paixaorpg | Between Partners [Completed]

Entry tags:

Between Partners [Completed]

Character(s): Uchiha Itachi, Hoshigaki Kisame
Content: After an afternoon with AndrAIa and Marluxia, Itachi kicks back at the hotel and Kisame comes over to, ah, "hang out".
Setting: Actua Are
Time: Late Night
Warnings: Scary shark man and snarky teenager.

Posting on the journals was always an interesting experience, as Itachi knew quite well. As with his meeting with Zetsu, he continued to find people that he knew, or that knew him. It was strange, but not entirely unexpected anymore. After all, if this place had any method to it at all, it would never have brought his father here... barely six years older than himself.

Sometimes, he wondered if this place ate into one's sanity. He had agreed to meet with yet another stranger, had even told the man where he was staying. And the only thing Itachi had to reassure himself was that he was an ANBU Captain and could take almost anyone in a fight.

Itachi closed his journal and kept an eye to the door, waiting for Kisame, his so-called partner, to come.

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Kisame was glad he had a fairly good sense of direction; the city was very large, and even with a map, it had taken him some time to figure out where the hotel Itachi had said he was staying at was. Still, as he walked through the halls of the hotel--having terrified the clerk down at the lobby, as well as several maids and general passersby (must've been the sword)--he had come to the conclusion that this place made no sense.

After all, just how could Itachi have not recognized him? They had been partners for years, after all. Could Itachi really be from before all that? He hadn't even been in Paixao a full day and already it was confusing him. To top it all off apparently there was some sort of Akatsuki presence here, if Pein's existence meant anything to that bent. It was a bit much to get used to.

He arrived at Itachi's door and knocked. No need to be rude, after all.

As soon as Kisame saw Itachi, he would get the answer to his question. There was no way, given Itachi's height and apparent age, that he couldn't be anything but from before they had become partners. Difficult as it was for Kisame to believe, to understand, the young Uchiha was faced with troubles of his own, dealing with people from his future. They expected things of him, and it was hard to deal with the expectations of other people, especially when he didn't know them. But that was why he had taken to playing the game he did here...

"Come in," Itachi called to the door. He had a kunai out and in hand, just in case.

Kisame opened the door slowly; it wouldn't do to burst through the door and startle a ninja like Itachi. The voice was different than he remembered--not by a lot, but it was a tad higher, and it threw him off. Samehada was on his back, and he made no move to grab it; he wasn't here to start any fight, after all.

Seeing Itachi so young was, while he had been somewhat prepared for it, surprising. He remembered when Itachi looked like this--back when they had first started their partnership. It was nostalgic; it also threw him off a bit.

"Itachi-san," he said, and grinned a bit, hopefully disarmingly (though how disarmingly could he be with a sharky grin like his?).

Itachi watched the door like a hawk, waiting for Kisame to enter. He was surprised by the ninja's appearance, though he made no outward indication of such. A blue shark-man? Obviously the journals hadn't been joking with his appearance... And the sword... that was disconcerting, to say the least. Itachi was almost certain that it would rip apart his katana, if he even tried to draw it.

The shark teeth only helped to confirm Kisame's sharky nature, and they didn't really present a reassuring smile. Though really, what was reassuring about meeting with an S-class criminal in the first place?

"Kisame-san," Itachi responded neutrally. He made no move to get up.

Typical Itachi, watching everything and saying almost nothing. Kisame had almost forgotten how disconcerting a first meeting could be when you were blue, had gills, and carried around a sword longer than some people were tall. He was too used to Itachi being used to him.

"You're smaller than I remember," he said with a bit of a laugh, and took it upon himself to walk farther into the room.

What else did you want from him? Watching was what he did. Half the time, people weren't worth voicing his words. Except, of course, when he was playing a role.

"So I keep hearing from almost everyone I meet," Itachi replied. "I'm not sure what you all expect of me when I'm only thirteen." He sounded a little annoyed, though it was only with the comment, not Kisame himself. He didn't even care that Kisame was moving into the room. If it came down to it, the Uchiha would defend himself as he felt necessary. He doubted it would be necessary.

Itachi's watchfulness was a comforting familiarity, given the circumstances. He smirked a bit, relaxing his stance somewhat. "Don't worry, you hit a growth spurt eventually."

Itachi had always been hard to read, and having him younger wasn't aiding the shark-nin much when it came to figuring out what the Uchiha was thinking. It was only too easy to fall into familiar silence around him. But that wouldn't help now. "So, you've been here for months, you say. Just what's this place like?"

