Author's Notes: Here be my grand multichap story. :D This is the idea that made me start writing fanfics…I was practising 'till now. X) This will get romantic a bit later on, but first I need to explain some things, like the name. :) And the end is still open…this will be a new kind of challenge for me. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I do writing it.

And yeah, you might want to read the oneshot prequel, Predatory Nature, before this. Some things will be clearer.

And a special thanks to everyone who has reviewed my stories! It's thanks to your supportive comments that I built up the confidence to start this. :) There's nothing like comments to make an author's day…so please tell me if you like it, or if, most importantly, you think you spot something that doesn't make sense.

Disclaimer: Kisame and mostly everyone else here belong to Kishimoto Masashi-sama.

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First Chapter

Kisame slowly drifted awake only to find that his chest was aching like hell and moving any of his limbs in the slightest caused a feeling like one or two tendons might snap in two. Letting air hiss through his sharp teeth he opened his eyes wearily to look at the ceiling. He didn't recognise it.

His mind now crash-dumped into his consciousness the events of the last day. He had never been prone to excess facial expressions, which was handy now. Especially because of the people he sensed watching him.

He remained staring at the grayish-white ceiling with his face blank for a moment. Then, before he got too impolite he rolled his head to the side. He had indeed been correct. Oh, joy.

Decisively not wincing despite the wrenching pain in his chest Kisame righted his back and rose to a sitting position to nod as courteously as possible at the blonde woman observing him with a grim look on her pretty face.

"…Morning, Hokage-sama." More than a hint of sarcasm there.

The Fifth sighed and got up from her nearly lying position on the chair. The two animal-masked ANBUs in the both side of the hospital room's door seemed a lot tenser than the tired woman.

She didn't seem happy and the ANBUs certainly weren't, not now that they couldn't just cut up the shark-like ninja while he was vulnerable. Kisame wasn't too pleased either although this bizarre situation was, in the end, his fault.

Tsunade placed a hand on her waist and with the other gestured for the ANBUs to calm down. Wearily she spoke: "Hoshigaki Kisame. The Mysterious Person of Hidden Mist Village. The Daimyo killer. You certainly live up to your reputation, waking up so soon after the treatment. Quite remarkable recovery speed."

Kisame just nodded again as he still didn't feel like jumping up and doing the proper court bows. He smiled as he oftentimes did in the weirdest of situations. "Maybe it is just that you are indeed as proficient as rumoured, Tsunade-hime-sama."

There was a silence in which the Hokage eyed Kisame, apparently trying to decide what to do, and Kisame realised he was wearing one of those unbelievably stupid hospital gowns with nothing to cover the backside.

With an exasperated sigh Tsunade glanced at the ANBU guards and ordered them to leave. To the other one's stuttered objections she snapped: "I can plenty well handle him alone until you get inside through that door! Now is it too much to ask you to obey your Hokage?"

The ANBUs swiftly filed out, but not without managing a couple of menacing looks at Kisame despite the masks.

Tsunade continued to glare after her underlings for a moment and Kisame looked around the room to confirm that his weapon, Samehada was nowhere to be seen as was his Akatsuki uniform. The only vacant outfit in the room seemed to be a neatly folded pile that looked a lot like a standard Leaf Village Jounin uniform complete with the village forehead protector.

"…Hm," Kisame uttered in mild disbelief, and the Hokage followed his eyes.

"Yes, well, before that is yours I'll need to hear something very convincing from you," the Sannin said dryly. "We're alone," she added when Kisame looked at the door.

"So tell me, Hoshigaki Kisame, why should I trust you? You are an S-class criminal and you are even now wearing your Akatsuki ring. You've betrayed a village once already and you have a history of…instability." She held a small pause but her gaze told the tall man that she wasn't finished.

"…I know you have a lot of valuable information and that as a working ninja you might be a great asset, but even if you could be fully trusted, you'd be a risk. Your friends in the Akatsuki will undoubtedly want revenge and to prevent their secrets being revealed, and sheltering you would endanger our treaty with the Mist. But still…" she bit her lip.

She actually bit her lip, slipping that much from the role of an unwavering Hokage and a legendary Sannin. Kisame blinked once.

"…What I want to know the most is why you would go out of your way, even risk your life by leaving the Akatsuki…as it seems to have happened…just to help one of my Leaf ninja?"

