Chapter Four

Toorima entered a small village just as the sun finished falling out of sight behind the mountains. The slits of her eyes widened along with the felines beside her in order to let in more light. 'We will find somewhere cheap to stay tonight and look for a suitable assignment in the morning.' She thought and looked down the street for any form of inn.

The inn they found was small and on the outskirts of the village. It had been obvious that the villagers here didn't like outsiders. Plenty of people watched her pass with guarded looks and defensive postures. She did not remove her cloak or lower the hood, so it was unusual for her to receive this amount of hostility.

Inside it was dark and smelled like burnt cabbage. Toorima covered her nose and Chaos whined. "Hello! Welcome!" The old man behind the counter beamed seeming as if he hadn't had customers in a while. "One room please." Toorima said and handed the man enough money to cover it.

The man called for a young girl to come down and take her to her room. This girl had to be fourteen of fifteen, undoubtedly the old man's granddaughter. Toorima followed the girl in silence and kept her sense of smell cut off for the time being, the smell had not dissipated and it was ridiculously disgusting.

Toorima stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. The girl had watched her till the door shut then she could hear her footsteps leave. Chaos made his way over to the bed like he always did and serenity made her way to the bathroom, her master followed her.

In the bathroom Toorima grabbed a brush and walked back into the bedroom. She plopped down on the bed next to Chaos and began brushing her long black hair gently. Serenity sat in the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror. Something was upsetting Serenity and Toorima could tell, while Chaos seemed to be clueless. Whatever it was, something told her she couldn't ask Serenity while the black leopard was around.

As Toorima sat there combing her hair she had a weird feeling. An ominous feeling, like when you know someone is watching you, but you have no idea who it could be or why. That feeling got stronger and stronger till she couldn't take it anymore. Chaos was breathing steadily beside her clearly having fallen asleep and Serenity was still looking in the mirror.

"I need to go outside." Toorima said softly. Serenity turned her head to her master. 'Ok.' The snow leopard thought and rose from her place on the floor. "No, it's ok. I'll go alone." The young woman said and jumped off the bed. She replaced her brush to the bathroom sink and left the room, locking the door behind her.

The outside air was cool and caused her to shiver. Toorima wrapped her arms tight around her chest and strode toward the edge of the village. Something was getting to her. She could feel the presence of someone watching her and it was bugging her. It wasn't like an aggressive presence. It just felt like someone was there, keeping their eyes on her.

The breeze was picking up and Toorima steadily grew colder. She wanted to return to her warm room and snuggle with her companions, but she wanted the mystery stalker to reveal themselves. Toorima had no idea who it was or what they wanted, but they didn't feel dangerous. It was really starting to creep her out because whoever it was they were hiding well. Her snow leopards ears moved from right to left listening for any sound and her nose was subtly sniffing the air.

Toorima couldn't take it anymore and just continued to walk further from the little village. Her mind started wandering to the akatsuki. She missed them all so much and regrets leaving them more than anything in her life. It was hard to think of all the things that could be different if she stayed with them. Maybe she would have gotten strong enough that she could have helped any of them and they could still be alive.

Tears threatened to spill over, but she couldn't let them go. It wasn't that day yet and as a shinobi she had no right to cry. Toorima found herself in a park and walked to the swing set. She sat down on them and slowly pushed herself back and forth with her legs. This was one of the only times she could freely think without Chaos or Serenity being in her head as well. There was little privacy when you communicated through telepathy. It was too easy to say something in your mind you might not want them to hear.

The longer she sat on the swing the more she forgot about the secret stalker until soon they were forgotten completely. Toorima pulled her long hair over her shoulder and ran her fingers through it while she thought about Kisame. Now more than ever she wanted to see him. Her feelings for him haven't changed over the thirteen year separation. In fact, they grew stronger now that she was old enough to understand all the sweet gestures he showed her as a child.

Time was going past uncounted. Toorima didn't want to leave her spot and was content with sitting on the swing and enjoying the time to herself. The cold air had other plans however. It didn't take too much longer before Toorima couldn't take the cold anymore and rose from her spot. She turned for the inn and started to walk slowly.

