(Book the Second) In the Eye of the Snake ~Crimson Light in the Uchiha

Takeshita Umi

Itachi's POV

"And who might this lady be?" Chuckled Kisame, "I can see your Leaf head protector, are you here to hunt us down?"

The girl in front of us smiled, indeed, she had a Leaf forehead protector tied loosely around her neck. She had warm red-brown eyes and grey-brown hair tied up in a ponytail. She looked about my age.

"Unfortunately," she sighed, "I was forced to leave the village, although I had not committed any crimes. I kept my forehead protector as a symbol of my happier memories. I didn't want to put a slash through it unlike that friend of yours over there." She nodded in my direction and my eyes narrowed.

I didn't put the slash through my forehead, Sasuke did.

"Then what do you want?" I said quietly, "Are you trying to infiltrate us? What is your name?"

The girl bowed her head, "Please do feel so kind to give your names first."

"Hehe," chuckled Kisame, "you've quite the number of guts, my name is Hoshigaki Kisame."

".....Uchiha Itachi."

The girl held out her right hand, "It is great pleasure, I am pleased to meet your acquaintance. I am Takeshita Umi." Kisame stepped foreword boldly and took the hand. They shook briefly.

"So...what are you doing here?" Asked Kisame.

"I was just traveling around, I am not entirely sure if I am marked in the Bingo Books, but one must be careful." Umi laughed, and they were like a thousand bells. It was a long time since I heard such a laugh. The last person to ever laugh like that was R-

No, it would be bothersome to think about her.

I felt a flash of chakra and I lifted my head curiously. Strange, nothing happened to stir up chakra. This chakra...is not mine or Kisame's...Umi's perhaps? Umi raises and hand in a wave and walked off. A second later, she made a hand seal and disappeared.

"Weird woman," muttered Kisame with a grin, "coming and going so swiftly."

"She's my age," I said quietly, "and I am not a man."

"Stronger than one," Kisame flashed me a grin, "let's head back and report to Pein-sama."

".....of course..." We stand back to back and we make the same hand seals before disappearing. The largest chamber of our hideout. Pein was standing in the centre with his arms crossed, looking a little provoked although his eyes remained still and his expression smooth.

"And what upsets our great Leader?" Asked Kisame with yet another grin.

"Kakuzu threw another fit with his partner...." Said Pein in a dead calm.

"So his partner should be-"

"You will find his arms and legs at the southern gate, his inner organs on the roof, his head in my office and-"

"His heart?" says Kisame wearily.

"-his heart now belongs to Kakuzu," finished Pein, "and heed my advice to not interrupt me, Hoshigaki Kisame."

Kisame saluted mockingly, "My apologies, I came here to report our mission a success. Who do we give the money to?" Kisame grinned wider, "Oh right, that zombie miser."

"Don't speak like that about your comrades," snapped a voice and Konan walked into view, a flower placed on her blue hair, "I need to speak to Pein-sama, come on you two, out."

"Sometimes I suspect that those two love each other," grumbled Kisame quietly as we departed from the chamber. A piece of paper drifted casually across his face and hung there. "What the-" the paper flew forward and slapped Kisame, the sound ringing down the halls. "Damn b-" Kisame sighed, "Anyways, let's head to the zombie's room."