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Chapter 3: Getting to Know You
Kisame rested his back against the smooth wall outside of Lady Kisara's rooms. He took a moment before yawning and stretching his large, heavily muscled arms above his head. He was sitting amiably outside of the girl's chambers, as directed by the girl herself, his new charge. Here he would sit, barring any disturbances until Itachi relieved him of his shift in the morning. As Kisame did at the end of each day, he spent several moments going over the events, his thoughts, and the things he had learned about their current mission.
He and Itachi had stopped around noon, several hours still outside of the village, to stow their Akatsuki cloaks and other "dead-giveaways" to their identity such as his sword, Samehada. Each man had stowed their items in a summoning scroll of Itachi's design.
He smiled wistfully; he was already missing the familiar weight of the sword across his back. He was actually pretty annoyed at Leader for insisting that there be no clues to either his or Itachi's identities. He snorted at the thought. There was nothing he could do outside of concocting come type of jutsu to make himself unrecognizable. He just counted himself lucky that this mission was so far away from Water Country.
After stowing their belongings and head-bands, and donning simple black cloaks instead of ones adorned with red clouds, the two partners had continued to the village. They had arrived by mid-afternoon, and Kisame had not failed to notice Itachi's almost infinitesimal response. Kisame grinned at the memory.
As fond as he ever could be of another person and was of Itachi, Kisame still enjoyed watching the Uchiha prodigy falter, and in this case, become unnerved at times. It kept things from being too boring.
Kisame wasn't sure himself what had done it. Perhaps it was the smiling villagers, and air of peace. Both things were so hard to come by in his own home Village of the Bloody Mist, that Kisame had noticed the difference immediately. Kisame had seen Itachi experience something similar last month when they had entered the Leaf Village in search of the nine-tails.
Kisame paused in his musings. Maybe that was it. Itachi was uncomfortable here because it reminded him of Konaha. His lips moved almost involuntarily, like a shark who had smelled the blood of his wounded prey. However, that was not the only thing that Kisame had noticed about Itachi today. His thoughts continued to their introduction at dinner. Kisame had noticed Itachi had become unnerved again once they had laid eyes on their "charge".
The Lady Kisara, sister to the Yukikage was beautiful, even Kisame could admit that, though his tastes in women differed slightly from the usual man. For a moment he allowed his mind to wander wistfully to one of the hellcats of the Mist Village to which he had been acquainted. Now there was a woman, he thought lustily.
After a few moments of daydreaming, he allowed himself to come back to reality. Yes, Kisara was quite attractive. She had the long silver hair that seemed to be prominent in this village, but that wasn't the most noticeable feature. What was noticeable before anything else were her eyes, bright green and fierce. Kisame had not said more than hello to this Lady Kisara, but he knew he was going to like her. She reminded him of Konan, somehow there was a fire burning deep within and Kisame knew that she had something to fight for in her life.
Though Kisame knew that he would like their assignment, and the person they would be assigned to, he was perplexed by the fact that Itachi seemed to be unsure of her. That, more than anything, was the puzzle that Kisame longed to piece together. Itachi was never unsure of anything, yet he was with this assignment. How could he be sure? Well, Kisame had to only look for the slight changes in the Uchiha's usual attitude and behavior.
The first clue was the fact that once he was introduced to her, Itachi refused to look at Kisara for the rest of the dinner. Because Itachi had been forced to disengage his Sharingan (another stipulation of Leader's plan), Kisame would have expected that Itachi be studiously taking in every detail of their surroundings, including the girl. Kisame knew that Itachi was uncomfortable without his eye jutsu activated, the same way that he, Kisame, was uncomfortable without his monster sword. That being said, Itachi took one look at the girl, and didn't glance her way again until later when they were walking to the tea room.
The thought of the tea room brought up the second clue. During the little meeting they had to set up the guidelines of the agreement, Itachi had done nothing but look at the girl. Kisame chuckled lightly to himself once again at the memory.
It was clear during that meeting that Lady Kisara was pissed, something that Kisame took both great pleasure in watching, and found that he highly approved of her response. He, himself, would have gotten irritated with so many orders and expectations, despite his typical easy-going demeanor. He may have even beheaded that tubby Lord Matsuoka. Either way, the Uchiha was acting out of sorts, changing from his usual pattern of behaviors, and Kisame was intrigued. He grinned one final time before relaxing against the wall for the night's duties.
