Everything around me was dark, I realized with horror that I no longer knew which way was up. I hadn't imagined my death like this to be quite honest. I stopped struggling and let myself float there, almost serenely. Tiny bubbles squeezed their way from my lips and fled the sinking vessel, dancing sporadically as they climbed upwards.

I gasped in alarm as my body was torn from its icy grave. My arms grasped wildly at my savior, so scared that if I didn't hold on, they would let the water have me again. I was disoriented, coughing violently, and freezing. I laid on the ground sputtering water out with each choking gasp.

"Geez Izumi, are you okay?" Kisame asked. Well that was a stupid question, he couldn't figure out the answer just by looking at me? I ignored him as I finished coughing. When everything was finally silent and still, I looked up to see Kisame carefully examining the water in which I fell. Itachi was nowhere to be seen, but I soon realized he was directly behind me as he draped his cloak over me.

"You'll need to get out of your wet clothes or you'll die," he said calmly as he got up to join Kisame. I swallowed hard at Itachi's words as I slipped into the massively oversized cloak. Once in it, I removed my wet clothes and left them in a soggy pile. Despite the cloak I felt entirely too exposed.

"Odd…" Kisame trailed off as he inspected the edges of the pond or whatever it was. Itachi seemed equally intrigued, and for once I could see an actual emotion on his face—puzzlement.

"What's wrong?" I asked while taking a step toward them.

"Stay where you are," Itachi commanded sternly as his arm shot out to keep me behind him. I froze and hugged myself where I stood, the cold biting me more viciously than it had before.

"What's going on?" I asked through chattering teeth. Kisame looked at me and immediately came over.

"You're freezing," he said as he grabbed my shoulders and rubbed them vigorously. I smiled meekly as my lips clamored together erratically. Itachi suddenly appeared beside Kisame, his eyes looking me over systematically.

"Gather her quickly and let's get moving, we need to find shelter without delay."

Kisame picked me up so that I was draped like a lifeless doll between his arms. He looked down at me once in a while, his face uncharacteristically devoid of humor. I reveled in his warmth.

"We'll stay here," Itachi said as we arrived in front of a bathhouse that sat quaintly between a clothing store and a ramen shop.

"Is this the mist village?" I asked weakly while taking in my surroundings.

"No, we still have another day of walking to get into the mist."

I looked confusedly at Itachi, "But there was so much mist back there, we must be in the land of mist by now."

"No, there's something strange going on. We're going to check in here and let you get settled. You can warm yourself up in the hot springs while we go look into where you fell—it wasn't just a pond."

I nodded, too cold to question anymore than I already had, and too tired to think.

"Two rooms," Itachi said to the petite woman behind the counter. She stared at him apprehensively, her eyes flickering between him and my limp body dangling in Kisame's grip. I knew what she thought—I was some sort of prisoner—but she wouldn't say anything, she wouldn't want to stick her nose in Akatsuki business. Her trembling fingers dug in a drawer and re-emerged with two keys.

"This will be your room," Itachi said to me as he opened the sliding paneled door.

The room was simple, white washed walls with light wood floors. A sleeping mat sat humbly in the center with a crisp white towel on top. One calla lily graced the towel.

"Thank you," I said quietly as I entered the room. I stopped when I felt the weight of a hand on my shoulder. "Will you be okay?"

I paused to think about my answer. Did he mean physically or mentally? Was I still too cold, or would I be okay on my own when they left?

I turned around and gave him a weak smile while nodding my head, "I'm alright."

He was so strong, I could feel his power emanate through his palm. It weighed heavy on my shoulder, but when he removed it, it felt cold and vacant. I watched as Itachi disappeared into the room next door, I then withdrew into my own.

The cloak fell in a heap around my ankles. I stepped out of it as I pulled the white towel around me tightly. Kisame and Itachi were nowhere to be seen as I passed their room and padded down the stairs and through the candle-lit corridors.

