This was a fun chapter to write. I tried to tie some things back into the manga and give the story a bit more action. I took a few liberties with Karin though. I hate not knowing much about her, but her "detect chakra from far away" ability from far away ability seems kind of lame for a fight. So . . . I tried to imagine how she could apply her abilities in battle, and the result is below. Thanks for your patience!

Brothers, Cousins, Uchiha! Heed my words! You place your fate in the hands of men who would just as soon betray you and destroy you! Do not be fools! Stay with those you can trust! Trust in my wisdom, my power, and the Uchiha will rule this land!

-Madara Uchiha to the Uchiha Council, One Year before the Leaf

After Action Combat Report - Debriefing 18 April 112th Year of the Leaf -

Ninja Team: Haruno, Sakura Event Type: Ambush Event Rank: A

Classification: SECRET - RELEASABLE TO THE VILLAGE OF THE SAND

I had just finished training when I detected a slight chakra fluctuation that was not my own. It was impatient and angry, and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. I ducked back behind the waterfall where I had been meditating and into the small enclave where I had stored my gear. There was a chance whoever it was had not seen me, and I wanted to keep it that way. I might have mistaken the change in the environment for a tourist, as they sometimes frequent this location, but I was certain I had felt this chakra - this horrible angry and broken chakra before. If he was here, then he was not likely to be alone.

I dressed hastily, taking the time only to put on my black combat type bra an equipment belt. I threw the backpack over my shoulders and took a moment to plan my next action. At best, I knew I needed to spot the enemy before they spotted me, at worse they were waiting strategically for me to come out of the enclave, where I would be an easy target on the open water. Unfortunately it was the latter.

I was just starting to climb the wet rocks behind the waterfall when someone got impatient with me and decided I needed to be encouraged to show myself. The whole earth around me began to shake as if it were an earthquake. I heard an angry howl from far above me, and from the noise I could visualize my attacker pounding the cliffs above with inhuman strength to start a rock slide. The rocks around me began to crack and tumble. I knew there was no sense in trying to stay hidden any longer. It would only get me buried alive.

I burst forth from the falls out onto the open water, my fists swelling with chakra as I searched for a target. I found three. A big man above and behind me at the top of the cliffs, a pointy-teethed swordsman on the riverbank, and a cocky red headed female in front of me. I had researched them thoroughly after our last encounter. They called themselves team Hebi, and they were loyal to Sasuke. It was figuring out exactly who Sasuke was loyal to anymore that was the hard part.

I doubted somehow that they had come to discuss such mysteries politely, and decided a quick offense was the best defense, especially since it was three on one. I loaded more chakra in my right hand and charged down the river at Karin, who just stood their smiling sweetly. She gave me a little wave just before the silver haired swordsman known as Suigetsu cut me off in a blur of motion. I leapt over his initial horizontal cut and somersaulted behind him. The impact of my landing caused a splash big enough to wet us both, but I managed to keep enough balancing chakra going that I didn't sink under the rippling waves. I ducked low and swept my leg at both of his, hoping to topple him, but he leapt nimbly in the air and turned in one motion. He held his sword aloft and prepared to bring it down on me full force.

This was a mistake in my mind. He wouldn't be able to dodge effectively in freefall and my next blow would crush both him and his sword. But I should have known his weapon was no ordinary sword. It just absorbed the impact of my intercepting punch. The recoil was impressive. I was sent skipping across the water like a stone.

Before I could recover completely, Karin was on me. She descended on me from above as I struggled to stand on unsteady waters. In her left hand she pointed a kunai for a killing thrust, in her right hand she twirled a net above her head. She threw the net and I saw it crackle with paralyzing energy.

I realized two things in that moment. The first was that their intent was to capture, not kill me. The second was that the combination between the two had been rehearsed, and would have worked if I was on dry land. The only way to go was down, into the murky blue depths of the Destiny River.

I cut the chakra holding me on the surface of the river and dove into the water. I removed my backpack and used its weight to help me dive faster, clearing my ears with a slight yawn. I needed to reach the bottom as quickly as possible. As long as I was submerged with nothing under my feet, I was at an extreme disadvantage. Underwater, the sound of the falls was multiplied to my right, reaching me as a muffled thunderous roar. It almost drowned out the whooshing sound of the danger following me into the depths.

