A/N: The writing of this chapter helped me to figure out something interesting. I'm not sure if the reading of it can do the same. If not... Oh well.

Enjoy another installment of the adventures of some of my favorite characters.

.

Kakuzu

The next morning, Kakuzu sat on the edge of his bed for a while. His heart beat unusually fast. That's fine. I can have the ability to feel nervous. What kind of senseless idiot would I be not to? He reassured himself that he was still acting within the bounds of rationality as he got dressed. He was acting sensibly. He was not being held captive by overly strong emotions and basic instincts that he really should have mastered by now. It only makes sense to let myself look like I want to be here. No point in hiding the truth. And there's no way in hell I'm backing out after telling Sasori, Kisame and Itachi all about it.

He tried to open Hidan's door, but it was locked. That was unusual. He knocked. Hidan mumbled from inside. "Wha?"

"I'm going out. But when I come back, I expect to send you out on another mission. You made decent money the first time; let's see if you can do it again."

"Okay."

Kakuzu left. Sitting in his truck, he drummed his fingers on the wheel. There was every reason to believe the tailor wasn't yet open, so he would not be able to drop off his measurements if he went there now. Yet he was too restless to stay home. Kakuzu wondered if he should do what he had done the last time he'd felt like this. No. I don't imagine the vampires like being woken up in their sleep and forced to creep around their own homes. He turned the engine on and headed for town. There should be something to do somewhere.

It was early enough that there was no human establishment that he expected to be open or active, except for the kinds he did not like. Kakuzu ended up driving to the park. He could wander through the trees for a while. Why not. That was supposed to have a calming effect on the nerves anyway.

It did. Kakuzu found things to look at among the trees that soothed him, kept his mind from turning its restless energy upon itself. He noticed birds flying away, trees that would make good perches, and other things that made sense for a ninja to notice. He climbed one of those trees and perched in it just to see how it would feel. His chakra blazed and he felt warm. This was power. He was all too aware of being able to leap down and kill before he could even be seen. Without noticing, he had already hardened his skin.

Was this bad? Should he reject it? Hell no. It's nothing but the truth. I could kill someone before they knew it. Doesn't mean I'm going to, and thinking it doesn't make me a bad person. It's not as if I want to. But did he want to? Perching and fantasizing felt good, but it wasn't enough. The strength flowing through his body had to be used. The reflexes hidden in his muscles had to be expressed. What other purpose could they have? Why else did he exist the way he did, as a being that was capable of doing these things, if not to do them? What the hell am I thinking about?

Kakuzu came down from the tree. Any urges he may have been feeling, not that he would admit to feeling any if asked, faded. He was once again a large, muscular, unusually old person who happened to have a ninja's skills. He shook his head and walked back to his truck. The tailor ought to be open by now.

The tailor was just opening. His face brightened when Kakuzu asked for another of those black cloaks with the red clouds. "Ah, another customer! Have a seat! I will measure you in just a moment."

Kakuzu considered sitting there patiently. But no; there was something better he could be doing. He texted Konan directly. The idea of committing murder just because I can tempts me. Is this a problem all ninjas have, or is it coming from my heartless bastard of an original?

The tailor returned with his tools and took Kakuzu's measurements. "I've gotten good at making these things," he said. "It will be just a few hours." Kakuzu nodded and left his contact information so he could be called when it was ready.

He got back in his truck and checked his phone. Konan had responded right away. I do not know. Power demands to be expressed. Your kind of power may not be so easy to express in any other way. For your sake, I do encourage finding another way.

"Want help with that?"

Kakuzu swung his right arm. The impact would have knocked his unwelcome passenger unconscious or worse, if they had not turned to liquid and flowed around it. The demon boy reformed with a big grin on his face, as if Kakuzu's attempt to fight off the intruder sitting in his closed vehicle was an excellent joke.

"No," Kakuzu snarled. "I will not accept help from you. I will not talk to you. I will not even sit with you, after that trick you pulled stealing money from me. Get the fuck out of my car."

The demon boy looked at him. "Oh, so that's why he told me not to touch your money… Aw." He appeared to genuinely understand. As Kakuzu watched, the boy turned to inky dark liquid again and flowed out of the truck through its closed door.

