ANIMALS

Genre(s) – Erotica/(Dark) Romance/Fantasy

Rating – NC-17

Warning(s) – Harem, Alternate Universe, Character Deaths, Gender-bending, (Slight) OOC, Bi

Main Pairings – Naru/Harem, Naru/FemSasu

Full Summary:

The slave business was a mean one. Black markets, cunning merchants, fierce competitors and demanding customers were just a part of the problem. The biggest was the slaves themselves. Breeding slaves who were bigger and stronger than you required skill. You had to break them with kindness and cruelty. You had to gain their respect and fear. And even then there are a few who must be kept under strict observation. Especially if they were never meant to be yours.

He hailed from an icy wasteland. He's king of the arctic, a warrior who has braved the harshest weather and survived the coldest winters, a predator who has hunted the greatest beasts. His kind was strong, bold and feared throughout the lands. He shouldn't have been yours.… Inspired by Spartacus: Blood and Sand.

000

Shin – Hahaha, yes, I can imagine what some people make poor Hinata do under the influence of alcohol. On that note, I want to point out that I didn't just make her drunk because of the hell of it. It actually involved a lot of thinking and character analysis. I kept switching between Hanabi and Hinata, and to this day I'm still sure if I made the right choice.

000

Naruto dug into the slab of pork on his plate, glaring grumpily at Lee and his enthusiastic morning greeting. The lanista had informed them that Tsunade was coming to check up on some of them. She would also be checking his ankle. Konohamaru was started to feel pressure when the orders for Arctic Warland sperm kept coming so he wanted Naruto to be ready for work as soon as possible.

'A little birdie told you might be mounting your first kau today if you pass the checkup.' Lee said smirking.

'That was not a little birdie. That was the lanista shouting it for everyone to hear. And it won't be my first time.'

Lee and Shikamaru looked genuinely surprised. 'Thought you were a virgin. Well, they always say the newcomers are virgins. It appeals to the buyers. But in your case I believed it… no offense.'

Naruto scowled at them. He motioned for a sugarbull to refill his cup with water when he noticed two bulls ganging up on her. The sugarbull remained by his side, knowing she wouldn't be harassed if she stayed close to him. Naruto did not like the way they were treated, even by other the slaves. Konohamaru turned a blind eye to the abuse they undertook because they didn't turn a profit and they were cheap. Every black market sold them and so did most amateur breeders. Naruto felt protective of them. He had felt the same way towards the Snow Lepor female who had entered his shelter in his homeland. His refusal to kill certain creatures had been the reason why his mother had abandoned him so young. She had thought he was broken or insane and left to let nature take its course. But he survived. It was also the reason he had been captured.

'You're just so innocent and subdued. I thought warlands were more aggressive and dominant. Like Kakashi.'

'I'm neither innocent nor subdued.' Naruto growled.

'Either way there is something wrong with you.' Lee continued. 'I can't put my finger on it, but you're different.'

Naruto bared his teeth in warning. 'You are crossing a line.'

Lee held his hands up in surrender. 'Not saying it's a bad thing.'

'What he means to say is that you've got a better aura than Kakashi. It's more balanced.' Shikamaru said.

Naruto raised his eyebrow. 'Balanced?'

'Kakashi's unstable. Years of captivity has not agreed with him. He's been here too long. He tries his best to hold onto his true instincts, his wild ways from when he was free, but he's been brainwashed by the lanista so it's a constant struggle.' Shikamaru explained in whispers. 'As a result, he often goes from one extreme to the other. One day he's a ravenous beast the other day he's quiet and peaceful.'

Naruto glanced at the warland in question. Like always, Kakashi was sitting on separate table reserved for him together with Haku, his sugarbull. That explained why he had devoured some of the kaus. The guy was going crazy.

'Who sleeps in the last chamber on the row opposite to mine?' Naruto asked. 'Sometimes I hear crying coming from there at night.'

'That's Jiraiya. He does that a lot.'

'Why?'

Something in Shikamaru's expression changed. The amused glimmer in his eyes faded. 'Because he's gone insane. That's why he rarely leaves his chamber. It's for his own protection. We're not sure how or when it happened.'

'But it'll happen to all of us eventually.' Lee added, also looking somber.

