Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ HitMan (ItaNaru SasuNaru) ❯ THREE ( Chapter 3 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: yaoifan01 
READ AND REVIEW PLEZ! *Bows*
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Action / Angst / Suspense | Type: Shounen-ai | Uploaded On: 11.29.2006 | Updated On: 01.31.2007 | Pages: 7 | Words: 8.1K | Visits: 531 | Status: Work In Progress
READ AND REVIEW PLEZ! *Bows*
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Action / Angst / Suspense | Type: Shounen-ai | Uploaded On: 11.29.2006 | Updated On: 01.31.2007 | Pages: 7 | Words: 8.1K | Visits: 531 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter Three:Part One
A woman crawled out of the broken window ripping her white skirt on one of the left over shards of glass. She was breathing heavily, unable to get enough air, and her legs were going numb from blood-loss due to the numerous stab wounds her killer had inflicted upon her. The knife itself was still imbedded deep into the flesh of her thigh, buried up to the hilt in bloody tissue.
“Help me!” she screamed. “Somebody is trying to kill me! Help me!”
Itachi watched with smug amusement from the roof top above, as this foolish woman tried to escape from his grasp.
Without realizing it, the hysterical woman had run herself into a dead end. She clawed at the walls with her fingernails until they tore and her fingers began to bleed.
Itachi frowned. This was his chance, probably his only chance before the so-called cops showed up. He jumped from the roof, landing as gracefully as a cat on his feet just in front of where the woman was standing. They stared at each other for a moment before the woman tried to jump the fence. Itachi grabbed her ankle in a flash and pulled her into the ground.
Itachi looked down on the woman, looking bored and slightly inconvenienced. His mind, however, was screaming for her death. He wanted nothing more than to rip her to shreds, simply for the pleasure of watching her blood pour into the gutters. He loved the sound of bones cracking and the wet sound that chunks of flesh made when hitting the ground.
Smirking, he threw a small pile of photographs at the woman. They scattered across the grimy concrete that would be her grave. Glancing at them, she saw herself sprawled across a bed, naked and sprawled under the bodies of several different men.
“Your husband sends his love.”
Her eyes widened with the realization as to why this man was going to kill her. Not knowing what else to do, she began to beg.
“Please, please don’t kill me! I’ll do anything!”
“Anything?” His voice was calm, and he smiled almost warmly as he bent down to caress the woman’s cheek.
“Yes,” she whispered, nodding, tears and black mascara running down her cheeks. “Anything.”
His red glaring eyes looked her up and down, as if considering her offer. “I want you to…Die.”
Itachi grabbed the woman by her hair and pulled her to her knees. Itachi took his knife in hand, and with a swift jolt plunged through her throat, tearing her esophagus and vocal chords. Blood splattered in an arc across the walls and floor. Itachi pushed the blade deeper, twisting it as blood rolled down her chest and chin. He took one last look at her blue eyes —fogged by pain and blood-loss— and pushed the woman away from him. She landed on her back; her body was twitching gasping for one last breath that would never reach her lungs.
Why didn’t you shoot her in the stomach and watch her insides fall out? That would have been fun to see.
I like the sound of a neck snapping, don’t you?
Itachi snarled, pressing his hands to sides of his head, as if trying to exercise the voices via self-lobotomy. He gasped for breath as the attack on his sanity subsided.
Itachi took off his black leather gloves and wiped his forehead with them, his eyes never straying from the tangled mess in front of him. This belongs to me. He bent down and pulled his knife out of the dead woman’s neck. His favorite, it had a skull made into the hilt and was perfectly balanced and as light as a feather. He gripped the blade close to his chest.
“Kisame, come out.” Itachi ordered.
Kisame slowly stepped out of the shadows and towards Itachi. Kisame’s job, aside from getting Itachi his hits, was to keep watch for the 5-0 and passers-by.
The cops. Depending on who it is, the cops can be your best friend or worst nightmare. All of them out to get a buck, you have the money and they will turn a blind eye to what ever your doing.
Kisame turned to face his boss, his brown jacket zipped up to his chin, a rifle slung over his shoulder and a pair of night vision goggles in his pocket. He always tried to avoid his boss’s eyes on nights like this. Itachi’s eyes after a hit were terrifying: his pupils dilated as if on a high, unable to distinguish between friends or foe, his eyes seemed to say he killed just for the fun of it. It scarred the shit out of Kisame.
Itachi broke the silence that lingered in the air. “I want you to do me a favor,” he said. “The second we return to L.A, follow Kakashi. Find out what you can about him and report back to me immediately. There’s something about him that I don’t trust.”
“We took his money, didn’t we? I don’t see the—”
“Are you questioning me?” Itachi asked, irritated, his wild red eyes settling on the already disturbed Kisame.
“No boss,” Kisame said, trying to laugh off the terror crawling up his spine. “It’s a good thing we are going home. San Francisco smells like fish.”
“It’s not like L.A smells like peaches and cream,” Itachi said before stalking off down the street.
“Oh yeah, boss, don’t fart up in San Fran, it’s like a fucking mating call here.” “Kisame.”
“Yes, Itachi.”
“Shut the fuck up”
-ooo-
“Guess what! Guess what!” Naruto hollered jumping up onto Sasuke’s bed and knocking over his purple bedside lamp. Luckily it didn’t break; Naruto picked it up as carefully as he could, and placed it on the table. He glanced at Sakura who was still playing with her doll and Sasuke still reading his book. “Guess what! Guess what! Guess what!”
“What?” Sasuke and Sakura asked, disinterested.
“We are going to the beach!” Naruto told them in a sing-song voice.
Sakura’s eyes lit up, she jumped to her feet and she ran over to where Naruto was standing, the game she had been playing instantly forgotten. She hopped around the room like a bunny, holding her new doll close to her chest.
“Really Nii-san? You’re not kidding, are you?
“Of course I’m not, Sakura-chan!”
Sasuke, still sounding disinterested, answered. “I’m not going.”
“What do you mean you’re not going?” Naruto asked, shocked and a little bit angry. “The three of us decided a long time ago that we would go together the second we got the chance.”
“Didn’t you hear what I fucking said? I am not going!” Sasuke yelled. His voice quivered with anger and annoyance.
Naruto’s eyes widened and he took a step back, holding his arms around his chest as if to protect himself from Sasuke’s yelling. “I-if your worried about your work, I talked to Orochimaru about it this morning and he said it would be…it would be okay for you to have a week off.”
“You where talking to him alone? I don’t want you talking to Orochimaru by yourself. Never again, do you hear me?”
“What’s the matter, Sasuke? Is something wrong? Are you mad at me?”
“You don’t know Orochimaru like I do, Naruto. Just do as I say, and stay away from him.”
“What the hell do you know, Sasuke? You never gave a shit before! Even before Sakura came here, you always left me alone while you where doing other men!!”
Sakura stood, staring wide-eyed, clutching her doll to her chest. This was new to her. Not once since she been in her new home, had she ever seen Sasuke and Naruto fight before.
Naruto felt his eyes begin to burn with tears, he jerked his head away in order to hide the fact that he was on the verge of crying. Too upset to stay in the room any longer, Naruto pushed the door open and ran down the hall. He didn’t notice Sasuke put his book down and come after him.
Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the shirt-collar and shoved him into a storage closet in the hallway. He flicked on the switch and pressed his soft lips against those of the stunned boy.
-ooo-
It was exactly one week before Christmas, the day Sasuke met Naruto. He was late running errands for his boss, and decided to take a shortcut under the railroad. On the way, a boy with blond hair and beautiful sky blue eyes accidentally bumped into him. Sasuke, noticing that his pockets had considerably lightened, frantically searched his kimono.The kid had just robed him.
“Hey!” Sasuke shouted. The blond boy turned and ran, doing everything in his power to lose the man tailing him.
Sasuke chased after the boy, knocking into people and trash cans. He put all his strength into a leap and tackled the young boy from behind, sending him crashing face first into the dirty street. Sasuke yanked him up of the ground by his shaggy, blond hair and slammed him against a brick wall.
When Sasuke looked closely at the boy he realized he could count the kid’s ribs through his tattered black tee shirt and there were ragged holes the size of quarters in his filthy orange pants. Sasuke smirked. What a disgusting pathetic creature.
But he couldn’t shake the thought that this is what he would have become if he stayed on the streets: a lowlife nothing just doing his best to survive a cold, uncaring world. Or maybe, he thought, he is that lowlife creature himself, seeing a reflection of himself in the face of a stranger.
The thief was rendered speechless by disbelief. This was the first time anyone has ever caught the boy pick-pocketing. After a few moments, Naruto managed to mumble something like, “I’m sorry….I’m so sorry it won’t happen again, so please, don’t hurt me.”
Sasuke could do one of two things, beat the living shit out of the boy for making him later then he already was, or he could be merciful. Being in the holiday spirit, he decided to be generous this evening.
The black eyed boy let go of the thief and said: “Come on, then.”
Naruto was confused. “I don’t understand, mister.”
