Hidan decided that if nothing else, Amira was a good lay. She was hot and tight and she liked the way he was rough with her, even if it hurt sometimes. Her hips met his on the first thrust every time and he'd decided they meshed together perfectly in bed. The next few days were full of sex, he fucked her on the grass, he banged her while she was bent over cleaning up blood from the wagon, and screwed her brains out as she tried to do laundry. They traveled during the day and stopped every evening, did chores and went to bed but didn't sleep. It was all fine and dandy with him, except for sometimes, she did little things that made him wonder.

The other night she served him dinner and neglected to tell him that the food and the plate she served it on was hot and Hidan burned his hands. Yesterday she'd been cutting up vegetables and leftover chunks of meat when he walked behind her, she spun around and narrowly missed cutting him veridically across his chest. Today she'd been riding the horse before they shipped off and nearly ran him over, claiming that the horse wasn't listening.

He brushed it off, saying it was all in his head. That little bit of a thing who threw up after seeing her first man killed couldn't possibly be trying to hurt him.

They had to stop finally when Amira informed Hidan that there would not be enough food for breakfast tomorrow. He was sure that the woman was finally seeing eye to eye with him, and it was frustrating to have her ask permission once again.

Prince plotted along at the same pace he always did, slow, and Hidan questioned Amira about acquiring a larger horse with a larger stride, but Amira wouldn't hear it. She couldn't bare to part with Prince. After giving it some thought he didn't blame her after the life she'd lived. They arrived much later into town than Hidan had planned but Amira insisted that it was a good thing, shops were closing, she said, and there for they were willing to make deals. His wife stocked up on vegetables, much to his distain, and bartered an ounce of that disgusting spice she put on everything for a piece of sausage as long and thick as his arm before he lost track of her. He had to hand it to her, she knew what she was doing.

"Could we stay here tonight? Tomorrow I'd like to see if I can get a little more for us, I was thinking we could also, um, eat in a restaurant too," she sounded meek, like she shouldn't be asking, her eyes huge and deer like and a sort of pout set on her features.

"Sure," he shrugged, and the pair doubled up on the horse and rode off to if find somewhere for dinner. They found themselves in a pub about twenty minutes later, looking at menus with sake on the way.

"Um, Hidan," she whispered. Hidan put down his menu sort of dramatically, making a slapping sound as it hit the table, she never stopped talking did she?

"What?" He spat. Honestly just when he thought he was going to get a quiet moment.

"I uh, I've never been to a restaurant and uh, I.." She paused for a moment as if deciding if she should finish, "I can't, you know, read."

"You can't read," Hidan stated, all most as if he thought she was joking. He didn't doubt it. Gypsy men wanted there women stupid and quiet, if they could read they might be able to figure out that they were being treated unfairly. Although, Amira seemed to know and accept how she was treated in camp. She shook her head innocently. Sighing Hidan motioned for her to sit next to him and put the paper down in front of them.

"Oh, that's okay, if you would just order me something you think I'd like," she tried to convince, smoothing out the skirt of her dress but Hidan refused.

"Oh no, your not bugging my ass for the rest of our lives about this shit, have a look at this. I'm gonna teach your ass to read if it kills me," the older man spat. The sake was brought and the male jashinist ordered food, trying to teach his bride to sound out words to pass the time.

"I hope I'm not intruding," a male voice came, snapping the pairs attention away from the menu. A tan skinned man snaked his way into the booth opposite of Hidan and Amira, those piercing green eyes of his were unmistakable, though his other features had changed. His hair was still long, though it was no longer covered and it was well kept, a scarf lay around his neck and a mask of the same color around his mouth. He wore civilian cloths, simple, long sleeved and dark in color.

"Kakuzu you old fuck!" Hidan exclaimed loud enough to make Amira jump.

"Quiet down loudmouth," the man narrowed his eyes, "always with the yelling."

"Aw shut the fuck up, it's been twenty years and that's the first damned thing you say to me?" The jashinist put his hands on the table, beating them down for effect and making his wife jump again.

"Where in the hell did you get that?" Amira visibly tensed when the strangers eyes fell on her, clearly her husband knew this man but something felt wrong about him.

"Never mind her," Amira's jaw dropped, her eyes transfixed on her husband. Never since they'd been joined together had he put her on the side lines. She felt like she was back in the gypsy camp. She very vividly remembered her father, her ex-husband, and her uncle doing the same thing he'd just done and after seeing the light outside the camp, she was offended.

