Pre-AN #1: This is a series of drabbles about the relationship between Itachi and Kisame and while I support them on a romantic level, none of these drabbles are explicitly yaoi. Ideas for drabbles can be submitted via review and taken into consideration.

Pre-AN #2: 'Hajimemashite' is the Japanese equivalent of 'Nice to meet you."

Chapter 1: Hajimemashite

The rain was pouring down when the young shinobi slammed into the small hut on the border of the Water and Fire Country. He laughed as he caught his breath, leaning against the door grinning. They'd be coming for him soon.

A drop of water fell on him and he blinked in surprise. He'd carefully checked this house. It had no leaks. His head almost instantly rose a second later and he found himself staring into a pair of eyes that managed to be blacker than the shadows around them.

He would've stepped back and fallen into a defensive stance but the door was right behind him. His balance was lost and he struggled to maintain his stance, tripping on his sword but finally he managed to get turned around and the sword up to guard.

The unknown shinobi hadn't moved half an inch during this display. The swordsmen stared at him, confused.

"Aren't you going to try and kill me?"

"Why?"

The man's voice was strange…very hard to describe. He couldn't come up with a word for it.

"You're not from Kirigakure?"

"No."

He shouldered the sword and placed his free hand on his hip, glaring at the man in the rafters.

"So when did you get here?"

He'd scoped out the house for several days before his strike against the Mizukage. No one had come or gone.

"Three seconds after you."

His eyes widened slightly. He hadn't heard a thing, hadn't sensed anyone nearby. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he realized that the shinobi was simply lounging as he was interrogated, stretched out prone in the loft. The tiniest bit of moonlight glinted off his blacker than black eyes and sent shivers down his spine.

He also looked to be maybe thirteen or fourteen years old and carried a scent of old blood.

The boy's gaze flicked to the door and several seconds later he heard the cries of the men following him and grinned.

"You better take off. They're after me 'cause I tried to assassinate the Mizukage. Assholes. I've got a thing against organized society, how shinobi are supposed to be tools and not people? Really grates on my nerves. But they probably won't look too kindly on you for not trying to kill me."

He turned towards the door and heard the boy drop from the rafters. Good, he was leaving.

"Tried?"

He blinked and found the boy by his side. Brat barely reached his shoulder but emanated a presence of a person far larger than him.

"What are you insinuating, boy?"

The boy raised his head and met his gaze. His eyes weren't black anymore, they were red. He then turned and walked back out into the rain.

The would-be assassin followed him and watched the horde of Mist ninja coming towards them.

"Get going, brat. We can't take 'em all."

The boy made no sound but watched the men arrive.

He had a new Suiton jutsu that was perfect for this rainy day. However, it was also suicidal. If the brat wouldn't leave then so be it.

The boy watched his hands as he formed several seals but froze as the boy's hand stopped the seal formation, resting on his own.

"No need for that." He said calmly then was gone.

In an instant, the boy crossed two hundreds yards and decapitated a running Mist-nin before the man knew what was coming. The assassin shouldered his blade and ran into the fray.

It took them less than an hour to pick off all the stragglers. The boy now glared at him over the fire, the two of them huddled in the house. He'd been soaked by a misfired Suiton jutsu and was now wrapped only in one of the spare blankets hoarded away earlier. His clothes hung on a chair to dry.

"Why'd you help me?" He asked.

"We've done the same thing."

He paused in ringing out his pants and stared at the shivering boy who continued to glare at him for a moment before lowering his gaze to the fire.

"I'm Hoshigaki Kisame."

The boy continued to stare into the fire and several minutes passed with no response. Kisame wondered if he'd made the mistake of thinking they might be able to get along.

"Itachi."

Kisame blinked in surprise and turned his head to find the boy looking at him once again.

"Come again?"

"Itachi. My name is Uchiha Itachi."

The former Mist-nin smiled and went back to hanging up his clothes to dry.

"Hajimemashite, Uchiha Itachi."

Itachi blinked slowly and returned to staring at the fire.