"And if you go, I wanna go with you. And if you die, I want to die with you."

Kakuzu and Minahira were lucky enough to be on the same team and also pass the Chuunin exams. Kakuzu was relieved after her match, her Taijutsu was a spectacle to watch as she was very advanced, although her Ninjutsu and Genjutsu were significantly weaker than others in their age bracket-which could cause issues for her later down the road. As the exams were finished up, he met her at the gate of the arena for a small celebration, or so he thought. He was shocked to see some of the Elders talking to Mina, about what though he had no inkling of an idea. He waited behind waiting on them to finish their conversation without butting in. And as they left her, she spun on her heels and faced Kakuzu. In that moment she ran to him, jumping into his arms. She couldn't see, but heat slowly rose to his face as they embraced.

"We did it, Kuzu! We are Chuunin now! Can we pleeeeeease celebrate?" Her voice sounded like a mix between pleading and pure excitement. Most likely because she knew he didn't like to spend his money on frivolous things.

"I'll tell you what, I'll treat you to dinner." He realized his tone sounded flat and uninterested, although that was not how he meant for it to sound.

She grabbed his hand and pulled him along to her favorite place, the local ramen shop. It always amazed him how someone so small in frame could eat so much at once. She was so excited that she didn't seem to notice that their hands were still intertwined. But he did notice how long she let her touch linger, which in turn made him feel nervous. She turned her head, looking over her shoulder at him with one of the brightest smiles he had seen on her yet. She was very obviously happy, which in turn seemed to make him feel happy for her as well. He shot her a small smile back.

"I know I know, we can sit at one of the corner tables. I know you don't like crowds of people." She was still considerate of how he felt. That was always intruiging to him. Why would someone like her even care how he felt about people. He wasn't sure why she was always determined to bring him out to public domains, but he never hesitated to be by her side now. After all, they were best friends, right? That's how it should be, he supposed.

As they sat down, she started conversation almost immediately, "You've gotten really good at using different jutsus, Kuzu! I wish I was as advanced as you." She smiled warmly at him from across the two top table.

"You still have time to train on your jutsus as well, ya know." His voice sounded flat, although Mina didn't seem bothered by that.

"Maybe you can help me train so I can be as great as you one day." She happily chirped in-between bites. He couldn't help but grin at her. She always seemed to think he was better than her, and maybe in some ways he would have been, but he knew out of everyone in their class, she was the one nobody wanted to fight in hand to hand combat, as she excelled in that department.

"If ya ask me, we are on the same playing field." He did think they were equal because of her pure and raw strength. It was as if the tense emotions he held on his shoulders eased off him. They currently shared a home seeing as it just wasn't in their funds to be able to live in their own homes, but he was just happy to have her around in his every day life. Her bubbly personality always seemed to put him in a better mood. He looked up from his bowl of noodles to see her stuff her mouth completly full with the ramen, and he couldn't help but smile at her. She was such a bright light in his dimly lit world.

Kakuzu and Hidan had made it back to the base just a few minutes prior. Kakuzu knew he would have to try explaining why their mission was a failure, and hopefully it would go unpunished. He didn't want to bank on that idea though. He knew how Pein felt about failure.

"Well ya old miser, do you wanna explain to Leader why we couldn't kill this bitch or do you want me to tell him how YOU failed miserabl-" Hidan's words were cut short with a swift punch that sent him flying several yards down the corridor, smashing through an entire wall.

Kakuzu was very worn out from hearing his loud mouthed partner even speak of their failure once more. Without missing another beat, Kakuzu turned down another corridor towards his own punishment. Something he rarely had to worry about since he never held back on any other target. He knew there would be questions. He knew he needed to provide answers, but he couldn't share the truth. He felt as if that would put an even bigger target on Mina's back now. He knew nobody else would hold back. He also seen some of her raw power. She was no easy target. Maybe he could convince Leader to let Kakuzu still follow through with this mission. Hope was a fleeting feeling and he knew not to get his hopes up. He just knew that he would have to come up with some excuse as to why he couldn't kill and collect this bounty. He knocked on the door in front on him, awaiting permission to enter.

