Just Hidan/Sunnora for this chapter (: poor Hidan, he's just a clueless guy xD Chapter 22 will go back to Konoha Forces!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Rated M for Language

Chapter 21: The Suspicion

With matching strides, the young blue eyed goddess trailed alongside Hidan. The pair hadn't shared words the whole morning and although the only sounds were coated in nature it didn't seem to bother them in the slightest. The comfortable sounds of the woods were welcomed after the fast paced bustle of the town they had recently left behind.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question Hidan-sama?" Sunnora didn't know much about Hidan's plans or his goals and even if he didn't wish to share the information it was still a step forward to hear his voice and share his words with her, she wasn't expecting much but even a little would go a long way in her opinion.

Hidan motioned his head to the side, looking at the girl from his peripheral line, "I guess I don't mind, go ahead but you know the rule, just because you ask doesn't mean I'll answer".

Sunnora's face brightened even more at his words and she instantly picked up her pace so that she was ahead of the male and faced him so she walked in front of him in a backwards manner. The slight surprise washed over his face at her playful actions but he dismissed it when she began to speak.

"Where are we going?" it had been in the back of her mind all this time, and with little words shared between them it seems that now she had the amount of time to sort them out, her mind reaching to the very back to bring forth that question.

Hidan seemed hesitant with his answer, and even if he was inclined to answer he never showed it. His pace never faltered and his face regarded her with nonchalance. With a gentle upwards tug of his lips he sighed and motioned forward with his left arm.

"We're going to pass one more town before we reach our destination, the town is up ahead, another few minutes of walking and we should see something that registers life, after that it will be at least two more hours before we get to where I need to be".

Sunnora's eyes glistened as she motioned for him to continue, but he didn't seem to notice so she voiced her protest, "and that will be where Hidan-sama?"

Hidan's lips tugged upwards a bit more and held a teasing quality to his voice that made Sunnora feel the light atmosphere around them increase.
"That I won't tell you, you'll just have to wait", and with that Hidan faced forwards once again quickening his pace to sidestep Sunnora.
She sighed as she kept walking backwards and she moved her body in 180 degrees at the turn of her heel and pouted slightly. Now they were back at square one, but at least now she knew they'd be stopping by a town soon. Spending time with Hidan was enough for Sunnora and she felt content being next to him, even if he had told her before that she was just there to temporarily fill in for Kakuzu, his lost partner, the thought of not being around him didn't even enter her mind once because she didn't even see the possibility of that happening. She thought when Kakuzu came back they could all be in the same team, the three of them together. Smiling at the thought she skipped alongside Hidan until she was by his side one more time.
"So what are you so happy about?" Hidan questioned as he saw the huge smile plastered on his lackey's face.

Sunnora hummed and turned to Hidan, closing her eyes in amusement, "oh nothing~ just wanted to know about your partner, you know, the one that's gone missing".

Hidan grimaced and turned away once more. Even though he swore that he hated Kakuzu, he had to admit to himself that he was fun to make fun at. From his age to his bad habits, they were all things Hidan found humorous in pointing out.

"He was some old bastard, have to admit he was pretty useful to keep around because of his threading technique but other than that he was kind of a drag to be around, a really greedy fucker he was, your healing jutsu is so much better than his technique I have to admit", Hidan grimaced at the compliment that slipped out, he meant it but didn't want her to know what he thought, 'she might think I actually like her'. He felt better about his slip up when he looked at her and noticed she just smiled and hummed as if accepting his answer and trying to form an image of Kakuzu in her head from the description he gave her of him.

One thing Hidan always enjoyed when traveling with Kakuzu was making fun of him. Finding imperfections and weaknesses was Hidan's strength, and he relished in the though of doing the same with the girl beside him. It came easily to him to make fun and surely with someone as clueless as she was it would be easy. He remembered making fun of Kakuzu's physical state at first, and once he knew more about the guy as they did missions together, is that he carried his practice into mental and emotional states, such as his strong tendency to collect money and easy irritation. Sure Hidan knew it annoyed him but what was he going to do about it, kill him?

