Another update, woo!
During this chapter a bit more of where the story is heading will be revealed, as well as a little bit of drama to make up for the 'filler-like' chapters I have been feeding you.
Enjoy!

Hidan walked down a narrow hall of the tower with his hands in his pockets and eyebrows furrowed.
He was still trying to come to grips with the situation he had currently found himself in.
Yumi walked beside him, her Akatsuki cloak draped over her shoulders and her hands rubbing her upper arms in an attempt to warm herself.
She still seemed in a state of mild shock and water still dripped from her hair which curled like tendrils around her neck.
He couldn't help but pity her.
She had been dragged into the organization against her will, had someone try to murder her and now had to share a room with a grumpy miser and an arrogant priest.
Hidan had no illusions about himself, he knew he was a jerk sometimes.
She probably would have been happier being paired with Itachi and Kisame, the kinder and more mentally controlled of the organization.
Maybe Pein just paired her with him and Kakuzu because he just so happened to be conveniently there.
Not to mention he had just PROVED he would beat the shit out of Tobi if he tried anything and given the circumstances, Kakuzu probably would too.
Anything for a pay rise…

Hidan rolled his eyes.

He knew for a fact that Deidara and Sasori were out of the question.
Deidara had been getting a little too close to Yumi and Hidan had noticed Peins eye twitch whenever the blonde walked over to her to begin a conversation.
Yes, Pein was annoyed at Deidara. Possibly because he was worried the man might impulsively kill Yumi but probably more likely that Yumi meant more to the man than he let on.
Hidan had overheard a conversation several days ago involving Konan and the mysterious leader.
Few words passed between them but he did hear something along the lines of, "Just tell Yumi how you feel. We have all known each other for years. We deserve honesty."
When he questioned Yumi about her past, Hidan found that she was indeed from the Village Hidden in the Rain and had indeed known Konan and apparently Pein beforehand.
Although she mentioned something about an imposter in Yahikos (whoever that is) body.
Whatever the case, the girl was stuck with him and Kakuzu now and he felt it his duty to protect her, order or not.
She was the only one who would spar with him after all.
A glint of something shiny caught Hidans eye and he glanced up to see Kakuzu strutting towards them, a bag full of what was probably money over his shoulder.
The priest stopped and stood before the miser.

"Pein wants to see you."

Kakuzu glared coldly, fully expecting Hidan to make a joke or innuendo of some sort.
When he didn't, the miser asked,

"About what?"

Motioning to Yumi with a jerk of his head, Hidan replied,

"Because she is bunking with us now. Tobi tried to kill her."

Inwardly, Hidan grinned at the look on Kakuzus face.
The man had never liked Tobi, claiming him to be a waste of space and money considering he never actually did anything useful and ate like it was going out of fashion.
The fact that Yumi pulled her weight around the organization, didnt eat much and didn't get in the way probably was the clincher that had Kakuzu mentally agreeing to let her stay with them.
After all, if Tobi kept up his bad behavior then perhaps he would be evicted from the Akatsuki (AKA killed in the most brutal way possible)
Nodding to confirm his feelings towards the situation, Kakuzu started past them to make his way up to Pein, stopping only when Hidan called over his shoulder that Yumi wasn't allowed to be left alone on any occasion.

Pein glared up at Tobi who remained standing, physically stating his dominance over the orange haired man.
He hadn't spoken in several seconds and Pein could feel his patience wearing thin.
What the hell was he playing at?
Trying to push their newest member off the roof, it was uncalled for and he could see no logic behind it.

"She is distracting you from our objective."

Pein furrowed his brows and glared up at Tobi.

"What are you talking about?"

The man behind the mask scoffed and folded his arms over his chest.
Pein knew exactly what he was talking about.
And Pein knew that he knew he knew what he was talking about.

"You have become slack. Since she joined the Akatsuki you have been distracted and everything you do has lacked the pristine quality it once had. If she goes, then so does the problem."

Pein jumped to his feet in anger as he heard those words, fury rippling through his body.
There was no way he was going to let Yumi get killed for such a stupid reason.
Not when he could change, anyway.

"I can fix this. She is too useful to be killed."

