Slave to a Shark – Chapter 7: Promises
-.-.-
"You'll what?"
"I'll remove the curse mark on you."
"And Sasuke?"
"Just you."
"Sasuke. Forget about me."
"Take it or leave it."
Itachi didn't have to think. What was the point of pushing his luck? "Take it..."
Kisame grabbed Itachi and pulled him close, causing the latter to struggle for a moment before realizing he shouldn't. He went limp in Kisame's arms and miserably thought of how much he hated the shark's touch.
"I will do whatever it takes to gain your trust back." Kisame said, guilt seeping out of his being.
You're disgusting.
"It'll take a lot more than that."
"I know."
"Maybe letting my brother go could help your cause."
If I didn't hold you here against your will you would never give me a chance
"I can't do that. You wouldn't stay here with me if I did."
"So holding me here against my will is your way of getting trust?"
"Itachi."
"What?"
"Give me a chance." Kisame almost sounded like he was begging.
You bastard. Give you a chance? What the hell makes you think you deserve one after all you've done to me so far you bipolar monster?
"Okay." Itachi said calmly while wondering how much longer the shark intended to hold him in its arms. I am not some child to be held.
I can play this game a little bit longer. I'll kill Kisame when I get the chance. When I'm not bound by the slave curse it should be a simple matter... I have to play my cards right and hope Bad Kisame doesn't show up. Right now is the Good Kisame who I can actually speak to. I should give them better names than 'good' or 'bad.'
"Good. In that case... How about we go on a date?"
"A date?" Itachi was genuinely shocked. He should have expected this, but somehow he imagined that all Kisame wanted was sex. In fact, he had already been mentally preparing himself for the worst. A date was unexpected.
Then again, what did Kisame consider a date? Did a date with Kisame involve torturing innocent prisoners? Destroying a village? Perhaps mutilating animals?
"Yes, a date. I'll take you out to the Coliseum, its great."
"The Coliseum?"
"Yeah, it's where powerful gladiators fight each other to the death. It's the best form of entertainment around, and I have the best seats..." Kisame trailed off as he noticed Itachi's horrified expression.
"I..." Itachi decided it was best to do whatever Kisame wanted. "That sounds great."
"You don't want to."
"It's not like that..." Itachi didn't have to lie this time, deciding to go back to playing his innocent damsel card from earlier. "It's just I don't like fighting and don't derive pleasure from watching people kill each other."
Kisame observed Itachi, who was sure he was going to get slammed across the room, have his head cracked open or at the very least receive a slap for speaking his mind.
"You're right, that was inconsiderate of me."
What? Oh right, this is Good Kisame who I can actually talk to. But what sets him off and let's Bad Kisame surface? I need to figure that out.
"How about horse racing?"
"That sounds better." Itachi commented, his mind wandering to how a date with Kisame would go. What does he hope to achieve from this date?
Kisame continued to observe Itachi and thought back to their past few good conversations and what he knew of Itachi. "Or if you'd prefer the Kage is having a conference discussing the problem of pollution due to the discovery of machinery..."
Itachi's ears perked and his eyes lit up, though the rest of his face remained as impassive as possible considering he was still far too close to Kisame for comfort and that the man was basically in his face able to observe his every expression.
"That... Sounds far more interesting." Itachi tried not to sound excited. Would he actually have a say? What could he learn? The problems since the discovery of heavy machinery had always interested Itachi and affected the Uchiha as well.
"I wasn't expecting that to get your interest of all things..." Kisame smiled toothily. "But I guess that's just who you are isn't it? I guess our first date is going to be a political conference."
Itachi thought about this for a split second - which to him is enough to have several thousand thoughts at once. The first was that Itachi needed to get himself and Sasuke out of here - the shark's odd interest in him was a good way of doing this. The second was that a political conference was not very romantic and might ruin the chances of that happening.
"We don't have to do that, horse racing isn't such a bad idea..." But really, how romantic is horse racing?
"Political conference it is." Kisame was now running his fingers through Itachi's hair.
Why's he touching my hair? Ugh, let me go you monster. I wish you'd remove this mark already so I can kill you...
"I love it when you touch my hair like this." Itachi turned his gaze towards Kisame's chest as he spoke, not wanting to look Kisame in the eyes.
Kisame's fingers in Itachi's hair turned into a grip as he leaned forward.
No. No. No. Don't kiss me. What made you decide to kiss me?! I should keep my mouth shut. No, no, calm down Itachi, you need to seduce him. Kiss him back. Make him want you so he trusts you enough to go through with his words and remove the curse mark.
