Naruto 1. This Didn't Turn out Quite as We Planned

Post-apocalyptic New York was nothing as it was portrayed in movies. The buildings were eerily quiet, not entirely run down and moss like; they looked pristine as they ever were, sans a few windows here and there. Cars lined the streets, some splattered with congealed blood that turned brown from the weather, their windshields gone from zombie nests. Rather than total disappearance and no cameos, the absence of human life was displayed on the streets for all to see – bodies that had the fortune of not becoming zombies were massacred along the pavement, necks ripped out, their limbs torn and thrown in every which direction. They were the lucky ones.

Carnage couldn't begin to describe the sheer amount of chaos that the zombies had left in their wake. They were left to their own devices, often snapping at each other when it came to it. Jugular veins were the most prized, draining the victim onto the streets where the scavengers who were unfit would lap up. Anyone physically unfit was fair game.

He didn't consider himself lucky. He was damned, damned for an eternity to eating flesh and tearing out viscera. Kakuzu still had the mind he once knew and cherished – analytical and strong, resilient and wise, but all inhibition flew out of the window when he was unfortunately bitten. He and his roommate, his own reason for living, had been separated during the fallout; he couldn't find him if he wanted to, not without the danger of wanting to bite his femoral artery out. The government had tried to warn them, and had tried to stop the invasion, but now the zombies govern. And their teeth were law. They had taken over every part of America, but their starting point, New York City, was a favorite among them. It was here that hierarchy was limitless, that the strong survived and the weak died. Times Square was a bloodied warzone, filled with rotting corpses that some zombies nibbled on from time to time. Any zombie that controlled the reigns there was ruler, until another would fight to the death for it.

Kakuzu had been ruler of Times Square for some time in the past, but left when the toll got too large to handle; and with human corpses littering the street rather than running humans, having a stake out in a large open area was not worth it. He was a burly man, almost six foot two, with stitches running along his entire muscular frame. His hair was short and stringy; his eyes were filled with bloodlust. There wasn't a time where he wasn't covered in mesentery linings or dried blood. He'd gag anyone with their own small intestine, and always ate the heart first of his victims. There was a rumor that he kept the heart of his victims stored inside of his body, forever immortal. No one has proved this alive.

His footsteps through the hollowed Broadway carried him over dead bodies, each with their throats slashed. His eyes peered up at smashed out shops, all looted around the time the apocalypse had happened. Buildings that surrounded the mom and pop shops had broken windows, currently sheltering any zombie that wanted refuge from the sun. Any apartment building with humans in it was cleaned out; Kakuzu wasn't sure if anyone still lived in them. Underground was the likeliest place they'd congregate, but with no lights to guide him, and the surviving humans being extremely cautious, he didn't feel like risking it or wasting energy. Then again, at that moment, a trash can thirty feet from him toppled over, revealing a small child that had been hiding in it. Her pulse was even visible through her neck as she stood up straight away; the side of her head was bitten into – she was already a zombie. How careless of someone else to leave her this way. Kakuzu's eyes narrowed as he stepped forward, his lips being licked dangerously.

"No…no mister…please….plea-he-hease….bring me to my mommy…please" Her death was increasingly swift as he lunged for her, knocking her lithe body to the pavement. In an instant, he sunk his teeth into her carotid, warm blood gushing through the gaps in his lips. With a jerking movement of his jaw, he snapped her small neck clenched in her mouth. Such a dinner had never before come so easily for him; his body became increasingly excited, his stitches cracking open and revealing snake like tendrils that wrapped around the body to claim on it. It was his prize, his only; and in a dog eat dog world, no one could hear her scream.

Hidan thanked his god that he was fast and strong. The disease had never quite managed to catch him. Even before the beginning of the apocalypse (the beginning of the end of the world that he considered- no, _knew _was Jashin's judgment against all the heathens littering the earth), he'd made a habit of collecting guns illegally and stashing them in his shared apartment. He'd brought those with him when he was forced to evacuate his apartment and had been separated from Kakuzu, his best friend.

The carnage of the apocalypse had taken a different toll on Hidan than it had for most people. Either they went crazy or gave up to the zombie hoards or hung themselves; but for him, the war had brought out a side of himself he'd never known existed. It was absolutely _exhilarating _to battle for his life the way he'd been forced to. When he was at gun-point with a man who wanted to kill him for his flesh, adrenaline pumped through his veins. The high he got from being so close to death was unlike any other.