“My boss is looking for a wash boy. I can’t guarantee you will get the job, but its worth looking into. So, what do you say? Will you come with me? The decision is yours.” He turned around his long blue and white kimono flapping in the breeze.
The blue eyed boy nodded. He knew what he needed to do. If there was any good chance at survival, this older boy was it. Naruto trotted behind the older, cleaner and more civilized boy.
“What is your name?” His rescuer asked.
“My name? It’s…” This was the first time in months anyone asked for his name. For almost as long as Naruto could remember he had just been called ‘little shit’ or ‘bastard child’. He was more than happy to be called by his name for once, and so, gave it easily. “It’s Naruto, may I ask yours?”
“You are to address me as Mr. Sasuke and nothing else.”
“Yes, Mr. Sasuke, sir.”
The place where Naruto was to be working was a fine mansion uptown. The building itself was five stories tall, surrounded by a monstrously tall, rusty fence open to anyone if they have the money.
Once inside, Naruto began to look around. It didn’t take him long to notice the beauty of the place: The house was built on a acre plot of land, most of which had been dedicated to the impressive gardens that surrounded the building, and to the left side of the property there was a small hill, which was home to a huge cherry blossom tree covered entirely in little pink blossoms.
The first people Naruto met were Tenten and Neji at his new place of work, in the mansion, at the pink cobra. He was walking with Sasuke to Orochimaru’s office when he passed by them.
“Is this our new wash boy? Oh my god! He is just too adorable!”
The crazy girl doing all the squealing was tall and thin, wearing her dark hair in two buns on either side of her head. She hugged the small boy tight, crushing him against her small breasts. “I love him! I love him!”
“Don’t assume that filthy thing is going to work here.” Orochimaru—Mr. Sasuke’s boss—had just walked into the room. Naruto thought he rather resembled a snake, but thought it best not to say anything.
“I’ll work my hardest, I swear!” Naruto bowed his head low, speaking with earnest enthusiasm. “I won’t be any trouble and I swear I’ll work my hardest!”
Sasuke watched Orochimaru’s golden eyes light up when he looked the boy up and down, and couldn’t help but shudder at the sight of the smirk now clinging to the corner’s of his boss’ mouth.
“Hmm… I’ll tell you what, kiddo, if you do a good job for the next two weeks then you’ve got yourself a job.” Orochimaru turned to Sasuke. “Since you brought him here, he is your responsibility.”
Neji stared at Naruto, his arms crossed leaning back against the arched doorway. He had no interest in welcoming the boy to his new home. He turned to Sasuke.
“It’s not like you to bring home strays.”
Before Sasuke could respond Naruto tugged on Neji’s long silk kimono.
“Nice to meet you, miss. My name is Naruto.” The blond boy said; his hand extended to the dark-haired prostitute. “I think you’re really pretty.”
“I’m a mister, not a miss.” Neji said.
Naruto stood still, staring up at him until Neji grasped his hand and slowly began to shake it.
“It’s nice to meet you, Naruto.”
Tenten smiled. Wow… Neji actually spoke! I think he might actually like our new wash boy.
For the longest time Sasuke treated Naruto like a dog. He would feed him nothing but old bread, cheese and warm water when he was thirsty. Whenever Naruto did something wrong, like misplace Sasuke’s things or not clean something to Sasuke’s standards, or just because Sasuke was angry and he needed to hit something, he would beat the boy senseless, or just until Naruto couldn’t move.
Naruto made sure to keep the bruises well hidden from Tenten and Neji, he didn’t want them to worry over him. Naruto knew the second he met them that they would be special to him.
When Christmas came, Neji and Tenten where the first people to give Naruto a gift. Those were his first ever gifts. Iruka was way too poor to buy Naruto any Christmas gifts. Iruka could barely afford any food, but that never once bothered Naruto.
But despite the cruel treatment he got from Sasuke, Naruto never once stopped smiling. Which meant no one suspected anything. This puzzled Sasuke, so he would treat Naruto worse.
At night Sasuke would lay awake at night thinking about the boy, who slept curled in a little ball on the floor by his bed without a blanket or pillow. Why was he so mean to Naruto? Why did he find himself staring at the boy for hours as he played in Orochimaru’s garden? Why did his heart hurt when the boy was not by his side? These questions plagued Sasuke day and night.
He loved the way Naruto’s eyes closed when he smiled. He loved the way Naruto stayed by Sasuke’s side when he was sick. He loved the way Naruto looked at him like he was a god. He loved the way Naruto would dance every time he got a bowl of hot ramen—his favorite food. It took Sasuke two whole years to realize he loved Naruto, but he was clueless when it came to showing how he felt.
Sasuke could never forget the day when he told Naruto his feelings. Naruto’s reaction was something of a shock to him.
“Sasuke do you have a fever?” Naruto said, putting his hand on his forehead.
“Did you hear what I said? I love you.”
“I heard you just fine. But it’s wrong, Sasuke, we’re both guys for one thing. Do you know what people do to guys who like other guys! They kill them! They cut off their dicks and hang them on a tree in front of the whole town to see.”
“I’ll protect you.”
It was the first time they kissed. Even though Sasuke was a prostitute he had never before kissed anyone. Whether it is a man or woman Sasuke had always pushed their faces away. “You forget that we live in a red light district, not the city. Its ok, I will protect you.
“I love you, too.” Naruto buried his face into the older boy’s chest. Naruto meant what he said: he did love Sasuke.
After their heated confession, Sasuke began to treat Naruto much better. He gave Naruto his own room, a bed, even better food to eat. He also trusted Naruto enough to let him go out on his own.
That’s when Naruto met Sakura, the adorable little hell-raiser of a girl.
-ooo-
Naruto began to shake. The closet was getting stuffy and Sasuke was beginning to turn forceful, not letting Naruto breathe. When he did finally let go, Naruto gasped for breath, and Sasuke extended his hand to the boy. Instinctively, Naruto flinched away when Sasuke tried to touch his cheek.
“I’m not going to hit you, Naruto. I promised you a long time ago I wouldn’t do that anymore.”
“I know. I’m sorry!”
“By the way, who was that man you where talking to today in the garden?”
Naruto’s heart began to race; it felt like something was banging against the inside of his rib cage, demanding to be let out. That very handsome stranger had never left Naruto’s mind. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the man; he wasn’t sure whether or not he wanted to see him again
“I-I don’t know who he was…he forced him self on me, I tried to push him off, but… Well, luckily Neji saved me.”
“I see.” Sasuke decided he didn’t want to push the conversation any farther. What’s done is done; there is no changing the past, and no sense getting angry at Naruto over something he had no control over.
Naruto could hear Sakura sniffling outside, running around the halls calling out to Naruto and Sasuke.
“Ok Naruto, you win.” Sasuke told him, leaning his head against the boy’s small shoulder, so that his breath tickled against Naruto’s neck. “I’ll go to the beach with you.”
-ooo-
Chapter Three: Part Two
The ride to the beach was long and tiring. They drove along the windy rode with the trees hanging over like arches. Sasuke drove fast in the hydrogen operated car that Orochimaru let him use. The wind rushed against the car. All the windows where rolled down and Naruto, who was sitting in the backseat, caught the soft, flowery sent of Sakura’s hair, who was sleeping on his lap.
Naruto didn’t bother to tell Sasuke to slow down, it was, after all, sort of nice to be going so fast that the world outside was just a blur of colors. Sasuke handled the car somewhat carelessly, with one hand on the stick the other guiding the wheel with his fingers, his elbows propped out the window. Naruto watched the wind play with Sasuke’s dark hair, and pull his t-shirt tight across his chest. Naruto closed his eyes with a smile and let the cool air hit his face.
The sunset over the calm sea painted the water pink and gold. Naruto and Sasuke walked side by side down towards the beach with Sakura standing in between them, holding onto both their hands, walking like this they almost looked like a family.
Sasuke watched as Sakura’s bright green eyes lit up with joy at the sight of the sunset and the sea.
“So, Naruto, where is this place you where talking about?” Sasuke asked.
“It’s over here,” Naruto replied with a grin. “Follow me!”
Naruto dropped Sakura’s hand and ran ahead, waving his hands for Sasuke and Sakura to follow. He ran the across the beach, kicking up sand as he went, his mind set on leading them to an old inn on the side of the beach, hidden in behind the weeds and the rocks.
It was a dusty brown, two-story building, simple in structure. What had been white paint was now peeling away and the wooden boards underneath were showing wear; it looked as though the inn had been built before the war.
Naruto walked in through the front door, which clattered on its hinges, making an ungodly amount of noise. He scanned the room until he noticed the man who lay asleep, hunched over the reception desk with his mouth gaping open. The man had long, shaggy white hair, which he wore in a messy pony tail, and on the side of his nose he had a small wart. On the desk next to him lay an orange book entitled ‘Icha Icha paradise’.
“Hey, old man! Wake up, old man! You have costumers! Will you wake up?! Jiraiya!!”
The snoring abruptly stopped as he opened one eye lid wiped the drool from his mouth.