Naruto stared at them in surprise. 'You were mocking him and about everything else the first time we spoke so I assumed-'

'You assumed that we're all a bunch of heartless bastards who enjoy seeing other slaves get hurt.' Lee finished for him.

'You're not far off.' Shikamaru sighed. 'We tried crying about it. Didn't help. Struggling only made it worse. So most of us try to laugh it off, see the humor in everything in the hopes that we don't go down the same way Jiraiya did.'

'Some of the breeding bulls really do enjoy being 'better' than other slaves. They are extremely loyal to the Sarutobi clan and the Dominus. They see him and the lanista as some kind of saviors.'

'Saviors?' Naruto tried not to laugh in sheer disbelief. He almost choked on a piece of venison.

Shikamaru glanced at Konohamaru to make sure he wasn't listening in on their conversation. 'It's a commonly used method to break slaves and ensure their obedience.'

'What is?'

'Kindness.' Shikamaru whispered harshly. 'They brainwash you into believing that your life in here is better than it was outside. That you have a home now and a family, all the food you need, all the females you ever desire. They trick you into thinking that any punishment they give you is for your own good. They did it to me.'

'And me.' Lee said quietly. 'If it wasn't for Gai I would still be as ignorant as I was then.'

Naruto said nothing. He had gained a newfound respect for the two bulls. Although he had had suspicions, he was never quite sure what to make of their behavior. He knew Lee looked up to one of the older bulls. Gai was an overgrown Red Horn Minotaur who frequently challenged Kakashi to a mock-fight in the yard. Although his species was not that rare he was popular due to his larger-than-average size and his enthusiastic energy. Naruto would have sooner thought him to be one of the bulls loyal to the lanista, but it became apparent to him that nothing was as it seemed.

'My father's death is what opened my eyes.' Shikamaru glared down at his plate. 'He had been attacked by another bull, gutted in the stomach by the horns. It damaged something inside him, turned him infertile – so the lanista entered him in a fighting ring. He won a few times, fought loyally, but he succumbed to his injuring within a week. He wasn't worth treating. It cost too much money. They just let him die. After everything he did for them.'

Naruto nodded. He was trying to score as much information about the slave business, the Sarutobi clan and the city of Konoha as he could to figure out what his escape options were.

'Has anyone ever tried to escape from here?'

Shikamaru laughed bitterly. 'All the time. Mostly the kaus because they're under less supervision.'

'What happens to them? Are they punished? How severely?'

Shikamaru gave him a knowing look. 'They're killed. No exceptions. Even Kakashi would be put down if he ever tried it and he's the prized bull.'

Which meant he had only one chance to do it right. 'What about Hyuuga's serpents?'

Lee blinked in surprise. 'What about them?'

'Do they ever come to your chambers?'

'Not unless they want to kill you.'

'They've never approached you to offer help?'

'Let me guess: Itachi.'

'Yes, Itachi.' Naruto admitted. 'Can he be trusted?'

'What makes you think you can trust us? Let alone a serpent?'

Naruto didn't even flinch under their stares. 'Because you want to be free as much as I do.'

'And where would we go once we're free?' Shikamaru said, frowning at him. 'Most of us were born here as slaves, taken away from our mothers at birth and trained as breeding slaves ever since. We wouldn't survive outside the walls of Konoha.'

Naruto was instantly reminded of the conversation he had had with Sasuke. She had said the exact same thing. 'I'm pretty sure you would.'

'How so?'

'Because mantures aren't easy to domesticate.' Naruto said viciously, suddenly angry at them. He could not understand why they didn't fight back. He did not understand why they had come accept their lives as fucking pets. Shikamaru and Lee jumped at the retort, but didn't comment so he pressed on: 'You were not meant to be locked up and used for amusement or profit. You're not animals.'

Lee sighed. 'Yes, we are. You want to run. Go ahead. We won't stop you. But we won't help you either.'

Shikamaru shook his head, a pained expression on his face. 'You're free-born. You have a place to go. A home.'

'You just told me that you haven't been brainwashed.' Naruto spat. 'But it sounds like you are to me.'

'You just don't understand.'

Naruto was so shocked by their words that he crushed his cup of water. He stared at them wide-eyed and mouth open.

