Unmei, Itachi and Kisame were under the same appearance changing jutsu once more as they entered Konoha. They stated that they wanted to put the boy they found in the orphanage here and security let them through. Haku was once again on Unmei's back as they neared the orphanage.
"Will you be alright here, Haku?" Unmei asked worried. In the past two days she had become very attached to Haku and regularly fretted over him. Kisame still felt miffed about the prank Haku and Itachi had pulled on him, but he admitted that the kid did have skill and he looked forward to seeing the kid become a great ninja when he was older. Itachi liked his tiny temporary apprentice.
"I think I'll be fine Miss Mei. This town seems a lot friendlier than the other one!" Haku exclaimed happily. Unmei was glad that she didn't leave Haku in Kiri. He didn't deserve the kind of treatment that he would surely get.
Suddenly a girl bumped into Itachi. Unmei would've felt sorry for the girl if she couldn't already see who she was.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" A teenaged Hinata apologised to a disguised Itachi.
"It's alright, I should have looked where I was going as well." Itachi smiled at Hinata. He seemed to be quite in character with his fake identity. Hinata blushed a deep scarlet before excusing herself and running off.
"Ah, young love." Unmei teased Itachi. Itachi simply brushed her off as he looked back to the retreating girl.
"Promise you'll visit?" Haku asked Unmei with tearful eyes. She had to stop herself from bursting into tears and taking him with her, but she knew that he would one day excel and she didn't want to hold him back. A young boy with blonde hair and bright blue eyes looked at the situation from next to the orphanage manager.
"Of course. I'll visit as much as I can and I'll send you letters and gifts. You'll never be alone Haku." Unmei smiled down at Haku and hugged him tightly. Next Haku went to Kisame and hugged him as well.
"Please promise you'll take care of him." Unmei asked the manager. The manager was a kind old woman that reminded Unmei a lot of Emiko. The old woman smiled kindly at her before nodding. She was a good woman and took great care of all of her children with the help of the blonde boy next to her, who regularly came to play with the children when he wasn't on missions or devouring ramen.
Haku went over to Itachi when he was finished talking to a now blushing Kisame and also hugged him tightly.
"I'm sure he'll make lots of friends here, and if he doesn't I'll be his friend, believe it!" The blonde boy smiled kindly at Unmei. Unmei almost started crying as she grabbed the boy only a few years younger than her and gave him a hug. She knew the boy was a good person.
When Haku finished up with Itachi he was ready to go inside and start his new life.
"Good luck, Kid." Kisame told Haku as he put an arm over Unmei's shoulder. He could see that she wasn't taking this situation very well so he tried to comfort her as much as he could.
Unmei decided that she wanted to leave Konoha as fast as possible after saying goodbye to Haku, but Itachi asked if they could just stop for some dango before they go. He convinced Unmei by adding that sweets will make her feel better.
Itachi decided that Unmei and Kisame could sit and eat their dango in peace as he just grabbed his and told them that he was going for a walk around town for old time's sake while they enjoyed some time alone. Kisame quickly agreed to this.
"Are all missions you go on this complicated?" Unmei asked Kisame casually as they sat by a table in the cafe.
"Nah we don't usually care about what happens to people after we leave." Kisame stated simply.
"I could never leave a child alone if I know that I can help." Unmei stated stubbornly. Kisame laughed at her.
"I know. You're a lot like your mother and father in that aspect." Kisame told Unmei warmly. He had the highest respect for her parents.
"I really miss them." Unmei stated sadly. She finds all of the emotions she now feels after spending so much time with Kisame strange, but they weren't all unwelcome.
"I do too, but the more time I spend with you the more I see them in you so it feels like parts of them are still here with me." Kisame said softly. He wasn't used to talking about his emotions like this, but Unmei brought out the honest and caring side of him.
"Thank you, Kisame. I appreciate that you think of me like that." Unmei smiled at Kisame. Kisame started to feel uncomfortable so he decided to change the subject.
"So since you're so good with children, do you want any of your own in the future?" Kisame asked Unmei.
"I have no idea! I wouldn't know how to treat my kid. What if the child ends up hating me?" Unmei freaked out a little which made Kisame laugh at her. She always did over think things.
"Aww come on! No one could ever hate you! I'm sure your kid will follow you around all the time and be just like you!" Kisame exclaimed. He hated it when Unmei felt bad about herself. Unmei smiled at Kisame warmly.
"Don't you mean our kid mister 'I want to get married to you because of a four year old'." Unmei laughed as Kisame blushed. He had hoped that Unmei had forgotten about that.