Itachi responded by leaning forward to meet Kisame's rough lips. Instinctively, Itachi licked those lips - they were rugged and dry, and Itachi always licked his own lips when they were dry - something about their texture was just nice. Kisame's mouth opened at Itachi's prodding, and his tongue flew to meet Itachi's.
"Nnn, stop." Itachi broke their kiss to speak briefly. "Let me lick your lips." A moment later, Itachi had his hands cupped around Kisame's face and joined their lips again, eagerly running his tongue over the rough lips, tasting the saltiness and losing himself in the texture of it across his own soft tongue.
Kisame moaned into Itachi's mouth, bringing him back to reality. Itachi broke the kiss again as he realized what he was doing.
What was that sound? What does that mean? It sounded like a moan? Was he... Enjoying that? Was I enjoying that? What was that?
"I-Itachi, don't stop." Kisame's breathing was hitched and his arm was around Itachi's neck, supporting the crow. His dark eyes were intently peering into equally inky ones.
"I... Uhm..." Itachi couldn't look at Kisame right now - it was too hot. Itachi hated that attraction he felt, almost thought of it as an insult to his family, to Tohru who died, to Shisui who lost his eyes and to Sasuke who was imprisoned. But because of that he couldn't think, and he had to say something. He kept himself busy by running his fingers over Kisame's chest and felt the shark shiver by his touch.
Does he want me that badly?
A moment later Kisame let Itachi go and was standing up.
"I know what you mean. We should wait until after our date. The conference is in two days." Kisame said, calming himself. "We can wait until then. Besides... I forgot about your position again."
"My position?" Itachi asked, confused. Kisame was the reason he was lying there on the ground like that. He might've gotten up by now if not for the fact that the shark had decided to hold him for the entirety of the past conversation.
"Yes, you are in pain from the curse mark... From your injuries... Your eyes are bleeding." It was after Kisame said this that Itachi realized Kisame was speaking of a different type of position.
"They are?" Itachi's hand reached up to his face where he touched the area below his eye and felt a warm liquid. Itachi closed his eyes as soon as he felt the liquid. Yes, his eyes were bleeding. He couldn't feel a thing. He didn't even think it was weird that he was seeing red or that things were blurry. He was so used to the pain he had begun to block it out.
"You can't feel it?" Kisame asked, crouching down again, touching Itachi's shoulder. Itachi didn't even flinch this time.
"I feel so defeated." Itachi murmured. It didn't matter anymore. He slumped forward into Kisame's chest. Was this Good Kisame or Bad Kisame? At that moment it no longer occurred to him that he might trigger the change. "Bandage my eyes so I don't see."
"Okay." Kisame didn't question Itachi's orders - nor stop to think about how odd it was that Itachi was ordering him around. In all previous attempts Itachi had made to persuade Kisame to do anything, he had done so in a way that sounded like a request and it angered Kisame to no end. This wasn't a request, and Kisame didn't even notice. But Itachi did.
Is he following my orders because he's too worried about me as Good Kisame? Is he following my orders for other reasons with the plans to punish me later? What are his intentions? I'm too used to giving orders from my time as officer…
Kisame happened to have bandages in his room - mostly because he had some moved there when he was rubbing the salve onto Itachi's back. Which reminded Kisame, he should probably do that again.
Taking the bandages out, Kisame went back to Itachi who hadn't moved nor opened his eyes.
"We should wash your eyes before bandaging them." Kisame commented.
"I don't want to move." Itachi responded. He would if he had to - he probably should have. But something in him had broken, and he was beyond caring what Kisame could do to him for being stubborn or acting the way he was. He couldn't even feel it. As for Sasuke... Itachi would just have to use every last ounce of his life to kill Kisame, or at least cripple him so Sasuke could kill him, if he thought Kisame was going to hurt Sasuke. But he didn't think that right now.
"Okay I'll bring a wet towel, wait here." Kisame went to the bathroom and folded a small towel, running it under some warm water and bringing it back.
"Itachi, I think you should lay down and let these wet towels sink into your eyes for a bit. They're called warm compressors and are good for your eyes..."
"Sure. Carry me to the bed." Itachi was now testing Kisame and his limits.
Kisame wordlessly placed the towel on the side table, then went and picked up Itachi, being as gentle as possible, before carrying him to the bed. Kisame lay him down, making sure to prop his head properly on the pillow, then reached for the towel, which he used to wipe away the blood on Itachi's face.