“Huh? Well, if it isn’t Naruto! How you been, kid? It’s been what—four years? I was getting worried, you guys haven’t called.”
Without warning, Naruto jumped into the older man’s —Jiraiya’s— arms, knocking the wind out of him.
“You got to seriously stop doing that, kid. I’m too old to keep up with you.” Jiraiya placed Naruto firmly back on the floor before he noticed the two other people standing awkwardly in the lobby. “Hey where’s Iruka?”
Naruto turned his head avoiding Jiraiya eyes.
“He’s on vacation,” Naruto said casually. “Iruka told me to say hi for him, actually.”
“Hey there little girl,” Jiraiya said, patting Sakura’s pink hair. “Be sure to call me in another 10 years!”
“You’ll be dead by then!” Naruto yelled, punching the air, angry that his old friend ignored him.
Then suddenly a woman with breasts the size of two ripe melons came running towards Jiraiya. Her sight was set firmly on the pervert hermit. Before Naruto could blink he saw the woman’s fist slam full-force into Jiraiya cheek, sending him flying to the other end of the room.
“You horny old bastard!” She yelled.
Sasuke and Sakura still stood trying to grasp what was going on while the woman grabbed onto Jiraiya’s kimono and began to shake him violently.
“I can’t keep my eyes off you for one second! I honestly don’t know what possessed me to marry you in the first place!”
Naruto placed both of his arms around his head.
“Hah hah, you haven’t changed one bit Granny Tsunade!”
“Ahh is that…” Tsunade stopped ranting immediately and dropped her unconscious husband to the ground, letting his head bang on the floor. “Is that my little Naruto?”
Tsunade was a beautiful woman. She had been born and raised in Las Vegas—needless to say she was something of a gambler: no doubt one of the world’s worst—despite her great personal strength, she was something of a fool when it came to money and had earned herself the title of the “legendary sucker”.
She wore her long blonde hair tied back in matching pig-tails, and could pull of the childish hairstyle simply because she looked so much younger than her thirty-five years—no doubt due to all the beauty creams she uses.
She and Jiraiya met as children, although back then they hated each other—even as a child Jiraiya had already been a drunken pervert and Tsunade had been something of a hard-ass when it came to his vices. But, as they grew older they learned to love each other for their flaws as well as their good points—besides who else would put up with either of them? Not only that, but Jiraiya was the first person to accept Tsunade as a psychic. Tsunade in turn was the first person to say the Jiraiya should look into publishing his novels.
Tsunade’s psychic ability was next to useless when it came to gambling. She had been born with a documented power, known as psychometry—the ability to divine information from people and objects just by touching them. Tsunade had always considered her ability a curse, due to the detrimental effects it had on her view of reality.
Because her gambling left her and her husband in major debt, she decided to put her curse to good use. Jiraiya saved all his money from selling his books n order to by an old inn on the beach. With hard work Jiraiya and Tsunade opened their motel and palm reading house.
Naruto smiled while Tsunade ruffled his blond hair. “You’re a physic, shouldn’t you know? Has anyone been by here lately for a reading?”
Tsunade grinned. “How about you be my first customer of the day? Let me read your future.”
“You already read my future! You said I am going to live happily ever after on a farm with lots of sheep, and pigs, and—”
“Won’t hurt to do it a gain, this reading is on the house. Now, hold out your hands.”
Naruto didn’t want to argue with Tsunade so he shut his eyes tight and placed his hands in Tsunade silky smooth palms. At that second, his future flashed through her eyes. Sasuke, Sakura and Jiraiya gathered around Tsunade and Naruto, watching with keen interest.
Tsunade’s smile faded into shock and then into terror. She collapsed to her knees, dropping Naruto’s hands from her horror-struck grip. Her hands clawed at her blonde hair and she opened her mouth in a silent scream, her body began to shake uncontrollably.
Something is wrong. I have never seen her like this, Jiraiya thought to himself.
“Is she ok?” Naruto cried; his face scrunched up with worry.
“She’ll be fine, I’m sure. Look, it’s getting late,” Jiraiya turned to Tsunade who was still shaking. “I’ll Show them to their room. You get some rest, Tsunade.”
-ooo-
Jiraiya stepped into the door way of Tsunade bedroom. “I need to talk to you,” he requested.
“Come on in” Tsunade said, walking to the door. She pointed to a chair near her desk and shut the door behind him. Tsunade slumped into the chair.
“Do you want to tell me what happened? What did you see?
“I can’t,” she said, her voice quivering. “It’s too ….”
“What? I don’t understand…You read his future before.”
“Remember…Remember when I told you, that everyone has an invisible book. This book; destiny, fate…or whatever you want to call it, is already written before a person is born. It is a very rare thing when a person’s fate is changed; I’d say a billion to one chance.
“Are you telling me that Naruto’s book was re-written? But how? How did it change?
“I’m not entirely sure how it changed, but I think it has something to do with the death of Iruka.”
“Dead? Naruto told me that—”
Tsunade cut off Jiraiya before he could continue. “Those three: Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto… they were never supposed to meet in this lifetime.” She faced her husband, her nerves having calmed some. “Do you really want to know what is in store for Naruto?”
Jiraiya frowned and slowly nodded his head.
“In the next two days—”
Sakura lay awake in her bed, next to Naruto who was snoring loud. She couldn’t take her eyes off the grandfather clock that stood in the corner of the room; it reminded her of her first home, she left not to long ago.
“Oh, Sakura-chan how many times have I told you to—” the woman’s voice was suddenly cut off by a hacking cough that wracked her whole body “…brush your hair for mommy?” She asked, as she began to cough again. Sakura’s mother smiled weakly and ran her boney fingers through her little girl’s pink hair.
Sakura and her mother lived in a one bedroom apartment, no bathroom or running warm water. On the side of the building was an empty lot where people would urinate and sell hookers.
“Mommy, when will Daddy come home? He hasn’t been back for a long time and I’m really, really hungry.”
“I’m sure Daddy will be home soon, darling.”
Sakura looked closely at her mom. She long light golden brown hair that went down her back, but it was now greasy and hung limply around her face, rather than in the full waves Sakura was accustomed to. Her olive green eyes were foggy and had a strange feverish gleam to them, with dark circles under her eyelids. For weeks her mother had been too weak to even get out of bed, Sakura never understood why.
“Sakura you’re going to grow up to be a beautiful girl, you’re going to be special to someone, and you will be happy. I know you will, and when I am gone I will always be watching over you, ok?”
Sakura had no idea what her mother was talking about, but she nodded as if she did. Suddenly feeling tired, Sakura fell into a deep sleep next to her mother, when she woke up she looked at the grandfather clock. It was eleven thirty at night. She sat up from her bed and looked at her mother.
“Mommy…Mommy is you awake? Mommy?”
She lay by her mom and put her hand on the woman’s cheek. Her skin was as cold as ice and pale.
“Mommy, you’re really cold. Here. You can have my blankie.”
But her mother didn’t answer.
The next day Sakura’s father came rushing into the apartment with two men wearing bright yellow Hazmat suits, marked with bio-waste warnings.
One of the strange-looking men unfolded a large white sheet and threw it haphazardly over the dead body.
“Hey…where are you going to bury her?” Sakura’s father whispered to one of the men in astronaut suits.
“Where we take all the diseased people: we throw their bodies into a big hole in the landfill, until it’s all filled up, and then we burn them.”
“You mean there’s no funeral?”
“What are you out of your fucking mind? We do this for a reason, you know. If a flood where to bring the bodies floating up to the city, would have another black plague on our hands. We don’t want that.”
Sakura’s father nodded his head showing that he understood.
“Where are you taking my mommy?” Sakura screamed. “Let her go! Let my mommy go! She’s sleeping!” Sakura grabbed on to the front of one man’s suit and pulled until the man with a mask began to yell and her father pulled her off. Her father picked her up and tossed her over his broad shoulder, still kicking and screaming.
“Sakura, she is going to a better place. Don’t you want Mommy to be happy?”
“I want Mommy here with me!”
The men were gone now, leaving no traces of Sakura's mother.
“Shhh now." Holding her to his chest, he started rubbing her back. “We’ll see her again in a nice place called heaven.”
After that, all Sakura would do is sit on the window ledge, her knees bent looking outside at the dirty street, where dirty children played baseball and had fun with their friends.
Without her mother, Sakura was very lonely and she wanted friends just like the children playing outside. Her father was never home, the second he came all he did was leave her food and make sure she bathed and changed her clothes.
But one day he didn’t come back.
The landlady rushed into Sakura’s room looking for her father. Sakura explained to the furious woman that he hadn’t been back in weeks, but she was sure he would come back soon.
The fat woman with a double chin and chicken grease on her dress would hear none of it. Sakura’s father was all ready two months behind on the rent. She grabbed Sakura by her pink hair and tossed her out on the street with nothing but the clothes on her back.
Sakura roamed the streets looking for food. If Naruto hadn’t have found Sakura when he did, she would have died on the streets alone.
-ooo-
“Sakura-chan,” Naruto whispered. “Are you awake?”
