She could feel his heart beating under her hands and she looked in his eyes and waited for his answer. Instead of speaking, Kisame wrapped his arms around her and rested his forehead on hers.

"If this is a genjutsu remind me to thank Itachi" he said softly. She smiled and chuckled, "it's not" as she kissed him. Kisame felt her lips on his and he kissed back tenderly, his hands resting on her hips. She broke the kiss, breathing a little heavily, and wrapped her arms around Kisame's neck. "What happened?" He asked and she told him everything up to this point. "Madara hey? I guess I'll have to keep an eye out for him" he said, grinning.

Kay hopped onto the counter and picked up his tea and sipped it. "If you wanted some you could've just asked" he teased leaning forward to kiss her again. She laughed and said "I came here to get a drink and got distracted by you" "Excuses, excuses" he said.

Kisame pulled back and looked at her while rubbing the back of his head. "You know, we kinda did everything backwards" he said, looking away. "Can I- can I take you on a date?" He asked with a light blush dusting his cheeks. Kay smiled and hopped off the counter, "I'd love it" she said as she kissed his cheek and left, heading back to bed. Kisame smiled and went to grab his tea before he realized that she had absconded with it. "Disgusting" Sasori said from his dark corner, sipping his tea.

"C'mon! Hit me! Come at me like you want to kill me!" Shinju stopped mid-attack and lowered her kunais. "You're going to have to get over the whole 'I died' thing, ok? We've got to get stronger if we're going to kill jinchuriki" Kay said and dropped back into fighting stance.

Shinju narrowed her eyes and with her chakra focused on her feet, she quickly lunged at Kay, slicing with her kunai. Kay blocked the attack but had her feet swept out from under her. She groaned as her back hit the dirt and she had seconds to realize that a kunai was coming for her. She got to her feet and jumped away, the kunai slicing her top. She landed several feet back from Shinju who was waiting to see what her move would be.

Kay crouched down and narrowed her eyes. She wove hand signs, "FIRE STYLE: DUAL DRAGONS!" she said as two large, serpentine fire dragons headed towards Shinju. "WATER STYLE: WATER DRAGONS!" she said as she watched them collide with Kay's dragons, enveloping the two in steam.

"Good counter" Kay complimented while gripping a kunai. She scanned around trying to locate Shinju's chakra but was sensing nothing. Almost too late she heard the whistling of an incoming projectile and jumped to the side, seeing a senbon pass by. "Those had better not be poisoned!" She yelled and heard laughter in response. "Fucking mist!" Kay growled using her wind style to dispel the mist.

No sooner had the mist cleared when she heard "WATER STYLE: WATER NEEDLES!" "FIRE STYLE: FIRE WALL!" The needles disintegrated when they impacted the wall. Kay looked around, getting frustrated. "Where the fuck did you go?!" "Up here!" Shinju said brightly from on top of the waterfall she was standing on. She wove hand signs, smirked evilly, and said "WATER STYLE: TSUNAMI!" Kay watched the wall of water descend on her. "Fuck me" she muttered before she was swept away.

"Good counters kiddo. You've improved" Kay said while wringing out her hair. Shinju smiled as she helped the other woman out of the river and onto the bank. "Which jinchuriki do you think we'll get?" She asked. "It had better not be the fucking water one," Kay grumbled, "but that would be a waste of our skills. Maybe the Seven Tails? Hard to say, don't worry too much about it" she said as she laid down, folding her arms behind her head.

Shinju looked at the sky and watched a few clouds pass before speaking. "Do you think we'll go to war?" She asked. "Definitely. Attacking the hosts like we are planning is a hostile act and will be interpreted as an act of war," Kay looked at Shinju, "we're going to war with everyone, not just the Great Nations" she said and stood up, offering a hand to Shinju.
They began walking back to the base discussing strategies and counter strategies.

"Shinju" Kakuzu growled when he caught sight of her in the corridor. She paused and looked at him, "what?"  "I would like to talk to you. Please." He said. Shinju followed him into his room. Kakuzu turned to face her, his arms across his chest and his stitched mouth in a frown. "I know about what happened with you, Deidara and Hidan. I don't blame you for it but it makes me question your motives" he finished. She said nothing but she was becoming angry at his words.

Kakuzu approached her, pinning her against the wall and looking down at her. "What do I have to do to be close to you again?" He asked, tilting her chin to meet her eyes with his.

Shinju pushed him off of her and the force of the push sent him stumbling back. He gave her an angry look and readied his tendrils. "You sold me out and tried to kill me, all for money!" She yelled at him. "Then when I come back, you act like you've done nothing and all is well. Well, Kakuzu, all is not fucking well!" Her chains shot out of her hand and wrapped themselves around Kakuzu.

She pulled on the chains and forced him to kneel. "You once cared for me. Now let's see if that's still the case" she snarled as she landed a blow to his face. She kicked him hard in the ribs and he groaned but refused to bend. Shinju continued beating the man bloody as she released all her rage, disappointment and frustration at the situation with her and Kakuzu.

When she stepped back, Kakuzu was on his knees, bent over and blood spilled from his mouth and the various wounds she had inflicted. Groaning, he looked at her. "I hadn't realized I had caused you so much pain and anguish" he said in a low voice. "I'm sorry" he whispered.

Shinju knelt down and lifted his face with her hand. She brushed the hair that was hanging in his face aside. Tears spilled from his red and green eyes. "I've missed you, Juju. Please. I'm so sorry" he said as his shoulders shook with half suppressed sobs.

She got to her feet and went to the door, opening it. "I need time to think" she said as she closed the door.