A/N: W00t! This story is 21! It can legally drink! . . . . . . . . . uh, sorry. Well, I hope that last chappie was to your liking! I dropped my computer on the floor at school . . . (cries.) But she's okay! I'm writing this chapter in Health Class, which I probably shouldn't be. Anyway, I wanted to bring up something that I only just realized. In this story, by my time frame, Kisame is thirty-seven years old, and . . . . Tsume isn't even seventeen. I think that as long at the relationship is a real, kind and loving thing, age doesn't really matter. Advice or input?
UNSPOKEN
Tsume ran the large whetstone along the blade of her massive sword, the sound mingling in the air with the conversation between Kisame and Itachi, concerning the infiltration of the Mizukage's mansion. Deidara was waiting for a hawk to deliver more of his exploding clay, while Tobi was sitting beside Tsume, simply watching as she sharpened the massive sword that had become her own under such strange circumstances. Tsume could imagine his eyes following her hand as it wielded the whetstone.
"Tsu-chan is very good at sharpening," Tobi said.
Tsume leaned the handle of the sword against her shoulder, and lifted her hands to sign at her orange-masked friend. "Kisame-sama showed me, and I remember what he showed me."
"Is it Tsu-chan's photographic memory?" Tobi asked. Tsume nodded. "Tsu-chan is a good girl! She's learning very fast and very well!"
Tsume smiled warmly and returned to sharpening her sword. She had been at it for a while, but still the task was not finished. As she ran the whetstone along the edge, Tsume let her thoughts overtake her. She thought of the task ahead, the realization having already set in. She was going to infiltrate the mansion of the Mizukage, the most powerful ninja in the Water Country. It would be no easy task, that Tsume knew. But at the same time, the idea filled Tsume with adrenaline and a strange kind of excitement. She hated killing, that was true, but fighting had become a different matter. She had felt the grace and elegance with which Zabuza had fought when he gave her his strength, and she knew that she wanted to feel it again. She couldn't remember her brief assault on Kabuto—Kisame had told her his name—for she had been too full of anger to feel anything else.
The sun was high, but the misty fog still persisted. The smell of a coming storm was heavy on the moist air, and Tsume continued to look up at the cloudy sky, waiting. She could hear thunder rumbling far off in the distance, and she found herself remembering the times when she had danced in the rain as a child, while Aki-obaa-chan had watched from the dry safety of the porch. A smile curved Tsume's lips as she continued to sharpen the blade of her sword, her motions as clean and practiced as if she had been doing the task for years.
"I've grown a lot since meeting Kisame-sama," Tsume realized. "I used to be so timid. Now I can fight easily among S-ranked shinobi." Tsume chuckled silently to herself and shook her head. "If Aki-obaa-chan could see me now . . . I must be quite a sight." And indeed she was. Kisame looked over at Tsume during a lull in the conversation, and she couldn't help a small smile. When he had first seen Tsume, she'd been a scared, rag-tag teenager, covered in cuts and bruises. But now, there she was sharpening one of the swords of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, her face clear and set, body trained in the ways of the shinobi faster than anyone Kisame knew.
Kisame's eyes came to rest on the curse mark on Tsume's throat, his eyes and expression going hard. Why had Orochimaru marked someone like her? Before, he had marked only those with strong Kekkei Genkai or abilities; so why had Tsume been marked? Neither Kisame or Itachi had been able to sense any unique ability save for Tsume's photographic memory. Moments before he had landed between Tsume and Kabuto, Kisame had felt a flare of strange chakra. But after he had landed, Kisame had been too angry to pay any attention to anything other than Kabuto, and when his anger had faded, the chakra had been gone. It was highly possible that it had been Tsume.
UNSPOKEN
Tsume took hold of the base of her now braided hair, and placed the edge of her kunai just above her hand. With a few swift strokes, Tsume had cut away her long hair, the braid falling to the ground and the rest moving back to hang around Tsume's face. Tsume shook her head in order to dislodge any loose strands before stowing her kunai and turning to retrieve the discarded braid. Using a spare length of string, Tsume rebound the open end, keeping the thick braid intact.
"You cut your hair?" Kisame asked as he came up behind Tsume. Tsume turned and looked up into Kisame's face. She glanced at the braid in her hand before looking back up and nodding. Putting the braid under one arm, she signed her answer.
"It won't be as in the way if it's short," she reasoned. "And there's less to take care of." Tsume then stowed the braid in her backpack, which she had rigged to hang out of the way of the sword that she now wore across her back, affixed by a thick leather belt. She wore her black coat and usual outfit, but her face was set in grim determination, only her expressive golden eyes giving away what she felt. She was nervous, and she had to restrain herself from chewing on her bottom lip.
Kisame reached out and fingered the dark, severed locks, his face and eyes unreadable. Tsume watched and waited for his next words, her own golden eyes questioning. She hoped that Kisame couldn't feel how hard her heart was beating at his closeness, and she chewed lightly on the inside of her mouth. "Makes sense," Kisame said, letting his hand fall to Tsume's shoulder. "We'll be leaving soon. Are you ready, Tsume?" Tsume took a slow, deep breath before nodding. She offered a smile, and Kisame returned it. "Right then, come on." The moment the words left Kisame's lips, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, the clouds ripping open to unleash a downpour of rain. Kisame donned his straw hat and Tsume pulled up her hood. "Perfect weather we're having, today."
