Red Rain.
Naruto characters belong to Massashi Kishimoto. Rain belongs to me
Before Kisame became an Akatsuki member, he was with the Seven Swordsmen. One day, after leaving a meeting, the Swordsmen were walking down the street in the rain and came across a small, pale child. The others wanted to kill it, but Kisame opted to save her. He decided to raise her as her own. I am that girl. My name is Rain, and this is my story.
Chapter One: Memories in the Rain
I remember where this all began, just as if it were yesterday. Thinking about this place, these people...it sure brings back memories. This is how it all began for me...I was 5 years old at the time.
The Seven Swordsmen were both feared and respected throughout the land and none as much as Kisame. I remember it like yesterday when I first met him. The Swordsmen had just finished up a meeting and were all heading home. It was then that Zabuza saw me. He pointed me out sitting in the rain, starving and alone.
"Oy, look at the runt. I say we kill it, put it out of its misery" he said in a jeering tone.
Kisame sighed and went over to me. He leaned down to pick me up, and instead of being frightened, I calmly allowed myself to be held. There was a feeling of safety in his hands. The others said I was either very brave or stupid, and laughed at him. He took me home regardless, and cared for me. That night Kisame decided to call me Rain, though I couldn't care less what he called me.
A few days went bye, and Kisame took me to a meeting with the Swordsmen. One of them, Raiga, insulted him by calling him weak for taking me in. I responded by taking a chunk out of his leg with my teeth. Raiga yelled and demanded that they kill me. Kisame simply called me to him and asked me to settle down.
During the meeting, Raiga made another comment about me, and shoved Kisame. I remember seeing this and walked toward him. I bite him behind his knee and he stumbled to the ground. Taking advantage, I crawled on top of him and bit the base of his neck. He screamed and shook his head around, but I had a death grip on him. Kisame told me to release, and took me from Raiga. I sighed, enjoying the taste of his blood. After that, no one dared say anything about Kisame being weak for taking me in.
"She is like an intelligent stray. If you care for a stray, they will die to protect you in return for the kindness shown to them" Kisame said in his soft voice.
Zabuza nodded quietly, remembering Haku, who he picked up a few days earlier. Another member politely asked if I was part of Kisame's clan, because of my teeth.
"No, she wouldn't be, because her skin is pale, not blue and her hair is white. Also, her eyes are crystal blue and large, and she doesn't have gill marks" he replied.
Zabuza merely grinned, showing his sharp teeth as well, and said that most people of the Rain Village have unnaturally sharp teeth. Kisame furthered the explanation by saying that there is a legend that the people of the Rain Village came from the sea, and the first two villagers were a human woman and a kappa, who took the form of a shark. Their offspring made up the people of the Rain Village.
The meeting finished up after that, and Kisame took me home. Zabuza trailed behind, and sat down on the couch when we arrived. He grinned at Kisame and shook his head at me toddling around on the floor.
"Ya know, that kids gonna be your Achilles heel. You'll get too attached to her, and one day she'll break your heart." Zabuza said nonchalantly.
"Perhaps, but...it gets lonely sometimes. Rain is good company." he responded.
"I know, but watch it Kisame. I may not like you a whole lot, but I respect your abilities. It would be a shame to loose you because of this runt." Zabuza said, ruffling my hair. I snapped at him, but he moved his fingers out of the way in time.
"I think you should give Rain more credit. She's certainly capable of caring for herself it would seem. I have a feeling she'll be more of a help than a hindrance to me in time." he said, scooping me up in his lap. Zabuza grunted in response and left.
Kisame and I settled into a comfortable daily routine, and got along quite well. He enjoyed his quiet, which was fine with me because I never talked. In return for this, he allowed me to roam around and explore. I was silent, but I loved to see how things worked, and to observe. His cooking wasn't terrible, and I knew how to bathe myself, and how to use the bathroom, and I didn't wet the bed, so all of those awkward issues were swept away. I'm sure Kisame was grateful for that.
I only had one nightmare, where there was dead surrounding me, and I was drenched in their blood. I was too scared that it wasn't a dream, but a memory, and didn't tell Kisame. I couldn't remember my past, but I was sure that dream had something to do with it. Still, Kisame seemed to know something was up, and whenever I had that nightmare, he would somehow know, and creep silently into my room and stay with me until I fell back asleep.
