(Many years ago…)
"This has to be the lowest job we've done so far." A bored voice carried over to the motionless companion. A rhythmic tap of mauve fingernails on wood filled the silence of the otherwise still room. Kisame glanced at his partner. "How much longer, Itachi-san?"
Itachi didn't reply, but glanced over to the fed-up shark, whom was staring a hole through the wall. Neatly, he shuffled the documents in his hand and proceeded to slide them back into place in the desk. All the information was gathered, and it was practically useless to them. But, to their paying clients, it would suit well.
"Done." Came the stoic reply. Standing upright and replacing the chair back to its correct position, he turned to the window they had entered from.
"Finally." Came the grumbled reply. "Now, let's go do something worth our time."
A small grunt of agreement came from his smaller partner, as both rogue ninja leaped from the balcony with ease, landing on the balls of their feet before springing onto the rooftops above, mere whispers of wind as they slipped their way through the sleeping village.
There was no moon out that night, the only thing keeping them company being the sigh of a slight breeze and the cold pinpricks of stars. The few guards on duty that evening were easily avoidable, leaving a rather straight path to the edge of the forest from which they would blend in as shadows.
There would be no fire built that night; small precautions taken to prevent any chance of discovery and confrontation. It would eat away at Kisame's mind, his boredom courtesy of his smaller partner. The subside of action he had seen these days was leaving an itch on the shark, something he couldn't reach to scratch.
It was driving him crazy.
The next morning, they awoke to a meager breakfast and set out quickly, leaving no traces of evidence behind. That was Itachi. Taking every small step ahead of himself to ensure complete obscurity.
Within minutes they had arrived at the designated meeting spot; two figures patiently waiting outside a small fishing shack beside a riverbank. Itachi was seemingly at ease; calm, stoic, those all-seeing eyes observing his restless partner fidget and grumble.
"Do you have to be somewhere?" The Uchiha lightly mused. Kisame looked to him for his small attempt at humor. The shark only grinned.
"I hate waiting. Besides, these guys are late, and I'm starting to get…hungry." That trademark smirk gleaned in the shadows, making Itachi quirk an eyebrow.
"You should know patience is one of a shinobi's greatest tools."
Kisame scoffed. "Yeah, yeah…"
The rogue Uchiha just stared at his partner for a few moments, as though hesitating to say something. A rustle in the bushes nearby put a pause on his words…
The cawing from a crow outside woke Kisame instantly. Multiple scrolls and books littered the table he had been reading throughout the night, his bottomless hunger for answers and knowledge of this new world keeping him from his bed.
Running his hands across his tired face and scratching at his, (slightly), unruly navy hair, he picked up another parchment of paper he had begun reading last night before dozing off. He reread the same paragraph five times before he realized he had done so.
The mere thought of going from a feared and famous shinobi, (even if not for the best of reasons…), to a blind man searching for the sun made him press harder for information. What was this new world like? Where did he fall into it? Could he even have a new life here?
Tssk. He inwardly chastised himself, suppressing the urge to groan loudly in frustration. Everything at the moment was just too much for one man to bear, and to try and keep his sanity whilst attempting to absorb all of this? Impossible.
Focus. Clear your mind. Kisame inhaled deeply, closing his eyes for a brief second, relishing in the true moment of peace he had allowed himself. Upon releasing his breath, he began to make a mental list inside his head, organizing his chaotic thoughts. Patience.
The Old Granny. Yes, that was number one priority. Everything else, well, would have to wait. He can tackle all of the world's problems, (even if he really didn't care or necessarily want to) once he had more information.
Find the old bat. Beat her senseless. Get some answers.
A soft sigh made him look over to his sleeping companion. Ah, yes.
Find the old bat. Beat her senseless. Get some answers. Dump the damn kunoichi. Kill the weasel.
"Haiiiiiii!" The door suddenly burst open, causing the shark to reach for an imaginary weapon as he spied bed sheets flying like ship sails in his peripheral. The hostess from last night was standing in the doorway, a triumphant smile on her petite face and a fiery glint in her peach colored eyes. "Are we ready?!"
Kisame blinked in confusion, then glared in annoyance. A loud groan could be heard from Evelyn, as she buried herself back underneath her safe space of comforters.
"What do you want?" Kisame stood from his chair, cracking joints as he watched the weasel slither its way inside the room. "What's this brat doing here?" He crossed his massive arms down at the rodent.
Momo bristled visibly. "Brat-?!"
"Oi, hey now, no need to be all grump and rude. Momo here is having to set foot with us she is." Benji hopped up the bed, crawling over the miniature mountains of white blankets and sniffing the spot where Evelyn's head was buried underneath. "Oi girl! Ya dead?"
"Leave me alone." Evelyn muttered angrily, her voice muffled by thick cloth. Kisame strode over and flicked the rodent off, ignoring the squeak of protest. Removing the blankets in a white flurry, he grabbed a shoulder brusquely and gave a quick throttle. "Okay, okay! STOP."