“I’m so excited, I can’t sleep,” Sakura said. “Will you tell me…? I always wanted to know what heaven is like.”
“Heaven is a beautiful place where only good people go to when they--,” Naruto was about to say ‘when they die’ but then he stopped himself because he had never told little Sakura what dying was, and he wasn’t sure she knew.
She assumed it was a special place where her mother was, and that was it. He didn’t have the heart to tell her, but he knew it would have to be soon because she would eventually figure it out. “When they go on vacation.”
Sakura said nothing, but already the twinkle was fading from her eyes and her mouth had slackened with exhaustion. Naruto leaned over and softly kissed her cheek. She giggled and sat up from the bed, taking her time to get situated crossing one leg over the other and drawing her skirt over her knees.
“How do you know those funny peoples?"
“You mean Jiraiya and Tsunade? Well a long time ago, I came to this beach with Iruka.” Naruto paused; it always seemed to hurt every time he talked about Iruka. He looked at Sakura, who was telling him, with her green eyes, that he should continue. “He knew them since he was a boy. I don’t remember much about that, but I do remember I would always search the beach looking for hours for the perfect seashell to give to Iruka. I though it would be more special if I found one rather than buy one at the gift shop, right?” Sakura nodded “Anyways, I would be on my knees in the sand, until the sun when down, looking around for that perfect shell. I never did find one, unfortunately.”
Sakura tool in a deep breath and sat up from her bed.
“I wasn’t your fault, Nii-san.”
Naruto turned his back facing Sakura. “What?”
“Sasuke-kun told me! He told me that Iruka died protecting you from that car! He pushed you out of the way because he wanted to protect you. It wasn’t your fault!”
Naruto wanted to hear those words. Those four simple words: it wasn’t your fault. This girl, Naruto thought she is so little yet so strong and smart. He never expected to hear such wisdom from a girl six years younger than him.
He felt his eyes begin to burn with the onset of tears. For as long as Naruto could remember he held in the tears, even at Iruka’s funeral, Naruto never cried. When was the last time he cried?
Naruto pointed to his knee, it was cut and bruised from the fall. Tears and snot fell from his face.
“Big boys are not allowed to cry.” Iruka told him as he grabbed a tissue from his back pocket and handed it to Naruto. “You’re a big boy, right?”
“Yes, I am a big boy! I won’t cry ever again. I promise!”
“Now that’s a good boy. Come on then, Naruto, I’ll give you a piggy back ride on the way home.”
Naruto started to cry, Sakura seeing that nii-san was crying, started to cry herself. She put her small arms around his neck and sobbed into his chest.
“When my daddy left me alone,” She whispered in his ear. “I hated him! I hated him for leaving me when I needed him the most. But now, I’m glad he did, because otherwise…I never would have met Nii-san or Sasuke-kun!
Naruto stroked her pink hair and rubbed his thumb over her left eye wiping away the tears. He held her in his arms, rocking her back and forth until she closed her eyes and fell a sleep.
Sasuke twitched. He stood behind his door listening closely to the conversation in the other room. They didn’t know he was listening, he didn’t even know himself why he was listening.
Sasuke turned his full attention to the window. Through it he could see the reflection of the full moon frosting waves of the calm sea.
-ooo-
“Holy shit…..holy shit” Jiraiya repeated. For ten minutes that was all the hermit could say after hearing what Tsunade had said about Naruto’s future.
“We have to tell them! We have to warn them!”
“We can’t the balance of nature could change for the worse. Telling them would do more harm than good. Besides its too late, fate has already played its cards.”
“Are you saying we should do nothing? Just sit back and watch while this tragedy happens?” He was angry. No, he was more than angry. He cared for the blonde boy; he was more than willing to do what ever it took to ensure his happiness.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. That wasn’t the only thing I saw, in all that darkness…I saw a ray of light.”
“A light? Like what? Meaning a person?” Jiraiya asked.
“Yes, a person. But not just any person,” Jiraiya scratched his head, confused.
“You don’t think it’s that Sasuke kid, right? It can’t be him.”
“It’s a possibility, but I couldn’t know for sure. I only saw what his fate had written out.”
-ooo-
Once it was hot enough, Sakura and Naruto went outside and played for hours in the sand, building castles, and looking for seashells or sand crabs.
The waves crashed on the sand, soaking them up to the knees. Naruto told Sakura to stay where she was at so he could try to get Sasuke to play with them.
Naruto ran over to Sasuke was and sat on the yellow and red beach towel.
“Naruto!” Sasuke yelled “You’re going to get sand all over my towel!”
“You’re such a spoil-sport, Sasuke”
“Hey, where is Sakura?”
“She’s right over--” Naruto pointed to where he had just told Sakura to stay. Naruto searched the beach with his eyes finding no traces of the girl.
What? There is no way she could have run back to the inn, not in such short time. Shit! She must have gotten taken by the tide!
Naruto sprinted as fast as he could and dove into the salty sea water. He couldn’t see anything: just groped blindly with his hands and feet in the water. Once out of breath, he shot up to the surface to get a gulp of air before going back under. He was never going to stop, not until he found Sakura.
Sasuke stood dumbfounded, never moving from his spot to help Naruto, or search for Sakura himself.
It took all of Naruto’s strength to drag the girl out of he water. He lay collapsed over her on the sand, the waves still lapping at their legs, trying to drag them back into the deep waters. The blonde boy placed his ear on Sakura’s chest.
She wasn’t breathing.
What to do! What am I going to do!
He took a deep breath, tilted her head and breathed in to her mouth he watched her little chest rise then fall again. Naruto repeated this again and again, never giving up until she finally coughed up green sea water.
Naruto didn’t realize till now that Sakura was clenching tightly to something.
Her half open eyes smiled and she relaxed her wrinkly palm to reveal a perfect pink shell. The shell Naruto would have wanted to give Iruka.
“You idiot!” Naruto cried. He held on to Sakura. He would protect her. Always.
Sasuke fell to his knees and clawed at his scalp with his fingers. He was such an idiot, a complete fool. His heart stopped when he thought Sakura was in danger. That moment of fear—the realization of his affection— betrayed everything.
“Do what you want with Sakura, but you’re not allowed to kill Naruto.” Those cruel words repeated over and over in his mind. He didn’t want to let them go; he loved them too much. He knew what he needed to do.
Sasuke sprinted to the inn as fast as his legs could take him. He needed to call off the trade; he needed to tell Kabuto there was no deal. He ran past Tsunade and Jiraiya, who where enjoying their afternoon green tea, sitting on the couch in the living room and ran straight into the kitchen.
He was lost in his thoughts. If any anyone should die it should be Orochimaru. That bastard ruined so many lives.
Tenten for instance, her father was a heavy drinker and gambler. He owed a huge sum of money to the mafia and owed even more to Orochimaru, who was not very kind when it came to money.
Her father, fearful for his life, disappeared leaving Tenten’s mother buried in debts and daily threats. One day Orochimaru, annoyed at not having received his long over-due money, paid a visit to Tenten’s family.
As oldest of twelve siblings, Tenten felt it was her duty to protect her family. Orochimaru was about to kill her mother when she pleaded that he sell her body in place of paying her father’s debts. Orochimaru, never one to turn down a pretty piece of flesh, gladly accepted the offer.
“I am more than willing to do whatever it takes to keep my family safe,” Tenten said one day, when she was talking to Sasuke in the garden. “Even sell myself, that’s just how much I love them.”
In truth, Sasuke envied Tenten, in another year she would go free. Free to go back to her family. Free to do what she wished. He would never be free. Orochimaru owned him. His body, his soul, everything.
“If you ever leave me, I will search the ends of the world until I find you. Then I will rape and kill that boy that you are so fond of,” Orochimaru told him once. Sasuke knew Orochimaru would keep his word: he always did, after all.
Covered in sweat and shaking with fear, Sasuke picked up the phone. He knew Kabuto’s personal cell phone number off by heart. His fingers trembled as he dialed the numbers, and rested his head against the phone.
It rang for a long time, and it seemed that Kabuto was never going to answer.
“Pick up the phone, god damn it!”
There came a static click and then:
“Ahh, Sasuke-kun. Hello,” Kabuto said.
How did he know it was me? It doesn’t matter.
“I want out, Kabuto! I can’t do this! I don’t want to sell Naruto or Sakura for revenge! I don’t know what I was thinking!”
Sasuke was silent for a moment trying to regain his thoughts. He could hear heavy breathing on the line, and groups of people talking in the back ground. He wasn’t sure but he thought he heard someone ask if they should clean up the blood.
Blood?
“Oh, I’m sorry, Sasuke-kun, but I wasn’t listening. Could you repeat that?”
Sasuke gripped the phone so hard his knuckles went white and yelled. “Don’t you fuck with me! You heard me fine!”
Kabuto started chuckling, making the little hairs on the back of Sasuke’s neck stand on end.
“The table is set,” Kabuto said. “There is no turning back now. I just can’t wait to see little Naruto’s face when he finds out the one he loved and trusted most was the one who sent him to hell.”