'By the way, is it true that Hinata has already gotten her hands on you?' Lee said smirking, in an obvious attempt to change the subject after a moment of tense silence. Shikamaru stared at the shards of the cup with a pained frown.

Naruto was still staring at them in sheer horrified surprise. He was so angry, so upset, that he couldn't utter a word. He got up from the table to remove himself from them so he wouldn't attack them in his frustration. Konohamaru stared at him in suspicion. The sugarbull that had been standing by his side the whole time looked uncertain before following him.

'There is no use trying to fire up a soul that is empty.' A deep voice said.

Naruto looked up. He had unconsciously wandered towards Kakashi's table. 'Empty, huh?'

Kakashi gave him a penetrating stare. 'And broken in a way that nothing that fix it. They were doomed from the moment they were born.'

Naruto returned the stare, feeling uneasy. 'And you're not?'

Kakashi laughed. 'I might be. Sometimes I think I am. Are you?'

'No.' Naruto answered immediately.

'You think you can't be?' Kakashi smirked, revealing teeth that were much bigger and sharper than his. 'I was like you once.'

Naruto was still a bit shaken by the time that Konohamaru had guided him in to a familiar room full of tools and equipment. He wasn't the first to be examined. A Woodland Grazer Minotaur by the name of Yamato had gone before him. He had gotten hurt during a mock-fight.

'He'll get a large bruise, but that's about it. Nothing serious.' Tsunade said as her assistant took notes. She seemed a little different from before. Not as snappy and more relaxed. She actually smiled softly at him as he took a seat on the medical chair.

'Shall I do it?' Shizune offered.

'Go ahead.'

Shizune took off the tight bandages. She examined his ankle, applying pressure on certain areas and asking if it hurt. When she was finished she didn't put new bandages on.

'You're good to go.' Tsunade said when he stared questioningly at her. 'Your ankle is healing much faster than we anticipated.'

Naruto blinked. That was quick. He stood up and waited for the lanista to get him. Within two minutes, there was a knock on the door.

'Are you finished?'

'Yes, come in.'

Konohamaru opened the door and walked as Naruto gaped at the minotaur who followed after him. He was larger than Kakashi. He even had to lower his head in order to pass through the doorway that had been built especially for large mantures. He had a great white mane that ran all the way down his back and two red lines that started under his eyes and ended at his knees. His gold-white antlers went all around his head like a crown. He was the most majestic creature Naruto had ever seen.

But as Naruto got a closer look he realized that something wasn't quite right. The minotaur was old and looked very ill. His eyes were unfocused. He was covered in bruises and scratches, his lower arms full of bite-marks with the skin around it going purple. He glanced at the doctor to see her reaction and was even more surprised.

Her face had lit up upon seeing the minotaur. 'Routine check-up?'

'Yes, he hasn't been doing so well as of late. I think he's stopped fighting back because there are more injuries than usual.'

Tsunade's smile faltered when Konohamaru stuck his fingers into one of the wounds to show her how deep it was. 'That's enough. I'll deal with it myself.'

'Of course.' The lanista presented her with a small bow.

Tsunade walked forward and grabbed the white minotaur by the arm, standing almost protectively in front of him as Naruto followed Konohamaru out the door.

'Lanista?'

'Yes?'

'Was that Jiraiya?'

'Yes, it was.'

'Why doesn't he eat with the rest of the bulls?' Naruto wondered what Konohamaru was going to say and if he was going to answer at all.

'Because he's sick.'

'From the poison?'

'No, in his head.' Konohamaru said. 'He prefers being alone and we let him so that he doesn't hurt himself more than he already does.'

Naruto was surprised to hear him say the same thing as the bulls. 'Why is his mind sick?'

The lanista snapped his head towards him. 'Because he's old and senile. It's a shame. You should've seen him before that happened.'

Naruto said nothing. Lee had said the same thing, but he was starting to doubt it. He had seen the way the doctor and Jiraiya had stared at one another. He was beginning to believe that it wasn't confinement that had ended up breaking the minotaur. It had been love. He had chosen a mate in someone who couldn't be his. Naruto thought about this. He didn't know if minotaurs mated for life, but he did know that sometimes feelings surpassed instincts. He also knew love when he saw it despite having never experienced it himself.