Kisara sat for a long time before she finally got undressed. Yuri had gone to bed hours ago after Kisara had done her best to explain the situation. Yuri had offered to help Kisara get undressed; knowing that of course Kisara was hopeless with fancy clothes. But Kisara had declined, wanting to feel like she could at least do something for herself.
However, now that she was undressed and ready for bed, sleep evaded her. She was acutely aware of her bodyguard sitting just outside of her door, and he made her uneasy. It wasn't just his appearance though that was certainly enough, it was the fact that she liked him immediately. Leaning back on her bed, she ran the scene through in her mind for what must have been the hundredth time.
She had allowed a servant to close the shoji screen door after she had left the small sitting room to her brother and the Lord. She had looked out of the corner of her eye at her guardsmen, and had awkwardly begun the trek back to her own rooms. During the trip, the awkward feeling had continued to grow in the silence until she had blurted out, "So, you both are not from Snow County?" Then inwardly cringed at her shaking voice.
"Hell no! And let me be the first to tell you, snow and frost? Not my cup of tea." Hatsuharu's had been the first and only person to answer her question, and he had done so with a toothy grin which Kisara had suspected was his trademark facial expression.
The two of them had continued this light conversation all the way to Kisara's rooms. She had given them a quick tour of her quarters. This had included her bathroom to the right, the attached bedroom in the center which was her own, as well as the small sitting room to the left.
Hatsuharu had continued to chat with her while Yahiko had intently examined the walls, windows, and doors of all three rooms. Hatsuharu had broken off one of his replies to inform her that Yahiko had been noting all escape routes as well as possible ways an assassin could come into the rooms. He had stated this information with another grin, one that Kisara had supposed was to put her at ease, though it only increased the comedic nature of the situation.
Finally, it appeared that Yahiko had concluded his assessment of the situation, because he turned to Kisara and spoke to her for the first time, without meeting her eyes. In fact, Kisara had the impression that he was addressing the wall behind her.
"It seems secure for the moment. Hatsuharu-san will complete the first shift as per Matsuoka-sama's request. I will come to relieve him in the morning". He had bowed stiffly to Kisara, nodded to Hatsuharu, and had promptly left the area, all without looking at her once.
"Yahiko-san is a man of few, few words. Nothing he ever does is wasted." Hatsuharu had stated cheerfully. He had turned to Kisara and said, "Well, I will assume my post for the night, and just remember to scream if you are being attacked."
This last statement had been stated so seriously by Hatsuharu, that Kisara had to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep from snorting with laughter. Hatsuharu had grinned at her reaction, and for the first time since her earlier teasing session with Yuri, she had found herself grinning in return. He had bowed to her, though much less formally than Yahiko, and had left the room and assumed his post, to the right of her bedroom door.
Even now, she could hear muffled chuckling coming from the hallway, and Kisara suspected that Hatsuharu liked to make himself laugh as much as others around him. She turned over on the bed and pressed her face into the pillow. Well, if she did have to be guarded by two men, she could at least like one of them. She smiled slightly into the soft fabric at this silver lining of the overall cloudy day, before finally relaxing enough to drift off to sleep.
Itachi traveled slowly down the hallway, his tread as good as silent against the polished wooden boards. Despite the beautiful morning light filtering in through the windows and the overall peaceful atmosphere, he felt restless. Introspective by nature, he had spent several hours the night before analyzing his feelings and responses. If Kisame were not completing his half of the mission, Itachi was sure he would have made a comment regarding Itachi's "brooding". Either way, the hours of introspection had served their purpose. Itachi knew why he felt the way he did.
From the polished wooden boards, to the peaceful atmosphere, the entire place reminded him of Konaha, of the life he had destroyed in a single night. Even this house reminded him of the Uchiha compound. The architecture was of the traditional style, something the Uchiha's favored, and even the floor plan of the Big House was similar to the Uchiha's main meeting house. The other, smaller houses were arranged around the Big House in a way that was both aesthetically pleasing, as well as protective. All of these features screamed Uchiha. Even as he had walked through the village the day before, seeing one building in particular had been enough to set his nerves on fire: the police station.