Tobi raised an eyebrow behind his mask and waved his hand in a motion that conveyed 'explain'
He stood silent as Pein huffed in anger and resumed talking, listing her qualities off his fingers.

"She is intelligent, is most likely the fastest ninja in the Akatsuki, is extremely loyal (given time of course) and has massive reserves of chakra."

Standing quietly in thought, Tobi raised a finger to the bottom of his mask and shifted his weight onto one leg.
Pein stood before him, teeth grit in a mixture of anxiety and fury and it occurred to Tobi that he hadn't properly realized just how attached the 'leader' of the Akatsuki was to this girl.
Shifting his attention back to the orange haired man, Tobi muttered,

"You have been looking tired lately, Nagato. Are you running low on chakra?"

Confused as to the sudden topic change, Pein said nothing but glared.
Tobi smirked, knowing he had hit a nerve.
It was only a matter of time before the use of the six paths of pain took its toll on Nagato.
Very soon he would be unable to continue by himself, they both knew it.

"Yumi however, as you so kindly explained, apparently has massive chakra reserves. Enough maybe… To lend someone in need via a chakra rod?"

Peins face fell as Tobi grew closer, detailing his new plan in sadistic whispers.

Yumi sat on her new bed, leaning against the headboard.
She had an arm thrown over her face to cover her eyes from the dull light the window provided whilst her other was sprawled over her chest.
Hidan sat in an old armchair across the room, sharpening his kunai and sighing in boredom.
There really wasn't much to do.
The last 10 minutes of their time had been spent moving what little things Yumi owned into her new, shared room.
Sitting up stiffly, Yumi groaned and glanced over to her new roommate.
She owed him for saving her and she knew that there was only one thing he loved to do that would make him happy.

"Wanna spar?"

Hidans head shot up and a pleased grin spread across his face.
Upon seeing she was serious, he fisted the air happily and stood up to retrieve his scythe, stretching his limbs as he did.
Yumi grabbed her weapon pouches and left the room, closely followed by the happy zealot.
She glanced at him over her shoulder and grinned,

"No sacrificing me okay?"

Hidan waved his hand dismissively as if the thought had never crossed his mind.

"Sure, taijutsu only."

They were in the arena in no time, Hidan apparently knowing several shortcuts that he used to 'escape Kakuzus wrath during tax collection week'.
As usual Sasori was sitting in the grandstand and Yumi realized that after that first day of meeting everyone she had never actually seen him away from the arena.
Gazing around the stadium as she walked to one side while Hidan made for the other, Yumi thanked the gods that she was starting to fit in, even if she hadn't particularly wanted to in the first place.
Strapping her weapons pouch to her hip, the white haired kunoichi stretched her muscles in preparation of what was to come.
She glanced over to Hidan and frowned at the symbol of Jashin painted in blood across the middle of the stadium.

"Hey, Hidan!"

He glanced up at her from adjusting the cloth stirrups around his ankles and nodded to express that he was listening.
Yumi pointed at the bloody symbol with furrowed brows and an 'I-caught-you-out' expression.
Hidan followed her finger and slapped his head in remembrance.
Calling out to her, he cried,

"That was from my sacrifice earlier this morning, I didn't just do it now hahaha!"

Yumi nodded, believing his words when she too remembered the sickening screams earlier that day.
He told her that the people he killed were other murders and rapists and criminals, no one innocent.
Whether he said this to ease her mind or because it was true she didn't know.
A sudden voice called down from the grandstand and they were reminded of Sasoris presence,

"You aren't sparring with Hidan are you, Yumi?"

Before she could answer, Hidan hollered back,

"I'm not going to hurt her you fucking puppet! Taijutsu only!"

Sasori looked down to Yumi for confirmation and she gave him the thumbs up with a smile.
Looking satisfied for the most part, the puppet master relaxed back into his seat and hesitantly resumed reading his scroll, glancing over it every few seconds to observe the fight.

Without Hibiki to guide her movements, Yumi and Hidan were almost evenly matched although she was still quite a bit faster.
The fight was intense with both of them scoring bruises and cheap shots every now and then.
It soon became clear to Yumi that Hidan was purposely avoiding scratching her with his weapons and feeling slightly more at ease, she upped the ante.
Sasori seemed to be content with the fight as well, although surprised at Hidans sudden lax attitude.
Not that it really mattered to him, as long as Yumi didn't die anyway.
The white haired kunoichi jumped back a few metres and grinned at Hidan jokingly,

"Is that all you've got?"

