Chapter 1 – Childhood friends.

A seven-year-old Kisame Hoshigaki starred ahead of him as his sensei led the class to the exam stadium. More like a massive grave yard, Kisame thought. All over, the remains of previous students who did not pass were marked by stones and sticks set up in various arrays, some looming far into the tree tops. Others were no taller than Kisame's foot. But they all marked the fate that awaited the new students when they would enter into combat here: Death or victory. Only seven of them could pass on to become Chunin, and only males could participate in the killing exam. The females were just to valuable, and had to immobilize the others to pass.

All of them were here now, and they looked on in terror, glad that they were of the weaker sex. Kisame laughed softly as he saw Zabuza pretending to be a big man and 'protecting' two young kunochi from the terrorizing stick statues. Looking about, he saw the same of most of the others as well, but one girl caught his attention. She was looking at a statue with great intrest and curiosity, seemingly unafraid. Quietly, Kisame came to stand beside her.

"If you think I'm scared of this silly thing, you're gravely mistaken." She looked at him with the most beautiful eyes Kisame had ever seen. He shook his head.

"Oh, I know you're not scared. What's your name girl?" Her eyes softened a bit and she smiled at him.

"Keilala. Yours?"

"Kisame." She stepped back from the statue and looked up at it again, sighing. Kisame thought it sounded much like an ocean breeze.

"This statue belongs to the grave of my older brother…. I…. I never got a chance to wish him luck, and tell him that I loved him before he left. He was in to much of a hurry to get here." A tear fell from her eye and the young shark-like boy just starred, mesmerized. He never knew a girl could be so…. Beautiful.

"I'm sorry about that." She smiled at him again and he felt his heart thump in his chest. "H-hey, you wanna hang out after training's done, Keilala?"

"Sure! That'd be fun!" Her smile got even wider as she walked beside him. Suddenly, a ball of dirt and stones hit Kisame right in the face. "Kisame!"

"Hahahaha! Serves the freak right!! It's just what he needs… I good wallop to the face!" Kisame looked up to see Zabuza grinning like a wildcat. Rage filled him, until suddenly, Keilala took a stone that was nearby and flung it with uncanny accuracy at Zabuza's head. A thunk vibrated in everyone's ears as it hit home, and Zabuza was sent home, crying.

"Serves you right, you bully!" Keilala seemed very upset, so Kisame put his hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw a few bruises on his face. "Those stones in that dirtball hit you pretty hard…" Her hand touched his face gently and they were healed. It wasn't the fact that she had been nice enough to heal him that made him stop and stare, but her soft, gentle touch.

"Th-thank you, Keilala-chan." He smiled sheepishly at her and blushed a bit. Training went on normally from there, and then Kisame and Keilala went off to find a good place to just talk. "Keilala… How come you're so nice to me? Everyone else is afraid of me or hates me."

"Well, they don't know you, do they? Besides, I know how it is."

"You do?" He looked at her curiously. How could such a beautiful creature know how it felt to be feared, hated, and dispised by a whole village. She nodded.

"Ever since I was born, I've had a… a problem…." She looked down at the grassy ground and sighed. "When ever I get upset by something huge, I become a very different creature…. A monster…" He waited for her to go on. "When my brother was killed, that was the last time. I became so upset that I nearly killed my parents. The boy who killed my brother came in to stop me, and once he was dead, I calmed down and went back to normal." So, that was it. "Now my family hates me and won't come near me. I've been thrown out of my home, and I live in this forest now."

"Well, my hut has room for two. Come and live with me."

"What about your…?"

"Parents? Don't have none." She smiled and nodded at him. Then they walked to get her things, hand in hand.

Five days later…

Kisame was finishing up his morning preperations for the exam. Today was the day, and there was no way in hell he was going to back down.

"Oi, Kisame.. Wait!" Keilala's voice called out from behind him and he turned. She hugged him warmly. "Good luck! Please be careful." He nodded.

"I sure will Keilala, thanks."

"Sure." They smiled at each other, then Kisame turned and walked to the stadium. He could hear Keilala yelling at all of the people who starred at them from behind, and he prayed to whatever entity was out there that he would come back alive and in one piece.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Please clear the stadium and make your way to the stands now!" The announcer called out in a loud, booming voice. This he repeated several times, until the stadium was clear. Then a second announcer, the sensei, came forward.

"All male students who qualify for the Chunin Exam are to enter the stadium now!" All of the students obeyed, and Kisame looked about in the stands. Keilala's face appeared in the front row, and she waved at him. He smiled, but knew that waving could possibly disqualify him.

