“Are we almost there?” A white-haired teenager groaned behind a dark-haired teenager, as he took a sip from his water bottle.

“No, just be patient now, Suigetsu,” the dark-haired teenager silenced the other boy with his monotone voice.

“But I’m tired… And hungry,” Suigetsu, the white-haired teenager, breathed heavily, a mixture of a sigh and yawn.

“Get over yourself. We’ve only been walking for thirty minutes.” The dark-haired boy sighed with him, feeling content that he had gathered his platoon he needed to continue on his journey to avenge himself and his counterparts.

“Sasuke! Sasuke! I can feel a great amount of chakra coming from that forest over yonder,” a red-haired girl silenced the feud between the two men, as she rubbed her temples in a forward motion.

“Lead us, Karin.” Sasuke, the dark-haired teenager, pointed toward the forest Karin, the red-haired girl, had pointed to previously. Taking a step back at his order, Karin finally obeyed, springing off and disappearing into the thick, green undergrowth.

“Where is the feeling coming from?” Sasuke questioned, seeing that Jugo, an orange-headed man, was lagging behind them. “Jugo, hurry up. Karin might just be onto something here.” Jugo nodded and followed Suigetsu into the scrub, pushing away a leafy frond that constricted around his right ankle.

“It’s coming from over there… By those four trees, in the square shape,” Karin had her eyes closed, as she was rubbing her temples more fiercely, her skin turning almost as red as her hair.

“Ahh… Mmm… Ack-…” A sickening moan came from behind one of the four trees, then a rapid spasm of coughs.

“Hello? Excuse me miss, and or mister? Are you alright?” Sasuke called out, stepping around the tree and seeing a lovely black-haired woman, who was sporting a dirty and ripped kimono.

“…Water… I need…” A sputter of coughing broke out from the woman, as she wheezed to catch her breath. “Water… Please, get me… Water…”

“Suigetsu!” Sasuke hollered at him, as the white-haired teen stopped teasing the red-haired woman.

“Yes, Sasuke-kun?” Suigetsu mocked Sasuke, pointing a finger at him.

“Get me some water for this young lady here. If Karin is right, her chakra is great than mine, even if it ‘smells’ as bad as yours.” Sasuke teased back, but it was hard for Suigetsu to know he was kidding.

“As you wish, master,” he continued to mock.

 

Suigetsu came back with water in his cup, and gave it to the dehydrated woman that sat at his and Sasuke’s feet.

“T-Thank… Y-You…” She managed to stammer out, her voice weak from hunger, as her stomach rumbled. “I-Is there… Anyw-way… I could… R-Repay you?”

“Come and join my team. One extra member will only increase my chances of defeating my older brother. I’m not going to hold you against your will, but if you would like to join us, you may.” Sasuke explained, as Karin looked at him with a dreamy look in her eyes.

“I’ll j-join. As long as you spare my life, I’ll join,” the madam whispered, her voice becoming stronger every moment as she drank as much water as she could from the medium-sized cup.

“Very well, and remember, at any time, you are free to leave. Don’t suspect I’m going to hold you back, but from now on… You are my property, unless if told otherwise. Understand?” Sasuke coolly announced to the rest of the group, extending his hand to help the black-haired woman up. “And what is your name, ma’am?”

“Tashikamo… Noari Tashikamo…” She breathed out heavily, as she wobbled on her legs like a toddler.

                “Noari, are you ready to leave?” Karin asked, kneeling down beside her new friend.

                “I-I think…” Noari had grown stronger over the few days, since Sasuke discovered her leaning on a tree.

                “Okay, because Sasuke wants to leave very shortly. If you need to lean on someone, I wouldn’t suggest Jugo. He’s rather… Nasty to women. But Suigetsu, he’s one to charm. Just don’t fall for him, okay?” Karin smiled, her eyes closed, making her expression look soft and lovely in the afternoon sun.

                “I won’t!” Noari laughed, clutching her stomach shortly after, wheezing slightly.

                “Just take it slow. Sasuke knows that you’re not in the best condition… Speaking of conditions, what exactly happened to you?” Karin stood from her kneeling position next to Noari, and sat next to her instead.

                “Well... It sort of started like this;” Noari explained how she was at her previous boyfriend’s house, Hidan, when he suddenly turned violent and tried to kill her for a sacrifice for Jashin. After explaining who Jashin was to Karin, Noari explained how she tried to run away, but Kakuzu, Hidan’s partner-in-crime, was also there. Kakuzu was the one who caused Noari to rip her kimono to shreds, and she collapsed after running for practically three hours straight, trying to get away from the two. She then explained how she ended up by this tree. She was attempting to find food, because of the hunger that gnawed at her belly, but she fainted between the roots of the large tree above the two girls.

                “Did either Kakuzu or Hidan hurt you?” Karin sympathized for her new friend, patting her shoulder.

                “No. They were only trying to get me to come back. At least I can leave the Akatsuki behind now…” The black-haired beauty sighed, swiping a piece of hair behind her ears, exposing emerald green eyes.

                “Your eyes! They’re so pretty! And you… You’re so full of chakra!” Karin mused heartily, her fingers still resting on Noari’s shoulder.

                “Um… Thanks, I guess.” Noari looked up quickly, away from the red-head’s gaze, and saw Suigetsu standing before them.

                “Suigetsu! I didn’t think I’d see you here,” Noari mumbled, blushing just a little.

                “Uh, yeah, I kind of stay with the rest of the group, you know?” Suigetsu blinked, not exactly sure if he understood what Noari was saying.

