A rustling noise was the first thing Naruto heard as he began to regain consciousness. He groaned softly and forced his heavy eyelids open. He blinked rapidly for a few moments as his eyes adjusted to the bright light. His eyes made out a figure standing amidst the light and his brow furrowed. "Sasuke?" He croaked out, his mind confused and currently unaware of the events leading up to the moment.
"I'm not your Sasuke." The voice caused Naruto to stiffen. He knew that voice. It was a voice from his nightmares. It was the voice that relentlessly haunted him. "I see the drug has messed with your memory a bit. Shall I bring you up to speed, Ru-Ru?" As the nickname was uttered, a shiver went down Naruto's spine and a terrible feeling filled his gut, the churning rearing it's ugly head once again. "You..." He muttered as the figure stepped into clear view. Realization hit him like a train and he jerked forward. Finding that he was tied to a chair, Naruto strained against the bonds and yelled hoarsely, "You killed Sasuke!"
His father laughed harshly, "Oh, maybe I did, maybe I didn't; but if I did, what does it matter to you? You have no connections with anyone other than me. I am the only person you need." A tan hand reached out and caressed his cheek. The man's facial expression softened slightly. Naruto tensed and tried to move away from the gentle touch, but the man's hand just followed his movements. Fingernails dug into his face as Minato gripped his chin. Hardening blue eyes drilled into him and the larger blond tutted, "Now, little fishy, why fight this? It was inevitable that we would end up together again."
A low chuckle vibrated through the air, "You and I; we are the same." Naruto shook his head. "You can deny it, but we both know it is true. Have the urges started yet, son? It started around your age for me. Did you know I had my way with my sister? She was so naive. Before she realized what was going on, I was already upon her! Oh..." Minato shivered, chuckling again. "What a fond memory that is; taking her for my own and then watching the life draining from her eyes as the blood poured out."
The grip on his chin loosened and Minato walked around behind him, placing rough hands on his shoulders. "You remember that sensation, don't you, fishy? Wasn't it wonderful when we got to watch it together?" Minato leaned over and whispered in Naruto's ear. "I spent far too long away from my precious fish and I would like to have some fun...together..." Naruto shivered and clenched his jaw as the man's breath tickled his neck and ear. Please don't say it... Please... Please...anything but... "It will make Papa proud. Don't you want to make me proud, little fishy?"
Naruto could fell his defenses start to weaken at the familiar words. The lessons that Tsunade and Jiraiya had taught him came flooding into his mind. "Your father has always been good at manipulation and he applied all of his skills to you. When he says a certain word or sentence, you will weaken and become obedient to his every wish."
"You have been programmed to obey every command. He can force you to do something without even touching you."
"You need to guard against these phrases in any way you can. Do not be swayed by anything he says. Protect yourself. Think of the horrific things he has made you do and force yourself to remember what a monster he is."
"If he ever finds you, fight...fight with everything you have. No matter what he does, no matter what he says, fight!"
Naruto struggled against the zip-ties that held him in the chair. "Y-you're just a-a monster." Minato laughed and replied in a taunting tone, "That is the best you could come up with? Come now, you can do better than that!"
Naruto bristled and replied, even though he knew his father was baiting him. "You killed my mother and forced me to do terrible things! You made me hurt them! You are a-a d-demon!"
Minato walked back into Naruto's view and chuckled, "Much better. Doesn't it feel good to get that anger out?" A dark grin split the man's features as he continued, "I didn't make you do anything, little fish. You did it freely, and all because you wanted to make me proud."
"You're wrong! I did it because you tricked me into thinking it was freedom for those poor woman! You said they were going to be happy and that it was all a fun game, a party!" Naruto replied, all traces of his fear gone as anger flooded his system.
"Oh, you have me there. Though, you did enjoy the 'game' quite a lot. Do you remember that lovely song that we used when we cleaned? That tune was one your mother used to sing. In fact, it was the one she was singing just before I tied her up." Naruto's stomach churned and he growled softly, "You sick bastard!"
Minato laughed loudly and joyfully. "Oh, little fish, you amuse me so. You really must not remember how your mother died."
"I do remember, you killed her in front of me! You stabbed her over and over until she died! I remember her calling out my name in pain..." Minato doubled over with laughter. "Oh, this is rich. You have lived all this time believing that I killed your mother myself. Dear me, you have blocked out the most important parts. It wasn't my hand on the knife that delivered the last blow, little fish."
