Seaswept

Seaswept

Chapter Five

Kisame held the quaking frame in his arms as he slowly began untying the strings to loosen the shirt enough to tug it over the head of inky locks spilling free from the loose braid. Sudden movements caused the trembling to increase and the fathomless black eyes to go wide, though no intelligent life remained inside them. It was as if the boy was shutting down all higher mental capacity in favor of the comfort found in the abyss of nothing.

He had seen it before on green boys when faced with the mortality of their own life. There were few who jumped into such an act without the twinge of their conscience activating. The shock to the system varied in degree, but eventually it passed. Taking a life was never pleasant, but one grew accustomed to it. He chuckled mirthlessly. It was sad to think of becoming accustomed to killing even if it was a fact of life on the open sea.

Itachi jerked at the rumbling chuckle. The muscles in his arms and legs quivered with the fight or flight instinct still controlling him on a physical level. At the touch of hands on his shoulders, a small whimper escaped his lips.

"Easy." Kisame's attempt to keep his tone gentle proved difficult as his voice possessed a natural gruffness. "I'm just cleaning the blood from you."

The body against him relaxed, if only slightly. A small shudder racked Itachi before dark lashes finally fluttered downward to spread across pale cheeks. He gave a small sigh and leaned against Kisame's warm chest until a loud knock startled him and the heart pounding beneath Kisame's hand doubled its pace.

Kisame glanced towards the door to his cabin at the knock. "What?"

"It's Dan. Chouza asked me to bring this to you."

Kisame glanced at Itachi. "Come in."

Dan entered the cabin carrying two buckets of warmed sea water. "How is he?"

Kisame stepped before Itachi when the only just calmed wildness in his eyes began to return. "He just needs sleep."

Dan pulled a small bag of herbs from his pocket and passed it to Kisame. "Give this to him if he has trouble sleeping."

He brought it to his nose and sniffed the fragrant pouch. "What's in it?"

"Some basil and other herbs from the east. They relax the mind. I gave some to his brother as well," answered Dan with a smile. "Watch out for him. I've grown fond of him and his brother."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of him."

Dan turned to the door and lifted the latch. "See that you do."

Tamping down the disturbingly sudden surge of jealousy, Kisame nodded as Dan exited and closed the door firmly behind him. "Come on, lad. Lets get that blood cleaned off you."

Taking Itachi by the arms, he slid the rope belt from his waist and then removed the loose trousers from slender hips. He had thought him underfed because of the fit of his clothes but upon seeing his body, he found him surprisingly well formed. His shoulders already showed adult brawn and tapered down to a slender waist and narrow hips. There was not even a single blemish on his creamy skin. Such perfection was better suited for women in brothels than on a man of the sea.

"Easy, I'm going to bath this blood from you," he said while grimacing at the sweat and blood coating his own body. Unlike Itachi, he was used to being dirty and could push aside his disgust at the odor of death emanating from his body.

Itachi gave a small shudder as he was stood in the shallow hipbath. Chill bumps spread across his arms, causing his nipples to harden immediately upon having his clothing removed. He didn't fight being left standing nude in the bath as Kisame left and returned with the stove warmed water. His eyes simply stared forward blankly, only the faint movement of his chest with each breath signaled life still remained in his body.

Kisame turned to run his gaze over Itachi. Small lines of worry etched across his normally hard features. This should never have happened. Pein should have prepared him instead of foisting a cutlass in his hand and expecting him to slash through like a seasoned crewman.

He moved forward and placed a gentle hand on Itachi's smooth shoulder. The skin was like silk beneath his work hardened fingers. There was no resisting the savoring of smoothness as it shifted over lean muscles. Powerful strength of will was all that kept him from exploring the beautifully formed body in more ways than was required to clean him.

He pulled the bucket to the bath and instead of dumping the heated water over Itachi as he had previously, Kisame took a dipper and began to slowly scoop water over the shaking body. His arms wrapped around Itachi, keeping him aloft and still while he began to scrub the lye soap over the shivering body, beginning with his hair.

