Court's Fate

Someone asked if I'd do a side story for Itachi and Kisame, telling how they got together. So, because the person asked on Halloween here you all go! This story won't be very long, only a few chapters, still I hope you all enjoy it.

Plot Bunny: Cherub

Plot: Itachi was traveling from fief to fief meeting lords and getting to know the kingdom that would one day be his, when he met with the most infuriating demon ever. If Fate was kind he would have been able to outrun the dominant, but Fate isn't kind and had deemed this demon was to be his mate. Prequel to "Welcome to Court" & "Trouble in Court"

Pairing: KisaIta

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto

Chapter 1: Crossing of Destinies

Itachi tried not to show it, but he was utterly bored. Nothing against the Inner Lords, but they stood too much on ceremony. It wasn't like he was there to give a formal inspection. He was just trying to familiarize himself with the many different Fiefs in the kingdom. Still the Lords so far all seemed to think it was imperative that he go on this in-depth tour of their history, as they explained how the Fief had never been more prosperous. Truthfully Itachi highly doubted that. He'd seen the numbers, he knew what each Fief's economy was like, and many were struggling to keep their heads afloat. It only grated on the crown prince that these fat pompous asses were trying to pull the wool over his eyes.

"And this, your highness, is our greatest export," the lord of the Blaze Fief said. "We receive the raw materials from the Outer Lands of Fire and refine it here, in our factories."

"Yes, this is all fascinating, but I'm not here for a tour. I just came to touch bases," Itachi replied politely. "I do have a schedule to keep, so I must be going."

"Oh yes, of course," the Lord bowed deeply. Itachi almost expected the man to break in half. True most of the Lords were fat, but this one seemed exceedingly thin, frail almost. "I'll have an escort prepared to take you to our borders."

"That won't be necessary," Itachi said quickly. "I'm in a hurry to get to the Outer Lands before dark, so I must decline."

"As you wish your highness," he responded. "May I inquire as to which of the Outer Lands you'll be visiting first?"

"The Lands of Water," Itachi answered as he stepped out of the factory.

"Then you'll be meeting Lady Mei," the Lord smiled. "She's sure to be a trifle trying. The woman is far too smug for someone who only recently came into power."

"Don't you have dealings with the Outer Lands?" Itachi inquired off handedly.

"The Outer Lands of Fire," the Lord answered. "They are the ones we get our Fire Iron from."

"And, what would you say is your opinion of the Outer Lands, as a whole?" Itachi asked.

"They are a rather loose lot," the Lord frowned. "Sure Lord Minato is a great guy, but that son of his is nothing more than a wild menace. The other Outer Lords seem more concerned with that damned border than political issues. I do wish they would wake up and see the inner workings of the country."

Itachi hid the smirk that spread on his lips. He had heard there was growing dissatisfaction between the realms, and this only proved it. The part of Lord Minato's son was intriguing as well. "I don't think I've ever met the young heir to the Lands of Fire, what's he like?"

"Naruto? A submissive that refuses to submit," the Lord growled. "Then again, with all the power that boy holds it's no wonder no one has been able to make him bow down. Even his own father is weaker than him."

"Really? Now that's something to look forward too," Itachi whispered to himself. A carriage pulled up in front of the duo and the Lord bowed deeply. "Thank you for the tour."

"Thank you for the visit," the Lord said, head still bowed.

Itachi closed the door to the carriage and it quickly left. Alone, Itachi sighed and relaxed against the plush cushions of the interior. He had spent weeks going from Inner Fief to Inner Fief, and the only thing he had been able to accomplish, other than gaining a large headache, was discover that many were unhappy with the Outer Lands. The reason for the growing unrest wasn't clear, and Itachi had a feeling it was based solely on rumors, but it still needed to be dealt with.

"Naruto? A submissive that refuses to submit," the Lords words rang in Itachi's mind.

"Sounds interesting," Itachi smiled. There weren't many submissives that were stronger than the average dominant, and most that were belonged to the Royal Bloodline, like Itachi. Naturally a submissive, Itachi had beaten every dominant that had appeared before him hoping to claim him. He had yet to meet a dominant demon that could suppress him, and he was starting to doubt there was one.

But, Lord Minato's son was a different case. There was very little known about the reclusive son of Lord Minato and Lady Kushina, but what he did know made him very interested in him. First, Naruto was the only child of the pair, Lady Kushina having nearly died caring him. Second, the boy had been born a rare wind demon, the same as his father. Third, Naruto was a beauty beyond comparison, or at least that's what the rumors said. Finally, he was powerful according to the few who had met him personally. Yes, he was the perfect choice for his little brother, and with a mating between the Royal Family and the Outer Lands perhaps things between the realms would calm down.

