(Book the Second) In the Eye of the Snake ~Crimson Light in the Uchiha

Spar

Rin's POV

Where....my eye lids reluctantly lift themselves up and my pupils slowly travel around. Candle light...and nothing else. Something of a hopeful color catches my eye and I stare at it.

A vase of roses with sakura petals littered around it. I took a deep sniff and the scent wafted up my nose. Fresh...they were just put here, weren't they?

"Do you like them?"

Umi stood at the doorway with her arms crossed. "Y-yeah...."

Umi smiled, and one of her fingers delicately stroked one of the roses, "Sakuras and roses are my favorite flowers. Not only because of their scent, but because when their petals detach themselves, they dance in the most hypnotic way..."

I stared at the petals, and then I said quietly, "Um...Umi-san, why am I here?"

"Well," she sighed, "you got beat up....then you used practically all your chakra, and it took you three days to wake up. That newcomer really did beat you huh?"

I blinked. "Jugo-san?" I said quietly...."Jugo-san!" I bolted up and leapt out of bed. I crashed straight into Umi who held me tightly.

"Your backbone is a little injured, so don't go around running recklessly," chided Umi and she lifted me onto her shoulders.

We walked quietly down the deserted halls. My head was throbbing and suddenly two more names hit my memory. "Kimimaro must be hurt too...and that lazy idiot Suigetsu...I'll kill him." I muttered and Umi chuckled.

"Here we are," said Umi and she pushed apart a large set of double doors.

It was exactly like the place Haru used to be imprisoned in. A single hall lined with bars. Only the prisoners had individual separations and every single bar had a seal on it. The prison room for powerful ones, huh? I scanned the darkness until I spotted a familiar orange tuff of hair.

"Hey!" I yelled and I leapt off of Umi. I winced, but I still rushed up to the bars, "Wake up, Jugo! Hey!"

I shook the bars. Was he dead? Injured beyond consciousness? The tuff of orange hair shifted and wide frightened eyes locked onto mine. "Rin," Jugo choked, "I'm so sorry. I'm really-"

I didn't let him finish. My arms reached beyond the bars and I grabbed Jugo into a hug. "Baka," I snarled, "you're okay, what is there to be sorry about?"

"I-I..." Jugo paused, "thank you," he said finally, "and to Kimimaro too. Both of you. For treating me gently, for fighting me because you wanted me to go back to normal and not because you thought I was a monster..."

I felt a hand on my shoulder, "We should go..." Whispered Umi, "I'll see you later, Jugo-kun," she added before lifting me onto her shoulders.

"Bye," I waved, and then I turned around. The door clanged shut behind us and we went back to walking silently. Umi lifted me off her shoulders suddenly and put me down. "What is it Umi?" I said.

"I'm on a tight schedule," Umi grinned, "I'll be back, don't worry." For a second a look of sadness passed Umi's face as she stared down at me and I looked back curiously. What happened? Why was she giving me such a....sympathetic look? Umi patted me head absentmindedly and then she was gone.

What was all that about?

I shook my head and I walked back to my room.

Haru's POV

My preferred weapon. Katanas are pretty good only I prefer something more. I held the long shaft tightly. It was a double ended spear, sure, but I could shrink the shaft to make it more like a sword. The best part was that it could split, making it easy to entangle the opponent's weapon. Speaking of which, I glared wearily at my opponent who was this really weird muscular guy. Orochimaru's experiments made it possible for an ax to come out of his right arm which currently was nothing more than a stump.