Kingdom by the Sea

There are countless unpleasant ways to get woken up in the morning. Many of them Hinamei thought she knew, but getting kicked in the ribs by a rogue ninja was a whole new experience on her behalf. Bleary eyed and in side splitting pain, she glared up at the tall man that she didn't quite know yet. Behind him, idly watching, stood Itachi. As stoic as ever. But it was the wispy blonde boy behind both of them that truly caught her attention.

He was bruised, beaten and sore with a thick bandage around his arm. He looked younger than she had ever seen and a pang of pity coursed through her chest. Another firm jab in her ribcage had her gasping seconds later though, tearing her attention back to the present. "We don't have all day girl, get up." The man growled irritably and with as much force as she could muster, she clumsily stumbled upwards with eyes tightly shut. Itachi refused to meet her eyes and Yukio's blue ones were boring under her skin. It was the most uncomfortable she had felt in a long time.

"Where are we going?" She asked weakly. Itachi didn't answer but his partner wasted no time in stepping up to the plate.

"Didn't Itachi-san tell you?" She cringed at the sound respect he spoke with, but he continued. "Your wanted by our leader. But really, I don't see the value." Ignoring the snide comment she turned towards her former friend.

"The deal is still on then, Itachi?" Kisame turned towards the Uchiha curiously, evidently Itachi hadn't said a word of it yet. Without meeting anyone's gaze, Itachi replied with a signature 'hn.' Taking that as an okay, Hinamei stepped forward gingerly, knowing he wasn't going to take this well. "Yukio, you need to go." The amount of noise that erupted from one sentence astounded her.

"Why wasn't I told about this?" Kisame growled towards his partner at the same time the small blonde protested against his freedom. Hinamei cut in loudly.

"There's no reason for you to come kid, it isn't you they want it's me. I won't drag you into this mess!" She didn't want a fight but it seemed it was going to be inevitable. Yukio's bright eyes blazed angrily and felt somewhat accusatory. Why couldn't he just have ran? Any normal person would have left in a heartbeat. It was evident nothing in her life would ever come easy, not in a million years.

"No, that's not fair. You can't just leave me behind," Yukio put his head down, pale blonde hair falling forward. His slender fingers reached up in defeat and tangled themselves in his web of icy tresses. "I've got nowhere to go. You don't understand." Her eyes widened and momentarily her heart felt cold, she knew better than anyone what it felt like. They were the ones who didn't understand and she couldn't just stand by and watch this kid force himself onto a path she didn't dare wish on anyone. Neither ninja reacted as the small girl darted forward and brutally grabbed the boy by the collar. He hit the wall with a loud cry and he winced as she hissed in his ear. Her fingers dug sharply into his shoulder.

"Having nothing is better than being dead." As she heard the words slip from her own mouth she was reminded of how miserable life had been before now. Maybe she didn't blame him as much as she wanted to. He was alone, he had been alone until now. He was selfless enough to want the burden of a companion even if it meant throwing everything away for that one moment. But it didn't matter, she just couldn't let this happen. Gently, her fingers slipped from his shirt and she felt her knees weaken. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I knew I let yet another person I cared about die. No, not again." But the defiance in his eyes spoke true. He wasn't going to play this easy and even as she pleaded with her eyes she knew this was out of her hands. If Yukio wanted it this way, he would stop at nothing to gain it. "Please, don't be stupid," Hinamei warned as he opened his mouth. For a second his eyes lingered on her but he pulled them away reluctantly and focused on the two men behind Hinamei. Her heart stuttered and she held her breath.

"I can be useful, I have-" Hinamei's hand wrapped around his throat but before he could struggle a heavy hand tore her away from Yukio. She fell to the floor and gaped up at Kisame. His hungry eyes watched Yukio like prey. Well, he had certainly done it now.

"This sounds interesting, continue." Yukio's hesitation was obvious as he shifted nervously, feeling all three pairs of eyes on his skin at once. But once the courage returned he held his head high and bravely spoke.

