A/N: Chapter twenty-three! This is where it gets good. I bawled like a baby writing the last chapter, and Tsume is out for my head. Kisame, too, for making Tsume-chan cry. I'm currently hiding with Sesshomaru, who is meh favorite bishi! He would be a kick ass Akatsuki member. But right now, he protecting me from Tsume-chan, Kisa-kun, and you people. Please, don't kill me. And blood-stains are hard to get outta Sesshy's clothes. IKU ZE!
UNSPOKEN
Tsume and Kisame moved quickly and quietly down the hall, coming up upon yet another corner. According to the crackled directions that Itachi had been able to transmit during the fighting taking place where he was, the vaults were hidden behind a wall scroll of a water dragon with sapphire eyes, and would be guarded by at least twenty people. Just as Tsume was wondering how that many ninja could fit the the hallway without blocking the way, she and Kisame peeked around the corner. The hall opened out until into a large, long room, the ceiling much higher and the walls much farther apart. It was perfect for Tsume and Kisame to fight in with their large swords.
And there were the guards, standing in a silent line along the right wall, their faces hidden and masked. There were more than they had been expecting, at least double the number. Tsume's hand went to the hilt of her sword, and Kisame did the same. They both tensed, readying themselves for the battle that was mere moments away. No sign to charge was given, but Tsume and Kisame leaped forward at the same moment, their swords swinging out and held ready. The guards didn't know what hit them.
Two were slain as Tsume pulled her right hand upward and to the side, the blood blocked from her face as she used the sword as a shield. Samehada wriggled in excitement as it devoured both chakra and blood. Kisame struck out again and again, guard after guard falling to both him and Samehada. Recovering from their surprise, the guards converged on their attackers, drawing their own weapons as they did so. One guard appeared at Kisame's back, ready to strike the shark-nin with a sword. Throwing aside her own assailants, Tsume lunged at the guard, her sword sweeping across his back, slicing through his armor and severing his spine. Tsume's stomach lurched at he sound of of snapping bone, but she forced the feeling back as she whirled to block the swords of four attacking guards.
"Who are you?!" one of the guards said incredulously. Then his eyes, the only part of his face that Tsume could see, fell on the massive blade held in Tsume's hands. "It can't be! This sword—!"
"The sword of Momochi Zabuza," Kisame laughed as he was locked in a similar position. He stood at Tsume's back, grinning at the guards that pressed him. "That sword and mine have come back here. But now Zabuza's sword is in another's hands; in Tsume's hands. And she's more powerful than any of you could ever imagine!"
With Kisame's words, Tsume struck out, her arms fueled with all the raw emotion that roiled within her, just beneath the surface. The guards that had pressed her cried out in surprise as the small young woman forced them back with shocking strength. The force with which Tsume pushed their swords and sent the broken weapons flying made them gasp. Kisame's words filled Tsume with confidence, and she fought with all the skill and power that she could muster, wishing only for Kisame's safety and approval. She wanted him to see how strong she was, and to be proud of her.
And Kisame was proud of Tsume. All the training that she had endured came to a head as she fought in the greatest battle of her life. She fought with the grace and speed that was her norm, and she moved and danced around Kisame, cutting down any and all threats. She would allow nothing to hurt Kisame. Though she knew that the shark-nin needed no protecting, Tsume wanted to make sure that nothing happened to him, that he could live another day to the fullest. Tsume also wanted him to live so that she could see him. She wanted Kisame to continue living so that she could keep loving him as she did now, with every fiber of her being and every bit of her soul. It was selfish, Tsume knew, but shouldn't she be allowed this one bit of selfishness? After all she had lived through, after all she had lost, shouldn't she want the be with the one she loved? Shouldn't life allow her that?
Suddenly, Tsume felt someone at her back, coming too fast for her to block. Tsume cursed in her mind, bracing herself for the blow and the blade against her flesh. But it never came. Instead, Tsume heard a muted cry of pain and a low menacing growl. "Don't you even think of touching Tsume, you weakling bastards," Kisame's voice growled at Tsume's back. Tsume could feel Kisame behind her, radiating protectiveness and anger. "I'll kill you before you can even blink if you try."
