Yes! Exams are finally over!

I apologize to all of my readers for not posting recently, but I have been so busy with exams, it being the end of the school year and all. But now that summer is here, I have all of this time to catch up on writing. I'll try to update often... I don't plan on leaving this story unfinished anytime soon.

And thank you so much for those who took the time to leave reviews! Every single one of them made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 3

I'm thinking about going back to the previous chapters and adding in previews... should I do that?

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but Kisara is all mine.

Chapter Six

I became so stupefied that I didn't follow through with my kick and instead lost my balance, tumbling to the ground.

Was that puddle of water… Suigetsu?

Almost on cue, that puddle started to form into the shape of a body and solidified into the one and only Suigetsu merely a second later. Without paying attention to anything else but the rogues, he continued to fight as if nothing had happened.

What… the hell?

I had no idea how long I remained on the ground just gaping, but before I knew it, the Iwa-nin were sprawled out in front of me, clearly unconscious.

I small voice in the back of my head informed me that Suigetsu must have also taken care of the other rogue for me, but I was too focused on a more pressing matter to really notice.

"I'm awesome, right?" Suigetsu bragged as he dusted himself off. "You must be completely blown away by my skills. It's okay, I expected this to happen."

Well, yeah. But it wasn't because of his skills that I was so astonished. Although those were pretty good, too...

"You never told me… that you could turn into water," I croaked.

For some reason, a glint in Suigetsu's eyes told me that he had already foreseen this situation. "I never did tell you that, did I?"

I mentally kicked myself for having really been surprised. "You totally knew!"

"Knew what, hmm?"

"You knew that I was going to react this way, so you deliberately didn't tell me about your… special ability."

Suigetsu sheepishly scratched the back of his head as if he really felt ashamed. "Oh, well. You got me there." Walking over to me and offering his hand, he added, "And it's not just me… it's a whole Hozuki clan thing. Isn't it handy?"

Although it was a rather unsettling sight, I couldn't help but agree. "Very," I agreed, taking his hand. "That must mean weapons are basically useless against- gah!"

I quickly jerked away from his hand, which had enlarged to at least the size of my head.

While I inwardly shivered, Suigetsu burst into laughter. "You should have seen your face!" he guffawed. "Saving that one for you was totally worth it- my life is complete!"

"So you can mutate yourself now?" I dryly questioned, narrowing my eyes.

"Don't think of it as a mutation… it's not permanent, anyway." Just to prove his point, he returned his hand to its original size. "It's the Hozuki Hydrification Technique. Also pretty handy for wielding Kubikiribocho."

Who knew that people were capable of liquefying themselves and enlarging their limbs at will? Despite my initial disgust, I had to admit that this was pretty fascinating.

And it was getting increasingly more difficult to maintain my frown when Suigetsu was smiling at me like that.

"Well…" I hesitated upon saying the next few words. "You did well in this fight, so maybe joining up with you wasn't as bad as I thought."

Suigetsu widened his eyes in mock surprise. "Wow… that's coming from you, Kisara? Today's just full of surprises."

"Why can't you just maturely take a compliment?"

"Can I really consider that a compliment?"

Ugh… there was no dealing with this guy. Judging from his smug expression, Suigetsu probably thought that he had won some victory. I wasn't one to prolong an argument, so I only let out a small sigh before continuing past the unconscious rogues and in the direction of Konoha.

After that encounter with the Iwagakure rogues, the rest of our journey passed by relatively uneventfully, save for Suigetsu's constant chattering. Before long, Konoha's majestic gate came into view, and I started to mentally go over his instructions while trying to maintain a composed exterior.

On our mission, we were to be Kiri chunin sent by the Mizukage due to a mysterious "enemy threat" near Konoha. This idea of "extra protection" seemed very suspicious to me when Suigetsu first introduced it, but he assured me that this type of mission would allow for the most leisure, which could then be used to locate and steal Kiba.

He claimed that what we needed wasn't security, but speed. If we could get our hands on Kiba before the Konoha authorities discovered of our mission's invalidity, then we had no reason to worry.

And as usual, he acted so confident of his ability to succeed that I couldn't do anything but go along with his plan.

Before long, the dirt path gave way to stone as Suigetsu and I passed through the entrance to Konoha. Although he appeared completely at ease, feelings of guilt started to swirl inside of me. I knew that our intentions were wrong… Suigetsu's promise of protection almost didn't seem worth walking down this path of crime.

Suigetsu led me to a small desk situated a few yards away from the gate and handed the fake paperwork to two Konoha shinobi. "We came here on a reinforcement mission," he stated. "Orders from the Mizukage."

While my stomach flipped, one of the shinobi scanned over the paperwork and looked at us inquisitively. "There's a threat like this near the village, and they only sent the two of you? You guys must be pretty high-ranked."

"Nah, we're only chunin. But I must say… we're pretty hard to beat." Suigetsu winked.

"Well, if you say so. Maybe we could test that out during your time here, eh?"

"Kotetsu!" the other shinobi reprimanded. "You know we can't do that… We have these responsibilities to take care of."

"Hey, there's no harm in taking a break to spar."

