DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

As soon as she knew she was being pursued, Tsubaki tore off her headband and stuffed it in her pouch. She didn't want any enemy to know where she was from and place her village in danger.

Meanwhile, Karin was hot on her tail, jumping from branch to branch to catch up to her.

Their chakra is getting away, damn it, I can't let them escape! She thought, gritting her teeth and speeding onwards.

Tsubaki could hear the far off rustling of leaves and cracking of branches and knew she didn't have much time. She had never been too fast of a runner, which was her only drawback. To make things worse, the trees were beginning to part and the few light from outside was reaching in, illuminating her figure.

Suddenly, as the noises behind her came closer, a kunai flew past her and sank into a tree, avoiding her by inches.

"Stop right there! Who are you?" Karin ordered, pausing a few feet away.

Tsubaki had stopped and was shielding herself. She wondered whether she should say why she was listening in.

"Answer me! Or I'll attack!" Karin raised a sharp kunai.

"No! Wait! Listen to me!" Tsubaki said breathlessly: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to spy on you, that wasn't my objective!"

"Then what was your purpose?" Karin looked flustered already.

"Listen, please I need to know. This person you were talking about, is his name Suigetsu Hozuki? Of the Hidden Mist?" Tsubaki asked.

"Y-you know him?" Karin appeared to calm down because she lowered her kunai.

"It's him isn't it? Tell me it's him!" Tsubaki was beginning to grow desperate.

"Y-yes it's him. Why? What do you want with him?" asked Karin.

"Please, I must see him! He was my friend, and it tore me apart when I never saw him again! Please, I know he'll remember me! I'm positive he will!" Tsubaki begged her.

"U-um, w-well I..." Karin wasn't sure what to do. It could be a trap, there was a good chance of that. But somehow, this girl seemed innocent. There was a particular look in her eyes that enforced it.

"How do I know this isn't some sort of trap?" asked Karin.

"I also heard you mention another name: Sasuke Uchiha. He's with you too isn't he?" said Tsubaki.

"Sasuke? You know him too?" Karin had secretly begun to worry whether this girl loved Sasuke too!

"He was on my team, of course I know him. He'll recognise me, he'll think it's a trap set by my village to locate him. Please, please bring Suigetsu to me, Sasuke cannot know I'm here!" Tsubaki explained.

Thank goodness! So she's interested in Suigetsu not my Sasuke! Karin thought happily, then said: "If you wait in the clearing, I can fetch him for you. I won't let Sasuke know don't worry. Wait for me there and I'll get him," said Karin.

"Thank you, thank you so much!" Tsubaki sighed in relief.

"By the way, who should I tell him you are?" asked Karin.

"Oh, I'm Tsubaki," she answered.

"Tsubaki...got it," said Karin. And with that she turned and flew off in the previous direction.

"Finally...finally I'll be able to see him again!" Tsubaki said to herself, a new light of joy and hope flooding into her dark eyes.