Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any songs from Nickelback… damn!
Just For
I want to hold you
Take his eyes out
Just for looking at you.
Yes, I do.
How can I be so stupid?!
This repeatedly ranted through my mind as I dashed into the black abyss of a forest that, on a regular day, was where my team would train in. But this isn't one of those days. All I know is that I have to find him before something might happen…
Something unforgivable.
And I want to hold you
Take his hands off
Just for touching you.
Yes, I do.
Why didn't she tell me sooner? Did she think that he would get better and it would all go away? No time to dwell on that now, I need to hurry… now! Only God knows what he's doing right this second; whether he's completed his task or not, I do not know.
"GRRAHHHHH!!!" Damn it! I have to make it. If not he'll… No. I can't think of that. I need to stay focused and speed my why through this damn forest!
Looking up at the canopy, I search for a small opening to see if he's still up there… on that mountain… staring out into the village.
There! He's still staring up there, but he's close to the edge. I must reach him in time!! I can feel my eyes starting to burn from having the sharingan for such a long time. Coming home from a mission with chakra depletion is one thing, but coming home with chakra depletion AND having the Hokage tell you a big secret about your best friend is another.
And this is BIG!
Ooh, and I want
To rip his heart out
Just for holding you.
And I want
To break his mind down.
Yes, I do.
Yes, I do.
Yes, I do.
Speeding up some more, I take a sharp left and break out of the forest. I stare up the mountain side as I rest my hands on my knees and pant out my exhaustion. As much as this is a bad time to look at the scenery right now, I take a look anyway. Up above, there are many curves, bumps and indents on the surface of the mountain.
Faces of the past and recent Hokages. The leaders of our hidden village.
Turns out that I used up the rest of my chakra racing on the forest branches. It'll take longer for me to climb up the mountain side without chakra and I'm racing against the clock. Instead, I decided to take the scenic route and ran along the path, almost crashing into a few of the oblivious villagers.
I curse the Hokage again.
Flashback
"All right! I know that you have just come from a mission, but there's something you need to know." Let me guess, another mission off the bat. The fifth Hokage stands up from her chair and walks up to the younger ninja with a stressed look on her face. Hands behind her back, she continues. "It's about Naruto."
At this, I look at her in the eyes to show that I'm interested. What I see in her eyes makes my stomach tighten into a knot. It's a look that is rarely shown on Tsunade's face, no one except her fellow sennin, Jiraya, has seen that face before now.
Helplessness.
I clear my throat before speaking. "W-what about Naruto?"
Hesitating, Tsunade takes a deep breath. "As you have noticed lately, Naruto hasn't been himself." I have noticed. Whenever I ask him if he wanted some ramen he would either ignore me or say he had something else to do. "Well, there's a reason for his change."
I lick my dry lips and ignore the fatigue I felt running through my body. I can't have that right now. Something is going on with Naruto and I have to find out what. Before I can ask, though, she answers my questioning eyes.
"He's had this for awhile but learned to get past it, but it began to be too much for him…"
Now, I thought I was the type of person who could be prepared for anything, no surprises nor shock, but the next thing she said completely left me breathless.
"He's being abused."
She calls my name, but I can't hear her as that one word raced through my mind.
End Flashback
And I want to hold you
Make him regret
Life since the day he met you.
Yes, I do.
Don't get me wrong, I knew she wasn't going to tell me about the Kyuubi that is sealed within Naruto. In fact, he told me a couple years ago after he took me away from that God-awful hidden village. I also have a feeling that the Hokage knows that I know. When she told me about him being abused, I thought I was going to go on a killing spree until I found whoever it was that was doing the abusing.
I can feel the strain on my legs getting worse as I take another sharp turn on the path up to the top. The strain's getting so bad that I have to grab onto the railing, hoping my sweat-soaked hands wouldn't slip. But that's a small part in my worrisome mind for the rest of my mind is caught under the "What if…"'s.
What if I was still on the mission? What if I had known earlier? What if I don't make it?
"Naruto… you baka…"
Flashback
There was a sharp pain on my left cheek as my eyes focused back to the real world and faced the kunoichi leader who has both fists against her hips and small tears that are threatening to fall in the corners of her eyes. She's angry with me and yet, she's upset. Tsunade must be putting up a big front. Well, I don't blame her, this is her "Little Brother" we're talking about.
"Listen to me!" Her voice sounds desperate. "Iruka checked with Kakashi at all the places Naruto usually goes to. They checked his apartment, that ramen stand, the team meeting bridge, training grounds, and even the academy! But they couldn't find him. Everyone's getting worried, even Shikamaru's showing signs that he's worried and you know how he is." You bet I do. "The last person to see him was Sakura and that was when she was passing by his apartment building when he was just entering it." She takes a pause to compose herself. "Th-there were no signs of struggle in there so we're thinking he might've run away." Tsunade takes a deep breath and I think she was going to continue before I interrupted her.
