A/N: Have any of you heard the song 'Vindicated' by Dashboard Confessionals? How many of you have thought of a KakuHidan story because of it? Ok, so maybe I'm the only one who hears stories when I listen to songs, but this one is totally them! If you haven't heard the song, here are the lyrics:

/music/lyric.nsf/Vindicated-lyrics-Dashboard-Confessional/40853031FF53E36048256E8E000693EA

Hidan stood before the window, early morning light streaming in. The crimson of his blood against the paleness of his skin shone in an unearthly glow, and last night's sacrifices seemed almost to fade away in the light. Against the light, Hidan held his pendant with Jashin's symbol, the light catching it in a dazzling array of sparkles as it slowly spun on its chain. "I put my hope with you, Jashin," Hidan murmured. "may those sinners be able to redeem themselves through you, oh Jashin," Hidan continued. I watched from the shadows, my eyes glued to the pendant. It gleamed in an almost ethereal light. I see now what moves people to religion. It is mere spectacles, or illusions that make them believe in the supernatural.

Hidan craned his head back at a near inhuman angle to gaze directly back at me with his muddy pink eyes. "You thinking about converting, heathen bastard?" he asked. I shook my head, stepping out of the shadows. Though how illogical his little ritual was, I was captivated by it.

"You'd like that too much, wouldn't you?" I replied. "We have to get going. Put your shirt on and let's go," Hidan rolled his eyes.

"I never said I was finished," he said. "give me five more minutes and I'll be done," I growled slightly, irritated by his insistence on completing useless rituals to a god both of us- I hoped- knew didn't exist. I sometimes wondered if Hidan just made up his religion to annoy me. I sighed as I stepped back into the shadows, knowing that must be half-true.

For the records, I gave him seven minutes. Finally, he finished up- with my help, of course- and we were able to leave the village. We had completed our mission the day before, and then Hidan had said he needed to completely annihilate the village on the grounds he hadn't obliterated a town off the maps for three weeks now, and Jashin considered anything less than complete and total destruction a sin. I told him exactly where he could stick his destruction, and nearly lost an arm for it. So we stayed for another day, Hidan killing and I collecting lost assets of the dead. There would be nobody left to collect them, I reasoned, by the time Hidan was done. Once all the villagers were sacrificed to Jashin, and Hidan had completed all the unnecessary prayers, we left.

"My beliefs are vindicated," Hidan stated as we walked away from the wreckage of the village. "I shall uphold them and continue to preach destruction to whoever will listen,"

"No wonder I haven't ever heard you preach," I said. He glared at me.

"Jashin will not have those who scoff at him as his followers," he said.

"That's pretty selfish. If I were Jashin, I'd take whoever I could get," I said.

"Jashin's followers are not wrong," he said.

"You may not be wrong, but I'm right," I said. 'I swear I'm right. I've known what is real all my life.' I thought to myself.