A/N: OMG you guys, I actually got it out. I was really starting to get worried there that my entire drive for this story was gone, it ws at an all time low. But I finally got it out, so we're good. Though I'm slightly sad to say that this is the last true chapter. I'll put in an epilogue though, but this story is finally coming to a close. It's kind of weird, but yeah, here's that chapter that took forever. It's not great because it was forced out of writers block, but I edited it a million and one times, so hopefully it's readable. And I thank all of you that stuck with me through out this, you'e all totally awesome. (and thank you tori again for always whipping me into doing something) But, now to stop dragging on and on, here you guys go.

DISCLAIMER:I don't know naruto or any of the characters yaddah yaddah yaddah...

enjoy!

I was stricken with exhaustion as I stumbled forward towards him. I saw him tense as I came near and I halted. I swallowed as I silently stared at his back. He was still facing resolutely away from me, and he hadn't uttered a sound. We stayed like for some time, neither of us moving. I had come miles and miles for him, and now that I had found him, I couldn't do a thing. I could feel the waves of pain rolling off of him and it hurt me as well.

"Why are you here," he finally asked in a gravelly voice. He refused to look at me. I felt my lip quiver sadly as I took another cautious step forward. I opened my mouth to speak, and it felt weird to say anything other than his name, which I had chanted like a strengthening prayer. I closed it again and swallowed. I opened it again, and then closed it once more. It took a few tries to finally get anything out.

"For you," I said. My voice sounded strange from disuse for so long. There was no reply. He didn't even move. Hopelessly, I tried again. Had I been sane through out my hunt for him, I would have rehearsed this scene in my head over and over again. I would know exactly what to say, but I hadn't, and I didn't. "Please… I'm so sorry," I suddenly felt my knees begin to shake. "Please forgive me, Kisame."

"What do you want from me, Hinata," he suddenly asked desperately, spinning around. My breath caught in my throat at his sudden eruption. His ragged voice stabbed an icicle of guilt into my heart. I was the cause of his distress. I turned to face him, beseechingly. As I stared up at him this time, my mind wasn't clouded with fear or shock.

"Just you," I pleaded. He was blurring in my vision; both from my tears and from my consciousness slipping away. I blinked rapidly, trying to bring him back. I thought I saw his facial expression twist in some horrified emotion when he looked upon me, but I could barely see that. "I just want you… When I swore that I loved you, I meant it…" My voice was fading away as my body was disintegrating before my eyes. It was rebelling against the treatment it had just endured.

Suddenly, I felt his hands on my face. His rough thumbs brushing away the tears that had leaked out. I reached my hands weakly to embrace his wrists. Despite my weak grip, I wouldn't let go and let him leave again. I couldn't see anymore than a blue splotch in my vision. I could barely stand on my own two feet. But I could feel his hands on my face, and then his arms around me. I felt him hold me to his chest, and let my tense muscles slacken.

But before I could fully embrace the moment, everything went utterly dark and I faded away.

I didn't open my eyes when I woke up. I knew where I was. I didn't need to see to confirm it. I was in a bed, a big one, curled up under a warm and fluffy comforter; a familiar warm and fluffy comforter. I smiled slightly as I heard the deep steady breathes of Kisame slumbering next to me, and I fought to keep my heart from beating right out of my chest.

He had believed me; he had come back to me. I could practically feel my heart burst into colorful flowers and sparkles. I forced myself to lie still, lest I leap into the air with an elated scream and start dancing. With forced slowness, I opened my eyes to look at him. I couldn't help but remember the first time, and the most recent time, when I had clearly seen him. I had been shocked and terrified, but now I was flooded with warmth.

I sat up and crawled over to him stealthily, I didn't want to wake him up, not yet. I just wanted to look at him. The sheets shifted ever so slightly as I moved to come beside him. The tips of my fingers itched to touch. I leaned over him and cocked my head slightly as I stared, holding back my hands. The blanket was draped over him haphazardly, and covered him from just below his shoulders. All I could see were his well developed shoulders and… his face.