"I'll go get another towel to keep over your eyes."
"Hm." Itachi responded.
How long until Bad Kisame shows up?
Kisame returned with another folded hand towel, which he placed over Itachi's eyes gently.
Itachi moved his hand trying to reach something, but wasn't sure what he was trying to reach, he couldn't see. Kisame took the hand in his own. "Looking for something?"
"Just your hand."
Itachi didn't notice because his eyes were shut under warm compressors, but at those words, the Monster of the Mist blushed for just a moment.
"About that conference..." Itachi began speaking. He didn't want to be left alone. He also didn't want Kisame going to Sasuke. Common sense told him conversing was a good way to go.
And it worked. The two conversed for the next few hours, broken occasionally by Kisame changing the towel. Eventually their conversation ended when Kisame asked to properly bandage the eyes and apply salve to Itachi's older injuries - which were healing at a shocking pace. It might've been that Itachi could heal very quickly, or it might've been the salve. Either way, the open skin was now in the center area of the wound, the sides had already begun to heal.
"Kisame...?"
"Hm?"
"When will you remove the mark?"
"Soon. Maybe after our date. We can remove it earlier if you want."
"I can wait." No I can't. But Itachi didn't want to seem in too much of a rush.
"Thank you." Kisame responded, bringing Itachi's fingers to his lips for a moment. "I have to go do some work, but then I'll come back and we can sleep."
"Okay." We? We?! As in, together?! When did I sign up for that?
Kisame left Itachi in the room by himself, in total darkness. The bandages around his eyes prevented him from seeing anything, though he guessed it was pretty late and dark outside anyway. It was a few hours past noon when Kisame had made his remark about removing the curse and they had conversed for hours.
It's strange... I enjoy his company when he's Good Kisame and find him attractive... Probably because I resigned myself to my fate and tried to see him that way, but still... Have I become so far gone that I'm viewing my captor in a positive light? I will still kill him, no matter how great his company or how attractive he is; he is too dangerous.
Besides... Itachi winced in pain as he turned over to his side on the bed. I haven't even recovered from what he's done. Shisui and Tohru... What happened can't be undone. Now that he had time, Itachi let himself think about the events earlier, pulling the bandages on his eyes off as he did so – he had the feeling blocking air to his eyes for extended periods of time wouldn't help the cause.
That other guy though... Who threatened to kill me... Who was he...? Is he the doctor Kisame told me about, that he was trying to protect Sasuke from by having Suigetsu be the guard? Itachi's mind shifted to that conversation before going back to the main topic. He was in the medical wing... If I had stayed and continued to fight would I have been hurt too?
Speaking of which I just blindly accused Kisame of killing Tohru but the truth is, I don't know whether he did it. It might have been that other guy. Also, what if she didn't die?
Itachi thought back to the amount of blood staining the room and felt nauseous again. She definitely died, unless more than one person was tortured. Was Shisui tortured too?
No, Kisame knows something about this and he didn't deny my accusations earlier. He ordered me to clean that blood up. Why?
Should I ask him? Wouldn't he just lie? His words can't be trusted.
-.-.-
"Suigetsu?"
"Hm?" Suigetsu turned to look at Sasuke questioningly. Sasuke was rarely the one to speak first or start the conversation.
"Why are you here?"
"I was ordered to watch you."
"No, I mean… You said you were family friends with… the master, right?" Sasuke still hated referring to Kisame as the master. He would do it because his curse mark would burn up otherwise, but he hated it. "You aren't his slave, you don't have to answer to him, and if you were his family friend and mutually care as much as you say you do, why would you be here doing something as menial as guarding me?"
Suigetsu looked like he was about to begin an annoying rant as he always did, making Sasuke regret his question – but after a moment he looked serious.
"I ran away from home. It was not a fun place to be, and Hoshigaki-sama let me stay here. He was always like a brother to me." Suigetsu had one of his rare thoughtful moments. "Also, I don't think he considers guarding you menial. He hasn't actually asked me to do anything for him before this so it surprises me. I think he probably did it hoping we would become friends because we're the same age."
Sasuke scoffed. "Friends? Just because we're the same age? Friendship isn't born from captivity."
"I'm not the one who is keeping you here." Suigetsu responded making a face that clearly said 'are you an idiot, can't you figure that much out?'
"Maybe but you aren't helping."
