Dead End : A Demon's Wish

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the Naruto franchise, including but not limited to the characters. I do not make any profit off this franchise and am only using it for the sole purpose of entertainment. I only know the stories which I write and the characters that I create.

Author: Constructive criticism is welcomed not not unjustified flames.

"Mom died last night," he whispered, eyes gazing at the full moon. Naruto sighed, hugging his knees to his chest. Even though the moon had always had a relaxing effect on him, he was still sad. He continued to stare at the sky, noting that the sky seemed awfully empty, bare of stars and he wondered if the moon ever got lonely with nothing to keep her company.

"Don't you ever feel lonely up there? I know I sure do, even where there are a million people around me. It's tragic really. Feeling like you have no one to turn to when everything around you begins to fall apart." He pulled his knees closer to his chest.

"You must get lonely at this time at night. No one to occupy you, not even another star, and the nearest planet is light years away," he mused.

"Isn't it true that loneliness can drive a person mad? Do you know how lonely I feel now? My mom is dead and daddy is depressed, though he does a good job at not showing it. I know losing mom was devastating for him, even if all they did was argue and worry about their future." He bit his lip.

"Dad is just as good at building masks as I am. I know damn well that he's suffering on the inside, even if on the outside all he does is smile. He isn't talking as much as usual, and his smiles never reach his eyes, something I even struggle with. Maybe he's trying to be strong for me? Maybe he blames me but doesn't want to show it? Damn it, I'm blabbing again." He ran his hands through his hair, letting them tug at his strands in frustration as he fought tears.

"Dad isn't being himself and it's bugging me. He has this horrible laugh that sounds forced and he has this nasty habit of nitpicking at things when he's worried or sad." He bit his lip harder, gnawing at it until it bled.

"I just want him to be happy again..." Naruto whispered lowly, a chocked sob following after. He didn't want to cry. Crying wouldn't bring her back or make his father better. It wouldn't take away the pain.

"Mama wouldn't want daddy to suffer, I know that much. I know mom would have wanted dad to move on as soon as he could and not dwell on her passing. Mom was so stubborn and maybe delusional if she thought people got over death so soon." He managed a weak smile.

"I miss her so much. So freaking much that it hurts to even think of her. It hurts to know that I won't wake up to her delicious pancakes or her warm smiles. I feel as if a piece of my heart was sliced out and stomped on and never given back. That's how I felt when I found out she was dead. And I think a part of me will always be empty. I want mom..." He stared at the darkness at the bottom of the cliff.

"I just want to be happy."

His back went rigid as he hissed out "What do you want?"

"I just came to inform you Mr. Uzumaki that you should go back to bed," Kakashi commented from behind. Naruto didn't move from his spot or made any indication that he heard the butler of the Uchiha mansion. He just wished Kakashi would disappear so he could drown himself in his own despair but no, Kakashi stayed rooted to his spot, waiting for a response.

"I will reside to bed when the mood strikes me Mr. Hatake, now please leave me to myself." Kakashi sighed but before leaving he warned that "many strange things tend to happen this late at night." Ignoring the warning, Naruto hugged his knees toward his chest and began to rock himself.

"Auntie," he decided to nickname the moon, who shined down on him with its borrowed light from 'uncle' sun.

"I think I'm losing my mind. Surely I must be going insane, look at what I'm doing right now, talking to an object in the sky." A tear escaped, which he harshly swept away with the back of his palm.

"The days feel as if they're passing slowly and my thoughts are getting darker by the minute," he paused his rambling, feeling something cold brush against his skin. Freezing in slight fear, his eyes widened. Refusing to move, even as the feeling went away, he waited a few more seconds before continuing as if nothing happened.

"I began to see things auntie. Things like ghostly figures, some strange creatures that don't resemble anything on Earth, and not to mention I hear voices. It's only been a day since I've been here and already I hear them. The voices are dark and sinister, telling me to do things and go to certain places, and talk to specific people. And now, sitting here, I feel the need to jump because all I want is to escape my skin and my life. I want to be someone else, even if for just a moment. I must be going utterly and completely insane."

"You got that right," came the low voice from behind. Turning around in alarm, Naruto looked at a shadowy figure in the corner behind the window. He could only make out the outline, but he already knew who it was the outline of his hair. Dismissing the intruder, he turned around, admiring the moon's beauty.

