Rough Beginnings

Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto or make any money from this fic. I just borrow them for amusement.

Ack! Sorry it took so long to update! School took over my life for a little bit. Sadly it does that every once-in-a-while. Well hope you all enjoy!

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Itachi never imagined that it would be so hard to adjust to his new life within the Akatsuki. The absolute seclusion from everything was not what he was used to. It was also a strange feeling to be around others who were just as strong as himself. It was a little unnerving to say the least. The only thing that made this easier was that despite being S-Class criminals they were generally very nice. If he was struggling with something they would help him as long as it was not going out of their way. He had been surprised at how hospitable could be.

Letting out a sigh he turned his eyes down to the field below him. Pein had sent them out to do some training. He had been instructed to watch and learn how to follow the other Akatsuki members’ movements so that he could eventually work in his own. Despite having seen more than enough he was under instruction to rest. It frustrated him to just sit back but he did not want to get on the man's bad side so quickly. So he silently watched as the others went through one of the toughest training sessions he had ever seen.

Each took their turn to be the center of all attacks. The ones on the offensive worked together like a well oiled machine. Each seemed to know what the others were planning and worked accordingly. They even combined their attacks at times to throw in something different. Those that had already taken their turn in the center were pretty scratched up. The amount of control and restraint used in order to keep from killing their comrades were commendable. The only exception was that of Hidan who had been nearly torn apart at the end of his turn. It was obvious they had way too much fun picking on the immortal.

Last to go was Kisame after Hidan had been sewn back together by Kakuzu. What really set his mind spinning was when the shark removed the sword from his back and placed it against a nearby tree. It was only then that he took up the position in the center of the group. He was wondering why a swordsman like Kisame would give up his weapon. Not only that but as the mock battle continued the man used pure Taijutsu. He knew that they were all holding back but even the others used Ninjutsu and some Genjutsu. The few records that he could find told of the man's legendary attacks. Where the records off due to the broken minds of those that they had been recorded from?

Learning forward he continued to watch his partner closely. He knew that Hidan's scythe was not a light weapon; most had issues when faced with the weapon. His partner however seemed to have little problem flinging the blades back at the Zealot or one of the others. It was hard to tell exactly how strong the man was by just that however. The space was also too small for him to see his true speed as well. They were very constricted but he knew that it was their only option. He had been hoping to see what his partner was capable of. It was beginning to look like it was very little. He knew the man had chakra but it was hard to tell if he was suppressing it or just did not have much to work with.

Eventually the training came to an end with everyone bleeding and panting. Tobi jumped up from his position against the tree below him having been banned from training as well. He was beginning to wonder what the man was good for it he could not even train with the others. Obviously he was useful for something since he was still around; he just could not seem to figure it out. He watched as the strange man ran to his superior and immediately began chatting about. Shaking his head he leapt from the tree to land next to his own partner. The man was bleeding and out of breath yet he managed his trademark grin.

"So what you think Itachi? Can you keep up?" Kisame asked looking down at his partner. He saw the boy give him a small nod and a grunt of acknowledgement. At first his partner's lack of responses had annoyed him but he had found out in this short time that the boy just was not much of a talker. He never spoke more than he needed to and only if he absolutely had to. "Good to hear. You should be able to join in soon then." Taking in a deep breath through his nose he tilted his head to the side. Konan's scent had reached his senses; he turned around just as the woman appeared behind them.

"Still as sharp as ever Kisa-kun." The woman greeted with a soft smile. Itachi took a good look at her for the first time. He never had given her a good look since he had only seen her in Pein's dark office. Now that she was in the light he could see what she actually looked like. The white flower in her hair stood out in stark contrast to her dark blue hair. She had a piercing in her lip but otherwise seemed fairly normal compared to her partner. In her hands she held a manila envelope. "Leader-sama believes that the two of you are ready for your first mission. You'll leave in an hour and reach your first rest stop before nightfall. It's an easy mission so you should not have to strain yourselves." They knew that was mostly for Itachi's sake.

