Hi everyone! Sorry for my long haitus - I had to finish my exams and now I'm on vacation. I wrote this piece in the meantime. Yeah, I know I haven't updated Promise Me A Lie in forever, but I really don't have any inspiration for it. But I promise, I'll get back to it! Until then, please enjoy this fic!
Kisame wasn't sure when it started exactly. When he first met Itachi he seemed healthy enough; quieter and colder than was normal for a fourteen-year-old, but he did his job superbly despite his youth. The day they met at the docks, the Mist ninja had wondered if their partnership would be stiff, controlled by fear that each could easily kill the other. No, that wasn't it; Itachi could kill him anytime he wanted.
Those eyes could kill him in an instant.
At first they kept their distance. Itachi was polite – perhaps the most polite missing-nin Kisame had ever met – and Kisame in turn made sure not to bother him too much. That was the extent of their relationship. But as the years passed they grew familiar with each other, learned how much the other was capable of, and worked together smoothly. And they began to trust each other.
That trust strengthened their partnership and their success, to the point they were considered one of the best teams in Akatsuki. But that trust was soon to be tested.
It may have started after their failed mission to capture the Nine-Tails. Itachi had used his Mangekyo Sharingan twice in one day, plus Amaterasu, and Kisame began glancing at him worriedly. The Uchiha had told him about his deteriorating eyesight several weeks ago. That level of Sharingan was a curse as well as a gift – and Itachi couldn't use it too much without losing all his energy.
"Itachi-san?" he called with a glance behind him. The boy was lagging, he noted with concern – not a good sign. "We should hurry to the next base. We're still too close to Konoha."
The Uchiha picked up his pace with a nod, but barely got another ten meters when he stumbled, swaying slightly.
Kisame quickly caught him as he sank to the ground, panting. "I told you not to overuse the Sharingan," he chided.
Itachi gave him his usual cold glare that reminded him who was in charge, but slowly his Sharingan faded, his eyes returning to their original black.
Those eyes that could kill him in an instant now drooped with exhaustion.
"Well, we've got to keep going." Kisame picked the boy up bridal style, making sure not to get him in contact with Samehada, and leaped into the trees. They'd make quicker time that way.
The sword on his back gurgled uneasily, and the Mist-nin agreed. The boy was only chakra-deprived – a day or two of rest and he'd be back to his usual grumpy self.
When they arrived at the nearest base hours later, the effects of Sharingan overuse had set in. There wasn't much that Kisame could do, apart from get the child (for eighteen was little more than a child) in bed and press a wet towel to his eyes as he tossed restlessly, weak moans escaping his throat as the agony ravaged his eyes.
He should have realized something was wrong when it took longer for Itachi to recover than usual. But once the boy got up, chakra level restored, and reassured the shark there was no need to hover over him like a mother, he figured that was it. They reported to Pain and took the consequences of their failed mission without complaint. Once again they chased targets, Kisame made sure Samehada was always satisfied, and Itachi trained for hours at a time.
But then there were slight changes; Itachi began training less often, preserving the power that was his eyes for only when he really needed it. Kisame began watching him more intently after that.
The boy began growing paler than usual, growing slimmer despite Kisame treating him to restaurants more often. And then there was the day he came back to base after what he claimed was a private mission.
He looked like his usual cold self, but as he opened his satchel full of small bottles and began arranging them meticulously in the medicine cabinet, Kisame saw the mask drop.
Those eyes that could kill him in an instant were haunted by fear. Despair. Anger.
It was only for a second, then Itachi noticed him staring. The mask returned, and he shut the cabinet without a word.
The different teams in Akatsuki were allowed to share rooms. Most of them didn't, though. Deidara and Sasori couldn't be trusted to share a room without one or both blowing something up, Kakuzu preferred not to be disturbed by Hidan's strange rituals, and Pain…well, some of them suspected he secretly slept with Konan, but none of them dared prove their theory.
Kisame and Itachi had been sharing a room for several years now. As partners, they could trust each other enough to know that it was perfectly safe. Besides, though the lad hated to admit it, the Uchiha often had nightmares and the shark felt better being there to wake him up again.
This night was different.
Kisame was woken by the harsh sounds of incessant coughing. That was something new, and he slipped out of bed, noting that Itachi's was empty. The hacking, choking noises continued, coming from the bathroom. Slowly he opened the door and flipped the light switch on, and halted in his tracks.
