant, and amazing. And all you'll ever be is a pitiful wannabe!" she shrieked as she continued trying to beating him.

Jugo watched with refrained silence. Sasuke wasn't even doing that. But he did manage to catch the fact that it was his name that they were tossing around.

"You're the pitiful one, you evil brat."

Karin socked him, spraying water all over herself, which only resulted in her trying to punch him again, and only splashing herself AGAIN.

Later that day, they had decided to camp at a nearby river.

This is exactly what I need, Suigetsu grinned. It's always a good thing to do when trying to cool off from a fight. Especially since I was fighting with Karin.

He stripped down, and jumped into the river. He found the water to be cold, but he liked it nevertheless.

Yep, this is definitely what I need, he thought as he chilled out. There's nothing better than this, he realized. He paused for a minute, then continued, Well, besides maybe annoying the crap out of Karin.

Suddenly, there was a loud gasp, followed closely by, "Why are you naked?!"

Suigetsu turned around, and saw that his favorite red-head was trying her best to avert her eyes. He smirked.

"Because I'm one with nature," he replied, still smirking evilly.

Karin, who had finally been sick of not being able to avert her eyes, had completely turned around. But she did snap back, "Well, be one with your clothes!"

He rolled his eyes. "Sorry. I can't do that. I'm a swimmer. This is how I do."

Karin growled. "Well, do it some other way."

Suigetsu was starting to lose his patience. "Is there a reason why you're here, or were you just peeping on me?"

Even though he couldn't see her face, he knew that it was bright red. "No way! That's disgusting!"

Suigetsu smirked at her embarrassment. "So, I suppose it's not the latter, so what did you want?"

Karin calmed down a bit, and reported, "Be ready to leave," then she walked off, muttering about how she'd never catch Sasuke like that, and whatnot about His royal highness.

Suigetsu glared after her. He hated being compared to Sasuke. Especially by HER.

As Karin got into the old campsite, she found that Jugo and Sasuke were all ready. She surprised them both by glaring at them. "That was the most disgusting thing I've ever saw," she muttered, still glaring.

"What's wrong with her?" Jugo asked Sasuke, who was about as clueless as he was.

"I don't know. It's probably just some stupid girl thing."

"Nah!" called out a voice, "She's mad that she saw a body as beautiful as mine."

They turned and saw Suigetsu, who already had his bag packed, and hiked up on his shoulder.

Both Jugo and Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him. "Shut up, Suigetsu!" Karin yelled at him, her face taking on the color of a fiery amber.

Suigetsu smirked, and pointed his thumb at her as she turned away, mouthing the word, "See?" at them.

Karin heard that, but made it out like she hadn't. "Well, shouldn't we get moving?" she asked, rubbing her arms, suddenly self-conscious.

Sasuke, understanding her underlying embarrassment, replied, "Yes, we should," but not for her comfort, but for his own. They still had Itachi to catch, and it wasn't going to be easy.

"So thirsty," Suigetsu complained, "Can we stop?"

Sasuke, who was very familiar with his teammate's terrible stamina, agreed, sending Suigetsu into silenced fits of happiness.

Karin, on the other hand, hadn't wanted the break, but now that she got it, she decided that it was time for Operation K, as in, she had failed eleven times already. But this time, she was sure that it would work.

"Oh, Sasuke," she said in the best seductive voice she had.

He sighed, perfectly aware of what she was doing; many of the other girls tried that. "What?" he snapped irritably, fed up with her efforts.

Karin pulled a mock sad face that, he was sure, was suppose to be cute. He rolled his eyes as she continued to make a fool of herself.

Look at her, Suigetsu thought bitterly, she's flirting with him, and he's not even listening to a word she says. That's when he realized that he had gotten what he had just thought. Was that- No it could be- No way. NOT

Karin reached out a hand to stroke Sasuke's biceps, but he whacked her hand away like it was nothing, which was what he thought of her.

Karin gave him her prettiest smile. It was dazzling, and brilliant as she asked, "Are you sure you and I don't want to just ditch the boys while you and I go somewhere secret? What do you say, huh?"

Sasuke continued to glare at her. "I say 'no'." He turned to walk away, but Karin desperately grabbed his arm.

"Just for a few moments. And who knows, I might even lose my glasses."

Sasuke rolled his yes. She thought that her losing her glasses would make him want to go? Pathetic.

"I'm going to go gt some water now. Just stay here with Suigetsu, okay?" She could feel disappointment grasp her heart.

And as he walked away, she whispered to herself, "Will it always be this way between us, Sasuke? Will we ever at least be friends?"

"Total put-down," crowed Suigetsu. "That must hurt. What excuse did you use this time? 'I'm a little fan-girl whose totally obsessed with you, and I need to get you alone. Want to ditch the boys? Teehee," he mocked, rolling his eyes at her sad expression.

Then, a bout of anger overtook her. "Shut up, Suigetsu! You have no idea what I said or did! You don't know anything about it!"

Suigetsu smirked at her outbreak. "The only thing I need to know about is why him? Why did you choose such a jerk to fan-girl over? Or did you just think he was a pretty boy to add to the collection of guys already after you?"

She was silent for a few moments, then suddenly snapped back, "No! I really, honest to God, like him. The matter of him being handsome has nothing to do with it."

Suigetsu rolled his yes, making it perfectly clear that he didn't believe her. "That's a bunch of sick bull-crap. You and I both know that you're only after him for appearances."

