Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
A/N: My Chapters are actually going to be longer than this, this is just the prologue to the story so you get just a hint of the backings to the story. It's a little hazy right now. You don't really understand who certain people are supposed to be in the story and how they relate to everything but I want you to be confused right now. You'll understand later but you're supposed to feel as if you're just a bystander looking into a situation. You'll be an insider soon enough.
Rating: Ch.1 is probably just M because of the language. Hints of sexual happenings but very vague.
Progress: Continuous (Incomplete)
"Bleeding Lights"
"Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality"
-Jules De Gaul tier
Dim blue eyes gazed downwards as clear droplets pummeled against the floor in frail comparison to its superior; gravity. Gravity which strung along anything and anyone as it see fit. Never letting a single object free from its overbearing grasp. Controlling and demanding like the puppeteers in a marionette show. And then there was the rain, simply another puppet for gravity to play around with. It had no will of its own and no choice for its fate save for its impending doom---distortion. To be mangled, pushed, dropped, abused, misunderstood, and avoided. The rain with its typical relation with depression and sorrow...how could it prove itself to be different? What could it do when no one cared? There was really only one option. To rain relentlessly without ever regarding others emotions and actions upon it.
One could try to do that, to live their entire life trying to never care about others. Yet the loneliness often becomes so suffocating that your heart begins to yearn for something more. For someone to love and care for you in a meaningful fervor that is not only indescribable but undeniable as well. No matter how flawed you may be, or how worthless you seem, that special person is able to understand you and accept you, just for who you are. That special someone who could look beyond the superficial. Someone who could comprehend that there was more to life than the surface.
But then again, people were creatures of habit. It was their habit to take everything for granted. The tendency to take everything at it's face value and to never question the way things are or how they should be. Not until its too late and they've realized they've made a mistake. Revolutions were initiated because of this trait. Blood shed for all of the mistakes that were made. Even though Naruto knew this fatal flaw of mortal beings, he still could not stop himself from imagining a world where humans loved the imperfections. He grew so enraptured by this figment of fantasy that, for once in his life, he honestly believed that he had found that special someone. The one person who understood him.
He was such a fool.
The rain continued to fall in a rhythmic drum upon the revolving earth. It drowned out the shallow intake of Naruto's lungs and the pounding thump of his heart. Steady streams of bitter fluid flowed through his veins, swam fervently in his mind, and poured through his eyes. The salt of sin burned his body to the point of desperation. He could not handle any more abuse. This was the final line.
His fingers flexed inward and outward, back and forth, over and over. The numbing air seeped through his skin and crawled into his bones, yet it was merely an itch compared to his wounds. An overworn jacket with tattered sleeves and years of stains fell upon the ground. A white shirt with red marks and ripped edges was thrown forcefully upon the pavement.
Naruto closed his eyes and bared his face to the gray sky as water hammered his calloused skin and a harsh wind thrashed about him. The freezing rain coursed down his bare chest and condensed in small ridges on his body. His fingers shifted through his hair as he gasped bursts of oxygen. The palms of his hands slowly descended and he rubbed his face in a frenzy. Soon he bent his fingers and clawed at the temples of his face.
It hurt too damn much. No, not the deep, bleeding wounds. No, not the crushing, bitter ache within his very core. It was something much more undeniable, something much brutal, and a million times more cruel.
It was the memories. The constant nightmares racing through his brain. Repeating and repeating and repeating all of their time together. He desperately needed to destroy and burn all of his memories. Images of sweating skin, the groans of mattresses, and the relentless pounding in his body. Soft caresses, a lust-filled gaze, and lips that trailed upon his neck, the sensitive inner flesh of his thighs, and the underside of his ribs. They scarred his being. A small whimper dragged it's way through his gnawing teeth as he pushed and pushed against his mind.
All these years of pointless expectations led him nowhere. Always traveling on an endless road, a jagged path of hurt. Everyone he knew always pushed and pulled at him like an object. Forcing him, hitting him, hating him and toying with him like he was some doll for their own leisure. But even that he could handle. He could withstand all the torture they put him through because they could never break him. Worthless people who couldn't understand him couldn't possibly put a dent in the armor he constructed to protect his battered heart. But his armor was nothing in the presence of him.
Tan hands clutched clumps of blond hair and pulled. A scream wretched itself from his bruised throat as he collapsed onto his knees. The rugged ground scraped at his legs while his body convulsed in torment. Shoulders shook in spastic motions as the heaving of his chest steadily increased.
