The Commanding Eyes

One

"Any last words?" I looked up at the pale blue skin of the shark Akatsuki member. I had been ambushed by Kisame and Itachi while fleeing from my home because I couldn't stand my ground against them from years of torture at the hands of my village's elders. I figured it was probably an order from their leader and as I laid there bleeding out at their feet from a large gash in my side I nodded with a sad smile.

"I-It's more of...of a request." I choked back the blood that surfaced into my mouth and pushed the taste from my mind.

"You're in no state to make requests." Itachi sounded so cold but I could see the sadness in his eyes. He didn't want to kill me anymore than I wanted to die.

"Please...take my body...to my brother..Hidan has to know I didn't..." Their faces seemed to change as I mentioned my brother's name. Itachi started trying to stop the bleeding but it was too late. I gave a small sigh as my head lulled off the side, my blank eyes staring into the distance, and my body no longer moving.

-

"Oh man, we are never going to hear the end of it when Hidan finds out about this." I looked up at Kisame and nodded in agreement. I looked back down at the body of the small boy and noticed something I hadn't previously seen. There was a tattoo on his chest that poked out from under the mess shirt he wore under his vest. I carefully moved the vest to the side and noticed the palm-sized tattoo of a circle with the triangle in the middle, the sign of Jashin. Looks like he was following in the steps of his older brother. Although he had not seemed to gain the same immortality as he had through their god. My curiosity had been peaked as I thought about what could've possibly been different between the siblings aside from their obvious age gap. I lifted the boy up bridal style and started to head back to our home base which wasn't more than fifteen minutes away from where we were.

Everyone's eyes turned towards us as we ventured in holding the corpse of Hidan's brother. I heard a plate clatter to the floor and looked over to see Hidan's horrified expression as he took in the sight. His normally strong demeanor was gone as he took the boy from my arms and hurried towards his bedroom with an unreadable expression on his face. Kakuzu, Kisame, Konan, Deidara, Pein, and myself followed Hidan to his room to see him trying to revive him.

"Hidan, he was trying to say something when he died. He was trying to tell us he didn't do something but he passed before he could finish." I stepped forward seeing the tears in Hidan's eyes.

"He was trying to say that he didn't succumb to their torment in the Village of Hot Springs. He took my place down in the prison so I could escape but I never went back for him. That's what he wanted you to tell me." Hidan was fully crying as he laid his head on his brother's chest.

"Hidan, who is this boy that has you so worked up?" Hidan glanced at Kakuzu but didn't say anything.

"This is Hidan's younger brother, we weren't aware until it was too late to save him who he was." Kisame spoke before I could.

"His name was Makoto, and he is with lord Jashin now." Hidan placed his rosary around his brother's neck before placing a sheet over his body. He tried to stop his tears but it was obvious he couldn't, it reminded me of how I felt when I slaughtered my parents.

"I am going to stay with Hidan, but I believe he probably wants to be left alone now." The others nodded and vacated his room leaving only the two of us. My normally gloomy appearance softened as I sat down next Hidan, he knew of my true past so he didn't ask as to why I had stayed.

"Itachi, I am going to get him back. Do not let anyone disturb us please." I watched as he sat in his ritual area before completely zoning out indicating he was now with Jashin. I hoped for his sake that he would be able to retrieve his brother because I don't think I could stand seeing him so broken down. Hidan was not the vulnerable type so seeing him cry over his brother's body was a startling scene that I didn't want to see ever again as long I still lived. I sat behind the door to Hidan's room to make sure that no one dared enter and interrupt him all the while keeping my eyes fixated on Hidan's body to make sure he didn't become distressed. I was used to seeing him harm himself when doing his ritual but it never got any easier for me, I didn't love Hidan, but I did care deeply for him despite the mouth that he had on him.

I jumped when I suddenly heard a sharp gasp and the sheet was pulled off of Makoto. I smiled inwardly when I realized that Hidan did it, he saved his brother which will hopefully take the depressing frown from his face. Hidan opened his eyes and hurried to his brother's side before embracing him in a tight hug that he obviously didn't want to break.

"Big brother..." Makoto's voice was soft in comparison to his brother's which would be a relief to many of us here in the base. It was bad enough having one Hidan, we didn't need another. I stood up and walked quietly over to the brothers before placing my hand on Hidan's shoulder.

"Thank you, Itachi." I looked over to see Makoto looking up at me with a soft smile before burying his face in Hidan's chest.

"Hidan, I am going to let Leader-sama know of your brother's return. He will want to meet him as will the others when you two are ready." Hidan nodded as I left the room and headed down the hall to Pein's office. I knocked quietly on the door before hearing a deep voice telling me to enter. I bowed curtly when I entered the room and looked at Pein with my cold, blank expression.

"Makoto has been revived at the hands of Jashin. You will be pleased to know that he is in fact completely opposite of his brother, quiet and calm." Pein chuckled at the last part.

"I will be interested in meeting with him once he has regained his strength and mingled with the other members. If he is as powerful as his chakra signature then he will be a valuable asset to the cause." I nodded before leaving the office, I had a deep anger in the pit of my stomach as Pein addressed him as nothing but a tool for his battle. I will admit that he is powerful judging by his chakra but he doesn't seem like the fighting type, especially considering he gave into us easily when we fought. The injuries he had sustained in his home village should've been enough to have some fight but it appeared to me as though he had given up.

"Makoto-chan is much quieter than Hidan-sama!" Tobi yelled excitedly as I entered the living room. Makoto was obviously uncomfortable with the current situation so I slipped up behind him and quietly whispered in his ear.

"Leader would like a word with you when you get the chance." Makoto immediately stood up from the couch and looked sharply at Tobi before walking towards Pein's office. His eyes were closed as he walked but was easily able to maneuver to the office.

"Where the hell does he think he's going?" Hidan yelled.

"Leader would like a meeting with him if you want him to stay in the base." Hidan grumbled. Tobi slipped out of the living room and headed towards the office with Makoto, who obviously saw something we didn't in Tobi. What could that have been?