I do not own Naruto
3The Three Blinded Mice
.
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Three little mice, two male, one female
one a shark with a sword so large, two a gentle killer
three a tracker who lost her way. They
were desperately searching for Their Lost Comrade
and soon came across a smiling cat,
who whispered niceties
into their quivering ears.
"Come, meet The Piper,
he makes your dreams come true!
The Piper can help
all three of you!"
So The Mice and The Cat,
now grinning with the pleasure
of drawing three more
mice-y souls into his masters lair
led on into the black forest wood,
reaching out, flying fast
until The Piper's lair came forth
"Piper, Piper, Master, Master,
here for you, The Last Three Mice
for your 'helping hand'."
And so afore those mice,
ears trembling with fright
came A Man So Tall And Kind,
"it's The Piper, The Piper so scarred and old and masterful
has come to aid!"
cried The Shark, sipping on his water
But the other two doubted
And then The Piper pulled out his
gleaming instrument
and played a tune so pleasing
of deals and arrangements,
of switching leaderships and A Suffering Comrade
of a Red Demon Fox
and a cage opening wide
of amenity and great rewards
and so while The Piper
played his memorable tune
The Mice were shocked in awe
and The Grinning Cat
bared his teeth and
Blindfolded The Three Mice.
And so They set off,
to make The Piper's dream of
leadership come true
and to free Their Suffering Comrade.
little did They know,
They had been tricked, deceived,
and were now
The Three Blinded Mice.
Ugh… The light was so blinding. A flat nothing of landscape where the only features were far off scraggily trees, blanched white with the pounding intensity of the light above. Naruto, mind thick with lethargy, shielded his eyes with a forearm; something warm dripped unto his face. What? …
Touching the strange sticky substance, the blonde boy squinted to look at it; the scent was familiar, of iron and copper and sweat and a dreadful rot… it was… it was blood.
Naruto stepped back in shock; blood? Why was there blood on his arm? No, it wasn't just his arm, Naruto was soaked in a quick drying crimson bath, his hair shone red in the blinding white light, his eyes clouded with a deep violet storm; this horrific scene was all displayed for the man in a huge clear mirror that suddenly appeared before him, a mirror into a world of black monstrosities. Behind his horrified reflection growled an inky, swirling demon; Naruto's reflection changed; no longer horrified but instead grinning with a strange sick pleasure. His now deep violet eyes grew into a deeper garnet, his once sunny blonde hair shone burgundy; dyed with purulent gore. Black lips were stretched into a menacing grimace over large, sharpened white teeth.
No, no, this wasn't him. This was someone else; someone evil. Someone…
…Someone who has been taken over by my chakra, kit. This is why I have shown you this dream; so that you are prepared for what will come, should you fail in suppressing me fully. Well, I should say since neither you nor your will have any effect on this subject; this is what will happen if 'He' does not succeed in fusing my chakra to your own.
Eh?
Idiot kitsune; just be warned.
---------
Then Naruto awoke from that frightening dream; to a dark and empty tent.
"S-Sakura?" When had he fallen asleep? How long had he been unconscious? Naruto sat up, just to tumble back down to his pillow as dizziness overtook him.
"Ugh…" The boy moaned aloud, bringing cold hands to hold his spinning head. Just what the hell had happened? The last time he was awake… think… think…argh, it was no use. The only thing in Naruto's yellow cranium was that horrific white landscape, the terrifying monster in the mirror; who Naruto would become if the boy didn't find some way to "fuse safely" with Kyuubi. The only one who could do that was…he didn't know. The only thought that could penetrate the boy's spinning thoughts was Sasuke, the boy who fell asleep on the corner of Naruto's bed; the boy who said "Why the hell should I care about you?" the boy who tried to kill him more than once, the one who had almost been successful in that particular endeavor.
Sasuke, he was Naruto's best friend, a traitor whom he considered closer than brothers; closer than blood.
He wasn't there anymore. Sasuke was gone somewhere, where did he go?