During his academy days in Konaha, every Uchiha child had to take an additional class regarding Clan history and skill. Their skills had always been the ninja arts, however, they also traded in protection, hence the Uchiha police force in Konaha. During one lesson, Itachi remembered that the Uchiha police force, though the first, was by no means the only force in existence. The Hidden Villages of Sand and Snow also boasted forces of their own. Now that he was in the Frost Village, he was able to see the force first-hand.
The building they had passed was similar in design to the one what was now abandoned in Konaha, with one very obvious difference. Instead of the iconic Uchiha fan on the front, the Yukidurama snowflake and sword adorned the building. Itachi had recognized the crest immediately, as the Yukidurama were masters of Kenjutsu. Kenjutsu was something that Itachi had once-upon-a-time favored as a captain in ANBU, and it was something that he had learned from Shisui. As they always did at the thought of his long-dead best friend, Itachi's eyes closed in momentary discomfort.
Shisui had been one of the strongest of the Uchiha clan, and something of an older brother and mentor to Itachi. Shisui was also almost always better, which Itachi never minded. Because Shisui favored blade work, he was familiar with most of the sword-wielding clans of the Hidden Villages. The Yukidurama were famed for their masterful integration of their sword-style, or Kenjutsu, along with Taijutsu and Ninjustsu, creating an almost unbeatable combination. Shisui enjoyed spending long afternoons when Itachi was still at the academy comparing the different strengths and weaknesses of the swordsmanship clans.
After taking a few moments to collect all of these details in his mind, Itachi was able to relax and give himself a small piece of respite. It was not, he reasoned, anything about this place itself, simply the memories it triggered from his past. It was the atmosphere which dredged up old occurrences which caused Itachi to chew at the thoughts like an old dog worrying a bone. No, there was nothing particularly unnerving about this mission that should concern him, he stated to himself. He would fulfill his duties and promises to Leader just like any other mission; regardless of his own….personal discomfort.
Satisfied with his own conclusion, he quickened his pace imperceptibly in order to be on time and relieve Kisame of his duty. He arrived at the charge's door exactly at the strike of eight to find Kisame leaning comfortably against the wall, the light of the early morning sun illuminating his blue-tinted skin, eyes closed against the brightness.
At the sound—no there was no possibility that Kisame had heard him—presence of his approach, Kisame cracked one eye, and favored Itachi with a lop-sided grin. "Hey there", he said with his voice slightly husky from a sleepless night, "How did you sleep?"
"Acceptably" came Itachi's characteristic response.
"I take it then that you may get tired around three like usual?" Kisame inquired innocently.
Itachi turned the corners of his mouth down in what only Kisame, who had known him so long, would call a frown, his eyes flickering red in response.
"Careful there, remember, appearances" Kisame chastised lightly with one wagging blue finger, knowing Itachi would never reveal the Sharingan at the expense of the mission.
Itachi chose not to answer verbally, only hummed in response, and moved closer to assume his post for the next twelve hours.
"Suit yourself, Yahiko-san, just make sure to stay awake". At this last comment, Kisame rose to his full seven feet in height, and stretched. Itachi noted that he was not able to expend his arms to their full length as he would hit his hands on the ceiling. Instead, Kisame had to settle with stretching them out horizontally. After working out the kinks from sitting on a wooden surface for several hours, Kisame began the walk that Itachi had just completed back to their rooms, dodging eye-daggers from Itachi with every step.
Once he was around the corner and out of sight, Itachi allowed himself a true show of emotion in order to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration, and in effort to wake himself. He knew Kisame was correct, even if he hated to admit it. Itachi always became tired around the mid-afternoon after a sleepless night. Like everything about Itachi, even his body reacted to routine.
For perhaps only the first time today, Itachi cursed Kisame's observations of his behaviors, and their annoying accuracy. As reclusive and hard-to-read as Itachi wanted himself to be, and usually fooled others into thinking he was, Kisame could always see through it.
At this point, one would think Itachi would be used to it, but it was times like these where Kisame could tell with a quick glance how exhausted Itachi was, and that really pissed him off. As Itachi slowly regained his composure, he was just in time as Lady Kisara chose that particular moment to exit her rooms and come face-to-face with him.