"I'm not in your way though, am I?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Have I ever stopped you from doing anything? You could be attacking Hoshigaki-sama for all I care, it's not like I'm here to make sure you follow his rules. Speaking of rules, has he even ordered you to do anything? How much have you even spoken to him? Do you really consider what you are to be a slave? All you've done is live here, you haven't done a single thing a normal slave would have to do. All you've done is live here and been given the freedom to do whatever you want since you left the dungeons. Anything you chose not to do was because you assumed you couldn't."
Sasuke was dumbstruck. It never occurred to him that he could just get up and leave – but now that he thought about it, there was nothing stopping him. As a slave he hadn't been given a single order with the curse mark, and beyond the basics such as how to refer to your master, there was nothing it could do. He could literally get up and leave the place, never look back. It never occurred to him that he had anything even resembling freedom in this place – but in a sense he had.
"My brother… He's a captive here. I may be fine, but he isn't. I won't be fine as long as he isn't fine."
"You're stupider than you look." Suigetsu seemed agitated. "Anyway I have something to do tomorrow. You'll be alone so try not to get yourself killed."
"Where are you going?"
"Can't tell ya."
-.-.-
Kisame returned to the room a while later, and Itachi pretended to be asleep just so he wouldn't have to talk to him. It wasn't that Itachi minded speaking to him, it was that Itachi hated his own reactions to it. Besides, if they did speak, what if Itachi triggered Bad Kisame?
The shark went to the closet first and changed into pajamas, rummaging around the room before joining Itachi in bed. When he did, he draped his arm over Itachi, who had to fight the urge to attack Kisame for doing it.
Itachi could not sleep – he had his worst nightmare next to him in bed, and was vulnerably there in its arms. He wasn't sure how long it was before he did it – but at some point he turned in bed to face Kisame and saw the peaceful, serene expression on his face that was nothing like that usual serious, 'I'll kill you in an instant' expression. Itachi watched for a while, thinking about what evil lay behind even the most innocent of faces. Not that Kisame's face was innocent, but right now…
It would be so easy to kill you right now. Briefly, Itachi moved his hand over to Kisame's neck and gripped it gently, considering choking the man-shark. At that instant Itachi tried to summon all the rage, hurt and whirlwind of pain he had been enduring to kill him, but found he couldn't. Kisame, monster or not, was a human life. Killing went against his principals. Itachi was against the death penalty and believed in rehabilitation – he was a pacifist. As someone who wanted to one day lead the clan, Itachi wanted to make the best possible decisions. He wasn't against someone dying out of necessity if it had to happen but he would do whatever he could to prevent it.
But Kisame needs to die. I can't let my personal feelings and thoughts get in the way. He will hurt Sasuke.
The thought of Sasuke had Itachi gripping Kisame's neck tighter than earlier. Kisame's breath changed for just a moment, but he made no movement.
He's awake. Itachi didn't move his hand from Kisame's neck for over a minute, and Kisame made no indication that he was awake. With a sigh, Itachi removed his hand, and shut his eyes.
I'll kill him when the mark of the slave is removed. I will suffer greatly if I do this now.
Itachi fell asleep shortly after.
-.-.-
"This is pissing me off." Sasuke said, as his brother paced the room before him. "This has been going on far too long, can't we just… do something now?"
"Patience, little brother." Itachi responded.
"Patience? How much longer...?"
"Just a little bit, Sasuke." Itachi said on the window sill. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm completely better now. Also... Suigetsu knows what we are planning."
"He does?" Itachi didn't seem surprised, his expression impassive.
"Yes, but he said he has no intention of letting the master know."
"I see." Itachi observed Sasuke. "What's he like?"
"He's insane. But he is loyal to the master."
"And yet he won't tell him what we have planned?"
"Nope. He says he has his own plans. I don't know what he's thinking but it worries me."
"Hmm..." Itachi made a sound as he looked up the ceiling briefly. "Find out what he wants, if he's really loyal to the master he could be a problem for us."
"Okay, but what are your plans?"
"... Well... There's a doctor here I want to find more information on before I do anything about Kisame." Itachi said, Shisui's eyeless eye sockets burning into his mind. "I think he's the real problem."
"How so?"
"He captured more of us."
"What?!" Sasuke jumped. "How? Didn't they move..?"
"Most likely Shisui and Tohru came looking for us." Itachi spoke softly, his eyes hooded.
"Shisui and Tohru..." Sasuke was horrified by his brother's expression. "Where are they?"
"Probably dead." There was silence as Sasuke felt the weight of the world pressing down on him.
