Chapter 11: Kisame

Uzumaki Naruto

I'd be lying if I said that I didn't miss Kisame.

I'd also be lying if I said that I wish we'd never met.

But I wouldn't be lying if I said that things were probably better off this way.

I stared vacantly at my surroundings, seeing everything but not really taking it in. We had arrived at Shirokami and I was barely aware of it. Had I been awake enough, I would have noticed how dingy and beat up the place was or the beggars lining the streets. I was tired and had barely managed to sleep at all last night, even though Hinata was with me. The purple bags under my eyes were far too obvious. I had been asked twice already if I had gotten enough sleep last night, and I could barely keep my eyes open.

"You look like shit," A certain smooth, indifferent voice greeted me and I didn't need to look at its cruel owner to know who was speaking.

"Thanks for noticing," I snapped back at the stoic faced Uchiha. Sasuke shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets, walking along beside me soundlessly.

I hadn't noticed I had fallen so far behind the others until now. I could see Hinata somewhere in the middle far away from me, talking to Sakura and Ino quietly, dust clouds rising from behind their feet as they walked. A smile played at the corners of my lips but soon a huge yawn dominated my face. Sasuke looked at me with something akin to disgust but said nothing.

"So, how's your eye doing?" I asked him quietly.

We never talked about our eyes in public. It was an unspoken rule the both of us had and even when we did talk about it we spoke in whispers. It was an almost taboo subject and anyone else asking would probably have been crushed by Sasuke.

"It's fine," He replied sharply. His angry tone was more than enough warning for me to shut up and we both fell silent again.

"Hinata hasn't seen me mess around with mine yet. I haven't done anything in front of her yet, it'll probably scare the shit out of her," I chuckled half heartedly to myself and the corner of Sasuke's mouth twitched in amusement.

"It is disgusting," He agreed with me. I yawned again loudly.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Sasuke asked me incredulously and I shrugged, running a hand through my unruly blonde locks.

I answered him with a lopsided smile, "I'm just tired. I didn't think you cared about anyone else but yourself."

He harrumphed and retorted, "At least I'm not a sensitive idiot who cares about everyone."

Although his comeback was intended as a joke, it made me wince painfully. I usually didn't let his smart aleck comments get to me but this time I was so tired to put up any sort of fight. I honestly didn't feel in the mood either.

As an image of a blue skinned criminal came to mind, I exhaled sharply in defeat.

"Yeah, I know."

Uchiha Itachi

The copy-nin beside me was reading from a small orange book with a stop sign on the cover. He totally ignored me, his book demanded his total attention. I wondered what kind of a book could get even the copy-nin to stop everything else he was doing to simply read. I angled my head so that I was in a position where I could read the title of the book subtly.

'Icha Icha Make Out Tactics?'

I fought the compelling urge to raise my eyebrow. He was reading literary porn at a time like this? If they were attacked then he would be at a disadvantage. He would have to close the book, slip it into his pouch and pull out his kunai. That would take almost five seconds and in those five seconds he could be dead.

An unbidden memory jumped to mind suddenly.

"You're taking the ANBU entrance exam?" Shisui asked me in surprise and I nodded stonily. Shisui sighed and shook his head at me in exasperation.

"Honestly, I don't see why you want to grow up so fast. You have until you're twenty to register so why now?" He pressed me for answers. His hands were clasped behind his neck lazily and he glanced at me.

I answered his question with a comeback of my own, "Why did you register early then?"

Shisui broke into a wide smirk and punched me in the arm, "You should know by now that I'm hypocritical."

I scowled inwardly and buried down my memories of Shisui and Ayame as far down as I could. It was only recently I had begun thinking about them and it wasn't something I wanted to remember.

"Something bothering you?" The copy-nin suddenly questioned me and I refused to reply him, settling for staring straight ahead of me. He sighed and raised his headband to scratch at his scarred eye. I knew how irritating scars were, especially when the weather became colder and your skin grew dry. I had a habit of scratching at my eyes when I was alone.

The silence that fell between the two of us was tense. I could tell the silver haired nin wanted to say something but I ignored him. I listened to the footsteps we made as we walked slowly, almost too aware of my surroundings. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled but I was oblivious to the feeling.

"Don't start anything you're going to regret," Kakashi murmured to me quietly. My crimson gaze fixed on an empty, shady looking alleyway straight ahead of me and I fell silent for a few moments.

"I do not regret anything," I answered him flatly.

The copy-nin exhaled sharply in amusement, his navy mask crinkled as he smiled artificially. His only visible onyx eye was steeled over with coldness that looked so misplaced in such a ridiculous face.

He fixed his stern gaze upon me. "I know you don't. But she does."

Hoshikagi Kisame

Today's the day.

