A healer had once told him that as his vision faded, he shouldn't be surprised to see spots and particles where there shouldn't be, flecks and 'floaters' as his eyes tore themselves apart. To Itachi, they occasionally looked like ash, like small pieces of burning waste that would flicker through the air as a fire began to slowly wind down.
He was seeing more of them now, flecks of ash circling around the ghosts that haunted him more clearly now than ever before, though not nearly as clear as the knowledge that everything he'd done had potentially been for nothing, had been a lie.
"You'd told me all along." Itachi whispered, more to himself than to his partner next to him. He'd thought he'd known better, of course. The world was full of lies to a common man, but he, Itachi Uchiha, saw beneath the beneath, saw the truth of the world and what was needed to make peace, to make a world where his brother would be safe. All lies, of course it was all lies. What else would it have been? What else could it have been? Of all the things his father had ever told him, it was only now that some of his words were starting to ring true.
"They only see us for our eyes, Itachi, and now Kakashi has shown them that even our bodies aren't necessary to use them. They fear us, and they desire us, and they will use that against us."
"If it makes any difference…" Kisame commented. "Your situation is a lot more fucked up than I was thinking when I told you that."
Perhaps it was some measure of insanity, but Kisame's thoughts brought a low chuckle out of Itachi then.
"You'd think with these eyes I should have seen it coming."
"They often say that about Madara and his death, if that helps."
"So far as you or I are aware, Madara has not died."
"And you're an idiot if you think that man is Madara after all you've just learned."
"An idiot I am, Kisame, having killed my entire clan so that an old man could abuse a power he did not fully have the means to control."
"Then are you ready to stop being an idiot and admit that I'm right?"
Itachi's smile was dark, but he found he could not wipe it from his face. "No, actually, I can't. After all, there's still one remaining contradiction to your claim."
"Oh?"
"You've never lied to me once, Kisame. Never once."
Kisame grinned, his sharp teeth rubbing against each other with a sound that caused Itachi to shiver even now. "Not as far as you know."
"Not as far as I know." Itachi agreed. "Which means you are either the most strangely honest man I have ever met, or else someone who has jumped through quite a lot of mental hoops to convince himself that the world isn't worth his time anymore, and I find I can't quite decide which you are, yet. And perhaps I never will."
"You're overthinking it. I like you. You're one of the only ones who seems to give a damn about the world still."
"But you don't?"
"World never gave a damn about me, and I don't give a damn about it."
"So you work with Akatsuki."
"A world of truth sounds like as fun a fantasy as any to strive for. Even if it is all lies and pipe dreams. And when the time comes…" Kisame's hand shifted on the Samehada, and Itachi could feel the sword's energy writhing with a desire to maim, to kill.
"...I'll get to fight some pretty strong opponents."
Itachi chuckled again, and the laugh turned into a deep, retching cough. It had gotten worse since the fight with Danzo, much worse, and yet Itachi still could not bring himself to end his own suffering one way or another. He deserved it, after all. Deserved all the pain and misery, deserved it for what he had done, what he had failed to do.
"Better motivation than I." Itachi admitted as the fit passed. "What do I have now? Konoha allowed my clan to suffer out of greed for power. But I have forsaken my clan for the sake of Konoha. If I continue as I am now, here in Akatsuki, knowing what they did…"
"You'd be just as much of a traitorous bastard as the rest of us."
"I used to think I was above the lot of you."
"Now that's stupid thinking."
"It was the thoughts of Itachi the Genius. The one who played the long game. Who tiptoed around allegiances without ever showing his true hand, who worked for the good of his village even when the village condemned him. 'For the glory of Konoha', he always said. Like somehow we had any glory left in us. Like there was something worth sacrificing all of me for."
"So what will you do now? Knowing Konoha is just as much a crapstain as the rest of the world?"
"I…"
It was the question. What would he do? He had no desire to maintain giving Konoha information on Akatsuki's movements, but in turn he had no true desire to help Akatsuki. He wasn't worthy of attempting to revive his clan; that fell to Sasuke now, Sasuke who was meant to be his savior, his honorable death.
But Sasuke was not yet ready. And until then…
"I don't know. I've never been allowed to choose, before."
"And now you have a plethora of bad choices at your feet."
"Are there no good choices, then?"
"Only if you believe in such a thing as 'good'."
Itachi was surprised by this. Not by the statement, not, but rather that despite everything, a part of him still did.
The world was stained with lies and deceit. But that implied there was something pure beneath to be stained. Something deep beneath the ashes that just needed...something.
Itachi wasn't sure what it needed, and maybe he wasn't the right one to know.
Konoha or Akatsuki. Then death. Two choices.
...right?
"Kisame."
"Yeah?"