"Oh Hidan you didn't," Kakuzu sneered, "how old is she, fifteen?"

"My name is Amira and I am nineteen years old, thank you." It was Hidan's turn to gawk. The girls cheeks were flush, never in her life had she spoke to a man that way, and honestly she expected to be hit. She was fairly sure that Hidan would protect her, but honestly she knew she wasn't safe from him either.

"Such a big mouth for such a little girl," Kakuzu scoffed "you two must get along so well."

"We do, actually! I love my husband!" Amira blurted. Honestly she had no idea that he was just trying to get her preverbal goat.

"Mmm, I see that," the older man replied, attempting to pass the girl off. Truthfully he only wanted to talk with his previous partner and though he used to hate the man, he needed a favor and they were perfect. He'd been watching them since they entered town and after noticing who they were he decided to fallow.

"How in Jashin's sweet hell are you still around?" Hidan cut in, drawing all the attention to himself. He honestly didn't want Kakuzu's eyes on his prize, and more over, he didn't want the old bastardized getting any ideas.

"It just so happened my original human heart kicked back on while I was in the morgue in the hidden leaf, I snuck out and regained myself after that. Moving on, I'm sort of in a bind, I was wondering if you could help me," the food came then, the waitress bringing Kakuzu's along too, it became apparent to the jashinists that the other man had been planning this meeting. Kakuzu poured himself a glass of Hidan's sake, the cheep bastard, and returned his gaze to the pair to wait for an answer.

The male jashinist didn't want to help the stupid bastard, what had the geezer done for him in the last twenty years? Certainly not come looking for him and he didn't want him within one hundred meters of Amira, though something tugged at him, Kakuzu had once been his friend after all and sewn him back together many times.

"What sort of help?" He asked wearily, he hadn't bothered to look down at his wife who was nervously trying to eat. He wished she'd pipe in and make him an excuse why he couldn't help, though he knew the submissive girl would never so much as think of it.

"Nothing much, I just need a hiding place for about a week, you two travel don't you? You can drop me off in the next town, it'll take about that long to get there. I've got plenty of cash," the miser didn't want to offer them money, but with some not so choice people on his ass, he had to use his resources.

"We don't normally use money," Hidan was holding out, Amira could tell, though his statement was true.

"Alright then, what is it you want?" The masked man narrowed his eyes, just what was Hidan playing at?

"A new horse," Hidan's tone was firm, his voice unwavering along with his serious looking facial features. Fuck face was giving him exactly what he wanted, no questions asked? This was too good to be true.

"You can't!" Amira cried, her entire body twisting to him and her small hand grabbing the shoulder material of his shirt. She looked angry, and sort of like she might cry, her lower lip quivering in such a way that made Hidan roll his eyes. He couldn't believe her, this morning she spread her legs like a woman and now she sounded like a child.

"Fucking relax, you can still keep the other one," his response seemed to please her, because she quietly, slowly went back to eating. If they hadn't been in public he might have slapped her.

"It's a deal then?" The pair looked up, two pairs of violet eyes meet a single pair of green.

"Deal," Hidan replied, still feeling a bit reluctant. It was too late now, he surmised.

xXx

The first night in the three person camp had Hidan convinced that Amira was up to something. She'd brought him two new shirts, one beige in color and the other black, and asked him if he liked them. A shirt was a shirt, he told her, but she wouldn't hear it, she insisted that he try them on. Of course he did, just to shut her up, and they chattered back and forth about the way it fit and how he liked it. He told her again a shirt was a shirt, and she took them back, muttering something about washing them as Hidan returned to his spot near the fire. It wasn't until he started feeling uncomfortable that he realized something was up.

"Amira!" He bellowed, " get your ass back here!"

The girl returned from around the back of the wagon where the water barrels were kept. He could see her hands were wet and she had a bit of water splashed onto her.

"What is it?" She sounded so convincing.

He commanded her to come to him, and he turned his back to her quickly. "What the fuck is on me?" The girl could only gasp, seconds later he felt her slap him, he reeled back, standing up to tower over her. He probably could have bottled and sold the anger he was feeling right now.

"Look!"she pointed down, a mid sized black spider contrasted the green grass. He grabbed her wrists in his hands, jerking her face to his.

"What did you do?" He growled, squeezing her tightly. She whimpered quietly.

"Please, your hurting me," she uttered, "honestly, I didn't do anything," her expression looked real, though he knew she'd put the spider in his shirt. He shook her one last time, jerking her roughly before shoving her away.

