Hello all! Here I am with Savage Hearts, chapter 12! I hope you enjoy this chapter, even though it's quite different in tone than the others. It's a transitional chapter in which Naruto is sad :(
Disclaimer: Don't own anything!
Warning: Slight bit of language, that's it
Notes: A big THANK YOU to everyone that's reviewed! I love you all. And I kept my promise – review replies are located at the end! Special shout out to Serenityofthematrix, who read and reviewed EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER! I truly find that amazing. Thanks so much!
Also, I received a PM from an angry reader saying that I was ripping off Phantomsnow's original story Savages of the Heart. I don't know if that person is still reading, but I'd like to say: I mentioned in the FIRST CHAPTER that this story was inspired by Corazon Salvaje, which is the same novela that inspired Phantomsnow's fic. I'd also like to say: Hello? If I was going to rip off someone's story, I WOULDN'T MENTION IT, by name and author, in the first chapter.
Thank you, that is all.
~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE END OF A DREAM ~
"Home sweet home," the morose blond teenager said, staring at the front door of his cheap, run-down apartment. The wood was painted a sickening shade of green, a color that reminded Naruto heavily of vomit. Attached to the center of the door was a gold-plated 29. The number was tilted slightly to the right, showing that before being painted such a horrible shade of green, the door had been a more respectable dark red.
Heaving a deep sigh of regret, Naruto reached into his pocket to take out his keys. If only Iruka could see me now, he thought, struggling to turn the key in the rusty old lock. He would have a heart attack if he ever finds out where I'm living now.
After leaving the Namikaze-Uzumaki residence without any sort of warning or goodbye, having taken only his wallet and a bag full of clothes and his most precious personal possessions, Naruto, for once in his life, had found himself without a place to stay. When he'd gone to Tsunade, requesting the finalization of his Hokage training, he'd lied and said he already had a place prepared. Not wanting her to find out why exactly he'd left his home and arrived at her office in the early hours of the morning, Naruto misled her into believing he'd been renting an apartment in the village for quite a while already. In reality, Naruto was homeless and had to spend the rest of the day hunting for an unoccupied apartment that he could afford with the modest amount of money he had in his wallet. Naruto might be a rich heir to a noble clan, but he wasn't used to carrying around large amounts of money – he was paying for that now.
Right about the time Naruto had been considering returning to the mansion to ask Iruka for more money (something he really didn't want to do), Naruto came upon this grungy apartment building. Like the apartments it housed, the outside of the building hadn't been much to look at. Made out of dull gray cement, the building was 3 stories high, with 10 apartments on each floor. The only thing that had attracted Naruto's eye was the large yellow banner plastered across the front of the building. It read, "Many apartments available at incredibly low rates!" in large red letters.
Naruto had always been attracted to such bright colors, and this time was no exception – he was immediately drawn in. Making up his mind, he went in to investigate. The building manager was eventually found (after a lengthy search – those signs were all wrong! It was almost like they were meant to confuse instead of help people) in a small office in the rear of the building, perusing a familiar dirty novel with a bright orange cover. "Gah! Another pervert!" Naruto cried involuntarily, pointing at the surprised man. "Why are all old men such perverts?"
"E-Excuse me?" the manager sputtered, pushing his round, dark-tinted glasses up his suddenly bright red nose. "Who do you think you are, to tell me such things?" The man's agitated tone was echoed by his sharp movements. The speed at which he threw the book into his desk drawer and then stood caused several strands of his brown hair to escape the bandana he was using to cover it and hold it in place.
Naruto blinked. "Er…" My mouth got away from me again! I hope this won't make him deny me, he thought worriedly, biting his bottom lip. "Um, I was hoping to rent an apartment?" he asked, sounding hopeful.
"Oh!" The brunet manager deflated, his anger seeming to dissipate instantly. He coughed, taking a moment to fix his hair back into its bandana. Pushing his glasses up his nose again, the man sat back down in his chair and motioned for Naruto to have a seat as well. "What kind of apartment were you looking for?" he questioned, peering at Naruto intently (the blond couldn't see his eyes, but he could certainly feel them). "One bedroom, two?" the man prompted, seeing his blank look. "Do you want a bathroom with a shower, or would you prefer a bath? Did you want a balcony?"