UNSPOKEN
Finally, the last guard fell to the ground. Tsume returned her bloody blade to her back, trying to avert her eyes from the carnage that was all around her. Unable to escape, Tsume closed her eyes, lowering her face and clenching her hands into fists at her sides. She knew that many of those who lay dead around her had lost their lives at her hands, and her will. They were dead because of her, and they would never again see those that they—
"Don't think about it," Kisame's voice broke in, his arm coming around Tsume's shoulders and turning her to face him. Tsume looked up into Kisame's eyes, struggling to keep her own emotionless. Sadness flickered in Kisame's eyes. "Don't think about it, Tsume," he whispered. "Don't destroy yourself. I don't want to lose you. I still don't understand why you chose this path. But please, don't dwell on things that could destroy you. I don't want that."
Tsume closed her eyes, basking in Kisame's kind and concerned words. His worry and his concern for her made her heart flutter slightly. His presence was so comforting; the same presence that Tsume had once found so frightening. But now, the feeling of Kisame being so close only made Tsume want to smile and embrace the shark-nin. To bury her face in his chest and breathe deeply of his salty-metallic scent, the scent that she had come to know so well. Tsume stepped forward and hugged Kisame. An innocent embrace that made the feared shinobi stiffen with surprise. It wasn't like Tsume hadn't hugged him before, but—but there was something different this time. It was like the hug given by a scared little child, a hug that pleaded for comfort and protection. It was an embrace given when one had the utmost trust in another individual. Tsume held onto Kisame with an innocence that made Kisame uncomfortable; he felt that if he returned the embrace, he might somehow taint that innocence, that beautiful purity that was Tsume.
But still, he could not just ignore that plea for comfort. Returning his sword to his back, Kisame hugged Tsume in return. He hugged her tightly, trying to give something that he had never given before. He wanted Tsume to be be happy, and yet he still didn't know what to do when she was in the state she was in now. Forcing everything back just so she could fight at his side.
"Why are you doing this?" Kisame breathed into Tsume's hair. "Why are you here? Why do you insist on staying with me? This path . . . this path that you've chosen is laden with death. Why? Why are you still here? How can you go through all this just to be with me? I'm not worth this, Tsume. I'm a murderer. I can't remember how many people I've killed. But you—you stay with me. Why? Why are you still here? I don't understand. What do you see in me that makes it worth all this pain?" Kisame pulled back and gazed into Tsume's eyes, his own suddenly filled with sadness and confusion. "Why?"
Tsume's lips formed the words as she gazed back at Kisame, emotion brimming in her kind, amber eyes. "I love you."
Suddenly, a loud crack split the air, and the floor beneath Tsume and Kisame's feet gave way. Kisame was instantly alert, arms tight around Tsume as he made to leap away. But something shot up and wrapped around his legs pulling him down with impossible swiftness. As he was pulled, Kisame roared in pain as both his legs were broken. Tsume's eyes were wide with terror, everything going black as she and Kisame were pulled beneath the floor and into a cavern of darkness.
UNSPOKEN
Tsume's entire body ached as her senses returned. She willed her eyes to open, trying to ascertain her situation. She was lying on the floor, her sword no longer on her back; Tsume couldn't feel her backpack, her kunai pouch, or her shuriken holster either. All her weapons had been stripped away, leaving her almost defenseless. Almost being the key word. Tsume tried to use her arms to sit up, but found that her arms were held down to the floor by a heavy weight. As Tsume's senses continued to return, she found that her legs were in the same condition, held down by a nearly painful weight.
As strength returned, Tsume struggled against whatever restrained her, trying to free herself so that she could rise and find Kisame. The moment that Kisame entered her mind, Tsume went still, trying to listen for any sign of the shark-nin. The only sound that met Tsume's ears was a soft and deadly hissing. It seemed to be everywhere at once, and Tsume shuddered. Suddenly a new weight was on her stomach, slithering over to rest across her torso, restraining her even more. Tsume's shirt rode up slightly, exposing her skin to cool, scaly flesh. Tsume went rigid.
Snakes. She was being held captive by snakes.
Fear enveloped Tsume's mind just as the darkness had, freezing her and preventing any movement. Tsume wanted to scream with disgust and terror, but all that came from her mouth was a strangled and shaking gasp. Tears burned in her eyes, tears of fear and anger. The snakes tightened on her limbs, pressing down harder and making Tsume gasp with pain.