Kakuzu wondered who could have told the local demon such a thing. Who on all the earths would a being like that ever take advice from? Then he snorted. Why waste time thinking of trivial things? It was going to take enough time to solve the riddle that Konan had placed in his lap. What practical purpose could immense physical strength and sturdiness combined with great reflexes be put to? It was the power of a predator. But he could not be a predator. Could he?

Thinking about this reminded him of what he had told Hidan. Kakuzu drove home in a slight hurry. It was just because he wanted to be efficient with his time and get started right away. No, he was not being impatient. The fact that Hidan's door was once again locked made him briefly want to destroy it.

"Kakuzu? That you?"

"Why the fuck is your door locked?"

Hidan came out of the room. He opened the door just a little, twisted his body to fit through the space between its edge and the wall, slipped through the opening. then closed it behind him. "I got a secret project going on. Don't tell Konan."

"Well, your secret project had better be able to wait." Kakuzu grabbed Hidan's arm and pulled him in the direction of his own room. Fine. Maybe he was a little impatient. Who wouldn't be, when the answers they needed to find were so crucial?

"It's a present," Hidan muttered while rubbing his arm. "Fine, fine. What are you on about?"

"You will go back. You will fleece unsuspecting victims, or possibly fellow sharks, out of their money."

"Money, money, money," Hidan grumbled. "I'm starting to get why that's important to ya. But why the fuck are you dragging me around? Something feels a lot more important than usual."

Should I tell him? No; his face is one of the ones I want to see looking all surprised tonight. Kakuzu narrowed his eyes. "It's a secret project. Don't tell Konan. Now then…" He proceeded to interrogate Hidan on every little detail that the albino could remember about his body language, choice of words, all of the subtle clues that could give him away as a shark or, conversely, attract attention and allow him to prey upon sharks himself.

Hidan started to get even more annoyed. "Why the fuck are you asking about this shit?" he snapped. "Don't you know me by now? I work best when I don't think about anything."

"I don't," Kakuzu replied. "I want to know why the hell you were so successful on your first try." This calmed Hidan down, allowing Kakuzu to finish the interrogation. Hmm. He did do everything right. But there could have been more at play than that. Does his nature make everything he does more convincing?

While Kakuzu thought, Hidan did likewise. His face softened. "The way you dragged me off was kinda rough, like you were irritated. Something bothering ya?"

Kakuzu stopped pacing back and forth and stood over him, arms crossed. "Hidan."

"Yeah?"

"Do you have an urge to kill?"

Hidan sighed. "You mean one that isn't forcibly suppressed?"

Crap. I hadn't considered that.

Hidan scratched his head. "I do get kinda violent urges sometimes. I want to...bite. I fantasize about sinking my teeth into things. Living things." His eyes grew wide and distant. Kakuzu saw a hint of drool.

"What do you do about these urges?"

Hidan blinked, forcing his eyes back to normal. "Ignore 'em until they go away, usually. Or bite something that's not alive." He scratched all over like this topic was making him intensely uncomfortable. "Why ya asking?"

Kakuzu did not like that answer. He knew in his bones (wherever they were) that if he was able to give in and gratify that urge, he would love it. He did not like the idea of giving up the chance to feel so good. Ignore it until it goes away?! What kind of advice is that?! He growled.

Hidan scratched harder. His face twisted in pain. "Ow…"

Kakuzu suppressed his anger. He didn't want to be an angry person, remember? Had gotten a whole mystic ritual tattooed into his skin to avoid hurting people he liked, right? "What hurts?"

Hidan's pain did not decrease at all. "I want…" He whimpered. "I want to bite something. Someone."

Oh. Kakuzu understood. He had come to Hidan for advice thinking that they were alike. They really were alike. Hidan had the same questions, the same dissatisfaction, and the same desire not to hold back. He was not going to provide any answers that Kakuzu didn't already have.

Hidan squeezed his eyes shut, breathing deeply. "I can smell you."

Kakuzu narrowed his eyes. "There's no way in hell I will let you bite me."

"How does Konan do it?" Hidan whispered. "Maybe that's why she's depressed."

Konan? The girl did have a fondness for sinking her claws into things. Kakuzu would have liked to turn his hand to stone and strike a hole in someone. Hidan wanted to bite. Konan wanted to claw. With three predators in residence, it was a wonder nobody had died so far.

"Animals?" Kakuzu guessed.

"No," Hidan said. "The vampires would hate me worse for going into blood frenzies. Not a good solution. I just have to...not?"

