Insanity's Slip
Chapter One
By Boejangles
It had been five years since the Uchiha Massacre, as it later became known as. In a week the genin exams were being held. Which is why the twelve-year-old Sasuke was trying his best to make sure his ten-year-old brother would pass.
Naruto had troubles all through out the academy, some teachers blamed it on his emotion problems and stress, others blamed it on the demon and said he was just and idiot.
"Okay, practice the clone again." Sasuke said from where he sat looking at the blonde.
"I'm trying, I'm just really fidgety."
"Well then calm down and try again. You have to pass. If you don't, then they will hold you back and then there is no way that we will be on the same squad. And I have tried to hard for this for you to screw it up. So just try harder. You aren't that stupid are you. It's not that hard. You just aren't doing your best."
Naruto chopped his jaw down and closed his eyes. He didn't know if his brother knew that his words just added more stress or if he did it on purpose. He took in a breath and counted to ten in his head. "Bunshin no Jutsu"
There was a pop and some smoke. He peeked open and eye to see. There was a clone but it looked like it was already dead. He sighed and it puffed out of existence.
"Damn it! Cant you do any better then that?" Sasuke shook his head agitated, "Here watch." He made the hand seals and two clones puffed into being. "See, simple. Do it again."
The younger one took a breath to calm him and then tried again with the same miserable results.
"Gah! You idiot! You cant do anything right! I bet you screw up just to make me made." Sasuke slapped the younger boy. "Try it again. Stay out here till you can get it right." With that he turned and walked into the building leaving his brother in the backyard.
Naruto stood there until the door closed and then fell to his knees and started crying. He was trying his hardest. He just couldn't get it right. No matter how many times he tried or how calm he tried to be before hand, it always turned out the same. A ruin.
He stood up and took a deep breath. He tried to ignore when his brother was a little mean now and then, it was better then when he had his violent days. Or when Naruto really screwed up and got his brother mad, that never turned out good.
When he was six he tried running away to find Itachi, but Sasuke had found him and took him back home. After that he had to stay home from the academy for over a week to heal and never tried leaving home again.
Over time he told himself something was wrong with his big brother and needed his help. Sometimes he helped as being a breathing punching bag during 'spars'. He never learned why his brother did what he did. But every time he brought up the event from when he was five, Sasuke would get angry and storm out, come back late, and he would end up having to 'spar' for hours until he couldn't get back up or he was knocked out.
Naruto started walking out of the yard, he knew he shouldn't disobey his brother, but he also knew no matter how long he tried to create a clone it wouldn't work. So he decided to go somewhere to calm down and try and relax.
He walked into the ramen shop and smiled at the owner, "Hey old man!"
"Oh, hi there Naruto. You haven't been in here in a while."
"Sorry, I have been kinda busy getting ready for the genin exams coming up."
"Oh is that right. They're tomorrow aren't they?"
"Yup!" Naruto cheered happily even though part of him was dreading it. He smiled up at the owner as he dug into his bowl of ramen.
"What happened to your eye?" The man asked from behind the counter.
"Oh, hehe, I must have just got hurt training." The blonde laughed it off and took his second bowl. "I'll take this to go, thanks!"
"No problem!" The owner said to the retreating back of the boy.
Naruto sat on the swing pushing himself with his feet as he took another bite of ramen. He came here when he needed to be by himself. It just seemed to calm him. He sighed looking over at the academy. Tomorrow was the big day.
"What are you doing here." Naruto jumped at the voice, he knew that voice. He looked up to see his brother standing in front of him. "I thought I told you to practice your clones. Plus I never gave you permission to leave the yard."
"I'm not a little kid anymore. I can look out for myself. I don't need you always hovering over me." Almost as soon as he said the words he was pushed backwards off the swing and fell onto his back.
"Shut up! You do need me. Now we are going back home." Sasuke grabbed a hold of the smaller boys arm and started dragging him; until he was able to get onto his feet and jog behind to catch up.
"Ow, you are hurting me. Let go." Naruto pulled on his arm.
The raven-haired boy only pulled on his arm harder, "No, you should have known better then to leave the yard when I had told you to do something."
"I'm sorry, I am, really just let go."
"Fine." He pulled the younger boy in front of him. "Keep walking."
Naruto sighed to himself and kept walking in the direction of their apartment. After a few minutes of walking they were there. He opened the door and stepped aside to let his brother in.
"Just get inside and close the door." Sasuke ordered. When the door was closed he whirled around and faced the smaller boy, "So, if you have time to go around town show me your perfect clone."