The water stung my still-frozen skin, boiling against it until I adjusted. Slipping into the steaming spring water up to my chin, I exhaled deeply and shivered with contentment. I sat back and took in my surroundings—there was a giant wooden wall separating the springs in half. Glancing around, I noted that I was alone. I let my hands float on top with palms facing down. The water spread beneath them, creating misplaced dimples in the water's surface. I played with the depth I could create with the energy emitted from my palms.

"What are you doing?" A man's voice chimed from behind me.

I jumped, the voice startling me, before sinking low into the water, my arms hugging myself and eyes peering over the bubbling surface. I turned around slowly to see a man crouched on his toes, his forearms resting casually on his knees. I backed up in the water hastily and sunk even more, so that just my nostrils hovered over the edge of the water.

"Don't be scared, I was just curious," He smiled widely, his eyes wrinkling whimsically at the corners. I glared at him from behind strands of wet hair falling in my face. They clung to me as if trying to console the wary pit in my stomach. I wanted to wipe them away but I was too afraid he'd be able to see me, even through the spattering surface of the steaming spring.

His face had a quirky feel to it, unusual but attractive. He was clearly young, younger than me anyway. Messy black hair fluttered in front of his eyes with the wind which made it hard to see the color of them. Upon closer inspection I saw they were a deep green, unusually bright. He sported baggy, black cargo pants and a dark green sweatshirt with a fur-lined hood. The tassels that hung from his neck were uneven. Even with the bagginess of his attire, I could tell he was rather skinny from his cheekbones that protruded from his delicate looking face.

"You're not supposed to be here," I warned, a certain harshness to my voice.

His grin drooped and he cocked his head to the side in confusion. "What do you mean?" He asked, seemingly sincere.

"This is the girl's side of the spring," I stated with a nod of my head toward the sign behind him that was adorned with a stick figure in a dress. He stared at it for a long time before returning his gaze to my own.

"I see," he said sullenly, "I'm sorry to have disturbed you, I didn't notice the sign." His expression was that of ash as he stared into the simmering water. He stayed like that for a long moment, I watched as he remained crouched like a gargoyle.

"Where did you come from?" I asked, not feeling comfortable with the silence, which was a strange thing for me. He made me want to talk.

The corners of his lips pulled up instantly and his eyes danced with brightness. He rocked back on his heels and let himself fall into a sitting position, his toes grazing the water's edge. "I come from all over the place."

"Well that was vague," I mumbled.

He smiled widely, "It was nice meeting you Izumi, but I think it's time for me to go." He reached out and brushed my hair lightly before suddenly leaving in a flash.

Freaking shinobi…

If I had blinked I would have missed him disappearing over the building's roof. The quick skittering of his feet against the shingles ended abruptly. I stood in the water, frozen in place.

Wait… how did he know my name?

"Izumi," I could hear Kisame calling my name from inside, at least someone had enough manners to respect the girls only sign that clattered against the door each time the wind bullied it.

"Coming!" I called back as I gathered the towel around me tightly and shook my feet in an awkward dance. I took a fleeting look around me, furtively glancing into the shadows that watched me from afar. I shook it off and hurried inside.

As I started up the stairs I noticed the tiny drops of blood, as if bread crumbs to lead me back to my room safely. If only. My pace quickened as my feet went from a soft pad to a harsh pounding up the stairs and down the hallway.

"Itachi…" I whispered, my mouth agape as I stood stupidly in the doorway. He glanced at me from the corner of his eye, his hand clutched to his stomach and blood squeezing its way through his fingers before dripping down to the floor.

"What happened?!" I exclaimed as I came out of my shocked stupor.

"We were attacked out of nowhere," Kisame said bitterly while searching through his bag for medical supplies.

"Are you okay?" I asked as I took a step toward Itachi. He looked up at me immediately from his position on the bed roll.

"Go put some clothes on," he said before averting his attention to the window. I shrunk slightly before rushing out of the room, my cheeks matching the roses that littered the trellis outside.

When I entered my room, a set of neatly folded clothes sat next to the sleeping mat. I cautiously inspected them, turning them over slowly in my hands, kneading the fabric, even smelling them—they seemed alright so I didn't bother tasting them. I wondered how they had gotten there until I noticed the miniature puddles of crimson on the floor.