"Get me something for the fucking hives!" He demanded, sending her scrambling off.

Hidan, still quiet pissed sat back down on what had come to be 'his' chair, almost throwing himself down really. He tried to lean back, but the spider bites had him hissing in pain.

"That was quite childish," kakuzu had been sitting on the other side of the fire watching it all unfold, their bickering made for lovely entertainment.

"Shut the hell up," the silver haired man shot as his female miniature returned with a cold cloth. She pressed it lightly to his swelling back, but the coolness of it only served to bring him more pain, "watch it!" He barked. Jashin this woman!

xXx

Hidan wasn't sure how long it had been since he and Amira left the temple, though today in his pants pocket he found a pair of pendants, beautiful silver symbols of the Jashin faith. He remembered the elder giving them to him, though he was still surprised having found them again. Had he honestly forgot?

"Amira," he called, spotting the busy woman hunched over the fire where she currently had breakfast going. She was whipping her hands and and walking over to him within a few moments.

"Here," he presented it to her by placing it around her neck, his voice flat and monotone. He put his own on as he watched her marvel at it for a second before letting it drop, the symbol hanging somewhere just below her breasts. He'd regret giving it to her in the next few hours.

They were both sitting on the drivers seat of the wagon, she was chatting and he was being forced to listen, when she pulled off the the necklace.

"You know this thing, oh, whoops," he'd practically watched her drop it. She wasn't fooling anyone with her butter fingers act. As she lent down to get it, she'd almost tipped off the horse drawn carriage, though her quick to react husband pulled her back down to her seat.

"I'll get it," he insisted. She had to be planning something to volunteer to get it first. The pendant had gotten caught on what looked like a second emergency brake, stopping it from falling to the road below. Hidan lent down, grasping the thing, when he too found himself tipping and tried in vain to sit back up, he lost what little balance he had and fell. He hit his head first, and he barely escaped getting ran over by the still moving wagon wheels. Amira went a little too far before she stopped the wagon, jumping down to gush over him and the goose egg forming on his head, thanking him up and down for 'saving' her god forsaken necklace. Hidan had a headache and opted to go inside for the time being, away from any more possible dangers. He had barely sat down on the day bed when Kakuzu spoke, seated on a chair near the back.

"You know that spider from the other night has a double, they look exactly alike save for the non poisonous spider has a white belly," the older mans voice sounded very factual, but Hidan still wasn't putting two and two together. "I read it in this book I found under the mattress, you know, someone who couldn't read might get them confused," he continued. It hit Hidan like a ton of bricks.

She wasn't just trying to hurt him, she was trying to kill him. He'd have to wait until they stopped to do any damage, but now he had time to think.

xXx

Before the wagon even stopped, Hidan was out of it, circling around the long way. Amira jumped down and went inside, taking the short route, the first thing she noticed was her husband gone. She didn't talk to the other man, just left the wagon confused as to what was happening. He jumped on her before she even had both feet on the ground. He had one hand around her middle just under her breasts, pulling her tightly to his chest, the other he hand shoved down her skirt.

"What are you doing?" She asked in a tone for critical than he would have liked. She was at his mercy didn't she know? Roughly, he sunk two fingers into her, sending Amira withering in pleasure.

"Tell me why your trying to fucking kill me?" The man demanded, pulling his fingers from her to twist her clit. The girl did not respond, she only gave him a throaty moan and seemed to melt into him. Raising his hand a bit higher, he locked his hand around her neck and squeezed, she immediately began choking for air.

"If you don't fucking tell me why your trying to god damn kill me, I'll make your life a living hell with stitch face in there," he loosened his grip just enough to all her to speak and take a few short gasps.

"For all the fucking shit you put me through! You stabbed me to death and your an abusive mother fucker," if she could have spit in his face she would have.

"I'm a god damned immortal! You can't kill me, you dumb bitch!" He twisted her neither regions just a bit harder than she liked, this time making her cry out in pain instead of pleasure. It was music to Hidan's ears.

"Who said I'm trying to kill you?" She managed to choke. Truth be told that sort if intrigued Hidan, and so he allowed her a little bit more room in her airway. "It's just, I don't know, it was funny," she wheezed. He couldn't tell if that was a lie or not.

"Funny?" He mocked, "you think this is funny? After all the shit I do for you?"

"You would have done it anyway! Lord Jashin said you would!" She hadn't just used his own god against him had she? He spun her around, taking her jaw in his right hand and used it to pull her close until they were face to face.