Itachi was leaning against the sink, coughing up blood. His dark hair was undone, falling over his bare back and the ends dangling in the blood. Beads of perspiration trickled down his almost translucent skin, and he shook with the effort of each cough.
The Mist-nin stared in shocked horror. Since when did Itachi have this kind of illness, one so severe that it forced him to cough up blood? Suddenly the rows of bottles in that cabinet made sense. He stepped forward and pulled the boy's hair out of his face, trying to be as gentle as possible.
Itachi hardly noticed as he clung to the sink, gasping for air. Carefully Kisame rubbed his back, nervously aware of the prominent spine and bones in his too-thin form, and the Uchiha relaxed a little at the touch.
For several minutes more the coughing continued, although thankfully no more blood showed itself. Still shaking horribly from the ordeal, Itachi slumped back, not resisting when Kisame slipped his arms under him and lifted him up. In a few swift steps Kisame was in the bedroom, and he carefully placed the Uchiha in bed and pulled the blankets over his shivering form.
Those eyes that could kill him in an instant were glazed over with pain.
Kisame sat down opposite him with a sigh as he watched the boy curl up beneath the blankets, his labored breathing slowing down as he fell asleep.
Sleep didn't come easily that night.
When he woke the next morning, the few rays of sun that made their way through the storm clouds every morning had already emerged. The bed opposite his was empty. For a moment a pang of concern that Itachi had had another fit flashed through him, but since he couldn't hear anything from the bathroom he decided that wasn't it.
Soon enough Itachi came out of the bathroom, his hair glistening with shower water. Apart from the mauve shadows under his eyes, he looked almost back to normal. "You overslept," he commented by way of greeting.
Kisame managed a small grin. "Yeah, well, it wasn't the best of nights."
The Uchiha paused for a moment before his personal cabinet. "I apologize for disturbing you," he said as he got out a towel and began drying his hair. He sat down on his bed, avoiding eye contact.
The Mist-nin could understand that. He hated being seen as vulnerable, and he knew that last night nothing could have described his partner more. "It's fine." He toyed with Samehada's hilt awkwardly. "How long have you known?"
"About four months now." Itachi's brows furrowed slightly as he continued the simple task. "I found a reliable medic-nin who gave me the diagnosis. And the medicine."
Ah. All those bottles in the cabinet. "But it hasn't been helping."
"It has…but not enough."
Kisame felt a chill in his being he hadn't felt in years. The chill of death. "How long do you have?"
"Two years. Maybe three at most. Not enough."
Until now it had unnerved Kisame a little to see Itachi speaking so casually about his death, but that last reply was different. He could hear the frustration in his voice, a hint of dread at an upcoming fate he was powerless to change.
One of the worst kind of fates a shinobi could fall to.
"Does Pain know?"
"No." There was a sharp edge to his voice. "And I intend to keep it that way." He must have noticed Kisame watching him that morning because the Uchiha added in a softer tone, "I've already prepared myself for the worst, Kisame. You may come to terms with my illness however you see fit. But please stop looking at me like that."
The Mist-nin nodded as he turned to tend to Samehada. He could understand the Uchiha wanting things to continue like normal, and of course he had his pride just like anybody else. But he couldn't just sit by and watch his partner fading, as if he didn't care.
Silently he determined that if there was any way he could help, he would.
Months passed, and the duo never spoke of the matter again. But a sort of silent agreement had passed between them, the sort that could not be put into words but had just as much meaning.
Itachi would never ask for help. He was too proud for that. But he accepted without a word Kisame's offers of support when a coughing fit seized him, ice packs when the pain in his eyes flared up, and suggestions of medical remedies he'd heard of that might help.
During the day and in the presence of other Akatsuki members, the Uchiha acted the part of his cold, calculating self. He played that role so well if Kisame hadn't known about the vulnerable man beneath the mask, he would have never noticed any change. Missions continued as usual; and Itachi continued his daily training - both alone and with other members - with that same swift efficiency.
