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As a Hoshigaki, Kisame shared a certain number of characteristics with sharks. One of them was the ability to pick up on the faintest smell of blood. And for the past few months, there had been a lingering smell around him. At first he thought it came from the battles he and Itachi fought but it became clear pretty fast that the smell was coming from Itachi himself, it was his blood.
Kisame knew that his partner was hiding things from him, he didn't like it but he understood, as long as Itachi wasn't lying to his face...
One morning, the scent was stronger than ever and Kisame decided he had enough. He wanted answers, Itachi was definitely hiding something that seemed to get bigger everyday. And by the smell, that thing could be a threat for both of them.
"Itachi-san, are you hiding something from me?" Asked courteously Kisame
Itachi was sitting in front of their campfire, his eyes focused on the dancing flames. Without moving he answered
"Of course not."
"What's up with the blood then?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Kisame drew his sword and held it up threateningly to Itachi's face. Itachi slowly turned around to face Kisame, the sharingan spinning in his eyes. Kisame immediately lowered his gaze.
"Don't lie to me, Itachi."
Waiting for an answer, Kisame stood still. But he realized after a moment that he couldn't move. And samehada was not in his hand anymore.
Kisame understood, he was under a genjutsu. He hadn't looked into Itachi's eyes though, not even his index finger... Surely, Itachi had cast a jutsu upon him the day they met...
"You sly bastard." The word didn't escape the Kiri-nin mouth but Itachi answered anyway:
"Just a precaution... I was right to take it, it seems."
In the illusion cast by Itachi, Kisame was drowning, something that really never happened to him, something he couldn't even conceive... And yet, there he was, at the mercy of Itachi’s twisted sense of humor, unable to breathe underwater, his lungs burning and ready to explode. For one second he felt bad for all the people he drowned in his water prisons. One second only.
As he felt himself lose consciousness, Itachi's low voice resonated from everywhere:
"I'm sick Kisame... I'm going to die, if not by Sasuke's hand, by my illness."
Visions of Itachi coughing up blood filled Kisame's mind.
"I won't interfere with the Akatsuki's plans... So don't interfere with mine."
The threat was obvious in Itachi's voice, or was it? Kisame's brain felt cloudy, he couldn't really tell.
Suddenly he could breathe again. Air was blown into his lungs. It carried a strong scent of blood. Kisame's eyes shot open. He was out of the genjutsu. Lying on the ground, Itachi was standing over him. His mouth breathing air into his own, almost like a kiss. For a brief moment, Kisame allowed himself to enjoy the blood heavy air blown into his mouth.
When he finally pushed Itachi away, he felt more alive than he had in a while.
Itachi looked at him, his face unreadable as always.
"Alright Itachi-san, I will let you handle yourself... Now tell me, are you sure your illness won't put us in a dire situation sooner or later?"
Itachi's sharingan spun slowly in his eyes, mesmerizing Kisame again.
There was his answer.