Naruto's eyes grew wide and his mind reeled, "W-what?" He did not have a clear memory of his mother's death, but he had always assumed that the blood, the flashing metal, and the screaming combined with his mother's face had been a vague remembrance of her murder, committed by the monster before him.
"I'll let you stew on that for a while. Maybe the memory will come back to you." Minato chuckled, still recovering from his laughing fit. "With a little help, of course." Naruto shuddered as Minato stroked his face. "I have missed you, my little fish…cake." Anger filled Naruto's eyes and he felt a surge of adrenaline fill his system. He did not speak, but only glared at the man, hoping that he would burst into flames. It was the first time that the demon had used the nickname 'fish-cake', and Naruto knew it was meant to make him mad, for that had been his mother's special name for him.
"Oh, did that hurt your feelings? Did you think I would not say that name just because your mother used to call you that?" Minato laughed again, "Can't you just feel the anger flowing in you when I utter those words? Does it bubble up inside you and cause your insides to clench? Does it hurt when you hold it in?" Naruto snarled in reply and Minato grinned, "I take that as a yes." Minato leaned close, "That's good. It'll make this easy for us." His grin took on a sick quality. "We are going to have so much fun, Ru-Ru, so much fun."
"Now, shall we get started?" Minato turned Naruto's chair around sharply, causing the wood to scrape loudly against the floor. The harsh sound was like nails on a chalk board to Naruto's ears and he shut his eyes for a brief moment, wincing. When he opened them again, a horrified shudder went down his spine, for a woman sat not ten feet away, tied to a chair, her head covered by a cloth bag. She was eerily still, so at first, Naruto thought she was dead, but then he saw her chest rise and fall in a faint breath. The clothes she wore seemed oddly familiar and a feeling of absolute dread filled him. "I saved her just for you, Ru-Ru." Minato strode past Naruto to the other captive and whipped the bag off the woman's head, revealing bubble-gum pink hair.
Naruto's breath caught in his throat, for the girl in the chair was not some stranger, but Sakura. It made sense that the clothing had been familiar to him, for he had helped the girl pick it out the last time she had dragged him on a shopping trip. "Recognize her, hm? That's good, I figured she was your 'friend'. You two seemed rather close. Have you done her yet? I know I would, she's quite the beaut." He traced her jawline with his pointer finger, keeping his eyes trained on the unconscious girl's face as he did so. After he removed his finger from her face, Minato paused and then turned back to his son, "Or are you too afraid to touch a women because of what you used to do to them? Unless, of course, you play for the other ball team. It'd make sense, with how close you were to that raven, and well, our past. I never got the pleasure, but I'm sure…other…guys are as much fun to mess with as girls. Oh, does that mean you have a daddy complex?" Minato chuckled, finding himself amusing. "I am quite honored, fishy, to know you think so highly of me."
Naruto felt sick again and resisted the urge to throw up. "Don't look so queazy, Ru. I wasn't that bad, considering how much you moaned." A giggle escaped the man's throat. "But, how can we get so off topic? This sweet girl is just waiting for us to get to work. Don't you think she'd love to meet your mother and the others? Hm, Ru-Ru?" Naruto's jaw shook and he felt his will crumbling. Kyuu? Where are you? I…I'm not strong enough to fight him. I need your help…Kyuu? No matter how desperately he called for the fox, there was no answer. It was then that he remembered the injection Minato had given him. As his father knew about the demon, it was more than likely that he had dosed him with something to keep Kyuubi asleep.
His eyes started to sting and tears threatened to spill down his cheeks. Kyuu? He knew it was pointless, but he tried anyways. Naruto wanted to be brave, to fight against the demon standing over his friend. Get it together, Naruto. You can do this. You have dealt with things alone before, and this isn't any different. Even as he thought those words, he doubted himself. He wasn't nearly as strong as he liked to say, and he was doubting his training. Stop it. He killed women, he forced you to do horrible things, and he…he killed Sasuke. Remember the screams. Remember the blood. Don't let him take you.