"Sasuke, wasn't it? Do you need something?" The breathless whisper was barely heard by the co-owner of the house, who only snorted.

"This is my home, and I don't need a reason to roam as I please." His voice sounded as if it was getting closer, and before Naruto knew it, Sasuke was sitting next to him.

"Well sorry mister high and mighty," he growled out, his tired eyes glaring at the bottomless pit at the bottom of the cliff. He could feel the glare from the other teen, but chose to ignore it and sat in silence, the moon shinning down on them.

-(1)-

No more dreaming of the dead as if death itself was undone

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE - "Blinding"

-(1)-

Breakfast was just as worse as last night's dinner, but unlike yesterday, Iruka was not present at the table. Again he could feel the stare from Itachi, who seemed to find amusement in his discomfort. Since the incident with him, Naruto felt awkward and awfully fearful. Gulping down the water, he adverted his eyes away from everyone, wishing for Iruka to magically materialize into the chair next to his. He excused himself from the table in a hurry, quickly dashing up the stairs to his room, carefully locking the door behind him. He threw himself in the bed, wanting nothing more then to sink into the mattress beneath him.

He needed his father, yet he wasn't anywhere to been seen. These were times that he wished his mother was still alive.

But wishing never worked out for a person like him.

It didn't work when the village left him for dead. It didn't work when he was constantly attacked. It didn't work for anything he ever wanted. Well, not true actually. He did get a loving family to care about him.

But even now, that image was tarnished by a demon, stealing away his mother. But, he did have Iruka. His hard working, tender and mother-hen like father. He smiled. Maybe it will be alright.

He smile dimmed slightly, quickly exiting out the door in search for Iruka before he lost his nerve. However, he paused when he spotted Itachi near the staircase, talking in hushed tones to a stoned faced Kakashi. The blond tried to walk away as quickly as possible, not wanting to draw attention to himself.

He failed.

"Naruto," the voice hit him like a bucket of cold water. He froze mid-step.

"Kakashi will escort you to your father's new residence. Later on, I would like to sit you both down in order to discuss the rules of this household."

Itachi didn't even spare him a look, merely walking away when he finished speaking. Naruto didn't know whether to be offend or relieved. Instead, he settled on a frown, not liking the fact that he was being commanded, especially by the likes of a guy like Itachi.

That damned demented man.

"Right this way, Mr. Uzumaki." Kakashi was already in front of him, his mind not registering when he had approached. The older man just grinned under his mask, his visible eye closed, looking friendly and even welcoming. Unlike the day before, he was dressed more formally, dressed in an expensive looking suit, which looked out of place with his laid back movements.

Kakashi was even wearing a tie and Naruto briefly wondered if the nickname Monkey was appropriate. Because to the blond, that was what people in suits were, monkeys, especially when they wore ties.

He stifled a laugh and followed Kakashi down the steps and through several hallways. He didn't know why Iruka had changed rooms, but he wasn't going to question it. He had a feeling he wouldn't get any answers anyway.

Naruto was led to his dad as promised, who apparently, was still sleeping. He looked so peaceful laying there, with the sunlight spilling onto his face and sheets falling off the bed. Naruto smiled but it turned into a frown when he caught Kakashi staring at Iruka. He didn't know why the man was looking at his father like that, it reminded him of the way Iruka and Ayame use to stare at each other before they had started arguing.

The silver haired man had no visible emotion in his only visible eye and neither did he move his face.

Kakashi quickly dismissed himself from the room, tending to his other duties. Naruto smile was back on his face at the sight of his father once more, jumping on the bed without a second thought. Iruka awoke with a yelp, hissing as he hit his head against the head broad. A trail of curses and hisses escaped his lips before his angered eyes landed on the weight on top of him.

"Naruto," he whispered, a hand reaching out and rubbing a scarred cheek. Naruto was grinning and he shifted his body, which Iruka was thankful for, for his son was now off his ribs.

"Morning dad." Iruka smiled before glancing at the grandfather clock tucked in the corner.

"Oh goodness, I overslept..." Iruka began to grumble. Naruto chuckled as he watched his father go in and out of mother-hen mood and panic. Finally Iruka landed on a guilty expression, feeling utterly horrible that he had overslept when so much work had to be done.