But at night he let that mask drop. Kisame knew his days were numbered, so there was no point in hiding it any longer. The Mist-nin often woke at night to hear him coughing violently, his lungs screaming for air as more of his strength was sapped away. When that happened, the shark would get up and make sure he was in bed, rub his back and get a glass of water if he wanted it. Sometimes Itachi pushed him away and curled up in bed to fight his losing battle alone; other times he let himself be comforted by Kisame's presence, sometimes gripping his hand as the pain overtook him.
Those eyes that could kill him in an instant were losing their light.
"I can send Pain a request to give us separate rooms," Itachi offered after he'd woken Kisame up one too many times.
Kisame shook his head. "I don't mind, really. Besides," he added with a grin, "Someone's gotta watch my back at night. The more the merrier, right?"
He could have sworn he saw the Uchiha smile.
It was several weeks later that the Mist-nin met with one of Akatsuki's informants, and in a moment of off-hand conversation, discovered there was a forest not too far away from the base they were staying at where Eyebright could be found. It was a medicinal herb that was extremely rare, but did wonders to heal damaged eyes. He'd heard of it before, wondered briefly if there was a way to procure a little for Itachi, but had been too busy to look into it further. Now that he knew where to find it, now seemed like a good time to do so.
The next day he informed the Uchiha he was going on some private business and headed off to the forest. It was a good half-day's journey away, and when he got there it took hours to find the exact spot where the Eyebright grew. By the time he did find it and gathered enough to last a while, the sun was beginning to set. It couldn't be helped, he figured with a shrug, and set off back to base.
The trip took longer than it should have, partly because it was dark and he didn't have the Sharingan to see for him, partly because a team of Rock ninja chose this moment to try to attack him. Normally Itachi handled small attacks like this – using the Sharingan to send them to a swift but equally painful death – but this time, to his satisfaction, he could handle it on his own. Less than an hour later, the team was dead. Kisame wiped the blood off Samehada's hilt with a smirk and continued on his way after taking a short rest.
It was nearly dawn by the time he got back to base. Looking forward to a nice long rest, the Mist-nin strode through the halls to where he knew his apartment would be. He was about to enter when he stopped at the sound of voices behind the door. Itachi and…he wasn't sure what the other one was. Pain? Some other associate of his? He instinctively reached for Samehada as he pressed his ear to the door.
"-can't hide him from me forever, boy. You've been stalling things long enough as it is."
"He's not ready." That was Itachi's voice. "When he is ready, he will find me."
"Can you guarantee that?" The voice was growing irritated.
"No. He won't join us. Not if he knew what I know about you, Madara."
A sharp slap. Kisame slammed the door open to see Itachi glaring daggers at…Tobi?
"What the hell's going on here, Tobi?" the shark growled, his eyes darting between Itachi (who had a noticeable bruise darkening his cheek) and the new recruit with the cheery orange mask.
"I…I…" Tobi suddenly sounded like himself again. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I think maybe it's the weather. I'm so sorry, Itachi-san!" There was a slight mocking lilt to that last part, and Kisame didn't like it.
"Think nothing of it," the Uchiha replied. His voice was like ice. "Now get out of my sight."
The masked Akatsuki quickly bowed and disappeared. Kisame waited approximately five seconds after Tobi was gone before turning on Itachi.
"What did he want? I never thought he'd lose his temper like that."
Itachi huffed ruefully as he rubbed his cheek. "There's more to him than meets the eye. Was your mission successful?"
Kisame nodded and held out his satchel. Giving him a questioning look, Itachi opened the satchel while the shark cleaned Samehada.
"You got…Eyebright?"
"Yeah." The Mist-nin carried on cleaning. He figured the Uchiha would know how to use the herb to its full potential. Near him he could hear his partner unpacking the satchel and spreading the contents out on his bed.
For a while neither of them said anything. When Itachi broke the silence it was with one word: "Why?"
It was heavily veiled, but Kisame could feel the real question behind it. Why did you go out of the way to get this for me? What do you want in exchange?
He clicked his teeth with a faint chuckle and turned his attention to his partner. "If your eyes fail while we're on a mission, it will be inconvenient for all of us. I heard the stuff was available nearby, so I figured why not, since we're here anyway." The shark put Samehada away and stretched his back. "Just use it all the way you know best and get stronger, and I'll be satisfied."
Itachi nodded, his expression unchanged as he set aside a portion of the leaves to use immediately, then carefully wrapped the rest up in paper to store. "You needn't have troubled yourself, Kisame," he replied, placing the precious package in his cabinet. "I'm not blind yet."
