A/N: I have reached 1,900+ hits on this story! To all you readers and reviewers, I send all my love! (sends love and a few hugs) I have a few ideas for this story, like a love interest for Itachi! Hee hee! Remember Utako from that little thing, Unseen? I'm thinkin' of having her come into Unspoken after I finish some things. Whaddaya think? Please, give me some feedback on that. If Tsume-chan joins Akatsuki, I think she'll be partnered up with Utako. Preview: some explanations for Tsume and a bit o' fluff! My specialty! This chapter made me cry, too. Anyway, here is chapter eleven, and I love you all! IKU ZE!
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Tsume sat in Kisame's lap, her backpack on the floor of the boat at her feet on top of Samehada, which lay on the floor of the boat beneath the seats of the others. It was eerily quiet, the only sound that of the boatman's long pole as he moved the boat through the deep water. Tsume shivered. When Kisame felt the shiver, he opened the front of his cloak. He then pulled Tsume up against his chest and wrapped the flaps of the cloak around her. Tsume jumped, and blushed at Deidara's quiet snicker behind Kisame. The shark-nin turned and shot Deidara a silencing glare. The iwa-nin was instantly quiet.
"Tobi told you that Kirigakure was my old village, right?" Kisame whispered. Tsume nodded. "That's right; it is. You're pretty bright, onna; you've probably guessed that we're all missing-nin, right?" Again, Tsume nodded. "Smart girl. Well, you're right. I'm from Kirigakure, Itachi's from Konohagakure, Deidara's from Iwagakure, and as far as Tobi, well . . . no one really knows where he's from. Seeing as you seem to plan on staying with us, I might as well explain a few things." Kisame lifted his gaze to Itachi's back. "That guy can't hear us, right?"
Itachi did not turn as he answered. "If he could, I'd have stopped you already," he said simply.
Kisame nodded and continued. "You're right; we're all S-ranked missing-nin. We've all renounced our villages and joined an organization called Akatsuki. It's pretty much aiming to take over all the powerful villages, I suppose. Have you ever heard of the Jinchuriki, the Tailed Beasts?" Tsume nodded, remembering things that Aki-ba-chan had told her a long time ago. "Good, then I won't have to explain them. Anyway, each pair of Akatsuki members is scent to bring the vessel of their assigned Jinchuriki back to Akatsuki head quarters. Then Leader-sama extracts the Tailed Beast and seals it . . . in something else, I don't know what. We all have to help, and if you ask me, it's a pain in the ass to do. Deidara and his old partner, Sasori, have already captured the Shukaku, the One Tail, and Itachi and I are after the Kyuubi, the Nine Tails. It's proving more difficult than we thought. The brat that contains the Kyuubi is protected by one of the Three Legendary Sannin, and the vessel is learning how to use the Nine Tails' strength and chakra to his advantage." Tsume could plainly hear the annoyance and mild frustration in Kisame's voice, but she paid it little mind as she began to process all the new information that had just been provided for her. Her brows furrowed as she continued thinking, her fingers fiddling with the snaps of Kisame's cloak.
Finally, chewing on her bottom lip, Tsume leaned forward and drew her notebook and pencil from her backpack. Hand shaking slightly, she began to write. "If you're from this organization, is it really alright for you to be telling someone like me about it?" she wrote hesitantly. "I mean . . . couldn't I be a liability to you?" Tsume gulped as she let Kisame read what she had written, her heart thundering in her chest.
"You want to know if we'll just kill you in the end," Kisame said calmly, voice so soft that only Tsume could hear him. She nodded, putting her notebook and pencil away. She did want to know, but she was also terrified of the answer. She wanted to become strong, to stay with Kisame. "I can't say for sure what's going to happen." Tsume shivered in fear, only to have Kisame wrap his arms firmly around her and hug her tightly against his chest. "But I don't want you killed, Tsume. I can promise you that."
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The fog was still thick upon the water, so Tsume caught sight of the land only a few moments before the boat came into the shallows. As the passengers silently disembark, Tsume felt something odd, as if a thick blanket of air had suddenly been pulled away. But she gave it little thought as the hairs on the back of her neck suddenly stood on end and icy shivers ran down her spine. And it was not from the cold. As the boatman vanished back into the mists, Tsume felt the slight flickerings of the presence of others. It was ever so slight, but Tsume could still feel a small group of people standing several yards away, hidden in the mists.
