(AN: This is set after chapter 490 (me thinks?), there are two parts, aka two chapters. The latter of which is not complete yet. Enjoy ^\_/^

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto, but I wish I did. :P)

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The Ice

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It was the day Sasuke returned to Konoha, finally, after everything.

No one knew he was back yet. He had snuck in late in the middle of the night. It had been a mission in itself to get from the through the gates of Konoha, let alone to the Uchiha part of town – which he hoped was still derelict – but Sasuke was possibly one of the best ninja alive. He would make it alright. He thought he had seen a head of silver hair, cast in the glow of a streetlamp – had it been Kakashi making his way home from somewhere? Somehow Sasuke hadn't wanted to know. He alone was a even though he didn't look it, he felt like a wound in need of healing. He didn't think he could handle the backlash the Hokage would give him when he was sighted – he was a criminal in their eyes. Even though it had been his plan, the plan he had followed right from the beginning: 'And there is a certain someone I have sworn to kill…'

It was the middle of winter and had been snowing for three days. His fingers were numb and his nose was streaming, but he kept on running from rooftop to rooftop. Sasuke knew the rooftops of Konoha so well he needn't even think about it.

He shot past the empty training ground, a darkened Ichiraku ramen stand, and was approaching the street down which he needed to turn to get to the Uchiha complex. It was then that it happened.

At first it looked like a post, but then as Sasuke neared it, he realised with horror that it was someone balanced on the top of a fence, a figure staring straight at him.

Sasuke immediately assumed that it was ANBU, that they had been onto him ever since he had crossed the borders. Whoever they were they were not moving, and for some reason Sasuke moved on ahead to approach them face-to-face.

Like two things lost and in search of reconciliation, the two stared at each other in understanding – Sasuke and Kisame.

He stopped on a fence post far away from Kisame, but close enough so that they could talk.

Sasuke was now fully conscious of his nose running, he must have had snot like streams trailing across his face. But Kisame seemed distracted enough not to notice. Why now of all times? Sasuke thought. Surely the shark-man had more important things to do?

'Kisame? Of all the people I expected …'

'I know, kid.' Kisame said. There was a notable change in him – his shoulder were slouched in a way that didn't quite fit his height. It looked as if he was either exhausted or … ill. 'But there's a reason for my being here, a reason that's more important than …' he breathed heavily, '… my life.'

Sasuke observed Kisame for a long moment. For some reason he knew – whatever it was – it was something that wouldn't easily be put into a sentence.

'Come back with me,' Sasuke offered bluntly.

Kisame looked grateful, but still ferocious. He lugged samehada over his shoulder and leapt a few paces behind Sasuke.

On their way, thoughts raced through Sasuke mind. Uchiha Madara was still out there, somewhere in the world. Himself and Kisame were the only two who had broken free of his throng and were still alive. It was a two-on-two now, if anything. Sasuke and Kisame against Madara and Zetsu. But the most each knew of the other was that they had become nomad.

Sasuke had broken off of Madara just after Karin, Suigetsu and Juugo died – they were used as puppets, toys at a pitiless dispense on their last united mission. They had all been too blind to see it before now. Contrary to Madara's belief, Sasuke was not wound round his little finger. Despite everything Sasuke realised he harboured a will of fire as strong as his brothers'. However, he still held his brother as the more important thing against Konoha.

Also, Sasuke had almost come to expect that anything to do with Kisame inevitably had something to do with Itachi. So when he saw Kisame there was little doubt in his mind as to what he was there for. Even if death it seemed Itachi still lived on.

The pair reached the Uchiha complex swiftly and silently. Not wanting to be seen walking the streets, Sasuke sped across the stone paths quickly and made it to his house in record time, barely taking in his surroundings. Kisame followed.

The door was unlocked, as he had expected. Once they were inside, they moved through the back of the house, and Sasuke led the shark-man into the dark kitchen. It was the room that had the lowest chance of anyone peering into, as the window looked out onto a wall, beyond which was thick forest.

He lit a lamp, emanating a soft orange glow. It was good enough. A dim light wouldn't attract attention; if anyone saw that a window was suddenly alight in the Uchiha complex then he wouldn't have minutes before they came for him.

Though the kettle had a layer of dust sitting on it, as did everything, it still worked. After riffling in a few derelict cupboards Sasuke found a box of un-opened tea bags that were still in date. His family had been an avid tea drinker, but now he couldn't care less about the beverage – it would be something he and Kisame could hold in their hands, saved from awkwardness. Ninja were not the best of talkers, they tended to communicate through fighting after all.