Naruto shifted in the hard plastic chair he'd been offered. "Uh, I need a one bedroom apartment," he finally answered, blinking his eyes as he tried to make up his mind quickly. The man seemed to be waiting for his answers impatiently. "I prefer to shower, but a bath is fine, too… And, uh, a balcony would be nice, but not necessary."
"Marvelous!" the manager said, sounding much more pleasant now. "I have the perfect apartment in mind for you! It's on the second floor, right at the end of the hall, so you'll have plenty of privacy." The man gave Naruto a searching look. "You're a ninja, correct?" He didn't give Naruto a chance to answer. "Yes, yes, I knew right when I saw you," the man said confidently, nodding his head rapidly. "I used to be a ninja too, you know."
The blond gave the man a polite smile. "I'm sure you were great." Were – past tense. Way past.
The man chuckled. "Oh, I was! I can still recite each and every law in the Konoha law book from memory," the man said proudly, pushing his glasses up yet again. "It's been a few years since I gave up the life of a ninja, though. Sometimes I miss the adrenaline rush, but I'm content with the life I'm living now, for the most part. Being the manager of this apartment building gives me plenty of free time to use as I wish."
Naruto sent the drawer in which the manager had stashed his copy of Icha Icha a knowing look. I'm sure I can guess what most of that free time is spent on, he thought, wrinkling his nose in distaste.
Everyone who willingly read those books was a huge pervert in Naruto's view. His own godfather, the self-proclaimed Super Pervert Jiraiya, was the author of the Icha Icha series. Naruto knew first-hand how smutty those books were, having been asked to be part of Jiraiya's editing team. Poor 12 year old Naruto had not known any better, and had agreed to read Icha Icha Paradisu, Jiraiya's first novel. After that, his innocence was forever tarnished and he was traumatized for life. Perhaps that was why Naruto batted for the other team.
Naruto cleared his throat, catching the manager's wandering attention. "About that apartment…" he said, hoping to finish this up soon. The gleam in the older man's eye was making him uncomfortable.
"Ah, yes!" the manager said, sitting up straight. The man's hands were suddenly in a flurry of motion, grabbing a sheet from this cabinet and another from that one, not stopping until there was a sizable stack in front of Naruto's astonished eyes. "This is all standard procedure," the manager said, spreading the forms across the surface of the desk. Naruto noticed that most of the documents were several pages long.
"This one here," he said, pointing at the first one, "Says that you agree to leave a damage deposit." The finger moved to the next one. "This one says that you won't cause any overly large noise that might disturb your neighbors. You don't have any neighbors right now, but just in case," the man added quickly, noticing Naruto's raised brow. "This one says that you are conscious that the building's laundry machines are coin-operated and located in the basement for everyone to share." The finger moved again. "This one says that management, that's me, has a week to fix any problems that might pop up, such as a broken appliance or burned out light bulb." The finger moved to the last sheet. "And finally, this one says that the rent is due at the end of every month, and that you must agree to lease the apartment for a minimum of 3 months." The man sat back, interlaced his fingers on the desk, and smiled at the blond, not the least bit winded from talking so fast for so long.
Naruto's blue eyes were wide, staring at the tiny print on each of the documents. He had no intention of reading those things – he had enough trying to process the condensed version the man had just rattled off. He'd just have to take this man's word for it. He accepted the pen the man offered and wrote his initials or signed his name wherever the man indicated.
"Naruto Uzumaki?" the man said questioningly, reading Naruto's messy signature upside down. "Uzumaki? That sounds familiar…" The man gave Naruto a searching look, "Have I met you before?"
Naruto smiled at the man charmingly. "I'm afraid not. My family name is just a common one. I get that a lot." He had no intention of letting anyone know where he lived. He couldn't risk having the manager blab about his new tenant and give away his secret.
"Right," the man said, nodding. "That must be it."
Naruto nodded, standing up. "So, how much do I owe you, sir?"
The man stood up as well. "None of this sir business. Call me Ebisu, Naruto!" the man said, smiling widely. "Right now, all you have to pay is the security deposit, which will be $100. At the end of the month, I'll go around to collect the $300 rent. Sounds fair?"
