"Where is he?" Danzo's voice boomed through the operating theater.
Orochimaru rolled his eyes, "Calm down," he said crossing one leg over the other, annoyed.
"You don't know what's on the line, Orochimaru," Danzo snarled.
"You're reputation, I'm sure…" Orochimaru stood and circled around to the man's shoulder, "Power on the line…"
Danzo waved his hands in frustration, "It would be easier just to kill the boy!"
"Kill him? And what would your superiors say about that? You'd make it so, so, so easy for anyone to crush you back into the ground."
Danzo growled in impatience.
Orochimaru circled back around him. "If you want to get to the top you're going to have to put on a little showmanship... appease the masses… entertain them," he hissed, "Besides, it would be such a waste."
"You have one job, Orochimaru. You get him to admit he killed those people and whatever else it takes to put me back in my position as head of the board. That's our deal, remember?"
"And…"
"And what?" Danzo spit.
"What about- how did he survive? What about the truth?"
"You'll get the truth, Orochimaru, but more likely it will be nonsense. Whatever it is, it stays in this room."
"You can't tell me you're not curious as to what really happened?"
Danzo leaned in close, "The only reason I'm doing this is because you insisted. Now, tell that uneducated fool, Kisame, to get his guards to bring the boy here now! I'm not waiting any longer!"
In the short time Kakuzu and Hidan had together after their encounter with Danzo, Hidan was forcibly taken away by guards and forced out of the office. Kakuzu followed them to the infirmary which he was promptly kicked out of. So he hid in the stairwell going up to the observation level of the operating theater until he saw Kabuto walking up. Quickly, Kakuzu slid through the audience-door behind Kabuto before it closed.
" !" Kabuto was clearly surprised, perhaps a bit annoyed, at Kakuzu's unannounced presence. "I wasn't informed that you'd be joining observation. Only a few of us were chosen to observe tonight and well," Kabuto laughed casually, "I don't remember seeing your name on the list."
Kakuzu sucked in a nervous breath. "It was… last minute."
"I'm sure someone as… experienced as yourself wouldn't be denied an invitation to an examination such as this, but just to make sure- I'd like to see your invitation."
Kakuzu ground his teeth together in aggravation, and turned to face Kabuto. "Do you think you scare me?"
Kabuto's lip twitched. Kakuzu stepped forward and Kabuto involuntarily flinched backwards.
"You little rat," Kakuzu leaned closer, "You must think you're something special, but you're just a pawn, and always will be."
"You care for him, though, don't you? That's why you're here, isn't it?" Kabuto managed.
"He's still my patient," Kakuzu growled.
Kabuto fought back a laugh. "Oh, is that what you call it?"
"What are you talking about?"
The door opened and a few chatting students walked in and took their seats near the window.
Kabuto smirked and pushed his glasses up his nose. "There are cameras in your office. I had them installed a few nights ago. I would say from what I saw today he's a bit more than just your patient."
Kakuzu's face dropped.
"Don't worry, Doctor. I'd never share such information with just anyone, but if you should interfere with my agenda well... the footage might just be given to the nearest competent reporter.
Kakuzu seethed in anger, and was about to grab him until he remembered there were others in the room.
"Hold on there, Kakuzu! You wouldn't want that anger of yours to get you thrown back in prison, would you? And poor Fuu… all alone with no one to take care of her."
The doors to the operating theater below swung open, and Hidan entered screaming and cursing against the two guards holding him.
"If you would excuse me, Doctor. Some of us were actually invited here."
"Let go of me, you bastards!" Hidan thrashed against the guards.
Orochimaru slithered behind him. "Put him on the table and secure him down. And don't be sloppy about it." Orochimaru took a seat next to him, and the doors slammed closed, leaving Hidan trapped in the arena.
"What the fuck are you gonna do to me? Because you better do it quick or I'll-"
"You'll what?" Orochimaru questioned, "You're tied to the table. Besides… I'm not going to hurt you," Orochimaru shot a gaze at Danzo, "Not yet anyway."
Hidan stiffened, "Fuck you! Let me go you snake-shit!"
Orochimaru tsked, "You are going to make this harder than it needs to be. And look," he pointed a long fingernail towards the observation level, " has even taken it upon himself to sneak into the theater. How noble of him to care for his one and only patient." Orochimaru leaned close enough so only Hidan could hear, "But I'm not surprised."
Orochimaru turned back to the white rolling desk and grabbed a syringe, "Now… be still."
Hidan thrashed and pulled against the restraints. Orochimaru smiled then jabbed the needle into Hidan's throat, slowly releasing the red liquid into the man's veins.
"Wha… What did you… do?" Hidan was seeing double, and his last memory was Kakuzu rushing through the doors towards him.
The guards quickly restrained Kakuzu, forcing the man's hands behind his back, and Danzo jumped from his chair.
"What are you doing in this theater, ?" the old man roared. "Do you think this is a game? This stunt is going to cost you your career! Just wait until the board-" Orochimaru shushed him.
"Wait."
Danzo snarled in contempt, "And you. You have no place in this matter."
Orochimaru huffed, "Yes, yes, of course, but may have just saved us some valuable time." Orochimaru motioned for the guards to release Kakuzu.
"I don't care what your goals are," Kakuzu growled, "but I'm not going to let you hurt him."
Orochimaru looked intrigued for a moment, "And why's that?"
"He's my patient."
"Oh." Orochimaru rolled his eyes, "Well I don't plan on inflicting any physical pain onto him." He shot a poisonous gaze at Danzo, "In fact no one here plans to. But I do have a proposition for you, Doctor."
"I'm not helping you," Kakuzu said, "I'm here to help the boy. Not scum like you."
"But you would be helping Hidan! Tell me, doctor, have you ever heard of hypnotherapy?"
