(A/N: As said in the description, this is a sequel to my story Unchanging. I suggest reading that before this one, though it isn't really required. Anyways, enjoy the story!)
In a material world such as our own, there are laws of science that simply cannot be broken. All living things have an expiration date; a day where they shut down inside and die. It's nature, and an inevitable fact that cannot be denied. It's the way the universe intended life to be, so it would be valued. There is no escaping death.
But when two lost souls of an equally lost past world accomplish the impossible, how can that be? Impossible is the impossible. It cannot be done. And yet they live on passed their expiration date, clearly defying the balance of the universe without care or regard of the consequences. Why would they? They're alive and they couldn't die. Why care if they were against nature, against science, against what ever god may be out there?
No, they didn't care at all. They existed, they were alive, they had an unknown future still ahead of them. They had all the time in the world to do what they pleased with little to no consequence.
A masked man and his silver haired companion arrived at the next town on their long journey across the land. They had only been reunited several hours ago, but things had fallen so easily into an old, habitual routine that the two had used years ago.
The first place they headed to after arriving in the town was a cheap motel, as of course the miser would have no other way.
Hidan watched silently from under his cloak hood as Kakuzu bought their room. Once he finished, he turned to the priest and gestured to the way of the rooms. "Let's go."
Hidan nodded and followed him up the stairs and to their room, scowling at the sight of the beige, peeling wallpaper that may have once been white and the dirty floor.
"Really..? You can't fork over a little more money for a better room?"
Kakuzu glared. "Money's not so easy to come by anymore. Citizens aren't supposed to bounty hunt in this society, which was my main source of income before. If you decide to contribute money, then we can get better rooms."
Hidan gestured to himself. "Man, does it look like I got any money on me? I can't tell you how long it's been since I last held even a penny."
"That's what I thought. So quit complaining before I kick you out on the streets again. Now go shower and I'll find you decent clothes to wear. You stand out too much in that cloak..."
Hidan just nodded and went to the small bathroom, making a face at the grimy look of the place and the rusted faucets.
"Only he would be so cheap as to put up living in these conditions..." He muttered to himself.
After about 40 minutes, Hidan stepped out of the shower to find his old clothes had been replaced with more modern ones.
I didn't even here him enter... Guess he never gave up his training, huh..?
The priest sighed and dried himself, then put on the black jeans and white, v-neck T-shirt. There was a light, black hoodie as well, though he decided it was unnecessary to wear at the moment.
He grabbed a brush he found on the sink counter and walked out of the bathroom, finding Kakuzu sat in a scratched-up wooden chair reading a book.
The miser gave no response to Hidan entering the room, so he remained silent as well and sat on the small bed in the room, starting to work on getting the knots out of his hair.
After 5 straight minutes of cursing and no progress on the mattered mass of hair, Kakuzu looked up in irritation. "Can you shut up?"
"No! I can't get these damned knots out and it's pissing me off..!" Hidan hissed, trying to pull the brush through the tangles.
Kakuzu scowled. His hair really was a mess. It didn't look nearly as dirty as before, but it looked like a rat's nest now.
"Well hurry up and finish... That's ugly looking and I don't want to spend all day here."
"I'm trying!" Hidan insisted, though winced when he tugged, but the knot simply tightened.
"You're hopeless..." Kakuzu muttered, putting the book aside and walking over to him.
Hidan looked up in confusion. "What are you-?"
"Give me the damned brush..."
Hidan looked ready to argue, but knew it wouldn't get him anywhere, and handed it over.
Kakuzu sat down behind him and roughly pulled the brush through Hidan's hair, making him yelp in pain.
"Hey hey hey! Watch it! That fucking hurts! Ow! Don't just yank like that! Hey are you listeni- OW!"
"Shut up, Hidan..." The miser growled, yanking yet another knot.
"Stop that! You're just- ow! -tightening them! I'm gonna be bald if you keep this up!"
Knowing the silver haired man was right, though hating to admit it, Kakuzu instead simply focused on small sections and worked his way up from the bottom, slowly but surely undoing the tangles.
Hidan relaxed and stayed quiet until Kakuzu finished, glad he'd stopped trying to rip the knots out.
"There. Now come on. We need to get moving." The masked man said, dropping the brush and standing.
Hidan just nodded, though winced when he saw all the hair that was in the brush.
Bastard pulled half my hair out..
"Fine, let's go then..." Hidan mumbled, heading toward the door with Kakuzu just behind.
They kept walking until they made it to the edge of town, then continued out to find a suitable camping spot as the sun began setting.
