Ai was having some trouble tolerating her partner today for it seemed as though whatever anyone did or said, it was not going to have a positive effect. The pair had been issued the mission of traveling into the land of fire to record various data for Orochimaru. "Uren..." Ai began, again she was greeted by the cold hard glare of Uren's treacherous green eyes. "Where are we in relation to our target?" Uren remained silent and thrust her map at her, her face looked like a slapped arse. Ai frowned and took the map from her, "thanks" she responded flatly. 'What the fuck crawled up her ass and died? I guess the stalking mission produced negative results? No need to take it out on me you stupid crystal slinging idiot...' Ai was drawn from her thoughts when she clearly felt a presence among the leafy trees here in fire country. "Uren..." she whispered. "I know," she replied calmly, apparently she was well up for a fight. The two stood in a battle stance as they paused to sense their opponent. Ai looked around and raised an eyebrow, "Uren can you hear...like...?" Uren nodded, not moving from her stance. "Like insects?" she replied and a swarm of thousands of insects descended upon them from the side. Uren made a one handed seal and grinned as the bugs crystallized and fell to the ground before reaching their target. Meanwhile Ai had engaged in combat with what appeared to be a very large dog and it's owner. "Kiba!" a boy's voice called from the direction in which the insects had attacked. "Its the same jutsu as that time! We need to make a plan, back off." The brown haired wild eyed boy that was in combat with Ai stopped, allowing Ai to swiftly punch him in the face. "Damn that girl's got a hit! Akamaru, lets go" the dog joined his master as they retreated into the forest. Uren's eye where wide, 'Same jutsu as before? Who were those ninjas?' The pale girl turned to Ai and lead her onwards. "Lets go." She instructed and Ai frowned. "Are you gonna tell me what the actual fuck your problem is any time soon?" the mist ninja screamed at her, Uren's constant attitude since the other day was driving her insane, she wanted her friend back. Uren threw her partner a glare, "No." Ai frowned and folded her arms. "We need to work as a team or we'll be seriously hurt!" Uren wasn't buying it however and stalked gloomily ahead. Ai chased after her reached a hand up to her shoulder. "I don't know what the fuck your deal is right now, but I don't think we should do this at the moment." Uren sighed and turned back the other way. "I guess I have interrogation duties I could attend to and Lord Orochimaru doesn't need anything on this place for another week. I guess we can come back tomorrow?" Ai smiled and nodded at her companion. "That's the spirit! But seriously what the fuck is wrong with you?" Uren shrugged as the girls headed back to base "Just a bad mood I guess, torturing someone to death will definitely solve everything." A smile spread across the girl's ruby red lips as she savoured the memory of her last victim. "You really should find another hobby," Ai murmured. Suddenly another presence was felt at the edge of the forest. "They followed us!" Uren let out as the two kunochi took up a fighting stance. "Rasengan!" a brightly coloured orange figure descended upon them from the trees a glowing blue orb crashed into the ground beside the girls as they flipped backwards to avoid the blast. Uren's arm sent up a crystal shield to protect them from the debris. "Naruto!" a girls voice echoed from within the trees and a kunochi emerged kunai in hand. The boy who had attacked them double backed to the girl, obviously his team mate before barking questions at the forgein team. "Who the heck are you guys! You work for Orochimaru?" Ai gritted her sharp teeth and cracked one of her knuckles. "None of your fucking business!" Uren placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her. "Yes we do," the boy's eyes widened. "Where is Sasuke!" he screamed at the pair, much to their surprise. Uren raised an eyebrow as she watched the boy's pink haired team mate hold him back. 'What does this guy have to do with Sasuke Uchiha?' "We don't have time for your childish nonsense, let's go Ai" Uren turned to leave suddenly a horrible feeling struck her sense. "Naruto stop!" the blonde boy's female companion called to him as he began to growl like he was some sort of animal. Ai gulped and looked at Uren for an explanation. "This...chakra..." Uren started as the boys skin seemed to start boiling at the surface. Uren instinctively grabbed Ai's hand, "We need to get out of here, now." At that moment the boy went for them and Uren was barely able to block his attack as they attempted to retreat. "What the fuck is that?" Ai screamed as the pair dodged more of the on coming attacks. "Yamato!" they scarcley heard the girl scream in the back ground. Uren fell over in her attempts to block the orange ninja, he was going to strike again and she didn't have time to move. 'Well at least I can join my sister now...' She closed her eyes but the boy struck something else instead of Uren. "Ai!" Uren yelled as she realised her companion had defended her with merely her knuckle duster. The little mist girl fell to the ground clutching her arm, it was quite clear that the blow had shattered all her bones. Much to Uren's surprise, a wooden wall suddenly engulfed the blonde ninja and he was dragged backwards, away from the pair. "Ai, Ai come on get up we have to go!" Uren desperately tried to pull the girl to her feet and they disappeared in the direction of the ocean. As they neared the ocean, Ai started coughing up blood, it seemed that the blow had infact shattered her rib cage as well. "Ai, Ai can you hear me? Hold on ok? Don't you dare pass out Orochimaru is going to kill me!" The mist ninja's pale blue eyes lulled as she was only just conscious. Uren decided it would be best to carry Ai on her back so as to get medical attention faster. With this done they sped across the ocean on waves of pink crystal, Uren had never had a partner before and she certainly wasn't going to let her first one die.