Kakuzu was vividly imagining a chase. Arms and legs pumping, blood flowing, the air on his skin, earth beneath his feet. Feeling more connected than he ever had before both to himself and to the wider world. Coming upon his prey and taking its life, making its life his own so he could feel more alive than ever before. The desire this fantasy aroused in him was nearly unbearable. He could not stand to be indoors any longer.

Once they were both outside, he and Hidan looked around. There was space to run in, to hunt in. But what kind of prey?

Konan came down from her rooftop perch. "What are you two doing?"

Kakuzu gave her a look. He understood why the look in her eyes had the power to frighten him into submission. She feels like this all of the time. The glow in her eyes did not frighten him this time. He recognized her as his equal. His own eyes must also be glowing.

Konan studied them both. "This world is small and far too tamed," she said.

"It shouldn't be," Hidan said. His eyes weren't quite right. Even now, something that should have been in them was missing. His eyes were more desperate than predatory, more wanting than powerful. Kakuzu pitied him. Even if being half god has its perks, I never want to be hobbled the way he is.

Konan looked away. "I agree." She shook her head. "But that is how it is."

The look faded from Hidan's face completely. He reached out to hold her hand, hesitated, then took it back. Without a word, he went back inside. Konan returned to her perch.

Kakuzu felt his predatory side fade too. He no longer felt powerful and connected. He felt disconnected and useless. Did she miss Original Hidan just now? What was he like? Kakuzu had heard nothing but bad things about him. But then, it might also have been nice to have a version of Hidan around that he could really relate to.

What was the point? If Jashin sama was supposed to be the god of vitality and hunt-joy, why did his presence cause those exact things to flee? It must be a joke. And Kakuzu didn't particularly like that the butt of the joke was someone he knew and, yes, cared about.

He stomped off into the forest. It was said to be good for one's nerves.

Hidan

Hidan returned to his room. He had made clones, just like he had last night. They were still at work in various places on the floor. He sat down next to one and embraced it as tightly as he dared. If he tried hard, he could almost pretend it was his original.

"Ow," the clone said.

He could not have explained. Instead of trying, he made another clone. Earlier that morning, one clone had nicked itself pretty bad and requested permission to disperse. Every other clone had then reported receiving its memories. So every clone on the same level of a network was connected to each other as well as to their source; that was convenient. The new clone dispersed. The clone he was hugging stiffened, then hugged him back. He got the impression that the other two clones in the room were trying not to cry the old-fashioned way.

Hidan let go of his clone and sniffled. Other Me, where are you? He looked around at all his clones sympathetically. They were all clones. Not one of them was original. Not one of them was meant to be alone like this, adrift. They were all parts without a whole.

Hidan heard a sniffle from a part of the room where he had not put any clones. He looked there. It was the demon boy, looking at all of him with those demon eyes.

Those eyes look at souls, right? He's looking at how we all feel. Why does it make him sad? "Kid?"

The demon boy lunged forward and hugged him. Hidan hugged him back out of reflex. What the - hey, this feels nice. The demon boy sniffled again. "Did she tell you about my name?"

"What name?"

"Overflow."

"You wanna tell me?"

"It's not a name. It's a description. I'm the leftover part of a soul that's too big to fit into a human body."

Hidan's heart clenched. He's just like us. A part missing its whole. A clone. He ruffled the boy's hair. "I'm sorry, kid."

The boy huffed. "I think everyone here is like that. Except her. And the blind people."

"No, she has a whole world to miss. She's not so different." Hidan blinked away tears. She misses him so much. I'm never gonna be him, no matter what kind of connection we make. I'm always going to be the second choice. But all she has is second choices.

"I don't look in the future," the demon boy said. "Only a little bit, for specific things. I don't want to look at the whole thing. It's scary."

"Good. Keep not doing that. Who knows what you could find? If you knew the future, it might totally send you to pieces now." Hidan closed his eyes and took comfort from the fact that he could not know the future. Because he did not, he could have hope. The pain lessened. So I miss my original like a bastard. But maybe someday, I'll be more than him. I'll be so much more that his jaw will fucking drop when I meet him again in Heaven. Or maybe - maybe I am him. When I die, I'll add to him like my clones add to me, and isn't that what I make them for in the first fucking place? Nothing's going wrong. I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to.

"Yeah," the demon boy said. "Yeah! I'm living a whole second life! This is all like a giant experiment: same person, two lives, see which turns out better." He wriggled out of the hug. "Wonder how the experiment'll turn out…" On that thought, he vanished.