"Yes, there is. We'd be neglecting our duties."

I couldn't help but faintly smile at their casual banter. I hadn't been in a carefree atmosphere like this since… well, forever. Were all the citizens of Konoha so innocent and lively? My small smile quickly faded at that thought and the notion that we would be stealing from such good-natured people.

"Anyway," said Kotetsu with a laugh, "You guys are probably sick of us by now. The paperwork still needs to be approved by Hokage-sama, so just head towards her office right below the mountain. You know where it is, right?"

I nodded as he handed me back the paperwork. "Yes… thank you."

I actually had no idea where to go as Suigetsu and I made our way through the village, and he flashed me an amused look before pointing to the Hokage monument. "You see that huge building right below the mountain? We're supposed to meet the Hokage there. Weren't you paying attention?"

"Partially... I was too worried about them finding out about us."

"Oh, please." Suigetsu waved me off. "Even the greatest inspectors wouldn't be able to tell that these mission papers were fake. You can trust my sources."

Frankly, he needed to prove himself much more reliable if I was going to place my trust in him. "Don't say that so loudly... there are people all around us."

Suigetsu sighed exasperatedly and shook his head. "You worry too much."

After arriving at the mansion and climbing three long flights of stairs, we finally stopped at a small door. Our escort didn't hesitate to open it and usher us inside, softly shutting it behind her afterwards with a click. My gaze rested on a beautiful lady in front of me, calmly regarding us with hazel eyes.

Suigetsu remained mute, so I hastily bowed and held out the paperwork. "Forgive us for the intrusion, Hokage-sama... we are ninja from Kirigakure on a reinforcement mission. According to many scouts, there are..." I racked my brain for the false information on the paperwork. "...Akatsuki members sighted near the village."

To be honest, the Akatsuki, like most current things, was only a name to me. Before my capture with Ruga, I had heard the name mentioned here and there, but I didn't know anything else pertaining to that organization until Suigetsu filled me in on some details. By the way the Hokage's eyes widened, it must have been as infamous as he claimed...

"The Akatsuki?" she repeated in disbelief. "With a serious issue like this... they only sent the two of you?"

See? I desperately wanted to tell Suigetsu. Nearly everything about this scheme is suspicious. We'll definitely be found out!

As if responding to my thoughts, Suigetsu quickly came to my aid. "We're very skilled, and the Mizukage trusts in us explicitly. I can assure you that we'll carry out this job well."

The Hokage eyed us skeptically. "And your names?"

"This is Kisara Hatta, and I'm Suigetsu Hozuki. My brother, Mangetsu, was a former member of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist."

My muscles involuntarily tensed at his words- Suigetsu and I were both aware that he was taking a gamble. Like I mentioned before, Suigetsu had left Kirigakure and joined Sasuke's team shortly after, therefore qualifying him as a rogue. However, Hebi had been formed fairly recently, and only a few number of individuals knew of his current status. Suigetsu was betting that the Hokage didn't have access to this information… and also mentioned his notorious brother to grab her attention.

Much to my relief, it seemed to work. "Mangetsu Hozuki… I see," the Hokage pondered. "You come from a very strong bloodline… I can see why the Mizukage sent you. Shizune!"

Our escort immediately stepped forward. "Yes, M'lady?"

"Summon Neji Hyuga here. He should be able to debrief these two about their mission."

"Of course." In a flash, she disappeared.

Only a few minutes later, the door opened, and a young man about my age stepped into the room. Long brown hair fell down to his lower back, and his lavender-colored eyes briefly brushed over Suigetsu and me before focusing on the Hokage.

"You called for me, Tsunade-sama?" he politely inquired.

"Yes," replied Tsunade, gesturing to us. "Shinobi from Kirigakure have arrived here on a mission. You are to explain to them their patrolling times and routes for this assignment."

The person who I assumed to be Neji nodded and took the mission papers from Tsunade, quickly scanning through its contents. After turning to us, he said, "Due to the gravity of this threat, you will be assigned one of the Jonin exterior routes bordering the village."

Suigetsu wore a disappointed expression for whatever reason, but he didn't say anything as we followed Neji out of the office and into the heat of the afternoon sun. Our new escort remained as silent and stoic as ever, quietly guiding us back to the front gate. We only followed him a few hundred feet past the gate before he led us off the dirt road and into the neighboring forest.

"This will be your assigned route," Neji stated as we walked beneath the canopy of leaves. "We will place other Jonin along similar routes to ensure the safety of the village. Your shift is from dawn to dusk, and your mission starts tomorrow."

I blinked as he turned around and dropped a set of keys in my palm. "What are these for?"

"You'll need a place to stay," Neji replied. "The address is attached to the key. If you have any trouble locating the apartment, don't hesitate to contact the Hokage."

"Thanks." I wasn't expecting to get two separate places for Suigetsu and me, but it would have been nice…

Neji had to answer another call from the Hokage, but we luckily managed to locate our apartment as the sun started to sink below the horizon. It only consisted of a bathroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom, but it would suffice for the time being. As I stepped inside after Suigetsu and locked the door, I made a mental note to sleep on the couch.

