A/N: Wow! It's already at chapter twenty-two! I can't believe how many people have been reading my story! I started out writing it mostly for myself, thinking that not many people would read it. I didn't think that Kisame had that many fans, and now I have over one hundred reviews! You guys are awesome, and when I'm feeling sad, kinda like today, I can go back and read what you've said for a little lift. I mean it. You chose to read this story, and you choose to keep coming back and reading. And there are so many different people reading. From eleven- to twelve-year-olds to some people who are out and working. Again, it means a lot to me. IKU ZE!

UNSPOKEN

They all met up at the north gate, the rain still pouring down hard. Kisame and Tsume had both returned their swords to their backs, and they came up just as Deidara landed his large clay bird, the creature shrinking away in a puff of smoke as the two ninja leaped onto the soggy ground. They nodded to Tsume, who returned the gesture. She kept her face and eyes emotionless, forcing back her feelings that would have otherwise have been her downfall, as it nearly had been before.

"All the guards have been neutralized," Itachi said. "We will now enter the mansion." He moved towards he building like a silent, deadly shadow, never once making a sound as he walked across the wet grass. Kisame and Tsume followed, Deidara and Tobi followed next, all five of them quiet, no one saying a word. Through the falling rain, Tsume could see a simple door on the side of the building, looking unimportant and hardly used. It was the old servants entrance, according to the blueprints that the scroll had revealed, the perfect place to enter undetected. Itachi stopped when he reached the door, holding out his hand towards the old and rusted lock. With only a slight sound of grating metal, the lock opened, falling to the ground with a soft squelch. The door opened outward slightly, and Itachi slid inside. Taking a breath, Tsume followed. She had found her battle, and it was at the side of the man she loved more than her own life. It was at the side of Hoshigaki Kisame.

UNSPOKEN

The shinobi fell only seconds after the fight had begun, blood seeping from the massive wound across his chest. Tsume looked away from both the man and Kisame's sword. She knew that her own blade edge shown with crimson, but she had forced down her emotions so deep that she could only feel the need to stay with Kisame. That was all she allowed herself to feel. Kisame turned to her.

"You alright?" he asked in a quiet whisper. Tsume nodded in response, instinctively checking the vicinity for the presences of any other would-be attackers. There were at least three coming from around the corner, and Tsume moved soundlessly to await them. Kisame didn't have to do a thing as Tsume lunged and slashed diagonally, maneuvering her sword tightly in the cramped space of the mansion's halls. Tsume and Kisame had split from the others, and were approaching the vaults from the opposite direction as Itachi, Deidara, and Tobi. When Tsume had asked why Itachi did not stay with his usual partner, Kisame had shrugged. Even he wasn't sure why Itachi was choosing to work with a pair had had an entirely different dynamic in comparison to how he and Itachi worked.

When all he could hear was Tsume, Kisame moved around the corner, only to find Tsume standing frozen with her blade centimeters from the throat of a young girl; the girl couldn't have been more than eight years old. Kisame's eyes widened and quickly shifted to the floor. The man an the woman lying there could only have been the girl's parents. The girl was frozen with fear, tears streaming down her face and her entire body shaking with terror. Kisame moved forward and to the side slightly, and saw that Tsume was crying also, her amber eyes filled with tears. The tears rolled down her cheeks to fall to the floor, mingling with the blood that dripped from her sword, the blood of the girl's parents.

"Oh, no." Kisame squeezed his eyes shut, his hand clenching around Samehada's grip. This was the last thing that he had wanted. If there was one thing that Tsume could not do, it was kill an innocent child. Tsume could not take an innocent life; doing so would destroy her. But Kisame knew all too well that the child could not be left alive. She would warn the guards, and then the mission would be in danger. The girl had to die; it was as simple as that. "Tsume—" Kisame began, but the loud clattering of Tsume's fallen sword cut him off.

Tears still in her eyes, Tsume darted forward. She was behind the girl before the child could even blink. Tsume grabbed a pressure point on the girl's neck, and she fell, only to be caught up in Tsume's arms. Then, in a flash of red, Tsume plunged a kunai into the little girl's heart, a rasping and heart-wrenching sob torn from her throat as the girl's blood stained her hands. Then, as Kisame watched in silence, Tsume carried the child over to her parents. Reaching out with one hand, Tsume lowered their eyelids before placing their child between them.

Then Tsume closed her eyes, and brought her hands together in prayer. She nearly collapsed when she felt the spirits' anger, but she remained sitting upright. Tears flowed from beneath her lids as she prayed for the spirits of the parents and their child to be reborn together in a safe and happy life, one where they would never be in danger. She begged for them to understand and apologized before severing the link. Swallowing back her emotions, Tsume rose once more to her feet. Not looking Kisame in the eyes, Tsume retrieved her sword, and returned it to her back. Finally, Tsume turned to face Kisame. Though her face and eyes were emotionless, tears still streamed down her cheeks, the only thing to show the anguish and grief that was tearing her apart inside.

