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Chapter 5

Juugo sat in the medium sized tent, his large hands resting lightly on his knees. The mat was firm under his legs, but somehow he could not find a comfortable position, and therefore fidgeted almost constantly. His reddish-amber eyes flickered to the entrance once more, and his fingers traced nervously over the skin present on the back of his left hand. His wrists were bare, and felt oddly bare, seeing as they had been constantly restrained by large chakra repressors until only a few days ago.

Karin was dying. It was a pure, unadulterated fact, and yet Juugo wished for nothing more than to disregard the severity. Karin was always so…energetic, she couldn't be dying.

At least, that was the mindset Juugo carried until he visited yesterday, and saw her lying there in the tent next to the one he shared with several wary medic-nin…lifeless and barely breathing. Her usually flushed cheeks were pale and tinged a faint gray; her hair tangled in a midst of dust and dried blood. The only sign of life was the pulse that ticked weakly in her neck.

According to the medic in charge of Karin, the girl had been struggling to defend herself against an animal summon when a building beside her suddenly exploded. The force of the explosion had thrown her back, and a large shard of glass had pierced her chest, missing her heart by the barest of an inch. If she hadn't been found when she had – a pair of ANBU came across her just moments after the building exploded – she would have died. At least now she had a chance. A slim chance, but a chance nonetheless, and Juugo clung to it desperately.

He had been in the hospital when Pain began his attack.

Juugo sighed as he felt the pretty pink-haired nurse's chakra wash over him, easing the itch of his seal as it tried to activate. He concentrated on the smell of her hair – a clean, warm scent – and the comfort of her body heat as she bent over him to focus her attention on the back of his neck, where the cursed seal was located. The chakra suppressors were absent from his wrists, as it was necessary for his chakra flow to be normal, in order to effectively gather information on Juugo's chakra flow and its relation to his mental instability.

His eyes shyly flickered up to glance at her face, which was pursed into a frown of concentration as she carefully did her work. According to her, Juugo's chemical imbalance was beginning to realign itself, and if they were lucky, after another month of daily treatment, Juugo would be able to begin the waning of medication dosage. The process of eliminating the need for drugs altogether would be a long one, but it could be done, and that made Juugo happier than he could properly convey. No longer would he have to worry about that dark side of his mind flashing before his eyes, whispering and hissing as it took control. No longer would he have to hide away in fear of hurting those he cared for.

Juugo could finally be free.

He had gone to Orochimaru to be free of the curse, and instead another curse had been placed upon him. It succeeded in making his life a living hell instead of a hell present only in his unstable mind. Mindless sadness coupled with the indescribable fear of losing control, the constant darkness and emptiness of his cell…it was all horribly lonely.

And then, the door had opened, and the face of Sasuke Uchiha had appeared before his eyes. The boy that Kimimaro talked about, the boy that Juugo's dearest friend had died for. This was Sasuke Uchiha.

But of course, he was in his dark state then, and of course these thoughts didn't appear until after his fit of rage had subsided. It wasn't until Hikari gently took his hand that he realized that he didn't have to stay in his cell forever. Sasuke Uchiha could control him with his Sharingan…he could make everything better.

The nurse's chakra touched a particularly sensitive spot within Juugo's curse seal, and he shifted slightly in discomfort. The young woman smiled in apology, moving so she wasn't causing him any pain.

"I'm sorry, Juugo. I'll be more careful from now on," the girl said apologetically, patting his arm consolingly before returning to her work.

Juugo knew the girl's name. He knew it and he longed to use it. But something held him back. Names were significant; they placed an emotional connection with the person, a connection that could be dangerous. She had told him her name, in that warm, confidant way that reminded him strangely of Hikari – a sudden feeling of loneliness flushed through him, and he realized that it had been nearly a month since they had last seen each other – but Juugo refused to say it out loud.

She was so precious…much too beautiful to be tainted by a friendship with a mentally imbalanced monster like him. Her innocence was so bright and soft, warmer than even Hikari's was. Hikari was darker, more weathered, and her eyes held a deep underlying shadow, the shadow of experience that was present in Suigetsu's eyes, in the Sharingan user with silver hair's eyes, and in Sasuke's eyes.

