Prove Myself (Hidan Story)

Chapter 8.

Shisai had woken up about an hour ago; she wasn't really sure, as she hadn't kept an eye on the time, and to be honest, she wasn't sure she cared. Though she had never been one to wake up early, she had laid in bed, staring at the ceiling and watched as a border of light appeared around her curtains, signalling the sun rising and the coming of the dawn. They had decided that today was when training would begin, but unlike before, where Shisai had woken up to a feeling of excitement at the idea of being able to train to be a Jashinist, now there was nothing but a feeling of resignation. She wanted to become a true Jashinist, she really did, but all she could think about was that rather than being an enjoyable, fulfilling process, it felt like a chore. That it was more about having to do it, than wanting. Shisai hated feeling like this, and had laid there for so long trying to convince herself otherwise, only for her to be reminded of how Hidan had acted towards her so far and realise that that was the way it was going to be.

A part of Shisai remained hopeful, however, still clinging onto the idea that now they were actually getting down to the training, things would change. Now they would be talking about the Way of Jashin; Hidan would be showing her how things worked, and helping to put her immortality to good use. The Way of Jashin was something both of them shared, and a subject that wouldn't cause conflict. Spending all day dealing with that subject could allow Hidan to forget about everything else that had happened between them, and simply concentrate on the task in front of him. Shisai could see how passionate Hidan was about Jashin, and it made sense he wanted to share it with others. Then once that connection was truly created, they could look past any issues that had been there before, and actually get to know each other this time. They could revel in the connection that Jashin had given them, and share in that pain.

There was no telling if that would be true, of course, but it made sense, and it was these thoughts that allowed Shisai to pull herself out of bed and begin her morning routine. Taking a cold shower to fully awaken her senses, she couldn't stop herself from dressing and getting ready quickly. As she picked up her athame daggers that had been given to her as a child, Shisai automatically began running her fingers over the designs on the hilt, dragging down to slide along the smoothness of the blade. Absentmindedly she smirked at her actions; even though she was worried at how her training was going to go, and apprehensive about how long her training would take with Hidan's attitude towards her, it was obvious she was still excited. No matter how much anxiety appeared at the prospect of what could happen, that passion still remained.

Sheathing her daggers, Shisai wrapped her shuriken holster around her leg and left her room, walking down the corridor until she reached the kitchen, nodding in greeting to anyone who was there. Kakuzu was already sitting at the table, and noticing Shisai just glanced around, appearing a little lost, he pointed out where everything was in order for her to have breakfast. As she did so, joining him at the table once she'd gathered her food, Kakuzu spoke up bluntly as she took the first mouthful,

"I know you're training today, and the bounty I'm going after isn't big, so I won't need help. But if there comes a time when I need backup, I'll take Hidan with me, regardless of what you're doing."

Shrugging as she chewed her food and swallowed, Shisai eventually responded nonchalantly, his words not bothering her in the slightest,

"Fine by me. His job is first and foremost, after all; my training's mostly on the side. If you need him to help out, then so be it. I'll just take every chance I get to train otherwise."

It was as Shisai was speaking that Hidan entered the room, and his mood didn't get any better seeing the two of them talking. He'd laid in bed, wanting any excuse to not have to get up, but had finally given in, already knowing there was no way out--though he wasn't exactly looking forward to it. Then he heard things like what Shisai had said. So much for wanting to get the training over with as quickly as possible--she seemed more content to just take it easy, seizing any opportunity to get a break from being around him. At the same time as wanting the same thing, Hidan was willing to focus on this just to get Shisai out of here--yet there was still a part of him that rebelled at Shisai saying her training was 'on the side'. Apparently for someone who wanted to be a Jashinist so bad, she wasn't putting it at the top of her priorities.

Scowling at that fact, Hidan ignored Shisai greeting him, merely stepping forward to get his own breakfast. Instantly Shisai's heart sunk, her earlier hope beginning to fade already. Kakuzu could only shake his head at how Hidan was acting, feeling he was acting like an utter idiot, but not about to get involved. It was their business, and had nothing to do with him, and as such, a moment later he got up and left to go about his own day. An awkward silence soon took over the room as Shisai and Hidan continued to eat, and though at first Shisai debated whether or not to say anything, she frowned at her sheepishness at shook it off, questioning candidly,

"So, where do you want to do the training? In the hideout, or somewhere else?"

"We'll go outside--find a space somewhere. Or you could always fucking laze around for a couple more hours if you don't think your training's that important," Hidan replied tonelessly, causing Shisai to blink in surprise.

She had known this wasn't going to be easy, but to be so quick at treating her like this; it caught her off guard. It was clear with his attitude that he wasn't about to set aside his anger in order to focus on her training, and Shisai wasn't sure how to react at the idea. For the moment, she simply brushed it aside, cleaning up her bowl and utensils before sitting back down to wait for Hidan to finish. Shisai didn't want anything to go wrong with her training, so it put her a little on edge, especially with how things had already started. Maybe she was just jumping to conclusions--like she'd been thinking before, once they got talking about Jashin and how to do rituals then his anger could dissipate. Not to mention Hidan didn't appear to be a morning person in general. It was at times like this Shisai could only curse the way she'd grown up. She could recite so much of the teachings of Jashin, but she had no idea how social situations worked, and had always had difficulty in interpreting what people sometimes meant. This could easily be the same.

As such, Shisai wasn't so agitated when Hidan finally finished eating, saying nothing and dismissing everything else for the time being. The moment he was done, Hidan instantly turned and headed for the door, saying nothing to Shisai in the meantime, but she quickly followed. Though for others she might have pulled up alongside them, considering Hidan's mood and the way he'd been acting, Shisai felt it better to just follow along behind him, a mixture of emotions running through her mind. Hidan, in turn, was in a similar situation. He couldn't quite focus on one particular emotion, but most of those that were surfacing were negative. The idea of feeling like this for the entirety of Shisai's training was not a pleasant one, but he couldn't shake it. Just watching her in the kitchen; hearing her talk, and automatically Hidan's muscles tensed. Everything about her was annoying him, and he didn't know how to push it aside and concentrate on the task ahead.

Their exit hadn't been a loud one, but most of the Akatsuki found themselves peering round doorways to get a look at the two of them as they left the hideout. The tension between them was already palpable, and the idea that they were supposed to go on with this training when the atmosphere surrounding them was so negative was hard to believe. In a way, it was funny, true, seeing Hidan react the way he was and not having any way to get out of it, but at the same time, they all got the feeling that Shisai wasn't the only one who would have to deal with Hidan's volatile emotions. They could only see how things turned out, however, and sat back as they left the hideout, contemplating what would happen now.

It was certainly going to be interesting.