"I still don't know why you're so determined to get Jugo." It might have very well been the hundredth time Karin had asked that question over the past few days, but she was determined to find the answer.

It was a suicide mission.

"His abilities will be useful," said Sasuke shortly. His voice bore the same monotonous tone it did when Karin had first questioned his plans. It annoyed her to no end.

"But the place is dangerous." Pointing it out once more didn't change a thing, but she was sure Sasuke had forgotten where they were heading and what lay in store for them there.

"Ooh, looks like someone's scared–"

She bit the inside of her cheek. "Shut it, Suigetsu!"

Why did Sasuke have to choose such a blabber mouth?

Karin settled to look at the girl running beside Suigetsu. A complete opposite to him, she had the sense to mind her own business. That was the nicest thing that Karin could say about her.

Well, there was one other thing.

Her chakra reserves were pretty pathetic, but its quality wasn't bad. Its nature reminded Karin of the earthy scent produced by a drizzle right after a dry spell.

Refreshing.

Even so, she doubted they could get along. The girl had initially fawned over her, flattering Karin with the attention she rarely received. The excitement in her grin when she learned Karin was a medic was infectious.

Childish but somehow sweet, like a younger sister.

Which was why it stung harder than usual when she saw the fleeting disgust on the girl's face, the way she recoiled on seeing the bites scarring her arms.

As much as Karin hated to acknowledge it, that wasn't the only reason for their rocky start. What special abilities did that girl possess? Why was she accompanying them? Did she have something that Karin did not?

Why had Sasuke chosen her first?

There was no way that this girl could possibly mean anything to Sasuke. They didn't even interact much. Still, it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on her.

Just in case.


After crossing some of the rockiest terrains in the Land of Fire and scaling up a steep mountain, the four reached the Northern Hideout. For the first time since they'd left the Southern hideout, Kaiho fully understood the purport behind Karin's protests.

Monsters of all shapes and sizes crowded the open ground. Some of them had legs that looked like tree trunks. Others had pincers for arms and fangs for teeth. As they neared, she caught a glimpse of a few creatures in the back, with oddly familiar black marks all over their bodies. These ones still resembled people. The rest of them had bodies disfigured beyond the point of recognition.

What terrified Kaiho most was the chakra they were emitting. Strikingly similar to the faint traces she had felt while treating Sasuke, it made her break out into a cold sweat.

"A breakout," murmured Karin.

Having assessed the situation, Sasuke took charge at once. "Avoid any vital spots," he ordered, looking at Suigetsu. "Karin, take Kaiho with you. Find the keys to Jugo's cell."

Kaiho followed Karin meekly inside the various rooms, but there was little she could do to help. Her surroundings were a blur; her confused mind whirred, attempting to make sense of what happened.

"Karin," Kaiho mumbled. "Those creatures, they –"

"Failed experiments," Karin muttered, turning over the files in the cabinets.

An image of a glowing symbol on pale skin flashed in Kaiho's mind. "And Sasuke?"

The ghost of a smirk danced on Karin's lips. "He... was one of the successful."

"Then," Kaiho asked, her cheeks blanching. "Were they people too?"

Karin froze for a second, her palms pressed against the sheaf of removed papers. Her lips parted, but she turned away thinking better of it. In the blink of an eye, she was rummaging through the cupboards once more.

A wave of nausea swept over Kaiho. Up until now, Karin had been a source of inspiration. The confidence she owned was admirable. Her sensory skills were nothing short of amazing. Her healing style, though bizarre, was very effective. After seeing her readiness to join the team, Kaiho was convinced that being in charge of Orochimaru's prison hadn't been Karin's choice.

The cold woman she saw here sent those notions down the drain. This woman... regretted nothing.

"Found them!" came a triumphant voice, followed by a metallic jingle.

The will to respond to Karin had been sapped out of Kaiho, along with the respect needed to obey her.

Suigetsu was right.

Once the boys dealt with the breakout, Karin led the team toward the prisons. Suigetsu complained about how the prisons were too tiny and expressed his distaste for arid areas whenever he got the chance. Sasuke mostly stayed quiet, and Kaiho remained a silent spectator. While attempting to get rid of her most recent thoughts, she happened to catch a glimpse of the courtyard.

Sasuke and Suigetsu had left a bloody mess behind them.

Better them than us said a snivelling voice inside her. Kaiho shook her head almost immediately. If she continued to think like that, she'd be no different from Karin.

That didn't change the sense of relief she felt once she was within the protection of the prison walls.

The winding paths they took led to a steel door deep within the prison. It had four bolts and was further secured with chains. Kaiho's eyes widened.

What kind of person required this many safety measures to keep him bound?

Karin made a move to unlock the door, but Sasuke placed a hand in front of her. "I'll do it."

He unfastened the bolts one by one. As he removed the steel chains, instincts began to take over the little courage Kaiho had. She took an involuntary step backwards.

Sasuke pushed open the door. A gust of wind blew past them.

"JACKPOT! I'LL KILL YOU!"

A loud crash resounded behind Kaiho. She sprung away, spotting two figures tussle amidst smashed bricks.

Measuring over six feet in height, the attacker lay sprawled on the fallen wall. Black marks covered his body, the kind etched on a few of the captives outside. The chakra seeping out of his body was exorbitant and much stronger than that of the prisoners combined. Even that chakra, however, was nothing compared to the sinister chakra that chilled Kaiho's bones. Frigid and menacing, it simmered with restrained intensity.