Kisara took a deep breath and slowly opened the sliding door to the hallway, only to see Yahiko, as expressionless as the day before, waiting for her. She blinked in surprise before saying, "Good morning Yahiko-san, I apologize but I was expecting to see Hatsuharu-san before he headed off to sleep".
"No apology necessary Kisara-sama, Hatsuharu-san and I changed shifts a few moments ago." Again he said all this without meeting her eyes.
Kisara waited a few seconds for him to say more, and before it could get too uncomfortable, she stated, "Oh I see, you both take the shift schedule very seriously. I will do my best to rise and exit my room before Hatsuharu-san retires tomorrow so that I may properly thank him for his service. Anyway, I was just on my way to get a light breakfast, I suppose you will be joining me?"
Kisara saw that Yahiko inclined his head slightly in agreement to her question, and after hesitating a bit more, she walked past Yahiko and headed down the hallway. Unbeknownst to Kisara, she headed in the opposite direction that Yahiko had traveled to get to her room. Kisara continued down the hall to the kitchen, and into hell. As a result of the abrupt announcement of her impending departure from the village, the kitchen was in chaos.
Kisara and Yahiko entered the wide kitchen as several cooks and assistant chefs literally ran past them in their haste to prep dishes for the upcoming week. Kisara raised one elegant eyebrow as a kitchen-hand frantically chopped carrots and celery, almost taking off her fingers in the process. As the unlikely pair gazed around the kitchen in some vain attempt to spot something unguarded and edible, Kisara felt Yahiko's fingers wrap unexpectedly around her wrist. Startled, Kisara attempted to turn her body to the left in order to question this physical contact, when Yahiko yanked her toward, and behind him. In the next second, Kisara felt the air move in the place she had just been standing, as yet another kitchen-hand barreled past, his face completely obscured by a precarious stack of dirty dishes headed for the sinks on the opposite wall.
For several seconds as the danger passed, Kisara was pressed up against Yahiko in such a way that made her cheeks flush a delicate red. However, as soon as Kisara was safely out of the way, Yahiko's hand released her as abruptly as he had grasped her, and she stumbled back a step to provide a greater distance between their bodies. In the short time that they touched, Kisara noticed that his skin was surprisingly warm, hot even. She glanced up at Yahiko's face, now much closer to hers than before, and realized for the first time that day he was actually looking at her. She noted that his eyes were another unfamiliar color, black as the night sky. She also noted that though the brown of Lord Matsuoka's eyes unnerved her, Yahiko's black eyes did quite the opposite.
"Thanks" She said awkwardly, "That could have definitely been messy".
"Even if it is my duty to protect you, Kisara-sama, I ask that you continue to be vigilant in your surroundings. Your unobserving nature will only make my job harder". Yahiko stated in a matter-of-fact tone of voice before entering further into the kitchen.
Kisara, stood blinking after him like an owl. Never in her life had she been addressed by someone so politely, but insulted so thoroughly. Unobserving? She was a ninja! How dare he, he was a servant! And it was that particular moment when Kisara decided that she much preferred Hatsuharu to Yahiko, despite how his eyes, and skin, made her feel. She gathered up her straying emotions before following his path, after making sure it was clear of anymore rushing kitchenhands, to find Yahiko conversing in mild, measured tones, with the head chef, Kazuma.
Chef Kazuma was an older clansmen of about sixty, his long silver hair and bright purple eyes gave everyone the impression he was either too old, or too young, to have seen the things he so often told in his stories.
Kazuma had been feeding the Yukidurama main house ever since Kisara's father was a young boy, and as such, he knew things. Things that would make the ends of Kisara's long, straight hair curl with just hearing it. And Kazuma delighted in attempting to curl Kisara's hair at every opportunity. He would often punish her for her young hands wandering too many times into the sweet jar with ballad after ballad of gruesome war stories, or the 'Glory Days of the Yukidurama' as he would fondly call them. Even though the stories grossed Kisara out, she still was very fond of the old man.
There was one particular story where Kazuma himself was the main star. The story was set during the last Great Ninja War, when the tide had turned against the Yukidurama. As such, many men were grievously wounded, sometimes so badly that the medic-nin needed to amputate in order to save a life. However, as there were so many injuries and so few medic-nin available, it had fallen on Kazuma who came from the camp kitchen armed with his cleaver…and Kisara refused to listen to the rest of the story.
