Kakashi felt a desperate protectiveness swell up in his chest for Naruto as he watched Hidan at 'work.' He was clearly a killer, and a capable one at that, and so it wasn't unreasonable for the jonin to expect his silver-haired companion to make quick work of the latest batch in the death-row oven. Almost exclusively populated with moles and traitors, Kakashi wasn't exactly sympathetic to their fate. But, in spite of all his years of active duty, the Copy-nin had never seen something quite like a Jashinist at work.

The man savoured each death like it was a fine liquor, painstakingly drawing intricate symbols with the wine that seeped from each body. Kakashi could almost taste the fear that permeated the room as the other inmates became increasingly aware that that was soon to be their fate. He knew that Hidan could. Taste the fear, that is. He revelled in it; was drunk off of it. But, if what he'd seen so far didn't make the Hatake sick to his stomach (which it really, unsurprisingly did), it was the way Hidan dedicated each 'sacrifice' to his pagan deity in loud, pious proclamations. The knowledge that, in that deranged mind, he pictured Naruto while saying his twisted mockeries of prayers made Kakashi want to throw up his internal organs.

"Oi, bastard!" the harsh yell shook his mind out of his thoughts and the priest was awarded with a venomous glare. Again, it did not deter Hidan in the slightest. Instead he continued, "Want to give it a go?"

For the first time in a long time, Kakashi visibly recoiled from that statement as if the words had bitten him. His mouth, fortunately covered by his mask, fell open in horror. Hidan merely stared at him patiently, a serenity that was somehow more disturbing than his typical maniacal energy surrounding him.

A lilac eyebrow suddenly quirked along with the corner of slightly upturned lips, "I'm sure the rest of these fuckers would appreciate the humane way."

The Hatake's expression darkened as he caught wind of the man's (who was supposed to be clinically insane) intentions. He was devious, putting him in a situation where he was given the choice to show mercy and that should he not agree to the priest's whims, it would be his name that the prisoners would curse with their last breaths. In shifting the attention onto him, a moral (even if it was slightly distorted, the line was still there) man, Hidan had successfully manipulated him into doing what he wanted.

With a parting glare at his counterpart, it was a stoic and cotton-mouthed Kakashi who stepped up to the next prisoner's cell. He entered it still without a word, but his stony expression faltered when the man breathed his own words of gratitude to him and then wilfully extended his neck to meet his blade. The jonin didn't think he could be more horrified by Hidan and everything to do with the man. He was wrong.

His lone visible eye cast to the heavens, Kakashi reminded himself why he was a ninja – and by extension, why he was in this situation. To protect his comrades, his precious people. And, right now, there was one that required his protection more so than the rest.

"This is for you Naruto. I hope you can forgive me," he closed his eye and with one flick of the wrist, the prisoner fell to the ground. A peaceful smile on his face even as he died.

Kakashi took a shaky breath. He was used to killing, but this – this was something else.

And then Kakashi knew he had clearly lost his mind, or cracked under the terror Hidan had wrought, because he heard his student's voice in his head.

'I just want there to be no casualties because of him. I don't think I would be able to handle that on my conscience.'

What.

Okay, so it didn't take a genius to figure out who the 'him' was. In fact, said 'him' was far too close for Kakashi's comfort right now, way up in his personal bubble and almost nose to cloth-covered nose with him. There was an almost childlike wonder in Hidan's eyes that was sickening to see.

"Did you hear him?!" Okay, how the fuck could he have known.

The lack of verbal reply from the Copy-nin sent the Jashinist dancing around in an odd little circle, "I knew it! Jashin-sama is fucking amazing!"

Kakashi paled, "W-Wha-"

Hidan interrupted him, "Consider yourself lucky you one-eyed prick, you've been chosen."

The way he emphasised the last word, paired with the glint in his red eyes made Kakashi's heart sink into his feet.

"Jashin-sama only speaks directly to those he deems worthy champions of his power. Seems like you and me are in it together now, cyclops," he paused for breath, "Now, finish them."

