(no subject)

[kiba_wa_gizagiza]

Kisame wondered, then, if this was it. If this was just a place one went to after death.

Because surely he was dead. Oh, yes, he'd made sure of that. And yet...strangely enough, he was in tact, and Samehada was on his back like it had never left. He reached back to rest a hand on the sword, but then the sky caught his attention. Slowly, he lowered his hand to his side.

But Kisame didn't often care about beautiful things. Such was the case now, for his attention had turned to the buildings around him, and he realized he was in a completely unfamiliar area.

"...what the hell?"

Comments

[stillpure]

He'd noticed the man appear as though stepping through a shadow, and was somewhat thrilled that he had, for once, actually managed to catch someone's arrival. He'd been trying to do that for almost a year now, and it was pleasing to finally have managed to do so.

Instead of alerting the man of his presence immediately though, he carefully concealed his presence and moved down the side of the building... creeping up on him and finally speaking when he was just out of sword swinging range and to his left behind him.

"Hi!"

[kiba_wa_gizagiza]

And it was a good thing that he was just outside of that range. While Kisame didn't draw his sword, his hand did dart back up to grasp it as he turned to face this...

...this...child.

It was dark outside, so he wasn't sure who the kid was - or, for that matter, what idiot would approach him like that. He smirked despite the startle, being sure to show off plenty of teeth, hand still around the sword's grip.

"Shouldn't you be in bed or something, kid?"

[stillpure]

"Kisame-san, I'm a genin, I don't have a bedtime anymore." He took two steps to his right, which both brought him closer, and into the light, and he smiled up at him.

"But you're new, right? You're not the one from before."

[kiba_wa_gizagiza]

Now this was interesting. Kisame stood a bit straighter, brow furrowing.

"...what are you talking about....?"

Now, he only had so much patience with people who verbally danced around a topic. This had better start making sense fast. Though, something in him told him not to swing. Something about this kid was very nearly familiar... But that was impossible.

[stillpure]

"Kisame-saaaaan." He huffed and took two steps forward, staring fearlessly up into his face as one of his small hands, as he'd always been small for his age until he hit double digits, moved to catch the hand not on the man's blade, clearly not worried about an attack.

"I'm trying to explain but you have to listen. You're new here, right? To Michi?"

[kiba_wa_gizagiza]

He yanked the hand away, not really trusting the kid that much yet. His grip tightened on the sword. What the hell was this kid's problem?

"I'm listening, but you'd better hurry it up. No, I've never been to this place before."

[stillpure]

He huffed at the action, giving him a flat look that practically screamed how unimpressed he was at the childish reaction. Then, he huffed.

"Impatient. This is Michi no Sato. It's not in the Elemental Nations, and is part of its own network of villages and countries that's completely separate. All the shinobi get here the way we did, or are raised here, and, er, you might meet yourself, eventually. There's four of me right now. Ani-chi, Ani-chi-sama, Ane-chi, and me. Oh, and if you died, that happens here too."

[kiba_wa_gizagiza]

"...tcheh." He scoffed, dropping his grip on the blade before turning around to start striding away in the other direction. "Might meet yourself...multiples..." He snorted. Clearly it was time to find someone who knew what they were talking about.

[stillpure]

"Mmhmm. You knew an older me Kisame-san. There's a lot more Uchiha here." He didn't bother moving to follow, raising his voice so it would reach the man easily as he moved away. He had, after all, been speaking fairly softly before.

[kiba_wa_gizagiza]

The footsteps halted.

"Uchiha", huh? His head turned, and part of his body with it. His peripherals weren't the best, but that needn't be mentioned. He gave the kid a cool, flat look. Or rather he thought it was cool and flat. He looked overly suspicious with the way his jaw mulled over to the side before righting itself again.

"There are only two, last I heard."

[stillpure]

"There is Madara-nii, the versions of myself, the versions of otouto, mother, and Shisui, here." He lifted his chin. "Father was here as well but he's gone again. It is a pleasure to meet you Kisame-san, I am Uchiha Itachi."

[kiba_wa_gizagiza]

The kid looked like Itachi might have as a youth, for certain...

...surely that couldn't be. But the kid carried himself just so. The shape of his face, and those eyes. Kisame studied him for a good long while, and in the meantime thought about what this could mean. The unfortunate part was, Kisame wasn't totally sure what happened after you died, he'd only assumed you disappeared into the nothingness. He crossed his arms, that nearly-threatening grin appearing on his face again.

"I'll tell you what. You show me these 'other versions' of yourself, and we'll see."

[stillpure]

He huffed, then blinked once, eyes crimson when they opened again, just a tad exasperated. "I'm not going to bother Ani-chi-sama, he doesn't sleep enough, Ani-chi is recovering from being poisoned, and Ane-chi... You won't hit on her will you? I think she'd he okay to introduce you to if you won't."

[kiba_wa_gizagiza]

"On 'her'? Come on, kid, this is unbelievable enough as it is."

[stillpure]

He hummed, then turned in place and headed toward home. "See for yourself then, come on. You don't have to trust me."

[kiba_wa_gizagiza]

Kisame paused for a moment, if only to be defiant, but rolled his eyes and sighed as he followed. There really wasn't much of any other choice here, if he wanted information. He was going to keep on his guard, though.

[stillpure]

He didn't look back to him, moving along far more quietly than any child his age had a right to. "Kisame-san, please don't hurt anyone in my home, okay?"

[kiba_wa_gizagiza]

"That depends on if I've got reason to," he retorted, keeping an eye on the brat. He was beginning to feel less inclined to do so, admittedly.

[stillpure]

He came to a dead stop then, looking back at him and narrowing his eyes. "You don't have reason to."

