Author: Afeni

Rating: M

Genre: Shounen-ai, angst, UCHIHACEST

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: Actually the idea of this story was born, when I read KakaIru manga yaoi called Water. However, this story doesn't follow in any way that manga. Perhaps the name is a bit alike, but that's where the similarity ends. Then there is a reason to ask how on Earth did I even get the idea from that manga… I don't know, it just happened so.

Hmmm, I notice I have obviously become ItaSasu-shipper for horror of many people. However, I would like to note I don't support incest in real life in any way. Uchiha's brothers are only a exception in a rule… I can't help it, two Uchihas together are something completely wonderful. 3

Thanks: To Maeve who kindly beta-read this among her other things. :) And to Rita, who translated the chapter for me :)

The Rain

Chapter 1

Memories

It was pouring. It felt like there had been a big sponge up in the sky, which someone had decided to squeeze dry. Except, from a sponge water would have run out at some point, but this rain started to feel like it would never stop.

At least Itachi was feeling so, when he navigated through forest towards his apartment where he had lived last two years. The place was neither very big nor really homey, but it fit him well enough. He just slept there, nothing more.

The rain was running over the young man getting him soaking wet, when he was jumping forward from tree to tree. Branches felt slippery under feet, but still his steps didn't slip even once. His muscles knew this route, because he had travelled the same way many times. Actually so many times he couldn't remember the first time anymore.

Finally Itachi stood on the door of his home… if you could call that double-room apartment as a home. He hadn't used that word of any place for many years. After he had wiped out the Uchiha clan from the Earth he had abandon a word home from his knowledge. So the apartment was just a place for him where he ate, slept, changed his clothes and took a shower. And that just was how he liked it. He wanted to keep his life as simple as possible.

Itachi put his hand on the doorknob. The door opened immediately, when he pressed the knob down. In fact he didn't know why he hadn't taken the key from his pocket and put it in the lock, but perhaps he had sensed this. The door wasn't locked anymore, although Itachi was ready to make a bet on his life that he had locked it, when he had left. Of course there were number of people who weren't stopped by any locks… and apparently someone of them had decided to make a visit at his place.

Young man quietly pushed the door open and stepped in the hallway leaving wet footprints on the floor. He shut the door as quietly as he had opened it and started to walk slowly towards the living-room. Now he knew the intruder was still there, he sensed clearly this present, but still he didn't bother to withdraw his weapon forth. For now he would not need it.

In the twilight living-room sat a tall man, who had put his weapon to lean against the wall. Itachi could easily notice the weapon was taller than he was. He stared at it a while recognizing it as samehada, a weapon which wasn't even carried by many people. Actually if he remembered correctly, only shinobis of the Hidden Village of Mist could carry that lethal dangerous weapon, which blade was wrapped for only God knows which reason.

Next youth turned his look at the man who now stared straight at him with his round eyes sitting calmly on Itachi's couch. Although it was dusk he noticed the gray shade of man's skin, and also gills on his cheeks. Furthermore his black, spiky hair and Akatsuki-robe caught youth's eye immediately.

"Hoshigaki Kisame", Itachi stated coldly. "What are you doing in my apartment? As far as I know I haven't given you permission to come here just like that."

The man who had sat on the couch rose to stand at his full high smirking slightly with his shark teeth.

"Nice to meet you Itachi-sama. I have heard of you quite a bit", the man said who greatly reminded a shark. Itachi just satisfied to stare the man with a blank look not to bother to answer the compliment. He did not like it when someone trespassed his apartment, not even when it was other member of Akatsuki. "Apparently it's raining outside", Kisame kept going, when Itachi said nothing.

"Quite obvious. You must be deaf if you don't hear the raindrops beating up the window", Itachi said keeping his voice just as blank as his face. "What for are you here?"

Kisame measured Itachi for a bit with his eyes. He had heard a lot of this young man who was six years younger than he was. Uchiha Itachi had killed his own clan five years ago and had ended up as a S-rank criminal. Besides you could reckon from a crossed line of man's forehead protector mark that he had fled from the Hidden Village of Konoha… just like Kisame had fled from his own village. They were both missing ninjas, murderers and members of Akatsuki. Kisame was also quite sure, although Itachi was younger than he, this could be much more dangerous… if the rumours were true. Although they did belong to the same organization, they hadn't had much to deal with each other, until now.