Based on that, and many similar tales, Kisara preferred to interrupt Kazuma as much as possible, not because she wanted to be rude, instead it was mostly that she preferred not to be too put off her food before even getting to eat it. And even if Kazuma's stories were disgusting, his food most certainly was not. In fact, the cook had actually taught Kisara herself to cook when he wasn't so busy. Today however, it appeared that Kazuma would be working all hours for the change of plans regarding her departure.
As Kisara neared Yahiko and Kazuma, she was just in time to hear their exchange.
"Ahh so you are Yahiko-san, one of Lady Kisara's bodyguard. I must say, your partner, Hatsuharu-san has one hell of an appetite." Kazuma grinned at Yahiko.
"Yes, this is quite normal for him. I hope he did not put you too out of sorts?" Yahiko inquired in a much more pleasant tone than he had ever used with Kisara, much to her intense irritation.
"Oh no, of course not, as cooks we live to feed others! Now I know that we are on a tight schedule, but I am guessing that you and the Lady are in need of something similar?" Kazuma replied, catching Kisara's eye and shooting her a warm smile.
"Yes, anything that you have on hand is fine, no need to trouble yourself." Yahiko stated.
To Kisara's surprise they were both gifted with a bowl of rice, broiled fish, and a bowl of light soup, and shoved out of the kitchen. They truly must be busy, she thought to herself.
Yahiko took both of their portions, bowed slightly to Kazuma, and inclined his head to Kisara, before heading out the adjacent door to the outer hallway. Kisara, now exposed to Kazuma's attention, bowed hastily to him in thanks before jogging after Yahiko.
Unbeknownst to Kisara, Kazuma grinned merrily at her quickly retreating back, before remembering himself and turned abruptly back to the soup he was creating. Even for all of his mirth at disgusting the girl—no Lady—he corrected himself, he really was going to miss her.
Once they were both safely in the hallway, Kisara caught up with Yahiko with a few long strides. She noted that for someone only about half a foot taller than herself, he walked much faster and lighter than she.
"Hey, you don't have to carry my food for me, I'm not completely helpless!" She said in an exasperated voice as she matched his stride beside him.
Yahiko stopped abruptly, so abruptly that Kisara continued to walk a few paces before realizing he had stopped, and had to walk back to him.
He studied Kisara with his dark eyes. "My apologies." He said and then held out the bowls of food to her.
Kisara frowned slightly at this awkward gesture before taking the bowls and continuing down the hallway. They continued to walk side-by-side for several minutes, Kisara outwardly frustrated, Yahiko outwardly calm. The more they walked, the more frustrated Kisara became, and in contrast, the calmer Yahiko seemed. Kisara wasn't sure if it was his infuriating attitude or the awkwardness of the situation that made her do it, but suddenly she turned to face Yahiko, one hand holding her breakfast, the other clenched, one finger pointing accusingly at the man.
"What is your problem?!" She half-shouted, half-snapped at Yahiko, her voice as a result taking on a strangled quality which seemed to fuel her frustration even more.
Yahiko, seemingly unfazed with her behavior, merely blinked at Kisara before he said, "I was unaware there was a problem….Kisara-sama".
"Yes, there is a problem! If we have to spend all waking hours together for I don't know how long, and you are going to act like this, we will have a BIG problem!" Kisara threw back.
"I am simply doing my job. If you would prefer, next time I can allow you to be crushed by a stack of dirty dishes." Yahiko replied, as coolly and casually as Kisara was not.
"That is not what I mean, I mean your attitude! Yesterday and this morning you wouldn't even look at me, and now you treat me like a helpless little girl! And I refuse to work with someone who seems to hate me for no reason." Kisara stated, finally her temper returning at least somewhat under her control.
Yahiko seemed to consider this, something that he had not done before and then nodded. "Perhaps, however, I don't see how my own personal feelings regarding you will get in the way of the mission objective: keeping you alive".
"Of course it does! How can I trust someone who so openly dislikes me?!" Kisara scoffed with disbelief at his obliviousness to the situation.
"I don't…dislike you, Kisara-sama." Yahiko blinked at her, his tone akin to someone forced to have an innocuous conversation with a rock.
