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A/N: First fanfic. Please review.
Twins
The silence was deafening. Alone, he was falling deep into the endless dark abyss. His breathing was labored, he realized, but there was no sound. No one left. Alone… Whispers began to filter through, snippets of a contradicting and lost past. Did he even want to hear this?
"You will never amount to anything…"
" We love you…"
"You worthless demon! Why did you even have to be born?!"
"Mommy will come back 'kay?"
Stop it… stop it… STOP IT!
His eyes jolted open, his acute senses were overpowered by sensations and sounds. One in particular caught his attention. An overwhelming taste of iron. Blood.
His hand was throbbing; a result of him having bitten it unconsciously as he silently screamed his hurt and terror. Even asleep he knew better than to alert anyone of his turmoil. Inner turmoil meant weakness and weakness would get him killed. In dull fascination, he watched as his hand, which had been gruesomely ripped open until white bone showed through the grisly flesh, healing right before his eyes. There wasn't even a scar left. All that remained was the crimson patch on his originally tan, blood soaked shirt. Liability. The scent of his blood would make it easier for any pursuers to track him. He would have to fix that.
"Naruto…the nightmare again?"
The soft lilting voice was nearly inaudible even to his heightened senses. It was more of a statement than a question. Naruto turned onto his side, his healed hand seeking another's, the combined warmth relieving him more that he would have let known. However, the other always knew. Thoughts, feelings, nothing could be hidden but then again, neither would he want it to. He looked up from their enjoined hands, into a face that mirrored his own. Large cerulean eyes stared up into his own, soft silky golden silver hair framed an angular face, all traces of baby fat removed through harsh with absolutely no blemishes whatsoever with a delightful tan that seemed to give off a soft glow. Any worry and doubt was gone, pushed away by the mutual love and concern for each other. They fell asleep in that position, symmetric mirror figures curling into each other, arms twined together as they slept soundly, their angelic features out of place on the bloody floor of a dusty underground cell.
oo0oo
The morning dawned early for the two blonds, their internal clocks rousing them just before sunrise. The heavy impenetrable door made out of an unidentifiable material, which gave off no sheen, creaked open ominously. Their day had begun.
Step, step, and dodge, whirling movement, glints of light, nicks and tears as the lacerations healed.
They had to be swift as the wind, fleet-footed to avoid being impaled on the gleaming sword,Kusanagi, which their master, Orochimaru, wielded. The twins leapt away, moving in perfect sync. Amongst other things, the twins shared a mental link, which allowed them to plan an attack or defense strategy whilst being on the move. It was usually very useful but the twins had yet to learn how to close the link when they were experiencing something unpleasant. For example;
"That $#$ #%! It hurts so$ #&^$#much!"
Naruto winced as he heard and felt his twin sister, Naru, being gutted like a fish. Orochi made an awful grating sound as it ground against her ribs before dislodging from her lung with a disgusting wet pop. Her blood rained down from both the rapidly healing wound and her mouth as she choked on her own blood. Her eyes unfocused, she relied on her instincts as she fought unconsciously, depending on her brother to watch her back.
Naruto made the mistake of glancing towards her and he paid the price by having himself being pinned to the wall, dull rusty blades holding him in place, the metalwhich was slick with a dark poison, digging into his limbs and painting the wall scarlet with his blood. He bit his lip as he felt the tears well up in his eyes.
'No! He was not going to let Him have the satisfaction of seeing him cry or scream. Not until after his dying day which, by the way his wounds were not closing as he was slashed and run through repeatedly with Kusanagi, would be quite soon…'
"Hmm… So this poison doesn't kill you but merely keeps your wounds open? Interesting. Get the antidote from Kabuto. Dismissed." Mused their master as he released Naruto and strode off.
'Well shit…now what?'
'What do ya mean?' Naru's faint voice with traces of humor crackled over their link.
'Hello?! Bleeding to death here!'
