Underneath It All
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter Notation: Pleaselet me know how exotic you want the Honeymoon. Do you want them to spend it in their human forms, pure merman forms, or somewhere between those extremes? (There is the possibility that I could make them able to transform back into human forms for brief periods of time available). Majority will rule.
Chapter 9
A few days later and Itachi was showing Sasuke around the castle. It seemed as though some informal races had sprung up outside and his friends wanted to watch. Sasuke was more interested in exploring the castle though.
That was just fine with Itachi. It gave them some chance to reconnect in private. At the moment, Kisame was assisting with some construction efforts and he could only assume that Suigetsu was either with him or racing.
"It's amazing. They built this entire place in only a few years." Sasuke says in awe.
"I had a similar reaction. They aren't quite done with it yet, but they have enough of it built that one does get the general idea." The elder Uchiha says.
It was truly a beautiful city. There were starting to be more luxuries cropping up inside it and even the beginnings of a market. Truth be told though, Itachi still adored his cozy cave with Kisame.
He supposed that it was mostly because of the extra privacy and well it just felt more like home. Coming to Sharingan was more like renting a fancy hotel room for a weekend getaway than anything. Sure it was fun, but that didn't meant hat one wanted to actually live there.
"So what did Suigetsu mean about that Nurturer garbage anyway?" Sasuke asks.
"Sasuke, I wouldn't worry too much about it. He wasn't insulting you. I think it's rather obvious that he's completely besotted by you. He wouldn't hurl insults in your direction." The Dolphin Type tries to reassure him.
"I wasn't saying that it was an insult. I want to know what it meant and he's not besotted with me. He's just a pervert who likes to try to grab my tail. Kisame is the one who is smitten with you. I'm still not really sure how that works though. I mean, how do you two kiss without him shredding your face off?" Sasuke asks curiously.
Itachi chuckles. His brother had never been a particularly subtle person when he was curious about something. That was part of what made him so amusing.
"Do you really want to know the details about our sex life? Well I must say that is certainly surprising. I am flattered that you would seek out my advice. It's only natural to be curious about such things, Sasuke. This is especially so at your age. Perhaps you've decided to give Suigetsu a chance, after all? I'm certain that he will be absolutely delighted to hear that." Itachi replies as he tries desperately to hide his smirk.
He wasn't entirely certain that he had managed it, but well he tried. It was just so much fun to tease Sasuke. He made it ridiculously easy sometimes.
"What?! No! No! I don't want details about your love life! Itachi, that's sick! I was just asking about kissing and I'm really not interested in that pervert! Anyway, I'm happy for you. I mean he looks a little alien, but I guess he's attractive an unconventional way and he really does seem to worship the water that you swim in." The other Uchiha says in a rush.
"Sasuke, you're adorable when you babble. Truly. Anyway, there are two main kinds of mermaids and merman. There are different classifications for our kind. You can break down the new species based on generation and/or their Inner Nature." Itachi begins cautiously.
He knew that it was unlikely Sasuke was going to react well to this news. Then again, he hadn't been tested yet. There was about a fifty percent chance that his foolish little brother was a Protector, anyway.
"Uh huh. Well I get the Generation Breakdown. What about this Inner Nature thing?" The raven haired merman demands.
"There are Protectors and Nurturers. The roles have nothing to do with gender. Protectors are just more aggressive and very protective of their mates and offspring. They're more likely to be hunters than gatherers. Nurturers are more focused on making their Mate and children happy. They aren't as aggressive usually and prefer to gather over hunting in most cases." The Dolphin Subtype explains.
"And you're sure that it has nothing to do with gender?" Sasuke asks skeptically.
"Yes, Sasuke. I'm sure. I'm a Nurturer and I assure you that I am very male. It has to do with temperament. In general, Protectors are attracted to Nurturers and vice versa. Though I'm told that occasionally two Protectors and two Nurturers do pair off. Like Kisame, Suigetsu is a Protector." The other merman explains.
Predictably, Sasuke twitches. It was obvious that he didn't care for the implications that being Nurturer brought to the table. Oh boy.
"Where did that idiot say he was going again? I think that he needs smacked around a few more times. That or whipped. I finally figured out how to use my tail. It looks like a sword, but it functions like a whip." Sasuke says with a smirk.
"Sasuke, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a Nurturer. You're overreacting. He most certainly didn't mean it as an insult and I'm not going to let you whip him over something like that." The elder Uchiha scolds him.
"I don't have to actually hit him. I just have to make him think that I'm going to hit him." The Fox Shark points out.
That was a fair point. Itachi didn't really know how to counter that. Oh well. He supposed he would let Sasuke have his fun for now.
"Very well. I'm going to be busy with Kisame for the next few days. I promised him that I would let him Mark me. We're essentially getting married and this will be our Honeymoon of sorts." Itachi informs him.
