It was part of Jugo's routine to be up at the crack of dawn. The same couldn't be said of the rest of team Hebi. Apart from Sasuke, the rest of the team didn't take well to being woken up early.

On the final morning of staying at the inn, it was just Suigetsu's grumbles that echoed in the empty room. "Did we have to leave now, Sasuke? You could've given me a few more hours of sleep."

Karin snorted, lifting the single bag she'd packed. "Turned soft already, have you? We should leave you behind."

Much to Jugo's surprise, Sasuke nodded. "The Akatsuki is too strong of an organization to face without proper preparation. If you can't handle this, you might as well leave."

"Ha! You know I'd much rather get my sword into Kisame's neck," Suigetsu huffed, looking peeved.

"Whatever. The point is, our team is not balanced enough to confront them. We're only as strong as our weakest link."

Suigetsu's eyes revealed the slightest bit of indignation, but he didn't question Sasuke. Like Jugo, he knew exactly whom Sasuke was referring to. From her nervous body language, it looked as though Kaiho did too.

With a challenging look in her eye, Karin stepped forward. "And you suspect that to be?"

It wasn't a real question; Jugo could read her too well.

"You and Kaiho are almost on the same level when it comes to fighting," Sasuke replied, letting the implications set in.

Karin sputtered. "I'm not that weak!"

"Then a spar should be simple enough," Sasuke deadpanned. "The outcome decides who gets to stay on the team."

Her face reddened, almost matching the shade of her hair. "We'll see the outcome, alright."

Jugo snuck a peek at Kaiho. The sleep in her rheumy eyes had evaporated. She inclined her head towards Sasuke, keeping her eyes focused at a point on his shoulder. "I'll do it."

It took around ten minutes for the girls to prepare their weapon arsenal. While Karin was calm and collected, Jugo could pick up on a certain level of arrogance from her. One that showed how she found this whole ordeal to be a huge waste of time. Kaiho, on the other hand, was rather stiff in her movements. Despite her training with Suigetsu, she didn't seem to have real confidence in her abilities.

Hoping for a major transformation in a mere fortnight might've been wishful thinking on his part.

He saw the two of them shift into fighting stances. His experience with 'bloodlust problems', as Karin coined it, cued Jugo to take his leave. He settled himself under the shade of a tree, quite a distance from the battle, where he would neither see nor hear them in combat. A gentle breeze brushed past his cheek. He sighed, a blissful smile settling on his face.

During the past two weeks, Kaiho had taken over Sasuke's role. Her way of draining his chakra was more effective than suppression. His rages had become less frequent, and for the first time in his life, he didn't fear that he would fly off the handle. At first, he assumed she was applying a temporary sealing technique, but his growing curiosity made him pluck up the courage to ask her about it.

"Your body has a limit, just like everyone else. You can't be expected to constantly hold huge quantities of chakra and retain your senses."

That was all it took to plant the seed of change. All he'd ever learned thus far was that he required brute force to restrain him. Thanks to Kaiho, he enjoyed extended periods in his normal state.

Sasuke was capable of the same, but she was the one he was starting to lean on.

Suigetsu considered him as a challenge and even feared him. Karin interacted with him without hostility, but he could see the invisible line she had drawn; she always maintained a wary distance. Sasuke considered him a member of team Hebi, but also someone who needed to be watched. He didn't mind any of that; it was understandable.

"...I believe you."

In her eyes, he was more than a ticking time bomb. She was a breath of fresh air, disproving everything he thought he'd known. Her mere presence soothed him. Though she was unusual, he would've preferred her as his cage.

He jerked awake, sitting upright in shock. That wasn't right. Sasuke was the only living memory of Kimimaro. He'd vowed to stay by Sasuke's side. He couldn't disrespect his deceased friend by having such thoughts.

He would never.

Yet, his heart sank as he leaned against the tree once more.


A flurry of punches grazed Kaiho's face, each stronger than the last. Every time she dodged, she could sense her stamina drop. Fifteen minutes of pure taijutsu appeared to be her limit. And she hadn't landed a single blow on her opponent.

"Think of it as a matter of life or death. It won't mean a thing if you don't give it your all."

Kaiho's practice with Suigetsu had made her see the limits of her strength. Her ninjutsu was barely passable, and she knew no genjutsu whatsoever. She was still struggling to pick up on what the rest of Hebi, and probably the ninja world at large, already knew. For that reason alone, Kaiho felt more gratitude towards Sasuke for letting her on the team. She didn't want to squander the chance he'd given her now.

That meant Kaiho couldn't afford optimism, even for a moment. Karin had more exposure to the world of shinobi, while Kaiho had known just a handful of people in her entire life. That difference stuck out like a sore thumb in battle.

"Fighting isn't all about skill. Your determination to win must dominate your fear and hesitation. Sometimes, that's all it takes."

Lunging forward for the first time since the battle had begun, Kaiho mentally thanked Suigetsu. As she began to attack Karin, she began to notice her weaknesses. Her movements were quite powerful but sluggish. It seemed that she relied too much on others to protect her.

Kaiho continued her direct assault, maintaining her agility until she saw a swift swipe aimed towards her face. She jumped away, feeling the warm gush of blood stream down her cheek.

Karin stood with an aura of fierceness, having abandoned her glasses. Her hand held a sharp blade. Despite the chagrin, Kaiho couldn't help the surge of admiration towards the crafty woman.

