A flashback

Kakuzu shakes his head and puts both hands on her shoulders, staring intently into her icy eyes, "Don't say such things... You have a family." he says, "It might be not the biggest or best, but it's still family."

Hiroko laughed lightly as he reminded her of her true family. "That is true. I guess in a way I have the best family of all. Size does not matter." She smiled brightly, "I am glad to have you as family, Kuzu-sempai." Her voice showed sincerity as she gave him an awkward and brief hug; neither of them being much of the huggy type.

Kakuzu blinks a couple of times once he his hugged and limply hugs back. He never was the type for hugging, "I'm glad to have you too. But would you rather be called Hiro since you're so strong now?"

Hiroko shook her head, "No everyone else calls me Hiro. I want you to have your own special name for me." Oddly enough her look was serious. "Besides you have called me Kiko for as long as I can remember, so I have gotten used to your voice saying it." Stretching her legs out some she cracked a few joints feeling much better. "Anyways where have you been living? Hopefully not in some cave, right?"

He chuckles awkwardly once she asks him about his lodgings and says, "Well if you must know... I live with a few other people in a cave like place. I can't tell you where, but you can know that it is secure there."

Kakuzu yawns quietly, causing some of the stitching on the corners of his mouth to stretch and loosen ever so slightly, "But what about you? Do you have a place to stay, Kiko?"

Hiroko stretches her arms and nods slowly. "Good to know you are somewhere safe. As well it is okay I will not pursue to know. I understand confidentially." She twitched her nose at the mention of her place. "I live in a small house with a couple genin. The anbu head said he would give me free lodgings if I babysat the two of them. They are pretty good, but incredulously messy. It is simply amazing how they make messes out of things I thought impossible. Nonetheless they say it is good for me to be around others my age. Especially since I have been alone for the most part." With a sniff, she yawned and smiled. "But I am well-lodged I guess you could say."

He smiles at her and says, "It's better than nothing... But it amazes me how much progress you've made in six short years! I'm glad we're on the same side." He jests- although his jokes may seem a but corny due his normally stoic and cold nature.

Hiroko giggled softly, for once portraying her age. "Yes because I would beat you! Rawr!" She joked back, poorly, but laughing and smiling as she did. Her face was bright with happiness. "But thank you. I have worked hard. I feel that even if I was abandoned... there is something out there for me to do and that I am truly work something."

"You've always been worth something, Kiko..." Kakuzu says soothingly, "Don't you ever think for a second that you aren't."

Hiroko nodded and stretched again before lying back and stargazing. "You know it is odd being here with you. I never thought I would see you anytime soon. After all, you are much older than I. I assumed you would forget I existed being busy with all your other friends." She seemed to muse, catching constellations in her mind.

He scoffs and looks up, "Those people aren't my friends... I work with them because they can get me what I want and how I want it. If I could do it by myself, I would have already." he says, "I stay with them because I have to, not because I want to."

Hiroko twitched her nose again and rolled onto her side "You mean these people you have lived with you have not even gotten to know? I suppose I should not be surprised." Her eyes closed briefly. "We are alike in that way. I do not get close to people either."

Kakuzu nods and rubs one of his eyes with the heel of his palm, "You would be right not to do so." He says quietly, "In the end it will only cause you more pain... For if they die, you will mourn and that will remove the previous focus you may have had. And if you cannot focus, you will die."

After explaining his reason for not being 'close' to his allies he lays on his back and looks over to Hiro, "I don't think your higher-ups would appreciate you sitting here with me... I'm not exactly liked by the people here."

Hiroko was silent as he spoke and rolled back onto her back; her eyes distant. "I suppose that is true, but.... I do not care at this moment. I wish to catch up with my family." She said softly. Her hands resting behind her head. "And why are you not liked? I like you, after all." She teased. "So you are plenty liked. Anyways you would be able to sense any other oncoming anbu, would you not?"

Kakuzu shrugs and closes his eyes, "I know that you like me. But then again, I am nice to you... If we never met that day, chances are that you would hate me just like the others... Some of the people that I work with are among the most hated in the world. And because of that, I am T.O.S. in certain places." He reasons, "As for the ANBU, I would be able to detect them actually... But I would be gone before they thought to check up on you." He opens one eye and looks over to her, "I would hate for you to have to see me kill your allies."

Hiroko looked at him in an understanding way. "I understand, a bit I guess." A smile came on her face. It made her happy, that she had met him. He was definitely like a father to her. Her eyes closed as his voice scared her slightly. She had forgotten, he was still something dark. He could murder her allies with ease. "True, I thank you for the consideration."

He smiles once again and stands slowly, dusting off the back of his cloak. After doing so he fixes his mask to his face and peers around the area, "Speak of the devil..." he mutters, "It's about time for me to be leaving, Kiko... It seems they are a bit worried about you."

Hiroko watched him, pouting slightly, "Awwww so soon? Will I get to meet up with you again?" Her eyes were filled with sadness. The wind blew briefly and sent shivers down her spine. If he had to go, he had to go. "At least promise you will be careful, kuzu-sempai."

Kakuzu shrugs his shoulders as he looks down at her, his cloak flapping in the breeze, "I do not know, Kiko... But I am sure that we will be able to see each other again." he says, "As for the staying safe, you do not need to worry about me... I can take care of myself."

Shortly after speaking, Kakuzu disappears in the brush, leaving behind a small envelope with Hiro's name written on it. Despite his usual greediness, he is willing to part with a small sum of money for the closest thing he has to a family.

Hiro sighed; heartbroken to see him leave. "Bye." her voice was only a squeak. She felt almost tears as she sat up and crossed her legs, staring after where he'd disappeared. After a moment she regained her composure and remembered that she had to go check in before she got assaulted. Leaning down, she hesitantly took the envelope; not sure what to think of gifts. Shaking off the awkward feeling, she turned, pulled on her mask and disappeared to hq where she would check in.

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