I walked through the streets of Shirokami, keeping an eye peeled for anybody with blonde hair. My feet dragged across the floor reluctantly, my mind was wiling to find Hikari but my body voiced its silent protest.

I had a really bad feeling about today. It must have been the sun, it was far too bright for my liking. It cast a fake sense of joy over the scenes playing below it, happy or not, and it was a dampener on my mood. I squinted and pulled my bamboo labourer's hat further down my face. I had bought a new one walking around the marketplace and had scared the shop owner half to death in doing so. I strode through the busy crowds, ignoring the occasional cry of protest as I pushed into someone roughly every now and again. I only had one goal for today and that was to find Hikari. I had to find her.

Maybe she'll know it's me.

I doubted it. She was probably expecting some knight in shining armour to sweep her off her feet. She was probably expecting someone dark haired, blue eyed and handsome to carry her up to her castle. I imagined her face when I strode to her doorstep in all my scaly glory and the corner of my mouth curved upwards in sadistic amusement.

Maybe if I blindfolded her, it wouldn't come as such a shock to her…if she remembered me anyways. Then again, maybe I should have blindfolded myself. That way I wouldn't have been able to see her reaction.

Despite all this, there was this nagging hope in the back of my mind telling me that she would accept me. It kept telling me that she loved me and that she cared for me as much as I did her, that love could withstand any obstacles. I snorted at the voice, how cliché.

I didn't actually have any idea where I was going. I walked around aimlessly, unsure of where to start looking for her. I stopped in a sake bar and bought myself a drink. Itachi probably would have disapproved of it but he wasn't around anymore and never would be again I supposed. I sipped from the white porcelain saucer placed in front of me and heard the swish of fabric as a dark cloaked figure settled down to sit beside me.

The both of us sat in silence and I was sorely tempted to punch the person beside me through a wall and then trample over his shocked body. I had better cruel ideas but they had departed from me the moment I stepped into Shirokami. A deep male voice chuckled at me and a silver ring clinked on the wooden counter in front of me. A turquoise ring glinted in the light.

"What the fuck do you want from me now?" I demanded in exasperation and the man shrugged, the corner of his mouth quirking slightly.

A sake saucer was placed in front of him and he stared at it for a long time. His painted dark fingernails clicked against the porcelain and he lifted the sake to eye level. His face was reflected in the clear, alcoholic liquid. "I have to kill you by the end of today."

My throat clenched. Would I be able to find her in time? What happened if I missed her? He would kill me regardless of the situation I was in, I knew that. I stood no chance against him in a fight in my current condition. I had accepted my death already and no longer cared who it came from, Konoha or the Akatsuki. I couldn't explain things to him and hope he would understand. I had a question for him though.

"And Itachi?" I asked in a gruff undertone.

The man shrugged. "We like him too much to kill him. We'll let the Konoha rats do the job for us."

My foot began to tap against the floor, a steady thump-thumping. Thump, thump, thump. I asked again, "I have until the end of today?"

There was a quiet clack as the man put his saucer back on the table. The sake in it was untouched and a golden coin glistened beside it ominously. His cloak swished as he stood up and his fingers rolled slowly across the countertop as if in thought.

The rolling stopped. "Get it over with. She's in the richer part of town. She lives in a violet house with a huge fountain."

He left abruptly and I took a sip of my sake. The taste burned my throat and I put the saucer back on the counter again, leaning back against my barstool. I stood up and left the near empty sake bar, pulling my bamboo hat further down over my onyx eyes. My feet kicked up a small, unnoticeable dust cloud as I headed towards the richer part of town and made a silent, irritable observation.

Damn, it's not raining today.

Haruno Sakura

We had all decided to stay in an inn for the night. It wasn't like we'd be attacked this close to Konoha and minus the fact that Itachi was with us, we looked like a gang of ordinary civilians. We had hidden all of our weapons and retired to our rooms for the afternoon. We only had a bit of time left to enjoy before we returned to Konoha and would inevitably be thrust into another mission.

I had a room to myself. Hinata and Naruto were sharing, as were Shikamaru and Ino. Kakashi and Itachi had to share anyways and Sasuke was all alone as well. I had considered asking him if he wanted to share but thought better of it. I'd probably end up embarrassing myself anyways.

Kakashi had asked me to help him carry some of his stupid books and I took them out of my carry bag, wrinkling my nose as I touched them. His room was just down the hallway and I crept along the hallway like an unwanted burglar. Something about Shirokami seemed so dangerous that I needed to sneak around everywhere to remain unnoticed and safe.

"You know where he is, don't you?" Naruto's voice pierced through the rice paper sliding screens and I jumped in surprise. I realized his voice was coming from inside of Kakashi's room and pressed myself against one of the walls, eavesdropping on his conversation.

