Nnnngh…I haven't written fanficiton in forever. I know it sucks. I'm trying to get my groove back. : /

"It's a side effect isn't it?"

"What?" Suigetsu almost stopped walking. Karin turned her head to look at him. Jugo and Sasuke were walking ahead of them. He couldn't believe she was being nice. He didn't like it.

"The reason you need so much water. It's a side effect of Orochimaru's experiments isn't it?" Suigetsu glared at her, his eyes guarded.

"What do you care? It's none of your business." He bit down on the straw in his water bottle. Karin shrugged but didn't say anything. They walked on in silence for awhile before Suigetsu spoke up.

"How did you know that?" Karin's eyes flickered to his for a moment before returning to Sasuke's back.

"Your chakra says more than your words do. It's unstable and it's dangerous. Your levels are constantly high, like you have a fever, but it seems to be the only thing holding you together." She frowned. "It's a miracle it hasn't killed you." She pursed her lips for a moment before going on. "Whenever the levels drop off, you drink something and it's stronger again." She shrugged. "It's just an observation."

Suigetsu made a face. "You're really weird, you know?" Karin shrugged again. "Jeez, what's gotten into you? You're being nice." Karin said nothing.

Just about the time Suigetsu decided she wasn't going to answer him she did, but it wasn't the answer he was expecting.

"I'm scared." She turned to him, afraid of his mockery, but she only saw surprise. Suigetsu's eyes darted to Sasuke. Karin followed his gaze.

"His chakra frightens me." Karin didn't tell Suigetsu all of what she was feeling; it was weird enough telling him she was scared, but the longer they were together the longer she knew they couldn't trust Sasuke. She was afraid that when the time came he would leave them. She would be useless; without purpose.

They were tools to him, a means of getting what he wanted…not matter who it would hurt. They weren't people to him…and they never would be.