The last time she saw him, he was sitting slumped against a tree.

“They found you,” she whispered, coming forward out of the undergrowth.

He opened an eye and shifted slightly. “Yeah. Kirigakure hunters are persistent.”

“Are they around?”

“What, do you think I’m a damn genin or something?” he said with a mock frown. “I ran across the Fire Border, full tilt for Konoha. I figured that Leaf Nin were better than Mist, and I also happen to know that your ANBU is very territorial.” He coughed. “Not bad for a dying man, huh?”

She smiled a little and brushed her fingertips over the lines of his face. “Fifty-eight years old, Kisame? I think I see wrinkles.”

He laughed, but it was hoarse and it didn’t ring like it used to. “Yeah, well,” he said, shifting again, “Age finds all of us eventually.” He grinned. “Are those gray hairs I see on your pretty brown head?”

She frowned and reached to brush a silver strand away from her face, but he caught her hand and pulled her closer to him. His other arm came up slowly, and he twirled her hair gently around his finger.

“It looks good on you.”

She smiled a little and reached up to play with his hair in turn. He closed his eyes as she ran her fingers through it, sighing deep down in his chest. When his eyes opened again, they weren’t as bright as before.

“I’m sorry that I’ve got to leave you so quickly.” His face looked pale and drawn. “I just wish I could have seen more of you. Eighteen times wasn’t enough.”

She laughed and pressed his hand to the side of her face. “You kept track?”

He gave her a sloppy grin. “Eighteen times and twenty seven years. They were some of those little nice bits in my life.”

“I’m sorry you couldn’t have had a better one,” she murmured, smoothing away the deep lines around his mouth.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t exactly deserve it.” He looked up. “But if I did, I would have wanted you in it.”

She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder, listening to his slowing heartbeat.

“You want Samehada?” She could hear his voice rumbling in his chest. He tilted her chin up so he could look her in the eye. “She’s yours if you’ll take her.”

“I’ll take her.”

“Good.” He smiled at her.

She smiled back and held his face in her hands until his eyes closed. Then she pressed her lips against his, reaching behind and wrapping his lifeless arms around her, pretending that he could still hold her like he used to and that he wasn’t dead.