Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters mentioned, because if I did shit would have been A LOT different (Itachi would not have died!) lol

Hello everyone! It's been awhile since I've gotten to write anything so I might be a little rusty. But I've had this story idea for awhile (plus I am a huge Itachi fan) so I finally decided to just write it out. This first chapter serves as more of a prologue so forgive me for it being a little short. Hopefully, I'll be able to post the next chapter soon so you guys won't be left hanging for long! So, I hope enjoy this little taste of what's to come (:

'This is a sentence.' = Thoughts

"This is a sentence." = Normal dialogue

When Zetsu had told him that the battle was finished and that Itachi was dead, Kisame acted the same as he always did. It's not like the news of Itachi's death had emotionally impacted him in any way. He had killed plenty of comrades before and felt nothing, so the death of his longtime partner should not have affected him at all. He should have been able to take in the news and just move on with his plans. That is what was supposed to happen. So why then did his feet move towards where his partner lay fallen? He wasn't supposed to care. He wasn't supposed to feel something about this. So then why? Why did he feel the need to rush over there as soon as Zetsu left? Why did he need to see confirmation that Itachi was really dead? He didn't need to see his partner's battered corpse lying on the cold ground, nor did he want to. He didn't want to, yet it seemed that something was telling him that that was exactly what he had to see. Why? Why couldn't he just leave this alone?

"Itachi-san must have gone all-out," Kisame said aloud as he observed the still-burning wall of black flame surrounding the battlefield.

'Even in his condition... Really, what was that guy thinking? Tch, it's no wonder he...' Kisame couldn't finish the thought.

Sighing, Kisame pressed forward, carefully weaving through the forest avoiding the flames. 'I can sense some chakra nearby, although it's weak. Must be the boy. If that's the case then Itachi-san must be close by as well.'

He wasn't sure what he was expecting to find once he got passed the surrounding forest. He knew that the place wouldn't look pretty but what he saw didn't even come close to what he was picturing in his mind. The place looked like a war-zone. Kisame would have never guessed this to have been the Uchiha Compound if he didn't already know it was.

'So this is the damage caused from a battle of 2 Uchihas,' Kisame thought.

Kisame stopped his running and looked around. 'Where? Where?'

Ah. To his left, he spotted two bodies lying next to each other. Stiffly, Kisame made his way over there.

'Shit. Why am I so nervous?! I already know his fate! I shouldn't be this hesitant! Hell, I shouldn't even be here in the first place!'

Regretting his decision for the thousandth time, Kisame finally stood at the feet of his partner. The rain pouring onto his body went unregistered as he solemnly observed the two unmoving figures before him. His eyes automatically went to the smaller figure first, to the one whose chest was slowly moving up and down. 'He's weak, but the brat is definitely alive.'

Perhaps he should finish him off? Put him out of his misery. The boy has caused the Akatsuki quite a bit of trouble. Killing off Akatsuki members doesn't make achieving Madara's goal any easier. 'I'm sure Itachi-san wouldn't mind either. After all, he had been trying to kill the boy in this battle. Heh, perhaps Itachi-san would even be grateful to me.'

Kisame's gaze subconsciously moved towards the body of the man just mentioned and all thoughts of destroying the other Uchiha instantly disappeared. This is what he had come here to see. The body of the great Itachi Uchiha. He looked so battered, so broken. 'So weak...'

'This doesn't even look like the arrogant Uchiha I had been traveling with for all these years.'

"You look like shit Itachi-san," Kisame spoke aloud. "Your little brother really did a number on you, although I'm guessing that wasn't what did you in."

It wasn't a guess though, for he knew that someone as high ranking as Itachi couldn't be killed off that easily. There was a reason he was called a genius after all.

"How ironic," he scoffed. "The mighty Itachi Uchiha, slain by a simple disease. It's laughable really."

Kisame moved to kneel by Itachi's face, staring into his now lifeless eyes. 'You've been so sick and kept pushing yourself so hard, yet you've never looked this tired before Itachi-san.'

Kisame raised his right hand, gently placing it over Itachi's glassy eyes.

"Sleep well, Itachi-san."

He then closed his eyes, and subconsciously let his hand continue to slide down his deceased partner's face until it got to the crook of his neck. Kisame stayed kneeling in silence, just listening to the rain pour endlessly in the background.

It was time to go. He had lingered here long enough. Kisame knew this, yet he was still hesitant on leaving it just like this. But there was nothing more for him to do here. Other ninjas would soon come to this place, looking for Sasuke probably. It wasn't safe to stay any longer.

Sighing, Kisame finally went to pick himself up, when he felt it. At first he thought he had only just imagined it. Perhaps he was getting a fever from staying under the rain for so long. But when he went to press his hand harder against Itachi's neck, he was sure that what he felt before wasn't just his imagination. A pulse. A sign of life. It was slight, in fact he could hardly feel it under his fingers, but there was no mistaking it. Itachi was alive.

Eyes wide with shock, Kisame could hardly even form a single thought. A man that was supposed to be dead, who he was sure WAS dead, turns out to be alive. It was a situation he didn't even think possible.

"Now what?"

A lone figure knelt atop the remaining wall of what once was the Uchiha Compound, his single Sharingan eye focused on what was below him. From behind the wall a bulge started to form from the ground, continuing to grow in size.

"You're slow," Tobi said.

"I can't exactly teleport my ass wherever I want to like you." White Zetsu remarked.

"Did you make sure to record the whole thing while you watched?"

"Relax. I got everything," Black Zetsu replied.

"Yes, I think I will relax. I'll relax and enjoy the viewing later. But first... Zetsu."

"Yes?"

"You didn't touch anything here did you?"

"Eh? Of course not."

"... And the Leaf ninja, they haven't reached this place yet, have they?"

"You know that they haven't..."

'What the hell is he going on about?' Zetsu wondered.

"Hmm... then we have a problem here, Zetsu."

"How so?"

Finally, the masked man turned around to properly address his fellow Akatsuki member.

"If Itachi Uchiha is suppose to be dead, and no other ninja have been here, then... WHERE THE HELL IS HE?!"