Trial of the Fox
By: Ernilriel
Disclaimers: I do not own Naruto I just write fan fiction.
A/N: OK, I am trying to find a genre that works for me, I want to write a story that gets a lot of reviews, and I can't do that by myself, so after you've read this I beg of you please give me some feed back! Thanks!
'Thoughts' Kyuubi "speech"
Part 1: Tension builds
"HOW MANY YEARS HAVE WE LET THAT DEMON LIVE AMONG US!" shouted a man on a crate in an old ware house to a mob of angry Konoha citizens.
"TOO LONG!" shouted the crowd in unison.
"HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THE FIRST PLACE! HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO LIVE! RIGHT!" asked the man on the crate his face red with anger.
"RIGHT!" Answered the crowd shaking their fists in the air; the tension in the ware house was so thick it seemed as though you could cut it.
"BUT WHAT ABOUT THE HOKAGE? SHE WOULDN'T LET US GET NEAR THE BOY!" Inquired a man in the back.
"DON'T WORRY ABOUT HER, THERE'S ONLY ONE OF HER, AND FIFTY OF US!" answered the leader, "its SETTELED THEN, THE BOY WILL BE NO MORE!"
Naruto was lying on his back still worried about what had happened the day before. He had been in the area of the accident, a child had been injured, and when he brought the child to the hospital the child's parents pinned the fault on Naruto. And now even more tension had wound its self between him and the older citizens of Konoha. Then a knock on the door snapped Naruto out of his trance-like state. Naruto answered the door, it was Sasuke.
"What's up Sasuke?" asked Naruto rubbing his eyes.
"It's the Hokage, she wants to see you in her office," answered Sasuke and then disappeared.
"Okay…" mumbled Naruto confused by the strange visit.
It was 11 O'clock at night and Naruto went to the Hokage's office. The streets seemed more deserted than usual. When he got to the building Tsunde was waiting out side.
"Come inside, it's not safe out," she said showing Naruto the way in. Just then it started to rain.
Inside the rain casted shimmery shadows that danced on the walls. Tsunde sat down at her desk and Naruto took a seat on of the chairs in front of the desk.
"May I ask why I was asked to be here?" asked Naruto politely.
"I have bad news Naruto, after the accident yesterday, people are getting pretty angry," Tsunde said with a slight sigh.
"Hokage, I didn't cause that accident, you know that," said Naruto.
"I know, I know, just every one else doesn't know that. And I have been getting a lot of not just request, but demands for your execution," Tsunde sighed, Naruto was silent, "But the more I refuse, the more hostile it gets. We have two choices, we can either fight it, or you can hand over your fate to them."
'Well, what have I got to live for, the village hates me, Sasuke had finally given in to his feelings for Sakura, and they're together. Not much is going for me,' thought Naruto, he was silent for a long time, 'If I fight it, people might rebel and cause chaos, and it would all be my fault, so to fight would be selfish. Not shinobi like at all.'
"I'll give in, let them satisfy their hate for me, by exterminating me in which ever way they please," said Naruto finally, "To fight them would cause trouble, and I don't want to cause any more."
"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Tsunde, surprised by his decision.
"Yes," Naruto said with assurance.
Sakura was lying on her back, it was hard to go to sleep, and the rain didn't help much. Sasuke breathed steadily next to her. Sakura found it strange, she thought that being close to Sasuke was something that would make her the happiest woman on earth, but she felt like something was missing. Sure Sasuke's affection was something that any girl wanted, But Sakura recalls being the happiest inside when she was with Naruto.
Sakura felt a chill run down her spine, and then a feeling of great dread, like something horrible was looming near.
Part 2: It Begins
The next day the older citizens of Konoha rallied in front of the Hokage's office.
"HOKAGE, DID YOU SPEAK TO THE LITTLE DEMON ABOUT OUR DEMANDS!" called one of the men in the crowd.
"Yes I did and he chooses to come freely," said the Hokage calmly, "I just demand that instead of his execution to be held today, that it is postponed for a week."
"We'll fallow with your demand, if you let us hold the boy in that time frame, we can do what we please with him, and we won't kill him," haggled the man.
"That is entirely up to Naruto," answered the Hokage. Naruto stepped out of the building.
"Well, what do you say, boy?" asked the man harshly glaring up at Naruto.
"Do what ever will slake your bloodlust," answered Naruto. Then the crowd seized Naruto and dragged him to the old warehouse.
Sakura and Ino where walking home from the grocery store when they heard the mob coming from down the street. Sakura and Ino moved aside to avoid getting trampled then Sakura spotted Naruto among the crowd getting pushed forward.