"Enter." Came the voice he really didn't want to face right now.

As Kakuzu entered, he did not wait on Hidan to catch back up.

"I heard you let the girl slip through your hands and escape. Why?"

Straight to the point. "This is no normal 'girl'" Kakuzu didn't even know how to begin explaining without putting Minahira in even more danger. "I do know that there is another person pulling strings, someone she referred to as 'Master'"

Pein paused, making Kakuzu feel a bit of anxiety under his scrutiny. It was almost like Pein was waiting for more information from Kakuzu. Kakuzu had nothing more to say unless probed for more details.

"So you aren't familiar with this woman at all then? From what I've gathered, she has been around nearly as long as you. Quite curious, indeed."

Kakuzu begin to sweat under the pressure. He was now on edge with anxiety. It was like this was true fear building in his head.

"She is nobody that I know." He was firm in his answer. In his futile attempt to keep her safe, he wondered if he made the wrong choice, placing her in danger. Could she handle her own from any of the men here? He had no idea. Only hope.

"You and your partners lack of accountability is very displeasing." He had hoped not to get himself in an unwarranted situation because of failure. Failure was not something he was known for in this organization. He wondered if his past failures would also catch up to him also. How much did Leader actually know? Where was Zetsu? He knew that informant would have spilled anything he witnessed if he was in the area. That thought alone made him sick, considering the compromising situations he found himself in. He felt a heat rise to his face thinking of it, and for that he was thankful for the coverings he wore on his face. He would die before he would admit to anything though.

A knock came from the door, halting the conversation between the two. The door opened and closed quickly, revealing it was indeed Hidan behind the door. Another headache to deal with.

"I apologize for being late, Leader-Sama. Somebody," He cut his eyes over to Kakuzu, "decided that I apparently needed to be thrown through the walls." His snide remark made another heat course through Kakuzu, although this was the heat of anger and nothing more. Irritability crossed his face as he eyed his duo. He decided better of it to not cause any more fuss than there already was.

"What is YOUR story, Hidan?"

"I don't know what really happened, she uses a displacing Genjutsu. She was completely unaffected by any damage. I don't know, seems like some kinda demon to me. Sneaky little bitch."

Pein looked over the two in front of him in silence for a few moments before speaking. "It seems both of you are too incompetent to handle this." He looked over to Hidan, "I want you to find out who this 'Master' is and report back. As for you," He shifted his gaze onto Kakuzu, "I want you to find any information on her. Who she is and what her purpose is." It was painfully obvious that the pursuit for Mina was not going to be dropped. The air in the room felt so tense you could almost taste it. "Do not think this mishap will go unpunished." Kakuzu didn't know what to expect seeing as how he wasn't usually the one in this compromising position. There was nothing he could do about circumstances he couldn't control though, and would gladly take any punishment if it meant keeping her safe. "Leave."

With that, the duo left the makeshift office and walked a little ways down the hall for further discussion that Kakuzu wanted to avoid.

"See what you fucking caused, you old miser? Now we are both in shit because of you." Hidan was glaring daggers at his partner, who in turn shot the same look right back at him.

Kakuzu sucked at his teeth, trying to keep the rage deep seeded in himself at bay. Hidan always knew what to say to get under his skin. If he could, he would have already killed Hidan like any of the other 'partners' he has had over the years. Without a word, Kakuzu entered his personal room and slammed the door shut. He exhaled deeply. He felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He took another deep breath and sat down in the middle of the floor, beginning meditation-something Mina had always told him to do to keep him level-headed. He closed his eyes and it was like he was in a whole other world. The world from before his imprisonment and loss of Minahira.

A loud bang at the door woke Kakuzu from a deep and restful sleep. This alone was enough to piss him off royally as it was few and far in between that he actually got decent rest. Still wearing his black sweatpants and a loosely fit black tank top, he left his room only to see his door begin to open. He put his hands up ready to kill any intruder he might have, hair floating around him as his chakra readied. And then he felt completely ignorant of his reaction once he seen Minahira walking in his home. Of course it was her. How stupid could he really be? She frequently put use to the spare key he had given her years ago that was supposed to only be for 'emergencies'.

