A/N: I won't keep you long. I'm just saying that I'm so happy with this chapter! IKU ZE!

UNSPOKEN

Orochimaru felt Tsume's claws slash through the front of his shirt as he leaped away just in time. A wild look had entered the young woman's eyes as she pursued Orochimaru around the room, her black claws slashing at his body. Her tail lashed behind her as she skidded to a stop, knees bent and one hand pressed on the floor before her. She snarled at Orochimaru as he gazed at her from across the room. A wild, feline look was in her eyes as she gazed hatefully at her adversary. And then she lunged forward again, her clawed toes digging into the floor as she launched herself at Orochimaru. They clashed again, Tsume darting in and out of Orochimaru's reach and slashing at him with her claws.

Still on the floor and with broken legs, Kisame watched in angry helplessness, his hands clenched into fists. He wanted his sword, he wanted to rip Orochimaru to shreds, to snap his neck and watch is eyes glaze over in death. He wanted to make Orochimaru suffer for all that he had done to Tsume. Although Tsume was fighting for the man she loved, Kisame knew that her innocence and hatred of killing had been removed completely, replaced by a wild lust for blood. The curse mark had enraged the usually peaceful young woman, turning her into a monster. More than anything, Kisame wanted to take that pain away from Tsume. He had killed so many, and taking the life of Orochimaru would only make him happy. But Tsume wasn't like that. No matter who a person was or what they had down, Tsume hated killing. She hated Orochimaru with everything that she was, but killing him would still hurt her greatly.

As Kisame watched her fight, a wild grin curved her lips and bared her fangs, her eyes wild with the excitement and the adrenaline of battle. Tsume had been forced to become a creature that was the opposite of who she really was. A creature that thrived on violence and bloodshed. It was only then that Kisame saw the tears. Despite the fanged grin and wild expression, Tsume was crying. Tears flowed from her eyes and down her cheeks, splashing to the floor as she moved. Beneath it all, Tsume was still there, hating herself for what she was doing, and hating Orochimaru at the same time. She was torn in two, wishing to destroy the one who had tormented her, but also wishing not to shed the blood of anotehr. She felt anger and anguish coursing through her veins, pushing at pulling at her heart. She wanted so badly to be with Kisame. She wanted to be with who she loved without such hate burning in her soul.

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!!" Tsume suddenly yelled, the viciousness fading from her eyes as the tears continued to fall. She darted to the side and snatched up her sword. Orochimaru didn't waste a moment of time, lunging forward and plunging his sword up to the hilt in Tsume's back, the bloody blade protruding from Tsume's chest. She froze and staggered, her sword falling back to the ground.

"TSUME!!" Kisame's shout rang out in the suddenly silent room, his eyes wide.

Orochimaru grinned and jerked his sword from Tsume's back. Tsume gasped and whimpered in pain, trying in vain to pull away as Orochimaru yanked her up against his chest, holding her in a painful grip. "You see?" he hissed in her ear. "You're nothing. You are weak. You can't even protect the man you love."

Slowly, Tsume's appearance returned to normal, all the while her eyes fixed on Kisame's. Tears fell from her once again amber eyes, and she offered Kisame an apologetic smile. "Kisame-sama," she whispered. "I'm so sorry . . . I couldn't . . . protect you."

"Didn't I tell you?" Kabuto's voice said. Tsume gasped as Kabuto—who bore no signs of ever being injured—appeared behind Kisame. "He's going to die, and it's all because of you." Kisame never had time to turn as a needle, covered in paralyzing poison, was stabbed into his neck. His body went limp, held up only by Kabuto's fisted hand in his hair. Kabuto's hand brought around a kunai, pressing it against Kisame's throat, all the while watching the expression on Tsume's face and in her eyes.

"No!" Tsume cried weakly, hardly able to struggle in Orochimaru's hold. "Please, don't! Don't hurt him! Please! I'll do anything!"

Orochimaru smirked maliciously. "Anything?"

Tears poured down her cheeks and her body shook with sobs and pain. "Yes," she breathed, hating herself even as she spoke. "So long as you don't hurt Kisame-sama, I'll do anything you want."

"No, Tsume!" Kisame managed. "Don't!"

Once again, Tsume offered Kisame a tearful smile. "It's okay . . . if you live . . . that's all that matters to me. Please, get out of here. Get out of here and live." Kabuto grinned, and tossed Kisame to the side, walking slowly towards Tsume. When he came before her he pushed her arms to the side, and pressed a glowing hand to Tsume's wound. Tsume could only cry all the harder as Kabuto healed her, shaking her head from side to side and saying over and over again, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"There," Kabuto said, once Tsume had been completely healed. Orochimaru released her, and Tsume fell to her knees, sobbing all the while. "Get up," Kabuto snapped. "We're leaving." Tsume was yanked to her feet and shoved against Orochimaru once again. He grabbed her roughly by the arm, and began pulling her away, only chuckling as Tsume cried harder.

Kisame stared at the retreating figures, his own eyes wide. Tsume had just given herself up to the man she hated with ever fiber of her being. She had given herself up to Orochimaru . . . all to save Kisame's life. His life. She had given up everything for Kisame. Her freedom, her pride, her body. She had given up her chance to be with the one she loved, all to keep him alive. And now Kisame was watching as she was led away, being taken away from him forever.

"There isn't one fucking chance in hell." That was the only thought that was in Kisame's mind as he surged to his feet, his body burning through the poison. Kisame bit back a roar of pain as his broken bones ground together. But none of it mattered as Kisame fixed his dilated eyes on Kabuto's back. And then he lunged.