He wasn't a monster. That much was clear to me. He was just different. But the more I looked at him, the more appealing he became in my mind. He had a strong jaw, and a firm mouth. The word 'hard' could describe him perfectly, but not, of course, in a bad way. They say that female animals are drawn to the alpha male, because they would make genetically good fathers. Well, Kisame was most certainly the alpha male.

Finally, my eyes fell on the slits that corresponded with his cheek bones. There function was obvious, but I was still puzzled at how they had come to be on a human. I reached out curiously and tentatively and drew my fingers across his gills. They ruffled under my touch, like when one stroked a cat. I traced down and as I trailed the digit across his jaw, I gave a little giggle and I noted that blue was a nice color on him. As strange as it may be.

Slowly, my hand came to rest lightly on his cheek. I smiled softly and opened my mouth. Time to face the true man. "Kisame," I called quietly. Instantly, his eyes flicked open. I jumped a little in surprise as the immediate response. I wondered if he had either had been awake the whole time, or if his instinct was just so sharp that the slightest sound woke him. I gazed into the intense, yellow flecked eyes and felt strong emotions begin to rise up within me.

Then suddenly, my face fell. He had closed his eyes and turned away from me. My arms, which held me above him, begin to shake dangerously. No, no, what was he doing? Panic was rising too quickly, choking me; my breathing stopped, my heart painfully skipped a beat. Alarmed and frantic, I reached out to slip my hand against his cheek and force him to look back at me.

"What's wrong," I whispered tremulously, staring into his golden eyes. As I watched them rove across my face, I began to feel the pain in my skin. It had been there before, but it had been pushed to the back of my mind. It hadn't been important before, now it demanded to be addressed. It was stinging and burning and the more I registered it, the worse it became. I let out a strangled little gasp and moved away from him. It was on my neck, my scalp, but mostly, on my face. My hands clenched and I shook my head in them. I fisted my hair, trying to focus on anything but the writhing of my skin.

"Hinata, what did you do to yourself," Kisame asked seriously, already on his feet. I scrambled off the bed, snarling to stop from screaming. I looked up at him desperately. My flesh was searing and I was terrified all the more because I didn't know what was causing it. I shook my head in confusion as his answer. Suddenly, he had grabbed my elbow and dragged me quickly towards a door. He flung it open to reveal a small bathroom, and hanging over the sink was a mirror. If I had been disgusted with my self before, it was nothing compared to this time. Almost in a trance, I broke from Kisame's grasp and stumbled slowly towards the mirror. The pain was momentarily replaced my horror filled realization. I could barely register the face looking back at me as my own. I reached out with a trembling finger to touch the cool surface of the looking glass.

The last time I had seen a mirror, in a moment of insanity, I had shattered it. I had been disgusted with my shallowness. At that time though, I was so focused on finding Kisame again that I had neglected to treat myself, and now, I was paying the price.

My skin had made an aggressive move on the glass shards still embedded in my flesh since then. It had grown over them in inflamed and taught lumps. They were shiny with body grease, and white pus could be seen pressing just below the surface. I wanted to turn away from the sight, but I just couldn't. All over, these horrid and infected growths decorated me. They were concentrated on my face, but there were a few in my neck as well.

The damage was catastrophic.

I turned around slowly to look at Kisame with wide eyes. The pain was battling its way through the shock and the realization, and my breath came in short bursts as my pulse sped up. I could feel myself shaking, my body traumatized. It was unbearable, utterly unbearable. I clenched my teeth, tightly, ignoring that sensation that they were cracking, trying to keep from crying out.

I could sense Kisame's movement, though he was nearly a blur to me, both from the pain and from his speed as he hurried to a drawer and wrenched it open. He dug around in it and when he withdrew his hands, he had a razor sharp scalpel and a pair of tongs. He came towards me in much the same way that one would advance on a wounded animal they were trying to help. He laid them on the counter and knelt beside me. He took my hands and looked into my eyes, trying to calm me.

