The Key To So Many Doors (Hidan Story)

Chapter 12.

The journey from there was utterly smooth.

Overall, it was enjoyable, just taking a natural pace and talking about whatever. Kakuzu wasn’t happy, but then he’s never particularly happy, so his facial expression didn’t seem to change when the swearing rose to new levels, Shima and Hidan started flirting with each other or just started laughing raucously at whatever kind of things they happened to find funny. Though there had seemed to be others after the scroll too, considering there had been no trouble since Hidan and Kakuzu had come to ‘collect’ Shima from those guys, everything had gone smoothly as could be, and neither Shima nor Hidan had passed a second thought to the idea anyone could be after them. Their relationship had been pretty much the only thing either of them had been thinking about for the majority of the journey, and since it had been sorted out…

They didn’t need to make an effort with anything.

Even if Kakuzu wished it was otherwise.

So they simply journeyed on as normal.

Things only began to change the next day, when as they continued along, Hidan suddenly had a sense of déjà vu. Narrowing his eyes at that fact, he glanced around, trying to figure out just why he was having this feeling, when it occurred to Hidan that the place wasn’t completely unknown to him—it was familiar. He’d been here before. Abruptly it hit him that that was because they were getting close to the temple once more; and everything else just came with it. Once they’d get there Shima would go in and bring on a vision about the temple and whatever this ‘key’ was supposed to be. Then once she’d told them what she’d seen, they would head off and go and get it, then use the key to open the place up and get the scroll, finishing the mission. From there, Shima’s job was done. She wouldn’t be able to help them anymore, and Kakuzu wouldn’t hesitate to send her off without a word of goodbye.

But strangely enough, even though in any other circumstance Hidan would have agreed with Kakuzu, things had changed now that he knew he was working with Shima. For once he actually got along with the person he was supposed to be working with, and now the idea of Shima leaving was not one that sat comfortably with him. He’d gotten to know her; it just didn’t feel right. A part of him wanted to speak up to Kakuzu and say something; to try and wrangle some more time with Shima, but abruptly realizing what he was thinking, he shook his head to try and get rid of the idea. He was being pathetic—like a child not wanting his mother to leave. Shima had her own life and things she had to do; he wasn’t a clingy person and wouldn’t stop her from doing anything. He wasn’t obsessed or infatuated or anything really…but Shima deserved to be doing better things, instead of living in a backwater town without anything to do, which she would be doing the moment the mission finished and she returned to her home. Hidan just wanted to help her out, that was all.

Or at least he tried to tell himself…

But Shima understood where he was coming from; if anything, she agreed. She did live in a backwater town without anything to do for the majority of her life. She loved being a ninja and doing missions, and she knew she had the skills to carry out high-ranked ones. But in her situation and place in life, she never got a chance to carry them out. Shima, too, knew that the mission couldn’t last forever, and the next day she noted Kakuzu glancing around often; picking up the pace. She noticed Hidan looking at their surroundings in recognition too, and Shima understood the looks in their eyes—they were getting close to their destination. Close to the temple. And close to the end of the mission altogether.

Only now that she had gotten over her worries; her mistrust of Hidan and her aggression towards him…Shima didn’t want to leave. These past few days had been amazing—even taking into account being kidnapped and then the whole rocky relationship between the two of them. These were the kind of missions Shima wanted permanently, instead of the casual stuff she had to content herself with doing when she lived back in the village. True, there had always been a part of Shima that knew why she hid. She knew there was a reason for being in the situation she was—because she had put herself there. That uncertainty towards her abilities held her back and always had done, and so Shima had stowed herself away in the shadows of the world, in a place where no one could really find her. It made things easier that way.

But Shima didn’t want to be that way anymore. After meeting with Hidan and getting to know him, she could feel her confidence building once more, and that same ‘fuck-you’ attitude that she had always been known for in her childhood was beginning to return. When she was with Hidan it felt like nothing really mattered anymore; nothing could get her down and she wouldn’t let anything affect her. Shima wanted to join Hidan; to get away from this area and do so much more; see so many new places. She hadn’t exactly been that happy with her life beforehand when she’d been living through it, but now she had seen what it could be like, and Shima wanted it more than ever.

Gritting her teeth as she glanced over at Hidan once more, Shima frowned and tried to shake it off, clenching her fists when that same wave of hope and worry rushed through her all over again. She wouldn’t let herself be weak and pathetic, clinging onto Hidan because she didn’t like the way her life had turned out. She could handle herself, and she wasn’t ashamed of what she could do—she never had been! So most of the village hadn’t seen her have a vision; it wasn’t because she was hiding it from them! So Hidan and Kakuzu hadn’t actually seen Shima when she received a vision—when she brought one on with her chakra! She wouldn’t try and…

But it was with this thought that Shima couldn’t hold it back anymore, her body automatically tensing, her heartbeat speeding up and her throat closing up with the contemplation of showing Kakuzu and Hidan what she could do with her visions. Sure, she knew that Hidan was genuinely interested in the fact she could have them, but he hadn’t seen it happen yet. True, Shima didn’t know how things would turn out, but with how the past had been for her, Shima couldn’t help but feel a little nervous about the whole situation. That feeling of uncertainty she thought she’d managed to get rid of during the journey merely returned stronger than ever when she thought about it all, and Shima hadn’t a clue as to what to do about it.

So it didn’t help when the temple appeared on the horizon.

Things didn’t get better, either. Hidan didn’t know how things would go from here, not wanting Shima to leave—but he couldn’t hold back the excitement at finally being able to see what Shima could do with her visions. He’d figure something out when he needed to, but for the moment, Hidan just wanted to see what would happen—something that didn’t calm Shima’s heartbeat. So he was excited about it? That was now. Shima knew first hand how quickly things were able to change. What if he didn’t feel that way afterwards? There was Kakuzu to think about too, but that wasn’t a big deal. He needed her for the mission, so he wouldn’t just brush her aside and tell her to fuck off. But it was different with Hidan. Shima cared about his opinion; she didn’t want him to think she was weird.

But she didn’t have a choice. As they reached the temple and led her inside, Shima couldn’t just back down. She never backed down from anything, and she’d already agreed to the mission. Though her heart was pounding in her chest, Shima followed on after Kakuzu, nodding in agreement as he pointed out the sanctuary, finding herself unable to make her throat work and produce sounds. Instead she walked slowly over to the wall, swallowing hard, hiding a wince at Hidan's words of encouragement and the look on his face as she looked over at him before placing her hands on the wall, glaring at them as she noticed she was shaking. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself down, shaking off her worries. She was being ridiculous; paranoid about this whole thing.

But when she flicked her gaze back to Hidan one last time, her eyes making contact, Shima couldn’t help but have doubts about it all, even with what had happened lately. It was these doubts that remained as she turned back to the wall and closed her eyes, willing her chakra into life.

 

It was these doubts that grew as the images began to appear in her mind…