• Working at the bakery was almost agonizing. There were at least two deliveries to make a day and only five regular customers would come in every other day. Every day, people would come in for a small breakfast of croissant and coffee and comment on the cute Mitsuko behind the counter. Usually, if Hidan wasn't making deliveries, he would hear the comments and note on who it was. Within the next month, that person would be found dead. Mitsuko knew this when she saw Hidan's head peak out of the back and look among the customers. Sometimes, when Hidan was just heading out for a delivery and he heard a comment about Mitsuko, he would show possession by grabbing her around the waist and kissing her goodbye.

    "I'll be back, babe," he'd say and the person that commented would either leave or comment on how cute they were together.

    Mitsuko enjoyed those moments even though she knew they were just fakes to fool the customers. But it seemed everytime he did it, the kisses became more real.

    Despite the drama that Hidan created ocassionally, they had accumulated enough money to start having money on hand rather than scraping and having to do without. Sometimes, when they were still really poor, the boss would give them a ration of bread each day when they would come in for work and his wife would sneak a bowl of soul for each of them during lunch.

    Hidan and Mitsuko found a snug little place on the other side of town where they could spend the night. Using a flat cardboard box as a blanket, Mitsuko would nuzzle up against Hidan and he would allow it just because of the situation.

    Just as the sun rises, Hidan would curse the light and shake Mitsuko awake. He'd turn around so she could get dressed in cleaner clothes and then they would set off for the bakery.

    Mitsuko loved watching Hidan when he'd set off on the moped. He'd be wearing the goggles and the scarf around his neck and he'd intentionally floor the pedal so he'd show off in front of the window. It always put a smile on Mitsuko's face for the rest of the day.

    One day, business went as usual. Hidan was due to come back from a delivery any minute and Mitsuko leaned over with her elbows on the counter, watching out the window and waiting for him. The bell of the door rang and she turned to see a tall old man with green eyes and greasy, shoulder length brown hair. Most of his body was covered with black clothes and he wore a leather, stitched mask over his mouth. He saw her and came up to the counter. All of the customers made quick glances as the old man laid a bundle of papers on the counter.

    Mitsuko studied the papers and looked up at him when Hidan walked through the back door behind her and saw Kakuzu.

    "Is there a problem?" Hidan asked and Mitsuko handed him the papers. After reading them he looked up at Kakuzu, "Let's talk around back,"

    Mitsuko got hold of their boss' wife to run the register for her while she was gone. She quickly caught up with Kakuzu and Hidan by the back door before they walked out into the sandy back yard.

    "You found our wanted posters!?" Hidan suddenly questioned him. He looked at the papers once more.

    One had Kakuzu's picture on it with the bold words, "Wanted" above him and below was his bounty. Hidan's was the same but Mitsuko's however had, "Missing" across her poster. There was no money reward.

    "I found them in Konoha," Kakuzu replied, "No doubt they'll be sending the posters here too."

    "You went back to Konoha? What's the news?" Mitsuko asked him, anxious to hear if she could go back home.

    "You're still a criminal so don't fall for the missing poster, it's just a trick to get you to come home," Kakuzu explained.

    Her shoulders dropped, she had really hoped she could go back home.

    "Hey, but isn't this what you've always wanted? To see the outside world?" Hidan asked with a smile, putting his hand on her shoulder to try to cheer her up.

    "Not as a criminal," Mitsuko mumbled.

    "Get used to it, pretty soon, you guys will have to flee to another country," Kakuzu put his hands on his hips.

    "So what have you been doing?" Hidan asked Kakuzu to try to strike up a conversation with his old partner. Mitsuko disappeared back into the bakery seeing that she was not included.

    Their boss' wife disappeared back into the kitchen and Mitsuko rung up a customer. Soon, they would have to leave this homely little town in the desert. Where would they go? Maybe further into the Wind Country or into Earth Country. They'll be running around the continent in disguises to try to hide themselves from authorities. Mitsuko didn't like having to run around and miss things. She wanted to travel and explore. She hadn't really had the chance to explore this town, she had been so busy working.

    Kakuzu came through behind her and walked around the counter towards the door like a ghost. Hidan tapped her shoulder.

    "We have to talk tonight, 'kay?" he asked her with a warm smile. She nodded in reply and he disappeared into the back again.

    She was anxious to know what they had to talk about. The rest of the day, she guessed what the conversation was going to be about. Was it about getting a new job? Or maybe Hidan wanted to leave her behind and go with Kakuzu? She dreaded that. She had her hopes set on talking about leaving Wind Country.