"Where is he?" Naruto demanded, his voice as sharp as a knife. I shuddered unconsciously at the terrifying tone of his usually bright voice. There was a loud sigh after a long time and a creaking of wood as someone sat down.

"Look, I'm not going to tell anyone. I just want to know where he is so I can help him out, he- he was my good friend," Naruto's voice took on a pleading note.

Silence.

"Itachi, please, I'm begging you." There was more creaking of wood and a shuffling of feet. "Tell me where he is, I need to- I have to help him…"

"The ninja of Konoha are still as irresponsible as they used to be. Abandoning common sense for silly ideas like love and friendship," Itachi voice was dead but held a slight trace of scorn in it. Naruto was silent and I could hear Kakashi's snores faintly in the background.

Naruto murmured something very quietly, something I missed. I cursed inwardly and drew closer to the door, listening more intently.

"He has something precious to him in this village. It was his Hikari and he found it in a violet house three years ago," Itachi murmured enigmatically.

Naruto's feet made a racket as he shot up and sprinted for the door without looking back. I ran back to my room quickly so that they wouldn't see me and hid behind one of the sliding screens. I managed to hide inside my room just as Naruto exited from Kakashi's.

I sighed, my heart thudding against my ribcage with the sudden thrill of the moment. I walked over to my table, strapping weapons to my legs and stuffed a couple of scrolls into my back pouch. The door rolled open and I stepped out of the room, my feet thumped on the floor quietly.

I didn't know Kisame very well but I sure as hell wasn't going to let him kill Naruto.

Uchiha Itachi

"Why did you tell Naruto that?" Kakashi's voice held a suspicious tone to it. I kept my back turned to him and remained silent.

"Uchiha-san, I'm simply afraid you must tell me because Naruto is my special student," He explained in a light hearted but utterly fake tone.

Attachments are unnecessary. I simply cannot fathom why these people have so many of them…

"One such as I would not disclose such information to a person like you," I told him flatly and Kakashi's onyx eye narrowed slightly. With that one movement, he was like a whole new person. I wouldn't be surprised if this man had killed a whole clan too.

Without a word, the copy-nin stood up abruptly. The rolling door slid open quietly and I walked behind him, staying as far away from him as my cursed bond would allow me. As we passed Sakura's room, I noticed that the door was open a fraction as if she had been spying on us. My eyes flickered to the gap and found that she wasn't inside.

"Uchiha-san," he began, but his speech faltered. He stopped and shoved his hands into his pockets. He looked like he was going to say something.

His words were almost reluctant as he continued in an undertone, "Ayame-san would be disappointed if she could see you now."

He set off again, refusing to look back at me. Long black strands of hair covered my face from view like a convenient wall, as my hair tie had been taken away by Kakashi. He took many more precautions than Sakura ever did and now my hair served as an onyx curtain, shielding my face unwillingly from the rest of the world.

My crimson eyes flickered bitterly for a moment before steeling themselves over with a disciplined coldness. The corners of my mouth tightened and the taut skin of my scars strained.

It's not possible for me to disappoint Ayame-san. She only had eyes for Shisui.

Hoshikagi Kisame

For the first time in two years, I saw her again. Time stood still for me, a doomed ninja. My mind was bursting with so many questions and I could see her now, laughing as she helped the ladies beside her fold clothes. I could hear her laugh, infectious and always from the heart, and smiled.

I leaned against the tree and blended in as best as I could with the shadows. I had to wait until she was alone before I could talk to her. It would create complications if anybody else saw me with her.

The sky was bleeding red, orange and yellow, showering the world below it golden with its last life. The light had begun to retreat for the day. I swallowed as I realized that it would be the last sunset I would ever see.

--

I began to give up all hope that she'd ever be alone and lost sight of what I was really supposed to be doing. I watched her intently, as if I tore my eyes away from her for even the quickest second, she would be gone. She disappeared for a few seconds and the loud, startling creak of the double wooden garden doors resounded in my ears as they swung open.

I pressed myself as flat as I could against the tree. My heart was pounding in my ears and I stole a glance at the person who had entered my private hiding spot. I already knew who it was.

She was breathtaking in a pure white. I looked at her eyes, trying to figure out what colour they were underneath the paleness I had been so accustomed to. I always knew her eyes would be blue and they were. They sparkled a hopeful, crystalline blue.

"I would look for you."

She was drawing closer to me. Should I have gone? Should I have stayed where I was? I wouldn't approach her yet. It was too soon.

God, I could smell her now. She even smelled the same, an exotic jasmine, and it had never failed to make me lower my defences. I was never on guard when I was around her. She was a bewitching woman.