"I think I'm somewhat tired of being a genius. I think, perhaps, it is time I do something foolish of my own accord and not be led into it by someone else."
"Oh?"
"And you're going to join me."
"...hmm. Yeah, there's a chance I might."
"Come, then." Itachi stood. "First things first. I need to meet with Madara."
"The corpse or the alive one?" Kisame asked, a cheeky tone in his voice. Itachi smiled back in turn.
"Both."
Hidan hated 'team meetings', and found satisfaction only in the knowledge that everyone else seemed to hate them too.
It was easier when they weren't meeting in person. With the fuzzy holograms, Hidan could afford to scratch his nose or make funny facial expressions and nobody else could really tell. In person, he was supposed to have a semblance of decorum, which was nigh im-fucking-possible when a blasphemer was standing around all high and mighty telling them what was what and who went where.
(Even more infuriating was the knowledge that Hidan couldn't smite the fucker where he stood. He was reckless, but he wasn't that stupid. Jashin had, for whatever reason, blessed Pein with incredible destructive power, and while Hidan knew Pein couldn't kill him, he did know Pein could make his life an absolute hell trying.)
"So you're telling me…" Hidan leaned lazily against a nearby stone pillar. "You're telling me little Pinkie Hotshot dragged Konoha into a civil war and made three countries triple the security on their Jinchuuriki and you're not going to let me have a go at her?"
"The answer is no, Hidan, and that is final."
"But you'll send Dei and fuckin' Master of Puppets instead?" Hidan growled back. "Kakuzu and I at least have fucking met her before! If Itachi fuckin' Uchiha got thrown off a cliff fighting her, I'd think you need the damn Zombie Combo on it, don't you think?"
"Are you doubting my art, Hidan? I don't think whatever she has going for her will protect her from an explosive." Deidara snipped back. And Deidara was probably right, but at this point, at this fucking point, it was Hidan's damned job to keep Akatsuki off her back.
When I said to become Jashin's disciple, I didn't mean get chosen for the damned Calm Path!
"Ichibi." Kakuzu countered, and Hidan felt a measurable sense of relief to know that his partner was...wait, why was Kakuzu on his side? "The Jinchuuriki has a mastery of sand shields that will likely provide adequate protection against bombing. Penetrating it will likely require skilled use of lightning release, of which I am the sole person here besides our leader with any experience."
"So we separate the Ichibi from her, easy." Deidara shrugged. "Let Sasori handle the Ichibi and I'll blow your little Pinkie Hotshot out of the picture one on one."
"Besides, you're missing the bigger picture." Sasori spoke up, his voice wooden and jerky as it was forced through the mouth of his puppet shell. "My intelligence shows that she plans on heading to Otogakure in attempt to sway Orochimaru onto that treaty. I maintain a healthy spy network in Oto, which means I am the most familiar with the area, and the most capable of preparing it for a quick takedown."
"Assuming Orochimaru tolerates your presence." Kakuzu retorted. "I seem to recall the two of you didn't get on very well."
"And how many of your previous partners have you killed?"
"Your statement does not negate my own."
"I have leverage. He might have left, but he desires our allyship far more than he'll desire the girl's."
"Then it is settled."
Pein spoke up at last, no doubt having grown tired of the bickering. And if Kakuzu couldn't talk his way into it, Hidan knew he couldn't press his luck.
Damn it all, Jashin, why did you put me in here if you won't let me do my damned job?
"Sasori, Deidara. You will make preparations and be ready to obtain the Ichibi and eliminate Sakura Haruno upon their arrival to Oto. Hidan, Kakuzu, the two of you will head into Lightning Country and begin reconnaissance on their own Jinchuuriki. I will send Itachi and Kisame into Kiri once we regain contact with them."
"And you, oh illustrious leader?" Hidan asked dryly, making sure to let the irreverence drop from his voice.
"I will be preparing to send a message to the allied shinobi nations." Pein answered. "If you make haste, I might even allow you to participate."
"Better get going then, Hidan, wouldn't want to be late." Deidara nudged him on the arm as he turned to leave. "I'd offer to save a piece of Haruno for you, but it wouldn't really be art if I left anything like that to collect, would it?"
"Suck a dick, Dei." Hidan grumbled in turn. In any other circumstance, he wouldn't really be upset. Deidara was one of the most tolerable people here, and if not for the fact that he seemed to dismiss religion as 'unnecessary', Hidan would have tried to send him to the enclave months ago. Another person who understood the concept of the complete annihilation of one's foes...and Dei really did have it down to an 'art'. And he didn't have a stick up his ass like most of the others did. Hidan supposed, if anyone was going to get set on Sakura, Dei was by far a good second choice.
But Sakura didn't have his power. She wasn't going to be invincible. Her purpose was to keep others alive, not herself.