"You're getting married?! That's great! I'll be your Best Man." Sasuke says smugly.
"Well there's no rule against having ceremonies down here, but this was more of an intimate ceremony. One that your innocent eyes shouldn't watch." Itachi teases him.
Sasuke blinks and Itachi chuckles. It was obvious that Sasuke had figured out what he meant by that. Thank goodness for little brothers. They were endlessly entertaining at times.
"Ohhh. Right. Well have fun. I'll try to keep the idiots away from your room so you can make things more official." Sasuke promises him.
"That would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Sasuke." Itachi says as he pokes his forehead.
"Owe! Stop doing that! I'm not five anymore." Sasuke grumbles as he swims off.
He might not be five anymore, but still acted like it at times. Oh well. It was time to find Kisame. He had a Mate to Claim. (Well more accurately, he had a Mate to be Claimed by).
Meanwhile things were getting worse on land or better, depending on who you asked. Hiashi smirks as he watches some of his followers set fire to another lab. That was the third one this week.
"There are so many of them though, Hiashi. How are we possibly going to destroy them all?" One of his soldiers asks.
"We don't have to destroy them all. We just have to make certain that the those in power know that this won't be tolerated. This mockery of nature won't be tolerated. Once they realize that we are willing to level any of these places to the ground, they'll yield." The lavender eyed man replies.
That was the way things were going to be. He wouldn't allow this. The Traditionalists were going to stop it. The Survivalists could go to Hell.
"Hiashi! We've got company! We've got company!" Someone screams at the top of their lungs as several shots rang out.
Hiashi's eyes narrow as the poor man falls over dead. He had been shot in the back. There was only one group who would resort to such cowardly tactics. The Survivalists!
"ALRIGHT, EVERYONE! YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO!" The Hyuga Patriarch thunders at his people and with that, the two sides charged at each other.
It was a blur of flying punches, rocks being thrown, and shots being fired. Occasionally, Hiashi could hear the sounds of glass being shattered. Some people were using the broken glass as weapons.
Usually, they could destroy a lab without the Survivalists finding them. Unfortunately, today was not that day. Today, they had to fight and they would win.
"You're all fools! I can't believe that you actually believe turning people into fish is a good idea!" He bellows at his opponent.
"You're the fools! Do you not see what is happening?! Time is running out. We must adapt or die!" A middle aged man that Hiashi vaguely recognized as being Rasa Sabaku snarls at him.
The two had once been respected businessman. They had even cut a few deals with each other. That was no longer the case though.
Now, they were on opposing sides in a Civil War. A War that Hiashi was determined to win and he knew that Rasa felt the same way. He could almost respect the other man for sticking to his principles, if his principles weren't so horrific.
"Then I suppose we'll die! I'd rather die than become a monster just to survive!" Hiashi hisses as he withdraws his gun.
The sounds of bullets and screams could be heard everywhere. At that moment, Hiashi knew that there was a good chance that he might die that day. He was prepared to do so though.
The Hyuga Patriarch was more than willing to die, if it meant preserving humanity's humanity. Looking into Rasa's eyes, he knew the other man was also committed to his own cause.
"Only one of us is going to leave here today and I can assure you that it will be me." Hiashi says as he aims the gun at the other man.
"Funny. I was about to say the same to you. I heard that your daughters and nephew ran off to play with the other mermaids and mermen. That should tell you something, Hiashi." Rasa retorts as he draws his own gun.
Neither of them got the chance to use it though. That was when Hiashi hears sirens. Police Sirens. It was as if some kind of spell had suddenly been cast over the battlefield because everyone drops their weapons and tries to run.
Damn it. Hiashi takes that as his cue to leave. While he was certainly willing to die for his beliefs, he would rather not have to do so today!
Back in Sharingan, Kisame's Akatsuki Level Strength was certainly coming in handy with the construction efforts. He didn't mind lending a fin or two. It was nice to be useful and he had to burn off his anxious energy somehow.
"So Itachi really agreed to be your Mate?" Suigetsu asks.
"Yes, he did. Finally. I'm telling you that it takes forever to win over a Nurturer, but the results are definitely worth it. You just have to be more patient." He says.
"It didn't take me long to win over Deidara. Actually, he was the one that chased me." Sasori offers as he helps Kisame move some large stones that were going to be used to erect a large building.
Kisame resists the urge to grumble at that information. Sasori was a lucky son of a bitch. Deidara had chased him all over the place instead of the other way around. How often was it that a Nurturer latched onto a Protector like that?
Not very often. In short, the red head was extremely lucky. That didn't matter though. Kisame was going to Mate with his Itachi soon.
"How'd you get him to chase you?" Suigetsu asks.
