Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters; That right belongs exclusively to Masashi Kishimoto. Nor do I own InuYasha or its characters; that right belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.
It had been two days since their run-in with the toad sage Jiraiya and the jinchuuriki for the nine-tails, plus one Sasuke Uchiha. And his partner had yet to recover from using Amaterasu. In fact, if Kisame didn't know better. The spontaneous use of it had done more harm than good. And he needed to get him some medical help.
With that thought in mind, he shouldered his half-conscious teammate and grumbled under his breath while doing so. This could cost them valuable time in getting to their next mission. But when he had been assigned to be the Uchiha's partner, Kisame had been told by Pein that he needed to make sure Itachi didn't let his health decline. That it came as a top priority. And in the years they'd work together, he had become painfully aware of how hard the man pushed himself.
They were still a week out from Amegakure. And he knew there was only a small village between where they were and the base. Hoping that the town would have at least a medic-nin, he made his way as quickly as possible towards it.
Three days, he was moving as quickly as he could, staying into the forest instead of the road to keep them from being discovered. Kisame came to a halt when he heard the muttering of people. They were fairways from the road. Leaning up against a tree, he listened in.
"Dammit. Flat out refusal."
"You should have known that was going to happen. No one has garnered interest."
"Yeah, well. It is dangerous to live in these woods alone. And it'd be more beneficial for everyone, especially the hospital if the damned healer would move into the village. Because we all know that when the hospital cannot do it, they call on..."
The man's words trailed off as they got further away. Having his interest piqued, Kisame adjusted Itachi and moved in the direction the men had come from. A healer that didn't want to live in the village. One that the hospital would ask for help on occasion. This was perfect. A little too perfect, but he wasn't going to complain.
It didn't take him long to sense another person nearby. He was keeping his chakra contained as he and Itachi moved towards them. Until he was able to see between the trees into a sunlit clearing, there in the middle was a short, petite figured raven haired girl. She was solely focused on whatever was before her.
Curious as to what that could be, Kisame stepped forward just slightly. Only go still as the bell on Itachi's Hat chimed softly, and the girl whipped around, firing an arrow directly at them. Which embedded it's right where his head had been. And his hat now attached to the tree.
He had not been expecting reflexes like that from a small girl like her. As he looked back from his hat to the girl, he saw the horror on her expressive face as she dropped her bow and came running towards them — blue eyes like the lakes in Mist countrywide and shining.
"I am so sorry. It was purely a reflex reaction Sir..."
He was watching as she ran up, not showing an ounce of fear until her words trailed off, and she just stared up at him. Her gaze transfixed to him. Something he had gotten used to over the years. It annoyed him as he glared down at her, scowling to make her react. Only to have her roll her eyes and shake her head as if to say 'Please- your-not-scary.'
Leaving him to feel a bit put off. Civilians always ran when they saw him without the hat. But this girl was not doing it. In fact, she was acting like seeing him was the most normal thing in the world. Hell, he knew that almost everyone in the Akatsuki had been a bit unsettled by his appearance, well except Madara.
"You know where the healer is."
It was more a statement than a question. Making the girl blinked at him, before nodding her head yes as her eyes darted to the person he was partially holding up. Only to purse her lips in thought, making the skin between her eyes crease a bit. With a soft sigh, Kisame watched the girl rolled her shoulders and waved at him to follow her.
He did staying behind her. She walked with long, confident strides. Back straight as she headed towards the opposite side of the clearing and a reasonably large tree. Which she skirted around to the backside, where a very well hidden door was placed. Feeling wary, Kisame narrowed his eyes on the back of the girl's head and let his aura lash out at her.
He could see that she had no chakra, but when she glanced over her shoulder at him. Her eyes clearly told him she didn't appreciate his actions. She is further punctuated by pulling the door open with a sharp jerk and motioning him to step inside... the tree itself.
Quickly checking for traps of any sort and not finding any, he crouched down and stepped through. Stopping as he saw the spacious interior of the tree. It had been carved carefully. The base of the floor sanded down and smooth. A small kitchenette to the left, with a table by the far wall. Luminescent fungus hanging from the wall giving more than enough light. While to his right was a low bed and a small workbench that held various jars, bags, and a pestle. In front of his was a carved staircase that wrapped around the inside of the tree and went up to another floor.
