Disclaimer: This was supposed to be a sparring scene. Apparently, Kisame wanted something else entirely.

White. The color was everywhere in the room. The walls were immaculately painted, not a fleck of dirt in sight. The sheets were all the same: smoothed to perfection and lacking any stain. Even the pot of flowers, "Lilac" Itachi mentioned in passing when he had brought it, seemed to mock him.

Kisame's patience grew thinner and thinner with each passing second and it was obvious that he would not remain cooped in a hospital bed much longer. He was a restless man by nature and the lack of activity aggravated him. He should not be caged in this prison of sterility, he should be out on the battlefield, for goodness' sake!

That damned Sore with their no-nonsense attitude. Ever since the masked shinobi had taken over Zetsu's duties as the resident medic, they had enforced stricter guidelines in order to "maximize efficiency and reduce the risk of regressions." Hmph, pompous reasonings to hide the truth in plain sight. Sore simply enjoyed bossing them around and it was understandable. Who wouldn't want to be able to give orders to some of the most infamous S-ranked criminals at large?

In all honesty, no one actually wanted to complain about how they were treated. Of course, the occasional grumbles did exist, but they were mostly for façade. After all, the Akatsuki did have a reputation to uphold. Even so, healing had become a much more pleasurable activity since Sore had joined. Whilst Zetsu's medical chakra was cold and intrusive, theirs was warm and soothing. It made one wonder what kind of person they really were behind all those layers of wrinkleless white.

Kisame pressed his lips together as he glared at the ceiling. He never thought the day he missed the gloomy skies of Amegakure would come, but even the smudged clouds of the village had some color in them. No, he would not stand for this confinement anymore. He needed to move.

With his mind made up, the shark-man pushed the covers and swung his legs over to the side. He sat upright for a few moments, feet propped on the floor but still unsure, as he tried to dispel the dizziness in his limbs.

"You lasted longer than I thought." A toneless voice disrupted the silence as Sore emerged from the hallway. Kisame furrowed his brows as they approached his bed. Clad in their usual – white– robes, the newest Akatsuki member was an unexpected visitor. From what he remembered, they left the premises of the hideout a few days ago on a mission and had tasked his partner with seeing to his needs.

"Shouldn't you be somewhere else?" The blue-skinned ninja inquired as he studied their figure. Their previous hawk mask was replaced by an intricately carved kitsune one and their hair, which Deidara admitted being envious of, was freed from the tight braids which usually adorned Sore's head and hung loosely across their back. As always, their hands were the only visible patch of alabaster skin.

The man tentatively rose in a standing position when the hands in question pushed him back onto the bed. "I can't let you get up without checking for any other minor injuries I might have missed." Sore offered as Kisame scowled at the sudden intrusion of privacy. Their explanation did make sense, though, so he willed himself to relax as the familiar green chakra probed his body for anything out of the ordinary.

"I should. My mission ended a bit quicker than it was supposed to." They spoke as they worked.

"Oh? And how'd it go?"

Sore interrupted the chakra flow when they finished the examination and dangled their left hand to draw Kisame's attention to it. Perched on a delicate little finger was a slate blue ring, the kanji for sky gleaming in the light.

"Is that Orochimaru's…?" The shark-man asked incredulously, his eyes widening as he scanned the piece of jewelry carefully. There was no doubt, it was the same accessory the sanin wore before his betrayal. Did Sore truly manage to defeat the snake bastard?

"It is." They hesitated. "And no, I am not going to tell you how I took it." Sore disclosed before he even got the chance to ask. "He is still perfectly alive if you were wondering." The white-haired shinobi added as an afterthought. As shoulders tensed, discomfort was clear in the air. Kisame coughed to avoid having to respond.

"Anyhow, I see that Itachi brought in the flowers I had left for you. Did he tell you what white lilac symbolizes?"

The intention to change the subject was evident in Sore's demeanor but the ex-Kirigakure chose not to press for information. He quirked an inquisitive eyebrow, humoring them.

"Purity and innocence. Fitting, wouldn't you say?" They chuckled, dark eyes twinkling behind the fox mask.

"Oh, yes. Immensely." Kisame grinned widely, his sharp canines giving him a predatory gleam. "How'd you convince Itachi to play nurse anyway?" He wondered, amusement clear in his tone. If there was anything that he enjoyed during his convalescence, then that clearly had been Itachi's fussing over him. The fact that it occurred under Sore's orders was irrelevant. That did not stop Kisame from picturing the glum Uchiha in a nurse's outfit and hollering in laughter every time the mental image popped up.

Sore lifted their shoulders in a shrug as they took a step back from the bed, motioning for the blue-skinned nin to get up. "You are one hundred percent healthy. I'm actually jealous of your regenerative abilities."

At Sore's words, the shark-man pushed himself off the mattress. His limbs felt wobbly at first and he shook his head to dissipate the fog in his eyes. As he steadied his body, he saw the white-haired shinobi saunter out of the hospital ward from the corner of his eyes. Soon enough, Kisame followed the other's footsteps. He sure as hell did not want to remain in that freakishly white ward anyway.

A.N.: I enjoyed writing this one a lot. I'll probably write two or three more shorts with some other Akatsuki members and then the actual story will start, from Sore's perspective this time. Don't forget, reviews are love. xo

P.S. Thank you JigokuShoujosRevenge for the first one and Estette for the follow. You guys made my day.