Kisame slumped down into a wooden chair and leaned back like a dead man. Sasuke eyed him from the corner of his eye, the sound of the kettle heating up, and wondered vaguely if Kisame had just died. Sasuke threw a couple of tea bags into some wiped-out mugs and Kisame didn't move for a long time. Even when Sasuke finished making the tea, and he plonked the drink in front of the man so that it spilled a little bit, Kisame's finger only twitched.

Sasuke huffed. He sat down across the table, a fair distance away. He looked around at his old house and felt an odd emotion creep about him. It was one he had no memory of experiencing before – and if he had it had been crushed down immediately. Now that everything was over and done with Sasuke was a lost person. He didn't know how to look on his home.

Breaking him from his musings was a terrible groan, followed by a thunderous snort. Kisame shot upright in his chair, a hand massaging the back of his neck. He grinned bearishly, and cleared his throat.

'Er, thanks for the tea,' he said.

Sasuke grunted.

'I guess I should get on and try to tell you …' Kisame looked uncertain. They sat for a while in silence, while Kisame pressed his fingers to his temples in what looked like an overt display of thinking. Sasuke waited patiently for him to find words good enough.

'Okay, so I'll start like this,' Kisame began. 'Over the years, Itachi put aside a little bit of his chakra every day,' he explained. 'As he became ill, he couldn't afford to put away as much, so really, his project was left half-finished. But – I keep my promises,' he said proudly.

'What are you talking about?'

'Well …' Here Kisame looked seriously at Sasuke, and whether or not the boy understood, he listened. 'Itachi meant more to me than any of the Akatsuki, in fact, I considered him family. And I've never had family. He meant the world to me. And you meant the world to him.'

'Did…' Sasuke faltered for a moment, still unsure. '…Did you know the truth?'

At that the corner of Kisame's mouth quirked upwards into a lop-sided smirk. 'Yeah,' he growled, looking strangely pleased. 'Itachi wasn't the only one with secret intentions.'

'So, you helped my brother … even though you knew he was still loyal to …'

Kisame nodded.

Kisame withdrew from his inside pocket a lump of folded material. It was deep-red, like the colour of blood. Giving Sasuke a quick glance, he placed it on the table between them. He seemed awkward for an instant, as if he didn't know what to do next. He planted a blue finger and thumb onto the fold of the material, making to open it, but then he stopped. He let go of the fold and, instead, with the palm of his hand pushed the lump of material closer along the table towards Sasuke.

Sasuke's breath was coming in quick succession, and he tried his best to control himself. But he could still feel his heart beating in his throat.

Carefully, Sasuke unfolded it, and inside lay a small, fragile-looking object. It glinted in the soft light – golden. On picking it up, Sasuke discovered it was a crudely-made glass flower. It had a thin stem and drooping petals; the allusion would have meant nothing to anyone but Sasuke – it was a miniature copy of the things that grew so profusely in their garden. It was the flower that never seemed to bloom anywhere else but that patch of grass next to the pond, where he and Itachi would often sit for hours reading or playing shogi or just talking.

Sasuke didn't know what he had been expecting, but it certainly hadn't been that. He felt utterly freezing. He wasn't particularly cold, but he was freezing on the inside. It was that kind of feeling. Now Sasuke was transfixed by it.

'What is this? Why now?' Sasuke asked. 'Why now? Why …?'

Kisame looked content. 'Simple. I didn't want Madara getting his hands on it. It was possibly the one thing he knew nothing about, and possibly the one thing he still knows nothing about.'

'Do you think he'll come after us?' Sasuke suddenly asked.

Kisame shrugged. 'It's hard to say. But whatever comes our way, kid, we'll have some peaceful time before it does. I intend to make the most of it.'

Sasuke didn't know what else he could do, so he smiled. It was a weak smile, but it still managed to let Kisame know he was grateful. If this was the real Kisame, the one Itachi had known, then the man was strangely heart-warming.

'What am I supposed to do with it?'

'You'll realise soon enough.'

Kisame stood up, his cup drained of tea.

'I must go. When they find you, you don't want to be with me. One S-Class criminal may be handled easily, while two – the ANBU might get a bit tetchy and kill one of us straight away.'

Sasuke noticed the irony of when and not if. It made his stomach wrench.

'Whatever.'

The shark man was clearly exhausted, but Sasuke didn't argue. If Kisame stayed the night in one of the spare rooms it would be difficult for him to leave in the morning. By leaving now he was guaranteed his life.

Kisame's tall figure turned about, and began trudging towards the window, samehada slung across his back.

'Thank you,' Sasuke called before the man could leave. For him to say thank you meant a lot more than most people would realise.

Kisame froze for a second and, not looking back, he held a hand up in acknowledgement. 'Later,' he said gruffly, before opening the window and darting out into the night.

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~fin part 1.

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(AN: I promise, part two is where Itachi enters! ^___^)