Better than Good

"Mmm…" Kisame woke up. He had the mysterious ability to wake up exactly when he needed to if he concentrated hard enough on it before falling asleep. And he had. He just couldn't remember why he needed to wake up. It was still dark for the most part and the runny window showed that it was drizzling outside. The only noise was Itachi's light breathing at his side. He looked down. Itachi was curled into a ball with all but one of the blankets pulled tight around him. His hair spread out behind him and fell across his face, a few strands being buffeted about by his steady inhales and exhales. Kisame reached his arm over to tuck the hair behind Itachi's ear. Something about Itachi being peaceful made him smile. He glanced down farther and saw his partner's scratched hand. The bird. "The bird!" Kisame shook Itachi gently, then harder. "The bird, Itachi-san! The bird!"

"Hm? The-" Itachi sat up and grabbed Kisame's shoulders. "The bird, Kisame, the damned bird!" They were out of bed instantly. Kisame grabbed Samehada and reached the door in two strides. Itachi however had pulled on his robe and shoved the window open. With slight difficulty due to the hair tie in his teeth he explained, jerking his head towards the window, "It's faster." Before Kisame could protest, the slight form of his partner had disappeared. Kisame stuck his head out into the rain.

"Itachi…"

This letter includes a detailed diagram of out client's office, which is located in the center of the village.

We wish you luck: remember the consequences.

Once you finish your task, go to the gate at two in the afternoon to catch your ride that will leave within five minutes if you're not there.

Leader

Itachi sighed. Kisame felt something hit his shoulder. It was Itachi. Apparently, he wanted to hand off the bird. Kisame took it.

"How long do we have?" Itachi mouthed the words as he sped-read again and again.

"This… We… Once…"

"This, We, Once…" repeated Kisame.

"What?" Itachi lowered the scroll.

"I was just repeating what you-"

"Throw it!"

"What?"

"Throw the bird!" Kisame blinked. "The bird, dammit!" Itachi pried it from Kisame's fingers and threw it. –BAM- "DAMMIT!" He wasn't fast enough. Itachi put his fingers in his mouth. "Dammit," he whispered, glaring down at his two maimed hands. Thunder cracked and the drizzle turned to a downpour. They looked at each other and said together,

"Dammit."

Itachi pulled his obi tighter. He hadn't worn something like this in a long time. Kisame joined him under the awning of the circular building, shaking their umbrella. Itachi had insisted upon its purchase in addition to his "disguise", the plain dark blue robes he was now wearing.

"Remember the plan." It was not a question, but a command. Kisame nodded, cringing slightly at the inflection that sounded so much like "Clean your room"s of his younger days. Itachi, calm and collected as ever, knocked on the door. At first nothing happened as far as Kisame could see, Itachi caught the quick flashes of eye slots all up and down the wall. The door opened. Kisame couldn't see anyone. Itachi smiled. Typical. This will be a breeze. He stepped into the doorway, but something held him back. He whipped around, eyes narrowed, only to find Kisame holding his wrist with a slightly concerned countenance. Kisame didn't know why, but something had made him stop Itachi. Now he had no idea what to say. Itachi was giving him the most sinister death stare in his arsenal of glares. His eyebrows raised in an "explain yourself" way. Kisame swallowed.

"Be careful, okay?" The glare intensified, then dissipated to his usual expression.

"Okay." Kisame let his partner's scratched hand slip out of his own. He went to his post at the window. He used the hilt of Samehada to lever it up a few inches and leaned over to peer inside.

Itachi was seated opposite the window by his black-clad escort. Good. He would be able to keep Kisame in check if necessary. He turned his gaze to the man sitting opposite him, taking careful note of the number of other men in the room and each exit. It was laid out just as leader had said. Even better than good.

"Well… What can I do for ya?" He looked imperiously at the man. He couldn't be more than a petty crime lord, a sleazy third-rate womanizing one at that. Leader had strange taste in assassination clients. A woman glided over to offer him tea. Itachi took a glass and dipped it back to closed lips. He was not in the mood for third-rate tea as well. The man watched his company intently. His eyes widened and then went back to their half closed state. "Nice ring you got there… It's on of them… Akatsuki things, right?"

