As the sun's morning rays peeked over the tree tops, a tall form loomed over a sleeping kunoichi.

Kisame set a grim look on his face and pulled Samehada off his back. He was going to do it. He couldn't take her with her anywhere. There would just have to be one less kunoichi in the world.

He then raised Samehada up into the air above TenTen and brought it down hard.

The blade barely made a sound as it swiftly entered the soft earth right next to her neck. Kisame sighed and unearthed it slowly. The small sound of the dirt shifting caused the kunoichi's eyes to immediately fly open as she jumped into a defensive position, one hand wielding a kunai and the other poised over a weapons scroll, leaving Kisame standing under the trees shadows.

"Relax, kid. I didn't hurt you at all last night, what makes you think I'll do it now?" Kisame sighed as he placed the sword on his back again. TenTen eyed the giant sword, pointedly.

"That."

Kisame grinned lazily as he fondly ran his hand over his sword's handle.

"Yeah, Samehada here is lusting for blood. She always does."

"Sa-Samehada?" TenTen whispered the name as she slowly recognized it from somewhere. Then Kisame stepped out into the light. TenTen nearly dropped her kunai from the shock.

"You-You're one of the Swordsman of the Hidden Mist…" She was too shocked to jump out of the way as he stepped closer and she got a good look up at him and his tall frame.

"Hoshigaki Kisame, kid. And you are? Scared? Terrified? Too afraid to move?" Kisame pointed a long, pale blue finger at her nose as he gave her a forced grin. To him, this…her reaction was to be expected. He wasn't in the mood to play the whole macho act, especially since he had regretfully, not killed the girl, but he had to, for appearances' sake, right? What if Leader found out that he was being intentionally nice?

For TenTen, it took a moment before his words sunk in and her eyes flashed in anger as she flipped away from his degrading index finger.

"I-I'm not afraid of you! I'll fight you right now!" Being on the same team as Rock Lee had to have some effect on her, right? She took up an offensive stance a couple yards away, with scrolls already aimed. As the adrenaline rushed through her body, memories of all her fights came back like a flash flood and she instantly recognized him as the one who fought Gai-sensei and nearly defeated him a while back. Kisame, on the other hand took one look at her and let out a short, bark-like laugh. He recognized her, too. She was the mousy girl that he'd trapped in one of his water bubbles along with two others. Then their oddly-dressed-in-green teacher (the tights didn't bother him as much as that particular shade of green did) battled him and his sharks.

"I remember you, kid. Your teacher was that green rubber band, right?"

"Gai-sensei might dress weird, but that gives no right to the likes of you to insult him!" TenTen shouted to keep herself focused (considering she didn't really care who made fun of Gai-sensei's clothes) as she prepared for her first attack with a flick of each wrist. She might be battling on a empty stomach, but an entire night's sleep had really rejuvenated her. And the inner panic she felt was helping, too.

"Put those away…you're already my prisoner." Kisame frowned at the multitude of kunai and shuriken flashing before him. TenTen's jaw dropped. Just what the heck was this fishy guy talking about?

"No I'm not! What are you talking about?!" She released the first barrage of tiny, sharp objects. In a split second, Kisame had flipped Samehada in front of him and deflected each one. He moved quite fast for a guy that tall lugging a sword that big.

"I'm talking about last night, kid! I officially took you as my prisoner!" Kisame's voice didn't loose its tempo at all. He'd barely put in any effort in deflecting her attack. He was hoping that she'd simply understand that she was his prisoner now if he explained it to her. He wasn't sure if there was any other way to go about it. WWID? What Would Itachi Do? According to past prisoners that the Akatsuki duo had taken, Itachi sometimes did and sometimes didn't tell their prisoners that they were prisoners. Most of the time, when the prisoner woke up and found himself bound and slung over Kisame's shoulder, he usually figured it out on his own.

"But we didn't even fight! How am I prisoner already?! I haven't lost to you!" TenTen argued boldly as she jumped up and let glinting spears rain down on Kisame. Kisame swung Samehada around above him and jumped away.

"Kid! You've already lost! Now put your toys away!" Kisame cracked a smile at his own lame joke. TenTen looked at him strangely from across the clearing.

"No!" She had to get away from this guy. Just who did he think he was? Telling her that she had already lost when the fight had just begun …oh yeah…Akatsuki…She grabbed another scroll and began to do one of her specialty dragon attacks by rapidly twirling and unfurling her scrolls simultaneously. Kisame groaned. He just didn't have time for this. He had to get this mission done and he had no time to waste exercising like this. He rubbed his brow in annoyance and before she knew it, he had broken through her rapid spin and hovered directly behind her. TenTen's eyes widened in surprise and before she could jump away, he lifted her up by the back of her shirt.