"I have a Kekkei Genkai. I can read objects, their memories and experiences. Easily, I swear." Hinamei's heart dropped to the floor and her eyes numbly rested on a snag in the rug. She could feel Itachi shift curiously towards her house mate.

"Everything?" Kisame grunted, Yukio nodded. Without hesitation the mist nin raised his hand and brandished forth the large wrapped weapon that hung on his back. He slammed it to the floor, slightly splintering the wood. "Read this then." He replied bluntly. It was the last thing Yukio wanted to touch but he struggled anyways to slip his glove from his free hand. Hinamei couldn't help but bring her eyes up as Yukio's trembling fingers outstretched towards the weapon. His eyes went wide when his fingertips grazed the outer wrappings. Almost instantly, he pulled away, gaping like a fish out of water. When his back met the wall behind him, he slumped back looking terrified. Kisame only answered with a smirk. "What do you think Itachi?"

"What did you see?" Hinamei asked quietly, crawling towards the boy with her hand outstretched to comfort him. Yukio's pale face met hers and he closed his eyes, shaking his head.

"These men are worse than bad, that thing, it's evil." Hinamei shrunk back, he shouldn't of had to see that. But then again, none of this would have been happening if he had just kept his mouth shut like she had told him to. Softening, she watched him closely, hoping he would stop trembling soon. And even though it sounded selfish, a part of her was glad he had made himself known. She really didn't want to endure this alone.

"I don't particularly care if he comes or goes. We just need to leave." Itachi's voice broke her train of thought and she snapped her attention towards her former lover. Itachi shrugged away and stepped close to the door. Slender hand outreached, he pulled the door open and stepped outside. Like none of this really interested him at all. Without warning, the blue man's hand shot out and coiled tightly in Yukio's pale locks.

"Well I think the leader will find this one interesting. Kid, start walking."

And like that, things really began. With a scowl marring her pale face, Hinamei stole after Itachi before Kisame or Yukio could really react. Her hands fisted around the man's cloak but he was quicker and hastily slapped her hands away. But that didn't ease away the anger nor the sharp glare on Itachi's face. "I knew you liked to go against your word but I really thought this time you might have meant it." Itachi was just as hot-tempered as she was under all those monotone layers. No matter how many years might have passed, Hinamei was still just as good as ever when it came to pushing his buttons.

"It's not my fault your toy opened his mouth. I don't make the rules Hinamei, if you insist, take it over with Kisame." Her eyes flashed to Kisame and back to Itachi, and a thin smirk wore on her lips. Like flipping a switch, her eyes revealed a scarlet tone. Glaring into Itachi's face, all the while, she hadn't expected him to act so fast. In seconds, she was being pinned up against a wall with Itachi's face only inches from hers. Except now, his sharingan was out too. Blindly angry and looking for some reasoning. "Turn it off, now." His growl was almost enough to convince her, almost.

"And if I don't?" She asked quietly, searching his eyes. Kisame's footsteps sounded off inside the house along with Yukio's loud protests.

"Then I'll put you in a genjutsu so unpleasant we'll be dragging you back with us, your friend alive or not." That moment Kisame entered the door frame and Yukio came tumbling out. Hinamei turned towards both of them coldly, eyes back to their dusty charcoal color. Before Kisame could raise questions though, Itachi stepped back from Hinamei and turned around. "Do we need to tie you up or will you come willingly?" No one answered directly but Hinamei stepped behind him, head down and fists clenched. Yukio quickly scrambled by her side. "Kisame, come, we're late."

"I won't go without my katana." Hinamei said suddenly before anyone could step away. Itachi turned slightly and opened the edge of his cloak. Her glare intensified when she caught sight of her blade secured at Itachi's hip. And if she wasn't mistaken, the ghost of a smirk lingered on his lips. But she didn't dare say anything and as both men started walking away, she too made sure her feet moved behind them. Not much could surprise her at this point, if the world shook and fell to pieces, well it couldn't have been stranger than Itachi showing up out the blue like this.

