"Ah, well, Mr. Itachi, I'm really broke... I just defected, so how could I possibly have much money on me?"
Coming back to his senses, Kisame finally understood the wisdom of not flaunting wealth.
He quickly shifted his tone and started playing poor.
After all, they would be seeing each other often in the future. If their relationship became strained, things could get uncomfortable.
"Oh, I see. Look at you, taking things so seriously. I was just joking with you," Itachi said with a feigned air of maturity, raising his arm to pat Kisame's shoulder.
At just over thirteen years old and barely 5'3", Itachi had to stretch quite a bit to reach the shoulder of Kisame, who stood an imposing 6'5".
...
"Mr. Itachi, I'd like to eat some seafood..."
As the two walked along the street, Kisame's eyes lit up. He pointed to a nearby seafood restaurant and said eagerly.
Compared to barbecue, he preferred shrimp, crab, and similar delicacies.
"Oh, you like seafood? Isn't it full of parasites, though?"
Hearing Kisame's suggestion, Itachi hesitated and responded cautiously.
"It's fine, Mr. Itachi. I don't eat raw sashimi or anything like that. Those are the ones prone to parasites," Kisame gently explained, noticing Itachi's hesitation.
"Alright, then. Fine by me, especially since you're treating."
Itachi accepted Kisame's suggestion with pleasure. After all, it was a free meal.
The two ate until late in the evening.
As they left the restaurant, Itachi clutched his rounded stomach, clearly full.
Meanwhile, Kisame followed behind him with a pained expression.
Itachi was truly ruthless. Knowing that Kisame was footing the bill, he deliberately chose the most expensive items—shrimp and crab. Large in size but offering relatively little edible meat.
"Kisame, get some good rest. Don't forget, you still owe me another meal. Next time, let's have more shrimp and crab," Itachi said cheerfully as he stepped into his room.
Watching Itachi disappear into his room, Kisame pulled out his now-empty wallet with trembling hands, peeking inside briefly before turning his head away, closing his eyes. The wallet was utterly empty.
...
Kisame stood there for a moment before heading to his own room.
He, Kisame, wasn't short on money.
He simply had a habit of being frugal, and spending money always hurt a little.
After all, he still had a scroll sealed with plenty of silver and gold inside. He wasn't worried in the slightest.
What he had done earlier was just for show, to make Itachi think twice next time about ordering so extravagantly.
As for whether Itachi had noticed, Kisame wasn't sure.
Meanwhile, inside his room, Itachi's expression grew calm. Sitting at the table, he poured himself a cup of tea and sipped it slowly.
He mentally reviewed the events of the day and everything he had said while with Kisame.
His left hand rested on his full stomach, lightly rubbing it.
Finding no oversights in his actions, a small smile formed at the corners of his lips.
"Kisame... not a bad guy," he muttered to himself.
...
"Pain, it's quite late. What do you need?"
In Pain's office, Obito entered and asked with some curiosity.
"There's something I need to discuss," Pain said, setting down the document in his hand and looking at the masked man before him.
"What is it?" Obito inquired.
"Right now, we haven't found any suitable ninja, so I plan to send Konan on missions to fill the gap and bolster our combat strength," Pain said calmly.
"Hmm? Konan, huh... that's not a bad idea," Obito responded, momentarily surprised but ultimately unconcerned.
"Yes. However, Konan doesn't like Scorpion much—she finds him a bit gloomy—so she wants to team up with Uchiha Itachi instead. I've already agreed. I plan to pair Kisame with Scorpion and have Konan work with Itachi," Pain explained preemptively, cutting off any objections Obito might raise.
"This isn't ideal... I placed Kisame with Itachi to monitor him. I still feel that kid is hiding something," Obito said, his tone serious but measured.
...
"It's fine. Konan can monitor Uchiha Itachi as well. Don't worry," Pain said decisively, leaving no room for argument.
"Alright..." Obito started to speak but, noticing Pain's displeased expression, hesitated.
"Fine, let Konan handle it then," he conceded.
After all, Pain was the leader of the Akatsuki, and Obito didn't want to jeopardize their collaboration. He still needed Pain to help fulfill his plans, so he avoided escalating tensions.
"Good. If you have no further objections, let's proceed. 'Madara'," Pain said, his tone softening slightly after Obito's compliance.
Although they were partners, Pain reminded himself they were equals, not subordinates.
---
Even though both Itachi and Kisame were recruited by Madara, once they joined the Akatsuki, they had to follow Pain's orders. That was the rule.
...
"Kisame, are you still awake?"
Obito, feeling somewhat frustrated, walked out of Pain's office and headed toward Kisame's room.
He lightly knocked on the door.
"Lord Madara…"
Hearing the voice outside, Kisame, who was in the middle of counting money, paused slightly before quickly tidying up.
He walked to the door and opened it.
"My lord, why are you still up so late?"
Kisame was slightly surprised by Madara's sudden appearance.
"Ah, just taking a walk. I ended up near your room, so I thought I'd stop by," Obito replied casually to Kisame's question.
...
"My lord, please have some tea…"
Kisame led Obito to a seat, poured him a cup of tea, and spoke softly.
Seeing the diligent Kisame before him, Obito felt a sense of warmth. What a loyal subordinate…
"Kisame, there's been a change in plans, so your assignment will need some adjustments."
Obito didn't touch the tea. Instead, his eyes, hidden beneath his mask, stared intently at Kisame as he spoke gravely.
"My lord, has something happened?"
Obito's serious tone made Kisame's heart tighten. He immediately straightened up and asked seriously.
"It's nothing too major. However, we've discovered that Sasori has been in contact with several spies and may have leaked information about the Akatsuki. To ensure our grand plan remains unaffected, I'm assigning you to team up with Sasori for a while to investigate. As for the Uchiha Itachi issue, it's not urgent, so we'll set it aside for now."
Obito picked up the teacup and toyed with it as he explained the changes to the plan.
Hearing Obito's words, Kisame's mind flashed to Itachi's face and his words: "Everything is subject to change…"
"Kisame? Are you willing? You're my comrade; I won't force you to do anything. I just want to know your thoughts…"
Seeing Kisame lost in thought, Obito asked, his tone carrying a hint of doubt.
...
"My lord, Kisame is willing to go through fire and water for you and the grand plan…"
Obito's voice pulled Kisame out of his thoughts.
He immediately put aside the stray thoughts in his mind and responded solemnly.
"Good. Stay safe."
Hearing Kisame's reply, Obito patted him on the shoulder before his figure dissolved into a swirling vortex and disappeared.
After Obito left, Kisame sat back at the table. He no longer felt like counting his money. Instead, he poured himself a cup of tea and drank it all in one go, his brow slightly furrowed.
Moments later, his expression softened.
"Ah, losing both the bride and the army… Wasted so much money, and now I even owe a big meal. To top it off, we're not even officially teammates. What a mess. I was so confident before… How awkward will it be the next time we meet?"
Kisame's slightly troubled voice echoed in the room, lingering with his worry, refusing to fade away.
---
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