Chapter Thirty-Five: A Wayward Brother
AN: This chapter will illustrate how (one aspect of) the Mangekyō Sharingan works in this fiction. I've taken away the blindness caused by its overuse. It's temporary in my fiction. This gives Itachi an immense advantage, something he didn't have in Canon. As you've noticed, I've knocked Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan Sasuke several tiers down, because he's impossibly powerful (for this fiction and in canon); I didn't want any Godly characters in my fiction; they don't suit this narrative.
You've already seen which form of Susanoo Sasuke uses: it's the fully formed "Ribcage Version", with an arm (one which Sasuke used against Jūbi-Obito to save Naruto's life whilst he was falling down). The fully formed Ribcage-Susanoo has a very thick user's chakra aura (deep-purple in Sasuke's case, crimson-red in Itachi's, and light-blue in Madara's) that's quite visible, unlike the rudimentary version (one which Sasuke used against Ae and Mei at the Kage Summit, albeit it did possess a basic arm-structure, as well). He won't be able to use any form above it, not in a manner that you'd expect. Also, I've mostly taken Kagutsuchi away from Sasuke as I've restricted the manner in which he can use his Susanoo. Itachi, as well as Sasuke, will retain his ability to quell the flames. That's the only Amaterasu manipulation ability Itachi had in Canon.
Canon Manga Info: I wanted to show a slight vulnerability in Itachi, a throwback to that famous arc in the manga in which Obito stated that Itachi would've "divulged Konoha's secrets" had Sasuke been harmed in any manner by the higher-ups. Itachi admitted that whatever Obito stated about the mission was true.
Mind you, Danzō manipulated Itachi by telling him that his brother will be spared in exchange for the mission. Yes, it's a lot more complicated than that, but it was the main reason behind Itachi's actions, other reasons being secondary.
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The sun was high and the weather cool. Two days without sleep, and another night with no rest, had left him irritable and exhausted. He was human, after all. His body was tired. His mind could not work like it normally did. A dull fever gripped him; it burnt like smouldering coals left overnight in the hearth. There was a glimpse of fever in his eyes, a shade of red in his cheeks.
He took stiff strides to her office. A crowd of shinobis standing in the hall parted away. Many of them shouted honorifics. As always, he showed them nothing but indifference. He opened the door to Tsunade's office, his hard eyes falling on her fair face. He closed the door behind him. The sound of the click made her look up at him.
"What is the meaning of this?" he asked, his voice so deep and heavy. It had a subtle undercurrent of anger that was a little hard to miss. He approached the table, a scroll held tightly in his hand.
Tsunade slowly stood up, her hands on the large table. Few cushions were placed on the chair to give her that much-needed lift. She frowned, and her eyes locked to the Shurikens that spun in his eyes. "Is there any reason for you to use such a tone and grace me with your untimely visit?" she asked and her mouth twisted in irritation, an angry colour rising in her cheeks.
He placed the scroll on the table, his eyes heavy on her face. Her eyes yielded before the foreboding, turbid darkness in their reddest depths. Then she lowered her eyes, picked up the scroll, and read it. Anger slipped from her face, replaced with worry. He could even see shame racing across her features.
"Is there a reason behind this trick? Now of all the times—" he stopped himself before he could say any more. His waxen face trembled for a heartbeat, with controlled fury. Then the anger slipped back to the empty corner whence it had briefly set itself free.
Tsunade raised her eyes and anger returned to her face with swiftness. She did not like his tone. "That's the first I'm hearing of this," she said as she tightened her jaws and lips and rolled up the scroll, a scowl upon her face now. "This order didn't come to my table. He must've gone straight to the Elders for this." She placed it back on the table with force and it wobbled.
He stiffened his spine, an ever-latent mockery on his face and arrogance in his eyes. "Are you playing the apt role of a woman of secondary value to the Elders? I thought them to be beneath you in such affairs? Surprises, you are full of them, are you not, Hokage-Sama?" he spoke, elongating the word slowly and enticingly to bruise her ego.
Anger sparked brightly in Tsunade's eyes, her knuckles shaking. "Itachi," she hissed, and her eyes squinted against the menacing aura that floated to her from his accursed eyes, "how dare you use that tone with me? Sasuke's careless attitude has rubbed off on you, or do you both take perverse pleasure in this arrogance?" The breath hissed noisily from her mouth. Her nostrils flared. That fair face, deep red, contorted in anger.
