Kakuzu didn't schedule Hidan for two weeks. He couldn't look at his face anymore after what happened. Hidan was annoying, yet attractive, rude, yet charming, and Kakuzu resented the way the younger man stared at him. It wasn't as if Kakuzu was unfamiliar with that look- it was pity. Something he hadn't seen directed towards him since his daughter passed.
"Hey, Kakuzu, I'm going to grab something to eat, you want anything?" Kisame leaned against the doorframe of the breakroom.
"No," Kakuzu sipped his black coffee, not taking his eyes away from the papers in front of him.
"Look, Kakuzu, a couple of the guys and I are going out for drinks tonight. Why don't you come with us. You don't nearly get out of here enough."
"I have work to finish."
Kisame rolled his eyes, "Don't tell me I didn't try."
When Kakuzu walked back to lock up his office there was a note on his door.
'I'll let you slide one more time. Do your job!'
"Tsunade," Kakuzu grumbled under his breath and crumpled the note in his hand..
On a rainy afternoon Hidan was told to take his lunch up to the west wing. He knocked on the office door, expecting it to be locked, but instead it inched open on its own.
"Hello?" Hidan listened to the old grandfather clock tick as he entered the office. He growled and plopped onto the loveseat with his lunch. Kakuzu was never late. In fact he was always at his desk doing some sort of paperwork even if Hidan wandered in early.
'Fuck this shit,' Hidan thought, 'Where is he? If I was this late he'd eat me alive."
Hidan poked at his food for a few minutes, but settled for sitting impatiently with his arms crossed. Thoughts raced through his mind, 'That fucking coward… he's the doctor he should've stopped it… it wasn't my fault he kissed back… Why did I fucking do that… I'm a fucking idiot that's why…'
"Hello, Hidan," Kakuzu said, rushing in and interrupting the other man's thoughts.
"Well it's about fucking time. Where the hell have you been?"
Kakuzu avoided the question, "Our session is cancelled. You can leave."
"I can -what? Leave! No way! I haven't been here for two fucking weeks!"
Kakuzu pinched the bridge of his nose. "Leave, and don't come back until tomorrow night."
"That's bullshit! I can't wait until tomorrow!"
"Yes you can. Now leave."
"I need to talk now! You're my doctor! You're supposed to help me not- not disregard me! I've been going crazy thinking about what happened!"
"What happened was nothing," Kakuzu spat.
"You fucking piece of shit!" Hidan raised his voice, "What? Do you just go around kissing all of your patients?"
Kakuzu grabbed the collar of Hidan's shirt, "Keep your voice down and listen to me. It was a mistake. If you so much as tell a soul what happened that night I swear I will make sure you suffer for the rest of your goddamn life."
"Like you could make me suffer more than I already am," Hidan sneered and Kakuzu let go. The younger man made sure the door slammed loudly behind him as he left.
Hidan had no choice but to go back to the cafeteria until lunch was finished and then retreat to his room where he pushed himself against the wall and slid down to the floor.
He started to pray, "Lord Jashin… Please hear me. I cannot go on like this. I know I can't kill myself, but I must confess I have thoughts of doing so. Please forgive me…" He continued to pray until dinner was called, and braced himself for whatever annoying people he would have to put up with for an hour. As he left his room and started walking down the hall he noticed Ino and Shikamaru staring at him as they read a newspaper.
"Hidan!" Hidan was turning into the cafeteria doors when he heard his name. "Hidan, my man!" Deidara strood towards him escorted by a guard. "I told you I would visit, hm," the blond man said.
Hidan was actually speechless when the other man approached him, "I didn't think you'd ever come to see me."
"Whoa, dude. You look like shit."
"And you still are shit."
The two shared a brief laugh over that small joke, and when it was over Deidara scratched the back of his head to fill the awkward silence.
"So what are you up too, hm?"
"We're forced to eat and then... I usually have a therapy session, but not tonight," Hidan sneered as he thought of his bitter encounter with Kakuzu.
"Well eat up and then you can show me around, hm?"
"It's a bunch of white walls and that's about it."
"Alright then… we'll go for an aimless walk instead, hm?"
"Sure," Hidan said. It couldn't hurt, and he could use all the distraction he could get at this point.
Dinner passed and the two strolled around hallways with a guard following a good 10 paces behind.
"So how's outside?" Hidan asked.
"Crazy! Sasori has been interviewed countless times about you, and I've even been asked questions! I can't believe the protests happening to get you out of this place. It's insane, hm."
Hidan stopped walking, "What protests?"
"Hidan… do you not know?"
"I don't know anything that goes on out there! I live in a dirty bubble now!" Hidan yelled. The guard peeked his head out from behind the wall and Deidara waved him away. "What do you mean people are trying to get me out?"
"Holy shit, dude. This has been going on since the day they put you in this place. The news has been covering entire protests to change your verdict and get you back out there. There are people who want to take you away and try to "fix" you, and Sasori's been dodging the news crews for months now and I see Konan dening comments for news crews on the reg, hm."