His fingers worked through the inky locks, sliding through and working the soap into a mild lather. He used blunted nails to massage through to the scalp in slow relaxing scrapes. The occasional shudder and sigh was the only response Itachi gave to the treatment.

"You did good," whispered Kisame into Itachi's ear as his hands moved in slow, gentle strokes down the shivering body. "You protected your family. That's all we can do, protect what is ours."

For a moment, Itachi's eyes lost the distant look and turned to glance up at Kisame. His throat worked painfully as if he wanted to speak but could not find the words to express his thoughts. Piercingly dark eyes exuded a sense of helplessness and loss.

The look was enough to assure Kisame that Itachi needed this connection. He was grounding Itachi in the present. His touches were keeping a tired mind firmly entrenched in the now, regardless of how much it might wish to drift away on the tide.

"Just relax against me. I'll take care of you." Some part of him claimed this as his duty. It wasn't an official duty, but something he felt he should do for him. He wanted to be the one Itachi could rely on.

Kisame closed his eyes and focused on the task of washing the blood and sweat from Itachi. The inside of his jaw was gnawed raw at the unappreciated pleasure running through him as his hands stroked small circles of suds over slender hips towards the small trail of dark hair beginning just below an indented navel and rippled abdomen.

Tamping down the desire pooling in him proved harder than he could have ever imagined. His tongue flicked over his lips and for a moment, he thought he could taste Itachi in the faint heat rising from the slender body. If anything, it enticed him to inhale the salty scent clinging to the hair hanging wet below his nose. It was the sea, and another fainter and unfamiliar fragrance.

A small groan was bitten back and he was forced to close his eyes as he washed the limp shaft located at the apex of a pale groin. The feel of the soft flesh caused him to long for the sensation of it growing hard in his palm. A man's body was easily aroused. He could show this young man the pleasures to be found. It would not be difficult to garner a response from the flesh. What better way to ease the mind than with pleasures of the body?

No.

He was not interested in a man-child barely old enough to even know what physical pleasure was. This was simply his long bout of celibacy speaking quite loudly in disgust at his choice to avoid the freely offered services of port wenches. Once he satisfied himself in the body of a whore, he would not even spare a single thought to Itachi with his uncommonly attractive features and sad dark eyes.

Kisame hissed out a breath through clenched teeth and turned his focus to making quick work of the task at hand. Moving his hands down in long practical strokes, he set about washing the slender, muscled legs down to the bony feet. The water was lukewarm as he poured the last of the bucket over Itachi's head and shoulders, ridding the shivering body of any soap residue.

Wrapping Itachi in a blanket, he lifted him from the dirty water pooled in the tub and laid him out on the bed. Seeing Itachi lying with his eyes staring blindly outward, created an ache in Kisame. "The first is always the worst. It gets easier. My first was when I was barely older than you…my brother as a matter of fact. The village I was born into pits its children against each other to determine the strongest. We don't fight to the death, but it happens. I just happened to be one of the unlucky ones."

The dark listless gaze moved from the wall to where Kisame sat beside him. Itachi did not speak, but simply stared at Kisame. The color was returning to his face and he looked less like he was going to rave like a lunatic. For a moment, an expression of compassion encompassed his features as he gazed upon the older man at his side.

"Close your eyes. Your brother is safe and I'm here to look out for you if you need me. No one will hurt you, not even your dreams." Kisame moved to the pouch of herbs and mixed them into a cup of water, causing it to take on a murky tone. "Drink this."

A wince spread across Itachi's face as he choked back the brew. He turned his gaze but was unable to fight against Kisame's insistence that he imbibe the entire cup before laying him once more to the bed.

A heavy sigh escaped from Itachi as his lashes slid to fan out over high cheek bones. They created a thick shadow, enforcing his innocent appearance. Despite his natural prettiness, there was no doubting the man Itachi would become in the following years. The way his well shaped shoulders were already beginning to fill out and how the muscles on his chest were expanding. His prettiness would eventually fade into stunningly handsome looks if he survived into his majority.