"T-Toorima?" Someone said behind her. The voice stopped her dead in her tracks. So many long years and she still remembered that voice. Her breathing escalated and her heart thudded painfully in her chest. A heavy just of wind blew past sending her hair flying. Slower than a snail Toorima turned around.

~^-^~

Kisame stood outside of a hot spring. The trail led him here. After taking a deep breath the shark-nin entered the establishment. The attendant was very helpful and led him to the room he sniffed out. The squat little woman left him to his business after getting payment from Kisame.

The man moved around the room and could smell the scent of a woman and two cats. All doubts he had been erased. It had to be Toorima which meant she was still alive. Why hadn't he seen her in the last thirteen years? He moved around the room looking for anything that would help him track her.

Today must have been his lucky day. In a heap on the floor was a pile of discarded clothes. Kisame picked up the shirt and held it up. He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent. After he had what he needed he left the room in a hurry. The adrenaline was pumping through his veins making his legs go faster.

Kisame didn't stop in fear of it raining or something cutting off the scent. He could tell the scent was only a day or two old. His head was so full of different things. If it was her he wasn't sure if he would be happy or angry. He trusted her and she left him. Even if he could understand the reason, it still hurt.

The thought made him go faster. He had to see tonight, he had to know if it was her. Light was fading and Kisame was tired, but the adrenaline was still coursing through him, keeping him from stopping. The scent was getting stronger after a long time of running. Kisame wasn't paying attention to anything other than the scent he was following. Only slightly did his mind caution him about the outcome of his venture, and the consequences for deserting his original mission.

Kisame slowed to a fast walk. The scent was very strong and it was now well into the night. It was pretty cold outside, a clear sign that the summer was coming to an end and that fall was on its way. The shinobi wasn't bothered by the cold. Lights started to show a few miles up. He was nearing a village.

Other shapes came into view. It didn't take long till he could discern different building, and the entrance to the village. Her scent was getting much stronger and it was intoxicating. Kisame entered the village at a walk. He knew she was here and he could now take his time to find her.

A strong breeze blew past and it carried the strongest wave of her scent. His eyes focused and there in the park she stood. Kisame slowly walked forward, hesitant and afraid. It had to be her, it was her. The ears on her head and tail at the base of her collar bone were proof enough. "T-Toorima?" His voice was weak with anticipation.

~~*~~

"Kisame?" Toorima asked when she turned to see the man she ran from and loved more than any other human. The very man she was just thinking about. It was him, still exactly the way he looked thirteen years ago. Toorima didn't know why, but she started running.

Out of the village and into the nearby forest she ran. Tears burned her eyes like acid as they flew behind her. Why did she run? Why did she cry? Was it guilt? Or maybe she was scared that he would be angry? Her legs wobbled as she ran. She didn't go very deep into the trees when she slowed and fell to her knees in a fit of sobs.

Toorima could feel another's presence behind her, his presence. She couldn't look at him and instead stared in front of her, clutching her aching chest and crying foolishly. "I'm sorry Kisame." She whispered. The words were barely out of her mouth when he picked her up by her arms and pinned her to a tree with his incredible strength.

She couldn't find any fear or anger in herself from the assault. It felt almost like relief. Maybe she felt she was getting what she deserved as she braced herself for an attack. One never came. Toorima chanced a glance up at him. His head was down and she couldn't see his face. "Kisame?" She asked and used her tail to pull his chin up since Kisame still had her arms pinned to her sides.

Toorima gasped. The man had tears on his face, he was crying. She had never seen him cry and almost believed he couldn't. The young woman had no idea what to do in this situation, so she did the first thing she could think of, and the thing she had wanted to do since she was a little girl. Pushing against his hold softly and rising to her tip toes Toorima softly touched her lips to his. His lips were very soft, and very cold. She could taste his salt water tears and the faintest hint of alcohol.

This clearly took him by surprise. Toorima felt him let go of her arms and she wound them around his neck. It didn't even take two seconds before Kisame responded and kissed back. Needing air they separated and the shark-nin stared at the leopard-nin in shock.