Suigetsu had summoned ten long chakra eels. His silhouette above still had his palms pressed against the water. They darted through the water with blinding speed. I touched the bottom just as the first one reached me, and I swung the arm with the bag up to defend myself from an open maw full of jagged teeth. The bag tore free of my hand, its flap coming open and the contents spilling out into the lazy currents.

I made a desperate grab for anything I could save as I pirouetted underwater to avoid the missile like bite of a second eel. I came up with a single scroll in my right hand.

I cried out in pain as a third eel latched onto an ankle and began to wind itself around my leg. The eels made an eerie siren call in the water as they seemed to sense victory. I kicked the one off my leg with my free foot, and then grabbed another by the tail as it darted by. I swung this eel in a wide arc so that it impacted viciously with three of its comrades and they went sailing toward the surface in a bubbly tangle of light blue glowing chakra.

I pocketed the scroll in my pouch and bunched chakra in my legs and in my right hand.

"Shanarro!" I cried in a bubble-filled underwater voice as I launched myself toward the first target I could see. I felt the rocky bottom give way and crater with a tremendous shake of the earth as I propelled myself through the water. I don't think Karin saw me coming until it was nearly too late.

As I breached the surface like a dolphin, she did something to me that I still can't explain. I had enough of a strike prepared to knock her unconscious, but somehow she suppressed the chakra in my hand just before I connected. Could she not only detect and identify me by my chakra, as Kakashi-sensei's research encounter with her indicated, but also somehow suppress it? This would be very useful in Ochimaru's laboratories. I still connected under her chin with a satisfying thwack that lifted her off her feet and sent her head first into the river as I continued upward. It felt good. I'd wanted to do that for a long time.

I was almost at the pinnacle of my vertical motion when I became aware of Suigetsu suddenly appearing behind and above me with his sword held high. There was nothing I could do to avoid his mighty cut, and I watched in fascination as my body was split in two.

Sometimes the old tricks are still the best. As the two halves of my log replacement body fell away, I feared team Hebi might have the intent to kill me after all. Still, Karin didn't sound too happy with Suigetsu as she cursed him from below for being careless.

I heard the former mist ninja utter the word "replacement" as if it where a swear word as the white smoke from my justsu cleared and I planted my feet on his shoulders. I kicked out hard, sending Suigetsu into the river with a tremendous splash and propelling myself even higher into the air. I had aimed for the cliffs, intending to run for high ground, but I had momentarily forgotten about the deranged source of the cursed seal, Jugo.

The brute ran along the side of the cliff, using centripetal force and his chakra to keep him attached. He leapt at me and tackled me in mid air. His breath made me wretch as he began to transform and we tumbled into the river in a mess of arms and limbs.

He was huge and smothering compared to my tiny frame, and I gritted my teeth as his bear hug began to make my joints pop. I attempted to head butt him off of me, and he responded with a snarl, but his grip did loosen. A right hook connected with the side of my rib cage as he pushed away. I heard several ribs crack, and I knew that was one injury that was going to take a while to repair.

Then the eels were on me again. One sunk its teeth into my wrist as it wrapped itself around my torso, binding my arms to my body. I screamed a gargled scream as two more bound my legs. Finally, a third wrapped itself securely around my throat. I cursed as I tried in vain to reach the scroll in my pouch with the fingertips of my left hand. I was sinking, and soon, I would be drowning.

Before that happened I was treated to a tremendous electric shock as all four eels binding me pulsed. I screamed again, and then I blacked out.

I awoke moments later bobbing on the surface of the water like a fisherman's lure. I was still held fast by the eels. The numbing pain of electric shock let me know that I was still alive. My captures stood around me on the water.

Karin knelt down to look me in the eye when she noticed I was awake.

"Well, Well, that was quite a fight you gave us," mocked Karin. "Totally rude of you though, we just wanted to ask you some questions."

"Go to hell!" I croaked at her.