Once they were settled out of sight of the road and had a small fire built, Kakuzu turned his ruby and emerald eyes on his ex teammate. "Hidan."
"Yeah, what is it?"
"I found this in the pocket of your cloak when I was disposing it." The miser said, holding out a metal plate with a little scrap of rotted blue cloth attached. The plate itself was rusted and had three diagonal lines with a long slash over it carved in, the marks of the Hidden Steam village and the sign of a missing nin.
Hidan's eyes widened momentarily, then he looked away. "I-I just..."
"Only children and fools cling to the past. I'd say you're both." Kakuzu said, his eyes almost holding an accusation.
"Look, it's nothing okay? I was just... you know, holding onto it..."
The miser scowled. "And I see you still have that accursed necklace... You haven't even seen that your religion's a fraud yet. How pitiful..."
"Don't insult my religion, you heathen! And you're one to talk! You're still a selfish, money hoarding bastard!"
"At least money has a purpose in this world. You cling like a desperate child to your god and where has it gotten you? Nowhere.."
Hidan jumped to his feet defensively. "That's not true! I'm here today because of Lord Jashin and-!"
"You're wrong.." Kakuzu interrupted. "Humans made the forbidden jutsu that granted you your immortality. Humans performed it on you and granted you your powers. The jutsu isn't one made by a god; it was made by a shinobi just like every other jutsu."
"YOU'RE WRONG!" Hidan snarled, glaring at him furiously.
"Why do you deny the truth..? You know I'm right.."
"No you're not! Shut the hell up, you atheist bastard! You'll burn in hell! You'll never turn me onto your heathen path!"
Kakuzu ignore him, staring into the fire. "Let me guess. You had a bad childhood, didn't you? You experienced loss, you were hated, you didn't know love or pleasure, did you?"
Hidan stiffened. "I..."
"All you ever knew was pain and fear. Those feelings grew into anger and hatred. You wanted to get your revenge without worrying about the fear of going to hell... So you come across a cult where slaughter is praised and you go for it whole-heartedly not because you believe, but because you want your revenge on the world for how you were treated. Of course, the longer you go on with this train of thought, you come to believe that you truly are going to be saved from damnation and you allow yourself to become more and more demented. Your insanity separates you from the plane of reality and gives you hope of a plane where things are greater, and that you can't help yourself because your actions are all for the good of a greater force. You're nothing but a scared child trapped in your own fantasy where you're doing the world good by pleasing your god and delivering souls to his kingdom, and where pain, a feeling you experienced too much, is now pleasure. Because true pleasure and happiness eluded you your entire life, but pain was always there for you, so you twisted it into your own positive feeling and connected it to your god. You're so easy to read, Hidan. It doesn't take a genius to analyze your personality and actions and derive these truths from it. I am correct, aren't I?"
Hidan just stared at Kakuzu in shock, seeming for once in his life speechless.
"I'll take that as a yes."
"...Y-You... You're wrong... Jashin... He's.."
Kakuzu finally looked away from the fire and made eye contact with the priest. "You need to stop. That's all behind us. You need to move on. You're wasting your time on your religion."
Hidan shook his head. "Shut the hell up... I know you just want me dead... You want me to revoke my religion so my immortality is gone and you can kill me. I'm not stupid. I-"
He didn't get to finish though, as Kakuzu had jumped up and punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground.
Hidan stayed frozen on the ground for a moment, shocked from being struck, though he slowly looked up and gave Kakuzu a questioning look. "Wh-Why..?"
Kakuzu glared down at him, though there wasn't the usual hate and anger there that Hidan was used to seeing.
"How can you believe in that damned Jashin..? How can you believe there's any god out there? Look at you! Look at how you suffer! What god would support the way you harm yourself over and over again?! It's not holy! It's immoral!" The miser snarled.
Hidan sat up weakly and shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. "N-No... Th-That's not..."
"Oh really? I could tell how miserable you were before I found you. Any god who loves and values their followers would have granted you release from such an agonizing existence... Your immortality won't end if you stop your rituals. It will continue forever until the jutsu finally wears off on it's own. Give up on this twisted fantasy you've made."
Hidan covered his ears and screamed, "Never! Jashin is what kept me going all these years! I could have starved myself to death if I really wanted to! My faith in Jashin kept me alive!"
Kakuzu gave him a pitying look. "No.. It wasn't faith. It was hope, wasn't it? Hope that you'd find a reason for existing again?"