"Why were you so quiet before?" I questioned. "You're usually… really talkative."

He plopped down on the couch and casually rested his arms behind his head. "I just like to express my thoughts out loud. But I couldn't really do that today."

"Well, you were on the verge of being suspicious. Just be yourself, and we shouldn't have anything to worry about."

Suigetsu's lips quirked into the smirk I had become so accustomed to seeing. "Look at you, Kisara... you're already starting to take initiative."

Why did he always change the subject? "I'm involved too, now, so this plan's success or failure also affects me."

"Okay, fine," said Suigetsu as he barked out a laugh. "I'll do it for you."

Seriously, I would have applauded anyone who successfully maintained a serious conversation with him.

"You'd better keep that promise." Rolling my eyes, I made my way into the kitchen and unloaded our leftover food into the fridge. After unhooking my water bottle from my pouch, I experienced a mini revelation.

Of course… how did I not make the connection before? Suigetsu's strange ability did have a downside, after all... and that was his constant need for water.

Suigetsu's weird power was by far the strangest thing I had ever seen, but what was even stranger… was my ability to semi-cope with it all.

I mean, I was already beginning to accept him as somewhat… normal.

I probably just needed sleep.

"You're really not doing this again."

"Oh, but I really am."

I peered up at Suigetsu from the couch and slightly tightened the blanket around my body.

"What do you have against me? You can't still be mad about the shuriken thing, can you?"

He was partially correct... I just felt like I couldn't trust him yet. "No, not really. But it never hurts to take precautions."

"This is totally ridiculous. After one little thing, you're acting like I'm some sort of criminal."

"Which you are."

He paused for a moment. "Good point. But I'm not the one you make me out to be."

It could have been my imagination, but I thought I detected a hint of sincerity in Suigetsu's tone. Whatever the case, I wasn't planning on budging from the couch anytime soon. Although it was nice that he was still trying to redeem himself, I had good reason to suspect that it was only an endeavor to satisfy his ego.

Suigetsu finally seemed to accept my adamance and sighed before trudging up the staircase. When he disappeared from sight, I let out a small sigh of my own; for some unknown reason, I grew involuntarily tense whenever I was in his presence. Whether it was just a result of his unpredictable personality or me innately trying to make up for his laid-back attitude, I didn't know.

Despite my slight relaxation, however, the thoughts swirling around in my head prevented me from falling asleep. We had already been on our journey for a while, but I found myself unable to completely accept the fact that we had actually made it to Konoha in one piece. And in only twelve hours, we would be on our way to stealing one of the legendary swords…

Yeah, there was no way I would be able to sleep if I continued to dwell on these things.

Pushing that subject towards the back of my mind, I curled into the couch and tried to focus on how it felt so fluffy and comfortable, unlike the rock-hard bed in Ruga's hideout. As thoughts about my freedom eventually calmed me down, exhaustion from the day's events finally caught up to me, and I soon fell into a deep slumber.

I jolted awake from a thunderous boom after what felt like only a few minutes, my entire body shivering uncontrollably. It was nearly pitch-black, but my ears immediately registered the sound of pouring rain on the roof as I stiffly retrieved the blanket on the floor (that would probably explain why I was so cold). Who knew that temperatures could drop this low in Konoha? This was Hi no Kuni, not Yuki no Kuni.

In only a few minutes, the bitter cold along with the occasional thunderclap managed to leave me wide-awake. No matter how long I remained on the couch wrapped up in my blanket, the shivering never stopped- it seemed as if neither the blanket nor my nightgown had the capability of retaining any heat.

So, I saw no other choice but to retrieve another blanket from the bed upstairs.

The prospect of freezing all night finally prompted me to rise from the couch (still clutching the blanket, of course) and softly pad up the staircase. When my eyes adjusted to the darkness, however, a feeling of dismay swept over me.

Contrary to my hopes, the bed only had one blanket, which was currently occupied by Suigetsu.

And it was thinner than mine, too. How Suigetsu didn't freeze to death was beyond my imagination. I couldn't take that away from him because of my selfishness... but I couldn't make do with just mine, either.

I decided to do something completely crazy.

Looking back on that night, I was probably just really desperate. Softly walking over to the bed and peering into Suigetsu's face, I discerned from his closed eyelids that he was thankfully asleep. Careful not to startle him, I unwrapped my blanket from myself (ugh, did this apartment even have heat?) and laid it over the bed. Letting out a small puff of air, I regarded him for another moment.

And slowly climbed into bed.

I was immediately greeted with a rush of warmth from his body, for I had no choice but to press up against Suigetsu if I didn't want to fall off the twin-sized bed. How in the world did he feel this warm? Hesitantly, I leaned into him further and experienced another blanket of heat. God, I could barely believe what I was doing, but I was so glad that I did...

Now posed the question of how I would follow through with this without disturbing the man next to me. It would be extremely unpleasant, but I finally decided on returning to the couch after an hour or so...

Until a pair of arms snaked around my waist.

I gave a small squeak of surprise at the unexpected turn of events and only wondered for a moment about Suigetsu's state of consciousness before I heard his low voice right behind my ear.

"So, you finally trust me enough to seek me for comfort."