"Well I saved him from getting crushed by a whale. I suppose that might have something to do with it. Though honestly, I think that he would have done it anyway. This is Deidara. He has never been one to do anything by the book. So why should Mating be any different?" The Sting Ray Subtype asks with a shrug.
Privately, Kisame concedes that was a good point. Deidara was anything, but predictable. That much was obvious.
Oh well. Itachi may have needed a lot more coaxing, but that wasn't a big deal. What he felt for the Dolphin Type was real and that was more than enough for him.
"Good point. So what do you guys think about this place?" Kisame asks.
"I'm not sure. It seems too good to be true really." Sasori admits.
Suigetsu shrugs. He loved the city life. He loved all the excitement of it, but he also appreciated the beauty of the wilderness. He'd be happy with either really.
Honestly, he'd never been happier. Being a merman was awesome and he was sure that his "big brother" felt the same way. That was especially true since Kisame had found Itachi.
"I think it is what it is. I don't think there's some deep dark secret about this place. It was bound to happen sooner or later. People weren't going to be content with just swimming around forever." The violet eyed merman offers.
Damn. What were they feeding Uchihas anyway? Were they all as gorgeous as Sasuke and Itachi? That was one fortunate looking family. He had to give them that much.
"Maybe, you're right. Hey, have you guys seen Sai and Danzo?" The Akatsuki member asks suddenly.
Hmm. Now that Kisame mentioned it, Suigetsu wasn't really sure where the Sea Slug and Creepy Shark went off to. That was weird.
"I haven't seen them in awhile." He admits.
"Nor have I." Sasori agrees with a frown, obviously also growing rather worried about that fact.
"Strange. Well I'm sure that they'll turn up. After all, Danzo is terrified of being on his own." Kisame says with a shrug.
Meanwhile at that precise moment, Danzo and Sai had snuck away to one of the empty rooms in the castle. They were in the middle of plotting something very important. An assassination.
"Are you certain that this is necessary?" Sai asks as his now ocean blue tail swishes about.
Danzo was used to Sai's tail changing colors. That was just part of what made him so valuable. The ability to camouflage yourself was always a most useful one.
So he wasn't in the least bit disturbed by the other merman's color changing tail. It was an everyday occurrence to him. It was no different than seeing someone wear a different shirt everyday on land to him at this point.
"It's necessary. I can't allow Obito to consolidate his power. I'm the one who should rule. I'm the one that has the most experience." Danzo says.
It was true. He had experience in business and politics. That and there were few subjects that he hadn't at least dabbled in. He was knowledgeable and he wasn't tenderhearted. Danzo knew what it took to lead and he was more than willing to do it.
"Well that's true. Obito is a lot younger than you and he does have a family to look after." Sai says thoughtfully.
The elderly man nods in agreement. Whatever worked. If playing on the fact that Obito had a family made Sai go along with his plans, he was more than willing to do that.
"And you aren't concerned about how the Queen and Princess will react to the loss of the King?" He inquires.
This was important. If Sai looked like he was going to feel guilty about this affair, Danzo would have to find a way to take him out of the picture. He was reluctant to do that for obvious reasons though.
Sai was his shield in this world. Danzo wasn't foolish. He knew that as an old merman, he was more vulnerable than a young one. That was why he had brought the Shark Subtype along with him. For protection.
"I'm not completely heartless. I would feel bad for them, but this is for the good of the entire city. The happiness of two individuals, shouldn't outweigh the needs of thousands." Sai answers him cheerfully.
Good. Good. The other merman seemed to understand why this had to happen. It looked like fortune was finally smiling down on Danzo. With Sai's help, the Sea Slug was confident that he would soon be the Sharingan King!
A short while later, Kisame goes and finds Itachi. He smiles when he found the elder Uchiha still giving his brother a tour. That was sweet. Now, that was one close family.
"Hey, Brat. Do you mind, if I borrow that sexy brother of yours for awhile?" He asks with a fang-tastic smile.
Kisame knew that was fighting dirty. Sasuke was obviously still a bit freaked out by his teeth, but whatever. The Akatsuki was a firm believe in doing whatever worked and this most definitely did.
"Well sure. Go ahead. Unfortunately, I only have one brother and that's Itachi. I'm not sure he qualifies as sexy." Sasuke says with a smirk.
"Don't be foolish. I believe that everyone knows that I am rather fortunate looking. It's the Uchiha Curse of Good Looks." Itachi says sagely as he pokes Sasuke's forehead and heads off with Kisame.
Kisame chuckles as he looks back at a very angry Fox Shark. Sasuke apparently possessed a rather colorful vocabulary when he was annoyed. Good to know. He should probably warn Suigetsu about that.
"Oh yes. It must be such a curse to have good looks." Kisame says with a smirk as he swims towards the room that he shared with Itachi.