With that last comment, Yahiko continued down the hall to a door which he slid open to reveal a small tea room, not unlike the one that they had conversed in the night before. He turned towards her, gestured for her to sit. Kisara almost considered throwing her breakfast in Yahiko's cold, annoying face when her stomach gave a growl of protest. Slowly, she approached the cushions, this time sporting patterns of snow flowers, sat, and together they ate their meal in silence.
The rest of the day passed in a similar fashion, Yahiko alternating from avoiding her, unintentionally insulting her, and then saying something almost pleasantly, and Kisara becoming more and more frustrated with the situation. They had wandered around the Big House as Kisara was unsure what to do with herself having far too little time left in her own village. They toured almost every room excluding Kira's and Lord Matsuoka's rooms. When Kisara encountered someone she knew, Yahiko would stand off to the side, or in the shadows, effectively isolating himself from introductions or taking part in the conversation. Finally, eight in the evening arrived, and with it, the change in guard.
Hatsuharu took one look at the pair of them as they awaited him in front of Kisara's rooms, and had to stifle an outward chuckle. Kisara, seemed relieved to see him, so much so that she favored him with a pretty smile before inquiring how his day had gone. Kisame indulged her with the regular pleasantries before she retired to her rooms, leaving him with a ruffled Itachi.
As soon as Kisara was safely behind her closed door, Kisame took the Uchiha into his full consideration. The circles that usually colored the skin under Itachi's eyes were darker than usual, as were the deep lines which accompanied them. Itachi's mouth, usually expressionless, was bend in an actually observable frown.
"Girlie wore you out that much, did she?" Kisame inquired innocently to his partner.
Itachi grunted in response to the inquiry, but also added "The job is….draining".
Kisame's eyebrows raised in response to that statement. For Itachi to admit that a mission drained him implied that the girlie gave him much more trouble than either of them bargained for. "Well, then enjoy your beauty sleep Yahiko-san, tomorrow is sure to be even better".
Itachi, seemingly too tired for a comeback to Kisame's light teasing, simply nodded and took his leave to their quarters.
Kisame watched his retreating back before turning to the rooms of their charge. I wonder, just what did you do to him? He thought accusingly at the hard maple wood.
Itachi approached his and Kisame's rooms, rooms that they were first brought to upon entering the Big House, and slid open the shoji door before swiftly closing it behind him. His movements, as sleek and graceful as a cat's even in his exhausted state, aided him with shutting the door soundlessly. He headed toward the tatami bedding that Kisame had graciously laid out for him. Normally, Itachi would retire to sleep nearer to midnight and rise early before the sun. However, tonight he knew that if he gave himself the luxury, he would be dead asleep before his head hit the pillow. But because his life revolved around the constant need for routine and discipline, he forced himself to stay awake for the next few hours.
During those hours, he attempted to steal his emotions with cool logic. Taking up the thread of thought that he had begun weaving the night before, he began to analyze the current situation. He started with the facts. First, he and Kisame were in the Land of Snow in order to fulfill a mission for Leader with two objectives. The first objective was to obtain funding for Akatsuki so that they may achieve their future goals. The second objective was to gather information on the Eighttails which resided in the Land of Lightening.
This Lord Matsuoka, their employer, hailed from the Hidden Cloud Village, a village notorious for heavy military and of course, the eight tails jinchuriki who was the current Raikage's brother. That Village was the Ninja village of Lightening. Therefore, if Kisame and Itachi were to accompany the Lord and his new bride right into Hidden Cloud's territory, they would be able to gain invaluable information towards their goal of capturing the tailed beasts.
Itachi paused in his musings; there was still something about this plan that bothered him. If the Lord truly did boast exceptional ties with the Raikage, something that the Yukikage was obviously betting on with the marriage plans, why wouldn't the Lord have hired Cloud Shinobi to protect his 'new bride'?
Instead, the Lord Matsuoka had hired unknown Shinobi, himself and Kisame, presumably with no affiliation to any village. Itachi pondered this question for several minutes before he came up with several conclusions: first, perhaps the Lord was a fraud and had no such connections, though unlikely. Second, perhaps the Lord had those connections but did not wish to waste precious resources from his home Village on a simple protection mission. And third. The third option was the most concerning and perhaps the most likely: the Lord knew who he and Kisame were and intended on involving them in some plot that wouldn't carry ties to his Village.
