Sorry this took a little longer... it's been done for a few weeks, but I've had final exams. I've started chapter five, and I only have one exam left, so it should be posted pretty soon.

Anyways, hugs and kisses to all the readers– especially anyone who reviewed.

Just a little note, but we shall pretend that the Akitsuki hideout is near the village Hidan and Kakuzu are going to; I didn't take location into account when I wrote this chapter (hell, I don't remember where the Akitsuki hideout really is; was it's location ever mentioned in the manga?), and I'm too tired– and lazy– to change anything now. Also, since Kakuzu is a bit spazzy (is that a real word, and if it is, did I spell it right?) when he's mad, so I'm going to make him spazzy all the time (only in his thoughts though; he is way too cool to actually jump around like a three-year-old when he's happy, or to let anyone know he's having a major panic attack...lol... Kakuzu having a panic attack... I'm such a retard! Why do I find this funny? Oh well, back to the asylum whistles)

"talking"

thinking

(( annoying notes from me))– you can skip over 'em while you're readin' the story, but you might want to take a look at them after; some of them explain some shit, others are just stupid stuff; if it starts out with "NOTE:", it's probably something that will be useful... maybe...

THIS IS THE FIXED VERSION! Thanks to Wrist-Slap for pointing out spelling errors and all that jazz. Wrist-Slap, dude, you're like an editor; you saved me from some pretty retarded mistakes. I wuv you!

Now, STORY TIME!

Partners

Chapter Four

Hidan and Kakuzu were lying in their sleeping bags in their small tent.

After their departure for their mission, they had traveled all day, only stopping for meals. They were over half way there because they had kept up a good pace and left at dawn– though Hidan had to be dragged out of the headquarters kicking and screaming about being woken up at such an early hour. Shortly after the sun had set, they had stopped and set up camp in a small clearing in the forest just off the road. They had only brought one tent, so they wouldn't have as large a load to carry, but it was barely big enough to accommodate the both of them.

At this time, they were trying not to tear each other's throats out. It was past midnight, but both were awake. They had been in close proximity for only a few hours, but they had already learned new things about each other: Hidan had a tendancy to move around in his sleep; Kakuzu hated having his rest disturbed. So, in the wee hours of the morning, Hidan had accidentally kicked Kakuzu in the side, waking him instantly from his light slumber. Having been angered, he kicked Hidan back.

Hidan flinched and squirmed to the opposite side of the tent while still remaining in his sleeping bag. He opened one eye groggily and stared at Kakuzu for a moment, try, with much difficulty, to assess the current situation with a sleep-clouded brain.

"Wha' was tha' for, bas'ard?" Hidan whined. ((NOTE: if you can't tell what Hidan is saying, it 'translates' to: "What was that for, bastard?"))

"You kicked me first."

The reply was followed by silence.

Hidan pouted, but didn't say anything. He pulled the upper half of his body out of his sleeping bag and sat up. He looked around the tent until he found his duffle bag, and h he dug out his bible and a flashlight. He turned to a page marked by a red silk ribbon and switched the flashlight on, holding it between his teeth. He began to read one of the passages in his head.

A large hand came into his line of vision and took the book from his grasp, placing it on the floor of the tent. Hidan looked over at Kakuzu– who was still completely covered except for his eyes and hands– to see two eerie eyes giving him a sleepy glare.

"Hidan, it's late. I'm tired, and we have to wake up early if we want to get to the village by nightfall. We should both go back to sleep," he said, his voice even rougher from lack of sleep and agitation. " Now, turn off that goddamn light."

Hidan did as he said after giving Kakuzu a slight glare.

"Stay on that side of the tent," Kakuzu told Hidan, pointing to the opposite side. "If you kick me again, I'll rip your legs off."

"I'd like to see you try," Hidan retorted.

The two men fell into silence, and soon their breathing became deep and even as they both fell asleep.

When Kakuzu awakened, he found that Hidan had not done as he was told– not only had he moved from his side of the tent, but was also pressed up against Kakuzu's back. Kakuzu didin't mind the close contact, but he wanted to avoid any awkward situations, so he moved away.

Hidan followed.

It was at this point that Kakuzu noticed that Hidan was shivering.

Oh... he must have gotten cold last night.

He sighed and reached over his shoulder to poke Hidan's cheek.

Damn! He's freezing!

He turned his head towards Hidan.

"Wake up and put a shirt on, dipshit! If you freeze to death, I'm just going to dump you in the forest."

Hidan's only response was burying his face between Kakuzu's shoulder blades.

Kakuzu let out another aggravated sigh. He unzipped his sleeping bag and got out. Hidan whimpered at the loss of warmth, pulling his sleeping bag tighter around him. Kakuzu looked at him for a second before beginning to roll up his sleeping bag and pack up any equipment they had taken out.

He reached over and shook Hidan.

Hidan opened his eyes and blinked a few times. He looked at Kakuzu, waiting for an explanation for his rough wake-up call.

"It's about time to set out. I've already packed most of what we brought. Get up and help me pack up the tent."

Hidan nodded and wiggled his way out of his sleeping bag, then rolled it up. Seeing that his bag was already packed. Hidan fastened his Akitsuki cloak over his bare chest.

Both men stepped out of the tent and began detaching the stakes keeping it in one place. Several minutes later, the tent was packed into it's carrying-case and slung over Kakuzu's shoulder.

