"Kisame Hoshigaki, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, pleased to meet you," the shark-faced man said, approaching Itachi.
Itachi glanced at Kisame and turned away.
"You're Itachi Uchiha, from Konoha. I've heard of you," Kisame said. "They say you massacred your clan."
Itachi didn't reply. Kisame persisted. Seeing Itachi's silence, he continued.
"I understand you, so I chose you as my partner in Akatsuki," Kisame said, smiling knowingly.
"Killing your own people... hard to describe, right, Mr. Itachi?"
"You talk too much," Itachi finally said. "You think you understand me? You wander lost in the Mist, ending up here. You're a failure who can't decide his own path. Am I wrong?"
The atmosphere tensed. Kisame's eyes narrowed. He drew his bandaged sword, Samehada, and held it to Itachi's neck.
"Let me give you an example. Some sharks are ovoviviparous. The pups hatch in the mother's womb, but not all survive. You know why?"
Itachi remained silent.
"Cannibalism. The pups eat each other in the womb. From birth, they face fratricide. Everyone is food. That's my creed," Kisame said, his face cold. "That's how I got here."
"From now on, you're Akatsuki, like me. Be careful around people like me," Kisame finished, tightening his grip on Samehada.
Itachi's eyes narrowed, his Sharingan spinning into a Mangekyō!
"Likewise," he said.
"Hmph," Kisame scoffed, sheathing Samehada. "Let's get along. Let's not be each other's last opponent."
"Those who hurt comrades will die," Itachi said, standing.
"Hahaha," Kisame chuckled. "We're both beyond saving, then."
"Wrong," Itachi said, walking towards the shore.
"Only at the end do you see who you truly are. Remember that," he said, passing Kisame.
"The end?" Kisame stood, unmoving. Meanwhile, three days later, Team 8 resumed their missions in Konoha.
Due to Orochimaru's possible presence, the Third Hokage sent ninjas to search. Kaoru couldn't leave the village.
Their mission was to clean a wealthy family's yard.
The yard was a lawn with peach trees. The trees were in bloom, creating a fairytale scene. But the wind blew petals to the ground.
"Just when I finish, more trash," Hina complained, holding a broom.
"Leave it to me!" Shin said, unrolling his scroll and drawing a snake.
"Clean up the trash!" Shin ordered. The snake lifted its head and crawled towards the fallen petals.
"See? Obedient..." Shin said, about to boast, when the snake turned and disappeared into a crack in the house.
"Hey, don't go in there!" Shin cried, his pride vanishing. He searched for the snake.
"Shin, your family jutsu is terrible," Hina said.
Kaoru laughed. This life wasn't bad: small missions, carefree.
"Hina, you're a rich girl. Why be a ninja?" Shin asked, retrieving the snake.
"My dream," Hina said, smiling. "I saw Yūgao-neechan using jutsu. So cool! I want to be like her, fighting evil!"
"Fighting evil?" Kaoru smiled. Ninjas were weapons, tools for the upper class.
"Hina, you're naive," Shin said, turning the snake back into ink.
"Ninjas lose freedom, always following orders. It's a sad life," Shin said.
Kaoru glanced at Shin. He sounded like an old ninja. Shin was a war orphan, so he'd seen much.
"What about you, Kaoru?" Shin asked.
"Protecting my sister. A civilian can't do anything in war," Kaoru said.
"Just that?" Shin asked.
"Just that," Kaoru nodded. Shin seemed strange today... hiding something. Usually, he was carefree, like another Naruto.
"Family jutsu..." Kaoru thought. How did Shin survive before being adopted? He was a terrible ninja. Or was he?
Kaoru looked at Hina and Shin, activating his Sharingan.
"Combat Stance!" Kaoru activated the skill. Health, chakra, and levels appeared.
The health and chakra were the same. He looked at their levels.
"Hina, level LV4," Kaoru thought, then looked at Shin, surprised.
"Shin, level LV7!" Kaoru was confused.
"Shin is level seven? Only two levels below Yūgao, and three above Hina? Is this the same terrible ninja?"
"Kaoru, what's wrong? Why are you staring with your Sharingan?" Shin asked, confused.
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