Karin slapped him across the face, but what surprised him was the fact that she had actually landed her hand on his real skin.

"You little brat," he snapped, then stalked off furiously.

What a self-righteous brat! he thought, furiously pacing back and forth. Who the heck does she think she is?! Aphrodite?! No way! She's just a snot who thinks she the best thing in the world!

He continued fuming for a few more seconds, then calmed down, only to be heated up within a few more seconds.

What a pretentious little broad! She's always screaming about how I'll never get anywhere in life, but she should see herself! She's already nowhere! And she'll NEVER get far, that's for certain!

"We need to head out," Sasuke decided, hiking his bag up his shoulder.

As they were departing, and as Suigetsu passed Karin, he whispered, "Wh*re."

She glared at him, but didn't lash out like he had expected. Inside she was raging, but on the outside, she realized she needed to keep a level head.

Sasuke's so close to finding his brother. There's no way I stop him when he's this close. I need to keep my head, and let it slide, she told herself.

She continued without even making a peep.

What a brat! he screamed inside his head, angry that she hadn't reacted.

"I need a rest, sasuke," came a weary voice. "Besides, it's getting dark anyway. We should stop for the night."

Sasuke glanced up at the sky, and nodded. It was passed 9:00 at night, and they were all tired, although none of them would ever admit it (they all had a pride to keep, but since Suigetsu has a normal person's stamina *gasp* (he's normal?! *NO WAY?!*(*SARCASM*) was "terrible, they got to stop anyway.)

"Okay," answered the young Uchiha, "We'll stop her tonight, but we leave at the first lights."

They all nodded, too tired to even register that they only had a few hours.

That night, there was no campfire. They all fell asleep as soon as their heads' hit their pillows'.

"Get up," came a gruff voice that could only be Suigetsu. Karin felt something prod her side, and she realized that he was gently kicking her.

She sighed, and sat up. "I'm up," she snapped irritably, "Get lost, will you?!"

He rolled his eyes, and stomped off, leaving a trail of bitterness in his wake.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," taunted Suigetsu as I stepped out of my tent. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Real cute," she told him, "Come up with it yourself?"

This time, he rolled his eyes, and growled, "As a matter of fact, I did."

Karin had been about to snap something right back, Sasuke decided to cut in. "Shut up, and move," he barked.

Annoyance clenched Suigetsu's stomach. He knew it was silly, but he felt like Sasuke didn't have a right to insult her. So her retorted, "Hear that? Your lover told you to shut up, and move, you evil wh*re!"

Karin's foot found water as it showered her with an unforgiving coldness. "Do you ever call Sasuke inadequate, you low-life!" she broke.

Sasuke watched with annoyance. All girls are the same, he concluded, thinking of a certain blonde and pinknette. But maybe there's a way to get this one off my back.

A plan was already coming to mind.

"Shut up, you scumbag!" screamed Karin, pounding tiny fists on a water surface, also known as Suigetsu. "You have no right saying that Sasuke's weak! He's amazing, you butt!"

The boy in question rolled his eyes, smirking at how angry she was.

Suddenly, there was a new voice, "Hey, Karin," it said, strolling over to her, giving her a dazzling smile. "Have I told you how pretty you look today?"

Karin stopped beating on Suigetsu, and turned around, and saw that the voice did, indeed, belong to Sasuke.

Heat immediately rushed to her cheeks. "Oh- Oh, Sasuke. I- I didn't see you there," she managed, bringing a hand to her cheeks, willing away the blush.

"I know you didn't," he said, still grinning, "But now you do. Want to take a walk, now... just the two of us?"

Karin squealed, making Sasuke have to resist the urge to take it all back.

This is for the mission, he told himself, scowling at his own stupidity. I have to do this.

Karin caught his sour face. "Wait, are you mocking me?" she asked, red eyes huge.

He realized that she was talking to him, so he replaced the frown with a smile again. "I'm not mocking you. I really mean it. I want to take a walk with you... alone," he said.

Karin's blush, which she had managed to remove from her face, was back again. "Oh, okay. Since it's with you, of course."

She latched onto his arm as they walked away. And all Suigetsu could do was watch, eyes frozen to the spot where she had just been.

Why do I feel like I lost a limb from my body? he wondered, confusion gnawing at him.

But it wasn't just confusion, there was something else.

JEALOUSY.

"What is wrong with you?!" he snapped at Sasuke.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him, mimicking clueless. "I'm not certain I know what you mean. Please clarify."

Suigetsu was steaming mad. "Bullcrap," he snapped viciously.

Sasuke smirked, pretending to finally get it. "Oh, you mean with Karin?"

"Yeah with Karin! What happened between you two?" he demanded loudly enough to draw Jugo's attention.

Jugo watched as their fight continued, confusion dawning on him.

"Nothing," he heard Sasuke say. "We just walked."

"Walk my butt!" Suigetsu countered.

Jugo, even though he couldn't see him, he got the sense that Sasuke was rolling his eyes. "What's it to you?" he heard him ask. "It's not like you even like her."

Jugo caught Suigetsu snorting, (he knew that it was Suigetsu 'cause Sasuke rarely ever snorted). "You're right, I don't like her, but I don't want this team disbanded. And if you guys continue to 'date', you'll break up, and so will this team."

Again, Jugo felt Sasuke roll his eyes. "You're worried about the team?" He could tell that Suigetsu was nodding. "Don't be. I won't let this team break up, and neither will Karin and I."

What's their problem? he wondered before turning back to his birds.