                “Hahaha, yeah, I know exactly what you’re talking about!” Noari tried to cover for herself quickly, practically sweating buckets.

                “Um, okay then. I’ll be talking with Sasuke-kun if you need me,” Suigetsu blinked again at her, and then walked away casually.

                “Why are you so nervous around him?” Karin asked, cocking her head to the left as she peered at Noari’s face.

                “He’s just so… Perfect, and I’m just so… Boring,” Noari huffed, resting her chin on her hands.

                “Well, he definitely isn’t perfect. But you definitely aren’t a cup of sunshine, either,” Karin pointed out in a sort of negative way.

                “I know I’m not a cup of sunshine. But at least Suigetsu is good looking. I doubt he’d ever choose someone like me to date, let alone hang out with or talk to!” Noari sighed again, looking over at Karin for support.

                “Don’t worry about Suigetsu. He may be good looking, to you at least, but he isn’t the best person in the world. Now, Sasuke-kun, he’s brilliant…” Karin smiled to herself, gazing dreamily at Sasuke, who was discussing his plans to infiltrate the Akatsuki’s base and destroy his brother, with Jugo and Suigetsu.

                “Sasuke is too dark, but he’s cool,” Noari shrugged, making Karin snap out of her trance.

                “Noari, Karin, we’re leaving. Let’s go, before Suigetsu starts complaining.” Jugo called to them, as the two girls stood, talking softly between themselves, as the group departed from their current location.

 

                “Ah, do those two ever shut up?” Suigetsu groaned to Sasuke, who was walking next to him.

                “It doesn’t matter, as long as Noari feels better, and Karin isn’t yelling, it’s better than stopping for a whole week, isn’t it?” Sasuke asked Suigetsu, shooting a quick glace over to Jugo, who was being quiet like normal.

                “Where exactly are we going?” Suigetsu covered his eyes from the glaring afternoon sun that filtered in through the forest canopy, trying to look up at the sky.

                “We’re going to PortCity. It’s the only place where we can rest up. It’s probably going to take us more than a week to get there, though, since we’re in Kusa right now.” Sasuke explained, talking loud enough so everyone heard.

                “That’s a very long way away, Sasuke-kun. Why are we going to PortCity, though? What’s in PortCity?” Karin questioned his orders, like usually, only this time, she jogged up to him, between himself and Suigetsu, and look him straight in the eye.

                “My, my, Karin is getting quite cocky! It seems her new friend is doing wonders to her personality, and it doesn’t look like it’s for the better, either,” Suigetsu pointed his thumb back at Noari, who was blushing fiercely, while he mocked Karin for being over-confident.

                “Karin, don’t you dare come against me. Suigetsu, stay out of this,” Sasuke hissed at Karin softly, then louder at Suigetsu.

                “I would never, Sasuke-kun…” Karin stared with disbelief at him, as they stopped walking, and Karin brought her face closer to his.

                “I know you wouldn’t… You would never disobey me, Karin,” amusement glittered in his dark eyes, as he tucked as piece of hair behind Karin’s ear. “I know you would never do anything like that.” Sasuke began walking again, leaving Karin standing there blushing.

                “Sasuke-kun, you know how flustered Karin gets when you talk dirty to her. I think you may just even be turning on the newbie behind us.” Suigetsu pointed over his shoulder with his thumb at Noari, who was blushing along with Karin.

                “Am not!” Noari choked out, slightly repulsed by the Uchiha because of his quiet, but violent attitude toward life.

                “Noari-chan, come here for a word, please.” Sasuke lead Noari over behind a tree, as Karin and Suigetsu bickered.

                “Y-Yes?” Noari blinked up at Sasuke, blushing slightly.

                “You must understand that relationships are strictly forbidden in this team. If you want to fall on your knees and cry because you can’t have your way, I don’t personally care. Loving someone isn’t my thing, and I’m not going to let your feelings get in the way of mine and or Suigetsu’s or Jugo’s or Karin’s business. If you want to be frilly and weak like Sakura was the last time I saw her before I left, you can go right ahead, but just get the hell out of my alliance if you want to be useless to me.” Sasuke hissed into Noari’s ear, gripping at the collar of her shirt. As he released it, Noari shrunk back slowly against the tree.

                “Sasuke-kun…” A tear dripped from Noari’s left eye as she stared up at him, as he stared coldly down at her.

                “Don’t waste my time. I’m not going to pity you because you’re a woman,” Sasuke spat, his face scrunching in disgust, as he walked back to Suigetsu and Karin, who were still fighting, as he started walking off again.

                “He’s right… I’m a fool. I can’t let this get in the way of my work…” Noari whispered quietly to herself, as she balled her hand into fists and ran straight up and behind Sasuke, taking a swift punch at the back of his head but missing and ending up flailing at nothing.

                Sasuke appeared behind her, grabbing both of her hands in one swift motion. Karin, Suigetsu, and Jugo turned to see Noari gasping for breath, as she hung practically upside-down in Sasuke’s grip.

                “You really are a fool…” Sasuke mused quietly, but loud enough so everyone heard. “But, you’ve got a spunk that could possibly match Naruto-kun’s. Welcome back to Team Hebi.”

                “W-What?!” Noari shifted forward, but was forced back by Sasuke’s grip.

                “Don’t try and get away so quick. Just go limp, it’s the first thing you learn when you’re training to be a ninja.” Sasuke explained, as he let go of Noari’s wrists and started casually walking again.

                Noari brushed herself off and began walking, falling in beside Suigetsu, who was following Karin.

                “This is going to be a long walk…” Noari sighed, rubbing her right wrist as it turned bright red from the previous pressure.