Here's the second part of the update, this time featuring Suigetsu. This one was also written back in 2012 and is based around the prompt "Jealously". Back then, Sasuke had only reunited with Suigetsu and Juugo and they were still stuck on the cave; so I've just edited this a bit to make the setting fit with what we saw in canon.

Rating: K+

Summary: As he watches Sasuke and Karin, an innocent question by Juugo makes Suigetsu take a trip down memory-lane to remember just why he came to dislike Karin so much.

a start off on the wrong foot;

by Kanae

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"Sasuke... do we really need to get ourselves involved in this mess?"

His heartfelt complaint is met by nothing but deadpan silence. Not liking being ignored, Suigetsu goes for the next best thing. A wicked smirk spreads across his lips as he turns towards their female companion. "Heh, though Karin can stay behind, if she wants."

Predictably, that doesn't go by ignored. "What's that supposed to mean, you dick?!"

Satisfied, his smirk deliberately enlarges into a poor-man's attempt at an innocent grin. "Nothing. I'm just saying, since you were so against coming with us and all, you could do yourself a favor and ditch us."

"Where I go or don't go is none of your business, Suigetsu!"

"Heh, I wish—"

"That's enough, Suigetsu."

Sasuke's dry command is accompanied by a matching look. Suigetsu knows there is no arguing with either, so his retort is nothing but a dispassionate quip.

"Keh. I am not bothering you, am I?"

"But you are bothering Karin," Sasuke states, as if that explained everything. And to Suigetsu, it kind of does. "Cut it out."

Orochimaru chuckles. A shiver runs down Suigetsu's spine at the sound alone, and he retreats just slightly closer to Juugo in a way he hopes is inconspicuous enough. "Some things will never change, it seems."

Suigetsu is about to retort when Karin chimes in, arms defiantly crossed over that ridiculous pajama of hers. "The Zombies are getting way ahead of us, let's get moving already, Orochimaru-sama!"

The Sannin gives her a smile of the you're not fooling anyone kind. "Are you sure it's me you want to follow, Karin?"

"O—of course! I'm tagging along only because you asked me to! If you weren't here there's no way I'd go with the bastard who stabbed me!"

"Karin, I'm s—"

"You... bastard, you already said that!" Karin whirls around so fast that she nearly slaps Sasuke with her hair; but she doesn't do it fast enough for Suigetsu to miss just how red she has gone in the face. Be it any other day, he would be jumping at the chance to tease her over it; but as things are, Suigetsu is too busy digesting the fact that Sasuke had just been about to apologize again.

The mighty Uchiha Sasuke apologizing to someone, lo' and behold.

And of course, that someone just has to be Karin.

As if she could sense his thoughts, Karin chooses that moment to aim a particularly nasty glare at him before taking off alongside Orochimaru.

After a breath, Sasuke follows suit. "Don't fall behind Suigetsu, Juugo."

"Tch. I'm starting to regret giving him that damn scroll," Suigetsu mutters, but does as he is told nonetheless.

He is too irritated to notice when Juugo catches up to him, but Juugo does not miss the target of Suigetsu's cross look. "Why do you dislike Karin so much, Suigetsu?"

The question catches him off guard and for a moment Suigetsu finds himself staring at his teammate, wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

And then it dawns on him. Juugo's question is a simple one, yes, but—

Suigetsu shakes his head, conjuring up a smirk. "Forget it, Bird Boy. You wouldn't get it."

Juugo knits his brows. Try me, the gesture asks. But Suigetsu pretends to ignore it, speeding up instead.

Ahead, Sasuke and Karin move as one; where one lands, the other follows—hell, even Orochimaru is keeping his distance from the two.

The sight alone makes something in his stomach clench.

And just like that, Suigetsu remembers.

4 years ago.

—

The room is eerily silent. That is, with the exception of the quiet breathing of a dark-haired boy who is occupied reading a scroll, face devoid of any expression.

…If he noticed that the other boy in the room is occupied watching him in turn, he sure as hell is doing a mighty fine job at hiding it.

But that works just as well for Suigetsu; that way he can fool himself into believing that Uchiha Sasuke has not realized just how anxious he is by having him around.

Had their encounter happened at any other place—at any other time—things would be fairly different. Suigetsu doesn't like folks with a higher-than-thou attitude, so he would have probably taken a stab at his girlish beauty and at his softie-Konoha background and fought him to prove that he is the superior one of the two. And if that failed, well, he could just behead him. No big deal.

Alas, as things are he has no sword—hell, he doesn't even have a meager kunai. And neither does he have his freedom, for that matter. He is confined to a fucking tank, like a freak on display—and he would be aching from the mortal wound such an offense inflicted to his pride, weren't it because he is too busy trying to come up with the right way to approach this guy.