After that, Kaiho abandoned all heed and leaped in with a barrage of kunai and shuriken. A shower of projectiles fell to the earth, piercing Karin multiple times. It was satisfying to see the cuts form on her body. Perhaps this was the joy Suigetsu found in cutting people.

In spite of the attack's magnitude, Karin stood strong, leaving Kaiho in awe at her incredible stamina. The sensor hadn't even used ninjutsu! Kaiho felt like kicking herself. That attack had exhausted all her weapons, whereas Karin's abilities remained a mystery.

She was left with no choice.

Kaiho jumped forward, abandoning her long-range position. She dodged Karin's swipes and kicks with ease, hoping to sneak in a few hits. With the way Karin was storming in, it seemed almost impossible to take control.

"Why do you always dodge? BLOCK! That's how you move in and attack."

Kaiho changed her mode of defence immediately, startling Karin in the process. She blocked each strike, making it a point to avoid the blade slashing in the air. She refused to retreat, waiting for the moment she would leave herself open.

Aha!

Using her chakra to increase her speed and power, she struck mercilessly, compelling Karin to stumble a few feet away. Karin glowered at her, but Kaiho didn't falter. It was almost as if she could see through the redhead's moves. For once, she knew precisely what to do.

Karin charged, swinging her fist toward Kaiho's head. Instead of backing off, Kaiho created a substitute to take the damage. She darted behind her and snatched Karin's blade, leaving her weaponless. In a flash, she kicked Karin in the stomach and watched her collapse to the ground.

With a feeling of triumph, Kaiho drew closer to Karin. All that was left to do was hold the blade to her throat.

She leaned forward. Instantly, the sheer force of a metal bat slammed into Kaiho's chest. Her lungs screamed for air. Before she could blink, she was hoisted higher into the air. Long chains of chakra encircled her body, threatening to crush it.

The next second, she was flung onto solid rock.

Dismissing the dull pain that threatened to overwhelm her, Kaiho wriggled desperately. She blindly ran the blade against the chains, only to hear a crisp snap in response. More chains enveloped her body, pinning her to the spot like a trapped animal. One of the chains wrapped itself around her neck, tightening as it did so.

Kaiho wheezed, gasping for air. "I... I... can't-"

"That's enough," came a stern voice, stopping the motion of the chains.

Karin withdrew them slowly, picking herself off the ground. "Good match, wimp," she said, betraying nothing except a sense of formality.

Kaiho got to her feet, watching the last of the chains disappear into Karin's back. She tossed the broken blade to the ground. Clenching her teeth into a grin, she managed a 'You too.' Her back throbbed, sending shockwaves of agony down her spine, but she refused to acknowledge it.

Instead, she focused on the fallen projectiles.

Once she'd packed them up, she turned towards Sasuke. "I hope you know what this means," he said.

"I d-do," Kaiho stuttered, looking at her feet. Suigetsu's disappointed expression lingered in her mind's eye, morphing into Karin and her condescending smirk.

She rubbed her palm against the angry red imprints on her neck. In the back of her mind, Kaiho had already prepared for this. In the short time she'd been with the team, she'd learned that they were in a league of their own. Even so, the battle had given her an incredible rush of hope. One that made her believe that she could overcome the odds stacked against her.

At the very least, she had no regrets. She'd given it everything she had.

Kaiho slung her cloth bag over her shoulders and turned to face the forest. A tear formed at the corner of her eye. She broke into a run before it could fall, putting distance between herself and her former teammates.

She didn't look back.

The greens and browns of the trees blurred as she sprinted, feet moving of their own accord with newfound acceleration.

This was just one step of her journey, she reasoned. Besides, ninjas were supposed to be heartless.

A few hours later, Kaiho found herself sweaty, drained and sitting on the mossy forest floor. A map of the ninja world was spread open in front of her. A Ninja's Guide to Etiquette and Mannerisms lay on the side. Maybe it was sheer luck that Hoshiyo-sensei had left the map in there, but it was proving invaluable. The only problem was, none of the places on the map looked familiar.

The exception to that was the Land of Waves. The bit of green next to that area probably represented the forest Kaiho had lived in. She certainly didn't want to return, but there was a part of her that chided her for trying to take chances with the outside world. With people.

The past few weeks stood out in stark contrast to what she'd seen her whole life. It was enough to extinguish the negative voice that restrained her. People were capable of being both kind and cruel; it was just a matter of who she happened to find.

Four familiar faces swam in her mind, making Kaiho's heart twinge.

Her gaze then fell upon the location she'd only ever heard of.

Kumogakure.

Kaiho still couldn't believe Sasuke's words about her first teacher. She remembered the way the medical nin had taught her how to walk on water and scale trees. She had stayed up day and night writing scrolls, one after another with unwavering effort. Within the one week that Hoshiyo-sensei had stayed, she'd become someone Kaiho could count on.

The only order Hoshiyo had given was to avoid the ninjutsu or genjutsu scrolls until Kaiho had perfected medical ninjutsu. That didn't mean that she possessed ulterior motives. Even if she had, those motives must've been fueled by goodwill.

Sasuke wouldn't have ever understood that. He only knew the woman by name.

Clutching the map, Kaiho stood up, a burst of excitement brushing away the traces of sadness she felt. Bit by bit, the doubts that clouded her reasoning dispersed into the wind. Her next destination was crystal clear - Hoshiyo-sensei's home. Kumogakure!