Naruto nodded. "That sounds fine." He pulled out his wallet, thanking his lucky stars that he had enough to pay the deposit. It looked like he might even have enough to not only buy food but also get a few other sets of clothes. He could pay the rent at the end of the month with what he earned from missions, or from his Hokage training. He'd never been so glad that he was paid for the time he spent training.
Ebisu locked away the money Naruto handed him and then passed Naruto the key to the apartment. "Now, as I said, you apartment is on the second floor, at the end of the hall. The room number is 29. Do you need me to show you the way?" the man asked, looking at Naruto questioningly.
"No, no," Naruto quickly reassured him, waving his hands in the air. "I'm sure I can find it on my own."
Ebisu nodded. "Okay, then." He offered Naruto his hand for a handshake. "It's nice to have you as part of our family. Don't hesitate to ask for anything you need."
Shaking the man's hand, Naruto smiled. "Thank you. It's nice to be here."
At least, I thought so at the time, before I actually saw it, Naruto thought grumpily, hanging his jounin vest onto the flimsy coat rack that was provided.
After finally getting his key to turn in the lock, he'd opened the door and stepped into the apartment's tiny entryway. Locking the door behind himself and slipping on the security chain (this really was a sleazy neighborhood, and you couldn't be too careful), Naruto stepped out of his shoes, exchanging them for slippers. It had rained outside and his shoes were muddy. If it weren't for the fact that he didn't feel like cleaning up mud tracks afterward, he wouldn't have bothered.
Out of force of habit, he called, "Tadaima," into his empty apartment, receiving only a small echo of his own voice. Having few walls and next to no furniture, his new home was prone to echoing. It had scared the living shit out of him for the first couple of days, but after a week of being here, he was growing used to it.
After the small entryway his apartment opened into a narrow hallway that ran the length of his apartment. It held three shabby doors that led to three equally shabby rooms. His entire apartment consisted of only two rooms and a bathroom.
The first room was large, and housed a mish-mash of utilitarian furniture. He had one small blue couch, a brown and orange checkered armchair, an end table upon which rested a neon green lamp, a small kitchen table with only two chairs, a medium-sized icebox, and a gas-operated stove. Naruto was thankful for this last appliance, for he had no idea how to use the wood stoves the cooks at the mansion preferred. As it was, Naruto's meals usually consisted of food that he bought at the tiny restaurant on the corner. The stove was only used for boiling water for tea or for re-heating his take-out ramen. He couldn't live without ramen.
Naruto threw a look into this room through the open door. Seeing nothing unusual, he moved on to the next door. This one led to the small bathroom, which was really small and had given Naruto a severe case of claustrophobia the first time he'd had to pee in the middle of the night. The floor was covered with tiles of an awkward off-white color. Naruto was not sure if the color was supposed to be that way or if the tiles had been covered with so much grime that they could no longer be white. The sink and the toilet were made out of blue porcelain, and were the only furniture in the entire apartment that matched and shared the same shade. The shower was a tiny stall in the corner that was closed with a too-short shower curtain and therefore leaked water onto the floor, leaving a permanent water stain. Naruto fervently hoped that he would not be blamed and lose his damage deposit for it.
After washing his hands and brushing his teeth (alcohol left a strange after-taste in his mouth), Naruto left the tiny bathroom and headed towards the last room in his apartment, his bedroom. Unlike his bedroom at home, this one was sparsely decorated, showing no reflection of who inhabited it. If a stranger were to look at his room, they would think that it was uninhabited and furnished only for show. His bedroom furniture consisted of only a flimsy metal frame that held his full-sized box spring and mattress, two night tables and a dresser settled against the cream-colored wall. Naruto's few sets of clothes were all neatly folded in the dresser, the bag holding his personal possessions hidden in one of the drawers.
Despite the urge to throw himself on the mattress as is, Naruto took the time to change into his night clothes, which consisted of light sleeping pants and a loose white shirt. The clothes he was wearing were sticky with sweat from his morning training and from the shot that Kiba had spilled on his sleeve. His sensitive nose could easily pick up the fumes, even if other people probably couldn't. Wrinkling his nose, Naruto gathered his dirty clothes and threw them into the hallway to deal with later.