Or so she had thought, for as Yukio's hand slipped around hers she felt her eyes widen in shock. She glanced over and he tried hard to force a smile, for they were in this together. Wether she liked it or not.

*****

Itachi looked over to his partner, making sure to not acknowledge either person in back of him as he spoke. "Kisame, I think we should travel through the fire country this time." The man's beady eyes stared back in concern before he managed to respond.

"That's a much longer route than we took last time, more than double the time we spent just getting here." Itachi knew, he knew it well. But none of that mattered. Itachi only nodded, and that's all Kisame needed to see to agree to go with it. No matter how much hate he harbored he couldn't lead Hinamei to her death like that. He would drag it out as long as he could, maybe this would all work itself out. Maybe it wouldn't. Whatever the case he felt the need keep trying. Hinamei brought her dull eyes upwards and watched Itachi walk in front of her. Tall and stiff, he walked callously forward. Yukio's hand was still in hers and he looked onwards as he approached the dock the two had arrived at only a day before. All four of them ignored the many watchful eyes of the people that had stopped walking. And where as they had made sure to leave early, people had already been awake for hours. It was inevitable that they would leave with someone seeing.

"Tsukiyo-san?" A soft voice fluttered in from behind making all four people stop in their tracks. Hinamei turned around slightly, letting her eyes fall on the small child that had quietly wandered in from behind them. Yukio cringed and Kisame smirked. But Itachi stood still, refusing to respond in the slightest.

"Tana-chan, what are you doing out here?" The Uchiha asked quietly. Hesitantly, she slunk forward on one knee and gently put her hands on the girl's shoulders. With bright grey eyes gleaming upwards, the girl smiled broadly in response.

"Kaa-san told me to bring you these," she brandished a few flowers from behind her back and beamed. "You sent Baa-chan to a better place, we wanted to say thank you. That's all." A watery smile gave way on Hinamei's face and gently, she took the flowers from the girl's grasp.

"Oh, thank you."

"Where are you going?" She asked sweetly. Kisame shifted impatiently and wrapped his hand around the handle of his sword. A notion that didn't go unnoticed by Hinamei. Quickly, she stood up and straightened her face.

"I have to leave for a while, but don't worry, I'll be back." She cast a glare backwards as a strong chuckle flitted in. "Now you better be going, you're mother will get worried if you're gone too long." As silent as the air, Kisame slunk in behind Hinamei's shoulder and towered above her with a slick grin cutting his face.

"Yes, you better be going little girl lest you want to be taught a lesson you'll never forget." Hinamei didn't even manage to get a word in otherwise before the small girl was stumbling backwards in fear. She ran off, small feet pounding against the floor. Immediately, people tore their eyes away, unable to shake the feeling that the two cloaked figures weren't worth their lives. And soon, Hinamei was being throttled back into motion again. "You're wasting time, if it weren't for direct orders I'd beat the fear into you to get you walking faster." She missed the moment Itachi shot a warning glance back, but Yukio watched on curiously. She scowled though and ripped her shoulder from the tall man's grip.

"Don't bother, I'm moving." Hinamei replied sourly, rubbing her hands up her arms from under the loose sleeves. The lack of alcohol in her system was already making her nervous. Well, more nervous than she already was. Her hands fell helplessly to her side and she watched on almost numbly as they unsecured the small boat from the dock. They would all fit, uncomfortably maybe, but nonetheless they would be off this rock of an island. For good. Despair growled in the pit of her stomach and for what she hoped would be the last time, she stepped onto the boat that would bring her farther and farther away from any happiness she ever knew.

*****

Water tore around them, and as ever silent, they sat and watched as the water grew more and more endless. No one spoke. Even Kisame, a man who always seemed to have something sharp to say only stared out longingly at the oceans wake. But the tension all spurred from one place, and everyone could feel it. Hinamei sat crouched at the edge, her face marred with a bitter scowl and her knuckles white as the skin stretched tightly over bone. Considerably close to her sat the taller Uchiha, his face completely void of any feeling but if one looked close enough they could see his fingertips digging into the soft flesh of his palm as they sat. Yukio seemed to be the only one who watched on with interest as neither pair moved. Though they sat clear across the boat, he would every now and then smirk at how each would grimace when the water rocked them closer together.