Hidan smiled. That was a nice thought. It was worthy of sharing. He took out his phone and published everything he had just learned in the group chat. He could not spread it through clone-sharing, so the group chat was the best second choice.

Kisame

Kisame felt his phone vibrate, but he did not check it. Some psychic sense told him both that it was coming from the group chat and that it was something life-altering. He preferred to stick to one life-altering message per 24 hour period, thankyouverymuch.

Every time he thought of Masume, he felt himself blush. I thought I was doing so well. Then he had to go and tell me I wasn't. He avoided the shark exhibit for several hours out of shame. I was trying so hard to connect with others, and Same was lonely the whole time? He was lonely because I wouldn't talk to him or ask about his dreams? Fuck me. What kind of friend neglects their best friend like that? A shitty one. Jiraiya had been a better friend! Masume had also said that Samehada did, in fact, have hopes for a mate and a family and love. Jiraiya had guessed as much and given useful advice on his first encounter with the shark. And Kisame had avoided the whole topic entirely for decades. Why? Out of cowardice? Because he had always been uncomfortable with having relationships and extended that discomfort to Samehada just for his own convenience? I've really been a self-centered ass.

That was why Kisame made damn well sure to visit another exhibit on his lunch break. He could not afford to be a coward. Not when it made his shark feel lonely and neglected. This time, he visited the stingray pool. It was an open pool near the entrance to the aquarium where stingrays (stings removed) swam in circles, their smooth backs available for petting and their senses always on the lookout for one of the treats sold nearby. Kisame had never petted one. His first assumption was that they must hate being petted and only put up with it for the treats. I shouldn't assume that others are like me. I was wrong about Same. Maybe I'm wrong about them, too. Maybe they enjoyed petting. He put his hand on the next ray to swim past. Holy fuck. I've never felt anything this smooth. How can anything have skin this smooth? He petted the next ray too, entranced.

Then he shook his head and pulled away, remembering that he had to make time for eating. He found a bench along the wall and ate his lunch. The person watching over the stingrays from the treat station watched him too. There happened to be nobody near when Kisame finished his lunch, so she came over. "Do you work here?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm one of the background guys. You know: set things up, take 'em down, feed animals sometimes. Stay the hell away from the public because we are hopelessly antisocial."

"Is that actually part of your job description…?"

"It doesn't need to be." He held out his hand. "Kisame."

"Tammy. Didn't you just say you're hopelessly antisocial?"

He smiled. "Not so hopeless after all. So, um… How the hell are they so smooth?"

Tammy grinned and launched into the same informative spiel about stingrays that she probably gave the public. Kisame hoped it was the same one she gave the public. For her sake, it had better be. It was obvious that she really loved all the things she told him about her favorite animals, and that she really enjoyed telling him about it. It reminded Kisame of that one time he got to tell visitors all about Samehada. Maybe the key to working with the public was just to love what you were talking about.

When she finished, he chuckled. "Do you tell visitors the same stuff?"

"Mostly. I leave some parts out, depending on what they're interested in."

"Nice. There's this one shark in the tank that isn't like the other sharks. The regular guy doesn't have a spiel for him. So when some kids asked questions… I got to talk to them." Kisame watched the stingrays circle the pool. Same would love to swim with them. They'd love to swim with him. He makes friends so easily. How did I ever think his needs were the same as mine? "It was nice."

"Do you think you'll get a different position here?" Tammy asked.

"I don't know. I'm still no social butterfly. But talking about my favorite shark and visiting other exhibits over my lunch break is kinda nice. Thanks for telling me about them."

Tammy grinned again. "No problem. Come back and ask about them any time." Kisame nodded once at her and took his leave.

He was summoned away to repair one of the sets in the most frequently visited room of the aquarium: the public hall. Several different exhibits sat in view of each other in that room, and people (meaning curious children) were encouraged to go from one to another and ramp themselves up to go into meltdowns if they could not purchase souvenirs at the far end of the hall. Well, okay, not meltdowns. That would be bad for business. But the two shops at the end of the hall, one of which was devoted exclusively to plushies, did a brisk business. Kisame had never stepped foot in this room since he was first taken on a tour of the aquarium when he became an employee. Even now, he dreaded the thought that sticking to his plan would eventually require him to spend a week's worth of lunch breaks in this room. Why the fuck was I called here? Is it because management heard I'm getting more sociable? Shit.