"Does that mean that you're saying yes?" Kisame teased Unmei back.
"You never really asked you know, you just said that you wanted to marry me." Unmei stated with a smile.
"If I asked would you say yes?" Kisame asked a little more seriously. It surprised Unmei a little and she blushed at his question.
"I don't know. I wouldn't really say no I guess, but don't get any ideas! We've just become friends. Don't you think that would be moving a little too fast? A lot too fast actually!" Unmei started to get stressed and her heart started beating faster as she blushed more. How could I marry someone that I haven't known for eight years? Why does it sound so appealing to marry Kisame? Shouldn't there be more resistance towards a guy that hurt me so much? Kisame stared at Unmei as she freaked out.
"You know we've always been a lot more than friends Unmei. Why would that change now? Even after all of this time apart I still love you as much as I did when I was a kid. Don't you? I mean sure we've had our differences but the two of us made up didn't we? Or do you still feel the same about me as you did a week ago?" Kisame seemed a little hurt that she stressed so much over this topic.
"I didn't know you felt that way." Unmei simply stated. She seemed to be thinking very deeply. Kisame felt annoyed that she didn't answer any of his questions.
"Don't you?" Kisame pressed as he became worried at the thought that he was the only one feeling this way.
"I love you, Kisame." Unmei started as she blushed deeply. "I've loved you ever since I've known you, and even though we've had our differences, I promise never to keep secrets from you again if you promise never to leave me again." Kisame looked at Unmei. He didn't think she would be so open. She usually forced him to get answers indirectly.
"I'll never leave you again, I promise." Kisame stated. Loyalty meant a lot to him and this promise was not to be taken lightly.
"Well then if you won't leave me then I'll just have to marry you, won't I?" Unmei smiled at Kisame. Kisame laughed in a relieved way at Unmei's words.
"Yes you'll just have to." Kisame grinned.
As the three of them walked back to the headquarters, Unmei and Kisame talked the whole way. They caught up by telling each other of all the missions they've been getting and of all the successes and failures that they've experienced.
"So you can see a lot from a person just by looking at the string?" Kisame asked Unmei in wonder of her powers.
"Yes I can. It's kind of weird really. Sometimes I find things out that I really didn't want to know about the person so I usually shut it out unless I'm on missions or very curious about the person." Unmei smiled.
"But who taught you? Or did you just know what to do immediately?" Kisame asked and Unmei looked at him guiltily. She had completely forgotten to tell him about Ghost.
"Some things I knew how to do immediately, like touching the strings and forming them into weapons. Other things I had to learn from this ghost lady." Unmei smiled at Kisame's confusion.
Suddenly Ghost decided to make herself known.
"Even though I told you not to tell anyone about me, I was wondering when you're going to let him know that I'm here." Ghost smiled at Kisame and Unmei. Itachi stared at the ghost warily and just shook his head and moved farther ahead of them, a little spooked that a Ghost had been following them.
"What the hell?! Have you been here the whole time?!" Kisame asked in surprise. Unmei enjoyed this quite a lot and she laughed at his reaction.
"No, not the whole time. I have better things to do than follow a couple of lovesick people around, you know. I'm the person that informed Unmei about her powers and taught her everything she knows. She sometimes still asks for my help on missions. I have watched over her since she was born, but I believe it is my time to leave this world soon." Ghost smiled at Unmei as she spoke.
"Why?" Unmei asked, disappointed that one of her friends had to leave her.
"Don't fret, child, you'll see me again soon. Just not right now. Take good care of her, Kisame. She means a whole lot to me." And just like that Ghost disappeared.
Unmei looked sad so Kisame went and hugged her. She smiled up at Kisame.
"She said that you'll see her again soon. So don't worry about it, alright?" Kisame comforted her and Unmei smiled at him.
"I'm back!" Unmei told Konan as she hugged her. Konan smiled at Unmei as they went to Unmei room to catch up.
"So how was the mission?" Konan asked Unmei with a smile on her face.
"Oh it was alright. Nothing truly eventful happened. I saved a little boy, Kisame and I made up, we took the little boy to Konoha, Kisame asked if I would marry him, I promised the little boy that I would write him, Kisame asked if I wanted kids and now we're back here." Unmei smiled as she told Konan of her little trip.
"Wait... what?" Konan asked Unmei.
"Oh yeah, I've been meaning to ask you. Would you be my maid of honour?" Unmei smiled as Konan started to grin.