5)

Age 17

Kisame had been back from his mission for less than ten minutes and he had already honed in on Itachi. The Uchiha had been training in the fields when Kisame lifted his hand to catch his attention. Kisame ushered his partner closer and the boy did so noiselessly.

"Hold out your hand." Kisame instructed.

"Kisame…" Itachi began but the other waved him off.

"C'mon Itachi-san. It won't bite I promise."

With a weary sigh, Itachi held his hand out, palm up. Kisame took it, his hand engulfing Itachi's. He placed something very small in the Uchiha's open palm and the boy frowned, looking down.

It was a pearl, a small off white one. Itachi could not help the surprise that flickered through his eyes and he looked up at his partner. Kisame seemed suddenly embarrassed; he scratched the side of his nose as he regarded the Uchiha.

"Kisame...did you find this?" Itachi asked in surprise. Pearls were incredibly rare and the fact that the Kiri nin had not pawned it off and had willingly given it to him.

"Well, I found it in the oyster and I thought….well I thought you would like it. Don't think too deeply on it or anything." Kisame's voice suddenly turned gruff as he tried to play it off.

"Kisame…"

"If you think I've gone soft than you've got ano-" Kisame had begun hotly and Itachi would have sighed if it were not below him.

"Thank you. Kisame." The Uchiha offered his partner a rare smile. The Kiri nin's face turned an interesting shade of purple and he looked away quickly, scratching the back of his head.

"Uh…you're welcome." He managed, face still flushed. "Just...don't think too hard on it...I don't like you or anything like that...it's just the pearl was pretty and you're...well you have a face."

"Indeed I do." Itachi conceded.

"And...it's not too terrible to look at." The Kiri nin shrugged, looking uncomfortable.

"Such a flatterer." Itachi could not hide his smile and Kisame quickly turned on his heel, ears bright purple.

"Uhhh...I'm going to go...train." Kisame sped off as quickly as he could as Itachi looked back at the pearl.

Sometimes, Itachi adored his partner.

I have a love affair with Kisame finding and giving Itachi pearls.