Hinamei and Yukio were undoubtedly being treated like children. Each rogue ninja had been forced to watch over the captives, mostly for Hinamei's sake as she spoke of drowning herself over three times now, but none the less it was starting to make Yukio itch. His uninjured arm knocked into the side of Kisame as the waters shifted, earning the young boy a quite menacing glare in response. "You better keep that to yourself boy unless you wanted to live out the rest of your life with one arm." Eagerly, Yukio shifted away and tucked his arm in tight. He happened to like his arms just as they were.

No more words were exchanged until they docked, only five minutes till sunset.

"Are we going to be walking all through the night?" Hinamei said loudly as she clumsily stepped off the boat. "I mean, I'm already pretty tired you know." No one looked at her but Yukio, who gave her a meaningful glance and then shrugged his shoulders, seemed to agree. It seemed everyone was already tired of dealing with the pair, and that was just what Hinamei wanted. The more annoying she was the less time neither Kisame or Itachi would want to spend with her. And the Itachi part was easy. Ever since they were kids, she knew it didn't take much to drive Itachi mad with her constantly moving mouth. Despite his cold demeanor she knew he was still that little boy somewhere. But Kisame, he was harder to annoy. Though she could tell his nerves were rubbing raw from her constant complaining, his tactic was to merely cut her open until she decided she'd rather live than talk. But orders prevailed and so now, he had no choice but to deal with it. So he ignored her to the best of his ability. Hinamei laughed loudly and threw her arms up, shaking loose her long, brown locks. "Come to think of it, I'm so tired I can't even move another step." All three pairs of eyes turned towards her and as defiantly as she could, she dropped to the floor and folded her arms, staring up at them defiantly.

Going long without a good, hard drink had the tendency to reel her mind back ten years.

"Get up now." Itachi said coldly, he wasn't completely turned around but his eyes were drilling holes in the top of her head. As child like as she could manage, she only blinked in response. A smirk touched at the corners of her mouth, it felt somewhat deserved to see Itachi trying to hold back that flustered anger she knew he bottled up. "Now," he growled lowly.

To which she answered with a small, "no." Itachi's eyes met Kisame's and with a small sigh, he nodded. Making the shark light up with excitement. A sign both captives knew couldn't be good. Kisame wheeled around and took a step towards Hinamei. As well as she tried to hide the fear she could feel it leaking through as a small nervous laugh left her mouth. Still, she knew she wouldn't walk. No, she wouldn't lose this one. She was going to fight this all the way through. When the man towered above her she could feel the air growing colder. Of course, the steely man wasted no time in grabbing Hinamei by the front of her shirt and like she weighed less than a feather, he hoisted her up above where her feet would have touched the floor. His face only inches away from hers.

"You've got such a pretty face, you're lucky Itachi seems so attached. If it weren't for him, I'd have you cut to pieces, you're so annoying." His teeth were like razors, and she watched fearlessly as his tongue slowly slipped over the sharp edge of his front teeth like he was hungry or something. A notion her stomach didn't sit well with. The three gill-like slits that sat above his cheekbones flared and the soft fleshy skin underneath was bared like a fresh wound. He was a monster, easy enough to say. The kind of monster she would of had nightmares of as a kid, but Itachi didn't know her as well as he thought. Her small hands wrapped up around Kisame's grip on her shirt and as menacing as she could, she looked him in the eye and snarled.

"If you know what's best for you, you'll let me go. I've got more secrets than you can count." Her eyes flickered to Itachi and as she thought, his sharingan was lit up brightly. This was going just as she planned. Three, two-

"Kisame, I'll deal with her personally." Coyly, she grinned at the blue skinned man. A notion he obviously didn't appreciate as she was dropped from a tall height almost instantly. She tumbled to the ground with a loud groan. But before she could even get her bearings straight, a pair of thin legs positioned themselves in front of her and she looked up sweetly. Unfortunately, Itachi wasn't so keen on her wide doe eyes. "I'm done warning you."