Similar to the destructive nature of a tornado, floods of emotions abruptly unleashed itself from his body. He shook his head left and right while rocking his body to the repetition of words in his mind. "No, no, no..." His hot tears intermingled with the freezing cold and he curled his battered body inwards.
And like the calm after a storm, he was left in the state of a shell. The shell of a person who once hoped in a world where judgment wasn't based upon illusions. In a world where he could smile in the fact that he was living not just for himself, but for the person who would one day love him the way he deserved to be loved. In a world where the fear of opinions could not oppress anothers feelings. It was a shame, really, because in that world Naruto would have never been left to die on the cold ground. Because the Naruto who had once hoped for love had been shattered to pieces and only his corpse was left to endure the cruelties of reality.
-
The Present
-
"Its totally obvious that she just did a nose job. I mean...look at it!"
"You are so stupid. Don't you remember what the teen magazine said last summer? She had her nose done back in February. She's moved on to liposuction dummy. Get in the know-how!"
Two men, in their mid twenties, leaned against a wooden bench and sighed while watching the gossiping girls ramble on in their "engaging" conversation with one another. The shorter of the two had dark brown, medium length hair loosely tied at the nape of his neck. He slid further back into the bench, causing his baggy, brown pants and black shirt to wrinkle. While crossing his charcoal combat boots, which had pieces of dried mud at the bottom and untied laces on the sides, he spoke. "It's your funeral," he gruffly mumbled and placed his arm over his brown eyes and laid haphazardly on the wooden seat.
Laughing lightly, the taller companion stood up and brushed off dust from his white muscle shirt and dark denim jeans. "Well, have a nice long nap then, " he smiled, which crinkled his sapphire eyes into slightly backward u's. His eyes were currently covered with a pair of black rimmed glasses and a gray beanie that somehow layered his entire head, but left seeps of yellow hair at the sides. Standing completely up, he decided to arch his neck and back to crack some of the kinks from his body. Arms raised upwards and twisted in an effortless stretch, then bent down to pick up a black leather jacket. He flung it over his shoulder and paced his way towards the, now, bickering girls.
"What did you just call me pig-head?!"
"It's a shame that you can't hear anything cause your BIG forehead is blocking everything!"
"Take that back you stupid blond!"
"I'm not stupid you over sized block of bubble gum!"
Naruto scratched the back of his head and scrunched his brow in contemplation. It always seemed to fascinate him how these two could fight with one another and then hug and depend on each other just as quickly. Their fights were really just hollow words said in the heat of the moment. It intrigued him because he knew just how strong their friendship was. The perturbing notion was the fact that he couldn't relate to that feeling. True, he had good friends. Friends he could trust and rely on. Yet, he never felt like he could truly be himself around them. It was as if there was a barrier between him and anyone he met. He just couldn't seem to put that barrier down.
"Girls, girls, calm down now. I'm sure you're both right. " He wrapped his arms around the glaring girls' shoulders and patted them gently. A tingle at the back of his mind nagged at him about the physical contact. In times like these, he had to ignore it because he knew he could trust these girls, couldn't he?
"Stress and anger is never good for ones blood pressure so, why don't we just breathe in and breathe out slowly. Come on, just follow my motions, " his chest heaved up and down gradually.
One of the girls with a short bob of pink hair spoke haughtily, "I don't need to calm down because I'm not the one with anger management problems."
The "angered" girl narrowed her crystal blue eyes and pointed her finger at the other, "Excuse me? Anger problems? This from the girl who kicked a hole in door because she was jealous..."
Her sentence, however, was quickly cut off by a not-so-brilliant punching bag.
"Um...not to butt in or anything but are you two, by chance, having your period again?"
To the bystander Sakura's and Ino's fights and conversations might seem shallow and trivial, but there was always that underlying tone in their voices that relayed their complete care for the other. They could say these things to one another without remorse because they had no doubt in their mind that the strength of their bonds could withstand it.
Naruto, however, had conversations that were completely empty. He joked, laughed, and teased. But those seemed like another him. Just a part he played to be the "funny friend." He never dug deeper in the bonds he made. To have these bonds were convenient and made him feel a sense of normalcy. Making sure that his bonds never reached that level of strength was a necessity for him because he needed to know that if he suddenly left that friendship, no one would get hurt.
"That is such a sexist comment. Just because two girls are cranky doesn't mean their p.m.s. ing," the girls crossed their arms, huffed, and then turned their heads away.