"What do they mean... "fix" me."
"I don't know. It's these doctors and companies who think they can, like, reprogram you or something. That's not all though."
Hidan furrowed his brow.
Deidara lowered his voice to a whisper, "There's a bunch of people who really really really want to see you dead, and, from what Sasori's told me, they want to see everyone who got you here to go down with you. People are accusing Konan of lying to the court and are fighting to get you back on death row. They've even tried to break into this place and kidnap you, hm."
Hidan stared in disbelief. "How is Konan? Is she alright?"
"Yeah… yeah she's fine. I see her alot with her man following behind on television. She's usually running from news teams, but, from what I've seen, she's a tough woman so I wouldn't worry too much, hm."
"What else is going on out there?" Hidan prompted.
"Other than that? Nothing. Same-old same-old." Deidara tried to change the subject. "Has anything interesting happened here? Any good fights or maybe hook ups, hm?" Deidara smiled and nudged Hidan on the elbow.
"No," Hidan deadpanned. 'I should just tell him,' Hidan thought, 'tell him and let this jabbermouth tell it to the entire world.'
He stopped thinking and pulled Deidara into the first open room, the greenhouse, while the guard chatted up some of his coworkers.
"Wow. Nice place, hm," Deidara stated. "Do you come here a lot? It's a little unkempt but it's better than the rest of this hell hole, hm."
"No I don't fucking come here. Deidara I have to tell you something that's happened. My doctor is a complete fucking psychopath."
"Dr. Taki?"
"When I first got here I tried to escape and the guy beat me. Then put me in a cell for weeks."
"Oh fuck, Hidan, I'm not going to lie, you look like you've seen some shit." It was true. Hidan no longer dawned the same handsome look from the courtroom all those months ago. He now had dark purple bags under his eyes, untidy hair, and desperation in his voice.
"A few weeks ago I had a session with Kakuzu and-"
"Hidan I don't care about your therapy sessions, hm. How about while I'm here we just talk about other stuff, yeah?"
Hidan fumed at Deidara's comment. "What other stuff? There is no other stuff! I eat and shit where I fucking sleep and fend off crazies from clawing my fucking face off daily! Is that what you want to hear about?"
Deidara looked around for the door, "Hidan let's get out of here, hm."
Hidan grabbed Deidara's wrist. "Why are you having a guard follow us, Deidara? Are you fucking scared? Scared that I might snap?"
Deidara started to sweat and was about to call for the guard when Hidan slammed the man against a pot and it shattered around them. Hidan grabbed the smaller man by the collar.
"Because I will fucking do it. I'll fucking murder you right here. I have nothing to lose." Hidan felt a small sting in his side as he swayed around just in time to see a syringe jabbed into his left hip and Kakuzu holding onto his arm.
"You should leave," Kakuzu said to Deidara.
Deidara skirted out of the greenhouse not saying another word. Hidan was slowly slipping into unconsciousness, but addressed the doctor with the last of his strength. "You're a fucking sicko like the rest of us. You know that, right?"
Kakuzu glared at Hidan as he watched the man faint from the drug tranquilizer. Fu appeared from behind a large red pot.
"Uncle Kuzu… are you alright?" Fu looked at Hidan and then back to Kakuzu. "That's the man that hit you a long time ago. Does he not like you?"
"He's my patient and sometimes he has outbursts just like the others that live here. He's no different from the rest of the residents, Fu."
"Is he no different than me?" Fu asked.
Kakuzu's brows lifted, "Fu look at me. Never compare yourself to the people in this place."
"But I live here too, and not everyone wants to start fights, but sometimes I don't know what's real and I need someone to help me. Like today... when I wouldn't eat, and Dr. Haruno was going to stick the needle in my arm, and I got scared and cried."
"Yes, Fu, but Hidan is violent. We're not going to discuss this anymore."
"I can be mean too sometimes," Fu said.
Kakuzu and Fu dropped Hidan off with the guard. Then, after he took Fu to get a bath, he brought her to her room and tucked her into bed.
"I don't think I can sleep, Kuzu."
Kakuzu took a few pills from his pocket, "These will help you." Fu swallowed them and rested her head against the mattress. "Goodnight, Fu," Kakuzu said.
"Goodnight," Fu responded with a yawn.
Kakuzu hesitated before locking the door shut. His breathing became heavier as he hurried to his office and turned and locked himself inside as well. His throat tightened as he frantically looked for something in the draws of his desk. He found the small orange bottle and quickly swallowed two pills. His breathing slowed and he sat down, but when he tried to clean up the mess he made at his desk he saw it. A picture of two girls playing together. The both of them looked only three or four years old. One of the girls, unmistakingly, was a younger Fu with her short turquoise hair and toothy smile. The other girl had short brown hair put up in a small ponytail on the top of her head. Her smile wasn't as large but the happiness shown through her bright green eyes. Kakuzu couldn't stop the tears that rolled down his face. He tried to muffled his sobs with his hand as he quickly turned the picture facedown to avoid seeing his daughter's face.