A polite cough brought him from his inspection, Kisame shuffled forward to let the girl enter the treehouse? That was what this was, a house that was made from a tree of all things — looking at her as she pointed at the low bed.
"Where is the healer."
He bit out as he marched over and practically dumped Itachi on the bed. His eyes never leaving her person as she raised a single eyebrow, that suddenly made him think she could be related to Itachi in how she did it. With her pale looks and dark hair, yeah, the only thing that didn't fit was her blue eyes.
"I am a healer. Is that a problem?"
The soft tones of her voice made him pause. When the men had been talking, he had thought the healer was older and probably male — not some teenage slip of a girl who was giving him attitude. With a quick shake of his head, he could suddenly understand why they had wanted her to move into the village.
He blinked as he realized that she was no longer in front of him. But next to him, hand removing the hate and robe simultaneously from his partner. Only to pause as she stared down at him. Not surprised in the least. The man drew attention from males and females alike with his good looks.
When a snort of derision came from the girl as she moved away to the workbench. Kisame had to do a double-take. He was not sure if she was impressed by his good looks or found his partner to be ugly. Turning his attention back to the aforementioned partner, he saw that Itachi had cracked his eyes at him. He was showing that they were onyx once more.
Giving a small slight shake of his head, Itachi closed them once more. Just in time, too, the girl had come back from the workbench. In her hand was a small bowl, a bottle of water, and a pouch of what he could only guess was herbs. Paying careful attention as she set the stuff on the small stand next to the bed. He noted how she poked and prodded at the Uchiha.
"He has that whatchamacallit...uh.. the family blood thing. Fucking inbreeding bastards are neglecting health for the perfection of power. Morons all of them, power begets nothing but pain."
Kisame about choked on his tongue at the woman's words. She sounded like she didn't know what a Kekkei Genkai was — but understanding the basics of how they kept it in the family. On top of sounding outright bitter about power in general.
"Oh good, you finally decided to quit playing the unconscious idiot."
When she spoke again, he looked at his partner — smothering the laugh that was threatening to burst from his chest. Seeing an emotion on his face was priceless. Especially irritated shock. The dark look that his partner was shooting at the girl didn't even affect her. And her next statement mollified the both of them.
"I have had deadlier looks, and much stronger killing intent than either of you two put together directed at me. And I can tell you that man was called the Killing Perfection for a flipping reason. Smug bastard."
With that said, she poured the herbs and water into the bowel. Swirling them with her fingers before removing them and dipping the towel into it and absorbing just enough to dampen it with practiced ease. From there, she explained that she was washing Itachi's face and eyes with a natural disinfectant.
As she did each thing, Kisame couldn't help but wonder about a few things. She had no chakra that he could sense. And it was not uncommon for a person to be born without it that her reaction time was of someone who has been trained or in countless battles. But her age and appearance were at odds with that. Still, he was interested in how she had shot that arrow and took his hat off before he realized what was happening.
And now she was like a miniature militant commander going about their business. The efficiency she displayed said she was no stranger to healing a person in a chronic state of being. The girl was rather intriguing as he stood there as she continued with washing Itachi's' face. And the fact he was relaxing showed that it had a soothing effect on him.
"Dump this in the sink."
At those five simple words, Kisame looked down at the girl as if she couldn't be serious. The twitch at the corner of her mouth as well as the way both eyebrows jumped up on her forehead as she thrust the bowl at him. Sloshing some of the herb infused water on him, told him that she was. With a frown, he did as he was told.
"There, now to get down to business. You pretty boy are going to stay very still and not even twitch a muscle if you know good for you."
Biting his lip at her words as he poured the water down the sink. Kisame was betting that the Uchiha was giving her his patented death glare. When the sound of skin hitting skin lightly cracked through the air, he spun — seeing her hand coming away from a now pink cheek as his partner looked stunned. The low growl that was coming from the raven-haired girl as she planted her other hand on her hip, which was hiked up as she glared down at him in a battle of wills.
Oh yea, he would be teasing his partner about this for some time to come. He respected Itachi. Knew the man was faster, stronger, and twice as intelligent as himself. But even he knew not to piss off the person who was healing him. Not that he needed it since he was a helluva lot hardier than an average human.
In the next instant, the woman was bending over Itachi and stripping him down. With that, Kisame swiftly made his way to her and grabbed her hands off his partner. Only to have her head snapped up, blue eyes flashing as they pinned him to the spot.
