Drabble Meme
For: Mawb
Character: Kisame
Prompt: Ninja Tea Time
-
The fragrance of tea from the cracked clay cup was surprisingly delicate for such a run down little roadside shop. A few years ago Kisame wouldn't have noticed the difference, downing his tea with the meal with indifference to the taste. Even now, the startlingly high quality of the tea, and the brewing, registered as little more than out of place curiosities, details noted in the same way anything out of place was registered and noted and put away in case it might be useful, or dangerous.
They were traveling just inside the border of Earth Country. Just finished one mission that morning, and already sent off on the next. That was fine with Kisame, he didn't mind the workload being like this, now and then. And it was amusing, a little, to see the dark lines under his partner's eyes and the even deeper silence from the other, the lack of vaguely threatening banter. Not tired enough to warrant worry, not tired enough that Kisame had to wonder if the other man could really watch his back, but just tired enough to ask for a rest stop here at this tea shop, a quiet request that had amused Kisame for the implied humility it imposed on his usually proud partner.
The partner in question was currently seated nearby, eyes closed, fingers wrapped around a simple green mug, probably meditating. Kisame judged it'd be another twenty minutes before the Uchiha was refreshed enough to continue. In the mean time that left him with his tea, the old lady who ran the little shop, and not much to do. His damn partner could have picked a place to stop with a good looking waitress at least. The man stood, walking towards the entrance. A flash of red made him turn his head, meet Itachi's eyes a moment. He grinned, jerking his head towards the cloth hanging that served as a door to the establishment. Itachi's eyes narrowed and Kisame walked on, feeling that gaze all the way out of the little shop. It was like having a sword pointed at you, when Itachi looked at you. It made for a fun partnership, to say the least.
Once outside, Kisame stretched--the ceiling of the shop was at least three inches too short for him. he surveyed the horizon, calculating in his mind how fast they'd need to travel to reach their destination. It'd been some years since he traveled in this part of the Earth Country, and they were supposed to meet with Sasori in two days. The puppeteer wasn't one to enjoy tardiness, and Kisame couldn't blame him. Missions could hinge on the balance of the timing of mere seconds--not that this mission was likely to. A bit of a shame really, Kisame had been in the mood for some excitement, and the last mission was a severe letdown. Not much of a challenge, and that was even with the kid letting him take most of the fun part.
It was a shame, then, that the bounty hunters lurking in hiding around him weren't going to be worth his time. Probably wouldn't even warrant bringing out Samehada, but he wasn't really in the mood to hold back--too bad for them.
Kisame sidestepped the first attack, what was supposed to be a surprise dart, poison, no doubt, and grinned as he unslung the sword from his back. Even Samehada was restless, he could feel the way she quivered in his hand, ready to taste something good.
"Sorry." He apologized to the sword. "It looks like there's nothing tasty here."
It wasn't much of a fight. It didn't even last half the twenty minutes--and Kisame was pretty sure even if he had held back it would have been over in about the same time. Samehada was settling grumpily in his hands, dissatisfied with the meal of poor chakra. He couldn't blame her. After that fight he was pretty dissatisfied himself. It was like being offered a good steak and then finding out it was mostly fat and gristle. Not even appetizing.
Stepping over one corpse, and nudging another so it wasn't blocking the doorway, Kisame ducked back into the tea shop and sat down on the bench facing the door, his back to Itachi as he picked up his half-drunk mug of tea. Still warm at least. He took a sip.
"Feel better now?" Itachi's voice was dry, and Kisame could feel the gaze on the back of his neck in the prickling along his skin.
"If you were that keen on joining the action kid, you could have jumped in."
The gaze remained on him a moment more, before Kisame could feel his partner's eyes close. It was the way his fingers stopped itching to reach for his sword.
"The tea here's pretty good." Kisame commented after a few more moments of silence. Itachi made a noise of general assent. Not long afterwards Kisame left the money for their tea on the table--the old woman was long gone, probably still running--and the two left the establishment in comfortable silence, stepping over corpses until they reached the road again and continuing on.
