A/N[(Disclaimer: All the information on chakra control and jutsus used in this chapter I got from wikipedia(sp) Chapter twelve! So many people have favorited my story! I run around the house grinning like an idiot! I swear, my mom probably thinks me a lunatic. Oh, and I've been reading lots of Tamora Pierce lately, so it might cause a bit of a change in my writing style. And ye be warned, this chapter contains a bit of fluff! Sorry, I just can't stay away from it. If you don't like fluff, tell me! I don't wanna write stuff that no one is gonna read. I have a request to make. I need a beta. I use NeoOffice to write, and you can download it from Please, I really need a beta. And I need ideas! Please! And now, IKU ZE!!
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Tsume awoke slowly, rising up from the warm depths of sleep. She could feel Kisame's warm breath on her face, and his arm around her back. Tsume breathed in, inhaling his deep, unique scent. She smiled, eyes sill closed. The birds were calling outside, and as Tsume opened one eye, she saw from the open window that the sun was just rising. Tsume yawned, opening both eyes. She gently slid from Kisame's embrace, blushing lightly as she remembered the previous night, and the kiss that she had given the shark-nin. Sitting up, Tsume saw that the fog was thick outside, though it was slowly being burned away as rays of golden sun pierced it. Breathing deeply, Tsume could smell the moist air, something she guessed to be common place in Kirigakure.
"I hope that I can train some more today," Tsume thought, sliding her feet to the floor and standing up.
Suddenly, she started. Itachi was sitting silently on his bed, the blankets and sheets neatly made. His legs were crossed beneath him, eyes closed and hands folded in his lap. Tsume watched him for a moment, taking in his beautiful, pale face, and his shining, ebony hair. He truly was a beautiful being. Beautiful . . . and deadly. Tsume remembered how frightened she had been of Itachi when she first met him. His cold Sharingan eyes had struck a deep cord of fear in her, something even more terrifying than her nightmares. But now, as Tsume gazed at Itachi, she felt a strange, respectful kind of awe overpowering her fear. Just as Kisame had, Itachi had given Tsume a new life, a second chance. It had been something that Tsume had never even dared to hope for, and yet now she had it. The gratitude that Tsume felt for Itachi was somehow different than the gratitude she felt for Kisame, but it was gratitude none the less.
Realizing that she had been staring, Tsume turned away. Her backpack was beside the bathroom door, and she walked over to it, kneeling to pull out fresh clothes. Stepping into the bathroom, Tsume closed the door behind her as quietly as she could. She smiled happily when she saw that there was a shower in the small bathroom. Setting her clothes on the closed toilet seat, Tsume disrobed and turned on the shower. She stepped under the stream of water, pulling the curtain closed behind her. She washed quickly, careful to dry herself well after she was finished. She brushed her hair with the comb she found, wringing out any residual water so that it would not get her fresh clothes too wet. Once she was done, Tsume gathered up her things and stepped back into the main room. Itachi was where she had left him, but Kisame was nowhere to be seen. And—as Tsume looked around—was her backpack. Her shuriken holster and kunai pouch were on the table.
"Kisame went to get food," Itachi said suddenly, making Tsume jump. "I told him there was no need, but he also took your things to be washed. Be sure to thank him."
Tsume nodded, silently saying that she would. She folded up her sleeping dress and underwear, laying them in a small pile on the table as she fastened on her holster and pouch. She raised a hand and fingered the scar that ran across her neck, thinking about how she hadn't had a single nightmare since her first night staying with Kisame and Itachi. Why they were such a comfort to her was still a mystery, but Tsume shook her head. "I don't have time to think about that sort of thing," she told herself firmly. "I need to train. If I don't, I will not be able to help Kisame-sama and the others with their mission." Tsume's face fell, and her hand dropped to brush over her shuriken holster. She bit her lip. "I must have seemed so weak before; crying like that. I can't ever do that again. I won't cry. I'll train as hard as I can and do everything that I'm told." Tsume's eyes hardened, and she set her jaw, lifting her face.
Itachi had opened his eyes, and was now watching the young woman. Her amber eyes were hard, and he could easily see the set of stubbornness about her mouth and chin. Itachi had to admit, Tsume was indeed a quick study. Her strength was admirable for someone of her size and age; she stood about five-foot-three and couldn't be older than seventeen. She had good aim with thrown weapons, and her photographic memory was a great asset. She was fast as well. The only skills that Tsume lacked were those of genjutsu and ninjutsu. Though they were extremely important to a shinobi, Itachi was fairly confident that Tsume could master them with practice.
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When Kisame returned not long after, he found Tsume sitting at the table, pouring over a mostly unrolled scroll with rapt attention. So engrossed was she that she didn't even notice as he came in, a bag of food in one hand, and her backpack—filled with freshly washed clothes—in the other. After closing the door behind him, Kisame eyed Tsume, his head tilted to the side. Setting down the bags, Kisame walked silently up behind Tsume, and peered over her shoulder.
". . . different types of chakra can be formed. Elemental chakra is the most common product of this, and is used to perform elemental jutsu. The five elemental natures are earth, fire, lightning, water, and wind. Most ninja . . ."
Kisame guessed that it was probably a scroll from Itachi and, judging by how unrolled the scroll was, Tsume had already read most of it. It was only then that Kisame noticed that there were two other scroll on the table, rolled up in such a way that it was likely that Tsume had already read them. Kisame gave a low whistle, the sound taking Tsume off guard and making her jump. Without thinking, she whirled around to strike whoever was behind her. She found her fist wrapped in a strong blue hand, her eyes looking up into Kisame's grinning face.
