Worse than shock indeed. Two members of Akatsuki hadn't communicated and hadn't reported themselves as per the schedule. Yet, for those two to 'die', that was not something they could easily believe.
"They thought themselves immortal, but they ended up being just easy prey".
Tobi didn't make a move. As analytic as he was, he figured they were being riled up. His eyes darted between Albedo and Azrael. He realised she was just here with the sole objective of saving that woman.
Pain and Tobi could hardly take the outrage, but there were higher objectives at hand.
They couldn't afford to waste more 'resources' in here.
Seeing that they didn't fall for her obvious provocation, Albedo frowned as they began to disappear one by one.
Her eyes fixed on the single-eyed clown as she called him, immediately categorising him as the highest threat, even after she had experienced Pain's Rinnegan.
"This is not over," He said, disappearing from this world.
Even after his retreat, he created another spatial whirlpool close to Itachi's position. Albedo sensed the spatial disturbance and prepared to shatter it. But Itachi raised his hand at her.
"I do not intend to flee".
The whirlpool only lasted a few seconds before it disappeared, and Tobi realised that Itachi was not going to change his mind.
Pain and Tobi departed, leaving only Itachi, who stared at everything with a nonchalant look, as if he had already expected this.
He had been abandoned. But it was either his life or the life of two core members of the organisation.
'A charade, from start to finish...' Itachi thought, feeling just one last wisp of regret.
Nevertheless, he clung to a last hope.
He looked at the cloudy skies, then at the water where Kizame's head had sunk. After a moment of silence, he looked at Azrael, whose eyes were wide open. He knew there was little use in putting her in a genjutsu, especially when there was another lady here who was either as strong or stronger than her.
"You want to ask me questions?" He said to Azrael, recalling their earlier conversation.
"..." Azrael's gaze towards him wasn't so kind anymore. She had experienced the pain of Amaterasu. Once an enemy, always an enemy.
But as the young man stood there with those exotic red eyes, she couldn't help but think about his brother, and the ingrained curiosity for which she had arrived here in the first place.
"You mentioned Sasuke too," He carried on.
"Now you want to answer...? From the moment I came, I could have slaughtered you, then asked the questions to your corpse... and it would have answered me"
"..." Itachi frowned, trying to decipher the meaning behind the threat.
Azrael said no more to him, instead, she grabbed the Soul Stone Ember.
"Lady Azrael, what is that?" Albedo asked with genuine curiosity. It was clearly a magnifying glass... but the intricate design and its aura made it look more like a weapon than a gadget.
"It is a gift", She gave Albedo one look, "Thanks for coming, Albedo-san".
"Master sent me here when he felt your energy spike... why are you here on your own, fighting such strong opponents? This could have ended horribly" Albedo asked with clear scolding purposes.
Azrael's irresponsibility had ruined her master's slumber. She was sure that, even though he said he'd go back to sleep... his senses were here at all times.
"Their strength was miscalculated".
"Your wing..."
"Would you keep quiet about it–" Azrael bit her lips.
"You know I can't do that. I have been asked by Ray-sama to take you back to his side... you won't be going to Tsunade-sama's side".
Azrael bit her lips, "If I refuse–"
"I will have to force you".
Itachi looked at their interactions... they didn't look like enemies, but also not very friendly. He was most curious about this master they kept talking about.
Azrael lifted the magnifying glass and pointed it at Itachi. Her countenance was still hideous to look at, and she knew it wouldn't be coming back to normal any time soon.
As her true nature as a Death Star Archon was revealed, she could do little to conceal it.
"Do you know Sasuke? What do you know?" Itachi continued to try and make conversation.
"I have spoken to Sasuke," Azrael answered that much.
"You are from the leaf? You are the Hokage's comrade, clearly... what's your origin?".
"I reside in it. The only reason I am not killing you right now... is because of Sasuke... because he's determined to kill you".
"As he should".
"..."
Azrael pointed the magnifying glass at Itachi and imbued it with her energy. The flow was so devastating that even Itachi felt it in the form of tension in the atmosphere, as if the oxygen was getting scarcer.
"I don't know what that is going to show you... But regardless of what you see, I hope you will keep quiet about it" He requested and closed his eyes.
Deep inside, he thought that weapon was going to end his life.
Azrael pointed the glass of the truth at Itachi. The pristine sight of a Midnight Elf capable of seeing everything from her throne in the mountains. His truth showed before her. Years of truth compressed in seconds of memories that made her gasp. Hands filled up with the blood of his own clan, but at the same time... a heavy weight... a responsibility he could not evade.
Immensurable guilt.
A heavy sin that didn't come without a reason... rather, it was perfectly justified.
Azrael gasped; she hadn't been wrong.
"There is certainly a cause to sin... always".
Itachi heard her voice, seconds went by, and his life hadn't yet slipped away... so he stared at her in confusion. That thing she had in her hands, what exactly was it...? and why was she so desperate about it?
"Lady Azrael?".
Albedo helped Azrael, who had just fallen to her knees. Her eyes stared at Itachi with a mixture of feelings.
"Why would you go that far?".
Her voice spoke like she knew something fundamental about him that no one else knew. Itachi's eyes opened wide, but then they calmed down in understanding.
"You saw".
"I saw".
"If that's the case... why must you know? It is not like we can take time back and re-do what has already been".
"... you are right" Azrael gave up. She crawled up Albedo's grasp and looked at her, "Let's go... to Ray-sama's side... I am finished here".
"Aren't we going to kill this man? Your wing–"
"I sliced my own wing", Azrael said, staring dead at Albedo's eyes, knowing perfectly well that she was lying... and aware that Albedo knew that.
"He has nothing to do with it".
Albedo smirked and licked her lips. She detected it, it was a lie... but why would she lie? Why would she protect her enemy...? Was that the kind of person Azrael was?
She could not detect any lust or such feelings in Azrael, so naturally... she was not fond of the boy. But then, why?
Realising she was not going to get her answer anytime soon, she took Azrael and they both disappeared in a haze of darkness.
Itachi looked at the empty, flooded and destroyed forest. Wondering why once again he avoided death, and thinking what he should do now that yet another person knew his secret.
Only, this person couldn't be 'silenced'.
He removed his Akatsuki coat and looked at it, and then... he threw into the lake, hoping it would fall close to Kizame's head.
"It wasn't long... comrade".
He walked out of the forest slowly, his destination unknown.