Alright. The story is about to change tone. I've warned you all several times. This is a bad fic to be reading! That means I don't want any flames at the end of the story. I started out with full intention to give you what you will receive.

Dedicated to 'Nothing and Everything' by Red

Enemies

Hebi, for the most part, was unconcerned with the chaos they left in their wake. Tsunako's voice rang out behind them, snarling and growling about the group who'd taken Maori. Kira cringed as she heard the name. Silently, she thanked Juugo with her eyes for the name he'd given her. He smiled over his shoulder in reply, but something about it struck her as forced. It must be my imagination... I'm getting paranoid.

Sasuke was the first to melt into the shadows of the forest outside the town, and one by one his brood did the same. As soon as they were out of sight, the Uchiha brought them to a halt. Kira was ready to follow the group's lead and have a seat, when Karin stalked toward her.

Rage played across her features, her glasses were horribly transparent, showing Kira the hate blazing in her eyes. "You..." the word was a feral sound from the back of her throat.

Kira stepped back, too shocked to run. Fear made her vision hazy for a moment. Since Sasuke insists on interfering so often, now would be a good time for him to do so... She looked to him for the first time since joining the group. His gaze was penetrating and calm. Useless! Just when I need him to-!

Juugo yelled something, but Kira didn't catch what he said. She was preoccupied with Karin's fist. The first punch threw her, and then her instincts took over. Kira rolled expertly and caught the other's ankle, using it to throw her forcefully onto her back. The redhead's gasp reached her and barely registered with her as she pinned Karin. Pain shot through her elbow, and she ignored it, no longer thinking, but running on full muscle memory.

"Enough, you won," hot breath pressed on her ear, and Kira's arm seemed to move on its own, her fist trying to break Karin's nose. Fortunately, whatever was causing her pain was restraining her as well. "Stop Kira."

Reason finally began to return to her. Karin was breathing hard. Suigetsu was clapping. Juugo was saying something. Only Sasuke was silent. Kira relaxed, backing off and realizing it was him who'd kept her from permanently injuring the other woman.

As she stood, Karin sat up in a labored manner. Her hand glowed briefly over her ribs. Did... Did I break one of her ribs? The air was dense and immobile as Kira tried to breath. Her first instinct was to apologize. However, she held her tongue as Karin gave her another look of pure venom.

"You bitch!" She breathed, her fingers digging into her sore side. "This is not over..."

"I'm afraid it is over." Kira almost jumped. Somehow she'd forgotten Sasuke was still beside her. His hand on her right arm had slackened and no longer hurt. His touch was soft, precise. "I let you have your try at defeating her. You lost. It's over." Now he turned his unnerving gaze upon Kira.

His eyes were black and flames danced in them. She got the message. Her physical fight with Karin was over, but he was not through with her. Sasuke's examination of her would merely be resumed at a later time.

Karin was sputtering savagely and interjecting the sound with insults as she stood. A renewed sense of apprehension settled over the traveling party. This time Sasuke kept a firm hold on her as they walked, his fingers tight around her elbow.

Suigetsu had made it loud and clear; he was upset that were once more making the forest floor their beds. Camp was set up quickly; it was a well-worn routine now that Kira seemed to be fully integrated with their group. It seemed that her fight with Karin had been some kind of final initiation, and she had passed. The group laid down into sleeping bags. They were asleep quickly, knowing they would rise with the dawn.

Sunlight was breaking onto the eastern horizon, but there was hardly enough to light the celestial being's own corner of the sky. Hebi's piece of the heavens was still gray. Kira sat up. The fire was dwindling, and the chill of the night was still thick in the air, as would be expected for the next few hours.

Steeling herself against the bite of the air, Kira crawled from the sleeping bag to sit by the lightly breathing fire. She set down by it. Reaching into it carefully, she decided she would test her speed. Her hand moved faster than even her own eye could follow. Almost as if she'd willed it there, one of the smoldering sticks rested in her palm. Shivering, she cast off the wet, icy fear coiling in her belly.

She cupped her hand around the glowing end and blew gently upon it, hoping to coax a full flame with which to reanimate the embers. The stick was uncooperative. It's glow damped with her initial breath, and then barely climbed back to its previous warmth. Maybe my breath is too wet...? Kira waved the fingers of her protective hand, suspecting that the forest air might better induce the flames. Instead, it flared briefly, and then went out. "Damn it...!"

The heat of another nearby body brushed her back, and she turned to see Karin kneel next to her. Kira became rigid. It was too dark at first to see the redhead's expression. Nimbly, she snatched Kira's twig and used it to turn the fire over. As she moved the top layer of twigs back, the smoldering heart of the fire blushed crimson. The cold disdain on Karin's face showed, and was sharpened by the harsh light as flames rose.

Bottom lip clenched between her teeth, Kira kept her eye trained on the pyre. What am I supposed to do? Does she want to talk? Karin's continued silence was daunting.

"No matter what Sasuke says..." Kira jumped upon hearing the other's monotone. "This is not over..."

It was a moment before the threat sank in. It inflamed the smaller girl, and the smallest bit of anger overcame her fear. "No, he's right. It's over." Hearing her voice hold in strength, she found the courage to meet Karin's gaze. "I beat you. No matter what you do... we both know, I'm stronger." The stripped down truth of the earlier fight caught them both off guard as it was put into words for the first time.

Karin recovered as Kira broke their staring match to return to surveying the fire. "No... There's more to it." Her shoulders tensed in the firelight, and Karin saw that she was getting through, despite Kira's careful mask of apathetic fortitude. "You're an outsider. You are, not in body, but in heart...weak. The stay at the inn made that clear." As if her chin had been grabbed, Kira gave Karin a full view of her white face. "You may have managed to seduce Sasuke into protecting you... But you've made enemies of the rest of us."