I screamed as another jolt of electricity coursed through my nerves. Panting, I glanced at the hungry looking maws of two eels poised dangerously over my head. The message was clear. At Suigetsu's command, they could tear my head clean off. Jugo was back in his normal form, but his eyes still glowed with demonic intensity and impatience. It wasn't long before he was unable to restrain himself.

"Give back Sasuke!" he roared.

Karin made an annoyed sigh as she glanced up at her brutish companion.

"I said let me do the talking you witless freak of nature!" she snarled.

Then in a sweet tone she said, "We just want the same thing as you, you see. Tell us where Sasuke is. I know you know."

"How the hell should I know where he is," I spat. "If I did, I wouldn't be here!"

"Don't play dumb with us!" Suigetsu interjected. "You know what's hidden here don't you?"

Suigetsu emphasized his words by having his eels squeeze me tighter. One of them hissed near my ear. I was almost impressed with their lifelike quality, but I was more concerned about finding a way out of this mess. I struggled to move my left hand at all. If I could just get my side pouch open . . .

"I was here to train and relax," I said truthfully. "You think I always run solo missions in swimsuits?"

Suigetsu harrumphed and folded his arms, indicating he wouldn't believe me even if what I told them made sense. This was bad. If the truth wouldn't convince them . . .

"Perhaps you hoped to entice Sasuke to come home with you like that," Karin said with a smile that sickened me. "Don't think it would have worked very well with that stick figure of a body of yours."

I wanted to punch her. Again. And much harder this time. She seemed to read this in my gaze, and absent-mindedly rubbed her jaw. I tried to shuffle my legs to see if I could get my pouch to ride any higher on my hip, but it was no use.

"Struggling won't do any good," Suigetsu said politely. "And you'll only make them mad. Better start talking, they're getting hungry."

I decided not to bother telling him his chakra summoned pets weren't like real summons and didn't have feelings, but it gave me an idea. If I could just shift the Mist-swordsman's concentration, even a little . . .

"Fine," I said in mock defeat. "But I warn you, Sasuke warned me that you three would show up someday. Believe me when I say he's not going to be pleased that you found him. He's likely to kill you all. Especially you, Jugo. You annoy him."

Jugo stared acidly at me and ground his teeth loud enough that I could actually hear the crunching noise. Karin's other personality broke in, and she slapped me.

"Liar!" she screamed. "You're just a jealous little whore!"

"You don't have to believe me," I said calmly. "But Sasuke finally rid himself of that cursed mark, and now he doesn't want Jugo anywhere near him."

I was grasping at rumors now. It was a dangerous game, lying to your captures. If this rumor was false and their information was better than mine . . .

Jugo bought it.

"Sasuke!" he bellowed. "No! He promised!"

Suigetsu stepped back in fear as Jugo began to transform, his facial features distorting as the cursed mark spread its black splotchy pattern over his face and body. The grip of the eels loosened only slightly. There was plenty of blood oozing from the bite on my wrist. It was all I needed.

"Summoning jutsu!" My voice rang out down the canyon, and a giant white pillar of smoke filled the valley, obscuring everything. When it finally cleared, I relished in the awed and terrified faces of my enemies. Even the manic Jugo looked stunned and uncertain about what to do.

"Hello Katsuya-sama." I said weakly as I began to heal my ribs. The eels had snapped and vanished completely. "Sorry to bring you into this, but I was having a bit of trouble with these three."

"Oh! Hello, Sakura-chan." The Matriarch of Slugs said wistfully. "I don't mind. Is this the Valley of the End? It's beautiful."

I wasn't sure how she could see any of it at all, since at the tips of her eye-stalks she was taller than the highest portion of the cliffs, and she blocked out almost everything besides the falls themselves beneath her. I leapt from her back onto her head to get a better view myself.

Below, Karin appeared to be arguing with Suigetsu about something. From what I could gather, they didn't know I could summon at a master level. I was about to show them what else Katsuya could do. Katsuya's bulk was blocking off the river and the valley was slowly starting to flood. I watched in amusement as Karin and Suigetsu scrambled for higher ground, pushing and shoving each other out of the way. Meanwhile, Jugo had decided to charge at Katsuya in anger.