"Well, well, it seems that you've fallen into my trap after all," a cold voice chuckled from somewhere in the darkness. "I never thought that I could so easily separate you from Itachi." A light flared in the darkness, a single candle flame that flickered and danced. Tsume's breath caught in her throat as the small flame's light illuminated a pale face framed by ebony hair, while slitted golden eyes lined with purple watched Tsume with cruel mirth. It was Orochimaru. The tormentor from Tsume's nightmares, and the one who had stolen her voice and marked her neck with his curse.
Hate overrode Tsume's fear, filling her mind and making her see red. She strained and pulled, pushing at the snakes as they pressed back. Adrenaline flowed out into Tsume's veins, filling her muscles with strength. Teeth clenched and eyes narrowed, Tsume surged upward, pushing away the snake that had held her torso. Tsume jerked her right arm, throwing aside the serpent that had held her there. Her left arm followed, and with her free hands Tsume tore away the snakes at her feet. Eyes wide with rage, Tsume shot to her feet, lunging at Orochimaru with her bare hands.
Tsume gasped as a fist slammed into her stomach, knocking the air from her lungs. Tsume fell to her knees, coughing. "Don't waste your time," a familiar voice said. "You don't stand a chance against Orochimaru-sama." It was Kabuto. Tsume raised her head to see the young, silver-haired man standing before Orochimaru, his face hardly visible as he stood before the light his master held. Tsume made to stand again, but Kabuto's kick caught her in the jaw, sending her head to the ground. Tears burned in Tsume's eyes, and she gasped as Kabuto grabbed a fistful of her newly cut hair, yanking her back up to her knees. "You are pitiful and weak," he spat. "You couldn't even protect the man you love."
Light suddenly flooded whatever room that Tsume was in, making her close her eyes against the unexpected brightness. Tsume opened her eyes slowly, blinking. Orochimaru was nowhere to be seen, but Kabuto still stood before Tsume, his hand holding a fistful of her dark brown hair in a painful grip. Kabuto jerked up, forcing Tsume to stand. Kabuto switched to hold Tsume by the neck, and lunged forward to slam Tsume against the wall.
"Look behind me," Kabuto said. "It's all your fault. It's because you couldn't protect him."
Tsume's eyes went wide and tears spilled down her cheeks at what she saw. A tall, wooden post stood in the center of the room. And bound to it, battered and bleeding, was Kisame. His head hung forward in unconsciousness, his Akatsuki cloak torn and slashed to shreds. Crimson blood ran over his blue skin, a small pool of it already on the floor at his feet. His legs were broken from when he had been pulled under the floor, and his forehead protector lay on the ground at his feet, the cloth stained with blood.
"You see?" Kabuto said maliciously. "He's like that because of you. You let it happen to him, Tsume. He's like that because you couldn't protect him. He's going to die . . . and it's all because of you."
"Kisame-sama." Tsume's lips formed the words, disbelief and horror plain to see in her bright amber eyes. Tsume's lips formed Kisame's name again and again, tears streaming from her eyes as she began to shake. This couldn't be happening; it was impossible. It couldn't be real; it was genjutsu, it had to be. But then the scent of blood reached Tsume. Kisame's blood. The metallic scent made Tsume's stomach twist, and her heart ache.
Kabuto leaned in to whisper in Tsume's ear. "He's going to die because of you."
"KISAME-SAMA!!" Scar tissue tore and Tsume's throat burned as the words flew past her lips in a ragged and rasping scream. She spat up blood with a ragged cough in the same moment that her fist slammed into Kabuto's stomach. Kabuto's eyes were wide as they were met by Tsume's burning golden orbs. "YOU WILL NOT HURT KISAME-SAMA!!" Tsume screamed at him. Tsume's arm snapped out again, her fist colliding with Kabuto's arm. His eyes widened with pain and he was forced to release Tsume as he heard the bone snap. He was kicked to the side by Tsume, his head hitting hard against the wall.
UNSPOKEN
A/N: (hides behind Sesshomaru and recently collected Greed) I'm sorry! Please forgive me! I'm sorry about ending it there!