A/N: I do not own Uchiha Itachi (Though I wish I did) nor Hoshkagi Kisame. They are property of Misashi Kishimoto. I do however own the gypsy girl (Later revealed to be the star of my Twilight series Raina Jade Yashikira XP) Enjoy!

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Rain, the only thing that is said to calm the savage soul. It can wash away sins, flood bad memories and bring grown men to their knees. One person this holds true for is Uchha Itachi, the nukenin of Konohagakure. Hardly anything calms the man anymore, except for a rainfall. Whether it was the fact that the rain hid his tears, or whether it cleansed his soul, no one knows. But, each and every rainfall, Itachi stood, face to the sky, eyes closed. His partner Kisame never questioned why, just sat there and watched him, wondering what always went through his partner's mind, but never asking. They had been on their way to Konoha to gather Naruto's Kyuubi when they stopped, noticing an odd booth in the middle of the road.

"Itachi-san, what do you suppose is there?" Kisame asked, eyeing the booth suspsciously. Itachi's Sahringan eyes carefullly floated to the booth, scanning it. normally he didnt care about things, but something called to him, beckoning him. Siletntly, he walked over to the booth, noticing as he got closer that there was a girl there, in front of ehr was a crystal ball, a deck of tarot cards and tea leaves. The girl looked up when she felt eyes on her and motioned for Itachi nd his friend to sit.

"How may I be of service?", she asked, loking at the gentlemen.

"Looks like a con artist," muttered Kisame, gainign him a sharp daggered glare from the girl.

"I assure you, sir, I am no con artist, I am a genuine clairvoyant. I can tell you anything you want to know, within spiritual limitations, of course."

Kisame gave a disagreeing snort and started to stand.

"Lets go, Itachi-san. We dont have time for simple tricks." He started to walk off when the girl spoke up.

"You're afraid of your sword, Kisame-san," she said, eyeing the shark-man seriously. "You're afraid it will grow stronger than you and refuse to work for you."

Kisame stood still.

"She's right, Kisame," Itachi said stoically.
"Sit. Let her do what she has to. If she proves to be a fake, she'll die."

Kisame reluctantly nodded and sat back down, eyeing the girl suspsciously.

"Go on, girl," Itachi said.

The girl nodded, setting away the tea leaves and crystal ball, and began shuffling the tarot cards, asking both to select three cards without looking at them, knowing full well Itachi could probably see the cards. Once both men had selected their three cards, she focused on Kisame.

"Name please?"

"You already said it," Kisame replied, removing his straw hat.

"I know, but work with me here," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Fine fine, Kisame grumbled, "Hoshikagi Kisame."

The girl nodded, turning the first card. The Hanged Man.

"I see you are in a bit of mental indesciviness about something, Kisame-san,"she stated, running her finger over the card. Kisame's eyes widened in shock. He had been debating a lot of issues lately. The look of surprise gained a quick glance from Itachi, making him lift his hat a bit.

"Go on, girl," Kisame ordered.

The gypsy girl flipped the second card. Queen of Cups.

"Hmm...I see deep-seated feelings, hidden feelings. Unrequited love maybe? Or are you just scared to say anything for fear of rejection?"

Again, Kisame's eyes widened. He had been holding in his feelings for someone and it was because he was unsure if he'd be rejected or not. Taking his silence as a signal, the gypsy girl flipped the third and final card. The Ace of Pentacles.

"I see success once your secret is revelaed, Kisame-san. Trust your feelings and believe in its power."

Kisame answered the girl with a disgruntled snort.

"Right," he bit out coldly.

"Enough, Kisame," came Itachi's voice, causing the snarling of the shark to cease. The gypsy girl then focused her attention on Itachi.

"Would you like me to read your cards as well, sir?"

Itachi replied by tapping the first card. "Uchiha Itachi," he replied bluntly, already knowing how it worked. Hearing the man's name, the gypsy girl froze, almost in fear.

