In which episode does Kisame meet Itachi for the first time?

Kisame meets Itachi for the first time in episode 251 of Naruto Shippuden.

Kisame Meets Itachi for the first Time

Kisame and Itachi are one of the best duos in Naruto. What makes them great was their respect for each other. Before that, Itachi had another partner. His name was Juzo. If you want to know more about Juzo, I’ve written a post on him here.

Who was Itachi’s partner before Kisame in Akatsuki?

Juzo was one of the seven swordsmen from the hidden mist. During his time with Itachi, he faced the fourth Mizukage who was a jinchurriki. Juzo hurt himself and became the decoy in order for Itachi to escape.

Hence Kisame was brought in to replace Itachi. They meet near the riverbank, and Kisame says they’re both similar since they killed their own comrades.

Itachi then goes on to threaten him indirectly with his Sharingan, and asking him to stay vigilant. That’s when Itachi delivers the following dialogue.

Itachi Quote to kisame

We are humans not fish. We don’t know what kind of people we truly are until the moment before our deaths. As death comes to embrace you realize who you really are. That is what death is, don’t you think?