"This is going to hurt," he warned seriously. I tried to force myself to stop twitching and writhing and look him in the eyes. I couldn't look at him directly though and ended up turning my head sideways, watching him from the corners of my mine. "But we have to get those out." Some how, his low rumbling baritone managed to soothe me. I gripped his hands hard through the throbbing and nodded my head jerkily.

"P-please- do it," I begged raggedly. I was amazed that I had managed to get those few words out. Tears were pooling in my eyes, but I could still make out Kisame's face. I saw him nod and then he put his hands on my shoulders. He pushed me backwards so that I sat on the lid of the toilet, then he crept in front of me. I bit my lip as he took up the scalpel and held my face gently, but firmly with the other hand. I tried to focus on the feeling of his fingers, but it was lost to me. Like a whisper at a rock concert.

"It's going to be alright," he murmured, before the lay the blade on one of the growths. And I believed him. If Kisame said it would be alright, then it would. I gave a tiny nod and then kept my eyes trained on his face as he sliced into my skin. The pain was instantaneous and I let out a small scream and grabbed his wrist, the one that held my face. The sharpness of my scream only seemed to make it all the worse.

But yet, through the agony, there was a sense of relief. The infected pressure was finally released and through the haze of disgust as pus and blood poured out and the pain that nearly blinded me, I was still pleased.

Then, there was a fresh burst of pain as Kisame slowly pulled the piece of glass free. It almost made me wish that we had never started this. The original pain, with the infections, had been nothing in comparison. But I gritted my teeth and tightened my grip on his hand, and forced myself to press on. I grasped them as tightly as I could, trying to alleviate the hurt, trying to think of anything but this.

And then he sliced open a new one.

The pain began to all just blend together. I couldn't tell which it was from, being cut open or having the glass pulled out. Tears began to pour out of my eyes, and I cried out. The smell of the infection was smothering, making me try to breathe in only through my mouth. I chomped down on my lips though, trying to keep the screams at bay. And so, for how long I wasn't sure, I held onto him, just whimpering and in pain.

Finally, Kisame dropped the last piece of glass into the sink. I let out a gasp of relief and released my grip on his arm. I breathed deep shuddering breathes and my pulse very slowly began to wind down. He took a warm, wet cloth and gently began to clean off the blood and pus. It stung, but felt like a caress in comparison to the previous agony.

When he was done, I caught sight of myself and felt my air die. I was hideous, absolutely repulsive. I had open and disfiguring sores where the deforming growths had been. I turned away from Kisame in shame. I couldn't look at myself, much less let him. Then, I felt him grab my shoulder and turn me back to face him. I glanced up at him warily, not meeting his gaze, and then gathered chakra in my finger tips. Suddenly, he closed his large hand over mine, stopping me.

"Don't try to do that right now," he said. I let the chakra seep away obediently. "You've been asleep for two days, but you need to eat." I saw the logic in his statement and I reluctantly drew my hands away from the open wounds. I briefly wondered on his reference to two days. Had I really been asleep for that long? I must have been, I reasoned, after what I'd done. So I didn't spend long fretting over that.

"I guess," I muttered in agreement after a bit of thought. Now that he mentioned it, I was hungry. I glanced up to meet his eyes, but cringed away. I didn't want him to see me like this. For a moment, I got a taste of what he had gone through when I begged to see him. I felt the fear of his disgust. But then I felt his rough finger lightly touch a patch of clear skin on my cheek. He tipped my face up gently and caught my eyes, holding them. I didn't look away. Then he smiled softly and I realized that I could never taste his pain. There wasn't a trace of revulsion in his expression, only softness. He leaned down and brushed a kiss onto my forehead.

"You stay here, I'll be right back." And then he was gone. I watched him go, and then wandered curiously into the bed room. I hadn't gotten much of a chance to see it before. It was sparsely furnished, just like how I had thought his old one was. I wondered if that was because he didn't much like decorations, or if it was so there had been fewer things for me to bump into when I was blind. There was a bed in the center, with the headboard against the wall, and there was a wardrobe over on a side wall. But what drew my attention the most was leaning vertically in a corner. It was tall and thick and wrapped in white cloth. It looked like a huge sword with a skull type thing on the hilt. I figured it could only be Kisame's prized Samehada.