"Would you let me do my job. Trust me, and I already think you both incompetent fools. I call tell by the shallow breathing he does, by choice, that he has an upper respiratory infection. On top of the strain to his eyes from that bloodline thingy. Besides, pretty boy here is not my type in the least."
The bite of her words was like several slaps to the face. Leaving him reeling as the last of her words sank in fully. Letting her go and stepping back, Kisame met the dumbfounded gaze of Itachi. His partner was not used to being... told that he was not the type of the opposite gender. It made Kisame feeling even smugger. But then again, what was this woman's type and how had she accurately diagnosed the Uchiha by hearing his breathing.
It was about an hour later, and several more bowl of the herb infused water, that Itachi was cleaned and being thoroughly checked over. The girl, Kagome, had told them they'd be staying the night and could leave in the morning. Then made a slight but late lunch for them. Spoon feeding his partner, who was getting more displeased at being treated like an invalid even if he was borderline so.
After they were done, he watched with a small bit of fascination as Kagome mixed various herbs. Making a poultice, as well as a drink that looked like green goo for Itachi to drink. At least from what his senses could tell, it smelled good. The face that was made said it tasted horrendous. Then she placed her hands on Itachi's chest and closed her eyes. The faint pale purple aura that shimmered into being around her had sent him into defensive mode.
Glaring at her as that odd light made his skin tingle as he bared his pointed teeth. Then it was gone. The smile she turned to him as his hand rested on the handle of Samehada had him again pausing. A loud gasp came from the bed, drawing both their attention to its occupant.
"Woman, what was that."
At Itachi's comment, Kisame saw the small tick under one eye as the hands still on his chest curled just right, so she was pinching his chest and eliciting a low hiss of pain as her blue gaze was directed entirely at him.
"I have a name. It is Kagome. You use it, or I will make sure the rest of your healing will be excruciating. As for what it is, it is not chakra."
With that, she stood up, hands going to her low back as she stretched her body in an arc. Giving him a good view of curves that her clothes hid. Realizing that she had not answered Itachi at all, just telling him what it was not and threatening him again. The chick was interesting and had a death wish. And whatever that ability was, his instincts didn't like it at all. That light she emitted was a danger to him.
Tracking her movements warily, Kisame moved to sit on the end of the bed. He didn't take his eyes off the woman as she began to rummage in some cabinets in the kitchen. She was gathering up what looked to be more herbs and a few tubs of stuff.
"You okay?"
"hnn."
"Good. Did that hurt?"
"...no."
"It set my nerves on edge."
"Hnn."
"Was there a change."
"..yes.."
At that simple answer, Kisame became speculative. His partner had seen numerous doctors throughout his short life — all proclaiming that there was no cure for what was wrong with him. But now there was a change. One that was easily felt in the young man. That in of itself was a Miracle. He just needed to find out what that technique use was and how to get it.
"Don't bother. I am not telling you. I am not an idiot. Your cloaks told me who you were, Akatsuki. But it does not matter if you were a god or a devil. I would still heal either of you. Life is not something to waste."
Unaware that she had come back, Kisame turned his gaze back towards her. Only to see those blue eyes looking so old and wise in that young face. Telling him, she had seen a lot in her short lifetime. But living in the ninja world, death, war, and other such things were not unusual. Her philosophy was, though. It would make her a prime target to be killed by many — a waste.
"It's rude to stare at someone. Unless you want something."
Eyes were shooting wide open at the two sentences spoken to him. Kisame felt a small bit of heat flood to his face. If he didn't know better, he thought that was a proposition. The look on her face said she was amused, but it was not. Only to have her smile softly at him as she knelt by the bed. Her hands were moving, mixing things for what she was about to do.
Still curious about what she was doing, he watched. As he knew Itachi was. She explained that she was making a Salve put on his chest if it started to get congested again. That the natural mint and some other herb extracts would help him fight that off. Another was a salve for his eyes. That was to be used before he went to sleep. The slightly pause she gave before she looked back at Itachi and said that he had better start sleeping more to help heal the optical nerve.
It was a few more hours and two more sessions of that unsettling pale purple light before she was done — her pale skin shining with a thin sheen of sweat. Blue eyes slightly drooping in exhaustion before she stood up and wiped her hands on her loose pants. A small smile on her lips as she looked down at his partner. Who was sleeping peacefully? Satisfaction radiating off her.
