A/N: I'm so sorry this is so late! Stuff has been happening, and this was a hard chapter to write. Oh, and . . . Wah! Stop threatenin' Tomo! (huggles Tomo protectively) She's a good person! Kisame and Itachi killed her Dad! She's allowed to wanna kill 'em! There was gonna be a lemon in this chapter, but it just didn't work. Sorry to disappoint you. I am working on it, though! I promise to post it, I'm just not saying when. Please enjoy.
(I has a new word for you! I finally found the Japanese name for the weird hats that the Akatsuki people wear! The word is kasa. That is all.)
UNSPOKEN
It was by the end of the next day that Itachi finally called a halt, finding a small clearing to drop down into. Kisame and Tsume quickly followed, making not a sound as their feet touched the earth. The sun had already set, and the stars were beginning to come out, glittering on the midnight blue backdrop of the sky. The moon was only a crescent, but it still glowed brightly among the stars. Tsume rested her hand against the trunk of a tree, her amber eyes reflecting the glittering sky. It was a sight of purity, something rare and precious. The beauty of the night sky was pure and unsullied by the bloody wars of shinobi. Tsume knew that she had now become a part of those wars and battles, but she also knew that she would never forget things like this, things of beauty that would last forever.
Slowly, Tsume removed her sword and its belt, the satchel and its own belt following, as well as Haku's sash. She knelt to place them on the ground, shrugging out of her coat before standing back up. She lifted a hand and pulled away the band that held her short hair from her eyes, the dark brown locks falling back to gracefully frame her face. Tsume was tired; her feet ached, and she felt drained of strength. But despite that fatigue, Tsume did not want to rest. She paid little attention to Itachi and Kisame as she moved away from the tree, her feet carrying her to the edge of the clearing with silent steps. She paused a moment at the edge, glancing over her shoulder at Kisame. She met his eyes, and stood perfectly still for a moment. She wanted to go to Kisame and embrace him, to have him hold her close and never let go. But there was something that stopped her. Tsume closed her eyes and turned away. Without a sound, she started walking again, and vanished into the trees.
Kisame's brows furrowed as Tsume faded away, his eyes fixed on the spot where she had left the clearing. He was unaware of standing perfectly still, his partner's eyes watching him. Something had changed during the journey. Tsume had a different air about her, and she had seemed withdrawn and distant. There was sadness as well. It was as if she had lost something of the greatest value, and thought it gone forever. Kisame's hands clenched into fists at his sides. He didn't understand. Why was Tsume so unhappy? She had his love, and had proven herself to be a more than worthy shinobi, what else was there?
"I'm going to put a stop to this," Kisame decided. "I'm going to find out why Tsume is sad, and I'm going to fix it. I can't stand it when she's sad." Without a word of explanation, Kisame discarded Samehada and its belt. Then he moved off and into the trees after Tsume, leaving Itachi looking after him with emotionless onyx eyes.
UNSPOKEN
Tsume only let the tears fall when she felt that she was far enough away from the clearing where neither Kisame or Itachi could hear her. They overflowed her amber eyes and rolled down her cheeks as she broke into a run, darting through the trees as the tears continued to fall. She ran and ran, unable to stop the tears and they continued to fall. Her lungs burned as she ran and as she sobbed, her legs threatening to give out due to the lack of oxygen. But Tsume forced herself on, not wanting to be seen so vulnerable and weak. She didn't know why the doubt had suddenly risen in her mind while she, Kisame, and Itachi had been leaping through the trees. She didn't know why the thought had suddenly overwhelmed her as she gazed up at the night sky. The sight had been so beautiful, flawless and eternally perfect.
Tsume suddenly stopped running, her legs giving out beneath her. She fell to her knees with a pained sob. That was it. It was that beauty and perfection. Slowly, Tsume raised a shaking hand to touch the scar that spanned her neck. Her fingers shook as they touched the marred skin, the hand then lowering to touch the place between her breasts through her shirt where the scar from Orochimaru's sword was. It had been healed, yes, but a scar still remained, a scar that Tsume could feel even through her shirt and the bandages that wrapped her chest. Tsume's hand fell lower, lifting the hem of her shirt to touch the scar on her stomach. She remembered all too well the kunai that had given her that scar; she still had the blade.
A sob wrenched from her throat, Tsume hunched over, her arms wrapped tightly around her torso. She didn't have to look to know that the rest of her body was covered in scars as well. Some were new and fresh, while others were older and beginning to fade. The scar on her neck, and the scar that ran diagonally across and down her back . . . they were only the beginning. Even before she had met Itachi and Kisame, Tsume's life had been hard. Her small, compact body was marred with scars. And the scars on her body didn't even begin to depict the many emotional wounds that she had suffered.