"What the hell, Mina? I thought someone was trying to break in." He scolded her.

"I mean I guess you're not wrong, huh?" she beamed at him very cheekily. He knew he couldn't stay mad at her. He let out a sigh of irritability, pinching the bridge of his nose momentarily.

"Look, the key is supposed to be used for only an emergency. How many times do I have to tell you this?" Kakuzu had grown used to living alone again and almost wondered if giving her a key was something he should have thought more about.

"But it is, Kuzu! Look!" She held a scroll in front of his face, waving it around sporadically.

"I can't read it like that, calm down." He snatched the scroll from her hands and began to read it. He read over the whole thing twice just to make sure, then his eyes met hers.

"I don't like this, Mina.." He trailed off, lost in her eyes even if it was only momentarily. He felt like it was something he could do without her-he was more so thinking of how vulnerable she appeared at times of distress. Although the stronger her emotions became, the more powerful she seemed to grow. It was truly like taking a shot in the dark. He never thought that missions together wasn't a good idea. They always seemed to butt heads now a days. He became a Johnin before her by several years. He became a Johnin at the ripe age of 16. Mina, on the other hand didn't become a Johnin until she was 20, mostly due to her lack of jutsu she could preform.

"I won't weigh you down, I promise. I've been training really hard to keep up with you." She had been putting a lot of hours into herself. That dedication could have been why they were placed together. They did compliment each other to some extent. The major concern he had was her being in his line of fire due to her close ranged abilities. Minahira grabbed his hand and began pulling him to follow her to the training grounds. Kakuzu felt that nervous feeling, it was like a knot formed in his stomach. How could someone so small and kind make him feel so nervous? She certainly never treated him poorly and in fact seemed to have him placed on some unseen pedestal. She had always thought highly of him and he had no definite answer on why that was. The only thing he could imagine was because he had always been there when she needed him.

As the approached the training area, they had the whole area to themselves it seemed. She turned around and beamed at him, making him feel even more weird than previously. He gave her a small smile, hoping it would break this killer silence. He felt like he could cut the air with a knife- he felt almost tense due to the circumstances.

"Are ya ready to see what I'm made of?" She grinned mischievously at him. She had to have had something up her sleeve that he wasn't aware of, why else would she seem so confident?

Without a word, he readied himself in a defensive stance. She might have excelled in her Taijutsu, but that was one skill Kakuzu was also adept in. He would be no easy spar partner, and Mina knew he would cut her no slack. She was okay with that though, because what better way to improve herself than to challenge someone as advanced and strong as he. She felt no nervousness, only excitement. As she readied herself, she looked at Kakuzu with a look of determination. He eyed her, knowing she was faster, he would have to keep a close eye on her to block any incoming attack she might have. In that instant, their eyes locked. She shot him a grin, and disappeared quickly. Damn she was fast. He turned to the left just in time to block her kick which sent him sliding backwards several feet from pure impact. She really had been training and it was shown through her pure, raw strength. He formed hand signs quickly to form a rock dome around Mina, preventing her from attacking. He used plenty of entrapment jutsus believing that if she couldn't break from his own jutsu that she couldn't handle anyone else's specialized jutsu.