Before I could observe anymore, Kisame strode into the room carrying a tray with food on it. When I turned to address him I couldn't help but feel a smile tug at my lips. That face had made an amazing transformation in my head. It didn't inspire terror, or disgust. Instead, I could only think about how much I loved it.

"It should taste good," Kisame said as he sat the tray on a small table. And it certainly looked good. My stomach rumbled embarrassingly loud and Kisame chuckled. He handed me a plate and fork and I sat down to it immediately. I was ravenous. "Hitomi made it."

"Deidara's girlfriend," I asked as I took a break from shoveling in the tasty stir fry and rice. Kisame nodded, and I frowned in confusion, and then turned back to my food. So Hitomi was here, that interested me. The pain in my stomach was subsiding quickly, but it only seemed to enhance the ones in my face. They still hurt, and they were still ugly. I had to periodically wipe away whatever liquids they were oozing as well. But still, I was beginning to feel contented.

"I have to go speak with Itachi," Kisame said as he stood up and took my empty bowl. "I'll be back, okay?" I nodded, and he left the room with my dish. Finally, I let my single tear slide down my cheek. It wasn't from the pain, though as I stumbled back into the bathroom, it could have been. No, I wasn't sure what it was.

It was emotion. Everything was so right, but not yet. Things were more formal than usual. We still weren't quite sure how to act around each other. It was still awkward. But I knew it could get better. I would make sure of that, and I loved him too much to ever give up. So I turned back to the mirror and positioned myself.

I gathered chakra into my fingers as I stared at my reflection. I could make things right, I knew I could. I could make him forgive me, and together, we could make this work. I set my jaw then, and pressed my fingers to one of the gashes on my cheek. It healed seamlessly, but took more chakra that I had planned. I brushed my fingers across the skin to make sure that it was really healed, and then went on to the other numerous incisions.

There were a lot, and it took a lot of time for me to finish with them. My chakra was near depleted as I leaned against the counter, breathing deeply. And yet, there were two wounds that still eluded me. One of them stretched from the corner of my right eye down to my chin, just brushing the corner of my mouth. The other gashed through my left eye brow from my forehead and ended at my cheek bone. I just barely missed the outside of my eye.

These were the largest, and deepest, but no matter how much chakra I pumped into them, they wouldn't heal. They just scared over. They weren't light, or smooth either. They were dark and rough. So prominent were they that even from a distance they could have been seen. They left my face disfigured and messed up. I wasn't vain, but I couldn't stand them.

I gritted my teeth in frustration and didn't give up. I hated this, I wanted them gone. Why couldn't I heal them? I didn't mind scars really; I didn't care if I had them. But across my face? No girl could grin and bear that. And what would Kisame think?

Just then, I looked up in the mirror and saw the reflection of Kisame leaning against the door frame looking pained. We held eye contact for a few seconds, and then he sighed. I looked down at the counter in shame. I suddenly didn't feel good enough for him. I felt then like he deserved something better.

"I'm sorry," I murmured. "I just can't make them go away." I felt Kisame touch my shoulder lightly, but didn't turn to face him. He lowered his face and brushed his cheek against mine. I glanced up at the mirror and saw our faces side my side. I was suddenly struck my how perfect they looked next to each other. I instinctively reached up to try to at least partially cover the disfigurements.

"Leave them," he suggested with a smile. "You're beautiful." I blushed lightly, and drew my hand away from my face tentatively. I supposed, perhaps, they weren't horrible. They made me look more like a ninja. I gave him a small smile for his compliment, and felt a soft warmth gather in my chest. I was at ease with him. He was the only one that made me feel lovely, the only one that didn't, at least secretly, look down on me. That was why I loved him.

And I could bear these scars. I could wear them for all to see. I began to view them as proof, proof that I would do anything for Kisame. I wasn't a girl anymore. I couldn't be vain anymore. I was a woman now. I was a woman with more important things to deal with.

