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Need to contact Kisame, or his mun? You can do so here!
Please specify IC or OOC in the subject line, and the method of contact. Some idea of when it's happening in-game would be nice, too.
If you'd rather an AIM conversation, the OOC screen name to contact is Infinity Pikachu, but for in-game conversations, I'm cool with hopping onto Kisame's IC ( Read more... )
Please specify IC or OOC in the subject line, and the method of contact. Some idea of when it's happening in-game would be nice, too.
If you'd rather an AIM conversation, the OOC screen name to contact is Infinity Pikachu, but for in-game conversations, I'm cool with hopping onto Kisame's IC ( Read more... )
[He shifts to get more comfortable, rubbing his back absently.] I am tired. And I'm keeping busy because I've got to--you ever try to run a household when you're the most capable set of hands around? Much less a village? [He laughs; unlike Naruto, his activity is pure necessity, not keeping his mind off things.] There aren't many people around here, you know, and I've been too busy to tend the fields in this place like I should. There's a whole village's worth of crops to get in before winter hits, and unless things start getting better soon, who the Hell else is going to do it, you know?
[He shakes his head again, waving his hand dismissively.] So.... yeah. I train and spar with clones when I can, but I don't really get much time to, these days. [But enough about him; he's tilting his head now, curious at the mention of Naruto's training.] Sounds like your progress is pretty rocky. Just what are you training at, anyway?
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Normal things. Everyday things. Shinobi cooking and cleaning and tending households and fields instead of battlefields and dead bodies…
Not impossible, if people want it.]
I guess. [An agreement. It should be odd the way Kisame has explained it. Naruto thinks that out of all the Akatsuki, Kisame is the only one who could consider the possibilities of not-being-enemies at one given moment.] You mean that, don’t you?
[But Naruto shakes his head then. The question is rhetorical.]
What makes an enemy to you? Is it just orders? If you were given the order to come find the Kyuubi right now, you’d do it right? That would make me your enemy then?
[He does not say this would make Kisame his enemy then because he is not so certain about such things anymore. The questions while they carry a serious undertone are mostly just curious. Just questions with no ulterior motive other than the desire to know.
Naruto can’t help but smile a bit at Kisame’s admission though. He lifts a hand and waves it in view of the camera.]
Capable hands? This is me you’re talking to here.
[Naruto does not own the most capable set of hands in the world and he knows it. He drops his then though, mulling over the thought. Konoha is in the same boat. Akira has been griping. Naruto knows he needs to get his ass in gear and come back to help with the harvests, regardless of his fears. ]
Want a hand?
[The offer leaves his mouth before he can reconsider it. He blinks slowly.
Huh.
… well.
He’s not going to renege on it. Kisame can take it as he wants to. And if they’re not enemies then they’re not enemies.]
Training--
[Kisame had asked him about this already. He did not want to answer, then. Had not answered then.
Naruto squints at the screen. He tries to imagine more than one Kisame. Lots of clones. He can’t really. Kisame is imposing enough that Naruto can only imagine one of him at the time. …]
Control.
I’m training at control. ‘Cause I suck at it.
[A vast understatement. But he might as well be honest.]
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There's really not many of us here, and only so much ground I can cover at once.... However capable your hands are, we could use one if you're willing to spare it. [His clones do need to stick to the source pretty closely, after all, so he can't send them out far.... A single field is about all he'll be able to manage, that much he knows. It's weird to think of Naruto helping them in the fields, but.... hey, why not? They're already talking and being friendly enough. And after all he's been doing already, and all he has to look forward to doing, he really would be glad for the help. Naruto's not a bad sort either, after all; the conversation itself would be welcome enogh, even.]
[Kisame grins at Naruto when he admits to his training--he looks almost nostalgic, oddly enough, pleasantly amused without being mocking. At one point, after all, he was quite happy to be a loyal ninja in Kirigakure--he hadn't always been a hardened criminal.] And I actually had absolute shit control when I was a kid, you know that? I had boatloads of chakra and a hard time knowing what to do with them--couldn't keep a good grasp on very much at once. I worked like hell at it, though--by the time I was your age, I'd made jounin, and I'd say I've gotten pretty damned good at it by now. I won't say I definitely know your situation, but.... well, if you'd like some help with that while you're here, I wouldn't mind. I'm sure there would be a way to fit the time in, with some extra help around.
[Because after all, they're not enemies right now, are they? And he's never liked being in someone's debt. One good turn deserves another. Besides that, training might take the edge off of this damned restlessness building up for lack of opportunities to fight these days. He spreads his hands almost apologetically, pulling over a cutting board to start chopping vegetables.]
Just know that, yeah, this might well end up being a conditional thing. Orders are orders, so if Leader-sama wanted me to capture you, I'd do that. But other than business.... well, unless you piss me off or give me a decent reason to be an enemy, I wouldn't bother. There's enough on my plate already, you know? I don't do the whole high-flying ideals thing like Leader-sama or Sasori do, and I don't have any big plans for myself. If I'm going to hate someone, it'll have to have something in it for me, not just the principle of the thing.
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A soft snort.]