Kisame took the offered envelope and gave a slight bow to the woman. Itachi followed his lead despite his anger against them babying him. He knew better than to raise any complaints, it would only get him into trouble. He would just have to prove himself on this mission. The shark did not wait to open the envelope and begin looking over the mission specs, somehow managing to ignore the commotion behind him. Itachi was watching in silent amusement as it seemed that Tobi had once again managed to piss off the bomber. The masked man was now screaming and running away as Konan tried to get the blonde to calm down. A grunt from his partner gained his attention. He was handed the papers before the shark indicated that he should follow him.

"Quick and easy mission. Should be done in about a week if everything goes according to plan. We'll be near Kiri so we'll have to be careful." The shark explained while the Uchiha read through the paperwork. "Assassination and grab some secret scroll."

Upon entering their room Itachi laid the papers on the bedside table so that he could pack. Kisame grabbed the map that was given and stuffed it into one of the pockets inside of his cloak. Itachi could not help but notice that the cuts his partner had received had all ready stopped bleeding. Apparently the thick skin that he sported was not only was not only hard to break through but healed rather quickly. It was a useful thing to know about his partner. He just hoped that it would not be needed on this mission.

Packing in silence the two were done within the designated hour and soon on their way to their first destination. Itachi for the first time found himself hoping for a mission to go well. The last thing he needed was to fail the first mission he was given as a member of the Akatsuki. He trusted Kisame to a small extent but he had found out some information about the shark that made him wary. Supposedly the man had a reputation to leave his partners for dead if he did not like them. He had even been told that he had killed off a few that he had deemed unworthy. He was used to having trusted companions watching his back. He never would have imagined that he would have to watch out for his enemy but his own partner as well.

Somehow Itachi was not surprised when the mission went completely wrong. It seemed to be a common occurrence for the S-Class criminals if his first meeting with Kisame and the complaints of the others said anything. However he had to admit that this one was a well founded attack. Somehow the target had learned about the hit and had hired the Kiri equivalent to the Konoha ANBU. The Kiri Special Forces had also enlisted nearby ANBU who were still out searching for the missing Uchiha. Luckily for the two Akatsuki members they were a good ways behind them. They had been close to their destination when the alarm was sent out. They had been able to get in and kill their target, get the scroll into their custody and out of the city before they were intercepted.

Normally it would have been an easy fight but they had been surprised by the shear amount of forced they were faced with. Itachi knew the Akatsuki had a reputation but he was sure this was a little overboard. Unfortunately they were smarter than they looked and stayed out of the reach of Kisame's sword. He might have been proud at one point but now they were just an annoyance. Especially when he noticed that they were slowly working them farther away from each other to make it an easier fight. Sadly it was a simple tactic that was working. He was still extremely weak and unable to fight them off. They knew better than to look into his eyes which made it worse. He could not find the will to push further and dispose of them.

It was not long before he was overwhelmed by the ANBU. They tied him up so tightly that he was unable to move. What was worse was the fact they used chakra enforced ropes, there was no way he was getting out of them in his current state of health. He was now wishing that he had not trained these men so well. He was quickly stripped of all his weapons leaving him completely at their mercy. One of the larger men flung him up onto their shoulder and took off.

"KISAME!" He finally called knowing he had no other choice. He had to get the shark's attention and hope that he would come to get him. He could not go back to Konoha and let the council decide his punishment. That was for his brother to decide when he was strong enough. He struggled with his bindings until the sounds of the battle his partner was engaged in faded away completely. Panting from the effort he stopped his struggling when the ANBU stopped on a large branch.

"Hold still Uchiha." The one holding him hissed. It was obvious that his former subordinates were only keeping him alive in orders. Many of them had good friends within the Uchiha clan and were taking their deaths very personally. One stepped up in front of him and placed a gag in his mouth to keep him from calling out again. It was strange that they would be so worried about their partner. He had yet to see why they would have any concern over the shark. "Hurry up; we need to get as far from here a possible. You heard the Kiri Special Forces; we don't want to mess with the freak. They said they would take him out but we have to get out incase they fail."

