It had always been this way – ever since Jugo could remember. A child born in the slums doesn't have much of a say. He was taken before he learned how to speak. Like an animal, he was kept in a cage. For years, he saw no one but his doctors and he never said a word. That only changed when he met a child much younger than himself with white hair and green eyes. For the first time in his life, he wasn't alone in his cage.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Kimimaro," the child said. "What's yours?"

"Jugo," he answered.

He was dirty and small, but Jugo was thankful for the company. Nonetheless, he didn't stay and the doctors soon told Jugo that the boy succumbed to illness. It angered Jugo and he once again grew silent. More time passed and he soon found another child in his cage.

"What's your name?" he asked again.

"Suigetsu," the other child answered.

For some reason, Jugo was reminded of Kimimaro... Though, perhaps it was just the hair they had in common. Nonetheless, he was thankful for new company.

"I'm Jugo," he introduced himself. "How old are you?"

"I'm seven," the boy said. "How old are you?"

"I don't know," Jugo admitted. "How old do I look?"

"Fourteen," Suigetsu responded without an ounce of hesitance.

"All right," Jugo said with a faint smile. "Then we can pretend I'm fourteen." A pause. "How long have you been here?"

"I don't know," the child replied. "Not long. Someone took me here. My brother tried to stop them, but they killed him."

He spoke without emotion and Jugo found it strange. His entire face was a void of human emotion.

"I don't remember anything that happened..." he continued softly, glancing at the teenager. "Why is that?"

"It's normal," Jugo murmured. "They make you forget things so your mind will stay focused. If they break your mind – really break it – then there isn't much else they can do with you."

"Oh," the child croaked.

And that is how it began. Jugo made another friend and Suigetsu found comfort. For years they spent quiet time together in the cages. Other children came and went, but in the end they were the only two who stayed – whether it was luck or something else entirely, they never questioned it.

As they grew up, the experiments got harsher. Needles, incisions, blood tests and broken bones. There were countless nights Jugo would lie awake having to listen to the screams of his friend. There were countless nights where Suigetsu had to do the same.

Soon enough, Suigetsu stopped coming back. Jugo was once again alone and the doctors never said a word about the younger child's fate.

The strength they gave Jugo ruined him. Red in temper, it only got worse as the years continued to pass. The doctors had a hard time holding him down during rages. As a teenager, he grew stronger and stronger. As a full grown man, he was nearly unstoppable. Every doctor and every tranquilizer was needed to subdue him. He knew it was no way to live, but he dreamt of something more – something better.

Now a man, he had given up hope until the night he was saved. It was late in the night and he was trying his best to sleep. The doctors were gone and the security guards were roaming the halls. In his familiar cage, Jugo grew restless.

Click... click...

His imagination? He opened his eyes to see a girl with red hair unlocking his cage.

"Don't," he warned her, gritting his teeth in an attempt to suppress his volatile emotions.

She ignored him. "On your feet," she demanded in a hushed tone, crossing her arms and staring down at him.

"Why?" he asked.

"We're leaving," is all she said.

He didn't protest, but he wasn't going to leave without closure. He needed to know for sure what happened to Suigetsu.

"I can't yet," he told her.

She gave him a look of impatience. "Why?" she whispered the question harshly.

"I need to find something... someone..." he said, unsure if he'd be finding Suigetsu alive or a simple document that stated his death date.

Karin huffed, pulling out a blueprint of the building from her pocket. "Where to?"

"The basement," he said, knowing it was their best bet. He knew what they kept in the basement.

They shuffled down the hallway, making their way into the dank, dark basement. It was a large open space that smelled strongly of formaldehyde. Karin wrinkled her nose, but Jugo was far too determined to react to the potent scent. Plus, he was used to the sterile smell.

"If he's not here..." Jugo started in a murmur, "we'll need to go upstairs where they keep the files." He glanced back and forth. There were tanks filled with all sorts of creatures – animals neither Karin or Jugo had seen before.

"What the hell...?" Karin whispered in awe. "Are these genetic mutations?"

In the very back of the room in the largest tank was Suigetsu – only he looked different. Older, in ways, and much stranger. But of course it made sense. Years had passed, after all. He was naked, submerged in the water with closed eyes and a sullen look.

"Is that him?" Karin clicked her tongue piteously while Jugo could only stare at the state of his friend. He gritted his teeth and, in a fit of uncontrollable and sudden anger, darted forward. Without a hint of hesitation, he smashed the glass tank.

"Shit!" the girl hissed at him, jumping away. The tank collapsed, spilling water all over the cold, hard floor.

Jugo reached inside and pulled his friend out effortlessly with his newfound strength. The other male was limp, wet and naked, but they didn't have time to stop now.

"Hurry," Karin rushed him. "Go, go, go!"

And without a hitch, they were out. They were free. At last.

    ||XxXx||    

They made it all the way to the forest before stopping. Jugo finally put Suigetsu down, taking off his thin, cotton shirt and wrapping it around his friend. It covered him modestly.

"Is he... like... alive?" Karin asked bluntly.

"Yeah," Jugo said as he knelt next to Suigetsu. He could feel the other man breathing.

"We can sit here for a little while," she murmured, "but then we have to keep going."

"Where?" he asked.

"Underground." She sat down next to Jugo and stared down at Suigetsu. "Who is he, anyway?"

"My friend," Jugo said.

Karin simply nodded, content with knowing that much. She didn't ask any more questions after that. Neither did Jugo. Instead, they simply sat in silence. The only sounds were the sounds of the wild and the sounds of the night.

Soon enough, Suigetsu shifted, eyes fluttering open. Jugo was surprised to see purple pupils staring up at him. He found it strange, but for some reason he couldn't remember what color Suigetsu's eyes were before the experiments.

"What did they do to you?" he asked tersely.

Wincing, Suigetsu sat up but remained silent. He didn't know how to answer the question. He didn't know what had been done to him – all he knew is that it was long and it was painful.

"They mutated him," Karin supplied. "Just like every other creature in that room, he's no different."

"I'll kill the man who did this to you," Jugo promised, staring at his airy-headed friend.

"Come on," Karin started, rising to her feet. "You're awake. We should continue."

Suigetsu still hadn't said a word.

"Think he's in shock?" she asked. "Pick him up again. Come on. We need to keep moving. We can't afford to slow down."

With his friend in his arms, Jugo ran, refusing to ever look back.