"I cant." Naruto said looking at the ground.
"Why cant you?"
"I just cant, it doesn't work."
"That's why I told you to practice, so that you could do it. I am giving you the count of three to create a proper clone. One."
Naruto fidgeted and did the hand seal trying to concentrate.
"Two."
He gulped and then focused as hard as he could.
"Three."
There was a poof and there lying on the floor was a very screwed up clone.
"Run."
"But, please you don't understand." Naruto tried to reason.
"Run."
"Please."
"Run."
Naruto took off running as fast as he could. He slid around the corner and then jumped the stairs three at a time. He went as fast as he could down the hallway and into his room slamming the door shut and throwing the lock. Not a second later there was a bang at the door.
Naruto slid down the door as he heard foot steps walk away. He got up and went into his closet, tying the rope from the door handle to the hook attached to the ceiling.
He waited being as quiet as he could and listened. He heard a click, then the door opening and footsteps coming inside. He closed his eyes tight and wished it all to go away. It was his fault; he shouldn't have made him angry.
The smaller boy jumped when the closet door was pulled. "Come out, come out. Let's play a game." The blonde started shaking, he hated when his brother got like this. It didn't happen as often as when they were younger, but lately it was slowly getting worse. "Come on, you aren't scared now are you? Come out. Come on, open the door."
The rope pulled and shifted but didn't give. 'Please hold, please hold, please hold. If there is a God up there please help me. Please help my brother; he needs you. I don't know what is wrong with him, but please help him.' The ropes shifted again and the door opened slightly before snapping shut again. 'Please oh please oh please hold'
"Come on little brother, I thought you liked out games. So just come out and play." Sasuke pushed against the door jamming a kunai in the slit to pry it open. He slammed against it again shifting the rope and getting the door to open and inch before shoving the kunai in.
Naruto pulled his knees closer to his chest. "Please, please just go away." He whispered. His head shot up as the rope snapped loose and the door swung open. "Ahh!" He tried to shoot past his brother and get out of the closet.
"No you don't." Sasuke grabbed his shirt and stopped the escape attempt. "Come on, I did my part of the game its time for yours."
"I don't want to play Sasuke. I don't want to play any games tonight." He struggled to try and get out of the grasp.
"What happened to Aniki? And I want to play the game." He pushed down and kicked making the smaller boy tumble onto the ground.
"I'm sorry Aniki, I'm sorry. I'll listen, I promise. I'm sorry." He started mumbling as quickly as he could crawl backwards trying to get some distance between them.
The dark-haired boy kicked out, landing a solid blow to the smaller ones ribs, which earned a yelp. "Oh come on aren't you having fun?"
The blonde pulled his arms in front of him to protect him from the blows. "No, please stop." The plea only earned him another kick.
"Fine, I'll stop. I need you to be in top condition tomorrow. So, get some sleep." Sasuke turned, stepped over the younger boy and walked out of the room shutting the door.
"Nyghhh." Naruto rolled onto his side clutching his ribs. He closed his eyes yelling at himself not to cry, to just get up and get to bed. He moved to get up, but just ended up rolling tighter into himself. 'Thanks God, thanks for looking out for the little guy.'
He ended up staying on the floor for the next thirty minutes before trying to get up again. He shifted and made his way to the bed and laid down looking over and the dresser and knowing he should change.
He reached for the top drawer picking out a big blue shirt and setting it on the bed. He pulled off his black pants and started peeling off his orange shirt when there was a knock on his door. He froze and looked over at the door.
"Hey just me, I wanted to make sure you got to bed on time cause of the exam tomorr…hey what happened to your side?" Sasuke asked standing in the doorway.
Naruto sighed and finished pulling off his shirt before pulling on the blue one. 'He's back.' He looked over at the door, "Oh, its nothing, I'll be fine."
"Sure you don't want to get some ice on it? Tomorrow's the big day."
"Naw, you know me. I'm a quick healer, I will be fine by morning." He smiled. "I think we should both get some sleep."
"Yeah, you're right. I guess I'll leave you then. See you in the morning. Sleep well." Sasuke turned and shut the door heading down the hall.
Naruto sighed and fell back against the bed closing his eyes. 'I never know which Sasuke I'm going to get, if it will be my Aniki, or that monster' He sighed again turning off the lamp and getting under his covers.
A/N: Sorry, but these chapters are going to be shorter for this story then my other story. But hopefully everyone likes the story so far. Leave a review and tell me what you think.
