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Sand in the Water
Part 1 - "Divided"
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Itachi was dead and the Akatsuki disbanded after the fateful end of their leader. Madara had revealed himself, but it was too late. Only he, Kisame and Konan were left. Konan wasn't about to do anything without Leader, and Kisame... well, he didn't want to be used. That was all that Madara seemed to want. He had managed to escape Madara's wrath, fleeing from Amekagure into the land of wind. This desert was the one place nobody would ever look for the water loving shark nin. For a moment he actually felt safe, though without water in sight he couldn't help but feel queasy. The heat of the sun didn't affect his tough skin though the constant dry air bothered his lungs. He wandered for days until he reached an outpost in the middle of nowhere, taking shelter inside from the terrible climate.
He was resting in the darkest corner of the small single floor at the base of the outpost, summoning his chakra into enough water to drink when he heard steps outside, shuffling in the sand. His body automatically tensed, though he was certain that whoever it was would assume this outpost was empty. He didn't even bother to hide his chakra. Without Akatsuki, he had no purpose. Without Itachi, he had no friends. His life was empty. The steps rounded the corner to the door of the outpost, a figure showing against the bright daylight. He squinted his pale eyes, shrinking back into the corner like an animal. This was ridiculous. He was Kisame, one of the legendary swordsmen of the mists! What did he have to fear from this stranger?
He could have just killed her right there and then, lopping off her head in a desperate attempt to escape. What was there to escape from? What was left to him in this world? Instead, he stayed there in the corner, expressionless and apathetic as the stranger approached, not caring anymore what might happen. "Are you alright?" She didn't attack him, she just knelt inside the doorway, glancing at him apprehensively. Her small frame didn't quiver in fear, but her expression was one of caution. He could see her calculating blue eyes and her strangely styled hair, her sand headband glinting in the light. Was this what people from Suna dressed like? In flimsy dresses and light material? No, wait, of course they did, the desert was horrible during the day.
Kisame stayed there in the corner, growling menacingly. "Leave."
She couldn't see his appearance but knew he was hurt. "I won't fight you. Come on out, let me help you. You won't be able to survive once the sun sets."
"I've survived worse, leave me alone." Every time a stranger looked upon him, he wondered what it was they saw. Did they see a monster, or did they see an unfortunate man with a demon spirit inside him? His shark form had been a blessing back home, where he could stay underwater all day long and swim faster than anyone. Fighting and weather tolerance were no problem, but when it came to interacting with others, nobody understood. Only the other members in Akatsuki had ever looked at him impassively, accepting him as he was. Heck, if they could accept Zetsu, then there was nothing wrong with a shark demon! And only Itachi had ever come the closest to understanding his true self. Without him, he had nothing.
She wasn't about to let him go that easily. "You don't know what it's like out here, then. The desert will get well below freezing, now come on! We don't have much time." She saw him slink further into the corner and she sighed. "Even if you're an enemy shinobi, I won't harm you. I promise."
His head tilted up, and she could just see the gleam of his slashed mist headband. He spoke in his low, growling voice. "You really mean it...?"
She hesitated slightly. This guy was an ex-ninja from the mist? How the heck did he get all the way out here in Suna? Then it made sense. Nobody in their right mind would go looking for a missing mist nin in the desert. However, she was true to her word. "I did promise, didn't I? Then I mean it." She prepared herself for the worst, but then again he had cowered in the corner. Maybe he was desperate enough to follow her. Maybe he was desperate enough to kill her. Either way, she was prepared.
He grumbled under his breath once more before answering. "Very well." His hefty form relaxed just a little before he edged out of his safe, secure feeling corner, shifting until the sunlight barely lit his skin. All her expression showed was a slight bit of shock, but then only curiosity. Not fear, just surprise. And then as he edged out further, his Akatsuki cloak became visible, and she stiffened.
"You're from Akatsuki..." Her eyes widened but she remained still.
He chuckled deeply and shook his head. "Akatsuki is no more. I don't even know why I keep this stupid thing. Probably because of all this blowing sand everywhere. The cloak is long enough to protect against the elements here."
"What happened to Akatsuki?"
Should he tell her? Not that it wouldn't get out pretty quick anyway. The loss of this super-power in the world of professional ninjas would be big news soon enough. "We're done. Or I'm done, anyway. There were just three of us, with that idiot Madara trying to suck us back in. I'm through with him. Once Leader was gone, I wanted nothing to do with it. Akatsuki was circling the whirlpool, and I had the sense to swim out."