Kisame did the only thing that he could think of. He stepped forward and embraced Tsume in a one-armed hug, the other still holding Samehada. Tsume did not react, she simply leaned her head forward and let Kisame hug her, doing all that she could to hold back the emotions that roiled deep in the prisoned recesses that she had forced them into. Kisame knew that Tsume would never forget that, she would never forget taking the life of that small, innocent girl, who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Allowing herself only a moment of comfort, Tsume pushed away from Kisame, lifting a hand to rub at her eyes. She took several deep breaths, calming herself as best she could. She nodded her head in silent thanks, and then turned away, facing down the hallway. She was silently telling Kisame that she was ready to move on. Never once looking back, Kisame moved ahead with Tsume, his heart aching for the young woman as one thought was prominent in his mind. "Why did you choose this life, Tsume?"

They continued moving through the halls, and thankfully met no one. Both Tsume and Kisame remained wary, constantly reaching out for any possible threats. It was eerily quiet, and the tension continued to mount, wearing on both Tsume and Kisame's nerves. Tsume just wanted it to be over, for the killing and senseless waste of lives to end. Kisame found himself only wishing for the fighting to end for Tsume's sake. He didn't want her to continue to suffer as she was. Killing was one of the things that she hated most, and yet she had chosen a life where that was her purpose. She had chosen the life of a shinobi, and a shinobi was simply a tool for killing. Kisame still could not understand. Tsume hated killing; it was against everything that made her who she was. So why had she chosen this life? The life of a living weapon; the life of a shinobi.

"Why, Tsume?" Kisame thought, is eyes pained as he watched the young woman's back. "Why are you still here? Why didn't you just stay when I left? You could have just let me go and lived a safe and happy life. Not this life. Why did you choose this life?" But part of Kisame knew. The part of Kisame's mind that he didn't want to listen to, the part that he usually kept buried away in the deep and dark. Tsume was devoted to him. She had dedicated herself to him. She sought only for his approval and respect. Tsume loved him. Tsume loved Kisame for reasons that the shark nin could not comprehend. Kisame remembered the feeling of kissing Tsume, the warmth of her soft lips and her smaller body fitting against his own. It had felt so perfect, as if each had been built for the other. Why had Tsume fallen in love with him?

The silence was broken as Deidara's voice crackled in Tsume and Kisame's ears. They both stopped walking to listen. "Everything's cleared up over here, un," he said. "Kisame, Tsume-chan, the vaults have been moved, un. You should be coming up on them in a few minutes."

Kisame pressed the button and responded. "Moved?" he asked.

"The Mizukage had the vault moved to avoid detection, un," Deidara explained. "Tobi got it outta one of the guards, un."

Tobi's voice joined Deidara's. "Tobi got valuable information so Tobi is a good boy!"

Kisame chuckled. "Yeah, good job, Tobi," he praised, making Tobi chatter happily on the other end before he mysteriously went silent after a series of loud thumps.

The ear-pieces crackled again and Itachi spoke for the first time. "Yes, things are all clear, and the vaults have indeed been moved. They're as heavily guarded as we expected, but they're in a completely different area than the blueprints show. Kisame, Tsume-san, be careful. We'll be there as soon as—" Itachi suddenly broke off, and Tsume heard the sound of weapons being drawn and shuriken being thrown. Itachi came on one more time. "The alarm has been sounded. Move quickly. We'll handle things here." Then he was gone, the communicators going silent.

Kisame's face and voice became business like as he readied himself. Tsume turned and met Kisame's eyes. "I'm ready, Kisame-sama," she signed with her hands.

Kisame sighed and shook his head. "Tsume, don't call me that anymore. Just Kisame will do. Just Kisame. Alright?" Tsume paused a moment before a tiny smile showed in her eyes, and she nodded. She turned and made to start walking again. But Kisame caught her and turned her back to face him, crushing her against his chest and holding her tightly, letting his sword fall to the ground without a thought as to the noise it made. "Tsume," Kisame whispered, "please be careful. I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you. Please, don't let yourself get hurt. I don't want to lose you. I want to keep being to able to hold you like this. Please." Kisame lifted Tsume's face and kissed her yet again. But this kiss was different from all the others. It was filled with desperation and longing. A kiss of pleading and hope. It made Tsume want to cry, but she refused to let herself as she returned the kiss, letting her stoic mask fall for just a moment as she gave in to what she wanted most.

UNSPOKEN

A/N: Well, that's chapter twenty-two. I wanted to make it longer, but it seemed like a good place to stop. I hope that you like it, and I'm sorry that I've kept you waiting. We all know that Kisame and Tsume have feelings for each other, but fate isn't going to let them have any quality time together yet. (Damn you fate!) Even as Tsume is fighting the biggest battle of her life, Orochimaru hasn't given up on making the young woman his next body. There is still more to Tsume than anyone ever could have thought, and much more than Tsume wants. She wants only to be with the man she loves, and to be able to fight at his side. But her long hidden abilities may take that away from her. She may have the power to fulfill the mission and save her own life. But at what cost?