Enter the Shark

[deep_sea_patrol]

Who: Kisame & whoever else
Where: Somewhere in Espoir near the cottages and whatnot
Style: Doesn't matter
Status: Open

Kisame had Samehada slung over his shoulder, partially unwrapped and dripping with a dark liquid-y substance. It may or may not have been blood. It may also have been mud, but who knows, right? The majority of his face was hidden

Comments

[seeing_only_red]

Itachi could feel the massive, nearly-uncontrolled rolling of waves in the chakra that had just flowed through the area, like a calling card. It had been some time since he had last felt it, but he knew who was trying to reach him easily.

Ah, so your time here has come, too, Kisame...

He closed his eyes, allowing his own energy to respond, fanning out and touching the searching chakra. And then he waited. If Kisame felt his reply, he would know soon enough.

[deep_sea_patrol]

There it was. Kisame knew Itachi wouldn't have gone off too far and quickly made his way to where Itachi was. It wasn't difficult to find him.

"Where were you?"

[seeing_only_red]

Itachi stared at his partner, somewhat more relaxed than he had been in some time since he had come to this place, due to the familiar territory. Although it seemed that his partner was as confused as he had been when he first arrived.

"I've been here for some time. I hadn't expected you to get here so soon, but I guess it's not that surprising."

[deep_sea_patrol]

"For some time?" Kisame asked, raising an eyebrow. "You make it sound like you were testing me or something."

Kisame felt a little more relaxed too, however, now that he had found his partner.

[seeing_only_red]

"Testing you?"

Itachi knew now that Kisame didn't know what was going on. Why would he test him when they were supposed to be in the "afterlife?" He did give a soft snort and his partner's immediate conclusion. Of course he would believe Itachi had planned this somehow.

"No, Kisame, but I assume that life after death can be a test of its own."

[deep_sea_patrol]

Kisame just stared at him quietly. Not Itachi, too. First it was Kakashi that went on about having no point in fighting him because they were already dead, and now his own partner felt the same way. But in a way, now that Kakashi wasn't the only one, he started wondering if maybe he really was dead.

"I... see," he simply replied. "So you seriously believe we're all just a bunch of dead people, walking around in this lame excuse of an afterlife, Itachi?"

[seeing_only_red]

Itachi tilted his head slightly to the side, thinking about the question. He could hear the scepticism in Kisame's voice--which was perfectly understandable as he could relate to the not believing at first. But he had seen too much to deny that for some of the people he had met to be here--when he knew for certain that they were not of the living--made it hard to argue for any other explanation. He wondered how to best explain this to his partner.

"I agree with your assessment on this place falling short of conventional perceptions..." he started, "but calling us 'dead' when it is obvious that we can see, speak, think, feel pain, and even die here as well, I am not sure would be a wise assumption."

[deep_sea_patrol]

True, this was far from what he had imagined the afterlife to be, if there were to be one. The fact that he didn't feel any difference at all disturbed him, if he was, in fact, dead.

"You've got a good point," agreed Kisame with a dissatisfied grunt. "What would you call that, then, anyway? Being alive, but not alive... never heard of anything like that before, if you ask me."

[seeing_only_red]

Once more, Itachi was left silently considering the question posed by his partner. What could they call this? He could easily accept his own 'death,' given the circumstances of his battle with Sasuke and that he had planned to die during it anyway. But he and Kisame were not 'dead,' and so there was the conundrum. At the same time, was it important to give it a name at this moment? They knew they were not dead, and yet this was not the 'living world' that they had known; which meant that it could instead be a strange reality that connected the two.

"We should gather more information about this place before we come to any concrete conclusions," he said, finally. "Perhaps we should part once more and find out what we can on our own, and rendezvous later."

[deep_sea_patrol]

"Sounds like a plan," Kisame replied. "At least now I know where I can find you."

Unfortunately for him, this plan meant that he should avoid a good deal of conflicts, and if one should arise, to either end it quickly or find a way out of it without attracting too much attention. Such an Itachi way of thinking, but despite his own opinion, he had to admit that it was definitely effective.

[seeing_only_red]

"This part of the forest in uninhabited by others by the moment," Itachi explained, taking a side glance to the small cottage he had discovered in the center a small copse--the trees had been leveled to make space for it. "This makes it easier to meet here without the addition unknown ears listening."

He turned to stare are his partner, once more. "Return here if you find anything important, and I'll know once you've entered the area. If I'm not here, wait for me to return," Itachi said. He could tell his partner was not entirely pleased with his decision.

"And Kisame...don't draw undo attention to yourself."

[deep_sea_patrol]

'How convenient', thought Kisame. He listened silently, making sure remember all the details of Itachi's plan, until Itachi finally got to the end. He totally saw this one coming.

"I knew you'd say that," said Kisame, but with a more humorous tone rather than disappointment. "What would you say if I told you that I met that Copy Ninja?"

[seeing_only_red]

"I would tell you that I already knew he was here," Itachi replied. "There are several other Konoha shinobi here as well. You should do your best to avoid them."

But just as there were Konoha ninja, there could also be ninja from other villages, which could become a problem in itself. They would have to move carefully in order to keep themselves from being noticed by potential threats, and still gain the intelligence that they needed. At least--although his partner could be brash at times--Itachi knew he could count on him to behave more cautiously when Kisame knew it was warranted.

"Be observative," he said. "The natives here may provide a wealth of information, but use discretion should you approach any directly."

[deep_sea_patrol]

'Too late for that,' thought Kisame. He thought it would be best to keep his little encounter with Kakashi from his partner. He knew it was over the line, and he probably shouldn't have done it, but if even Itachi hadn't noticed the fight... then it should've been all right.

"Understood," he replied. If Itachi gave an order, he made to sure to follow it. Now that Itachi was pretty aware of his presence, it would mean much more headaches for him if Kisame had decided to do otherwise.

[seeing_only_red]

Given Kisame's reaction to his words, he thought that Itachi did not know about his encounter with Kakashi. How else did his fight-enthused companion think that he noticed his chakra? But that was all right; let him believe that he had not been found out. It made things easier than having to chastised him about it.

Itachi nodded at him, accepting that his partner would be less conflict-ready and employ the subtlety he knew he could use when needed, "Then move out."

ooc; whoops ahahaha xD

[deep_sea_patrol]

Without a single nod, Kisame disappeared from sight.