"Even with the scars," I asked, a little slyly. I turned my head to press my forehead against his temple. Our faces were so close he encompassed my entire vision. I saw his eyes slide over to meet my slightly teasing ones. I didn't want this sort of drama and angst between us. Kisame gave me a smirk that sent my stomach into little butterflies.

"They make you even sexier," he said in a playful growl. Then he turned his face and pressed his lips to mine. I barely had time to gasp in surprise before he was kissing me. I could feel myself flush as our lips caressed gently. It was a light kiss, perfect for melting away any and all tension. I looped my arms around his neck as he picked me up, sat me down on the counter, and stood in front of me between my thighs. Then he released my lips and pressed our foreheads together. I smiled when I saw the merriment dancing in his eyes.

This was how it was supposed to be. We were supposed to be playing with each other, trusting each other, and opening up. I smiled at him and reached up to stroke his cheek. His skin was smooth under my fingers. "Kisame," I murmured. Even I could hear the slightly pleading note in my voice. And Kisame's gaze turned serious. I bit my lip, and then took a deep breath. "Do you…"

"Yes," he said, firmly. When I looked into his eyes now, they were passionate and fierce. It was impossible to doubt his sincerity. "I love you, Hinata." I could feel my body do two things then. It relaxed and settled into this place of perfect contentment where it seemed nothing could go wrong, and at the same time, I had caught on fire.

I tightened my grip around his neck and pulled myself as close to him as I could possible get. I let my head drop onto his shoulder as I felt him wrap his arms around my hips. Slowly, I felt bubbling laughter rise up. I was so happy, just so ridiculous and perfectly happy. I buried my face into Kisame's neck as I laughed. I could feel the rumbling of his chuckling reverberate through his chest to me as I tried vainly to stifle my mirth. Everything was working out, everything would be okay. I was okay, he was okay, and Neji… Neji would be okay.

Finally, I calmed down from my relief and euphoria and we broke apart. I slid off of the counter, and Kisame took my hand. My tiny one fit perfectly into his huge one. "Are Deidara and Itachi here," I asked as he lead me out of the bathroom.

"Yes, they're in the sitting room. Get cleaned up and then you can come see them," Kisame said with a grin. See them. I had never seen Deidara before; I didn't have the slightest idea of what he looked like. Except that he was of a slighter build than Kisame, but then, every one was. And Itachi seemed to be only a terrifying shadow with red eyes. I nodded enthusiastically and Kisame spun me around with my hand so that I faced the shower. He put fresh clothes and a towel in my hand, giving me a little nudge in the right direction.

I hurried eagerly over to the shower and turned on the water. I was ecstatic to be reunited with Kisame and all, but I was also covered in grime, as well as morning greasiness. A shower was more than welcome. I turned to see Kisame smiling slightly at me. His eyes were full of warmth and love. It nearly melted my heart. I had under estimated this, I thought. This feeling of being loved, of being important, needed, and not just tolerated. Then, Kisame turned and left the bathroom, and I stripped and slipped into the cascade of hot water.

I giggled a little as I looked around the shower as I washed. There was all this stuff I had never known was there. All these manly products that made my girly lavender shampoos stand out like sore thumbs. I grabbed a body wash and popped it open, smelling its contents. I smiled. So that was the source of Kisame's scent that I loved so much. I made a mental note of what brand and type it was so that I could buy more of it if he ever ran out.

When I was finished with my little exploratory search, I closed my eyes and turned my face up into the spray. From there, I reached blindly for my soaps and shampoos and was delighted to find them exactly where they had been in the shower in the last base. He hadn't misplaced them an inch. That small, loving, probably almost subconscious gesture warmed me.

After awhile, I turned off the shower with a sigh. I wrapped the white towel around me, and dried myself gently. I was mindful of the bruises I had acquired during my long journey, even though most had healed over the couple of days I had been asleep. I didn't bother to try to heal them with chakra, because that would just be a waste of time. Plus, my chakra was low after healing my face.

