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

"N-no..."

Tsubaki stared wide-eyed back at Jugo, gazing into his sorrowful eyes. She couldn't believe what she had just heard.

"I'm sorry, Tsubaki..." he said, nervously awaiting her reaction.

The girl shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes.

"No...it can't be! I finally found him after so many years...only to lose him again?" she broke down into sobs as Jugo pulled her into a hug.

"It'll be okay Tsubaki...we'll find him and rescue him. I promise," Karin said suddenly.

"Why? Why? What the hell do they want with him? Why do they keep taking him?" Tsubaki sobbed madly into Jugo's shirt, unable to fight the unbearable wave of sadness that crushed her.

"He has a very unique and special kekkei-genkai. It's been attracting Orochimaru for many years, and as far as I know, he never gave up experimenting on him..." Karin fell silent, knowing with immense guilt that she was the one who had carried out the experiments on his unwilling body, sometimes even without Orochimaru's orders. She remembered the ecstasy of torturing him, the sweet melody of his blood-curdling screams as she and Kabuto turned his skin raw with pain. She remembered the pure hatred she felt when she looked at him, wishing him punished...wishing him dead...

And for what reason? For no reason at all! Suigetsu had never done anything to her, other than express his own hatred towards her for the pain and suffering she caused him to undergo every day. She insulted his parents, his dead brother, his home, his dreams, his very being...

And all for the simple reason that she loathed his disgusting chakra...

Her chakra-sensing abilities were what crafted her emotions towards people. It was Sasuke's extraordinary and perfect chakra that led to such deep feelings for him to blossom within her heart. It was Orochimaru's malicious and dominant chakra that made her yearn to be trained by him. And it was Suigetsu's hideous chakra that spawned such venomous hatred towards him.

And she actually had the nerve to look his girlfriend in the eye and comfort her, when she was the origin of all his sufferings?

Sensing her guilt, Jugo shook his head slightly to indicate that it would be best if she remained silent. Tsubaki was in enough pain, and knowing the truth would only increase it.

"I-I know where Orochimaru's hideouts are...I um, I could take us there-" she started to say, until...

"-Take 'us' where?"

Shocked into silence, the redhead whipped around to stare into Sasuke's cold, black eyes that dared her to go on. His hand was clasped around the handle of his sword and his face was so devoid of emotion that it was nearly impossible to read his thoughts.

"S-Sasuk-ke!" she stammered, nervously straightening her spectacles. Swallowing hard, she kept her eyes focused on his face, trying hard not to divert them to his menacing sword.

Without moving a muscle, Sasuke's blank face moved towards Jugo and the girl he held. He recognised her immediately, and the desire to kill rose once more. An old teammate, one of the three who had to die.

"Tsubaki...What the hell are you doing here?" he asked in his usual deadened tone.

"Tch...Sasuke..." she glared up at the young man, sickened by the sight of him. What had girls ever managed to see in such a stone-hearted loser she would never understand...Girls were so foolish, so immature...

"Answer me!" Sasuke suddenly whipped out his sword and aimed its sharp tip at her tear-streaked face.

"You think I'm scared of a sicko like you?" Rage suddenly flashed within Tsubaki as she sprang up to her feet, moving to stand right in front of him.

"Tsubaki no!" Karin screamed.

"On friendly terms with my pawns, I see," he murmured: "What are you doing here?"

"A long story Sasuke, but really, do you have the nerve to ask me such a question? You never explained your hatred towards Naruto and the others, did you?" Tsubaki answered hotly.

Dammit! If this keeps up, he might actually kill her! Jugo thought panickedly.

"I carve my own path, and I see no reason to explain it to anyone," he answered simply.

"Sasuke...please," Jugo pleaded quietly.

"Hm," Sasuke pulled away his sword and re-sheathed it, never once taking his eyes off Tsubaki: "Hasn't Kakashi ever taught you the consequences of arrogance?"

"I learned that it's better to die with pride than survive in fear," Tsubaki responded coldly.

Sasuke remained quiet and instead roamed his eyes across the area. He finally noticed that the only ones present were Karin and Jugo.

"Where's Suigetsu?" he asked calmly.

"Oh...yeah, uh..." Karin sighed nervously, searching for the right words: "We were attacked by Kabuto, and he, well..."

"He kidnapped Suigetsu, Sasuke," Jugo finished her sentence for her.

"Did he? Hm, so much for all his talk and hot air..." Sasuke scoffed.

"B-but-!" Karin spluttered, anticipating his reaction.

"But what? You don't seriously expect me to go and save him, do you?" Sasuke asked coolly.

"Isn't he our teammate?" Karin asked confusedly.

"He is? Hmhmhm...you fools just don't get it, do you?" Sasuke snickered, gazing upon each of their shocked faces: "There is no friendship involved in this circle. I am the leader and you are my pawns. I handpicked you personally so that you would serve me and help me kill Itachi. Why you ever thought friendship had anything to do with it is beyond me..."

"But Sasuke..." Jugo lowered his eyes to the ground. It was clear to see that he was hurt by the statement.

"If Suigetsu allowed himself to get kidnapped then I have no use for him, do I? Wasting my time to retrieve him is equal to a sin in my books."

Suddenly, Tsubaki's fist shot out and struck him squarely in the face, breaking his nose with a sickening crunch. His ruby red blood stained her pale knuckles and she soon realised that she had made a gigantic mistake. In a flash of fury, his black eyes changed to twin pools of blood, the black markings of the legendary Sharingan decorating his irises.

"RUN! RUN TSUBAKI!" Jugo bellowed as he felt his own curse mark crawling up the veins of his body.

With a rush of panic, Tsubaki turned and sprang up onto a tree branch, ready to make her way back home. She could hear the mangled shouts of war between the two cursed boys, Karin's screams piercing the cold night air. She had never felt so terrible in all her life...so afraid and so guilty...

Karin...Jugo...stay safe, please...Was all she could think as she flew across the mess of trees, the orchestra of chaos moving further and further away.

And she knew, even though the situation would not allow otherwise, that she was abandoning her friends...