Chapter 6: Painful Memories

A/U: Here it is Chapter 6! It is one of the longest chapters I have written up to date. I do apologize that it took me so long to get a new chapter up, but I do have good news. Except a new chapter for Happiness after Oct. 9th. Once I get those three essays that are due on that day out of the way, I will be able to write! I can't wait. On that note, thank you to all of my lovely readers and followers for being patient! Please enjoy.

A lone man silently made his way down the streets of Naka district, weaving through the crowds, making sure that no one would recognize him. His fists were still clenched as he recalled the scene he had witnessed earlier. A part of him had felt betrayed when he saw the two of them together, but the other part of him was just pissed off because he wanted to be the one she kissed. It didn't matter if it was just a chaste kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, watch it!"

Sasuke only grunted in reply as he pushed pass the man, making sure his face was covered. He immediately recognized the guy as one of the members of the Furido group. Muttering a silent curse, Sasuke proceeded to walk away, but a large hand was gripping his shoulder, preventing him from escaping.

"Aren't you going to...do I know you?"

Before the man could even blink, Sasuke grabbed the man's hand and twisted it into an unusual angle. The sound of bones cracking indicated the wrist was fractured.

"Ow! Goddammit!"

Not even sparring a glance at the injured man, Sasuke quickly blended into the crowd and made his way over to the one of the alleyways. With a quick check to make sure no one was around, Sasuke entered an old building. The chime from the doorbell alerted whoever in the back that there was a customer waiting.

"What can I do for...Uchiha?"

A man stepped out from the darkened doorway. Dragging a pale bluish hand through his spiky hair, he leaned against the doorway and observed the black haired man standing before him. A smirk appeared on his face as he took in Sasuke's expression.

"It's that time of the year?"

Sasuke scowled at the man before walking over towards the counter, brushing past hordes of flowers.

"How could you forget Kisame? After all, he was your partner and the closet thing you had as a friend."

Kisame snorted in response as he walked over to one of the cupboards to pull out his secret stash of sake. Grabbing two cups he ambled over to the counter and poured each of them a drink.

"To Itachi, my fallen comrade."

With that, Kisame downed the sake in one gulp and proceeded to refill his cup.

"So, what have you been up to?"

"Planning my revenge."

Kisame raised an eyebrow in response before settling comfortably against the wall.

"I don't think that's what your brother would've wanted."

"Hn."

Sasuke quickly tipped back the glass of sake and reached for Kisame's. Within seconds, the clear liquid slid down Sasuke's throat, leaving behind a slight burning sensation that only served to remind Sasuke he was still alive.

"This isn't only about my brother. I need to get revenge for my members. You were there at the Naka district incident. Can you blame me?"

"No I can't, and if I had it my way, I would've already went after Kazuma and killed him long ago."

"But you didn't."

Kisame sighed in response before turning to examine a pile of white roses that were carelessly placed on the ground. Muttering a curse, Kisame quickly retrieved them and placed them on the counter. The sickly sweet scent filled the room, causing Sasuke's stomach to turn.

"How the hell can you stand the smell?"

A wary grin appeared on the man's shark like face.

"It reminds me of them."

Silence filled the room as the two allowed themselves to drown in their memories of the past.

2 years ago

"Sasuke."

"Itachi."

Amusement flashed in Itachi's eyes as he watched his little brother bow stiffly at him. It seems he still wasn't used to the idea that Itachi over ranked him in the group.

"Update me on the Naka district."

"All of the children and spouses of our group members have settled into their new homes. Everyone is happy, and there has been no sights of other groups lurking around the district. I doubt they will attempt anything. After all, no one would benefit from taking over that district."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"The location of the district alone is isolated from the other districts, making it difficult for any group to try to smuggle or continue their illegal weapons trades. Not to mention, the district itself is too quiet, there is no nightlife which is considered a downfall when having to entertain yakuza groups."

Sasuke finished his little speech, trying to hide his smug expression. He was proud of all the research he put into selecting the perfect area for the Karasu group's loved ones. It was fool proof to say the least.

"Hn."

Irritation coursed through Sasuke as he listened to his brother's noncommittal grunt. Sasuke met his older brother's bored gaze and waited for Itachi to elaborate his "hn".

"What is it?"

"Did you ever take into account that all of the group members' loved ones are essentially huddled together in one location? This would be a perfect opportunity for a rival group to swoop in and either blackmail our group or kill them all, which would ultimately result in a mutiny."

