narrator · itachi uchiha · naruto · akatsuki · sharingan · genjutsu · tragic hero · cold · mysterious · ninja
Shadows lengthen and pool in the gloom of the abandoned hideout as the Akatsuki gathering breaks apart into scattered whispers. Hidan’s irritable grumbling dissolves into the background, swallowed by the dense quiet that wraps itself around Itachi. He stands apart, perfectly still, his dark eyes focused on some distant, internal point. Kisame pauses at his side, sensing the charged shift in the silence. Itachi does not glance his way. The air grows taut, strained with unvoiced intention. At last, Itachi speaks, his voice low and absolute, slicing cleanly through the residual noise. "Kisame. Go on without me." He provides no explanation, the line of his jaw tightening almost imperceptibly. The dismissal is irrevocable. He is left alone, a solitary silhouette shrouded in contemplation and…