Hidan looked up at him, tears leaking from his eyes, no doubt because his entire world was being completely shattered around him. "St...Stop... Please... J-Just... stop, please..."
Kakuzu grabbed him by the front of his shirt and yanked him up. "Admit it. You don't really believe. You always go on about how Jashin is with you, and yet you're so scared of being alone and you felt so alone after I left you. You know there's no god with you. What you desire is human contact and happiness to be brought back to this plane from your fantasy, so you can come to terms with this reality and accept your place in it. Your so-called religion is nothing but your security blanket..."
Hidan refused to look him in the eye and shook his head. "Y-You d-don't... understand a-at all..."
Kakuzu's expression softened slightly. He could see the terror and pain his partner was in. "You're wrong..."
Hidan's watery eyes opened a little, enough to look him in the eyes. "Wh..What..?"
"Religion is your safety net, just as money is mine. After being thrown in prison for something I couldn't help, I told myself I didn't need any others and that humans were unreliable. I wanted something constant to use as a stable foothold in reality, and money was that constant. You were hurt and wanted to shove away from people as well. So you chose religion to be a net to catch you and become your foothold."
The priest stared at him for a moment, then the last bit of his 'fantasy' seemed to give out beneath him. He started trembling badly and tears flowed more freely down his face.
Kakuzu frowned and let go of his shirt, only for the smaller man to collapse against him, and start sobbing and choking out broken phrases and apologies. Kakuzu couldn't hardly make sense of anything he was saying, but he knew he had just successfully destroyed the zealot's faith and shattered his entire universe, dropping him into the cold, harsh reality that was their true universe; the place where his very existence was against the code and fabric of the world. He knew it must be devastating, but he wasn't one to be soft, and feelings irritated him.
Kakuzu snarled and knocked the man away from him harshly, nearly making him fall into the camp fire. Hidan didn't seem to care and curled up on himself, crying silently.
"Go to sleep." Kakuzu ordered, turning and going to the opposite side of the clearing before settling down to sleep, doing his best to ignore Hidan's miserable cries and soft murmurings.
The next morning, Kakuzu woke to see Hidan had passed out from exhaustion at some point in the night, his face still tear stained. The masked man kicked the unconscious body in front of him. "Get up."
Lavender eyes opened weakly, dulled out from tiredness and broken spirit, then slowly slid up to look at him. "Wha..?" His voice was hoarse and weak.
"We're going." Kakuzu said, starting to walk away.
Hidan didn't move.
The miser stopped and looked back at him. "I said, get up."
"Why..? What's the point to living..? What are we ever going to accomplish..? We can't be part of society... We don't belong... Why bother living just to hide and move all the time..? What's the point..?"
Kakuzu frowned. He supposed the silver haired man had a point, but he didn't want to address it at the moment. "We can figure that out later. Now get up. We're wasting time."
Hidan didn't respond immediately, but slowly he picked himself up and followed the miser silently.
As the sun made it's way across the sky and they arrived in the next town, neither said a single word.
Only once they had booked into a motel for the night did Hidan finally break the silence.
"Hey, Kakuzu..?"
"What?"
Hidan hesitated a moment, though quietly said, "..Thank you... I... You were right... About all those things you said last night... I didn't want to accept them, and I still don't think I do, but... I'll try... I have been holding onto the past in desperation... I know I should move forward..."
Kakuzu just 'hmphed' in response and sat down on the single bed in the room. "I'm going to sleep. Find some place on the floor for yourself."
Hidan frowned. He knew that was always what Kakuzu used to do; buy a room with a single bed to save money and make his partner sleep on the floor.
Sighing, Hidan found one of the cleaner corners of the room and laid down, staring numbly at the cracks on the wall. They made him think of too many things from the past, but most of all, they made him think of two things: his own broken existence and the stitched-up skin of Kakuzu's.
He sighed again softly and closed his eyes, slipping off into unconsciousness.
Hidan woke up gasping for breath and looking around in terror. His eyes slowly focused on his surroundings, and he relaxed when he saw the filthy, darkened room around him, and he made out the figure of Kakuzu still on the bed.
The moon was still high in the sky, still hours away from morning.
Terror and adrenaline still pulsed through him from his nightmare. It had mostly clouded over now and he couldn't hardly recall any of it, but he had a pretty good feeling it had to do with Kakuzu.
The cold floor in the corner he was in suddenly seemed very dark and uncomfortable, and he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep anymore.
Hidan glanced back at Kakuzu again, knowing waking him would be a bad idea, but not sure he could take being isolated like this anymore.
You're so scared of being alone...