"Still fighting, hm? My initial hope of you embracing me upon arrival has been shattered and now my hope that you would fall back into past habits quickly has also been dissolved. I don't want to lie to my fishy, so I won't deny that this makes me sad." Minato frowned. "We have time, though, and I won't mind entertaining myself by helping you. Maybe if I poke around in your memories, you'll remember." The man's brow furrowed and he stepped in between Sakura and Naruto. Bending over, he rested his hands on his slightly bent knees and looked into eyes that, in color, mirrored his own. "You're suppressing the urges, even if you aren't aware of it." He made a soft humming noise and searched Naruto's eyes. "There is always a trigger for such things. I suspect I've already headed down the road to flipping it. " Naruto struggled against the zip-ties again. "Don't worry, I won't tell you outright. No, no, you'll remember on your own. I will only be a helpful voice in your ear." A grin eased his way onto the man's face, sending a shiver through Naruto's body.
A soft moan came from behind Minato, alerting them to the awakening girl. "Oh, my, it appears your little friend is waking up. What shall we say to her, hm? Shall we tell her all about our adventures together?" Naruto growled as Minato straightened and stepped aside, allowing him to see Sakura. "N-Naru—to?" Sakura murmured, as her eyes slowly flickered open. She quickly snapped into consciousness and focused on the blonds before her. "Naru…What…Why did you attack me? Why are there two of you?" Confusion wrinkled her brow as her gaze flicked from one blond to the other.
"I see, you haven't told her about us, then? Oh, dear fishy, I am wounded. I thought you would at least tell this pretty little thing about me." Naruto watched as Sakura tried to stand, only to find that she too was bound to a chair. "Who are you?" She demanded.
Minato chuckled. "I thought you were smarter than that, girlie. Is there that much of a facial difference between us?" He paused, thinking. "Though, you do look a bit like your dearly departed mother." At this, Naruto growled and Sakura's eyes widened. If they had been in a different situation, he would have found Sakura's expression comical. However, it was not a laughing matter at the moment.
Naruto watched as realization covered his friend's face. He winced at the horror that soon washed over her features. He looked away, returning his gaze to his father. There was no way they were going to make this out alive, so he had no reason to worry about what Sakura thought about him now. He took a deep breath and attempted to calm his racing heart, but only managed to mask the fact that his heart beat was skyrocketing. "You no longer have any control over me."
Minato almost doubled over with laughter, and as he straightened, wiping tears from his eyes, he spoke, "Oh, that is rich! You thought the weak brain-washing they gave you would be enough to 'overcome' ten years of my teachings?" He snorted, "The stupidity of these people astounds me!" He shook his head and placed a heavy hand on Naruto's shoulder. "You will soon find out that my teachings go deeper than anything else, my little fishy."
The dark smile that slide across his face caused shivers to rack Naruto's spine. The hand dragged up his neck and rested briefly on his cheek, caressing the bone. "I will leave you two alone. You need to tell this girl about me, fish, especially about our…special bond." The man smirked before he left. It was only then that Naruto realized they were in the middle of a small room, lit by several lamps scattering the empty space. As his father exited through the single door, Naruto heard the clicking noise of several locks sliding into place.
"Naruto." Sakura's voice was low, full of worry and fear; a tone he hadn't heard in a long time, not since Sasuke's departure. Naruto kept his gaze trained on the locked door. "Please, Naruto, tell me what is going on." Clenching his jaw, Naruto spoke in little over a whisper, "You are going to die."
"Before that happens, will you at least tell me who is our murderer?"
"I won't die." Naruto replied, in the same soft voice.
"Excuse me?" Sakura questioned, clearly wondering if she had heard the boy correctly.
"You are the only one that will die. I will not be harmed." He looked at the pink-haired girl before him with solemn eyes.
"Because he is your father." Sakura replied, her voice having lost some of its fear. Naruto was unsurprised by her words and nodded slowly, "Yes."
"Explain. You have never spoken of this man before, and though I can understand why, I deserve an explanation now." If her arms had not been tied in place, they would have been crossed. A pink eyebrow raised and she looked at the blond expectantly.
Naruto hesitated, "I…" He licked his lips and then began, "That man is a serial killer that goes by the name of the 'Yellow Flash'. He is my father and I was raised by him for ten years. Jiraiya rescued me and with Tsunade's help, they rehabilitated me."
"I suppose that explains a few things." Sakura replied after a long silence. Naruto gave her a slightly confused look. "The night terrors, the weird stuff you say in your sleep, the scars, and the odd look you get whenever someone says anything related to fish." As if to prove her point, Naruto tensed slightly at the last word. "But it doesn't explain why you didn't tell me." Naruto lowered his gaze. "You never breathed a word of having a living family member. You never said anything about your past. You kept it locked up inside a cage that never saw the light of day…until now."