His lips turned up slightly at these options. Leader, always the careful strategist, must have known, or at least suspected, this turn in the mission, as well as the potential plans of their 'employer'. As much as Itachi trusted anyone, he trusted Leader to always be hypervigilant before sending any member of the Akatsuki on a mission. Any slip-up, however slight could turn their delicate Organization on its head.
After pondering these first set of facts for over an hour, and unable to come up with an answer to early in the game, Itachi was forced to turn his attention to the second set of facts, facts that were jabbing him like a rock in his sandal. The fact that the more that Itachi saw of this village, the more unsettled he had become, and the more time he spent with his charge, Kisara-sama, the more uncomfortable he became.
After several minutes of careful consideration, he came to the conclusion that his feelings about his current mission had to do with what had happened a month previously, during his most recent mission. He and Kisame had been sent back into the heart of Fire Country, back into Konaha in an attempt to gain information on the nine tails Jinchuuriki. Additionally if luck would have followed them, they may have even succeeded in capturing the long blonde-haired boy. Regrettably, luck had not been on their side and the Toad Sage, Lord Jiraiya, and his younger brother Sasuke had interfered.
Itachi paused a moment in his thoughts to reflect on Sasuke's development. He couldn't help but feel a very small part proud of his younger brother's accomplishments. He had seen firsthand that Sasuke had mastered the Chidori, a technique Itachi knew he could have only learned from Kakashi-taichou. Realizing where his mind was headed, Itachi quickly smothered the feelings and returned to his previous thoughts.
Remember, facts only. He chided himself. Kisame and Itachi's plans in Konaha had panned out to nothing and they returned to the base with little to offer but ill news for the rest of the group. Itachi himself had suffered a great deal of teasing and jeering from several members before he had placed Deidara into a brief state of sleep with the Mangikyo Sharingan. After that, the rest had left him alone.
Even Leader, who seemed to have an emotional spectrum of an acorn, seemed disappointed in the outcome of their mission. Therefore, Leader had expressly stated that this mission must succeed, else Itachi and Kisame might experience worse than teasing and jeers.
With that not-so-subtle warning, he and Kisame had left to begin their current mission. Itachi was determined that it succeed so that his own plans, and the Akatsuki's, would prevail. But all the same, he could not ignore or deny that the current situation was affecting him on levels he did not wish.
Finally, his train of thought settled on the third and last fact: the parameters of his current mission were uncomfortable for him. It was true that Itachi was somewhat socially awkward, but even he had to inwardly cringe when he replayed some of the dialogue that had passed between himself and Kisara. It was perhaps his statement at breakfast that he found to be most unwelcome: the simple fact that Itachi didn't dislike Kisara-sama. In fact, he found her graceful, attractive, intelligent, and capable. Four things that he hadn't expected during the mission and four things he respected.
Normally a peaceful and logical person, Itachi disliked stating unkind or unwarranted things to others. That did not mean that he would not state what was in his mind when the situation called for it such as it often did with Deidara or Kisame, but Itachi could not think of a single comment he had uttered that day that Kisara-sama had deserved to hear. Indeed as the day progressed, he could see that his statements were hurting her feelings, and he couldn't tell if it was that fact that made him do it all the more, or the overall state of his own emotions.
In either case, even though Itachi did like Kisara-sama, he could tell that her thoughts for him were quite the opposite—and he didn't blame her after the way he had been behaving. He blew a long strand of hair out of his face with a low whistle of air between his teeth. They might even have found the arrangement pleasant, if not particularly interesting, but he had to go and spoil it. Typical. It had actually gotten so uncomfortable that Itachi noticed that after the first few remarks, Kisara stopped talking to him altogether and they had passed the rest of the shift in relative silence.
Itachi took a deep breath and let it out of his mouth more slowly than before. Well, what's done is done. Besides, it will probably be better for her if she doesn't like us anyway. He reasoned to himself. After all, who knew what Kisame and himself would have to do once they got to Hidden Cloud. It would be a shame if the girl got in the middle, Itachi hated to kill anyone, much less someone who was so obviously not involved with the Akatsuki's goals. And with that grim thought, he finally allowed himself the luxury of sleeping one hour earlier than usual.