"I'm such a weakling!" Tsume cried weakly. Another sob wracked her body. "No one would ever want me!" Tsume's voice fell to little above a trembling whisper. "My body is ugly . . . who would ever want a body covered in scars?" Her voice shook with sobs, tears pouring from her shining eyes and rolling down her cheeks. "Kisame wouldn't want a body like mine," she breathed. "He would never want me when I look like this."
Hidden among the trees, Kisame's heart clenched, his fingers digging deep into the bark of the tree he touched. Tsume had unknowingly collapsed at the edge of a small cliff, moss-covered boulders providing a sort of railing. The ground was covered with thick, soft grass, the green occasionally broken by small white flowers. The light of the moon and stars shown down on her. The scene perfect, all except for Tsume's sadness. She shouldn't be sad; Kisame had promised to protect her, hadn't he? He'd promised never to let anything hurt her and to always love her.
Kisame couldn't stand it. He broke from the trees and moved swiftly to Tsume's side. He knelt down and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her up and holding her against his chest. Tsume choked on her sobs in surprise, struggling for a moment. But Kisame didn't let her go. He held her firmly against his chest, intent on driving all inhibitions and doubts from her. He wasn't about to let the woman he loved be tormented by something so trivial as how she looked. He had to make her understand how much she meant to him, how much he loved her. He had to show her that he loved everything of her, everything that was her; everything that was Tsume.
"I love you," Kisame whispered. "I love you, Tsume."
Tsume pushed weakly against Kisame's hold once more before going still. "How?!" she sobbed into his chest. "How can you love me when I'm so ugly?!"
Kisame took Tsume's chin between is thumb and forefinger and lifted her face to his. He met her tearful eyes with his own gaze for a moment before he descended to capture her lips in a deep, passionate kiss. He slid his hand to the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her thick, dark hair. He tilted his head to the side and deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue past Tsume's lips. He used his other arm to pull Tsume's chest flush against his own, a possessive growl rumbling in the back of his throat. When he finally pulled away, Tsume's sobs had stopped, but tears still glistened in her amber eyes,
threatening to overflow.
"Don't you ever say that again," Kisame said, his tone almost scolding as he cupped her face with both hands. "Don't ever call yourself ugly again, Tsume. You are beautiful. Do you hear me? Beautiful. Don't ever believe anything to the contrary."
Kisame's touch was tender as he used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away the tear trails that ran down Tsume's cheeks. His eyes blazed with fierce honesty, and he refused to let Tsume look away from him. He looked deep into her eyes, almost daring her to contradict him. But doubt still gnawed at Tsume. Kisame was kind, yes, but he was still a man. Tsume knew that men wanted women with perfect bodies. Soft, supple, unmarked skin. Men wanted perfection, and that was something that Tsume could not give. No matter what she did, she would always be marked by scars.
Tsume squeezed her eyes shut, tears escaping from beneath the closed lids. "I can't," she whimpered.
"Can't what?" Kisame said softly.
"I can't be perfect for you," Tsume whispered, eyes still closed. "I can never be the woman that you want."
Kisame's brows furrowed in frustration. Why didn't she believe him? He loved her; Tsume knew that. He'd said it to her multiple times. Why did she think that she wasn't the woman that he wanted? Of course he wanted her; he wanted all of her. Kisame wanted every inch of Tsume, he wanted to make all of her his. He never wanted to share her, he would never let another take her away from him. He loved her, goddammit! Why couldn't she see that?! He had to show her. Kisame had to show Tsume just how much he loved her, how much she meant to him.
Never once taking his arm from around Tsume, Kisame managed to remove his cloak. With Tsume still held against his chest, Kisame maneuvered the cloak around until it rested on Tsume's shoulders. Kisame dipped his head, placing his lips just beside Tsume's ear. His voice was hardly audible as he spoke. "You are the woman that I want. I want you, Tsume," he breathed. "I want to make love to you."
Tsume's eyes snapped open and her body went rigid. Kisame's arms snaked around her back beneath the cloak, his face nuzzling the curve of her neck. One hand came to her lower back, pulling her up into his lap, forcing her legs to go around his waist. Tsume's breath hitched and her cheeks darkened. Kisame suddenly felt so warm; she could feel the heat radiating off him even through both her clothes and his. Tsume gasped as his hands ran up her sides, stopping as they came to her underarms. His thumbs brushed over the sides of her breasts, sending hot shivers up and down her spine. As his hands moved around to her shoulder blades, Tsume's arms slid slowly up and around Kisame's neck, pulling herself unconsciously closer to him.
"I love you, Tsume," Kisame whispered, his breath hot on Tsume's skin. "I want you, all of you. Let me make you mine." The barest hint of desperation crept into Kisame's voice as he spoke, his hands stilling on Tsume's back. "Please, I want you. I want touch and feel all of you." Kisame's voice was husky now, and Tsume could feel him beginning to harden beneath her. "I want to feel your skin beneath my hands; every inch of you. I want to pleasure you, Tsume. I want to be the first to bring you to climax."