"Stop worrying. They said they had enough manpower to take him out." The one from in front of him replied. Itachi turned a glare up at the man making them avert their eyes. He took another cloth to cover the Uchiha's eyes when something stopped him. Everyone turned their attention back to where they had come from when a roaring sound reached their ears along with screams. "What the hell is going on?"

"Not sure...but that almost sounds like water..." the one holding him stated a frown obvious in his voice. "But they said this area had been in drought for months now so no dams could have broken. And it can't be rain...it's far too sunny..."

"Didn't they say the Swordsman was proficient in water jutsus?" Another asked as they continued to try and find the source of the sound. It had become so loud that it drowned out the screams. The sound of trees snapping echoed around them. The man holding the Uchiha stiffened as he remembered what one of the shark-like man's jutsus was.

"Get higher! Now!" He yelled leaping higher into the trees while trying to find one that might withstand what he was sure to come. He stopped on a large tree that he hoped would hold up. "Hand on tight! If those men are right I'm guessing we have a tidal wave coming our way!" Itachi could hardly believe what he was hearing. How could there be a tidal wave in the middle of the forest during a drought? Even if his partner was proficient in water jutsus he would still need water.

He had little time to think further when he looked up and his eyes widened in shock. Water was breaking through the trees at an alarming pace. It crested a short distance away from them before slamming down on the tree they were on. Not even on the ocean had he seen such a tidal wave. He waited with bated breath as the tree swayed and cracked under the pressure. The man holding him almost lost his grip on him as he tried to keep his balance. He watched as some of the ANBU were swept under the water and carried away as it settled.

"What the hell!?" His captor yelled in frustration while some of others managed to pull themselves from the water. There were quite a few missing from their ranks. They had either been swept off further down or were trapped under the water. It was a horrible way to die but Itachi could not bring himself to care, he could not be taken back to Konoha. Wherever Kisame got the water he was thankful. His ANBU captor leapt down onto the now still water to get a better look. The others moved to stand around him each in a defensive stance as they looked for his partner. "Where is he...?"

"Not sure but..." the statement ended in a scream as a chakra made shark leapt from the water latching onto the ANBU and dragging him beneath the water. Four similar sharks appeared causing everyone to scatter in order to try and defend against them. Screams rang out around him and Itachi was beginning to wonder how he was going to survive this. If he fell into the water there was no way he would be able to stay up. He knew his partner was behind the sharks but he had no idea how much control he had over them. If he fell into the water would he be mistaken for the enemy?

Never in his life had he felt so panicked. Everything was outside of his control and his mind was having a hard time coming to grips with that fact. He was a control freak; he knew it to be true more so now than ever. He had to force his body to remain still as much as it wanted to protest against the action. It was the one thing that he could possibly control over and he could not afford to lose that as well. Adrenaline continued to spread through him and he had to focus on controlling his breathing and shaking. He wanted nothing more than to be out of this situation.

"Regroup! Don't get separated!" The ANBU holding him screamed. It was obvious that he was in a panic but was hiding it well. He could not say so much for the others. He had to admit that should this have happened to him he might have reacted the same way. This was not something that they were trained and prepared for. Everything was falling apart around them and it was making his captor nervous. "Damn it men! Pull yourselves together!"

Itachi was beginning to feel a little desperate as he looked around for his partner. Kisame was the only one that could get him away from these men and he had yet to actually show up. The sound of water shifting cause his attention and he looked directly in front of him. His eyes widened slightly as his partner slowly rose from the water with a bloodlust in his eyes that he had never seen. He lost sight of the shark as his captor turned at the sound of his growl.

