Author Notes: Hello everyone and thank you again for your wonderful reviews for Deidara & Tobi! Here is the third chapter featuring Itachi & Kisame again. Bromance if you squint. Enjoy :)

General Warnings: Nothing major that I can think of.

Rating: 'T'

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Note: Edited and reposted on 17 July.

The task of capturing Roshi, the four tailed jinchuriki, was assigned to Kisame and Itachi. They set off on their journey early in the morning and before noon, Kisame's stomach was growling its urgent need for sustenance. He ignored it as best he could, tramping through the forest alongside Itachi, but the latter soon stopped and looked all around, as if trying to locate the source of the rumbling.

Annoyed, Kisame opened his mouth to make a snippy retort... something along the lines of 'No, that's not thunder or an earthquake' or perhaps 'Yes, you heard right -that is my stomach' or even 'Don't Uchihas also need to eat sometimes?'

As usual, Itachi beat him to it.

"I hear flowing water," he remarked, speaking for the first time that morning. "There must be a river nearby. We can find something to eat there."

Kisame closed his mouth and nodded.

Better.

Much better.

They found the river less than half a mile ahead. It was Itachi's task to start a fire and set up camp (if it were night) and Kisame's to look for food, an agreement they both preferred. Itachi too, was a very efficient hunter, but he tended to place more emphasis on filling up one's stomach instead of pleasing the palate. When it came to seafood, that inevitably meant fish - easy to catch, clean and eat - instead of shellfish - tiresome to catch and clean with far less meat for one's trouble. Not that Kisame found shellfish troublesome at all; they were his favourite food.

A half hour later, Kisame returned, scowling as he held aloft four medium sized fish. This particular stretch of the river only stocked fish... and not very tasty ones at that.

"All I could find," he growled and thrust his catch at Itachi.

Itachi raised a delicate eyebrow, but accepted the fish without comment. He descaled and gutted them with the ease of long practice and soon had them cleaned and skewered on four sharpened sticks.

Sitting cross legged on the ground opposite him, Kisame watched in silence as Itachi slowly turned the fish and seasoned them with an aromatic spice he kept in his pouch. As soon as he deemed them cooked, he handed two to Kisame.

Both were seasoned and grilled to perfection. Kisame expected nothing less from his partner, his appetite and sharp teeth making short work of both flesh and bone. He wasn't satisfied though. Whether he was in the mood for shellfish or a fight, he didn't like leaving his cravings unappeased.

If Itachi noticed his bad mood, he made no mention as they doused the fire, tidied up and started walking again. Their next break came long after the sun had set. Kisame was hungry again, his sour mood having settled into sullen resignation.

"I'll go look for dinner," he muttered, but to his surprise, Itachi shook his head.

"Just gather wood for the fire. I'll start it when I return," Itachi said and disappeared before Kisame could voice an agreement or a protest.

In less than twenty minutes Itachi returned with his bounty in hand - a dozen large prawns and as many good sized crabs, all neatly trussed up with ninja wire. Kisame's jaw dropped and his stomach gurgled in anticipation.

"Where did you find those?" he demanded.

Itachi just shrugged and held them out.

Kisame stared at him for a moment before taking the shellfish. Itachi bent down to set the pile of kindling alight and Kisame got to work; cleaning the shellfish while expertly avoiding the razor sharp pincers and legs. After he skewered them on sharpened sticks, Itachi took over the cooking, sprinkling them with sea salt as he slowly turned the sticks.

The aroma of grilled seafood was so mouth watering Kisame was sure he was drooling. He went to wash his hands in the river, taking the opportunity to wade in and squint around. There were no crabs or prawns to be found and he couldn't help wondering - not for the first time - at his partner's skill.

He was pleased Pein had paired the two of them together. Kisame had no patience with partners who squabbled and levied death threats at each other all the time... like Hidan and Kakuzu, or those who argued endlessly about the definition of art... like Sasori and Deidara.

Give him Itachi Uchiha anytime - calm, dependable, unflappable and super skilled. He was about the only one other than Pein whom Kisame didn't argue with.

When Kisame returned to camp, the shellfish were cooked. It was all he could do to let them cool a bit before eating. He closed his eyes as he chewed, all the better to savour the sweet flesh and juice of freshly caught seafood. After swallowing his first crab, he opened his eyes to see Itachi's steady gaze on him, long pale fingers holding a skewered prawn, but not eating it.

"You aren't eating," Kisame pointed out the obvious.

"You enjoy my cooking," Itachi remarked instead, his voice matter of fact.

Kisame nodded. He saw no reason to deny what was already so obvious.

"Best meal I've tasted in years," he praised and meant every word.

"I'm glad," Itachi said softly. In the flickering firelight, his pleased expression and tiny smile looked almost tender. He held out the prawn. "Here, try this."

Kisame pressed his lips together, but accepted the offering. He must be sitting too close to the fire because his cheeks were starting to feel hot and yet he didn't feel the need to move away.

They ate the rest of their meal in silence, Itachi offering the largest of the seafood to Kisame, and watching him eat them with those dark, endlessly intense eyes, that pleased smile never leaving his lips.

- Chapter End -

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you enjoyed it :)