Naruto shook his head and returned his gaze to hers. His voice grew in volume and pitch with each sentence that slipped past his lips, "You don't want to know, Sakura. I didn't say anything because I wanted to keep you safe. What I've done…What I've witnessed, it would have driven you away. It would have driven everyone away. Keeping the horror to myself was the only way to keep you all safe. My childhood was a time full of bloody roses and darkened days, unlike someone who lived like a princess! I don't need your pity and I don't need your comfort! You can't even pretend to understand what I've gone through. You who has lived in the comfort of your normal family's arms since the day you were born." His blue eyes darkened and flashed with anger. "Right now, we are being held by a serial killer that just so happens to be my father. I will ward off the inevitable for as long as I can, but he will convince me. You will die at my hand. That is how this will end. There will be no rescue. No one knows we are missing. You wanted to know how my childhood was? Well, welcome to my childhood." He turned his head away.
As if on cue, Minato re-entered the room, having apparently unlocked the door during Naruto's rant. He clapped dramatically as he approached, a pleased expression on his face. "Well done, my fishy. That was an inspiring speech that I think none of us will forget. Especially your little friend, she seems a bit shocked by your outburst." He placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder and squeezed lightly. "I'm glad that you've gotten over your fear. Adrenaline and anger will do that for you." He bent down and whispered into his son's ear. "Now, why don't we get started, hm?" An evil smirk slipped across his face as the man's eyes connected with Sakura's. A tongue slithered it's way out of his lips and flicked across Naruto's earlobe.
An involuntary shudder caused Naruto to twitch slightly. However, as much as he told himself otherwise, it was not a shudder of disgust. He caught the horrified look on Sakura's face and blushed in shame. Minato's chuckle echoed in his ear and he felt bile rise into his throat, the tangy taste stinging the back of his mouth. "Ru-ru, are you going to make Papa proud?" Minato all but purred the question.
Naruto felt his inner walls crumbling, and quickly. The hand squeezing gently on his shoulder, the familiar breath ghosting over his ear, neck, and cheek, and the soft, fatherly voice whispering into his ear; it all caused his mind to go back years. His shoulder was no longer wide and broad, it was small and bony. His small, squeaky voice was full of adoration, "Yes, Papa!"
As the words left his much older mouth, Naruto returned to the present and immediately clamped his mouth shut in shock. Minato chuckled in his ear and Sakura was looking at him with betrayal. "I know what makes you tick, fishy-fishy." Sliding his arm across Naruto's shoulders, the older blond draped his arm onto Naruto's chest and leaned closer. "Go on, Ru-ru. Be a good boy." Shivers overcome Naruto's body and he twitched. He fought against the overwhelming urge. He dug his heels in at the edge of a pit and refused to budge.
"Fight it, Naruto! What ever control he has over you, fight it!" Sakura shouted, apparently noticing her friend's inner struggle. "Don't listen to her, Ru-ru. She's just nervous and scared, like you and me." Naruto felt his lips start to move and he bit them as hard as he could. It hurt and blood was now dribbling down his face from his punctured lips, but the pain kept him in control, at least for the moment.
A hand slid down his arm and gripped his hand, tugging it lightly. "You can do this, Ru-ru. You want to make me proud, right?" Naruto's mind slipped again and he returned to a time when he was a happy little boy who hurried after his father and took the offered knife. His lips curled upwards, despite the gripping teeth. He shook his head desperately, trying to keep control of his body.
He had to fight for as long as he could. He had to…Why? I will not win this fight. No rescue is coming. Sasuke is dead. Why am I fighting this? Naruto began a short argument with his conscious.
You are fighting it because you know it is wrong. Besides, since when have you taken the easier path?
Since there is nothing to fight for. Since… Naruto's eyes lit up for a brief moment and then he relaxed in his chair. It took a second, but Naruto turned his head to face his father. A small, child-like smile split his bloody lips. "I want to make you proud, Papa." A feral grin stretched Minato's features and he ruffled his son's hair affectionately. "That's my fishy!" The man produced a knife and held it out to his son. "Would you like to go first?" Naruto hesitated, but nodded slowly.
