Tsunade is obviously disappointed with Shikamaru. He's probably going to be a jerk of epic proportions in this story. Don't worry; Sakura makes her debut next chapter :) until then, Enjoy!

Songs: "True Colors" by Serena Paris and Phil Collins.


Chapter 2: Stitched, but wounded.

Tsunade eyed Shikamaru suspiciously, her gaze hard. She knew that he knew he wasn't trusted to be within twenty meters of Hidan. He kept his distance and watched as best he could through the operation window, his glare fixed upon the long haired immortal.

Tsunade scowled, "Mel, finish sewing this arm on."

"Hai," the young man said, taking Tsunade's place. She walked around the operation table and placed herself in Shikamaru's line of sight, threading a new needle and starting with Hidan's left shoulder. She chanced a glance over her shoulder and saw the look of disbelief on Shikamaru's face before returning to the task at hand.

She let Mel sew Hidan's legs together while she and a few of the other female medics organized some items for cleaning and regenerating parts of the body that had been lost.

"I figure Hidan will be more comfortable with a man tending to his lower body," she whispered to them before adding, "I beg you not to look. The man is already damaged enough as it is, and I don't mean that in a physical way."

The girls nodded and a few blushed. They expertly busied themselves with organizing items, or left the room with a clipboard or piece of paper shielding their eyes. Mel pulled a white sheet onto Hidan and approached Tsunade.

"Hokage-sama."

"I thought I told you to call me either shishou or Tsunade."

"Shishou. I'm done though he seems... I mean I just find it strange that..." he bit his lip, unsure if he should continue or not. Tsunade's brows furrowed, "continue, Mel."

"I'm worried. He's not talking. He didn't even squeak in pain, or make any sound and it's got me worried," he glanced over his shoulder at Hidan, torn between trying to get him to talk or let Tsunade do it. She smiled at him and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Mel, let me take care of it. We can't force him to talk; that may only worsen the situation. I'll do my best to get him to move though. I want to make sure we've attactched him properly. Also, I need to spread this salve where bits of his body may be missing," she held up the jar. The salve was a pale peach color, so it wouldn't be that obvious on Hidan's skin.

"Go take a break. All of you. Leave me alone with Hidan," to Mel she said, "and take Shikamaru out of here."

The medic nodded and followed after the others. Tsunade watched as Mel convinced Shikamaru to come with him, and she noticed the look of disapproval on Shikamaru's face. She scowled, 'if he starts disliking people for being kind to Hidan, I'm going to put him through therapy.'

She approached Hidan, who was lying on the table unmoving, violet eyes fixed on an invisible point in the ceiling. She sighed and rested her hand on his forehead, making his eyes widen briefly. He looked at her, a strange sadness in those once proud eyes.

"Are you in pain?" she asked, brushing hair out of his face. He shook his head as she expected. She pushed him over a little before sitting on the table herself, resting her hand on top of his.

"Will you talk to me, or do you need more time?"

She knew that it would be difficult for him to answer the question without speaking, but he made it obvious that he wanted – no, needed more time before speaking to anyone.

'Is he that emotionally hurt? Then I need to get him acquainted with Sakura. Quickly. If she had the ability to forgive Sasuke so quickly, then I pray that she has the ability to forgive Hidan just as quickly.'

She rubbed a thumb over Hidan's temple, dragging her hand down the side of his face in a motherly gesture. She sighed and almost drew her hand away, but Hidan had leaned his face into her palm, closing his eyes. She smiled softly, stroking his cheek with her thumb.

'This. This I consider progress. He is beginning to trust me.'

It was a good thing for him to being to trust her, and so she tried again, "are you sure you don't want to speak?"

His eyes opened and his lips twisted down in a frown someone might give before bursting into tears. Tsunade's worry got the better of her, and she watched as Hidan raised an arm and brought it over his eyes. She pulled him up into a sitting position immediately, letting his head rest against her shoulder. He lowered his arm, leaning more heavily against her.

