Okay - what to say here - well firstly - Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto - if I did then why would I be writing about it on a FanFic site? See, no logical sense there, right?

Anyway - anything in italics will mostly be the characters thinking to themselves (about other people)- also if you are squeamish and dislike such things as self-harm then look away now!! Also there will be some boyxboy action! (mwhahahaha)

So this story is basically about Naruto, Sasuke, Orochimaru…er…Itachi I suppose…Kakashi? And maybe a few other peoples - and a few OC's since I'm bad at remembering names... It's sort of somewhat like the manga/anime since the names are the same and also the general background of the characters lives…I've tweaked some things to make it more interesting.

Eventual pairing - NaruSasu/SasuNaru blah blah blah… (Also a little bit of NaruHina in later chapters)

Chapter One

Another bandage was wrapped around the tender wound. The azure eyes watched from a distance as the brows of his fellow captive knitted together, from both frustration and anger as another one of his attempts had been thwarted.

Kabuto left after making sure to remove the bloody blade from the room, carefully watching the ebony haired boy as he stared narrowly at the ground, those shadow-black eyes held a piercing emptiness, but only anger shone through on his face. Kabuto knew - in a strange way that from looking at those eyes, that even though he still continued to fight hopelessly, that ebony haired boy was just as broken as the other one…the fighting seemed to be only a show, maybe even something as trivial as a routine.

"I'll come and check on you again tomorrow, Sasuke-kun," the silver haired man said calmly, adjusting the spectacles on his nose, continuing out of the room. He walked passed the fair haired boy who stood just aside the doorway, who'd been watching the room. Kabuto said nothing. Only glanced at him sideways, and walked away.

Though, that glance said just as much to Naruto as words, Make sure it doesn't happen again, Naru-chan…he could hear it at the back of his mind, his fingers only clung tighter onto the wooden doorframe…Sasuke looked up from the ground, right at Naruto, staring with those blank ebony eyes, and Naruto couldn't stand it. Quickly, he looked away, standing with his back to the wall outside the room.

Sasuke had done it again, hadn't he? But what was the reason this time…? Did he do it because of him? Did Sasuke do it for Naruto again?

Naruto's wide azure eyes were simply wide gaping holes…his breathing was short, his heart thudding in his chest…he simply couldn't escape that feeling…that damned feeling that he was trapped…caged…

Orochimaru was to blame. That man…Naruto despised him, the very thought of him was enough to make Naruto sick…he was also the very same reason why Sasuke dared harm himself, in a desperate attempt to get Orochimaru to leave Naruto alone…to use him as a guinea-pig instead.

With his back against the wall, Naruto gasped swallowing his breath hard. His hands reached up to comfort his sore, bandaged throat, still raw from the injections and screaming from the last experiment. He moaned almost silently, azure eyes clenched shut from the pain…but he would not let the tears fall, not again after so long.

The sound of running feet was heard, over a wooden floor, and arms wrapped around him, holding onto him tightly, a soothing hand upon his back, and Naruto fell into the embrace…he wanted to speak…but he couldn't, again like last time, it would be a few days at the least before he would be able to talk again…

Naruto's fingers clutched onto Sasuke's baggy shirt and held him close, his fingers soon sore from the tight hold, his face pressed wearily into his shoulder. "Naruto…" Sasuke sighed, cradling the smaller looking boy in his arms. "How…how are you feeling…this time?" those dreaded words…he hated to ask them, he didn't want to have to ask them, but he needed to know, even if Naruto would lie to him, those eyes couldn't.

Naruto only shook his head into Sasuke's shoulder, his sore fingers clutching tighter, as if that feeling was the only thing that was keeping him going. "Come on, Naruto…" Sasuke said casually and guided the boy into the room, Naruto not letting go of Sasuke's shirt as they walked to be bed, where Sasuke sat him down after prying his reddened fingers from his clothes. Naruto's blank eyes stared sorrowfully at the ground, hearing Sasuke's footsteps as he headed back towards the door and closed it tight before sitting down next to him on the bed.

The small blonde…Sasuke thought small, but Naruto was maybe only half a head shorter than he was, and they were the same age too, but where as stoic Sasuke looked stronger, Naruto seemed frailer and younger, and so thin…he's been with The Snake longer…that's why he's like that…He was 'broken', that's what Orochimaru had called it…he'd said, 'Naruto is broken'.

Sasuke gently brushed his fingers over the bandage around Naruto's throat…how many needles now had punctured that soft, tanned flesh in those hours he'd spent attached to that chilling metal table? Naruto had slightly flinched at the contact, but he held strong and did not shun it away, he welcomed Sasuke, he always had, even when they'd first met all those years ago, when Sasuke had been so cold to him, Naruto had not stopped attempting to gain a friend, in the end, maybe he had gained a brother.

Naruto reached over, placing his hand upon Sasuke's bandaged wrist, he could almost feel the hurt seeping out of those cuts and it made him cringe…Sasuke was angry, but he was also hurting, he would hide his pain so well, but like Naruto, their eyes let them down, their faces, showed no sign of it, but their eyes, they showed only the emptiness that Orochimaru had left within them…how could one person, be the cause of so much pain?