'I guess I'll just have to be quick about meeting him,' Itachi decided as his eyes slipped closed, plans forming in his mind.

xXx Court's Fate xXx

"Kisame!" a loud female voice echoed in the stone halls of the castle. "Where is that cousin of mine?" she growled. "You!" she snapped as a servant passed by her. The water demon stopped in front of her. "Have you seen Kisame?" she demanded.

"No Mei-sama," the servant answered.

"If you do tell him I need to see him," she said with a softer tone. "You can get back to your work."

"Of course, and thank you Mei-sama," the servant bowed and scampered off, a smile on his face.

Mei, the Lady of the Outer Lands of Water, was a beauty. Her long auburn hair reached down past her back, nearly brushing the floor. Her pristine skin glowed in the fire light of the torches. But it was her sharp eyes that drew people to her. As a demon possessing three elements she was a rarity, but she still paled in power when compared to her dominant water demon cousin.

"Where is that good for nothing?!" she growled as he continued to look for the cause of her present aggravation. "Kisame!"

"If you yell any louder I'm going to lose my eardrums," Kisame drawled.

Mei stopped and looked up, her eyes narrowing on the large demon above her. "What are you doing up there?" she snapped.

"Trying to get some peace," Kisame answered.

"Well do that another time, we have an important guest coming today and I want you present," she said.

"Oh? Who might this guest be to get you so wound up?" he asked, a smile spreading.

"The crown prince, Uchiha Itachi-sama," she answered with a straight face.

Kisame's eyes widened and he nearly fell from his roost in the banisters. "The crown prince is coming here? Why?"

"I'm not aware of the purpose for his visit," Mei sighed. "But I do know I can't handle that man by myself. He terrifies me," she shivered.

"Maybe it's the submissive in you recognizing someone stronger," Kisame joked. "Whoa!" Kisame quickly dodged a shot of boiling water aimed at him.

"Just because I'm a submissive doesn't mean I won't fight back," Mei growled.

"Easy cousin," Kisame said jumping down and straightening up. At his full height he dwarfed his cousin by a good foot and a half. "No reason to worry, you have me after all. How scary can this prince be?"

"Your lack of fear and respect for the Royal Family only goes to show how strong you are," she sighed as they walked down the hallway together.

"Can't deny that one," Kisame shrugged. It was true. He was the strongest dominant demon to be born for over a century. Some say he was the strongest to ever be born, though he doubted that. There was always someone stronger than you. Whether that strength was physical or mental, there was always one person better.

"My Lady, the royal carriage has been spotted entering the city gates," a sentry announced running up to them.

Mei smiled, "Good, make sure everything is in place, and continue to go about your jobs. I won't have the security disrupted because of a visitor, no matter how important."

"Yes Mei-sama," the sentry bowed and ran off.

"You sure about this?" Kisame asked.

"About what?" Mei asked in return.

"Not pulling out all the stops and giving him an escort and the whole shebang," Kisame explained.

Mei glanced up at him with a quarrying look. "Since when are you one too stand on ceremony?"

"I'm not, but wouldn't it be better?" he asked.

"No, something tells me Itachi-sama wouldn't want that," Mei answered.

xXx Court's Fate xXx

Itachi had been both surprised and pleased when an escort wasn't waiting for him at the gates. He didn't know what that said about Lady Mei, but he wasn't going to complain. The extra minutes of silence were appreciated. The last thing he wanted was for someone prattling in his ear as they moved to the castle.

He glanced out the window of his carriage and was shocked to see children pointing and staring. The adults did bow, but didn't remain so until after he had passed. 'Things do seem rather lax,' Itachi noted.

Suddenly the carriage jolted, tossing Itachi hard against the door. Shouts and cries came from outside. Groggy Itachi pulled himself up and climbed out of the carriage. "Do you have no respect for your prince?" the knight in charge of his security was demanding.

"He didn't mean any harm!" a woman was saying, clutching a small child to her chest. "He was just chasing his ball."

"What is going on here?" Itachi asked coming up to the sight.

"My Lord!" the knight rushed to his side. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, now what is going on?" Itachi repeated, his tone showing how displeased he was with having to repeat himself.

"This child ran out in front of the carriage," the knight glared at the woman and small child.

Itachi regarded the trembling demon, and terrified child in her arms. Moving away from the knight he knelt in front of the pair. "Are either of you hurt?" he asked.

The woman's eyes widened. "No, your highness," she said, her head bowing. "He didn't mean any harm. Please don't hurt my son."