Toorima smiled and pulled Kisame by his hand over to a boulder to sit on. Then she looked up to the stars and explained everything to him in detail and told him what she had been doing for the past thirteen years. It took all night and by the time Toorima led Kisame into her hotel room both her companions were sleeping soundly. Kisame found a cot in the closet and set it up while Toorima crawled into the bed next to her companions. They were both exhausted and fell asleep quickly, knowing tomorrow would be a day spent catching up.

**~**

Karin watched the stupid girl leave the hotel and walk around. She noticed the girls head turn left to right, searching for something. So her target knew she was there, but didn't know exactly where she was hiding. That was a good thing seeing as she didn't want to fight.

The more she followed the girl the more she wanted to just kill her. Right now was her best chance right? She was alone, her companions were nowhere to be seen. Karin knew even if the girl was alone she had no chance of beating her. After all Karin didn't have any real fighting ability.

The girl was a hundred times more beautiful than her too. If you take away the weird ears on her head and the tail she was probably the prettiest woman she had ever seen. No wonder Sasuke wanted her. Karin repeated the same curse word in her mind repetitively. Every second she grew more pissed off.

Night was getting colder and Karin was getting tired. Surely she had time to sleep? The girl would have to get tired or cold soon and let Karin rest for the night. The red-head felt her head get heavy and it started to bob.

"T-Toorima" A voice said making her head snap up. An enormous man that resembled a shark had approached the leopard girl. Karin recognized him, his name was….what was it? Kisame? She had seen him once after 'Hawk' joined the akatsuki. What was he doing here and how did he know the girl? This was something Sasuke would want to know immedietly so Karin abandoned her previous mission and took off in the direction Sasuke was last.

)***(

Madara sat at the top of a small mountain staring down at the forest below, and his statue that stood face to face with the first hokage. He was the one that started it all and he wanted it to never end. In every sappy story you have the person who is evil and in the end they were either really good from the beginning, or they turned that way at the end in some tear jerking twist of fate. Not for Madara Uchiha, he was rotten to the core. Since the day he took his brothers eyes there was no going back for him.

The mastermind replaced the orange swirl mask over his face and stood from the rock. Paying one last glance at his monument he left the premises in search for some clues as to where the nine-tails was hiding now. It had been a few months that his location has eluded them.

Konoha was getting smarter and they seemed to have an idea that Naruto was being tracked. It was no matter; sooner or later Sasuke would go back to his old home for revenge and bring him the jinchuriki. Madara was a patient man, he had already waited a very long time for what he wanted and so he could wait a little longer.

(***)

Karin was making good time in her run. It would take at least a day to reach the rest of her team. Her hair whipped wildly behind her and her glasses shook as she ran faster. All she could think about was how Sasuke would take the news.

Three chakra signatures were closing in fast and Karin hid behind a tree as quickly as she could. Water began to seep around her ankles and she sighed. Suigetsu materialized in front of her and laughed. "If I was an enemy you would be dead." He said giving her an antagonistic smile. The woman pushed up her glasses before blowing up at the man. "Teammate or not I'll kill you if you ever touch me again!" She yelled referring to the water at her feet.

The arguing continued till Sasuke came up with Juugo beside him, supporting his injured side. "Enough." He said to the two idiots and they ceased immedietly. Karin turned to Sasuke and put on her hard face. "What are you doing here?" Her voice was demanding and reproachful. One glare from her leader shut her right up. "I got sick of waiting. Give me the status on the girl." He ordered.

Karin then told him everything that had happened since they split up, leading right up to Kisame Hoshigaki showing up and talking to the girl. Sasuke listened patiently for Karin to finish and wasn't pleased with the end. It did however, give him an idea.

****************************************************************************************************************************************************

SORRY! *bows repeatedly* The circus was going on at my work so I had to work overtime. I didnt have a lot of time to write and came home exhausted. Thank you all so much for being patient with me. Hopefully I will be able to get back to my normal writing schedule and have another chapter up soon!

Thank you all so much for reading! Please review and let me know what you think!!!

~Lady Toorima