Sasuke: Karin and Suigetsu?

Kanoi: Leave me alone.

Sasuke: Why am I ALWAYS the bad guy?

Kanoi: You HAVE to ask?

Sasuke: What's that supposed to mean!?

Naruto: She has a point, ya know.

Kanoi: Thank you.

Sasuke: I hate you both.

Kanoi & Naruto: No you don't!

Sasuke: Yes, I do.

Kanoi: Fine. Then you can do the disclaimer.

Sasuke: -glares at Kanoi- Kanoi claims all rights to Naruto. And she thinks Kishimoto smells.

Kanoi: Are you trying to get me sued!?

Sasuke: Yes.

Kanoi: …Oh…. Well then… NONE OF THAT WAS TRUE!!! SASUKE IS A DIRTY LIAR!!!!

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Karin scowled. Her wrists hurt from the damn chakra ropes those Konoha ninjas had tied her up with. Suigetsu had better come back for her! She glanced up as she heard low voices coming toward her.

Neji stared the woman down, Hinata standing timidly behind him.

"So," Neji began, "where is Uchiha Sasuke?"

Karin smirked obnoxiously. "Why should I tell you?"

Neji's eyes narrowed. "What is he after?"

"What do you think?" Karin asked with an attempt at a casual shrug (the movement was made difficult by her hands being bound).

Neji's fist clenched.

He tried another question. "Why did he assemble a team?"

"Hell if I know."

Quicker than Karin could process, Neji was clutching the front of her shirt and growling through clenched teeth, "You try my patience." The odd position caused pain to shoot through Karin's back and shoulders.

As quickly as he had been upon her, he was gone.

"Neji-nii-san, stop! That's enough!" Hinata shouted as she stood protectively in front of Karin, eyes determined.

The Hyuugas stared each other down while Karin watched the scene with confusion.

The tension was broken by the crackle of Neji's radio. At some undecipherable command the two Konoha shinobi left Karin to herself in the ice cold cell. She slumped in exhaustion.

She wasn't sure how long had passed when she finally felt the chakra ropes fall away.

"It's about time you showed up, you lazy ass," Karin grouched as she examined her wrists.

"Stop your nagging," Suigetsu replied.

"I will nag all I want! It's your fault I got captured!" Karin shouted in irritation.

Suigetsu winced at the volume of his teammate's voice. "I had to let you get captured."

"What do you mean?" Karin's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

For the first time since she'd known him, Suigetsu seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Sasuke told me to let you get captured," the swordsman muttered so quietly that Karin almost didn't hear him.

Only she did hear him, and the words stung her ears like no others ever had.

"He wanted me to get caught?" Could that have really been her voice? It was so numb, so weak. It was so far from her usual confidence and bravado.

"I-I think it was some sort of test…" Suigetsu stopped scrounging for useless words when he saw genuine hurt on Karin's face.

To the amazement of both members of Team Hebi, Suigetsu wrapped his arms around the red-head as tears fell from her eyes.

"Let go," Karin mumbled in embarrassment, but she couldn't find the strength or will to push away his comfort.

After no more than ten minutes, Suigetsu finally pulled away from the embrace.

"We need to go before someone returns to check on you."

After she wiped the final tears from her eyes, Karin gave a resolute nod. "Let's go."

When someone finally did return to check on Karin, she was no where to be found.