An Overheard Conversation
Chapter 2
-Kisame-
Idly chewing on a stick of pocky he had swiped off of Itachi, Kisame walked through Konoha. That morning, the old monkey had announced to the village the truth about the Uchiha massacre and announced that both he and Itachi were shinobi of Konoha from this point forward, both intending to take a team of genin within a year. Ever since, he had been overhearing civilians talking excitedly about 'which genin will join Sasuke-Sama in being trained by Itachi and Kisame' or, 'Do you think the Hokage will have that shark guy eat the demon?'. Occasionally some of the civilians wondering something like the second question were taken away by an Anbu but he didn't know why.
"Get back here you brat!" a furious voice yelled as Kisame glanced over his shoulder, seeing a cackling kid wearing kill-me-now orange running from a group of Anbu, all of them drenched in paint the same color as the kid's jumpsuit.
"You'll have to catch me first!" the kid crowed gleefully, running as fast as the Anbu were although Kisame couldn't tell if the kid was holding back just to prolong the chase. As the rugrat ran past, Kisame got a good look at his face and saw it was the Uzumaki kid who would be put on their genin team at the end of the year.
"Well this just got interesting." Kisame grinned, following after the chase and keeping a hidden eye on the Uzumaki kid, seeing him eventually lose the Anbu when he hid after rounding a corner. If he hadn't seen the kid hide, he might have even managed to elude Kisame. "Not bad kid." He grinned leaning over by the kid's hiding place when the Anbu were gone, "You got some good stealth skill."
"Gah, shark man!" the kid hadn't noticed him and fell into a puddle.
"But shit spatial awareness."
"You take that back!" the kid was on his feet in an instant, angrily pointing his finger up at Kisame, "I am not shit!"
"I said your spatial awareness was shit dumbass." Kisame rolled his eyes unphased by the angry finger "Stealth and speed? Both very impressive. When it comes to being able to tell what's around you then you suck. Then again, that's part of why I'm here."
"…Heh?" the blond runt looked understandably confused.
"You heard the big announcement this morning, yeah?" he asked only for the blond to look confused.
"Announcement? What announcement? Why didn't anyone tell me there was going to be an announcement?" the kid alternated between pissed and confused.
"That answers that question. Well the name's Kisame Hoshigake." Kisame gave a feral grin and shouldered Samaheda, waiting for the kid to give a suitably impressed reaction.
"Who?"
"Why do I even bother?" Kisame sighed before shaking his head, "Anyway, point is I'm Itachi Uchiha's partner. The Hokage announced that Itachi isn't a traitor this morning and that at the end of the year we plan to take a genin team."
"You're training Sasuke-Teme, aren't you?" the kid looked dejected.
"We might, we still have one slot left on our team to fill, but we've chosen two members already." Kisame told him honestly, "First is a kid named Kimmimaro Kaguya, you'll meet him at the academy tomorrow. And the second is you ya runt."
"Me?!"
"Yeah," Kisame winced, cleaning out his now throbbing ear "and I don't give a shit that we're outside, use your indoor voice. That's assuming you even have one runt."
"I am not a runt!"
"Yes you are." Kisame grinned, holding out his hand to keep the Uzumaki kid in place while the kid charged wildly. "Anyway, Itachi and I are training you, Kimmimaro, and one other person we'll choose to be our genin team at the end of the year. Since you need to pass for that to happen and I've seen your test scores I'll go ahead and start kicking you into shape."
"Those aren't my fault dattebayo!" Naruto protested hotly, "The stupid teachers keep kicking me out during lessons!"
"I know."
"I…wait what?" the kid looked so puzzled Kisame couldn't help but laugh.
"Itachi and I came back to Konoha now for two reasons. The first is that he didn't like how he heard Sasuke was becoming like what his clan used to be."
"Smug self-entitled assholes ruled by their own illusions of superiority and reliance on their thieving eyeballs?" Naruto asked, head tilted.