I slipped into the fitted black tee and pants. They were snug yet comfy, perfect. I stepped quietly out of my room and stood outside of Kisame and Itachi's door. A small chuckle sounded from inside the room, "You can come in you know," Kisame called out teasingly. Of course he could sense me.

I peeked my head inside the doorframe before my body followed timidly. I didn't dare look at Itachi even though I could feel his eyes on me. I hung his cloak on the coat rack, "Thank you... for the new clothes too. You didn't need to do that." My voice unintentionally became stronger at the end, almost angry.

He nodded at me calmly with the ghost of a smile on his face.

"What happened?" A voice asked from behind. I jumped and clutched at my heart.

"Would you stop doing that?" I whined as I turned around to see Zetsu.

"I'm sorry," he confessed while looking at the floor.

Kisame stepped forward, "Well the klutz over here fell in a 'pond' on our way over," I scoffed at his reference to me, "when we pulled her out I noticed it wasn't a pond at all. It was a cover up."

"Cover up?" I asked.

"There was something at the bottom, a door."

"A door at the bottom of that pond?"

Kisame sighed in frustration, "it wasn't a pond, Izumi. It was a cover for a secret hideout. Only problem, we don't know whose it is."

"So let's go back," I suggested.

Kisame laughed. "Well I'm glad you're not a ninja, you'd be terrible," I glared at him as he continued, "now that we know about that base, they will abandon it."

"Ohh," I said in understanding, "But wait, how did Itachi get hurt?"

"I was attacked unexpectedly. I should have been on my guard." He almost sounded resentful.

"What did they look like," Zetsu questioned.

"Male, small-framed, black hair and green eyes. He wore mostly black clothes." Itachi stared at the ceiling as he spoke.

"And a green sweatshirt…" I mumbled.

Everyone snapped their heads towards me. "What?" Itachi asked almost in disbelief.

"His sweatshirt, it was green, right?" I said, this time louder.

"What are you talking about Izumi? Did you hit your head on something while we were gone?" Kisame asked while rolling his eyes playfully.

"She's right," Itachi said, his eyes unwavering from my own.

"But how?" they all looked at me.

"I saw him while I was in the spring. He actually came up to me and um... well, he knew my name? So that seems not great. He left really abruptly. Now that I think about it, he left just as you guys got back." I fidgeted with my thumbs as I replayed the incident in my head. The whole thing was a lot stranger than I had originally thought.

"Your mission is cancelled, in the morning you go back to the base. Pain will assign someone else to this job." Zetsu disappeared into the floor and the room was quiet again.

"Well kid, better go get your sleeping mat because you are deeefinitely not sleeping in there by yourself tonight." Kisame said with a long exhale to follow. Itachi agreed quietly with a nod.

When I returned, blankets and pillow in hand, I nearly fell over backwards. It's not that I'd never seen a shirtless man before, let's be real, I lived with Hidan. No, maybe it was just that I wasn't expecting it? Or maybe it was the fact that it was Itachi, who notoriously made my palms sweaty even with a shirt on. You know how people tell you to imagine someone in their underwear if you want to make them less intimidating in your head? Yeah, so those people give bad advice.

Get your shit together, Izumi.

Itachi sat on the edge of his sleeping mat just as he had been before, the only difference was that his shirt was on the floor next to him and Kisame was at his side, carefully wrapping his torso with a long stretch of bandage.

"I'm really sorry, Itachi. I can't help but feel like this is my fault," I said, standing there like an idiot with my arms full of blankets.

"I'm fine," He assured. "You can set up in between Kisame and me." He nodded to an empty spot on the floor beside him.

"I'm sorry, where?" My voice went up an impressive number of octaves. I had heard him, I had comprehended, I was just having a hard time processing. There were plenty of other spots in the room, surely he didn't mean right next to him.

Kisame laughed far too loud at this. "Don't worry, we're not gonna bite. Just makes it easier to keep you safe, kiddo."

Ohhh poor Izumi. It's gonna be a loooong night :) Thanks for reading!