His father seemed pleased by his response and cut the zip-ties that fastened him to the chair. He placed the knife in Naruto's open hand. Staring at the sharp tool, he spoke quietly, "I-I'm nervous, Papa." As his fingers closed around the handle, Minato squeezed his hand. "So am I, fishy-fishy." Naruto took a deep breath and stood, raising his eyes from the knife. His eyes met Sakura's terrified, horrified ones and he tilted his head slightly. There was betrayal and a flicker of anger swirling among the fear and horror in her green eyes. He felt sorry for her; she didn't know that it was all going to be okay.
Naruto advanced on her, step by step, foot by foot. His heart rate increased with each movement. He could feel his palms starting to sweat. He raised the knife to the perfect angle and loomed over her quivering form. He looked deep into her watering eyes. He made sure she was only looking into his eyes and not at the knife in his hand. He leaned back slightly, tightening his arm, shoulder, and abdomen muscles. As she stared into his blue eyes and he stared into her green, Naruto brought the knife down with a vicious downward slash to the shoulder.
Just before the knife connected with her flesh, Naruto let a confident grin appear on his face for a split second. As the grin disappeared into his previous expression, he winked at the restrained girl. She didn't have enough time to think about what had just happened as the blond sliced her and a scream ripped her throat. A flicker of sorrow went through his chest, but he steeled his resolve. He had to do this. He had to. There was no other way.
He slid the knife out of her and then wiped the blood on her pants. He watched the blood start to seep through her shirt. Pocketing the knife, Naruto straightened his clothes and turned to his father. Meeting his gaze with unwavering eyes, Naruto spoke, "I severed her axillary artery, she will bleed out in a few minutes." Minato's child-like grin sickened Naruto, but he didn't dwell on the feeling, quickly pushing it away. "Good boy. Shall we stay to watch the show?"
Naruto tilted his head slightly, "Do we not have things to do, Papa? I would much rather leave this whore alone to die. She does not deserve to have an audience in death." He set his jaw and continued to stare at his father, who nodded briefly. "Indeed. I am glad you have detached yourself from her and the false life you had."
Minato turned and left the room, Naruto following not far behind. "I have a car a few blocks away, as always. I think you will recognize this building once we are outside." The older blond grinned and Naruto raised one eyebrow in curiosity as his stomach churned slightly. He had an idea of where they were, and it wasn't good. The police had never found where the infamous 'Yellow Flash' had slaughtered his victims. Even though he had been caught, the police had not never had enough evidence to lead them to the exact locations of the murders. Naruto, however, knew the locations, but only by sight. When his father had been arrested, his memories were too spotty to be used as a testimony or an accurate compass to find the locations.
Recently, his memories were becoming more and more vivid and there was something about the building that seemed familiar. The painted walls were all wrong, but he knew these crooked hallways. As they neared a door, Naruto's brow furrowed. Had he really been out that long? Could they really have come all that way?
His suspicions were confirmed as Minato pushed open the door to reveal a narrow alleyway that smelled of trash, urine, and general filth. He slowly followed the man towards one end of the alley, where people could be seen walking back and forth on a busy sidewalk. Swallowing hard, Naruto forced his body forward, step by step. Sunlight washed over them and they slipped into the crowds as if they had always been there. No one glanced in their direction, heads down against the wind that blew through the city.
Minato paused briefly and grinned at Naruto. "Recognize it?" Naruto nodded numbly, causing Minato to laugh. "You didn't think you were out that long, did you? Where else would I go to have a reunion with my son? We won't be staying here, granted, but I thought it would be nice to walk down memory lane a bit." Minato gripped Naruto's shoulder tightly before turning and continuing on his way. Naruto shot a backwards glance at the broken-down building before hurrying after his father. This was no time to get lost in the past. He had to focus on what to do next.
This time, as they neared the beat-up car his father was driving, he got in on his own. He sat in the passenger seat, upright and alert, as his father drove away from the accursed city. He kept his eyes trained on the road as they passed a sign that read, 'Leaving Suna City'.
"Where should we go, Ru-Ru?" Naruto turned to Minato with raised eyebrows, unsure of how to answer. "Oh, come on! Pick a place! Somewhere you've always wanted to go! It does not matter where we go. We can start to have some real fun anywhere." Naruto furrowed his brow in thought. After a few minutes, he replied, "Kumo City." Minato, who had spent the last several minutes impatiently waiting for an answer, grinned. "Excellent choice, my fishy, absolutely excellent."