Part 1:

How it starts

Episode 1: Meet the Fox

The sun had yet to rise above the horizon. It was but a few minutes before its rays would light the crowded city. Most people were asleep and the birds were about to wake up. Somewhere in a dark apartment, a phone began ringing. A groan was emitted from the bedroom where a man slept on a king sized bed, hugging a pillow. The phone kept ringing until the answering machine kicked in.

"Hello. You have reached Itachi Uchiha's apartment. I cannot take your call at the moment. Please leave a message," said the automated message before a beep resounded.

A strong wind could be heard from the other line, then a voice yelled over the wind. "Hey there buddy! You lazy ass! Pick up the damned phone! I know you're home since it's a week day today and I know you're awake since you're a very light sleeper!" yelled the man, his breath short, almost panting.

In the apartment, the man on the bed sat up and looked in the direction of the answering machine with his dark eyes, a smirk stretching his lips. "You wish, Kyuubi. It's still too early and as soon as you hang up I'll take advantage of the last hour I have before having to really get up. THEN, I'll phone you to talk to you," muttered the man to the answering machine, passing a hand in his long, black hair. He knew the man on the other line of the phone couldn't hear him, but it didn't matter.

"Iiiiitaaaaachiiiiii… C'mon, pick up the damn phone! This is the only time I have right now to talk to you," whined the man, Kyuubi. Gunshots started ringing in the background. "Shit… Alright, if you don't pick up the fucking phone in five seconds, I hang up and let the guys pursuing me shoot me in the head!"

Itachi's eyes widened a bit and he quickly turned to the nearest phone, sitting on his bedside table. Sighing, he hit the speaker button. "Kyuubi, damnit! What have you gotten yourself into THIS time!" roared the dark-eyed man, glaring at the phone.

"Itachi! So good to be talking to you again! Hey, you know those skis you gave me for my last birthday? They're great! Although I may be late for dinner tonight… Please pass the message to my cousin," yelled the man in answer, the wind and the gunshots forcing him to raise his voice.

"Where are you?" asked Itachi, passing a hand on his face and sighing.

"Uh… somewhere between Moscow and Hong Kong, last time I checked."

The black-haired man sitting on the bed raised an eyebrow and got up. "What happened? You should already be in Moscow's airport." He took up a brush and started the difficult task of untangling his mass of long, ebony locks.

"Well there apparently were spies in the jet I was on and I kinda had to jump off with my skis… I just called my contact in Moscow and he said he would take his own jet and wait for me at the nearest town from where I am. Right now I'm enjoying my skis with those kind gentlemen as they shoot bullets at me…" explained Kyuubi, right before an explosion went off in the distance. Far off cries were heard and the gunshots stopped for a while.

"Someone blew your cover, Kyuu?" Itachi asked incredulously, putting down his brush and tying his hair in a low ponytail.

"Um… about that… I might have gotten drunk sometime during the mission between Taiwan and Hong Kong…" said sheepishly Kyuubi, though he kept his voice high enough to cover the rushing wind.

Hearing this, the hair tie Itachi was using broke in his hands and one of his eyebrows started twitching. "You WHAT!" he exclaimed, glaring daggers at the phone.

"Well there was this hot chick, you see… I met her while under cover in Taiwan… Great girl, I tell you, with one of those chests you rarely see in those parts… I kinda hit on her and I met her again on the boat and she offered me drinks… and I kinda got drunk on that shot… and afterwards I figured she worked for the enemy 'cause when I woke up she was paying this big guy telling him to finish the job and all… sorry, Tachi…"

Itachi let out a frustrated sigh while tying his hair with another tie and then massaging his temples. "I can't believe this… I thought I told you to stay away from women while on missions! You do realise what you're putting me through, right?"

"I don't see what you're talking about, Tachi," said a dumbfounded Kyuubi on the other side of the line.

Hearing this, Itachi grimaced, feeling a pang to his heart. "Nevermind, you idiot. Get your brainless ass over here as soon as possible 'cause I ain't explaining this situation for you to your cousin. You can tell Naruto by yourself, dumbass."

"Of course my ass is brainless since my brain is in my head. Well last time I checked it was… Why are you insulting me all of a sudden? Are you PMSing again?" asked a still dumbfounded Kyuubi. The wind on the other line died down.

"Shut up, you stupid moron! I am NOT PMSing! And I don't know why I still put up with a birdbrain like you! So get your red-haired ass over here ASAP before I go to wherever you are and kick your sorry ass!" roared Itachi, stomping back to his bedside table and hitting the speaker button again, ending the phone call.

He clenched his teeth and his fists, closing his eyes and willing his oncoming tears to go away. His so-called friend really was a dumbass. On the other hand, maybe he should have told his feelings to Kyuubi as soon as he had found them out. That way maybe he wouldn't be hurting so much every time he learned that the redhead had been hitting on a girl during a mission… Then again, maybe Kyuubi would stop hitting on girls altogether if he learned that it hurt him… Ah he was such a fool to have fallen for such an idiot…

Kyuubi stared at the phone in his hand, still in a daze. Itachi hadn't been insulting him for almost a year now. It was something to have him calling him names all of a sudden. And… he sounded frustrated and… pained. Why the heck would that be? Their employers would get all the shit if the mission failed, which won't the case, and they wouldgive bullshit to the red-haired idiot, not the great, black-haired Uchiha. Shrugging, Kyuubi decided to not think further about it. He unlatched his skis and picked them up before running to the village ahead. His pursuers had disappeared sometime during his call and he didn't want them back on his tail so soon. He quickly arrived to the small village and knocked on the door of the first house he saw. He wasn't about to tell anyone, but now that he wasn't moving that much, he was starting to be cold. An old woman opened her door. They talked a bit in another language and she let him in, saying that a man would arrive for him in a little while.

Kyuubi took off his boots as soon as the old woman shut the door, and then went directly to the fireplace. He grinned gratefully at the amused old lady that was watching him. Kyuubi sighed at the warmth coming from the raging fire and took off his gloves, his hat and his suit. He wore a turquoise sweater and black pants. He brought up his hands and untied his hair. Long, fiery locks cascaded down his shoulder from a bun before he brought them back up into a ponytail. He looked back at the old woman with his natural red eyes before sitting down and presenting his hands to the fire to warm them up. A moment of silence passed, and then there was a knock at the door. The old woman opened it and greeted the man before her. Kyuubi didn't even budge, though.

"Does Itachi tell you how troublesome you are, Kyuubi?" asked a male voice in perfect english.

Kyuubi smirked but still didn't move from his spot. "Oh, he tells me often. Most of the time it's accompanied by swearing and insults to my intelligence, though," replied the red-haired man.

"Yeah, I figured as much. He must have certainly started insulting you again after you told him what you just did. Were I him, I would castrate you without thinking twice about it," said the other man, taking off his clothes as well and coming to sit besides Kyuubi.

The redhead raised a brow at him. "Why castrate?" he asked, feeling as though something very important was kept secret from him.

The other man sighed. "Were I in his position, Kyuubi. I'm not saying that I am. And if I was simply your superior I would simply send someone else with you on your missions just to keep an eye on you."

Kyuubi looked suspiciously at his contact. "You're making no sense at all, there, Shikamaru. And they say you're a genius."

"You're way too troublesome, Kyuubi. I'll phone Itachi to tell him to tell you. I'm not the one who has."

"Sometimes, Shika, I think you're weirder than my cousin. When can we go anyway? I'm not sure how long it'll be before they find my trace again."

"We can go right now. Though I'll have to stop a little at Guam to refuel. We'll take a bite there, also. Alright?"

"Alright."