The next thing that he knew was that he was in the water. It happened so fast that he had not been able to take a deep breath. He struggled against his bonds with everything he had left trying to get free. Why was Kisame not coming to help him? The damn shark was going to let him die! He needed to get himself free but the bonds were too tight, they had not loosened in all this time. He watched as the light above him began to fade as he sank deeper. His lungs were screaming for air and he knew there were only a few more moments before his body tried to force him to breathe.

Closing his eyes in concentration he ceased his struggling in an attempt to hold out a little longer. His eyes shot open, however, when he felt something wrap around him. He looked up into his partner's face while the gag was pulled from his mouth. The shark gave him an apologetic look before leaning forward and placing his lips against his own. He began to struggle again when the man's free hand came up to force his jaw open when it was apparent he was not going to cooperate.

Now forced to expel the used up air he began to panic. What was his partner thinking? It was only a moment later that the shark's mouth sealed over his own once again pushing oxygen rich air into his suffocating lungs. He stopped his struggles and relaxed when he realized what the man was doing. He was using his gills to filter the water for the oxygen and then passing it over to him. He was sure he never would have thought of such a thing despite knowing that the gills worked. Yes it could be considered awkward but for the moment he could not care less. As soon as the shark began to pull away he shut his mouth and held his breath.

After Kisame was sure that his partner was alright he fixed his arm firmly around the boy's waist and shot to the surface. Leaping from the water he landed on the nearest branch that would hold them. Setting the Uchiha down on the branch he released his control on the water allowing it to flow away. After a quick check to make sure that he had not missed any of the ANBU he set to work freeing his partner. Pulling out a kunai he began to cut the ropes that bound his partner.

It was only after a few deep breaths of fresh air that Itachi noticed something. His eyes stung and almost felt like they were burning. He frowned at this as these were not the normal symptoms of when he overused his Sharingan. It felt more like when you got saltwater from the ocean into your eyes. Now out of curiosity he licked his lips to see if his new assumption was correct. His eyes widened slightly as he turned to look over his shoulder at his partner. "Saltwater?" He asked quietly. The shark gave him a chuckle and a grin while cutting the last of the ropes.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Your eyes might hurt for a little while. I forgot that normal eyes have a hard time with saltwater." He apologized before taking a seat on the branch to relax for a few moments. He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible; one never knew when backup was not far off. He could easily take on any more but it was annoying to have them slowing him down. Not to mention the ANBU were determined to capture his partner. He liked this one so there was no way in hell he was going to let them take the Uchiha. "Looks like the coast is clear for now. We should probably get out of here before any more show up."

Itachi just gave a nod wondering why his partner had neglected to elaborate on the subject. The shark was extremely talkative and it only took a slight prompt from him to set him off. He would always elaborate so that he would not have to ask questions. Strangely this change in his partner's demeanor perked his curiosity. He would leave it for now but he would not give up on getting the information that he wanted. Standing he swayed unsteadily for a few seconds before he was able to catch his balance. If that worried expression had been on anyone else he would have hated it. But for some reason that worry written on Kisame's face was comforting and slightly endearing. The shark did not coddle him like others did, when he was worried it was genuine.

He watched as the shark stood and stretched before turning around. He knelt on the branch with his arms out behind him. As much as he wanted to say he could travel on his own he was desperately tired. Besides it would not be the first time that Kisame had to carry him like this. The first time he had met the shark he had carried him on his back to meet up with Orochimaru. Besides, it would give him time to rest his eyes and think of what he wanted to ask the shark.

Hopping up onto his partner's back he let the man carry him without complaint. Letting his eyes close and rest he let his mind wander around the current situation. It was an interesting notion that he really wanted to strike up a conversation with the shark. But his curiosity just would not let him leave the subject be.

Eventually the burning of his eyes faded away and he could open his eyes with only mild discomfort. The sun was beginning to set and thankfully they had just arrived at a village. He really did not feel like staying out in the open that night. Just outside the first line of buildings his partner let him down before leading the way. The Inn was nothing special but it would for the night. Upon getting to the room he went straight to take a shower letting the shark to his own devices.