Then he realized where he was. He wasn't at his warm small house in Konoha. No, these weren't the same yellow walls of his bedroom or the same cotton sheets he shared with his wife. Instead, he had woken up in a cold room painted in forest green with a depressing aura to it. And the bed sheets were silk and smooth and had never been touched by his wife. His late wife. Grief hit at once but when he remembered the blond mop of hair, he forced a smile. For his son. The only remaining person that could possibly make him happy.

"Let me get dressed and I'll meet you downstairs okay?" Naruto nodded, quickly slipping off the sheets and out the room.

He patiently waited until his father came out, but even that wasn't quick enough.

"Naruto," Itachi called, voice cold and distant as ever. Oh how he hated him.

"When your father exits, I want you both to meet me downstairs in the living room. Like I mentioned earlier, there are rules to be discussed and if you want to live on my property, I advise you to become familiar with them."

Naruto glared at the older man, wishing the demon who had stolen his mother would kill the bastard too. He sure as hell wouldn't miss this victim. Itachi smirked darkly at him and Naruto had to fight back a shudder. This man must be a demon.

Iruka came out dressed in long pants, a tucked in long sleeved sweater and sandals. This was as casual as Iruka had ever allowed himself to be seen. Then again, that was the most black Naruto had ever seen on him. No splash of color anywhere. He followed Naruto to the living room where Itachi waited with a sour faced Sasuke. Kakashi was no where to be seen but Naruto mused he must be attending to some chores. He didn't bother giving it much thought afterwards.

The meeting had been short but it was long enough to leave Naruto in rage. He was in his room, stomping on the marble flooring. He was cursing as loudly as he could, hoping the bastard could hear him.

The guy sure was a control freak.

A fucking nut job.

Sure most of his requests sounded reasonable expect for the one that stated that they were 'never to question him' nor 'deny an order,' especially a direct order from him. It was all utter crap. And they couldn't refuse seeing as he was housing them and they had nowhere else left to go. And until they had their own place, Naruto and Iruka were under Itachi's control. And that was the blond's worst fear.

Naruto huffed, his mind filling up with possible scenarios of the cruel things Itachi could make him do. And the fact the man had demanded that they didn't 'break into locked doors' or 'go anywhere else without his permission,' that pissed him off the most because Naruto wasn't use to his freedom being swallowed up.

He didn't like that man at all. And plus, he was a curious being by nature and now Itachi gave him a mystery to unravel.

He grabbed his music player and popped in a CD. The Dresden Dolls's song, "Missed Me," started to play, blocking out the rest of the world. He fell asleep to the soothing vocals, luring his body to a peaceful retreat. When he awoke, the harsh lyrics of Tyler the Creator were blasting in his ears. Soon enough his head was bobbing to the beat of the song, "She." It wasn't his favorite but he enjoyed the music none the less. He peeked out the window, seeing the sun set.

Naruto sighed, annoyed at the fact he had wasted most of his day in bed. He had only been awake enough to eat and be tortured by stupid rules. Damn, his day had gone to shit while he wasn't paying attention. The blond grunted, debating whether to leave his room or not. His stomach begged him to leave, so he did. Itachi, surprisingly was nice enough to leave curfew at midnight. And he wanted to take advantage of that before the time arrived. He slipped into the kitchen and readied a meal. It was a simple sandwich, heavy in meat but it filled his stomach just fine.

The blond smiled to himself, skipping various songs before settling on another rap song, this time it was "Til I Collapse" by Eminem. The words seemed to lift his spirits as he silently made his way upstairs. At night, the stairs seemed to blend into the darkness. He almost tripped over some of the steps but finally arrived at his room with minimal bruising. The door closed behind him with a soft click, but the sound almost seemed to echo in the cold room as he put his iPod on pause. The music stopped and the silence began. It almost seemed to ring louder in his ears than the music had. Naruto sighed and crawled into bed, the silk sheets wrapped around his body.

He murmured something about the temperature of the room being too low. His blue eyes were hidden under his eyelids, long eyelashes binding together to signify that he was no longer conscious. Sleep had once again stolen him away.

