Itachi offered his arm again. They came down the bleachers. They stopped halfway as Sasuke came up to meet his brother. He hadn't changed much since the last time she saw him, though he was probably in a suit and not dripping sweat.
"Come on! I want a rematch!" His blond opponent whined, stomping up the bleachers. Rubbing his shoulder where the winning blow had been struck.
"I won. Give up and take your losses more gracefully or at least wallow in silence," Sasuke snapped back.
Kisame leaned down a foot to whisper. "Maybe we would all have a little peace."
Hinata tried to hide her smile. "That's mean Kisame-san."
As Sasuke turned his attention back to them, Itachi stepped forward. "You've improved." The corner of Sasuke's mouth came up with the praise.
"Who's this?" The blond asked, inches from her, suddenly. Hinata felt her face redden as she found him without a shirt as he was using it to dry his face.
Hinata stepped back, hitting Kisame chest, "Woah there, mouse." Kisame hands hovered over her shoulders in case she fell further.
"Hinata Hyuga," Sasuke answered. "Hyuga heiress. Weren't you living closer to the center of the city?"
Hinata straightened herself, trying to find her footing, latching her hand onto Kisame forearm until she could correct herself. She couldn't even fit her hand around it. "I'm living with my uncle. I've been going here for three weeks now."
"Oh? I haven't seen you. Are you in class B?" Sasuke looked to his side, and his face fell as a group of girls came into the gym.
"She's in our year," Itachi explained.
Sasuke brought his attention back, his eyebrow twitching curiously. "Aren't you my age?"
"She jumped grades," Kisame added, nudging Itachi's arm.
"Oh, she's smart, then?" Naruto asked. "Maybe she could tutor me. I'm near failing." He grinned wildly. Hinata wasn't sure that was something to be proud of.
"You need more help than a tutor." Sasuke rolled his eyes as the girls reached them.
"You're going to want to come with me," Kisame picked up her bag, and Itachi handed her the umbrella.
"Why?" Hinata looked between them before she heard the screech of the girls talking to Sasuke, fawning over him while he glared. "Oh."
"Come on." Itachi rushed them.
They lead her horizontally to the end of the row. Kisame and Itachi both hopped down the side. Hinata frowned, looking at the distance. She couldn't jump that in good health. Kisame raised his hands up, hovering over her hips, asking for permission. It would be quicker, and they were eager to leave. Hinata handed her umbrella to Itachi, and Kisame closed his hand around her hips. She put his hands on his for balance as she was lifted up and set down gently.
Itachi handed her the umbrella. "Thank you."
"You're light as a feather, mouse." Kisame rubbed his hands on his shirt. "I could toss you in the air."
Hinata made a face. "No, thank you." Itachi chuckled.
"Hinata-sama." Oh, Neji didn't sound happy.
Hinata forced a smile, ignoring his tone. "Neji-san, I thought you did well."
"You were supposed to head home after classes." Neji scolded her.
"I came to see Sasuke-san with Itachi-san," Hinata's lips came into a line. She could feel Kisame prickling behind her.
"We can take her home if you are concerned, Hyuga," Itachi stepped forward with a diplomatic smile.
Neji's face twitched to natural. As much as he would like to, starting a fight with an Uchiha was not in his best interest. "I don't believe I like the implication. She can make it home on her own."
"Then can't she stay a while to see the after-school activities?" Kisame knitted together.
Neji's face reverted to nasty in a second, but before he could say something rude. Tenten came around the corner, grabbed his shirt, and jerked him back. "I told you to leave her be!" Tenten gave her a smile and a wave. "Good to see you again, Hinata." Neji struggled with her, but she caught his arm and twisted it. "Let her be with her friends. She's not Cinderella, so stop being the ugly stepmother."
Hinata waved bewildered as Tenten force him back around the corner. "Uh, careful Tenten-chan." Tenten had always been so rough.
"Guess your cousin doesn't like us," Kisame glared at her cousin's wake.
"Hmm." Itachi rolled his eyes toward the door.
"He promised." Hinata whimpered.
Kisame leaned down to her level. "Promised what?"
"Uhm, nothing, sorry," Hinata follow Itachi out the door.
Itachi looked over his shoulder at her. "Want us to walk you home then?"
"I don't want to be a bother." Hinata was painfully aware of how much slower she walked than even Neji, and his legs weren't much longer than hers. It was painful to watch Kisame walk her to the gym. He didn't know how to match her step.
Kisame shook his head. "Exercise, right?"
"Not at my pace," Hinata looked down at his stunted steps.