Just tell me where and when, I’ll be there.
[It’s not even a question of sparing a pair of hands, to Naruto. And while training is still a priority, maybe he can take a different route for a while. If they are to be stuck here for the winter, they all need to be prepared. He gives Kisame a small smile, crooked, just a tad rueful.]
I’ve got hands to spare.
[Hands and chakra. He can make thousands of clones without an issue and at the least the work itself would be a change. It takes him several moments to understand that it would even be a welcome change. When he does realise this, he is slightly surprised.
Surprised too to learn that Kisame once lacked sufficient chakra control. Most people get a handle on it pretty well, and early. Naruto always thought he was the exception to the rule (dead last, loser) and just stares at Kisame as he speaks.]
You really had crappy control?
[Why does that make him feel better? It does. A little. Only it doesn’t because-]
...you were a Jounin by the time you were sixteen.
[And he probably had a grip on his chakra too by then. …. damnit. Naruto looks aside for a moment or two because he is of course still a Genin. And for years he had no idea why his chakra control was so bad- indeed, not until a few months ago.
But it’s not just control over his own chakra. So he does not think Kisame can help him with this.
Still. Help…
Help would be…
Naruto nods slowly, he looks back to the camera.]
Help’d be good. Thanks.
[Simple and honest. It would be. It’s worth a try. And he will be there anyway.
He doesn’t know why he wants to wave off Kisame’s oddly apologetic gesture either when it comes. He just does. He wants to point out that shit happens and that it’s fine but really it's not because Kisame came to Konoha in the war and Kisame killed. There is nothing fine about that to Naruto. And he has not forgotten it.
He scratches his cheek and looks awkward.]
Leader-sama. You mean, Nagato.
[Not Pain. He is never Pain to Naruto. Not then and not now.
If Nagato wanted him captured-
But he wouldn’t have to order that. He could just capture Naruto on one of his visits Nagato. Naruto stares. Bites his lip. Realises that Kisame probably doesn’t know that Naruto still… sees Nagato. And. Stuff. He thinks it would be best not to mention it just yet and just nods a few times, giving a cough.]
Right. That’s-- …
[Well, it makes sense.]
It’s a conditional thing.
[Naruto grins cheekily.]
If you’re gonna go tryin’ to kill me and stuff, could you just maybe warn me first?
[Of course, he expects Kisame to give him no such warning.]
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[He kind of misses his own sensei, just a little; he was a hard man. Hard, and strict, but very fair. And his master.... well, he had been kind, yes, but his lessons could leave gashes and bruises that wouldn't heal for days.] I really did have crappy control, though, and I guess I shouldn't have said by the time I was sixteen.... That was how old I was when I got promoted, anyway. [He hums thoughtfully.] That was a big year for me, actually.... ANBU snapped me up soon after that, too, and I got my hands on Samehada a couple months later.
But anyway, I had to have chakra control drilled into me pretty hard by my senseis. I didn't really get a good handle on things until my Chuunin years--I was too eager to get the hell on with it all, I guess. I kept growing too fast in power without stopping to harness it properly. I ended up hurting myself sometimes because of it, actually, and that's not even counting how often my teachers and teammates ended up beating the shit out of me. [Another laugh, self-deprecating and almost wistful; he shakes his head.] If one of my teammates weren't a medic, I probably would've missed out on a whole lot of training.
.....But hell. You didn't call to hear me ramble, I'm sure. How about you come over the first of the month? Maybe you could drop by for dinner, or something. What all do you like? [He sounds so utterly domesticated, so ridiculously like he had been during the false marriages, that it's hard to resist the urge to sigh at himself. Kisame would far rather be out tearing someone limb from limb than considering crops and dinner guests, no matter how nice a settled life could be. It was nicer in small doses, thank you very much. But Naruto is lending some much-needed help when they're damned short-handed, after all, so he might as well be hospitable. It's the least he can do.]
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Just without the money-pinching-women-groping bonuses.
You sort of make your own breaks.]
Not gonna cut me much slack, ne?
[A head tilt. The thing is.]
Sounds good.
[And Naruto’s face grows serious for a few heartbeats. It does. He does not want any slack. He does not want Kisame thinking he should go easy on him- as an almost-ally or an enemy. When it comes down to it, that is not how Naruto operates. The things worth having are the things you usually have to work the hardest to reach.
And Kisame was in the ANBU too. Naruto has always been wary of the ANBU. For reasons he himself has never been able to fully discern. It’s probably the masks…
The distance-
Something.]
Samehada.
[That’s familiar and Naruto pauses, thinking for a moment.]
That’s your …sword, right?
[He is nodding then. Listening then. It’s almost familiar only it went differently for Kisame. He aimed for that control and got it. Naruto… Naruto went the other way. If anything his control worsened and he wishes he could blame the seal, the fox but he does not think he can. He cruised along on his own power.
He wonders how often- how badly- Kisame was hurt by his own power.]
Do you heal quick?
[A relevant question. Naruto knows that the only reason he has not missed out on more training is because he does heal abnormally fast. The rest of the time he has Sakura. And the mention of a medic makes him think of her …definitely a vital part of any team and he smiles a bit.]