"Katsuya," I said. "Would you mind capturing those three without hurting them please?"

"Oh," giggled the giant slug in her soft voice. "That should be no trouble at all."

A high pressure stream of some sort of blue liquid flew from what I'll call Katsuya's orifice. It caught Jugo right in the sternum and knocked him backwards. The liquid was actually a kind of sticky goo that began to harden as soon as it touched anything. Jugo was soon fastened to the rocky shore in a cocoon that even he could not budge. He struggled uselessly and snarled with only his head visible.

Karin was caught next. The spray fastened to her ankles and then quickly worked its way up the rest of her body, plastering her to the rocks a few hundred meters above Jugo. Suigetsu cut through the spray a few times with his sword, and he was faster than his comrades, but Katsuya seemed to have an endless supply of the stuff, and eventually Suigetsu wore down and found himself stuck upside down against the eastern wall.

"Thank you, Katsuya-sama." I told my slug friend. "That was great!"

"Anytime, Sakura-chan. That was fun."

"Do you think you could hang around for a moment while I interrogate them?" I asked the Queen of all slugs. "I wonder if they'd believe me if I told them I'll feed them to you if they don't tell me what I want to know."

"Oh dear, Sakura-Chan! I would never . . ."

I laughed. "I know, I know. Just kidding."

Moments later I was kneeling in front of Karin. She was covered in a hardened blue shell spread eagle and prone on the grey rocks. For once, she had nothing to say as she gazed up at me with fearful eyes.

"Now then," I said as I cracked my knuckles. "It's my turn to ask the questions."

Intelligence Report - Debriefing 18 April 112th Year of the Leaf -

Ninja Team: Haruno, Sakura Event Type: Rogue Ninja Investigation Event Rank: A

Classification: SECRET - RELEASABLE TO THE VILLAGE OF THE SAND

This was my first interrogation. I tried to follow protocol with what little I had available to me, and considering the setting I think I did fairly well. After giving Karin the initial threat I dismissed Katsuya and set out to gather what supplies of mine I could still find. I found the backpack floating not far downstream, and was relieved to find that most of the medical supplies were still intact. There was also a change of clothes, but they were soaked and unusable for now. As I approached my prisoners again I realized I was getting pretty annoyed with Jugo's constant screaming and struggling. His cocoon was even beginning to crack a little. I gave him a finger flick to the temple and he lay still. The curse mark receded from his features, and for once the big man looked peaceful. Karin witnessed this and went pale.

With a special acid-based solvent one can cut through slug saliva in its quick-hardened form. I cut Karin loose from the rocks but left her in her cocoon and sat her up as best I could. This drew a string of curses and foul language from Suigetsu, who was still stuck upside down on the cliff. I wasn't really sure how I was going to get him down anyway, so I just waved politely at him.

I remembered that interrogation is as much about who to interrogate as it is about how. Sometimes it is best to choose the weakest link, and sometimes it is best to go with the leader. I chose Karin because I thought she might represent both.

Once she realized by the questions I was asking that I really had no idea where Sasuke was, she seemed to relax a little. She was less threatened by me now, which I knew I could use, but the drawback was she was determined more than ever not to share what she knew about Sasuke with me. I found myself wishing I had mastered even a little genjustu already. It would have been very useful in the situation I had found myself in.

It was getting late, and the sun was begging to sink on the horizon when I took a risk. I offered to help them find Sasuke, and though I told her I could not speak for Konoha, I told her I would not try to take Sasuke back on my own, that they would have the advantage if we were to find him soon. This would mean letting them go. Though the members of team Hebi were wanted criminals, I figured that if they worked with me they could be caught again.

This is where I left protocol. I am aware this decision was above my authority, and I will accept whatever discipline is decided upon, however I feel the information obtained as a result was well worth it.

The three of them had run into Kabuto, or more accurately Kabuto found them after a mysterious ninja in an orange mask took Sasuke from them. Karin said she was convinced he was from Konoha because he was acting like an idiot. Karin confirmed that Kabuto was indeed still slowly transforming into some kind of half Ochimaru – half Kabuto monster. Karin, who is said to still be loyal to Ochimaru's ideals, was terrified when she told me of this. Nevertheless, the mentally disturbed ninja scientist told me Kabuto wanted to help Hebi find Sasuke, and that he apparently wanted nothing in return. He kept saying it was all part of his new existence. For many months Kabuto had been sending them to investigate leads, and each time they had come up empty. They were getting frustrated with the man Karin kept referring to as a "freak."