"What do you know about Lord Jashin?" His tone almost dared her to speak, and if it would have been earlier in their relationship she wouldn't have. "What do you know besides what I told you?"

"He," Amira gasped, bending over searching for breathe with her hands on her knees, "he came to me in a dream and he, uh, he explained everything." Hidan could see the fear in her eyes, and after giving her a once over, he practically threw her away from him.

"Get lost, bitch," he spat, and Amira did just that, too pissed to stick around.

"She won't stick around long if you keep treating her like that," Kakuzu's voice came, the older man stood in the doorway, a book in hand and his mask off of his face.

"She has to. Lord Jashin willed it. She would have already 'conveniently disappeared' if I had it my way," Hidan groaned, leaning against his mobile home.

"I give it six months," kakuzu chuckled darkly.

"Fuck off, didn't you hear what I said? We can't leave each other," Hidan made an irritated face at him, eye brows furrowed and frustration harbored in his eyes.

"It's a vicious cycle Hidan, something happens, you two get in a fight, you threaten to beat the shit out of her, or maybe you do beat her just so you can both get over it, then you fuck like rabbits for a while just to do it all over. It's been like that for a while hasn't it?" The stitched ex-con had this down to a science, he had Hidan painted to a T, " I know you."

"Mind your own damn business! I never asked for relationship advice!" The jashinist growled, his tone too sour for his own good.

"She's beautiful Hidan, and maybe she can't leave, but someone else could take her away," kakuzu turned his back then and stalked off down the road. It was a good thing too, because Hidan would have killed the dumb fucker. Talk about his wife like that, his woman! His Amira. Just what the hell was wrong with threatening her? She was his wasn't she? Truth be told he'd been feeling especially close to the girl lately, not that he would ever tell her in words, but he realized that his body language never communicated that either.

The campsite was just a meter or so off the road and had just enough room to tie the horse and start a fire. They'd started into a rice country in the middle of the day and soon after the only thing a person could see for miles was flat rice patties. With that knowledge he wondered just how far a person could get before he lost sight of them, however Kakuzu and Amira had both gone, no where in sight.

"Amira!" He called, though he received no answer. Night would fall before she returned and by then he had a campfire going.

"Just where the hell have you been?" Hidan demanded, coming to his feet to stand next to the fire. While she'd been gone he couldn't help but get lost in thought while he was alone. He'd half way convinced himself that Kakuzu was fucking Amira and they'd run away together, or at least something had taken her from him. When he'd gotten so possessive with the little wench he didn't know. She had been smiling softly at him, not answering for a few long seconds before she produced a cloth from behind her back.

"I found this rice paddy no one was using with some stray plants in it, so, I uh, took the rice, and then I kept going and found some mushrooms and some berries to make some jam, cuz, were running kinda low and uh," she was babbling, and honestly it could have been a lie he reasoned seeing as she'd lied to him the past couple days but maybe not. "You weren't worried, were you?" She sounded so innocent and cute, so unsuspecting.

"Hell no," Hidan scoffed. Of course he had.

"Can I tell you something?" She asked, the smile dropping from her face to allow a much more serious tone to take over. Here it comes, he thought for sure she was gonna leave just like the old buzzard said. She crossed the small campsite in a few steps and after setting her bundle down she sat stride across his lap. He knew where this was going, this was the end of the cycle.

"What is it?" He asked sort of solemnly, putting his hands on her hips to keep her at her current distance. He hoped she wouldn't take it the wrong way.

"Well um, I was just thinking, and," she trailed off, putting her hands on top of his. The smile returned to her face and she looked down, rubbing her fingers on his lightly, "sorry, I feel kinda silly," he had the urge to shout at her to get on with it, but instead he kept his mouth pressed shut.

"I love you, you know? I just don't think I've ever said it like, to your face, that's all," she looked up as she finished speaking, blushing just a bit. Her violet eyes sparkled in the low lighting and he swore he heard her giggle just a bit. That was all?

"You love me even after all that bullshit?" He asked, honestly surprised by her words but he didn't let his surprise flow over onto his tone of voice.

"Of course! You love me too, right?" She tried not to preconceive what he was going to say. She knew he wasn't anywhere near nice or romantic, but it was hard for the nineteen year old girl not to get ideas. He was quiet for a bit longer than she'd liked, and it bothered her. Did he not love her back?