A small frown appeared on Sasuke's face as he processed what Itachi was saying. Muttering a curse Sasuke ran his hand through his hair.

"No, I didn't take that into account, but it would be unlikely."

"Better safe than sorry. Remember Sasuke, someday you will take over and over a hundred of our group members' lives will rest in your hands."

"I know Itachi, but it's not like you will be stepping down anytime soon."

Itachi muffled a sigh before standing up from his desk and walk over to the large window that overlooked the little koi pond in the garden. The moonlight cloaked the entire garden giving it an ethereal look. As Itachi took in the beautiful scene, he could not help the foreboding feeling taking root in his chest. Something was going to happen.

"It's not a matter of stepping down Sasuke. What if there is an attack or a fight and I do not come out the victor?"

Sasuke scoffed in response.

"How could you not? There is no other fighter out there that is stronger than you let alone smarter. All of the yakuza heads hold you in high regards and wouldn't dare cross you."

A wary expression marred Itachi's face as he glanced at his brother's reflection in the window.

"I'm not invincible, Sasuke. Even the strong will fall because everyone has a weakness."

"What is your..."

"ITACHI!"

The door swung opened as a frantic Kisame entered the room. His shirt was in tatters, blood seeping through the thin material. There was a long gash on his forehead that was bleeding profusely, causing his bluish skin to take on a faint purple hue.

"What is it?"

"It's the Furido group. They are attacking Naka district."

Itachi swiftly moved away from the window, walking towards the safe he had hidden under his desk. Quickly he punched in the code and grabbed his favorite katana.

"Gather half of the men. We are heading out."

With a nod, Kisame disappeared to awake some of the Karasu members.

"Itachi, let me go with you."

"No."

Anger twisted Sasuke's expression, but he managed to sound calm.

"Why?"

Itachi stood in front of Sasuke, an unreadable expression on his face.

"I need you to watch over the group. I am taking half of the members with me, but I know once word gets out, everyone will blindly run into battle. You need to prevent that."

Sasuke remained silent, but nodded his head to show he understood his brother's orders.

Just as Itachi proceeded to brush past Sasuke, he was halted by Sasuke's words.

"Be careful, aniki."

A smirk appeared on Itachi's face before he disappeared into the cool night.

"SASUKE! What the hell is going on?"

Irritation was apparent on Sasuke's face as Naruto proceeded to yell into his ear. It had already been a few hours since Itachi had left and Sasuke was starting to worry. There hadn't been any response from him and the entire group was awake, bombarding Sasuke with questions as to what was going on.

"Naruto, quiet down. I'll explain everything once all of the members have gathered."

"Che."

The blonde hair boy leaned against the wall, his arms crossed in defiance. Irritation colored Naruto's face as he awaited the rest of the members to file into the meeting room.

"Listen up everyone, Naka district is currently under attack."

It a took a minute before all of the members were jumping to their feet. It was clear that they were more than willing to jump into the fray in order to protect their loved ones. Even Naruto was pushing past the group members, a furious expression was on his face. Sasuke knew that Hinata and Naruto's parents were living in the Naka district. Hell, he couldn't blame Naruto for wanting to head over to the district, but he had to follow his brother's orders.

"Kisame..."

In a flash, the large man appeared in front of the exit, barricading all of the irate group members in the meeting room. A mixture of angry and shocked expressions colored the sea of yakuza members as they realized they wouldn't be allowed to go check up on their family members.

"Itachi and half of our members are already there, dealing with the situation. I don't want to send out more men, because I want to limit the amount of bloodshed tonight. All of you know that you would have a difficult time fighting because your emotions are fueling your actions. "

A collective grumble from the rowdy crowd relayed their acceptance of Sasuke's reasoning, but it didn't mean they were able to sit around idly, awaiting news of their loved ones.

"The dojo has been prepared. Just because you are not fighting alongside the other members does not mean you will be able to laze around. Until I have received news from Itachi, everyone will be required to train. Dismissed."

All of them bowed their heads before making their way over to the dojo. They knew that this was Sasuke's way of allowing them to relieve the tension that had taken over the minute they had heard about what was going on in the Naka district. Although the members' minds were still focused on what was happening over in Naka, a feeling of respect made its way into every members' heart. They knew that when Itachi stepped down, they wouldn't have a problem following Sasuke. After all, his thinly veiled order relayed the concern he had for his group members.