He chucked loudly and raised his hands, "Alright, alright," he bowed his head in resignation, "you win."
Naruto placed his hands in the back pockets of his jeans and leaned forward, "Well how about we just forget about whatever happened and go get something to eat?" His face cracked into a hopeful grin as he glanced at the semi-glaring girls.
"In fact, I'm so hungry right now I could eat about two bulls, three cows, and a mountain lion, and I just happen to know there's this new deli right at the corner of, " the blond girl hushed Naruto by twisting her body towards him.
"Naruto, that's just absolutely kind of you to offer us such a nice treat but," she then slapped the side of his arm, "don't you have to work at 3 o' clock with Shikamaru. I don't even know how you two get anything done. One is always in a vegetable state and the other is constantly thinking about food and how to get to it."
Sakura shook her head at Ino's comment and walked towards the brunette. "Look Ino, its only two so I'm sure he can sneak in a quick bite before they start working. You always seem to get into this mother hen mode when Shikamaru is involved."
Naruto followed after Sakura with a smile on his face, "I completely agree with pink on this one!"
Ino stood still for a few moments biting at the inside of her cheek. She wrung her hands for a bit before rushing towards them and pulling on the back of Naruto's and Sakura's shirts. They turned around and gazed at Ino in confusion.
"That's only because Shika can't take care of himself. He's been like this since elementary so of course I have to be his mother for him." Ino then pushed them towards the direction of the parking lot. "You guys just get the car started, I'll wake him up. There's no point in all of us having to wake this lazy junk of a man up."
Sakura stared incredulously at the petite girl and spoke with disbelief, "Look Ino, Shikamaru could sleep through a freakin' terrorist attack. How exactly do you intend to wake this potato sack?"
The blond girl simply rolled her eyes and pushed against Sakura to go follow Naruto, who had already started walking away as soon as Ino took on the duty of Mission Impossible: Waking the "Troublesome" One. Sakura merely humphed away while muttering about the stupidity her blond friends' sometimes seemed to share.
After making sure her friends were quite a distance away, Ino began her journey towards the "bum" on the bench.
Placing one stealthy foot before the other, Ino inched her way towards Shikamaru's sleeping form. However, the pretty young girl was never known for her gracefulness, which then led her to a quite compromising situation. All of which could be explained due to the multiple occurrences proceeding in a secession:
1. Ino had so wholeheartedly focused on being quiet and making sure her presence did not awaken him that she did not focus on her foot placing.
2. One foot decided to cris cross over the other.
3. Ino tended to squeak when she fell.
4. Shikamaru was not actually sleeping. His eyes were just closed and he had exquisite hearing skills.
Combined, these happenings led to Ino almost falling flat on her face but was swiftly rescued by a quick arm wrapping itself around her waist. So, instead of falling to the ground, Ino fell on top of Shikamaru. Thus putting her in the circumstance of blushing a rose pink in the arms of a slightly smirking genius.
"Are you trying to seduce me...again?" The hand that rested on the Ino's back began to circle in motion.
Ino stared at him indignantly, "I wasn't even seducing you that time!" Completely unaware of the hands that crawled upwards.
One dark eyebrow raised, "Hm, weren't you the one who said, and I quote [You stupid, annoying, inconsiderate, ass I can't understand how I could like a man like you]." His hands had almost reached their destination.
Not being able to refute, she simply turned her head away and turned a shade redder. With a hushed tone she whispered, "That isn't seducing Shikamaru. It's called a slip-of-the-tongue confession."
Shikamaru then placed his hand under Ino's chin and brought her face close. Crystal blue eyes widened and slowly darkened in realization. She gently lowered her eyelids and held her breath---the anticipation was intoxicating. Large, strong hands shifted to the sides of her face and blood rushed throughout her veins.
His dried lips pressed against Ino and their bodies melded against one another in relaxation. A warm, wet feeling swiped across Ino's lower lip and she gradually opened her mouth with acceptance. She moaned slightly at the contact and goosebumps littered across her arms. Suddenly, however, Shikamaru pulled away. Pink, feminine lips pouted from the loss and she lifted her lids to look questioningly at the man. He simply spoke nonchalantly, "That, Ino, was a slip-of-the-tongue."
After multiple amounts of shouts and punches later, Ino stormed towards her pink and blond haired friends. Of course, trailing behind with the speed of a turtle was a bruised man sporting a genuine smile of contentment.