Kisame grinned and stood up, discarding his cape. "I'm gonna take a shower," he called over his shoulder as he began to stride off.
"Stop." A thin hand on his shoulder, fixing him in place. "You're injured."
"Huh? Oh, that." Kisame glanced down at his sleeve, which was crusted with dried blood. "I had a run-in with some Rock-nin on the way here. It's not bad."
"Let me see." Itachi got out the medical kit as Kisame sat down. Carefully the pale hands ran over the slash, assessing the damage, and cleaning off the excess blood. The shark watched him silently work, his movements swift and almost painless. For a second there was a lull in the process, and Itachi's eyes met his.
Those eyes that could kill him in an instant gave him all the thanks he could have asked for.
Kisame just grinned and leaned back in his seat contentedly, and the Uchiha gave him a faint smile in return.
It seemed to Kisame after a while that perhaps Itachi's eye condition and illness could be connected. His eyesight improved drastically after taking Eyebright, and he seemed to get stronger as well. The nightly fits became less frequent, and some of his color came back. Hopefully, the shark mused, if he kept taking the herbal medicine for a year or so, he'd recover completely. He'd been ill for over two years now, so it would take time.
But of course, the Eyebright ran out eventually. The Mist-nin had been planning to make another trip to that forest to get more, but Akatsuki began to move. The plan was to begin to capture each of the nine Jinchuuriki and extract the Bijuu to keep under their control. That was why all nine members of Akatsuki would be assembling at the main base, to begin preparing for these new missions.
Itachi told him not to fret about it, that he would manage on his own, and for a time he did. But as time passed his health began to decline rapidly, due to using his Mangekyo Sharingan much more often. Kisame found himself eyeing the Uchiha often as he trained feverishly, pushing himself to the limits until he'd fall to his knees, gripping his head.
He knew that day would come eventually, but it was still a shock when Itachi walked into the kitchen of the apartment they shared and simply stated, "I'm blind."
"W-what?" Kisame nearly spit out his sake. "Completely?"
"I can see outlines of things, colors if they're bright enough. And with my Sharingan activated, I can tell things apart by their flow of chakra." The Uchiha pulled up a chair and sat down. "I thought you should know so we can adjust our mission tactics."
"Forget the mission tactics, what about you? Are you going to be alright?"
"I don't need your pity, Kisame. Of course I'll be alright. We don't even need to adjust our tactics if it bothers you that much."
"It's not that I pity you, I don't. I just mean…we should be fine in team combat, but what about single combat? What about your brother?"
An almost unnoticeable shadow crossed those dark eyes. "I'll think about it when the time comes. But that's not our objective right now."
Those eyes that could kill him in an instant carried quiet bravery as they locked with his. Itachi squinted a little, then tentatively reached across the table to him.
Kisame sat still as the boy's thin fingers carefully traced over his gills, memorizing the pattern and touch of his rough skin.
The months flew as Akatsuki's plan began in earnest. Every member, having honed their skills to the best of their ability, put their all into this ultimate mission. And their efforts brought results – in those few short months, they'd captured all but the final two Bijuu.
But their success came with sacrifices.
Sasori was dead – killed by Leaf shinobi.
Deidara was dead – having blown himself up in a fit of pride when battling Itachi's brother.
Hidan and Kakuzu were both dead – again, thanks to the combined efforts of Leaf ninja and Konoha's Jinchuuriki, Naruto Uzumaki.
Now, Pain was preparing to lead an assault on Konoha; the Leaf had given them the most opposition so far, so if it was destroyed their plan would go much more smoothly. Konan was working with him on their battle strategies back at the main base. Tobi and Zetsu were constantly moving from place to place.
Right now, Kisame and Itachi were residing in a hidden room in an old Uchiha base. The shark had already moved his belongings to an inn in the next town, and so he stayed seated, watching his partner rest.
Over these last few months, Itachi had begun making changes to his routine; always arranging his belongings and other items in the same places at each base (Deidara used to sneak in and rearrange things on purpose, but after a 'talk' from the disgruntled shark was forced to stop), so he wouldn't have to fumble without his Sharingan. He often kept it deactivated when the two were alone, to preserve his chakra supply, he claimed. But Kisame was sure it was because he trusted the shark enough to watch his back.