Medics are…
… good to have on teams.
And I did call to hear you ramble.
[His lips twitch.]
Kind of.
[Ramble, talk, same thing, right? The more Kisame talks the less Naruto has to. Largely because he is not sure what to say to Kisame whereas Kisame seems to have no trouble just saying things. ]
I’ll be over! For-
[Dinner. Um. With Kisame?
… in his complete shock, Naruto accidentally presses the disconnect button.
And hangs up.]
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Sorry, sorry! Uh- it’s this stupid thing it was being all funny and… uh…
[You said dinner.
…
Dinner.
Which would be totally weird. Naruto almost says so.
Even for him, it would be odd. He could work with Kisame pretty well, he thinks, or at least without violent incident. And he thinks he could probably train with him too, hopefully. But sit down and eat dinner?
What the hell would they talk about?
‘So, do you remember that time when me and Itachi came and tried to capture you? And I offered to cut off a few limbs? Wasn’t that fun?’
Maybe they wouldn’t talk. They could just eat right? And then he could leave afterward.]
I like…
[Ramen. Or he used to. Still does mostly. But he cannot look at ramen without remembering how Itachi used to make it and these days his favourite dish has lost a lot of the appeal it once had.
Naruto is silent.]
Whatever you’ve got there is good. I’ll eat nearly anything.
[And so he will and apparently he will be eating dinner there too. Wherever it is… Kisame lives.
On that note.]
Uh.
Could you tell me... where your place is?
[Distinctly awkward.]
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[But practical directions done, he offers Naruto a smirk through the screen, sharp and unnaturally toothy and somehow playfully vicious; fighting is a way of life for him, and unlike a fair few people in Konoha, it seems, he believes in tough love.] You did say you were coming here to work, right? So there's no reason I should go easy on you--you don't need my pity. You need me to help you figure out what's what if I can, then knock you through walls until you can get a good enough grasp on it to not let me knock you around like that anymore. You can take it, right?
That's how I managed, anyway. I might have a little leg up on most people when it comes to healing, but nothing too impressive; I definitely had to rely on our medic a hell of a lot, even if he was one of the people beating me up to begin with. [He rolls his eyes a little, snorting at the memory.]
But Samehada is my sword, yeah--you guys have met before, I know. I'll probably keep her wrapped for you. She doesn't need to shave to hurt people, after all.
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[Naruto makes a face.]
Capable hands, remember?
[It’s not the Hitomi, it’s his own clumsiness.
… he wishes he had something to write Kisame’s directions down on when he offers them. Naruto is notoriously bad at following directions, whether they pertain to doing something, or going somewhere. He hopes he can replay this message later. Otherwise he may end up making Kisame a call en route.
And that would just be embarrassing. So he nods.]
Got it! Don’t worry, I’ll find you!
[Pure bravado of course.
Though his next response is not as his mouth curls into a small grin, all fang and no small amount of challenge.]
Take it?
[This is Naruto you’re talking to, Kisame.]
I can take anything you can dish out and come back for more.
[For a moment he forgets that this is Kisame. But Naruto has never shied from a good fight, the harder the better and he applies the same to training. Even if on occasion he whines about it. As long as Kisame doesn’t stand there lecturing him then he figures, it’s good. As long as they’re ‘doing’ something.]
And hey, I heal fast.
[Abnormally so, though Naruto doesn’t bother to hide the quiet chuckle at the thought of Kisame’s medic beating him up- as well. ]
You too?
[Blue eyes are mirthful, but he is not laughing at Kisame, rather he is laughing at the parallels between them. He shakes his head. He finds it odd, he cannot deny this. And if Kisame ends up beating him up in helping him, well, Naruto will heal. It is that simple and that easy to accept.]
Met before… kinda.
[Not personally as such but Naruto is curious He remembers that sword. It is hard to forget the thing. No, it doesn’t need to- She-- Wait. Back up.]
She?
[He has to ask.]
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Oh yeah, definitely. He had ridiculous, pitch-perfect chakra control. Always did. Part of being from a medic clan, I guess? But he liked to test out his new techniques and poisons, when they weren't, y'know, permanently crippling or whatever. On both of us, but more on me than her, since they were an item. He was actually a really nice guy, except when he wasn't--then he was just a dick who was way too good at what he did to not get away with it.
[He obligingly turns his Hitomi to pan up and down Samehada where she's leaning against the counter--towering over Kisame, in fact, since he's kneeling. The skull on the pommel grins macabrely at Naruto.] She. It's rude to call a sword 'it', you know? If they're going to be a lifelong traveling companion, you ought to show them a little respect. After all, they're going to save your life more times than you can count--there's really no reason not to get to know each other, especially if they're as friendly as Samehada is. Hell, my master knew she was a woman, too, and he'd know even better than I would.
[Why yes, he is just a little attached to that sword; how can you tell? He gives the blade a warmly affectionate look.] Just remember, you're the one who said you could take it--getting clubbed with a solid piece of steel larger than most grown men hurts like hell, even if it doesn't draw blood. She's actually more likely to break bones used this way.
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