"We leave soon." Kisame stated flatly, releasing his grip. Turning his attention back to his guests, he eyed the hostess shrewdly. Momo returned the stare with vehemence of her own, until her face blushed madly and she looked away.
Sidestepping the giant shark-man and tiptoeing her way to the bathroom, Evelyn made care not to get wrapped in the chain as she closed the door behind her, drowning out the sound of the three voices bickering outside. With a tired sigh, she risked a glance at the mirror, mortified at her appearance. The circles under her eyes were growing slightly darker, and her hair was a tumbleweed of a mess.
The evening pajama she was given unbuttoned down the front, quickly modified for her to sleep in by Momo. Even though she disliked the girl, she was grateful for her ingenuity and thankful she didn't have to sleep in her old clothes, all tattered and grimy. Setting to work on her appearance, Evelyn tied her long, tawny hair in a crisp braid down her back, brushed her teeth, and set to work on getting dressed in new clothes that were provided for her.
Seeing her full reflection made her wince, all the blossoming colors of her bruising in full glory. With a twist to the side, she then spied her shoulder tattoo, and remembered the night at the inn. Feeling the soft skin with her fingertips, Evelyn frowned at herself as she tried comprehending what Kisame had said to her.
A seal? Where? What was he talking about? Evelyn turned her body this was and that, trying to find the marking he was talking about. Besides her tattoo, there was nothing that marred her body. He was drunk. He must've thought my dragon tattoo was a seal.
With that matter settled, she held up the clothes given to her. I dunno where she found this, but it looks like a Halloween costume. The black material was light and comfortable against her skin, and came in one piece. Sliding in, one leg at a time, she pulled up, (what looked like black shorts) up to her bottom, which had fishnet chasing down her legs, and ended at around her ankles. The material was strong when she pulled at it with her fingertips, but doubt crept in the back of her mind at the durability.
Damn ninja clothing.
Pulling the rest of the material up and around her waist and up her torso, she slid her free arm through a thick sleeve, leaving her other shoulder bare. Glancing at the mirror in doubt, she prayed she didn't look as foolish as she thought she did.
A rapid knock at the door startled her. "Wh-what?"
Without giving an answer, the door swung open quickly and shut closed again. Evelyn's least favorite woman strode over to her quickly, observing her shrewdly with her hands on her hips. "Neh, you can't get dressed within five minutes?! Did your parents ever let you dress yourself at this age?"
Anger quickly boiled, and was just as quickly defused as the younger woman deftly grabbed another garment, (Evelyn was unsure if it was for her or not, she didn't even know if she put the 'suit' on correctly as it was) and twirled Evelyn around.
With quick hands, she tied a burgundy sash around waist, making it appear as a fashionable skirt, which wrapped up along her back and over her torso, tying the ends together and tucking them snugly so as to appear as a seamless, fluid fabric.
Momo herself was dressed much differently from the night before, ridding herself of the kimono in favor for a violet shinobi outfit. With an irritated huff, she eyed her handiwork and nodded. "Ni, you were the most difficult one. Do you know how hard it is to find an outfit for you to wear with that thing?" She thrust her chin at the cuff around Evelyn's wrist, snaking its silver chain along the floor. "But, I'm amazing. So, it was no problem." Momo replied to herself casually.
With a clap of her hands, she opened the door and left, making some unintelligible remark to herself. A second later, two standard ninja sandals came flying into the room, clacking on the tile.
Kisame had finished dressing himself by the time Evelyn entered the room, the pearl colored sash he now wore tied firmly around his torso and over his shoulder. While it was nice to be dressed in fresh, new clothes, he still felt incomplete without his signature Samehada, and although he had to adapt without it, the loss of his precious sword would be something he would have to come to terms with eventually.
Evelyn noted her companion wore new black pants, with the standard white ribbon tied around one thigh. Facing the issue with the chain, he opted for no jumpsuit, unlike herself, and instead wore only a cream-colored sash that was discreetly tied in the back. Whether it was to cover some skin, or just for a fashion statement, she really didn't bother to ask.
"Here." A quick flash of a bulky item hit Evelyn square in the face. Boompf.
With a snarl, Evelyn restrained herself from chucking the backpack out the open window, and instead opened it and peered inside. "What the hell are these for?" She shook the multiple scrolls around inside, looking for anything familiar.
Momo rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Evelyn felt as though she had just asked a rather stupid question.
"How else do you think we're going to carry everything? It's a long walk to Nara-sama's house, and I'm too delicate to be burdened with such things." Momo sniffed and turned on her heel, walking daintily from the room.
That didn't even answer my question. Evelyn ground her teeth together and zipped the backpack, securing the pack on her back with the single strap across her chest. You know what, I don't care. Whatever.
Kisame watched the exchange with minor annoyance, mainly pissed at the fact he had another dead-weight attached to his company. But after listening to the rodent the previous night, this world was indeed not the one he would remember, and a guide who grew up in this time period would be best.
"Ayo, best be gettin'." Benji smoothed his fur down with a solid lick, bounding out the door and out of sight.