After eating a breakfast of dried fruit and salted meat, Kakuzu and Hidan began their trek towards the Village. By the time they stopped to sit and have lunch, Hidan was going insane from the lack of conversation; his eye had begun to twitch only an hour into their silent traveling. ((NOTE: I'm going to base some of Hidan's idiosyncracies off of mine, because they should add some more humor to the story– I swear, I'm not doing this because I'm some vain ego-freak; most people wouldn't admit to having these 'issues', but then again, I'm not 'most people'. More of my 'special traits' will show up in his characterization later– all of which would prove incredibly annoying to someone like Kakuzu. Just wait, it'll be awsome!))

"Aren't you hot wearing all those layers?" Hidan asked in an attempt to start a conversation.

"No," Kakuzu replied. "Aren't you cold without a shirt on?"

"No, and because I know you're thinking it, I've never gotten sick because of it either."

"Idiots never get sick," Kakuzu muttered under his breath.

"Sorry, but I didn't quite catch that," Hidan said, becoming irritated.

"Hm?" Kakuzu looked over at him. "Oh, it was nothing."

Hidan let out an irritated grunt and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Fine," he said, puffing out his cheeks slightly, "be that way."

God! What a brat, Kakuzu thought, letting out a low chuckle.

Upon hearing Kakuzu's laugh, Hidan began to fume. ((he should have been born Irish... he certainly has the temper. lol.))

"Is something funny?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"No," Kakuzu replied calmly. "Come on, let's get going. We should be able to reach the village sometime tonight if we keep up this pace."

At the mention of civilization, Hidan forgot what he was angry about and smiled. His eyes lit up at the thought of a real meal and an actual bed.

He's only been traveling for a day and a half, yet the mention of a village perks him up so much that he practically glows. You'd think he'd been in the wilderness for weeks, Kakuzu thought. Just how high-maintenance is he?

Kakuzu looked over at Hidan and almost laughed at what he saw: Hidan was combing through his hair with his fingers and flattening it back against his head. Hidan turned to look at him.

"Tonight, we're eating at a restaurant, and we're going to stay in a hotel; I'm not sleeping in that tent again!"

Kakuzu snorted.

"Fine, but nothing expensive," he said. "And that," he said, pointing to the three-bladed scythe lying by Hidan's side, "will have to be hidden or disguised." (( Kakuzu should have been born Jewish... he's so stingy with money! Btw, I'm only saying this because, as a Jew, it is okay for me to joke about stuff like this. If you ain't Jewish, don't joke about a single fuckin' Jew stereotype; I'll hunt you down, and I will hurt you.))

"I'll just use a genjutsu," Hidan said. "The village is a small one, so there shouldn't be many more shinobi besides our targets; I'll make sure that it appears as a staff or walkingstick to everyone in the village."

"Alright," agreed Kakuzu. "Now, let's go."

They put the left-over food back in their bags and started towards the village again.

Hidan and Kakuzu reached the village soon after the sun had set. When they had been about a mile from their destination, they had removed their Akitsuki cloaks and forehead-protectors; Hidan put on a shirt and placed a genjutsu over his scythe.

When they reached the village, Kakuzu asked a shop-keeper where there was an inn. The shop-keeper directed them to a quaint in that was about the size of a large house in the heart of the village. They stepped inside and up to the front desk. The receptionist looked up at them.

"Can I help you, sirs?" she asked politely.

"Yes," said Kakuzu. "We need a room for a few nights. Do you have anything open?"

The receptionist opened a notebook and ran her finger down the pages. She stopped her finger and looked back up at the waiting men.

"Yep," she replied cheerfully. "We have one room open; it's sixty-one-thousand and fifty yen a night. I'll need you to pay up-front." ((NOTE: I know it's a small inn, but it's a small village. Anyway, if someone can tell me how many yen are in an American dollar, that would be really helpful, and I'll love that person forever))

"Alright, thank you," Kakuzu said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his wallet. He took out 18,450 yen and handed it to the receptionist. "We plan on staying three nights, but we may stay longer."

"That's fine," she said, digging a key out of the desk drawers. "Here's your key. You're in room 13; it's at the end of the hall to your left."

Hidan took the key.

"Thanks," he said. "And hey, are there any restaurants you recommend?"

"Hmmm," she hummed, taking a few minutes to think. "Ah! There's a good Korean barbeque across the street, and a bar that has good ramen and udon down the street. If you go around the block, there is also a good sushi and tempura joint."

"Thanks," Hidan said, flashing her a quick smile.

"Not a problem," she replied, smiling back at him.

Kakuzu tugged on Hidan's wrist and the two men walked down the hall to their room, unlocking it and throwing their bags into the room. They didn't bother to look into the room before walking back to the main lobby and leaving the inn after the receptionist wished them a good evening and a good meal.

"So what shall we do tonight?" Kakuzu asked.

"Ramen," Hidan replied. "We should get a hot meal, and I'm not going to eat meat for at least another few days; one man can only eat so much salted beef before he decides that he wants something different." ((my craziness again; and there is defiantly such thing as eating too much meat!))

"Point taken. Now let's go; I'm starving."

Walking back to the inn from the bar, Hidan was very confused.

How the hell did Kakuzu eat that fast? I looked away for one minute, and when I look back, his meal is completely gone, but his mask is still in place. How the FUCK does he do that?!?

Yay! Done!

All the notes are somewhere in the story, so there isn't a huge-ass paragraph at the end. Yay again!

Well, read the notes (I'm going to put all the notes at the end next chapter... I was in a very strange ADD and PMS induced mood), and see ya, dudes!