Hidan lived in one room of a high-rise apartment in New York City alone. It had no water or power, but he could lock his doors at night when he needed to sleep and steal canned food from other abandoned rooms. His own living space looked like a munitions factory. Guns were stacked against every flat surface and leaned against every corner, and bullets were strung up along the walls like Christmas lights.

The last Christmas had been a lonely one. Hidan had spent the previous night shooting up a gaggle of schoolchildren hungry for his berry-eyes, and he had a flurry of snow-covered corpses to exchange gifts with in the end.

It was nearing the end of summer, and Hidan's stores of canned peaches and beef jerky were running low. He decided to try running across town to see if there were any general stores not entirely picked-over yet.

Before leaving the safety of his apartment, he suited up in a military-brand vest and pants. He threw a green-and-black cloak over his shoulders filled with bullets and various pistols galore. In his right hand was a large rifle, and in his left, a warm can of beer. The combined weight of his equipment might have been staggering for a less fit man.

Hidan walked down the streets of Broadway calmly. It was eerie how at-home he felt in the midst of Hell. He was entirely on-guard nonetheless, and the unmistakable sounds of flesh being torn apart didn't escape his notice.

The figure of a man bending over a child in a pool of blood and guts could be seen from his distance, and he slowly lifted his gun and moved towards it in order to get a more accurate shot. However, as he approached Kakuzu, Hidan was assaulted by a feeling of familiarity. His gun lowered slightly- despite what he'd taught himself about survival- and he stared at Kakuzu intensely, trying to get a better look at him.

_It can't be. It's not fucking possible. _Hidan's eyes widened, and his hardened heart skipped a beat. Disappointment nearly shook him. He'd always hoped that Kakuzu was living somewhere, alive and untouched by the spreading infection. But humans didn't devour corpses in the way he was watching his old roommate.

"Kakuzu?" Hidan spoke up finally, and his voice was absent of the dark threats or sadistic joy that usually filled it. He was left with hollowness and the hope that the man would turn around and dismiss the claim, assure him that his name was something else. And then Hidan would raise his gun and shoot him in the head without another thought.


	2. Never Confess to a Hungry Zombie

The now dead girl underneath his lips was so warm and refreshing; the taste of flesh had eluded him for many weeks, but being able to taste it again made Kakuzu's spirits soar. He dug in, eating away at her esophagus, eager to get to her heart. The cardiac muscle had always sedated him, always made Kakuzu feel much better. His nails dug down her body, almost sensually, but started to rip away at her skin as he tore with all his might; and after scouring her body, his right hand smashed down on her ribcage, trying to crack open the seemingly coconut shell-like chest cavity to get at the tasty flesh inside. Blood pooled at his knees, and while his threads picked at the dried up pieces of congealed blood from his frame, the blood stained him even further – a bright, rustic red hat stood out against his russet-colored skin.

The sound of footsteps made Kakuzu stop, his teeth clenching in protest. If it was another zombie, he was prepared to fight to the death for his kill. A low rumble turned into a high pitched growl, akin to a male lion, as he peered from the corner of his eye. It was a man, not a woman – even better. Men always put up the best fights and shed the best blood onto his body; nothing could deter him away from his flesh, from his kill, not even his intelligent subconscious mind telling him so. Yet the sound of the figure's voice made him freeze, his threads retracting back into the stitches from whence they came. It was his name spoken from a rough, husky sort of voice. He wiped the back of his mouth and stood at full height, his shadow long enough to give anyone the creeps. Kakuzu turned his body and his mouth gaped, blood dripping ominously from it as he configured his full body to face his former roommate and best friend.

It was Hidan, rugged and prepared to fight; his hair was longer, and any baby faced feature was seemingly gone, even though Kakuzu knew he aged with grace. The large gun that he carried was pointing away, but it held intent to shoot him dead. Kakuzu breathed heavily, the breaths audible through his nose like a winded bull after a bucking, his naked chest rising quickly. Without a moment's thought, he stepped forward, his foot covering itself in the puddle of blood from the girl. "Hidan….you're a human." Alive didn't count here- the joy that Hidan was not cursed was enough for him.