As Itachi stepped aside, Tsume drew out a handful of shuriken. All four shinobi instantly focused their attention on the young woman. Tsume dimly heard Deidara say something, but she ignored him as the presence drew closer; why hadn't the others noticed it yet?! Not wasting another second, Tsume threw two shuriken, aiming as best she could in the fog. Two screams of pain rang out, shattering the eerie silence. Kisame, Itachi, Deidara, and Tobi were all instantly alert, already taking up their respective fighting stances. The could all sense the attackers now; at least fourteen standing around them in a half circle, pinning them back against the water.
"Looks like a welcoming committee," Kisame said with a grin, Samehada wriggling beneath its bandages with Kisame's excitement. "Ah, it's just like the old days."
"Deidara, no explosions," Itachi instructed. "We don't need to draw any more attention to ourselves."
Tsume could wait no longer. A fierce urge to prove herself filled her mind as adrenaline pumped into her veins, filling her body. She wouldn't be incapacitated so easily this time. She would make the others see that she could be strong, that she was worth something. Without another moment of hesitation, Tsume charged out into the mist, both hands now armed with a shuriken clenched between each finger. She spared only a glance at the first foe she came upon. He was shrouded pale gray to match the fog, his face covered by a mask. Tsume came upon him silently, lashing out with a speed and strength that she never knew had. Keeping the shuriken tight in her closed fists, Tsume danced around the shinobi, slashing and punching with all the power that she could muster. And then, suppressing all feeling and emotion, Tsume struck the final blow, slashing across the ninja's neck and killing him. Quickly holstering her now bloody shuriken, Tsume drew out two kunai as a new attacker came upon her. He was met with the same barrage of swift attacks, and soon, he too fell to Tsume's emotionless attack. Tsume knew that if she let herself feel anything, that she would break down in tears, weak and useless.
But she was no stranger to be carnage of the battlefield. She remembered her dreams and that dawn long ago that still burned red with blood in her memory. Then Tsume could hear Kisame and the others fighting close by. She paused for an instant. That instant gave a new foe a chance to leap at her from the fog. Tsume sensed him, and leaped to the side at the last moment, but not quickly enough to completely avoid the knife he held. It cut her cheek and pulled her hood from her head. Tsume's dark hair swirled behind her as she twisted around to avoid another attack. But, to her surprise, the man was on the ground, bleeding heavily from a huge, deep, wide gash across his back. Kisame stood behind him, Samehada free from its wrappings and covered in crimson blood. Suddenly, Tsume started, and threw her kunai. It flew past Kisame's cheek to bury itself deep in the chest of the ninja that had attempted to attack Kisame from behind. Kisame looked over his shoulder at the fallen enemy.
"Well done, onna," Kisame said with a grin as he looked back to Tsume. "You do learn fast. But . . . this battle's not over just quite yet."
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Tsume used the rag offered to her by Deidara to lean her weapons, her face and eyes still emotionless. Despite her calm exterior, Tsume's emotions were roiling just beneath the surface, and Tsume bit her lip to keep them down. She's gotten used to hiding the hurt she felt when she'd been scorned in her younger days. But to hold down the feelings of taking the life of another human being . . . that was an entirely different matter. Tsume stowed her cleaned weapons with shaking fingers, her face pale, and her eyes shining.
"I can't cry!" Tsume thought fervently. "I can't cry! I can't let them see me cry! I can't!" Tsume could feel tears gathering in the corners of her amber eyes. Tsume fought them, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. She bit her lip hard, and tasted blood in her mouth. Her body started to shake, her knees going weak. Still fighting her tears, Tsume's legs gave out and she fell to her knees. Blood thundered in her ears, muffling away Kisame;s voice as he knelt down before her, hands descending to her shoulders.
Kisame watched Tsume's pale face in confusion, her eyes squeezed shut against threatening tears. "Oy, onna!" Kisame said sharply, shaking Tsume by the shoulders. "Open your eyes! Wake up!" Tsume did not react, blood trickling from her bleeding lip. "TSUME!!"