Kisame bit his lip again to prevent the groan from escaping at the sight created by the lad sleeping so comfortably in his bed. His scent was on those sheets and would be installed on Itachi come the morning. The twitching of interest from his cock was not welcome and forced him to focus his mind on other things such as the anger boiling in him at his captain. Itachi should never have been placed in such a position.

The moment Itachi's breath evened out, Kisame was on his feet and storming towards the captain's quarters. He didn't bother to knock, simply slamming open the door and staring down the man who sat calmly on his bed with a lantern on the table and a book cradled in his hands. Seeing the calm demeanor only served to cause the already boiling angry to explode outward. Never before had he questioned his captain's choices before today. He felt the keen sting of betrayal on the behalf of Itachi.

"You didn't knock, Kisame."

A small growl escaped through Kisame's clenched teeth. "You know why I'm here."

Pein cocked his head to the side and arched a brow. "I thought you weren't interested in the boy? Your current presence in my cabin states otherwise."

"You broke him," snarled Kisame in Pein's face as they stood in the solitary environment of the captain's cabin. "Giving an untried youth a weapon was stupid."

"You should not have sent him below." Pein met Kisame's growl with one of his own. "He needed to prove himself to the crew. If that sailor hadn't snuck below, he wouldn't have had the chance to show he could run someone through if pushed."

Kisame lifted the blood soaked shirt Itachi had worn, still clenched in his large fist. "It was a test then? All he proved was that he wasn't ready to kill."

Pein tossed his book to his bed and folded arms across his chest. "Everyone is ready to kill, one only needs the proper setting and motivation."

"He could have been prepared."

Pein's hand shot out and wrapped into the blood and sweat stained shirt stretched taut across Kisame's chest. "There is no preparation. It needed to be done so that when there is real danger for the crew, he can be there to help us survive. One man can tip the scales."

"He's a boy."

"He's old enough to know his mind. If he was a boy, would you be panting after him like he was a bitch in heat?"

Pein's head snapped to the side as Kisame's fist plowed into his jaw. A small dribble of blood oozed from his split lip and splattered on the previously pristine white shirt. Instead of angering him, the attack only brought a smirk to Pein's lips followed by laughter. "That is the only hit you get, so I hope you are satisfied with it."

Kisame's eyes flashed in the dimly lit cabin. "Pein—"

"Get off your noble horse. This life is not for the weak. If he is broken, then he's no use to me and should be left in the next port…I need to know he's strong enough to become great."

"If you leave him in the next port, I will be with him."

Pein's brows arched into his hairline. "What did he do to earn such loyalty from you? Not a week ago you would have walked him and his brother down the plank and now you are threatening me. Is all this your cock head talking?"

"You're a bastard," snarled Kisame. His blood still cried out for vengeance against the captain. Such thoughts were mutinous, yet he could not force them away. He was too protective over Itachi. Watching him learn and grow…he couldn't explain his feelings and he would deny them until his final breath.

"A captain can't be nice." Pein went to a shelf and pulled a bottle from a cubby along with two cups. His hands were steady as he removed the cork and poured the rum. "He will be fine. I wouldn't leave him in a port. You know that. Konan would never forgive me if I did."

Kisame took the offered cup, downing the rum in a single swallow. The liquor burned down his throat and pooled heat in his gut. It was quality spirits, not the swill the crew occasionally guzzled. "You should listen to her more often."

"You're one to talk. You’re hard for a child." Pein tossed back the run with a grunt. "You should take my advice."

Kisame glanced at his captain and poured another cup of rum. "What advice is that?"

"Take a woman…or a man if that is where you fancy lies. When we dock in port, fuck them raw and then return to the ship. You are still a man. The whores can take it. Don't deny yourself so much that your cock interferes with what is best for this ship and crew." Pein tossed back his rum with a grunt. "Savvy?"