"You're more disappointed than usual." Kakuzu commented as they began the long trek out of Ame.
"And you're more interested in her than I would have thought." Hidan grouched back. "What, does she already have a bounty or something?"
"Yes, though it's mostly mercenary lords wanting her captured alive. If she has a kekkei genkai that allows her to combat the Sharingan, that makes her line valuable."
Hidan spit at that. "Fucking gross, Kakuzu, we're either killing her or I'm not gonna bother."
"The bounty isn't worth the effort. But if Sasori makes a puppet out of her…"
Hidan had to stop himself from going pale at the thought. He'd never considered it...if Sasori made puppets out of himself or Sakura, would he gain access to Jashin's blessings? And even if he didn't…
"So you want to kill her so Sasori won't get whatever ability she's got?"
"Obtaining it for myself would also be a pleasant bonus."
"Fucking hell, are you sure you don't want to go back and argue it out a little more with Leader?"
Kakuzu stopped and gestured at the road behind him. "Be my guest. It'll be amusing to watch."
"Yeah, yeah, fuck you too."
Hidan felt a gnawing in his gut, however, a gnawing he couldn't ignore. Sakura was in danger, and if he went to stop it, it would compromise his position within the Akatsuki. And which was more important? His position or his counterpart?
Damn it all, Sakura. No matter what happens, you stay the fuck alive.
"Are you here to apologize?"
"No. But I'm the only one you can trust with your maintenance, Nagato, so you can either turn me away or risk damaging your body further."
Konan did not make eye contact as she moved closer to Nagato's apparatus, a wooden medical construct that was, in tandem with chakric healing, keeping Nagato alive. Only she and the one who called himself Madara had ever seen Nagato's true form, and it was naturally imperative to keep things that way. If anyone found out that the true form of Pein was frail and weak…
And she certainly couldn't leave Madara in charge of Nagato's maintenance, and Nagato knew that. Nagato needed her. He needed her for medical support, needed her to run the country as Amekage, and, in honor of Yahiko's final wish, he needed to keep her alive. That didn't mean he wasn't angry at her small run of rebellion, but it did mean there was little he could do about it without breaking the promise.
At least, Konan prayed that Nagato remembered all these things, because every day Nagato sank a little further into darkness, and every day Konan wondered if he lose himself enough to not care about losing her.
"If you had allowed Sakura Haruno to die in Konoha, we would not need to hunt her down now."
"She only wants what we do, Nagato."
"And she will fail, as we did."
"Not if we worked together."
"She declined Madara's offer to join Akatsuki. She had her choice."
"I'm saying we could work with her."
Konan met Nagato's eyes for the first time, and even though she had seen the strange rings of the Rinnegan before, every time she gazed upon it, it caught her off guard. It was unnatural, almost alien, and something about it just filled her with foreboding.
"Nagato, she's already got a half a dozen countries signed on. More than half of the Five. If you stood at her side, if you worked with her-"
"I said no, Konan, and my word is final. I know how this story ends."
"So instead you'll just be the one who ends it? At least give her a chance."
"If not for the Ichibi under her wing, I might have. As it is now, we cannot allow her to grow stronger, or she will keep the Ichibi from us."
Konan bit her lip and did not say more.
Nagato was not yet completely lost, but he was too far gone to see reason. And of course, there wasn't a thing she could do about it. She couldn't combat the Rinnegan, nor could she combat Madara. And both of them? Unthinkable.
Sakura was doomed and peace was doomed before it could have a chance to flourish.
At least, those were Konan's thoughts until she returned to her room and found a small envelope waiting for her. Inside was a square sheet of paper with nonsensical lines and scribbles.
She mulled over the paper for some time before it came to her. She folded the square with perfect precision, trying several shapes before eventually settling on a paper crane, and with that the lines and scribbles aligned to make words.
If you want peace, then I need your help.
There was no return address, no indicator of who could have possibly sent it, and no way to send an answer in turn. Konan found herself frustrated by this. She wanted peace, she could give help, but what sort of person would send a message with no way to answer?
The answer to that came a week later, when another envelope came to her room with another crane to be folded. This time, the crane held coordinates. A location.
A trap, perhaps? A test from Nagato, to see where her loyalties lay? Would she die if she went?
More importantly, could she live with herself, knowing Yahiko would never approve of the man Nagato had become?
Konan crumpled the crane into a ball and burned it. She ruminated over its proposal for several days, each time allowing herself to get closer and closer to leaving her home in search of it.
On the third day, she made up her mind and left.
She pushed and pulled and it did not give.
It never did.
And it never would.
Not without...them.
But the time would come, and all the pieces were in place.
Soon.
Soon it would give.
Soon it would be hers.
She could almost taste it.
But for now she would suffice as a spectator, and soon?
Soon the world would sleep.