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“What do you actually want to do with all that money you’ve collected?”
There was no other question that managed to irritate Kakuzu as much as this one. Not necessarily because the answer simply wasn’t anyone else’s business. No, in the meanwhile he had managed to build up a certain resistance against indiscreet questions from curious people.
At least in most cases. But not with this question.
Especially with the new guy working at the exchange point having been this especially nosy. At least his older colleague had possessed the courtesy to shut him up right away, preventing him from asking any more indiscreet questions. And from making false assumptions.
And honestly, the real reason this question managed to upset Kakuzu was a completely another one: Why were people asking this as if implying he needed to have any concrete plans for his money to begin with? Because in reality, more of the opposite was the case: Money was the safety net preventing much further damage in case every other plan and idea had failed. Money would have helped him back in the day, when his village had decided to cut ties with him out of a sudden for an irrational reason he hadn’t been able to foresee.
The road in front of him seemed to become denser the further he travelled, the relentless summer sun and persistent soft wind causing the dust of the road to float around the place to annoying extremes. Briskly Kakuzu adjusted the hat he was wearing, trying to shield his face from the dust as well as from the sun. If he tried enough maybe the hat would also manage to shield him from old memories insisting to resurface for no good reason.
Without much success. Remembering those events that had happened centuries ago, Kakuzu felt as if they had just taken place freshly.
Angrily he started walking faster, driven by the sudden urge to reach his destination quickly. After all, today he there was making a detour: He spontaneously had decided after being finished collecting his money that today was as good a day to set the vague idea he had carried with him since a while into action.
Once he had finished his detour and had reached current Akatsuki headquarters again, Kakuzu’s sudden anger had almost vanished again. In fact, it had vanished so thoroughly that he took the risk of following the sound of the voices coming out from the kitchen.
“You do know that you could move along like this and…”
“Don’t fucking rush me like this! You know I’m new at this!”
“I know, that’s why…” That had been Kisame’s voice.
“Don’t rush me!”, Hidan insisted.
Walking through the door Kakuzu angled his head. “Don’t rush you with what?”
Kisame gestured at the go board standing on the table. “With his next move.”
Go, huh? Kakuzu looked at Hidan: “I didn’t know you played.”
“I don’t. Or, more, I didn’t use to. Kisame showed me how to.”
Kakuzu looked at the board, trying to analyze the situation. He knew the rules of the game but hadn’t played in ages. “Who plays black?”
“I do”, Hidan huffed, folding his arms in front of his chest.
Kakuzu nodded, giving Kisame a knowing glance. Hidan wasn’t the person searching for advice when new at something, preferring to get things right by trying out different options instead. Keeping his comments to himself Kakuzu turned around again. The thing he had wanted to see Hidan about, he couldn’t bring it up as long as Kisame was still around. “I see. Good luck then.”
Hidan looked up at Kakuzu, making an agreeing noise that must have been a muttered "thank you".
Smiling knowingly at the stones placed on the go board Kisame stayed silent.
Kakuzu heard Hidan long before he entered their room. It was the cane, moving with a thing like that silently just wasn’t realistic.
Opening the door Hidan gave Kakuzu a bright smile: “Here are you hiding!”
“I’m not hiding. I’m trying to take a nap”, Kakuzu clarified, accentuating his point by definitely not standing up from where he was lying.
“Afternoon naps. Like the old geezer you are!”, Hidan announced, still brightly smiling. He leaned his cane against the bed, the next moment flopping down next to Kakuzu.
“I take it you won the game then?”, Kakuzu asked, unable to ignore Hidan’s good mood any longer.
Hidan shook his head. “No, I lost. Again. But I’m getting better. Managing to hold my stance for much longer. And all that stuff.”
“I see.”
Kakuzu’s wandering gaze came at a halt at Hidan’s cane. He still had to use that thing, still not having entirely recovered from being buried alive for months. But though it was not apparent at first glance, the cane already meant progress: Before he had started to use it, Hidan had needed to rely on crutches.
The light behind Hidan’s eye turned serious again. “No wonder you’re tired. Where have you been all day?”
Kakuzu felt his face getting hot, turning it away, towards the pillow. “At the collection point. You knew that.”
“The entire afternoon?” Leaning down towards Kakuzu Hidan lowered his voice: “Was there a problem? There wasn’t a problem wasn’t there?”
“Everything went fine.” Kakuzu cleared his throat, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “I made a little detour though.”