"Naruto, go train."

"No."

Ebony eyes met blue eyes and it was apparent that Naruto wasn't going to bulge. Deciding it was best to leave him be, Sasuke turned his attention to Kisame who had been standing to the side. His injuries had been tended to and he was currently sporting a bandage above his left eyebrow. His beady eyes that were usually alert where dull now, and his expression hinted at how tired he was.

"What happened Kisame?"

A shadowed look appeared on Kisame's face.

"It...was a surprise attack. Haku, Zabuza and I were surveying the perimeter of the district and checking up on the welfare of civilians. Everything was fine until..."

A flood of memories halted Kisame's story. Blood and bodies of innocent children, some of them he recognized, lying broken on the streets invaded his mind, forcing him to take a moment to recollect himself.

"There was an explosion, one of the apartment complexes burst into pieces. There were screams and everyone was in panic. A horde of members from the Furido group began to invade the streets. They started cutting down the civilians that were trying to escape...sparing no one."

Silence took over in the room as Naruto and Sasuke processed the information. Anger took its hold on both them, rendering them incapable of speech. Sasuke only nodded his head, indicating Kisame should proceed with his tale.

"Haku, Zabuza and I started fighting alongside some of the other Karasu members that were on their day off. More explosions were going off and I realized that they probably recruited some members from the Iwagakure's explosion force. As you recall the Iwagakure group is known to be adapt in handling explosives. Haku and Zabuza immediately headed out to locate the ex-Iwagakure members while I tried to evacuate some of the civilians. "

Once again, Kisame was forced to deal with another wave of memories taking over him. He was trying to help a little girl escape with her mother, but he had turned his back away from her to deal with the assailant that was charging at them. Kisame didn't realize it was a ploy until he heard the little girl's gurgled cry as she was stabbed in the chest. It was a sound that would haunt Kisame the rest of his life, and he knew he would never forgive himself for turning his back on her. Even dismembering the one responsible for killing the girl did little to appease his guilty conscious.

Sasuke allowed Kisame to wallow in his thoughts and just as he was ready to continue questioning Kisame, the door was flung open. There stood Haku, carrying a bloodied Zabuza. In a moment, Kisame, Naruto, and Sasuke were by their sides, helping the two and yelling for a medic.

"What happened?"

Haku looked up to meet Sasuke's eyes before turning to check Zabuza's pulse. It was getting weaker by the second. Fear took hold of Haku's heart, but he himself, was already succumbing to the inevitable darkness. He had to hold on just a little longer to convey his message.

"We took out the one named Deidara. He was responsible for the explosions. Just as we were getting ready to rejoin Kisame, another flood of Furido members started storming through the streets. We tried to hold them off, but there were too many. Thankfully Itachi and reinforcements came and we were ordered to head back to base..."

Sensing the hesitation, Sasuke urged Haku to continue.

"They were outnumbered..."

Sasuke forced himself to remain emotionless as he listened to Haku. Making his decision in an instant, Sasuke turned to retrieve his own weapons.

"Kisame and Naruto, we are heading out. Do not alert the other members. We will contact that them if we need back up. Haku, I expect you to tend to your injuries and make sure Zabuza is taken care of. I am clear?"

No response. Turning on his heel, Sasuke looked up to see both Kisame and Naruto kneeling over the bodies of their comrades. Their heads were hung in shame and immediately, Sasuke knew they had passed on. Silently, Sasuke made his way over to Haku and Zabuza. A peaceful expression was on both of their faces, but that did little to calm Sasuke's growing anger and fear.

"Where are they?"

Sasuke barely looked up as the medic they had called for burst into the room. Without even looking at the medic, Sasuke walked past him.

"Let's go."

The scene that the three came upon would serve to haunt them the rest of their lives. Bodies of both civilians, Karasu members as well as Furido members littered the streets. The scent of death was heavy in the air as the trio proceeded to make their way down the streets. There were sounds of metal clanging against metal, causing the three to quicken their pace. A Karasu member was being forced into a corner by five Furido members. In a flash, Sasuke quickly slit their throats and barely looked at them as they bled to death.

"Thank you."

Sasuke nodded his head at the Karasu member. If he remembered correctly, his name was Genma. He was one of Itachi's trusted members, besides their cousin Shisui. The man slowly rose to his feet, nursing his arm that was sporting a gash that was bleeding profusely. A grimace appeared on Genma's face that quickly turned into a frown as he recognized Naruto. His brown eyes zeroed in on the blonde hair man as he steeled himself to relay the bad news.

