Itachi had always hated shopping (of any kind) with a passion. But he was certain that there was a special place in Hell for the person who had invented the grocery store. He hated waiting in line, he was constantly worried that someone would recognize him, he couldn't stand searching for all the things that the Akatsuki "needed" *cough cough Hidan's hairgel cough* and loathed going to the various tiny shops with Kakuzu muttering in his ear about how expensive the miso was. Kakuzu loved a good deal, but it seemed as if he were convinced that no matter how good a deal was, he could find a better deal elsewhere. And it's not as if Leader-sama had asked Kakuzu to go with Itachi. Nope. Kakuzu insisted on going, every single time. Itachi figured that Kakuzu was terrified that he would blow all their hard-earned money on Pocky and dango, but if that was the case, Kakuzu kept it to himself as he tagged along with Itachi to the nearest village to pick up the essentials.
"Let's see, we still need bread, an onion, and ginger," Itachi read from a tiny scrap of paper, scanning the line of shops in the main square of Konoha. (Why were they grocery shopping in Konoha? An excellent question, reader. Because Ame's prices are 'outrageous', and Konoha was closer to where their current mission was) Kakuzu pointed at a tiny vegetable stall. "That looks promising."
Itachi rolled his eyes and walked over to the stall, knowing that Kakuzu would haggle until the shopkeeper gave up. The one thing that Kakuzu had going for him was patience.
Itachi amused himself by watching the people that walked by the stall, wondering why Leader-sama always made him go shopping when Kakuzu could clearly handle it himself. He watched a kid with thick, bushy eyebrows and a bowl haircut buy a green jumpsuit that was exactly the same as the one he already wore. Itachi watched the kid practically dance his way down the narrow lane, people stepping out of his way seemingly out of habit. Hearing the click of Kakuzu's case, Itachi turned around just in time to see Kakuzu hand the scared-looking shopkeeper a couple of paper bills and a few tiny coins. Itachi squinted at them from under his hat, counting them rapidly. Sixty yen for two ginger roots and an onion? Wow. Most shopkeepers won't take under a hundred for the onion, much less ginger. He glanced at the shopkeeper again, noticing the poor man's body language this time. He was backing away slowly, his hands shaking. He's terrified. What did Kakuzu do to him? Itachi bagged the items that Kakuzu had practically stolen, and together the two Akatsuki turned and walked down the lane.
When they were well away from the village, Itachi finally had to know. "Kakuzu."
"Hm?" He appeared to be trying to add numbers in his head again, something Itachi usually didn't interrupt, but he had to know.
"What did you say to that man?" Itachi wasn't really expecting an answer.
Kakuzu's oddly-colored eyes crinkled at the corners, betraying an otherwise hidden smile.
"Oh, that. I casually mentioned that I could rip out his throat and hand it to him before he stopped breathing." Kakuzu said in his gravelly voice, with the air of someone remarking on the weather.
Itachi smirked under his hat and realized that maybe he didn't really mind Kakuzu's company that much after all.
