The Key To So Many Doors (Hidan Story)

Chapter 19

Hidan had to hold back a sigh of relief as he saw the look in Shima's eyes change.

He had known she wasn't confident in her ability to have visions, and although he didn't know the full story, he had at least understood that she didn't consider what she could do to be a good thing in the slightest. When she had said what she had, Hidan had worried for a moment that she wouldn't believe him. That she wouldn't be able to see just what—no, who—she was and what she deserved. A part of him had wanted to shake her so she'd get it into her head. She was a powerful ninja; all she needed to do was look in a mirror and see how damn fine she was, and she had the power to do something that was so unique and amazing in this world! Why the fuck was it so impossible to her that she could be the key to opening the temple sanctuary?

But it then occurred to him that he didn't know her story. Although he knew things about her, it wasn't as if Shima had told him her life story. He didn't know where she was from, how she had ended up in the situation she had been in or where her abilities had come from in the first place. Yes, he believed more than most things that Shima was the key to the sanctuary and that what she could do was a gift; that the doubts he knew she had were nothing but that; doubts, and no more. But he hadn't been through what Shima had been through in the past; he didn't know just what her childhood had been like. As much as he'd like to be able to change her opinion with something as simple as a slap round the face, for once Hidan comprehended that something like that wouldn't really work.

Though clearly something in her thoughts had changed.

As much as Hidan was obnoxious sometimes and could be a real idiot—Shima knowing that he expected her to just go 'you know what, you're right! What the fuck was I thinking? Come on, let's go!'—there was something in his words that made a difference. Part of her had been pissed off at Hidan's attitude and opinion and how he expected things to turn out, yes, but the more she heard him speak—the more she looked into his eyes and saw the expression there—and the more Shima began to appreciate it. Thinking to yourself internally that you didn't give a damn about people's opinions and that you would do whatever you wanted in life regardless of what it was or what people would think was useless unless you actually carried it out. Otherwise it just becomes meaningless words; you become a fake, pathetic idiot who doesn't deserve a thing.

Shima had always said that that was the way she viewed the world. Who gives a fuck? But although that existed in a lot of things as she went about her day to day life, there were still several big things that made it different. That meant her personal opinion about herself wasn't as truthful as she told everyone else it was. But even as a kid she had changed her life to get the better of all the people she hated and wished were dead. She had travelled places and done things to show them she was more than that. But it wouldn't change a thing if she didn't follow through with her words! Shima didn't want to care what people thought about her or her abilities, and she knew she had the potential to believe that through and through; so why not agree with Hidan and at least give it a try?

He was giving her this chance—so why not take it while it was there?

And with that thought, a smirk came across her face as she stated simply,

"Let's do this."

Grinning straight back at her, they both quickly checked nearby to make sure the ninjas were all preoccupied elsewhere, either with fighting Kakuzu or searching around to find Shima and Hidan. Then after waiting for a few moments longer, they spotted the chance they needed and headed off, disappearing from the area and heading back in the direction of the temple at full speed. Glancing back a few times, they made sure that no one was following them, but gathered they wouldn't be seeing any ninjas any time soon; and even if they did start heading to the temple, they would have had a big enough of a head start to have already arrived.

"Wait—what about Kakuzu?" Shima abruptly questioned, looking over at Hidan with a raised eyebrow. It wasn't as if she particularly cared about Kakuzu or really got on with him, but he was working with them on the mission, and a member of the Akatsuki. Shima didn't really want to be responsible for one of their deaths, here. But Hidan merely shook his head, rolling his eyes at the question to reply casually,

"Oh please; he'll be fucking fine, Shima! He can handle the likes of them easily! The only fucking reason the battle is going on this long is because there's a whole fucking load of them! Don't start worrying your pretty little head about it."

Rolling her eyes in return at Hidan's comment, Shima shook it off and focused back on the journey, thinking of the temple that would soon be arriving up ahead. It was now that the nerves began to kick in. True, she had agreed to this, and there was no way she was backing down now. The idea that she had let Hidan and Kakuzu down before had really gotten to her, so she definitely wouldn't do the same again. But there was still the idea of what would happen when they got there. If she really was the key, then why hadn't anything happened when she had tried to bring on a vision last time? Or what if there was something she had to do in order to open the sanctuary? Say a chant or something like it? Because she knew nothing of the sort, and would ultimately mean the sanctuary would remain shut.

But what Hidan had told her did make sense; it did seem plausible that Shima was the key. And if that was the case, then clearly there was something she could do to get it to open. What it would be, well, she'd just have to find out when they arrived at the temple. It's not as if she'd been trying to open it, so maybe it was more about the thought. It was possible, after all. Then realizing what she was doing, Shima shook her head and concentrated on the path in front of her, glancing back once more just to check again. She couldn't let herself get inundated with doubts and worries—it would only make things worse and increase the chances of it going wrong.

She'd deal with it when she got there.

Hidan himself was looking forward to it a little more than Shima was. The visions she had had last time hadn't been true visions; and yeah, she might not even get a vision this time, but she'd be able to make something happen. And finally being able to see what Shima could fully do was making excitement bubble up in Hidan's stomach. Of course, he forced it down—and for a number of reasons. First off, already knowing Shima's views towards what she could do, he didn't want to pressure her and make her feel as if she had to do something fantastically amazing in order to do it right. It wasn't his opinion that mattered here, after all—she had other things to think about. If he just stood there staring at her, he'd ruin things—so he couldn't get over the top with it.

Not to mention he'd look like a right fucktard if he did.

So he kept himself as calm as he could be, and what seemed like days later, the temple began to appear on the horizon. A flash of excitement shot through Hidan, a fluttery feeling of nerves through Shima. But neither of them halted, pushing on towards it and trying not to think too much about what would happen next. After all, things would change a lot from here. Sure, neither of them would be able to tell just how, but it was certain that they would change. Would it be good or bad? Big or small? For the better or for the worse? No answers appeared as Shima and Hidan came up towards the steps that led up to the doors that now loomed above them.

But either way...

There was no turning back now.

And things would never be the same.