'Trust me,' she pleaded inwardly, 'trust me.'

She pulled the sheet more fully around him, and the door to the operation room suddenly opened. She allowed an angered expression to cross her features, "leave."

"But, Tsunade-sama I-"

"Leave, Shikamaru!" her hazel eyes glared angrily at him. He blinked and shrunk back, before withdrawing completely.

Two hours later found Hidan sleeping lightly on the couch that was in the Hokage's office. Tsunade stayed in her office all night, watching over the immortal. Eventually she yawned and stretched, eying the couch.

'I'll just rest my head here, and take him to see Sakura tomorrow,' she decided, laying her head against the couch near his stomach. His hand gingerly touched her head, and she smiled.

"Sleep, Hidan. You need it."

She watched in silent awe as he obeyed, his violet eyes closing, hand resting against her head.

--

When Hidan woke up, it was not to a pleasant sight. The Hokage had pinned Shikamaru to the wall, the teen protesting, "his hand was on your head!"

"He was asleep!" Tsunade defended vehemently, "it was a gentle gesture of trust! And what makes you think you're allowed to come waltzing into my office first thing in the morning? Because he's here?"

She jerked her head in Hidan's direction, glaring at Shikamaru before dropping the teen and whirling on her feet. She approached him swiftly, heels clicking against the floor.

"You're awake!" she dropped down to her knees in front of him, "good morning."

Shikamaru made a sound the bordered on gagging, and Tsunade whipped her head around to him, "if you don't like it, then get out."

The shadow user scurried out, glaring at Hidan. Hidan averted his eyes, opting for staring at Tsunade instead.

'... I guess I can trust her. But I don't want to freaking talk. I don't want to,' he stared at her in an almost pleading sort of way, 'don't make me talk.'

--

Tsunade stared into those violet orbs, deciding that if she was any younger she would drown in them. She could almost read the words in his eyes and she spoke gently, "I'm not going to force you to talk. I just want you to talk... eventually. Don't worry about it now," she stood and walked away, looking around, "hm, now where did I – Oh yes! I remember!"

She approached her desk and rummaged around in the largest drawer, pulling out a few articles of clothing. She walked back over to Hidan, who had sat up on the couch. She knelt down in front of him and held out the clothes, smiling. His hair fell in curtains around his face, and she wondered if he looked different with short hair.

'I feel silly,' she laughed inwardly as Hidan accepted the clothes, setting the shirt aside. He stared at her and she blinked, before a light blush skittered over her cheeks. She jumped up and turned around. She was about to speak when a hand touched her waist.

She looked over her shoulder to see that Hidan had already changed into the new pair of pants, leaving the rest of the clothes on the couch; his old pants were resting on the arm of the couch.

'I need to be sure to return those to Mel.'

"Come along, then. I need to introduce you to the girl that will be looking after you," inwardly she added, 'and hopefully get you to speak.'

Hidan followed her faithfully down the hall, not even glancing at shinobi who passed by.

Once they were a little more than halfway to Sakura's new apartment, Tsunade stopped. She turned to Hidan, debating about whether or not it was a good idea to leave him here alone.

"Stay here. I'll return shortly; ten minutes at the most," she looked around before resting her eyes on him again and noticing the look of panic and fear in his eyes. She bit her lip, thought better and took a step back.

He took a small step forward but ducked his head and stepped back, hair falling about his face.

'Oh now he's making me feel guilty,' Tsunade fought with herself for a moment, and an idea came to her. She raised a hand and touched his shoulder. He lifted his head slightly, so she could see his eyes.

"This might sting a bit. I promise that if you get hurt I'll come running. This will let me know when you're in danger."

She watched as he nodded and then she pulsed her chakra through him, earning only a small wince. She smiled and took off; she planned to be less than five minutes, if she could.