The silver haired man stood shakily and did his best to cross the room silently. He knew this was a bad idea, but he'd worry about the consequences in the morning.
Trying not to make the bed creak or move at all, he slipped under the blankets with his back to Kakuzu, careful to stay on his side of the bed to keep from touching the miser or waking him. Simply being close to his ex teammate helped him feel more relaxed and less lonely, and he found himself able to slip back into unconsciousness.
Kakuzu kept his eyes closed, though he was well aware of what Hidan was doing behind him. He'd always been a light sleeper, and he'd immediately known that Hidan had climbed into the bed next to him. Deciding it wasn't worth fighting over in the middle of the night and since the zealot hadn't pushed his luck by getting too close, Kakuzu let it slide for the time being.
Hidan woke the next morning from a hard shove that landed him on the floor. He groaned and looked up to see those ruby and emerald eyes looking down on him. They didn't seem as angry as usual, and he didn't feel his temper swell up at all even despite the rude awakening.
"I got us food while you were sleeping. Hurry up and eat so we can get going." Kakuzu ordered, dropping a paper bag next to Hidan's head.
He nodded and sat up, looking into it to see a simple plain rice ball and a packaged ready-made peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Hidan didn't complain at all and unwrapped the rice ball, taking a bite. Honestly, he could hardly remember the last time he'd eaten. It'd been at least three weeks, he knew that much. Much longer and he would have starved himself to death.
Maybe it was just his hunger talking or the fact that he hadn't eaten anything decent and non-stale in so long, but the plain rice seemed like the most delicious thing he'd ever eaten.
"Hey, this is pretty good, you know..." Hidan murmured, taking another bite.
"...You have no taste." Kakuzu said bluntly.
Hidan just ignored him and finished the rest of the rice ball and the soggy sandwich, though he didn't much care.
"Hidan." Kakuzu said as he was finishing.
"Hm, yeah? What is it?"
"What do you think you were doing last night?"
Hidan blinked and smiled sheepishly, looking embarrassed. "Oh, that... I just... I... had a nightmare and... I didn't think you'd mind..."
"...You really are a child..."
"Hey, shut the hell up! You shouldn't always hog the bed to yourself anyways! Sleeping on the floor is really shitty, you know!"
"Hmph.. Don't think I'll let you do that every night..."
Hidan blinked. "You're not mad?"
"Don't read into it... Not that an idiot like you would..." Kakuzu growled, leaving the room.
The silver haired man quickly got up and followed him, knowing they had another day of traveling ahead of them.
"Hey Kuzu?" Hidan asked while they were waiting at a cross walk. They had gotten a late start and the town was bigger than most of the others. The duo hadn't made it out of the town before nightfall, and now needed to find another motel to spend the night in, much to Kakuzu's disdain.
Said miser looked down at the smaller man. "What now?"
"Have you thought about what I asked you before?"
"About what?"
"You know, what are you going to do with your future?"
"No, I haven't thought about it. I'm fine with this way for now."
Hidan just nodded, looking thoughtful.
Kakuzu snorted. "Don't look so serious. It doesn't fit you."
"What? I'm just thinking..."
"I didn't think you were capable of that."
"Shut the fuck up!"
That night, Hidan glanced over at Kakuzu who was reading his book again, ignoring the priest's- no, ex priest's- existence altogether.
"Hey Kakuzu?"
When he didn't get a response, Hidan pushed a little further. "Kakuzu, do you ever think of the Akatsuki at all?"
Sighing, Kakuzu closed his book, knowing when Hidan wanted to talk, ignoring him wasn't an option. "I thought I told you to get out of the past."
"Do you?" Hidan pressed.
"...No, not really. Maybe once or twice at the very beginning, but not anymore. There's nothing to gain from such thoughts. You should stop thinking of them as well. Focus on the future."
"Look, I know you're okay with being alone and you don't care about others much, but I do. To just forget people like that is hard. I couldn't forget you most, you know. What you said about me hoping to find a reason to keep living being what drove me? Yeah, that reason I was looking for was you. I was hoping you were still alive so I was looking for you."
Kakuzu looked at the man he had hated for so long, but found those feelings weren't really there anymore. Maybe because knowing how much he meant to the zealot had him relaxed or maybe because he was simply much more bearable now that he wasn't constantly preaching, but Kakuzu really didn't mind his presence so much anymore.
"..Go to sleep Hidan. It's late."
"Look, I mean it, okay? I really was looking for you. You've really been making my life a lot better lately, you know. You're real strict and all, but I don't mind. You care about me, don't you?"
