Five Times He Fell In Love And One Time He Didn't
Disclaimer: Naruto and said characters do not belong to me.
Warnings: Slash, disturbing themes, indirect incest, one-sided love.
Parings: SakuraxNaruto, MinatoxNaruto, SasukexNaruto, HinataxNaruto, GaaraxNaruto and KyuubixNaruto.
One - Haruno Sakura
He thinks she's beautiful when he first sees her -not like the sensual whores that give him red-lipped smiles from the shadows when he passes by- but she's as pretty as the new sakura blossoms, and Naruto thinks she's probably just as sweet too.
Like her name implies, all cotton pink hair and bottle green eyes, she reminds him of a bright spring butterfly. He keeps his distance; after all, even at six years old he knows that if you get to close butterflies they'll fly away.
Two - Namikaze Minato
It is a dark, treacherous form of attraction that he knows has always been there, even if not quite so obvious. Like when he sees those sharp, refined features carved in the stone of the Hokage monument, and his breath catches as his eyes burn. It's not until he learns the Rasengan that Naruto realizes exactly what it is. The feeling of pure energy spiraling between his fingers, cool and sharp like the wind, and the flash of almost deja vu- electricity racing up his spine.
It's danger, threatening to send him plunging down into madness, just like the rush of swirling chakra in his hands, thats not his own. He has to stop. He isn't yours. He tells himself, but continues looking anyway.
Three - Uchiha Sasuke
It starts out as jealousy, and then rivalry, and Naruto can remember hating Sasuke a great deal at some points too, because the boy is temperamental and difficult. He's handsome, with his pale skin and dark coal eyes, but Naruto thinks that it's not quite enough to make up for all his other shortcomings. Rivalry, however soon turns to tentative friendship, sometime after the battle in Wave, with sweet, snow white Haku.
And then Sasuke thrusts his hand through Naruto's chest, and takes his heart in his hands, tap-tap-tap. And Naruto welcomes it with half-choked laughter against the older boy's neck because Sasuke is worth it, worth this. Naruto muses that this pattern just may be unhealthy, and not a little self-destructive.
Four - Hyuuga Hinata
Something about the shy Hyuuga makes Naruto think of the light purple blossoms that only grow in the summer of Snow Country; small and overlooked, but containing the healing properties to counteract a number of chakra poisons. He refuses to reflect over the metaphors.
Hinata is easy to love, with her pale violet eyes and healing hands, and he does love her, he's sure of that much, and in another life it might have been enough. He recalls when Hinata stood in the searing crater of a battlefield, taking on the SS-ranked criminal, Pein, for him, and knows well enough that he doesn't deserve her, and the guilt stabs into his heart just like the electric shock of Sasuke's Chidori had.
He begs her for forgiveness, almost wishing she wouldn't grant it.
Five - Subaku no Gaara
Gaara, Naruto thinks, is everything.
He is power, even when the Ichibi is gone Naruto can feel the fierce, demonic edge to his chakra.
He is life, because Naruto refused to allow him to die he returned.
He is heat, the smooth sands brushing against his ribs when the desert sun is hottest.
He is sin, the utterly filthy curve of his lips against Naruto's naked hips.
He is redemption, he became Kage of a village that once looked upon him as a monster.
He is family, because he understands.
And he is love, the icy teal gaze that keeps him grounded when Naruto thinks he's about to go insane.
Naruto leaves often, letting the wind take him where it will, but he'll will always find Gaara again. Their relationship is wild and uncontrollable, and that suits them just fine.
One and then the other -
"I love you." She says, pale violet eyes flickering in the half-light. It's only a partial lie.
"But you are not what I want." And that is the truth but Naruto would have preferred a falsehood in that moment. Hinata is not his. Not anymore. Not ever.
"Would you rather that I changed my shape?"
The stolen image shimmers and yes, Naruto would prefer this silhouette, but he doesn't dare acknowledge it, not to this creature, not to this form and not to himself.
"You have no right to wear that face." He says instead, and doesn't stop looking.
It smiles at him, lashes lowering over blue, blue eyes as it does so and Naruto inhales sharply, turning away. Minato looks beautiful, even as he wears the Kyuubi's expression.
He reaches up, just a little, and then Kurama is kissing him, hot and dark with Minato's lips. There is a wide line of what Naruto will suffer and what he will not, but this is more than a little past it.
Even as he tears himself away he can feel the Kyuubi's laughter against his throat.
Kurama doesn't bother with any other false appearances, his smile curving white and sharp as he takes his own, vermillion red locks replacing gold.
"I love you." He says with Minato's voice and Naruto doesn't believe him; not for a moment. But he welcomes Kurama's embrace and the vicious, untamed chakra that snakes between his ribs anyway.
Author's note: *sighs* What can I say. Kurama is brilliant to imagine.