He didn't even give her a moment to reply as he hoisted her up faster than Yukio's untrained eye could follow and he slammed his coiled fist into the back of her head. Yukio made to panic but the sudden intensity of the situation had his lip torn between his teeth. With a small shuddering gasp, Hinamei crumpled into Itachi's grip, her eyes racing to the back of her head. As roughly as he could manage, Itachi threw her over his shoulder like a rag doll. "Now, let's go." And he set off like nothing had happened, Kisame and Yukio following wordlessly.

"We'll stop here for the night." Kisame finally said, three hours later. They were deep into a forest, thick and menacing as the late night moon shone through pieces of trees. Yukio looked up, bleary eyed and dizzy. His arm was aching and his stomach was writhing. Not to mention, the only person he felt safe with was currently still hanging from Itachi's broad shoulders. Itachi stopped walking and surveyed the area, after a brief nod he let his grip go and Hinamei fell to the ground with a loud lifeless thud. His dark eyes turned towards Yukio and the young boy held in a whimper that threatened to spill out.

"You, next to Kisame." He didn't even bother arguing back, until Hinamei regained consciousness he was out of luck and on his own. And he had plenty of experience being knocked around like he was. He quickly positioned himself next to the ninja and closed his eyes. Trying hard to ignore the loud scraping sound coming from Kisame's weapon as he repositioned it and sat uncomfortably close to the boy. Itachi, like a shadow, positioned himself next to Hinamei. Disrupting nothing in the process. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. These travels made him more tired than he would ever make obvious. His limbs ached and his eyes were sore, he only had a few years left. In time, everything would be corrected, but until then...

The pale girl next to him stirred, groaning as she slowly slid upwards next to his shoulder. Her fingers tenderly touched at the bruising spot above her neck and Itachi's tired eyes swayed over to her. She was watching him with a careful intensity. "Was this really necessary? I was prepared for a genjutsu, I didn't think you were so traditional Itachi." Her eyes slid over to Yukio, whose eyes were still closed and he was taking steady, frightened breaths. "What did you do to him?" She asked quietly.

"Nothing, he's nervous without you." Itachi replied, now watching the boy like she was.

"Well, you two aren't exactly easy to get along with." Hinamei slid forward onto her hands and knees and moved towards Yukio, Itachi watched on wordlessly. Kisame opened one eye as she advanced but with a quick glance at Itachi he relaxed slightly and re-closed his eye. "Yukio?" She whispered, slowly reaching a hand out. The boy shuddered, opening his eyes wide at the sudden sound. His muscles relaxed the second he laid eyes on the girl.

"Hin-" She cast him a glare and he bit his lip, "Tsukiyo, are you alright?" His voice cracked as he spoke but it was endearing all the same.

"I'm alright, I've got a killer headache but at least I've got both arms." She smiled wryly and despite the environment, he managed to form a sneaking grin. "Don't worry, we'll be fine. Trust me, will you?" Yukio looked away for a second but warily nodded his head. As long as both of them stayed alive, he could manage anything. Hinamei made to turn back around but Yukio quickly touched her shoulder with his good arm.

"I need to talk to you, I wasn't completely honest with you before." She quirked an eyebrow at him and he sheepishly looked away. "I feel bad, you told me everything and well, I haven't said anything about myself. I did run away, but for a good reason-" He was cut off with Hinamei's finger pressed lightly to his pale lips.

"Not yet, tell me when we get out of here. I promise, we will." She was answered with a cold chuckle from the beast next to Yukio.

"You'll never get out of this, don't underestimate us girl. There's no escaping your destiny."

Hinamei glared, even though she knew he wasn't looking. These people didn't know anything. The world worked in peculiar ways and she knew, one way or another she'd get Yukio and herself out of this mess. Unlike Itachi, she knew how to keep a promise.