"Pretty much." Kisame shrugged, "But where'd you learn that? You're too young to really know the old clan and that didn't sound like your opinion."
"I heard some weird guy with pale eyes in a dress say it once." The kid shrugged, describing a Hyuuga as Kisame snorted. If nothing else the kid would be entertaining to have around at least.
"Anyway, the second reason was he didn't like how he heard you were being neglected and kicked around by the village. Now come on pipsqueak, let's see what you can do."
"All right!" Naruto cheered happily, not bothered at all by Kisame dragging him by the scruff to a training field, "I'll be the best shinobi ever dattebayo!"
"Sure you will." Kisame said dryly, patting Naruto on the head.
"I feel mocked."
"You should."
-Itachi-
Silently, Itachi went through the profile folders that the Hokage possessed for the current students at the Shinobi academy, looking for candidates for the team he and Kisame would be training. Originally he had intended to use Sasuke for the team but given their interaction earlier that likely wouldn't be the case.
-Flashback-
"I'm gonna go take a walk." Kisame grunted, the Hokage closing the balcony window that overlooked the village and was used for big announcements, "You lot need anything?"
"No thank you." The Hokage shook his head.
"Hn." Itachi grunted, knowing Kisame could understand him.
"Alright." Kisame gave a lazy wave and walked out, raising an eyebrow as an angry Sasuke shoved past him.
"Itachi!" his brother snarled, pure hate dripping from his tone, "How dare you show your face back here traitor?!"
"Sasuke, I know you heard Hokage-Sama's announcement." Itachi said with a frown, his brother's attitude even worse than what he had imagined. Although given his own plans he couldn't say he was surprised.
"Our clan wouldn't do that!" Sasuke snarled, looking like he was moments from spitting fireballs.
"Sasuke," Hiruzen frowned sternly at the young Uchiha "your family were indeed planning a coup de tat. Your brother and Shisui were working to try and stop the coup with as little bloodshed as possible."
"But he killed my parents!" Sasuke yelled, Itachi noting the distinction of 'his' rather than 'our'.
"Father was part of the coup." Itachi frowned at Sasuke, "I didn't intend to kill mother, but she leapt to take the blow meant for father. I only killed those who intended to commit the coup, the civilians were meant to be spared but another murdered them and framed me. I have since been spying for the village and trying to hunt that person down."
"So you expect me to just welcome you back into my clan with open arms?" Sasuke snarled, never ending rage on his little brother's face.
"Sasuke, Itachi is technically the clan head." Sarutobi spoke up, "As he isn't a missing nin, was never banished by a clan head, and is a fully qualified shinobi he is the current clan head according to the Uchiha charter."
"What?!" Sasuke seethed, "I won't allow-"
"This is MY village Sasuke Uchiha." Hiruzen's voice thundered in the small office as the shinobi once known as 'The Professor' exerted his presence, Sasuke's rant dying in his throat as the small shinobi hopeful looked terrified, "You do not order me. I have told you the truth and you will either accept it or not. But Itachi is the current clan head of the Uchiha clan and that is final."
-End Flashback-
Since then, Itachi had been silently going through the folders for candidates. While he wanted his little brother back he also knew Sasuke as he was now would never listen to him or Kisame and, if the reports he read were accurate, would be a problem to his teammates as well.
"Yo, Itachi." Kisame walks into the office, munching on a familiar box of pocky.
"Hnn." Itachi glares at his partner.
"You want to keep your snacks? Then pay more attention." Kisame smirked, tossing the partially emptied box back to him. "Anyway, I found the Uzumaki kid. He was outrunning Anbu and managing to hide from 'em. I took him back to that house the old monkey gave us and had him show me what he knew. I left him to workout with Kimmimaro."
"…That house is in the Uchiha district." Itachi's eyes widened.
"Is that a problem?" Kisame looked confused, "They could meet your brother, maybe the three of them could become a good team."