"Whats the matter, girl," sneered Ksiame. "Itachi-san's presence frighten you?"

"Hardly," the gypsy girl fired back, glaring at the shark-man. The gypsy girl's cerulean eyes then refocused on Itachi's crimson orbs. "Flip the card," he said calmly. The girl nodded and complied, turning over the first card. The Death Card. Kisame's eyes widened.

"To say you've left a trail of death in your wake would be a gross understatment," she replied, caressing the card. "But this card tells me not of what you have done, but what you are afraid of. You are afriad of waht you cause. Death. You are afriafd of facing the Reaper himself, which is why you bring Death to others. To placate your guilt. To wash away pain and regret, like a rainfall."

Itachi felt his muscles stiffen as the gypsy girl spoke. Every word she was saying, every syllable, he knew was correct. Removing his hat from his head, he eyed the gypsy girl cautiously, setting it on the boothtop.

"Go on," he stated flatly, raising an eyebrow as she flipped the next card. The Queen of Swords, but it was upside down.

"Hmm...interesting. You cause so much misery, yet you care not for unnecessary fighting."

She knew saying that was an overstatement. anyone that had even heard of Itachi knew he didnt like unnecessary fights. "I see that you're one to stay in the shadows, waiting for the moment to be right. Yet..." She paused, tilting her head. "Yet...you're afraid you'll be seen as a failure, even when you had the idolization of your clan. You were, deep down, unsure of yourself and your abilities, afraid to lose the attention your skills had gotten you. You shun the attention...yet you crave it. You truly are a mystery, Itachi-sama. You tell others they lack hatred and spite and yet you yourself cannot seem to summon it up."

Itachi's eyes widened for a moment, then returned to normal. The Uchiha elder eyed the card for a period of time before refocusing crimson orbs on the gypsy. "What is the last card?"

The girl chuckled, shaking her head. "I dont not think I need to show you, Itachi-sama," she replied. "It seems a bit moot to tell you information you already know."

Itachi's head tilted slightly, curious as to why she was being so evasive about one stupid little tarot card.

"Show me the card, girl," Itachi ordered quietly, silently threatening to use his Sharingan on her if she didnt. The gypsy girl quirked a brow, shrugging her shoulders.

"All right, if you insist on it, but do not try to assassinate me f the card isnt what you desire, Itachi-sama." She was met with dead eerie silence. He could be a bit more grateful the gypsy thought.

She turned over the final card. The Lovers. Both Itachi and Kisame's eyes widened in surprise.

"What does that mean?"

"Well, Kisame-san," replied the gypsy girl, "the Lovers card means that he too is holding in feelings. I'd say though, that these feelings will come out in the open soon."

Itachi answered her statement with a snort.

"Allowing feelings to overtake jusgement makes you weak," he stated coldly, folding his arms.

"Oh here we go..Itachi-sama, you are always one to say there isnt enough hate, no? Hate is a feeling. Does that mean having hate makes you weak as well? Does it mean if you let hate and spite cloud common sense that one is just as weak as they might be if they felt something else?"

Itachi fell silent, eyes shifting to the ground.

"Being strong isnt about how much hate or spite someone has. Being strong is about believing in yourself and in your own personal power, and believing in the power of the ones around you. That, Itachi-sama, is true strength."

Itachi's cold Sharingan eyes focused on the gypsy girl for a moment. Her words seemed to be sinking in with the Uchiha. She reminds me so much of my mother...he thought to himself, standing and reaching for his hat.

"How much do we owe you?"

The gypsy shook her head, gathering her cards.

"This one is on me. All I ask is that you let what you have learned here sink in and let it mold into part of your future. That will be payment enough for me, Itachi-sama."

Itachi nodded, signaling for Kisame to stand. Turning their backs to the gypsy girl and her booth, they began to walk away, the mist covering their retreating figures. As they walked, the words of the mysterious gypsy girl floated through their heads repeatedly. Itachi and Kisame stopped at the gate to Konoha. A stirring feeling began surging through the Akatsuki pair.

