- You shouldn't have kicked him that hard, Kakuzu.. - Hidan said.- Pain is going to get mad as hell.

- I don't care. Weak people don't belong in the Akatsuki.

With this, he just put the sword on his back and left the place.

- Pain! - Kisame shouted. - Where the fuck are you!?

After a couple of minutes and a bit more screaming, a girl with blue hair came out of somewhere.

- Pain left befo-...

She stopped when she saw Itachi in Kisame's hands.

- What happened?

- Kakuzu fought him.

- Shit. Okay, come with me.

She lead them into a hidden room in the back of the cave. There was a big wooden desk, a bunch of books, diligently organized, a coffee table and a sofa. Kisame was surprised that a room like this existed in a cave.

He placed Itachi on the sofa and the girl leaned over him. She moved his head to see the wound more properly.

Considering her face expression, Kisame's concern increased.

- Don't worry, he'll be alright.

She got up and took out some kind of ointment from one of the drawers. When it touched Itachi's skin, he writhed in pain.

- I'm sorry, kid.

Kisame moved closer and took Itachi's hand. When she fully applied it, she bandaged him and sighed.

- Kakuzu is awlful...

As she said this, she took off her robe, the same as Pain's, and put it over the raven.

- I'm done. Now I can get to know you. I'm Konan, Pain's right hand and the Akatsuki's nurse. You should be Kisame, right?

- Yes...

- Nice to meet you! I know that everything is weird for you, but I hope you find your place among us.

Kisame was relieved that there was at least one nice person.

- Would you like me to explain you something? Ask me anything you want!

Kisame thought for a bit. He had so many questions, he didn't know where to start. Before he could say anything, Pain burst in.

- What did Kakuzu do?

He saw the injured raven on the sofa and slapped his own forehead.

- Stupid Kakuzu, he almost killed the kid before even seeing his true potential..

He croached next to Itachi and analyzed him more properly.

- Konan, when will he be back on his legs?

- I suppose at least three days.

Pain got up and looked at her.

- Are you serious? Kakuzu just fucked up my plans now.

The anger in his eyes increased. He hated when someone was messing up with his plans. He leaned on the desk and started thinking.

- Konan, take good care of him. I'm leaving.

Leaving the room, he closed the door with force.

- He actually can be scary.. - Kisame said.

- Of course, he is a killer who controlls a bunch of other killers. His job is to be scary.

Kisame still couldn't process the fact that everyone here used the word "killer" so easily, like it meant a "cupcake" or something.

- But don't get me wrong, he is nowhere near a bad person. If it wasn't for him, no one of us would have been alive right now.

She lookead at Itachi again.

- The Uchiha kid... I don't know why Pain wants him that much, but he surely does and what is important to him is important to me too.

She got up and adjusted the robe she gave Itachi to cover him better.

- How are you so kind and a murderer at the same time?

Kisame knew his question was a bit too direct, but Konan didn't seem to mind it at all.

- I think you will learn this yourself when you truly become a part of us.

•°• •°•

- You okay, 'Tachi?

- Yeah, just a scrach here and there.

Itachi put his gun back into his belt. They just finished a mission and were heading back to the common room. Today was the sixth anniversasry of their first mission. The sixth year since Itachi and Sasuke were separated. The sixth year since Itachi was a professional killer.

Kisame was looking at his best friend with the same eyes he did six years ago.

Itachi had grown a lot over the years, both physically and mentally. His hair was reaching down to his waist now, his body had become more fitted and stronger, his face was even more defined, even more beautiful. In Kisame's eyes, Itachi bloomed. He had become a handsome young man, but his sorrow was tearing him apart from the inside.

Itachi couldn't sleep. He had big dark circles under his eyes, the same onyx eyes which used to shine like diamonds, were now faded, doomed. The exhauistion from the sadness could be seen all over Itachi's body. He just existed. The hope of bringing Sasuke back was slowly dying, leaving him only with an empty dark hole.