Tsume's face was flushed, and her heart was pounding in her chest. Her body was heating with every erotic word that passed Kisame's lips, a strange warmth and yearning gathering in her nether regions. The overwhelming sensations and excitement had adrenaline pumping in Tsume's veins, arousal awakening for the first time in her virgin body. Baser instincts were being brought to the surface, and Tsume found herself tightening her legs around Kisame's waist and leaning forward to kiss and nip Kisame's skin through his fish-net shirt. Her mind was a haze of want and desire; feelings she couldn't understand surging in both her mind and her body.
"Ki-Kisame," she managed to whisper, shaking her head slightly in an attempt to clear her mind. She shook her head again, shaking off the haze. "Kisame, I—I've never," she paused, face going crimson, "been with anyone before."
Kisame pulled his hands away nodding in understanding, his hands going behind her back, fingers weaving together. He lowered his head and pressed his forehead against Tsume's, the metal of his forehead protector cool against Tsume's flushed skin. "If you don't want to do this," Kisame said softly, "then we won't."
Tsume bit her lip, still blushing. "Thank you," she murmured. Tsume moved her head to nuzzled Kisame's neck. "I love you, Kisame. I really do. I'm just not ready."
Kisame leaned his head against Tsume's. "Don't worry," he said. "I'd never do anything that you didn't want, Tsume."
The young woman smiled, curling into a ball in Kisame's arms. As sleep began to overtake her, she murmured her thanks again, a smile curving her lips. "Thank you."
UNSPOKEN
Tsume awoke early the next day, and found herself back in the clearing where she, Kisame, and Itachi had initially settled. Tsume was curled in Kisame's lap, his arms loose around her in sleep. Tsume glanced up at the sky, the eastern horizon still dark. Dawn had yet to come, and Tsume knew that they would be departing soon. Slipping from Kisame's gentle hold, Tsume rose to her feet. Her sword and other belongings lay beside Kisame, near Samehada. Tsume buckled her satchel around her waist, but not before pulling out her hooded, black coat. The coat was donned next, followed by Haku's sash. Finally, Tsume donned the belt that held her sword, the weight familiar and comfortable on her back.
"Did you sleep well?" came Kisame's voice.
Tsume turned and saw that Kisame had risen silently to his feet, and had returned Samehada to his back. He had his kasa hat in his hand, and his cloak was buttoned up. "Yes," Tsume said, in answer to Kisame's question. "Where is Itachi-san?"
Kisame glanced up, and Tsume followed his gaze. Itachi was already up among the tree branches, his hand against the trunk of the tree in which his stood, his black eyes looking down at them expectantly. "Kisame, Tsume-san," he said calmly. He didn't have to say another word. Tsume broke into a run, crossing the clearing in mere moments. She ran up the vertical surface of the tree, pushing off to land on a branch beside Itachi. Kisame followed, moving swiftly and silently, his movements at odds with his size and build. As he landed on the branch, Kisame donned his kasa, and Itachi did the same. Tsume followed their example and pulled up her hood, shadowing her face.
Kisame spared a moment to lift his head, sniffing the air. "A storm is coming," he said.
"We will leave all the same," Itachi said. He turned, and made to leap off, but something stopped him. He looked back to his partner and Tsume. "You must not let the feelings you have for each other hamper you in any way. The mission in the priority. Is that understood?" Both Tsume and Kisame nodded in understanding and acknowledgment of Itachi's words. "Good." Then he looked away and launched off into the trees, silent as a shadow, and twice as deadly.
Tsume and Kisame followed without a word, saving their breath. Tsume's brows furrowed slightly in the shadow of her hood. She had verbally agreed to Itachi's words, and she understood the need and purpose of them, but part of her knew. Part of Tsume knew that if she had to choose between the mission and Kisame, she would choose Kisame. It wasn't even a question. Even if she was discredited as a shinobi, Tsume would still choose to save Kisame's life rather than to complete the mission.
UNSPOKEN
The door's to the Hogake's office flew open and small, compact young woman burst in. Shizune was hot on her heels, trying in vain to reach the young woman with her protests. The young woman ignored her, striding across the floor and planting her feet firmly on the ground before the desk.
The Hokage, Tsunade, had been deep in conversation with Jiraya, her former teammate. They broke off and stared at the girl who now stood stubbornly in the room, an oddly familiar look shown in her eyes. Tsunade and Jiraya looked the girl up and down.