Returning to his bed, he turned down the thin green blanket and slipped under it. Moments later, Naruto sighed and stared up at his cracked and stained ceiling. I'm tired, but I can't get to sleep… He pouted sulkily. This sucks. The silence of the room was letting Naruto hear his rampaging thoughts clearly, something he didn't enjoy with how depressing his thoughts currently were.
So… Sakura was lying. She knew what she was doing when she slept with Itachi. And no matter how much I wish it was so, Itachi was probably not forced to have sex with her – he was going at it pretty vigorously and seemed to enjoy himself, not stopping even when I entered the kitchen. Besides, what could Sakura do to force him? He's the youngest ninja to reach ANBU level in history! Sakura has such a small amount of chakra that I bet she can barely even gather it, much less focus it enough to cast a jutsu… Naruto sighed forlornly. No, Itachi must have made the decision himself. Itachi has amazing self-control. Even with alcohol influencing him, Itachi must have known that he was betraying me and yet did it anyway. I can't forgive him for that, no matter how much I want to. I deserve better than that. I know I do.
And yet… Naruto fisted his hands in his blanket, fighting off the sobs that suddenly rose up in his chest, wanting to escape. A sniffle broke through, but Naruto managed to hold back the tears. And yet, I still love him. I can't believe I still love him! Naruto growled angrily, the sound echoing around in his small bedroom. He was angry, furious, not only at Itachi and Sakura, but also at himself, at Iruka, at the world. He slept with my cousin! He hasn't bothered to visit or call or send a message to apologize. He doesn't care that he's betrayed me. The tears finally slipped down whisker-marked cheeks, winning the battle over Naruto's self-control.
How can I face him? After loving him for so long, how can I move on enough to attend his wedding? Naruto sighed, rubbing at his hair anxiously. I shouldn't have promised Sakura I'd be there. Now I can't back out of it because I can't break a promise – it's my ninja way. How I wish it wasn't. I don't think I can stand to see him, talk to him. I can't do this. I can't bear the thought of them together, married happily ever after. It was supposed to be my happily ever after, damn it!
Naruto slipped out of bed, much too agitated to just lie there calmly. He started to pace, going back and forth from one wall to another in the small space provided by his bedroom. Why did this have to happen to me? What have I done to deserve this? I always try to be nice to everyone – isn't Karma supposed to reward me instead of screwing me over at every turn? Is it because I'm the Kyuubi's host? Does his evil spill over into me?
Kyuubi stirred, coming out of his quiet vigil at Naruto's last thought. Hey! the fox rumbled, sounding grumpier than usual, Don't go blaming me, kit. Blame that pink-haired bitch and your precious Uchiha. They're the ones that decided to mate behind your back.
Naruto slumped against the wall, sliding down until he was sitting on the floor. You're right, Naruto admitted, playing with the fibers of the worn gray carpet. I'm sorry.
Kyuubi snorted, You better be. Remember that I can hear your every thought before you go thinking bad about me. With that warning, the fox demon retreated back into a corner of Naruto's mind.
The blond teen sighed, tilting his head back until it rested against the wall comfortably. I can never do anything right. Perhaps that's why Itachi left me. I'm too much of a screw up for him to deal with. Naruto's blue eyes narrowed as he remembered the way Itachi had once caught him as he'd stumbled, patting him on the head like a dog afterwards. Condescending bastard. It isn't my fault I'm clumsy.
Naruto blinked. That's it! That's how I'm going to survive this nightmare. I'll remember all the things that annoy me about Itachi whenever I see him! Granted, Naruto thought, biting his lip, the good things far outweigh the bad in my memories, but it will help. It's the only thing that does help. Itachi will be married to my bitch of a cousin and I can't o anything about it. No matter how much I hate it, I have to get used to the idea. My dream of marrying Itachi will never come true.