He turned into a cold- blooded killer. Kisame never thought that the Uchiha could be this heartless. Itachi was obedient. He carefully listened to their leader and carefully did his given missions. Pain was right. Itachi was made for this. He was doing it with no effort, not a single drop of sweat. Everyone bet their fortune that Itachi could fry Kakuzu's ass now.

Kisame worked hard as well. His path to acceptance in the Akatsuki was way harder than Itachi's. He was now proud to say that he honestly deserved his place among these people.

Leaving the cave with their cash, they headed back to the same old motel they booked six years ago. Accepting the fact that they will be living here, they made it feel a little bit more like home, exchanging and adding a few stuff. Arriving there, Itachi took off his robe and untied his long hair, running his fingers through it. Kisame was doing his best not to stare at him. His feelings for the black raven weren't gone, they were actually getting stronger and stronger with every day spent with him. Itachi was now looking at the window, again admiring the beauty of the clean white snowflakes, falling slowly on the ground. Kisame thought that Itachi envied them for their peace. He got closer to the raven and started massaging his shoulders. Itachi immediately relaxed under Kisame's gentle touch. He loved it when he massaged him. Tossing the Uchiha's hair away from his back, Kisame once again witnessed the magnificence of his friend's neck. He wanted to touch it, to kiss it, to completely sink in Itachi's glorious scent, making him only his, marking him for himself forever. Diving into his thoughts, he almost didn't notice Itachi's coughing. He withdrew his hands from the other's shoulders and waited for him to stop.

Itachi's sickness got worse through the years. He couldn't get treated, he couldn't get proper medicines, he was a killer. Kisame's heart was aching from the fact that Itachi was slowly dying from this unknown illness, but the raven didn't even want to change it. For him, life was meaningless without Sasuke, without his family. He didn't want to live a life full of murdering, of empty existing. He didn't care if he died.

Itachi removed his hand from his mouth after he stopped coughing and quickly moved away from Kisame after he looked at it. The bigger boy considered this very odd. He caught the raven's shoulder and stopped him.

- Show me your hand.

Itachi didn't move. He was like paralyzed, he didn't even breathe.

- I said, show me your hand.

Kisame decided to take it himself. Itachi didn't protest, but still refused to face him. Kisame's assumptions were right. It was blood.

- 'Tachi...

Itachi finally turned around, his hand still in Kisame's.

- Forget it, it's nothing.

Nothing? Kisame raged. He hated how much Itachi neglected himself. He hated that he had given up on his dreams, given up on Sasuke... Kisame couldn't stand this anymore. He let the raven's hand down and gave him a slap across the face.

- You want to die, is that so? You want to die and throw away everything you were fighting for, throw away everything we were both fighting for? You want to leave Sasuke with the murderers forever? Tell me, what do you want? Why are you making me mad right now?

- I haven't seen him in six eyars, Kisame...

- So what? You want to give up because of this? You want to give up just because you didn't happen to see him? Of course you wouldn't see him, he is still a child! He isn't the killer they want him to be yet! Why would they send him anywhere? You are not the Itachi I know! My Itachi would never say words like this! He would never throw away his dreams, definitely when it involved Sasuke! What happened to you? Did you lose your mind?

Itachi pinned his grayish eyes to the window again. He touched his cheek. He never expected Kisame to hit him. Kisame cupped the raven's face and moved his sight at him again.

- Look at me when I speak to you! Whether you gave up or not, I'm not going to let you die! Until I'm alive, you are not going to have the luxury to just die and fix your problems! Understood? You are not dying, I don't care what you want. I will find a way to heal you! I will find a way to save Sasuke! You just... stay alive..

Kisame's eyes watered. He was going to regret the way he spoke to Itachi, but now he didn't care. He kept inside too many emotions for too long. He slipped his hands down, freeing Itachi from his grip.

- I love you, 'Tachi.