The air breezed past the two unmoving forms, both figures visibly tense. "Well, if it isn't the infamous Kisame Hoshigaki," chuckled a feminine voice. They both stared at each other, their eyes shining with undeniable surprise.
"Aiko?" muttered the blue man, gaining himself a sneer.
The girl scoffed softly, blowing away the locks of brilliant, orange, hair that covered her face. She had a smile of triumph, even though she was far from being victorious. "This is not the best reunion, isn't it?" she sighed in a contempt way, mockery clear as day.
The man stiffened even more, knowing that his mission was at stake. If he assumed correctly, then this girl had been trailing him for the past few days. This left him with only two options: persuade her to keep her mouth shut and somehow make sure she doesn't snitch him out; or he could easily slice her up in half with Samehada. He didn't like either options and deciding which to execute was becoming a tedious task.
"Who sent you?" was his snappy reply. His animalistic features roared to life, reminding the girl just how dangerous this man was. Ironically, she felt everything but fear and disgust towards him. Silence stretched between them, reminding her just how vulnerable she was. One swing of his mighty sword and she'd be dead before she could notice it. Years of training were futile, if you ever encountered an Akatsuki member. She was heavily outmatched, but she held her stance.
"That, I believe, is none of your business, Kisame," she strained his name, unsure of what his reaction would be. Surprisingly, the menacing aura surrounding the blue humanoid lessened, giving Aiko a small twinge of hope. She spared him a tiny smile, making sure her face portrayed no emotions.
They stared at each other for a good minute, neither daring to move, scared that an unavoidable battle would lash out. Finally, Aiko gathered enough courage to speak up. "I wasn't sent by anyone, I… I came by free will," again, she fell silent, unsure of how the startled man would answer.
He didn't.
Unable to read his stoic expression, she decided to elaborate her reasons. "It's been a long time, ya' know? I just… kind of want everything to go back like the old days." Her voice was strained and barely audible, but the man had heard her. "I haven't seen you in years, Kisame! Kategakure is a huge mess and… well, there was nothing for me there. Not anymore."
"That still doesn't explain why you were following me. You know this leaves me with very little options, don't you, Aiko?" the blue man snarled, primal instincts coming to life.
The girl chewed on her lower lip, dubious of her own thoughts. She had acted on a whim, a capricious idea. She accidentally dug out her own grave, but she didn't mind one single bit. Anything for him.
"I missed you," she blurted out, too caught up within her mind to notice her reckless actions. Tears soon joined her foolish words, causing turmoil of feelings fleet through the man's facial expressions. "Ever since you left, I just couldn't…" she inhaled a shocked breath, finally registering what she was saying.
The fact that someone actually cared for him, other than his combat partner, made him feel flattered. It was such a huge shock; the silence that enveloped them both passed unnoticed. They both stared at each other, their faces portraying no emotion. Though, the tears that leaked out of Aiko's eyes were enough to show how distressed she was.
"Leave," was Kisame's final reply. "Leave before you regret anything," this time, his voice was just above a whisper. The menacing aura returned, this time, more feral than ever. Aiko cringed back, but bravely stood her ground, just like before.
"No," she choked on her tears. "No, I saw you walk away once, I won't let that happen again." Her voice was so disheveled, it was a wonder she was able to speak at all.
"This time, you'll be the one walking away," he added softly, his features smoothing down to a kind smile. Perfect, white, razor sharp, fangs gleamed under the sunset's light. A devastated girl stood there, lower lip quivering with anguish.
She took a step forward, and even before she knew, she was running towards the tall man. Her hands desperately clutched to his black cloak, frightened that he might leave again. "P-please don't say that," she let out a mangled sob, her voice constricted and pained.
The blue man felt his chest gain invisible pressure. It had been a long time since he'd actually felt something. The nostalgic feeling of being heartbroken returned to his sense, yet, he did not embrace it lightly. Instead, he glanced down at the sobbing girl. Doing the unthinkable, he raised her face, both their lips brushing against each other.
"It's the only way," he murmured, his breath mingling with hers. And even before she could protest, a small puff of smoke appeared before her own eyes, gone just as fast as it came. Devastated, she collapsed on her knees.
"Liar."