'This is where we keep the kaus. I will be supervising your first sessions with the kaus to make sure nothing funny happens. Lucky me.' Konohamaru said sarcastically, looking tired. He rubbed his face, but he looked just as sleepy as before. 'My father has selected three for you to work with.' The lanista led Naruto inside the large hall. 'This is Ino. She's the first. You might recognize her species. She's a Hyperborean White.'

Naruto did recognize her kind. They had been his favorite prey back in the arctic and one of the easiest, but they only traveled to his lands during the warmest season and they didn't stay long. He would infiltrate their herd, pretending to be a lone male looking for a mate, and drag his target away at night after a silent kill. Hyperborean White bulls had small light-colored horns in comparison to the rest of their body, but the females had no horns at all. He glanced around, noting that the 'chambers' the kaus were held in were far less comfortable than the bulls'.

'Lay down on the hay.' Konohamaru told him. 'I don't want your ankle to act up again so Ino will be on top and do all the work.'

Naruto removed his wrap and did as he was told. Ino reminded him of the minotaur sisters who had seduced him. They had also been Hyperborean Whites. If only she didn't look like a walking dead body. She was extremely pale. Her eyes were dull and never left the ground.

Konohamaru handed her a cup after filling it with what looked like milk. She drank in one big gulp and they waited. Then just as Naruto was about to get bored, Ino began to moan and squirm. Her skin regained some of its color after a surge of energy given to her by the drink. The lanista ushered her towards him. She dropped to her knees, eyes landing on his cock, and licked her lips. Her whole body was trembling with desire.

He would've been pleased by the sight of her panting for him if it had been her choice and her decision, but it wasn't. Nonetheless, it was arousing. Although he had to force himself to forgot that it wasn't entirely consensual, he wasn't as uneasy as he had been during the health examination or during the first half of the private viewing.

She was rubbing his cock with both hands and grinding her cunt against his balls. He could feel her juices run down his thigh as she did so. She didn't waste time positioning herself once he was hard and the way she whined as he lowered herself on him was enticing. Her breasts bounced as she began to move, but he was more interested by the muscles in her legs. They were long and strong. He came with a growl, grabbing her by her hips so he could drive himself in deep. That's when she came, throwing her head back, biting her bottom lip and clenching her fists.

Almost immediately after, her energy seemed to vanish. He actually had to help her get up and stay up. He glanced at Konohamaru, worried that he might have unintentionally hurt her.

'It's fine.' The lanista said, yawning. 'Sleepiness is a side-effect of the aphrodisiac.'

Naruto nodded. He didn't believe a word of it. The kau obviously suffered from a burnout. She had been exhausted even before they had started.

'On to the next kau. Her name is Tayuya. She's a Forest Gazelle.' Konohamaru said as he opened a cage with a redhead inside. She appeared healthier than the first although she looked like she was a little dizzy. 'She's in heat. There's a chance that she's already pregnant of Shikamaru, but we'll try it anyway. She won't need aphrodisiac so just go.'

The lanista didn't have to point that out. Naruto could tell she was in heat from the moment he saw her. Females in heat often looked like they were lost until they spotted a male with whom they wanted to mate. It was a tell-tale sign.

Tayuya didn't notice him at first. She continued to sway before turning around and shaking her hips at him. Naruto instinctively went for her. She smelled delicious. He grabbed her by her long red hair and pulled her back, sniffing her neck and fondling her breasts.

'No biting!' Konohamaru warned. 'And hurry up. It's cold in here.'

By the time they reached the third kau, Naruto was getting tired. Tayuya had refused to let him go even after she had cum two times. The lanista had to threaten her with a bullet to the head so they could move on.

'This is Karui. She's a Southern Sahara Majora.'

She was beautiful. Tall, toned and dark-skinned with amber eyes. Another redhead. Her horns were curved to the outside. She looked much better than the other two as well. She was probably more valuable. She appeared dominant. Naruto didn't have the chance to move before he was accosted by her. She removed his wrap for him, throwing it aside and caressing his chest. She was a little taller than him or maybe she just seemed taller because of her aggressive approach.