He entered the hall in a state of great nervousness. Act natural, and nobody will pay any attention to you. Get in, get out. He cleared the entrance area in a hurry - that was a great place to be ambushed by groups of children. He let himself have a little sigh of relief after clearing the first two exhibits, which faced each other. Checkpoint one cleared without incident. Gotta find the objective. There it is: person taking souvenir cards off a broken shelf, just past checkpoint three. The shops will be the nearer exit after that, but they'll also attract people. Which is the greater risk?

He tried not to flinch when a little girl and her brother ran by, already shrieking with joy. I'll use the shops. They'll distract all the people. I can get out without anyone noticing me. He cleared checkpoint two: the giant tank full of tropical fish. Now he just had to get past the eels without incident.

"Oh, thank god you're here," the person with the cards muttered. "A screw came loose and the shelf just fell down. Here, on the right side."

Kisame grunted. He could see the problem: the bracket that held up the right side of the shelf lay on the floor, where it had fallen when the screw attaching it to the shelf came loose. He examined the screw. It wasn't in the best condition. He could have screwed it back in, but Kisame figured he would be doing everyone a favor if he replaced it with a fresh screw from the kit he was required to carry on him while he was at work. He reached into the small pouch at his waist, which had never felt the slightest bit odd to wear, and got out a screwdriver and a fresh screw. He replaced the bracket and put the shelf back on top of them, slapping it to make sure nothing else was going to give way any time soon. "The wood there's starting to give," he told the person. "Only a fresh screw will hold, for now. Might want to look into getting a new side for the shelf."

The person shrugged. "Why bother? They'll just drag their feet and nothing will happen until this piece of crap completely falls apart anyway." They replaced their cards on the shelf, then turned back with a great big beaming smile as a family approached. "Hello there! Are you having a good time? Those ruby cheeks say yes!"

What. The. Fuck. Kisame was repulsed by the acting job he was forced to see. God, they have no appreciation for what they do at all, yet they're all sickeningly sweet when someone looks. I'd better get away before I barf. The stingray woman's genuine enthusiasm for her animals had been nothing like the over the top gushing the card seller was doing. Kisame shuddered when he was far enough that no one would take offense. I never want to have acting skills like that. If I'm not in a sociable mood, then there's no way in hell I'll pretend to be. Give me real passion or give me nothing.

For no good reason (What the hell am I doing? No! Keep going!), he stopped to look at the plushies. He should not have been surprised when a little girl came up to him with a pouty look on her face. "You can't take her! Mistress Blubber of the Arctic Kingdom is MINE!"

Kisame had the feeling that no amount of telling her he had no interest in buying a stuffed toy seal was going to make her leave him alone. He turned and left without a word. This was the upside of being a hermit: he could easily do so. It came naturally to him. Now I remember. That's why I'm like this.

He made his way to the shark tank. The people here were much more subdued. Visitors chatted with the shark guide, and children pressed their faces to the glass in silent awe. He saw Samehada swimming. The shark looked happy and at home. I promise, Same. I won't be a self-centered ass any more. What do you want? What do you need?

He sat down in the back to watch.

.

A/N: Not much to say down here that wasn't already said. Hmm. I do double notes on my chapters becase that's my policy, and I made it my policy to honor the fic that I was reading when I first realized what A/N stood for. That fic, too, had notes in bold, one at the beginning and end of each chapter. When I started this story, I had that much to say. But now... I've been through therapy. I made a friend. The need to say things all the time has lessened. My other stories do not have this policy, and on them I've gotten used to leaving no notes at all.

But no. I am stubborn. If I say I will do something, I will do it. That's how I've been able to use this site to make myself write a chapter's worth every week. So I will not discourage my stubbornness. The policy remains unchanged. But I will, as I have been, say less and less. I might start making jokes. As I recall, that fic, too, had its ending notes devolve into variations of "please...review..." after a while that got really terrible to read. By all means, don't review! I'll come up with jokes to make instead.

Hee hee!

Okay, I'll dip my toes back into the pool of vaguely hinting at things I never actually say, because I find that funny. Let me amuse myself. It's my story, I have the right. It is fairly obvious why the demon boy can't look into the future, isn't it? From the very first note, I said that a certain change would occur eventually. It's a shame the story's taking so long. After chapters like this, I can't wait to get there! Eeeee.