The idea brought a grin to his face as he motioned his purple eyes to the side and saw his prey. The girl was smiling slightly, 'that stupid smile never seems to leave her face, but I'll make sure she gets upset when I make enough fun of her' grinning like a mad man Hidan turned his head to look at her. She seemed to notice his stare and turned her head to look at him, catching his eyes in hers she smiled at him with one of her famous smiles that would make any other male melt but he wasn't going to fall for that, nothing came before his religion and his twisted humor.

Looking at her he didn't seem to notice anything that really stood out enough to make fun of, she was tall but not excessively tall to call her a giraffe, she wore all black which was strange for girls her age but he couldn't think of anything to make fun of with only that, her hair was meticulously straight and shiny with layered qualities that actually complimented her, it looked like she combed it every second of the day so he couldn't call her out on that, her face and complexion were flawless that he felt himself flush a little when noticing just how pretty she actually was, groaning out loud he gave up on her physical weaknesses to focus on her more obvious mental weaknesses.

Pushing back some strands of silver hair Hidan needed information for this tactic to work, he didn't have the time he had with Kakuzu to push, so he needed to be rash and ask her straight up for things to aid in his mockery and her humiliation. With determination in his voice he looked to the side with a fake smile in place, "so dipshit, where are you from again?"

Sunnora seemed legitimately surprised by his question and formed a small o with her mouth before the question actually sunk in. Placing her finger on her chin she looked to the sky as if searching for the answers and squinted, the action alone had Hidan genuinely smiling a little but shook it from his face for his more favored fake smile.

"I really wish I could answer that Hidan-sama, but I'm still pretty much hazy on those details, I do recall it being dark though".
Hidan adopted a giant grin on his face and before realizing what he was saying he blurted out the first thing that came to his head, "is that why you look like you dress in the dark!?"

...

The silence was like a stab in the chest to Hidan and he cleared his throat to make sure his hearing hadn't disappeared.

'What the hell was I thinking? That joke was so lame! I can't believe I said something that fucking stupid, I'm losing it I swear-'

Looking over he felt confusion wash over him as he saw the girl's head bowed slightly and her hands cupped her face.

'Oh shit I made her cry!' Hidan's hand reached out to touch her shoulder and he opened his mouth to say something but words evacuated his mind completely. Furrowing his eyebrows he felt the girl tremble before him and sighed, 'this is why I can't have a girl as my partner'.

Feeling the trembling of her shoulder get slightly more intense he felt like he needed to say something, anything to make her stop crying. Sure he had faced women cry before but that was only a second before they were about to be sacrificed to Jashin-sama, this was different, he felt like he was driving a metaphorical stake through this girl's heart.

"I-I…", Hidan cursed at himself for not being able to say one simple word, and even though he didn't mean it, he still felt a bit obligated, 'maybe that's the reason I can't say it', something in his mind or his throat was forbidding him from saying it, like it was taboo to him.

Sunnora moved her head up and through wet eyes she looked up at Hidan with a smile, "I'm so sorry Hidan-sama, I couldn't hear what you said".
Hidan seemed shocked; she hadn't been crying because she was sad, but because she was laughing…'those are tears of laughter'.

Never had he made fun of someone to have them laugh at the joke, it usually ended with a threat or a fight, both very appealing to Hidan as it usually meant a sacrifice would be offered that day to Jashin. He shook his head and tried to comprehend what was happening. "I thought you were crying", he said as he looked away from her, he couldn't bring himself to face her just yet, he was sure his face would betray him and show emotions he wasn't used to expressing.

Sunnora giggled and swung her arms casually by her sides as they continued down the path. "No, I'm sorry if it seemed that way it's just that your joke was very funny, I tend to cry when I laugh too much, and I was already happy to begin with so that only spurred me on I suppose".
Hidan turned his head to her with reluctance.