'…Right. I'm coming.'
oo0oo
The drugs administered to the twins as well as the modification of their genes which had enhanced their abilities, as well as had given them an abnormal healing rate. The augmentation had been absolute hell for the twins. Anyone with weaker wills than theirs would not have even survived the preparation, which included such a high amount of drugs that it was toxic.
The procedure itself was the literal ripping of each and every cell apart and reforming with some added or changed 'parts'. The procedure was agony for the two young souls who were wide awake throughout the ordeal, which lasted hours. They didn't scream or cry, their hands clasping each other's tightly as they tumbled into the world where there was nothing but pain.
'Speed, strength, high resistance against pain, an intellectual mind,' all were on the twins list of things required for survival in their life.
By some cruel twist of fate, their abilities did not aid them at all. Their regimen of training still caused them to end up in the same state as before, at the end of their 'training sessions' with their master. This was due to the fact that with greater abilities came even harsher training.
Before the enhancement their master, a certifiably insane genius , had held off his more punishing blows as the twins would be of no use to him dead or crippled. Now that they had their accelerated healing, he granted them no such reprieve.
oo0oo
"Kabuto. Antidote please." Droned Naru, all traces of warmth and emotion gone from her demeanor. The perfect soldier. The resident medic and Orochimaru's right hand man merely smirked at the seven year-olds as he handed them the antidote. He knew exactly which one they needed. He created the poison after all.
The moment the antidote was administered, the gashes closed up but Naruto remained deathly pale. Thanking Kabuto curtly, the twins walked briskly, not missing a beat until after the door closed behind them. Then, their façade dropped, Naruto stumbled, barely conscious and would have fallen if not for Naru who immediately held him up, her lips in a thin line, her face grim.
They staggered to their cell, careful to avoid Orochimaru's lackeys as best as they could since they didn't want anyone to see how badly affected they were. Glares met their cautious glances as Naru unconsciously slid into a defensive stance but made no movements to suggest aggressiveness since the gruesome manifestations of countless experiments would take that as an excuse to attack the prize 'pets' of the master. They were weak and despite the brave façade Naruto put on he was in no condition to fight. If it had been a normal day not even a hundred of the 'lackeys' would be able to even scratch them but weakened as they were, a fight now wouldresult in a bloodbath where it was debatable whether or not they would survive. Winning meant living. Lose and you would most assuredly die. Loki had no use for weak 'lackeys'. Here, power was everything. With power you would rise and if you caught the Master's eye you may have the chance to be 'trained' thus heightening your chances of survival.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, they reached their cell and dropped into blissful unconsciousness. The darkness slowly creeping up on them as their cell door shut, the sound ringing with a finality in the silent hallways.
Yep, just another day of training.
oo0oo
'… Oi…Na…to…Naru…to…Naruto!'
" Gah!" came the 'manly' muffled shriek as Naruto turned over and rolled head first … into a wall.
'Oww…Not the best way to wake me up Naru.'
'Sorry. This is important! We got a day off 'training''cause Master wants you top notch for the next one. We gotta go scout. You wanna get out of here don't you?'
'…Fine. But still ...What if outside?'
The question was left unsaid. The woman known as 'Mother' who haunted their dreams at night had promised to return. However, although she was the most beautiful woman they had ever seen with her lush mane of ruby red hair and her flawless porcelain skin, her eyes told a different story. They seemed to be warm and welcoming but even at that tender age of three, the two could detect the deep loathing and disgust that filled her being when she looked at the two.
With their enhanced memory they could remember their treatment at her hands. The attempted murder in their sleep. Times when they would wake up with cuts and bruises. The cold glares behind their backs when she thought they weren't looking. The times when they would go out for trips in the mountains when they would play all day long and she would look happy for once and would laugh, her face carefree and her hair whipping wildly around her as she twirled. Then she would look at them and her expression would harden. The trips would be cut short then. They had tried hiding a few times just to allow her some time of release without any disturbances but those few times, she would get up and leave and would be very displeased when they returned home tired and hungry after a few days. Like she wanted them to die. She would ignore them for days on end. Nothing. Silence.