Blue eyes closed once again, a blonde brow furrowing; he would just find Tsunade and ask her. Or maybe, since the Hokage would be very busy commanding reconstruction attempts, he needed to ask someone close to her. Someone like Sakura. Flinging tired legs off the bed, Naruto's eyes shot open and he got up, ready at last to go get his many questions answered, ready at last to help with the seemingly endless reconstruction of his beloved village.
The blonde boy wobbled on unsteady legs over to the flap of his tent, how long had he been sleeping? It must have been more than a few days, judging from the lack of strength Naruto felt resonate through his bones. Yet, where physical strength lacked, Naruto felt there was another type of overwhelmingly powerful energy lapping at the corners of his consciousness. It felt... It felt very and disturbingly similar to Kyuubi's power. But no, now was not the time to be worrying about such things. Naruto needed to talk to The Hokage or Sakura about Sasuke and about when he could start helping out.
Opening the thick white flap entrance to his tent the boy, who had braced himself to see the worst, to see the barren landscape of his home, was shocked to find a flurry of activity even at the late hour. There where buildings and people working everywhere, from the oldest woman to the youngest boy, from mere skeleton buildings to many, many near completion. The streets of Konoha were once more lit brightly, filled with the sounds of laughter and the banging of hammers on wood and nails. This entire scene was clearly displayed from the campground maze of tents that was the makeshift hospital. Naruto couldn't hold back the gasp of awe from escaping his throat. It was amazing, this unity; this overflowing sense of kinship. A wide smile appeared on the boy's tan moonlit face; nothing could destroy his home as long as this feeling remained. Nothing, he was sure.
Forcing cerulean eyes from the hustle and bustle of the reappearing city, Naruto looked back to his goal; find Sakura. Knowing the girl, she would be healing people until she passed out or until everyone was fully recovered; so she would undoubtedly still be in the hospital camp. Trying out his unsteady legs first, Naruto started his search for the pink haired medic.
Wandering through the various tents, the fox kitsune couldn't help but notice the eerie silence that plagued over the huge civilian infirmary tent as well as the other, smaller individual Shinobi tents such as his. All were sleeping. A sudden noise disrupted the silence; not too far away. Following the voices, the blonde neared an open, well lit tent near the outskirts of the hospital camp.
"-mumph…"
A man's voice?
"Sorry, but you know, this is what you get for overworking yourself. What's the point of getting yourself injured, then ignoring it and continuing working until it grows so bad that you can't do anymore missions? You have to take consideration for your body's limits, Lee."
"Mmhm. Sorry Sakura… I-I should have listened to what you said earlier. Forgive my stupid disobedience to your medical advice."
Lee? And Sakura? Alone? Together? Naruto bit back the twinge of jealousy that welled inside him, as well as the urge to jump out from the shadows and confront the two.
But no, Lee was wounded and Sakura was just healing him.
Even so, Naruto was well aware how much Lee loved his pink-haired teammate, one of his best friends. Alright, it was always a good time to practice the skills you lack most in, right? In this case, stealth. Repressing his chakra signature, Naruto crept up to the side of the tent; silent as a mouse, he peered in. Lee was sitting on the edge of a covered wooden hospital examiner table, legs dangling over the side; his bare lower right abdomen covered in blood. Sakura was sitting in a low stool, eye-level to the still bleeding wound; with a box of gauze and other medical tools in her lap. She was currently inspecting the man's side, Lee having taken off the top part of his jumpsuit. Naruto winced in pity as the girl peeled back old blood soaked bandaging from the wound with gentle fingers, throwing it away before turning back to face the bowl-cut haired boy.
"It's alright, Lee, just be a little more careful with yourself; I don't want you getting even more hurt. It's alright to take some breaks, your doing more than enough." With that, Sakura smiled at the boy, and continued to dab at Lee's extensive wound with a cotton ball of disinfectant.
Nausea crept up on his as as he saw, through his winces at the disinfectant's sting, the secret look of pure love and happiness Lee gazed down at Sakura's pink clad head.
"Yes, Sakura." Naruto could almost hear Lee's repressed words, the thoughts that Lee's big black eyes were practically shouting. "My angel."
