Sharks Need Love Too (Kisame x OC) *COMPLETE*

Fire

A hushed voice carried on a frigid breeze draws the attention of two travelers passing through the upper canopy. The taller of the pair, Kisame Hoshigaki, pauses on a branch to listen to the voice again. He can't make out the words, but the voice is feminine and seems distressed. He sighs, scowling at his breath coming out in a puff against the winter air, and turns to face his partner. The raven haired man motions for them to continue their journey to the grass village as he pulls the cloak tighter around himself. The snow had started to fall faster, dropping the already freezing temperatures which only increased Itachi's desire to keep moving. Kisame moves to follow him but instead finds himself headed in the direction of the voice.

Kisame spots a small light coming from a clearing and stops in the shadows. The clearing is obviously a poor attempt at a campsite with a few tattered blankets hanging from the trees in a futile attempt to block out the elements. In the center of the clearing surrounded by empty liquor bottles is a young woman desperately trying to keep a dying fire lit. Kisame hears Itachi come to stand beside him, asking what he is doing. He doesn't answer, unable to tear his gaze away from the woman's curtain of jet black hair. She looks up suddenly and the pair shrink further back into the shadow. A frown crosses her face as she draws a kunai and cuts a strip of fabric from her already threadbare shirt and tosses it into the fire.

"Fire, just know that I hate you but I have to stay warm tonight. My shirt is the only thing I have left to give." Her soft voice reaches Kisame's ears despite her whispered tone.

As the fire strengthens and illuminates the clearing, the woman huddles up to the warmth and rests her chin on her knees, her forest green eyes glowing from the firelight. Kisame tenses as he recognizes but can't place where he has seen her. Itachi's voice tears him from his thoughts, pressing for them to carry on, so he falls in step beside the Uchiha. Kisame pauses mid-step, his hand reaching for the Samehada on his back as Itachi draws a kunai. The woman from the clearing is standing before them, a dark glare etched on her face as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"Is there a particular reason that two wayward Akatsuki members decided to spy on me?" She asks, her voice carrying a dangerous tone.

Kisame doesn't answer as he studies her, noting her too thin frame, dirty face, and trembling body. He frowns at her clothing choice considering the accumulating snowfall, half of a black t-shirt and a pair of matching shorts, no shoes or jacket in sight. He shifts his focus from her bare legs to meet her burning gaze.

"What? Are you going to answer me or do I need to force it ou..." She trails off, her eyes moving behind him to her camp. "No! No, no no! Stay lit you stupid piece of shit fire!"

Itachi and Kisame watch as the frail woman pushes past them and begins to gather dry twigs from the lower branches of the tree and hurriedly put them on the fire. Itachi sighs, noting the strange look in Kisame's eyes and tells him not to take too long before walking away. Kisame leans against a tree trunk to watch her struggles before simply knocking over a small tree a few minutes later. After breaking the tree into smaller pieces, he carries them into the clearing and drops a log onto the fire.

"I didn't need your help." she grumbles under her breath, keeping her gaze on the ground as she moves toward the warmth of the fire.

"Sure you didn't." He chuckles, shaking his head.

He moves to leave but hesitates, digging in a pouch before tossing a wad of fabric to her. Without looking up, she catches it then hesitantly inspects it.

"Thanks for your..." She trails off as she looks up to find Kisame gone. "...shirt."

After scanning the clearing, she pulls the large black shirt on, relishing the warmth and comfort of the long sleeves.

Kisame catches up to Itachi and they continue their path through the forest, his thoughts lingering on the woman they'd left behind and the disapproval pouring off his raven haired partner.

"So, who is she?" Itachi asks, cutting through the silence.

Kisame's behavior toward the woman caught Itachi off guard due to his eagerness to fight anyone they came across instead of helping them. He was curious to know who had the ability to change Kisame's personality that easily.

"Hamako Mori. She was one of the best hunter nin in the ANBU forces back in the Mist. Her team disappeared on a mission and she came back alone six months later covered in blood and acting strangely. They held her for questioning and treatment. Something happened during the investigation and she went on a violent rampage. Before the surviving ANBU could capture her, she disappeared from the village."

"If she were skilled enough to be a hunter nin, how is she struggling to keep a simple fire lit?"

"I can't attest to her mental state but she is drunk. She smelled of sake and there were empty bottles all over the camp. It's a shame. I'd seen her in action a few times over the years. That's a lot of talent going to waste."

Kisame spent the next few days of their travel trying to push thoughts of Hamako out of his head. They had crossed paths a few times before he left the village, but they'd never spoken according to his memory. He wasn't sure how the raven haired woman managed to stay swirling around in his mind but he hated it. With a sigh, Kisame follows Itachi into the village in search of their informant. They enter a rundown tavern on the far outskirts and study the few men scattered around the room before heading to a booth in the back corner. Kisame stops at the bar to get a bottle from the elderly bartender in hopes the bitter liquid would clear his mind.

"He better not keep us waiting." He grumbles as he settles down on the cracking leather booth.

Itachi doesn't respond so they sit in a comfortable silence until a man crashes through the door to the back room, his body skidding to a stop near the front door.

"Looks like we may have some entertainment while we wait." Kisame chuckles as the man shakily gets to his feet.