The best and worst thing she had ever done was hand them over to Orochimaru. Here the attention-starved twins received what they craved so desperately for. It wasn't the kind of attention one would normally want but it was what they grew up with. All they had.
So the most pressing questions after four years of living the same wretched existence under Orochimaru was, did they really want to escape? What if the rest of the world was like 'Mother'?
The twins remained indecisive but nonetheless used the golden opportunity to scout the perimeter, and watch the guard shifts which, coupled with their memory of past shifts allowed them to know exactly when there would be guard changes and subsequently, perfect opportunities to escape.
The guards were quite rowdy since the duo had slipped something stronger than water in their drinks. Due to not being in their right minds, the said things that they would normally not let slip. For instance, under all their coarse talk, there were little gold nuggets of information like bits and pieces on how to get to the surface. Patiently, the twins withstood it all while collecting and piecing together the right information to get proper directions out of the perpetually confusing maze known as Orochimaru's lair or to the twins, home.
As the concoction began to properly kick in and the guards fell into a deep coma-like state, out of the blue,
'We're pretty selfish aren't we Naru?'
'Huh?'
'We keep asking and asking for things. How do we know… that what we have isn't the best already? We've already gotten the attention we craved for so long. If we rebel, whose to say that everything we have isn't taken away from us?'
'…Life is …risky to say in the least. The question that you really need to ask is, is it worth it? We will never know unless we try and I'm tired and nearing the end of my sanity. If we stay any longer, the pain and the bloodshed will drive us over the edge. Are you willing to risk leaving?'
'…I…I am.'
'Then so am I.'
Their minds decided they grasped each other's hands, their eyes shining with determination. They would see this through no matter what. Together.
oo0oo
As the days passed, the duo waited for the perfect time to strike. Patiently, they endured until finally, as they were walking back to their cell, they heard a little tidbit of information that made everything fall into place.
In a little tunnel branching off from the main one, two guards were whispering, thinking it was enough precaution, thinking the twins would not hear them, somehow conveniently forgetting their enhanced hearing.
"Didja hear? Master's leavin' fur a shurt while along wit tat creep Kabuto. They ain't leavin' till mornin' but after tat those brats 'there are gonna get new enhancements. Sumtin' 'bout rare poison? Whatever it is those freaks 'there ain't gonna keel over yet. Takin' Master's attention and all. Can't wait till they're in a whole new levul of pain. Tch." One of them slurred.
" Yea. Freaks of nature them." The other grunted.
Eyes glinting, the duo grinned. The thought running simultaneously in their minds was:
'Perfect'
Two days later when the twins were sure their master had left, they made a break for it. Weakening the strange metal of the door with a chemical they had swiped from Kabuto's laboratory, it only took one strength-augmented fist to blast the door into shrapnel, which reduced the guards outside to bloody shreds.
Dashing forward, they wove they're way through the maze-like tunnels, with their eyes closed, the directions having been memorized by heart. Having their eyes open wouldn't have helped then anyway. Every single tunnel looked identical. It was a confusing pattern of yellow and gold swirls which, along with the long twisting shadows cast by the torches mounted on the walls which were the only sources of light, meant to disorientate anyone who passed through their hallways.
Using their superior sense of smell and hearing, the dyad successfully avoided the traps and most of the guards. The daggers the children had filched from previous bodies ruthlessly cut the others who got in their way down. Not even pausing to contemplate the corpses that piled at their feet, they rushed onwards, getting closer and closer to their goal.
The faint scent of fresh air drove them crazy with desire. They were so close!
At last as they burst through the foliage covered trap doors, a cacophony of sounds and smells teased their senses, delighting them. Their eyes took only a short while to get used to the sudden brightness and the dual pairs of blue orbs surveyed the area with wonder. The fresh air filling their lungs, rejuvenating them. For the first time in four years, they saw the outside world.