She didn't dare to nod or even budge. "What will you do now?"
He stared for a moment, not sure himself. "Scum like me has nowhere left to go. I'll wander until the end of my days. Maybe I'll go out like that idiot Zabuza, fighting til the very last breath. I don't care anymore. I used to think I knew exactly what I was doing, and for a time that was true, but now... everything I care about, Akatsuki, all the members, and Ita-- no, I have nothing left. Kill me if you really want to, it would be a relief."
She didn't speak for a moment, observing his features carefully. From what she had heard from the Konoha ninjas, this was Kisame, the sharklike ninja who had been one of the seven shinobi swordsmen of the mist. He was probably used to working with groups, never really following his own path or his own ideas. Just drifting along with whatever someone else had him do. He had no village, no fellow swordsmen, no Akatsuki, no partner, not even a country to return to. In a way, he reminded her of Gaara. Her poor brother had been treated just like Kisame, like he was the scum of the earth, not even wanted by his own country and not accepted by other people because of what was inside him. Maybe that was how Kisame was, a human imbued with the spirit of a demon. She understood from watching Gaara all these years how this must have felt. "I won't kill you, I made my promise. Follow me. Just take off your Akatsuki cloak and headband. If you cover your face, I can get you to town safely."
Stay in Suna? It was a generous offer for the likes of him. Maybe she was simply fulfilling her promise. Maybe she was genuinely concerned for him. Maybe... maybe she even understood, if only a little. He removed his cloak but kept his concealing hat, the style common enough to go by unnoticed. In his pack he found a spare plain tan cloak and he secured it around his face. With a nod, he followed the stranger, the two in silence for a good hour before he spoke again. "Kisame. Who are you?"
She glanced back, still walking. "Temari. I knew who you were back there."
He chuckled again, grinning his usual toothy grin. "Even Sunagakure knows about me, I must be getting popular. If everyone knows who I am even there, I'm not safe, huh?"
"You can plead your case to the Kazekage when we arrive. If I tell him about your predicament, and if you really are through with Akatsuki, he will probably listen. It would also help if you could promise to help us track down what remains of your comrades."
He scoffed. "Comrades. Damned treacherous filth is all they are. Dishonerable waste of good oxygen. I'd be glad to go after Madara. Konan is innocent, I'm sure, she was just blindly following Leader's orders, lost by her love for him. Poor girl... I'm sure she's a useless mental wreck by now. There's no point in going after her. Madara is the one we really need to kill."
"What do you know about this Madara person?"
He hesitated, his form stiffening visibly. "He's an Uchiha, just like... He has the mangekyou sharingan, and he can use it as much as he wants. After doing a little research, I learned that he was one of the founders of Konoha. I know that sounds ridiculous. How did he even live that long? I don't think any of us knew, not even Leader. All along he was manipulating Akatsuki so he could get the nine-tails bijuu. I suspect he wanted it to gain power, but... I never knew about any of this until Leader died."
She frowned slightly. "Didn't you have your own plans? What about what you wanted to do?"
"Being part of the Seven was all I ever cared about when I was a kid. We were all exiled after we failed a very significant mission, and left without a plan. Zabuza tried to do things on his own, but he died. The rest... who knows. Then I went off on my own, only to be found by Akatsuki soon after. Leader promised us acceptance, power, authority... anything we could ever want for. But I suppose it was never really his to give. Madara was the one really calling the shots all this time. What he said to me, though... the things he promised me... that's what got my loyalty. We were all fools, taken in by the lofty lies of our Leader. Maybe he really believed that's what we were fighting for. Maybe Madara was manipulating him too. But one thing I hate is being used. I joined of my own free will because I thought we were doing something right."
The more she thought about it, the more she could relate to him. It wasn't unlike the time that the sand village and sound village had joined together to attack Konoha, going by the orders of Orochimaru in disguise. They had been conned just as much as Akatsuki had, and she could sympathize with how he felt. His situation was exactly the same, he was just like she was. Suna had been forgiven by Konoha. Maybe Kisame would be forgiven. "Not long ago, Orochimaru did the same thing to Suna, and incited us to join with the Sound to attack Konoha. We didn't know it was him, he had murdered our Kazekage and took his form in order to fool us. From what you say, it sounds like Madara did the same thing with Akatsuki."