“Oh! A detour!”, Hidan said, sounding relieved. Despite of this he hadn’t managed to hide that he had felt worried. He never spoke it out directly, but Kakuzu knew Hidan didn’t like it that he wasn’t in a state yet to join Kakuzu on missions again. No, Hidan would have never voiced it out directly, but it was obvious he felt conflicted about leaving Kakuzu alone or in the company of some of their fellow comrades. And Kakuzu never brought the issue up either, knowing that acknowledging the matter would have irritated Hidan more than it would have brought him any peace of mind.
“A detour yes”, Kakuzu repeated, grabbing the small package he had stored away in his trouser pocket. With Kisame being around until now there had been little choice but to keep it hidden until now. “To that temple you told me about the other day.”
Hidan went still, realization spreading through his face. “The temple of our Lord Jashin’s Second Apparition?”
“The very same”, Kakuzu confirmed. The other day Hidan had told him about a Jashinist temple in the middle of the forest. A small temple where a group of Jashinist monks tried their best living according to their faith, focusing on their individual path of believe, but also aiming to share their insights with their fellow brothers and sisters.
Staying silent Hidan continued to listen intently.
Kakuzu laid the small package into Hidan’s hands. “I explained to them that I was there to support one of their brothers. That’s yours now. They made a blessing upon it before I left. Ritual of the Opening Eye they called it.” He nodded towards the paper wrapping in Hidan’s hand.
Recognition showed up on Hidan’s face. “Oh! The Hidden Eye! That one!” Slowly he started unwrapping the package, as if he hadn’t quite realized what was going on actually. “That’s done when you want Jashin-sama to take care of a person, using an object to symbolize his presence.”
“I see”, Kakuzu said, regretting he had taken off his head gear. His face still felt as if it was blushing right now. Suddenly he wasn’t sure anymore his detour had been a good idea.
Hidan looked at the object Kakuzu had gotten him, face unreadable. After a moment of silence that had felt unspeakably long he finally started talking: “You got me a new rosary”, he said, holding up the object and staring at the pendant attached to it.
Kakuzu had. Hidan never brought it up either, but the thing was, he had lost his old one while…. Before… While battling that Konoha brat who had used that creepy shadow technique. Before Hidan had gotten buried alive. When they had managed to get him out of that hole, the pendant no longer had been around.
But you could replace objects. You could replace them, but in the state his body was still in, Hidan hadn’t been able to get a replacement himself yet. So hearing about that monastery in the forest, Kakuzu had spontaneously gotten the idea.
Hidan’s grip tightened on the rosary, his glance snapping at Kakuzu. “I thought you don’t like Jashin-sama?”
“Well, but you do.” Kakuzu held Hidan’s gaze, suddenly realizing he couldn’t form any more coherent words.
“Kakuzu…” Hidan’s eyes widened. Kakuzu couldn’t decipher the emotions they were starting to overflow with, mainly because the next moment Hidan was throwing his arms around his neck, holding on tight. “I’ve got a rosary again!”
Kakuzu made an agreeing noise, suddenly no longer trusting the stability of his voice. Instead he put his own arms around Hidan, hugging back.
“And you even got it blessed!”
Well, the monks had suggested that. Kakuzu had just trusted their judgement.
Hidan leaned back, looking into Kakuzu’s eyes again. “You know, to tell you the truth: I was really getting worried no longer having one. I mean, of course you don’t need it to pray and stuff. But it just feels nice to have this symbol of Jashin-sama with me, you know?”
“I’m glad then”, Kakuzu said, deciding to trust his voice again. I had sounded stable but he was pretty sure his face was still blushing. Oh, well, it was not like anyone but Hidan would know.
“Hidan?”
“Yes?”
“About what you said before: I think I might not hate that Jashin of yours. Not exactly.” Hate was such a strong emotion and Kakuzu had decided he wouldn’t bother with it anymore unless he came across a subject thoroughly deserving it. Or at least that’s what he wanted to try.
Hearing this Hidan went still. Then a smile started spreading through his face, letting his eyes gleam up brightly. “Ahhh, Kakuzu! Once you start caring you’re the biggest sweetheart there is! You really are, I can see it!”
Kakuzu stayed silent, not denying the claim. As long as Hidan wasn’t spreading this statement around the entire base he guessed he had to (could) live with it.
Out of a sudden Kakuzu no longer trusted the stability of his voice after all. Instead he leaned forward, pressing a kiss on Hidan’s forehead. He had no plans acknowledging it out loud either, but in hindsight he didn’t regret making his earlier detour to the monastery at all.
The End