"Naruto, I'm sorry."

Blue eyes widened in response as he waited for Genma to elaborate. Instead, Genma raised his uninjured arm and pointed in the direction of the decimated house. Naruto turned his attention to the house and immediately he felt a wave of anguish as a flash of purple caught his attention.

"Hinata-chan!"

Naruto raced over to his fiancé, gently pulling her close to his chest. Vainly, Naruto wiped away the blood that was splattered on her face and slowly shook her as if he was trying to wake her up.

"Ne. Hinata-chan. I'm...I'm here now. So wake up...wake up and call me Naruto-kun. Come on Hinata, wake up...please."

Sobs began to rake through Naruto's chest as he held his fiancé's lifeless corpse against him. Sasuke walked over to Naruto and gently placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder. He was surprised when Naruto moved away from him. With a furious glare, Naruto looked up at Sasuke.

"This is all your fault! If you had just let me head out, I could've saved her! You bastard! You killed Hinata."

With that Naruto rose to punch Sasuke in the face while Sasuke silently stood still, awaiting the punch. Naruto was able to punch him a few times before he collapsed on the ground in front of Sasuke.

"Goddammit...Why? WHY?!"

Sasuke forced himself to remain emotionless although he was raging inside. This was his fault. If he had just ignored Itachi's orders...

"It wouldn't have made a difference."

Sasuke sharply looked up to see Genma studying him.

"There were too many, plus they were bombing the houses randomly. Even if you had come in with more reinforcements, you wouldn't have been able to stop the bomb from detonating."

Genma held Sasuke's gaze before he turned his attention to Naruto. His voice was flat as spoke to Naruto.

"I was only able to pull Hinata out of the rubble. Your parents are buried under there. I'm sorry."

An anguish scream rang clear in the streets as Naruto realized he had lost not only his fiancé, but also his family. Tears were streaming down the boy's face, forcing Sasuke to turn away from him. There was nothing he could do right now.

"Genma, take me to Itachi. Kisame...stay with Naruto."

With a brief nod, Sasuke started following Genma, refusing to take in the destruction around him.

"What happened to Itachi?"

"I was separated from them while trying to help evacuate some civilians. Last I saw him, he was cutting down some Furido members."

Sasuke nodded as they turned a corner and found themselves encroaching an ongoing battle. Sasuke's eyes zeroed in on his brother's back as he fought against the enemy. His usual fluid movements were becoming sloppy from fatigue. Not even wasting a second, Sasuke was beside his brother killing the other attacker. Surprise was apparent on Itachi's face before it was replaced with his usual mask of indifference, although it was obvious that he wasn't happy Sasuke was here.

"Why?"

"Haku and Zabuza told us that you were outnumbered before they died. I wasn't going to sit around awaiting the news that you too had fallen in battle."

"Hn."

Itachi turned away from Sasuke and briefly walked over to a body that was laying on the ground. As Sasuke approached the man, he immediately recognized him as Shisui. Shock was evident in Sasuke's face. Shisui was as strong as Itachi, he couldn't be dead...could he?

"He protected me from one of the attacker's blade. It is because of him that I am still alive."

Sasuke could hear the pain in Itachi's voice. Shisui was not only their cousin, but also Itachi's closest friend.

"We should retreat."

Itachi closed his eyes as he stood up to face Sasuke.

"Yes, we should."

"Oh? Retreating Itachi? I expected more from you."

At the sound of the man's voice, Itachi's eyes flew open. Briefly, anger flashed through his eyes as he turned to face Kazuma, the head of the Furido syndicate.

"Coming out of hiding Kazuma? How like you to attack the weak instead of facing the Karasu group face on."

A cackle filled the air.

"Of course! What better way to take down an organization as strong as yours? Besides, it is your fault for herding your loved ones into a single district. Do you know how easy this was?"

Sasuke clenched his fists in anger but he felt guilty. It was his idea to relocate their loved ones into one district. He didn't think someone would be bold enough to attack them. Naruto was right...this was all his fault.

"It matters not. You will die here."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that."

In a flash the sound of metal clashed against one another. Kazuma's blade was halted inches away from Itachi's throat. A power struggle ensued with Itachi pushing his blade against Kazuma. Neither of them looked away from one another. They knew that tonight, one of them would die. All it would take is one misstep.

