A/N: Hi everyone! This is the first chapter of my first story. I hope you like it and if there are mistakes, feel free to tell me about them!

Chapter 1: The Mission

It was a cool day, with fresh green trees shading the narrow, golden footpath. Birds of bright colours like yellows, reds, and blues sang from various branches. A breeze would whisper past the leaves every now and then, disturbing the trees and sending a ripple across Itachi's Akatsuki cloak.

Kisame listened to the crunch of small stones under his feet, and peered past Itachi to see whether there was any sign of life ahead of them. The path and the forest stretched on for miles. He sighed and continued to trudge along, wondering when they'd find what they were searching for.

Before they'd set off along the path, they'd stopped at a dumpling shop, and although he'd eaten a lot, Kisame couldn't help but feel hungry again. He could imagine arriving back at the base and eating grilled shrimp, skewered with onions and red and green peppers, as well as being seasoned with salt and pepper, but he quickly banished the image before his mouth started to water.

Whilst they'd been at the dumpling shop, they'd received a message from Pein, ordering them to head to a specific place somewhere in this forest. Itachi held the paper in his hand, following the directions carefully.

Only, they'd been walking for hours.

Kisame swallowed. "Are you sure we've gone the right way?" he asked, unsure as Itachi squinted at the paper.

"I'm positive," he replied. "I'm just following what's on the paper."

Or what you think's on the paper, Kisame thought.

"It's just, we've been walking for a while," he prompted.

"I'm following what's on the paper," Itachi repeated.

Kisame sighed and walked quicker, trying to look over Itachi's shoulder and see what was on the paper, but he couldn't get close enough. He gave up, and checked the path again, only to be disappointed once more.

Itachi stopped abruptly, and Kisame bumped into him.

"Kisame," Itachi sounded bored. "Pay attention. I think we've arrived."

"Should I check?" Kisame asked hopefully.

"We turn right," Itachi declared, his hearing suddenly selective.

Kisame solemnly looked to his right, hoping there would be a small café or restaurant where he could have a drink and a small snack, but he was met with thick shrubs, looming trees and what looked suspiciously like brambles. Again, he questioned Itachi's judgement.

However, before he could object, Itachi strode towards the mess of leaves and thorns. Kisame had no choice but to follow, carefully picking his way through roots and branches, trying desperately not to trip. Itachi ducked under a low branch, Kisame following uneasily behind. Kisame wished they were back on the footpath.

He could feel plants everywhere. Leaves on his face, branches poking him from all directions and thorns gently tugging at his Akatsuki cloak. He almost reached for his back for Samehada to tear the plants from his path.

"We're here," Itachi announced from up ahead. "Kisame?"

"I'm right behind you," he answered through gritted teeth, snapping a small tree out of his path and ducking under a thick branch.

Kisame was thoroughly disappointed.

They stood in a small clearing that had a river running through it. The grass swayed in the wind, and the only relief Kisame had was the absence of twigs sticking into his body. However, a river was not what he had in mind when he'd travelled this far.

"Are you sure this is the place?" he asked sceptically.

"Yes," Itachi insisted. "It says in Pein's letter that we should find 'a space with a river running through it'."

"Let me look," Kisame said and held out his hand.

"I'm serious," Itachi argued. "Pein actually said-"

"Just let me have a look," Kisame interrupted. "I can read."

Itachi wordlessly handed over the paper. Kisame investigated each sentence Pein had written, only to find that he was wrong and Itachi was right; this was the spot they'd been instructed to go. Sullenly, he handed the paper back to the smug, young Uchiha man.

"What now?" he asked, moodily.

Itachi looked at the paper closely. "Astral projecting."

Kisame looked around. It seemed safe, considering no other Shinobi would go to such lengths to battle their way through an army of shrubs. He chose not to argue, and sat down beside the river when Itachi did.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on his mind rather than his body. Astral projection felt weird the first time you used it, but Kisame was used to the way his body would lose all sense of feeling, sight, sounds, smells and taste, as well as movement. He moved his chakra to his brain. The strangest moment was when your mind left your body. It felt like being stretched and twisted and turned and flipped and rolled and pulled and pushed and lifted and dropped one after the other, finishing with falling as your mind arrived at its destination.

When Kisame opened his eyes, his body's eyes remained closed. He was in the Akatsuki hideout, his eyes adjusting quickly to the darkness to see the only members currently present were Pein and Zetsu. Pein shimmered various colours, as all astral projections did, apart from his eyes, which remained intense and focused on him and Itachi. The only indication of Zetsu's presence was a vague, dark shape in the distance.

Kisame looked back at Pein.

"Leader," Itachi addressed. "We did as you asked."

"You did it in good time," Pein said. "Now that you're here, your mission is to find the Nine Tails Jinchuriki and obtain it."

Kisame hid his surprise. Pein was ambitious for wanting to start with the Nine-Tails, considering it was the most powerful of the Tailed Beasts. However, he said nothing.

"Of course," Itachi replied after a few heartbeats. "What is known of the Nine Tails?"

"Very little," Pein admitted. "But it goes by the name of Naruto Uzumaki. It resides in Konohagakure. Be as quick as possible."

"We will," Itachi said with certainty, and the two of them withdrew from the astral projection.

Kisame opened his eyes and was back in the dreadful forest. He looked at Itachi, who had opened his eyes. For a moment, they sat there, and then Itachi stood.

"We ought to start heading to Konohagakure straight away," he decided.

"I agree," Kisame sighed.

Konohagakure was far away, which promised more walking.

On the bright side, Konohagakure is renowned for its ramen, Kisame thought.