[kiba_wa_gizagiza]

"We shall see, when we get there," he replied, also stopped. Itachi this kid might end up being, but this wasn't his partner, regardless. He wasn't going to trust so easily, and not at least entertain the possibility that this was some otherworldly ambush. He had never been here before, he didn't know what was going on.

[stillpure]

He stared at him for a beat, then turned to resume walking. "Naruto-chan tends to creep around, don't hurt him, he's just shy."

[kiba_wa_gizagiza]

He merely grunted in reply. Alright, so this was a different world. That meant new terrain, new people, and apparently different and multiple versions of the old ones. Kisame would listen, but he was still prepared for an attack.

[stillpure]

There was no attack forthcoming though, and it wasn't long at all before a three story house, patched up and study looking, came into view, Itachi making his way straight to the door, one head tilted as he listened for people. Few would be up though given the late hour.

Kisame!!

[itachi_san]

The littlest Itachi was right about where to find all those versions of himself.

One of them, the oldest Itachi to arrive here, stayed on the first floor. It wasn't difficult to find him. The door was slightly ajar, and the room inside looked more like a hospital room than a bedroom. There was a wheelchair in one corner, medical supplies scattered everywhere, an IV set up next to the bed... and in bed, was a very familiar face.

Recovering from being poisoned, the boy had said... From the looks of it, either that wasn't the whole story or that was some poison...

[kiba_wa_gizagiza]

And naturally, the shark man, being of ever curious nature, opened the door a bit more to peer inside upon sensing Itachi's chakra in there.

Kisame didn't know what to think about this new Itachi, as he stepped inside. Surely he carried the figure of his partner, but...he just couldn't be. He'd gotten what he wanted, and he had died. He couldn't be here now...like this. Kisame wasn't sure that he liked this Itachi...or any of this world, really.

"Itachi-san?"

[itachi_san]

His eyes were closed, but he wasn't asleep, merely resting. He stirred when he heard his name. That voice... Could it possibly be? His sharingan spun to life as he shot straight up in the bed. The chakra was bright and unmistakable, even to deteriorated eyes. Only one man could ever be considered a tailed beast without a tail.

"Kis...Kisame?" He gasped, excitement visible on a pale, thin face. "My... my Kisame?"

It was a strange way to ask when, where and from what world one was pulled from. But he had longed to see his partner again, to the point that he found himself hoping this wasn't a poison-fueled hallucination.

He climbed to the edge of the bed, stopped only by the tug of the IV line on the other side.

"You're here... You're really here?"

[kiba_wa_gizagiza]

"Your Kisame...?" he asked, brow furrowing. He almost took a step back, but instead moved forward when that IV tugged against his arm. "For Kami's sake - lay back down," he barked, frowning.

[itachi_san]

Itachi shook his head. That didn't come out quite the way he meant.

"No, no... This place... It pulls people from different worlds, different timelines... ages, genders..." He clarified, slowly easing himself back. The choices were almost infinite. There was a good chance that he was wrong. "Are you... were we partners... in the Akatsuki? Where you came from? Were we..."

He held back for a moment, then chanced it.

"...Were we friends?"

[kiba_wa_gizagiza]

"...yeah," he said, relaxing a bit. "You died." He had, too, but he was going to leave that part out for now. There was something more than just his death, however, something he was still trying to figure out.

[itachi_san]

Itachi looked away. That part wasn't a surprise to him. He'd met quite a great many people here who confirmed his death at Sasuke's hands. Even from a couple of Sasuke's.

"I haven't..." He whispered. "I was pulled here... after I'd left you to go... after Sasuke. He... I... we never fought."

And given the childlike drawing of Itachi and what looked like a young Sasuke hanging over his bed (one of the very few possessions Itachi had in that sparse, sterile room), that fight wasn't going to happen any time soon.

[kiba_wa_gizagiza]

He noted the drawing, but chose not to mention it. Instead, he replied with, "...then you're not the Itachi I know."

As ridiculous as it was to believe, he supposed for now he would just have to accept the rules of this world. Which, in part, meant accepting that the person he knew wasn't here; this wasn't the same man he met and grew to respect. Until he got proof against that, he would abide by this.

[itachi_san]

There was regret on Itachi's face. He let his emotions show here, in this world, in ways he never would have before.

"No. I suppose not..." He eventually replied. Labored breaths broke up his phrases. "Death changes a man..."

It was easier with the Sasukes. The little ones loved their niisans, all their niisans, unconditonally. The older ones, ones who had killed him in their world, were simply grateful to find him alive again. Those in the middle... well, they hadn't killed him on sight, so that could be considered acceptance, if you squint.

"Though, if you wouldn't mind... I suppose we could have much to... potentially catch up on?" He offered softly, the hint of a smile on his face. "We are humans, not fish. And humans... miss their friends when they are gone."

[kiba_wa_gizagiza]

"Tch." He frowned, looking away. Using that line on him again. "Death didn't change me. How is this place any different from home?"

He looked at Itachi again. "Maybe we don't have the same employers, maybe we're not even the same people, but I haven't changed. This world is still as full of lies as the other one was. Besides, the only thing you need to catch up on here is your breath."

He wanted to walk away. But he also knew this Itachi was right...maybe. A little bit. He probably kind of missed him. He didn't need to know that, though.

"...you're a little pathetic like this, you know."

[itachi_san]

"I've been called worse..." He smiled a little. Hearing his partner's gruff, blunt, matter-of-fact tone again was nice.

It wasn't a perfect place. There was still war, people still struggled. If he could have deluded himself to believe it a few weeks ago, he certainly couldn't after the recent attack. But one thing was certain.

"To me... this place is a second chance... To find a little bit of happiness with the time... I have left." It was a strange thing to hear Itachi say that, but it was true. Maybe this place had changed him more than death ever could. "I don't lie to myself here. Or to anyone else."