"Mmm. It can be at times. Though it's become markedly less so, now that we're together. Few people are foolish enough to hit on the boyfriend of a Great White Shark." Itachi observes with amusement.
Kisame couldn't argue with that. He probably would have torn the head off of any merman or even mermaid that dared to look at his Itachi. He knew that it was wrong, but he also knew that he probably would.
It wasn't entirely his fault though. He was an Akatsuki. His animalistic instincts were powerful and so was his love for the Dolphin Subtype. When you combined those two factors, well you were bound to get explosive results.
"That's true. So are you really ready for this?" Kisame asks, after locking the door of their room.
"Mmm I've thought about it a great deal. I just wasn't really sure that I could share my mind so intimately with another person. It wasn't because it was you. It was the idea itself that was frightening. That and I was still adjusting to this new world. So it was a lot to take in. I'm ready now though." Itachi tells him with a reassuring smile.
Damn. That was a beautiful smile. The Great White was sure that he would have done anything for Itachi. Just to see that gorgeous smile of his. It was something else.
"Good. I'm glad. I promise that you won't regret it. I'm pretty sure that I knew the moment that I saw you that you were the one. Well at least subconsciously. Mostly, I was just distracted by how pretty you are." Kisame says.
"That is both very sweet and shallow at the same time. I suppose that I can't be too hard on you though. I mean you are an Akatsuki. You can't help that your animal instincts are stronger than mine." Itachi says as he pulls Kisame onto the bed and kisses him.
Kisame smiles as he kisses back. This was perfect. He was finally going to Mark his Mate and there was absolutely no way that he was not going to fully Claim him in every single way possible.
"Mmm what can I say? I'm very easily distracted. That's especially true when it comes to you. Just think there are four oceans in the world and yet, you happened to be dropped off into mine. The odds of us finding each other was lower than either of us winning the lottery, but we did. That's fate." He proclaims.
Itachi smiles in response. Kisame could be quite sweet when he wanted to be. He knew deep down, that he was making the right choice.
That didn't mean that he wasn't nervous though. This was a big step. A very big step and once they made it, there was no going back.
"Yes, it's fate. I never thought that I would have to become part dolphin before I found love, but I'm glad that I do. I couldn't imagine doing this with anyone, other than you." Itachi tells him as he caresses his blue cheek.
The whole blue skin thing had taken awhile to get used to. It was just shocking at first, but now it was only beautiful. It was unique. Just like Kisame.
Kisame the man who had found him almost immediately after he became a merman. The man who had taken him in. Shared his cave with him. Hunted for him. Kissed him like no one else had and had been extremely patient.
"I feel the same way. Though your pretty little tail is not leaving this room for several days after we Mate. Just so you know. I hope that Sasuke understands that. I'm glad you two are so close, but I don't think that he would appreciate walking in on us." The Akatsuki points out.
Itachi couldn't help, but chuckle at that. Kisame was certainly right about that much. His foolish little brother would likely be traumatized for life, if he happened upon them while they were making love.
"Mmm I warned him ahead of time. Sasuke knows and understands. As for that last part, it's tempting. It's tempting to let him walk in on us. If only to see his face and to scar him for life." The elder Uchiha Brother says with a sly smirk.
"Who knew that my Angelfish could be so evil?" Kisame asks with a laugh.
"Mmm. I'm no Angelfish. Hinata is the Angelfish. I'm a Dolphin. There is a big difference." The other man retorts with a smug smirk.
It would almost be worth the embarrassment, just to see the look on Sasuke's face. Though in reality, Itachi wasn't that cruel. He couldn't be that cruel to either of them.
"Alright. So I'll bite your neck and then you bite mine. The Marks will form and the energy is going to knock one of us out while the bond is forged. The other will stay away and watch over the unconscious Mate. It's to help forge the bond of trust." Kisame says.
"I already trust you, but that sounds fine." Itachi says as he bares his neck for Kisame.
Kisame didn't waste any time. The other merman places a trail of soft kisses and gently lovebites along the sensitive flesh and Itachi was soon sighing in pleasure. That felt good.
He almost didn't notice it at first when the Akatsuki sunk his fangs into him. He sunk them in deep, but that's when Itachi felt the chemicals go racing through his veins. It had to be some kind of chemical reaction, but it felt magical.
"K-kisame!" He lets out a needy moan as he returns the favor.
There was just something very right about doing so. Almost as soon as he bit Kisame, he suddenly felt sleepy. Perfectly content with everything.
"Don't worry. The fangs are only temporary." Kisame murmurs as he lays Itachi down on the bed and places a kiss on his forehead.
"The fangs may be temporary, but our love isn't." Itachi whispers and with that, he fell asleep.