'He's young, isn't he, lanista?' She said.

'Yes, younger than you. He's injured his ankle so go easy on him.'

Karui hummed before slamming him onto his back none too gentle. She pinned him down easily. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. He was not used to the female taking charge. Not like this.

'Wait.' He gasped.

She frowned down at him. 'I think he might need a potion, lanista. He looks drained.'

'I don't need help.' Naruto growled before thinking. It was only when Karui grinned sadistically that he realized his pride had just cost him. This was a female with a bull mentality. She was going to devour him.

'Little calf.' She cooed. 'Allow me to test your endurance and masculinity.'

'Wha-'

She flipped him over. Naruto's cheeks burned with embarrassment when she lifted his hips and used his tail for masturbation. She kept her hand on his neck to prevent him from getting up and chuckled when he squirmed. He stiffened up when her other hand gripped his cock and squeezed hard. It was sensitive from his previous two sessions. He flinched, swallowing a groan.

'I will make you mewl like a kau.' Karui whispered into his ear.

Naruto wasn't sure if he liked this. She kept stroking him into hardness and smacking his rear. It stung. He yelped and felt humiliated when both she and Konohamaru laughed at his response.

'No use fighting her.' The lanista said. 'She's too feisty for you.'

Naruto growled in disagreement. He used his powerful legs to stand up, but it did not stop her from riding his tail. Instead she grabbed him by his shoulders and made clicking sounds as if she was riding a horse. She was starting to piss him off.

'Get. Off.'

'Not happening.' She said, sounding amused. She moved around him until they were eye to eye. 'Looks like you're enjoying yourself.'

Naruto flushed. 'I am no-'

She kissed him then bit his bottom lip. It surprised him, causing him to stumble backwards and into a heap of soft hay. While Naruto was still dizzy from the fall she turned around and he found himself staring at her cunt.

'Lick.' She ordered, wiggling her hips and proceeded to stroke him again.

Naruto glanced at Konohamaru who shrugged in response. He scowled. He didn't like taking orders from the lanista, let alone some kau who thought she could get away with everything. He grabbed her hips and licked. And he wouldn't stop until she was the one writhing and mewling. It didn't take that long either. His tongue wasn't as long as that of a serpent, but it was rough with tiny bumps which he used to lick fur off of his prey before eating them. He also used it to pleasure the odd female.

Karui was having a hard time keeping quiet. 'S-stop. That's enough.'

He didn't stop. She struggled and moaned, but it was no use. His hold on her was too strong. She couldn't break free. In a last effort to get away, she clasped her thighs together. It made breathing difficult, but not impossible. He was much too stubborn to give up now. She had challenged the wrong one. Naruto was enjoying himself now that he was charge. She squealed when she came.

He rolled her off of him and smirked down at her in victory. She glared back, seething, and got up to tackle him. He hadn't that coming.

Fucking Karui had been even more tiring. They had wrestled for at least half an hour before he finally managed to pin her down. He had already cum once by that point and had ended up needed the aphrodisiac to get hard again. He didn't remember much after that.

'You did great. Most bulls can't handle that much at first, especially considering one was in heat and the other one was Karui, but you were on a roll.' Konohamaru said, moving out of the way so that the house slaves could enter Naruto's chamber with a massive plate of food. 'You must have a lot of experience. Tell you what – after you're done resting up a bit I'll take you somewhere nice.'

Naruto blinked at the lanista as he left. So if he did well he would be rewarded with trips into the city? He could use that for his escape. If Konohamaru brought him somewhere close to one of Konoha's main gates than he wouldn't have to run that far. He might be able to escape sooner than planned.

When Konohamaru returned an hour later, he handed Naruto a plain-looking hooded cape. 'Don't take that off. We're going to a rather seedy place so it's best that both our identities remain secret. Also, we'll be walking part of the way so if your ankle acts up just say so.'

Naruto nodded. He was extremely curious as to where they were going. They were using a different wagon, one that didn't have the Sarutobi symbol on it and, instead of being locked in a cage on the back, his hands were chained together and he was allowed to sit in the front.

'Usually we chain the feet as well, but I don't want injure your ankle again.' Konohamaru glanced at him. 'And, just so you know, I am carrying my weapon.'

