Ch 122

It's always the same with Obito. He never asks, never listens—he just expects. 

I'm not even that useful, not in the way he thinks. Sure, my experiments are groundbreaking, they've never been attempted before, but that doesn't mean I can fix all of his problems. 

He pushes too hard, expects too much. And for what? He's over doing it. 

And it's maddening. 

"Itachi, l'm not going back. You can't make me." 

My voice is unwavering, my eyes cold and fixed on him. I've had enough. This time, I refuse to bend. If they try to drag me back, I'll fight. I have nothing to lose. 

"Are you sure about that?" he asks, his voice low and steady, though his gaze never leaves mine. Itachi's eyes flicker, it's unreadably calm, but maybe even a hint of curiosity. There's something calculated in the way he watches me. 

Before I can respond, he turns toward the window, before making eye contact with me again. That's when I realized Kisame must be listening in again. It's never just Itachi. Kisame's presence is a given, as always. 

"I am sure," I say again, my voice a bit more firm this time. 

"I can take you both on. Doesn't matter what the cost is." 

I can feel the tension settle, thick and suffocating. The words hang in the air, heavy with the promise of a fight that none of us truly want but all of us are preparing for. 

The silence is only broken when Kisame laughs, a dark chuckle that sounds amused. He jumps through the window with ease, Samehada in hand, his grin wide. 

"You want to take us on? You don't look to be in fighting shape." 

His words are teasing, but there's an edge to them, a seriousness that speaks volumes. He's ready to fight but not quite eager. There's reluctance, though I can't quite place why. Why does he hesitate? 

"Doesn't mean I can't try," I responded, locking eyes with him, challenging him. But Kisame avoids my gaze, and that hesitation I sensed before is now clearer. 

He knows Itachi's strength. He knows it well. And in some corner of his mind, he must think I'm not too far behind. The thing is, none of them have ever seen me fight. 

They've watched me let them throw me around like a ragdoll, thinking they had me under control. But the one time I fought back, I escaped. 

They have no data on my true abilities, no understanding of what I'm capable of. And that's dangerous for them. I'll use that. 

"Itachi, first, get the hell off!" 

I strain, wriggling beneath his weight, straining with every muscle. I'm twisting and squirming, searching desperately for leverage. 

Itachi pressed down harder, his frown deepening. My heart pounds fiercely in my chest, adrenaline surging through my veins, blood rushing in my ears, drowning out everything but the sound of my ragged breaths. 

I refuse to be trapped here. I can't let him keep me down. With every ounce of strength, I thrust my hips upward, hoping for even the slightest shift. 

For a brief moment, it works. Just enough for my hands to break free. My fingers claw at anything, desperately seeking a grip. 

I latch onto his wrist, twisting with all my remaining force. He flinches, just enough to give me an opening. With a sharp motion, I drive my knee into his side, hard. 

Itachi grunts, the pressure on my wrists loosening for an instant. That's all I need. In that split second, I yank my hands free, slamming them down onto the bed. 

I twist my body, using the momentum to propel myself. I aim a kick at his head, but Itachi is too quick—he leans back, narrowly avoiding the blow. I don't relent. 

I continue twisting, shifting my weight and using my other legs to strike again. My second kick doesn't land, Itachi jumps back so that it wouldn't. 

I am now free from his physical grasp. I half kneel, a poised stance that will make it easier to defend or attack if they so wish to come at me. 

"Now," I say slowly, deliberately, each word carefully measured. 

"If you think you can drag me back to him, I will kill you. Or I'll die trying." 

It's a simple statement, but it's filled with absolute honesty. There's no bluff here. No room for negotiation. I'm not going back. 

When I escaped before, it was an anomaly-something no one saw coming. But it happened, and it won't happen again. 

They're still trying to make sense of it. So am I. 

They underestimate me. They all did, and I used that to my advantage. But not anymore. They now have this idea of me in their minds, one that won't allow for any more mistakes. This is the last time, there is no next. 

"Ishi," Itachi spoke up, his sharingan staring directly into mine. He broke eye contact to glance at Kisame, who in turn, rolled his eyes. 

"We won't be taking you back, not this time." 

Now this is a new development. But why should I trust them, why should I trust that they won't use underhanded tactics to weaken my resolve and catch me off guard. 

"And why not?" 

I keep my voice calm, not accusing them of anything yet. I want to hear this. 

