A/N: So, while I was working on revamping a different, older fic, I got the idea for this one and wrote 6 chapters in a week so...this.
Protect the things you love with your own two arms. That was what Kaiza had always affirmed. It could be as literal or figurative as anyone cared to interpret. The point was that caring about something meant putting your money where your mouth was. If you weren't willing to do whatever it took to protect the things you loved, you didn't really deserve to have them. It didn't necessarily mean he was above asking for help, nor was he above paying for it.
The taller man unnerved Kaiza. His green eyes–the only visible feature on his otherwise covered face–were cold as he flipped through each bill individually. Kakuzu, as he'd introduced himself from the start in a deep grumbling voice, was there to confirm the payment and contract as well as cover the finer details of their operation.
Next to him, slumped in his seat with an unshaking scowl on his face, was a teenage boy. His lanky limbs were just starting to even out and his silver hair sat in some strange middle ground between spiked and slicked. Kakuzu had named him Hidan, his usual partner, and had very firmly told him to "be quiet" before any dealings had even begun.
"That seems to be the agreed-upon amount," Kakuzu nodded and set the last stack of cash back in the case. He slid a packet towards Kaiza. "Just sign at the bottom of each page. We'll go over specifics verbally."
Hidan rolled his eyes. "Not like you'll do the heavy lifting," he muttered.
"Is that being quiet?" Kakuzu asked, not looking at Hidan. The younger shinobi's scowl deepened. "Excuse him," Kakuzu went on. "As for the details of the contract. As I understand, it involves the Gatou Company's new warehouse."
"The Gatou Company entirely," Kaiza corrected. Kakuzu raised an eyebrow, prompting Kaiza to continue. "The Gatou Company has been making moves to monopolize maritime shipping in the Land of Waves. That will ruin our economy and leave dozens of people without homes or jobs. I can't let that happen."
Kakuzu sat back, quiet for a moment as if thinking. Hidan gave Kaiza a puzzled look and a scowl, then looked to Kakuzu for his response.
"You realize that in hiring us for this, you are making a very powerful enemy," Kakuzu said. The words were a statement, not a question.
"I will do whatever I can to protect my home and the people who live there," Kaiza nodded.
Kakuzu stole a glance at Hidan. "Step out," he said.
"Why?" Hidan's lip curled.
"Because I told you to," Kakuzu answered. Hidan hissed through his teeth and kicked off the table, shoving himself back enough to stand and storm out. Kakuzu waited until the door slammed shut behind him before, slowly, he pulled the mask down off of his face.
He looked much older without the mask, a hard-jawed man with a long face and a straight-bridged nose and thin lips that once smiled often, but now suited scowling better.
"I want to make sure you understand what you're getting yourself into," Kakuzu said.
Kaiza scowled, curling his hands into fists atop each knee. The words were asked with a heretofore unseen gentleness. He got the impression that this was the man underneath the mercenary.
"I know the risks," he argued. "I know I'm painting a target on my back, that I'm breaking the law. I don't care. If I can't protect my home–my family–on my own terms, what right do I have to them?"
Kakuzu tapped his nail against the table and heaved a deep breath. "I'm not saying I disagree," he granted, "but I work with the sons of people with those same convictions. My son, Tenzen, had those same convictions."
Kaiza felt the pit in his stomach before Kakuzu uttered his next words.
"I do not want your family to suffer the same grief mine did. You have a son, correct?"
Kaiza nodded, swallowing around a lump in his throat. "Inari, he's only seven."
"There is a very real chance you may not see him reach eight. Are you comfortable with that?"
"I'd rather die knowing I fought for Inari's freedom than stand by, and watch him grow up a prisoner," Kaiza replied. "I know you have concerns, but I've made up my mind."
Kakuzu might've smiled then, it was hard to tell. "Then I won't press you any further," he conceded, he pulled the mask back over his mouth and went on, the gentle tone in his voice gone. "A three-man unit will meet you here in two days. For the sake of sparing you the shock, I will warn the unit will likely consist of Hidan and our two youngest operatives. You have my word that they are all skilled and experienced."
Kaiza chewed the inside of his cheek, nodding for Kakuzu to continue. He couldn't back out, not now. He'd made a promise, he was going to keep it.
A/N: I rewatched so much of this show, read transcripts to catch dialectical quirks, and made my own timeline to get everyone's ages right. This counts as unhinged at this point right?