"Aye." Kisame nodded his head slowly. Pein was right. He needed a good hard fuck to dispel the thoughts of Itachi. It had been too long, and it burned his gullet to admit Pein was right about Itachi needing to be strong. This life swallowed up far too many men for one to be weak for even an instant.

"You'll take care of Itachi for tonight?" asked Pein. It was the first instance of concern he had shown for Itachi's well being since handing him a weapon.

"Yeah…he's sleeping."

Pein nodded and settled on his bunk. "Let him sleep tomorrow. Have Deidara bring me my breakfast. I want you to start teaching him to use knives and send him to Asuma to learn about steering the helm. I want him enraptured with the sea by the time that we reach Tsunade Island."

Kisame nodded his understanding and turned to leave the cabin. "Aye, captain."

"And Kisame," Pein called out towards his first mate. "If you ever act like you have today…I will take the cat to your back myself. Are we in accord?"

Kisame nodded and turned to return to Itachi. "Aye, Captain."

oOo

The first sensation penetrating Itachi's sleep was that of a relatively soft bed beneath his body. It was an expression of comfort he had not experienced in weeks. The warmth of blankets piled around him created an uncomfortable heat, yet he was unable to rally the strength to push from his cocoon. The world seemed to encompass this small heated space and exiting it would allow to enter that which his sleep heavy mind attempted to push aside.

As his consciousness level began to rise, the memories began to return. He could still feel the blood on his hands and pooling around his feet while Sasuke screamed in the background. His hands began to shake and his head ached with the inability to expel the thoughts as they began to form a ceaseless stream of unfettered emotions. The mind became a prison for the knowledge of what he had done.

"Ah, you're awake. Here's a bit of hard tack and bacon."

Itachi's head fully emerged from the wrapping of blankets to see Kisame seated in a chair at the small table sipping a cup of coffee. The simple words were enough to dispel the waking nightmare to the further recesses of him mind. There were no undertones of gentleness or compassion, yet he took surprising comfort from the deeply spoken words.

Licking his lips to force back the morning dryness, he focused his gaze on the ship's second in command and spoke the first words to spear into his mind. "Where is Sasuke?"

"He's fine…with Dan." Kisame gestured towards the small plate of food. "Heave to, lad. The food won't eat itself."

Itachi's stomach gurgled lightly at the sight of the hard bread and salty pork. He couldn't deny the hunger and perhaps in eating, he could push away the thoughts of the previous night. A small cup of fresh water was pushed towards him by a large hand. "Thank you."

Hardtack wasn't the tastiest bread, but it was filling. He broke off small pieces and nibbled on them between bites of meat. Every ounce of his focus remained on each bite. It was the only way to keep at bay the shame of how he acted the previous evening. He had not even been capable of bathing himself.

Silence ticked by, the only sound was that of Itachi slowly chewing his food. He kept his eyes on the wooden lines of the table and not on his silent companion. With each passing moment, his embarrassment over having had the large man caring for him grew.

"We'll be into port soon."

Itachi stopped eating and glanced at Kisame, grateful for him having broken the uncomfortable silence. "Where?"

"A small port off the coast of Africa. It will be our last stop before returning to berth. We'll resupply for the trip around the Cape. The captain wants to get home to his wife for a bit before shipping out again." Kisame sat back with an easy grin. "The village wenches on Jiraiya's island are the best. The men will be glad to get back to them as well."

"Sasuke will stay there?" Itachi finished his meal, the sensation of food in his stomach a small comfort. "He will be safe on this island?"

Kisame gave a small snort. "That depends on your definition of safe."

Itachi sent Kisame a startled glance. Had the captain lied to him? "The captain say…Sasuke is safe there. Did he lie?"

"No, no." Kisame waved aside Itachi's worry. "The lad will be safe on Tsunade Island. It's more of the company he will keep. Captain Jiraiya is a known womanizer even before his wife died two years ago. Your brother will likely learn skills that will get him killed faster than a pirate who robs."