Character: Kisame
Prompt: Ninja Tea Time
-
The fragrance of tea from the cracked clay cup was surprisingly delicate for such a run down little roadside shop. A few years ago Kisame wouldn't have noticed the difference, downing his tea with the meal with indifference to the taste. Even now, the startlingly high quality of the tea, and the brewing, registered as little more than out of place curiosities, details noted in the same way anything out of place was registered and noted and put away in case it might be useful, or dangerous.
They were traveling just inside the border of Earth Country. Just finished one mission that morning, and already sent off on the next. That was fine with Kisame, he didn't mind the workload being like this, now and then. And it was amusing, a little, to see the dark lines under his partner's eyes and the even deeper silence from the other, the lack of vaguely threatening banter. Not tired enough to warrant worry, not tired enough that Kisame had to wonder if the other man could really watch his back, but just tired enough to ask for a rest stop here at this tea shop, a quiet request that had amused Kisame for the implied humility it imposed on his usually proud partner.
The partner in question was currently seated nearby, eyes closed, fingers wrapped around a simple green mug, probably meditating. Kisame judged it'd be another twenty minutes before the Uchiha was refreshed enough to continue. In the mean time that left him with his tea, the old lady who ran the little shop, and not much to do. His damn partner could have picked a place to stop with a good looking waitress at least. The man stood, walking towards the entrance. A flash of red made him turn his head, meet Itachi's eyes a moment. He grinned, jerking his head towards the cloth hanging that served as a door to the establishment. Itachi's eyes narrowed and Kisame walked on, feeling that gaze all the way out of the little shop. It was like having a sword pointed at you, when Itachi looked at you. It made for a fun partnership, to say the least.
Once outside, Kisame stretched--the ceiling of the shop was at least three inches too short for him. he surveyed the horizon, calculating in his mind how fast they'd need to travel to reach their destination. It'd been some years since he traveled in this part of the Earth Country, and they were supposed to meet with Sasori in two days. The puppeteer wasn't one to enjoy tardiness, and Kisame couldn't blame him. Missions could hinge on the balance of the timing of mere seconds--not that this mission was likely to. A bit of a shame really, Kisame had been in the mood for some excitement, and the last mission was a severe letdown. Not much of a challenge, and that was even with the kid letting him take most of the fun part.
It was a shame, then, that the bounty hunters lurking in hiding around him weren't going to be worth his time. Probably wouldn't even warrant bringing out Samehada, but he wasn't really in the mood to hold back--too bad for them.
Kisame sidestepped the first attack, what was supposed to be a surprise dart, poison, no doubt, and grinned as he unslung the sword from his back. Even Samehada was restless, he could feel the way she quivered in his hand, ready to taste something good.
"Sorry." He apologized to the sword. "It looks like there's nothing tasty here."
It wasn't much of a fight. It didn't even last half the twenty minutes--and Kisame was pretty sure even if he had held back it would have been over in about the same time. Samehada was settling grumpily in his hands, dissatisfied with the meal of poor chakra. He couldn't blame her. After that fight he was pretty dissatisfied himself. It was like being offered a good steak and then finding out it was mostly fat and gristle. Not even appetizing.
Stepping over one corpse, and nudging another so it wasn't blocking the doorway, Kisame ducked back into the tea shop and sat down on the bench facing the door, his back to Itachi as he picked up his half-drunk mug of tea. Still warm at least. He took a sip.
"Feel better now?" Itachi's voice was dry, and Kisame could feel the gaze on the back of his neck in the prickling along his skin.
"If you were that keen on joining the action kid, you could have jumped in."
The gaze remained on him a moment more, before Kisame could feel his partner's eyes close. It was the way his fingers stopped itching to reach for his sword.
"The tea here's pretty good." Kisame commented after a few more moments of silence. Itachi made a noise of general assent. Not long afterwards Kisame left the money for their tea on the table--the old woman was long gone, probably still running--and the two left the establishment in comfortable silence, stepping over corpses until they reached the road again and continuing on.