He wondered what the Uchiha was thinking right now. Non-lethal strategies to defeat his little brother, perhaps? He'd only met the boy once, years ago – a smaller version of Itachi, but with eyes seething with hatred. If Itachi planned to recruit him to Akatsuki, he would be a valuable asset.
The dark eyes slowly opened as his partner formed a hand seal, releasing the shadow clones he'd sent out earlier.
"What did you find?" Kisame asked.
Itachi rubbed his eyes, squinting. The dark shadows under them had grown deeper of late. "I found Sasuke," he replied. "He's on his way."
A few hours. That was all the time left until the two brothers confronted each other.
The Uchiha got up, but almost immediately doubled over, one hand clamped over his mouth as hacking coughs shook his frame. Blood trickled between his fingers, and Kisame hastened to help him sit back down. He slipped an arm around Itachi's shoulders to steady him as the fit slowly passed.
"I'm fine," his partner muttered as he gazed down at his bloodstained hand in disdain. "I stood up too quickly, that's all."
"Normal people don't start coughing blood just from standing up, you know," the Mist-nin snarked as he passed him a towel. "I'll get your medicine, just tell me which ones."
"All the ones I brought with me."
Kisame got out about six small bottles from the Uchiha's satchel and carried them to the bed. Itachi took them with a nod and began emptying out pills, a larger amount than what he normally took. Accepting the glass of water the shark held out, he began taking the pills while Kisame readied Samehada.
Once he was done Itachi pulled on his headband and dark cloak, and so did Kisame. They stood facing each other, unsure what to say. Kisame was the only one who knew Itachi would not meet up with him that night.
His partner seemed relieved that he knew. It meant he didn't have to pretend he was going to survive.
"I just realized I've never asked you for any favors during our partnership," Itachi said quietly, his eyes darting up to meet Kisame's.
"I noticed. Ask whatever you want."
"Keep an eye on Sasuke. Make sure Madara doesn't get his hands on him."
"Madara…?"
"Madara Uchiha. Tobi." The boy's eyes narrowed just the slightest bit. "Please."
The shark had no idea what kind of danger Tobi – Madara or not – could pose to his partner's brother, but he nodded anyway. "I'll do my best."
He could see the Uchiha's shoulders slump in relief. The door opened. "I thank you for your partnership," Itachi said with a ghost of a smile. "I believe in a more peaceful time we could have been friends."
It stung to hear it put like that, but it was technically true. "We could be friends even in turmoiled times, you know," he commented anyway.
"Friends…" The Uchiha paused, as if thinking this over. "Are we friends, Kisame?"
"I'd like to think so, yes."
"…Alright." Itachi's eyes locked with Kisame's one last time. "Thank you."
Kisame cleared his throat gruffly as he clapped a hand on his partner's shoulder. "For what it was worth, it was an honor to have worked with you, Itachi."
It would be the first and last time he dropped the honorific.
The two Akatsuki closed the door behind them and strode ahead, not looking back. Neither looked at the other, only at what was before them.
It was the way their first walk together had been. This was how their last one would be too.
Dark clouds were gathering in the sky, signaling an upcoming storm. Over an hour had passed since Sasuke and his team of misfits had arrived at the forest surrounding the base. His team had lingered outside for a while, long enough for Kisame to spend most of the time in a duel with the cocky Mist brat, but then they reluctantly retreated to wait for Sasuke.
So Kisame found himself pacing near the base, listening to the occasional crash from the building and keeping an eye out for interference.
"Why did you join Akatsuki?"
Kisame glanced at the fourteen-year-old sitting next to him in the café. The boy normally appeared disinterested in his partner, but now held an air of mild curiosity. He cleared his throat gruffly. "Well, since you're my partner I guess I can tell you. All my life I've seen nothing but lies and deceit. My higher-ups would stop at nothing to get what they wanted, even if it meant manipulating entire villages. I joined because I was promised a chance to help create a world of truth out of the ashes of this old one."
Itachi raised an eyebrow. "What about you, Itachi-san?" the shark prompted.
For a few minutes he said nothing, then the boy leaned back in his seat to gaze up at him. "For peace. That's all."
He looked up at the smell of burning wood, and his eyes widened at the sight of nearly a third of the forest engulfed by black flames. Amaterasu. I've never seen him use so much of it.
