Usefulness, and the Value of Being Used...

Konan's originally angry face froze slightly when she heard the doctor's words.

She should have been furious right now, so why did she suddenly feel like laughing?

But that feeling passed in an instant.

"You may leave for now. Study it carefully and see whether there's any way to treat him."

Cursing the quack doctor inwardly, she had no other options and could only dismiss him.

Hearing Konan's words, the doctor felt as though a great burden had been lifted. He fled in a disheveled state.

It was as though he had just taken a trip through the gates of hell.

Several hours later.

Konan sat beside Itachi's hospital bed.

"What happened?"

A figure appeared in the ward. It was Pain.

His brow was tightly furrowed, and he did not appear to be in a good mood.

"Leader... Itachi may have Bloodline Disease..."

Hearing Pain's voice, Konan stood and spoke softly.

"How is he? Can he be treated?"

Pain asked quietly, a trace of disappointment appearing in his eyes.

"The situation isn't good. Even the doctors can't think of any effective treatment..."

Hearing Pain's question, Konan murmured softly.

Pain's vast senses spread out, directed straight at Itachi lying in the hospital bed.

A moment later, his expression returned to calm.

He could not detect anything specific. He could only sense that Itachi's body was in terrible condition. Were they fighting?

Drugged Cell A: "Get him! He's almost done for!"

Drugged Cell B: "Beat him to death! He's about to kick the bucket!"

If he had to describe it, that was roughly the scene...

"You should go back first. There are still many matters in the organization waiting for you to handle."

After a brief pause, Pain looked at the somewhat haggard Konan, his heart aching for her.

His words, however, remained indifferent.

"But..."

Hearing Pain's words, Konan froze, then nodded gently.

She cast one last reluctant glance at Itachi lying on the bed.

"You little bastard, you'd better get well soon. I'm still waiting to go on missions with you..."

Konan left the ward dejectedly.

Pain silently watched Itachi lying in bed, covered in needles and deathly pale.

"I had thought you were an outstanding companion... someone with sufficient value..."

"I never expected things to turn out like this."

Pain vanished from the ward. Having lost his usefulness, Itachi's standing in Pain's heart rapidly declined.

In the blink of an eye, three days passed.

During that time, Konan came to see Itachi several times. But each time, seeing him still lying in bed without the slightest improvement, she could only leave in desolation.

Pain appeared in the ward.

He said nothing. With an indifferent expression, he removed the ring from Itachi's finger, then vanished from the ward.

He still had many matters to deal with, and he also needed to find someone to replace Itachi.

Not long after Pain left.

After the ward had fallen silent for a moment, a shark-like face appeared inside.

Kisame stared deeply at Itachi lying in bed, recalling how Itachi had extorted him just days ago.

"So, Mr. Itachi, all things can change. Can you change your own fate?"

After pausing briefly, Kisame swiped an orange from the table and departed with flair...

A vortex appeared in the ward, and a masked figure sat down on a stool.

"You arrogant brat. It's only been a few days, and you've already become like this... Get up and hit me, then..."

Obito said with malicious amusement.

His voice echoed through the ward.

"Honestly, I went through so much trouble to lure you over, yet after only a few days, you turned out like this. Have you no consideration for me...?"

After a moment of silence, Obito spoke with mixed emotions.

"I thought you would be a rising new star, shining brightly. I never expected you to fall so quickly... Has the Uchiha Clan truly declined completely since Madara...?"

Obito stood up, his expression complicated.

He gently placed his hand over Itachi's abdomen. Itachi's sealing technique was rapidly undone, and then Obito's hand reached inside...

The miniature Three-Tails was pulled out by Obito. The tailed beast that Itachi had not yet had time to borrow chakra from or bond with had changed owners just like that...

Fortunately, Itachi had merely sealed the tailed beast and had not formed a symbiotic relationship with it.

Therefore, having Isobu extracted had no effect on him.

After placing the Three-Tails into the Kamui Dimension, Obito turned to leave.

But his raised foot stopped. He turned around again.

"Bloodline Disease... what a terrifying illness..."

Obito looked at the sickly Itachi lying in bed.

"I happen to be lacking a Mangekyo Sharingan. Consider this your final contribution... Let this count as your last bit of value, and the price for attacking me back then..."

Obito gently lifted Itachi's left eyelid. Looking at the bloodshot eye, his movements were very light, as though he feared hurting Itachi...

After thinking for a moment, Obito set his sights on Itachi's right eye. He remembered that the brat's right-eye dojutsu was quite impressive. That terrifying flame had left a deep impression on him.

Besides, eyes did not need to be distinguished as left or right. They only needed to be fitted into the eye socket...

Sharp chakra blades formed around Obito's fingers, and he dug in...