Blue eyes glowing with a fierce light, Naruto rose and walked back to his bed, lying back down. He had to dredge up all the bad memories he had of Itachi, and he would rather do it in comfort. He had to be well rested for tomorrow, when he'd be heading back to the mansion, where he would help his cousin prepare for the wedding. The sooner this was over with, the better. Naruto's strength and willpower, while strong, would not last forever.
~ SAVAGE HEARTS – THE END OF A DREAM ~
REVIEW REPLIES:
[For Chapter 9]
Jtwsnw20: I hope you're happy with the amount of Naruto in chapters 11 and 12!
KitsuneNaru: haha, sorry to disappoint. Sasuke is officially dirty
Rascalchibi: Thanks so much for the long review! I adore long reviews! And I must admit that I'm not a total Sakura hater either. In fact, I usually strive to make her seem nice and understanding of Sasuke and Naruto's relationship in all my other fics. This is the only one in which I made her a complete bitch. As for the SasuSaku sex scene – well, I'm sure you've noticed I didn't write it completely lol
DiYella-Sama: You were right. The few people who voted for full-on SasuSaku had a few SasuSaku fics in their favorites. They were biased ;)
Shirookamiinu: Haha, yes, that's what I usually think when I see a SasuSaku.
Takuya: Thank you! And yes, Sakura is starting to get her just desserts for being so snobby
Serenityofthematrix: Wow, you were a busy person! Thanks so much for reviewing every single chapter!
[For Chapter 10]
KitsuneNaru: Sasuke is very very dirty
Deepsapphiresoul: Thanks! I know the SasuSaku is throwing off a lot of people. It's good to know that the story itself is still good despite it!
Jtwsnw20: I bet this chapter really let you know how poor little Naruto is. And don't worry; he'll definitely get some loving! Remember, it says SasuNaru in the story summary! :)
xXPierceMyHeartxX: The story you're talking about is Phantomsnow's Savages of the Heart. Like mine, it is based off of the telenovela Corazon Salvaje. Our plots are similar (since we are both basically using the same one), but our writing styles and the backgrounds of our characters are different. The plot of this story will move in the directions you mentioned, but with some of my own twists. I hope you don't get bored.
KoTenshi: Haha, I'll admit I cringed when I read your review for chapter 9. The review you left for chapter 10 more than made up for it, though! Thanks for sticking with me
Takuya: Oh, I like that! Ha, you're right, Sakura DOES get around. I had never heard of the saying "like the village bike" though. Classic! XD
Shirookamiinu: Oops! I'll help you clean that up!
SoSickOfNyQuil: I hope you don't mind that I used the phrase "screwed over at every turn" in this chapter! I thought it really captured the current situation
Mitsuki1313: Yes, she is a hypocritical whore in this fic, isn't she? I'm afraid I've destroyed her character to the point of no return XD
Airi1285: Yay, another Corazon Salvaje fan! Thanks so much for putting my fic in your favorites!
[For Chapter 11]
Geetac: Haha, yes, Sakura is rather hate-able in this fic…
Yao1taku: Thanks so much for your very kind review! And the fic you mentioned is Phantomsnow's Savages of the Heart.
Ani: Thank you! I do work towards perfection…
Takuya: Haha, I detect a lot of animosity towards Sakura. I have accomplished my goal of making her truly evil
xXPierceMyHeartxX: I agree that, in real life, no one in their right minds would have forgiven Sakura for what she did. However, like I've said many times before, both this fic and Phantomsnow's Savages of the Heart are based on a telenovela, which is the Mexican equivalent to a soap opera. Everyone knows that soap operas are NOT realistic at all. So please don't insult Phantomsnow by saying her writing is bad just because she followed the novela's plot more closely than I did. In the novela, the heroine Regina forgave her twin sister Aimee for stealing her fiancé because she loved her and believed in her unconditionally. In my version, I tried to make Naruto spunky and independent, as I perceive him to be in the actual manga. For that reason, he did not blindly believe in Sakura's words but rather investigated and found out the truth. Phantomsnow may have characterized her Naruto differently, but that does not mean it was flawed writing. She made it work for her. [And her fic may have been written a long time before mine, but that does not mean it is the "original" version of the plot. The "original" version was the telenovela that we are both drawing inspiration from, which in itself is a remake from a book.]