"How much is the payment?"
His simple question made her look at him and blink as if confused for a few seconds.
"Oh...payment...uh...I do not take cash or favors."
Her words stumped him. Then what did she want? So he stared pointedly at her until she answered.
"Follow me. He will be sleeping for the rest of the night. And no one can enter this place without me being present first."
With that, Kisame watched her turn and walk to and out the door to the odd house. Getting up, he followed after her, knowing somehow that her words were true. Outside, night had fallen. The clearing was bathed in the faint silver glow of the stars and moon. He watched as she meandered over to the dropped bow and quiver, picking them up. Then making her way to the arrow stuck in the trunk.
He stood there, watching as she grasped it and pulled on it. She was pausing before readjusting her grip and placing a foot on the tree to remove it. Still not having luck as she huffed in annoyance and glared at the offensive arrow. Chuckling at it, Kisame made his way over to stand behind her. Easily towering over her short frame and jerked it quickly from the tree with one hand, while the other caught his hat.
"Thanks."
That simple, honest word had him backing up a bit from her. This woman was complex, and he was presuming dangerous in more than one way. She had a strange ability that set his nerves on end, was kind one minute, and threatening with intent the next. Didn't fear either his partner or himself, though she knew they were Akatsuki. Her naivete was almost painful, but she was shrewd and sharp.
"What do you want as payment if not cash or favors."
"If it is all the same to you, your body."
At her words, Kisame looked down at her in utter disbelief. No woman would want him. He had gone without the touch of another person for a long time. So when a soft chiming laugh filled the clearing, he couldn't explain why suddenly he felt upset.
"I am sorry for teasing you. I couldn't resist seeing if you'd react. Your time and a few stories of your...exploits... as a ninja. Of course, heavily edited for safety reasons. You like tea?"
Unable to stop himself from sputtering as she switched gears. She was admitting to teasing him, which pissed him off, even though she asked something relatively easy, more so that it was edited. Surging forward, he dropped the arrow and grasped her neck and lifted her.
"It is not a smart move to taunt a predator, Ka-go-me."
He growled this out. Seeing her eyes open wide as she was lifted to dangle at his mercy. While under his hand, he felt her pulse quicken. The way her tongue darted out to lick at her bottom lip made him let her go as if he had been burned. He couldn't' mistake what he had seen in her gaze at his actions.
"So, stories and tea?"
Grunting a quick agreement, he watched as she bent picking up the arrow and placing it back in the quiver before heading back to the entrance to her 'home'. Already Kisame couldn't wait to be gone from here. Whoever this woman was, he needed distance and quickly.
Pain shot through his body. That technique, double lariat, had hurt. He had felt his life slip away, the pain vanishing as his head was removed... Or so he thought. If he was fucking dead, why in hell was he feeling pain throughout his whole body? Could he not catch a damn break-even in death, or did he somehow get caught in that reincarnation technique?
Groaning, he opened his eyes, only to snap them shut hissing. Only to hear a soft sigh that was vaguely familiar to him for one reason or another.
More carefully, Kisame opened his eyes, allowing them to adjust to the light in the room gradually. Only to find that the light wasn't as bright as he thought. And that the place was recognizable.
Slowly he began to move his muscles, starting at his toes and working his way up to his body. Until his fingers, on the one hand, curled into something stringy but soft. Turning his head and glancing down to see what he had touched. He got a good view of wavy black hair and a pale face, peaceful sleep, laying by his hand. The thing that stood out to him was that the face the person belonged to had not aged at all in the last three and a half years since he had last seen it.
His mind was leaping quickly to where he was exactly. But how the hell did he get here? He had been fighting elsewhere and was killed, right? So why was he in the bed in this odd little treehouse with her sleeping by his side. Groaning lowly, Kisame let his mind slip back into the black abyss of sleep.
When he next woke up, it was because of a feather-light touch on his chest and neck — a cold, wet sensation on his skin. Remembering to open his eyes slowly, he saw the girl, Kagome wiping him down with a small white towel. He watched her until she noticed him. He is making her blue eyes go wide as saucers as she flushed darkly.
"Hey, stranger."