Tsume's eyes widened at the sickening crunch of braking bone and tearing flesh. There was a strangled cry from Kabuto, and then a dull thud. Orochimaru stopped instantly. Kisame's voice was a deadly calm. "You aren't taking Tsume anywhere, you pale-faced bastard," he growled in Orochimaru's ear.

Orochimaru whirled, pushing Tsume between Kisame and himself while pressing a knife against her throat. "And just what makes you think that I'll listen to you?"

"You many not listen to him, but I suggest that you listen to us," a familiar voice said.

The next thing Tsume knew, she had been yanked away from Orochimaru and into a pair of warm and comforting arms before being set down gently on the floor. There was a flash of movement, and then Kisame had collapsed at Tsume's side, pulling her up against his chest and holding her close even as he shook with pain. When he released her both Kisame and Tsume turned to look at where Orochimaru had been standing. What they saw made their eyes widen.

Itachi, Deidara, and Tobi all stood around Orochimaru in a triangle. Itachi had drawn his katana, and had plunged it into Orochimaru's stomach. Deidara was mounted on his clay bird, the creature's beak closed tightly on Orochimaru's right arm. Tobi stood behind Orochimaru, a kunai pressed against his pale throat. Tsume's eyes darted to Kabuto's fallen form for only long enough to see that Kisame had bitten his throat and snapped his neck, killing him in an instant. Then Tsume's eyes darted back to where the four shinobi stood, three of them convened on the other.

"It would be in your best interest not to hurt Tsu-chan ever again," Tobi said, his voice dark and low and completely out of character.

"Yeah, you're already a creepy idiot, un," Deidara added.

"You are as much a fool now as you were back then, Orochimaru," Itachi scoffed.

"Itachi-sama . . ." Tsume breathed. "Tobi-nii-san . . . Deidara-sama?" Deidara paused a moment to shoot a smile Tsume's way.

"So you can speak now, un," he said. "Well, don't you worry, un."

"But, the mission—" Tsume began.

"The mission has been accomplished," Itachi said. "We have everything under control," Itachi paused a moment, "Tsume. Don't concern yourself with the mission any longer. Concentrate on staying alive." Tsume would have responded, but found herself unable as she was suddenly assaulted by exhaustion and fell back against Kisame, eyes closed.

UNSPOKEN

Pein sat back in his chair, eyes furrowed. "The mission . . . was accomplished. Although . . ." Pein paused in thought, gazing ahead at the door to his office.

Konan tilted her head to the side curiously. "What is it?" she asked.

"Itachi tells me that Orochimaru escaped," Pein said. He paused a moment before adding, "he left his ring. His ring as a member of the Akatsuki was found inside the jutsu scroll."

Konan narrowed her blue eyes. "He started this whole thing," she said. Her eyes fell to the scroll that was rolled out before Pein, Itachi's signature at the end. "And all for that girl. Itachi fails to go into much detail about what her powers truly are."

Pein sighed, reaching out to put a hand on the scroll. "He his bringing her back here," he said. "Perhaps we can learn more."

"Kisame has feelings for her," Konan said after a moment. "And she for him." Konan turned her eyes to her partner. "They are in love, Pein. Couldn't this be a problem?"

"It could," Pein admitted. "But at the moment, that is not my concern at the moment. Again, let us see what fate has in store."

UNSPOKEN

Tsume awoke to the feeling of warm lips against her own. It was a soft and tender kiss, the light pressure bringing Tsume slowly to wakefulness. The lips drew away as Tsume opened her tired eyes, only to find herself looking up into Kisame's smiling face, lit from the side by the rising sun. He looked tired, but he was still smiling. He had discarded his forehead protector and, now that Tsume thought about it, he looked decidedly odd without it. When Kisame met Tsume's eyes, he dipped his head again for another innocent kiss.

"Good morning," he whispered, drawing away.

Tsume remained silent for a moment, simply looking up into Kisame's face. Tsume then opened her mouth to speak, praying that it all hadn't been a dream. "I love you, Kisame-sa—"

Kisame cut her off with another kiss, this one deeper and more passionate. Tsume blushed, but responded in turn, her arms rising to slid around Kisame's neck. Kisame nipped lightly at Tsume's bottom lip as he drew away. "Please, just call me by my name, Tsume," he said as he caressed Tsume's cheek. "You've done more than enough to earn the right to call me simply by my name." Kisame dipped his head again and nuzzled the curve of Tsume's neck. "Now, I want to hear it again. Say it again, Tsume."

Tsume understood without any other urging. She leaned her cheek against Kisame's head and closed her eyes as she whispered in his ear, "I love you . . . Kisame."

Hearing those words was more than Kisame could bare. He lifted his head again and captured Tsume's mouth in a deep, passionate kiss, his tongue running along the bottom of her bottom lip, begging entrance. Shyly, Tsume gave it to him, parting her lips and letting Kisame's tongue slide past to explore the warm cave of her mouth. Kisame laced his fingers with Tsume's, angling his head to deepen the kiss even further. Tsume's breath hitched, and her free hand came around to clutch at Kisame's back.

Her heart was fluttering and pounding, warmth flooding her body as well as Kisame's. Finally. Finally she was with the man she loved, and he loved her in return. Eventually, Tsume had to brake away. When she looked into Kisame's eyes, she found him gazing at her with an expression that she had never seen before. It made her heart jump into her throat, and she found herself unable to look away from Kisame's face.

Then Kisame smiled again, reaching up to gently caress Tsume's face. "I love you, Tsume."

UNSPOKEN

A/N: WAI!! (squeals like the fangirl she is)