She stood slightly over five feet, her build compact and strong. Her dark brown hair was almost black, hanging to her shoulders and with her bangs cut just above her hazel eyes. She wore a pair of simple wire-framed glasses, the oval lenses reflecting the noon-day sun. A few pale freckles were scattered charmingly across her nose, while a faint blush tinged her otherwise pale cheeks. She wore a simple, black, bra-like shirt beneath a short-sleeved fish-net top, a dark, unzipped vest worn over both garments. She also wore a pair of navy capris, the left leg torn away several inches down the thigh, her shinobi headband tied over the fraying ends. Below the ragged hem, Tomo's leg was wrapped in wide bandages. She wore a wide leather belt with several scrolls strapped to its length. And lastly, she wore a pair of fingerless black gloves.
"Hokage-sama, I want to help protect Naruto," the woman said, crossing her arms over her chest.
There was a pause before anyone said a word. It was Jiraya who spoke first. "Who're you?" he asked bluntly, giving the young woman's generous chest a furtive glance out of habit. She looked slightly familiar as well; where had he seen her before?
"My name is Agaru Tomo," the woman said. "With the village the way it is, the Akatsuki could try to capture Naruto. I won't let that happen."
Tomo's statement hit the other occupants of the room like a punch to the face. They all stood perfectly still, staring at Tomo with wide eyes and varying expressions of surprise. It was completely silent; you could have heard a pin drop. Tomo stood firm, not showing the slightest wavering or hesitation. The look in her hazel eyes looked strangely familiar. Jiraya recognized the expression within moments, and he chuckled to himself. He'd seen that expression many times on the face of Uzumaki Naruto, he vessel of the Kyuubi, the Nine-tailed Demon Fox. And somehow, this young woman had found out about what was sealed within her friend, and all she was concerned about was protecting him. She wasn't scared, she wasn't repulsed. She just wanted to help her friend.
"How . . . how did you find out about the Kyuubi?" Tsunade asked slowly.
Impatience flared in Tomo's eyes. "That doesn't matter! Are you going to let me help or not?!"
Jiraya blinked. "You're a lot like Naruto, you know that?"
Tomo shot a look at Jiraya that reminded him oddly of Tsunade when she was in a bad mood; he shut his mouth tightly. Tomo looked back to Tsunade. "Fine, I found out about the Kyuubi because Naruto told me. We were sparring before the Exams final rounds. Something happened, I'm not sure what, but suddenly Naruto was a lot stronger. He . . ." Tomo trailed off, biting her bottom lip. Then, making a decision, she discarded her vest, and pulled off her mesh t-shirt. She then turned to expose her back, revealing a large, square bandage placed across her spine. One hand came behind and pulled the bandage away. And there, stark against her pale skin, were four jagged scars, the healing fresh and the skin still red. "He hit me once, it was like he had claws. When I turned to face him, he looked so strange. I was terrified, and Naruto must have seen that, because he was suddenly normal again. He took me to my teammate, Nezumi, and she healed me. After Nezumi left, Naruto explained things and apologized."
"And you're not scared of him?" Jiraya said, his tone and dark eyes serious. "You're not angry at him?"
Tomo turned back, crumpling the bandage in her hand. "How could I be?" she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "He's my friend, and it's not his fault that he had a demon sealed inside him." Tomo pulled on her shirt and vest, turning back to face Jiraya and Tsunade. "I'd do anything to protect my friends."
"Agaru," Tsunade said after a moment. "Your father, Taro, was killed by a member of the Akatsuki, was he not?"
Tomo stiffened. "Yes . . . he was." She hesitated before adding, "it was Uchiha Itachi."
Tsunade folded her hands before her and looked at Tomo with a serious gaze. "Are aware that Itachi was one of the two Akatsuki members who has attempted to capture Naruto?"
"I am," Tomo said, forcing all emotion from her voice. The same could not be said for her face. Anger burned in her hazel eyes like fire, and her clenched fists were shaking at her sides.
"If you were to encounter Uchiha Itachi, what would you do?" Tsunade asked.
"If no one was in danger," Tomo said, voice cold and hard, "I would do all that was in my power to kill him. I try to avoid killing whenever possible, but where Itachi is concerned, all I want for him is death."
Tsunade sighed. "You're going to do something even if I tell you not to, aren't you, Tomo?" she
said.
Tomo's expression shifted to a smirk. "Yeah," she admitted. "It'd take an ANBU squad to stop me. Sorry, Hokage-sama, but I'm going to help, weather you want me to or not."
Jiraya laughed aloud. "You're more like Naruto that I thought," he chuckled. He walked forward and ruffled Tomo's dark hair. "And if you're anything like your dad, then I have no doubt that you can hold your own in a fight."
Tomo grinned up at the white-haired Sannin. "You're okay, Ero-Sennin, even if you are a big perv."
UNSPOKEN
A/N: Well, things got heated between Tsume and Kisame, but nothin' happened yet. Don't you worry, there will be a lemon in this story. I promise. And I've introduced Tomo. She's dead set on protecting Naruto, as well as killing Itachi. It's doubtful that she's going to let anything stand in her way.