Once Itachi put the guard to sleep, he and Kisame began walking through the gate when Itachi stopped, causing Kisame to wonder why.

"What was she talking about when she said you were hiding something out of fear of rejection?"

Kisame felt his blood freeze in his skin. Should he say what had been bugging him this whole time? Or should he keep it silent?

'Are you just scared to say anything for fear of rejection? I see success once your secret is revelaed, Kisame-san. Trust your feelings and believe in its power. Believe, Kisame...Believe...Believe...' The words of the gypsy girl kept echoing in Kisame's head. The giant sharkman closed his eyes, silencing the echoes in his head.

"Itachi-san, I did not want to say this because of our platonic affliation as partners. But it is time you knew. The gypsy brat was right, I am holding something back."

Before Itachi could open his mouth to respond, he found the sharks lips on his in a passionate kiss. A rush of feelings fliooded Itachi's mind and heart as the words of the gypsy now echoed through his head. 'Hate is a feeling. Does that mean having hate makes you weak as well? Does it mean if you let hate and spite cloud common sense that one is just as weak as they might be if they felt something else? Being strong isnt about how much hate or spite someone has. Being strong is about believing in yourself and in your own personal power, and believing in the power of the ones around you. That, Itachi-sama, is true strength.' Itachi's eyes widened as what the girl said finally registered with him. Slowly his eyes shut, soflty returning the passionate kiss. After a bit of time, they sepreated, out of breath.

"I understand now," said Itachi, showing a rairty, a smile. Kisame almost beamed with joy.

"We still have a kyuubi to find, Itachi-san," whispered Kisame, fighting off his urge to kiss the Uchiha again.

"I know, we should be going." Itachi turned to look for the girl with the booth, but both had vanished.

"Whered she go?"

"Gone with the wind," whispered Itachi.

Quietly, the elder Uchiha walked to where the booth once stood and laid down a small pouch, filled with money.

"Are you sure that's wise, Itachi-san?"

"Aa. She's earned it. Now, lets go."

Both men turned on their heels and entered the gates of Konoha leaving the mist and the money pouch behind them. As they walked, Kisame's hand gently brushed Itachi's and the two exchanged momentary glances.

It is said that one's heart can be frozen for eternity, but all it takes is one simple word or one simple action and even the strongest of ice can melt. It is said that one is lead down the path of destiny and that one makes their own, with a required push in the right direction when needed, of course. And it is also said that in the annals of time, there are no fiercer fighters and no greater lovers than Uchiha Itachi of Konohagakure and Hoshigaki Kisame of Kirigakure.

Two souls struggling to find their paths in life and to understand a different way of looking at the world other than through the eyes of blood and pain. Together they now walk a different path with a better understanding of the word around them and a greater appriciation of the lives around them. Though they still are bound to fulfill their misions as Akatsuki, one can safely assume that they now see another path besides the laid out road of destruction and death. One can also safely assume that now, Itachi and Kisame can see the other as more than work partners, but now as eternal lovers, sharing heated passion and cold destruction as they roam throuh this life laying out their own paths, and no matter where they are, together they know they are truly unstoppable. All they have to do is believe in each other. Once the soul has found its other half, there is no way to tear it apart. Beyond Romeo and Juliet, beyond Antony and Cleopatra, beyond Othello and Desdemona, never could there be a greater love story written than that of a cold-hearted weasel and a over-confrontational shark, scared to show their true feelings for fear of becoming weak, needing a gentle push in the right direction and ultimately forming two hearts as one. Remember what the gypsy girl said. Hate is a feeling. Does that mean having hate makes you weak as well? Does it mean if you let hate and spite cloud common sense that one is just as weak as they might be if they felt something else? being strong isnt about how much hate or spite someone has. Being strong is about believing in yourself and in your own personal power, and believing in the power of the ones around you. That, is true strength.