"You just got back from completing mission of Akatsuki?" Kisame inquired still smirking.

"Yes", Itachi answered.

"How did that go?"

"I hardly believe you need that information." Itachi started to get bored bit by bit that Kisame didn't say straight away what he had on mind. However, the young man didn't let irritability show on his face or be heard in his voice. A shinobi wasn't suppose to show any kind of feelings and Itachi had learned to hide and smother almost every feeling he had past few years. "Well, would you finally tell me what brings you here", Itachi said after a short while adding on his mind he would want to take a relaxing, warm shower after the cold rain.

"A new mission where you must take part in", Kisame told at last. "And I will be your partner."

"And what kind of mission is that?" Itachi asked.

"You are from Konoha, so you are probably the best man for this mission. You know the Yondaime Hokage of that village sealed a Kyuubi inside of a little child twelve years ago?" Kisame ensured, although he was certain Itachi was aware of the matter. Itachi simply just contented to nod.

"Strenght of Kyuubi would be incredible useful, if they were in use of Akatsuki…" Kisame continued.

"…so it's our intention to get that child", Itachi added.

"Yes. Uzumaki Naruto"; Kisame told the boy's name. Itachi nodded again. "We'll leave in tomorrow morning", the shark remarked.

Itachi was quiet for a moment and then nodded again. He had not visited Konoha for years and it felt strange to think he was going back there tomorrow. The thought brought many memories to him, but they had to be ignored. He would just go to Konoha to get that Naruto and would depart from there then. Nothing else mattered. Men agreed to meet the next morning and then Kisame attached samehada on his back and left the apartment.

"I'm sorry I forgot to lock the door when I came in. I won't make that mistake again next time", the man like shark said disappearing in the pouring rain with a satisfied smirk on his face.

Black-haired young man snorted and head back in the hallway to take off soaking robe of his and his sandals. Then he dashed quickly in to the bathroom taking off the rest of his clothes leaving them on the floor and setting free his hair from a ponytail. Long, black hair spread wet and cold against the man's back, when he stepped in a shower stall and pulled the door close.

For a long time Itachi just stood under a warm shower not thinking at all. He just enjoyed slowly returning warm feeling in his body. Finally his thoughts drifted to the next day and from there to past. Returning to Konoha made him to recall what was it like to live in the village before.

Remembering of the Uchihas made Itachi to feel same deep hatred and disappointment what he also had felt five years ago while slaying every member of his clan, except one. He had left his little brother alive and there was a special reason for it, but Itachi wanted to bury that reason deep down into his soul. He just wanted to forget it, but however, he couldn't. All the time that reason was gnawing at his innermost, although he showed nothing outside.

Slowly Itachi sank deeper into his memories starting to recall those moments which he had spent together with his little brother. He still remembered all those times, when he had bound up all his brother's wounds, which had come while the boy was practicing sometimes this sometimes that. He also remembered all their conversations at their home's porch. All that could have happened as yesterday as years ago.

Itachi had loved more deeply his five years younger little brother than anyone else, and he still loved him, although he wanted to deny that love from himself. Love towards Sasuke was his weak point, which he prefer to hide from everyone. He had never spoken about his feelings to anyone and didn't intent to, the least of all to Sasuke.

When Itachi had killed the whole clan, he had left Sasuke alive. Simply he just couldn't have killed him, because he loved his brother too much. However, he never told that to Sasuke. Instead he had told Sasuke to hate him and cling to life with a power of that hate. He had told Sasuke to become just as the same as he was and then kill him for revenge of death of their clan.

From all that had already passed five years, but Itachi had forgot nothing. The pain and shame caused by his love had never faded and never will, until he had died, but it would take some time still.

Finally Itachi turned off the shower and stepped out from shower stall. He dried himself on a towel well and took wet clothes away from floor before left the bathroom more tired than for a long time.