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Kisame realized far too late that he was in too Deep. It was too late when Zetsu came with the news.
“Sasuke won.”
Two words had never made his blood go cold faster before. He had never been privy to the complete truth that burdened Itachi, he would likely never know. Kisame was aware of what he planned though. He had done his best to get Itachi to change his mind, to avoid Sasuke at all costs. But Kisame also knew that Itachis burden was heavy, it took it’s toll on his psyche and physical body.
He hadn’t missed the coughing fits, the blood that stained the red lining of the sleeves in the youngers cloak. The small things he had noticed as well, Itachi couldn’t look directly at anyone. It was rare that he did so at all but as the younger team mate got older Kisame had noticed Itachi was looking in his general direction, sometimes it was more obvious than not. His Chakra reserves were huge, the technique Itachi used to ‘look’ at people was sensing the general direction of their chakra. Kisames was wide and tall in every sense of the word.
He watched Sasukes team celebrate, Kisame put his sword back on his back. Suigetsu had been looking for a little friendly sparing, really getting to test out Zabuzas sword, though now it belonged to Suigetsu he supposed. The young Swordsman wanna-be promised that one day Samehada would be his any there was a good chance that that might become true.
There didn’t seem to be much of a point in continueing with the Akatsuki, the only reason he had been staying was for Itachi. Members seemed to be dropping like flies. The first to go was Sasori, then Kakuzu and Hidan, Deidara, now Itachi. The last 4 had been fairly close together. There was no telling who was next. Probably Kisame himself. Had to happen sometime, he was kind of surprised he had lasted this long having killed a mist lord and all. Kisame’s bounty was rather large, he was just good enough to evade capture, no matter how badly Kakuzu attempted to convince leader to send him in for that sweet sweet ryo.
Leader always denied Kakuzu the chance, Even if he had allowed it Kisame would have won that fight.
“What will you do now?”
Kisame doesn’t look at Zetsu. He just looks at Suigetsu, the big guy, and the red head. Part of him feels like maybe he should protect this Sasuke kid. Itachi was fond of him, Kisame was fond of itachi. He knew that no matter what Itachi would never let Sasuke face Kisame with Samehada or at all, and Itachi had always used kid gloves with him, using the ‘spare eyes’ as an excuse all the time. The shark was able to see through his lies. Pissed him off each time Itachi said it too.
But maybe he should stay with Akatsuki, Madara had promised him a world with out lies. A world with out the bloody mist, it would be nice. Itachi seemed to hint that Akatsuki might not be the best path for Kisames goals. He was inclined to believe him. There were a few things that didn’t make much sense, but the ideas were good on paper and at this point he knew that his death wasn’t too far off with the way things were going, he might just stick around see where it does.
“With Itachi gone I might spread my wings and see where it takes me.”
It was a lame answer but an answer none the less. It hurt to say. He had never felt like a dog on a leash with Itachi. They had a respect for one another, and Kisame was loyal to Itachi not so much the Akatsuki.
“Sasuke is being brought to the east hide out.”
Kisame shrugged, wasn’t his problem. Zetsu merged with the ground once more and left Kisame with the kids. Kisame had a soft spot for kids, probably part of the reason that he and Itachi had been partnered together in the first place. Madara didn’t want his precious… grandson? (Kisame wasn’t sure how all the uchihas other than him and Sasuke were related. It was a messy family tree.) To come to any real harm.
The shark turned to the east toward the hide out. It was likely that Sasukes friends would need assistance in finding the place. With Zetsu lack of instructions Kisame figured it was his job to make sure the idiot toddlers made if there at least some what alive. Even if it meant the entire way he would have to deal with Suigetsu fawning over Samehada.
The kids chattered behind him, Karin (apparently the annoying red-head) and Suigetsu didn’t get along at all. Not a shocker really Suigetsu would get on a lot of peoples nerves when Mangetsu was on the team, bringing his kid brother around. Then Zabuza with that Haku kid. It’s not like Kisame was any better, being partnered with Itachi. When had the seven swordsmen gone so soft? They had been the most brutal unit in the bloody mist.
It was a wonder how the mist was ever bloody in the first place if the most brutal warriors of the mist were sated by a couple of teenagers.
By the time their walk reached 15 minutes Kisame decided Juugo was his favorite, he was quiet, he liked that. Kisame and Suigetsu did nothing but argue over Sasuke and he was seriously wondering if Uchihas gave a pheromone that just made you want to be ever so loyal to them. It seemed like Sasuke always had atleast 2 people chasing after him at any given time. That 9-tails and Itachi, now the 9-tails and Suigetsu and Karin. It was weird. Juugo was probably involved in the weird Sasuke love harem but Kisame had yet to figure out how.
It would be another 40 minutes before they reached the hide out. Kisame only sighed as once more Suigetsu and Karin started another argument. He hadn’t bothered to pay attention to what this one was about. In another minute they’d argue about something else.
He did his best to block out the bickering. He thought about Itachi. There was so much about the boy- no, the man he had been partnered with for 8 years that had floor Kisame in so many ways.
“we are people, not fish.”
Itachi had made it sound so simple. Like Kisame hadn’t been compared to a shark his entire life. Like he hadn’t been ridiculed for these features, that most other kids had been scared of him growing up because he looked like a fish. Kisame had even adopted a persona he felt a shark would have as a child. It hadn’t helped with the name calling, nor did it help with Kisames ability to make friends. Even into adulthood he had been alone.
Sharks turned on their own kind. So that’s what he had done. He had killed his comrades, though that was pretty normal for the bloody mist. He had been rewarded for his service.
Then he had killed that village lord to get out from under Yaguras fist.
He maybe should have just joined Zabuzas little coup he had planned instead. See where that would have gone. Haku seemed like a good kid. He was quite. Better than those two fighting toddlers.
Itachi had treated him like a person. Not once in their 8 years had Itachi poked fun at his skin color, or his rather unique features. Kisame greatly respected Itachi for that and had decided that he would do everything in his power to protect Itachi, though he didn’t need it, so Kisame settled for doing the dirty work, such as fighting on command, or doing anything really that Itachi needed.
It worked for them.
Though now… maybe it wont happen anymore, the others poked fun at him for being whipped. They had never been ‘together’. Kisame respected Itachi, Itachi had been nice to Kisame. Or at least as nice as any S-ranked criminals could be to another.
“You never really know what kind of person you really are until death.”
Kisame stopped outside the hideouts entrance. He turned around and crossed his arms making sure that the team had all gotten into the cave alright before he was leaving to walk and reflect privately. It would take a while for Kisame to feel okay again now that Itachi wasn’t around anymore.
He would go back to being lonely.
Maybe in the end he wouldn’t turn out to be such a bad person after all and see Itachi again.