"Sure," his lips quivered as he spoke, very unsure of himself. Never in his life had he told another person that they ment something to him and he wasn't sure if she entirely did mean something to him. This was an emotion very strange to the masochist, he had no idea how to react, he he knew he didn't like it. He didn't love her did he? Sure he'd agreed, but was it a true statement?

It wasn't the "I love you too," that Amira had imagined, but it was good enough. She threw her arms around him in a hug, a real hug that was tighter than he thought Amira could muster, and just held him for a long time. Hesitantly, Hidan also wrapped his arms around her, just her hips, and just held on to her too.

It bothered him that she could still tell him that she loved him even after he fucking killed her. He wondered if his lord had said something to her in her dream, she was acting so affectionate it made him concerned. Never since they'd been together had she warmed up to him so quickly after a fight.

"Lord Jashin wants us to love each other," Amira whispered, her warm breathe on his ear, "he told me to tell you that your forgiven, and he wants us to just keep going like we have been. I think we're both changing, and I think he likes that," despite having no heart beat, Hidan was warm and on this cool night it was nice to be able to sit with him. It was even nicer to have him calm enough to have a decent conversation, something he did not excel at she noted.

"That goes against everything Jashinisum stands for, why would lord Jashin want to encourage love?" It was warming and encouraging to know that he was in good standings with his god, but the portion about love still struck a cord. He felt like this was a sick joke, like he truly was a rook and lord Jashin was only playing a game with him. He felt like Amira could be ripped away from him any second, no matter how he felt deep down.

"I didn't question him, I just accepted," she drew away from him, sitting up straight on his lap. Her hands rested on his shoulders, her right index finger rubbing slow circles over his collar bone.

"I think we're just dolls Hidan," she spoke softly, like the wind could carry away her voice. Before Hidan could respond, Kakuzu appeared in camp, his ninja speed remained unchanged.

"Full circle huh?" He laughed darkly, his hands jammed in his pockets and a smirk set on his unmasked face.

"Piss up a rope," Hidan seethed. So much for that pleasant mood.

"What's he talking about?" The girl asked, looking between the men.

"Nothing," Hidan shot his former partner a dirty look and tried to soothe his wife by telling her that Kakuzu was just an old bastard with dementia but she wasn't having it.

"If you don't tell me what's going on you can walk the rest of the way," for the first time since they'd meet Amira spoke to him. She might have been perched like some sort of pet on her husbands lap, but by no means was she ever going to let a man talk down to her again.

"I was talking with Hidan earlier about you both, nothing bad, I assure you," Amira did not seem to accept his words though she didn't fuss over him anymore. Grabbing Hidan's wrist, she insisted it was late and time for bed, and he willingly went. Amira always slept closest to the wall and she could usually be found cuddled up to Hidan's back. Kakuzu was put up on the floor. Amira had made plenty of quilts and Afghan blankets when she was married and sad, and then after her divorce to pass the time, all piled together it made a pretty comfortable bed. It went against her tradition to not give him the best they had, but Hidan had to remind her again that she wasn't with the nomads anymore. He also wasn't about to give up his own bed.

xXx

The trio traveled for the rest of the week through the rice patties, and never in their life had they been so relieved to see a town. It was a large, and bustling town, though no where near the size of a hidden village. It didn't take them long to that this is where the rice from the fields came, the entire village revolved around sake, paper, and shipments of rice itself. Fine draft horses were a dime a dozen, which made Kakuzu very happy, within an hour Amira held the halter of large dappled grey with hooves larger than dinner plates, that had to be twice Princes size. After fitting the harness to her new pet and stocking up on a few more things they needed, it was time to part with Kakuzu.

Neither of the jashinists seemed sad and Kakuzu was unreadable with the mask on, though if seemed there was some tension between the two men and it was to be understood. After working together and then thinking each other dead for twenty years, who wouldn't have been even slightly upset?

Both men were trained shinobi, and though it was forbidden to form emotional attachment, for the human brain that was nearly impossible. They didn't hug, or even shake hands, they only regarded each other and parted ways. With Prince the horse tied to the back wagon, the couple set back on their aimless journey, bickering idly about a name for the new horse.

"There is no way we are naming the god damned thing King, that horse isn't anywhere near being king, not even of a pile of his own shit!" Kakuzu could hear his ex-partner yelling still, even after he couldn't see him, and he was surprised to hear his little wife's voice too, not to be outdone.

"We have to keep up the naming scheme! This isn't a game!"

"Yes it is! It's your game!" Her husband argued back.

"Always with the yelling," the banker sighed.