Kakuzu smiled, believing he had her right where he wanted her. Suddenly, a loud roar followed by the sound of breaking earth shocked him. She had managed to completely crumble his Earth Dome jutsu, which came as a surprise to him. She had definitely built up her physical strength. He seen her for a brief moment before she seemed to melt into the ground. How did she do this? He had no idea. Had she really improved her Genjutsu that far? That was a weakness of hers and he knew it. He formed another set of hand signs, covering the area in a muddy pit, hoping to entrap her once again. In a blink of an eye, she appeared behind him in the air and landed a hit, sending him flying several meters away. He caught himself and stood ready, this time instead of his defensive stance, he switch to a more offensive stance. She rushed over and threw another punch, although it was blocked, she still managed to make him slide back slightly from impact. They spent several minutes in a fast paced hand to hand combat. When she seen she couldn't get much of an advantage, she jumped back putting a slight distance between them. She formed her own set of hand signs and formed a water release jutsu. Water droplets began to fall at a fast rate, and suddenly Kakuzu lost vision on Mina. She really had improved for her to use her own water release jutsu, something she was unable to do a year ago. Suddenly her chakra filled the air, and everything lit up. She became visible once more to his left, and the look in her eyes was one of pure determination. Kakuzu quickly formed an Earth Wall to block a good majority of her pure and raw strength. The wall crumbled on impact, and the force sent him flying back into a wall, leaving a meter sized dent in the wall itself. The dust in the air from the crumbled earth filled Kakuzu's lungs, causing him to cough. Suddenly a water pooled at his feet, and when he tried to move he realized he was stuck. This must be another jutsu she had worked on, one he was unfamiliar with. Mina's laugh could be heard at a distance, it almost sounded hollow as it echoed all around him. Her exact position was unknown, but he knew she was close. He could feel her chakra in the air around him. And then there was a kunai pointed at his throat from behind.

"See Kuzu? I told you I've worked on my technique." She panted, out of breath. He smiled at her, even though she couldn't see it. He was impressed with her and her abilities. He was convinced she could level a mountain if she truly wanted to. Her physical strength alone was impressive to him. He had more faith in their partnership now, after seeing her true abilities in person instead of reading about them.

Kakuzu reminisced the memories of their practice spars. He had come across some information, thanks to Zetsu, leading him to the Hidden Frost Village. He had been traveling several days now. One thing he was content with was the fact that he was alone and didn't have to put up with his loud-mouthed partner. Kakuzu didn't have much to go on except that there was an informant waiting for him. Apparently from what information had been gathered, this 'Master' had several enemies. For what reason, he was unclear on that piece yet. The frost bitten air sent a small shiver down his spine. He didn't exactly feel cold, no, but the air around him seemed to grow thicker with each passing step. He had to assume it was because of the war inside his head at this current moment. He had a million questions in his head that he simply did not have the answers for. Hoping this informant would shine a bit of light on this situation, he trudged forward. He had to wonder how someone in the Hidden Frost Village would have anything he deemed as noteworthy, but he had to put his faith blindly in the hands of Zetsu's word, something he rather disliked the thought of. As he entered the village, he pulled out his scroll once more to give it a final look over. It seemed he made it ahead of schedule seeing as the scheduled meeting was tomorrow evening. The thought of spending any amount of money on a room tonight made him irritated. Speding money on something he thought was unnecessary always got him worked up to an extent. He found a room for a relatively cheaper rate, although the inside of the room was covered in a layer of dust and seemed dingy. Something Kakuzu really had no care for, all that was interest of him was the rooming price. He stepped into the bathroom to clean off, although due to his stature and size, the bathroom seemed very cramped and small. It was barely enough room to turn around in for him. The water was also fairly cool and didn't seem to get much warmer than it already was. Typical.

After he felt clean, he lay in the tiny bed that was almost too small for his body frame to fit in. He let out a deep sigh, wishing to feel Mina's warm embrace, just for a little while. Even if that sentiment was all he had right now, it would have to do. He wished to go back to a happier time. But reality did not allow for that and in fact, had seemed to take anything he cared for as if it were some twisted joke played on him over his lifetime. Tomorrow, he would have answers. That's all he allowed himself to think of as he drifted off into a deep sleep.

Hey guys! I know I originally said this was a two part story, but I couldn't help but to delve farther into the complexities of Kakuzu and Minahira's true relationship between one another. I don't know exactly how many chapter there will be, but I have several more planned out as well. As always I do not own any rights to Naruto, its world or its characters. I only own my own OC and the fabricated story I have written. Thanks to tyuo for the review. As always R&R and enjoy. :)