Sasuke let the phone drop from his hands. He backed away and bumped into the table where Sakura’s doll was sitting. The doll fell to the floor.
Hearing the loud crash, Sasuke looked at the doll, it had fallen face up, it’s head half shattered with pieces scattered across the floor, showing the darkness inside never mean to be seen.
To Be Continued…
A woman crawled out of the broken window ripping her white skirt on one of the left over shards of glass. She was breathing heavily, unable to get enough air, and her legs were going numb from blood-loss due to the numerous stab wounds her killer had inflicted upon her. The knife itself was still imbedded deep into the flesh of her thigh, buried up to the hilt in bloody tissue.
“Help me!” she screamed. “Somebody is trying to kill me! Help me!”
Itachi watched with smug amusement from the roof top above, as this foolish woman tried to escape from his grasp.
Without realizing it, the hysterical woman had run herself into a dead end. She clawed at the walls with her fingernails until they tore and her fingers began to bleed.
Itachi frowned. This was his chance, probably his only chance before the so-called cops showed up. He jumped from the roof, landing as gracefully as a cat on his feet just in front of where the woman was standing. They stared at each other for a moment before the woman tried to jump the fence. Itachi grabbed her ankle in a flash and pulled her into the ground.
Itachi looked down on the woman, looking bored and slightly inconvenienced. His mind, however, was screaming for her death. He wanted nothing more than to rip her to shreds, simply for the pleasure of watching her blood pour into the gutters. He loved the sound of bones cracking and the wet sound that chunks of flesh made when hitting the ground.
Smirking, he threw a small pile of photographs at the woman. They scattered across the grimy concrete that would be her grave. Glancing at them, she saw herself sprawled across a bed, naked and sprawled under the bodies of several different men.
“Your husband sends his love.”
Her eyes widened with the realization as to why this man was going to kill her. Not knowing what else to do, she began to beg.
“Please, please don’t kill me! I’ll do anything!”
“Anything?” His voice was calm, and he smiled almost warmly as he bent down to caress the woman’s cheek.
“Yes,” she whispered, nodding, tears and black mascara running down her cheeks. “Anything.”
His red glaring eyes looked her up and down, as if considering her offer. “I want you to…Die.”
Itachi grabbed the woman by her hair and pulled her to her knees. Itachi took his knife in hand, and with a swift jolt plunged through her throat, tearing her esophagus and vocal chords. Blood splattered in an arc across the walls and floor. Itachi pushed the blade deeper, twisting it as blood rolled down her chest and chin. He took one last look at her blue eyes —fogged by pain and blood-loss— and pushed the woman away from him. She landed on her back; her body was twitching gasping for one last breath that would never reach her lungs.
Why didn’t you shoot her in the stomach and watch her insides fall out? That would have been fun to see.
I like the sound of a neck snapping, don’t you?
Itachi snarled, pressing his hands to sides of his head, as if trying to exercise the voices via self-lobotomy. He gasped for breath as the attack on his sanity subsided.
Itachi took off his black leather gloves and wiped his forehead with them, his eyes never straying from the tangled mess in front of him. This belongs to me. He bent down and pulled his knife out of the dead woman’s neck. His favorite, it had a skull made into the hilt and was perfectly balanced and as light as a feather. He gripped the blade close to his chest.
“Kisame, come out.” Itachi ordered.
Kisame slowly stepped out of the shadows and towards Itachi. Kisame’s job, aside from getting Itachi his hits, was to keep watch for the 5-0 and passers-by.
The cops. Depending on who it is, the cops can be your best friend or worst nightmare. All of them out to get a buck, you have the money and they will turn a blind eye to what ever your doing.
Kisame turned to face his boss, his brown jacket zipped up to his chin, a rifle slung over his shoulder and a pair of night vision goggles in his pocket. He always tried to avoid his boss’s eyes on nights like this. Itachi’s eyes after a hit were terrifying: his pupils dilated as if on a high, unable to distinguish between friends or foe, his eyes seemed to say he killed just for the fun of it. It scarred the shit out of Kisame.
Itachi broke the silence that lingered in the air. “I want you to do me a favor,” he said. “The second we return to L.A, follow Kakashi. Find out what you can about him and report back to me immediately. There’s something about him that I don’t trust.”
“We took his money, didn’t we? I don’t see the—”
“Are you questioning me?” Itachi asked, irritated, his wild red eyes settling on the already disturbed Kisame.
“No boss,” Kisame said, trying to laugh off the terror crawling up his spine. “It’s a good thing we are going home. San Francisco smells like fish.”
“It’s not like L.A smells like peaches and cream,” Itachi said before stalking off down the street.
“Oh yeah, boss, don’t fart up in San Fran, it’s like a fucking mating call here.” “Kisame.”
“Yes, Itachi.”
“Shut the fuck up”
-ooo-
“Guess what! Guess what!” Naruto hollered jumping up onto Sasuke’s bed and knocking over his purple bedside lamp. Luckily it didn’t break; Naruto picked it up as carefully as he could, and placed it on the table. He glanced at Sakura who was still playing with her doll and Sasuke still reading his book. “Guess what! Guess what! Guess what!”
“What?” Sasuke and Sakura asked, disinterested.
“We are going to the beach!” Naruto told them in a sing-song voice.
Sakura’s eyes lit up, she jumped to her feet and she ran over to where Naruto was standing, the game she had been playing instantly forgotten. She hopped around the room like a bunny, holding her new doll close to her chest.
“Really Nii-san? You’re not kidding, are you?
“Of course I’m not, Sakura-chan!”
Sasuke, still sounding disinterested, answered. “I’m not going.”
“What do you mean you’re not going?” Naruto asked, shocked and a little bit angry. “The three of us decided a long time ago that we would go together the second we got the chance.”
“Didn’t you hear what I fucking said? I am not going!” Sasuke yelled. His voice quivered with anger and annoyance.
Naruto’s eyes widened and he took a step back, holding his arms around his chest as if to protect himself from Sasuke’s yelling. “I-if your worried about your work, I talked to Orochimaru about it this morning and he said it would be…it would be okay for you to have a week off.”
“You where talking to him alone? I don’t want you talking to Orochimaru by yourself. Never again, do you hear me?”
“What’s the matter, Sasuke? Is something wrong? Are you mad at me?”
“You don’t know Orochimaru like I do, Naruto. Just do as I say, and stay away from him.”
“What the hell do you know, Sasuke? You never gave a shit before! Even before Sakura came here, you always left me alone while you where doing other men!!”
Sakura stood, staring wide-eyed, clutching her doll to her chest. This was new to her. Not once since she been in her new home, had she ever seen Sasuke and Naruto fight before.
Naruto felt his eyes begin to burn with tears, he jerked his head away in order to hide the fact that he was on the verge of crying. Too upset to stay in the room any longer, Naruto pushed the door open and ran down the hall. He didn’t notice Sasuke put his book down and come after him.
Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the shirt-collar and shoved him into a storage closet in the hallway. He flicked on the switch and pressed his soft lips against those of the stunned boy.
-ooo-
It was exactly one week before Christmas, the day Sasuke met Naruto. He was late running errands for his boss, and decided to take a shortcut under the railroad. On the way, a boy with blond hair and beautiful sky blue eyes accidentally bumped into him. Sasuke, noticing that his pockets had considerably lightened, frantically searched his kimono.The kid had just robed him.
“Hey!” Sasuke shouted. The blond boy turned and ran, doing everything in his power to lose the man tailing him.
Sasuke chased after the boy, knocking into people and trash cans. He put all his strength into a leap and tackled the young boy from behind, sending him crashing face first into the dirty street. Sasuke yanked him up of the ground by his shaggy, blond hair and slammed him against a brick wall.
When Sasuke looked closely at the boy he realized he could count the kid’s ribs through his tattered black tee shirt and there were ragged holes the size of quarters in his filthy orange pants. Sasuke smirked. What a disgusting pathetic creature.
But he couldn’t shake the thought that this is what he would have become if he stayed on the streets: a lowlife nothing just doing his best to survive a cold, uncaring world. Or maybe, he thought, he is that lowlife creature himself, seeing a reflection of himself in the face of a stranger.
The thief was rendered speechless by disbelief. This was the first time anyone has ever caught the boy pick-pocketing. After a few moments, Naruto managed to mumble something like, “I’m sorry….I’m so sorry it won’t happen again, so please, don’t hurt me.”
Sasuke could do one of two things, beat the living shit out of the boy for making him later then he already was, or he could be merciful. Being in the holiday spirit, he decided to be generous this evening.
The black eyed boy let go of the thief and said: “Come on, then.”
Naruto was confused. “I don’t understand, mister.”
“My boss is looking for a wash boy. I can’t guarantee you will get the job, but its worth looking into. So, what do you say? Will you come with me? The decision is yours.” He turned around his long blue and white kimono flapping in the breeze.
The blue eyed boy nodded. He knew what he needed to do. If there was any good chance at survival, this older boy was it. Naruto trotted behind the older, cleaner and more civilized boy.