"What's going on?" Sakura asked Ino, she shrugged her shoulders.
"What ever it is, it can't be good," replied Ino.
"Hokage where is Naruto?" asked Sasuke, the Hokage was standing outside her office.
"Naruto has agreed to cooperate and go with them," the Hokage answered solemnly.
"Is he crazy? They'll kill him!" exclaimed Sasuke, "What was he thinking?"
And Sasuke went for help. Out of his whole carrier of being a ninja, only one other person he saw as a true superior was Naruto. Sure Sasuke could easily defeat him, but when it came to determination Naruto had everyone beat. Sasuke searched all over town and he found Kakashi.
"Kakashi! Naruto, he's in trouble, we gotta help him!" panted Sasuke.
"I know, but there's nothing we can do. Those people got permission from the Hokage, so what their doing is perfectly legal," replied Kakashi.
"Sure it's legal, but what do they think their accomplishing by doing this?" asked Sasuke.
"They probably think that they will destroy the demon Kyuubi once in for all, but what they really doing is spilling innocent blood," answered Kakashi, wind started to pick up, and thunder rolled in the distance.
Outside of the abandoned warehouse was a small quad closed of by a chain link fence. In the center of the quad the mob put a chair and tied Naruto in the chair. Then taking turns the mob beat and tortured Naruto.
"So, what do you think of us now fox?" yelled one of the people in the mob and he punched Naruto in the jaw, Naruto felt molars shattering and bone cracking. Naruto was silent and didn't look up at the people that despised him so. The sun was setting low behind the mob of people, dark clouds loomed over head, and then the slight kiss of rain started pressing against Naruto's bloodied face.
"Let's go inside, we're done for tonight," said someone in the crowd. Two men were assigned to keep an eye on Naruto, to prevent escape.
"Sakura! Sakura!" Sasuke called as he pounded on her front door.
"Sasuke, what is it?" Sakura asked as she opened the front door.
"It's Naruto, some mob took him away, and they plan to kill him!" Sasuke answered with urgency.
"What! They can't do that!" Sakura exclaimed.
"Oh, they can, they somehow got permission from the Hokage," replied Sasuke.
"What are we gonna do?" Sakura asked.
The rain went from a light drizzle to a heavy down pour. Naruto was sitting in the chair he was tied to; shivering. The two people assigned to watch over him had left for home hours ago. Naruto felt sore all over his body, blood oozed from a wound just next to his eye; which was swollen.
Naruto tried to look out beyond the fence but a combination of the lights beating down on him and the rain made it impossible. Then a dark figure landed inside the quad. The figure wore black robes and was wearing a hood over its face.
"Wh-who're you?" mumbled Naruto through his broken jaw. The figure came closer and took off the hood; it was Sakura.
"S-Sakura, what're you doing here?" asked Naruto.
"Shhh, I brought some stuff that might help," answered Sakura, she took off her cloak and put it around Naruto.
"Naruto, there's something I have to tell you, ever sense I was eight, I had feelings for a boy, at first I didn't know who it was, I thought it was Sasuke, because that's who all the other girls liked," Sakura said using a bit gauze to clean the wound on the side of Naruto's head.
"But you two are together, aren't you?" asked Naruto.
"Yeah, but I know it's too late now," answered Sakura, she sounded like she was on the verge of tears, "Naruto, the boy I had feelings for wasn't Sasuke, it's you Naruto, I just wish I could go back and do things over again. And maybe things wouldn't have come to this."
Sakura started crying, Naruto felt pathetic, what he wouldn't doto be able to put his arms around her and tell her every thing will be alright. But he couldn't, he felt like this was all his fault, because of him Sakura will have this ugly scar on her memory.
"Naruto, I wont let them kill you without killing me," Sakura said.
"Sakura, promise me something," said Naruto, she looked up.
"What?" Sakura asked.
"Promise me that you'll forget about me," Naruto said.
"Why?" Sakura asked surprised at what Naruto said.
"Because, you're not supposed to die any time soon, you're supposed to die at an old age, have kids, see grandkids, and great grandkids. Me on the other hand, because of the demon that dwells within me, people will always see me as a demon, and demons belong in hell," Naruto explained grimly.
"Naruto…," Sakura started.
"You should get out of here, they might catch you," Naruto interrupted not looking at Sakura. Lightning flashed in the distance, Sakura got up, and without a word jumped over the fence and disappeared into the night; leaving Naruto, who felt nothing but guilt.
A/N: So… how was it? Was it good, was it bad, I'd like to know. Plz review! Give me some feedback and I'll even reply in the next chapter to questions and comments.
thanks!