This time Kabuto had directed them to search for a secret lair hidden within the statue of Madara, at the Valley of the End. They had come looking for it when they had run into me, and assumed I was investigating the same information. Hearing this, I took a few moments to check in and around the base of the colossal statue, but could find nothing.

Karin could not keep quiet about how she was certain she could detect traces of Sasuke's presence in this place, and that it was strongest by the waterfall where I had been meditating. I had thought at first that she was just feeling the remains of Naruto and Sasuke's battle those years ago, but as I returned to her finding nothing, I made my decision.

I cut her loose, but kept a kunai trained on her as I told her to lead me to the area where Sasuke's presence was the strongest. She held her hands out in front of her and closed her eyes like she was in some trance. Eventually, she lead me to the same enclave where I had stowed my gear while I trained. A close examination of the dark wall revealed the circle and stick symbol of the Uchiha clan, and other markings. The moment I touched the symbol a barrier activated.

Karin easily suppressed a barrier that would have made all my strength useless. I couldn't help but wish we had had her on our side when we were trying to save Gaara from the Akatsuki. Punching through was easy for me after that. I'll never forget the site that lay before us in the cavernous space within. There was a bed with old bandages lying nearby in the corner of the small cave. The bandages were crusted with dried blood.

Karin fell to her knees.

"Sasuke was here," she whispered. "And someone . . . someone very powerful . . . I . . .so much power."

Karin was actually trembling at this point, and it worried me greatly. She had been slightly afraid of me it was true, but even in the short time I had known her I could never have imagined her to be this terrified.

I pulled on some latex gloves and began collecting evidence at once.

The air was thick with the smell of sulfur and of charred flesh and clothes. There had been a terrible blast of fire in here. I was certain I was seeing the scars of Amaturasu, the Sharingan's deadliest flame attack. But Sasuke wasn't able to use it, as far as we knew. I wondered if it could have been the masked Akatsuki member, who also had the powerful eye technique. Regardless of who it was, to use a technique like that in here, in such a confined space . . . the result might be suicidal. It didn't make any sense.

I collected hairs, bloody bandages, anything I could get DNA off of. I checked in the wooden boxes of supplies, the small lamp on the crude nightstand by the bed. I was afraid it was going to be a dead end. Then under the bed I found a small folded up piece of parchment. I would recognize Sasuke's crisp angular handwriting anywhere. The note read;

Sasuke,

I'm writing this to myself and hiding it within these scrolls in case I wake up and find I do not remember who I am. I think I've been here three days while this person claiming to be Madara continues to tend to my wounds. Though he is helping me, I do not rust him. His claims are outrageous, and I should dispose of him quickly weather it was what my brother really wanted or not. He's practically admitted to helping in the destruction of the Uchiha.

However, I am an avenger, and if Konoha really was behind what happened that day, then nothing will save them from my wrath. But first I need to start where my brother left off, I need to discover the truth behind Akatsuki and this Madara. To do this I must join them. The day the Kyuubi . . .

The rest of the note was torn off, and there was no sign of any scrolls on the nearby shelves. They must have been transported to a new location. There was so much in this note that I was still struggling to comprehend it all.

"Akatsuki," I whispered as I fell to my knees and let the note slip from my fingers. Karin, to her credit actually looked concerned as the tears began to well in my eyes. "No, Sasuke is . . ."

Karin picked up the note and read it. Then, without a word, she turned and disappeared in a splash through the raging waterfall. I didn't even raise my voice in an attempt to stop her from freeing her teammates and fleeing with them, and she kept the note with her.

In the end the note was no great loss, the DNA evidence of Sasuke's presence is overwhelming, and investigators agree with me on the Amaturasu scars along the cave walls. Kakashi-sensei is taking over the investigation for me while I complete my training. I only hope I can complete it in time.