Naruto couldn't look anymore, it felt as if he were intruding on a very private moment, and it was so corny as to be a little gross. Kind of made him want to throw up. Slumping back to the grassy floor, the blonde gave a little smile.
No one could ever compete with that level of pure adoration, with that sheer amount of love. It was chokingly overwhelming; it was exactly what Sakura deserved after all she'd been through. Naruto had absolutely no right to be jealous. Lee was an exceptional guy, he was exactly what Sakura needed. He would never take even the smallest amount of her love for granted. He would always be there for her, and there wasn't anyone who could argue with the fact that they appeared to be perfect for each other. And surprisingly, Naruto was quite happy for them.
But he was still jealous.
Sure, it was true that the energetic blonde had always liked Sakura, and that the girl was quite beautiful, but his level of that type of love for her and Lee's level of love for her were just too different to compare. Naruto loved the girl very, very much; she was one of his most precious people; but the type of love he felt was just kind of an old familiar thing, they'd both grown so used to his useless advances that no one paid attention anymore. She was the very beautiful girl he could never be more than best friends with.
But, strangely enough, lately instead of feeling as if his love had been rejected, it felt like all his love had already been concentrated on something else altogether; but what could that other thing, or person, be?
Naruto got up, dusting himself off. Perhaps he had grown up a little after all. Obviously Sakura wasn't available, so that meant the search had to continue for Grandma Tsunade. Walking down the corridor's formed by thinning dark tents, Naruto continued his search.
Then he was out of the labyrinth and in a clearing near the woods. Where could that old woman be? Naruto sighed in frustration, turning to go back through the tents, when a noise stopped him in his tracks. Turning back around, Naruto spotted blonde ponytails in the darkness, bobbing up from underground behind a glowing white Anbu Ox mask. With surprise-wide blue eyes and a small smile, the fox boy started trotting over to where the woman was appearing from what appeared to be a dank underground chamber.
"Hey, Grandma-" He stopped as he saw Ibiki, Konoha's top interrogator, emerge behind The Hokage. What?
What was Ibiki doing there? Had they been interrogating someone? Who? The blonde reached the group, still confused.
"Hey Grandma, I was looking for you. What's going on?" Tsunade looked shocked and…guilty? Only for a second, before the all-too familiar irritation took its place on her delicate features.
"That's none of your business brat, and what the hell are you doing out of bed anyways?"
Naruto wasn't paying attention. He was looking at the entrance to the underground hole, where blessedly familiar midnight black spikes where beginning to emerge.
Sasuke!
Without conscious thought, a wide, surprised and excited grin started forming on the man's tan face, only to disappear as fast as it came. Sasuke had blood leaking from his hairline down across his temple. The raven's chin was smudged with the same thick garnet gleam, his pale moonlit cheek purpling with a bruise. The taller boy's hands were cuffed with strange iron shackles, ones that had cut and rubbed his ivory wrists raw. Several fingers were in crude splints.
What the hell…? Had… had Ibiki been interrogating Sasuke? Shocked indigo eyes met equally surprised coal black ones, and Sasuke immediately looked away, frowning, his pale face unreadable.
Naruto turned on Tsunade, inexplicable anger suddenly flaming inside him.
"What the hell is this, Tsunade?" But the woman wasn't looking at him, her piercing eyes were focused, full of confusion, on Sasuke; who was staying silent, still looking down, still looking slightly ashamed and very irritated. Only after a few long seconds of her careful scrutinizing of Sasuke, then Naruto, did the woman seem to register Naruto's disrespectful words.
"Shut up little boy, stop your incecant shouting. And go back to bed, before all my work healing you goes to waste!"
Hmm? Where was all the anger Naruto had been expecting? Why did Tsunade suddenly seem so worn out? What was this?
"Tell me what's going on first."
"No. Go back to your tent, Naruto. I'll explain things there." He didn't know what it was, but there was definatly something on the old woman's mind. There was something happening. But there was no need to worry the woman further, if she was going to explain things anyway. Naruto, thick as he was, could still see just how much of a toll the destruction of the village was on the old woman, how tired she must be, constantly busy as she was.