Itachi couldn't help but snort. "Like I'm worried about that." Honestly, he wasn't. If he didn't grow, he didn't grow. It would be an advantage to have people underestimate him based on his height.

"It's boring. People complain a lot about things they can't control, and do nothing about the things they can." He continued to watch Kisame, uncertain of what the man actually wanted from him. Anyone could claim to be a partner, and multiple people could always get on the same page. He didn't doubt the truth of that matter, but that still held no bearing on his present.

"That's how people are, unfortunately," Kisame said, and then, noting the way Itachi stared, laughed again. "Want proof? Let's see... You were in--well, are, I suppose, in your time--Konoha's ANBU. Fox mask."

And he grinned, perhaps a bit cockily; Kisame took pride in his memory for details like that.

"Hnnn," Itachi replied to Kisame. He wasn't quite sure he liked being laughed at. It made him feel uncomfortable, to say the least.

Silence met Kisame's proud statement. No one, absolutely no one knew which mask he hid behind. It was practically a requirement of being an ANBU--that you didn't share those details with anyone, including your family.

"...how do you know that?"

Kisame's grin didn't break; he was used to dealing with Itachi like this, at least, even if he was younger than he was used to. "You kept it with you. For infiltration, I'd assume. Proof enough?"

Of course, he hadn't known until he did a bit of poking through Itachi's things early on in their partnership. But Itachi said so little about himself, there really wasn't any other way to find out about him. Anyway, it wasn't as if he stole anything.

Itachi frowned. He wasn't sure he liked people knowing things about him that he hadn't even mentioned. It was... uncomfortable. And still, he wasn't quite sure how to react to Kisame. This man was too familiar with him, and it was awkward to say the least.

"Hnnn," Itachi replied again. He had moved to non-committal answers at the moment. The Uchiha really didn't know how else to react.

Kisame leaned against a wall. Perhaps he would do best to back off a bit. Still, Kisame was genuinely glad to see him. He'd rather be in a strange land with his partner than without. Of course, Itachi certainly didn't--couldn't, given when he was from--share the same sentiment.

"We've been partners for years in my time," he said, by way of explanation. "I've learned a few things about you."

Itachi gave Kisame a look. It was one that was about as close to funny as the Uchiha could give. Clearly, this whole situation made him uncomfortable, and moreso when it seemed that everyone in this "Akatsuki" knew him without him knowing them. It was especially awkward when Deidara was so... rude to him, to say the least.

"That doesn't make hearing it any less strange and awkward," he pointed out.

This would have been so much easier if Itachi was just a bit older--he didn't look much younger than he had been when he first joined Akatsuki. He shrugged, half-apologetically.

"You must be getting it a lot," he said. "Well, if there are other members here."

He really only knew of Pein's and Zetsu's presence in the city.

Itachi shrugged. "Entirely too much, to be honest." That was about all the comfortable familiarity Kisame was going to get out of him at the moment. "There are a few others here, I think. I'm not quite sure who, but I know Deidara is here." And that was something that sucked.

"Ah, Deidara-san..." Kisame smirked a bit, and shook his head. "He really doesn't like you, though I'm sure you've noticed."

Itachi deserved an explanation as to why, though. Ninja were paranoid enough without having what appeared to be undeserved hatred aimed at them.

"You're responsible for him being in Akatsuki in the first place."

"Kind of hard not to," Itachi commented. After all, Deidara had purposely kept his chakra signature masked and snuck up on Itachi when he had been blinded by the poison in the water supply.

"He needs to suck it up and deal." Honestly, such behavior was childish, at best. "He behaves more like a spoiled child than a shinobi." And that was exactly how Itachi felt on the matter of Deidara.

"He should, but he won't," Kisame said. "It's just how he is. He has no chance against you, though, and he knows it."

Because almost nobody stood a chance against Itachi. At least, not when he was fully grown. Now... Kisame wasn't sure. Kisame would just have to make sure Itachi stayed out of trouble as best he could.

"A lot of Akatsuki's like that. Maturity's rare, unfortunately."

"He doesn't act like he knows," Itachi pointed out. "In fact, he seems to think he's a big shot around here, especially with regard to me." But wasn't that the problem? Itachi wasn't fully grown. Hell, he didn't even have the Mangekyou yet. If Deidara wanted to kill him, he'd probably be able to.

"I don't have the patience to babysit children."

"That's Leader-sama's job," Kisame said. "And Sasori-san's, when it comes to Deidara-san. That's one of the reasons they're partners."

