My Little Brother (Hidan)

Chapter 1: Good-bye

Hidan sighed softly. After an intense battle, he had just accepted the strange woman's offer to join the Akatsuki, an S-ranked criminal organisation filled with missing-nins such as himself. He was yet to meet the leader of this group of criminals. He was still a little miffed that one of the members had called his religion weird and stupid. Hidan couldn't have that. It's blasphemy to Jashin-sama. Nevertheless, he had just finished packing, which was relatively easy, considering the fact that he didn't have much to pack to begin with. He was staying in a cottage whose owners he had mercilessly killed and had sacrificed to Jashin-sama. Now, there was only one thing left for him to do which he was hesitant to. The pain he felt whenever he thought about it is overwhelming, to say the least. And Hidan, the biggest masochist the world has ever seen, didn't like it. Not even a little bit. A rather big feat for someone like himself.

Reluctantly, he slowly opened the door next to the room he was staying in and peered inside. He smiled when his magenta eyes landed on the bed, or more specifically, at the figure laying on the mattress. There, sleeping, was a seven-year-old boy who had his back turned to Hidan. His younger brother whom Hidan had promised to always stay with til the end.

Hidan frowned. He was just about to break that promise he made years ago when their father, a jounin, died on a mission and their mother didn't want anything to do with them. How Hidan wished he could sacrifice that bastard of a mother to Jashin-sama. It would be a dream come true. She left him, who was only goddamn eight years old at that time, to care for his one-year-old baby brother. And her only reason was that his brother looked too much like their deceased father. What kind of a reason is that? It always riles Hidan up whenever he thinks about it. Not because he was abandoned, but because she made it seem like it was his brother's fault.

After a while, Hidan slowly walked towards the bed and kneeled down beside the sleeping boy, who was oblivious to everything happening outside of him. He gently caressed the boy's face and combed through his snow-white hair which the boy insisted was silver. It's no joke that Hidan really loved his younger brother. Even more than Jashin-sama and that's saying something. Hidan can't help but smile while looking down at his innocent, well maybe not that innocent, little brother, who would always bring a smile to his face, no matter how sad or broken he felt. Then, with a broken heart, he remembered why he went there in the first place. He was going to leave the only family he had left.

Slowly, he took deep breaths. His smile turned into a grim line. He looked at his brother as his tears welled down his cheeks. At that time, Hidan really hated himself. He was going to leave his brother for Jashin's sake! His little brother who was only seven! His little brother who didn't have anyone else except for him. After finally finding his composure, he stared at his otouto and managed to choke out the two words he had always dreaded to say.

"Good-bye." He then placed two wrapped presents on the desk beside the bed and left the room, but not before looking back at the still sleeping boy.

Hidan made sure he looked fine and presentable without any indication that he had cried before opening the front door of the small cottage. Just a few steps away from the door were three figures wearing the same cloaks, black with red clouds. He scowled at the tallest of them whom he'd learned was Kakuzu. Kakuzu then, in turn, narrowed his eyes at him.

The other two, Konan and Itachi, just mentally rolled their eyes. They could feel the tension between the two polar opposites. Konan cleared her throat in a desperate way to get everyone's attention, and to stop the possible incoming fight. All eyes turned on her figure. Konan looked at Hidan and cocked a brow up incredulously. It may not be that noticeable, but the young male's eyes were slightly red in color and puffy, indicating that he had just cried. The reason, she did not know. Konan just nodded her head.