No Room for Another Heart (Kakuzu fanfiction)

Jashin

Ikari's p.o.v.

The next step of the plan was to convince Kisame and Hidan. I knew that talking to Hidan would be better out of the hideout with my little spy keeping tabs on me. It wasn't clear when he planned to go and investigate Jashin near the Hidden Frost Village but hopefully it'd be soon. Its been two days since I got Deidara and Sasori on our side and I've taken to trying to lay low. Itachi opened his door as I knocked and was allowed inside. Being the first time I had ever seen Itachi's room I was a bit underwhelmed. The walls were blank and the room didn't seem to have anything which distinguished it from any other save for Itachi's book on the bed. "So, were you successful in the first part of the next steps?" I turned to face Itachi who proceeded to his bed and sat, picking up his book once more. "I did, Sasori and Deidara are both behind us which just leaves Hidan and Kisame." I took a seat in Itachi's desk chair as he flipped a page in his book.

When he failed to say anything in response I began to wonder about him. Specifically, my mind wandered to what he said before in the shack. "So Itachi, mind if I ask a personal question?" Itachi didn't break his gaze from the book but merely nodded in agreement. "You said you plan for your little brother to kill you...why? I mean if you want to bring peace to the world and now we are working towards that goal why die?" He sat there for a moment without a response before looking up to me. "He needs the closure, there isn't any other way to provide that for him. I would love to see the world at peace but I won't even if he doesn't kill me." His eyes returned to the book as I gave a more confused look. "What do you mean you won't even if he doesn't? Are you sick?" Itachi continued his reading as his voice rose once more in the room. "I am, in a way. The Mangyeko Sharingan is a powerful weapon but it comes with a price. Overuse can cause blindness in the user and even cause illness. It almost causes a deteriorative disease to infect your chakra. I am a victim of that disease."

I paused for a moment with my mouth gaped open. "Wait, is there no way to cure it? Some kind of medicine or natural remedy maybe? Surely a trained medical ninja could heal you." My worries were justified when Itachi shook his head. "No, its an illness only curable by obtaining the Eternal Mangyeko Sharingan." His words lingered for a moment before I shook my head in confusion. "Eternal Sharingan? How do you get that then?" It took a moment for Itachi to meet my gaze but when he did I felt a cold chill run down my spine. His Sharingan were active and their menacing red haze shot through me. "I would have to steal the eyes of another Uchiha who has the Mangyeko Sharingan. That is why I am incurable. The only other one, is Sasuke. The cure is for him so he won't suffer my fate." He did it for his brother. It left a hole in my gut as Itachi's eyes returned to normal and peered back down at the book before him. One day he would be gone and there was no telling how soon that would be.

Itachi locked his eyes onto me as I shot up from the seat, clenching my fist in front of me. "Then we just need to execute our plan quickly! If you're going to succumb to this illness sooner rather than later then I want to help. I want you to see the world you have sacrificed so much to bring about. Its just Kisame and Hidan right? Well then I'll handle it as soon as possible and then we can talk to Pein and Konan about everything," Itachi kept his eyes trained on me for a while before a slight and gentle smile actually crept across his face. I nodded and turned before leaving his room, determination refilled. I made my way down the hallway as Tobi passed by. "Ikari-chan! What are you up to? Have you heard anything about Mr. Four-Tails yet?" I stopped and turned to talk to Tobi as I leaned in with a hushed voice. "No Tobi I haven't done any work towards that yet, I'm going to talk to Hidan and Kisame though. If I can convince them to join our cause then everyone will be on board and we can talk to Konan and Pein soon. Just keep up the act ok?" Tobi gave two thumbs up excitedly and put his finger over his mask where his mouth would be as if he were shushing himself. "Tobi will do his best!" With a salute, Tobi turned and began skipping down the hall.