A/N: I'm sooooo sorry for being away for so long! (bows) I've been in North Carolina and my computer is dead. (cries) But! I have been writing. I've gotten two chapters (ten and eleven) written and I'm workin' on the third (chapter twelve). I think I have an idea of what the mission is now! (rubs hands together and giggles manically) But anyway. As a preview, the mission is gonna take place in Kirigakure, Kisame's old home. Along with some explanations for Tsume-chan, there's gonna be some old memories and enemies of Kisame's coming back to haunt him. (cheesy, that.) But anyway, I adore your reviews, and nearly had a heart attack when I saw how many hits that I'd gotten. It was over eighteen-hundred! 00 But anyway, here is chapter ten! IKU ZE!
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Tsume awoke to a familiar rising and falling sensation. She felt cool air blowing about her, and, with something brushing her face, she caught the scent of earth and smoke. Tsume's mind recognized it as Deidara's scent. The ache in Tsume's body was less, but she was still tired. She bit her bottom lip, the slight pain waking her. Opening her eyes, and was met by the sight of Deidara's blond hair ruffling in her face. Yes, there was the scent of clay, earth, and smoke. Shaking Deidara's hair free from her face, Tsume looked around. It was dark, the only light coming from the stars overhead. She realized that Itachi, Kisame, Tobi, and Deidara were all leaping through the branches of the trees, silent as could be. When Tsume caught sight of Kisame in the darkness, she saw that he was wearing Samehada across his back, leaving no room for Tsume to ride.
"You awake, Tsume, un?" Deidara asked as he sensed Tsume stirring.
Giving a nod that really wasn't unnecessary, Tsume shifted slightly in Deidara's hold, now feeling her backpack slung over her shoulders. "Where're we going?" Tsume wondered. She yawned. "And what time is it?"
"We're heading for Kirigakure, un," Deidara said, unknowingly answering Tsume's question. "It's Kisame's old home, un." Tsume nodded, remembering Kisame's forehead protector. Then Tsume remembered something else. When she had first met Deidara, he's said that he'd renounced his own village, Iwagakure, and that his forehead protector had the same slash across the symbol as Itachi and Kisame had across their respective symbols. Tsume bit her lip in thought, considering the information that she had. If Deidara had renounced his home village, and had marked his forehead protector in the same fashion as Kisame and Itachi, it was likely that they had all renounced their native villages. That included Tobi, even though Tsume had not seen any hint of a forehead protector on him, nor had he said anything about where he was from. And if all that was true that all of them, Kisame, Itachi, Deidara, and Tobi, were all missing-nin, renegade shinobi from their respective villages.
Tsume had already guess that the ninja around her were criminals, what with their talk and careful actions. And with what Tsume had witnessed of their strength, it was more than likely that they were all S-class missing-nin, the most dangerous kind of shinobi, villain, and criminal. Tsume forced down a shiver; what had she gotten herself into? But that last thought and worry quickly faded. Tsume had already decided that she was going to say with them. They were kind to her; it didn't matter what they were. Tsume relaxed slightly with a new calm, and turned her gaze to Kisame. He'd remained silent the entire time. As his face was struck for a moment by a beam of starlight, Tsume saw the slightest hint of . . . apprehension in his gaze. But then it was gone, Kisame's voice once more hidden in the shadows of the night.
"Is it because he has to visit his old village?" Tsume wondered, keeping her eyes on silent shadow that she knew to be Kisame. "If he's a missing-nin, then couldn't it be dangerous for him to go back?" Tsume shook her head. "But no. Kisame-sama is very strong. He'll be fine."
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They stopped moving at dawn, and Tsume found herself fulling awake, her pain all but nonexistent. Deidara let her down gently, and Tsume used the moment of rest to change into a fresh shirt. She'd worn a clean shirt for the previous night's journey, but the garment now felt dirty and stick. After donning the new shirt, Tsume put on her jacket as well as she shivered slightly. She slung her backpack over her shoulder, hands twisting at the straps, biting her lip self consciously. She was anxious to know what would happen next and, now that Tsume remembered, what the shinobis' mission was. Having witnessed some of their strength, Tsume quailed at the thought of what kind of mission would need four S-ranked missing-nin.
Then Tsume felt a large hand placed on the small of her back, and the presence of another behind her. Tsume looked up to find Kisame looking down at her with a toothy, but oddly comforting smile. "Don't worry, Tsume," Kisame said, using Tsume's name kindly. "You'll be healed soon, and if you keep training hard, you'll be more than a match for anyone we meet." Tsume blushed at Kisame's words, and began to follow Itachi, Deidara, and Tobi, who were now walking along the forest floor. Kisame's hand shifted to rest lightly on Tsume's shoulders, where it remained. It was a comforting touch, and Tsume felt some of her courage returning. She felt that as long as she was with Kisame, that nothing bad could ever happen to her. Tsume's wish to learn was redoubled, and she held her head high as she walked, steps confidant. She refused to let any fear that she felt show, not wanting to give anyone a reason to doubt her. Nothing would stop her from doing all that she could to aid the four shinobi that she now traveled with.
