It Started With A Kiss (A Kisame Story)

Chapter 20.

The sun rose, its bright red rays spreading across the sky, acting as a warning and signalling danger.

Umi watched as the light slowly made its way across her room and over her bed, understanding that warning all too well.

She had tried to sleep, and there had been several naps—but she had kept waking up. She’d begun having visions; repeating the one she had had since she was little, but combining it with other images that she didn’t understand. With one she woke up abruptly, her heart pounding and panic clutching her heart, and she shook off the idea of going back to sleep; there was nothing she could do now but wait. For hours she paced, having one last attempt at figuring the whole situation out and checking to see if she had missed anything. If there was a place she should have gone to or a scroll she should have read somewhere along the line; if there had been an image in her vision that she had forgotten about but that would finally reveal what it was that Kisame could do to help her remain human and as she was. Each time she came up with nothing—like always—but still she remained pacing for a while longer.

Kisame was part of this; that had been obvious from the start. But part of it in what kind of way? What made him different in Umi's life? If the Akatsuki were going to be around, why hadn’t it been Itachi? Or even Pein? What was it about Kisame that made him the key? Clearly, he was unusual when compared with most people when you took in his appearance. It didn’t bother Umi and never had, considering she had been a mermaid most of her life; she knew what it was like to be half-and-half. Could that have affected it? Umi had never really asked about the way he was, considering it had never mattered. When she thought it over, it didn’t seem likely. But what else was there? She knew his chakra was a lot more powerful than the others, considering his huge chakra supply—he’d been called the ‘tailed beast without a tail’ so clearly he had a lot of power. Maybe it was something to do with that; but even if it was, what exactly was he supposed to do with it? Attack her? Give her some of it and allow her to take it into her body? Whatever she suggested, it sounded stupid; and yet still Umi tried to come up with something else. At least it made her feel like she was doing something.

But what was she supposed to do?

There hadn’t been any instructions on that, either. True, she had been given a scroll which she read when she was older, but even with what it said, it had just been the basics; the Henka stone would turn her into a human for a couple of weeks, and then once that time came, if she didn’t find the key to keeping her human, she would change back into a mermaid. But there were several things missing from that description, and Umi scowled, feeling like punching something in anger and frustration at how useless and helpless she felt right now. What time exactly would she turn into a mermaid? Would she have the full day to say her goodbyes and make sure she tied up all the loose ends? Or would it be like Cinderella; the moment it got to a certain time, she would immediately turn back into a mermaid? Or would she simply disappear; teleporting back into the water and remaining there? Umi didn’t know—and it was starting to feel like she didn’t know anything about herself or her situation. She was the one who had been the mermaid!

But regardless of what way she would transform, it didn’t make it any easier.

Especially when it came down to Kisame.

Because that was something else she had been panicking over. By the time it got to the end of the day, she was going to be a mermaid, and Kisame would have gone. All they had done together and how close they had been would dissipate—at least in the literal sense. But how was she supposed to deal with that? What in the hell could Umi say to Kisame that would help things along? It didn’t seem like there was anything she could say. Apart from trying to figure out how to keep herself human, it was the other part to her plan; trying to plan her goodbye to Kisame. Nothing she came up with appeared to be the right thing; not conveying the right emotions, sounding stupid and making her look like an idiot...just when she thought she’d come up with something, Umi would speak it out loud and suddenly it became childish and almost mocking.

Being a mermaid had put her at a disadvantage with so much in life.

Knowing how to say goodbyes was one of them.

Or should she even say goodbye? Her plan of keeping away from Kisame and isolating herself from him so it would hurt less had been idiotic—Umi would admit it. But focusing on the moment and what was around her couldn’t really apply here. Wouldn’t it just be better if they accepted the times they’d had together...the friendship they’d formed...and to have that fresh in their minds instead of a goodbye that would only heighten the sadness? Seeing Kisame's face and how he would react wasn’t something Umi was looking forward to; and she didn’t want him to see her as weak. She didn’t want any of the Akatsuki to think of her as weak. But if she stood there crying and trying to say goodbye without making any sense, then everything she’d worked for would just disappear from underneath her. She had to be strong.

Sitting down on the bed with a sigh, Umi glanced up and saw the sun still rising, signalling that the day would soon be fully starting. Soon everything would truly begin to awake—along with the rest of the Akatsuki and Kisame. Every morning she expected and looked forward to hearing him knock on the door and greet her; but this time Umi knew it would be different. Suddenly every action would be turned upside down. All the memories of times that had been good would only end up as sad when she saw them in this context. Biting her lip, Umi closed her eyes tightly and tried to knock herself out of it, but nothing she did seemed to work. How long had she been awake, preparing herself for this very moment—and yet nothing had changed. Still she felt helpless and powerless to do a thing. Paranoia took over at the idea any one of the Akatsuki could be turning up shortly, Umi's heart began to pound against her chest, and swallowing hard, she stood up once more. She needed a little more time to think, but it couldn’t be here; not when the others would come to find her. Umi needed to be alone.

So there was only one place she would go.

The lake was calm as Umi stared down into it and her reflection. It had been her home up until recently; a familiar place that was always somewhere she could return. But as she stared down into the water, it didn’t feel that way anymore. Abruptly it was a dark, uninviting place that would trap her in a world where she would never be free; a prison that would inevitably end up as her tomb. Then suddenly a whisper of a breeze disturbed the surface of the lake as Umi stood there, sending ripples across the water and causing her reflection to ripple and disappear, revealing the depths of the water below. Only it seemed like that would happen literally; that her very identity would be lost within the lake—who she truly was—and she would simply dissolve and vanish. There would be nothing left of her, simply an empty shell that the water had eroded over time.

Her attention on the water; her thoughts were too strong for her to be paying attention to anything around her, not noticing the shadows darting around nearby. They’d hoped this sort of situation would have come sooner; then maybe they could have done something about it. Umi had been their property, after all—it had been them that had turned her into a human! But they weren’t stupid; approaching the Akatsuki as a whole group was pure suicide; there was no way they could have taken them on in battle. So they had had to wait—only no opportunities arose. There was always someone with her; either Itachi at the start or Kisame as the days went by. He always kept an eye on her; taught her to keep on guard to make sure nothing surprised her. So the time had simply passed on by, until now—the only time they had managed to get her on her own; vulnerable. But it didn’t matter now—Umi was useless. She hadn’t figured out a way to stay human; she wouldn’t be acting like this if she was. But they had to make a decision; and fast. The Akatsuki could be coming any moment—and so they made their choice.

If they couldn’t have her, then they certainly wouldn’t give the Akatsuki a chance.