Itachi's right eye, the eye possessing Amaterasu, was gouged out by Obito.

"With Hashirama Cells, I shouldn't have to fear Bloodline Disease, right...?"

Obito muttered smugly to himself as he picked up the bloodstained eye and inserted it into his eye socket.

The vortex mask slowly spread apart, revealing his other eye, the one that had remained in darkness for years.

It was merely an ordinary Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

Obito raised his hand and dug out that ordinary Three-Tomoe Sharingan, then inserted Itachi's right eye.

With Hashirama Cells, the wound in his eye socket rapidly healed. Soon, Itachi's eye rolled within its socket, rotating up and down.

Then it revealed three tomoe... arranged in a pinwheel pattern...

"What abundant ocular power. What a pity..."

After sensing the ocular power in his eye, Obito looked regretfully at Itachi, who lay in bed covered in tubes and needles...

"Ah, what ability does your other eye possess...?"

Obito reached his hand into the space beside him. Space twisted, and his hand entered it.

He intended to dig out Itachi's other eye as well and preserve it.

He would keep it as a spare.

A container appeared in Obito's hand, filled with green nutrient fluid.

His hand slowly reached toward Itachi's left eye...

After a sharp pain flared in his eye socket, Itachi's consciousness had already awakened, and he could clearly hear Obito's words.

Yet he still could not open his eyes or make the slightest movement.

It was agony for him.

His eyes had only just stopped burning, and now someone was digging out his eyeballs. How could Itachi possibly feel about that?

And now, hearing Obito's words, he wanted to take his other eyeball too. Itachi was so furious that he cursed inwardly.

Although these eyes had become practically dispensable to him, they were still his original equipment.

This guy was not only digging out his eyes, but also making sarcastic remarks. Itachi was utterly enraged.

He was so angry that he was nearly able to speak...

As though sensing Itachi's thoughts, his central nervous system emitted faint flickers of light.

Obito gently lifted Itachi's left eyelid, his hand stained with blood.

What Itachi found most unbearable was that this guy was not even wearing gloves. He was about to dig them out barehanded!

Just as Obito's other hand was about to begin, a hand covered in needles grabbed his arm.

That hollow eye gradually focused.

"As an elder, how can you dig out a junior's eyeball without saying a word?"

Itachi's dry throat, parched for so long, produced a hoarse voice...

Itachi's sudden movement and voice startled Obito, making him shudder. His hand trembled.

"You're awake, Itachi..."

Obito's mask rapidly closed, though this time it left an opening around one eye.

Seeing the sharpness in Obito's eye and the killing intent erupting from him, Itachi froze slightly.

"I'm sick anyway, and I can't use my eyes anymore. Consider them a gift for you."

Sensing that his body was in terrible condition, Itachi spoke softly.

He began thinking of a way out.

"Oh?"

Itachi's words made Obito, who had been preparing to kill him and destroy the evidence, pause. A trace of gentleness then appeared in his eyes...

"Your hand is covered in blood. It's too dirty. Do you want this eye too? If you do, I'll do it myself..."

Seeing Obito's aura ease somewhat, Itachi's mind raced as he spoke calmly, trying to stall for time.

Though his hoarse voice was truly unpleasant to hear.

"Since you are so sincere, my outstanding junior, then I'll leave it to you..."

Hearing Itachi's words, Obito relaxed slightly.

He was currently carrying out something sacred and did not particularly wish to get his hands dirty.

Watching Itachi gently remove the needles from his body, Obito grew somewhat impatient.

But he said nothing.

He looked at Itachi as though looking at a boy scattering treasures...

Itachi raised his right hand, slowly gathering chakra as it gradually approached his left eye.

The Mangekyo Sharingan in Obito's eye slowly rotated as he watched Itachi's chakra.

Without blinking, Itachi inserted three fingers into his eye socket. Under Obito's watchful gaze, he slowly removed the Mangekyo Sharingan that possessed Tsukuyomi...

Itachi slowly handed the eyeball to Obito.

His eye sockets were hollow and covered in blood, looking incomparably grotesque...

Obito relaxed and reached out to take it.

But then his expression changed.

Just as all his attention was focused on the Mangekyo Sharingan in Itachi's hand.

Itachi clenched down and crushed the Mangekyo Sharingan...

Just as Obito was about to fly into a rage, Itachi's figure became illusory and quickly vanished before his eyes...

Obito was completely stunned, having no idea what had happened...

Itachi sacrificed one Mangekyo Sharingan to draw Obito's attention, while his other hand quietly formed seals.

"Reverse Summoning Technique..."

He feared the eye in his hand would be taken and aid his enemy, so he simply crushed it without hesitation...

He was far too weak. The battle within his body was still ongoing, and being able to mobilize even this small amount of chakra was already no easy feat.