"Sasuke, I want you to evacuate all of our injured members."

Itachi's piercing gaze never left Kazuma's as he calmly ordered Sasuke to retreat.

"I can't leave you here Itachi."

"Are you disobeying me Sasuke? The day will come where you have to make a similar decision, sacrifice one life to save hundreds or allow everyone to die. Tell me Sasuke, what do you think is the best option?"

Sasuke heard the steel in Itachi's voice as he listened to his brother's warning/question. What should he do? Already he had caused dozens of deaths due to his naive move of relocating everyone into one single district. What if he makes another blunder now by making the wrong decision? Doubt clouded Sasuke's thoughts as he stood there motionless. He didn't know what to do.

"Ha! What a fine little brother you have there, Itachi. It seems I didn't need to lead an assault to weaken the Karasu group. I just have to wait until your brother takes over. I am confident that he will be the one responsible for the demise of the group!"

With a shove, Itachi pushed Kazuma back before sliding into his offensive stance.

"Sasuke, make a decision!"

Irritation was evident in Itachi's voice. He didn't think he could hold Kazuma off any longer. His energy was depleted and the injuries he had sustained earlier was taking a toll.

"Pathetic little boy. It seems I will have to make a decision for you!"

In a instant, Kazuma appeared in front of Sasuke, his blade swinging in a downward arch to slash open Sasuke's chest.

"SASUKE!"

Sasuke broke out of his thoughts just as Kazuma's blade was about connect with his chest. Just as he was about to reach for his own blade, a grunt of pain filled the tense atmosphere as blood splattered across Sasuke's pale face. His eyes widened in shock as he took in the sight of Itachi standing before him.

"An..ANIKI!"

Itachi smiled at Sasuke as he tried to fend off the pain that was rendering him unconscious. There were still many things he wanted to say to his little brother, but his time was quickly drawing to an end.

"Sasuke...I told you, everyone has a weakness. Myself included. I'm sorry Sasuke, that I wasn't able to protect you from this harsh lifestyle. I wanted you to be able to have a chance at living a normal life, but that was obviously impossible. Heh...it seems the entire Uchiha bloodline is destined to die protecting the ones they love."

Sasuke caught Itachi just as he began to slide towards the ground. Tears began to fill Sasuke's eyes, blurring the image of his brother.

"No Sasuke. You mustn't cry. No matter what happens, you cannot cry. There are hundreds of men awaiting you to lead them and it would not due for you to cry in front of them. You must bottle away your emotions. Only when you are alone or in the presence of someone you fully trust are you allowed to cry. I do hope you can find that person one day Sasuke."

"Itachi, please...you can't die."

"Hn...it's out of my hands...I can die peacefully Sasuke, because I was able to experience a bit of happiness while living and protect the one I love. If you ever have a taste of happiness, you must savor it and never let it go, because you never know when that happiness will be taken away from you."

"Hai. I understand...aniki..."

A content smile appeared on Itachi's face as he allowed himself to succumb to the darkness awaiting him. Sasuke watched as the light faded from Itachi's eyes. All he wanted to do was curl up into a ball and cry, but he knew he wouldn't be allowed to do that anytime soon. Gently, Sasuke laid Itachi's body on the ground, giving him enough time to gather himself. His emotionless mask was once again in place as he stood to face his brother's murder. Slowly, Sasuke took the few steps towards Kazuma. No words were spoken as Sasuke kneeled before the man, his head touching the cold ground that was covered in his brother's blood.

"I, Sasuke Uchiha, current head of the Karasu group concede defeat. This district is yours. Allow my men to retreat."

Kazuma couldn't help but smile, as he watched the head of the Karasu group prostrated before him. It would've been a lot more satisfying if it was Itachi, but seeing Sasuke in this position pleased him greatly.

"I could kill you all right now, but I must admit. Seeing you before me, makes me pity you. How the mighty have fallen. Take your men and leave."

Sasuke rose to face Kazuma and once again nodded his head as a word of thanks. Sasuke turned and tilted his head at Genma, telling him it was time for them to retreat.

"Oh, do not forget to claim these worthless corpses. I can't have them littering my newest district."

Anger and pain laced through Sasuke as he clenched his teeth in response to Kazuma's statement. With another nod, he continued making his way back to the main house. As Sasuke passed by his brother's corpse, he swore to himself that he would obtain revenge for Itachi and all of their fallen comrades and their loved ones. Kazuma would regret the day he decided to cross the Karasu group.