It hurt him to see this pure, innocent little creature smile at him, because he knew that he was growing attached, and that was a huge mistake for someone like him. The only reason he allowed himself to get close to Hikari was because he knew Sasuke would be able to stop him. Here, alone with the pink-haired nurse…there was nothing to stop him.

She was strong, stronger than he would have expected for someone so impossibly delicate – when he stood up, he literally towered over her, the top of her head barely reaching his shoulder. But not strong enough. If he had his chakra, Juugo could overpower her relatively easily.

Juugo didn't understand the feelings that welled up as the girl moved away, wiping a bit of sweat off of her brow and beaming at him. It was a feeling unlike anything that he had ever felt before. Rage and regret were common emotions for Juugo, but the emotion that welled up at the sight of the pink-haired girl's emerald-green eyes sparkling in contentment, her full lips parting in a soft smile…it was all so confusing.

But he was happy with the confusion. It made him feel warm, cared for…at peace.

The girl scratched away at her clipboard, and then gently pulled Juugo's shirt up over his seal. "Alright, you're all done, Juugo. I hope that it didn't hurt much."

Her voice was so clear and beautiful…and Juugo blinked several times before he found the courage to sully the ethereal purity of the air in which her voice sounded.

"I'm fine. Thank you."

The light of the sun shined on her hair as she ran her fingers through it, and Juugo sucked in a silent breath as she scent of her shampoo wafted over his senses. Those feelings were swelling up again, stronger this time. He felt the bizarre urge to pull her to him, and press his face into the crook of her neck. What was wrong with him?

Suddenly, there was a boom, and the entire hospital shook. The girl stumbled, and Juugo was by her side in an instant, his hands – he marveled at how large they were compared to her tiny ones – gently touching her shoulders to steady her. She thanked him, and rushed to the window.

Juugo followed her, and his eyes widened as he saw large and malicious-looking animal summons destroying the village, their eyes purple and eerie as they roared and screamed. The girl's tiny hands – their diminutive size, not betraying any of her insane strength, never ceased to fascinate Juugo – clenched in fury, and Juugo stared down at her as she turned to face him.

"Juugo…"

He could sense the concern in her eyes, his natural intuition at reading the emotions of animals assisting him in pulling the unspoken question from her mind.

"This is the only place where I have felt truly in control of myself. I will stay, and I will fight…with you," he said, his voice faltering somewhat toward the end of his statement, but fortunately the girl didn't comment on it, instead staring into his eyes for a moment longer.

"Alright…" she murmured, and after another long moment of searching Juugo's face, she went on, "If we're being attacked, then we need to start evacuating patients. There are emergency teleportation scrolls available on all floors, but there are only so many patients that can be teleported at one time. You need to help the medics by gathering the patients of each floor into the lobby, so that teleportation will be made easier. If the animal summons reach the hospital…"

Juugo nodded, and she made to go, but stopped suddenly. Her eyes – so vibrant in the light of the sun – held his for a long, strangely impacting moment. She seemed confused, and Juugo joined her in the confusion when her fingers came into contact with the back of his hand. Juugo felt a flush of warmth, and decided that he liked the feeling of her fingers on his skin. They were calloused and rough, and Juugo could feel the raised scars littered across the surfaces of them. They held impossible strength, and yet now, they were uncharacteristically hesitant.

"Be safe, please," she said softly.

And then she was gone.

Samui sat quietly near the entrance of the tent, watching silently as the pink-haired medic – she introduced herself as Sakura Haruno – fussed over the comatose Hokage of Konohagakure. Omoi and Karui were outside, both questioning jounin about what exactly had occurred. Samui was more interested in the condition of the Hokage, and the information this young apprentice of said Hokage might hold concerning the Akatsuki.

Sakura's eyes were worried beyond words, and the anxiety was clear in the way she kept running her hands over her sensei, hands glowing with healing chakra in order to check the older woman's vitals. There was something wrong, and Samui could sense it. But duty overpowered curiosity, and instead of asking why the young woman was so scared, she settled for asking the question expected by the Raikage.

The medic looked up, her eyes focusing on Samui. "The Akatsuki?"

Samui nodded, repeating, "Do you have any information we can use?" Sakura's eyes lowered to her hands, and she nodded slowly, her fingers interlacing as she began to take deep breaths.