Sasuke leant closer to Naruto, resting one knee upon the bed as he once again placed his arms around Naruto's neck, and held him close, their cheeks together in the warm embrace…Sasuke noticed that Naruto had not said a word although he usually would have by then…he had guessed that once again due to the experiments, Naruto's voice had abandoned him and would return in a matter of days - as sometimes Sasuke's eyes did to him.

But it was okay that Naruto couldn't speak - no - maybe 'okay' would be the wrong word…but they didn't need to speak to let out their grief and pain.

Naruto, almost carefully wrapped his arms around Sasuke's body. It felt so wonderful and warm against him, so warm, so much nicer than the feeling of that metal table beneath him, much nicer than anything else. His comfort, something that he knew Orochimaru couldn't really take away from him like he could everything else…Sasuke was in the same situation as he was, Orochimaru wouldn't risk disposing either of them - even if it was to spite the other.

They were safe like that.

Pale lips kissed tanned skin or what was exposed of Naruto's throat. Gentle and short kisses, ones that were meant to sooth the blonde's aching spirit as the pieces threatened to entirely shatter. Sasuke's soft kisses brought Naruto ease…he had someone, someone who cared and loved him, and that was all that he needed.

Arms held Sasuke close as those pale lips continued to sooth the sore and burning flesh of his throat, as their bodies fell onto the thick duvet, the smooth fabric cool beneath him, but comforting - legs hugged Naruto's narrow waist and the soothing kisses became passionate, moving away from his sore throat and to Naruto's slightly parted lips, pecking gently as he's always done…

Resting his body calmly aside Naruto's, his arms still wrapped around the smaller boy who lay there in silence, arms fallen limp to his sides, eyes dim, and staring half-cast and heavy at the high ceiling. Naruto wished he could turn to Sasuke and tell him how he felt…all that he was feeling and what he was thinking, in a time when a sort of drunken tiredness had over come him, and he felt as if he could tell Sasuke anything with no fear…but he could not speak. The words wouldn't even begin to form.

Sasuke watched Naruto's smooth face, those dead eyes, his chest as it raised and fell beneath his arm. He lay side-long to the smaller boy, his black eyes just watching…torn on the inside…he'd never had to endure like Naruto had. Since Sasuke had arrived when he'd been eight, Naruto had still always had the worst. He was The Snake's pet. Naruto silently rebelled in his mind, broken and ill, yet so beautiful, and usually, even though his eyes shone with pain, that devious foxy grin would plaster his face…but that day…like every other time, Naruto was lost even deeper…and Sasuke knew that he was to blame.

Naruto only ever got that way when Sasuke did something stupid…but Sasuke had done it for Naruto, and as unusual as it was, it had worked. It had taken Kabuto away from Orochimaru, and that meant less torment for Naruto - for a time at least.

Sasuke had heard screaming through the floors that time.

It really had been awful, and they only continued to worsen…Naruto seemed to have come to accept it - it would never end until the day he died…though Sasuke could not - he would not believe that he belonged to The Snake…there was no way that he and Naruto were simply belongings… possessions…no…but Naruto was broken. A tool.

Sasuke hated that word. Tool. But that was also what Orochimaru called them, that they were his experiments, to help him perfect his idiocy and madness so Sasuke thought…so that he could create something that would only be for his own gain…so that he could ruin more lives.

The fact that Sasuke couldn't protect Naruto…that was what got to him the most. It was Naruto who protected him. Naruto who took care of him, made sure that Orochimaru noticed him and not Sasuke, and kept Sasuke out of it…and it worked…tortured Naruto, tormented Kyuubi, it was all the same to Orochimaru, he was simply a tool to be used.

A god-damned tool, Sasuke thought, his brows furrowing slightly. Naruto turned his head towards Sasuke, and stared at his furrowed brows on his otherwise unscathed ivory skin, and raised his hand, running soft fingers gently over the creases as if attempting to make them vanish.

Sasuke reached over, holding Naruto tighter, closer to him, with more force than Naruto had expected and caught him off-guard.

"Gomen, Naruto…" Sasuke whispered. Naruto would have inquired…he wasn't apologising about harming himself was he? Naruto couldn't say a word, only held on tighter, wanting to be numbed by that pleasing contact. Naruto hated not being able to speak. "I don't know how, but we won't be here for much longer, Naruto…I promise."

The fair haired boy nodded into his companions shoulder, clutching again onto his shirt, how he desperately wanted to believe and hope in those precious words…how he so deeply wanted to believe in and know that Sasuke would not fail him…Naruto knew in the depths of his broken soul that he would never leave Orochimaru's care…not alive anyway.

Okay! So that's chapter one for you! It's short I know - but I thought I would just give a taster before I continued!

Please tell me what you think - since this is the first one that I've written… and if there are like any mistakes or whatever then let me know! (names mostly)

(Cookies in it for peoples who are nice to me!! - aka REVIEW - if you would be so kind)