"What is this word…womanizer?"

Kisame's chuckle sent a tendril of warmth through Itachi. He liked how the deep tone soothed away the darkness threatening the edges of his consciousness. Kisame was keeping the demons at bay, though he had no knowledge of it.

"It's a man who fucks his way through women like a glutton does food." Kisame laid a hand on Itachi's shoulder. "Now, let's get you in some clean clothes and start your training."

"Training?" asked Itachi as he pulled a sun warmed shirt over his head.

"You're to learn to use all manner of weapons and how to run every part of the ship. I'm not really sure you're suited to daggers, but it's better to have some knowledge of all weapons." Kisame placed a hand to the space between Itachi's shoulders and gave a small push. "Go see your brother and then we'll start. You're going to have to start sleeping with the crew as well. You need to build a rapport with them. Those men could save your life one day."

Itachi nodded slowly and followed Kisame from his cabin and into the surgeon's quarters where Sasuke sat on the edge of the bunk. "Itachi!"

Itachi moved quickly and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's slim shoulders. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I only wanted to protect you. "

"Nii-san…I was afraid for you."

"I'm fine now." Itachi smiled at his brother. "Thank you for worrying about me.

"Come on, lad. We've got some things to do before reaching the port." Kisame tossed a belt filled with sheathed daggers across his shoulder.

"Don't go," whispered Sasuke.

"[i]Rest, Sasuke. We've still a long way to go,[/i]" assured Itachi with a gentle touch on his brother's shoulder.

Kisame placed a hand on Itachi's shoulder. "Come. Daylight is wasting."

Itachi frowned and followed him out onto the deck. "Should I start swabbing?"

"No. I'm going to show you how to defend yourself. If you're planning on going ashore, I want to make sure you can look out for yourself. The men get pretty drunk and I don't want to have to keep an eye on you all night."

Kisame removed a knife from his belt and passed it to Itachi. "Test it out, get used to the feel of the weight in your hand. A dagger can save your life one day. They are easily concealed and useful in close combat. Everyone should have some experience with them."

Itachi smoothed his fingers across the wooden handle and down to the razor sharp blade. The metal was smooth and surprisingly light. It was unlike any weapon he had ever felt, shorter than a wakizashi or tantō.

"I have them specially made by a weapon smith on Tsunade Island. If you take a fancy to them, I'll have a few made for you." Kisame slid a second blade from its sheath and tossed it with deadly accuracy towards a marked target he had placed. "With a blade such as these, you can take out an enemy from a distance without him ever seeing you."

Itachi watched carefully as the blade was removed and tossed again, this time giving him a chance to watch the way it was held. He studied the play of muscles across Kisame's broad shoulders and down his long powerful arms. It was understandable that such small weapons could be deadly under his attack. He possessed visible power, enough to sink a blade into the hardest target.

"You try."

Itachi nodded and drew back, tossing the blade with as much force as he could, only to have it clatter to the deck. "How?"

"Like this." Kisame placed the blade in Itachi's hand and drew back his arm and then extended it in example. He slid a foot between Itachi's feet and forced them apart and then stepped back to watch.

Itachi took a breath and following the example given, tossed the dagger. He didn't hit the target, but his blade sunk into the wood. He felt the approval coming from Kisame and turned smirk at his instructor.

"Good. You learn quick. That's better than most would do on their second attempt."

Kisame leaned back against the railing and watched as Itachi continued to practice his throwing. "We'll work on knots as well. There is no such thing as a sailor who can't tie a knot."

"Port ahoy!"

Itachi paused in aiming when the shout sounded from the top of the ship. Cheers erupted from the men, several climbing the rigging to ensure an early glance at the shore. The excitement amongst the crew tripled in potency.

All the excitement had him frowning in confusion. The men seemed to think coming into port was some sort of reward. "Why so happy?"

"They be going to spread their salty seed."

Itachi glanced up to meet the gaze Baki, the master gunner of the ship. "I do not understand."

