Author's Notes: Apologies for taking this long.. i finally graduated, residency has been such a haze. I cannot wait to get back to all of my stories, old and new! For everyone still reading, thank you so very much! You make a girl wanna write 3

Chapter 7: Freefall

There are many advantages and disadvantages of being born in Kiri, I think as I sip my purple medicine languidly and watch Kisame splash in a particularly suspicious puddle. The weather is not one of them.

I remember a time in my past life when I visited a land where all they ever talked about was the weather, and how their lives revolved around it. I snort, as I imagine The Mizukage halting his ninja's because, "Sorry lads, it's absolutely drippin', 'innit? Another time then! Cheerio!"

My snicker turns into a violent wheeze as I am shoved angrily into a wall.

"Your head's a cloud again, Ruka", came Kisame's taunting voice and I struggle to get up and peer at him blearily.

"Kisame" I deadpan. "You do not just shove people if they are not giving you attention."

"Yes, you do!" He said with all the confidence of a fucking toddler, but something about his glance makes me reevaluate and think of our last few days together.

Kiri was not meant for the weak.

I sigh dramatically and look at him with what I know is an impish grin.

"Race you to The Bucket!", I yell. And shoot off!

I do not bother waiting for Kisame's sputter and quickly take a right at the main square, a quick left into a small alleyway, skidding under someone's feet and jumping over a wagon full of apples-

-A small body rams desperately into me from the right. "Poor, bite-sized Ruka-chan!" Kisame cackles and he scampers off, leaving me lying sprawled like a starfish in his wake.

I groan as I pick myself up for the second time this day and dust myself off. By the time I make it to our destination, Kisame is already rummaging through an odd-looking bag.

The Bucket is what they called a little alley behind a lane of popular fast-food restaurants in the heart of the town. Home to a colony of rats and other miscellaneous pests, the place is a dream for all kinds of scavengers. Including us.

"Got anything?" I ask mildly, very aware of the dangers of food poisoning.

"Naw", Kisame pouts sullenly. "Just more porridge today" And porridge every day, because that is all we ever get at the orphanage.

"Come", I say with sudden inspiration and grab his hand to actively supress my urge to squish his cheeks. Kisame looks down at our hands with the kind of trepidation that is reserved for a scorpion's tail. I roll my eyes at his dramatics and take off again to another part of the town, this time shadier.

The shadows loom darker under the overhanging, though it is but mid-day and we try to make ourselves as small as possible. We keep our hoods high and eyes lowered as we skirt surreptiously to reach an old door of dark wood with a well-worn knocker as its handle.

A sound of scurrying alerts us to a new presence. It's small and we need to look down to locate the source of a voice.

"Name and business?" says a maroon crab scuttling from side to side, clicking its claws. I bite my lip hard enough to draw blood. And if my body is wracking with restrained laughter, it is no body's business.

Before Kisame can answer, the door is pulled open violently to reveal a large, shirtless, burly man.

"Oh, come in, you lot", he says gruffly, turning back inside. Kisame and I side-eye each other, shrug simultaneously and walk in. Kisame make's a bee-line towards the man's workstation and I have already begun sweating.

Oh, the things I do for a friend, I think sarcastically.

"Careful, it is still hot" Kisame freezes his hand over cooling metal.

"Ne, Goro-san" Came Kisame's child-like voice. "How do you know it is hot?"

Goro-san chuckles genially and ruffles Kisame's hair. This is why I like Goro-san, we met him by happy chance two days ago. Kisame's blue skin and fish like appearance barely gave him a pause and with baby sharko's onslaught of insane number of questions and sheer adorable-ness, the man stood no chance.

"Come let me show you" he says, taking us to his smelting furnace. "Every sword is special, young ones. Whether it be a Katana or a Tanto. The key is to make them durable and flexible enough to absorb shock, and yet sharp enough to cut through flesh." He grins at us while we look at him wide-eyed, and I think Kisame might be salivating.

He picks up a piece of raw ore, "I can see the amount of carbonisation on the edges. Do you see? Yes.. It is imperative to choose these correctly for the right sword."

I look on mesmerised as Goro-san shows us how to correctly identify the correct steel and wonder, not for the first time, if this had happened in the 'Naruto' I had read and watched.

Kisame was a fearsome warrior, from what I remember, and was one of my favourite characters. I look at the scrawny boy with small white eyes, bluish skin, and little gills on the side of face with fondness. He most certainly was not a character to me anymore.

"Goro-san!" I cut in through his impromptu lecture. "Would you take us to be your apprentices?"

Kisame looks at me in shock and Goro-san's eyebrows rise high in surprise. We had not discussed this before, I think abruptly. Blast, my impulsiveness! I bite my tongue.

But Kisame seems overjoyed. "Please say yes, Goro-san!" The kid's bouncing about the man like an excited puppy and I almost smack my face. Goro-san looks at us appraisingly.

"Fine.." He says finally, boxing Kisame on the ear to make him settle down. "But you both will listen to everything I say, no questions asked. And you will come here in the evenings once your academy starts. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir!" We salute. A grin breaks out on Goro's face. "Alrighty then, who wants some fish?"

"Mee!" Kisame squeals. And I whoop and run after them.

Ten minutes later see the two of us sitting side by side munching on fish on stick, and I cannot believe our lucky stars on getting an apprenticeship so effortlessly. Not that I think it will be easy. Or that there was nothing in it for Goro-san. A problem for another day I suppose, I think biting into another meaty chunk.

The wooden door swings open with a tinkle of the bell.

"Goro-san!" A booming voice calls out, making him peer above him work station. A stereotypically dressed Kiri Jonin stands at the entrance in leg warmers, his hitae-ate is tied around his bicep.

"Oh, Mi-san! Come in, come in... I have your katana, right here. Polished and ready to use! Have a look! I am certainly proud of this handiwork, what do you think?"

Without warning, Goro-san slashes the sword across the man's neck and it drops into a puddle.

I gape.

"Goro-san, that was not very nice" The voice says again, and this time another Mi-san appears at the door. A water clone then... "Though I must say that Katana does look impressive."

They both snicker idiotically and I almost fall off the table from the whiplash. Kisame, however, has stars in his eyes, though he opts to keep silent.

"So Goro, what's gotten you in such high spirits?" Mi-san, laughs a little insanely if you ask me.

"Oh Mi-mi.. I got myself two young pupils!" he flails a meaty arm at us. "The Sandaime will be thrilled"

There is a pause.

"You did what?" The temperature drops and I start feeling light headed.

"Who are they Goro?" Mi-san growls.

Goro-san takes one pitying look at us. And I cannot tell if it is because of what he is going to say or if it is for what we are going to endure. "Nobodies"

Mi-san drops a knee in front of us and takes a chin in each hand.

Not that we can do much.

The Killing intent swirls about almost lazily in the air, paralysing us.

"Hmm. I hope you know what you are doing, Goro", he says, contemplatively.

Goro cackles. Abruptly, the Killing Intent retreats and I am saved from falling flat on my face by the giant man.

"You will help, of course." Goro does not ask.

Mi-san sighs audibly. "Yeah, yeah..", he mutters, making to leave.

He stops at the door a moment before leaving to comment, "Do not kill them. He will not be happy."

Goro howls with laughter.

I manage to face a panicking Kisame with a blank look. There is a ringing in my head.

What have I gotten us into?!