"This is going to be short and not so sweet. Kill all of the other Genin until only seven of you are left. Ready? BEGIN!" Kisame whirled and gutted the first person nearest him. His target died instantly and he moved on to another, and another, and…

A whistle blew, signaling the end of the exam. Though bloody, battered and tired, Kisame was still alive. I passed… I did it… He smiled slightly, then went up to the front of the stadium. Zabuza and five other students were there already.

"Well, if it isn't the freak circus? Do you really think you can survive now that all of the kid gloves are off? Or did you just want to see your pretty little girlfriend one last time… before I fry you and feed you to the dogs for supper?" Zabuza laughed at him until Kisame punched his face. Amazingly, he also hit the bruise that Keilala had made five days earlier, and Zabuza fell to the ground, howling.

"GO KISAME!!! KICK HIS BUTT!!!!" Looking up, he laughed as Keilala jumed up and down, enjoying the pain Zabuza was in. Then, all seven were led to the front, and presented with seven swords.

"Choose one. But only take it if you can lift it." Everyone of the other boys ran and grabbed at the wrapped sword each in turn, but none could lift it. One by one, the other swords disappeared, and Kisame was left to get the wrapped one. If they couldn't lift it, how can I…? He looked up to the stands and saw Keilala, and she was smiling down at him, giving him a thumbs-up. He took a hold of it and pulled. The sword lifted off of the ground easily and seemed to be meant just for him.

"Alright, the exam is over. Exams for the females will be tomorrow at the same time. Dismissed." All seven boys left the stadium, Zabuza and the others glaring at Kisame.

"How the hell a shrimp like you could lift that I'll never know." A stone flew through the air and smashed into Zabuza's face. As he cried out and tried to stem the blood flow, Keilala ran up, laughing.

"You're so stupid, Zabuza! If Kisame was a shrimp, he'd be short and pink, like you. Naw, Kisame is a shark!" He found himself to be rather fond of that comparison. Sharks were large and very strong, and ate shrimps like humans ate vegetables. Putting his arm around the kunochi's shoulders, he nodded towards the direction of their hut.

"Let's go home, Keilala-chan." She nodded and put her arm around his shoulders, and they walked home peacefully.

The next morning…

Keilala was up and ready to go. She stretched and made sure that everything was in proper working condition. Kisame stood by the hut, cleaning his new sword 'Samehada'.

"Kisame… any cleaner, and you won't want to use it in self defense even!" She giggled and hugged her hut-mate and best friend.

"Well, I'm just trying to make sure it's in good condition…" He smiled at her. She felt her heart skip a beat. That wonderful smile that made her feel so happy and safe… Just then, the whistle for the female exams cut the quiet morning. "Good luck, Keilala-chan… be careful, and come back with all of your pieces attatched."

"Sure will, Kisame! Thanks!" She hugged him again and rushed towards the stadium. Kisame would be there later, watching her just as she had watched him yesterday. Upon arriving, she waited as the stadium had to be cleared of all people mourning lost loved ones again. She felt as though she should back out, but then again… Her eyes wandered to the stadium, where she found Kisame smiling at her. She couldn't give up now, not ever.

"For this exam, you only need to immobilize your opponent for three minutes. Only seven females will be allowed to pass. GO!" Keilala used her camouflage technique to hide herself in the foliage. Within an hour, she had taken out over half her class single handedly. She wondered when the whistle would blow. It did so very suddenly and she walked to the front of the stadium. Kisame's relief and joy were eminent on his face. The sensei brought out seven katanas.

"The one that is meant for you will glow when you touch it." All of the girls ran for the sword with the golden dragon hilt, but it did not glow. One by one, Keilala watched as all of the other swords disappeared. She walked up and touched the golden sword. It glowed a very brilliant light, brighter than any of the other girls' katana's had. Picking it up, Keilala marveled at how light it seemed to be. "Keilala-san, place the sword in it's sheath, please."

She obeyed the command, then clipped the belt holding the sword to her waist. She called the sword Drago, and left the stage.

Outside, in the village square, Kisame awaited his friend eagerly.

"Keilala, that sword really set off a light display when you touched it. I had to look away." She smiled at him and felt the exhaustion of the day creep into her body.

"Kisame, let's head home. I think we still have some food left over, don't we?" He nodded. "I cook us something good tonight. We both made it."

Three years later…

Keilala looked down at the shark-like teen lying in the hospital bed before her. One eye flitted open and she smiled slightly.

"Kisame, are you alright?"

"Yeah… just a little sore… ow…." She shook her head, still smiling a bit.

"You need to stop pushing yourself so hard, you could die!" Kisame smiled up at her and brushed her hair from her face. His hand traced the line of her cheek affectionately.

"You're so cute when you're worried about me." He chuckled, then relaxed for her to heal his wounds some more. For three days, he was stuck in a hospital bed, Keilala attending to him diligently.

On the day he was released, he made a decision that would change everything.