The Last Namikaze | Uchiha Itachi x OC

Chapter 13: Pain

Sasuke and Hana appeared outside of the hideout. "I'm not looking forward to telling Leader-sama we failed again" Hana grumbled.

"He must just think Kakashi's really strong" Sasuke said. "Since he's your excuse for coming home empty-handed every time."

"To be fair, he is" Hana said. "So it's not that far off."

"Yeah, but you're easily stronger" Sasuke said, the same indifferent look on his face. 

"But, he doesn't have to know that" Hana winked. "Alright, we better head inside."

Hanako and Sasuke entered the hideout through the back yard and were met with Deidara perched up in a tree. He sat on a branch and was sculpting some new designs with his detonating clay. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Hana and Sasuke return without the nine tails jinchuuriki. 

"Glad to see you're safe" Deidara greeted. "Good luck with Pain" he said quietly. 

Hana and Sasuke were about to enter the hideout when-

"Oh Hana wait!" Deidara said. He quickly made a small bird out of detonating clay and gently placed a stick of dango he had in a bento box on its back. The bird flew down to Hana and she grabbed the dumplings and popped them in her mouth. "Aw thanks Dei! They're delicious." Deidara smiled and waved Hana off hoping Pain wouldn't be too harsh on her. He would be there to help her out afterwards if he was. 

"You sure you don't want me to come?" Sasuke asked. 

"I'm sure, Sasuke. This is my fight" Hana said, before heading down the hallway to Pain's office. "Wish me luck."

The cave walls in the hideout seemed even longer that day as she headed down to Pain's office. His office was the last room in the hideout away from the sleeping quarters. It was the largest room in the building and stood alone at the end of the hall. Here goes nothing. Hana thought as she pushed the heavy door open. 

"Hana." Pain greeted, his deep voice filling the room in an instant. "I see you've done it again." 

"I have failed you, Leader-sama. I cannot get past the power of the sharingan that Copy Ninja possesses. For that, I am sorry" Hana said, trying to sound as genuine as possible as she lied through her teeth. Not only could she have intercepted Naruto with ease, she possessed her very own sharingan now, a fact that only her and the Uchiha's knew. Well, Kabuto knew too, but it's not like he can tell anyone. Hana smirked internally just thinking about his defeat. She willed herself to stay focused. If Pain sensed any sort of looming betrayal, he could easily end her. 

"I am dissappointed in you, Hana. To be honest, I expected better" Pain said bluntly. 

"I am deeply ashamed of my failures Pain-sama. We will succeed without any obstacles as a pair. I just know it" Hana said. 

"It shouldn't have had to come to this, but you are right nonetheless" Pain responded. "With me there, the Copy Ninja won't pose any threat. My visual prowess is far superior to his borrowed one. We will level the Leaf Village to the ground if that's what it takes to obtain the precious jinchuuriki. Then the real plans will commence." 

"When are we going?" Hana asked. 

"We leave within the hour. Eat. Replenish your chakra reservoirs and we'll be off. I need you fully capable of utilizing your sealing chains when we obtain the nine tails brat."

"Yes, Leader-sama."

...

"Let's go" Pain said simply. 

Hana nodded and immediately flashed them to the forest surrounding the Leaf Village. She felt her nerves rise as the real test of her abilities would soon begin. Since she possessed Shisui's eye, she didn't have to make eye contact to use it on Pain. She merely needed him to be within her field of vision. She hoped and prayed that her visual prowess wouldn't fail her because it would be up to her to protect the Leaf from Pain if it did. And, if it came to that she would be betraying the akatsuki and her and Itachi's plans would all be for nothing. 

They walked for a bit and Pain kept quiet. They weren't far from the village gates, Hana knew that much. She would have to act soon. She didn't think she would feel such conflicting emotions, but having to betray someone she's been living with makes it much heavier on the soul. 

"Pain-sama, before we enter. Run the plan by me once more" Hana asked. 

Pain came to an abrupt stop and they both stood under the shade of a large tree. He turned to face her.

Hana stared at Pain and as he was about to open his mouth to speak- "kotoamatsukami" she muttered. 

Pain's expression went from indifferent to vacant and he stood frozen at her words. It worked. She thought. Even though she could communicate her intentions with the jutsu telepathically, she thought Pain at least deserved a verbalized explanation. 

A/n 

let's just pretend Konan told Hana their backstory on a girls night. in the future, I might go back and write this scene in...but for now, no lol

"Nagato-san. I free you from your suffering. I free you from your desire to inflict revenge on the world that's wronged you so greatly. I free you from the Pain you hold from Yahiko's death. From your parents death. I free you from it all. You no longer want to start the fourth ninja war. You do not desire project Tsuki no me. You do not seek the jinchuuriki's. You do not need the akatsuki. You and Konan will go off together and spend your remaining years happy. Free from the pain that endlessly burdens you. I release you, Pain." 

With that, Pain became unfrozen and his usual expression returned to his face. "Hana, I-I have to go" he said. 

"What is it Leader-sama?" Hana asked. 

"I am no longer your leader. I don't need the akatsuki any longer. Somehow I feel okay. For the the first time in a while. Take care of yourself, Hana-san. Watch out for that Tobi. And please, call me Nagato" Nagato said. Hana felt a huge amount of relief at his words. It was unmistakable. Shisui's jutsu was a success. Now, came the hard part of having to wait to use it on Obito for another day at least. She hoped that by that time Obito was ignorant of Pain's desertion from the akatsuki. But, that would be too easy, wouldn't it? 

"Please return me to Konan" Nagato asked. Hana couldn't help but notice how much gentler his voice seemed now. He seemed unburdened by his past. Nagato seemed, for the first time since she met him, like he could live the life he deserved from the start. She felt bad for having to take away his free will, but ultimately, it was his or the entire world's. She wasn't about to let the akatsuki successfully put the entire world in a genjutsu, even if it meant sacrificing the freedom of two people she had lived with for the past while. 

Hana flashed Nagato to the hideout, but stayed behind. She placed him directly in Konan's room hoping he would keep his desertion on the down low before she returned. "Agh" she cried clutching her sharingan. She felt a thick tears spill down her face from the same eye. When she pulled her hand away, blood coated it. She felt the depletion of her chakra reserves hit her all at once. The kotoamatsukami already spent so much chakra, never mind using it on such a formidable opponent. She felt her transformation jutsu wear off, meaning her sharingan was now visible. She fell to her knees from exhaustion clutching her overworked eye. This must be what Itachi experiences, she thought. How on earth does he do this with his disease? She thought to herself. His love for the village must take precedent over his pain. She decided. She felt the same way. Maybe that's why they always understood each other so well. They would both go to any means to protect the ones they loved. 

"Hana" a voice called. Hana felt her vision starting to blacken from exhaustion as she began to lose consciousness. Please don't be here for my sharingan. She thought. 

Hana felt here eyelids flutter open and she was met with the familiar eyes of a silver haired jonin.  "Kakashi" she muttered before she felt herself losing consciousness once more.