The breath left her chest, and Kira wondered if she had audibly gasped as Karin had when she'd hit the ground. She wanted to tell the other woman that Juugo wasn't her enemy. And if Karin insisted on dividing them, Suigetsu wasn't anyone's ally or opponent. And if it was as Karin had said, Sasuke would take her hypothetical side. The Uchiha was the group's leader; he carried an inordinate amount of clout. No one would stand against him, if Karin's beliefs were to be none of these arguments left her throat. 'You've made enemies of the rest of us...' The bright light of dawn was towering over them, the waking sounds of the two men reached them. Sasuke was absent, as usual. Karin stood, walking away and leaving Kira to writhe in her own thoughts.

Their pace was quicker than usual. There had been no chance to gather information in the last town after the brothel incident. Sasuke's impatience to find and finish his elder brother was a palpable force, constantly compelling them onward. The preoccupation had even served to keep his disarming stares from Kira. She took the chance to hide in Juugo's familiar shadow.

They walked together in silence the first day through. It wasn't until the sun was high on their second day out again that Kira seemed to find her voice. 'There's more to it...You're an outsider...' She shivered despite the heat of the daytime landscape.

"Juugo...?" He turned at her address, but made no reply. She almost stopped cold, not used to his apathy. "Is... Is something wrong?"

Juugo didn't answer right away, thinking over his words. "Do...," he paused, taking a calming breath, "Do you really remember nothing but Itachi's face?"

This is a trust issue...? Still? Even after all this time...! Kira grit her teeth, feeling the forceful pain of it into her jaw. "Yes." She told him harshly, thinking she'd left no room for argument.

The man beside her appeared to struggle with himself, but still kept pace with the unaware group easily. "Then..." The fight ended and he settled into his decision like stone. "I think you should leave."

Her first instinct was to yell, to exclaim and disbelieve her ears. You're an outsider... The words rang painfully true in her ears. "Why?" A vicious calm colored her and her senses heightened. "Why should I leave, Juugo-san?" Her pitch had dropped and her gaze was unwavering.

The abrupt change in her demeanor visibly threw him, to her mild satisfaction. Once more, an inner battled waged, and the victor took expedient control. "You're a distraction," he spoke fast, quietly, "We trust Sasuke, we will help him in any way we can to defeat Itachi. After what happened in the inn, and with your memories considered, it would be best if you... disappeared. You're connected to Itachi for sure, but you don't have the information Sasuke needs. You're a distraction."

As he looked down to her, he expected to her blanch, maybe to cry or protest. Instead, Kira's eyes were alight, her soft face suddenly hard and unforgiving. "I see... It is as Karin told me then." Before Juugo could question or argue her comment, she stalked off to stand beside Sasuke.

The Uchiha himself, did not give any sign of noticing what had gone on. However, Karin and Suigetsu had picked up on the furtive clash. The redhead balked as Kira unabashedly approached Sasuke and Suigetsu frowned slightly, shaking his head.

Kira wondered if she was possessed. What the hell am I doing? She could feel the hostile stares at her back. An alien part of herself was awakened. Her face moved almost of its own accord. She cast a cynical smile over her shoulder. Juugo's mouth dropped as she blatantly shunned his advice.

A line had been crossed. The air within the group became dense and heavy. Even Sasuke could no longer ignore the situation as minor quarreling. Hebi came to a halt.

"You..." Juugo's voice deepened and became something guttural. "I will enjoy tearing you to pieces!"

"Sasuke!" Karin wheeled about, seeing the Uchiha activate his sharingan.

A leer pulled at Kira's lips, and her hand rose like a puppet's beckoning Juugo as the transformation began. N-no! This can't be happening! Her mind sloshed against her body like water in a jug. Suigetsu caught the exchange and froze in disbelief. The monster in Juugo took one lumbering step forward, and the group tensed. Except for Kira. She took a lithe step in return, still showing her teeth in a horrific grin.

"Juugo- look at me," Sasuke's voice was commanding, and the other had no thought of disobedience. One connection of their gazes was enough to put him down. The large man collapsed to his knees as the transformation reversed itself. Kira remained standing, feeling something equally as wretched fall back into her inner abyss.

"Oh my god..." She didn't realize she spoke the words aloud and visibly swayed. "What have I done?" Sasuke moved to catch her as she fainted once more.

Suigetsu was helping Juugo up, and Karin was standing in the dead space at the center of the group. As he had so many times before, Sasuke arranged Kira on his back.

It was Karin who stabbed the living, twisting silence. "She... Maori has to go..."

Sasuke stared back at Hebi. Their eyes told him they agreed. The decision was nearly unanimous. The Uchiha thought he might be surprised to hear the words he knew he would speak. Rather than his expectation meeting fruition, calm resignation sat on his chest. "No. Kira will stay."

He didn't wait to see their reactions. The girl's weight on his back was solid, unyielding in any and every respect as he continued into the distance towards his goal. His palms fit well under her knees and her breathing was shallow against his neck. Who are you? The thought was merciless and unrelenting.

The formatting changes that pop up for no reason between open office and the doc manager are pissing me off. I don't want to have to reread each chapter three times for random typos that didn't exist before it was uploaded or freaky page breaks. I'm about to have an aneurysm.

I hope the sudden twist wasn't too much for you. Honestly, this was all preplanned. I have the nest two chapters floating in my head. After that, it should start to wrap up quickly. I'm usually very wrong about gauging my fics as far as length, but I think we've hit the halfway point.

PlEaSe ReViEw!