To approach Uchiha Sasuke.

He laid eyes on him for the first time a couple of days ago, and did not fail to notice how Orochimaru kept him by his side at all time. Yet, it isn't until that very morning that Suigetsu realizes that the Uchiha is more than simply Orochimaru's favorite pet.

'Stop wasting my time, Orochimaru,' the boy coldly spat with a voice too deep for his age. 'Train me.'

He all but commanded it—and Suigetsu tried to mask his amazement as Kabuto cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes at the boy.

'Sasuke-kun, how many times do I need to remind you that—'

A glare alone and the bespectacled man was reduced to silence. At their side, Orochimaru chuckled.

'Leave him be, Kabuto. You know Sasuke-kun is an Uchiha; you won't be able to tame them with illusions of respect. Very well, Sasuke-kun. Shall we go?'

Suigetsu had to pay the price of Kabuto's indignant anger, but he had barely felt the pain as his mind remained focused on the sight of Orochimaru and that boy—the way he had ordered him around, as if he were the master rather than the prey.

Uchiha Sasuke, Suigetsu repeated in his mind, then; and realized that the name alone evoked power.

The power enough to overtake Orochimaru some day.

It is then that Suigetsu decides that Uchiha Sasuke is just the guy he needs to stay close to if he wants to survive the hell of Orochimaru's lair in one piece. If he ever wants to get out.

And so unknowingly, Sasuke becomes his lifeline. And he just can't—

I can't screw this up.

The question is, then; how to approach him? How can he become friends with such a unfriendly guy? He has not spared him a single look since he came into the room. Hell, Suigetdu hasn't even seen his expression change once!

Relax, Suigetsu. You just have to play nice, is all. You gotta get on his good side, and then you can get outta here. Simple as that.

Deciding to play it cool, Suigetsu clears his throat, takes a deep breath and—

"Sasuke!"

The voice comes from the entrance. Both turn to find a disheveled girl; her vibrant red hair as much of a mess as her torn clothes. But she seems alien to all this as she gives a step forward and towards the Uchiha. "Sasuke, come and see!"

It's Suigetsu's first time seeing the girl, but Sasuke seems to be familiarized with her. "What is it, Karin?"

To Suigetsu's surprise, the girl—Karin, promptly marches over and gets a hold of Sasuke's wrist, roughly pulling him up from his chair. "I want to show you something!"

"Hn, I've told you I can walk by myself, Karin."

And yet he makes no effort to free himself from her grasp—no sign of irritation whatsoever in his posture as the girl drags him out of the room.

And just like that, his golden chance to break the ice with the one Uchiha Sasuke slips like sand between his fingertips—but truth be told, Suigetsu is too puzzled to care.

Sasuke did not seem to mind being manhandled by that chick, whereas a reminder from Kabuto alone was enough to make him murderous.

Now, that is weird.

…Just who the hell is that Karin chick, anyway?

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He would not have recognized the girl standing before him if it weren't for her trademark red hair. The girl he saw with Sasuke two days ago acted tomboyish, but she looked approachable enough. Alas, there is no trace of that demeanor in the Karin standing besides Kabuto, inexpressive eyes set on his tank.

Set straight on his own.

Suigetsu tries to repress the shiver that goes down his spine at the apathetic look she is giving him and hopes the effort won't show on his face.

"I'm leaving him to you, then." Kabuto says, and there's something sick in his smirk; in the expectant look in his eye.

If she notices it, Karin gives no sign of it. Her mouth remains set on a straight line and her eyes, while still placed on Suigetsu's own, now seem to be looking right past him. "Right."

Kabuto leaves without another word. For a moment, neither Suigetsu nor Karin move a muscle.

The she goes to pick a folder from the table nearby, and Suigetsu finds himself releasing the breath he hadn't known he was holding.

And desperately looking for something—anything—to say.

If he gets on her good side—on that side of her he saw only two days ago—he will kill two birds with one kunai; not only could he avoid the round of experiments, but he could also get closer to Sasuke. All of that through this very girl.

The prospect is tempting enough. And so Suigetsu puts on what he hopes is a friendly smirk and turns on his charm. "Hey—"

"Don't."

Suigetsu can do nothing but stare. She isn't even looking at him! "What. I haven't even—"

"Exactly. Don't." Karin deadpans at him—and suddenly, she's glaring. A dark, intimidating glare that makes Suigetsu helplessly wonder where had the cute girl from before gone off to. "Let me guess; you've had a hard life and you want out. Well, no shit! Get in line and give me a break. No one here has had an easy time, so don't waste your time trying to play victim so I will go easier on you."