"Fine." Taking one last worried glance at Sasuke, then another at Tsunade; Naruto made his way back through the maze of tents, back to his own.
What the hell had been with that reaction?
Tsunade made her way through the many tents that formed the hospital campground, amber eyes clouded in deep thought. Sasuke had been infamously cold and sarcastic all throughout his week of interrogation; not accepting food or sleep, his face in a constant expressionless state. Yet when he saw Naruto, it was as if the ice that was Sasuke melted a little; like the boy softened. Tonight's display hadn't been the only example of such behavior; actually, Tsunade had been quietly observing the raven all throughout his time in Konoha, and it seemed his dark side shrank back when he was with Naruto, and it grew when the blonde boy was gone.
Like the first visit to Naruto's tent, for example. Sasuke hadn't slept for about three days, and according to Sakura, a few minutes into his visit with the blonde kitsune; the cold-hearted boy was sleeping peacefully, his head resting practically on Naruto's leg! Now, how could that be explained? Tonight, Sasuke had been especially troublesome in his interrogation secession, yet the second Naruto appears, Sasuke's face comes to life!
Was there really something deeper here? Tsunade just couldn't seem to figure it out. Perhaps a talk with Naruto would help her understand better. Reaching her destination, The Hokage pulled back the flap to reveal a pacing Naruto. The boy's large clear eyes displayed all his misgivings, all his confusion; and Tsunade felt a pull on her heartstring. It was impossible to deny that over the years, this determined, annoying little boy had grown on her. He was like a grandchild, a son, perhaps, to her. The only one who'd survived her love. Not that she would ever voice that.
"Well…? So what was going on? Why is Sasuke so beat up? What was Ibiki doing to him?" The panic and anger in the boy's voice was also clearly shown, he seemed simply unable to hide it.
"Go lie down, Naruto; and I'll explain everything." Based on Naruto's reactions so far, he would probably not take Sasuke's circumstances so well. But, judging on the Uchiha's reactions so far, Naruto was probably the only reason Sasuke had not already escaped or gone on a massive slaughtering rampage. He was definately unstable enough for it.
"Naruto, do you really not understand the situation? Sasuke's a traitor to this village; he did have a hand in its latest destruction. It's only natural that we take steps to restrain and interrogate him." Tsunade carefully analyzed the small blonde's sequence of reactions. First shocked, then angry, realization of the truth, then determined. Of course. He was Naruto, after all.
"But, Tsunade-baasan, you know that he helped us in the end, didn't he? He was once a member of this village!"
"Yes, brat; of that I'm well aware. But you have to remember that he helped destroy this village, he joined Orochimaru, he betrayed all of us; especially you. He almost killed you twice. That boy is lucky he isn't dead already." Naruto seemed to not hear most of what she said, picking out one particular subject.
"Wha-at? Seriously, Grandma, is Sasuke really going to be executed? You can't! You can't do that!" The distress in Naruto's voice was shocking; how could he care about someone like that so damn much?
"I can do whatever I want, boy. But no, as long as he cooperates, he won't be executed. Don't worry about that bastard so much."
The blonde boy slumped back down in his bed, relief quickly spreading across his features. What was with this overdone concern? What was with this whole fucked up relationship?
Jeez. It seemed both boys where some kind of love-sick masochists.
Wait… Was that it? Love? Could it be that both boys were in love, though neither realized it?
Tsunade buried her head in one hand, a few strange-sounding chuckles erupting from her throat. It was so unbelievable it made perfect sense; how could she have not realized it sooner?
Naruto looked at her strangely.
"What? What is it?"
Love.
(AN) Hey. Please tell me if you found the beginning part confusing at all.
other than that... yeah. chapter three! Remember, this is, in fact, SasuNaru, it just takes some time for them to realize that themselves, see? ^.^ Sorry if it's building up kinda slow, it gets way faster soon!
(LeeSaku lovin! heheh)
Love.
Bright Eyed