Kisame took a small step forward, putting Samehada away. I don't move, I watch him. Once he was at the foot of the bed, he spoke, an amused smile on his face. 

"Just don't wanna." 

My brain froze for a second, processing what was said, and then it hit me how absurd this was. 

I couldn't help but burst into laughter the moment I heard those words. It was like the universe had just thrown an unexpected curveball at me, and I had no idea how to respond. 

The shock settled in, but the laughter followed quickly. It was one of those moments where the only thing left to do was laugh at how completely unbelievable it was. 

Seriously? 

Seriously!? 

After laughing so much that my stomach started hurting, I finally calmed down. 

"That was unexpected, but I seriously am starting to believe you. But only just a bit." 

I still kept some distance between us, but I no longer was hunched over like a threatened animal. 

Itachi soon joined Kisame by the edge of the bed where he finally turned off his sharingan. 

"If you were vital to the plan, you wouldn't have left his side." 

His words were true, but in all fairness, a little far fetched. But since he turned off his sharingan, I followed him and did the same. 

"I'm putting a lot of trust in you, I hope you know that. If you betray the chance I give you..." 

I didn't finish the sentence, I didn't need to. My voice wasn't threatening, but I meant every word. 

Kisame hummed in acknowledgement, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I don't think you can handle any more stress." 

Really? Is it that bad? 

"Do I look that bad? I know I've been under some stress but seriously?" 

This was a genuine question. I've been getting a lot of looks from people and let me tell you, many of them are concerning. 

"Oh yes, you look terrible." 

I gave Kisame a deadpan glance before looking at Itachi, hoping he wouldn't be as blunt. Itachi just shook his head, turning me down. 

I let out a scoff, "it's a new situation every time I meet you jokers." 

I groan softly as I lean against the wall. I close my eyes, letting the tension melt away. My body slowly sinks into the cool wall, each breath a little deeper. 

My muscles unclench, and the weight that held me tight slips off, leaving only warmth and calm. But it doesn't last long. 

Soon every part of me feels heavy, like my muscles are weighted down, and my body is dragging with every step. 

My limbs ache, a dull, persistent soreness that won't ease up. My breath comes in shallow gasps, struggling to catch up with my exhausted frame. 

My head is foggy, thoughts slow and muddled. I can feel the fatigue in my bones, as though they've absorbed all the weariness of the day. 

The smallest movements feel like monumental tasks, and the thought of resting is both a desperate need and a distant, unreachable relief. I feel the exhaustion consuming my being. 

"Describe how terrible I look, I want a perspective." 

I asked, opening my eyes to watch them. Itachi finally took a seat on the bed as Kisame explained his view. 

While he looked happy to be here most of the time, now he just looks neutral. He didn't have his usual smile as he spoke, nor did he look my way. 

"You look like you've reached the end of your rope. Your face, those dark circles under your eyes. The world has just drained the life out of you." 

I don't know what to say. I don't know how to respond to that. 

"Oh..." was all I could let out. 

I took a moment to close my eyes, letting the words go through my head. Letting the feeling coarse through my veins. 

Getting a good feel of what it was like. And it felt horrible. But this needs to be fixed. I'm going to Konoha in two days and if I look this bad then that means I need to get my shit in order. 

And I need to... 

I let out a sigh, and then I gave them a smile. 

"I don't know what will happen in the future, but I'm willing to give the present a try." 

They don't say anything, they just let me speak my mind. 

"You two, you are the last people I would ask this to." 

I try to get my thoughts in order. I try to speak to make it sound like I know what I'm doing. Like I want to know what I'm doing. 

"Everytime we meet, you always get me into trouble. But you never hurt me. I've never really felt that my life was threatened." 

It's ironic. Irony at its finest. Why am I going to say this? There are better people. There are better situations. But, I need to take the risk. Orochimaru can't be right. I won't let him be. 

"Do you have a place to stay?" 

Itachi and Kisame looked confused by this sudden question, and for rightful reason. Itachi was the one to speak up this time, "no we do not." 

I nodded my head, "Then please stay here for the night, please let my kindness and trust not be misplaced. I want to trust people, so I should start with some people I know." 

Please don't make me regret this. I don't think I'll survive it. 

I don't bother to hear their responses as my body gives out and I pass out. 

A/n One more for you until my promise is over, and I always keep my promises. Enjoy~