When he woke up again, Naruto grew suddenly annoyed. According to his watch, it was four in the morning, too damn early for his taste. His body however, would not let him rest anymore, full of unused energy. The only Uzumaki in the household was resentful for that fact, knowing this was the start of a horrid sleeping pattern.

Naruto sighed, walking around the room, frowning at his miserable luck. Instead of wasting anymore time on pitying himself - it was getting him no where- he decided to read a book. The bookcase in his room covered an entire wall, collecting dust but the books were still in good condition. Readable, presentable and were just a lovely collection of classics and good reads. Naruto hummed as his hands roamed over hard covers, his fingers falling in love with the touch of leather and bindings of the pages.

Once he chose a story, he turned on a lamp, filling every corner of the room with light. Naruto went back on his bed, the silk sheets pooling around his crossed legs. He took a moment to observe the book, a decent sized red leather book with red binding and golden pages. It took the blond less than two hours to read the over 400 pages of text, instantly having fallen in love with every word dripping off the pages. He had sped right through the book, understood everything that was written and not written, and fell in and out of love and hate with the various characters. Overall, he was happy. But the happiness died down once the boredom settled in. Naruto decided he wasn't in the mood to read another tale and found himself laying down on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

He wasn't surprised to feel his eyes drooping. Neither was he surprised when sleep hadn't come. Too tired to reopen his eyelids, he decided to recount old tales that his dad had passed on to him when he was younger. When mama was still around and healthy. Not deathly sick, pale and now dead. He tried to remember how his mother would stand by the door, leaning against its frame as his father would sit by his bedside. The man was usually tired but he still made the effort of showering his son with affection.

Iruka would weave fables and tales, just to help lure him to sleep. It usually worked, until Ayame started getting sick. Those stories, no matter how beautiful they were, could not distract him from the truth. His mother was dying in the next room, the chronic coughing fits reminding him of the awful situation every night and day.

Naruto pushed those thoughts away, feeling tears spill down his face. He paused in panic however, when he felt something wipe them away. His eyes snapped open, only to be looking up at his ceiling. He propped himself on his forearms and elbows, but nothing seemed out of place. Nothing and no one was there. The door was still locked, nothing was disturbed, no unwanted shadows and the windows were closed.

He shrugged and took his previous position on the bed, closing his eyes shut. Naruto thought about the great gods and goddesses of Greece, images of their stories forming in his head, playing out like a show in his mind. He was finally at ease, his body gave out and he was asleep.

And then being awaken by the harsh sounds of rain, wind and thunder outside his window, was not the most pleasant thing Naruto had experienced. In fact, it was quite irritating. He looked at his watch, somewhat happy that it wasn't an ungodly hour. It was 8 and he was hungry. He made his way to the kitchen, having a creepy thought. He felt as if the paintings on the walls were watching him, following his every movement. His footsteps became heavier as he ran down the stairs and through the empty halls.

He ate his meal, reheated rice and chicken, wallowing in the silence. Naruto didn't feel comfortable, feeling a bit isolated. He had never liked the silence. It reminded him of all the things that went wrong in his life.

The fire, swallowing his previous life filled with happy smiles, laughter, and a warm house. All stolen away from him, burned up in flames. He could hear the screams echoing in his ears, reminding him of the nightmares that still haunted him. But they weren't just nightmares, they were memories. Then there were his days at the orphanage.

The orphanage, which was suppose to be a second home for him, sheltering him from the pain his loss had caused him. But in reality, it was a jail with little monsters hiding behind the masks of innocent children. Everything about that place was tainted, with his screams, tears and blood. It was a twisted place that revealed how unfair life was. The caretakers had abused him, he knew that now, but the words and the wounds could never be taken back or healed. They were engraved into his mind as much as into his skin.

Then there was his mother.

In one memory, she was a healthy tan colour, dancing with Iruka and singing to a song on the radio. In another, she was collapsed on the ground, barely breathing and covered in her own blood. He remembered having to cover his ears in the middle of the night, fighting back tears as he heard her battle her illness. Sheets, covered in red thrown into the dirty piles of clothes, loud and painful coughs echoing throughout the house and his mother dropping items on the floor. That was after things started to get bad, when a civil war was just beginning. Where even their country was on the brink of illness and death, adding onto the chaos.