“What is your name?” His rescuer asked.
“My name? It’s…” This was the first time in months anyone asked for his name. For almost as long as Naruto could remember he had just been called ‘little shit’ or ‘bastard child’. He was more than happy to be called by his name for once, and so, gave it easily. “It’s Naruto, may I ask yours?”
“You are to address me as Mr. Sasuke and nothing else.”
“Yes, Mr. Sasuke, sir.”
The place where Naruto was to be working was a fine mansion uptown. The building itself was five stories tall, surrounded by a monstrously tall, rusty fence open to anyone if they have the money.
Once inside, Naruto began to look around. It didn’t take him long to notice the beauty of the place: The house was built on a acre plot of land, most of which had been dedicated to the impressive gardens that surrounded the building, and to the left side of the property there was a small hill, which was home to a huge cherry blossom tree covered entirely in little pink blossoms.
The first people Naruto met were Tenten and Neji at his new place of work, in the mansion, at the pink cobra. He was walking with Sasuke to Orochimaru’s office when he passed by them.
“Is this our new wash boy? Oh my god! He is just too adorable!”
The crazy girl doing all the squealing was tall and thin, wearing her dark hair in two buns on either side of her head. She hugged the small boy tight, crushing him against her small breasts. “I love him! I love him!”
“Don’t assume that filthy thing is going to work here.” Orochimaru—Mr. Sasuke’s boss—had just walked into the room. Naruto thought he rather resembled a snake, but thought it best not to say anything.
“I’ll work my hardest, I swear!” Naruto bowed his head low, speaking with earnest enthusiasm. “I won’t be any trouble and I swear I’ll work my hardest!”
Sasuke watched Orochimaru’s golden eyes light up when he looked the boy up and down, and couldn’t help but shudder at the sight of the smirk now clinging to the corner’s of his boss’ mouth.
“Hmm… I’ll tell you what, kiddo, if you do a good job for the next two weeks then you’ve got yourself a job.” Orochimaru turned to Sasuke. “Since you brought him here, he is your responsibility.”
Neji stared at Naruto, his arms crossed leaning back against the arched doorway. He had no interest in welcoming the boy to his new home. He turned to Sasuke.
“It’s not like you to bring home strays.”
Before Sasuke could respond Naruto tugged on Neji’s long silk kimono.
“Nice to meet you, miss. My name is Naruto.” The blond boy said; his hand extended to the dark-haired prostitute. “I think you’re really pretty.”
“I’m a mister, not a miss.” Neji said.
Naruto stood still, staring up at him until Neji grasped his hand and slowly began to shake it.
“It’s nice to meet you, Naruto.”
Tenten smiled. Wow… Neji actually spoke! I think he might actually like our new wash boy.
For the longest time Sasuke treated Naruto like a dog. He would feed him nothing but old bread, cheese and warm water when he was thirsty. Whenever Naruto did something wrong, like misplace Sasuke’s things or not clean something to Sasuke’s standards, or just because Sasuke was angry and he needed to hit something, he would beat the boy senseless, or just until Naruto couldn’t move.
Naruto made sure to keep the bruises well hidden from Tenten and Neji, he didn’t want them to worry over him. Naruto knew the second he met them that they would be special to him.
When Christmas came, Neji and Tenten where the first people to give Naruto a gift. Those were his first ever gifts. Iruka was way too poor to buy Naruto any Christmas gifts. Iruka could barely afford any food, but that never once bothered Naruto.
But despite the cruel treatment he got from Sasuke, Naruto never once stopped smiling. Which meant no one suspected anything. This puzzled Sasuke, so he would treat Naruto worse.
At night Sasuke would lay awake at night thinking about the boy, who slept curled in a little ball on the floor by his bed without a blanket or pillow. Why was he so mean to Naruto? Why did he find himself staring at the boy for hours as he played in Orochimaru’s garden? Why did his heart hurt when the boy was not by his side? These questions plagued Sasuke day and night.
He loved the way Naruto’s eyes closed when he smiled. He loved the way Naruto stayed by Sasuke’s side when he was sick. He loved the way Naruto looked at him like he was a god. He loved the way Naruto would dance every time he got a bowl of hot ramen—his favorite food. It took Sasuke two whole years to realize he loved Naruto, but he was clueless when it came to showing how he felt.
Sasuke could never forget the day when he told Naruto his feelings. Naruto’s reaction was something of a shock to him.
“Sasuke do you have a fever?” Naruto said, putting his hand on his forehead.
“Did you hear what I said? I love you.”
“I heard you just fine. But it’s wrong, Sasuke, we’re both guys for one thing. Do you know what people do to guys who like other guys! They kill them! They cut off their dicks and hang them on a tree in front of the whole town to see.”
“I’ll protect you.”
It was the first time they kissed. Even though Sasuke was a prostitute he had never before kissed anyone. Whether it is a man or woman Sasuke had always pushed their faces away. “You forget that we live in a red light district, not the city. Its ok, I will protect you.
“I love you, too.” Naruto buried his face into the older boy’s chest. Naruto meant what he said: he did love Sasuke.
After their heated confession, Sasuke began to treat Naruto much better. He gave Naruto his own room, a bed, even better food to eat. He also trusted Naruto enough to let him go out on his own.
That’s when Naruto met Sakura, the adorable little hell-raiser of a girl.
-ooo-
Naruto began to shake. The closet was getting stuffy and Sasuke was beginning to turn forceful, not letting Naruto breathe. When he did finally let go, Naruto gasped for breath, and Sasuke extended his hand to the boy. Instinctively, Naruto flinched away when Sasuke tried to touch his cheek.
“I’m not going to hit you, Naruto. I promised you a long time ago I wouldn’t do that anymore.”
“I know. I’m sorry!”
“By the way, who was that man you where talking to today in the garden?”
Naruto’s heart began to race; it felt like something was banging against the inside of his rib cage, demanding to be let out. That very handsome stranger had never left Naruto’s mind. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the man; he wasn’t sure whether or not he wanted to see him again
“I-I don’t know who he was…he forced him self on me, I tried to push him off, but… Well, luckily Neji saved me.”
“I see.” Sasuke decided he didn’t want to push the conversation any farther. What’s done is done; there is no changing the past, and no sense getting angry at Naruto over something he had no control over.
Naruto could hear Sakura sniffling outside, running around the halls calling out to Naruto and Sasuke.
“Ok Naruto, you win.” Sasuke told him, leaning his head against the boy’s small shoulder, so that his breath tickled against Naruto’s neck. “I’ll go to the beach with you.”
-ooo-
Chapter Three: Part Two
The ride to the beach was long and tiring. They drove along the windy rode with the trees hanging over like arches. Sasuke drove fast in the hydrogen operated car that Orochimaru let him use. The wind rushed against the car. All the windows where rolled down and Naruto, who was sitting in the backseat, caught the soft, flowery sent of Sakura’s hair, who was sleeping on his lap.
Naruto didn’t bother to tell Sasuke to slow down, it was, after all, sort of nice to be going so fast that the world outside was just a blur of colors. Sasuke handled the car somewhat carelessly, with one hand on the stick the other guiding the wheel with his fingers, his elbows propped out the window. Naruto watched the wind play with Sasuke’s dark hair, and pull his t-shirt tight across his chest. Naruto closed his eyes with a smile and let the cool air hit his face.
The sunset over the calm sea painted the water pink and gold. Naruto and Sasuke walked side by side down towards the beach with Sakura standing in between them, holding onto both their hands, walking like this they almost looked like a family.
Sasuke watched as Sakura’s bright green eyes lit up with joy at the sight of the sunset and the sea.
“So, Naruto, where is this place you where talking about?” Sasuke asked.
“It’s over here,” Naruto replied with a grin. “Follow me!”
Naruto dropped Sakura’s hand and ran ahead, waving his hands for Sasuke and Sakura to follow. He ran the across the beach, kicking up sand as he went, his mind set on leading them to an old inn on the side of the beach, hidden in behind the weeds and the rocks.
It was a dusty brown, two-story building, simple in structure. What had been white paint was now peeling away and the wooden boards underneath were showing wear; it looked as though the inn had been built before the war.
Naruto walked in through the front door, which clattered on its hinges, making an ungodly amount of noise. He scanned the room until he noticed the man who lay asleep, hunched over the reception desk with his mouth gaping open. The man had long, shaggy white hair, which he wore in a messy pony tail, and on the side of his nose he had a small wart. On the desk next to him lay an orange book entitled ‘Icha Icha paradise’.
“Hey, old man! Wake up, old man! You have costumers! Will you wake up?! Jiraiya!!”
The snoring abruptly stopped as he opened one eye lid wiped the drool from his mouth.
“Huh? Well, if it isn’t Naruto! How you been, kid? It’s been what—four years? I was getting worried, you guys haven’t called.”
Without warning, Naruto jumped into the older man’s —Jiraiya’s— arms, knocking the wind out of him.
“You got to seriously stop doing that, kid. I’m too old to keep up with you.” Jiraiya placed Naruto firmly back on the floor before he noticed the two other people standing awkwardly in the lobby. “Hey where’s Iruka?”