Naruto rolled his eyes. As if he hadn't noticed the lanista flashing that thing whenever he could. He also noticed that Konohamaru relied on it a lot and it had made him overconfident. They remained silent for most of the way. When Naruto realized they were indeed heading to the edge of the city it took great effort to stay still. His mind and body were itching to run. There were a lot of people. He could use them as a shield. He might just be able to do it.

The wagon stopped, but Naruto didn't notice. His eyes were glued to the gates at the end of the street. But he did notice Konohamaru attaching another chain to his handcuffs.

'Standard procedure.' The lanista muttered. 'We haven't had you long enough to successfully judge your loyalty and, in my experience, free-borns tend to try and wander off without permission once they're outside of Sarutobi territory.'

Naruto's large hood hid his sneer. 'Is that the main gate?'

Konohamaru didn't answer. They walked for ten minutes. In that time Naruto's resolve to wait for his escape was beginning to crumble. He was so close to freedom. He could almost taste it.

'Stop daydreaming. The match is about to start.'

Naruto was snapped out of his thoughts by a sharp elbow jab. He sat down next to the lanista and stared at the small arena in dawning horror. This was a fighting ring.

'I remember you mentioning the lepor in the plaza so I looked her up. Ibiki had bought her from Ichiruka's like I had suspected and she's going to be fighting tonight.'

Naruto trembled with anger. He knew that Konohamaru wasn't stupid enough to believe that he had wanted to see the lepor get shredded. This wasn't a reward. This was a mind game. This was a display of power like the time he had rattled the bars of his door. This was an attempt to instill fear and brainwash him. No. They had started the process of breaking him the moment he was bought. He had been a fool.

'Ladies and gentlemen!' A familiar-looking man screamed at the audience from a high seat. 'Welcome to the ring! Tonight, as you all may know, is Lepor Lockdown Night!'

The audience roared in excitement.

'Tonight we have my champion Wolf Fang Kiba competing against Sasori of the Red Sand. Whoever kills the most lepors wins! Time to place your bets.'

Naruto went numb when he saw the competing slaves. Kiba was a feral lycan. One glance was enough to tell him that the lycan had been beaten and starved to make him more ferocious. Sasori reminded him of a serpent. He had rough-looking scales on his arms, legs and tail the same color as his blood-red hair. His face was completely blank in a way that told Naruto he had been drugged. Both of them were wearing thick chains around their neck to prevent them from attack each other before it started.

'Who do you think will win?' Konohamaru whispered when a scarcely dressed woman handed him a scroll and quill.

'The lepor with the pink hair.'

The lanista blinked. 'You can't bet on one of the lepors. Can you?'

'You can bet on whoever will be in arena.' The woman said with a fake smile. 'Is there a lepor in particular who you'd like to place your bet on?'

'The lepor with the pink hair. She will survive.' Naruto ground out, clenching his jaw in anger. He was not used to acting. He had overestimated his ability. Being manipulative and faking his true feelings was not something he was instinctively good at.

'I can't write that down. Don't you have a name?'

'Actually I know who he's referring to. I believe she's called Sakura.' The woman said. She continued smiling. Konohamaru sighed and wrote it down. She accepted the scroll with a bow and walked to the next person who wanted to place a bet.

Naruto ignored the lanista's small talk. He had no interest in the workings of a fighting ring. He just wanted it to end so he could escape and never have to think about it again.

'The bets are placed! Let the match begin!'

Naruto tensed up when they released two dozen lepors into the arena as well as Kiba and Sasori, both whom immediately went for their throats.

'Kiba has two down. Sasori has bitten four, but none of them are dead yet. Will the poison work fast enough to beat my champion?'

Naruto spotted the pink-haired lepor after several seconds of searching the chaotic arena. She was hiding behind two larger male lepors. She was crying and scared out of her mind. He wanted to yell at her to move, kick them in the nose, do something. Kiba was ripping through them like he was made of razors. Sasori's victims collapsed a few moments after being bitten. The arena was filling up with dead bodies, blood and dismembered limbs. It was gruesome.

'She's being targeted now.' Konohamaru said. He kept glancing at Naruto to see his reaction.