He considered, and knew she had a good point. Maybe he could explain it to the Kazekage, maybe he could get some kind of forgiveness. Maybe after all these years he could follow a path that he set for himself. Before long, Sunagakure was in sight, the tall domed buildings hidden behind a terraced wall. He tilted his head down, hiding his face from any onlooker as she explained to the guards about him being a traveler from Konoha. True enough, that was the last place he had been before Suna. His eyes watched her feet, following her all the way to the main compound. Not once did he lift his head, following only by watching the ground in front, all the way up the stairs and into a strange room.
The whole area smelled like sand, dusty and gritty. Even the tile inside this immaculate office seemed to have been dulled by the dirt tracked in from years of wear. He kept his gaze down and let Temari speak for him. "Kazekage-sama... I have brought a traveler as well as a guest. He is... someone I'm sure you don't wish to see, but I want you to hear him out. Don't judge him too quickly."
A young male voice spoke just loud enough to be heard. "I know better than to judge anyone as quickly as I used to. I will hear him out."
Kisame raised his head slowly, glancing at this young man. His eyes widened as he saw just who this person was. Gaara... the old Ichibi container! He suddenly remembered that someone had resurrected Gaara, and he had forgotten the whole Kazekage thing. It had been Sasori and Deidara's problem, not his. Maybe Gaara was resentful? Although, the young man didn't seem to recognize him right away, and Kisame nodded politely. "It's fortunate that you don't recognize me, but unfortunate that I recognize you. I... used to belong to Akatsuki." He saw the boy's pale eyes widen behind that mop of red hair, but when nothing was said, Kisame continued. "Akatsuki is finished, we were fooled by one of our members into thinking we were helping this world. Uchiha Madara was controlling Akatsuki, and not Pein as we had all thought. Pein was being manipulated, and we all fell for it. I can understand if you bear a grudge against Akatsuki."
Gaara nodded, but looked contemplative. "Against Akatsuki, certainly. Against this manipulator Madara, definitely. Against you... no. If you really mean what you say, then you might wish to help us defeat Madara once and for all. Even if he works alone... if he wa powerful enough to manipulate your old leader, he's to be feared. What do you say? If you choose to help us take down Madara and assure the safety of the remaining Jinchuuriki... I will grant you safety in my village."
Such an offer was impossible to refuse. Kisame wanted nothing more than to get revenge against Madara. He bowed with respect. "It would be my pleasure to help you take down Madara. As for the other Jinchuuriki... I never cared about them to begin with. As long as Madara ends up dead, I don't care what else has to happen."
"Very well." He approached the shark nin carefully, looking into the man's eyes. He was reminded of himself, struggling with demon possession and being scorned for it. This stranger... lost without a purpose... it was so similar to the way he used to be. "What is your name?"
"Hoshigake Kisame, former Mist shinobi and former member of the seven shinobi swordsmen."
"Kisame-san... I will make sure you are welcome in Suna. I understand how hard it is to have a demon inside you... but I will do what I can to make sure you get by without too much scrutiny. But tell me, do you still wish to be a shinobi?"
He glanced up, completely taken aback by this sudden generous gesture. "Fighting is all I've known all my life. I intend to go after Madara whether I'm a shinobi or just a man. But... what exactly are you trying to ask me to do?"
"I can grant you chuunin status and allow you to work for us. I understand if you want to follow your own path, I won't force you to do anything. But I can assure you that I will never mislead you. I'll leave the choice up to you."
From one kind of control to another, but... he had a choice. After what Suna had been through, he was certain they would take precautions not to be controlled again. He had faith in this system that had been through the wringer as much as he had. He was being given the right to make his own choices. A low chuckle from his deep chest grew to a hearty laugh and he grinned up at Gaara, teeth gleaming. "For a leader like you? Yes, I think I like you, kid. Giving a hopeless guy like me something to live for... Yeah, I'll join, don't bother trying to make people accept me though. I'm used to the stares by now." He grinned wider, and his eyes narrowed with the effort.
Gaara felt complete understanding for this man. Empathy, even. He nodded slowly, handing Kisame a spare Suna headband. "Then accept this as my effort. You can give back to me by telling me everything you know about Akatsuki."
Kisame laughed even harder. "Then sit down, kid. This could take all day."
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A/N: A nice prologue for the story, yeah? Well, my fingers hurt so this ought to do for now! Please read and review, tell me what you think.