Fate Wheel | Naruto

𝟐𝟗| Yahiko

"Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead."
—Benjamin Franklin

───※ ·❆· ※───

SASORI

He had the Rinnegan.

That was the first thing Sasori had noticed about Nagato, other than his sickly form on the bed and a thin sheet covering his legs, his skin brimming with a thin layer of sweat. The exalted dojutsu, was something that Sasori wasn't very cultivated in, but he was aware that the process in order to attain it was incredibly confounding. It was deemed to be the most noble amongst other dojutsu and he wasn't aware that there was a person alive that had it. Then again, he did come back from the dead so this wasn't that surprising.

"Man, it fucking reeks in here." Hidan muttered under his breath, earning a glare from Sasori.

"Nagato," Konan called softly, walking to the side of his bed and kneeled down to his height. "I brought them here like you requested." She swept his red bangs away from his forehead and replaced the damp towel with a fresh one.

"Thank you, Konan." Nagato smiled, the smile soon disappearing as his body racked- releasing harsh, throaty coughs. Konan immediately lifted his body and placed a glass of water to his lips, to which he drank greedily. "You don't have to baby me, you know."

"If I don't then who else will look after you?" Konan scoffed scoldingly. "So be quiet and accept my hospitality."

Nagato smiled. "If I'm quiet then how would I be able to relay the crucial information to my guests. I can't keep them waiting." He then looked at the duo who were awkwardly standing by the door. "Sasori, Hidan, I'm glad you could join us under such short notice. I hope the others weren't too... creative with their approach. They tend to get a little too excited."

"If I'm being honest they're pretty, fucking anno-"

"It's fine." Sasori said briskly, interrupting Hidan who huffed in response. "Your condition... I can already tell that you're deteriorating quickly. Konan had mentioned that your constant chakra use is straining your body to the extent it has begun to shut down. In this case, I wouldn't be able to do anything other than ease the pain, unless you put a pause to the amount of chakra you're using."

Konan's eyes widened. "Isn't there anything else you can do to—"

"Konan, it's fine." Nagato interceded, a solemn smile on his face. "I knew that as long as I used my chakra, the quicker my body starts it's process of shutting down."

"You know that by doing that you were going to die and you didn't tell me?" Konan muttered in disbelief, a horrified expression on her face.

Sasori looked away, concealing the helplessness he felt. The moment he saw Nagato's Rinnegan, he knew that his case was irreversible and that he hadn't required his help, but rather his attention. There were numerous people qualified in the therapeutic range and Sasori knew that he was identified as a puppeteer rather than a medical practitioner, so it made him wary when Kisame had asked of him to heal his Leader. It led him to believe that the others hadn't a clue about who they were and why they were here, nor did they know that in time their Leader would be no more. Once again, he had failed before had even begun his journey of redemption. And knowing that this was likely the last time Nagato was going to be seen alive, didn't do well with the red-head.

"I knew that by telling you, you would do everything in your power to make sure I live even if it meant sacrificing yourself." Nagato pointed out, his eyes softening. "You also know that doing this is the right thing to do."