She saw right through him. Suigetsu scowls. What a bitch, he thinks, and says as much. The girl doesn't even seem fazed by the insult, nonchalantly writing down god knows what in her folder.

Then comes a voice. "Karin."

Uchiha Sasuke out of all people makes his entrance then. His gaze briefly flickers to Suigetsu before settling back on Karin. "Come."

Karin cocks her head to the side. "Huh? Where to? I've got work to do, Sasuke. Can't it wait?"

The Uchiha shakes his head but says nothing else. After a moment of hesitation, Karin sighs. "Ugh, alright—but it better be quick! You," she turns towards Suigetsu now, and gives him a warning look through narrowed eyes. "I will be back, so don't get too comfortable."

And it's something in that tone added to her familiarity with Sasuke, that which makes Suigetsu affronted enough for his annoyance to seep into his words; a luxury he rarely allowed himself with Kabuto. "You can stay gone for all I care, bitch!"

The insult is the same—and yet this time Karin goes as red as her hair and wipes around to face him, positively livid. "W—what did you just call me, you assh—!"

"Karin." Sasuke warns, a hand on her wrist accompanying it. The girls' agitated gaze darts from him to his hand and back to the tank but then she storms off, muttering an angry fine! as she went.

Suigetsu gives a triumphant smirk. Heh, serves her right!

Empowered by satisfaction, Suigetsu turns to look at Sasuke—only to freeze, any semblance of pleasure evaporating.

The boy is giving him a cold glare from crimson, murderous eyes—a warning.

Suigetsu's smirk melts down his face as if it were made of wax—and as Uchiha Sasuke leaves, no doubt to follow the angry redhead, Suigetsu curls his hands into fists and scowls.

Damn it!

So much for being on Sasuke's good side. And it was all Karin's fault.

That bitch!

Right then and there, Suigetsu decides that he dislikes her. Her and whatever link it was that she has with Sasuke.

…Whatever regard Sasuke holds for her.

"What should we do?"

Suigetsu blinks. Some meters ahead, Sasuke, Karin and Orochimaru have stopped on a tree branch.

"Karin felt some chakra up ahead," Sasuke explains as Suigetsu and Juugo land behind them. "Orochimaru wants to head there."

"From Karin's description, I believe I know exactly who that chakra belongs to. It won't hurt to have the current Gokage indebted to you, Sasuke-kun."

"I don't care about that," Sasuke says, turning in the direction of the battlefield. "I need to get there."

"Should we split, then?" Juugo suggests.

Sasuke silently contemplates his words for a moment. Karin promptly growls.

"Tch, because that worked so well last time."

Sasuke flickers his gaze to hers but the redhead gives him nothing but the cold shoulder, refusing to meet his eyes.

Ouch, Suigetsu can't help but think; Karin really isn't letting it go, is she? He guesses it's no surprise, since Sasuke apparently almost killed her and all—but still, there is something oddly pitiful about the way the all-mighty Uchiha can do nothing but faintly frown up at her while Karin deliberately ignores him.

"Things are different now, Karin." Sasuke states, at last.

But if his words were meant to reassure her they soundly fail, as Karin huffs and crosses her arms.

"Whatever."

And if there was something pitiful in Sasuke's apparent uneasiness at how to deal with Karin, there is something downright sad in the way Karin looks down at the ground—body tensed, gaze weary.

She doesn't trust his word. The knowledge is a weight that settles in the tense silence that engulfs them, darkening the crevasses in Sasuke's visage.

This is not how they are supposed to be. This is not the Sasuke and Karin he has gotten used to. And despite how annoying he finds their whole stupid dynamic, this was seriously much worse.

It makes Suigetsu feel inadequate—and frankly, a little sick. So he clears his throat and aims a smirk at Karin.

"Yo, Karin! Did you really miss us that much?"

His words have the desired effect, because some spark comes back into Karin's red eyes as she pushes her glasses further up her nose, eyebrow twitching.

"Shut up, Suigetsu!"

"Ohhh I nailed it, didn't I?"

Sasuke heaves in a sigh—but he makes no effort to break off their argument this time, and his silence says more than words ever could.

Inwardly, Suigetsu smirks; heh, you owe me one, Sasuke.

No that he is helping coax Karin into relaxing to help him, mind you—and no way in hell is he doing it to help that witch—it just so happens that Suigetsu values his fun a little too much.

Getting in their way is Suigetsu's way of getting back at them—and where was the fun in getting in their way, if Karin is at odds with her precious Sasuke?

Heh, I'm not letting her ruin even that.

It's his favorite thing to do after looking for swords, after all.

—

end.

Thanks for reading!