--

'... I don't want to be here alone,' Hidan hugged himself and pressed his back against the wall, 'not alone in this – this freaking huge village! I'll trust her, though. I'll frikkin' force myself to trust her b – crap!'

He felt Shikamaru's presence before he saw him, and to Hidan's black luck the shadow user was standing across from him, glaring. Hidan tried to press harder against the wall, wishing he had learned how to merge with walls from Zetsu when the man had offered. And now that man was dead.

"Hey," Shikamaru called, a mocking tone to his voice, "whatever happened to the arrogant bastard that told me his god was going to smite me."

'Don't talk. Don't speak. Jashin left you,' a voice in his mind said, and so Hidan ignored Shikamaru, clenching his hands around his biceps. Shikamaru tilted his head and took a step closer.

"Not going to talk, are you? Not even yell? Curse? Gee, whatever happened to you in that hole?" Shikamaru wondered out loud deliberately. His smirk turned to a scowl though, and he took a few more steps forward.

Hidan dropped down to the ground and Shikamaru released a short curse.

'I might have been underground for eight years, you little punk, but I'm still a shinobi,' Hidan wanted so badly to say, but he was afraid to provoke the teen, have himself get nearly blown apart again and then be blamed and imprisoned. He didn't need that happening.

He glanced up at the three kunai that had embedded themselves in the wall where he had been standing.

'If I'd let those hit me though... he's get into a shit load of trouble,' Hidan mused, eying Shikamaru warily. A bunch of kids had gathered around him, and to Hidan the kids looked like they were Shikamaru's cousins. The teen nodded at them, then took off. People walking down the street stopped, looking between the immortal and the kids.

Hidan curled up, expecting objects to be thrown at him. He was correct, and several items hit him. He wasn't quite sure what a few of the items were, but he knew that a few of them were rocks. He stayed unmoving on his side though, his arms shielding his face.

A woman started yelling at the children but the onslaught didn't stop. He felt approaching chakra though, like a storm and he chanced a glance to see the Hokage thundering toward him, with a mass of rainclouds following her.

--

Tsunade was furious. She had been half-way through explaining the situation to Sakura when she had felt the first sense that Hidan was being attacked. Not really attacked, but rather mocked, and after apologizing to Sakura she stormed out of the girl's home.

The first thing Tsunade noticed was the large group of people. Next was Hidan lying on the ground, unmoving, his position slightly defensive. Next was the flying rock.

She caught it in her hand, standing over Hidan defensively. The rock was crushed to dust within seconds, fluttering to the ground, absolutely harmless.

"The next one who throws something will be punished," she hissed angrily, glaring at each of the children. They all grew frightened and darted away, glancing back more than once. Tsunade's blazing hazel eyes followed them before she spun and dropped, tugging gently at Hidan.

"Hidan? Hidan? Are you alright?" it was a rather dumb question, but she wasn't about to ask him to talk to her. He lifted his head slightly, enough that his hair parted and she saw a shimmer of violet. She breathed a sigh of relief, but she knew that he was hurt.

A woman from the crowd came forward, "is there anything I can do to help, Hokage-sama?"

"Yes. Inform every single one of your friends that this man is not an enemy and will be treated with respect or Kami help me I will punish everybody. I will not take anything done to him lightly. And be sure to tell them to tell their friends and so forth. Hopefully word will be all around the village by morning. I will inform the shinobi myself."

The woman nodded and hurried off, summoning several people to her side. Tsunade sent out a call for an ANBU squad – Rill's squad to be exact. What better squad to call than the one that had dug up Hidan?

She suddenly felt drawing on her leg and glanced down. Hidan was dragging a finger around on her leg.

'So he's willing to speak... through writing,' she focused on what he was writing, and as Rill and his squad showed up her face contorted with fury.

"Shikamaru..."


Not too confusing I hope xD. I'm just cautious because MLMD is like that... /sigh. Rill. Lol. Dunno, just picked a random name.