A smile came to his lips, settled on his face like a mirage that was most eerie. "My honesty should not wound you. How did he issue this order without your consent? Or are you a part of this, playing a game with him to corner the boy?" he asked, threat dripping from his lips. His mask was slightly broken by the unsavoury impact of anger—yet for him to show even this much? It shocked her.
Tsunade's eyes widened, anger marching across her features with assured strides. She looked somewhere between shocked and livid. Her red mouth curled in rage, of which she had yet to let go. "What are you talking about? Don't talk in riddles!" she said and gazed intently at his young face. He looked just like his brother: if only Nature had fixed the small mistakes, it would have been impossible to tell them apart.
Itachi shook his head in slow movements—the frosty smile most apparent on his face. "It is a simple question. It would be better if you did not elude it. Though I wonder," he paused and narrowed his eyes on her face, "how much that precious student of yours will gain from this? Another Uchiha caught by Root. Brilliant, they would say."
Raspy breaths left her lips, red picking at her sanity, like a crow at a dead-man's rotten-eye. "What does Sakura have to do with this?" she asked, her lips dry. He sounded cruel . . . inhuman the way he spoke of her as though there was something of a liquid malice swirling in his mouth, and he so wanted to spit it down into the gutters.
The corner of his mouth twitched, and that mocking expression melted into something no less intense. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a scroll, threw it softly at the table as if he was playing fetch with a whelp. It bounced off her stomach and landed in front of her—right between the stacks of scrolls. She stared down, then up, absolutely furious!
"The menagerie pays her well for her foolishness. How terrible for her if she loses her life in this game," he spoke, his voice coming out in a manner that made her hairs stand on end.
"What are you—" Tsunade stopped; her breaths had gone shallow; heart, terrified of what he was suggesting quite freely. Her eyes left his gaze that held hers in an invisible shackle and dropped to the scroll. With unsure hands, she unrolled it, and the details brought tears across her eyes.
She slumped back down into the chair, and her mouth trembled. She found it difficult to speak. "What is—where did you find this? Sakura can't—she'd never—" she fumbled with words and put her hand to her breast, and her heart throbbed painfully.
"She has been working for him for nearly two years, passing on information concerning my brother. A scorned woman. I will show her scorn," he spoke a little disdainfully, looking back at her sorrowful and shocked eyes. The intensity of the reds, in his speaking eyes, was something else entirely. She had never seen it before, and it chilled her.
Tsunade finally found her wind, her bosom moving with deep breaths. "What does this have anything to do with Danzō asking for an inquiry now?" she asked and rose to her feet. They shook with emotions that stirred in her heart and mind.
Itachi clenched his jaws, and a muscle twitched close to his lips, and he spoke, his tone still frosty: "Sasuke has left home. He was angry with me. I spent all night and all morning looking for him about Rain and Grass borders. I do not know where he is—I cannot find him. This missive came in not long after he left my office in anger. No one knew he would leave home. It miraculously arrived in the nick of time, but, oh," he paused and took in a long breath, and his mouth showed a sweet curl of contempt, "your student trained to become a Sensor. She adores to pursue my brother. Distance matters not to her. It all fits so perfectly. Her mind is not a mystery. Who knows what she has in store for you, following the orders from a madman in Leaf's shadows."
Tsunade hunched her shoulders and circled her arms around herself as if she was cold and tired. Her eyes roamed all over the room, graver and deeper the anxiety in her face. "Danzō must've put her up to this. She would never lie to me—she would never hurt Sasuke. She adores your brother!" she said and looked him in the eye, beseeching him to calm his anger.
"I do not care for what she adores. The vile girl is conspiring with Root to trap him in some elaborate scheme. I can easily pluck things from her head and give her the punishment she needs. It would be easy for me," he spoke, his tone hard and firm. "Your Council claimed half of my kin over an accusation, yet now, they want a boy's sacrifice at their feet? They want a show. All that blood did not satisfy their hunger. I put that aside years ago for this village, but Sasuke? I will not stand for it."