"Now listen. I'm hungry. I want breakfast. And according to last night, I'm sure you do too. I'm going to find something to eat, and you're coming with me." He turned her around to face him and waited for a response. At first, she looked awestruck and her mouth hung open a little before she let her head drop in a quiet acceptance. She silently wept on the inside for her diminishing intelligence and weakness. She obviously valued her life more then her dignity. Besides, no one she knew was around to see her like this….right? So she could play along as prisoner for now, and escape later.

Now that she had stopped moving, her stomach gurgled rather loudly, yearning for sustenance. The insects stopped buzzing, the birds stopped chirping, and the wildlife stopped skittering around. The only sound in the area came from one source. She stared in mortification at her stomach and Kisame, who was still holding her up, also stared at her stomach before letting out a raucous laugh and setting her down. Giving her a heavy pat on the back, he told her to grab her stuff so they could get going. She nodded glumly and followed beside him as they trekked through the forest, glancing up at the menacing sword of legend every now and then.

TenTen seemed to have a dark cloud of depression hanging over her. She didn't even wonder about how she got into this situation, because what's done is done. She was more worried about how to get out of this situation. Between her hunger pangs, trying to keep up with her taller….companion's pace, and trying not to trip over the scattered tree roots and rocks, coming up with a plan to escape was very, very difficult. Whenever she tried to come up with a plan, all she had to do was to try and find the top of Kisame's blue head. The red and black clad figure was nearly twice as tall as her with a sword that matched. Upon seeing it, all of her revolutionary fire would be instantly extinguished as if Kisame had up and Suiton-jutsu'd her into the next century.

Even though it had only been about seven minutes or so since they'd begun traveling, TenTen finally gave in to her natural inquisitiveness and asked,

"Where are we going?" She had carelessly used the word 'we' because of the lack-lustre state of mind she was in…that and because her conscience wouldn't let her phrase it as 'Where are you going?' for that 'you' would mean that she had agreed to being his prisoner, which she hadn't.

"…huh? Did you say something?" Apparently, Kisame was so high up there that he couldn't hear her. Mentally cringing, she repeated herself more clearly and loudly then before. Maybe a little too loudly. Kisame winced and tugged at his earlobe.

"You don't need to shout, kid. I'm not across the country or anything. You just need to stop mumbling. We're only heading to the nearest town to grab some grub."

"…oh…town." TenTen mumbled to herself before realizing just what was going on. "T-Town?!"

"Yeah…town." Kisame looked at her curiously. She seemed to be hyperventilating.

"Breathe, TenTen! Breathe!" she told herself and she stood there, images of her future flashing before her eyes. She could see it now, how everyone she knew would react if she was taken prisoner by a member of Akatsuki…it would be even better when they found out that the two were waltzing through a town grabbing breakfast. Oh, the indignity and the shame! She wouldn't be able to show her face in town again! What kind of kunoichi would she be? That is….if she ever got out of this situation in the first place.

Think, TenTen! Think!

"Y-You can't go into town!" She said to Kisame.

"Eh? I know I look a little different, but I can blend in perfectly…" Kisame had no idea what she was going at. He had hoped that she would some how escape once in they made it to town so that that way, Leader wouldn't get mad at him for letting a prisoner go. But he was a little confused since any sane prisoner would stroll willingly into town because that would increase his chances of escaping or being rescued…but this girl…what was she trying to do? Remain a prisoner? He didn't want that any more then she did, he just couldn't tell her because then he'd be admitting to breaking the rules of Akatsuki.

"No…ummm…actually…." TenTen dropped to her knees and began rummaging through her pack, "There's no need….I have a few rations right here…" Her hand shook as she held a riceball up to him. She had completely forgotten that she had food in her pack until now. Kisame stared at it a second, trying to figure out what to do next. Food was the best excuse he could come up with for them to get to town so she could 'accidentally' escape, but what was he going to do now?

"Thanks, kid." He said slowly as he grabbed the meager sustenance from her and chomped down. When he took it from her, TenTen nearly reared back but forced herself to stay still. She watched him as he took his time eating the riceball. With every bite he took, she saw a sharp row of teeth glint from beneath his lips. She was surprised that he was eating so civilly for a man that held an uncanny resemblance to a shark. She finally grabbed a riceball for herself and dug in.

What? I know I'm making them completely OOC but you have to understand that Kisame doesn't want to have a prisoner and TenTen has a slightly different set of priorities then your average joe. Besides...it's fanfiction

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