Hello, I'm really sorry for going so long. I've decided to remake my unfinished stories, this plot just stuck to me x.x
prologue
There was always a low lullaby in the classroom, it was low— it hummed— but most of all, it was all too familiar. A growling and growing hunger, a roar in the midst of silence— a plea from starvation. The sounds were never eerie, till they began to gnaw on the students, it seemed like a territorial beast had snuck in the center of the academy, prowling for the students— for the course of students, the delicacy of fine child-flesh. They were all food on a platter, all stationed at one table that was a classroom, and whenever the mentors left, there was always worry in the back of the student's heads. It never did become apparent where the sound had come from, the sleuths dubbing it the hungry beast, it snuck up on you like a predator— it was always, always behind you. And every day, it was there, it never ceased the effects of mild discomfort, never giving a hint to what it was, never shedding blood in daylights— but all the genin believed it was a true beast, none truly believed it only came after the bad and the ugly, and the sincerely and openly rattled children. Genuinely, they all accepted it was coming after them till they were out of the academy, thus it drove many students in later years to an affixed instinct and tendency to grasp when something felt off, a fight or flight instinct that only materialized at the feeling they once had as children, the sensation of sweat drenching your forehead, the throbbing of your own two eyes as you tried to stay awake in the anxious silence of the deadbeat classroom. The rapid breathing of the creepy hungry beast, it was always in the back of the classroom and no one dared to look behind. It snooped at you and once you had learned what fear is, you immediately learned when to run and when to stay, to try to stop the churning of your stomach that was engulfed in fear and tension.
The strangeness was the fear never did come to Naruto, who sat at the back of the classroom, reciting quietly and utterly silent to himself. The schoolboy who never managed to go through simple tasks, the dead-last and negligent cherub everyone in the village hated. No child did ever learn of what he had done, or what he had not done, why his name was a prominent symbol of hatred in the village— all they could do was follow, never a kid to stay in the back of the line, all wanting to be the first sheep to run. They're interest although, was lost on the rumored hungry ghost. Naruto never did figure out why his stomach ached angrily at the worst of times, early morning was always an occasion for the blond, the early morning where even the unexceptional and universal quick-cooking ramen could not sate the ache in his belly, the rot of milk only calms it temporarily. It's as if he's speaking of the rumored beast, yet it only lies in his guts instead of out and around— he's not even sure if that's a lie. It does kick sometimes, he doesn't know what it is, but it kicks, it's the brand of abhorring and loathe drawn in a pattern of hoops and spheres around his abdomen. Maybe it stopped, that day, when he learned he wasn't the only one alone in the village— it's not the reason he started pranks but it encouraged him to be a loud and noisy child, a true nuisance that deserved less than a huge extra on the bill. Deserved a good beating, the red-headed stepchild of the village, the black sheep, the inconvenience and the bad in the community. That was what Naruto had become after rotten milk and an empty wallet. He was a hungry child and he hadn't eaten in a long time— and now was the perfect time to dine. Naruto never knew what truly motivated him to do such a thing, maybe it's the luxury of watching your meal become something more, something refined, the glorious creamy and tawny skin firm draped over the flesh like topping— fresh and all prepared, waiting for you to sink your teeth into their pearly white bones and crack them open till they become a colorless olive, but it also might be the bosky markets with their enormous and discriminatory prices— or maybe that was what Naruto wanted to convince himself as he strolled, he never prowled, around the shady and demanding business in Konoha.