"What makes you think that?"
Hidan smiled faintly. "You didn't deny it. You like me at least a little, right?"
"Go to sleep. You're delusional." Kakuzu said, going to the bed and laying down.
Hidan stayed where he was sitting on the floor for a while, then looked up at the bed. "Kuzu?"
"...What, Hidan?"
"I like you. You know that, right?"
No response.
"I know you hear me. Say something."
When there was still only silence, Hidan frowned. "Kakuzu..?" Once more there was silence.
Sighing in defeat, Hidan stood up and went over to the bed, laying down gently next to his partner.
Kakuzu sat up and shoved Hidan away, glaring.
"What the hell man? That wasn't necessary you know." Hidan mumbled, rubbing a bruise on the back of his head where he'd hit the floor.
"You're wrong. You're just clinging to me to be your replacement for your religion. Just like you didn't really believe, you don't really care. So don't say such things and stay away from me."
Hidan blinked and looked at him with a sort of innocence. "What? No, I'm not doing that. Seriously. I really mean this."
"No you don't. Stop lying."
"Hey, you know I hate lying! I'd never do it on purpose. I say what I mean."
"Why would someone like you care about someone like me?" Kakuzu demanded.
"Huh? Isn't it obvious? You helped me see reality and got me on my feet again. I really owe a lot to you! And, you're a lot like me, right? We're immortal and got not-so-good pasts... I think you can really help me. You already have been. And... I've noticed you have been softer than usual with me. I think I can help you too with your money obsession and your coldness. You got me over my religion by getting me to accept my past and move on. You said money was the same kind of security thing for you as Jashin was for me. If I can get over it, you can too, right? I wanna help ya, buddy!"
Kakuzu blinked, staring into the zealot's eyes. They say eyes are the portal to the soul, and while a lot of people can put fake emotions in their eyes, Hidan couldn't. He really meant every word he said, and Kakuzu could tell.
"You're... serious about this?"
Hidan grinned and nodded. "Yep! So... Just, give me a chance, okay? I'll do my best. I really do like you, and I can tell you got a soft spot for me. You'll give me a chance, right..?"
Kakuzu stared at him for a moment longer. Yes, he had come to open up to the silver haired man and as he'd said before, he usually ended up killing everyone around him because he couldn't help his angry outbursts and Hidan was the only one capable of being his partner. He was the only person he couldn't find a way to kill, who he could put back together when he snapped and attacked, and who forgave him every time and remained at his side. If there was one person that would be suitable to spend his life with, it could be no one other than Hidan. He was okay with being alone and wasn't reliable on Hidan like he was on the miser, but he was beginning to think he'd miss him if he left.
"...Alright... I'll give you a chance... But if you screw up..."
Hidan nodded. "I got it. I'll be careful. This means a lot to me, you know!"
Kakuzu just snorted and looked away. "Whatever.. It's late. Go to sleep already."
Nodding, Hidan took that as an invitation to get back in the bed and snuggle against Kakuzu.
The miser frowned, not used to human contact at all, though decided he had put Hidan in an uncomfortable position when he'd destroyed his fantasy and it had helped him, so he let Hidan do what he wanted.
Kakuzu was about to drift off when Hidan murmured, "I like your eyes... They're really pretty..." He sounded half asleep and like he was hardly aware of what he was saying, though added, "You should take off your mask more often, you know... You really don't look bad if that's why you wear it... I think you're handsome..."
Kakuzu stayed quiet, hoping Hidan would just go to sleep, but instead, the silver haired man grabbed the hood and pulled it off, then dropped it carelessly on the floor.
Kakuzu sighed and rolled over to see Hidan smiling at him with practically a drunk look on his face, though it was simply the exhaustion.
"Alright... Just go to sleep already..." Kakuzu murmured.
Hidan finally seemed satisfied and snuggled closer, nuzzling Kakuzu's neck.
Kakuzu sighed and closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around Hidan and resting his chin on top of his head, listening silently as the zealot's breathing slowed and steadied.
This isn't so bad... I think... I made the right decision... Kakuzu thought to himself. I can get used to this... I'm glad he decided he liked me... He's already helped me start to value a life other than my own... Yes, he'll be good company for me... I'm looking forward to the time ahead of us...
What are you going to do with your future?
Kakuzu smiled faintly. I'll have to tell him tomorrow that I've decided... I'll spend my future with him and we'll just see where it takes us... Even if we don't belong in this world, we'll make the best of it as long as we're here... And I feel like that's going to be quite a while still.