A/N: This story will be a 3 part one-shot, because I can.

Part I

As he had grown older, Kakuzu had grown to dislike the rain, especially autumn rain. It was cold, and when this coldness seeped into his skin he could almost feel his age rise to the surface. He could almost see his shaking hands become wrinkled and spotted, and he became so aware of his breathing that he could almost feel it stop altogether.

Who was it that said that rain purifies?

The rain only revealed what Kakuzu wished to remain hidden.

"Can we get the hell outta this rain please!?" Kakuzu heard his partner complain. Without a word he scanned through the forest's trees to spot an old shack in the distance. His partner followed his line of sight. "Thank fucking Jashin!"

He pulled ahead, and Kakuzu followed.

The shack was old. Inside there were quite a few leaks, but it would do for now. As Kakuzu sat down he could hear it creak and moan beneath the rainfall. The shack was quite old…very old…Kakuzu closed his eyes for but a moment, before his partner started yapping again.

"You know you've been so fucking quiet for a while now! It's freakin' me out! Your age finally catch up to you old man!?"

Little did Hidan know that Kakuzu's age caught up to him long ago.

When he said nothing, Hidan started yelling again.

"C'mon don't leave me hanging ya old bastard!"

Kakuzu opened his eyes to glare at Hidan. "Take the first watch."

"Sweet fuckin' Jashin! The first immortal I meet and he turns out to be a fucking sack of bones! Why the fuck—" and so Hidan's rant began. Kakuzu and Hidan had only become partners a few months ago, but they had already settled into a routine. Admittedly Kakuzu was beyond frustrated with the fact that Hidan couldn't die—being a true immortal, but he had quickly learned to simply tone out Hidan's boisterous voice; even though, many times it proved to be too obnoxious to ignore indefinitely.

But today was different. Today it was raining. This was autumn's first downfall, and the pitter-pattering on the aging roof told Kakuzu the story it told every year. It began with the end.

On the day he had left his village, it had also been raining, but he couldn't hear the rain over his struggling breath. He couldn't hear the rain over her crying.

Hitomi.

"Kakuzu…"

The only thing she could say was his name because there wasn't really anything else she could say. He had made his decision. She knew it. He knew it. And they both knew nothing could change it.

Still she took a step forward, and he took a step back, shaking his head.

"Kakuzu," She repeated, more firmly than before though her voice still faltered. "Kakuzu…" In his name was the interlaced plea: "Don't go."

"Hitomi…" he could only whisper her name. He couldn't even look her in the eye as he said it. It's funny how when anger fades, it leaves behind a washed-up sort of feeling.

At the sound of her name, Hitomi dared to step forward again. This time Kakuzu did not step back. Gods be damned if he turned away from her of all people. And so she came closer, until she took his hand in her shaking one. She began to say something, but no words could come out. So he spoke for her:

"Come with me."

It was a stupid idea. They both knew it, but Kakuzu was on a victory high. If he could kill the village elders, if he could steal the most secret jutsu of their village, who's to say he couldn't protect her from Anbu as well? But how long could she run for him? How long could he fight for her?

The truth was their escape ended before they could even begin.

Hitomi could only cry and shake her head, her hand gripping his all the more.

A "sorry" choked up in his throat, but he wouldn't say it.

Couldn't say it.

And so he slipped his hand from hers, and turned towards the shadows of the forest. Somehow saying "goodbye" gave the illusion that they would one day meet again…

A rough punch in the shoulder jolted Kakuzu from his sleep. His hand instantly shot out and choked his attacker. In doing so Kakuzu also managed to crash the man through one of the shack's walls.

"Aw, fucking hell Kakuzu!"

Kakuzu growled, but released Hidan from his hold. The other man coughed as he managed to stand back up. "Hey! Don't fucking glare at me like that! It's time to change shifts ya know! Damn, I thought you fucking died! You weren't waking up!"

"If you want to sleep, then shut up and sleep or should I just bury you in the ground now?"

"I can't fucking die you know! Burying me's gonna do nothing!"

Kakuzu didn't bother to respond and moved to sit near the shack's entrance as Hidan hauled his ass inside. The heavy rain had become a softer drizzle while Kakuzu had been asleep. And with the heavy rain went his brief reminiscence. There was nothing more there.

The past was the past.

A mere memory.