"Are you blackmailing me? You want time—is that it?" she asked, changing her tone into that of persuasion. She approached him; his words, which made her steps unsteady, resounded in her head. When he remained silent, she spoke again: "I'll help you—buy you time. Don't hurt Sakura. She's young and naïve. Danzō must have trapped her. I'll get to the bottom of this. You have my word, but I can't allow you hurt her, Itachi. I won't!"
He bent his head down and let her see and feel the sharp glare of murders dancing pretty in his eyes. "You can pray that I find him soon, and that she is not involved in this, or I will be very unkind to her.
"If I find that someone was involved in this, and if anything happens to the boy, I will grant that person no quarter, and I will reserve remorse for another eternity. You have not seen my anger yet," he whispered in her face, his eyes mad-red, and he gave the look that he meant what he said. When his hot breath hit her, it stabbed at her skin.
Tsunade raised her hand and parted her lips to speak but nothing came out. He left as quickly as he had come; and she stood there silently, sobbing in agony . . .
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The whole night had gone by whilst he gave chase to his brother. He went from border to border and searched in places he knew from his travels as an Anbu Shinobi—quiet caves, dirty inns, sleepy villages. It was all for nothing. It was as if earth chewed up his sibling's shadow and forgot to spit out the shade: he had vanished! Last time, when Sasuke went away over an argument, he was easy to find. He left small clues, marks of his presence. He wanted Itachi to find him—not this time.
Now, he was a ghost that left nothing behind for Itachi's eyes to see; he did not want to be found. His crows flew north and south, east and west. They were as eager to find him as he was. He had been using his Mangekyō for more than twenty hours—no rest for the wicked! It had taken such a toll on his body and mind.
He felt the rise in mild heat about him, and the sea of mist dispersed. He was a wanderer in its vast ghostly shape—weary and searching. Night was gone, a sober traveller. When he lifted his dimming eyes to the changing sky, dawn set the dusky cover ablaze. A new morn broke out upon the dark forest at the outskirts of a village close to the Land of Waves, and Sasuke was still missing. The rays shimmered on the boughs left dry and withering by autumn. They had little life in them now.
The fever—it was hurting his whole body with an exquisite intensity. It burnt in his limbs, and his skin reacted under the floating drops of mist. They slid down his shivering arms, left bare below the elbows, and he hissed in pain. Relying on his Sharingan so much was killing him. Mangekyōs were terrible allies: they took the light away for weeks and punished the body when called upon more than once. It was a price Uchiha had to pay for an awesome power. His beloved brother was eternally free from such punishments.
Itachi steadied himself beside a tree, fingers trembling on the bough, eyes stubbornly looking through his crows. Four of them flew across the borders, and Sasuke was nowhere in sight. Kai and Serizawa stood about sixty feet behind him. Kai had put some animals under Genjutsu. It was his speciality: he used bewitched animals for infiltration. They could not be kept under Genjutsu to do his bidding for more than few hours. Sharingan proved too much for their fragile minds, and they always died brutally, bleeding to death from their nostrils, eyes, and ears. It was a classic case of brain haemorrhaging.
Serizawa extended his Sharingan's field of vision through Sensing. He could see in one direction for about five kilometres. All Sharingans had an ability to look far off into the distance, but it did not extend beyond few hundred meters. It was an ability he had developed for himself. He was Itachi's assistant like Kai. Both of them were highly skilled, trained ninjas. They were privy to almost everything that went on in the clan. The Uchiha Clan's secret-keepers—trustworthy and infallible to their cores. They were loyal men.
The hypnotised bird in the sky suddenly stalled from a great height and plummeted to a gruesome death some hundred kilometres away. Kai saw the whole thing: the ground grew bigger and bigger, and quickly, the world went dark. He blinked, and his heart skipped more than one beat. It was always ghastly to look through their eyes just before they died. The dimming light and the spirit escaping their bodies . . . it chilled him.
He looked at Serizawa who silenced his Sharingan and shook his head, disappointed. Kai turned his eyes to Itachi. He had his back to them, with his hand still upon the low-hanging bough, his eyes up-turned as though he was fascinated by the trees that stood in bloom. A deep frown appeared on Kai's forehead, and he returned his eyes back to Serizawa. "Sasuke's a handful," he said lowly and crossed his arms.