It worked that way often: Sasori kept Deidara in check, and after that Deidara managed to keep Tobi in line somehow--and it was Zetsu's job before. Kakuzu and Hidan managed to keep the other from going on rampages by taking it out on each other. Pein and Konan were almost identically stoic at times.

As for himself and Itachi... Well, Itachi may have been the younger, but there was no doubt he led the partnership.

"Deidara-san... Is just like that," he said; Kisame didn't mind Deidara as a rule, but Kisame was far more open to spontaneity. Which was why he was considering doing something extremely stupid... He was glad to see his partner, but...

"Neither one of them seem to do a very good job of it," Itachi commented idly. After all, Deidara was still a rampant child, with all the behavioral problems that went with it.

Obviously, he didn't understand the ins and outs of working with the Akatsuki. Nor did he understand how the partnerships kept everything in balance. At this point, it wasn't something he expected to know. Though if things were going to be like this in the future, maybe he would be better off on his own, and not stuck with a bunch of other people to drag him down.

"And someone needs to take him down a few pegs, show him that shinobi don't behave like children."

Kisame smiled a bit. Akatsuki could be hard to understand; just as one partner kept the other in check, the other had their own job to do. And if it was Itachi's job to be the serious, goal-oriented one, it was Kisame's job to make sure he didn't get too stiff, as it were.

It was a quick kiss--and he followed it up by hopping back a bit and preparing to dodge and sudden kunai attacks--but it was still a kiss. And there really wasn't anyone aside from Kisame who would dare try that on Uchiha Itachi.

If there was one thing that Itachi wasn't expecting, it was to be kissed, and by another man, no less. He swung out with a kunai before shock completely overrode anything else, to the point where it was more than evident on his face.

"What... the... hell...?" came the eventual comment. But Itachi still couldn't manage anything other than complete and utter shock.

Because he had been expecting it, he was able to dodge the kunai easily enough. And then, because there really wasn't a thing he could say to justify it, he laughed. Not at Itachi--maybe more at himself. What a strange place Paixao was.

Another hopeless shrug. Really, what could he say?

The shock faded quickly enough to the laughter that Itachi heard, even as his expression darkened and his eyes narrowed. Unfortunate though it might seem, he obviously mistook Kisame's laughter as directed at him, and that wasn't comforting in the least. In fact, he felt as if Kisame had only done that just to see how he would react...

Another kunai followed the first easily enough, and there were more in that one's wake. It was more than clear that Itachi was not amused with this turn of events.

Kisame dodged the next two and pulled out Samehada to block the remaining ones.

"Calm down, Itachi-san, I wasn't laughing at you," Kisame said--my, that was stupid, wasn't it? But Kisame was no stranger to risk anyway.

Of course, alienating his partner wouldn't help him. But Itachi would get over it.

Itachi's eyes remained narrowed, an angry red to match the teen's frustrations. Who did Kisame think he was, coming here and... and... kissing him!??? And then laughing about it! Did he really think that it would be okay with the Uchiha? That he was just going to sit back and take it?

"Give me on good reason why I shouldn't kick you out right now," he almost hissed. Almost.

Kisame almost sighed, though he didn't--he didn't want to start an actual fight. Idly, he wondered if Itachi would have to pay for damages to the room. No matter. He considered Itachi's demand for a moment.

"Because Akatsuki isn't going to leave you alone, and you don't know how to deal with them, while they know more about how to deal with you," Kisame said. Especially Deidara--the boy was obsessed with countering the sharingan. "And if your face gets all messed up you'll be much harder to kiss."

Another smirk.

Itachi considered Kisame's words. They didn't make for happy hearing, that was for sure. In fact, Itachi was more frustrated to hear them. He was at entirely too large of a disadvantage for his comfort and that was even more frustrating. Any move he tried to make would be easily countered by people who were more familiar with him and he would have liked.

"I'd rather if you all left me alone," Itachi commented. "I understand inevitabilities, but that doesn't mean I should be bothered now." He definitely didn't seem pleased. And as for the comment about kissing... well, he was just going to ignore that...

"I'll help you," Kisame said, and leaned against a kunai-free wall. "If you're going to be bothered you might as well have someone on your side who knows them."

Any shinobi knew of strength in numbers, after all. Even S-ranked criminals could have problems combating others of their strength. Kisame noted Itachi's careful avoidance of his second statement, but had expected as much.

"Hnnn," Itachi replied, continuing to watch Kisame. He wasn't quite sure about that offer, though he was certain that he was just going to let the shark man do what he wanted. At this point, despite having an arsenal of weaponry at his fingertips, he wasn't really in a position to forcibly remove the man, or to make him do anything at all. And obviously, he wasn't going to be left alone.

