CLANKILLING:
kisame’s words opened up the floodgates, emotions he’d been pushing down for weeks now just coming to the surface again. seeing sasuke for the first time since the massacre shifted something inside him, tore through the facade of ‘clan killer’ and left a gaping wound where his heart used to be. in a more stable state of mind, he’d feel guilt for forcing kisame to watch his breakdown, but right now all he needed was comfort.
“ all i want to do is die but i don’t deserve such reprieve. ”
he knew the trip to his partner’s village would be difficult on him, but he never imagined it to be this hard -- he’s used to tired eyes and slow movements; he’s learned to travel with the chronically ill. pacing and patience played key rolls in their day to day lives. but the emotional toll of something like this? of seeing his brother? they never talked about it -- emotion wasn’t an item on their repertoire of conversation. it was almost unsettling to see itachi break down so much. but kisame just sits beside him, a hand reaching out and gently resting on slender shoulder. he’s not great at comforting words, but sometimes there isn’t much to say.
‘ you did what you had to. you can’t beat yourself up forever over that. your brother is alive -- isn’t that what you want? ’