-
One Hour Later
-
"Ugh, my stomach is stuffed."
Shikamaru pulled two files out of a gray cabinet and handed them to Naruto. One hand on his belly and the other with folders, Naruto groaned with complaint.
"Maybe you shouldn't have crammed those nine sandwiches in forty minutes."
Tanned cheeks scrunched and he simply opened up the manila folder and skimmed through the papers. "Yeah, yeah, heard it before." He scratched a dirty fingernail against the underside of his jaw. "Anyways, whats this case about? I don't remember being briefed on this."
Brown eyes stared intently at Naruto. He curled his hands together and placed his elbows on the desk in front of him. He slanted forward in his black, leather chair and waited. "Because we're not supposed to be on this case."
Blue eyes shifted back on forth on the papers placed in front of him. Words skittered through his mind, unorthodox gene modification, mutilated bodies, kidnapped children, Uchiha Industries...
"What are you trying to do, Shika? Does Kakashi know about this?" Naruto put the folder back onto the desk and moved back on his chair. The two men looked at each other across the wooden furniture. Testing the waters and searching for certain answers.
Something flashed across brown eyes and was quickly extinguished as he pulled the folders towards his body. "I'm putting a team together to investigate whats going in those research labs. You and three other men are going undercover as employees for Uchiha Industries. There will be an alias completely established for you and until this mission is over there will be no contact between you and anyone other than those three men."
A moment of silence rang throughout the room and Naruto felt something cold skitter along the back of his neck. "Shika, why..."
Shikamaru abruptly stopped Naruto with a gesture of his hand. "There is a very high chance that you can and will be killed in this mission. However, I will not let you refuse this case. You're the only one that is actually required for this investigation and I need you to do this. Do you understand me?"
Blue eyes clouded over and he spoke calmly, "Does Kakashi know about this?"
"He ordered me to do it, when...,"a ragged sigh released itself, "when Chouji went missing."
Golden, blond locks shook as he stood abruptly, "You're gonna put me on some damn suicide mission and you expect me to just nod and say yes. You better have a good fucking reason to do this to me Shika because..."
"Arashi said you were the only one that could do it."
Blue eyes flashed slightly in anger and he clenched his fist, "Don't fuck with me. Arashi stopped contact years ago. Even if you made contact with him why would he bother with me. He's already done using me."
"Arashi said this case would lead to the answers you've been looking for." The spark that came minutes before flashed across brown eyes again and he too stood up.
"Do you understand now Naruto?" He walked around the desk towards the exit to his office.
A small shudder trembled across a tanned back. His arms flexed with tense muscles as closed his eyes. "Where's Arashi?"
"He's not the one with the answers Naruto. The answers are in this mission. It's more than just an investigation about what they're doing to these children."
He repeated in a louder voice, "Do you understand me?"
"I...I don't know, damn it. This isn't right. What you're doing. All of you are just using me for your own means. I'm not going to be anyone's chew toy."
Shikamaru slammed his fist against the wall and stormed towards Naruto. His hands bunched the top of Naruto's muscle shirts and he forced him against a wall.
"Stop being a coward and face it already, Naruto. You've been hiding something from all of us and we've tried to help you but you won't let us in. This mission is more for you than for anyone of us. If I wanted to use someone as a fucking chew toy then why the hell would I put Chouji in this case. We didn't know what was going on then and we still don't, but you're going to find out because that's the reason you joined ANBU in the first place. Isn't it? You want your answers then look for them. People aren't going to give you everything you want so you make it happen." He shoved Naruto away and walked back to the exit.
Shoulders dropped down and he shifted his face towards Naruto. He rubbed the top of brown hair and he stayed that way for a few moments. Then, as if finding the confidence he needed, he spoke softly, "I want you to be happy Naruto. Do you understand?"
Blue eyes were shut to the world as he closed his eyelids. His heart thumped rapidly against his heart. It wasn't beating hard enough. Sweat collected at the small of his back and the brow of his head. But he felt numb.
"Who am I supposed to be?"
Monotone words reverberated upon the white walls of the room in answer, "Your name is Jin Hisashi and you're assigned as Uchiha Sasuke's bodyguard."
See? It's supposed to be vague and confusing. Anywho, I love feedback so just tell me how you feel about this story. It's not going to be your typical bodyguard story and falling in love. Theres a lot more depth in my plot and that has to do with the tidbits that I showed you with the information that Naruto skimmed through in the folder.
So review me and tell me what you like, love, or hate about it. :]