His voice cracked as he spoke. He was earning him a roll of her eyes as she shifted. The towel is removed from his person, as she reached for something just out of his peripheral vision. Only to reappear with a glass of what looked to be water in it. The gentleness she showed him as she lifted his head and let him sip at the water was a far cry from how she had treated Itachi — making that whole ordeal pop back to the front of his mind. So when he opened his mouth next, he could have kicked himself.
"So, what is your type."
The comical look on her face as she made a slightly strangled sound, eyes flashing as her mouth worked to formulate a response. Had him laughing, only to be sent into a painful coughing fit that made his throat raw and hurt all the way around.
"Idiot."
The softly muttered word didn't go unnoticed by him as she was rolling him to his side, leaning over him and patting his back softly. Once his coughing fit had ceased, he was rolled onto his back again and given a reproving look.
"Of all the things to ask, you ask that? Not how are you alive? Why you're in my home? Wow, I swear they know how to breed intellectuals in this world."
He went still at her words. He knew he had not misheard her at all. She clearly stated, 'this world.' Meaning that she was not from this world. And from the way she was staring at him, she knew he knew he had caught onto those words — a sad smile playing on her lips.
"I will answer what you asked...later, Kisame Hoshigaki, Monster of the Mist."
The breath stalled in his chest as she used his name and title. He knew for a fact he had never told her his or his partner's name. Just who the hell was this chick? What did she want from him?
"Okay, so why am I alive and in your house? I know I died."
The slight wrinkling her nose as she stared at him was cute...almost. He could see her pick and chose the words she was going to say to him.
"Because I saved you. Not really by choice. Rather divine intervention if you will. Stupid Kami's like to mess with me continuously. You did die technically. I was summoned to your side the moment your head was severed from your body. Blood does spray as the heart will continue to beat until it has no more blood or air. That is a bath I do not want to repeat Mister."
When she stopped, she shifted her body. Kisame heard the sloshing of water before the towel was once more on his body, wiping him down. He tried to process what she was saying. She talked about gods as if they were a real thing. That she was summoned to him at his death. There was no hint of a lie in body language or eyes.
"I didn't question me suddenly being pulled from my home. Just thankful I was not with a patient. When I saw you, I knew what I had to do in a short amount of time. I...put your head back on your body and heal the tissues and nerves. I then restarted your heart. You will find that you have to retrain your neck muscles. Then we were back here. Where I hoped you hadn't suffered too much brain damage. Though I think it was only about forty-five seconds total from the time you lost your head, and I had it back on."
Again she paused in washing him. Or at least he thought that was what she was doing. Her words were sinking into his still foggy brain. He had died, via losing his head. Check. She had been brought to him by the 'gods'. Check. She had saved his life. Check. But it still seemed so impossible.
"Kisame, you do not have to believe me if you do not want to. You can walk around in the world all you like. The Akatsuki or rather Madara lost the fourth ninja war. A lot of people died for his need to control the word because he was afraid of death. Though, if you do leave, you will always be ... Welcome... back... here..."
When she trailed off with what she was saying, he looked at her, seeing her face was tilted downwards so that her hair mostly obscured it from view. But he could still see the faint tint of red coloring her cheeks and nose telling him a lot more than her words.
"So... about my first question."
A light huff, followed by that soft chiming laugh of hers, filled the room. When she lifted her head and looked at him, he got his answer. Remaining silent, so she had to speak it.
"You, you stupid shark hanyo. Okay... I ... well... ugh!"
Hearing it and seeing her get all flustered was rather amusing. This girl or woman was fun to mess with.
"So that offer, back then, wasn't exactly a joke?"
When she stopped and looked at him. He watched her eyes as she thought about what he was saying. The pursing her lips as she went a dark red again made him quirk his eyebrows upwards towards his spiky hair.
"No, it was not a joke. But an honest offer. Humans don't do shit for my libido. They are too soft if that makes sense."
It was his turn to be rattled at her blunt honesty. Understanding what she was saying by claiming that ordinary humans were 'soft.' She was indicating that unless they had a Sadistic dominant streak, she would get no pleasure from any interaction. She wanted someone who could feel no remorse in dominating her. Making her bend to their will and beg for it.
He was giving her his trademark wide grin, showcasing all his pointed teeth. If she was offering, he sure as hell was going to take the offer. The returning smile she gave him was enough. Even if he left, he was welcomed back. And the woman was more than willing to bed him. He could live with this now that he was dead to the world.
THE END!