"By the way, old man… Sasuke. You'll take care of him, right? That's the only thing Itachi asked of me."
Hidan's tone was unusually serious. He didn't like Sasuke's personality, but he understood his pain.
Living in a world woven entirely out of hatred...no one who hadn't experienced it could truly grasp what that felt like.
Sarutobi nodded. "Starting tomorrow, I'll bring Sasuke back to the village and arrange for people to watch over him."
"And you...your current identity is that of a Uchiha survivor. Spend time with him. When I announce it officially, no one will doubt it."
Hidan thought for a moment, then agreed. It was reasonable and besides, he had longer-term plans for Sasuke.
"Alright. I'll check on him later."
In the next instant, he vanished into the swirl of a space vortex, leaving the Third Hokage watching with complicated eyes.
°°°
On the edge of a steep cliff, a white-haired boy sat reading an orange-covered book, face hidden by his mask but clearly enjoying it.
"Hm? Kakashi, what are you so into?"
Hidan's voice cut through the quiet as he appeared behind him with a grin.
"!!!" Kakashi nearly dropped the book. His secret reading spot, completely exposed. His ears burned under the mask.
"You—you—you! How did you even find me?!" He stammered, trying to salvage his cool but failing miserably.
Hidan shrugged. "I was just passing by and saw you. Thought I'd say hi. Didn't expect you to be enjoying that kind of literature."
Kakashi's eye twitched. Was he really that distracted not to notice someone sneaking right up to him?
"Relax. We're both men here. I get it. Especially a single guy like you—I totally get it." Hidan shot him a knowing look.
"…"
Three black lines practically formed over Kakashi's head. Damn brat. It's art! Why make it sound so dirty?!
"What do you want?" Kakashi asked flatly, snapping the book shut.
"Take me to Danzo. I need to see him." Hidan smiled innocently.
"…???" Kakashi stared. What business could this idiot possibly have with Danzo?
"The Third sent me," Hidan added smoothly. "But I couldn't find Danzo's lair. You're ANBU—you know where to go."
Kakashi frowned, suspicious, but in the end sighed. He couldn't imagine Hidan lying about something like the Hokage. "Fine. Follow me."
Of course, Hidan hadn't mentioned any of this to the Third. He was simply using Kakashi's loyalty to Sarutobi to get what he wanted.
Deep underground, droplets of water echoed through the tunnel.
"Seriously, why do these ANBU bases always have to be underground? The cult was underground, ANBU's underground, Root's underground… can't anyone be creative? Build a base in a tree or something." Hidan muttered.
Kakashi ignored him. He had already learned: the more you engaged with Hidan, the more annoying it got. Especially after that "single" jab he wasn't over that yet.
They arrived at a wide passage sealed by a heavy iron door. Two Root guards stood in front.
"Here. Report yourself. I'm leaving." Kakashi gave Hidan a curt nod and turned to go. He had no desire to deal with Danzo.
"Got it." Hidan smirked, then faced the guards.
"Tell Danzo, Hidan's here to see him."
One of them slipped inside while the other remained, watching him with cold, impassive eyes.
Inside, Danzo sat behind his desk, listening to the report. His single eye narrowed. Hidan? Now?
He had seen the boy's power with his own eyes—the Eight Gates, that terrifying boost in strength.
Enough to rival even him. Danzo had already been planning with Orochimaru in secret, yet here came Hidan knocking on his door.
He didn't trust it. Not for a second.
"Let him in," Danzo said at last. "And alert all Root operatives. Be ready to subdue him if anything happens."
The guard bowed and left. Danzo folded his hands under his chin, eye locked on the iron door, waiting.
Then…
Shhhk!
The wall shimmered. A distortion rippled through the iron door itself and Hidan stepped casually through it, as if the barrier didn't exist at all.
Danzo's visible eye widened ever so slightly. Even with all his experience, he hadn't expected this. He phased straight through… as if the gate wasn't even there.
"Yo. Long time no see, Danzo-sama."
Hidan's tone was light and mocking, as he walked in without a scratch. He might as well have been stepping through thin air.
For the first time in years, Danzo felt a flicker of unease. Hidan's presence was… strange. Empty. Like he wasn't even fully there in this space.
The crypt's air grew strange. Hidan smiled with infuriating ease, while Danzo studied him, unease gnawing at the back of his mind.
Two predators, with dirty minds, finally faced one another.
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