Kakashi could only look, unseeing, at his self-proclaimed associate as he eyed him back. He hadn't been imagining it then. He had heard Naruto's voice in his head. He gulped when he remembered what he'd said immediately before his execution. Dedicating his actions to the boy had apparently been sufficient for it to be seen as a sacrifice by the powers that be – to him. This was so messed up.

Still. That meant that there must have been some validity to Hidan's words, then. It was possible that he had actually heard Jashin speaking to him in the past. But then, if he was so acquainted with his 'god', surely, he'd know that Naruto wasn't him. Now, Kakashi didn't know exactly what had happened in that clearing earlier that day, but he knew the just of it.

Naruto, his student, had been summoned with a seal array that had been meant to call forth a deity. There was only one logical conclusion his genius brain could make.

Naruto was Jashin. Only he didn't know it yet.

With a choke Kakashi felt his knees buckle. It was so wrong, that bundle of sunshine being – being, that. And yet, hadn't he just been desperate to protect him? He had been through so much with that kid, that that instinct still hadn't waned.

Instead, he looked at Hidan contemplatively, he had been presented with the opportunity to do just that. If I knew what Naruto wanted of me all the time, a gleam that was ever-so-slightly unhinged reached is visible eye, piquing Hidan's interest, there would be no way I could fail him again.

Because he had failed him in the past; with regards to his parents, his training, (Sasuke). He would let him down no longer.

He got to his feet steadily, unwavering in his demeanour. He had found a new purpose. One that he would see through until he felt certain that his cute little student no longer needed him to fulfil it.

He squared his shoulders and matched Hidan's gaze, something he had previously felt too uncomfortable to hold for long. But now, now they were the same. The walked under the same banner. Naruto's.

"Show me how to do it right," was all he said.

And Hidan grinned.

"Naruto! Are you okay, brat?"

Simultaneous cries from the hokage and his old teacher brought the teenager to his senses. He gave them a strained smile, sweat beading on his brow as he attempted to hold the contents of his stomach as yet another wave of that vile, sacrificial chakra swept through him.

"I'm f-fine," he panted as he attempted to get up from where he had collapsed, without warning, out of his seat and onto the carpeted floor of the hokage's office, "Just, a – con-consequence of 'being Jashin'". He winced at his poor attempt at humour, but he managed to heave himself back onto the chair. The feeling was subsiding now, and Kyuubi was filtering it as best he could, grumbling all the while. It was comforting, somehow.

When it had mostly gone, his smile faltered as he looked up into the positively thunderous face of Tsunade the sannin. Right, he had neglected to tell them about that aspect of this troublesome ordeal.

Before she could round on him though, there was a lanky figure leaping through the window and rushing to Naruto's side before he could even register what was happening. A second one quickly followed, only to be tugged back as his scythe caught on either side of the window-frame, eliciting an undignified 'Ack!' from its owner as he inadvertently choked himself with his own weapon.

Kakashi's eye was inspecting his confused student for any visible injuries, an expression of worry on his face that took Naruto's breath away. The jonin was more expressive in this one moment than he had been the entire time he'd been Team Seven's sensei.

"Kakashi-sensei, what –"

"You were in pain, what happened?" the grey-haired man's voice was firm and his words concise, and one could almost hear the threat he had left unsaid. Whoever hurt you…

"How did you -?" Once again, Naruto was cut off. This time by Hidan gesturing vigorously at his sensei and doing something that could only be described as a 'happy dance' behind his back.

Naruto suddenly understood and put his head in his hands with a groan. When he looked up again after a few moments, all the occupants of the room were staring at him with different degrees of confusion (or, in Hidan's case, glee) on their faces.

He opted to pat the Hatake's forearm shakily, "I-I'm fine, Kakashi-sensei. Just a bit of a stomach-ache is all." He gave him a wary smile, searching for signs of mental instability in his sensei's dark eye.

And then it was like a switch had been flipped, the tall man gave him his trademark grin (the one where the simply closed his eye cheerfully) and then ruffled his already unruly hair.

"If you say so, my cute little deity."

Naruto thought he was going to have a stroke.