Of course, Itachi couldn't deny the benefit of having another person with him, especially one who seemed to work with him... in the future, anyway. It was just awkward and strange, and he was more than uncertain of how to handle it. In fact, he was almost convinced that he was just going to have to deal with this situation, whether or not he really wanted to. What other option did he have?

"Is that a 'yes your help would be preferable to facing an entire organization alone' sort of 'hnnn'?" Kisame asked, continuing to look casual.

And there was certainly no getting out of the Akatsuki situation. Itachi was here, and so were members who knew him, so it was imossible. "There's going to be a meeting soon. I could take you, if you want to learn more about it."

Also, Kisame really didn't want to go off and leave his partner alone. But he wasn't going to say that.

"Why don't you tell me?" Itachi asked. Clearly, Kisame knew entirely too much about him to know that his "hnnn"s held different meanings. And still, he wasn't sure how he felt about it. Then again, he wasn't sure how he felt about being around all of the Akatsuki members... even with someone to stand on his side...

"I don't know." He tried to keep his uncertainly masked, but it was kind of hard to do so at this point. There was something about Kisame that made it hard for him to stay completely on guard. The Uchiha supposed that it had something to do with how comfortable Kisame was with him, and how familiar he behaved.

"I detect uncertainty," Kisame said, responding to both of Itachi's statements at once. The Uchiha was not easy to read, but Kisame had been around him long enough to pick up on some things, at least.

"They'll keep watch on you even if you don't watch them," Kisame said. "It'd be best to know about them."

Kisame certainly did have a point. It would be strange to have people watching him, learning more than they already knew about him. The thought made him uncomfortable. Itachi could benefit from both Kisame's experience and his knowledge, he knew. The assistance would be nothing if not helpful... But it needed more consideration. There were pros and cons here, he knew, and he needed to keep them in mind. The biggest problem that he could see would be getting tied down by obligations he wasn't ready to undertake. ANBU Captain he might be, but he was aware of his limitations.

"I suppose." There was hesitance in his voice, and uncertainty, for sure, though the words were agreeable enough. The Uchiha still didn't know what to make about this situation, but he had to do something. Apparently, this was it.

Kisame nodded, satisfied with that for the moment. It would be too much to ask Itachi to go into this with no reservations--that would have indicated there was something wrong, actually.

"Usually we hold meetings via holographic jutsu," Kisame said. It occurred to him he wasn't entirely sure if that was how they were doing things this time, given the confusion of Paixao. "Do you know how to do that?"

Better safe than sorry, after all. And it wouldn't take too long to teach a prodigy like Itachi a simple jutsu.

"I see," Itachi commented. Not having to be there in person would be much easier than actually putting himself in danger by going. The very thought was preferable to a face-to-face encounter. "No, I'm afraid I don't know how to do that."

Kisame was right; it wouldn't take long for Itachi to pick up on a new jutsu. He did have the Sharingan on his side, after all.

"Just focus on a location while you're doing this," Kisame said, and moved fluidly through the hand seals--there was no need to slow them down, as Itachi's sharingan would do that job.

A moment later, a shadowy hologram of Kisame appeared and spoke. "They can be used over long distances, too."

Itachi nodded and paid close attention to what Kisame showed him, watching the seals with active bloodline and making note of how the chakra flowed. After a few moments to go over the seals in his head, he repeated Kisame's movements, creating a hologram of his own to stand beside Kisame.

"It has its uses, I'm sure," the Uchiha said.

Kisame nodded, and dismissed the hologram. Leave it to Itachi to figure it out in only a moment. The shark-nin stifled a yawn; it really was late. And Itachi's room had an extra bed.

Well, it wasn't as if he was planning on leaving his partner alone anyway. He sat down on the one Itachi hadn't been sitting on, and shrugged off his sword and cloak.

"If you don't mind, I've had a long day," Kisame said with every indication that yes, he was going to sleep in the room and no, he was not going to let himself get kicked out.

Itachi continued to watch Kisame for a moment before dispelling his own hologram. He was completely floored that the man had just taken it upon himself to take over a bed in the hotel room. Given, there was one more bed than Itachi could use, but still. There wasn't even a "Do you mind if I stay?"

Then again, as Itachi regarded Kisame, giving him an unamused look, he knew that he wouldn't be able to throw the big blue shinobi out, even if he tried.

"Hnnn."

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Between Partners [Completed]

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