Itachi smiled and reached out. The woman flinched, but her eyes widened when she realized what Itachi was doing. He was ruffling the child's hair. "You were chasing your ball right?" he asked.

"Yea," the boy said.

Itachi looked over his shoulder. "Find the ball," he ordered his men.

"My Lord?"

"Find. The. Ball," Itachi growled, his eyes sparking red for a moment. Quickly the soldiers ran around looking for the toy. Itachi turned back and smiled at the boy. "What's your name?"

"Yuuki," the boy answered, a wide smile spreading across his own face.

"That's a nice name," Itachi said. "And your name?" he asked the woman.

"Rei," the woman answered.

"And where is your dominant?" Itachi asked. He was confused as to why the man hadn't rushed to the aid of his family.

"My mate is at the border of the Hills of Night," Rei answered.

"Daddy is keeping the monsters away!" Yuuki answered.

"I see," Itachi ruffled the boy's hair again.

"The ball my Lord," the knight said holding the ball out.

"Thank you," Itachi said taking the ball and handing it back to the boy. "Now, don't run out in front of any more moving carriages okay? You can get hurt doing that."

"Okay!" Yuuki said grabbing his ball and running off to join a group of kids, all of different ages.

"Thank you, your highness," Rei bowed deeply. "I'll keep a better eye on him."

"No need," Itachi reached down and helped the woman up. "Children are meant to play. Just make sure he doesn't get hurt. He needs to be healthy for when your mate returns."

Tears collected in Rei's eyes, "Yes, of course!"

Itachi gave the woman one last smile before turning around. He walked straight up to his knight, his eyes glowing red. "You ever threaten a child and mother again and I will personally send you to the afterlife," he growled into the dominant demon's ear. The demon paled and bowed, unable to say anything in response. "Let's go," Itachi ordered as he climbed back into the carriage.

The small security detail quickly got back in formation and soon the carriage was moving forward. Itachi was starting to understand the Outer Lands. The people here seemed to not live in fear of their nobles, but were wary of others. He made a note to speak with Lady Mei about why that was. If things were to be fixed between the Outer Lands and Inner Fiefs he needed to understand the people in each.

He didn't have much time to consider it because the procession came to a stop and a soldier opened the carriage door. With a heavy sigh, Itachi braced himself for the long formal greeting that was to come. Stepping out of the carriage he opened his eyes and was confused. Only a few people were standing at attention. Lady Mei was instantly recognizable, her long auburn hair was an instant give away. She had a few knights on each side of her, probably her personal guard, and one man standing directly behind her. Other than that the people around them seemed more interested in continuing their present jobs.

"Welcome, Itachi-sama," Mei greeted him with a friendly smile and bow. "I'm glad you made it here safely."

"Yes, I'm glad to be here," Itachi responded with a political smile. "Is everything alright?" he asked looking around.

"Of course, we're just getting ready to switch the guard at the border so things are a bit hectic," Mei answered.

"I see," Itachi nodded.

Mei moved aside and the large demon that had been standing behind her moved forward. "This is my cousin, Hoshigaki Kisame. He'll be your liaison while you're here," she introduced.

Itachi looked up into the black eyes of the tall, buff, gorgeous demon before him. Power seemed to emanate from the dominant, and he was definitely a dominant. Itachi felt himself sway slightly. Steady himself his eyes widened. That had never happened before. No dominant had an effect on him. So why was this overgrown fish effecting him so?

"Hey, nice to meet you," Kisame drawled, a cocky smile adoring his lips.

Itachi felt himself growl and step away from. He didn't like this demon. Kisame's smile only grew at the sight of Itachi retreating. He loved to chase things, and this little prince seemed ready to run, though it was disappointing. But when Itachi straightened his spine and glared at him, Kisame felt the disappointment flea. This one was feisty.

"I'll be in your care," Itachi acknowledged. He would not run from this dominant, though his entire being told him to. He had never run before, and he wouldn't start now.

Kisame's eyes filled with excitement. 'This is going to be interesting,' he thought to himself as he took Itachi in. The prince wasn't exactly stunningly beautiful, but he did have an elegance to him that made him unspeakably attractive. Plus he was strong, that much was obvious. The fact he hadn't instantly submitted before him attested to that. Maybe he had finally found his match.

Itachi could tell what Kisame was thinking. The look in his eyes gave him away. 'Not going to happen,' he growled internally. 'I won't submit so easily.'


And that's how they met!

Voice: Wow, Kisame has his work cut out for him.

Me: Yep!

Voice: Well, please review.