Author notes: My going away present to myself, and a thank you to the viewers for giving me two hundred hits. I wanted to finish Therapy as the going away present, but I tried writing yesterday and it felt forced.
Chapter Title: Fallen Grace
Chapter Rating: Probably K, for some hints at violence, and traumatic themes (well, traumatic to fan girls).
Genre: Tragedy/General
Chapter Summary: I'm compounding on the speculation that prolonged use of the Sharingan makes you go blind. Poor, poor Itachi-kun.
Disclaimer: Don't own the lovely Uchiha boys. If I did… Well, some things are better left for fantasy.
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His peripheral vision got worse every day. Itachi never said anything, of course, but he knew that what was rumored to happen if he used his Sharingan too much was happening now.
It started innocently enough, his eyes would take longer and longer to adjust from being closed and seeing the darkness--because Itachi had long ago taught himself not to dream--to viewing the waking world. He attributed it to exhaustion, and asked for a week off from his duties in the Akatsuki. A nice hot spring vacation, but his eyes didn't get any better.
Kisame was actually the one who confronted him about it, probably because as partners they could read each other well. The conversation was dull, Itachi trying to keep from sounding defensive, Kisame trying not to sound like he was talking down to him. It ended in them both needing to go off and kill something, lest they kill each other.
Itachi did, however, know that there was a serious problem when he woke up one morning and could no longer tell where the door frame on a door ended and the actual door began without running his hands along it. He'd felt helpless, having to subtly feel his way around so suddenly, like a child. It was a feeling he hadn't had since he was a child.
Things got worse every day and more and more often he would use the large straw hat required for Akatsuki uniform to hide his useless black eyes. He thought at first that not using his Sharingan would make him better, but it seemed the deadly side to the bloodline had all ready destroyed his regular eyesight. He secretly hoped no one noticed when he'd stumble or have to feel his way along at these times, but knew that was pointless. Ninja didn't become Akatsuki members for not noticing things.
He wondered why it surprised him, when he was summoned to the meeting cave, alone, one afternoon. Activating his Sharingan so he wouldn't have to feel his way around entirely, he made his way there, walking slowly so as not to stumble. Leader was there, along with Kisame, though the rest of the organization wasn't. For that, he was marginally thankful. No need for them to see him blind.
"Uchiha Itachi. It has come to my attention, via your comrade Hoshigaki Kisame, that your eyesight is failing you," the Leader began, and Itachi had to hold back the urge to do something uncouth and punch Kisame, "I, too, have noticed that you seem to be faulting in that area, and have made arrangements to take care of it."
Itachi nodded, looking up as if he could see. The almost total blackness that had engulfed his vision, along with the darkness of the room they met in, left him particularly blind. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. Even if he could sense Kisame and Leader, not being able to see them made him uneasy. There was no trust among their ranks, simply watchfulness.
"From this point forward, Hoshigaki Kisame shall be your eyes," Leader declared after a moment, making the other two in the room start slightly. Kisame had gone to the Leader with the news of Itachi's eyes figuring they'd steal him some new eyes--he knew for a fact that his partner's little brother still had good eyes--not make some decision so… bloodless. And how was he supposed to lead Itachi around? Every time he tried to even suggest something Itachi normally went ballistic on him.
Similarly, Itachi was wondering if this wasn't an imposter of sorts, posing as their Leader. Him, follow Kisame around? He was better than Kisame, yet he was expected to take orders from the shake-man? It was insane, illogical, and went against everything Itachi believed in. Uchiha Itachi did not take orders from someone lesser than himself.
"If the arrangement does not work out, I have other methods." Leader added, before vanishing. Silently, the two partners looked at each other--well, Kisame looked at Itachi, Itachi's eyes were unseeingly focused a few centimeters to the left of Kisame's face--before Kisame walked over, setting a hand on Itachi's shoulder and leading him from the dark room.
They both had this sick feeling that 'other methods' meant death for someone somewhere, and though neither held much hope for the actual arrangement working out--there was no kinship between them--they both knew that they each had to try. Itachi knew he'd have to resign his pride, while Kisame knew he'd have to try to be gentle-but-not-too-gentle with his partner.
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End Notes: Aww, poor Itachi-kun. I know this idea has been used before, but the idea just sort of came to me. Hope you enjoy it, I'll see you all in a week.
Oh, and if anyone has any requests for a drabble, about either of the surviving Uchiha brothers, feel free to drop me a line. I'll try my best to write it out.