One by one, they all fell.

As troublesome as everyone had seemed, their absence in the Akatsuki was bothersome but there was no other way but to go forward.

Kisame sighed as he watched the sharks swim in the dark water below him. Looks like Deidara and Anjira died at the same time so his bet was invalidated, although he was sure Itachi would scold him again for betting on their colleagues' life, were he still here.

He couldn't stop thinking about what Itachi said to him before. One only finds their true nature at the time of death.

Did they all find out what kind of human they were? Did some of them realize they were worthless humans?

What did Itachi find out, he wondered? For his sake, he hoped Itachi didn't see himself worthless in death despite what he had done and found some peace in the end.

Kisame feared he would find himself worthless in the end but pushed that thought aside. For now he would just see where fate would take him.

Quite funny that he would live to see the Akatsuki change so drastically within a short time, as its core members have fallen, Sasuke Uchiha and his friends joining and finally Tobi revealing himself to be different from what everyone thought of him and now taking the lead.

Now, what would he do?