Hi! Sorry it's been so long since I updated. But chapter 9 is here. I wrote this for more feels, but things are moving forward for Mia and Hidan! Just wait till next week... LEMONS. Reviews, fellas and ladies :)

Chapter 9- Compassion

Mia was totally stunned by Hidan's behaviour. You're not sorry. You're never sorry. Those words had been true, but there was something in Hidan's voice that rang a little deeper. Had he been genuinely sorry? She'd never know unless she asked, and she wasn't going to do that. But from the way he had held her wait, and the way he was now holding her hand…

She tugged on his hand.

"What?"

"Look, I'm sorry I ran off, okay?"

"It's fine. I messed up."

"Yeah, you did." She laughed. "But that's okay. I know you probably just panicked or something. I overreacted. I'm just used to being abandoned so I assumed you'd do it to me as well. Twisted, isn't it?"

"Kind of. But find me a person or a ninja who wasn't twisted by this damned system we have."

"I don't know much about ninjas other than that they destroyed my life… But I get what you mean."

"It's not just that. As well as me being a ninja, Jashinists have to destroy, they can't love."

She sighed loudly. "But Hidan! It's not that you can't, it's that you won't! You're scared because Jashinism is the only thing you think you can trust in. You can trust in me, you know."

He was impossible. He was making a self-fulfilling prophecy. If he didn't believe he could love, he wouldn't. She had to fix that and bring out the softer side in him, to heal this wounded man with her own wounded heart. It was a tall order, but not impossible, and she could see there were many obstacles.

"You're the only person I can trust," he muttered, tightening his grip.

Quietness overcame her for a few moments as she absorbed the deeper meaning that could be sensed behind his words. At first he'd been determined to get close, but now she wanted to understand him, he seemed to want to pull back. Why? There must be something under that tough skin of his that needed fixing. The passive way in which she'd accepted him at the start was quickly dissolving inside her and now Mia found herself willing to understand this enigmatic, violent man.

What could she do?

"Hidan...?"

He sighed. "What?"

"You know lots about me, about how I grew up, but I don't know anything about you at all. What were you like as a kid? I wanna know." She made a point of giving eye contact.

Hidan snorted in derision. "Really?"

"Yeah! I'm curious."

"Well I was smart," he said proudly. "I got bored easily in the academy classes. But I never had a problem following the ninja codes of conduct, you know, the ones my village got from the Leaf. It was something about ninjas never being able to show their tears. It was a rule they made up to kill your doubt. I used to take the whole 'no mercy' belief I had a bit too far, as well, when we did sparring."

Mia laughed. That was odd to hear, but it was so like him. "So what about your family then? Was your father a ninja? Was your mother a ninja?"

"Yes, and no." His face tightened. Dangerous territory? Regardless, he went on. "It wasn't long after they died when I was kid, that the Jashinists sought me out. They badgered me for years. When the village became a shitty tourist site, I saw that as good enough reason to go missing, and so I did."

He'd skipped right over the part about his family. It was a touchy subject. Mia didn't like al this serious talk now, anyway. They needed something new after this incident. A fresh start on life.

"Hidan… Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we try living among normal people for a while? Not pricks like Yusuke and Ruriko, but real people. Like, in a village or something. It would be fun, wouldn't it?"

"You're impulsive."

"So are you!"

They smirked at each other for a moment.

With Hidan's reluctant agreement, she was leading him towards the nearest beaten track, which trailed towards a rather quaint-looking village down in a valley; it was a short walk, maybe five miles or so away, which was child's play with the kind of life they were living.

Kinamizawa was just as quaint as it had looked from a distance. From the look on Hidan's face, he was a little disappointed with the turnout. It wasn't much of a village- maybe ten or eleven houses and one tiny shop. The houses were all made of wood, built strong for the powerful winds that raged through the area frequently, with baskets of tiny flowers surrounding them, and no gardens but communal patches of grass that seemed to alleviate the need for private land. She saw a lady washing clothes behind one house, and a couple of children running about, but other than that, the place was pretty peaceful and deserted.

"This seems like a nice place!" she said brightly.

"I can't kill anyone here."

"Stop that sour look now. You don't have to kill anyone. I said I wouldn't try to stop you from your religion, but maybe it'll be good for it not to be the centre of your life for once."

"That's blasphemy, you little-"

"Just try! For me…"

"Hey- you two!" A voice sounded, and Mia turned to see a young lad of around her age running towards them. With that stern shoulder length auburn hair and assured black eyes, she could see he wasn't someone who backed down easily.

"Hi," she said in as friendly a manner as she could manage. "Is there a problem?"

"What are you doing here?" He didn't sound hostile.

Hidan intercepted, "Mia here and I were looking for somewhere to stay for a while. You got anywhere here?"

She almost giggled at how polite he was being. He had a resentful, bashful look on his face as he tried to suppress the monster within (or the monster on the outside that was now locked away behind his true self…). He ran a hand through his hair and she smiled at the boy while he considered them.

"We've got one spare house… a man and his wife recently left the village. I guess you could stay there. Actually no, I'm sure there wouldn't be a problem. Sorry for my rudeness. We just don't get many visitors! Given the size of Kinamizawa, I'm sure you can understand why." He held out his hand. "I'm Keigomaru Ushida. Since we're friendly, call me Keigo."

"Okay! Hi Keigo. I'm Mia Hayashikan, and this is Hidan."

"What's with the weird sword?" he asked bluntly, pointing at Hidan's scarlet weapon.

"Oh, it's just something we carry around with us. Pay it no mind."

"Okay. I have a friend who's a Hayashikan, you know. His name is Ryuu. You might get to meet him someday."

Before Mia could interrogate him over this, they were lead to a small hut near the centre of the village. It had a veranda, a rocking chair on it, and looked like a little family home. She smirked at the irony. She and Hidan were hardly suited for a life like this, but it might be a welcome change. She decided to do her best in helping this man find who he was again.

"Alright Keigo," Hidan said in his menacing cheerfulness, "Fuck off now. Tell your elders about us, but other than that, leave us alone."

"Hidan!" Mia scolded. "That wasn't nice."

"I'm a bit more cheerful than I was when we got here. Just cut me some slack."

Keigo shrugged and pranced away, clearly offended, leaving Mia smiling apologetically to his back while he sauntered off. Keigo didn't seem to be a bad person, but impressions were very different from the real person underneath, as she had found with Hidan.

Kinamizawa… this odd little village. It could become their home for a while. She didn't know if such a life suited them, but if it could distract Hidan from Jashinism, even for a few days, it would be worth it. Also, this was their very own house now… she let her mind stray to less decent thoughts, before admonishing herself internally for her mind's track. She remembered the time in the eatery, what they had done then, remembered the feeling of her heart hammering in her chest, the feel of his warm breath on her mouth, and squirmed with anticipation and worry.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Hidan grinned like a mind-reader. "Come on inside. We have some unfinished business."

Mia sighed up at the sky; it was getting dark, pinks and oranges colouring the world above. Maybe this time, he would be more loving.

"Oh, okay. Already?"

"I won't stop this time."

"I wouldn't ask you to."

"I know."