Note: The Italics part is flashback.
Prologue continued...
Bending down again, Kisame plucked out his pocket knife, one elegant swipe and both of Itachi's feet were free from the tight ropes binding him to the heavy chair.
Three more swipes later both his wrists and torso were free and before Kisame had the time to even put his knife back, Itachi tumbled forward unceremoniously right onto Kisame chest.
Blink...another blink...and then a weak, raspy but surely a voice "I'm tired" and Kisame grin was threatening to escape the confines of his face.
"You!" but he caught himself. Ranting him was not the wisest option right now. Itachi wasn't faking, he had suffered a sever brain damage in the last few days. Maybe it was the shock of the tight ropes on him being cut so abruptly and the presence of someone a little bit "safer" than his last caretakers, Kisame wondered, was what helped him out this unresponsiveness.
Whatever the reason Kisame was glad. Itachi wasn't as damaged as he had though after all.
Itachi could feel his brain sliding into blissful sleep, eyes closing slowing against Kisame's neckbone…but the sudden shock of a violent shake shattered the illusion and he was staring in shock at Kisame, eyes opened to their full potential.
Kisame had taken his shoulders roughly and given him a shake of a lifetime. His muddled brain was unable to comprehend the reason of such a rough action right now but surely there was something important Kisame wanted to tell him, some hidden part of his mind whispered.
"You can't sleep just now! You need to drink a bit of water before...." Kisame faltered.
He was an idiot. That was a simple fact of his life which he should accept by now. He was a total and utter idiot. Period. Itachi's wide eyes looking at him stunned. Kisame wanted to bash his head against the wall and die. Was it really necessary to shake him this hard. He had just gotten out of an almost catatonic state and Kisame had to shock the life out of him. Guilty waves surged through him.
Kisame was completely aware that he was being a little overprtective with this over exaggeration of his manhandling of the boy before him, but he couldn't help these feeling surging through him. Itachi looked so fragile right now, staring at him as if waiting for him to announce that a volcano is about to hit them and there nothing they can do about it
Whatever that has happened to the boy in the past few days, Kisame wished somehow he could take it all back.
"Look Itachi", calm down? but he decided against it.
"Sit still for a moment; I will be back in a minute. Stay alert will you?"
Itachi's eyes were hesitant and confused as if he's trying to comprehend what's being said.
This isn't going to do. This isn't going to do at all.
"Itachi" he started slowly with forced calmness. "Sit still for a minute...pl..." a hesitant moment "please?"
Silence and then comprehension on the handsome, but pale face and a hesitant but certain nod had Kisame marveling at the strength of this simple word.
Maybe "please" is a magic word after all Ladies and Gentleman. If nothing else cracks thought the numb brain of the teenage hostage of yours "please" is a word that surely will. Guaranteed 100% by Hoshigaki Kisame! Rambling mindlessly Kisame went out to get some water for the boy.
A few minutes later Itachi, after much coughing, had devoured the class full of water and was looking a lot less dazed than he was a few minutes ago.
"Can you stand?" Kisame gently looped his arm around the teenagers waist and hoisted him up to a standing position and carefully let him go.
Oops bad idea.
Itachi 's knees buckled the moment Kisame let go of him and he had to catch him before he hit the ground.
Itachi gave an apologizing look to Kisame who was feeling too guilty to notice Itachi's subtle attempts at apologizing at the moment. Apparently Itachi's hand and feet were completely numb for now. Who knows how long he have been here, tied to this damn chair.
Anger flaring through him at such roughness, Kisame bend down and without any prior notice hooked his other arm under the teenager knees, resulting in a shocked noise from the boy, ignoring which Kisame brought him to the bed and gently laid him down.
Itachi's eyes were almost drifting close again and Kisame was sure that this was not the right time to have any sort of discussion him.
What would he say to him anyway?
I'm sorry?
What right he had to apologize when he was doing nothing to help the boy? Fuck all! Looking at the boy chafed wrists and ankles, Kisame mind chided him, he was the one who had brought him to this stage.
He was the one who kidnapped the boy from his home.
Well he sure didn't know what Orochimaru had planned for this boy. He had thought it was a simple case of ransom, the rich father of the brat will give whatever asked for the life of his precious son and all will be well. The rich brats need some lesson in discipline anyway. They think life is sunshine and roses! Huh. A few days in captivity will bring them back to the real world. What's the harm in it? It's not like there will be a permanent damage. Rich brats.
Kisame tried to ease his guilty mind with this ramble but it wasn't working.
Even he had to admit that "Spoiled rich brat" wasn't what Itachi was. Itachi was as far from being a brat as one could get. He was hardly even a teenager. Sometimes it felt like he was an old man trapped in the body of a beatify teenager, trying to show the world how deadly the combination of brains, wisdom and beauty is but other times it was like Itachi was a child, a child that will grow up to be something very precious, very unique from the rest of the normal people walking around contributing nothing to themselves or the world…but a child nonetheless.
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"Kisame, I have never completely been a child. I won't deny though that there is a white shield in front of my eyes, trying to save me from harsh realities, but this shield was badly damaged sometime ago and I guess whatever remains of it will now shatter completely."
"White shield?"
"Yes. I'll say that in an ideal situation this shied shouldn't have existed in the first place. So I guess now nature is trying to fix what it once did wrong."
"What are you babbling kid?" Kisame had looked at him like he was mad. "Did you hit your head somewhere?" Did I bumped his head somewhere during all that chaos? Kisame wondered aloud.
Itachi's rather sad and far too mature smile brought Kisame back to reality and he looked at the kid funny.
"No. I was just saying that I believe that I will come out of this ordeal, if did alive, with all secrets expose...and all the innocence what ever little is inside of me gone. Everything' is happening for a purpose. "
Kisame had gaped at the young man before him half comprehending, and half not what he was saying.
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Kisame's eyes widened....
Comprehension came, slowing, steadily....
It was as if a bulb illuminated his brain....
Staring at the now sleeping body of the battered teen Kisame understood, atleast to a degree what Orochimaru was up to. Just what he saw in the boy that Kisame didn't until this point. What he wanted with him and he was speechless.
No way! No way was he going to let Orochimaru get his hands on Itachi again. Kisame might not be the genius person that Itachi or Orochimaru were, but, maybe being the normal person that he was, he knew that Itachi deserved to be saved. He didn't care about how much Itachi felt this ordeal is "needed" or that "nature was correcting its mistakes" or whatever that he was talking about, he was going to do whatever he can to protect Itachi now!
Kisame also had the sinking feeling that he will be needing Itachi help as much as Itachi will be needing his.
This is the part of original prologue written mostly with it but took time being posted because I was having thoughts about skipping this part entirely to be included in the late chapters. With the prologue done the real deal will start from next chapter where the story will go back a week before the events in the current chapter.
Also I am currently looking for a good beta-reader and if I found a good one hopefully the next chapters will be free from most mistakes, longer than these along with a few well needed changes in the currently posted material.
Especial Thanks to the reviewers. You made me continue the story. Lots of love.:-)