"Karin!" Uren screamed as they entered the base, she sped directly to the medical wing with the little pale kunochi now lifeless on her back. "Karin! God damnit!" she screamed again as she reaced the wing. The red head emerged from a door in the hall and fixed her glasses. "Oh dear lord, come on put her on a bed." Karin instructed and they gently laid the green haired girl out on a bed. She pushed her glasses up then began immediately using her unique medical abilities to rescue Ai. "Uren," Karin said motionlessly, "wait outside, there is quite extensive damage here, I need to concentrate." Uren took one last look at her partner before exiting the room. She closed the door gently and pressed her back to the wall. She held her delicate face in her hands, then pulled at her hair in frustration as she slid down the wall, ending up in a heap at the bottom. 'What... have I done?' Uren felt she was going to cry, and just sat there, her purplely black hair shrouding her in compete and utter despair.

*
Uren looked up lifelessly from her spot on the ground, Orochimaru looked down at her. There was something about his eyes she had never seen before, it was almost like he was concerned for Ai. As if he were angry at what had happened. It was a bitter look and it scared Uren, for she knew what happened to those who displeased the master. "You messed up," he stated calmly, "I'll be back in 1 minute, prepare yourself." With that he walked past her into the room where Ai was being worked on. Uren gulped and started trying to get herself onto her feet. Orochimaru closed the door gently behind him and walked over to Karin who was furiously pouring her chakra into Ai. "What happened?" he asked, there was a very slight hint of urgency in his voice. Karin wiped some sweat from her forehead, she was still focused on her patient. "To put it simply all the bones down the left side of body are shattered, her lungs have been punctured as a result of the damage as well. She must have been defending her partner. Pretty reckless if I'm honest." Orochimaru acknoleged Karin's response and walked to the side of Ai's bed. He gazed down at the pale little mist ninja and lifted his hand slowly to her face. Karin raised her eyebrow as he brushed some of the girl's green hair from her forehead. "She'll be fine." he said flatly and turned his back on the pair and exited the room. "Uren," he hissed, and the crystal style user gulped at the eerie calm of his voice. "Follow me..."

Uren couldn't help the fear that slowly began overwhelming her as she followed her master. She watched his feet as she walked, trying to calm herself down by counting the rhythmic clacking of his sandals against the stone. It didn't work. Uren could admit she was scared. Orochimaru was not known for his mercy; he was a harsh master and a cruel man and this was always shown through the punishments he inflicted upon his subordinates. Uren had to admit though; she was lucky to still be living. Orochimaru suddenly came to a stop in front of a door, he leant against the wall and then nodded stiffly at her. "Go in," he instructed, the silky smoothness that usually floated within his tone sounded strained. Uren nodded shakily -knowing that to argue would be a fruitless endeavor- and then ventured into the room. Orochimaru followed her in, his arms crossed. The room was dark, but Uren could just make out a figure standing by the far wall; red eyes shone out of the darkness. The bloody beauty of the Sharingan.
"You are to fight Uren, Sasuke," Orochimaru declared, his voice harsh and strong from behind Uren.
There was a silence as Sasuke slowly stepped forward; his cold yet enchanting features becoming clearer to the Kunoichi. "Do as you wish." and then Orochimaru was gone, the door shutting behind him as he swiftly made his way out. The air in the room was tense, Uren found that she couldn't rip her eyes away from the Uchiha before her. 'What do I do?' she questioned frantically in her head 'Can I take Sasuke on in one on one combat?' The answer would soon become apparent to the girl as Sasuke slowly pulled his sword out from its sheath.