"Sasuke's chakra," Karin whispered. "It's changed."

A brown wing surfaced from the debris, pushing the enraged man aside. A dark-skinned male with marks resembling Jugo's emerged. He brushed off the dust coating his bruised body and stretched his wings.

Kaiho let out a shaky breath. That... was Sasuke?

Sasuke's sudden transformation appeared to simmer the fight down. The man's eyes, which were dark with rage, reverted to a deep orange. "Partial transformation? Impressive. Almost as good as Kimimaro."

The wings jutting out of Sasuke's back retracted, and his skin tone lightened. "We just want to talk, Jugo."

"Forget it, Sasuke," interrupted Suigetsu, brandishing his sword. "He'll only listen to force."

Jugo's shoulders stiffened. He raised his arms in retaliation, eyes glinting as he charged towards Suigetsu. "You... I remember you. I'LL TAKE YOU DOWN!"

In an instant, they were wrapped by large snakes. Emerging from Sasuke's arms, they kept the two from lifting a finger.

"Do you want me to kill you two?"

He glared at the pair with crimson eyes, black tomoes spinning around in them. Jugo grinned. "That's some real killing intent, kid!" The black marks on his body started to fade away.

Once Sasuke released the two, Jugo's eyes widened. The anger that was once there was replaced by astonishment. As if he had just realized where he was and what he had been attempting, Jugo ran back into his cell.

Karin sighed. "Sasuke, I did warn you. He just has urges to kill."

"Nonsense," Kaiho snapped, finding her voice. "It's that chakra in his body." Ignoring the shocked look she received in response, she entered the cell. The man was huddling in a dirty corner, head buried into his knees. He whimpered, clutching at his orange hair in frustration. "I don't want to go. I'll hurt people. I'll... kill again."

Kaiho was speechless. For all the violence this giant man could cause, he didn't deserve to be treated like a prisoner, and certainly not as an experiment. What he needed was help, something he had clearly never received. She reached out to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You won't," stated Sasuke, watching them from the entrance. "I'll keep an eye on you. I'll be your cell."

Jugo looked pensive. "Can you? Maybe you could," he mumbled, more so to himself than anyone else. "You remind me of Kimimaro. I think... you carry his will." He took in a deep breath, regaining his calm. "I'll come with you."

Having gotten Jugo on the team, the four left the hideout.


Sasuke set himself beside the fire, watching the dancing flames. Jugo sat next to him, opting to look at the stars instead of speaking. Crickets chirped in the distance. An owl hooted from a nearby tree. Suddenly, the raucous laughter of a man pervaded the peace. A woman's yell soon followed. There was no doubt about it.

Karin and Suigetsu were bickering again.

Idiots. Hadn't he mentioned that they were close to a village? Hadn't he strictly told them that they couldn't be found? To their good fortune, their voices died down, letting him observe Kaiho. At present, she was poring over her scrolls. Sincere girl. He had heard her mumble an apology to a certain Hoshiyo before she had begun.

Even this integrity of hers reminded him of Haku. Unfortunately, she was nowhere near as strong.

It was only when everyone turned in for the night that Sasuke approached Kaiho. He glanced at the open scroll in front of her, scanning the brief description of genjutsu. "Experience is on a whole different level to reading. Do you want me to show you?" he asked.

The girl deliberated over his offer. "Yeah... that would help."

He activated his Sharingan, compelling Kaiho to lock eyes with his. The skies darkened, casting a shadow over their surroundings. The deserted streets of a familiar neighbourhood filled their visions. Faint cries of pain echoed in their ears, piercing the dead silence. Fallen corpses encompassed the two — bodies of men, women and children with slit throats, stabbed chests and impaled backs. Blood oozed from them, pooling onto the ground.

It was the same scene that haunted him constantly, the one that his brother engraved into his mind and soul.

Viscous red fluid began to drip onto Kaiho's limbs, making her shriek. Sasuke smirked. "This is the power of the Uchiha clan. This is real genjutsu. Break free if you can."

The cries grew louder, shrouded by the intensity of growing maniacal laughter.

Inhaling deeply as if to give herself courage, Kaiho closed her eyes.

A faint ray of light penetrated his constructed realm, diminishing the noise. It gradually branched out into beams, covering more and more area. Their brightness started to increase, becoming dazzling enough to blind him while vanquishing all the voices he had created.

When he regained his sight, he found himself looking at the forest floor.

Kaiho's eyes opened; she looked at his feet, steadying herself. "I..." Her mouth quivered."... broke free."

Sasuke stared at her, nonplussed.

"Now, if you don't mind, I would like to return to my scrolls," she whispered hoarsely. "Please stop glaring at me with those eyes."

Letting his Sharingan deactivate, he studied her with mild interest. "How did you escape?"

With the expression of someone explaining how two and two make four to a toddler, she replied, "Suppressing my chakra. Isn't that the way to do it?"

"Yes, but–" Sasuke stopped himself. "Never mind."

Kaiho turned back to her scrolls, mumbling something about substitution.

The Uchiha couldn't sleep that night. He pondered the events that occurred, trying to make sense of it.

The Sharingan was capable of producing genjutsu strong enough to last even when the chakra was suppressed. He should've been able to leave Kaiho in the lurch or, at the very least, scare her off team Hebi. His foes had struggled against genjutsu many times weaker than this one. This particular jutsu shouldn't have failed him.

How curious.

Sasuke's mouth curved into a small smile.

Kaiho was definitely interesting.