DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

They had been walking for quite a while now, and night was fast falling in. Hidan hoped that its darkness would conceal his increasing anxiety about what they were going to do. He and Kakuzu had refrained from speaking to eachother, and Hidan had to admit that he actually felt hurt about Kakuzu admitting that he hated him. Sure, Hidan found the guy annoying and may even have thought the words 'I hate you' when Kakuzu got on his nerves. But hearing it said out loud with no remorse from his partner had really shocked him. Still, what was important now was not Kakuzu, but getting out of this mess.

Little did he know that he was going to be dragged out of it faster than he could anticipate.

"Well, well. Look who I found!" said a husky voice from behind them.

The two of them turned around, and could hardly believe who was standing there, surveying them with those half-forgotten snake eyes.

"Orochimaru," said Hidan.

"What's the matter? Surely you're not displeased to see your old friend are you?" said Orochimaru, twisting a lock of his long black hair.

"We're kinda busy, 'old friend'. So if you don't mind, we're leaving," said Hidan, and turned to walk away.

"Oh I don't think so Hidan. After all, it was you I was looking for!" said Orochimaru, and in a flash, serpents flew from his arm and towards Hidan, who quickly sensing the attack, turned and slashed them with his scythe.

"What is it you want?" asked Kakuzu.

"I thought I already stated that, Kakuzu. I came here for Hidan," said Orochimaru.

"What exactly do you want with me?" asked Hidan, holding his scythe infront of him.

"You see Hidan, you have something I want. Do you know what that is?" asked Orochimaru.

Hidan looked at him questioningly, and in a flash, Orochimaru was behind him, holding a kunai knife to his throat.

"Your immortality," he whispered in his ear.

Suddenly though, Orochimaru was thrown savagely into a tree by Kakuzu's detached arm.

"Ugh...Kakuzu..." Orochimaru spat angrily.

"Oh so you don't hate me now?" said Hidan.

"Quiet. He isn't fooling around," said Kakuzu, watching Orochimaru stand up.

"I suppose I'll have to dispose of you first, Kakuzu. How fun to be playing with you two again," said Orochimaru, and laughed evilly beneath his breath.

Then, without warning, the two flew at eachother, fighting with the intent to destroy. Orochimaru opened his mouth and a sharp blade emerged from it, diving into Kakuzu's chest. But Kakuzu had four more hearts, and the fact that one of them was punctured beyond functioning hardly mattered. However, when Orochimaru directed his serpent towards him, it bit into Kakuzu's flesh and the venom immediately coursed through his veins, paralyzing him. Kakuzu fell with a thud on the ground, unable to move due to the venom. It wasn't intended to kill him, but it was intended to keep him out of the way until Orochimaru got Hidan.

However, he appeared to change his mind.

"Hmm...you're down Kakuzu. And although I wasn't intending to kill you, I do think that you've lived enough," said Orochimaru. Taking out his long blade, he was about to sink it into Kakuzu's remaining hearts, when Hidan's scythe collided with it, stopping it in its tracks.

"You haven't forgotten about me, have you snakey?" said Hidan, glaring at Orochimaru.

"Forgotten about you? Of course not dear Hidan! I was just about to take you with me," said Orochimaru, and sharply kicked Hidan in his gut, then whacked him across the face, causing him to stagger.

Taking the opportunity, Orochimaru sent out his serpents flying from his white arm. They wound themselves around Hidan, binding his arms to his sides and knocking him down to the ground.

Slowly, Orochimaru moved towards him and picked up his fallen scythe from the ground. Kneeling down on him, he ran his fingers down Hidan's face and neck and said: "That wasn't much of a fight, Hidan, surely you didn't hold back because I'm an old friend did you?"

Hidan struggled to get free but the snakes tightened so much around him that they caused him to cry out.

"Aaaww, what's the matter, can't move can you? But don't worry...it will be alright soon," said Orochimaru, and lifting Hidan's scythe, ran its blade over Hidan's unprotected neck.

Hidan whimpered fearfully, afraid that he would end up being beheaded, but Orochimaru appeared to merely taunt him without any murderous intent.

Finally, when Orochimaru retreated the scythe, he flung it on his back and lifted Hidan from the ground. One of the serpents bit into his flesh and he was instantly paralysed.

"Where are you gonna take me?" asked Hidan weakly, breathless from the harsh squeezing of the serpents that bound him.

"You'll find out soon enough," said Orochimaru, and after gagging him with a cloth, took off with him into the night.