"Why were you happy?" he didn't understand this girl…she was too weird in his opinion, she didn't respond how she was supposed to respond, there were set rules in the human race and the fact that she wasn't following them with her bipolar behavior really caught him off-guard in multiple times.
'Seriously? One minute she's threatening to kill me for waking her up and the next she's practically throwing herself at me saying she worships me…I'm glad the only woman I have to be around is Konan, and at least she's normal…I think' Hidan scratched his head as if trying to unravel the mysteries of the universe when a slight tug of his sleeve woke him up.

"Oh, I'm always happy when I'm around you Hidan-sama, but I was just surprised when you asked where I was from, it means you're slightly interested to know more about me, the idea alone made me so happy, I'm really sorry I can't remember much because if I did I would tell you everything about my land and myself", Sunnora pouted but one glance at Hidan made her smile again, that same smile that Hidan used to loath was now becoming somewhat nice, but he shook his head as if trying to chase away the random and clearly unwanted thought from his head.

"It's not like I really wanted to know where you were from because I was interested, it was because I was bored and I don't like silence", Hidan said with a smug tone that suited him so well.

Hidan was expecting the girl alongside him to pout or cry but not giggle. Although he'd never admit it out loud, he had to say that her laugh was contagious, it almost (almost) made him smile as well but he was too confused as to her random reactions. She had a hop in her step that irritated him but accepted it as another weird trait of hers, she also had this habit of swinging her arms like a child as she walked, it would be endearing if she wasn't a teenager.

Her soft giggle subsided and she moved her arms around her face as if trying to compose herself. She locked eyes with purple pupils and stared back at the confused stare before her. "Even though you try to hide it, I think you're secretly interested in my life you just have trouble admitting it because you're not yet comfortable with those ideas".

Hidan couldn't believe the words she spoke; she looked almost serious that it scared him slightly. 'Why would she assume I'm interested, I couldn't care less, she's just replacing Kakuzu until I find him'.

Shaking his head in denial, the silver haired male faced forward with his chin held high in the air, "I really don't think you should be speaking to me like that, I know much more than you do so don't assume things you have no idea about, as I said before, the only reason I asked you was because I was bored".

Hidan could feel her smile, even though his head was turned away from her, he could still feel that smile of amusement hitting him in the back as they walked, it burned him and if he didn't have some self control then he'd probably turn to her and pull that mask she carried around her neck over her face so he wouldn't have to see it anymore. The idea was just too tempting but he tucked it away for later.

"Okay, I guess you were just bored, but you don't have to get so defensive Hidan-sama, you know I'll like you no matter what, and I accept anything you have to say because you mean a lot to me", the words were unexpected, twice already, it had happened twice now that her words had caught him off guard and it was unsettling that he couldn't really predict her anymore. When he first met her he was sure he had her pegged to the T, she was as clueless as a puppy, as kind as an angel, and as strong as a Jashinist, but now after what happened last night, he wasn't so sure about some of those details the girl he witnessed last night threatened to kill him multiple times, she had the strength that rivaled that of some of the Akatsuki, and anger that was easily ignited, those characteristics just didn't add up with the girl that stood before him. 'Maybe something happened last night that she's not telling me'.

"You like me?" Hidan was still very confused as to what those words meant, for no one had ever spoken those words to him before.
Sunnora nodded quickly and once again quickened her pace so that she stood before him as they walked so she could look in his eyes as she spoke, she was abnormally good at walking backwards that Hidan wondered if she had done this many times before, seeing as it was the second time in less than a few minutes he assumed yes.

"I do like you, you saved me when I woke up in that forest, you guided me and let me stay by your side, and when I was feeling ill yesterday you carried me to that inn so I could rest, you're my savior and I am indebted to you forever", her words were sincere and although she kept her smile, it was calmer, filled with honesty and emotion.

