It Started With A Kiss (A Kisame Story)

Chapter 6.

By the time Kisame got back to the hideout, Umi had been cleaned up, dressed and bandages placed around her injuries, still sleeping soundly in her bed.

But Kisame wasn’t feeling quite as peaceful.

Pein had ordered him to come back to the hideout straight away, and had acted kind of stern towards it. He’d mentioned girl a few times, and Kisame got the feeling that something was going on that was concerned only with him; or better yet, something to do with the girl that was concerned with only him. A theory that was proven right the moment he walked through the door to the hideout. He had walked down the corridor like he would normally do, halting by the lounge door and going inside to see what was going on. But the moment he did so, everyone was on their feet, coming over to him and asking him questions. Blinking in surprise, Kisame could only stare at them in confusion and as to what they were getting at, trying to explain he did not have a clue. None of them let up, however, until Pein finally entered the room, telling them all to shut up and to allow him to talk to Kisame himself. So doing so, they all backed off for a moment, Pein walking forwards to question bluntly,

“You know her, Kisame; why didn’t you say anything?”

“What? Know who, Leader-sama?” Kisame blurted in return, getting slightly worried about where all this was going. But Pein persisted, never taking his eyes of Kisame as he continued,

“The girl we’ve been looking for—the mermaid.”

But at that, Kisame's face altered into one of complete and utter disbelief, almost wanting to ask Pein if it was a joke, if it hadn’t been for the look on his face. What the hell was going on here? One minute he’s walking with the others to get to a village; asking a few questions, finding out a bit of information...and the next everyone’s accusing him of knowing a mermaid. Shaking his head, Kisame remained adamant, responding as firmly as possible,

“I swear to you, Leader, that I have no idea who she is. I do not know, or never have known, any mermaids—why are you even asking me this?”

“She said your name, Kisame, right before she passed out,” Kakuzu cut in simply, Kisame blinking in surprise, finding it hard to bite back a laugh at how ridiculous this all seemed. Wondering how in the hell he was going to get out of this one, Kisame retaliated,

“But I don’t know her! Are you sure she didn’t say something that sounded like Kisame?”

Not taking no for an answer, Pein gestured for him to follow and led him down the corridor to Umi's room, everyone following on after him. Pausing in front of the door, Pein’s hand hovered over the handle for a moment, but with one last glance at Kisame, he quietly opened the door and led him in, making sure everyone else remained outside. Umi was still asleep, her breathing the only sound in the room for the moment, and instantly Kisame felt like saying they should leave; that it wasn’t right to be in there when she was asleep in case he woke her up. His eyes remained on her body as she lay there, unsure why he felt so strongly about this, until Pein jolted him out of his thoughts to state quietly,

“I’m not saying I think you’re lying, Kisame—but she said your name. Somehow or other she knows who you are. Go on; look at her. Do you recognise her from anywhere? From any time in your past? Because she seems to know you well.”

Kisame hesitated for a moment, unsure what to do, but eventually turned and padded over to the bed. Once again feeling like he should let her sleep, he sighed imperceptibly and leant over to properly look at Umi, starting to feel as if he should know her somehow—everyone was pushing the idea enough. But shaking that idea off, Kisame leant over and finally got to see her. Her long blonde hair swept over her shoulder as she slept, her chest rising and falling steadily while she laid there. Watching her for a second or two, an absentminded smile flickered over his face at how sweet she looked—but he didn’t know who she was; glancing over his shoulder to state simply,

“No. I’ve no idea who she is—I’ve never met her.”

Knowing everyone was as confused as he was now, Kisame glanced one more time in Umi's direction before beginning to turn away from her, only to freeze as her eyes abruptly flashed open. Snapping his head round to look at her again, Kisame was immediately caught in her eyes, suddenly unaware of everyone else around him staring at him in confusion; all that mattered was Umi. He couldn’t look away as she gently reached up and tilted his face to fully look at her, whispering gently with a soft smile,

“Kisame...”

Slowly she ran her fingers across his face, from his forehead, down his nose and over his lips, Kisame remaining entranced all the while. Suddenly, while staring into her intense, sapphire-blue eyes, he realised just how beautiful Umi was; a shiver running up his spine—as if he sensed something no one else could. There was something more to her than he had firs thought there would be. He didn’t know what it was about her; but whatever it was, it wouldn’t leave his mind. With only one look he felt like he could understand her completely; it strangely felt like he did know her, but not in the usual way. More like it was a soul connection, deeper than the usual meeting face to face and talking to get to know each other. It was a higher feeling than that. But as he stared into Umi's face, Kisame was certain that on top of that ethereal connection they seemed to share, he wanted to get to know her. He wanted to be close to her in the way that everyone had thought he was when she first said his name. Why she had said it—how she knew it—Kisame hadn’t a clue...but he didn’t care. He wanted her to know it; it made him feel singular that Umi had picked him out of everybody else around him. The confusion that had arisen within him had all but disappeared by now, and he simply observed silently as she finally closed her eyes once more, drifting back into a deep sleep.

Blinking, as if to get rid of the trance she had put on him, Kisame turned round and faced the others once more, feeling just as surprised as they looked. None of them had been expecting anything like that to happen, and for a moment there was silence as Kisame and Pein stepped out of the room and closed the door behind them, both still thinking about what had occurred. It wasn’t until Deidara finally began to speak up that things seemed to move back into real time as he questioned softly,

“What just happened there, un?”

“I’m not entirely sure. But Kisame...she knows you. You saw it for yourself; she treated you like you were close. How can you stand there and not know a thing about her?” Pein responded slowly, turning to Kisame in confusion—but Kisame looked as bewildered as everyone else, staring down the corridor thoughtfully. At first it looked like he wasn’t about to answer at all, until he abruptly shook his head gently, responding simply,

“I don’t know, Leader-sama. I know what she said...how she acted...but I have never seen her before in my life. I have no idea who she is. But somehow...she feels connected to me.”

Pein shook his head, stating that there was nothing more they could do until she woke up again when she felt better and was healed. Then they could ask some more questions and figure this all out. So—with everyone quieter than usual—they all turned from Umi's room and headed off to do whatever they had before, leaving Kisame standing behind. To begin with, he didn’t move, twisting his head to look at her door, thinking over so many things. Then slowly; hesitantly, he walked towards his room, not feeling like talking to anyone or doing anything right now. All Kisame felt he could right now...was think.

Because he was starting to consider the idea that his relationship with Umi was stronger than he had first thought.