Any hope Hidan had of the figure facing him turning out to be some random stranger sunk the instant his name left Kakuzu's lips. For the first time in months, depression overtook his features, but it only lasted a few moments before his face hardened into a colder expression once more. "You're not." He responded finally. When Kakuzu stepped towards him, he took an instinctive bound back. He was one of the Infected, after all; and though Hidan knew from experience that Kakuzu could still think like he had in the past, he wasn't quite the same person.

Hidan had long since grown used to gore, and so the mess in front of him wasn't enough to churn his stomach, but the knowledge that Kakuzu had lost himself to the infection forced him to succumb to that nausea. He was reminded of the nights he'd spent hunched over his bed in prayer, clutching his silver rosary to his lips. He'd mentioned Kakuzu's name too often, and Jashin had denied him that one thing he'd begged for. Kakuzu was a zombie.

Now, fuck life, Hidan couldn't touch Kakuzu like he'd wanted. He knew from experience that nearly any contact with one of the Infected would spread the disease. Thus, bullets were the safest means to bring them down. Nonetheless, a Kakuzu he could speak with but not touch was preferable to a corpse, and he couldn't imagine the man devouring him ruthlessly anyway. He lowered his gun and stared at Kakuzu seriously. "How did you... you know... fuck up? I mean- what happened to you?" The question was pathetically inarticulate.

The thirst that had conquered him only seconds ago was lost. The blood dripped from him steadily still, and while his breathing came out like a ragged, wounded animal, he wasn't tired. Nor was he stressed. He was controlling the urge to scream, to scream how unfair the meeting of his true other half was. He was still immaculate as ever, and here Kakuzu was, on the side of the damned. It was if Hidan was on the other side of the Grand Canyon, and he could only see him as what he was – a speck. Hidan was a tiny speck on the radar of the millions of Zombies bearing down upon the wretched land. Kakuzu blinked, stepping forward again, knowing the other would take another step back. He was contagious, a rue menace to him. Back in their normal lives, the sexual tension between them had led to few touches in bed mere kisses ever so soft, but everything unresolved was split between them, the dividing line being a rifle.

"I don't…..after we separated, I was frantic for you. I wanted to find you, to make sure you were safe, but one got me from behind the neck. I was so…unlucky." His fist clenched, the memories flooding back to him….

_"Hidan, go!" Kakuzu shoved him toward the wall of people that were headed to the bridge, one of the main places out of the city. His objective was to go there with him, to make sure Hidan got ahead of him, but the moving crowd got the best of him. In an instant, Kakuzu could no longer hear his screams, Hidan's pines for him, and was quickly engulfed in the mob that was rushing toward the prey of humans. The bite had come with pain that seared him; the zombie DNA quickly changed him into a monster, the screams of the innocent still ringing in his ears._

"When I turned, I still wanted to find you. But I killed people for their flesh first…and you were gone." Kakuzu spat blood onto the ground, his hands still clenched tightly.

Hidan forced himself to stand his ground. He didn't want to run away from Kakuzu like a pussy. If he attacked him- and he doubted he would (surely his human will was strong enough to resist that, at least for a while)- then he would fight back or run away, but only then. Though this was a hard blow to his expectations and hopes, he hadn't completely lost faith in Kakuzu. He'd lost his body and humanity, he'd never had a religious soul, but at least his mind remained. It wasn't enough, but it was better than nothing- better than a shadow of a memory, than dusty photographs left to serve as a mocking testament to what might have been.  
>"Right away, huh..." Hidan spat the words bitterly. So he hadn't been able to protect him at all. The hand carrying the beer clenched around the can, and he lifted it to his mouth and bit the cap off with his teeth. The gulps of warm, stale alcohol didn't do much in the way of calming his suddenly breaking nerves. "Fuck." He swore and tossed the can at Kakuzu, expecting him to catch it.<p>

"I'm sorry." Apologies had never been easy on Hidan, but the words flooded out of his mouth. "Fuck... I shouldn't have left you!" He was suddenly filled with rage at himself, the infected, the whole unfair world...  
>…God.<br>_Don't think like that. _Hidan quickly chastised himself mentally for his brief lapse in faith, and he collected his composure.

A noise struck him in the distance, and he lifted his gun and pulled the trigger twice. Two bullets shot clean through the skull of a woman with a wide hole in her stomach about forty meters behind Kakuzu.