"Who's abusing him? How?" My voice is urgent and my eyes narrow to get my point across that if didn't provide me with information, let's just say tht the elders will need to find a new Hokage.
"I… I don't know. All I can figure out is that it's more of a mental abuse. He never told me who was doing it." She looks out the window, down towards the village. I also look out but instead, I look up at the Hokage Monument. My eyes widen as they focus on one thing on the mountain.
"Kuso! Of course!" And I dashed out of there before the woman got a word in edgewise.
End Flashback
And I want to hold you
Make him take back
All that he took from you.
Yes, I do.
Even though the speck of the person on top of the mountain was wearing all black, I could still tell it was Naruto. His orange outfit may stand out to everyone but to me, it was always his hair.
Half way up the mountain and I feel like I'm getting farther and farther away. No! I have to talk to him! I need to tell him this now! If not now, then I'll never get the chance to say it…
… To my secret crush.
Ooh, and I want
To rip his heart out
Just for holding you.
And I want
To break his mind down.
Yes, I do.
Yes! I can see the end of the path! Why couldn't the damn path be less complicated? It would be so much easier and it's not as time consuming.
"Please, Naruto, be up here. Don't do this…"
I can't start cheering yet. There's still a big gap between me and my target and I plan on closing it. Narrowing my eyes, I take one giant leap up to the top and stop in my tracks, trying to catch my breath. I slowly scan the area to see if I could find Naruto. It didn't take long before I found him standing on the Yondaime's head. I don't move from my spot as I study the blonde boy.
From the back, his shoulders were tense and his fists were clenched at his sides. His head was tilted up as he stared at the sky, as if looking for an answer from above. Never before had I thought that Naruto was capable of adorning such a solemn look.
I saw that he was lifting his foot to step closer to the edge when I stopped him.
"Naruto…" It was almost a whisper but the winds picked up at the right moment and carried it to the person in question. He froze before he had the chance to settle his foot on the ground before him and slowly moved it back to his original position. I didn't notice until now that his face was facing the rocky earth beneath him.
Yes, I do.
Yes, I do.
Yes, I do.
Yes, I do…
Neither one of us spoke for awhile. The wind kept blowing, rustling our hair, as if trying to fill the silence and tension. My eyes don't waver from glaring at the still figure just a few meters away. At least, he was still before he once again was facing the sky. Then… he spoke.
"You know… Sasuke… it's such a sunny day today." His tone was light… too light. It was as if he wasn't even here. "The winds are blowing nicely and there are very few clouds…"
What is he talking about? Why is he al of a sudden talking a-
"It's a perfect day for me to die." Oh, he-
"What?!" He can't be thinking of… No! This is exactly what I feared! "No! You can't! You can't just…"
"Oh? But I can. It's not that hard."
"But… why?" Why? I already know why! Why would I ask that? Was it because I needed it to be confirmed?
"Why. You know, there could be a multitude of answers for that one simple question. I guess I could answer you." The last word was said as if he could care less. "It won't really matter, considering I won't be living for much longer. So, here's your answer: I'm sick and tired of him." Naruto's voice was gradually getting louder as he went on. "I'm sick and tired of the same treatment I get everyday! I'm sick and tired of his freakin' personality! I'm sick and tired of his abusive attitude! And…" His shoulders suddenly slump down and he continues in a small voice. "I'm just… tired… Sasuke…"
Ooh, and I want
To rip his heart out
Just for holding you.
And I want
To break his mind down.
Yes, I do.
I look to the rocky ground to my right. Why does it always happen to him? Does someone up there think of it as a cruel joke to have unimaginably terrible shit happen to him?
"I…" What should I say? 'I'm sorry'? No, he won't accept that.
"Don't even say you understand… No one understands!"
Taken aback, my eyes widen and I take a few silent steps forward to try and comfort him. Before my outreached hand got within ten inches of Naruto's shoulder, he began to slowly move closer to the edge. I try to speak to him, tell him that I… but my words keep coming out in a mumbled mess.
He's a few inches short of jumping when I take off into a run to stop him. Naruto must've heard me because he suddenly jumped! I quickly jump after him.
"No!!" Just a couple more inches and I can grab his shoulder! I'm almost there!
My fingers graze his shoulder.
Yes, I do.
Yes, I do.
Yes, I do.
Had this in my mind for awhile and finally got the chance to work on it because the stupid cable guy came over and messed up our internet. Well here it is, and angst one-shot.
No, I'm not going to say who it was that abused him because I want you guys to think of who it may be. I'll tell you this, it is definitely NOT an OC character for I do not know any OC's that are guys plus I think it would be better to have the abuser be a character in the Naruto series.
Please review!! XD