Naruto turned his head avoiding Jiraiya eyes.
“He’s on vacation,” Naruto said casually. “Iruka told me to say hi for him, actually.”
“Hey there little girl,” Jiraiya said, patting Sakura’s pink hair. “Be sure to call me in another 10 years!”
“You’ll be dead by then!” Naruto yelled, punching the air, angry that his old friend ignored him.
Then suddenly a woman with breasts the size of two ripe melons came running towards Jiraiya. Her sight was set firmly on the pervert hermit. Before Naruto could blink he saw the woman’s fist slam full-force into Jiraiya cheek, sending him flying to the other end of the room.
“You horny old bastard!” She yelled.
Sasuke and Sakura still stood trying to grasp what was going on while the woman grabbed onto Jiraiya’s kimono and began to shake him violently.
“I can’t keep my eyes off you for one second! I honestly don’t know what possessed me to marry you in the first place!”
Naruto placed both of his arms around his head.
“Hah hah, you haven’t changed one bit Granny Tsunade!”
“Ahh is that…” Tsunade stopped ranting immediately and dropped her unconscious husband to the ground, letting his head bang on the floor. “Is that my little Naruto?”
Tsunade was a beautiful woman. She had been born and raised in Las Vegas—needless to say she was something of a gambler: no doubt one of the world’s worst—despite her great personal strength, she was something of a fool when it came to money and had earned herself the title of the “legendary sucker”.
She wore her long blonde hair tied back in matching pig-tails, and could pull of the childish hairstyle simply because she looked so much younger than her thirty-five years—no doubt due to all the beauty creams she uses.
She and Jiraiya met as children, although back then they hated each other—even as a child Jiraiya had already been a drunken pervert and Tsunade had been something of a hard-ass when it came to his vices. But, as they grew older they learned to love each other for their flaws as well as their good points—besides who else would put up with either of them? Not only that, but Jiraiya was the first person to accept Tsunade as a psychic. Tsunade in turn was the first person to say the Jiraiya should look into publishing his novels.
Tsunade’s psychic ability was next to useless when it came to gambling. She had been born with a documented power, known as psychometry—the ability to divine information from people and objects just by touching them. Tsunade had always considered her ability a curse, due to the detrimental effects it had on her view of reality.
Because her gambling left her and her husband in major debt, she decided to put her curse to good use. Jiraiya saved all his money from selling his books n order to by an old inn on the beach. With hard work Jiraiya and Tsunade opened their motel and palm reading house.
Naruto smiled while Tsunade ruffled his blond hair. “You’re a physic, shouldn’t you know? Has anyone been by here lately for a reading?”
Tsunade grinned. “How about you be my first customer of the day? Let me read your future.”
“You already read my future! You said I am going to live happily ever after on a farm with lots of sheep, and pigs, and—”
“Won’t hurt to do it a gain, this reading is on the house. Now, hold out your hands.”
Naruto didn’t want to argue with Tsunade so he shut his eyes tight and placed his hands in Tsunade silky smooth palms. At that second, his future flashed through her eyes. Sasuke, Sakura and Jiraiya gathered around Tsunade and Naruto, watching with keen interest.
Tsunade’s smile faded into shock and then into terror. She collapsed to her knees, dropping Naruto’s hands from her horror-struck grip. Her hands clawed at her blonde hair and she opened her mouth in a silent scream, her body began to shake uncontrollably.
Something is wrong. I have never seen her like this, Jiraiya thought to himself.
“Is she ok?” Naruto cried; his face scrunched up with worry.
“She’ll be fine, I’m sure. Look, it’s getting late,” Jiraiya turned to Tsunade who was still shaking. “I’ll Show them to their room. You get some rest, Tsunade.”
-ooo-
Jiraiya stepped into the door way of Tsunade bedroom. “I need to talk to you,” he requested.
“Come on in” Tsunade said, walking to the door. She pointed to a chair near her desk and shut the door behind him. Tsunade slumped into the chair.
“Do you want to tell me what happened? What did you see?
“I can’t,” she said, her voice quivering. “It’s too ….”
“What? I don’t understand…You read his future before.”
“Remember…Remember when I told you, that everyone has an invisible book. This book; destiny, fate…or whatever you want to call it, is already written before a person is born. It is a very rare thing when a person’s fate is changed; I’d say a billion to one chance.
“Are you telling me that Naruto’s book was re-written? But how? How did it change?
“I’m not entirely sure how it changed, but I think it has something to do with the death of Iruka.”
“Dead? Naruto told me that—”
Tsunade cut off Jiraiya before he could continue. “Those three: Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto… they were never supposed to meet in this lifetime.” She faced her husband, her nerves having calmed some. “Do you really want to know what is in store for Naruto?”
Jiraiya frowned and slowly nodded his head.
“In the next two days—”
Sakura lay awake in her bed, next to Naruto who was snoring loud. She couldn’t take her eyes off the grandfather clock that stood in the corner of the room; it reminded her of her first home, she left not to long ago.
“Oh, Sakura-chan how many times have I told you to—” the woman’s voice was suddenly cut off by a hacking cough that wracked her whole body “…brush your hair for mommy?” She asked, as she began to cough again. Sakura’s mother smiled weakly and ran her boney fingers through her little girl’s pink hair.
Sakura and her mother lived in a one bedroom apartment, no bathroom or running warm water. On the side of the building was an empty lot where people would urinate and sell hookers.
“Mommy, when will Daddy come home? He hasn’t been back for a long time and I’m really, really hungry.”
“I’m sure Daddy will be home soon, darling.”
Sakura looked closely at her mom. She long light golden brown hair that went down her back, but it was now greasy and hung limply around her face, rather than in the full waves Sakura was accustomed to. Her olive green eyes were foggy and had a strange feverish gleam to them, with dark circles under her eyelids. For weeks her mother had been too weak to even get out of bed, Sakura never understood why.
“Sakura you’re going to grow up to be a beautiful girl, you’re going to be special to someone, and you will be happy. I know you will, and when I am gone I will always be watching over you, ok?”
Sakura had no idea what her mother was talking about, but she nodded as if she did. Suddenly feeling tired, Sakura fell into a deep sleep next to her mother, when she woke up she looked at the grandfather clock. It was eleven thirty at night. She sat up from her bed and looked at her mother.
“Mommy…Mommy is you awake? Mommy?”
She lay by her mom and put her hand on the woman’s cheek. Her skin was as cold as ice and pale.
“Mommy, you’re really cold. Here. You can have my blankie.”
But her mother didn’t answer.
The next day Sakura’s father came rushing into the apartment with two men wearing bright yellow Hazmat suits, marked with bio-waste warnings.
One of the strange-looking men unfolded a large white sheet and threw it haphazardly over the dead body.
“Hey…where are you going to bury her?” Sakura’s father whispered to one of the men in astronaut suits.
“Where we take all the diseased people: we throw their bodies into a big hole in the landfill, until it’s all filled up, and then we burn them.”
“You mean there’s no funeral?”
“What are you out of your fucking mind? We do this for a reason, you know. If a flood where to bring the bodies floating up to the city, would have another black plague on our hands. We don’t want that.”
Sakura’s father nodded his head showing that he understood.
“Where are you taking my mommy?” Sakura screamed. “Let her go! Let my mommy go! She’s sleeping!” Sakura grabbed on to the front of one man’s suit and pulled until the man with a mask began to yell and her father pulled her off. Her father picked her up and tossed her over his broad shoulder, still kicking and screaming.
“Sakura, she is going to a better place. Don’t you want Mommy to be happy?”
“I want Mommy here with me!”
The men were gone now, leaving no traces of Sakura's mother.
“Shhh now." Holding her to his chest, he started rubbing her back. “We’ll see her again in a nice place called heaven.”
After that, all Sakura would do is sit on the window ledge, her knees bent looking outside at the dirty street, where dirty children played baseball and had fun with their friends.
Without her mother, Sakura was very lonely and she wanted friends just like the children playing outside. Her father was never home, the second he came all he did was leave her food and make sure she bathed and changed her clothes.
But one day he didn’t come back.
The landlady rushed into Sakura’s room looking for her father. Sakura explained to the furious woman that he hadn’t been back in weeks, but she was sure he would come back soon.
The fat woman with a double chin and chicken grease on her dress would hear none of it. Sakura’s father was all ready two months behind on the rent. She grabbed Sakura by her pink hair and tossed her out on the street with nothing but the clothes on her back.
Sakura roamed the streets looking for food. If Naruto hadn’t have found Sakura when he did, she would have died on the streets alone.
-ooo-
“Sakura-chan,” Naruto whispered. “Are you awake?”
“I’m so excited, I can’t sleep,” Sakura said. “Will you tell me…? I always wanted to know what heaven is like.”
“Heaven is a beautiful place where only good people go to when they--,” Naruto was about to say ‘when they die’ but then he stopped himself because he had never told little Sakura what dying was, and he wasn’t sure she knew.
