Obey Me Akatsuki 2:
Naruto and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. This is just a fanfiction written for fun. No profit is being made. Now on to the long-awaited sequel!
Chapter 1: A Second Scroll
It had been nearly a month since the first incident with the Akatsuki and the scroll. Itachi remembered it all too well. Konan had obtained a scroll which allowed the opener to use hypnosis on whomever they wanted. They were granted this power for one full week. After that, the power disappeared and everything returned to normal as if the whole thing had been nothing more than a dream.
But some dreams were better remembered than others. Itachi remembered that week. He remembered everything. He had remembered the feeling of freedom he hadn't known in such a long time. He could do whatever he wanted and never felt guilty. He had asked Konan to hypnotize him into forgetting every bad thing he had ever done. Only if he was rid of his guilt would he be able to enjoy himself. It was a difficult thing to explain using words. He was able to read himself better than most people could. He knew if he was having fun, there would be something inside him telling him that he didn't deserve it. There would be something holding him back. Then there would be a feeling that told him that everything would back-fire on him. Even if he thought out every possible detail and foresaw every outcome, he wouldn't be able to prepare for the emotional torment that would surely follow. Even if he was harassing a member of the Akatsuki he felt really deserved it or someone he didn't like, there would be a part of him nagging away at him, telling him that he was a cruel person, which would then make him relive the slaughter of his clan. To be rid of all that, he had Konan make him forget everything he had done. While under the hypnosis, he was under the impression that his brother held no grudge against him, that his family was still alive and well, and that he had never done anything wrong.
That was an amazing feeling. Sadly, after the week was up, his memory returned and he was able to recall everything. Every horrible thing. He knew this was his punishment for doing what he had done that night. He knew he would have to live with the guilt forever. He knew he deserved it. Even though Konan tried to tell him that he deserved to be happy and that he shouldn't be miserable his whole life, Itachi tried to explain it to her. This feeling was a punishment. A punishment was not something that could be taken away whenever the receiver wanted. That defeated the purpose. The whole point of a punishment was to suffer. It wasn't supposed to be enjoyable and if the person being punished was happy, then the punishment was a failure. Itachi knew this was the right thing for him. After what he had done, he deserved to be unhappy.
That wasn't to say that he was always miserable. He found ways to amuse himself. He just wasn't as free as he was under the hypnosis when he was under the impression that everything was ok. His family was a live, his brother didn't hate him. He could be a typical teasing older brother.
Now that it was over, he missed it. He wanted to savor that feeling just a little while longer. He knew that wasn't a proper punishment, to stop whenever he wanted and then pick it up at will. But still, he wanted to take a break and enjoy himself again. There was still so much he wanted to do. Itachi had to admit that he had a few good, if not childish ideas when it came to messing with the other Akatsuki members. In order to get back to that teasing state and be able to do what he did without any feelings of guilt, he would have to be under the hypnosis again.
Such a thing was no longer an impossible dream.
He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a scroll. The last one the woman had. It cost him all the change in his pocket but hopefully it would be worth it. Using the information Konan had given him before, Itachi managed to find the woman who had sold her the first one and bought one himself. The woman was a saleswoman after all. He wouldn't feel right if he had just taken it without paying.
"There's always a price, though," he said to himself, tucking the scroll back into his sleeve.
Kisame stepped behind him, staring. "What was that? You say something?"
"Just muttering to myself." Itachi stood up and faced his partner. "We'll be late if we don't hurry."
"You always say that and we're always one of the first ones there. Don't worry so much. The meeting's not going anywhere."
The Akatsuki were having a meeting in a secret location deep within a mountain. Their leader had instructed everyone to show up in person. Itachi and Kisame had only stopped for a short break before continuing. The mountain was close. With his mind on other things, Itachi found himself standing in front of the mountain in no time. As usual, Kisame was nudging him with his elbow, teasing him once again on how they were always early.
They weren't the first to arrive, however. Konan and their leader were already waiting for them. Within a few minutes, the other partners began to show up. Zetsu emerged from the ground and stood beside Konan. Deidara and Sasori arrived shortly after. The last to show up were Hidan and Kakuzu, who were arguing every step of the way.
"It's your fault."
"No, it's your fault."
"No, yours!"
"What is going on, hn?" asked Deidara, seeing the two stomping through the trees shoulder to shoulder.
They pointed at each other at the same time. "He's being an idiot!"
"Enough," their leader spoke. Everyone quieted down. "Let's enter and get this meeting over with."
Itachi followed everyone into the mountain through a secret entrance, making sure the scroll was safely tucked away. He was not going to open it until the time was right. He wanted this to last as long as possible.