Things went from bad to worst. Ayame started to forget things, hands were always trembling to the point she wasn't able to hold onto things properly without it falling. At one point, she had even cut herself when she dropped a plate, the shards slicing through her hand when she tried to pick up the pieces. The very memory made Naruto cradle his head, once again fighting back tears like when he was younger. He had learned to be strong and helped his mother as best as he could. But it was tiring.

And then the demon came and stole her away. It was the end to her pain and her life.

He sighed, cleaned his dishes and wiped away any more negative thoughts. But just as he did so, Itachi had walked into the kitchen.

Fuck.

Black eyes met his blue ones, sending a chill down his spine. The eldest Uchiha didn't speak, instead he just brewed himself some coffee, unrolled the newspaper he was carrying and relaxed in his chair. Naruto was confused by the silence but wasn't going to let a good thing go to waste.

The blond was about to leave when Itachi requested him to have a seat. Naruto shuddered but remembered the rule: No refusing the head of the household.

Double fuck.

He sat down, shifting in his seat in an uncomfortable manner. Itachi took a sip of his coffee, his face hidden by the newspaper. The paper was briefly put down, revealing a more casual Itachi. His hair was still in a loose ponytail, however, he wasn't sporting the suit Naruto was so use to seeing him in. The Uchiha wore an open black robe, putting on display a shirtless chest and low hanging pants. Dangerously low pants, Naruto concluded as Itachi got up, walking around the kitchen to put away his cup. The man was hot, the definition of sex if he was honest with himself. But of course, he wasn't being honest. Naruto would go as far as saying that the man was good looking maybe even gorgeous but that was the only thought he would entertain. Surely, he was only staring in envy at the abdominal muscles and the deep V of the man's hips. He was merely looking because he wanted those things for his own body, nothing more, nothing less. Yep.

Yet he still managed to catch himself blushing. The blond played the blush on his cheeks off as embarrassment, knowing all too well that one tug to those sweatpants and the man's whole anatomy would be exposed. And Naruto never wanted to see another's guy's thing. He made a low gagging sound at the thought, revolted at the prospect of that ever happening.

His lips felt suddenly dry, but he refused to lick them, not wanting to make any movements that would remind Itachi of his presence. However, moments later he began to move his body. Staying still was never one of his strengths. He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning into his chair and wanting nothing more than to bolt out the door. No matter how badly he hated to admit it, Itachi scared him. It was a bruise to his ego to even acknowledge the fact but as long as he only knew, then he was safe.

Now that Itachi had no distractions, his eyes seemed to be boring into the blond. Naruto noted, with much disdain, that those endless onyx eyes had a strange effect on him. That was not a good sign. He fought back a glare but his annoyance showed on his face. Itachi did not find that amusing.

The man went back to his newspaper and Naruto sighed in relief. However, his back stiffened at the next set of words.

"Remember what I said to you on the first day?"

Naruto nodded, not liking where this was going. Of course he would remember waking up to someone threatening him!

"I still intend on keeping that promise. But due to your circumstances, I have decided to leave it to a later date."

Oh, how kind of you, the blond thought sarcastically.

He glared at the older man, resentful. But he didn't dare say anything, not wanting to push his luck. No need to make a situation worse than it was. His mother's dead, his father's depressed as was he, and he didn't need to add a bitter man on his plate. Well, maybe it was too late for that, seeing as Itachi made it clear that he would be safe for a limited time. He wanted to growl, to scream, to punch him, but he held his composure. He didn't need the man getting off on his misery anytime soon. The blush came back but he once again ignored it, glaring with fierce and unforgiving azure eyes.

He was done playing victim. If Itachi wanted a fight, then he would get one. Naruto made it his mission to make the dark haired man ever regret starting a war with the Prankster from Hell. He didn't get that title for nothing. He nodded, masking his mirth with a mask of annoyance. Masks were his specialty after all.

He excused himself, obeying the rule to never be rude and walked out of the kitchen.

-(2)-

If I could take your pain
I wish that I could wash it all away

Jedi Mind Tricks - "Razorblade Salvation"

-(2)-

The water burned as it ran down his back and chest, flowing below his waist and swirling down the drain. He liked the water when it burned him, he enjoyed the pain, because it made him forget. Forget his sadness, his mother, his troubles and even himself at times. All those things just seemed to float away and down the pipes. His skin flushed red due to the scorching heat but he stayed under the shower head, eyes open and staring down at the bathtub flooring.