She assumed it was a special place where her mother was, and that was it. He didn’t have the heart to tell her, but he knew it would have to be soon because she would eventually figure it out. “When they go on vacation.”
Sakura said nothing, but already the twinkle was fading from her eyes and her mouth had slackened with exhaustion. Naruto leaned over and softly kissed her cheek. She giggled and sat up from the bed, taking her time to get situated crossing one leg over the other and drawing her skirt over her knees.
“How do you know those funny peoples?"
“You mean Jiraiya and Tsunade? Well a long time ago, I came to this beach with Iruka.” Naruto paused; it always seemed to hurt every time he talked about Iruka. He looked at Sakura, who was telling him, with her green eyes, that he should continue. “He knew them since he was a boy. I don’t remember much about that, but I do remember I would always search the beach looking for hours for the perfect seashell to give to Iruka. I though it would be more special if I found one rather than buy one at the gift shop, right?” Sakura nodded “Anyways, I would be on my knees in the sand, until the sun when down, looking around for that perfect shell. I never did find one, unfortunately.”
Sakura tool in a deep breath and sat up from her bed.
“I wasn’t your fault, Nii-san.”
Naruto turned his back facing Sakura. “What?”
“Sasuke-kun told me! He told me that Iruka died protecting you from that car! He pushed you out of the way because he wanted to protect you. It wasn’t your fault!”
Naruto wanted to hear those words. Those four simple words: it wasn’t your fault. This girl, Naruto thought she is so little yet so strong and smart. He never expected to hear such wisdom from a girl six years younger than him.
He felt his eyes begin to burn with the onset of tears. For as long as Naruto could remember he held in the tears, even at Iruka’s funeral, Naruto never cried. When was the last time he cried?
Naruto pointed to his knee, it was cut and bruised from the fall. Tears and snot fell from his face.
“Big boys are not allowed to cry.” Iruka told him as he grabbed a tissue from his back pocket and handed it to Naruto. “You’re a big boy, right?”
“Yes, I am a big boy! I won’t cry ever again. I promise!”
“Now that’s a good boy. Come on then, Naruto, I’ll give you a piggy back ride on the way home.”
Naruto started to cry, Sakura seeing that nii-san was crying, started to cry herself. She put her small arms around his neck and sobbed into his chest.
“When my daddy left me alone,” She whispered in his ear. “I hated him! I hated him for leaving me when I needed him the most. But now, I’m glad he did, because otherwise…I never would have met Nii-san or Sasuke-kun!
Naruto stroked her pink hair and rubbed his thumb over her left eye wiping away the tears. He held her in his arms, rocking her back and forth until she closed her eyes and fell a sleep.
Sasuke twitched. He stood behind his door listening closely to the conversation in the other room. They didn’t know he was listening, he didn’t even know himself why he was listening.
Sasuke turned his full attention to the window. Through it he could see the reflection of the full moon frosting waves of the calm sea.
-ooo-
“Holy shit…..holy shit” Jiraiya repeated. For ten minutes that was all the hermit could say after hearing what Tsunade had said about Naruto’s future.
“We have to tell them! We have to warn them!”
“We can’t the balance of nature could change for the worse. Telling them would do more harm than good. Besides its too late, fate has already played its cards.”
“Are you saying we should do nothing? Just sit back and watch while this tragedy happens?” He was angry. No, he was more than angry. He cared for the blonde boy; he was more than willing to do what ever it took to ensure his happiness.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. That wasn’t the only thing I saw, in all that darkness…I saw a ray of light.”
“A light? Like what? Meaning a person?” Jiraiya asked.
“Yes, a person. But not just any person,” Jiraiya scratched his head, confused.
“You don’t think it’s that Sasuke kid, right? It can’t be him.”
“It’s a possibility, but I couldn’t know for sure. I only saw what his fate had written out.”
-ooo-
Once it was hot enough, Sakura and Naruto went outside and played for hours in the sand, building castles, and looking for seashells or sand crabs.
The waves crashed on the sand, soaking them up to the knees. Naruto told Sakura to stay where she was at so he could try to get Sasuke to play with them.
Naruto ran over to Sasuke was and sat on the yellow and red beach towel.
“Naruto!” Sasuke yelled “You’re going to get sand all over my towel!”
“You’re such a spoil-sport, Sasuke”
“Hey, where is Sakura?”
“She’s right over--” Naruto pointed to where he had just told Sakura to stay. Naruto searched the beach with his eyes finding no traces of the girl.
What? There is no way she could have run back to the inn, not in such short time. Shit! She must have gotten taken by the tide!
Naruto sprinted as fast as he could and dove into the salty sea water. He couldn’t see anything: just groped blindly with his hands and feet in the water. Once out of breath, he shot up to the surface to get a gulp of air before going back under. He was never going to stop, not until he found Sakura.
Sasuke stood dumbfounded, never moving from his spot to help Naruto, or search for Sakura himself.
It took all of Naruto’s strength to drag the girl out of he water. He lay collapsed over her on the sand, the waves still lapping at their legs, trying to drag them back into the deep waters. The blonde boy placed his ear on Sakura’s chest.
She wasn’t breathing.
What to do! What am I going to do!
He took a deep breath, tilted her head and breathed in to her mouth he watched her little chest rise then fall again. Naruto repeated this again and again, never giving up until she finally coughed up green sea water.
Naruto didn’t realize till now that Sakura was clenching tightly to something.
Her half open eyes smiled and she relaxed her wrinkly palm to reveal a perfect pink shell. The shell Naruto would have wanted to give Iruka.
“You idiot!” Naruto cried. He held on to Sakura. He would protect her. Always.
Sasuke fell to his knees and clawed at his scalp with his fingers. He was such an idiot, a complete fool. His heart stopped when he thought Sakura was in danger. That moment of fear—the realization of his affection— betrayed everything.
“Do what you want with Sakura, but you’re not allowed to kill Naruto.” Those cruel words repeated over and over in his mind. He didn’t want to let them go; he loved them too much. He knew what he needed to do.
Sasuke sprinted to the inn as fast as his legs could take him. He needed to call off the trade; he needed to tell Kabuto there was no deal. He ran past Tsunade and Jiraiya, who where enjoying their afternoon green tea, sitting on the couch in the living room and ran straight into the kitchen.
He was lost in his thoughts. If any anyone should die it should be Orochimaru. That bastard ruined so many lives.
Tenten for instance, her father was a heavy drinker and gambler. He owed a huge sum of money to the mafia and owed even more to Orochimaru, who was not very kind when it came to money.
Her father, fearful for his life, disappeared leaving Tenten’s mother buried in debts and daily threats. One day Orochimaru, annoyed at not having received his long over-due money, paid a visit to Tenten’s family.
As oldest of twelve siblings, Tenten felt it was her duty to protect her family. Orochimaru was about to kill her mother when she pleaded that he sell her body in place of paying her father’s debts. Orochimaru, never one to turn down a pretty piece of flesh, gladly accepted the offer.
“I am more than willing to do whatever it takes to keep my family safe,” Tenten said one day, when she was talking to Sasuke in the garden. “Even sell myself, that’s just how much I love them.”
In truth, Sasuke envied Tenten, in another year she would go free. Free to go back to her family. Free to do what she wished. He would never be free. Orochimaru owned him. His body, his soul, everything.
“If you ever leave me, I will search the ends of the world until I find you. Then I will rape and kill that boy that you are so fond of,” Orochimaru told him once. Sasuke knew Orochimaru would keep his word: he always did, after all.
Covered in sweat and shaking with fear, Sasuke picked up the phone. He knew Kabuto’s personal cell phone number off by heart. His fingers trembled as he dialed the numbers, and rested his head against the phone.
It rang for a long time, and it seemed that Kabuto was never going to answer.
“Pick up the phone, god damn it!”
There came a static click and then:
“Ahh, Sasuke-kun. Hello,” Kabuto said.
How did he know it was me? It doesn’t matter.
“I want out, Kabuto! I can’t do this! I don’t want to sell Naruto or Sakura for revenge! I don’t know what I was thinking!”
Sasuke was silent for a moment trying to regain his thoughts. He could hear heavy breathing on the line, and groups of people talking in the back ground. He wasn’t sure but he thought he heard someone ask if they should clean up the blood.
Blood?
“Oh, I’m sorry, Sasuke-kun, but I wasn’t listening. Could you repeat that?”
Sasuke gripped the phone so hard his knuckles went white and yelled. “Don’t you fuck with me! You heard me fine!”
Kabuto started chuckling, making the little hairs on the back of Sasuke’s neck stand on end.
“The table is set,” Kabuto said. “There is no turning back now. I just can’t wait to see little Naruto’s face when he finds out the one he loved and trusted most was the one who sent him to hell.”
Sasuke let the phone drop from his hands. He backed away and bumped into the table where Sakura’s doll was sitting. The doll fell to the floor.
Hearing the loud crash, Sasuke looked at the doll, it had fallen face up, it’s head half shattered with pieces scattered across the floor, showing the darkness inside never mean to be seen.
To Be Continued…