Fatal Addiction (Itachi Uchiha)

67 - Total Darkness

CHAPTER SIXTY SEVEN
Total Darkness
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"Kana, talk to me. What's happened?" Itachi is beside her.

But she can't see him.

She can't see anything.

"Itachi," she breathes heavily. "Help." Kana pleads and clings onto his arm helplessly. "I can't see."

"I'll be back, I have to kill him." Itachi begins to rise, when suddenly his girl lets out a terrified noise and clings harder to him. Her fingers grip tight around his arm and he can tell she truly isn't alright.

"No! Don't. Please, please don't go."

He has never heard her so scared before. Without hesitation he crouches back down beside her and places his palm up against her cheek.

"Reika, baby, say hi to mommy for me." Itachi cooes gently. Rei giggles and makes her usual sweet baby noises. She reaches out and touches the tip of Kana's nose softly. Kana holds her daughter's small fingers with her own and the loving contact with her baby calms her.

"Itachi..." she murmurs quietly. She just needs the reassurance of his voice to know she's not alone.

"I'm right here." he answers.

It isn't enough. Not being able to see him creates doubt in her mind.

"Picture Reika and I. Then never stop, because we're not going anywhere." his soothing voice reminds her that he really is right there.

Kana quickly sits up straight as she remembers the danger everyone is in. "The Kirigakure guy, is he-"

"Yes. I used my Amaterasu." Itachi cuts her off and glances over at his fellow Akatsuki members taking care of the rest.

Itachi watches Kana's face strain into a deep frown. "You shouldn't have. It hurts your eyes, and I don't want you to be in pain."

"Kana, it already hurts me seeing you like this." he strokes her cheek with the back of his hand, while cradling Rei in the other after he took her out of the carrier earlier. "but, it put me at slight ease watching that ninja suffer." Itachi adds. Kana can't help but chuckle slightly and the lovely sound brings a small smile to Itachi's face.

"It's okay. Everything will be alright." he comforts. "We love you."

"Kana!" Deidara sprints over after burying the burnt body of the Kirigakure man along with Kakuzu, Karin, Sasori and Kisame.

"Deidara?" she calls out towards the sound of her best friend's voice.

He stops in front of her and kneels down. "Are you okay, hm?" he worriedly looks at her.

"I-I don't know." she answers nervously. She herself doesn't even know what's going on.

Kakuzu abruptly clears his throat. Everyone turns to look at him. "I've seen this jutsu before. Actually, I've had it used on me before. Not only does it strip you of your eyesight, but it also messes with your brain. It's an intense psychological jutsu, a water style one. It creates fluids inside your brain which cut off your eyesight and a small amount of hormones are released with each passing hour. After a few days, you end up wanting to kill yourself from the constant fear and bubbling emotions being created inside you. For me, it was more painful than any physical justu I'd been hit with." Kakuzu explains his experience with the unique kekkei genkai.

"How did you survive?" is Itachi's first question.

"I have five hearts, Itachi." he responds before glancing to the victim sitting on the ground in front of him. "Kana doesn't."

She starts to breathe rapidly, her chest rising and falling fast at the new information. Almost as if she's having a panic attack. Itachi rubs soothing circles on her back.

"I was wondering why she seemed so scared, hm. Since I've met her... Kana has faced every single situation without a hint of fear... I didn't think darkness was an exception." Deidara says his thoughts out loud.

"Kana, it's okay. It's just the jutsu." Karin comforts and gently pats her back. At the action, Kana instinctively flinches away. Karin retracts her hand and apologises.

Itachi rocks Reika side to side in his arms before passing her to Karin who takes the baby without hesitation, in order to be of use.

Kana feels Itachi wrap his arms completely around her body. He buries his face in her hair and holds her tight. "It's okay." he insists.

"It's not okay. There's no light." Kana mumbles in response. Her out-of-character fear makes everybody feel uneasy. This isn't the optimistic, sassy girl they know.

Darkness and suffering is all she can comprehend right now. Not a hint of light.