UNSPOKEN
The transport jutsu found them standing on a tall hill overlooking a large mansion, the building surrounded completely by a high wall, masked mist-nin positioned all along it. Kisame, Tsume, Itachi, Deidara, and Tobi were all hidden from sight, the heavy rain making them almost invisible. Water ran across the surface of Tsume's sword, dripping off the razor-sharp edge. All Tsume could hear was the falling rain and the pounding of her own heart. It was too quiet, and Tsume's bare, dripping hands clenched into fists. Tsume had never felt such tension as she was feeling now, and she soon found herself chewing on her bottom lip in her nervousness.
"You alright, Tsume-chan, un?" Deidara asked, pulling Tsume from her trance-like state. Tsume nodded, knowing that Deidara could see her. "Don't worry, un."
Kisame was standing behind Tsume, and his hand came to rest on her shoulder as he bent his head to whisper in her ear. "I won't let anything happen to you, Tsume," he whispered. He tapped the communication apparatus that was fixed around her neck and curved around her ear. "Just keep this on if we get separated, but stay as close as you can to me." Tsume nodded, forcing her tense body to relax, knowing that Kisame would keep his word. Her trust in him and the others was absolute, and she would do anything and everything she could to help them in their goal, and even when this mission was done, that loyalty would remain.
Then, with only nod of his head, Itachi sprang forward down the hill, Deidara and Tobi following him. Tsume made to follow as well, but Kisame turned her to face him. He pulled down the collar of his cloak, his eyes meeting her golden orbs. "I won't let anyone hurt you again, Tsume." And then he kissed her, warm and soft, trying to convey the feelings that he himself did not understand. One hand caressed Tsume's cheek, the blushing skin chilled by the rain. Tsume and Kisame pulled away at the same moment, Tsume turning and she and Kisame moving wordlessly to catch up with Itachi, Deidara, and Tobi.
The ground was slippery, but Tsume kept her footing with small amounts of chakra in the soles of her feet. She kept her flushed face hidden in her hood, trying to calm her pounding heart, afraid that it would burst free of her chest. Kisame had kissed her. Again. Tsume wished that the kiss could have lasted longer, but she knew that it was hardly the time for such things. She pulled her mind back into the moment, slowing herself as she and Kisame came up upon their companions. They stood silently in the shadow of the wall, just to the left of the south gate.
Tsume ran over the plan that Itachi had laid out in her mind. They were to silently enter the grounds, taking out all the guards to avoid detection. They would then enter the mansion, once again making sure that none of them were seen. Although the plan was to keep things as quiet as possible, dealing with objects in the Mizukage's possession would almost certainly evoke substantial fighting.
Tsume was given no more time to think, as Itachi's quiet voice reached her. "Now." Tsume needed no further instruction. Along with the others, she pushed chakra to her feet and sprung up into the air, landing on the wall just behind one of the guards. A kunai flashed across his throat and fell to the ground, rolling back onto the shelf-like space of the walk-way that ran the length of the wall. Deidara and Tobi, suddenly riding on the back of a massive clay owl, soared off over the mansion to take off the northern guards. Tsume moved to the west with Kisame, while Itachi took those to the east. Tsume heard little as she and Kisame moved along the wall, hidden by the cloudy, lightless sky, their practiced footsteps silent.
Soon, she and Kisame drew near to the west gate. There were two guards on the ground, and two atop the wall. Kisame dropped to run along outside the wall, indicating his targets. Nodding, Tsume shifted to run along the walkway of the wall, ducking down as she drew even closer. Three shuriken announced her arrival, one guard falling without a sound. Tsume's next attack was deflected by the second, and he leaped down onto the grounds, racing to alert his companions. Tsume dropped to race after him, leaping over his head with a burst of chakra. She'd pulled out her sword and lunged in the same movement, her blade slicing across the guard's chest and stopping his heart instantly. The rain did not allow the man's blood to linger on the sword, and Tsume turned from his body as soon as possible.
Kisame met her on the grass, Samehada's bandages torn and stained with blood. He rested the weapon on his shoulder as he looked past Tsume at the guard she had slain. It had been a clean kill, and with the instant death, there had been no pain. Even when she killed Tsume was kind. Kisame wanted to kiss her for a third time, but he knew that such a thing was far from a good idea, considering the situation.
The awkwardness was broken as Deidara's voice crackled over the communication apparatus, making Tsume jump slightly. "Got everyone here, un," he reported. Tsume could hear Tobi agree in the background. Itachi was heard a moment later.
"Everyone move to the north gate," he directed.
"Right," Kisame responded. He nodded to Tsume and they took off to the north.
UNSPOKEN
A/N: Well, things are getting interesting! There was another kiss, too! Now, I'm probably gonna need some ideas for the fighting, like whether or not there's a direct meeting with the Mizukage or not. Well, see ya!