He's more observant that I thought. Itachi hid his smirk behind another faked sip. "Is it? I wouldn't know… Just another trinket I found…" He twisted it idly, watching the guards tighten in with his peripheral vision. "Speaking of which… I've heard you have some fairly decent trinkets yourself." The man grinned.

"What kind?" he said gesturing to the girls on either side of his throne-like chair. Itachi smiled.

"Not that. Something that doesn't require so much… attention." He examined his ring again.

"Hmm…" the man thought, passing bejeweled fingers through his dark hair. "That would depend on your price range… What's your name again?" Itachi was silent. The guards got closer. Outside, Kisame put a hand on the hilt of his sword. "It wouldn't happen to be… Uchiha Itachi, would it?" Kisame's grip tightened. Itachi looked warningly at the window, directly at his partner's yellow eyes. A kunai flew across the room, barely missing Itachi, who turned his gaze to his attacker. "Because then we'd have to kill you." Itachi was unmoved. His eyebrows raised slightly, the look he used to show that you had his attention.

"It seems I'm not the only one hiding things… so just where are you from? What village had you on their missing-nin list?"

"I'm the one asking the questions here." Itachi laughed pleasantly. Kisame saw the eyebrows go up though.

"Forgive me." They snapped down to a glare. "I have bad manners." Itachi was on his feet before the sentence ended, producing a knife, like the one in the wall behind him, from each sleeve. He pulled his raised arms back to slice the throats of the two men beside him, twisting them in the same motion to flick the blood off.

Your left thought Kisame desperately, feeling helpless. Itachi noticed and sent the man flying to the floor with a swift characteristic kick below the gut before turning to bring the two kunai across the chest of the fourth man in an "x". The blades somehow made it to one hand, spun, then were driven through the winded man's throat. Kisame enjoyed watching Itachi fight. He had an unusual grace and accuracy. And very alluring blood thirst at times. The man jumped from his seat, producing an incredibly beautiful blade from behind the chair. A girl screamed. He slashed her throat without turning to look. Crimson blinked from the blade. Itachi stood still. The man was within a well-aimed lunge's distance. Samehada rose slowly as Kisame prepared to knock down the wall separating him from his defenseless partner in complete disregard of Itachi's rules. But he'd done that before. That was not why he was scared. That was not why his palm was sweating. It was the thought of someone hurting, killing his… my what? Itachi turned his head slightly to look at the woman.

"You shouldn't mistreat your merchandise like that." He locked eyes with the man. Kisame couldn't see, but he knew by the way the man froze. "Or it will mistreat you." Itachi halved his height and lunged at the man's stomach. The ferocity and force was insane for such a small creature. But that was Itachi.

"Little partner…" The man released the weapon at the same time Itachi grabbed it and lifted a leg to bring it down on his chest. He swung the sword around to the man's throat.

"But I was never interested in morals," he lowered the sword and raised a hand to his face. Brushed the bangs back. Kisame knew what that meant. He got ready for- "Fireball jutsu." Kisame whacked down the wall in one stroke.

"ITACHI!" More women screamed. Some escaped through the opening. "ITACHI!!!" Kisame didn't see them. "ITACHI!!!!!" he bellowed. The flaming building smoked in response to the rain. There was a cough. Itachi walked out of the clouds of smoke. He staggered a bit. Kisame caught him. "Itachi…" He coughed again. Then sneezed. He looked up.

"Big partner?" his voice was softer than usual. Gentle even. He glared slightly at the rain. "I think I'm getting sick." He leaned against Kisame's chest. "Remind me to tell leader we need a break from outdoor missions for a while." He plunged the sword into the dirt to clean off the blade.

"Why do you do that?"

"Hm?"

"Why do you always have to clean off the blood?" Itachi looked at the sword and then gazed up tiredly. He smiled.

"I guess it's just a habit."