Hidan grinned back and chirped, "Nope!"
Before Yumi could properly react, his scythe was coming at her full speed.
She gasped and had no other option than to limbo backwards as it soared over her body.
The scythe anchored itself several metres behind her and the cord attaching it to Hidans body retracted, sending the zealot full pelt at her through the air.
It soon became obvious that Yumi bent back too far after dodging the scythe and she fell onto her back as Hidan appeared above her, several seconds away from holding a kunai to her throat and winning the match.
Not wanting to lose so quickly, Yumi thrust her hand to the ground, wincing as something dug into her palm and forced herself upwards, pushing Hidans face and shoulder out of the way as she did."

A millisecond later and Hidan was picking himself from the ground as Yumi caught her breath a few metres away.
Letting out a soft breath of air she grinned at herself triumphantly.
Noticing Hidan stiffen suddenly, Yumi tilted her head at the man as he got to his feet.
As he turned to face her a bloody handprint that covered the lower part of his face became apparent.
Yumi growled as she glimpsed the discarded shuriken she had impaled her hand upon when she had jumped from the ground.
Raising her hand to her eye level, she mentally face palmed as her finger tips and palm slowly dripped red.

"Awwwhhh... Look what you fucking did!"

Yumi glanced back up to her opponent and watched with fascination as his skin turned black.
Slumping his shoulders, Hidan glanced down at himself and wiped the blood from his face.
The kunoichi bit her lip and smiled apologetically.

"Can we still continue?"

Hidan glanced around himself and nodded.

"Yeah, I haven't drawn up any circles and unless I stand in one, I can't hurt you for shit."

Yumi nodded, her mouth making an 'O' of understanding.
Tilting her head curiously she asked,

"How long will it last?"

"Without a sacrifice? A couple hours at most."

Yumi grinned, muttered an apology and the fight resumed.
Sasori glanced skeptically over his tools and puppet at the battling duo, noticing with interest that Hidan was avoiding the area of the arena that held his bloody symbol.
Maybe he really could be trusted?
The puppet master sighed and considered Hidans situation solemnly.
Fighting Yumi was probably the best thing for him.
To be completely honest, Itachi and himself found the man too troublesome to fight whereas Kakuzu and Deidara, having the advantage of flight and long range attacks, would just end the battle before it began, taking advantage of the mans immortality to behead him or blow him to pieces.
Kisame didn't seem to care for such things and Zetsu… Just didn't fight.
Yumi however, kept her emotions under complete control and seemed to have befriended the zealot to a degree.
Yes, these two were trustworthy to fight.
A small smile fluttered across his features at the thought of Hidan becoming less annoying around the base, especially now that he had a way to blow off steam.

But it was the next few seconds that changed everything for the worst.
Deidara, back from his mission, walked into the grandstand with his hands resting comfortably behind his neck.
The first thing he saw was Yumi in a battle stance with blood dripping steadily from her hand.
The second thing he saw was Hidan in his ritual form.
With a cry and without a thought as to the ramifications of his actions, Deidara raced down the steps of the grandstand and leapt over the barrier, sending a clay bird at Hidan as he descended.
Yumi gasped in shock as the blonde bore down on her, sending her to the ground as his body covered hers in a human shield.
Hidan screeched in terror at the bird and bolted in the opposite direction.
Who knew what kind of mood Kakuzu would be in when he returned from meeting Pein and he didn't fancy having to wait a week until the miser calmed down and his body could be sewn together.
The bird caught up with him quickly and Hidan cursed, turning his head forward only for his eyes to widened in terror.
There before him was his bloodied symbol and in the next millisecond not only would he be directly in the middle of it, the bird would make contact.
There was no way he could avoid it.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
Fuck... I'm so sorry Yumi...
A massive explosion radiated through the stadium followed by two screams of agony.

Another cliffy…
I really, truly am sorry.
Especially to P.I Anonymous because I didn't tell you I was going to do this haha. Don't fret too much :P
Rates and reviews always appreciated :D