A Little More Than This (Discontinued)

Chapter 4

Two year old Mei dragged her father down the streets, for the first time in a year it wasn't raining and Mei wanted to see the village lively. "Heh. It's like you've never seen the village before" Kisame smiled. "I want to spend as much time outside!" Mei cried, she had perfected her speech with the last week, causing Kisame to swell with pride every time she spoke.

"Oo~ papa! What's that?" Mei asked pointing to a makeshift stand. "Hm~ oh that's just Ramen baby girl" Kisame said looking over to the stand. "Can I have some? Please?" She begged, her large blue eyes shinning with curiosity. "Sure! I'm sure you'll like it" he said picking her up and walking over to the small stand.

Mei giggled lightly as the man made some of the ramen. "She's beautiful sir. Are you her father?" The man asked Kisame, who beamed and nodded proudly.

"Thank you mister!" Mei cried, starting to eat the small bowl of beef ramen in front of her. "It's really, really yummy!!" She cried, now eating the little bits of fish in the meal.

"Thank you! I try to make it as yummy as possible for everyone" the man said bowing clumsily. Mei giggled lightly as Kisame, who had been watching the whole affair, paid for the meal.

Kisame picked up his orange haired daughter and put her on his shoulders, carrying her to the Akatsuki base for a nap.

"But papa! I'm not tired!!" Mei complained, wrapping her slender arms around her father's forehead. "But I don't care!! You need to have a nap otherwise you get cranky!" Kisame said in the same pouting voice.

"Papa that's not funny!" Mei pouted as they entered the base. "Yes.... Yes it is. Now I promise two cookies after dinner if you go have a nap now" Kisame said putting his daughter on the floor and crouching down to her height.

"Three, take it or leave it" Mei said crossing her arms. "Two and a half, and I'll get Konan to make Miso Soup" Kisame said. "Fine. Bye bye papa!" Mei said kissing the blue man in the cheek and running into her bedroom.

"You're lucky I was already making Miso Soup Kisame" Konan called from the kitchen, causing him to chuckle lightly.

~

Mei was running around the woods, with Sasori, Hidan and Pein chasing after her. It was the middle of winter, three days before Christmas, and Kisame had left her in Sasori's care, seeing that he was on a mission.

"Can't catch me! Can't catch me!" Mei giggled weaving between trees. She quickly lost sight of them and bumped into a small person, knocking both herself and the other down into the snow.

"Oof~ s-sorry!" Mei stuttered, finally feeling the crisp cold. "It's ok.... Hey you're pretty" the dark haired boy said helping Mei up. "Who are you? I haven't seen you before" Mei asked tilting her head. "My name is Haku! Who are you?" Haku said his large brown eyes twinkling happily.

"Mei! I ran away from my Nii-sans coz Hidan-nii was being stupid again" Mei giggled as a tall heavily bandaged young man walked up to the two.

The man was wearing standard ninja gear and had the same headband as her father, the slash running through the metal as well.

"Who are you?" The man demanded. "Mei! Who are you?" The girl asked tilting her head in puzzlement. "Zabuza Momochi. You should go back to your Nii-sans it's too cold for you to be out here alone" Zabuza said chucking her a thick blanket and prodding her in the direction she had came in.

"Thank you Mister! I won't forget you or Haku!" Mei cried wrapping herself in the blanket and running off.

"Nor I you. Miss Mei" Haku mumbled following Zabuza deeper into the winter forest.

~

Mei ran into the open arms of Hidan who was shivering. "Where the fuck did you go?" He asked. "I met two new friends! Haku and Zabuza Momochi!!" Mei chirped happily as Hidan's jaw dropped. "You... What!?!" He asked as she happily dropped from his arms.

Mei carefully wondering back to the base, with two stunned Shinobi following behind and one slightly impressed leader musing over the fact that she had charmed yet another S-Class criminal.

"Hey Mei.... What do you want to be when you're older?" Pein asked picking up the slightly shivering two-year-old and putting her on his shoulder. "I wanna be a strong Ninja like you and Papa!! And I wanna help people!! You know.... I don't want anyone to be without a mummy" she said mumbling the last part.

"So you took the notes I was gonna give Kisame?" Pein asked, a smirk dancing on his pale lips. "I was gonna put them back! I just haven't finished reading them!" Mei said sheepishly, letting off a small sneeze.

"Kisame is gonna kill us" Hidan mumbled, feeling Mei's forehead and letting a worried expression flood his face. Mei smirked evilly and dropped to the floor, running off again.

"MEI!!!! COME BACK!!!" Hidan cried running after her and getting a blanket to the face as she disappeared again.

"Yep we are so fucking dead" he mumbled going to look for her.

______________________________

Kisame frowned at his sick daughter, anger seething as Hidan, who had cropped the blame, cowered in a corner.

"Papa, I ran off, don't *coughcough* hurt Hidan-nii" Mei mumbled weakly, as Orochimaru checked for any signs of fatal illnesses.

"Fine.... But only coz you asked me not to" Kisame said shooting a 'thank-your-lucky-stars-she's-so-sweet' look at the sliver haired nin, who ran off to hide somewhere.

"I'm going to need to take sssome blood to be absssolutely sssure, but I think sshe'ss just got the flu Kisssame" Orochimaru hissed, earning a weak chuckle from the little Tangerine head. "See, nothing to *coughcoughcough* worry about papa" Mei muttered, flinching slightly was Orochimaru stuck the sharp needle into her soft skin.

"Ok baby girl. Just rest a bit ok? It'll help Papa rest easy" Kisame said placing a hand on Mei's deep orange head. Mei coughed wettly before nodding and rolling onto her side, falling asleep instantly.

Kisame smiled and sat down next to his daughter, creasing her cheek and humming a lullaby. Orochimaru watched in amusement before turning and leaving, walking briskly back to his lab below the Base.

"Orochimaru-Sama should you really be doing this to Imōto-chan? I mean she's only two" Kabuto asked, a flicker of sadness shine in his glassed onyx eyes. "Do not worry Kabuto..... I will not harm Mei. Ssshe is too preciousss to me and the resst of thesse idiotic ninja" Orochimaru explained pulling out the flask of blood and a small scroll.

"Luckily the blood can be Reussed" He hissed pouring the blood on the scroll and allowing it to bubble and churn.

"Nothing out of the ordinary! She just has a bad bout of the flu" Kabuto sighed, relief spreading across his face. "Yesss it isss..... Her blood type isss impeccable too, ssshe'd make an exsscellent vesssel if I wanted to head down that path" Orochimaru said, shaking the idea his from head.

No, he would never harm Mei..... She was just too innocent. She was just too special.