The sounds and the scene of the jungle were not unfamiliar; they had seen it many times during survival simulations. However in real life it was… Breathtaking to say in the least. The air was clean! Birds chirping was not repetitive or droll in any way. The forest was alive ! The plants could be touched, the amazing scents of earth and animals were breathed in with vigor by the freedom-deprived children. Sadly, our courageous duo could not enjoy this amazing scene for much longer as they had to move on since staying in a single place for too long was a surefire way to getting tracked and captured once again. Darting forward, they made no sound as they weaved in between the trees like shadows, not even a leaf stirring as they passed by. They covered ground quickly, sticking to the shadows so as not to be spotted.
They seemed to be making progress and they were dimly aware of the bumbling, burly guards miles away. Satisfied that they could not sense any immediate threats, the two relaxed their guard. That proved to be their worst mistake.
Four figures surrounded the children, their size easily dwarfing the twins. They were swathed in black and the kanji for snake and assassin carved in a metal plate attached to the front of their black clothing. Orochimaru's top spies and assassins.
Assuming a fighting stance, the children stood back to back as they faced two enemies each. If they were going down, they were going down fighting.
They stood motionless then flashed out of sight. They moved at near impossible speeds as they clashed, the sound of metal hitting metal as well as the grunt of pain echoed across a good part of the jungle. Each of the twins was proving difficult in their own right. Naru utilized her flexibility to bend out of the way of incoming attacks as well as her strength to pack devastating blows on her opponents when she saw an opening. Naruto on the other hand focused more on precise, quick strikes aiming for the nerves or instant kill spots.
Then the unexpected happened. One of the assassins broke away from Naruto and karate-chopped Naru at the back of her neck, causing her to drop like a stone. Grabbing her, two of the assassins vanished, presumably to send Naru back to the lair before coming back to aid the others in defeating and capturing Naruto.
The boy in question felt a rage like none before.
How dare they! After everything he and his sister had gone through, they dare interfere?! It would not go without retribution.
"FEEL MY WRATH!" he snarled as he allowed himself to be lost in the red haze of absolute fury.
When the boy finally regained proper control of his senses, he was shocked to see that every single one of the assassins lay completely cleaved into pieces at his feet. Their blood stained the trunks and branches, painting everything in a layer of blood and gore including Naruto himself.
Naruto frowned and mentally berated himself for losing control. Suddenly feeling afraid for his sister's safety, he tried to contact her but her end seemed closed off somehow. The thought left Naruto feeling oddly detached and extremely lonely.
Naruto continued his journey, looking calm on the outside, but his mind was swirling with thoughts and memories.
** A little boy sat silently as his companion held his hand, a sign of support as they suffered together in silence. Neither said anything. They didn't have to. **
**The two children huddled together under the threadbare blanket, hugging each other to conserve body warmth. Even when the heat was turned up and it was unnecessary, the two remained in that position, in comfort the whole nightlong. **
In every single memory, his sister was there right there beside him, comforting and strong. Without her, Naruto felt as if a part of him was missing. Without her, he was truly alone.
Making up his mind, Naruto did an about face and turned to the lair as he started heading back there. If he were going to escape, he would do so with her or not at all.
oo0oo
/ Naruto should have reached the edge of the jungle by now. I hope he's ok./
Naru sighed mentally as she failed to contact her brother again.
She hoped that he had managed to get away but that idea was crushed to bits as Naruto appeared in the doorway of the cell covered in gore. He was flanked by Kabuto.
/WT*?! He got caught? Besides that, with Kabuto here, it means Master's back. *Groan* Joy. /
Naruto crouched by his sister as he surveyed the new cell. It was bigger than the old one and actually had a bed and a sink. Turning, he was startled by his sister's slight glare. Understanding dawned on him as he explained his reasons for returning. She frowned a bit but was touched that her brother cared that much. That day, despite the failed escape attempt, a pact was made between the two. They would do their master's bidding and train hard until they could achieve the level of skill needed to defeat their master as well as surpass him. They had no chance of escaping till then. However hope still burned in their hearts. They would get out. No matter what.
A/N: Might write a think?