"Itachi!"

"Shh. Don't sit up: you'll trigger the trap. Lay down." His confused partner obediently attempted to recline but stopped immediately with a grunt of pain, perched on his elbows, grimacing. He began to ease himself down but Itachi spared him the trouble by shoving the swordsman back into his lap. Kisame couldn't prevent a yelp as every muscle protested this rough treatment.

"That's better. Now be still." Kisame didn't have the energy to argue.

"Partner… what happened?" Kisame looked up at the famous eyes as Itachi gave an exasperated sigh.

"I said be still!" There was something amusingly maternal about Itachi's flustered features, but he couldn't laugh for fear of digging himself into even deeper trouble. A pain shot through his chest as he tensed his muscles to avoid laughing and grunted again instead. Itachi's legs tensed beneath his head momentarily. "You took quite a fall, Kisame… san."

"Eh?"

"Something in your arm is broken for sure and maybe a rib…"

"That makes sense," Kisame grimaced as he gingerly fingered his bloody chest. Itachi removed the blue hand and firmly held it to prevent further prodding. Kisame glimpsed slim threads tied securely to his partner's other wrist. He cast his partner a questioning look. The Uchiha wiggled his fingers, a smile twitching at his lips.

"One tug of this wrist and I'll blow up the forest." Kisame followed the threads' path: they twisted and twined in the branches surrounding the two Akatsuki members, explosive tags dangling from them like leaves on fall trees.

"But Itachi!" black lined eyes widened in shock. "How are we going to get out of here! We need to leave soon!"

"And there, my dear Kisame, you are gravely mistaken. We are not ready to leave until I say so. And I'll say so when I think you are ready."

"Itachi!"

"Be still!"

He blinked once. Twice. Several times. His waving vision stilled to focus on the characteristically melancholic slump of an all too familiar back. He coughed and tasted blood. He swallowed, making a face. A sigh. Sickeningly familiar.

"Don't bother sitting up. You'll reopen the wound." Kakuzu glared down at his shoulder where a crimson gash added yet another stitch across his marred skin.

"It won't reopen if it was sewn up properly," he grunted. Hidan turned, eyes narrowing venomously.

"You would have bled to death if I hadn't sewn it up at all." He turned away again. Another sigh. "I tried my best." Kakuzu's glare deepened at the tiny symbols surrounding them in the dirt.

"What, did I die and go to hell?" This earned him Hidan's full attention.

"Dead? No, I'm no that lucky." He gave his partner a withering look, which had no effect. Silence ensued.

"Did you get the bounty?"

"Like hell! How could I with you bleeding all over the damn place?"

"Hidan!" he strove to sit and put his hands around his partner's skinny neck. "How could you?!! We have to prioritize!" Hidan planted a foot in Kakuzu's chest and forced his irate and flailing partner down. Sigh.

"I did, you bastard! Now shut up and for Jashin's sake be still!"

"Where the hell am I!?!"

"Danna! Don't squirm like that, you'll fall off, yeah!"

"Untie me right now!" Deidara chose to ignore this command in order to steer the bird. "I SAID UNTIE ME RIGHT NOW OR-"

"I heard you!" Deidara tsked. "I'll untie you when I'm finished saving your sorry-" the wind rushed away the next few words as they swerved around a rock spire "-if that's okay with you, Sasori-danna. And you might want to hang on: we're going to land."

"What? What does that-" The bird soared straight up and then dived, coasting at the last minute to land smoothly on a plateau. Deidara jumped off and began to untangle the hastily made knots constraining the slightly green-faced puppet master.

"You cannot look me in the eye and say that was necessary." Deidara just smiled as his partner slid off the bird into waiting arms. Wood clattered to the ground. "Deidara! What happened to my arms!" Puzzled, the blond leaned to pick up Sasori's appendages.

"Oops… Guess he did get you…"

"Explain!"

"Well you got knocked out and there were reinforcements so I was getting ready to retreat and that swordsman took a last lunge at you… I thought he missed… un…" Sasori sat promptly.

"Fix me. Now."

"But I-"

"There's a tool kit in my left pouch. I'll tell you what to do. Start with the right arm so I can do my left." Deidara winced as he procured the pouch. "I'll do what I can, but no promises, yeah!"

"Careful!" Sasori fell over, dodging the screwdriver that Deidara had swung too close to his face for comfort.

"Okay, okay! I'll do my best but it won't work if you're squirming like that, Danna! Just be still, yeah!"