Tsume's eyes snapped open to gaze into Kisame's face, her amber eyes shining with unshed tears. She stopped biting her bottom lip and let out a shuddering breath. She couldn't stop the shaking in her hands, but she still fought the tears, refusing to let them fall and show her weakness. Slowly, Tusme shrugged off Kisame's hands, and rose shakily to her feet. She clenched her hands again, and met Kisame's eyes as he stood as well.
"You're strong, onna," Kisame said quietly. "Stronger than I ever would have expected."
The smallest of smiles crossed Tsume's lips at Kisame's words. He was strangely able to understand her, and for that, Tsume was grateful. She was living a new life, and Kisame was her guiding light and hand. He was the last sort of person Tsume would have imagined herself trusting and wanted to be of use to, but the facts could not be changed. And Tsume wouldn't have changed them for the world. Still smiling, the tears finally escaped Tsume's eyes, but she showed no other hint of her inner turmoil to the four ninja staring at her.
At that moment, Tsume made a promise to herself. "I will never shed a tear again. I will no be weak. I will never shed another tear while I am with Kisame-sama. Never again."
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The fog had thinned when the group came upon the outskirts of a tiny village. Despite its small size, the village seemed to be thriving, and the villagers called out cheerfully to each other. Tsume fall a small tug of longing as she walked into the village, surrounded by Kisame, Itachi, Tobi, and Deidara. They all kept to the shadows, not wanting to draw attention to themselves. They soon came upon a small restaurant, and Tsume followed the ninja as they went wordlessly inside. They took up a table towards the back, Tsume sitting between Deidara and Tobi. Kisame eyed his two companions from beneath the wide brim of his hat for a moment before relaxing back into his seat.
Feeling the eyes of the other customers watching them, Tsume pulled her hood further over her slightly flushed face. She looked up when Itachi ordered tea, rice, and miso, the waitress giving them all wary looks as she took their order back to the kitchen. The food and tea were out soon, and Tobi said a cute, child-like 'itidakimasu' before somehow making all of his food and tea vanish. Tsume ate her rice and soup before drinking her steaming tea, devouring the meal gladly. She felt her earlier emotions fading into the back of her mind, allowing her to drink in tea in peace. No one said a word as they ate and drank, Kisame finishing first. Setting down his chopsticks, he let his eyes rest on Tsume's hooded face, his own hidden by the high collar of his cloak and the fringe of his hat.
Tsume was soon finished with her tea as well, setting her cup down softly on the table. She folded her hands in her lap, eyes downcast. Deidara finished soon after and brought out a small piece of clay. (author: hides in a bomb shelter.) Paying no attention to Itachi's sharp look, the iwa-nin began molding the clay with his fingers, the slender working deftly and quickly. When he was finished, Deidara cupped both hands around whatever he had made. He then turned in his chair and presented whatever he had made to a quizzical-looking Tsume. As Tsume tilted her head to the side, Deidara smiled behind his cloak and opened his hands. Tsume's eyes lit up when she saw what Deidara held. Kisame rolled his eyes and sighed.
A small, adorable puppy stood in Deidara's hands, its little clay tail wagging happily. It was only when Deidara had placed the puppy in Tsume's own hands that Tsume got a good look at Deidara's own palms. Her eyes widened and she bit back a gasp. There, in the center of each of Deidara's hands, was a mouth, each complete with teeth and tongue. Deidara looked a bit surprised at Tsume's reaction at first, but then he remembered.
"Oh, yeah, un," he said, scratching the back of his head. "I forgot to tell you about these, didn't I, un?" Tsume nodded vigorously, looking from the puppy, to Deidara's hands, and then to his face, her eyes wide and confused. "It's my Kekki Genkai, un. These mouths eat the clay that I use and make bombs, un. But you don't have to worry," Deidara nodded to the puppy in Tsume's hands, who was currently chasing its tail, "that little guy is just made out of regular clay, un." Tsume blinked several times.
"Well, what should I expect?" Tsume thought to herself as she looked down at the puppy in her hands. It wagged its tail and ran in circles at her attention. Tsume smiled, petting it gently with one finger. Deidara saw the happy look on Tsume's face and smiled, nodding. Tobi peered over Tsume's shoulder at the puppy. Kisame was watching with an odd look on his face, while Itachi merely raised an eyebrow at it.