"They be going to fuck. The world be full o the salty spawn o sailors." Baki ambled down the steps with a slow limping gait towards where Itachi was practicing under Kisame's watchful gaze. "The captain stays true to 'is wife but the rest be going to fuck themselves dry."

Itachi's stomach lurched for a reason he was unable to identify. He turned his gaze from Baki and back towards the target sketched out into the wood. The focus allowed him to push aside what the crew, namely Kisame, would be doing come night when the ship found mooring in the port town.

"This be the last chance you have to feel a wench before we reach our berth."

A shadow fell over the two. "That's enough, Mr. Baki."

"Apologies, Captain."

"Get below and make sure the cannons are secure or I'll have you peeling potatoes for Chouza all night." Pein's gaze narrowed on Baki before sliding to Itachi and tossing him a small bag of coins. "They are yours from the take. Spend them how you will."

Itachi nodded carefully and tucked the small bag of coins into the satchel that never left his side. He would leave the money with Sasuke when they reached their final port. His brother could keep it safe while he was away.

"Stop lounging about, you mangy scalawags and get to work securing that rigging if you want to be given allowance to go ashore," shouted Pein. "My ship had best be in prime condition before even one of you steps down the gangplank."

"Keep practicing." Kisame followed Pein down the length of the ship while speaking quietly.

"I bet you've never bedded a wench." Deidara leaned against the railing beside Itachi with a wild grin. "I'll make sure to find you a nice and salty one for your first."

"I do not want a wench." Itachi shuddered at the thought of what being salty meant.

"Don't want a wench? Have your balls dropped yet?" Deidara snickered at his own joke. "The wenches are going to fight over you."

"Deidara."

Deidara's eyes widened faintly at the large, muscled frame standing before them. "Kisame…I was just telling Itachi about the women, drink, and fun to be had tonight."

"I think he can find out those sorts of things for himself," growled Kisame. "Now back to your station. We'll be docking within the hour."

Kisame didn't say anything to Itachi as he moved away and began shouting orders to the lolling crew. Itachi watched quietly as the crew moved about their duties with more vigor than they usually expressed. He had never been with a woman, and the thought of being with one shared by others turned his stomach.

"Don't worry, lad. You can stay with Shika and myself. We go ashore for the dice, the ale, and maybe a good, hardy meal."

Itachi glanced behind him to see Asuma turning the wheel to line the ship up with the rapidly growing port, small smoking pipe clenched between his teeth. "I don't want to go ashore."

"Every lad needs to go ashore. You need to feel the earth beneath your feet. The sea is a harsh mistress, but you need not forget that the earth is there waiting should the sea reject you." Asuma gestured for Itachi to join him at the helm. "Have you ever been aboard a ship before now?"

Itachi shook his head negative. "I never left my village."

Asuma gave a small grunt and ran his callused fingers lovingly over the spokes of the wheel. "This wheel controls the rudder to the ship. I'll teach you about it when we leave port. It's the most important job on the ship."

Itachi nodded to the man. Asuma was a large bearded man with soft brown eyes and a build only slightly smaller than Kisame. There was a quiet strength about this man that had him relaxing slightly in his presence. "Thank you. I would like to learn."

"You're a good lad." Asuma smiled down at Itachi. "Don't worry about going ashore. I'll look out for you."

Itachi bowed slightly to the man before turning his gaze to the port on the horizon. His stomach knotted as it grew larger with each passing second. Would Kisame visit one of the aforementioned salty wenches? It should be of no consequence, but to Itachi, it mattered greatly…more greatly than he understood.

To be continued…

AN: Italic in dialog means words spoken in Japanese

The cat or cat o nine is a whip made up of nine knotted thongs of cotton cord, about 2 1⁄2 feet or 76 cm long, designed to lacerate the skin and cause intense pain

master gunner- in charge of the ships guns and ammunition

lines-rope

hipbath-small bath, only able to seat your hips while legs hung out