"I'm fine." Hidan began as though nothing had happened. He forced himself to calm down as he watched the zombie he'd shot stumble to the ground. Slowly, a pool of blood collected underneath her skull. "That is, as fine as anyone can be in this world, at least. I'm alive. Hell, I've only been injured a handful of times." His left shoulder was bandaged, but other than that, Hidan's body was spotless. "What's it like, exactly?" He asked suddenly, slowly, prying. "Being... one of _those_." Hidan turned his full attention back to Kakuzu and stared into his eyes with hopeless longing. "How strong is- the hunger, I guess you'd call it?" He was filled with a morbid curiosity.

Hidan's cursing was the same as Kakuzu remembered it, and for that, he smiled. It looked awkward, with the blood finally drying around his mouth and cracking like baked clay. It was just so relaxing to hear him talk after more than a year. His frustration with the beer was apparent and Kakuzu caught the can, still hearing sloshing within it. Without a word, he tilted it into his mouth, the warm liquid bubbling in his mouth as he swallowed the entire contents. It tasted rough, tart and sour, but the longing for human food was too great of a drive to ignore. As he finished, Kakuzu rumbled out a burp, crushing the can against his head, and dropped it on the ground. Hidan's apology came as fast and as thick as the beer did, and the words touched Kakuzu's heart – the heart in his brain, that was. His regular heart was filled with mongoloid hatred and blood thirst.

"I pushed you away because I thought about your safety before mine." Kakuzu didn't even bat an eyelash as the zombie behind him was shot and killed. The blood that flowed from her came down the street, touching his feet as in a greeting. He stamped on the blood, to fight his urge to lap it up like a meager dog. "I didn't want you to become this. Where the men are testosterone filled bulls looking to get their fill and show off. I could never wish this on you." It was funny, he thought, that sadness could come forth from such a man like himself. But Hidan had a different effect on him. He had so many feelings for him that it cut him in two, but nothing he could say could turn back the clock. Kakuzu wanted to know how many more birthdays and holidays and memories they could have shared, and if they could have done more with themselves – more than this.

"The thirst…it's so hard to control; you have no idea." His lips pursed while his eyes searched Hidan's body. "Right now, you look delicious Hidan, as I just met you again. It's like a pain in my whole body. I'm not sure if he longer I'm exposed the more it dies out, because when I first saw you…it was like love at first sight."

Hidan's eyes widened in surprise when Kakuzu smiled- and he could recognize it as such, though it was twisted and coated in gore- and he forced himself to mirror that expression even as his heart was still breaking. It might have been funny to see Kakuzu smash the can over his head if he was a stranger. But he was the farthest thing from a stranger, and Hidan hadn't managed to go a day without thinking about him since they'd been separated.

"Obviously, you don't have to worry about my safety." Hidan argued and lifted his cloak to reveal a myriad of weapons in various holsters. He was carrying pistols, a shitton of bullets, grenades, flash bombs, and larger guns. He released his cloak and it fell fast against his side with a loud metal _thunk. _

Hidan listened carefully to Kakuzu's description. He supposed he'd never realize exactly how it was until he succumbed to the disease himself, and he wasn't planning on letting that happen until after he became a corpse. "I'm delicious, eh..." He repeated with a slow, hollow laugh. "So you want to eat me too." That last explanation had grasped him in a place he dismissed as sick and incorrect. If only he could touch Kakuzu without repercussions, he'd squeeze the life out of that vile "waiting" that had deprived him of claiming Kakuzu's body. "But you won't. Hell, I'm sure I don't even need to threaten your life." He lowered his rifle again. His faith in Kakuzu came from a place he couldn't exactly pinpoint, but it was present and strong. "I'd say something similar to you, but I'm not sure how to word it. Shit..." Hidan shook his head and cocked his rifle over his shoulder. "It's too late for that, isn't it?" His tone was suddenly bitter.

The plethora of guns, ammunition, and weapons made Kakuzu's human brain sigh in relief ye his pulse quickened. The other male would no doubt shoot him if he got the urge to lunge for his throat. Right now, the urge was stronger than ever; he felt like a whiney puppy ready to chew on its toy, but held back just to tease. Hidan's safety seemed to never be breached in the way that Kakuzu had feared it would. A year alive in the apocalypse deserved a medal and a slap on the back, but any one of those could be infected. Being human was nothing to be proud of – there was barely anyone to talk to, and most would go insane. Sans Hidan, of course, but Kakuzu knew that without himself, Hidan was very lonely indeed.