"More sake."

Kisame arched an eyebrow at Sasuke's demand but willing fulfilled his request. After all, it has officially been 2 years since the Naka district incident. When Kisame had heard that his other comrade Itachi had died in battle, he decided then and there he would resign from the group. He had seen too many of his companions die that day and he knew he wouldn't be able to stay sane if he remained in the group. Besides, after Itachi's death, there was a lot of hatred in the organization due to Sasuke's unwillingness to allow the them to fight that day. It was only Sasuke's promise of revenge that held the organization together. Kisame knew that once they had achieved their revenge, the group would collapse or disband.

"Well? How is your scheme going?"

A smirk appeared on Sasuke's face.

"First part is set. Now I have Naruto and half of the Karasu members taking over all of Kazuma's districts. I will confine him to his main base in Naka and that is where the final fight will take place."

A humorless chuckle filled the room.

"How fitting. Going back to where it all started."

Sasuke continued smirking as he downed another cup of sake.

"Yes."

Silence filled the room as Kisame allowed the boy to drown himself in sorrow. Part of him felt bad for the kid. After all, he was thrust into a role that he had never really wanted and watched his brother sacrifice himself for him. Not to mention, Kisame knew that Sasuke felt guilty for the incident and that a majority of the group blamed him for it. Truth be told, Kisame was shocked Sasuke didn't kill himself after everything that happened. Hell he might have if he was forced to deal with that all at once, but Sasuke didn't. Instead he picked up the pieces and worked towards his goal of revenge, and it seemed all of his hard work will soon flourish. Maybe the kid would be able to find some peace after everything is said and done. Kisame snorted at that thought. The memories of that day would always haunt them, no matter what. Once again he focused his attention on the white roses on the counter. Speaking of flowers...

"What happened to that cherry blossom bouquet you asked me to put together for you?"

A scowl replaced Sasuke's smirk. Kisame saw it and he had an idea of what happened.

"She rejected you huh? First time it happened?"

The scowl deepened which in turn caused Kisame to smile.

"Don't worry Sasuke, I am sure you will be able to win her over with that award winning personality of yours."

"Shut up Kisame."

He couldn't help himself. Kisame started laughing at the expression Sasuke had on his face. He had never seen such a comical expression on the Uchiha boy. It didn't seem to amuse Sasuke though, as he rose from the counter and turned to leave the shop.

"Oi..haha...wait..Sasuke...haha..."

Sasuke decided to ignore him and continued to make his way to the door.

"Ok, Ok Sasuke. Let me ask you this, is she worth it?"

His hand froze on the door handle as he thought over Kisame's question. His immediate response was no, as he recalled what had happened earlier, but he knew that he would be lying to himself. A part of him did care about Sakura...but her unrealistic ideals made him want to shake some sense into her. Still...the expression she made when she defended her beliefs and the taste of her made him think maybe he did feel something more than a physical attraction towards the girl. The fact that he was willing to marry the damn woman should be proof enough.

"I take your silence means yes. Go for it Sasuke. After all, you may not have this opportunity again. Especially if you want to follow through with your plan."

"Hn."

"Don't hn me. You sound too much like your brother. You and I both know how short lived our lives are. Why not just take a chance now? Who knows, this might be the only opportunity you have to experience happiness. Don't let it slip through your fingers."

"Hn."

Kisame rolled his eyes as he watched Sasuke leave. Although he didn't show it, something clicked in Sasuke when he had said it might be his chance at his happiness. Heh, maybe the kid was willing to listen to his advice for once. Kisame smiled at that thought as he grabbed another sake bottle and took a large gulp. The burning sensation left him feeling satisfied and craving more. Taking another swig, Kisame headed to the back room, quickly rummaging through some of the paperwork until he came across the item he was looking for. Gently he brushed his thumb over the picture, taking in the familiar expressions of his comrades. All of them dead except for him. Kisame's eyes rested on Itachi as he took in the somber expression on the man's face. It would kill the damn Uchiha to smile. Even Sasuke had taken up that bad habit. A thought came to Kisame as he observed the picture. Maybe this girl that Sasuke is pursuing would be able to get the damn kid to smile. Kisame's smile widened at that image.

"Now wouldn't that be a sight to see, a smiling Sasuke. I can't image anything scarier."

Kisame's chuckle filled the room. Hopefully, the mysterious girl would be able to make that happen. After all, the damn kid deserves it.