The clothes Kisame had left for me were obviously Itachi's, and it only added to my nostalgia. They were more comfortable and familiar to me than any of my kimonos. A bit big of course, but Itachi had a slight enough build to accommodate me. I stepped out of the room then and stretched happily. I was feeling very relaxed.

Kisame was standing in the corner next to what I had deduced was Samehada. Some of the wrappings had been taken off and lay curled on the floor at his feet. As I watched, Kisame, using his dexterous fingers and a damp cloth, was cleaning and preening the nasty scales on his sword. There was a look of simple pleasure on Kisame's face as he attended to his seemingly alive weapon, and even the scales of Samehada ruffled happily every once in a while.

After a moment, I padded quietly up behind Kisame and wrapped my arms around his waist. I lay my head between his muscled shoulder blades and saw him glance around to smile at me. I smiled back.

"You ready," he asked. I nodded and let go of him with a smile of my own. "Just let me wrap up Samehada again." He picked up the white cloth and wound it around the blue scales. I couldn't help but be curious as to the nature of that massive sword. I just barely managed to restrain myself from reaching out to touch it myself. But then, Kisame took my hand and led me out into the hallway.

I had noticed back in the bedroom that the building had been different. Now it was confirmed. The last lair had been made of wood, built in the middle of a forest. This one was stone, as though it had been carved into a cliff. It was a cave dwelling really. This kept it pleasantly cool, while the old base had had a tendency of getting stuffy.

We padded down the hallway silently. There wasn't much point in clogging up the air with words, and Kisame was more the strong silent type anyway. I just let myself enjoy the feeling of this companionable state of being. When we finally arrived, I just couldn't keep down my excitement.

There was no door into the sitting room like there had been with the other rooms we had passed. There was just a gap in the wall that lead into a relatively comfortably furnished cavern. As Kisame and I walked in, the two long haired figures looked up.

I froze in shock. They were both so gorgeous. I couldn't even tell which man to stare at. My mind was captivated by Itachi's lazily spinning Sharingan, and the other man's clear blue eyes and I couldn't decide which sight was more pleasing. After drinking in the vision before me, I managed to open my mouth. Of course, the only words I could get out were no less embarrassing than my gaping.

"You're beautiful," I gasped, even as the words were slipping out, I could feel myself blush. They were good looking men, for sure, but to say it out loud was just ridiculous. They seemed to think so, too. Itachi let out a deep rich chuckle, and Kisame shifted uncomfortably behind me. The blond man with the sparkling eyes though had the loudest reaction of all; he threw back his head and laughed long and boisterous. His laughter was infectious, and I found myself giggling along with him. I knew who had that laugh.

"Deidara," I asked in awe, realization dawning. I remembered what Itachi looked like from back when he had been the one to kidnap me. Though I must say that I liked looking at him in this light much more than I liked seeing him in a dark room. However, Deidara I had never seen in my life. The man quelled his laughter and gave me a grin and a wink. As soon as I saw those, I knew I had guessed right.

"Bet that's not the reaction you got, Kisame, yeah," Deidara said mischievously. Kisame threw him a glare, with a low growl in his chest. I just scowled at him. But at the same time, I couldn't quite hold in my smile.

I ran to him and gave him a quick hug around the shoulders. "I missed you, Deidara," I almost squealed. Deidara laughed and gave me a brief squeeze. Then I turned to Itachi and his pretty eyes and gave him a shy grin. I was too afraid to launch myself at him like I had Deidara. I had slowly come to accept that inside, Deidara was the more malicious and dangerous of the two, but outwardly, Itachi still intimidated me. "I missed you, too, Itachi."

"It's good to have you back, Hinata," Itachi said with a near invisible smile. He reached forward and poked me in the forehead. I laughed and squirmed away. I was back home. Not the Konoha home, but the real home. The Akatsuki home.