"You are delicious, but I know my diseased half means it like food. Hidan, when I was human, I wanted to spend my life with you. Now I can only think about ripping your flesh apart." Kakuzu's mouth started to water, saliva now dripping down his jowls onto the hot pavement. His feet moved on his own, but his face was scrunched in anger – anger that he was succumbing to his disease. Selfishness was overcoming him so quickly. "You're alone, but I want nothing more than to touch you…so badly." Like Hidan said, it was a little late for it. His eyes flickered from the gun back to the male's face. Two options were staring him in the face: either he bit his beloved for selfish reasons, or today was his death day. Kakuzu had never been selfless to anyone before except for Hidan, and even then the now zombie wanted him for his own reasons. It wasn't fair.

Hidan's eyes darted to Kakuzu's lips. He could see his mouth watering. It was obvious just how strong the hunger was, but at least he was resisting it. If he couldn't resist, then he'd have attacked him already. Even as Kakuzu moved further towards him, Hidan stood his ground; he was the farthest thing from a coward, and a part of him wanted to test his friend's strength and resolve. He'd only react if it looked like Kakuzu would lash out at him, and even then, as he was considering it, Hidan knew he wouldn't shoot him in a fatal spot. As much as he despised the Infected, he loved the greedy heathen he'd known for so long. It wasn't like he'd see Kakuzu after death anyway.

"Didn't you just eat, though? I mean, c'mon, I know I'm more tasty than some random girl, but that should've filled you up. Or don't you like kid-meat?" Hidan joked, trying to lighten the dark mood. He wasn't used to sadness or regret and he felt those emotions didn't become him. His life was simpler before today, even though the apocalypse was surely the most stressful event in any of their lives. All he had to do was sweat in the hot sun, forage for food, and blast the brains out of any zombies who dared approach him. All he had was his survival instinct, religion, and hope. That last one had just been crushed to bits. He had no partner, although surely it would've benefited anyone to travel with him. He'd always wanted to meet up with Kakuzu- a living, human Kakuzu- and fight off their enemies together and to fucking _touch him._

"I want to touch you too. Er, wanted? Is that the right term? Fuck, I don't do love confessions." Hidan laughed hollowly. It was no use to shy away from something like that when it was already too late. He only wished he'd had some forewarning and made a different choice. "Ah... get a goddamned hold of yourself." There was anger in his voice, but he didn't blame Kakuzu for his predicament. He couldn't. "You can do it, can't you?" He stared at Kakuzu pleadingly.

Hidan's words were slowly getting lost in Kakuzu's head. His mind began to feel warped, and narrow, almost like a straightforward tunnel, with one target in sight: the pearl flesh in front of his view. Thirst was welling up inside him so badly that it suppressed any blockade that tried to tell him no. With disregard for Hidan words, he lunged to bite at the other's shoulder.


	3. Pet is Another Word for Prisoner

With disregard for Hidan words, he lunged to bite at the other's shoulder – exactly where his huge rifle lay. His teeth sank into the rifle, saliva missing Hidan just by inches on his own accord; Kakuzu flung his head back, the rifle soaring through the air and landing through a window, busting it. The glass showered upon them, tinkling on Kakuzu's head and neck, enough to snap him out of the reverie he had been in. He was inches away from Hidan's face, his breath ragged, but all the saliva had been put onto that gun. The rifle, coated in an infectious disease, was no longer safe.

Hidan's eyes widened as Kakuzu stumbled towards him. He hadn't expected him to react so violently to his words. It was a disappointment and a reminder of just what it meant to be Infected. He'd almost forgotten. Without the blood, Kakuzu looked similar to the way he had before. He could ignore all else and talk to him.

"No time..." Hidan realized just then that for a few moments, he'd let his guard down around Kakuzu, had gotten lost in memories and wishes and made a fatal mistake. He heard the sound of Kakuzu's teeth clash against his rifle and the window break above them. The glass that fell on his head only gave him minor cuts, and the pain was nothing.

"I….I almost…" The sentence couldn't be finished. Kakuzu was a very articulate person, yet in this moment he could not think of words to describe his anguish. Biting Hidan could mean they would be together – if he could stop himself shot or killing the man. There were no guarantees. "I'm sorry." It was his turn to apologize.

Although Kakuzu regained himself, Hidan still found himself standing right in front of him, so close to disaster but not quite there. He snapped out of the trance he'd fallen into for just a few seconds, reached into his coat, and pulled out a loaded chrome pistol. In one fluid motion, he had the gun pressed to Kakuzu's forehead. "That was..." Hidan trailed off. He just then noticed he was trembling slightly.