Uren let out a yelp of pain as, once again, Sasuke's sword hit her body. This time he struck her shoulder making it painful for the girl to move her arms. It was almost pointless for Uren to attack though. Sasuke's Sharingan ensured that he was always one step ahead of her. Uren finally understood why Orochimaru desired this boy's body so. Sasuke stepped back, swinging his sword languidly as he waited for another one of Uren's fruitless assaults. The girl was peppered with cuts and bruises. Her face was cut and one of her eyes had swollen, her lip, too, was cut; blood occasionally trickling down from it. A large slash adorned her stomach and this was accompanied by hundreds of small slices upon her arms and legs. Sasuke was brutal and Uren understood why Orochimaru had decided that sparring with the Uchiha was a worthy punishment for her. Even so...Uren couldn't help but feel he was holding back. The girl had seen plenty of people exit Sasuke's room on stretchers...or worse...not exit at all. Perhaps Orochimaru had instructed him not to kill her? Or perhaps the agony of staying alive and dealing with the injuries was to be her punishment? Hundreds of fragmented crystals lay upon the ground, crushed underfoot by the two ninja. Uren may have been severely injured -and waning on Chakra- but she was not one to back down. Never was she one to back down. So, again, the girl moved forwards; forming a crystal in her hands she shot it outwards, aiming for Sasuke's bare torso. Sasuke ducked and then quickly -so quickly that Uren could barely register it- he brought his free hand up to jab her in her toned stomach. This movement winded the girl and sent her spinning backwards, Sasuke followed; his hands around her throat as he drove her into the wall behind. Uren let out a screech of agony as her head clunked against the hard stone behind her, blood began trickling free; making pathways through her hair and down her neck, seeping into her pale skin. Sasuke held her there for a while, his eyes searching her face. Her own eyes were shut, closed tight as she tried to regain control even with his hand around her throat; choking the life out of her. Uren's pale skin began to become paler, and paler still; she began slumping. Just as she felt her consciousness slipping away from her; Sasuke let go. Surprised, Uren opened her eyes, only to see Sasuke looking at her with a look of contempt and...something else within his eyes...respect? Uren couldn't be sure because he suddenly poofed away. Uren sat there, blood tricking from hundreds of cuts adorning her body, rubbing at her throat and coughing occasionally. 'What a pitiful sight I must be' she though contemporaneously to herself 'What must Sasuke think of me?' Uren let out a retching sound and then glowered as her reflection was shown to her in one of the many crystals littering the floor. 'Why do I care what that fool thinks of me?' she snarled in her head. A sudden noise raised the girl's head; and she looked up to see Karin gazing at her; a look slight annoyance on her face. The red-head girl also looked surprised though. Surprised that Uren was still breathing...was still conscious.

The red head pushed her glasses up and rolled her eyes eventually. "I have no idea why he didn't gut you like a fish and from the look on your face neither do you. Can you stand up?" Uren's green eyes fixed themselves on Karin's red ones. "Don't need hel-" Uren spluttered and coughed mid sentence and Karin glared at her. "For goodness sake... here, bite." Karin bent down and thrust her wrist at Uren who was only just concious. "Hurry up," Karin instructed, "You're acctually more fucked up than Ai right now." she winced as Uren bit down into the flesh of her wrist drawing her chakra into her body, her cuts began to close up and heal. "I'm gonna feel like crap after this..." Karin moaned as Uren continued to use her chakra to heal herself. The red head couldn't help but feel sorry for Uren, though known for her love of torture, Karin didn't really feel Uren had deserved such a violent punishment, what was Orochimaru thinking? "Right thats enough, Uren, Uren you moron enough!" she forcably pulled her wrist back and stormed out, leaving Uren to rest in the darkness of the room, of her mind.