An orange glow began rising from the center, where the base was, and Kisame leaped into the trees to get a better look. Normally Itachi could calculate an entire battle from start to finish and complete it with as little effort as possible. That was why, in all their years together, Kisame had only seen his partner use Susanoo once.
If he was using it now, he must be truly desperate.
He could feel the Uchiha's back pressed up against his as he gripped Samehada, eyes darting around for his next opponent. The ground was strewn with dead shinobi, but there were surely more to come.
"They're using an invisibility jutsu," Itachi said quietly, "so leave it to me." His Sharingan spun into its Mangekyo form.
They both knew the routine for this kind of opponent. Kisame quickly formed the seals for a water jutsu that spread out, unbalancing the invisible foes. Itachi took a running start, bounded effortlessly up his back, and shot Amaterasu at each enemy before snatching up Samehada and flinging it at the last one. He was the only one Kisame would allow to use the sword other than him.
The Susanoo kept building up, until it reached its full armored form. There were several more explosions, but the orange barrier stood tall, unmoving. As long as Itachi was powering it, nothing could touch him.
Then the glow began to falter. Susanoo swayed and faded, withering down to its weakest form. It began inching forward, and Kisame rushed through the trees towards the base. There could be only one reason for this to be happening.
The Susanoo collapsed entirely, never to rise again.
He could remember the way Itachi smiled when visiting his medicine contacts in the Cloud as he talked about his brother. It seemed he wouldn't tire of talking about Sasuke's achievements and developments, and his contacts wouldn't tire of hearing it. Those visits were the few times Kisame could say his partner was close to happy.
By the time Kisame maneuvered his way around the burning foliage and arrived at what was left of the base, rain had begun pouring over the landscape. Though it was not much of a landscape now, since nothing could be seen but rubble and black flames.
The utter despair that crossed Itachi's face at the news of Sasuke's supposed death. It wasn't just that, it was devastation, the realization that everything he'd done up until now for his brother was all in vain.
And the two brothers, both bloody and bruised, lay side by side in the middle of it all.
Their last meeting in the hidden room. There was too much they'd left unsaid.
Zetsu was still staring wide-eyed at the battleground when Kisame ran up. "What happened?" the shark demanded.
"It… it was incredible." Zetsu shook his head, looking stunned by it all. "They were both incredible. But…I can't believe he…"
Kisame walked towards his fallen comrade, trying to wrap his brain around it himself. It was over. Their partnership was over. He knelt next to Itachi, his rough hand grasping the bloodstained one in an attempt to find a pulse, but there was none. His eyes focused on the blood pooling in his hand, then travelled up a burnt arm, to the blood staining his lips, to his half-lidded eyes.
Those eyes that could kill him in an instant were forever stilled.
Shinobi weren't supposed to show emotion, especially if they were Akatsuki. But after all they'd been through together, he couldn't help but feel a rush of grief as he released Itachi's hand.
He must have looked as distraught as he felt, because Zetsu said, "I'm sure Pain-sama can assign you a new partner."
The shark shook his head. "I'm fine. I'd been planning to work on my own anyways."
Zetsu nodded and muttered something about making a report before disappearing into the ground.
Remembering his promise to Itachi, he moved over to Sasuke. A quick check confirmed that he was alive, merely passed out from exhaustion and his injuries. After making sure he hadn't suffered any life-threatening damage, Kisame returned to his partner. His hand reached for Itachi's face and gently closed his eyes, then wiped the remaining blood off. The Uchiha looked peaceful, more so than Kisame had ever seen him before.
He wondered if he had died satisfied with his life's work.
Carefully Kisame slipped his arms underneath the motionless form and pulled him closer. The action was too familiar; he'd done this numerous times when Itachi had collapsed from lack of chakra. But the body was cold, limp, never to wake again.
He'd ask Pain for permission to bury Itachi in Konoha. He knew his partner had held a great love for the Leaf, perhaps greater than his own love for the Mist. And after all the Uchiha had done, he deserved to be buried at home.
Yeah, that sounds good.
What do you think, Itachi-san?
The rain soaked through him as he gazed down at his partner. Just the slightest hint of a smile still lingered on his features, as though he were finally sleeping peacefully.
And all around them, black flames continued to burn.