This is my fault. If only I didn't run out into that territory like an idiot... Because of me...
"Sasuke, don't blame yourself." Itachi always could read Sasuke's emotions perfectly. "We are still here and it's our job to keep the rest of the clan safe from these monsters."
"Okay..." Sasuke looked shaken.
"Just trust me, Sasuke. Do what I say and we will be okay."
"I trust you, Nii-san."
"Where is Suigetsu by the way?"
"He said he had something to do, but he wouldn't tell me what."
-.-.-
Itachi decided to do his own research. He started by going to Jared.
"Jared, can you tell me anything about that doctor?" Itachi asked, as he approached the butler who was currently organizing some files in the office.
"Oh, Itachi, hi." Jared briefly glanced at Itachi before going back to his files. "Sure, his name is Kakuzu. He's a pain. Master Hoshigaki will take care of it."
"What does that mean?"
"Well… Don't worry about it. He won't be a pain for much longer."
"Why's that?" Itachi asked, dread increasing.
Jared thought for a moment, than responded. "Master Hoshigaki and Master Hozuki are on their way to… take care of him."
-.-.-
"Ready?"
"I was born ready." Suigetsu had his giant Executioner's blade in his hand, murderous intent in his eyes. "After we kill him I'd like to discuss the Uchiha's."
"Oh?" Kisame asked, intrigued by Suigetsu's intentions as he finished polishing his Samehada great sword.
"Yes."
"Well then, let's make a point to get back alive."
The two warriors of the mist stood side by side, large blades behind them, wearing leather armor and serious expressions. They looked ready for war. Both walked aimlessly towards the medical wing, their guard heightened.
"Has he noticed us?" Kisame asked.
"My water droplets in the area suggest no. However he has been staring transfixed at those red eyes, it's a little creepy."
Kisame shivered. "The man is a psycho."
"We're no better." Suigetsu smirked, his sharp pointed teeth showing.
"True." Kisame answered as they stood outside the door. "Let's do this." A moment later Kisame had kicked the door off its hinges, it went flying across the room and both warriors entered to find a Kakuzu sitting on his desk.
Without turning around he said "So I take it we're no longer comrades?"
"We were never comrades." Kisame flipped out his Samehada and tore his way straight to Kakuzu, who reacted by tossing his table across the room and flying over Kisame in the same movement.
Suigetsu was on it, swinging his blade through the air. It landed and cut through Kakuzu's heart.
"That was easier than I thought." Kisame smirked.
"Don't be so sure." Kakuzu said, his body opening up to reveal long, black tentacles and his tongue slipping out reaching to his torso.
"What the fuck?" Suigetsu pulled his blade out of Kakuzu.
"I have more than one heart…" With that Kakuzu used his tentacle arms to smash Suigetsu into the wall, who turned to water and created a pool below.
"Then I'll destroy all of your hearts!" Kisame slashed Samehada towards Kakuzu once more, who blocked it with one arm and began reaching around with the other. But Kisame had more than one trick up his sleeve – he shoved the other arm away with a kick and let loose his full potential – a strength he had used recently on Tohru. It was more than Kakuzu could handle, causing Kakuzu's arm to slice off.
Suigetsu regained himself and attacked Kakuzu from behind, destroying a second heart.
"How many hearts does he have?" Suigetsu asked, pulling out his Executioner's blade and jumping back a few feet.
"It doesn't matter, we'll kill him as many times as we have to." Kisame said, but was captured and trapped within hundreds of tentacles within a second. The hand he had sliced off began moving on its own and had spread its tentacles to capture Kisame. "Just what the fuck are you?" Kisame asked as he struggled through the tentacles.
Suigetsu ran towards Kakuzu again, blade ready to attack.
"That same trick won't work on me again." Kakuzu responded calmly, using his still connected hand to capture Suigetsu into the tentacles. However, Suigetsu simply turned to water and slipped through the tentacles, creating another puddle on the floor. He would be out of count for about a minute until he could transform again.
Kakuzu took this time to turn his attention towards Kisame. "I'll kill you now and then continue my hunt for the Uchiha."
As soon as he said this a dagger pierced Kakuzu's last remaining heart. "No you won't." Itachi responded shakily, letting Kakuzu fall to the floor. Instantly, the tentacles binding Kisame fell lifelessly to the floor, their master killed.
-.-.-
Thank you to HikariHaruno/elric0sis for editing this. Sorry I through so many fics at you at once D:! You've been a huge help though.