I know when people imagine guardian angels, they imagine someone dressed in white robes and wings, with a smile on their face and wide open arms, but that wasn't a guardian angel to me. Kisame was. He was big, and blue, and kinda scary if you didn't know him, but he was also gentle and kind and quiet around me, and he always calmed me. Looking back on it now, I suppose it was only natural he understood the pain of that bloody nightmare, seeing as he himself was haunted by the faces of those he killed. In any case, we got along, and all was well in our quiet little home.
Time passed bye quickly, and by now Zabuza had left with Haku. Instead, we gained a new understudy, Suigetsu, who was training under the Swordsmen. Suigetsu was about 7, and was nice to me. I was 6 by now, old enough to go to school, so Kisame enrolled me in the Academy.
I can still remember my first day of school with a smile.
I returned early, covered in blood, and smelling of smoke. I remember Kisame politely asking me what happened, and I told him that a boy in the upper grade was making fun of me, saying that I was too little to be here, and too weak, and that Kisame and I were freaks, along with the other Swordsmen, so I ripped his throat out.
Kisame said that students were killed all the time, so why was I home so early?
I shrugged and said "Since the other people in the class agreed with the boy, I killed them too. Then the principal said he would kill me for revenge against his son, who was the boy making fun of me. I didn't want to have to worry about revenge in the future, so I killed him too, and his secretary for good measure. Then I set the school on fire and came home."
Kisame stared at me in numb shock. Then he asked if the other students got out before the building burned down.
I responded "No, I don't think so, because I locked the doors behind me when I left."
"Well, are you sorry Rain? Do you feel bad about killing them?" he asked calmly. I could tell he was upset though. His gills always puffed out when he was upset.
I looked up at him with blank eyes and asked "Why should I be sad? I didn't know them, and they were purposely picking on me. Why cant people accept others? I want to be accepted."
Kisame shook his head and said "People like us aren't going to be respected because of what we look like and who we are."
"Well that's stupid; I should fix that, even if it means killing everyone that doesn't respect me. Then I'll show them all." I said, annoyed.
"Respect is earned, not forced or given Rain." he said.
I pondered over that and asked "What should I do about it then?"
Kisame shrugged and told me that he didn't know, but killing people to make them like you wasn't an answer. I nodded, thinking about what he said. He just sighed and told me to clean up. While I was doing that, he wanted to hear about how I managed to kill off everyone so easily. I told him it was the first day of school, it wasn't like anyone was armed or anything. They weren't going to hand out weapons until next week.
"So then how did you manage that? You don't know any jutsu yet Rain, just how to use shuriken and kunai." he said, gills puffed out.
"Well, you always said to never go anywhere unprepared, so I brought my own. Some of the older students had their shuriken, but only the elementary classes were meeting today." I said, smiling brightly.
Kisame sucked in air and told me I should never kill someone who is unarmed unless absolutely necessary.
"Are you mad?" I asked, sitting next to him.
"Yes. I'm very mad Rain. You didn't need to go so overboard, and destroy the whole school. Not to mention that you're hurt." he said in a low growl. That was his 'Rain, you're in big trouble' voice. I shuddered.
"I c-couldn't help it, once I saw t-the boy's blood...I wanted m-more. I l-lost myself. I'm sorry" I said, voice cracking, as the tears stated rolling down my face. I hated to see Kisame mad, and I really did hate when I lost myself in a fight. The sight and smell of blood drove me crazy. Raiga said I was unstable, like a shark on a feeding frenzy. It was true.
Kisame patted me and sighed. "Rain, what am I going to do with you? You have to work harder on that control of yours honey. You still go berserk around blood huh?"
"O-ok Kisame. I'll try harder."
"That's all I ask. Now lets go, we have a meeting to night." he said as he rose to his feet and started walking.
I followed behind him, wondering how much control he must have, being part shark, and not going crazy over blood. He had seen me practice, and seen how I got riled up over the slightest bit of the stuff. He and the others tried to teach me control, but I had little patience. I guess most 6 year olds do. Suigetsu was sympathetic, and would spar against me when no one else wanted to risk more bites and slashes. I wasn't particularly brilliant with shuriken, because my aim was off, but give me a few kunai and I was unstoppable...for a 6 year old anyway. I would hack and slash like there was no tomorrow, but Suigetsu would endure it for me. The boy was truly blessed by the water. He didn't bleed, only turned to water when he was hit off guard. When he wasn't focused, I could hit him, and he wouldn't turn to water, but even then, he didn't bleed. I think we were both grateful for that. Him because he wasn't covered in bite marks at the end of the day, and me because I could go all out against him.
Kisame brought me back from my thoughts when he opened the door to our meeting room for me. I wasn't really allowed, but I suspected it was about me anyway, so I took a seat.