Serizawa made a tsking sound and shook his head again. "I don't want to speak of this. Why can't you let this go?" he said and half-turned to look behind his back at Itachi: he had been standing silently for the whole hour now.
"Let this go? Itachi-Sama will become the Clan's Head soon. The ceremony's not far, but he hardly has time for anyone beyond Sasuke's foolish behaviour. This isn't the way to behave when he knows that his older brother has a responsibility to the Clan," he said, his voice carrying the air of irritation. "He quarrels with him all the time. When will it end?"
Serizawa stepped closer. "Why does it matter to you? It's between them, and I'm quite fond of our cousin. He's moody—we all have our faults. He's too young. You're not. Let's not pretend that you're a pious monk, Kai. We both know you aren't. Your self-important attitude shocks me sometimes," he said and wiped his face with his hand. Morning mist-drops covered his face and shone in the morning light. He looked like a strange-looking divine creature before Kai.
"Oh? You liked it when he attacked you with Raiton? You're too kind to him," he said, his voice stubborn, and his face gave the same impression.
"As I said, we all have our faults. The Raiton didn't hurt me. A cheap balm from the Infirmary was enough to heal the burns. He'd simply knocked me out. And where are you taking this?" he asked and stole a quick glance at Itachi.
"Between you and me," he began and lowered his voice, "I wish Sasuke doesn't return. Then we can finally get past this and move on. I'm tired of this—I'm tired of Sasuke."
"Are you mad?" he hissed in retort and his face became hard. "I really wish you had kept this to yourself. Do you really think Itachi-Sama would be in a right state of mind if something happened to Sasuke? You talk like a fool."
Kai gave a slight tilt of his head to Itachi. "He'll accept it, like he accepted the death of his kin. He didn't grieve after his father's death. He didn't shed a tear over his mother's body. He knows of the responsibility to his people. You're not looking at the other side of the picture," he said and fell silent.
"Are you?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. He was truly shocked. "He's a cold man with little compassion. Time changed him. It's changed all of us. It made him hard. Sasuke's the only person that keeps him a little grounded. I don't want a Head who has a heart of stone, and if you threw away that foolishness for a moment, you'll see value in my words."
"Sasuke's not his only family. He still has a Rao-Sama. Surely, you're—"
"You don't understand my words?" Serizawa cut him off. "I'm willing to pluck my eyes out of my face and spend my life as a blind man if he isn't driven mad by Sasuke's death. He'd never survive it. He brought him up as if he were his own child. You truly underestimate Sasuke's value in his eyes—you always have, and I'm shocked that you don't see it."
Kai looked at him, lost for words. Their conversation never made it to Itachi's ears. His senses had greatly diminished, and his whole body shivered. "Your anger—how do I find you? You could have—could have spoken with me—let—let them go. Why did—you leave home?" he whispered, words shaky, voice beyond his control. Spinning, the Shurikens cut deeply into his mind, and he was distressed beyond measure for the brother who had become wayward—much to his displeasure.
On the verge of breakdown, his body haunted the Sharingan; his vision blurred suddenly and all of his crows disappeared; and before he could steady himself to preserve his dignity, he fell down onto his knees and slumped sideways against the tree. Callous like he, the Shurikens made him bleed, and he breathed loudly, his wide eyes upon the bloods spilling in the sky. He was simply staring up, with his head tipped back—delirious. Kai and Serizawa called his name, but he could hardly hear their voices.
"Sui-Suigetsu—c-call him—" he managed and gripped Serizawa's arm tightly as he knelt beside him. He curled an arm behind Itachi's back to pull him forward.
"Itachi-Sama, take it easy. You haven't eaten anything—haven't taken a drop of water in three days. You're over-using your Mangekyō. Please, get some rest—you need it," Kai said and looked at Serizawa for some support.
"He's right, Itachi-Sama," he broke off, looking from the blood that fell from Itachi's reddened lips to his dimming vision, "get some rest. You don't have to worry. I'm making Kage-Bunshins to scout out the areas close to Sound. Kai can cover the Sand's borders. The birds will cover the areas quickly."
"No, I-I have to—" he stopped to inhale sharply whilst he tried to sit up straight, "—I—" He could not quite complete his sentence. He tried to get up, but his head fell forward, and he could not arouse himself this time.
"Itachi-Sama!" Kai shouted and leant towards him. He looked to Serizawa, his eyes widening.