He lost himself in his thoughts, contemplating what he was to do. If the war had never happened, he would have been a senior in high school. However, the war did happen, making high school and college nothing more than a distant dream. Naruto hummed to himself, disappointed with the direction of his life but wanting to make the best of it. But he found it difficult at the moment, trying to juggle his blooming depression with his mask, staying strong, private studies and a soon to be blown out war with Itachi.

He growled at the thought. That stupid man made him angry to the point he wished death upon him. And he never did that, but he didn't feel bad. In fact, he knew if Itachi suddenly died, he would be elated...if only that meant they, his father and him, wouldn't be put in the streets. He sighed and washed himself, the soap forming into foam on his flesh. He got out with a yawn, throwing a towel over his shoulder after he dried, muscles flexing as he stretched upwards. His back cracked with a satisfying pop and he grinned to himself, sated and relaxed. He walked out of the bathroom that was at the end of the hallway, completely forgetting his own nakedness. It was a habit of his, walking around bare without a care in the world, because he disliked clothes. In fact, he hated them, finding them annoying and only putting them on when he had to. Like when he had guests over or something.

But now, he strutted down the hallway as if it were a runway, hips swaying back and forth with each stride. It was the dead of night, the day having passed him by without a single glance his way. It was rather boring. His days had morphed into a bland dish, flavorless and dull. It was a routine now: wake up, eat, go to room, bathe, eat again and back to sleep.

Boring!

He huffed, missing the way he could just walk out the door and not be worried of being bombed or hanging out with his friends without a curfew. But of course, the war took care of all the good times, washing them away with ash and blood. He ran his hand through his messy strands, pushing his thoughts to the back of his mind. Those memories were of no use to him now. In fact, they were utterly useless because they wouldn't help keep him safe at night or at all. They actually made him want to cry, but even that was useless. If he started crying, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop. On the outside he looked calm and ready to take on the world, but on the inside he was a wreck.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and fought back whatever tears that wanted to come, wanting them to forever be a prisoner in his body. His hands swept over his collar bones, rubbing the skin with his fingers, eyes closed and humming a low sensual tune. He continued to walk until he reached his doors, heavy and hard against his palms as he pushed. But he stopped in mid stride, before he had completely entered his room and turned around, eyes wide and panicky.

He forgot it. He forgot it! How in the fuck could he have forgotten such a special thing? He was enraged with himself, bitter and resentful at his memory as he ran down the hall. He reached the bathroom, naked feet meeting with tiled flooring. Naruto looked and looked, his hands and eyes frantic as he searched for his precious possession. Then he spotted it, hidden in the shadows beneath the sink. His hand reached out to it, clasping it in his hand and pulling it to his chest quickly, as if he was going to lose it if he were too slow. He must have looked like a fool, grinning from ear to ear, teeth exposed and cheeks hurting.

He turned on the heel of his foot and walked towards the door, eyes downcast on his necklace, and face resembling that of a clown.

"You look somewhat mad," the monotone voice made his head snap up, shoulders stiffen and back erect in alert. Naruto growled at the man before him, blocking the exit to the bathroom.

He saw black eyes slowly move down his body and that was when he suddenly remembered his nudity. Fuck. The towel that had been thrown over his shoulder, was suddenly wrapped around his waist in quick swift movements. He didn't need Itachi seeing him naked. The evident blush on his face made the older man smirk, eyes flashing red for a split second before morphing back into coal. Naruto shivered but held his ground. Getting confused counted as a distraction, something he didn't need at the moment.

Itachi did nothing else, just continued to stare as he sipped his coffee, probably all black with no cream if he was in a bad mood. Or maybe he was drinking coffee with a dose of cream and a cube of sugar if he was in a good mood. Naruto did not find it amusing that he knew those little details. The fact he even paid attention to them upset him at the mere thought.

They had a brief staring contest before Itachi moved to the side, his masculine figure no longer leaning against the door frame, and thus, no longer blocking the exit. The blond quickly stepped out, blushing in annoyance as he brushed against the clothed arm of the eldest Uchiha and felt a pair of eyes follow his body.

He wasn't getting sleep that night.