"Kisame, stop working out. We've got a mission."
Itachi pushed Kisame's door open and walked in to call him.
Kisame liked to leave his door open for ventilation when he worked out, so anyone could come in and watch him exercise.
"A mission? Didn't we finish our weekly mission yesterday?"
"Not that kind. This one's about a Tailed Beast."
"A Tailed Beast?"
Kisame put his dumbbells away and picked up a towel to wipe off his sweat.
While he did that, Itachi gave him a brief rundown of the mission.
"First, we're going to the outskirts of Iwagakure to capture Roshi, the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki."
"Do we have any intel?"
"Yes. His main ability is the Lava Release Kekkei Genkai."
"Lava Release?"
Kisame tossed the towel onto a rail and splashed water on his face.
"Oh! I remember now. He's the guy who uses lava!"
Itachi nodded.
"You're just the right person to counter him."
Kisame grinned, exposing a mouthful of sharp white teeth.
"I can counter pretty much anyone who's a Jinchūriki!"
Kisame picked up his Akatsuki robe and casually draped it over his shoulders.
He would let the breeze cool him off and stop sweating first. He could put the robe on once they left Hidden Rain.
"Let's go, Mr. Itachi."
Itachi, already wearing his red-cloud Akatsuki Robe, followed Kisame out the door.
Back in Sunagakure, the four of them were having lunch.
While they waited for the food, Xuanhui looked at Gaara and asked about the main reason for his visit.
"Gaara, Shukaku hasn't been giving you trouble, has he?"
"Shukaku?"
Gaara's smooth forehead creased, as though he were thinking furiously.
Xuanhui suddenly realized that Gaara apparently didn't know Shukaku yet.
Were all Tailed Beasts this prickly? None of them wanted to speak to their Jinchūriki first...