Itachi and Kisame looked at each other. Kisame grew a grin, and Itachi rolled his eyes, nodding. What was he giving him permission for? Kisame stepped ahead of her and knelled down. "Hop on."
Hinata waved her hands. "I couldn't."
Kisame looked over his shoulder at her. "Come on, you were worried about slowing us down, and we're going either way. This way is faster."
"But you're back." Hinata knew it was covered in all sorts of bruises.
"Your light. Would you rather I carry you upfront?" Hinata squeaked as he laughed. Itachi held out his hand. She was outnumbered. Hinata handed him her umbrella before gently leaning on Kisame's back.
Kisame slipped his hand under her thighs, making sure his hands were firmly over her skirt. Hinata fumbled with her hands. Where should he put them, so she didn't hurt him? As he stood up, Hinata quickly found a palace for her hands, wrapping them around his shoulders, so she didn't fall back.
Kisame laughed at her. This was embarrassing. "There, not so bad, not hurting you am I?" Hinata buried her face into his jacket.
Itachi chuckled as he tucked her umbrella under his arm. The three of them must look ridiculous.
Kisame's jacket smelled like cigarette smoke, but she couldn't imagine he smoked. She would have seen some evidence of that. Speaking of the jacket. "What is the Akatuski?"
Itachi looked up at her. It felt weird being up so high. "It's just a study group."
"Just a study group." Hinata rested her head down.
Kisame shifted under her. "Kinda. In middle school, we were all jolted together as trouble-making rich brats and low-class scholarship kids that needed to be put somewhere to keep out of trouble. So they jammed us all in a room one summer and told the scholarship kids they would get looser reins if they figure something out and bring the others' grades up that wasn't cheating."
"I volunteered. We all worked to complete the make-up exams, and between that and general socializing, we spent so much time in there that we would realize it was dawn when we were done." Itachi added.
That made sense. "I get it, Akatsuki, as in daybreak."
"We're thought of as a gang, but really we're all just mutually-annoyed-with-each-other friends. We paired off for projects and kept up with it through the years." Kisame looked back at her over his shoulder.
"Sasori and Deidara, Hidan, and Kakuzu, and so on." Itachi listed. "Pein and Konan keep tabs on us to ensure we don't miss assignments."
"Though this year, with Itachi and me separated, it looks like I am stuck with you," Kisame added with a toothy grin.
Kisame nose scrunched at his chemistry homework. "Did you find out if you could come to fancy party thing at Itachi's"
Hinata shook her head. "Uncle said no."
"I told you." Itachi hummed, tapping on the problem in Kisame's work. "Uchiha Hyuga rivalry."
"Damn it," Kisame started erasing, but the eraser immediately broke in half. All his muscles tensed in rage.
Hinata placed her hand on his wrist. "I can fix it."
Kisame lifted his hands, taking a breath as she slid the paper out and held her hand out. He dropped the eraser in her hand. Hinata more gently erased the error. "I'll sneak you out." Kisame offered. "It's the most harmless party, held by Itachi's parents. I'll have you home early, too. I have to work."
Hinata shook her head, handing him the paper. "Where do you work?"
Itachi offered his assignment. "A crappy little bar by my apartment," Kisame answered, looking off Itachi's assignment for the next step.
"A bar?" Was he even old enough to do that?
"I don't work at the bar. I do a lot of inventory lifting during the week and bouncing on the weekends." That explained so much. It explained the bruises, the constant fights, and even the smell of smoke on his jacket.
"You don't mind the smoke?" He didn't like the smell of the cafeteria, but he could stand a bar.
Kisame sighed as he finished the problem. "I used to smoke, so no, not terribly, though I tend to stay away from the bar itself, not a fan of the smell of the drunks."
What? "You used to smoke?"
"Yeah, but it's expensive, and I can take out frustration in other ways." Kisame closed his notebook.
"Like using his job to get into fights," Itachi scolded. Kisame side-eyes him.
"Did it bother your gills?" Hinata, for some reason, imagined smoke coming out of them when he breathed out.
Kisame looked at her, relatively surprised. Kisame was never offended by her interest in his body, but he always seemed surprised that she asked. "No, they are relatively useless out of water," Kisame explained. "Like you don't really breath through your nose as much when your mouth is open."
"Are they bothered by your clothes?" Kisame gills lined his shoulders. She was always worried that he would hit one, and it would hurt like breaking your nose.
Kisame shook his head. "Nah."
"And yet he's afraid of milk and bread." Itachi mused.
"He can't help his allergies." Hinata scolded, though Kisame thought it was funny. It was ironic, after all.
"You're too nice, mouse."