"He's fine—he's just fainted," Serizawa said calmly and pressed his palm against Itachi's brow. "He's burning up. It's no use. We have to take him back to the village. Sage knows what will happen to him if he keeps this up."
Kai looked back at him, his face turning hesitant. "He'll be furious when he wakes up," he said and put Itachi's limp arm over his shoulders.
"Let's leave our Kage-Bunshins here. I don't want to waste time. Sasuke needs to be found. Sage knows what those Root snakes want with him and the Clan again," he said and opened the buckles of Itachi's jacket. He pulled it away from his body to let the cool air hit his skin, drenched beneath the shirt. "Do you think he'd move on if Sasuke died?" he asked, flashing his meaningful eyes to Kai.
Kai averted his eyes and did not say anything . . .
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Sasuke took a few more steps. Then he stopped and looked back at Karin. "Are you coming?" He seemed irritated. Night was nearly upon him, and he had yet to find the second hideout. The first one turned out to be a waste.
She smiled, her pink mouth curling into a leer. "I'd really love to come on your hand and face—all night long," she rasped and licked her lips.
He wiped at his face and pulled the cowl back, his face rigid. "How many times will you say this? Stop it," he said with irritation and started walking again.
"Dear Sage, you're so uptight—Sasuke, wait for me!" she called out and broke into a jog. "We'll find it, a'right? You're mean. The things I do for you and I hardly get anything out of it." She skipped a step and tried to match his stride. She was not that tall a woman.
"You get paid," he said without looking at her. His lips elongated into a thin line.
"That's not what I meant and you know it. And look—" she stopped and paused in her steps, "—we walked around in a circle." She scowled and pursed her lips to look up at him.
He stopped, too, and then walked to the right and sat down on a fallen tree. "I can see that guardian-deity statue. I'm not blind. I needed to double-check if we missed anything," he said and pulled out the map from a bag hanging from his shoulder.
Karin followed him and stood by the lopsided, withered deity statue close to his feet. "I'm tired. Look at the sky. It's almost night and it might rain, too. I can hardly sense anything beyond a kilometre. I need to rest and so do you. Stop being stubborn!"
"Why are you irritated? You knew this would be hard. I didn't force you to come along," he said and shook the map to smooth out the crinkles in the paper.
"Sleeping in a guest-room in your house for a month and trying to get you to fuck would do that to any woman," she scoffed and fingered her glasses.
"If we find that hideout, I can remedy that," he said and looked at her with an expression as though he was observing the familiar yellow spots in the sky.
"Hah! That's what you said last time and I don't remember you keeping your promise!" she said in a mean cold voice. "You might find some time for me if you stopped fucking that floozy. Still a damned Genin, isn't she? Stupid cunt. No wonder Hiashi abandoned her." She put her hands on her hips in a huff.
Amused by her frustration, Sasuke let slip a husky chuckle from his lips and rolled up the map. "You shouldn't be angry. I told you, I haven't gone near her since last week," he said, a reassuring look on his face. Then he got to his feet and looked up at the angry clouds. His cloak flapped behind him. The wind was blowing fast and hard now.
Karin snatched the map from his hand and unrolled it. "Look, there's an inn nearby. I'm going," she said with finality and rolled up the scroll.
"Karin, we have to—" he broke off as the rain came pouring down on them.
Karin squeaked and jumped under his waterproof cloak. "Please, Sasuke!" she pleaded in a girl-ish tone and curled her arms about his waist.
"Sage Damn it—fine," he said with resignation and started walking, with Karin clinging to him under his long cloak.
When they made it to the inn, a plump woman at the reception gave him the look. He disregarded her rude expression. "Two rooms," he said and heard a moan of disapproval from Karin behind him.
"No spare empty rooms, young man. Just one," she spoke with her mouth full. She was chewing on something soft and squishy. The grinding motion of her mouth and teeth—it was making him sick . . .
"I'll take it," he said and took the key from her stubby hand. When she smiled a smile full of teeth, he noticed that her teeth were painted in the most bizarre black pattern. She looked like a hungry spirit from beyond Yomi. The woman, whom he assumed to be the landlady, pointed to a room down the corridor to the left. When he reached the door, he opened the flower-shaped padlock and slid it open. It was a nice room: two futons were placed side by side on the wooden floor at one end, and a wooden dresser, placed at the other—the mirror on it was clean.
