Enigma - An Uchiha Itachi Fanfic

5 - Friends

Asumi pov:

"I knew you were just like us, shrimp!" said Hidan, a wide grin plastered across his face while he looked at me. "It's too bad you don't want to become a follower of Jashin sama though."

"I appreciate your enthusiasm to teach me, Hidan san, but I don't think I can put in as much effort as you do every day for praying and everything else you do as a part of your beliefs. It's too much of a hassle," I said in response, picking up the forbidden scroll from a bounty I had just dealt with.

"You're &%*# lazy, aren't you?" he mused and it was followed by a loud laugh.

"I'm glad you know that," I said flatly, the mild sarcasm in my tone unnoticed by Hidan san. Then looking at Kakuzu san, I added, "Can we leave now? Let's collect the bounty and get something to eat. I'm quite hungry."

"Very well," Kakuzu san agreed.

Picking up the shinobi I had just taken out without too much thought despite the initial discomfort that I had when I had to kill any enemy, Kakuzu san began walking in the direction of the village with the bounty office. Hidan san, as usual, was at my side with his arm flung over my shoulders in a friendly gesture as we followed after Kakuzu san. Hidan san went on with his chattering, speaking of missions he had gone on or insignificant details of his life while complaining about other things including Kakuzu san every now and then.

I tuned out his chattering while gazing up at the sky, my thoughts wandering. I had slowly been collecting information on the Akatsuki members - mostly their personalities and fighting style, and a few details I thought might be useful when apprehending them. I had also picked up on a few things that I wasn't sure if they were true or not. Unexpectedly, I found Itachi san to be the most curious in this matter.

I had gone on missions with him and Kisame san only thrice until now, as against the close to dozen times with Hidan san and Kakuzu san because of my aid in bounty hunting, and I had only been intrigued by Itachi san's persona each time. There was something dark and dangerous about him, yet warm and mysterious. He seemed to hide many secrets, having always kept up a thick wall between himself and those around him no matter what. His eyes often held so many emotions, complicated emotions that I couldn't decipher – it was not like the blunt expressions I often saw in the other members. Of course, they too had their secrets to keep but it wasn't difficult to judge the clear emotion they seemed to have most of the time.

What was more curious was that I was certain that I had witnessed remorse and anguish in his eyes, too. It was similar to what I had seen when he had killed the shinobi on the first scroll stealing mission we had taken up, as if he regretted hurting those people like I did. I also recalled how he had woken up with his chakra turbulent in the middle of the night, as if he had had a nightmare. There were a couple of smaller, nearly insignificant incidents, too, that had made me immensely intigued.

A deep sigh left my lips, my mind a confuddled mess. I couldn't stop thinking about him and the mixed vibes I got from him, for I did not know what to make of them. I had so many questions that I knew I wouldn't get answers for. Still, I couldn't stop getting worked up about it all.

"Oi, shrimp, are you listening?" Hidan san's voice had me break from my thoughts.

Blinking a few times, I looked to the side and up at him questioningly. "I'm sorry, I was lost in thought. What did you say, Hidan san?"

"Chhe, forget it. You never &%*# listen to me anyway," he muttered, sounding pouty.

Clearing my throat to hold in a chuckle, I said, "I do listen to you, Hidan san, about how you defeated the annoyingly persistent shinobi in Kirigakure, and how Kakuzu san was all grumpy despite it because he thought you were wasting time. I know how important your religious customs are, but you're annoyed that Kakuzu san isn't courteous of that."