Hidan realized that what she felt for him was just deep admiration, and quickly felt relief, along with a foreign feeling of slight disappointment but he brushed it off, the last thing he needed now was any kind of romantic feelings surfacing, he was a devote Jashinist, his life and body belonged to his religion and that is what he dedicated his whole being to, not falling in love with some girl that would take all his time and seek his attention, he knew for sure that if a girl ever found out about his passion of sacrifice and his ideals then that would surely drive her away, it was to be expected but he didn't care, he wanted to live his life how he wanted it, without the moral implications brought about by some girl he met that only sought him out for certain or uncertain reasons. Even now, the girl that was walking in front of him knew nothing about his religion, sure she knew the name and his God's name but she knew nothing of the details that came along with it. He was sure if she ever found out about sacrifice and carnal killing then she would surely be disgusted and turn away from him, her admiration for him would vanish, and he would never see her again, 'mostly with that innocent aura of hers, she's way too kind to understand and accept what I am devoted to'.

"Don't tell me you like me when you barely know me dipshit", the words came off as harsh and he felt a little guilty for saying them, he had a huge urge to look her in the eyes to see what she was feeling but kept his composure and trained his eyesight to just above her head. Glancing down would be just too easy.

"One thing I know for certain is that I like what I know so far, and that's what matters, we're partners now and I'll find new things about you with time but for now I feel like you and I can share things with each other, well you more than I because I don't really remember much of anything, but I do plan on opening you up like a present, finding things inside that I might like or might not like but right now the 'not like' is highly improbable seeing as I like you just as you are, with the way things are now, I feel as though I can accept you for who you are and you shouldn't be afraid to show me any side of you".

Hidan smirked, he really underestimated the girl and now he was seeing there was more to her than just healing jutsu, she actually had some deep thoughts when she tried, "You're so weird you know? And to clear one thing up, we're not partners, you're my lackey dipshit".

Sunnora grinned and stepped quickly to the side to walk alongside Hidan once more, "Aye aye Hidan-sama".

'Let's put her fondness of me to the test, I might take her to a sacrifice run when we reach the town ahead, just to see how deep her devotion lies'

Hidan narrowed his eyes as he recalled the girl's words from earlier, 'She said that I took her to the inn last night when she was feeling ill but I didn't-'
"Oi, dipshit, tell me what you remember of yesterday, any little detail is to be included", Hidan felt like things were right in the world again, well as right as being an S-class criminal travelling with some weird girl he found in the woods would be.

Sunnora felt a bit hesitant on answering that question, not because she didn't want to but because she felt that her answer would lack in information, no matter how you looked at it. Scratching her arm in a sheepish manner, she looked up at the sky again and sighed, "I'm sorry to say Hidan-sama that I don't really recall much of anything that happened last night, the last thing I clearly remember was leaning up against the tree you placed me under while you told me you were going to fetch me some water, I remember calling out to you but you were gone, a second later I assume I passed out because that's the last thing I can think of that happened. After that my memory begins with you walking in through my inn room".

Hidan scoffed at her answer, 'she's withholding information, I guess she doesn't want to recall how badly she treated me that night, or how horrible her attitude was, she did wake up startled after all; she had no clue that was me last night so she let her guard down, maybe that's her deal, she's just grouchy at night and doesn't want me to reminisce upon her flaws, trying to seem perfect and perky the whole time, and she's telling me to not hide any sides from her because she'll accept me no matter what…what a hypocrite'.

"You know you don't have to hide things from me, I think you want to appear a certain way but I've seen it all I swear, I'm with the Akatsuki and all those guys are complete nut jobs, I've seen it all and much worse, trust me, just because you get a little cranky at night doesn't mean that I'll stop having you as my lackey, in truth I really prefer that side of yours, I've always enjoyed being around those type of people, it amuses me".

Sunnora was stunned silent. She didn't know what to make of his response, 'why is he saying I was cranky? I don't know what he's talking about…could it be that I said or did something while I was unconscious that led him to believe that of me?' perplexed and confused Sunnora looked at her feet as she bowed her head and spoke in a softer tone.

"Please tell me what I did last night Hidan-sama".

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