Kisame would have preferred that Itachi wait till the traps were set before taking his shower. But he could hardly blame the boy. His first mission, though a success, had been a complete nightmare. It was obvious that Konoha was still searching for him and had almost been kidnapped. The boy was probably stressed beyond belief. Having set the traps to the windows he moved on to the door. He might be hungry but he was not about to go back out so soon after that battle. They were not as far from the scene as he would have liked but the next village was at least a day's run away. His partner needed the rest and neither of them would feel comfortable out in the open.

By the time the Uchiha had emerged from the shower in a clean set of clothing the shark was done and lounging back on his side of the bed. Sadly it was the only room that Inn had available. Looking to the windows he noted the traps that his partner had set up. He took a closer look and found himself pleased with how well they were set up. Though it really showed to the man's paranoia.

"They'll hold I promise." Kisame stated watching as his partner inspected his work. "When you've been on the run as long as I have you learn a few things. As paranoid as you are from being ANBU it's nothing compared to the rest of us. Most of us have had bounties on our heads since before you were even born." He gave his small partner a toothy grin as he turned to look at him. The Uchiha hated being reminded how young he was. It was just so fun to pick on him though.

Itachi let out a sigh not falling for the man's bait. The man had the infuriating hobby of trying to push his buttons. He could not really say that he disliked it though. He had found out that it was the shark's way of trying to get to know him without full out asking. It was the first time that anyone had ever bothered trying to get to know him. Most had been too afraid of him back on Konoha for them to willingly try.

Taking a seat on the bed opposite his partner he contemplated what he wanted to say. "May I ask you something Kisame?" He finally asked as he looked over his shoulder to the shark. He noted with amusement that the man seemed shocked. The man shifted on the bed causing it to creak under his weight.

"Yeah, sure Itachi." He stated after clearing his throat. It was so odd that his little partner would start up a conversation. What was it that had him worried or curious enough to cause him to strike up a conversation? "But only if I can ask you something first."

"Of course." Itachi had a feeling there would be a catch. The shark never let anything go without something in return. He did this when there was something he really did not want to do or talk about. Well, that is what the others had told him anyway. It seemed that they had been telling the truth. If he wanted his questions answered then he would need to play along.

"Why were you holding back?" Kisame asked ignoring the indignant glare that was sent his way. To tell the truth the Uchiha's cold looks and glares had never really affected him much to the smaller man's chagrin. Seeing that he would not get a straight answer he went on to explain himself. "Don't give me that look; you know exactly what I'm talking about. I know you are more that capable of taking those fools out. Because you were holding back you wasted what energy you had and allowed yourself to get captured. It seemed that you did not want to hurt them or much less kill them. I'm beginning to think that you regret what you did to your family. And before you start denying it, just know that I don't care. I don't know your reasons but I can see that you care about what you did. But I can easily see that you are having trouble killing anyone else from Konoha."

He was actually surprised that Itachi did not interrupt him. He was only met with a silent look that had softened from the heated glare just moments ago. "I know this is hard on you Itachi. But let me tell you from experience that you can't keep this up. You have to get over the fear of hurting of killing those that you used to care about. They are going try and kill you despite anything that you do. And as much as I hate to say it I might not always be there to save you. I know you are strong enough and more than capable of taking care of yourself but you have to be able to do what it takes to survive. If you didn't want to live you wouldn't have fled your village or called out for me to save you. So you need to stay alive until you find what you are looking for."

Itachi was amazed at the maturity that the shark was showing. He saw age and world weariness in his partner's gaze that he never would have imagined. It made him wonder just how old the man was; with his features it was impossible to tell. Before he never would have taken his partner as a very smart man. His looks did not lead to such conclusions about him. But he was finding just then just how intelligent he was, even if his patience did not lead him to use its full potential. There was an understanding in his partner's eyes that he had never received from anyone before. He was not asking why he killed his family or why he wanted to live; he just wanted to know why he was not trying harder. He slowly gave the man a nod after a while showing the older man that he was right in his assumptions. Pleased with the simple answer he relaxed back against the headboard. "Now what was it that you wanted to ask me?"

