A/N: Nikki again :D Just wanted to say thanks guys, for the reviews on Kakuzu, Hidan, and The Cat. It means a lot to me. Anyways, this story came once again from Je-chan's prompting and persuading, so here it is. Minor details are still being worked out, but I know the basic outline of the story (: Also sorry it's short. It's just an intro/prologue thing. The chapters will generally be at least double this length.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Unfortunately.

Warnings: Eh, Hidan's mouth and content involving him. Perhaps some implications. But really, any story with Kakuzu and Hidan is bound to have naughty naughty.

Pairings: Will be KakuHidan, with your typical PeinKonan, ItaKisa, SasoDei hintings on the sidelines. And maybe a few other things.. No ZetsuTobi though

Check out: 'I Love My Puppeteers' here on FF. She's my amazing Je-chan! :D

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Kakuzu was not the person you went to if you needed help, advice, or any aid (mostly financial-- he never helps anyone if it requires the use of his money; someone else's money, though, and of course it's fine). He was not a caring person, although if you could persuade him, he could be a grand listener, but he was stingy with his time because time is money and money is Kakuzu's addiction, his very sweetest sin and greatest pleasure.

Everyone knew who he was, but only a small group of people from Konoha High school knew anything about him. Like the real reason behind the nearing ten-thousand dollars in his savings account (the one that wasn't for college; that one had almost double that and another half) or how he was able to wear his mask when other students couldn't even wear a simple hat. Only that group of people knew why he would never chase a relationship, or why he never let anyone -- even them -- in his house.

But even they didn't know his biggest, darkest, deepest secret, because no one knew that.

His friends knew he had a secret from them, but they didn't mind quite so much.

Each of them had one.

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The student he was seen with most often -- his name was Hidan -- was just as quirky as himself. He swore every other word, practiced a religion no one else had ever heard of, was nearly albino, actually owned a three scythe, and killed creatures without mercy when they pissed him off. He also seemed much like a stereotypical emo kid, Hidan cut himself. But that was because he enjoyed the pain; masochist.

The other students that made up the group Kakuzu and Hidan belonged to were all 'strange' as well. The senior who essentially led the group (called the Akatsuki gang by most, because of the coats they all wore when all ten of them were out together) was named Pein, and he appeared to feel absolutely no physical discomfort whatsoever -- many piercing covered his body, and he nearly always had all of them in. His right-hand man -- woman -- was the only girl in the group, with royal blue hair, a love of origami, and a few piercing as well. She was empathetic, quiet, settled arguments and influenced Pein when the others had problems he could help with because she was the only one who could talk to him like that -- they had grown up through their childhood together.

Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame were the two with the next strongest bond. No one would guess it from the Itachi had murdered his parents (although that was never proved, so he was technically innocent, everyone seemed to know it was the honest truth) that he could care, but the raven-haired, genius senior enjoyed his time with Kisame, a student with faintly blue-tinted skin, extra-sharp teeth, a natural affinity to water, and a strong dislike of sushi, and Itachi allowed him close to him socially because of a ninth-grade incident.

Sasori, 'Akasuna', and Deidara, a new transfer from Iwa, were always together, but not fully by their choice. Both the seniors took as many art classes as they could, and all those electives were in one general area. Sasori, with his red hair, stubborn attitude, and love for eternity and puppetry, clashed with playful, blond Deidara who believed in clay, fireworks, and fleeting, destructive works. They were the duo that argued most after Kakuzu and Hidan, but they were also the duo that was the most comfortable with one another, and Deidara was often allowed to hang off the six-month-older boy, both with the hints of a smile in their eyes and their faces.

The last two were hardly partnered -- they were the equivalent of stragglers, but yet still belonged. Tobi -- who was supposedly one of Itachi's cousins or distant family members -- with his cheery attitude, bright orange clothing that was happy enough to rival Uzumaki Naruto's, and childlike tendencies and cravings kept the others sane. And lastly, Zetsu, the student who housed plants in his locker, was the most likely to lay down in front of a bulldozer to save a tree, and ate meat like a wolf was one of the more mysterious members. He hardly talked, and when he did, it was nearly the opposite of Tobi -- he was careful with his word choice, and often spoke as if there were two of him, each with their own separate opinions.

Altogether, they were a quirky bunch, but Kakuzu had truly given up caring about things like that because these people somehow saved him, and they didn't care that he kept a life-changing secret from them.