Karin laughed and ran into the room. She threw herself back onto the futon on the left, on which he was thinking of sleeping, and spread her legs and arms wide like a child. He shook his head in slow indolence and closed the door behind him. Hearing the click of the door's latch, she rested her elbow on a makura and propped her head in her hand.
"Sasuke, after we find him, we should head back. You shouldn't stay outside Leaf for too long. You could get into trouble," she said, nervous.
"I'm not going back. I'm done with Nii-Sama, with Leaf, with everything. Suigetsu and Jūgo will find me," he said, and his mouth was hard and turned down in mild anger.
"Your brother, he—" she stopped, trying to say what she wanted to, "—this isn't fair to him."
"Fair? He's done everything he can to shame me and cut my paths. I've grown tired of him and his games. He can do whatever he pleases. I don't care about his ego," he bit out harshly.
"Sasuke," Karin began in shock and sat up straight, "you don't mean that . . . "
Sasuke looked at her, anger stark upon his face; but he remained silent and turned his head away into shadow's starving embrace; she felt that he had more to say on the subject of his brother's tricks, but he did not.
"This isn't fair to him. He must be worried sick about you. I know he's harsh, but he wants to protect you in his own way. He doesn't want you to be branded as a traitor. He adores you. He'd never want that. Sasuke, you . . . you're not being fair to him—or yourself. Think over it. That's all I'm asking," she said softly and fell silent, her eyes downcast.
Sasuke breathed out loudly, and his eyes softened. He took off his cloak and threw it on the floor. Then he sat down on the futon next to Karin, his mind busy in another world. He felt her arms around his neck, her mouth hard against his throat, but he did not say anything to push her away.
When morning came, he could tell that the landlady was not happy. She had this big frown on her fat face, and she kept mumbling about vulgar customers, taboos, and shame. Perhaps it was that Karin was uncharacteristically wild and loud last night; or that he spoke in irritation that there was still a damned zipper on his pants when she got too excited. Sasuke gave the landlady the money and left with a very chirpy Karin with him. It was easy to lift her spirit and mood. Albeit Sasuke was not in the mood, he did not mind that he had let Karin have her way with him—a small sacrifice on his part to keep her quiet and happy.
They made their way to the next hideout: it was located on an island beyond the Land of Waves. Fishermen had abandoned their boats; tides were high and winds strong. They took a path that went into the thick forest. The boughs twisted and turned, and trees moved back and forth, thrashing like fish in a net.
Karin was still Sensing, and he had his Sharingan out. He felt fresh and robust—a little rest did them good. They walked for a long time, crossed streams swollen by rains, their steps firm against the wind blowing at them. They went beyond the blanket of storm clouds overhead and came across a vast forest; it was calm under the drizzle.
Sasuke jumped down from a cliff, with Karin behind him. When he leapt down, her eyes stretched as if she saw a ghost. "Sasuke, there's someone with a really large chakra running south. He's fast. It could be him!" she said and made a surprised sound when he grabbed her and started running.
He ran so fast with her in his arms; he knew she was too slow to follow him. All she saw was a blur of colours. He closed the vast distance between them in two beats and allowed his Sharingan to track him down. There was no need for her Sensing now. He ran and ran, following him like a hawk, his eyes keen on the chakra in the large man's body—even his sword.
At last, the man jumped into a clearing behind a group of small, treacherous mountains; but it was not much of a task for Sasuke's chakra to create a footing for him on their slippery surface. A waterfall was behind him, which created loud gurgling sounds that filled his ears. He set Karin down and took out his sword.
In the next moment, a tall—very tall—man appeared from the shadows on the cave's mouth. His skin had a strange blue colour, and his teeth, short and pointy. Sasuke could easily count them all in his broad smile. He gave Sasuke the impression of a predatory shark. He held a puffer-fish-like large sword in his hand.
He chuckled and sat down on a pile of rocks and leant the sword against his right knee, his small eyes upon him. "Littlest Uchiha, you have grown," he said and there was an unmistakable smile in his rough voice.
"You," Sasuke spoke in the grip of shock and surprise, "you're Kisame . . . "
The man only laughed in response . . .
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