"You're getting strong, onn—Tsume," he said, releasing her. "And I see you've been reading about chakra control. Making any progress?"
Nodding, Tsume rose up. Stepping away from the table, she put her hands together, weaving the last two fingers of each hand while the index and middle fingers pointed upward. Tsume closed her eyes in concentration, and there was the slightest puff of air around her feet. Then, keeping her eyes closed in concentration, Tsume walked towards the unadorned wall before her. She lifted her leg and placed her right foot flat against the wall. And then she did the same with the other. Slowly, moving one foot at a time, Tsume walked up the vertical surface, never once slipping or losing control of her chakra. Soon, she was standing on the ceiling, eyes closed and hair hanging down around her face. Kisame smiled.
"I demonstrated—" Itachi began, but he was interrupted as several things happened at once. he door flew open and Deidara and Tobi burst in, squabbling loudly. Tsume's eyes snapped open in surprise, only to widen a second later as her feet parted company with the ceiling. Kisame darted forward, intending to catch Tsume as she fell. And then, as if the mess wasn't big enough, Deidara set off one of his bombs. It was small, but the force of explosion sent things flying into the air and upending the table and chairs.
When the dust finally cleared, a rather comical sight was visible. Tobi and Deidara, both with soot-blackened faces, still lay in the doorway, Deidara pulling at Tobi's singed hair, and Tobi with both hands pressed into Deidara's face. Itachi, the only one who had not moved, still sat on his bed, pale face darkened with dust. His expression was that of a parent whose children had just done something that he had repeatedly told them not to do. (A/N: But a bit more evil ninja 'I'm-gonna-kill-you.') Kisame and Tsume lay in a heap by the wall, the part of them that was closest to Deidara mildly singed.
"Didn't I tell you not to use explosions, Deidara?" Itachi said in a calm voice that made Tsume shiver.
Shaking off the shiver and wincing, Tsume rose up on her hands and knees. When she looked down, she found herself gazing into Kisame's face, her hands on either side of his head. Her knees were in a similar position on either side of Kisame's hips. Having caught Tsume when she fell, Kisame had had his arms around her. Now they had drifted down to Tsume's hips where they rested, Kisame's eyes locked with Tsume's.
Thankfully, Deidara and Tobi had started fighting again, and Itachi was too busy shaking his head from side to side and holding the bridge of his nose to notice Kisame and Tsume's current position.
Tsume was frozen in place, eyes locked with Kisame's. She couldn't look away from him, and it felt like her skin was burning where Kisame's hands touched her. Tsume could feel his breath on her face, and her face flushed as she realized just how close they actually were. Confusion roared in her ears and mind. Why couldn't she look away? Why was suddenly being this close to Kisame making her . . . was giddy the word? She'd been held by him, carried by him, and she had never reacted then as she was now. And why hadn't Kisame tried to move her? Why was he letting her remain where she was and as she was? (A/N: he's a guy, Tsume-chan. You're a pretty girl.)
Suddenly, reality crashed back in with another of Deidara's explosions, and Tsume scrambled to get off of Kisame. She got quickly to her feet, hiding her blushing face as she turned to retrieve her backpack and Itachi's scrolls. Fortunetly, they hadn't been damaged, and Tsume rolled them up neatly before storing them in her backpack for later study. Then, guessing that they would be leaving soon, found and donned her shoes. It was only after Tsume had put on her jacket and slung her backpack over her shoulders that she caught some of Deidara and Tobi's argument.
". . . Woke me up way too early, un!" Deidara snapped.
"I only wanted to help Deidara-senpai get up early so that the day wouldn't be wasted! Tobi is a good boy!" the masked shinobi protested.
"Itachi, we don't have the money to pay for the damages," Kisame said to his partner, nodding at what was left of the doorway, the singed wallpaper, and the broken chairs and upended table. Tsume noted that Kisame now had on his cloak and was fitting Samehada to his back. "We should probably leave." Kisame was right. Already, a crowd had gathered outside, and the owner of the inn could heard yelling at the back of the crowd. Itachi sighed, sending Deidara and Tobi a silencing glare. "Right," Kisame said. He turned and held out his hand to Tsume. "C'mon, onna." Tsume walked obediently forward. When she was within arm's reach, Kisame pulled her in close, holding his free hand up before him with the index and middle fingers pointed upward. Tsume caught sight of Itachi, Deidara, and Tobi all doing the same before the room faded away.
The next thing Tsume knew, she and the others were standing outside, with neither sight nor sound of the village they had been in only moments ago.
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A/N: Sorry it was so short! I'm really sorry! I'm now making things up as I go along, and thought that has its benefits, it isn't really fun for you people. I'm sorry! Please forgive this humble writer who is unworthy of such praise and attention! (bows deeply) Thank you so much for reading! (No, I'm not stopping writing, don't worry.) Oh, hey. Is anyone out there good a drawing? I absolutely can not draw Tsume-chan! She refuses to let me draw her. Epically her face. I mean, she has this kind, somewhat meek feel to her, but she's also really determined and stubborn. She's still a bit timid, and she's actually scared a lot underneath it all. I can draw, and I'm rather proud of my work, but Tsume is proving near impossible to draw. (tugs at hair and bangs head on desk after removing keyboard) Please! Anyone who can draw, I beseech you!