"They're trying to capture the Jinchuuriki, but I'm sure you know that," she said, and Samui didn't bother replying, instead studying the girl as she continued. "There are ten members in total, six of which are dead, and one of which recently defected. Their leader is Madara Uchiha. The whereabouts of the other two members are currently unknown. Madara…he…" the girl faltered, and Samui's eyes narrowed.

"What is it?"

"He recently captured a girl named Hikari…she was traveling with Sasuke for at least a year before his return to the village. She lived in Sound for a time, and therefore when they came to Konoha we immediately had her chakra restrained."

Samui nodded. Such behavior toward a Sound-nin – whether currently a Sound-nin or not, the threat still remained – was logical, and she waited for Sakura to continue.

"We don't know why he captured her, but I have a feeling that it was to get back at Sasuke for not joining Akatsuki. I don't think she's dead…but I…"

The Konoha medic seemed unable to continue.

Samui stared at the girl, her ice-blue eyes focusing on equally vivid green ones, and Sakura finally continued, "I think that's why Sasuke and Naruto left…to go look for her."

Samui sighed, "So…you're saying that the girl is with Madara now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is she on his side?"

Sakura's eyes lowered. "I…I'd like to think that she's fighting him. She's strong; if anyone could fight him mentally it would be her. But I've also studied extensively on the capabilities of the Sharingan, and so I know better than to imagine that he's just going to physically force her to obey."

"You think there is a chance that her mind has been tampered with?" Samui asked, and the Konoha medic nodded. "So is it safe to say that if we find this girl, we will find Madara?" When Sakura nodded once more, Samui rose to her feet, and bowed her head to the girl before exiting the tent.

The key to finding the leader of the Akatsuki was finding this girl…Hikari, her name was. This was important information, and Samui knew that she and her team must leave as soon as possible in order to relay the message back to their Raikage. Omoi and Karui were speaking to the replacement Hokage about the Raikage's message, and she waved them over silently.

"We're leaving now," the blonde said, and Omoi nodded somberly, his expression strikingly different from the open relief that Karui showed on her face. The younger woman was relieved, and stretched her arms over her head.

"Finally! All this depressing death stuff is making my head hurt…"

Omoi rolled his eyes, speaking to Samui quietly, "We managed to get some information on the Jinchuuriki and the Uchiha kid; apparently the Uchiha is now on the assassination list for kidnapping the Nine Tailed Fox…and something about a lover…I have it all in this file. Did you learn anything?"

Samui nodded, and the three made their way toward the entrance of the village.

They would retrieve their weapons, and then head out. It would take a week or so to reach their village, and then the Raikage would plan their next course of action. Samui looked up at the clear blue sky, and her eyes darkened in slight melancholy.

She missed the shadowy blanket of clouds and thunder that usually cloaked the sky of Kumogakure. She always grudgingly accepted the fact that there was hardly ever any blue sky and sweet sunshine in her village.

She was not unhappy there; for it was all she knew, and yet she could not help but wonder what it would be like to live somewhere where the air was dry and the sky was free of any electricity. What would the hot summer sun feel like on her skin?

Now, as she stared at the blank blue sky…Samui wished for nothing more than for the heavens to darken and the comforting rumble of thunder fill the air. Back home, at least, the air was always making noise, so she never felt truly alone with her thoughts. There, the water refreshed her senses and the electricity made her skin tingle pleasantly.

Here, in Konohagakure, the air was dry, yes, but it was lonely. There was no sound…there was only the faint rustling of leaves, and even that sound was dull and predictable. There was no pesky rain to avoid, but there was also an unpleasant stickiness of sweat that coated her skin as a result of the relentless sun.

Samui knew that her feelings of unrest weren't just a result of homesickness.

Something was going to happen. Something big, something evil, and something that would change the fate of the world of shinobi.

The blonde had always known that Kumogakure was a place of comfort, a place bereft of fear. It was the place in which she had grown up, where she had spent years exploring the mountains and caves surrounding the village, a sort of playground for her, a place of security. It was the place she loved, and would die to protect. Before now, Samui had never imagined that anything bad would happen to her homeland. She would never have to die for it, because what could happen?

But now, as she stared up at the sky, and glanced back at the decimated village of Konoha…she knew with perfect clarity that this time, even Kumogakure would not be able to avoid what was soon to strike.

A single hawk, proud and strikingly alone, soared silently above them, a speck of black in the ocean of blue sky, and Samui watched it until it vanished over the hills of endless trees.