With that, the Akatsuki's spoils-sharing… or rather, reward distribution gathering officially came to an end. In the end, Itachi and Kisame took nothing.
Neither of them had much interest in material goods. Their daily routine consisted of training, followed by sitting in a tavern for an entire day, doing nothing in particular.
However, today, Kisame, who was accompanying Itachi, felt a little uneasy.
Before they left, Deidara had casually remarked to him:
"Kisame, you better watch out!"
"Who knows, maybe your dear Itachi has… ulterior motives toward you!"
Kisame dismissed the comment as nonsense, but humans are strange creatures—the more absurd something sounds, the harder it is to ignore.
And so, he started to feel that spending every day with Itachi was a little… odd. A little restrictive.
"Ahem, Itachi," Kisame suddenly stopped walking and, with a slightly awkward expression, said, "I just remembered, I have something to do today. Let's part ways here."
Itachi also halted, gazing at him with a deep look. "...Alright."
Kisame turned around and walked away, doing his best to maintain a casual demeanor.
Kisame! You cannot let such disrespectful thoughts show on your face! Act natural!
He walked away at a measured pace and only let out a breath of relief after turning a corner.
"Phew! Damn it, it's all Deidara's fault."
"What kind of nonsense is he spouting?"
Muttering complaints, he decided to head toward the marketplace.
Aside from training and drinking, Kisame had another daily ritual—buying fish for Samehada.
Samehada didn't need food to survive, as long as it absorbed a little chakra each day, it would be fine. But Kisame treated fish like a tasty snack for it, and since he and Samehada had developed a close bond, he made sure to indulge it daily.
At the market, where various fresh fish and seafood were sold, Kisame was already a familiar face.
"Ah! What kind of fish would you like today?" a particularly enthusiastic vendor called out.
"Well, that's up to it." Kisame unshouldered Samehada and held it above a fish tank.
Clack, clack, clack!
Samehada quivered and nudged slightly to the right.
"Oh? Want some this fish today?" Kisame casually glanced at the selection and immediately recognized the type.
"Alright, everyone, bring out all this fish. I'll buy them all—"
"Hm? Is something wrong?" The vendor looked at Kisame in confusion.
Kisame had suddenly stopped speaking mid-sentence, his expression stiff and unnatural.
"N-No, it's nothing!" Kisame waved his hand quickly.
But just now, in the reflection of the water's surface, he had caught a fleeting glimpse of a face.
A slightly gaunt face with Sharingan eyes, wearing a deep and somewhat melancholic expression.
He knew that face all too well—wasn't that Itachi?
What the hell? Why would Itachi appear in the water's reflection? I must be seeing things!
Damn it, Deidara, you've messed with my head!
After Samehada had its fill of fish, Kisame left the market and headed toward his usual tavern.
However, after walking for a bit, he hesitated, then changed direction.
Yes, life was about exploring new things! He couldn't just keep going to the same tavern.
…Of course, it wasn't because he was afraid of running into Itachi. Definitely not.
He arrived in the southern part of the village, an area he and Itachi rarely visited.
This part of town was home to latecomers from Iwagakure and other small ninja villages, giving it a distinct style different from their usual haunts.
Not only were the decorations unique, but even the flavor of the drinks was noticeably different.
"Ahh!" Kisame sighed in satisfaction, setting down his cup.
Exploring new things really is the way to go! If I hadn't wandered over here by chance, I wouldn't have discovered such a fantastic tavern!
Just as he was enjoying himself, a familiar blond figure walked in.
"Deidara? What are you doing here? Not afraid your little girlfriend will get mad?" Kisame teased.
Deidara waved a hand dismissively. "It's not what you think. I'm just here to buy some sake."
"I'm hosting a dinner tonight for Kurotsuchi's grandfather and my old sensei, so I specifically came to a tavern run by former Iwagakure residents. Didn't want them drinking something unfamiliar."
Then, with a curious expression, he added, "By the way, what was up with Itachi earlier?"
"When I ran into him just now, he looked kinda panicked. He didn't even answer when I called out to him—just hurried off."
Kisame's hand, holding his cup, trembled slightly.
"You… you saw Itachi just now?"
Deidara nodded firmly. "Yeah, why?"
"You two are practically glued together every day. What's so strange about seeing him?"
"Get lost! What do you mean 'glued together'!?" Kisame waved his hand in annoyance, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn't shake the unease creeping into his heart.
After Deidara left, Kisame found it hard to enjoy his drink any longer. He hastily settled the bill and left the tavern.
This time, he was careful. He quietly instructed Samehada:
"Samehada, sense if Itachi's chakra is nearby."
Clack! Clack! Clack!
Samehada gave an affirmative response.
No way!
Kisame felt a chill run down his spine.
Is Itachi really following me? Could Deidara actually be right…?
No! Kisame, you idiot! How could you have such absurd and disrespectful thoughts?! Itachi would never be that kind of person!
He no longer had the heart to wander around and headed straight home.
To keep up appearances, he forced himself to walk at a normal pace.
Damn it! Why does the walk home feel so long today?!
I've been walking forever—why am I still not there?!
After what felt like an eternity, he finally arrived at the house Nagato had assigned him—a well-furnished little villa.
Click!
Locking the door behind him, Kisame let out a breath of relief.
Home. Safe.
It made no practical difference for a ninja like him whether the door was locked or not, but somehow, he felt a little more at ease.
He unshouldered Samehada and set it down, then walked across the living room.
Noticing a glass of water on the table, he suddenly felt a bit thirsty. After all, he had been nervous for quite a while—having a drink was only natural.
He picked up the glass… and then his entire body tensed up.
His fingers nearly lost grip on the cup.
Because, once again, in the reflection of the water—
There was Itachi's face.
What the—!?
No way. No way this is real.
Kisame's face was full of despair.
...
Meanwhile, some distance away from his house—
Deidara chuckled mischievously.
"Sasori, your puppet skills are getting better and better! That was so lifelike, it's practically indistinguishable from the real thing!"
"And by the way, when did you even manage to get Itachi's chakra sample?"
Sasori shot him a flat look.
"Next time, don't bother me with such childish nonsense."
Tch!
Deidara didn't believe that for a second.
If you really thought it was childish, you would've refused to do it in the first place!
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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