"Oh, you must be Hinata," yelped a surprised voice from behind us. I turned around suddenly at the unfamiliar voice. The woman smiled. "Hi, I'm Hitomi." I smiled in return and nodded. Somehow, Hitomi wasn't at all what I had expected. I had expected drop dead gorgeous and someone that was loud and demanding. Someone Deidara could exchange verbal barbs with, but who he would still be proud to be seen with. He had struck me as shallow in that sense.

But Hitomi was none of that. She was, quite simply, plain. Her face was broad, and her eyes were slightly too far apart. She didn't have a tiny waist, but had an almost stocky build. She wasn't ugly, not at all, but she certainly wasn't beautiful. And yet, just by looking at her, you could tell she had a heart of gold, pure untainted gold. She stood there, giving me a shy smile after a greeting with a soft voice.

I took that instant to glance back at Deidara, and what I saw made me want to say "aw." He was gazing at Hitomi with the mushiest expression ever known to man kind. If the Akatsuki leader had seen it, Deidara would have been kicked out on the spot. It was worse even than Naruto after Sakura or Sakura after Sasuke. There was such love in his stare you could never believe he was a hardened criminal. And when she walked into the room, it was like his whole body relaxed. That was the most amazing aspect to me. Even with Itachi in the room. Normally, Deidara was always angry when Itachi was anywhere near.

"I'm so glad to finally meet you," I said, turning back to face her. "I've heard so much." And it was true. I had always wanted to meet this girl that had so completely captured Deidara's supposedly icy heart, but I never thought I would. I had thought that I was doomed to spend all my time in the confines of an Akatsuki base, never allowed out into the real world. But that was over. I wasn't a hostage any more. I was here, a free young woman. Free to love Kisame with no restraints. The thought made me reach out and hook one of my fingers with his, just to feel his presence.

"So have I," Hitomi replied with a smile. She gathered up all the empty bowls and utensils onto the tray she had brought. "Would you mind helping me with the dishes?" I shook my head and grabbed the two plates that didn't fit on the tray. I was eager for a chance to get to know her better. Maybe I would actually have a girl friend here. The thought made me happy.

"Wait," Deidara suddenly grabbed my arm as I went to exit the room with Hitomi. I turned around in surprise and Hitomi wrinkled her forehead in confusion. "Go on, Hitomi-chan, she'll meet you in a moment, yeah." Hitomi nodded and disappeared.

"What is it," I asked once Hitomi was out of earshot. Deidara looked slightly uncomfortable and even a little shameful. I glanced at Kisame and he sighed in exasperation, sitting down in a comfy looking arm chair. I frowned and turned a stern look onto Deidara.

"Hitomi doesn't know we're in the Akatsuki, yeah," Deidara finally admitted. I felt my stern expression drop and mouth fall open slightly as I gave him a blank stare. Somehow, that just didn't quite compute with me. How did she not know that they were criminals in the most dangerous terrorist group ever? How was that a secret?

"What does she know," I asked softly. Deidara's face twisted in shamed reluctance, and I couldn't help but be enthralled by his beautiful motions. I was used to Deidara's voice, and the way his hands felt, but his look was totally foreign to me. It was great to place faces with names, and it gave me great pleasure to watch his minute little mannerisms, like the way he twisted his mouth to the left right before saying something he didn't really want to,

"Not much," Itachi finally drawled, smoothly cutting off Deidara before he had even spoken. Deidara shot him a scathing glare that made me take a small frightened step backward. It was good I had been blind when I met him, other wise I would have forever been terrified of him. In fact, when I gave it a little thought, I never could have bonded with the three of them if I had had my sight.

"She just thinks we're a few out cast bachelors, yeah," Deidara said with a shrug. I gave him a doubtful look. Was Hitomi not even the slightest bit suspicious? She looked nice, and a bit naïve, but she didn't look stupid. "Think about it, yeah," Deidara pressed, seeing my disbelief. "I have mouths on my hands, Itachi has scary eyes, and Kisame-"

"Itachi has beautiful eyes," I spouted out before I could stop myself. I immediately turned beet red and slapped my hands over my mouth. I turned straight to the ground in shame. I really needed to get better at controlling my mouth, but I hadn't been able to help it. His eyes were lovely.