"He won't brake, and he'll do whatever you want him to, un," Deidara said. Tsume beamed at him, rising up in her seat slightly. Reaching up, she pulled down his collar and kissed him lightly on the cheek. She drew back quickly, blushing. Kisame was gawking behind his collar, while the slightest of blushes now tinted Deidara's cheeks. Tsume's hood had fallen back, but she made no attempt to pull it back up, suddenly extremely interested in the tabletop.
"Hey, cutie," an unfamiliar male voice said from behind Tsume, making her jump. "You free tonight?" Tsume went rigid at the tone of the man's voice, finding herself unable to turn around. All the ninja, on the other hand, were now looking at the man who had spoken, their faces hidden. The man failed to notice this and continued. "C'mon. I'll show you a great time! And later, we can go back to my place and—"
"I'd shut up if I were you, un," Deidara interrupted, voice suddenly hard and firm.
"You should leave Tsu-chan alone," Tobi said, the slightly angry tone not fitting him at all.
Kisame rose slowly to his feet and walked around the table to stand between the man and Tsume. "You have no business with us," he said in a chilling voice. "You should leave. Leave before I'm forced to turn you into a bloody mess. And that would be terribly rude. The staff shouldn't have to clean your guts off the floor." The man was not as stupid as he looked and sounded. He ran from the restaurant as if he had a team of killer shinobi on his tail. Which, had he continued his previous course of action, he likely would have.
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Tsume let out a heavy sigh as she sank to the floor of the room that she was sharing with Kisame and Itachi. Deidara and Tobi were in the room next door, Deidara left with strict instructions not to use explosives of any kind. But, from what she'd heard about the odd artist, Tsume wondered just how long that would last. Shedding her jacket, Tsume rubbed at the cut on her cheek. Or rather, where it used to be. Tobi had healed it up the moment he saw it, fussing over the newly dubbed 'Tsu-chan' until Deidara threw a sandal at him. (The non-exploding kind.)
"Tobi-nii-san really is amazing," Tsume thought. "Odd, but amazing."
Having stored Samehada in the provided closet along with his cloak, Kisame flopped down on the bed that he had claimed as his. "Man, Deidara's going to be going for weeks after that little gesture of yours, onna," he grumbled. Tsume blushed and gave Kisame an apologetic look. The small clay puppy that had earned Deidara a kiss from Tsume was currently asleep in the front pocket of Tsume's backpack, comfortable on a folded tissue. Tsume had already been contemplating names for the little creature, but now she was too flustered to anything but blush and pick at the fabric of her capris. She wasn't entirely sure why she was so flustered, though. At the time, giving Deidara a small kiss on the cheek had seemed perfectly logical. But now, because of Kisame's words, her cheeks were flushed and her mind was muddled.
"You are on the verge of sounding jealous, Kisame," Itachi said suddenly, words making Tsume's face go crimson and bringing the slightest tinge of purple to Kisame's face. (A/N: And this is where we all giggle and go 'awww!' XD)
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Tsume stood before the window, looking out on the small village as it readied for sleep. It was quiet, but Tsume was happy, her previous troubles currently forgotten. The window was open, and Tsume closed her eyes and smiled as a night breeze blew in to gently caress her face, neck, and shoulders. The cool wind was comforting against her skin, brining with it the smells of spring and the promise of rain. Tsume could feel Kisame's eyes watching her form his bed, but Tsume did not turn to face him. She just wanted this one moment of peace, free of fighting and tears.
Several moments later, Tsume heard Kisame rise, and she turned in time to see him come before her. He stood before her, looking down into her eyes. Tsume looked back, feeling uncertain. Her eyes became questioning, and Kisame looked away. He sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Hell," he thought to himself. "Why'd I even get up? I don't have anything to say, so why did I—?" Kisame's thoughts were politely interrupted as Tsume rose up on the balls of her feet to plant an innocent kiss on his left cheek, just below his gills. Tsume's lips were so soft against his skin, almost like silk. Kisame wanted the moment to go on and on, but all too soon, Tsume drew away, blushing. She moved away away from Kisame, and got into bed, leaving the shark-nin standing dumb-struck at the window.
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A/N: Yay! A longish chapter! I loved writing this one, though Tsume-chan may want to kill me. I'm still working on the next chapter, but please review: Tsume can easily sense people, since she heightened her other senses so that she could avoid bad situations.