"Why did you help me like?" He asked hoping he would not have to elaborate. He was glad that Kisame had done what he had. The shark had saved him a lot of trouble for him by doing so. It had saved him the pain and risk of passing out under the water due to lack of air. He would not have to fight infection in his lungs or an angry stomach thanks to the saltwater. He had been able to stay conscious and avoid the pain of waking up to coughing up water. What confused him was the reason behind the help. Did he do it as a selfish act so that he would not have to completely look after him or was it because he cared enough to try and save him from the discomfort and pain?

"There are ways I could answer that. I could either tell the truth or I could lie." Kisame stated with a sigh looking to the boy. "But I'm going to tell you the truth. You deserve to hear it and I don't think lying would do any good." He shifted again so that he was at a better angle to see his partner.

"I care about you kid. You're the first partner that I have had that I actually give a shit about. There is something about you that makes me want to protect and look after you. I wanted to save you from all the complications of that situation." He could almost see the wheels turning in the Uchiha's head. It was obviously not the answer that he had expected. It was not the selfish answer that anyone would probably have expected. What was strange was when the boy looked away with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Where did all the water come from?" Itachi asked changing the subject. It was hard to wrap his mind around the fact that someone actually cared about him. It was something that he would need time to take in if he decided that it really was the truth. He glanced up again to meet his partner's eyes. The large man was silent for a few moments before he let out another sigh.

"I made it." He explained simply. He caught the tensing of the boy's jaw to speak again but he cut him off. "Let me explain. I can flood an area to create a large saltwater lake. When in an area that does not have retaining walls I can control it to stay where I need it to. The tidal wave you saw was my doing. As you can also see my ninjutsu attacks are shark based." He looked away to the wall across from him as he thought.

"The reason I hold back so much in training is because everyone else is at a huge disadvantage. Not to mention it releases a large amount of chakra making it easy to trace." Now he just had to wait for the one question that he had been expecting. He was just a curious young boy after all, questions were inevitable.

"Why wouldn't you tell me about this?" He asked his eyes narrowed slightly. That is very important information; he needed to know that his partner was capable of. He was guessing that is was a habit that the shark and probably the others had picked up along the way.

"Well to tell the truth I figured you already though I was a freak and didn't want to push my luck. The last thing I wanted to do was give you a reason to be afraid of me. You don't seem to care about this type of stuff but I've been considered a freak all my life. I can't help but think that everyone does." He gave a shrug trying to fake an appearance of not caring. It was obvious to Itachi that scars had been left on the shark's heart that he would never be able to get rid of. The older man had been deeply hurt by the people from his past. It was hard to believe that someone as happy and seemingly caring as Kisame could have been treated like that.

Itachi turned away slightly and thought back on all that Kisame had told him. From what he could tell the shark was being completely truthful, even if he did find it hard to believe. After this tiring experience it was hard to really think on everything and come up with his proper judgment. For now he could just dwell on the fact that someone actually admitted to caring for him. That someone cared for him as a person and not just the prodigy of the Uchiha clan. He turned to face his partner again and crawled up on the bed and over to the larger man. He made himself comfortable against the shark's side. "Thank you Kisame."

"You're welcome Itachi." Kisame replied with a soft smile. He wrapped his arm around his smaller partner holding him close. He could sense a storm blowing in and knew that he would be needed for comfort. For all Itachi's reputation he was still just a boy looking for honest approval. It was obvious that no one had ever really told the boy that they cared about him and really meant it. He was used as a tool and that is all anyone cared about. It was a common factor among any of the members of the Akatsuki. He wanted to make sure that Itachi did not have to wait for the comfort he needed for as long as they all had. It was the one thing that he could truly give to the boy who seemed to have everything. "Always know that I will be there for you."