Maybe it was after he learned Sasuke didn't make him go crazy with hunger, didn't show off his wrists and ankles to the hungry boy in the classroom. Because he knew, Sasuke was hungry too. Oh, boy— he might not have been as hungry as Naruto but Naruto recognized one of his own immediately, he learned if he's a creature of such hunger and lust for human skin and everything underneath it, he must be able to recognize others. It's not a sharp trait he has— nor is it something special and acquired, it's always been there, at first, he thought.. maybe only the strong had it. Maybe because he was such a strong little boy— that God cursed him with this hunger. But he never, never seemed to catch the slightest hint of weakness in Old Man, never heard the undernourishment wafting off like he did from Sasuke. Sasuke wasn't a strong little boy, he was big and he was weak and he was all too hungry.. just like Naruto. And maybe he'd get hungrier if Naruto didn't do anything, maybe he'd get really hungry and try something in the classroom— maybe that's why Naruto decided to eat flesh for the first time. Not to sate his own needy desires that clung at each moment they got— no, it's because of the greater good. The greater good was Sasuke, a beloved boy turning into an outcast like Naruto? No one wanted that, no one wanted for any of the little good, little fleshy genins in the classroom to get sliced up and splattered like rancid pigs on a butchers table. It was never and never will be for Naruto's desires— or Sasukes' own longing. It will never be a raunchy hankering for the children, it will never be that— ever. Naruto promised himself, made an oath, that this was all for the greater good. He didn't know if he was trying to convince himself— or the hungry beast in his guts, with no doubt now that it was there. That there indeed was something in his tummy and it turned when it was hungry, and hungry? It always was.
Naruto chose them carefully, never too carefully though— he always chose the civilian kids, he strolled, he never prowled, around the streets of Konoha, the bosky and the reputable markets— and he finally found the one. It wasn't as easy as the description seemed to be, the girl had missed a lot of classes, including several exams— she might've not even been on his list if he hadn't been after her on his second try, he was so nervous he memorized her name that repeated like a mantra in his head. She didn't know much about him, which was a good thing— but wasn't that good if the other villagers knew. He chose a perfect day, the perfect forks and the perfect dressing. With a wooden log, he killed her small head and ended her whole, he hid her and diced her, he diced her many times till there was no longer any creases. He never did eat it, though he wrapped it in a package patterned with dandelion flowers and brought them with him. Naruto's mouth wouldn't stop watering as soon as he stuffed the meal into a small ratty bag. Seemingly, no one noticed the growling had stopped for one day. "Te- Sasuke.."
It wasn't the first time Sasuke had been offered a meal in a cute little-wrapped meal, but it was the first he had accepted it. Sasuke had looked at Naruto rattled once he opened the meal— there it was, a chopped arm— not quite chopped, it was sliced clean, blood barely leaked from the bandage but it was still a messy-cleanly cut job. Sasuke swallowed, how did Naruto know? Did he also long for this kind of meal? No— the real question, the one he had kept hidden for as short as he could.. where did he get this from? And, why does it— does it look so fresh? Sasuke wanted to vomit, but could not find the will to unstomach this and untuck this meal that had landed on his lap, all he could do was suck on the skin softly— because human skin had never felt so gentle between his lips. Such delicacy, he could already smell the aroma from inside the woven muscles, he never thought a hamstrung arm could smell— taste so good.
"Mmnnhg.." Sasuke groaned, canting his teeth further into the dimples he had made, the blood splattering into his cheeks and upper lips, but Sasuke could care less sullying his face right now— all he wanted to was eat more of that delicious goodness that was an arm. Though he was suddenly stopped, he didn't find it annoying to pour hot sauce into the flesh, now that the skin was peeled away. It did taste a lot better— not that it was tasteless, but the tingling sensation in his tongue accompanied by the fineness was amazing— superb. Naruto ate along with him, they continued the whole day eating a leg and knuckles, accompanied with many other flavors— Sasuke found he liked bitter human best, lemon and salt were great toppings; accompanying black pepper, it was simply mouth-watering. Too mouth-watering for him to ignore a second bite the day after. Naruto invited Sasuke to his apartment that was in the sleepy neighbors of Konoha, not that Sasuke ever found it cruddy, it never soiled the taste as he ate the best part—
"How can you still eat that?" Sasuke pointed with a bloodied finger— Naruto stopped nipping delightfully at the gorgeous pink of knees, instead dipping it into the bowl of the broth of his ramen. "This is the best part, teme!" Naruto quickly pulled out of the bulbous fat out of the soup, holding it repulsively over his mouth as it dripped into his tongue, trailing down to a large mouthful gulp. Sasuke looked away— eating the rest of his meal, his stomach-churning; thankfully not in hunger but in disgust at the blond's eating habit.
They quickly finished their meals, the only thing they haven't eaten so far was the head, which Sasuke didn't know where Naruto threw away. He never asked where Naruto got the organs from.