Naruto flinched when Kiba sunk his teeth into her arm. 'Fight!' He roared. 'Fight him!'

He thought it was useless, that she couldn't hear him over the screams of the crowd, but she did. Her ears, which had been lying flat against the side of her face, went up. She looked back at him, her eyes wide and teary before being thrown around like a ragdoll as Kiba shook his head, his teeth still clamped down on her arm. When she went limp Naruto stopped breathing.

'What made you place your bet on her? She's already dead. Didn't even take five seconds.' The lanista chuckled.

But she wasn't dead. She was kicking the lycan in the face with the same rapid movements she had used to make music on the plaza where he'd first seen her. She punched him in the jaw, but Kiba didn't let go. She then did something rather brilliant. She screamed. Loudly and very close to the lycan's sensitive ears. Kiba yelped and released her before getting another well-aimed kick to the head. He flew backwards, knocking over Sasori. Both of them got back up slowly and changed their target.

Naruto was still tense. The fight wasn't over. There was only one victor. Within half a minute Sakura was the only lepor left alive. She had managed to fight both of the competing slaves off so far, but now they were targeting her together. She tried screaming again to scare Kiba off, but it didn't work a second time. Sasori was completely unbothered by it. He lunged at her, coming face-first into contact with her extended fist. He was smashed into the ground and didn't get back up.

'Whoa, she's actually pretty strong.' Konohamaru commented. 'I'm surprised.'

Naruto snorted. The lanista had no idea how powerful some became when faced with death. Maybe he had sensed that in her that time at the plaza. Her will to live.

Sakura was now facing Kiba. But the lycan wasn't moving. He was looking at Sasori's unconscious body with an expression Naruto couldn't place. It was neither surprise nor fear, it wasn't sympathy or contempt. It was something else. The lycan lifted his head to Sakura, who stood her ground despite visibly shaking. Remarkably, Kiba didn't try to attack her again. The crowd started to boo until two humans carefully entered the arena and fired a shot at Kiba to rile him up again. Ibiki was shouting at his champion from the stands. But the lycan seemed to have suddenly lost all interest in the lepor.

As the audience was left wondering what was going on, Naruto smiled. Kiba had seen something in Sakura when she punched Sasori. He had seen that fire in her eyes. It had probably reminded him of a time where he had that same fire and snapped the lycan out of his bloodthirsty rampage.

'The fight won't end until one of them is down.'

Naruto glanced at the lanista for the first time since the match started. Now he knew why Kiba was staring expectantly at the pink-haired lepor. He wanted her to knock him out like Sasori. 'Get him!'

Sakura jumped and blinked up at him. She looked at Kiba who was calmly licking the blood off his paws and shook her head. Naruto could hear Konohamaru talking to one of the servant slaves in an attempt to raise Naruto's bet as he continued to rage at Sakura to do something.

'Kick him in the fucking face!' Naruto roared.

'Yeah, get him!' Someone else yelled.

'Go lepor girl! C'mon, you can do it!'

Sakura stared in amazement as the crowd began to cheer for her. Ibiki glanced around incredulously. He didn't seem to know what to do. He scowled and continued shouting profanity at his champion, saying he would punish him if he didn't kill her. It didn't get any reactions until he threatened to kill his family. That's when both Sakura and Kiba leapt into action.

Kiba jumped at her, claws extended and jaws open. Sakura ran forward with less speed before stopping suddenly. The lycan crashed into the sand of the arena. Before he could get back up, Sakura lifted her leg back and delivered a powerful kick to Kiba's chin. It knocked him out instantly.

'Well, how about that. The lepor won.' Konohamaru said coldly as the crowd went wild. 'She'll still die. In the next match.'

The match ended as abruptly as it began. They waited in line to collect their winnings. After some initial confusion, Ibiki decided to hand the victory to both Kiba and the lepor. Although Naruto had wanted to ask Konohamaru what would happen to Sasori and Sakura now, he got distracted when he realized they would heading out the streets again. His mind instantly latched onto to the hopeful feeling in his chest and the thought that he might actually be able to do it. He forcefully pushed the thoughts of both Sasuke and Sakura out of his head and decided that he would try it. He would forget about them soon enough… right?