"You scared me, Kakuzu." His lips shifted up into a grin, and his eyes widened considerably. "You seriously scared me, there." Adrenaline was running through his veins again. He adored that feeling. "I love it- I love being this close to death- no, a fate worse than that!" His voice had risen to dangerously high levels. The way the apocalypse had affected him was painfully obvious then; it was a different type of lapse in sanity, but he was still obviously not altogether there.

The cool metal of the gun pressed to his forehead felt calming, and didn't come off as a threat to him at all. If anything, Kakuzu had a sliver of hope that Hidan would pulled the trigger and his life would be over – he'd never have to hurt anyone ever again to get the flesh desire to sink away from his lips. Nor would he pose a threat to Hidan. His eyes lifted from the pavement, smirking at the words that his other half spewed for him. Being so close to death was a rush for him, almost as if the apocalypse was some sort of brain game he cooked up in his sleep, and the Game Over and wake up slap would only come when he was devoured alive. However, no such thing would happen. Hidan would be eaten, and he, Kakuzu would live with the guilt of turning him into a zombie, which was an even bigger thirst than a mere human. A live zombie was a trophy, and the human was the dinky third place medal. First place got him quantity and quality, sedating his thirst for longer – the bigger the zombie, the more he could live off of. Hidan had been right: he little girl was a mere snack, empty calories. It was nothing to live off of.

Hidan calmed himself then and took a step back from Kakuzu, gun still pointed at his forehead. "If being sorry isn't enough to stop you, then maybe the threat of having your brains splattered on the ground will be. You're not going to eat me." After a moment of consideration, he continued. "I still want you, though... I can't just let you go. Maybe I can lock you up, or chain you to the ground..." That wasn't something he'd ever consider doing to Kakuzu normally, but it was the only way they could be together and he himself could still remain human. He was terrified of losing his soul to the infection.

Kakuzu stood at full height, seeing how he was still taller than his comrade. So, he never grew in the past year – not in height. He noticed that his insanity wasn't waned, nor was his sheer brute strength. Combined with the weapon shop he had carrying around with him 24/7, Kakuzu wasn't surprised Hidan was alive after all this time – just as he had hoped. A snort escaped him, visible from blood caked around his nose. "You want to keep me as your pet? Your guard dog to keep you company?" As long as no fluids got onto Hidan, and he was kept on a tight, short leash, there was no loophole that he could see. The thought of being close to Hidan was mind blowing, more so than a bullet going through his brain. He was basically immortal, his own soul locked away, the thirst parasite living on it and making a nest for itself. Kakuzu pondered it, and then nodded. "We need to get out of this street." His eyes never left the gun, but his thirst began to wither away. "I'll stay around you. Do you have any chain on you?"

Another thought crossed his mind of being reduced to a mere slave. Once again, he snorted, the blood still festering around his jawline and nose.

"A pet?" Hidan laughed vibrantly at the mental image that idea produced. He could suddenly imagine Kakuzu, in all his blood-encrusted and zombified glory (meeting him that time had dashed his previous memory image of him), hunched-over and naked in a cage, wearing a collar and dog ears. It made for an altogether humorous picture. "I'll feed you and everything, don't worry." He could spare some of his food as well as a few of the zombie corpses he created on a daily basis.

It was a relief that Kakuzu agreed with his proposition. "Any chain? Nah. I've got some at home, though." Hidan really may as well have been living inside a weapons shop. The chains, however, had been stolen as extra precautions to secure his apartment if the need arose. He'd taken more than he needed for the job, and he had spares. It would evidently come in useful now.

Hidan walked around to the other side of Kakuzu, gun focused on his head the entire time. He trusted the fear of death to keep Kakuzu docile if his human will couldn't. "Start walking. My apartment is about two blocks from here." He commanded. "Turn left at the first intersection you come to and keep walking until you come across a high-rise apartment building with a white banner flying over it. I live there." He'd initially left it to find food across town, but Kakuzu had proved to be far more of a pressing matter.