There was something so safe about being around her. It was as if the world around her were brighter wherever she stepped, as if the sun itself were protecting her with its golden light. I wanted to reach out and touch her, she was so close…

Her name slipped from my lips in a coarse whisper, "Hikari…"

Damn it! She had heard me!

"H-Hello?" She asked tentatively, stepping cautiously around the garden. She looked like she was about to bolt for the doors any second now.

It was painful looking at her. She was right beneath me and I felt my heart lurch sickeningly as I stared at her. I averted my onyx eyes from her, feeling unworthy to even look at a person of so much beauty. She was so beautiful and I…I was…

"Is anyone there?" her voice wavered slightly.

She was heading towards the tree I was hidden in now. I remained as silent as possible, not daring to move for fear that she might see me. I wanted to speak to her but…

Don't look up, whatever happens, just don't look up.

But she did.

She opened her mouth to scream and I jumped off of my branch, trying to grab at her before any sound could come out. It was too late though, she was screaming now, a high pitched terrified scream that would have alerted everyone in the house I was there. She was running for the door now and I ran after her.

"No, Hikari, stop!" I yelled and she continued screaming. I lunged for her and she fell to the ground, her white dress tearing with a loud rip as she fell. She was screaming rape now and every scream wrought more pain within me.

I could see the sky getting darker and knew I didn't have enough time. I had to tell her, I couldn't let it end like this, I couldn't- "Hikari, don't scream. God damn it, don't do this-"

"Hikari, I'm the mercenary from three years ago," I tried to explain to her but she shook her head, her mouth forming intangible screams. The tears streaming down her face were marring her perfection and she was so scared, she was so fucking scared-

"Get off of me! You're not anyone I know, you- you monster!"

Uzumaki Naruto

I saw him freeze from where he was atop of the girl and she took that opportune moment to scramble away and scream for more help. I wanted to go interfere and help him but Kakashi held me back, covering my mouth and stifling all sound. Damn it, I couldn't let this girl do this to Kisame! I couldn't, she was killing him-

I could hear footsteps now coming from inside the house. Oh God no, they were going to kill him, he was going to be dead in a few moments, not Kisame, please God no-

There was a man shouting now, "Hikari! Hikari!" urgently from inside. I screamed and struggled against Kakashi. Sakura had to help hold me back, I needed to help Kisame. He was going to die and I wouldn't be able to do anything, I couldn't help at all-

Kisame wasn't moving. What the hell was he doing? Couldn't he see that he was going to die? That stupid idiot, why the hell didn't he move? Why wasn't he moving-

"Hikari," He choked out a name in a broken voice.

"Hikari," He repeated her name again. No, men were running out of the house now, I could see four pairs of swords glinting in the light and four different weapon pouches-

I threw off Kakashi and Sakura, running for my life towards Kisame. I couldn't let them kill him, not Kisame, not again, I couldn't lose another person-

Kisame raised his head to the sky, his eyes closed. I was screaming his name now, telling him to run, but he wasn't listening. The men were closer to him than I was and I ran faster, faster, trying to beat time, trying to save him.

A whisper rang through the garden, Kisame's voice. "I found you."

A tiny white bird flew down from the sky and perched itself upon Kisame's shoulder. I knew that bird and I knew what was going to happen, I was screaming his name now louder, louder. I needed more chakra to run, I wasn't going fast enough, I could feel the blood weeping from my feet but I didn't care anymore.

Kisame! Kisame, you fucking retard, don't do this to me-

I was close now, almost close enough to rip that bird off his shoulder. I was screaming his name, yelling his name. I reached for the bird but he didn't even look at me, he was staring up at the sky. Kisame's eyes opened slowly and water streaked down his face unwillingly, his own raindrops of sorrow.

He reached out his arms, a tired smile on his face. "Thank you."

There was a bang and a warm liquid splattered across my face. I screamed his name.

"Kisame!"

Next Chapter: Resolve's End

"I told you not to get attached."

"It's alright man, I'm here."

"Konoha is foolish for encouraging friendship."

"He was...human."

"Sakura-chan...you love him, right?"

A/N:
This is why I had massive writer's block. This chapter was just so depressing to write and even though I didn't do much with Kisame and Naruto they were still so much fun to write. I honestly don't know where to lead the story next but I know I definitely have to build on Sakura and Itachi's relationship because I haven't sorted that out yet.

I like Kisame's death better here than in the old one, though I really miss the part with Itachi and the genjutsu. It was just so hard to incorporate that idea into this though cause Kisame's death is from Naruto's point of view and all. A bit more of the whole Itachi/Shisui/Ayame thing is coming in from now on though I'm not sure if I should save up some of it for the sequel...

MAN I want to write the sequel so badly but I've got to finish this!

selandora