They continued walking through the trees as the sun rose and the animals awoke and began their day. The air was damp, and Tsume caught the scent of coming rain. She'd heard of Kirigakure, but had never been there before. The trees soon began to thin, and a mist was soon snaking about their feet. The dampness grew, and the fog thickened.
"We'll reach the water's edge soon, onna," Kisame said, voice slightly muffled by the fog. "Then we'll take the boat that's been arranged for us."
Tsume looked over and gazed up into Kisame's face. Searching the expanse for the trepidation that she had seen before; worry in her amber eyes. She could only just sense a small amount of worry coming from the shark-nin, despite what his shinobi training taught him of hiding it. Tsume was far too sensitive to the emotions of others to miss Kisame's mild trepidation. Tsume knew that she was worried about Kisame, but she also knew that she, of all people, could do nothing to help him. Better than most, Tsume that only oneself could battle the ghosts of their pasts. Only she could conquer her own past. No other person could help Kisame with the troubles of his hidden past but himself.
"I want to help Kisame-sama," Tsume thought as she continued walking, brows furrowed. "But . . . what could I do to help? Me worrying would only be a hindrance to him. But still . . ." Tsume twisted at the straps of her backpack again, biting her lip as her brows remained furrowed. Her wish to be of use came back stronger than ever, and she felt a strange twisting in her chest, a pain and emotions that she could neither name or understand. How was Tsume, of all people, supposed to help Kisame?
"Stop worrying, onna," Kisame chided, flicking Tsume in the side of the head and breaking her from her thoughts. "Everything will be fine, so long as you stick close and remember what you've been taught. Got it?" Letting out a sigh, Tsume nodded. Kisame was right; if Tsume wanted to survive, then she had to stay close to the four shinobi and do exactly as they told her. Perhaps then she could be of some use . . .
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The fog was thick when they came to the water's edge. Standing among the ninja, Tsume pulled up her hood as the others donned their hats, the small bells attached to the brims ringing softly in the muffled air. Tsume couldn't repress a shiver as a chill breeze wafted over them from the water, and she moved instinctively closer to Kisame. No one said a word as they waited on the shore, the water lapping at the sand several feet away. Tsume could feel tension thick upon the air, a silent anticipation of what was to come. Tsume knew that a boat had been arranged, and found herself wondering who would be controlling the boat, if not one of the shinobi. It certainly wasn't Tsume; she knew nothing about boats.
"ArghStoppit!" Tsume mentally chided herself. "They know what they're doing! And Kisame-sama told me not to worry!"
"Have you ever been to Kirigakure, Tsume-chan?" Tobi asked suddenly, coming up to whisper beside Tsume. Tsume shook her head. "Neither have I," Tobi said. "I think that only Itachi-senpai and Kisame-senpai have been there. Kisame-senpai was part of the Seven Swor—"
Kisame silenced Tobi by planting a hand on his masked face and shoving him away and onto the ground. "Shut it, Tobi," the shark-nin said, taking up Tobi's place at Tsume's side. Tsume looked up at Kisame curiously, tilting her head to the side. "If I want to tell you about my past, then I will. But now now. And anyway . . . it's not something you'd want to hear about. My past isn't exactly . . . kind." With a swell of confidence, Tsume moved around to stand before Kisame. Reaching up, Tsume tilted Kisame's face down towards hers.
Forcing their gazes to meet, Tsume trying to put words into her eyes. "I don't care. I want to help you, and I don't care about what you've done in the past. None of it matters. None of it." Tsume had little hope that Kisame would understand everything that she wanted him to, but still she held his gaze, forcing herself not to look away.
But Kisame did understand. He'd had years of practice reading words from only the eyes after working with the quiet Itachi. Kisame hid his surprise when he read the look int Tsume's eyes; he'd never been looked at like that before. There was trust in Tsume's eyes, the last thing that Kisame would have expected from her. She was his prisoner, after all. Wasn't she? As Kisame looked into Tsume's honest eyes, he found that he wasn't so sure. Giving a half smile, Kisame brought up a hand to gently grip Tsume's left wrist.
"Alright, Tsume," Kisame said quietly. "I'll tell you some time. Just . . . not now." Pulling her hands away and giving a small smile, Tsume nodded. She was glad that Kisame had understood her. And she was pleased—in a quiet, embarrassed sort of way—that Kisame was willing to telling her something of his past, even if not at the moment. It was a small, kind gesture; Tsume's might even have imagined it. But imagined or not, Kisame's words still made Tsume's smile.
"Kisame, the boat." Itachi's voice was quiet and void of emotion, made even softer by the thick fog. Tsume turned to see a long, slender boat come up against the shore, a cloaked man in a rice-farmer's ha sitting in the stern.
Then the man looked looked up and, even though Tsume couldn't see his face, she knew that he was looking at her. "Five?" he said questioningly. "But the arrangement was for four . . ." He trailed off as he felt Itachi's stern eyes on him.
"She is coming with us," Itachi said firmly. "She will not be a hindrance."
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A/N: By all the Gods and Goddesses of lands near and far! I'm tired! I thought I'd leave the rest of the typing up for tomorrow morning, but it wouldn't let me sleep. I'm submitting it with very little brain activity, so please excuse any errors.