"Yes. I'm familiar. Is that what you're planning, hypnotherapy?"
Orochimaru smiled and hissed, "Yesss! Thatsss it!"
Kakuzu's face fell in confusion, "You want me to conduct a hypnosis session on Hidan? Why would you knock him out if-" He tried to get to Hidan's side but the guards blocked his way.
Orochimaru tsked, "He's not completely out- just in a more," he waved his hand in the air, "suggestive state."
Kakuzu gnarled his teeth, "Why are you doing this?"
"I'm tired of this game! Guards get him out!" Danzo shouted.
"No!" Orochimaru hissed, but quickly calmed himself, "Dr. Shimura, we all know that this mode of psychoanalysis requires trust and a... delicate touch. Let perform the session. You must infer that because Hidan is more familiar with him, we have a higher chance of getting more information."
Danzo leaned forward onto his cane and deep wrinkles appeared above his brow.
"Information many people may find…invaluable," Orochimaru added.
"Fine. I'll allow it."
"Very good!" Orochimaru cheered, "That's two of us in agreement. what do you think?"
"Answer my question."
Orochimaru sighed, "Well, Hidan doesn't remember much does he? I mean… of his past that is."
Kakuzu furrowed his brow, "And you think… you think he'll remember more this way?"
"And now that we have someone he trusts…"
"He won't hold back," Kakuzu finished.
"Exactly! So, Kakuzu… will you do it?"
Kakuzu took a breath, "I'll do it, but the both of you have to watch from the audience level. He'll do better if it's just us."
Orochimaru grinned, "Perfect."
Kakuzu sat beside Hidan, and took a deep breath. If it was true that he wasn't fully knocked out Hidan should still be able to hear him.
"Hidan," Kakuzu whispered. Nothing. "Hidan," Kakuzu said, more annoyed this time.
"Yeah…" Hidan was in a trance.
Kakuzu bit his lip. "Hidan, we're going to go back into your past, alright?"
"What?"
"All you have to do is listen to my voice. I'm going to count down from ten, and when I get to one you'll be back to the night… the night the Jashinists died. Okay?" Kakuzu felt sweat forming on his brow.
"Okay." Hidan said.
"Ten… nine… eight… seven-" Suddenly Hidan screamed and thrashed against the restraints.
"I can't do it! It's not fair!"
"Hidan, calm down, and tell me what's happening." Kakuzu put a hand on Hidan's arm to try to comfort him. Kakuzu stole a look towards the observation window, and saw a grinning Orochimaru and an amused Kabuto.
Hidan took a breath, "I can't do it."
"Do what?" Kakuzu turned his attention back to Hidan.
"They're gonna make me…" Tears streaked down Hidan's face
"Who, Hidan?"
"She wants me to kill them."
Kakuzu bit his lip. "Hidan, what's happening?"
Hidan was hyperventilating, "but I can't. She put the knife in my hand… and I- and I-"
"I'm going to count backwards from three and you're going to be back to a time in your life when you we're happy. Three. Two. One."
Kakuzu snapped and Hidan stopped thrashing. His breathing slowly returned to normal.
"What do you see?" Kakuzu asked.
"My mom," Hidan said.
"What else?"
"Just the street we live on... We're at a birthday party."
"Who's birthday is it?"
"Mine. I'm turning fourteen. My friend, Konan, is here."
"Is there anyone else with you?"
"My aunt, Kayuga. She always gives me gifts when she sees me. My mom doesn't like it."
"Why not?" Kakuzu asked.
"Because she feels like my aunt is taunting her. We're poor and she's rich. My aunt wants to take me away, but my mom won't let her."
Kakuzu knew he was going to have to start asking specific questions if he wanted specific answers. He just needed to be smart about it. "Hidan, I'm going to count backwards from three again and you're going to go to a significant part of your life. Three. Two. One."
Hidan's breathing grew heavy and it became hard to swallow. "My aunt took me away. It's all my fault. They gave her custody because I stole my mom's drugs, again."
"Why did you steal drug's?"
"Because… I couldn't do it again if I was sober."
"Do what again?"
"Sleep with my mom's friends."
'There's something we never talked about in therapy,' Kakuzu thought with satire.
"Hidan, were you forced to sleep with your mother's friends?"
"Yeah."
"So… it was okay that you left to live with your aunt Kayuga, right?"
"No. She made me do worse things."
'Fuck. I have to stop this now. It's too much.'
"Hidan, I'm going to count down from three and you are going to go to sleep, alright-"
"She made me hurt myself. My aunt told me to cut myself and if I didn't- she starved me. She told me it was for God. She told me to kill a cat. Then she made me kill a dog. She told me she loved me and she kissed my head and called me special."
"Hidan… I'm going to count down-"
"She gave me drugs and brought me to a place far away from the city… and I read about Jashin… and everyone was so nice to me… and they called me special… and they told me they loved me. I was there for so long. Kayuga told them I was proof God was real because I survived so much pain. She told them to follow her… and they did." Hidan's sentences were becoming more winded and his body convulsed involuntarily. Tears started down his cheeks again. "I don't want this! I never wanted this! I don't want anyone to leave!"
"Hidan, I'm not leaving. I'm right here."
"Kayuga said they want to die, but I don't want them too," Hidan cried, "She gave them all pills and they're spitting up blood and I can't save them! She took my hand and she's dragging me away, but she forgot she gave me the knife. She said we have to convert more people but I can't… I can't go to another place and have this happen again!" Hidan's eyes were shut so tight Kakuzu could see a vein bulging from the younger man's neck.
Kakuzu was putting the pieces together, "Hidan, what did you do with the knife?" Hidan was mumbling incoherently and holding back tears. Kakuzu put his hand to the man's cheek and Hidan involuntarily leaned into it.
"I killed her."