"Why thank you, Hinata," Itachi finally said with a teasing lilt to his voice. Itachi didn't exactly tease per se, but it was something close. I made a small noise of acknowledgement and dared to peek back up at the three men. Deidara was giving me a blankly unhappy stare, and Kisame was looking uncomfortable again. He was glancing off in another direction, unnaturally interested in a chink in the stone wall.

"Either way, you can understand why we could be out casts, yeah," Deidara said pointedly. I sighed and nodded. I was doubtful, still, but of course, I wasn't going to blow this for Deidara. If Hitomi hadn't already figured it out, I thought she should be told. Other wise she may get a nasty surprise like I did. Not that Kisame was nasty, he was handsome, and I loved him, but it had been a nasty surprise. Loved him. Wow, saying that scared me. It shouldn't, but it did. I wasn't having second thoughts was I?

It was just that the thought of this huge commitment to him was a big thing for a seventeen year old girl to fully comprehend. But I wasn't a girl anymore, I was a woman. I had told myself that already. And it was this or marriage, but had I acted rashly? No, I hadn't had a choice. But running away to Kisame had not been about running away from a marriage, but to a love.

"Hinata," I broke out of my thoughts in surprise as someone grabbed my arm. I looked up and came face to face with Kisame. He was giving me a concerned look, and I realized that I must have been lost in my own thoughts. "You won't tell Hitomi will you?" I looked over at Deidara, who seemed worried. He apparently had been asking me not to tell her, but I hadn't been listening.

"No, of course I won't," I replied with a small shake of my head. Deidara let out a little sigh and nodded, then he stood up. He threw a glare at Itachi before making a move to leave. Apparently, he still couldn't stand being in the same room as him.

"Thank you, Hinata; and welcome back, yeah."

"Hinata," Kisame murmured softly, when the blond had left. Itachi glanced at us, and giving us a nod of farewell he left. He was still quiet, cold, and stoic I noted, before turning back to Kisame. "Are you okay, with all of this, really?" So he had seen through my thoughts. He knew me well. I looked at him and felt the doubts die. There really was no other option. I could only ever choose Kisame.

"Yes. I am," I said, quietly, but firmly. Kisame's lips curved up slightly and he nodded. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead before standing up to leave.

"Go help Hitomi now," he told me. "I think you'll like her. I'm going to go train." And then he left. Maybe it as just me, but I thought I saw a bit of a spring in his step. He seemed happier. The stress that he always seemed to be under looked lifted. I wanted to keep him that way.

"Wait, Kisame," I yelped suddenly, hurrying after him. His head popped back into the room. He cocked it side ways in question. "I don't know where the kitchen is, I don't even know how to get back to your room!" I reminded him. I was totally lost in this foreign place. I found it amusing, that even though I could see, I had no idea where I was. But when I was blind, I could always find my way around the old base.

"You'll have to find out, Hinata," Kisame said with a laugh and a shake of his head. "From now on I suppose, this is your home." He smiled, and before I could run after him, hurried down the hallway and out of sight. I dashed out of the room, but was greeted only with the emptiness. I didn't stop the smile that tugged at my mouth.

There was a spring in his step.

I glanced down the hallway one way, and then down the other. I had no idea where I was going, but chances were I'd get there eventually. So with high hopes, I set off at a brisk pace down the corridor.

THE END

A/N: wow, I mean, to actually be writing those words, it's kind of crazy. But like I said, I'm gonna write an epilogue and wrap it all up and stuffs. But as for you guys, you wanna do me a favor? I need help thinking of the pairing I should write about next. I love crack pairings if you have't anready guessed. (I considered Orochimaru x Temari if you're wondering just how crack) But anyway, I like pairings that you can't really find anywhere. Like, my favorite things about this story was that there really aren't any othr multi chapter KisaHina stories.

So yeah, you guys got any ideas, leave me a note.

And I'll see you all for the epilogue. please please please review, see ya.

~Yuki