Anyway, his ankle wouldn't be much of a problem anymore, now that it wasn't painful to stand on, and he had already figured out a way to get rid of the gun. Now, all he had to do was time it perfectly.

'You look pumped. Did you enjoy the match?' The lanista pulled on the chain attached to his handcuffs. 'Hey! I'm talking to you.'

'Huh?'

'What are you thinking about, Naruto?'

'Why have you brought me here?'

'Because you showed concern for the lepor. I thought you'd like to know what became of her.'

'You thought I would enjoy seeing her struggle in a pointless battle used to entertain bored humans?'

Konohamaru's fake smile faltered. He looked rather surprised. 'You're sounding a little ungrateful, warland. It seems like your true personality's beginning to shine through.'

'You think this is funny?' Naruto said, sounding a lot calmer than he was feeling.

The lanista's eyes grew wide. He took a step back. Naruto didn't know what kind of expression there was on his face, but it was scaring the young man. He laughed nervously. 'You actually sound like you care. You're a predator. You eat creatures like her.'

'To survive!' Naruto roared. 'Not for amusement.'

Konohamaru jumped. His fingers were twitching towards his belt. 'You better back off, Naruto.'

'Or else?' Naruto jeered. 'Will you shoot me? Like you shot Sora?'

The lanista snorted in disbelief. 'You actually remember her name?'

'You think you're better than us?'

Konohamaru swallowed thickly. 'Yes, I will shoot you.'

'Answer my question, lanista!'

Konohamaru opened and closed his mouth, looking ridiculous. He didn't seem to have anticipated this. He was obviously out of his comfort zone, unsure of what to do or say. 'Of course, we are!' He yelled eventually. 'We saved you from your simple lives and put them to use. What else are you creatures good for?!'

'I pity you.' Naruto spat. 'Puny humans. You value money over lives and see death and destruction as nothing but entertainment. Your greed is insatiable and your arrogance is unjust.'

The lanista scoffed. 'That's rich coming from you! You're a bunch of barbaric cannibals. You claim to have human intelligence yet you live no differently from animals! We have offered you knowledge and science, given you the opportunity to evolve from your beastly lifestyles by giving you rules and order, structure and science – the only reason you know how to speak is thanks to us!'

'The only reason why humans still exist is because mantures have never considered you worth their time!' Naruto glanced at the gun.

'Oh really? Then how is it that you have been enslaved by us, but none of our kind has been enslaved by you?'

'Because we don't need you, but you need us.' Naruto growled, smirking at Konohamaru's growing frustration. 'Face it. You're afraid of us. We're bigger than you, stronger than you and maybe even smarter than you. You know as well as I do that if mantures worked together no weapon you have ever created could stop us from annihilating you. Humans had to do something to keep us from getting that idea. But look at what you've done. You have created a city where mantures, who would otherwise have kept to the laws of nature, have started working together – drawn together by their hatred of mankind. You are building your own doomsday.'

The lanista was struck dumb. He paled and began to shiver when he finally realized that Naruto had a point. 'Your… your kind is easily broken. We have bred minotaurs for years and never have… never has… we are better than you!'

Naruto grabbed Konohamaru's arm as he pulled out the gun and aimed it at his head. He had been waiting for that. This time he was prepared and close enough to retaliate. He lifted the young man off his feet and was delighted in seeing the sheer fear in his eyes when he became aware of Naruto's true intentions.

'I'll be taking that.' Naruto plucked the gun out of the lanista's limp hand. He also grabbed the keys from his belt. 'Now, this is what we're going to do, lanista.'

000

AN – Sorry for the late update. I had planned on updating every week, but… well, life's a bitch. In the last two weeks I have had very little time to write anything so I'm behind schedule. I usually make sure I have at least the next chapter written before uploading a new one to make sure that I'm always ahead. But I can just leave you guys in the dark. However, chances are that the next update might take a while seeing as I haven't even written it yet…

About Hinata:

Hinata is a character portrayed as the insecure underdog of a prominent clan. However, in the original manga she has Naruto and the shinobi training to keep her busy and standing. In my story, she has neither. From what I know, people who are insecure often develop a drinking habit, a drug habit and/or become promiscuous. Because of this, I thought that my characterization of her in the previous chapter wasn't that farfetched.