The Key To So Many Doors (Hidan Story)

Chapter 2.

“We’re not fucking looking for something material here…more like something spiritual. Which makes it so much harder for us,” Hidan added softly, turning into a growl of irritation towards the end, allowing Kakuzu to snap out of the trance he’d gotten himself into to reply bluntly,

“It doesn’t matter—the mission is absolute. We’ve got to find them—and if you start to complain…believe me, I will kill you.”

With that, Kakuzu turned and began to head back out of the temple the way they had come, but Hidan didn’t make a move to follow him. Kakuzu might stand there and act as if this changed nothing about their mission, but Hidan wasn’t just going to accept that. Not trying to catch up with him, Hidan merely attempted to get him to slow down a little, finally calling out in irritation when he did so,

“Come on, Kakuzu! You might say you don’t want me to fucking complain, but you know I’m fucking right! At least before we were told it was ‘somewhere in the temple in that area’. But now it’s different! We have no idea who this person is, whether fucking gender, age or any of that shit! And as a person, they can fucking move! For all we fucking know, they could be half way across the fucking world by now! We have to at least find out more!”

And as much as Kakuzu wanted to keep walking; to leave the temple and not look back, he couldn’t help but admit it. Hidan was right. Finding a wandering person was harder than a stationary scroll they’d been given the location of. Plus, the temple held all the answers, so the only way they’d get any help was by sticking around—by learning more. He remained where he was for a few moments, Hidan finally turning, still smirking smugly at the fact he was right, to look back at the walls of the sanctuary. And hearing this, Kakuzu opted to turn around now; looking into Hidan's arrogant face would only make him angry, simply heading to the other side of the sanctuary to look over the carvings for any other hints as to what they could do or where they could go to figure this all out. It would have helped if they’d actually been able to understand half of the symbols, but for the moment, they just had to guess and work it out as best they could.

Not that getting hints was any real help. It was one thing to get an answer, but another to just get a clue. That only meant that even if they gathered several other clues, they’d have to piece those together in order to find out the bigger picture! Hidan growled quietly to himself as he looked over the carvings again—why couldn’t anything just go simply for them? Why did everything have to become complicated and make things so much fucking harder? As if this mission hadn’t seemed bad enough. Just when he thought things were turning round; when he figured this would be over soon enough and they could do something else…no; the world just had to prove him wrong.

Kakuzu's voice snapping him out of his trance, he walked over to see what he was looking at, finding a carving of someone standing there, and what looked like images appearing from their mind. Cocking his head to the side, Hidan thought through the possibilities of what the picture could mean, Kakuzu offering in the background,

“It sort of looks like they’re having dreams. Though what that’s got to do with anything I have no idea.”

But somehow that statement brought about a lightbulb moment in Hidan's head, and smirking to himself, he nodded slowly as he breathed softly,

“Maybe not dreams…maybe it’s visions! Like seeing into the future, or just things going on in the world in general! Fuck—maybe we need someone who can have visions; maybe they can see what can open that fucking door; or who we need!”

Staring at Hidan in confusion, knowing something definitely had to be going on here if Hidan was the one coming up with all the answers, Kakuzu shook his head, with no choice but to accept that decision. If they could ask around in the village, it was possible they’d be able to find their seer, at least. Being this close to the temple they had to have experienced some effects! Then all they’d have to do was bring them back here and bring about a vision—then they’d know what they’d have to do. True, they’d still have to travel if they needed this ‘key’, but knowing who the person was made things a whole lot easier for the mission. As such, Kakuzu turned and left the temple, heading straight in the direction of the village—this time Hidan following. He didn’t know who he’d have to ask, or whether any of them would actually know about what they needed, but it was a good a start as any, and so he continued on, taking a deep breath as he finally reached the buildings once more.

This was going to be difficult.

He wasn’t exactly a people person, after all.

But he pushed that problem aside for the moment, approaching the nearest person and asking a few questions—and getting no answers. It took a while for them to just general calm down in his presence before Kakuzu could actually get to the point of asking them the questions he needed to ask, and by the time he was done, he’d gotten no information out of it, and had nothing but a feeling that he’d just wasted his time completely. Hidan knew Kakuzu’s anger was rising, but there was nothing he could do about it—he just had to keep on asking to see if there was any information they could use; at least Kakuzu knew what questions he had to ask in the first place. A part of him was happy at what Kakuzu was doing; at how he was reacting to it all—but after the first three people he himself was getting pissed off and just wanted to get the fuck out of there. He was tempted to try and convince Kakuzu to give up; none of the villagers knew anything—though they understood there were people that could have visions, they didn’t think there were anymore left—so why bother wasting anymore time?     

It was only by pure and utter chance that they actually got anywhere—albeit ten minutes later. They’d started asking this random villager, just like always, as to whether they knew of anyone who could have visions—and in the exact same way as the others had done, they shook their heads and said no to every single question. Another guy was minding his own business a few paces away, but Hidan was so deeply into his stupor that it took him a while before it occurred to him that someone was saying something—and something that was actually important this time. Shaking his head, he snapped his head round to face him, asking him to repeat his earlier statement; and a grin immediately spread over his face as he realised this was just what he’d been wanting to hear.

“Uh…I couldn’t help but overhear what you were saying, and…well, I know of someone who can have visions.”

Instantly Hidan had sprinted up to Kakuzu and told him the news, grinning at the same time. This was exactly what he’d been hoping to hear, and what he’d just about given up on hearing a minute ago. But after telling Kakuzu the situation, and knowing Kakuzu was smiling himself underneath his mask, they both returned to the guy to talk to him, asking a few questions and finally getting the answers. She was a girl. About his age. Although she didn’t live in the village, he’d heard of her through friends and seen her around before—and they made sure that he was certain in these details. The last thing Hidan wanted was to find out that information was fake. But it ultimately meant this guy knew where she was right now. Resisting the urge to cry out in happiness, they merely asked where exactly this location was—discovering it was a village a few days away from here. True, it was a longer journey than they would have liked, but it could have been worse. At least they had a lead this time.

So thanking the guy, they opted to head off straight away, not wanting to waste any more time than they had already. There was nothing more they could do there for the moment, so there was no point staying when they knew they could get a better lead for the mission elsewhere. If they kept up a steady pace, they’d get there soon enough, and could move on to the next stage of their mission. After meeting this girl, they’d have to come back here anyway. But when it came down to this village, they had all the information they needed for now, and Hidan couldn’t help but smile as they left the village behind them, heading off through the trees to meet her.

To meet Shima.