"That Kakashi already reported, I see?" Kisame only answered. Those Sharingan bastards could surely be annoyingly perceptive. But perhaps this was actually for the best. After all, the famous Tsunade seemed to…be affected.

"Answer my question."

"…Hm. I think you might know already." Kisame smiled in his usual way that conveyed nothing like happiness. "I believe I have spotted the fabled necklace of the First Hokage on the brat?"

The situation, especially sitting on a hospital bed with the damned paper gown didn't help make Kisame feel dignified. What he had done was irrational…this whole thing was. This was all very complicated. As an Akatsuki member he might have been on the wrong side of the law, but a lot more free than he believed he ever could be if he tried to return to a village, to the normal society.

Tsunade's expression was impossible for him to read. It was annoying, undignified to explain it, but Kisame had to try or accept being locked up for life or perhaps executed on the spot.

"I will indeed be able to tell you a lot of things, Hokage-sama, but right now I guess I can only say…hmm…" Kisame rubbed the back of his neck irritated, although it made his arm hurt. How embarrassing… "…I would guess…I had been getting more and more fed up with the Akatsuki, and I had my doubts with the leader and my own safety…and…well, it seems I have some kind of a soft spot for the brat. It happened automatically in a way….instinctively. The situation was odd like that."

The blonde woman had studied Kisame's face carefully when he spoke and now she shook her head, looking confused and oddly amused for a while.

"The weirdest thing, Hoshigaki, is that I believe you. Naruto has…a gift like that. And I pride myself as a good judge of character." She gave him yet another scrutiny and seemed surprised by her words even herself. "…I guess I'll give you a chance."

Kisame had never, never believed it could be this easy.

"You'll explain me everything, though, and remain under constant ANBU supervision for an undefined time. You won't take missions until you are fully recovered and I have obtained all your useful information. You will stay in Leaf and do whatever I tell you to, when I tell you to. You won't have access to your Samehada for a while but you will be granted a salary and an apartment. …But when the probation period is over…you'll be taking missions and receive payment. Any kind of treason or such will be treated with death penalty. You'll have a bit of a hard time…you'll understand the people are not likely to trust you."

Tsunade paused from her lecture to take a breath. Then he gave the rather stunned ex-Akatsuki an intense look. A dangerous look.

"..I'll have you know that right at this moment, largely because of your Akatsuki influence, Naruto has been placed in containment. The counsel feels he is too much of a risk after having manifested the four tails of Kyuubi's power. He's…uncontrollable. Even despite Yamato's help…dangerous." Tsunade's expression was bitter. Kisame was quite surprised by this undisputed evidence that the Fifth Hokage truly did care for the blonde brat…maybe like he himself?

"I will not stand them holding him in that place forever, as they intend to. And you…you caused this and you can't deny it. Never mind the circumstances. You will not go anywhere near that boy to stir him up. Is that clear?"

"Very." It was regrettable, Kisame would admit that, but maybe for the best concerning…everything.

Tsunade gave him yet another contemplative look. She then turned her eyes at the door. "…I believe you for some reason and I recognise Naruto's effect on people. But most will not believe. So behave yourself."

"…You told me that already, Hokage-sama. I am sure I can live with it. I believe I actually have a lifetime of practise."

This earned a curious look from the lady. Kisame's tone was sarcastic and bitter, as seemed quite usual for him.

"…Well. I'm sure we'll have a very interesting conversation about that, too in the evening. I need to go now, but after you've changed, you'll go with this gentleman."

The Hokage walked to the door and, opening it, summoned in the two fidgety ANBUs and a large, scarred man in a long black coat.

"This is Morino Ibiki and he will be…interviewing you for the day." The man even smiled, in a rather unpleasant manner at that.

"I'll tell you once again to behave yourself. I'll take it you are able to walk and talk now, but these eager boys might worsen your condition in a troublesome way if you were to give them any reason to," her voice was dry once again, weary.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." It really was all he could say.

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Author's Notes: Don't kill me yet if you feel it's not believable, wait for the second chapter at least… It will be a bit of a long one, and it should explain most things.

And I have to say I don't like the sound of Kisame's nickname in English. Kirigakure no Kaijin sounds cool, but "Mysterious Person"… But I try to be consistent with the names. ...To some extent…