Kakuzu couldn't keep a smirk on his face with the gun pointing directly to his head, but a sigh of relief escaped his parted lips at the mention of a home. He was going to not have to live in apartment buildings that were infested, nor keep one eye open the whole time through sleeping either. He could knock around Hidan's place, being fed copses the other would bring home, and let viscera and blood seep into his own little corner of the floor. It sounded like heaven. He chuckled."Sounds good to me." Kakuzu's human brain was in full control as he walked down the street, following his directions. Only after a few yards did Kakuzu catch a whiff of a fresh kill; it smelled like a zombie, and his intuition was right. A female zombie was on the ground, her intestines wrapped around her head, and another was gnawing inside her abdominal cavity; he was small dinky, no bigger than five foot four at the most. Kakuzu snarled loudly, the sound ripping through his jawline as he lunged for the male zombie, his thirst already back after a mere minute acquaintance with his human side. The smaller zombie stood no chance as Kakuzu showed off his power; the primal rage of the zombie hat emitted from Kakuzu was akin to that of a territorial animal. A bite to the jugular was all he needed to sedate the other into blackness and, for added measure, he ripped through the entire neck of the zombie, eager to get as his sustenance. The feeling was like no other; to Kakuzu, it was almost as if his mind went blank while devouring the flesh of the zombie, the veins and arteries hugging his face and arms like a security blanket. He didn't have an inkling of thought about Hidan until he ripped the heart right from underneath the breastbone and ate it, the aorta slipping the ground with a resounding thud. Thoroughly winded like a bucking bronco, he stopped so suddenly as if he was programmed on a dime. The female corpse still lay on the asphalt, although her body was trampled in the skirmish. Blood flowed like a river down Kakuzu's mouth and onto his bare chest as he peered over at Hidan. "See what I've become. I'm a monster," he laughed, straightening up. "I've become to this state, this state of being so provincial that any area that other zombies are feeding makes me sick and angry. I just have to have rule of the roost. If not, it makes my thirst even worse." The behavior was no different than his human one – back in the day, Kakuzu loved being in charge.

Hidan had seen the gruesome picture before him, and yet he'd chosen to leave the feeding man alone. He was occupied, after all, with keeping Kakuzu at bay, and his eyes widened in surprise when he darted from his presence. His pistol followed him, keeping a close aim at his head (Hidan's skill at shooting accurately really was impressive when he was thinking clearly), though he didn't plan on killing him. It was no threat to his own safety for his old roommate to devour another Infected; if anything, it might satiate his hunger and leave himself less vulnerable to Kakuzu's instincts.

The scene, which Hidan had witnessed time and time again, suddenly nauseated him. It wasn't the blood or the guts that turned his stomach, it was the very notion that Kakuzu was involved. He looked so mindless in that state, driven to eat by his disease and not his conscious. His eyes remained transfixed on Kakuzu; he couldn't look away from him. He might as well have been in a trance. In the back of his mind, he imagined up the way the male zombie's screams might have sounded if he hadn't been killed so quickly. That was the most appealing part of any second-hand kill, though Hidan couldn't enjoy it himself; to fuck around with the zombies he was destroying would merely mean wasting ammo and compromising his own safety. Thus, he could only safely watch a show when it was started and played out by another. He wasn't afraid to die, but becoming a soulless animal was a different matter.

The hypnotic buzzing in Hidan's ears stopped abruptly when Kakuzu spoke, and he cocked a smirk in his direction. "So you just want to be the best, is that right?" He knew he couldn't allow him that if he was going to tie him up, but he supposed he could take him for walks every once in a while. _Just like a pet. _And really, it would benefit both of them if Kakuzu assisted him in the extermination of the Infected that roamed the city like roaches.

Kakuzu's feet dug into the zombie's face, and without another word, he continued to walk toward the location of Hidan's apartment. The streets were deserted, and he wasn't surprised – after his atrocious attack and the time of day, most zombies were recovering and cowering to lick their wounds for the next adventure. The banner was visible from the intersection, and Kakuzu smirked. How many times had he been down there? How many times was Hidan in his apartment and Kakuzu looked up at the buildings with no thought involved?

Hidan nodded and followed Kakuzu to his apartment, though he didn't make the mistake of lowering his gun around him again. If Kakuzu hadn't bitten his rifle instead of his flesh the last time, his game would be over. He shoved Kakuzu aside for a moment to open his apartment, but he immediately whirled around to keep the gun focused on him. After performing a quick check of his apartment to make certain they had no unexpected visitors, Hidan led Kakuzu to an unused bedroom and pointed to the corner with the pistol. "Sit there. I'll have you chained up in no time."


End file.
