Bonds and Fates | Chapter 4

"Was she hot... such a stupid question!" Itachi muttered in annoyance, stalking up to his door and shoving it open with much more force than was necessary. In an uncharacteristic temper tantrum, he threw himself dramatically onto his bed and glared up at the ceiling in annoyance.

A moment later he heard his partner's distinctive tread as he waltzed up the stairs. "Maybe you should get out of here for a few hours," the shark-man commented, dousing a corner of their door frame in water when it began smoking, "You're starting to act like Deidara with his hissy fits." Itachi muttered under his breath and glared at Kisame.

"I do not act like that... that..." words failed him for once and he snarled in anger. The curtain behind him caught fire. His blue partner sighed and drenched the innocent curtain in water.

"Idiot?" Kisame supplied, smirking inwardly at the incensed look the Uchiha sent him. The smaller man finally sighed, sitting up and putting his head in his hands.

"He drives me insane with his inane chatter, insists that I have 'no appreciation of art', makes rude gestures behind my back," Kisame winced, knowing the blonde Akatsuki member would be in for a pounding later, "then wants me to divulge in some ridiculous recount of a girl that didn't run screaming at the sight of me," Itachi muttered, shaking his head and pulling himself together. The room was silent for a few heartbeats and the Uchiha glanced up at his thunderstruck partner, expecting a response.

"So... There was a girl?"

Itachi snatched a brace of kunai and stormed out the door. Kisame proved a valid point. He needed to get out; preferably before he burned down the headquarters in annoyance. 'He didn't hear a word I said!'

The shark-man grinned, pulling out a sheet of parchment and marking a 1 next to his name. "I still think I have the best chance of getting this 'girl' information out of him." He chuckled. Deidara was so going to lose their bet.

It was one of those days where she felt like she shouldn't get out of bed. However, the world would not wait for Kagome Higurashi to decide when she should start her day. Nope. The neighbors gladly did that for her.

'That pounding had better stop before I get to the door,' Kagome thought groggily, rolling out of bed and hitting the floor in an inelegant heap of limbs and tangled bed sheets. The pounding still cheerfully continued.

"I'M COMING!" the priestess shouted, scrambling out of her sheets and jumping up in a surprisingly elegant maneuver. Glancing down briefly at her attire, she nodded and decided she looked decent enough to answer the door in her pajamas. Sprinting quickly down the stairs, she only bumped into one door frame in her haste to silence the person knocking so erratically on the other side of her front door.

"Yes?" Kagome flung the door open and gawked at her elderly neighbors smiling happily outside the door.

"Good morning, Kagome-chan!" the older woman chirped. The priestess was immediately annoyed with the bright greeting.

Hatsumi-san! How are you this morning?" the raven-haired girl asked in an overly-bright tone.

"Oh fine! I was just wondering if you were working today, Kagome-chan?" Hatsumi asked, cutting straight to the point. Kagome blinked and shook her head. Hatsumi's grin got wider, "Well, you remember me telling you about Chance, right?"

"Yes? Your little dog, right?" Kagome responded, having a good idea where this conversation was going.

"Yes! Well, the husband and I got a telegram from our daughter. Her son is sick and we said we would bring them some medicine," the older woman explained quickly, waving her arms about. The young priestess gasped in sadness, sending up a prayer that the boy would get better soon.

"Is it bad?"

"I'm not quite sure. We'll know when we get there," Hatsumi hummed, fidgeting from foot to foot, "Anyway, we can't take old Chance with us. He's not quite strong enough to travel anymore, and my normal dog-sitter is at her other job. I know you like dogs and all..."

"No! I'll help! I don't mind watching Chance for you guys until you get back!" she cursed her selfless heart, but a child in need would always take preedence over her own wants and needs. It was why she also volunteered at the orphanage.

"Would you? Oh thank you so much, Kagome-chan! I'll pay you what I would pay her!"

"That's not necessary, Hatsumi-san," Kagome sighed, waving her hand in a no-nonsense way.

"I know. But I'll still do it, as thanks for your kindness. It's the least I can do for taking up your time. It'll only be for the day and maybe part of tomorrow. Is that all right?"

"Yeah! I don't go in tomorrow until the afternoon."

"Oh thank you so much! I'll bring him right over with his things!"

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